Get to Know the Ames & Gough Team!
Justin Gough, vice president, employee benefits
In college, what did you envision as your career path? I wanted to be a meteorologist. When I sat down to choose my courses and realized how much science was involved I immediately pulled the plug and went with a business major.
Now that you fell into insurance. What do you like most about the insurance industry? I love the relationship part of the business. Starting and fostering new/old relationships is what keeps me going.
What’s your favorite part of being a member of Ames & Gough? Working with my brothers is one of the best highlights of my career.
If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose and why? My Dad. He retired many years ago but still reaches out on a daily basis to check to see how things are going, what he can help with etc. These attributes I certainly hope carry over with me to both of my sons.
How do you define success? It’s definitely a cliché but success has nothing to do with how much money I make. Is money important? Sure. But the moment that becomes #1 then I am failing. Success to me is being consistent in treating others the way I want to be treated and keeping my faith first, family second, and my career third.
In five years, what are your vision and hope? Refer to the answer above.
What is something unique about you (a fun fact) that few people know? How about a “not-so-fun” fact? I’m allergic to everything. Coffee, chocolate, peaches, and green beans to name a few. Good news – my favorite libations still make the cut.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? I’d really like to be able to predict the future. Why? You’re then looking at the A&G NFL Football Pool Champion every single year.
What’s one item you can’t live without? My son would tell you my cell phone, which is sad/true, but I would say South Carolina Gamecock football. What can I say, I’m a glutton for punishment!
Joe Satterfield, account administrator, employee benefits
In college, what did you envision as your career path? As a former college baseball player, I always dreamed I would play professional baseball. Unfortunately, COVID-19 paused my senior season and shortened the MLB Draft from 40 rounds to 5 so my plans quickly changed. When The NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility, I transferred to The University of South Carolina to play one last season and pursue my MBA. After battling many injuries my final year and finishing graduate school, I decided to walk away from the game and pursue a career in business. A mentor of mine made me aware of Ames and Gough, and after meeting with Justin I knew that this is where I wanted to be.
Now that you fell into insurance. What do you like most about the insurance industry? My favorite thing about the insurance industry is helping employees and HR teams find solutions to problems quickly and efficiently. I also enjoy meeting and interacting with so many different individuals in different states.
What’s your favorite part of being a member of Ames & Gough? My favorite part of being a member of Ames & Gough is the wonderful people who work at our company. Justin and I may be by ourselves in Charlotte, but we always have such a wonderful time whenever we travel to see other members of our team. I am lucky to work with such a great group of people.
If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose and why? I would choose Marc Cuban. Even though he says he would not mentor anyone, Cuban has famously said he credits much of his success to a mentor who told him to talk less and listen more. He said he learned so much more about business by not acting like he already knew everything. He also believes you have to get out there, hit the ground running and continue to learn along the way. I try to apply those lessons to both my personal and professional life.
How do you define success? The definition of success changes constantly. Whether I am on the golf course, exercising or closing a business deal, I hope to have a successful outcome that is pleasing to all parties involved. Success is the feeling of satisfaction you get from knowing you have done your very best and the results reflect that commitment.
In five years, what is your vision and hope? In five years, I envision myself thriving here at Ames and Gough. I hope my business skills have grown and I am able to bring more leadership skills to the company. Personally, I hope to still be healthy and surrounded by great people every day. I would love to own my own boat!
What is something unique about you (a fun fact) that few people know? A fun fact about me that few people know is that I own 2 youth hot dog eating records at Skin’s Hotdogs in Greenville, SC. My picture is up on the walls and even though many have tried to beat my record, it still holds to this day more than 10 years later.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? If I could have any superpower, it would be to teleport. I always seem to have bad luck with travel, and I hate being stuck in traffic, so it would be nice not to worry about that again.
What’s one item you can’t live without? One item I can’t live without is my golf clubs. Since baseball ended, golf has taken over as my number one sport. Any weekend I have a chance, I try to find some time for at least 18 holes.