When Charlie Nusbaum joined S.L. Nusbaum Insurance Agency, his parents were both working at the agency. Now, his sons, Michael and Stephen, are part of the TEAM – from generation to generation.
Charles S. Nusbaum
S.L. Nusbaum Insurance Agency, Business and personal insurance and employee benefits
Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with your sons?
Charlie Nusbaum: My simple advice is always work harder than anyone else in the agency; your name is on the door so act accordingly. I refer back to many things both of my parents taught me, because I was fortunate to have both in the business. Good and open communication is the key to all successes. I am more of a coach, giving examples of previous situations that occurred. The one thing I can improve is stopping when one of the team has a question. It’s not always a job, but an adventure. Make work fun and inclusive. Keep smiling.
JN: Do you find generational differences in the operation of Nusbaum Insurance? If so, what are they?
CN: Yes, there are definitely generational differences, but I am not deaf to learning new things. I learned this from my father and mother. I remind my children and the staff that we always can do better. The next generation definitely works differently and implements even smarter ways to complete their tasks than I have been trained.
JN: What have you learned from each other?
CN: I am not the best teacher at the beginning. Thus, we delegate to others who do it much better, and as they get more understanding of the operation, I spend more time talking to them about managing the business and managing the people – the insurance company personnel, our team, and the clients, both future and current. I am better with them after they’ve learned some things, and then I can use more concrete examples of things that we’ve done in the past.
JN: What advice would you give to other family members who work together?
CN: The advice I give is always respect the prior generation, and what they have learned, and how they have done things. My wife has been very good about pushing separating business from family. I have not been that good, and the kids remind me occasionally it’s family time. We are a family business, but we want to make sure our clients are taken care of 24 hours a day. Another area is knowing and admitting everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Learn from the best in each area.
I am consistent in pushing the TEAM approach in business, family life, and organizations. TEAM meaning Together Everyone Achieves More.
Michael Nusbaum
S.L. Nusbaum Insurance Agency
Business and personal insurance and employee benefits
Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with your father and brother?
Michael Nusbaum: Charlie, Stephen, and I serve in different roles, so there is quite a lot of collaboration to help our clients best. Stephen serves as our claims liaison, so when one of my clients suffers a loss, I heavily rely on him to help get them repaired and reimbursed as quickly as possible. Charlie’s expertise is immense, so leaning on him to navigate more complex coverages is a tremendous resource. He will also direct any referrals he receives to me to help facilitate the coverages needed.
JN: Do you find generational differences in the operation of Nusbaum Insurance? If so, what are they?
MN: Plenty of generational differences arise in our industry. Some of them center around technology literacy and trying to navigate systems from our carriers. When COVID hit, I think there was also a difficult adjustment to having the staff work from home and, similarly, once we transitioned to a hybrid work environment. Thankfully, any of the issues we had or may have tend to be quickly diffused with a conversation.
JN: What have you learned from each other?
MN: The lessons I have learned from my father are innumerable; I joined the firm very green to the insurance world, and Charlie helped me manage the firehose of information you are trying to learn and implement. Stephen’s perspective and experience in the claims realm is vital to serving our primary purpose of getting our clients back on their feet after a claim.
JN: What advice would you give to other family members who work together?
MN: Like our founding fathers said, make sure there is a separation of church and state. While it may be easy to delve into “shop talk” when together at family functions, try your best to save those conversations for a work environment and focus in the moment on the family around you.
JN: Additional comments?
MN: I am incredibly grateful to get to work with my brother and father and the rest of our amazing team each day. The cohesiveness that we illustrate daily is inspiring.
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Stephen Nusbaum
S.L. Nusbaum Insurance Agency, Business and personal insurance and employee benefits
Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with your dad and your brother?
Stephen Nusbaum: My role at the agency is unique, as I manage all claims, encompass-
sing both personal and commercial lines. I am constantly working with both account managers and producers as the claims process ebbs and flows with each scenario. I am constantly giving updates and asking questions of the producers,
As we have been preparing for the transition of leadership, Michael and I have been working closely to make sure that not only the two of us are as prepared as possible but that the Agency as a whole is going to be put into a position to succeed.
JN: Do you find generational differences in the operation of Nusbaum Insurance? If so, what are they?
SN: There are notable generational differences in the operation of the Agency. When we transitioned leadership from my grandparents to my father, there were changes, and as the third generation prepares to assume leadership, further changes are already underway. Most of these changes are systematic, aimed at enhancing efficiency and streamlining processes. A key focus for us is to ensure that, while implementing these systematic changes, we remain true to our core values as an Agency and do not compromise the foundation we have built.
JN: What have you learned from each other?
SN: Working with my dad and my brother, there is over 50 years of experience to learn from. I am constantly asking questions about different things and how to handle them. The beauty of insurance is that there is always something new to learn. Things are always changing, whether it’s a new claims scenario or a new start business. That’s what makes it fun and interesting, always learning something new.
JN: What advice would you give to other family members who work together?
SN: Enjoy it. I know that may be hard sometimes, given it is tough to separate work and personal life. But I am truly grateful to have a strong relationship with both my dad and my brother. We work well together. We try to establish boundaries when we have to turn the work off if we are on vacation or something.