Nichalas Flores

Agency Partner and Practice Leader, The Mahoney Group

Nichalas Flores

Age: 38

Education: Mesa Community College, associates degree

Job Title: Agency Partner and Practice Leader

Where you work and what it does: The Mahoney Group, an independent commercial insurance and employee benefits brokerage

What were your career aspirations as a child? To be a lawyer or a teacher, to be successful!

How did you earn your first dollar? I was 12 when I had my first job and would file paperwork at a doctor’s office where my mom worked. This mostly during summers. I would work from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., then take the bus to football practice and get home sometime around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. It wasn’t a lot of money, of course, but it kept me busy.

First award or honor that you ever received: I won the City of Mesa Wrestling Champion award at age 13.

What has been your biggest career challenge? Figuring it out. I did not have a lot of people who I could learn from growing up, no mentors who had experience in an office setting, let alone a sales role. Investing, saving, and planning for the future were skills I had to pick up on my own. I learned a lot as an office clerk early on in my years at The Mahoney Group and was able to learn from some of the senior advisers at our firm. They helped me overcome those challenges, along with my own determination to succeed.

Where do you envision your career path leading you in the next five years? Years ago, I set out on a mission to build the best insurance practice serving nonprofits and human services providers statewide. It’s a goal that requires many hands, and will probably never be complete, but it’s a goal worth pursuing because of all the lives that are touched by our work.

What would we be shocked to learn about you? I rarely watch TV shows or movies; I haven’t seen “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” or any of the stuff people watch

What is one piece of advice you have for others on their journey to achieve award-winning success? Treat the janitor like the CEO, because one day he might have the job.

What do you do for fun? Play guitar, work out, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, play pickle ball, spend time with my family.

What is your favorite hot spot in the Valley? Buck & Rider in Gilbert.

Favorite film or character: "Fight Club"

One word to describe yourself: Connector