After college, the Illinois native started down a career path in law enforcement, first with the FBI and then the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. But after a few years, he completely switched gears.

“I wanted to be more in control of my own life, and I started looking into the insurance business,” said Pfeiffer, 59. “My State Farm agent turned me on to this company.”

Pfeiffer hired a secretary and started his own State Farm agency in 1979, and on Feb. 1 he entered his 31st year in the business.

“It was just the two of us,” he said. “I had one file when I started, and it was mine.”

It was five years before he made a profit, he said, and along the way he borrowed money and cashed out his savings and his retirement fund. But he kept at it, and now he has four employees.

“I was a detective under the sheriff’s department, so I was used to talking to people,” he said of his career transition.

Pfeiffer may be a familiar face even for those who aren’t his clients. A few years ago, he became a sportscaster.

He approached Channel 3, Longmont’s public access station, received training, and soon was a sideline reporter for local prep football and basketball games. It didn’t take long before he was the color commentator for the games.

He’s been doing that regularly for seven years now, and he also has hosted a non-sports talk show on Channel 3 called “Up Front,” for which won a national cable award, he said.

Pfeiffer also serves on the Longmont Council for the Arts, has served on the OUR Center board and has held fundraisers for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

An avid golfer, Pfeiffer said he loves how Longmont has retained its small-town feel from the days when he first hung his shingle out.

He said he has no plans to retire anytime soon, and he hopes to keep selling insurance and calling games for many years to come.

“Both of them are harder than I ever thought they would be,” Pfeiffer said. “I just like the challenge of it all.”