Meet Wayne McCormick, Insurance Sensei, Grill Master, Photographer, Sports Fan, Husband and Dad
Kenneth “Wayne” McCormick, Jr., appreciates family life at home in San Diego.
After all, he moved around a lot as a kid in a family of 7 and attended 14 different schools before he was 18.
“If I didn’t own my own insurance business, I would definitely be packing moving trucks for a living,” jokes Wayne, who usually makes himself scarce on the 15th and 30th of every month (just in case someone’s planning a move).
Despite being a mover and shaker today, Wayne had a slow start to his career.
“During my freshman year at Cal State Fullerton, I was bitten by the Amway bug,” he says.” “I dropped out of college and took all of the sales classes and read all of the books. I never sold a dime of Amway, but it was the best sales training of my life.”
After Amway, Wayne’s dad strongly suggested that his boogie boarding college dropout son get a “real” job. “So I learned to start shaving, and moved 43 miles away from my boogie board in Fountain Valley to Van Nuys and started selling insurance.”
That was at the tender young age of 19. Straight out of the gate, Wayne worked hard to impress company management. And, of course, his dad. “Being in Van Nuys, I met some interesting clients and even advised Kathryn Jackson (Michael’s mom), Scott Baio (Happy Days) and Todd Bridges (Different Strokes).
But chatting up celebrities wasn’t what kept Wayne motivated. It was helping his clients take the next step in their lives. “Whether someone was insuring their new business or buying their dream car or dream home, I really felt a part of making things happen for people.”
Making Dreams Happen
Flash-forward from age 19 to 27—and a successful 8-years working for another major insurance agency—Wayne made his own dream happen. He started his own insurance agency based in San Diego in 1992.
After having much success in his nearly 20 years in business, Wayne rebranded “Fast Stop Insurance” to McCormick Insurance Solutions in 2010.
“I’m grateful to have relocated to America’s Finest City,” Wayne says. “This is where I chose to plant my roots and raise my kids. I was a Little League dad while my sons grew up and now I’m watching my little girl enjoy acting, dancing and singing. I love having one place to call home, one office in Bay Park and a wonderful wife to share it all with.”
10 Things Wayne Loves to do when he’s not selling insurance:
1. Grilling in the backyard. “My dad was a fantastic meat cutter, but unfortunately he overcooked almost every piece of meat he ever grilled.”
2. Watching my son, Nathan, play baseball and eating his amazing food. “He’s a leftie that throws a knee-buckling, monster curve ball. And he can also smoke meats and make a mean pizza”
3. Eating my grilled fish, pork tenderloin or Delmonico steaks. “Yes, I’m a wanna-be Bobby Flay and I’m addicted to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
4. Fishing and grilling it up!”
5. Watching the San Diego Padres beat the LA Dodgers. “I grew up a Dodgers fan, but adopted the Padres after living here for 20+ years and raising two Padres fans.”
6. Watching and listening to his 12-year old daughter, Kaitlyn, Act, Dance and Sing. “I never thought I’d know so much about Annie!”
7. Taking pictures. “I love photography and capturing the moon, my kids or our lab , Jessie, in our backyard.”
8. Dining at Antica Trattoria in La Mesa with his beautiful wife, Kelly. “She completes me.”
9. Cheering on the Trojans where his namesake son, Kenny, went to college.
10. Creating family videos. “My wife and I presented a video montage at our wedding and I saw the joy it gave people as they watched our lives unfold. Since then, I’ve edited videos for my son’s 18thbirthdays. It’s a labor of love but I know they’ll be able to relive their childhood memories over and over.
As you can see, Wayne has quite a great sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously. If you’d like to stay connected to the self-described “Insurance Sensei” and find out where to find the best tacos in San Diego, subscribe to his blog, connect on LinkedIn, follow Wayne on Twitter , “like” him on Facebook and find him on Google.
Wayne’s involvement in his community and industry:
- Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) Designation
- Member of Dailard D.A.D.S. at Dailard Elementary in San Diego
- Member of the Trojan Club of San Diego
- Member of the Alliance of Insurance Agents and Brokers in California
- Member of the Insurance Community Center and University
- Member of the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research
- Member of the Morena Business Association
- Member of the San Diego Association of Realtors® (SDAR)
Start Saving Today!
To get started saving simply call Wayne today at (619) 276-0492!