Meet Anthony Castillo | Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anthony Castillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anthony, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In the beginning, it was purely an opportunity to pounce on. I’ve had many J.O.B.’s in the past. Close to 20 (counting internships). And I wanted to try my hand at owning my own career.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own an independent employee benefits insurance agency. I help small, locally owned businesses get access to health benefit options for their staff they love and care about. So, it certainly wasn’t easy. In fact, being where I am now, there are a lot of easier paths to get here. For example, working as a W-2 employee for a while in a particular field and THEN going out and starting a business in that field is one way to do it. I kind of jumped in with both feet. I begin in the supplemental insurance sales business. Selling insurance via cold-calling on businesses door-to-door. And I did that for two solid years before I really started to focus more on building referral relationships (which is a lot easier way to do business). But I wouldn’t have traded those first two years for anything. After those two years I became an independent insurance broker, where I am now.

I certainly ground my teeth using the tough moments over those first two years. One of the biggest ideas I learned is that anyone can start a business and subsequently create a life worth living for themselves. What I mean by that is that anyone can go start a business and in going through all the ups and downs you’ll grow as a person. You just will, whether you like it or not. There will always be risks. If you start your own business, you could fail. If you’re a W-2 employee you could get let go from your job. But failing is one of the only ways to truly grow. To truly find your limits and push past them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There really are many places in the city and surrounding areas that come to mind. If we had that much time, we’d definitely drive up to Pikes Peak. And of course hike around the Garden of the Gods.

But outside of that there are several speakeasy’s that I love to tell people about. For example Allusion or District Eleven. Those are really fun off the beaten path watering holes.

My wife and I really enjoy Stir. That has always been a local feeling kind of place for us to eat, drink and hang out. I have a lot of meetings there. Haha.

And then of course, just our Open Spaces. Walking our dogs on the top of Palmer Park or hiking around Red Rocks, you get beautiful views the whole time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s two people that come to mind. First, my wife. Other than for obvious reasons, I want to be able to strive to give us a more independent and fulfilling life. That certainly helps me get out of bed in the morning. I like Simon Sinek’s definition of a good partnership, community, friendship – people that have agreed to help each other grow. I’m paraphrasing. But that’s certainly something she has helped me do over the year.

And second, I always give a lot of credit to my first insurance sales trainer, Zak Harlow. In the beginning, he helped us build businesses instead of just sell insurance. He focused on how can we bring as much value as possible. That has helped me so much over the 8 years I’ve been in business.

Website: https://tavasolutionsllc.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tavasolutionscos/