Today we’d like to introduce you to Elvin Taylor Jr.
Elvin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I graduated from the University of Memphis in December 2006 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. From there, I began working in the logistics industry for a few different companies. During my tenure with logistics, I had an opportunity to lead large teams of 150 and more employees; and head multi-million dollar projects for Fortune 100 companies (During the early years of my career, I obtained my MBA from The University of Phoenix). Being a leader in a Corporate America environment led me to the decision that I would like to become an entrepreneur, and gain creative control of my own establishment. I wanted to create an environment that was family-oriented, customer-driven, productivity-focused and based on my core ethics principles. I felt that many Corporate America settings focused too heavily on politics, and not enough on substance. This led to the decision to open Elvin Taylor State Farm on March 1, 2016.
On March 1, 2016 at 9:00 AM, I held my ribbon cutting ceremony; and by 10:00 AM, my first appointment was seated in my office prepared to do business. In our first month, we broke several Shelby County/Memphis records, including but not limited to: Total production, Life production, and Health production. Essentially, we set the bar extremely high for new State Farm Agencies. Since then, we have gone on to receive several accolades on both the local and national level. I attribute our success to a few things:
1. Preparation before opening.
2. A powerful and talented Office Manager who has bought in and been a Vice President of sorts from day one.
3. Standard processes with regards to how we approach our business model.
4. Integrity (Last but not least).
We have built our Agency on one primary motto “If you would do it for your mother, do it for the client. If you would NOT do it for your mother, do NOT do it for the client.”
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has not been easy at all. In fact, in my first year, there were times that I did not pay myself because I had to ensure that I made payroll to keep my team on board; and invest in the startup of my business. I would say that my leadership experience has allowed for a smoother transition than most. However, operating with high standards is excellent for the culture of the business. Still, it also creates more opportunities for turnover since many people are not prepared for the amount of work needed to succeed in a high-performance environment. The investments in training/re-training of employees have been the most challenging task thus far.
Please tell us about your business.
Elvin Taylor State Farm specializes in Insurance and Financial Services. We offer Auto, Home, Life, and Health Insurance; while also offering Banking such as Mortgage financing/refinancing, Auto financing/refinancing, and Deposit products (Checking, Savings, Credit Cards). We have become most well known for our ability to relate to our customer base; and provide affordable options to meet their needs. We stand firmly on the fact that regardless of a person’s income- we all have similar needs. Therefore if there is ANY way that we can meet those needs, we will do so! As previously mentioned, the one principle that my office will never sacrifice is integrity. If a customer is better suited to working with someone else, we will advise them of such. We feel strongly that if we work hard and do right by people. Success is inevitable.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could do it all over again, I would have been more patient from the beginning. I was nervous being an entrepreneur at such a young age, and at times it showed. Whether it was my interactions with my team or my ability to process failure, I could have done a better job of maintaining composure during those early weeks and months.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.callelvintaylor.com
- Phone: 901.362.1300
- Email: elvin.taylor.f87v@statefarm.com
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