NAILBA Perspectives - Spring 2018 - 21

interact with the key decision makers of our industry.
What attracted you to the
life insurance industry?
I was attracted by the independence a career in life insurance
offers. I like the freedom to be
able to control my own schedule,
and I like being able to control the
destiny of my life by making the
decisions I make. I love the opportunity to interact with people who
share my passion for aviation and
being able to help those people.
We have a saying in our industry,
"We are there for you at the worst
moment of your life." For most people in the country, that moment is
the death of their spouse. Since
starting PIC, I have managed to
insure over 30,000 pilots. It's really
an honor to be able to provide that
service for so many people.
What inspires you?
I'm inspired by my passion for flying,
but I'm also inspired every day by my
employees. PIC is more than a company. We consider ourselves a sort of
dysfunctional family. We genuinely
care about our employees, and we
treat them like a family. I also have
a great personal life and an amazing
wife who inspires me daily.
Plus, I love what I do. I have a
passion for my career because I get
to help other pilots like myself.
What are you the most optimistic about the future of
our industry?
I'm optimistic that the direction
of the country and the business
climate is better now than it has

More about Bill Fanning

been for quite a few years. If we
keep moving in this direction, it
will greatly benefit our industry.
What's the best advice you
would offer to someone
entering this industry?
Seek out a good mentor and do business honestly. Integrity is much
more important than degrees and
experience. If you come into this
business with the true intent in
your heart to do the right thing by
both the client and the company,
you'll find success. It's important to
remember we represent both the client and the insurance company. We
have an obligation to the company
to provide them with answers and
represent them well to the end customer. If you're in this business just
for the commissions, you're in this
business for the wrong reasons.
Last but not least, it's very
important these days to find a
niche and specialize in that niche.
You have to bring some sort of
unique value that another agent
can't offer. That's the secret to success in this industry.

Born in Chicago, Bill Fanning has lived in Dallas, Texas since he was
two. He was licensed as a pilot when he was just 16.
Bill attended Sam Houston State University, where he majored in
Law Enforcement with a minor in Police Science. After graduation, he
worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for three years.
For two of those years, Bill ran Death Row. He went on to complete the
Marine Corps Officer Commissioning Program and had plans to make a
career out of the Marine Corps. However, he was introduced to the life
insurance industry while serving as a corporate pilot for an insurance
professional. This experience inspired him to switch career paths and
try his hand at life insurance.
Bill started in the business as a struggling agent knocking on
doors. After a couple of years, he went on to specialize in federal
estate tax avoidance for high net worth individuals. When Bill applied
for life insurance for himself, he discovered the gap in insurance for
pilots. Although he was in his early 30s, a non-smoker in excellent
health, insurance companies wanted to charge him higher premiums
because he was a pilot.
After conducting some studies on aviation risk assessment, Bill
approached a handful of insurance companies about offering fair coverage to pilots. Though he was turned down by most of the companies, Bill was eventually hired by Lincoln Benefit Life to sell life insurance to pilots. In his first year, he brought in well over $500,000 in
premium. As he saw the potential for the niche, Bill left Lincoln Benefit Life, partnered up with Randy Williams, and started Pilot Insurance Center in 1997.
Hobbies: I like to fly aerobatics and enjoy spending time with
my wife, who is the most awesome woman in the world. We also
travel extensively.
Favorite Vacation Spots: Prague, Budapest, Zurich, and Charleston,
South Carolina
Family: Wife of three years, Bri, who is also a licensed pilot

Bill Fanning and
his wife Bri
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NAILBA Perspectives - Spring 2018