Fast 15: Derek LaFargue

Derek LaFargue wears many hats.

One that seems to fit perfectly is that of an entrepreneur, but that would be a wrong assumption.

“Never really felt comfortable with that word,” LaFargue said. “Anyone that I’ve ever heard that word placed on was a big somebody. People automatically think ‘rich’ or ‘mogul’ and that’s not me.”

What LaFargue is, however, is a hard-charging man who is constantly searching for information, ideas and better ways to do things — in a lot of areas.

A standout football player, LaFargue earned an athletic scholarship to Oklahoma State University. A number of knee injuries — five surgeries by the time he was 21 — derailed his playing career, but he left in 2005 with degrees in international business and marketing.

What to do with them was a different challenge.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do at that point,” he said. “I just knew I didn’t want to work for anybody else. I find that painful.”

That led to Metro Insurance Inc., started by LaFargue in December 2005 when he was just 23. It’s shown, he said, a 30 percent increase in revenue each of its first five years.

From those successes sprang investment opportunities in oil and gas, real estate and Internet marketing.

LaFargue is also a licensed real estate broker and just recently founded Your Automated Office LLC, a web-based marketing and newsletter system aimed at financial advisers.

A couple of similar projects are in the works for the near future.

“Internet marketing is going to be my main focus,” said LaFargue, who reads devotedly in order to glean information and ideas to help develop his interests.

In the philanthropic arena, LaFargue and a lifelong friend co-founded the non-profit organization Greater Works in 2009 to aid the needy across the world.

The organization, so far, has installed water wells in Rwanda, India and Honduras.

“We’re getting ready to go to India in September to put in another one,” he said. “It’s contagious when you’re doing good for other people.”