Edward Dahling, III is the president of Omnia Benefit Partners, but he doesn’t like to think of himself as the boss. He believes that empowering every member of his team is the most effective way to form a strong and cohesive company.
“I don’t want employees,” Ed says. “I want people who work with me and partner with me. They are just as important to the business as I am.”
Omnia offers custom benefits plans for employees working at companies of all sizes. It’s a product mix that Ed has been passionate about since he started the business in 2007. The insurance marketplace consists of a complex sea of products, and Ed expertly helps his clients navigate that vast selection. He has an innate ability to narrow down the wide range of options to find the best plan for the desired budget. He has a gift for figuring out exactly what people need the most.
“It’s not about quotas with us, and it’s not about making the sale,” Ed says. “It’s about having a nice, non-aggressive style with our clients.”
Ed knows full well the value and impact his products have on the lives of those who enroll. The benefit plans represented by Omnia are activated during the most stressful and challenging times in people’s lives. That might consist of defrayment of costs for hospital stays, surgery and diagnostics; long-term nursing care; support during illnesses such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes and paralysis; and disability income from accidents that occur on or off the job.
“At the end of the day, what keeps me going is that I see what our efforts have accomplished in people’s lives,” Ed says. “People have told me that their lives would have been ruined without the products we sell.”
Ed cares deeply about each and every one of Omnia’s clients. He doesn’t believe in pushy selling, and instead takes a consultative approach with his customers. For him, it’s not about making the short-term sale—it’s about developing lifelong relationships. “We want people to feel valued and cared about. We’re helping because it’s the right thing to do.”
The collaboration that Ed encourages among Omnia’s staff inspires dedication and a commitment to excellence. Staff members who work alongside Ed describe him as kind, understanding and even-keeled. They report that he has an inherent ability to make people comfortable. He is friendly and inclusive, and encourages his people to share their ideas and feedback. He has a knack for discovering skills in them that even they didn’t know they had.
“We don’t focus on what they can’t do, we focus on what we can do,” he says.
Ed’s team members confirm that he’s a leader who knows how to create a rewarding work environment.
“Ed finds the thing that you do the very best, and he finds a way to make you really shine,” says Michelle Abeyta, Omnia’s human resources director and benefits consultant. “When I joined the company, he instantly saw my potential and took me under his wing. He knows insurance well, and he knows how to navigate the complex world. He is easy to get along with, and is always willing to share his knowledge.”
Another of his colleagues, Marcia Goggin, feels fortunate that she selected Ed to be her business partner. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Ed Dahling for over 10 years. In that time, I have been impressed by his strong ethical values and strong work ethic. Ed takes care of business—but his wife and child take center place in his mind. He is responsible and takes his clients’ concerns to heart. All in all, I have been lucky to become his partner.”
When he’s not helping his clients find the right insurance benefits to suit their needs, Ed enjoys working as an umpire. For almost 15 years, he’s been an adult softball official with the Golden Triangle Officials Association. In 2017, Ed was elected secretary and treasurer, a role that gave him the opportunity to help modernize the way the association does business. Since his arrival, they have added four new contracts with various high school and recreational sports organizations.
-written by Carreen Maloney
