Nelson's father, Maynard, is one of the most highly respected insurance executives in the state, a power in the Republican party who ran for the Assembly, and a former president of the Chamber of Commerce. From his father, Nelson developed the values that have defined him as an agent and a person. He taught me to treat everyone equally and with respect and to follow through on your word. Your reputation is the most valuable form of advertising. If you develop a poor ad for the paper, you can write a new one and fix it the next day.
Reputations can take years to mend.
Integrity is everything. As he settled into his career in insurance, Nelson early on laid out his priorities for the firm and the family. And that belief has become his mantra, not only for himself but for his employees as well by encouraging them to leave their work in the agency and devote weekends and vacations to leisure activities with their families. We struck up a conversation and it was the start of a beautiful friendship. He advocates that philosophy both for himself and other agency employees.