This is Part 4 of our Backbone interview with Joe of Guardian Insurance Solutions in Hilliard, Ohio — the work it really took, the partnership lessons, and what almost broke him.
What I wish I’d known going in
Honisto: What’s one thing you wish somebody had told you before you opened Guardian?
Joe: Probably the work it was going to take for the income that I make, or at least started to make a few years ago. I had no idea. I think I was running into this just because I disliked more where I was at than staying complacent in that. I would’ve rather taken something new with a lot of risk than stay put at something that just bored me to death. But the work was nothing short of intense for years. Developing time management and your ability to control operations, a to-do list, and family was just something I had no idea about. You gotta get through it at that point.
Honisto: Now, if you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be?
Joe: Probably the people I started the agency with. I’ve gone through partnership changes since starting in 2019. I could have been more diligent on communicating and learning who I was partnering up with. But again, I’m a big believer in God’s got this under control, and it’s been nothing but more and more reassurance that he has this under control, just given the history. I haven’t even gone through the crazy history of how this agency started and the changes that I had to make within the first month of our agency. But it would be knowing, if you’re going to go into business with partners, there’s just more precautionary steps I would’ve taken in that route. I’m still in business with a partner, just a new one. A much better one. A great one. But I’m not the solopreneur type, if that makes sense. It’s already tough being in business and staying in business. It’s 10 times tougher when you’re by yourself.
What almost broke me early on
Honisto: What almost broke you early on?
Joe: I’d probably say it’s tough, because a lot of the brokenness didn’t necessarily come from the agency. Some of the brokenness was coming from the home life that I was just going through at the time. And that unfolding of my home life, previous relationships — I could assume it could transition people into having issues in the business side. But if there was anything that I knew that had me on the right course and that I needed to at least stay true to and dialed into, it was the company. And that’s what I did. I ended up sacrificing some hard points in the home life and doubled down in the agency. As I was going through sacrifices there at home, it completely turned around to where I’ve established something that means a lot, does well, puts the food on the table, and has also rebuilt a home life that I’m nothing but blessed to have. But the home part is what potentially would have broken me, or could have made some bigger breaking impacts than the agency.
About the business: Guardian Insurance Solutions is an independent insurance agency in Hilliard, Ohio, serving personal and commercial clients across the Columbus area. Reach them at guardianinsuranceohio.com, 4694 Cemetery Rd #406, Hilliard, OH 43026, or 614-451-7100.
Related: Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 5 · Part 6 · Backbone Spotlight · The Backbone Series
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