BUSINESS
Good neighbors For Rene Chavez, serving customers means continuing to show up long after the policy is signed BY MONICA D. SPENCER
A
When my dad passed away in 2018, we didn’t have life insurance, so we had to scramble to pay for his funeral. If someone had shown them how to fund a whole-life policy over those years, it would have made a tremendous difference. We always ask customers what’s most important: their home, car, health, paycheck or family. Almost everyone says family. That’s why we try to help people make informed decisions about life insurance. It’s not as expensive as people think. We have policies that start around $20 a month. My parents accomplished so much against all odds. If I can help change just a couple of people’s habits, it’ll make life a lot easier for future generations. What’s one question you wish customers would ask more often? “What other ways can I save money?” People don’t realize there are so many discounts available. If you insure multiple vehicles, there’s a discount. If you’re under 25, there’s a discount. I insure both my wedding band and my wife’s wedding band. It’s about $5 a month, and it actually helps lower my auto insurance. Little things like that can really add up. We just want to help customers take advantage of everything available to help them save money. What’s one lesson entrepreneurship taught you? Continue to invest in your team and your business. I had a stable corporate job that I loved, but I learned that if I wanted to accomplish the goals I had for my family, I had to take a risk and invest in myself. It took going all in. I’ve always loved helping people get promoted and become managers. Now I want to help people become business owners. When that happens, they’re going to hire more people and help even more families.
T 19, RENE CHAVEZ SPOTTED A BROCHURE FOR A STATE FARM AGENCY AND decided that would be his dream job. Years later, after careers in banking and corporate insurance, that goal became a reality. Today, the Palo Brea resident is building a business rooted in family and community.
You’ve lived in Maricopa 15 years now. What brought you here? Years ago, I lived in Mesa, and my wife — who was my girlfriend at the time — had a home in Glennwilde. I thought, “Man, this is such a beautiful little town.” Our home was such an amazing value, and I thought the commute was worth it to live in a safe, clean community that’s growing. I think that’s why so many people have moved here. They’re willing to make the 30- to 40-minute commute because of the affordability and the quality of life. You knew pretty early you wanted to be an insurance agent. When did that dream begin? It’s the funniest thing. When I was 19 years old, I saw a brochure for a State Farm agent and thought, “You know what? I want to do this,” until I saw the all the requirements and financial commitment. About five years ago, my wife and I were visiting her family in Wyoming. Her uncle has two State Farm offices, another cousin has two offices, and they started telling me, “Why don’t you try to become a State Farm agent?” That’s when I decided to look into it again. When I tell people I wanted to be an insurance agent when I was young, they think it’s weird, but I really did. It’s really cool that State Farm awarded me this opportunity. What do you enjoy most about being an insurance agent? For me, it’s the people. Some of my biggest moments come from being there for people during both the good times and the tough times. We might save someone money on a new insurance policy, but we’re also there after an accident or when something unexpected happens. I recently had a Spanish-speaking customer in my office. He’s a little older, so as I helped him take pictures and upload them; it reminded me of wanting somebody to help my
family and my mom. It’s awesome to be able to help people because once they get the help, they’re so relieved. What do you enjoy most about being a small-business owner? Being able to make the decisions myself instead of going through a corporate entity. Whether it’s changing our commission structure or approving time off, I can be flexible. I believe work-life balance is really important. If my employees have daycare issues or family responsibilities, I can work with them. I worked for great companies in the past, but when corporations make rules, there’s really no way around them. As a business owner, I can make decisions that make life easier for my employees, and that’s been such a blessing. What’s one piece of insurance advice everyone should know? The younger you are when you buy life insurance, the less money you’re going to spend.
RENE CHAVEZ Hometown: Queen Creek Neighborhood: Palo Brea
Morning or night person: Morning Favorite coffee: Bubba Brewing
Butterscotch Caramel Favorite energy drink: White Monster Zero Sugar Favorite restaurant: Duke’s Roadhouse Favorite movie: Star Wars: A New Hope Favorite book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Rene’s morning routine
5 AM
5 a.m. Make coffee, let the dogs out and have breakfast with wife before the day begins.
6 AM
6 a.m. Review agency performance metrics, check production numbers and map out priorities for the day.
7 AM
8:30 a.m. Morning team meeting to discuss goals and recognize wins from the previous day.
8 AM
9 AM
10 a.m. – noon Meet with customers, prepare quotes and help clients with policy questions and claims. 9 a.m. Start the agency’s daily “Power Hour,” focused on making outbound calls and following up with prospective customers.
10 AM
520-413-0925 MaricopaPinalInsurance.com 41620 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, Suite 105
11 AM
NOON
1 PM
InMaricopa.com | August 2026
August 2026 | InMaricopa.com
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