Phelan Insurance: Where a ‘Family First’ Culture Inspires Loyalty

By Ezra Amacher

When a new hire accepts a position at Phelan Insurance Agency, senior management send them a “welcome” personal note. When the employee arrives for their first week of work, they’re met with a welcome basket that targets the employee’s favorite interests and foods. Finally, senior management takes the new hire to lunch on their first day.

The effort that Phelan puts into welcoming new hires is a microcosm of the culture that pervades the third-generation, family-owned agency based in Versailles, Ohio.

“We mean what we say, and we say what we mean,” said Brent Phelan, co-president and CEO. The agency’s commitment to looking after its employees and prioritizing their well-being led Phelan to be named the Midwest 2025 Best Agency to Work For Bronze Award winner.

For Brent Phelan, the award is a recognition of the effort he and his brother Todd have put into making the agency feel like a place where employees can communicate in an honest and constructive way while presenting their best selves at work.

Several years ago, Brent and Todd Phelan asked a committee of employees to provide feedback on whether the brothers were succeeding at communicating the agency’s vision and culture. The project evolved over time, and about three years ago the committee came out with a vision known as ‘First at Phalen”–F: Family. I: Integrity. R: Reputation. S: Stability. T: Trust.

Underpinning the vision is the notion that employees are people first, said Brent Phelan.

“They said, ‘We feel like this is a family business, you understand that our kids have games and concerts and everything else. As long as we get our jobs done and serve our customers, it’s okay we need to prioritize events for our family… you’re always willing to work around that.'”

Employees who nominated the agency reiterated the ways Phelan gives employees the autonomy to do their jobs to the best of their ability while also having time to tend to things that come up outside of one’s job.

“Phelan Insurance is the best of both worlds for me,” wrote one employee. “It is located in the small town I live in and is everything I love about a family-owned and family-oriented business.”

Another employee added, “Whether through flexible scheduling, remote work options, or other forms of support, the agency consistently shows that our people come first. This understanding allows employees to care for their families when it matters most, and it inspires genuine loyalty in return.”

That employees feel so strongly about the way Phelan encourages a healthy balance between work and family is no accident. Brent Phelan and his brother Todd are intentional about listening to what’s going on in their employees’ lives.

A few years ago, they took every associate out to lunch individually. “We just said, ‘Hey, tell us about your family. Tell us what’s going on. Tell us what we could be doing better,'” said Brent Phelan. “Every year we try to do something a little different like that just to make sure we’re listening to our people. And that’s what it is.”

Another way Brent and Todd Phelan receive feedback is by sending out an annual anonymous survey that asks employees what the agency is doing well and what areas it can improve. The survey is a simple but constructive way to understand how to meet employees’ needs.

“Everybody would like to make more money and have more vacation. I get it,” said Brent Phelan. “But if you let them talk, you’re going to find out the other nuances.”

Topics Leadership