Member Spotlight · David Hobbs
David Hobbs & Good Shepherd Benefits: From Ambition to Calling
We are excited to introduce a new member of Needle’s Eye, David Hobbs!
David is a Richmond native, born and raised in Mechanicsville, and his path to owning Good Shepherd Benefits is anything but a straight line. It's a story of unexpected detours, a growing sense of purpose, and a God who had a plan long before David did.
David graduated from VCU with a master's in public administration, aiming for a career in government service. In 1995, he landed a role as Business Manager with Hanover County's Community Services Board, a position that blended medical billing with counseling, essentially running like a private medical practice within a government setting. It was a solid start. But by his own admission, David was more focused in those early years on upward mobility than on calling. "I was pretty secular-minded about what I was going to do next," he reflects, a mindset that, looking back, became more of a hindrance than a help.
After four years, David made a move to a nursing home as a Business Manager. He called his wife after his very first day and told her he thought he'd made a terrible mistake. But something happened. Once you step into the world of elder care, even in a business role that is far from direct patient care, the mission of it gets into your blood. David started to see the bigger picture: the families navigating impossible decisions, the dignity wrapped up in caring for people at the end of their lives. It gave him something his earlier ambitions hadn’t, a larger purpose.
He went on to serve as an Admissions Director, walking alongside families through some of the most difficult conversations of their lives. In 2004, a financial planner encouraged him to get his insurance license. By 2006, after a layoff, he stepped into the insurance world full time.
Good Shepherd Benefits was born out of a desire to no longer be at the mercy of large corporations, to do things differently, on his own terms and God's. The name came to David in the middle of the night, repeatedly, until he couldn't ignore it. It speaks to everything he wants his business to represent: protection, trustworthiness, a shepherd's care for the people he serves. The verse on his business card, Psalm 78:72, became his mantra and his promise, “With integrity of heart, with skillful hands."
That's not just a tagline for David. In an industry where he often plays the role of messenger, sometimes delivering news that's hard to hear or navigating government regulations that limit his options, In every situation, he’s committed to showing up with honesty, creativity, and directness. "Sometimes you can't help them the way you wish you could," he says, "but you exhaust every option available and you do it with integrity."
David is new to Needle's Eye and eager to connect with the community and its vision. He carries with him a simple but anchoring conviction: our needs will be met when we are obedient to the Lord. We hope you get to connect with David soon at a Needle’s Eye event!