Before establishing ProInsurance Associates LLC in Novato with his partners this past April, David Hofele ran the Northern California offices (San Francisco, Novato, Redwood City, Concord, Sacramento and Truckee) for a large national insurance brokerage firm. But in 2009, he says, “A merger in our industry created a unique opportunity for many talented folks to come together to create a firm grounded in entrepreneurial spirit where the clients’ interests are put first.”
Now, starting a business in a time of dire headlines isn’t for the faint of heart. So how’s it going so far? “We’re all working very hard, but we truly believe in what we’re doing and have incredible passion for our work.”
Need more proof that this St. Louis native is a risk taker? The Mill Valley resident also shares his homestead with his wife of 12 years, their three daughters, “a yellow Lab and an Irish Jack Russell terrier, six chickens at our home in Mill Valley and six at our farm in North Carolina, two hamsters and 10,000 bees.”
How did you become a beekeeper? What’s the attraction?
A friend in Atlanta set me up with the first hive. Bees are fascinating creatures—very organized in their duties—and what they accomplish in terms of pollinating is something that couldn’t be done by man on such a broad basis. But the real answer is, “We love the honey!”
Do you have a phobia?
Clowns. My kids love to make fun of me over this.
If you could have a different career, what would it be?
Something related to nature—maybe in landscaping, marine biology or field research.
If you were unlimited by money, where would you spend a vacation?
I’d take my family on an in-depth tour of the African continent.
Is there anything unusual in your briefcase?
I carry a Patagonia messenger bag, and there’s always a tea bag inside.
Of all the tools and gadgets you own, which do you most enjoy using?
My hands, in the garden.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Putting myself through private schools using some scholarships, much work study and even more in loans.
What do you miss most about your college days?
My buddies and our crazy antics. I attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I remember waterskiing at a buddy’s summer house on a lake north of Milwaukee—in a snow storm in November. We had to break the ice to launch the boat, then we all water-skied all afternoon in the portion of the lake that wasn’t frozen.
Describe one of your most embarrassing life moments.
While I don’t have anything as embarrassing as Ben Stiller’s hair product scene with Cameron Diaz in “There’s Something About Mary,” I did ride my bike from Mill Valley to the Financial District in San Francisco only to stop to cross the Embarcadero at the Ferry Building and fail to remember my shoes were clipped into my pedals. I went over like a falling Sequoia in front of a crowd of people and put a serious bruise on my…ego.
What skill would you like to learn in the next year?
I’d love to play a musical instrument or learn another language.
What was your favorite childhood snack or candy?
Moon pies.
What’s one fashion trend you hope never comes back?
The Greg Brady hairdo I had in high school.
What’s your favorite day of the week?
Thursday is date night with my wife.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Global fly fishing (freshwater in the United States, Canada, Spain, Russia and New Zealand, and saltwater throughout Georgia, Florida and the Bahamas).
At what age do you hope to retire?
When they put me in the box. I can’t ever imagine myself not being engaged in business endeavors.
