Meet Vagas Mathiesen, a Sales Executive at FNIC (fnicgroup.com).
Tell us a little about your business. – FNIC provides creative risk management and financial security solutions to our clients through the knowledge of our employees of which I focus primarily on trucking/transportation and commercial agriculture risks. Those industries tend to be “my kind of people” and I enjoy not only helping them with their business, but getting to know them on a personal level. I’ve had many “clients” that have turned into lifetime friends. It’s just a really good fit for me to do business in that sector.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I really enjoy spending time out in the field hunting/fishing/camping with friends and family. It’s nice to get off the grid every once in a while and spend time in the wild. When you are out in the middle of no man’s land or walking in two feet of snow, you tend to have conversations that you wouldn’t normally have in an office setting.
Getting to know how a client or colleague thinks outside of the business setting is great. It builds a relationship that is different than a normal working one and I feel it helps you understand people and their business decisions better.
Who inspires you? – My kids by far! It’s fun to watching them grow as they meet and tackle new daily challenges. It makes you realize that the little things still matter in life. I think that really translates into business. The little things still matter. Often times our industry, like most, get caught up in the 30,000 foot view/big ticket items, when in reality, the small things are what actually make the difference.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “If they stand behind you, protect them If they stand beside you, respect them. If they stand against you, destroy them.”
I don’t know where I first saw this quote, but I thought it was pretty on point with most things in life and it kind of stuck with me.
What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – Being a youth mentor for Pheasants Forever is so fun. I love getting someone young who hasn’t spent much, if any, time outside doing something new instead of watching T.V. or staring at their phone. It’s very rewarding watching someone’s face light up when they experience something new for the first time. I know what impact that has made on my life and if I can share that with someone who doesn’t have a family member that is active in the outdoors it’s a great feeling.
If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? – It would no doubt have to be Muhammad Ali. He accomplished so many things in the ring and even more out of it. It would be so interesting to know what he was thinking while he was going through all the trials and tribulations that he did. His mental approach to things was so different than anyone else. It seemed like he was playing chess when everyone else was playing checkers.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? Anyone can shoot me an email at vagas.mathiesen@fnicgroup.com or give me a call at (402) 861-7086.
The insurance market is very challenging right now and I’d love to see how we can help you grow your business by taking a creative approach to what sometimes can be a very vanilla industry… insurance.