Some people in the community just go above and beyond—DJ Colter is one of those people. Raised in a family of educators, Colter initially followed in his parents’ footsteps but soon discovered his entrepreneurial spirit, leading him to a successful career in insurance, real estate, and a host of other business endeavors. However, those personal pursuits don’t keep him from making a deep impact in the community he has come to love.
From Teaching to Business
“I should have gotten a business degree,” Colter said. “My parents were both teachers so that’s what I took in school. I went to Montana and I was mainly there to play football. So, I got the teaching degree.”
From there, Colter went out to the Portland area, met his wife, who was born in North Dakota and went to college in North Dakota, and began teaching. It took a few years for him to find his new path.
“I just got back here and was pheasant hunting during Christmas break in 2003 and the territory manager with American Family Insurance had this opening in Fargo and they asked if I wanted to try it. And they told me that if I didn’t like it, there could be possible management opportunities due to potential expansion into Montana,” Colter said. “My goal was to eventually get back to Montana, but 20 years later, here I am.”
Colter stayed in the Fargo area for a host of reasons, but the thing that first set him on the path towards staying was a book he read called “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.”
“That book taught me how money worked,” Colter said. “Back then, you could buy a rental with almost 100% financing, so I bought a rental property over by Concordia College. From there, I started selling insurance and got into some other real estate stuff.” By 2010, Colter was well on his way to his goal of owning 10 businesses—he owned 8, including Mr. Fields Cookies in the mall.
“I was close to my goal, but I realized I was spreading myself too thin,” Colter said. “I realized it’s better to swim in deep waters with a few things instead of shallow waters with a lot of things. So, I sold out on a bunch of companies between 2011 and 2014 until I had just three, and the insurance agency really took off and I was able to start buying locations and we became one of the bigger Am-Fam agencies in the Midwest.”
The Importance of Giving
According to Colter, the success of his business and the spirit of giving are tied at the hip.
“I probably have a different marketing concept than a lot of people in the sense that I’ve really tried to just help people,” Colter said. “I kind of go by the Givers Gain concept from the book ‘Givers Gain: The BNI Story.’ I’ve tried to serve on a lot of boards and serve in a lot of different ways—I have been blessed tenfold. It’s amazing. I don’t try to do it for business either. I have never asked someone I have served with or for their business—it just happens.”
