Fry's Equine Insurance has been in business since 1984

Jim Fry

How did a kid who didn’t try to do well in school, flunked out of college, and got married at nineteen wind up being relatively successful in two completely different types of businesses?  I would guess you would have to say I was lucky to be born in a family that owned a business and who had sheer determination coupled with the fear of failure.

Being brought up in a business environment and hanging out with my father, it was a natural learning situation. I was learning and didn’t even realize it.

After completing two quarters unsuccessfully at Ohio State University, I went to work with my father as a booking agent for our company, Fry’s Horse Transportation.  Soon after that I married Nancy, who I had dated for two years.  It was then reality sat in; I have to start taking responsibility for my own actions and decisions.  Fear caused me to assess my situation.  Fear also worked to motivate me

I suddenly took the success of our business seriously; I understood this was my only chance to make something of myself and be a responsible man. After a few years of being involved in all aspects of the business, including truck driver, I took over total operation of our trucking company.  In the next eight years we increased our gross revenue by 5 times and that’s when I decided to sell the company.  I got the company sold, but selling the company set up my next failure. In the sell contract I had to work for the new owners for a period of years. Looking back now it is pretty easy to understand why my employment with them was doomed to fail. I just didn’t understand at the time.

The Greeks believe, if you have head knowledge you know it. The Jews believe, you don’t know it until you have done it.  I am not too big on theory - I operate on experience. It didn’t take long for the new owners to have enough disagreement with me to fire me.

At thirty-nine years old and with two daughters in high school, I had no clue what I was going to do. That same fear that drove me at nineteen started driving me again. I remembered Peter Rhulen of the Rhulen Insurance Agency once told me, “If you ever sell that crazy business you’re in, come to work for me”.  I called Peter and reminded him of our previous conversation and he still thought it was a good idea. I remember telling Peter that I didn’t know anything about insurance, and he said, “You know about horses, I will teach you about insurance”.

The first thing I had to do was get my insurance agent’s license.  My heart sunk; my mind went back to my school experiences. But again I didn’t have much choice but to try. I enrolled in an Ohio insurance licensing class; it was five days teaching you to pass the test that was given on the fifth day.  I had never studied that hard. I was staying up studying until two or three in the morning. Friday came and I passed the test and had my license. The whole family was excited; they knew how hard I had worked.  What a confidence builder it was for me to know that I could be a good student and was perfectly capable of being taught in most subjects.

I then went for a three-month training at Rhulen’s home office in Monticello, NY.  After my training in Monticello, Peter sent me to the Big I’s insurance institution for a nineteen-day extensive insurance course at Oberlin College in Ohio (worth 7 college credits). The college recommended at least two years experience in the insurance industry - I had three months.  After arriving at Oberlin and getting into my dorm room, I met my roommate and we went to orientation. That’s when it hit me: pure fear.  What if I fail? Will Peter fire me? I was driven not to fail.

My first exam scorned 68, a failing grade - I was devastated.  But God was looking after me. My roommate had gotten the highest grade in the class. He had seen how hard I worked and told me that I didn’t know how to study.  He worked with me and by the end of the nineteen days I had passed once again.

I opened the Rhulen Agency office in Ohio, working from my home. Rhulen sold to Markel a few years later and a couple of years after that I purchased my business from Markel.  I am now in my twenty sixth year of my insurance career.

Oh yes, Nancy and I have now been married for forty five years - and they said it would never work.  We have two daughters and three grandchildren, all are healthy and doing well.

Today I work on the business, not in it. It’s been several years since I have been involved in the daily operation. I also volunteer for the Refuge Ministry.  The Refuge is a safe place for men struggling with addictions to become responsible men of God.  Please visit the website: MensLivesChanged.org

As I look back on my life, despite of myself, God has blessed our family.