News Article #5 - Profile on Financial Advisor of Choice

JOUR 2410-504                  Dec. 3               News 6

     Steve Michlik sat behind his desk in his office and crossed his arms. Pictures of his wife and three children are scattered across the office. A cross hangs on the wall.

     Michlik works as a field agent for the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization founded by a young priest, Michael J. McGivney, according to the Knights of Columbus website.

     “The organization was founded by a priest back in 1882,” Michlik said, “to benefit and help families in the case that there was a catastrophe or the bread winner had died.”

     According to the organization’s website, the Knights vow to be defenders of their family, friends, and country.

     Michlik sells life insurance for various members of the Knights. He said he is an active member and attends meetings regularly.

     Michlik said he works with the families of the Knights not only to sell life insurance, but to give advice about financial planning.

     “People need someone that’s like a coach or a trainer,” Michlik said, “and that’s what I do.”

     Michlik said he was born in Dallas, where he continues to live today. He was raised Catholic, which influenced his decision to join the Knights.

     “My father was a member. So is my uncle and my son,” Michlik said. “It’s like a family tradition to be a member of the Knights of Columbus.”

     Michlik said he majored in business at Southern Methodist University. He was an entrepreneur and owned four restaurants in Dallas.

     Michlik said his father and grandfather both owned small businesses, which is why he became an entrepreneur as well.

     “It was kind of a family tradition,” Michlik said. “Nowadays though, small businesses just don’t thrive the way they did.”

     Michlik said he wanted to start a family, and the restaurant business was very time consuming. He sold his four restaurants to spend more time with his family.

Michlik and his wife Karen have three children together: Jessica, Jonathon and Paige.

     “Thirty-six years ago I met her,” Michlik said. “We’ve been married for 29 years.”

     Michlik said she worked at Target as a cashier when he first met her. They talked casually until Michlik asked her to lunch.

Art Amoyo, a member of the Knights, has known Michlik for 3 years.

     “He is a very family oriented guy,” Amoyo said.

     Dan James, who has known Michlik for 6 years, said Michlik includes his family in many activities he does around the church and the Knights community.

     Michlik said he joined the Knights when he was in his twenties. He bought life insurance from an agent at the Knights.

     “When I got out of the restaurant business, I had remembered working with the agent,” Michlik said, “and I had remembered him saying that he enjoyed doing what he did.”

     Michlik said he was looking for a career change and he thought selling life insurance with the Knights would be something he enjoyed. Which led him to his current profession today.

     As a field agent, Michlik said he works specifically with the Knights families. He sells life insurance and gives financial planning advice.

“The biggest thing we do is sell life insurance,” Michlik said, “which provides for families when the bread winner is lost.”

     Michlik said he would sit down with the client and discuss their goals and plans for saving. He sells products that will help secure a stable retirement in the event that the savings plan does not work out.

James said Michlik talks to members about buying life insurance at as young of an age as possible.

“The best thing you can do is buy is young,” James said, “and that’s what he’s always telling people to do.”

     James said he is very helpful with the Knights families.

     “He has helped the Knights have the proper financial planning tools that they need, not just insurance,” James said.   

     “He explains to members how important it is to get insurance when it’s early and when you’re healthy.”

     “All I can say is I wish I had bought more when I was younger,” Michlik said, chuckling, “because that’s when its most affordable-when you’re younger.”

     Amoyo said Michlik opens the eyes of members to the importance of having insurance.

     “He tells us how in different scenarios, if something were to happen, how strong the company is and how it stands behind its products,” Amoyo said. “He gives us real life situations of some of the Knights that have been impacted by the products that he has sold to them and how it has taken care of their families.”

     Michlik said he works with 958 families exclusively, all who are members of the organization. He works with four parishes within the Dallas area: St. Catherine’s in Carrollton, Prince of Peace in Plano, St. Mark’s in Plano, and St. Thomas Aquinas in Dallas.

     “It’s not a very easy job,” Michlik said, “but it’s very rewarding financially—if you work hard at it.”