Meet Carlos Moore | Independent Insurance Agent, Founder and CEO of Dallas Surety Bonds

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

Hi Carlos, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
One piece of conventional advice I disagree with is that in order to be a successful business owner, you have to overwork yourself. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of times you will have to work more than usual, times when you have to put in some weekends and work harder than you would work a 9-5, but I have learned over the years that there must be limits to the amount of time one spends at work, even when working for yourself. Many entrepreneurs preach about the endless hustle and grind while ignoring the fact that you are most productive when you are rested. Having a rested mind and body not only keeps your ideas fresh, but your mood is also better than it would be if you were burned out, helping you make better, more creative choices for your business and have better interactions with your customers, who deserve your best self. Learning to place boundaries on the amount of time I spend working has allowed me to have a replenished and fresh mind. I am more productive and personable during my work hours, which allows me to form better relationships with my customers and have great work relationships with my employees. The hustle is real but you don’t have to overwork yourself and neglect your own physical and mental health in order to have a successful business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Dallas Surety Bonds is an independent insurance agency specializing in surety and small business insurance. We understand small businesses and their unique challenges. We specialize in providing surety products to an array of different clients, we can bond small businesses, large corporations, and individuals, all with their specific surety needs. In our small business insurance department, we help business owners manage their risk by offering them the best products in order to protect their business assets and their clients. What sets us apart from others is our eagerness to involve and utilize technology that makes insurance easier for our clients. We have partnered with top insurance carriers and the very latest and greatest insurance technology companies that allow us to provide bonding, and binding of policies completely online. We are a technology-powered, relationship-driven Insurance Agency, combining the best of both worlds. This mindset has allowed us to automate in the areas our clients want to interact with a machine and provide real-life agents in the areas where our clients find we are the most valuable. By implementing this strategy we are able to remove a lot of confusion from our clients while allowing our agents to be more productive and build stronger relationships, being available when they are really needed the most. Insurance has traditionally been a very hard area to implement new technology, a lot of our work still requires paperwork and hand signatures, but as we find partners who are willing to challenge the traditional way of doing things, we grow not only as an independent agency but also as an industry.

As a business we have overcome many challenges. There have been times of great success and times where we haven’t grown as expected. One of our hardest challenges has been the ongoing pandemic. Although it hasn’t been easy, we have managed to continue growing and persevere through this difficult time. The key to overcoming any challenges has been our relationships, whether it was our personal relationships or those with our partners and co-workers, there is power in unity and we have seen it play out as we overcome the challenges we face. As a man of faith, I would like the world to know that Dallas Surety Bonds is more than just a business, it is an entity rooted in a desire to serve others, putting the individual before profit and honoring God through our work and relationships.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
DFW has great places to hang out and eat. One of my favorite places to visit is Klyde Warren Park which sits in the middle of Dallas, you can enjoy a great open area with friends and family. The Dallas Farmers Market is a great place to grab a quick bite to eat and enjoy yourself on any given afternoon. Another must is the Fort Worth Stock Yards, it is always a good time walking around seeing the different shops, and enjoying an authentic Fort Worth experience. Two of my favorite restaurants are Lupe Tortilla, in Addison, and Chimichurri in Bishop Arts District. Lupe Tortilla in Addison is one of the best tasting, most authentic Mexican cuisines I know of. They have a great selection of drinks and traditional Mexican plates that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy. Chimichurri is an Argentinian restaurant, the menu consists of traditional plates that remind my wife of home and the ambiance is on point, always warm and inviting, the location makes for an awesome way to experience the city as well. One honorable mention is Picolé, also located in Bishop Arts District. I have recently visited them and had a great experience, their take on popsicles is new and exciting with many variations and ways to enjoy them, this place always makes for a quick treat you can eat while strolling through Bishops Arts District.

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?
Growth is definitely about community, having people around you that support and encourage you is essential in life. I would like to thank my parents for giving me the entrepreneurial bug. My parents would always find ways to make a living through their own business ventures, from a birthday party entertainment company in the Valley to their most successful and current venture “Real Cuts” a barbershop they own and operate in the heart of Grapevine, TX. Being immigrants, originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, they taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance in the face of adversity, and the value of being able to create something out of nothing with a little imagination. From my parents, I learned to take risks and step out of my comfort zone when there is the possibility of a better future. Their support has been unconditional throughout my career. Sometimes people come into our lives by happenstance and other times we marry into a relationship with them. Although I thank my wife for all the support and hard work she has put in the business alongside me, I would especially thank my father-in-law for the support, mentorship, and encouragement he has provided me throughout my independent insurance agent career and now agency ownership. My father-in-law has owned one of the most successful independent insurance agencies in Irving TX, “Monzon Auto Insurance,” where I started my career as an insurance agent. He taught me everything he knew about selling, servicing, and creating relationships with clients in insurance, I felt like I got 20+ years of experience on my first day. As I grew working at his agency, he allowed me to take new risks, giving me the trust to manage and help grow his business. When the time came and I found my niche: surety bonds. He was encouraging and supportive of me starting my own insurance agency, helping me navigate the licensing, and supporting me with business capital needed to get a start in the market I was going after, never thinking twice about losing one of his best agents, but always putting my professional growth first. Thanks to his knowledge and mentorship I have been able to scale my business and grow beyond my wildest dreams in a very short amount of time. I know I can always count on him to bounce ideas off and he helps me navigate managing and growing my agency even to this day, the knowledge of our elders is truly priceless and though many of us might think we know everything, I have learned to humble myself and learn from the mistakes and successes my mentors have had.

Website: www.clickandbond.com

Instagram: @dallassuretybonds

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