Pancho Villa's last words are said to have been, “Don't let itend like this. Tell them I said something.”

(Which now makes me wish I'd saved this for my last column.)

So you might have noticed this month's cover is full of wordsthat aren't our own. We wanted our Broker of the Year finaliststhis year to define themselves in a single word.

(Which shouldn't be as hard as it sounds in today's abbreviatedsocial media environment. They're lucky they got a whole word.)

It's been an interesting exercise and a nice departure for oursixth annual Broker of the Year finalists. Call it a minimalistapproach, but it can be productive—and revealing—to boil thingsdown to their essence. We do it a lot here in the office—wherenicknames crop up more than hangovers.

And don't think we didn't consider the inherent risks in thisendeavor. How do we coordinate this logistical, Seussian nightmare(five photographers—including one prima donna—shooting fivesubjects in five states scattered across the country and somehowthey all have to look and feel similar)? What if we get duplicates?What if someone doesn't want to play?

To wit, let's look at this year's crop, which also offers a“backstage” glimpse of what we do here. Oh, and some words offermeanings more readily apparent than others:

• There's Retirement Guy—Dean Clune, area vice president ofGallagher Retirement Services. He's the first one we shot, whichpretty much set the tone. He's “innovative,” and in today'sretirement market, you simply have to be.
• Then there's Aaron Davis, president of NextLogical BenefitStrategies, who we dubbed “Soul Patch,” because of the hip look herocked in the photos. (Definitely a Benefits Sellingfirst.) But that's two words, besides, we didn't get to pick. Hewent with “creative” and his proactive business shows it's morethan a buzzword.
• Debbie Gilbert, owner and president of Innovative InsuranceSolutions out of Texas—there's always a Texan—seemed to have themost fun. Her “authentic” approach to taking care of her clients isclear.
• Ah, Tinker Kelly, president of Voluntary Employee BenefitAdvisors, down in Nashville. (I think I see him at every tradeshow.) The man's an industry staple and a consummate“professional.”
• Finally, there's Trey McLaughlin, principal of McLaughlin Smoak& Clarke Benefits from my publisher's first love, SouthCarolina. If you couldn't already tell from his screamingpantaloons and bowtie, his word choice, “collaborative strategry”certainly sets him apart from the crowd.