Today we’d like to introduce you to Hal Rochkind.
Hi Hal, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My first job out of college was at the National Western Life Insurance Company home office in Austin, Texas. I started in annuity underwriting and then moved to domestic marketing. Marketing matched my personality a little more than underwriting did. After 3 years at NWL, I was offered a position at Moody Insurance Group in Galveston, TX as the National Marketing Director for Life and Annuity products. At Moody, my job was to recruit independent insurance agents to sell our products, which were mostly National Western Life so I was very familiar. After my father fell ill in 2009, I took over the family business, Rochkind Insurance, to continue my father’s legacy by offering modern insurance solutions with a personal touch that is lost with larger insurance corporations. After 13 years at the helm of Rochkind Insurance, I am proud to say that we have maintained internal growth while keeping our clients’ interests our number one priority.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a piece of cake! No, actually it has been trying at times. When I first took over for my dad, my biggest challenge was learning our budget, expenses, taxes, and products on the fly! The first year was a whirlwind, but by year two I knew what to expect and didn’t have any more surprise bills. While we are so fortunate to have a wonderful staff at present time, it is tough to find good people willing to work. What we do is not hard, but there is a lot of information to learn and you have to be able to multitask and prioritize your time with a smile! In the last two years, we have hired three new people and were running out of space in our office. We considered moving locations to accommodate our growing staff but nothing I found was as good as where we already are, in the heart of historic downtown Galveston. I was able to negotiate with our building owner and my next-door neighbor to build out new offices in his unused storage rooms so we did not have to leave our current space.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Rochkind Insurance is an expert on gulf coast insurance. We are located on Galveston Island and get hit by the occasional hurricane. In Galveston County, if you have a mortgage on your home, the bank will require you to have three insurance policies: Homeowners, Windstorm & Hail, and Flood insurance. In Harris County, windstorm insurance is included in the homeowner’s policy, in Galveston County, they are separate. Rochkind Insurance offers homeowners, windstorm, flood, auto, life insurance, long-term care, disability income, umbrellas, and annuities as well as commercial and business general liability and business personal property. While our office is in Galveston, our state insurance license is good throughout Texas and we do quite a bit of business in and around Houston and Austin. I’ve sold a policy as far away as El Paso and occasionally in the DFW metroplex. While we do specialize in hurricane insurance, windstorm, and flood, we also provide excellent options for life insurance as well. Protecting your family’s financial future is paramount. We are a comprehensive insurance business to helps clients avoid liability and plan for the future. My family has had a business in downtown Galveston since 1914, so we are very much a part of the community. Our reputation for excellent service, competitive pricing, and great communication are why we have seen success. Our dedication to our clients is why we will continue to see success.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
While I continue to learn new ways to serve our clients, the most important lesson I’ve learned is to go out of my way to make my staff happy and comfortable. We have groceries delivered to our office weekly and have a masseuse come into our office quarterly. I take the staff out to lunch at least once a week. If your staff is happy, and they feel valued, they’ll treat your clients accordingly.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.InsuranceGalveston.com
- Instagram:www.instagram.com/rochkindinsurance
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/InsuranceGalveston
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4aBvMxtmcLW3kqKl5gWTA
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/rochkind-insurance-galveston?osq=rochkind+insurance
Image Credits
Galveston Historical Foundation for the primary picture.
All others by Hal Rochkind.
