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our team
Maxwell Schmitz, MSFS, CLTC | President
Max wrote Planting the Seed: 20 Ways to Preserve Your Yetworth, co-authored The Questions and Answers on Disability Insurance Workbook, and currently serves as the President of the International Disability Insurance Society.
Max graduated from the University of California, Davis, and earned his master’s degree in Financial Services through the American College.
Max lives in Geneva, IL with his young family and in his "spare" time enjoys his three kids' active sports schedule and catches the sunrise with his wife, Maddie, every morning.
Luke Rother, CLU, CEPA | Lead Strategist
Luke has specialized in life insurance since 2018 and joined Yetworth to expand our partnership with RIAs, particularly in the business planning space. He has a passion for helping clients understand the value of their policies and entered financial services after working in the nonprofit sector.
Luke graduated from Texas A&M and earned a master’s from John Brown University.
Luke lives in Fort Collins, CO with his partner (also Luke) and their dog, Mo, and he enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, backpacking, and generally staying active.
Patrick Lim | New Business Director
Patrick has been leading our operations and supporting our partners in various ways since he joined Yetworth in 2012. He is now our primary case manager for all product lines and leads the charge in getting agents properly contracted, as well as ensuring up-to-date producer licensing.
Patrick received a BA in International Studies from the University of California, San Diego, and is an alum of a little start-up called Apple.
He enjoys running and experiencing the latest culinary trends at home in Petaluma, CA with his wife, Kacy, and two daughters.
Emma Schmitz, ChFC | Managing Director
Emma manages the behind-the-scenes at Yetworth, ensures money goes where it's supposed to, and distributes content to our audience. She also performs the technical and administrative tasks that keep Yetworth running such as systematizing, agency licensing, insurance, and registrations.
Emma earned a degree in Creative Writing from University of California, Santa Cruz, and completed her ChFC designation in 2024.
She is a new resident of Humboldt County, CA, and lives with her dog, Lola, many chickens, and homestead partner (/husband), Branden.
Laura Lalonde | Inforce Business Director
Laura is the first smiling face you’ll see when visiting Yetworth HQ. She helps incoming callers find the right resources for case inquiries, sends carrier correspondence to our agents, and is our primary in-force business contact.
Laura is a long-time contributor and influence to the Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Petaluma, holds a BFA from University of SF Academy of Arts, and is a ray of light to those around her.
Laura lives in San Rafael, CA with her husband Dave.
Jack B. Schmitz, CLU, ChFC, CASL |
President Emeritus and Brokerage Consultant
Jack served as president of Yetworth (formerly known as Bay Area Disability, then DI & LTC) for over thirty years with his wife, Diana, our previous vice president.
He has led several local financial professional associations, and is a past president of The Plus Group.
In 2015 Jack was honored as the recipient of the International DI Society W. Harold Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jack graduated from California State University, Chico, and received his CLU, ChFC, and CASL from the American College.
Jack lives in San Rafael, CA with his wife, Diana, and likes to hike and e-bike the hills of Marin County, CA and spend time with friends and family over good wine and food.
our core values
authentic
We are unapologetically not salespeople. While we work with dozens of insurance carriers, we are fiercely independent. We do not shy away from regaling the importance of insurance protection--most specifically, the planning considerations for business owners which include, but are not limited to, disability, critical illness, long-term care, and life insurance planning. We have lived through and either directly or indirectly benefited from all these forms of coverage. We do not take these subjects lightly. We are empathetic human beings just like you, and we have a four-decades-long reputation for sticking around for the life of a policy. Here’s to your clients being prepared for all the “yets” in life.
collaborative
We are directed by a spirit of partnership with our exclusive network of advisors. We humbly serve our partners' clients in an effort to provide clarity through simple yet comprehensive strategies. We have intentionally redesigned our agency to lead with a gentle hand throughout every step of the planning conversation, implementation process, and the servicing components that are required to maintain progress throughout the insurance experience.
dynamic
As third-generation income protection specialists, we strive to streamline processes and leverage our creative vision to connect with our audience. Simplification is key—that’s why we were the first general agency to adopt a drop-ticket e-application for each core product solution in our network of carriers. Thought leadership runs deep in our veins, evident by our decades-long participation in NAIFA and The Plus Group, serving on carrier Field Advisory Boards, and partnering with The Ridgeback Group.
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