For 30 years, Jodie and Dan Orel have helped families in Blue Springs plan for the future, protect what matters most and build long-term financial confidence.
Through their Primerica office in Blue Springs, the couple focuses on helping individuals and families navigate everything from buying their first life insurance policy to mapping out a path for retirement. But for the Orels, the work has always been about more than numbers on a spreadsheet.
“We’re not transactional,” Jodie Orel said. “We want people to feel educated, empowered and understood.”
An Unexpected Beginning
Before she became a financial advisor, Jodie was a hairstylist who simply wanted to buy a home and learn about money management. Dan worked in the corporate world as a chief financial officer. Like many young couples, they were trying to figure things out as they went.
Then, one conversation changed everything.
“We became clients first,” Jodie said. “Nobody had ever taught us about money or what to do with it. I just remember thinking, ‘I believe so much in what these people are doing.’”
That curiosity quickly turned into passion. After learning about financial education and long-term planning, she left the salon behind to focus full-time on her new path.
Jodie quickly realized that the same skills of listening, building relationships and earning trust, carried into her new role. Dan soon joined her, and together they began building a local business centered around flexibility, freedom and family.
A Business Built Around Family
From the beginning, the Orels structured their business around the life they wanted to create. Their children grew up seeing what it takes to run a business from the ground up, surrounded by a strong work ethic and a culture of personal growth. Today, their daughter is an Associate Head Coach at the University of Arkansas for the gymnastics team, while their son recently started a 2,100 mile journey hiking the Appalachian Trail.
“Your environment matters so much,” Jodie said. “Our kids were constantly around people encouraging them to dream bigger and think differently.”
Dan says transitioning from a corporate mindset to running a local business required them to seek out advice from established business owners in the community. That supportive environment continues to shape their office today. The Orels work closely with Client Experience Director Emma Goad, who helps maintain the warm, personal atmosphere.
“We want people to feel at home when they walk in here,” Jodie said. “Like they’re visiting family, not a sterile financial institution.”
Relationships Over Transactions
The Orels’ approach centers on education and long-term relationships. They work proactively with clients on planning for the future, income strategies, and helping younger generations understand financial responsibility.
“We want to be a resource for people,” Dan said. “Not just for investments, but for financial decisions in general.”
That educational focus is what clients remember most. Jodie recalled one woman telling her she learned more in 15 minutes with the Orels than she had in 15 years elsewhere.
“We try to make complicated things simple,” she said.
Rooted in Blue Springs
The Orels have lived in Blue Springs for nearly 30 years, building deep roots through their church, local involvement, and long-standing client connections.
Their faith plays a major role in how they approach both life and business. The couple is actively involved in mission work, including annual trips to Kenya supporting education initiatives. Jodie is also an author, with proceeds from her book Best Day Ever benefiting nonprofit causes.
For the Orels, success is ultimately about legacy. Having such close relationships with their clients it’s a natural fit to pass that knowledge on to the next generation. Both of their children are licensed in the industry, creating the opportunity for the family business to serve clients for another generation.
“That would be my dream,” Jodie said. “For our kids to someday take care of our clients the same way we would.”
Disclosures: Primerica representatives market term life insurance underwritten by National Benefit Life Insurance Company, Home Office: Long Island City, NY in New York State; Primerica Life Insurance Company, Executive Offices: Duluth, GA in all other U.S. jurisdictions; and Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada, Home Office: Suite 400, 6985 Financial Drive, Mississauga, ON, L5N OG3, Phone: 905-812-2900 in Canada. In the U.S., securities and advisory services are offered by PFS Investments Inc., 1 Primerica Parkway, Duluth, GA 30099-0001, member FINRA [www.finra.org]. PFS Investments Inc. conducts its advisory business under the name Primerica Advisors. Primerica and PFS Investments are affiliated companies. In Canada, mutual funds are offered by PFSL Investments Canada Ltd., mutual fund dealer. Head Office: Mississauga, ON.
In the U.S., securities and advisory services are offered by PFS Investments Inc., 1 Primerica Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30099-0001, member FINRA [www.finra.org]. PFS Investments Inc. conducts its advisory business under the name Primerica Advisors. Primerica and PFS Investments Inc. are affiliated companies.
"Clients" refers to clients of Primerica