“If you can’t look ‘em in the eye, don’t buy.” I was sitting at my desk one evening and this phrase just came to me. It has recently become a favorite of mine. I’ve encountered countless instances of local people being misled about their eligibility for benefits. And then they share their personal information over the phone. This upsets me and that’s why it’s important for customers to come into the office, sit across from me or one of my agents and look us in the eye. My name is Stephen Adams. I’m the owner of Cenla Independent Insurance Brokers which I opened in 2012. I started my insurance career in 2004 by learning from Mark Harlan of Harlan Insurance. I’ve been writing health and life insurance, annuities and advising on financial planning since. People often ask the question, “Why did you decide to be in this business?” Looking back at my early childhood and on into my formative years, I lived with my grandparents for most of it. We even had my great grandmothers living next door to us as well. So, I was always around elderly people. As I’d ride my bike all around as a youth, I'd see them in the yard, stop and go talk to them. I always found it interesting to hear their stories and just simply make conversation. When you visit my office, you’ll see a wide variety of history throughout. This nostalgia for things of old comes from a general appreciation of history. My grandfather, Glenn Adams served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as an Air Force Crew Chief Mechanic while reaching the rank of E9 “Chief Master Sgt.” He later worked for NASA. My grandmother Sue Adams was a special education elementary teacher. Being raised by my grandparents surely had an influence on my nostalgia and appreciation for things of old and reflects on the items you’ll find in my office. You’ll find pictures of former presidents and leaders from our history. I always liked learning about their past and how their journey brought them into their leadership. You’ll even see numerous rocks, arrowheads and coins. I once found a cylinder rock with an almost perfect hole drilled down the middle of it. I wondered how that was made. That’s how my fascination with things buried in the ground came about and is why my collection continues to grow. Ask me about it when you come by.