Chad & Michelle Spink – Update 2022 (18 years later)
This update will be easy. We are still happily married with 2 healthy boys. It is everything we said 18 years earlier, just multiplied. I can’t imagine doing anything else. The income, freedom and the amazing trips from Mexico to Italy, we are both forever grateful. The best part of this career though is helping serve my customers. There is no greater feeling! Thank you after Thank yous!
Chad Spink- 2004
I am 27 years old and live in Papillion, NE. I graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the University of South Dakota in 2000. My wife & I were recently married in April 2003. My wife, Michelle, is a psych tech at Children’s Hospital in Omaha and works with children and young adults with eating disorders.
My previous career involved counseling troubled teens at a residential treatment facility. I enjoyed working with kids, but was ready for a change with new challenges and where doors are wide open for my future.
I took my insurance exam and was hired by Jim Gray in July 2003. I knew that the job would present challenging and rewarding opportunities that I had never experienced. However, I was a bit skeptical about being away from home and Michelle for a few nights a week. It took us a few months to adjust to the change and has eventually even strengthened our love and respect for each other.
Omaha Division Insurance Agency has given me the freedom I’ve always wanted in a job. It has definitely been rewarding throughout my first year of employment. I am now beginning to see even more rewards during my second year as my renewals from previous written business have begun accumulating. Because of my job, my wife and I have been able to accomplish some of our small aspirations and begun setting new and even more exciting life goals.
Michelle Spink- 2004
When my husband first approached me about becoming an insurance broker for Omaha Division Insurance, I was incredibly skeptical. He had a great job with good hours and was home every night and had most weekends off. I thought how could we possible continue to grow as a couple if he is out of town working three to four days a week. I thought no amount of money could make me feel at ease with this, besides, we have said that our relationship always come before either of our careers.
As we weighed out the pros and cons, we began to realize that this job could be a great opportunity for us. Chad is very hard working & determined, but the thought of him leaving a salary job to work solely on commissions was a bit scary for me. As we spoke with other brokers, we understood that it would not take long for Chad to learn about the products and begin on his own. Jim and the other brokers were very accommodating, and too the time to go each week to train him, until he felt confident in his abilities.
The first few months that Chad started working for Omaha Division was definitely a change. We began making the most out of the time that we did spend together which made the adjustment much easier. One of the best things about his job is the flexibility that is allowed with his work schedule. We have the opportunity to travel more and to things that, had he stayed at his other job, we wouldn’t have been able to do. We have been able to go skiing in the winter and go boating in the summer, things that we were not able to do as much with his other job. The holidays are incredible. Before, Chad was working every other holiday and now we are able to take several days off to be with our families.
The increase in salary has definitely made things easier. We’ve been able to pay off debt that we struggled to pay in the past. I believe that money does not bring happiness, but his job has allowed us to focus more on each other, and less on our finances. I know that this challenge has strengthened our relationship and has allowed us to enjoy our lives together that we may never have been able to experience.