I was about 9 years old when my family and I experienced our first hurricane, Charley, in 2004. As New Yorkers turned Floridians, no one in my family was sure what to expect, but we knew enough to be nervous. My father, mother, sister, our dog Lukey, and cat Mimi, and I resided in our tiny apartment on the second floor in Fort Myers, Florida.
I remember my father and mother pacing around the apartment, concerned about a large tree that towered over our side of the apartment. One of the first real signs things were going downhill was the power starting to flicker on and off. Eventually, it went out for good, so my mother went to get our hurricane supplies and the emergency TV/radio. That’s when my sister and I noticed my father had the door cracked open. We were, of course, immediately curious and begged him to let us see what was happening.
It took some convincing (whining) and a heavy dose of puppy dog eyes, but my father finally surrendered against his better judgment and allowed us to take a look. I would never forget what I saw.
My closest experience with strong winds as a New Yorker was the chilly fall and winter months in the city. The wind rips through the buildings and down to the streets so hard it could push a grown man over. But this was totally different.
With my 9-year-old eyes wide open, I witnessed firsthand the destructive power of a hurricane. The winds I observed in the city were nothing compared to the winds that Hurricane Charley brought to our neighborhood. I was scared, yes, but I was also completely captivated.
My mother sternly requested that we close the door and get to the bathroom as the storm intensified. My parents did allow us a brief visit outside as the eye of Charley passed us. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Massive trees that were practically skyscrapers in my eyes were thrown about like toys. They were everywhere, on the ground, uprooted from where they once stood, and cut in half. Cars that were previously parked neatly in their spots were just as easily tossed around in the parking lot, many now damaged.
I was truly in awe of the sights I witnessed that day. Perhaps more importantly to a 9-year-old, I was thrilled about likely having no school the next week.
Years later, my stepfather, Ralf, and his son Ryan entered the picture. Ralf was an insurance adjuster, and while I had no idea what that was at the time, I knew he traveled for work. Later, he would offer me a chance to go with him to Superstorm Sandy. My mom told him it would be too dangerous, so he should go without me. Thanks, Mom.
In high school, my family had many financial struggles, as I’m sure many others did in 2008-2010. I remember the power and water going out often. Whenever my mother returned home from work, she would take us to the local park to use the showers before school in the morning. One day, the house we were renting was foreclosed on, and we were told to vacate within three days.
During this period, I developed a scarcity mindset that I still carry with me into my adult life. I knew I wanted a better, more secure future, but I had no clue how to really get there. So I did what everyone else did: I went to college. While my family was in a better position by then, I was still fixated on not being able to provide and assist.
That first year of college, I worked a part-time remote job, went to school, and was miserable. I knew college would eventually lead to potential financial freedom, but I lacked a true vision for my future. I hated the day-to-day. I felt stuck—stuck in a crummy job in a crummy town that provided no potential for growth. Then one day, while walking through the motions, I found Ralf in the kitchen on his laptop, creating a 3D rendering of a house.
I was curious and asked him what he was doing. He explained to me that he had just finished a home inspection and was writing an estimate. Ralf told me more about his job, the states he traveled to, and stories about the devastation he witnessed there after storms. And just like that, I was transported back to that curious nine-year-old kid who witnessed all that destruction years ago. As I looked at the 3D rendering of his Xactimate sketch, I silently told myself, “I played The Sims; I could do this.”
For those unfamiliar with video games, The Sims is a life simulation game. My favorite part was “building” homes for my sim. You would be given a set amount of money in the beginning and construct your dwelling with rooms, windows, doors, and various content items. This was the absolute closest thing I could find to channeling my love of creation into a career with real simleons (that’s Sim money).
With my love of video game building in mind, I followed in Ralf’s footsteps and obtained my adjuster license. After passing my exam and finishing up the requirements like fingerprinting, I was gungho to start my career. However, I ran into the same problem a lot of new insurance adjusters run into: I couldn’t find anyone hiring in February. Eventually, I told Ralf about my challenges, and he suggested I go and work for the roofing company he worked for in Denver, Colorado.
His work buddy assured me that I could continue to learn about construction and develop skills that would be helpful in my adjusting career while I applied for adjuster positions elsewhere. Then Ralf introduced me to a local entrepreneur friend, a former large loss adjuster, who became my mentor. I spent the next few months honing my skills and getting certifications from various IA firms. My stepfather, Ralf, had told me there were only a few IA firms you could work for, which wasn’t really the case, but I didn’t know that at the time. So, I applied to those and bided my time.
Fast-forward a few months, as Hurricane Matthew was barreling towards the U.S., Eberl Claims brought me on as an external claims task assistant (ECTA.) It wasn’t my dream job or end goal, but it was a foot in the door. I worked hard and did everything I could to make a good impression. Eventually, I was brought on for another deployment, then a full claims handling role. In 2018, Ralf requested my assistance using Xactimate Mobile on his iPad to sketch some properties in the field.
The app was new to me, but I was fairly familiar with Xactimate, as Ralf used to have me duplicate estimates so I could get a better sense of how to use the platform. So I channeled my inner Sim and started building the rooms. It was all sunshine and rainbows until the app crashed, losing all my photos and sketches, causing me to have to go back inside and redo everything. Practice makes perfect, I guess, right?
By 2020, I decided to return back into the field in Chicago, IL. I tried estimating and sketching the old way, but having had a taste of Xactimate Mobile I knew I was working twice as hard, with no added benefits. So for the next house, I sketched in Mobile. Then I started taking photos in Mobile.
At that point, I liked Xactimate Mobile, but it still felt like there were issues and limitations. I decided to take a class with someone more knowledgeable than me and was blown away. He told the class how great the Mobile platform was, but how many people didn’t use its full capabilities. Boy, was he right.
I realized I was just settling for what I thought was good enough. I wasn’t estimating or labeling photos on site where they should be done. I was hoping that after each claim, the fog of time wouldn’t cloud my memory when I reviewed photos and wrote my estimate. That I didn’t forget to take a necessary photo, or that I remembered which room it was. That I didn’t forget how important my work product is not only to my IA firm, but to the policyholder who would pay the price for my mistakes.
Since then, I have become a big fan of Xactimate Mobile. I am a firm believer that we should always continue to learn and grow in our roles as claims adjusters. For me, Xactimate Mobile was another new skill that made my job easier and helped increase my closing rate.
I enjoy that being an insurance adjuster gives me the ability to travel and meet new people. It’s exciting and different day-to-day, plus, I get to meet some really great pets.
