JOSEPH P. HOELL INSURANCE AGENCY
Making a Difference in People’s Lives
By Cathy Marjamaa
Joseph P. Hoell Insurance Agency provides personal lines, commercial, and life insurance to the community and the people of Wisconsin. Joseph has been in the insurance business since college at UW-Stevens Point where he also played football. “For the first 12 years of my career, I worked on the exclusive side of the industry, meaning I could only sell insurance with one carrier,” explains Joseph. “After seeing carriers raise rates and not having additional solutions for these hard-working families, I decided I needed to go off on my own and become an independent agent.” He now offers a handful of companies, not just one. This allows him to offer much better rates and give his clients options especially when it comes time for renewals. “I got into the insurance industry because I liked sales,” shares Joseph. “But I didn’t want to sell something like cars, or phones, or something like that. I wanted to sell a product I felt could make a difference in people’s lives. And nothing fits that mold better in my eyes than insurance. I help protect what people work their whole lives for, their cars, their homes, their assets.”
Joseph and his wife, Michelle, live in Greenville with their three children, Veronica, age 10, Gabrielle, age 9, and Noah, age 6, and two dogs, Lacey and Teddy. Veronica and Gabrielle even have businesses they run just like their father. “It helps teach them so many things I think often are overlooked in school today,” says Joseph, “especially at their young ages.” All the children play soccer and basketball. Joseph coaches the children’s soccer teams. The Hoells are Badger and Packer fans. They like to spend time at their lake home up north, especially in the summer.
Joseph and Michelle were married in 2009. They both attended UW-Stevens Point and graduated in 2005 reconnecting in the Milwaukee area after graduation. Michelle went on for her graduate degree at UW-LaCrosse. Although Michelle is a stay at home Mom, she played a big role in helping Joseph start the business, working as a school psychologist, all while also being a mom.
While at UW-Stevens Point, Joseph had several experiences that shaped the direction he would take with his career. “When I was attending college at Stevens Point, I had two really big ‘insurance experiences,’” shares Joseph. “I had an incident where someone broke into our home and stole things from it. I had renters insurance, but my roommates did not.” Joseph was covered and received a check for what was stolen unlike his roommates. “I realized the power of insurance and how it works,” he shares.
Another pivotal time for Joseph is when his friend, who did not have insurance, had a house fire. “It was really bad and overall just a terrible experience,” he recalls. “I saw from an early age what insurance does, how it works, and why you need it.”
Joseph receives much satisfaction in educating people. “There is a big part of the population that doesn’t realize renters insurance costs $10 per month, and it covers everything in your apartment, home, condo that you are renting,” he explains. “There are people who don’t know that an umbrella policy protects every asset you have for under $20 per month in most cases. I like making people aware of what they have available to them, and it comes down to educating people about a topic that is often commoditized.”
Joseph points out: “Every night on TV, you see two types of commercials. One being insurance companies telling you to buy the cheapest coverage possible. The other type is the lawyer telling you how they want to win millions of dollars for you because of a car accident. You 100 percent can have inexpensive insurance AND be covered right. That really is our philosophy at my agency. With a lot of companies, my team of agents and I can do that for you.
He also receives satisfaction from being there for people when they need him most. “I hate when a claim is reported,” he shares, “not because the company needs to pay something toward making the situation right, but because when you call in a claim, it is most likely a day you will never forget–and not because it was a good day. Usually something bad has happened and in some cases, really bad. Something happened to your home, your car, or you or your family could be injured.” He says, “It is my time to shine. That day is why I do what I do. It is time to help you.”
During those times, the client gets to see how Joseph P. Hoell Insurance Agency helps with the claims process, how the company takes care of their clients, and makes things right. “Sadly, when I shine, it is a bad day for my client,” says Joseph, “but having a good policy when you need it is awesome.”
Although Joseph sometimes accompanies people in their lowest moments of life, he also has a much-needed sense of humor. He recently had a situation where he needed to use his insurance policy: “My wife had a scheduled procedure at the hospital at 7:30am on a Friday morning,” he recalls, “so we all piled into our Suburban and headed out.” Shortly after leaving, two deer ran into the road, and Joseph hit them. The deer ran off alive and in better shape than his car. “After about two minutes of driving,” he shares, “I realized my service engine light was on, and my car was dying faster than the deer that seemingly were just fine. I ended up turning into our friend’s driveway. Mind you, I was in boxer briefs, a sleep shirt, and slippers because it was a quick trip to the hospital and then back home for work.” Fortunately, the friend took Michelle to the hospital on time, while Joseph, the children and the dogs waited for the tow truck to take them home and deliver their car to the shop. “Everything worked out fine,” shares Joseph, “but the moral of the story here is wear pants when you go out and have insurance!”
This was a day no one in the Hoell family will forget, but it could have been a lot worse. “I see a lot of accidents every year, many like mine, small minor accidents,” says Joseph, “but I also see accidents where someone is killed or multiple people are killed. Having insurance at that point is necessary, but being covered well is more important.” Joseph adds, “So on top of wearing pants and having insurance, make sure you sit down with your agent and do a review. Make sure you are covered. If you have questions or would like to talk to me or one of the agents at my office, let me know.”
Joseph would like to share this message with the community of Germantown: “As someone who is entrepreneurial by heart, I am always looking to help people get started with their goals of starting their own business. So if you or your child or your friend or someone you know is looking for advice, or help setting up a Facebook page, or looking for resources for setting up their business, really anything, reach out to me and let me know. I would love to help if possible.”
