Kevin Greenwell, 37

The insurance agency Kevin Greenwell launched in 2012 with business partner Jeff East has grown quickly without doing something Greenwell says he abhors: high-pressure sales tactics.

“We don’t really sell anything,” Greenwell says.

Instead, he says, the idea is to work with clients on what products they need that fit their life — with no commission for sales agents. While many competitors say they strive for that kind of ideal, Greenwell, under the AllState banner, says executing it has made a big difference in the agency’s success. That approach, he adds, has led to many repeat clients. “We really do try to make a difference in people’s lives,” he says.

Greenwell says his agency, recognized by corporate officials at AllState for fast growth in its first four years, including the Inner Circle Elite, has benefited from several other factors. One, the partners opened for business just as the economy began to pick back up. Being in Estero, one of the fastest-growing communities in Southwest Florida, is another boost.

A Lexington, Ky., native and University of Florida graduate, Greenwell worked in sales with Sprint before he got into insurance. He worked for Ted Todd Insurance for five years, working directly under Todd at one of the region’s largest independently run insurance firms.

“We have worked hard and put in a lot of effort,” says Greenwell. “But we have also been fortunate in our timing.”

— Mark Gordon

Q&A

Name:  Kevin Greenwell

Age:  37

City of residence:  Fort Myers

Twitter handle:  @GatorGreens

Employer:  East & Greenwell Insurance

Title:  Agency Principal

Birthplace:  Lexington, Ky.

Years on the Gulf Coast:  26

Marital status/children:  Married, wife is Robyn. Two girls, Addyson and Emersyn, who are 6 and 4 years old.

Alma mater:  University of Florida

Best place to network:  Social events for my Daughters

Coolest business experience:  Being chosen to go to Washington, DC to lobby on behalf of our customers and the Insurance Industry.

Messy desk or clean workspace:  Ultra clean workspace

Best business lesson ever learned:  “He who has the best team, wins” – The people you surround yourself with will determine your success.

A website that makes your job easier:  Property Appraiser

Community group you’re most involved with:  United Way

Favorite off-hours activity:  Spending time with family and watching Gator Football.

Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with:  Tony Robbins and Michael Hyatt. Tony because of his passion for life and Michael because of his incredible discipline to create habits that lead to success.

What you would be doing if you could pick another career:  Sales coaching and mentoring.

Top item on your bucket list:  Month long sabbatical with family with no distractions.

Skill you’d like to learn:  Patience

Who would play you in a movie about your life:  Luke Wilson

If I had a magic wand I’d:  Cure Cancer. I have personally seen it impact my own family and many others and would love to see a cure in my lifetime.