Jay Reavis got his start with Holmes Murphy in 2002 as an intern at one of the company’s subsidiaries after meeting Holmes Murphy’s then-CEO while working at a sunglasses shop in Valley West Mall.  

Reavis wanted to build his resume before he entered college, but as a student at Dowling Catholic High School, he was told he was too young for an internship with the insurance brokerage.

He was able to get into the internship program the following year with the subsidiary, Innovative Captive Strategies, later moving into full-time sales and then into the flagship Holmes Murphy, where he now leads the company’s brokerage operation. 

Reavis said it wasn’t what he initially thought he would do. As a child, he thought about pursuing a career in law enforcement or maybe medicine. His dad, sister and brother-in-law are all physicians. Later, he considered leaving Des Moines and getting involved in investment banking in a bigger city like New York or Chicago. But through his internship, his view of Des Moines and the insurance industry changed, and Reavis said he can’t picture himself doing anything else.

What lessons are there in your career path that you can pass on to younger professionals?

Have a longer outlook on your goals than just the next few years. Think about not where you want to live next week, but where you want to raise a family over time. I think people from Iowa don’t understand how great we have it here. That was some advice I probably didn’t get or listen to. We take it for granted, the people here, the weather, the commute. I have the benefit of traveling around with one of my roles to many different cities, and every time I get back home, I love coming back home that much more. And then, look around at whatever everyone else in your graduating class is doing and don’t be afraid to do something different. I look at my class in Iowa, [many of them] were headed to large cities to bank and doing the same job and became a number in this big organization. I was the only person I knew at the time that left to go to Des Moines and get in the insurance business, and I looked at my experience and my career and I look where they have moved many times, the financial crisis, maybe lost their jobs, and I’ve taken the accidental route of not following the crowd and not being afraid to blaze a new trail for myself.

Describe your management style.

I think the personal relationships with the people I am working with has worked out to be the best thing I’ve ever done. Before I make decisions on anything or share my opinion, I’ve always tried to have a relationship with people I’m working with. When you have that, they may question motivations less and trust decisions you make more, and may potentially make tougher conversations that much easier. I like to trust the people that work for us, and trust people to do their job and not get in the way of that. Make sure our people have what they need to be successful, not to tell them how to do their job. 

What book have you read recently? 

Right now I’m reading “The Imposter Cure,” by Jessamy Hibberd. It’s been interesting to learn about some of the thoughts that people have around positive self-talk or the vice versa, the head trash, and how often you can be your own worst critic. When you’re in a constant state of transition, it’s helpful to remind yourself to make sure you’re your own advocate and not your own bully. We have enough challenges you face day-to-day, you need to make sure you’re building yourself up to have success. The point of the book is people assume sometimes that being hard on yourself is required to achieve success, when in reality, it can have negative effects.

Being a lifelong Des Moines-area resident, can you describe the transformation you have seen in the community?

I would call it a transformational change. When I moved into my house in Clive, there was not a bridge across Clark Street. There was nothing west of 110th Street. Now it’s a different place. Downtown has been transformed. The arts, restaurant options. What I love about it is that you have so many unique areas so close together. And for the size of the area, you can get anywhere in just about 30 minutes. We have unique places like a very large city, but we have the benefit of it being Midwestern style, a relatively small town, with the best people on Earth. You can live in a great neighborhood with great schools. You can live in a lot of places and still get home and avoid traffic. It’s a hidden gem people come to, and I think they’re shocked by it.

You mentioned that you like to cook. Do you have a favorite dish you like to prepare?

Shrimp risotto. I was taught how to make that by a colleague and I love to make that. It’s fun, because it never turns out quite exactly the same. I love to grill. I love to entertain, so we entertain for holidays for our family. We really enjoy doing that.

---

At a glance

Age: 41

Hometown: West Des Moines

Family: Married, two children, ages 4 and 7

Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Iowa, Master of Business Administration from the University of Iowa

Activities: Spending time with family, cooking, traveling, fishing, outdoor activities and staying fit.