The Story Behind RONIN: The Independent Insurance Agency that Bow to No Carrier

Saying that RONIN is different from all other insurance agencies is an understatement.

A quick glance at their website or a few minutes scrolling through their witty, emotional (and value-packed) TikTok videos make it clear—they’re cut from a different cloth than your everyday insurance agency.

Ronin is a team of real people who have walked the shoes of financial struggle, overcame it, and now focus on helping their customers avoid it.

They’re independent, brutally honest, and relentless in making sure their clients get the best financial security possible—without the bias of corporate insurance sales quotas.

Patrick’s Story: From Marine to Financial Security

Patrick Teschke didn’t grow up dreaming of working in financial services. He was a U.S. Marine, leading amphibious missions and navigating life-or-death situations. But the toughest battle he ever faced wasn’t overseas—it was at home.

Just weeks after his final deployment, Patrick’s world collapsed. His mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and within two months, she was gone in her 50s.

Like so many others, she didn’t have life insurance or financial planning in place.

At just 24 years old, Patrick was left to figure out funeral costs, mortgage payments, and an uncertain future. There was no roadmap, no safety net—just grief and financial chaos.

“I had to learn the hard way what happens when there’s no plan,” he says. “And I never wanted another family to go through that.”

For two years, he worked for his father, helping him do manual labor. As he watched his father get older, Patrick knew there had to be a better way. Then, at 25, he discovered the world of life insurance and financial planning, and found his calling.

With relentless determination, Patrick built an agency with a single goal: to put people first.

He wasn’t interested in the corporate structure of big firms that cared more about commissions than clients. He wanted to create something different—something real.

Then came Jay.

Jay’s Story: From Country Club Caddie to COO

Jay Drassler had been hustling since he was 12.

Growing up in a working-class family, he spent summers caddying at Butler National, one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Illinois.

The golf bags weighed as much as he did, but his true motivation weren’t the tips—he was getting financial advice straight from the ultra-successful members.

“I started asking people what they did for a living,” Jay recalls. “And almost every answer was the same—finance, investing, insurance.”

By the time he reached college, Jay had an entrepreneurial mindset. He interviewed with big-name financial firms, but something always felt off. The conversations revolved around pushing specific products rather than helping clients find the best solutions.

Then he met Patrick.

Patrick was already deep into the life insurance and retirement space, and Jay saw an opportunity to complement that.

He was passionate about helping small business owners—finding them better employee benefits, 401(k) plans, and group health insurance that didn’t drain their bottom line.

Most 401(k) brokers take a hefty cut from employees, charging fees of 1.5% or more, while barely ever outperforming the S&P 500. In fact, only around 15% of hedge funds—run by billionaire investors with access to elite professionals and tools—manage to beat the S&P in any given year.

This means the odds of a random insurance broker outpacing the market? Almost nonexistent.  That’s why, for small and medium-sized businesses, a simple low-cost S&P 500 index plan with a 0.5% fee is the smartest option in 99% of the cases.

It allows companies to offer solid retirement benefits without falling into the trap of overpaying for “dedicated” advisors who charge high fees without delivering real value.

Alas, Jay made it his mission to help businesses cut through the noise, avoid these unnecessary expenses, and invest in plans that truly benefit their employees—not just the brokers selling them.

“We’re like yin and yang, Patrick and I. He is the visionary, the former marine with epic stories, the guy who works out twice a day and still takes his dogs out for long walks. He’s the guy everyone wants to grab lunch with. Me? I’m the operational numbers guy who likes to make sourdough and chill in my home. Backed by our team of seasoned independent agents, we cover all angles.”

Why Independence Matters (and Why Most Agents Avoid It)

It’s easier to be a captive agent—someone who works for a single insurance carrier. You learn their products, memorize the sales pitch, and follow the script. There’s no navigating between multiple providers, no comparing complex policies, and no real responsibility beyond selling what your company tells you to sell and hitting your quotas.

Even if that means pushing a product that is not a great fit for the customer.

Being independent, however, is a whole different game.

Independent agents like Patrick and Jay have to stay on top of every financial product across every carrier. They don’t have the luxury of just memorizing one company’s offerings. They have to constantly study, research, and compare policies to ensure their clients get the absolute best fit for their needs.

It’s not just about knowing the best rates—it’s about navigating the jargon, understanding legal nuances, and explaining complicated financial concepts in a way that makes sense to everyday people.

The reality? It’s way, way harder.

But that’s what it takes to truly make a difference.

“Most advisors stick with the easy route. They work for one company, push one set of products, and make it seem like they’re giving you the best deal. But they’re not. They’re giving you what benefits their employer the most.”

RONIN refuses to operate that way.

“We don’t work for Wall Street,” Patrick says. “We work for you.”

At RONIN, every client gets a custom-tailored solution. There’s no pushing high-commission products. No generic, one-size-fits-all plans. Whether it’s a young family looking for life insurance, a business owner trying to cut healthcare costs, or an individual planning for retirement, Patrick and Jay make sure the advice they give is in the client’s best interest—not the firm’s.

That’s why they built RONIN.

The Meaning Behind RONIN

The name RONIN isn’t just a cool branding choice—it’s deeply personal.

When Patrick was deployed, his platoon commander was injured just days into their mission. Suddenly, they were leaderless, left to navigate on their own. They became known as the “ronin”—a term from Japanese history meaning samurai without a master.

That same idea fuels RONIN’s business philosophy. Unlike captive agents who push a single company’s products, RONIN operates independently. They don’t answer to big corporations—they answer to their clients.

More Than Business: The People Behind RONIN

Despite their intense commitment to their clients, Patrick and Jay aren’t just financial advisors—they’re real people who care about living life to the fullest.

Patrick is big into fitness and spends his free time working out or walking his two dogs, Bobo and Leila. (Jay swears those dogs eat better than he does.)

Jay, on the other hand, enjoys golfing, cooking, and baking his own sourdough bread. He also values time with his family, always making sure to balance the hustle with personal moments that matter.

At the end of the day, that’s what makes RONIN different. They’re not just here to sell you a policy. They’re here to make sure you never have to experience the financial struggles they did—and they’ll go the extra mile to get you there.

If you want help regarding insurance and other financial products, send an email to patrick@roninfinancialgroup.com and see what true independence looks like.

Website: www.roninfinancialgroup.com