The Real Garion Bunn State Farm

03/18/2026

If you own a small business with commercial vehicles, Drive Safe & Save® Business can help you save and manage your employees' driving behaviors. The program helps make accident reporting and resolution quicker so your drivers can get back on the road, saving you time and money. Contact me to learn more.

03/16/2026

Discover effective strategies for operations improvement in your business. Learn how to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and achieve sustainable growth with our expert insights and actionable tips.
The post Achieving Operations Improvement in Your Business appeared first on BizSugar.

Discover effective strategies for operations improvement in your business. Learn how to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and achieve sustainable growth with our expert insights and actionable tips.

02/10/2026

Storm Prep vs. Life Insurance Prep

Storm Prep:
✅ Stay ahead by checking weather updates early
✅ Stock up on essentials well before the storm hits
✅ Secure your home and ensure heating sources are ready

Life Insurance Prep:
✅ Assess your coverage needs now, don’t wait until it’s urgent
✅ Apply early so you can complete your health check and physical exam
✅ Lock in your rates while you’re healthy, before any issues arise

Don’t let last-minute panic catch you off guard, whether it’s a storm or life’s uncertainties. Plan ahead, stay prepared, and protect what matters most.

02/09/2026

Two storms, two weekends, and countless last-minute rushes. But what if those lines didn’t have to happen?

Just like preparing for a storm, securing life insurance early means peace and protection when it matters most. Don’t wait for the unexpected health diagnosis to try and get coverage.
Start today, protect tomorrow.

02/06/2026

We saw it firsthand: people scrambling to find food, propane, and generators at the last minute, only to find empty shelves and long lines. When it comes to life insurance, waiting until a health issue arises is like showing up after the shelves are empty.

Get the coverage your family needs before it’s too late.

02/03/2026

The past two weekends brought us back-to-back storms, an ice storm followed by a snowstorm. Yet, despite knowing the storms were coming, many waited until the last minute to prepare. Long lines for propane, empty shelves, and sold-out generators reminded us how costly last-minute rushes can be.

Life insurance is no different. Don’t wait until it’s too late to protect your family.

01/26/2026

I’ve spoken at churches, community centers, and small business groups about life insurance.

People don’t always buy right away. Some take months. Some take years.

But here’s what I tell them every time:

“The conversation you’re avoiding today could destroy your family tomorrow. I’m not here to scare you. I’m here to educate you. What you do with that information is your choice.”

One woman called me a year after I spoke at her church.

“Garion, I’ve been thinking about what you said. I don’t think you guys are the cheapest, but I trust you. Let’s do it.”

That policy is in place now. If something happens to her, her family won’t have to scramble.

That’s the win.

Life insurance isn’t sexy. It’s not exciting. But it’s the most important financial decision most families will ever make.

And I’ll keep having the conversation, even when people don’t want to hear it.

01/19/2026

I saw him at Food Lion all the time. Friendly guy. We’d chat in the aisles.

I saw his wife in my office regularly. She paid their bills, handled their policies.

One day, they both walked in together, and I realized: “Wait, you two are married?”

We all laughed.

Then I brought up something I’d been thinking about: “You guys have two daughters, right? Have you ever thought about a family protection plan?”

“We’re good,” they said. “We don’t need anything right now.”

I noted it in their file. Brought it up again a few months later. Same answer.

A month after that, she walked into my office with a death certificate.

“What’s this for?” I asked, confused.

Her voice was quiet. “I came home and found him. He’d hit his head. Some kind of freak accident. I rushed him to the hospital. He died in the emergency room waiting room.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“Did you ever get coverage?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“No,” she said. “I don’t know what me and my daughters are going to do.”

That conversation broke me.

I gathered my team afterward and told them: “This stuff will rock you. It’ll hurt. But remember, we had the conversation. Multiple times. Our job is to educate people about solutions. What they do with that information is up to them.”

I think about her and her daughters often. I think about the husband I used to see at Food Lion.

And I think about the one conversation that could’ve changed everything.

01/13/2026

Ten years ago, a grandfather made a decision most people thought was unnecessary.

He bought life insurance policies on all his grandchildren. Limited pay policies that would be paid off in a few years.

His family probably questioned it. “Why would you insure a healthy child?” “That’s morbid.” “What a waste of money.”

2024, his 11-year-old granddaughter got sick. Within weeks, she passed away.

No parent should bury their child. No grandparent should bury their grandchild.

But because of a decision he made a decade earlier, that family didn’t have to choose between grieving and fundraising. They didn’t have to start a FundMe Page. They didn’t have to beg friends and family for help.

They buried her with dignity. They grieved without the added weight of financial crisis.

That grandfather called me after everything was settled. His voice was broken, but he said: “I’m grateful I listened ten years ago.”

I hated writing that claim check. But I’m glad it existed.

Here’s what most people don’t understand about life insurance: You don’t buy it for you. You buy it for the people you’ll leave behind.

That grandfather understood. His family will never forget.

01/09/2026

What I learned in 2025 that’s shaping how we operate in 2026.

Every year teaches you something if you’re paying attention.

Here’s what 2025 taught me and how it’s changing how we run in 2026:

1. Systems beat intensity every time.

We had quarters where we pushed hard and burned out. We had quarters where we stuck to the system and performed consistently.

The system won. Every time.

Lesson: Build processes that run without heroic effort.

2. Your team will only care as much as you show them why it matters.

When I connected our daily activity to real customer outcomes... protected families, wealth built, secured future endings... engagement went up.

When I just pushed numbers, it felt like work.

Lesson: People don’t resist hard work. They resist pointless work.

3. Time freedom comes from letting go, not holding tighter.

The more I trusted my systems and my team, the more time I got back. The more I micromanaged, the more I became the bottleneck.

Lesson: Delegation isn’t losing control. It’s gaining leverage.

4. Customers don’t buy insurance. They buy security.

The best conversations I had in 2025 weren’t about any payments or coverage limits. They were about protecting what people had worked their whole lives to build.

Lesson: Sell the outcome, not the product.

-----

Here’s how those lessons are shaping 2026:

✅ We’re tightening our systems (fewer heroics, more consistency)
✅ We’re deepening our “why” (every team member knows the mission)
✅ We’re building better delegation structures (so I can lead, not do)
✅ We’re leading every customer conversation with their future, not our products

2025 was a great teacher. 2026 is where we apply what we learned.

What’s one lesson from last year that’s changing how you operate this year?

12/31/2025

We’re open until noon today. Then we’re celebrating.

New Year’s Eve. Last business day of 2025.

We’ll be here this morning because someone might need us before the year ends.

Then we’re closing early so my team can celebrate with their families.

Here’s what I’m reflecting on as we close out this year:

✅ We grew premium
✅ We built stronger systems
✅ We protected more families
✅ We showed up consistently, even on half days and remote Fridays

That’s what winning looks like. Not perfection. Consistency.

To my team: Thank you for executing every single day. You made this year happen.

To our customers: Thank you for trusting us with what matters most.

To 2026: We’re coming in with systems, clarity, and momentum.

Happy New Year. See you Friday (remotely) and back in full force next week.

🎉 Let’s finish strong and start stronger.