Ep. 478 Getting to Know Your Rancho Mesa Family with Vice President Daniel Frazee
President of Rancho Mesa Insurance, David Garcia, interviews Vice President Daniel Frazee on his upbringing, personal life, and professional career.
Show Notes: Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter
Host: David Garcia
Guest: Daniel Frazee
Editor: Jadyn Brandt
Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence, “Elevators Need Rock Too” by Spence
© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
Transcript
David Garcia: Welcome back to StudioOne™. I’m Dave Garcia, President of Rancho Mesa. I'm really pleased that I'm joined today by Daniel Frazee, one of my best friends, also our Executive Vice President, and one of the partners in the agency. And today we're going to be finding out a little bit more about Daniel, and I know quite a bit, so we don't know which direction exactly this show will go, but Dan welcome to the show.
Daniel Frazee: Thanks, Dave. Happy to be here and excited to spend some time with you.
DG: Okay. How hot is your seat right now?
DF: It's hot. So go easy.
DG: All right. Well, here's the layup tell the audience Dan, where did you grow up?
DF: I grew up here in San Diego actually in Point Loma. I was born and raised at Mercy Hospital and had the pleasure of growing up in Point Loma and spent all 18 years of my life there before I headed off to college.
DG: Oh that's great and you know Dan your family if you're willing to speak about it a little bit your family is very well known here in San Diego; made a big mark on the San Diego community in many different ways. Can you share a little bit about your family?
DF: Sure, there's more to it, but my dad and my uncle operated for Frazee Paint and Wall Covering for many years. Before that, my grandfather was involved in the business and even before that, my great-grandfather started the business in 1896. And it was really just a distributor of paint to Sherwin Williams, using Sherwin Williams paint. And fast forward to the early 1960s, my dad and my uncle convinced him to start manufacturing their own paint and that was at the facility on Miramar Road and the company kind of changed its course from that point on and they ended up selling the company in the late 80s, early 90s and it's now shifted hands ironically to Sherwin Williams, but that was a big part of me growing up. I spent a lot of time going with my dad to the office out on Miramar Road. And there are some great memories and have only good things to say about that experience.
DG: Yeah, you know, I grew up in San Diego as well. And Frazee Paint was just synonymous with paint. You know, really actually, it's like Kleenex is tissue paper. You know, that's how it seemed at the time. And so I was able to get to know your dad and your family pretty well over the years, and they just made such an impact, not just in the painting community, but honestly just in the San Diego community at large.
And I know, I don't want to put you on the spot here, but your family's done a lot, different charitable endeavors here in San Diego, different interests, you know, like your dad was, I think he was the Commodore, the Yacht Club at one time, and excellent racer, and rescued somebody at sea. I mean, this is just like a storybook here.
DF: Yeah, there's some crazy stories about my dad's sailing days and he was a very prominent, really long-distance sailing racer. I think maybe what I'm most proud of is my great-grandfather and grandfather from the Midwest. There are a lot of Midwest values that they brought to San Diego and just work ethic in general and that I think has kind of flowed through our family and something that I like to think that I've taken from that and even though we grew up in this beautiful town in San Diego, as you did, I feel very fortunate to have that connection to the history of the family.
DG: Yeah, it really shines through Dan. I know you've probably have carried on a lot of those family values and commitments and things like that. So that's something, you know, I vicariously got to know your mom and dad. They had an imprint on me as well. So, just really cool when you have a San Diego family of that prominence who are really honestly Midwest people, just honest, good, hardworking, treat everybody fairly, things like that.
But let's put you back on the hot seat here, Dan. So growing up, you said you grew up in the Point Loma area. What high school did you attend?
DF: I went to Francis Parker; really didn't think I was going to end up there. All of my friends ended up at Point Loma High School and my parents convinced me to try Francis Parker in seventh and eighth grade before they had a middle school. So I went there for two years and we had a little bit of an agreement that I could always go back to Point Loma after eighth grade. But that changed. I really grew to develop some strong friendships there and ended up staying through high school and had a phenomenal experience. I felt very fortunate to have attended at school and it was just a great experience for me.
DG: So since I know you well, I know you're a really good athlete. Were there things in high school that you participated in while you were there?
DF: I played baseball and I played basketball and had just a super fun experience with the coaching staff on both sides and developed some really strong friendships, and then really kind of zeroed in on basketball. That is really something that I enjoyed and I loved and I put a lot of time and effort into that. And just again, had a great experience and very positive memories. And some of my closest friends to this day are from Parker.
DG: Oh, that's outstanding. So it's always nice when your high school experience is that way and you build these lifelong relationships like that.
So Dan, outside of work, what are some of the things you enjoy doing?
DF: You know, I read that question beforehand and I think the honest truth is I spent a lot of time with my family. I've been married for 28 years to my wife Susan and really blessed for that relationship and I feel really fortunate that we have four children. Our life to this point truthfully has been watching them in their activities and being the best parents that we can be. So we spend a lot of time with family and that can be just interacting with one another, watching them in events. They're all largely growing up and moving on in their lives, but that's been a big part of my life to this point
DG: Well, I've been blessed that you've given me the opportunity to get to know your children and they're cut from the same cloth, all well-meaning, very big hearts, very looking to how can they make the world better type of people so you and Susan should be really proud of that.
Do you have any hobbies Dan?
DF: You know I think my one hobby right now more than anything is I've started to--it's not really a hobby but it's more health-conscious-- I've started to plunge. And that's not, it's kind of an odd thing but that is I jump in an ice bath every morning and just do what I can to do something uncomfortable, but it actually kind of flips my mindset and it's really helped my overall mental health and it's really kind of motivated me and given me an opportunity to reset some things. So as odd as that sounds, that's something that is the closest thing to a hobby.
Truthfully, I'm trying to find other hobbies right now. We've been so immersed with our kids and raising them that that's now my mind has opened up a little bit to start focusing on, “What would I enjoy?”
DG: Well, plunging sounds like something I'll happily pass on for now, but I'm pleased to hear that you're doing that each day. Do you want to talk about some of your hidden talents like singing and dancing?
DF: Farthest thing, farthest thing; I have zero musical talent and my kids and my wife will attest to that. So, you know, I don't know that it's necessarily hidden but I like to think that I can connect with a lot of different types of people. And I don't know if that that's necessarily a talent but maybe something that was given to me and I've tried to utilize in a way that create contacts with people and maybe deeper relationship. And so I feel like I can walk into a room and I don't know anybody and I can walk out with maybe a couple loose friendships and I think that to me that that's something that I really feel fortunate that I have that mindset and I'm kind of blessed that way.
DG: Yeah, that really is a talent. I don't think everybody possesses that same openness to, you know, it’s like plunging, right? You're putting yourself in an uncomfortable position. You don't know anyone in the room, but by the time you leave that evening or day, you've met two or three, four people. So that's great.
Dan, I know you're very family oriented. So I'm going to guess that you have one or several favorite vacation spots that you and Susan and the family like to go to. Want to share something about that?
DF: Sure. You know, the easy answer there is a place in Maui called Hana, which you're familiar with, that's on the eastern shore of Maui. My grandfather and my grandmother went on their honeymoon there and introduced my parents to it. And then my parents went on their honeymoon there and Susan and I did as well. And it was a vacation spot for my three older sisters and me for many years, and it has kind of trickled down to our family as well. We haven't been able to get back there as often as we would like as our kids get older, but it's a really special place. It's a very small town. We've over the years developed some really strong friendships with some of the locals in Hana, and it's just a very, very special place for us. The beach, Hamoa Beach, has a phenomenal body surf which I love to do and obviously the water is warm and it's just very quiet and calm. It's kind of the opposite of what you think of like Honolulu and Waikiki and we love that and thankfully our kids have grown to love it as well. So we've been over there and been very fortunate to spend several vacations there and that easily is, it's a quick answer.
DG: Yeah, that's great. You know, and it sounds like I'm sure your children are going to perpetuate this further so that they'll be the fourth generation of Frazee’s invading Hana. So it'll be fun to see who the fifth is. Maybe you'll have another wedding there, who knows?
Dan, I'm going to jump into kind of your role here and your time at Rancho Mesa. So how long have you been with Rancho Mesa?
DF: 25 years. So, you know, 2000, you and I met again in 1999, as I think we both know, and I will share that when we met for a second time because you knew me growing up and came to some of my sporting events at Parker in that window. We met and I told people that there was kind of instant synergy and I didn't really know why, but I kind of knew that there was something that I wanted to learn more about. So, as you know, I joined the company in early 2000. And at that time, it was really just the two of us, and then also Kim Vasquez.
DG: Yeah, it's fun to think of those times. Dan, we started, I would think you would agree, very humbly, we're still very humble. And we were in that little office in downtown La Mesa thinking we were all that, you know, like, “Hey, we got an office. This is pretty cool.”
You know, you're like a brother to me and I appreciate that you shared with the audience that I must be old enough that I actually was able to go to your games when you were in high school. Thanks for sharing that little nugget. But let's talk a little bit about La Mesa. Are there one or two of your fondest memories from back in those early days of Rancho Mesa?
DF: Absolutely. Absolutely. I think one of those memories is in October of 2000, we were having the opportunity to compete on some and earn the business for some new clients. I remember specifically, and I won't name the client just so we can keep it between us, but you remember that there was a situation where I was doing everything I could to try and earn the business. And the client was not responding. In this case, it was a prospective client. And you encouraged me to just call and basically ask for the business and then just be quiet. And I didn't really understand that concept at that time. But basically, we had delivered a really competitive proposal. And we felt like we could do a better job than their current broker. And I did that, I took your advice and I called, and sure enough, and I just paused. It was very awkward, but that prospective client ultimately said, "Okay, Dan, we'd like to do business with you." And that was 25 years ago, and they're still a client of ours, and that was a great memory, and the other memory I have is our fax machine.
DG: You may have to explain to some of our audience what a fax machine is.
DF: Yeah, I think a lot of our existing brokers maybe don't even know or have had to deal with the fax machine, but that's where we used to get all of our quotes. And so there was a period of time where we would know that the quote was coming, we would hear from the underwriter, and then literally I would stand by the fax machine and just kind of twiddle my thumbs with excitement thinking, "Okay, this quote is coming through."
And the most hilarious piece is when the fax machine would jam, and I was so excited. And then I'd have to figure out how to put more paper in. Oftentimes it was Kim who would have to fix it. And it didn't happen often, but that was funny.
But there are many, many more memories that I could refer to that I'm sure you have and we shared, but those were, on one hand, they were really challenging times. We didn't, there was a lot of unknown. On the other hand, there was a lot of excitement, and there was a lot of focus on, "Okay, how can we get to the next level?" For us, it was just trying to find other businesses that wanted to grow with us, and that was really exciting time.
DG: We could probably do a whole episode on the life and times of Palm Avenue, La Mesa Boulevard. And maybe we should do that one time. But let's switch now to more present day, Dan.
So as an executive vice president here, so what are some of your responsibilities?
DF: Well, I think first and foremost is to manage my existing book of clients, which I think we take a lot of pride in. Even though we are in kind of management roles, our clients come first and they're the ones who really feed everything we do within the agency. So that's probably first and foremost.
I think the other is to a large degree be a resource and a voice for our brokers with the insurance companies that we work with. And I think making sure that we're aligned right, that we have carrier partners that can really help us inside the construction group and help us grow. And then I think involving myself with other brokers when it makes sense to partner and kind of offer my expertise and in some cases be a part of the proposal process. That's kind of how I view my role.
DG: Yeah and I would attest that you've excelled in both of those areas and one I think you really have done an outstanding job with as well is as we grow, we have a tendency to hire young producers without really any insurance experience. And you've been a terrific mentor, big brother, father figure to a lot of those young people, kind of getting them off to the right foot.
So is that--I was going to ask you, is there a couple of areas of your role that you really enjoy? I would, I know you like to coach. So that's kind of the coaching piece. I guess that's where I'm heading. Is that one of those areas you really enjoy?
DF: Yeah, and I think that's a good definition of it to some degree –coaching--but also, you know, part of being a coach also is collaborating and knowing that whoever you're working with has strengths and trying to make sure that they are able to utilize those strengths. And then you, kind of, fill in the gaps. And then I think you've talked about before, just kind of the longevity. You know, when I think that I've seen a lot, I know you've seen a lot more than me, but when you experience a lot of scenarios, if you're competing for somebody's business, things can go sideways, and they can be a challenge. And I think trying to stay calm and offer the right advice and then being a support, that is something that I really enjoy. And then obviously, at the very end, if we have an opportunity to work with that client, that's still really rewarding. More than anything, when someone says, "Hey, we'd like to do business with you," aside from everything else, what we do, that is absolutely the most rewarding piece of what we do.
And then backing that up. It's one thing to say, "Okay, we want to do business with you," but from our standpoint, I think you would agree, we have to continually earn the business every single year. And that is something that I think we really take pride in.
DG: Yeah, I would wholeheartedly agree with that. And you've been a big advocate of perpetuating that culture within all of our Rancho Mesa employees. How would you describe Rancho Mesa to a stranger, Dan?
DF: You know, I've had that opportunity to talk to people like just strangers and situations that I've been in. You talk about the fact that, “Hey, it's a second family,” and you hear people allude to that in their work environment, but I think it is 100% my second family. And I say that because we've had a lot of employees come and go--not a lot, a handful--but as we've added the right people and we've found the people that are the right fit, I like everybody that works here. And they're working, they're motivated, they're fun to be around, I can have conversation with really anybody, and it's fun, we do what we can.
I mean, everybody works hard, and I think you would agree our support staff is they are some of the strongest people that I know of in the industry, and we are so fortunate to have them on our teams. We're really just working as a team as much as possible. And I think they're just they're easy people to be around. And they make me laugh. Hopefully I do the same when it's appropriate. But it's just it's a very unique culture. And you know, as I describe it to other people, and the fact that we're largely, you know, we're in the office together, I just feel really blessed to be a part of that type of organization.
DG: Yeah, I appreciate that. And you know, I was working on some numbers over the weekend just as we continue to grow. And I don't know if you know this number yet because I just did it over the weekend, but actually 85% of our employees have been with us longer than five years. And I think that kind of emphasizes what you're speaking to as this culture that we're trying to create of a, “Hey, we're going to work hard. We're part of a team, but we're a part of a family looking out for one another.” And, you know, as you said, we work hard every day, but we want to provide, you know, a workplace that you look forward to coming to. You're not on Monday saying, “Oh, when's Friday?” And I think it's up to you and I, as two of the leaders of this company, to make sure that that culture is, as your family did it for you, we need to do it for our family here. Make sure that the new people come on board, feel that exact same way, like, we have to keep it that way and you've just been a huge part of that for what now is 25 years. It's hard to believe.
DF: Well, and look you just you just said it You know, I can rattle off: Sam Clayton, Jeremy Hoolihan, Kevin Howard. I can keep going down that list of people that are 20 plus years. That just-- it's uncommon. The more I connect with people and talk with them about their businesses I think they oftentimes will double-take when I talk about that longevity. It’s very rare and I think making our culture continually making our culture better is maybe one of the most important challenges and I look forward to that.
DG: Yeah, I think that's a well said, and it's one of those two-edged swords. We're very proud of what we've done, but it's seemingly like we always think there's more that we can do. So to us, that's awesome. It's a great challenge. We love thinking, you know, “How can we make this even better?”
You know, as you well know, Dan, we're building out another 5500 square feet. That's exciting. It's on their same floor so we're able to walk in there and take a look at it. What do you feel about the future? Do you see bright sunshine ahead for us in the industry in San Diego or what are you seeing going forward?
DF: I'm, obviously, I'm very excited about it. I think more than anything we enjoy interacting with people and that can be our own company but that can also be perspective businesses out there that I think COVID changed a lot of mindsets. And I think it moved a lot of people away from those connections. And I think we have kind of the opposite mentality of we need those connections.
You know, I know for me, I enjoy interacting with people face to face. And so I'm very bullish on how we operate and how I think most people in business and or any type of industry, they need that connection. And so I'm looking forward to the opportunity to show people that we love that connection. And if we can maintain that, that's probably the biggest challenge is I think we'll grow and maintain what we already have.
DG: Yeah, I agree. Dan, before we wrap up, is there anything I've not asked you about that you'd like to share or?
DF: There's plenty we could keep talking about, but I think more than anything, you had an opportunity for a path after your career in baseball. You went down a path and you chose insurance. I had paths as well and ultimately I chose insurance in part and in large part because of you. Yes, I was in the business for a short time before we kind of reconnected but I feel very thankful and grateful that I've had 25 years with Rancho Mesa and you know I look forward to more and I just feel very blessed and I've used that word before. But I truly do that I've had an opportunity to make an impact on the company, and the company has made such an impact on me and my family.
DG: Thanks, Dan. I feel the exact same way. I know me personally, as a human being wouldn't be the same person without having you as a friend for the last 25, 26 years. Certainly Rancho Mesa would not be anything like it is without you. I'm excited about the future. I don't plan on going anywhere. This is my second family as well. So I'm really excited to see kind of if we do this again next year where we're at. But I just want to thank you for all that you do for me as an individual and for Rancho Mesa and also for joining me today in StudioOne™.
So thanks everybody for tuning in to our latest episode produced by our great team at StudioOne™. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and think about subscribing to our podcast channel. Look forward to talking to you down the road. Goodbye.
