Agency Intelligence: Recent Episodes

Agency Intelligence

AI Podcast Network is your top insurance podcast network with many unique series that let you hear from both agency owners and industry influencers. Learn from real agents in real agencies, get the latest and greatest that thought leaders in the industry have to offer, and more!

In this episode of "Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence on the MVP Podcast, Co-Host Danny Lawrence sits down with Andre Wiafe, Senior Account Executive at Insurance Agent App in his first podcast appearance. Andre discusses how offering digital convenience, companies can foster customer loyalty and retention, ultimately leading to a stronger competitive advantage through an improved customer experience.

Episode Highlights:

Andre mentions that agents can gain a competitive edge by providing a better customer experience through loyalty schemes and digital convenience, which is increasingly essential in the post-COVID world. (2:39)

Andre discusses how he was introduced to the world of independent insurance and the benefits of working with an independent insurance agent. (5:20)

Andre explains the importance of customer experience and the role of digital convenience in providing a competitive edge for insurance agents. (12:35)

Andre mentions that the Insurance Agent App allows custom branding, easy communication tools, streamlined service requests for certificates and changes, and the ability to refer the agency or individual team members. (16:12)

Andre explains that the Insurance Agent App has access to carriers for bill pay and claims, as well as customizable add icons, which are valuable features in managing client relationships. (21:00)

Andre believes that when an agency is efficient and uses automation to run its business, it can grow and focus on future opportunities instead of always having to deal with repetitive tasks. (24:35)

Key Quotes:

“With Insurance Agent App, what we really believe is putting the agency at the point where they can get access 24/7, the customers can do business really easily from a mobile app, kind of moving forward into the future.” - Andre Wiafe

“Another way of modernizing your agency is not necessarily taking shortcuts but when you can be efficient in different areas, it allows areas for you to grow your agency.” - Andre Wiafe

Resources Mentioned:

Andre Wiafe LinkedIn

Insurance Agent App

Danny Lawrence LinkedIn

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ashley Mastowski , the agency owner of First Choice Insurance.

Ashley and Teresa have a follow up on how she has built her agency through CoVid, having twins, and navigating a hard market.

Episode Highlights:

Ashley mentions that after working in the captive world for 12 years, she decided to explore other opportunities and started First Choice Insurance, and has successfully been running it for almost four and a half years. (2:58)

Ashley shares the challenges she faced in starting a family while growing a business. (5:01)

Ashley discusses the importance of treating employees well and hiring the right people for key roles in order to achieve growth and success in an agency. (12:44)

Ashley shares her experience with a local agency specializing in commercial insurance, and the push and pull dynamics between her and the agency owner regarding taking on different types of clients and the possibility of merging. (18:04)

Ashley explains the importance of surrounding oneself with a supportive team and seeking continuous learning opportunities in the insurance industry. (26:52)

Ashley mentions that going independent has its own struggles, but it offers more freedom and flexibility. (30:57)

Ashley shares that she values having conversations with others and loves to connect with people for educational purposes and support, particularly with moms of toddlers. (39:01)

Key Quotes:

“If you don't have the right people around you and the right team with you, growth doesn't matter. So I honestly give everything to them. And they've gotten me through everything that I've needed. ” - Ashley Mastowski

“When I train my new employees, I tell them, don't be scared to do that. Because I'd rather have you say, you know what, I'm new or, you know what, I'm actually not sure what that answer is. Let me find that out.” - Ashley Mastowski

“I love talking to people and I love furthering my education that way versus actually going back to school.” - Ashley Mastowski

Resources Mentioned:

Ashley Mastowski LinkedIn

First Choice Insurance Group

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mark Suski, SET, CFPS, and Associate Director at Jensen Hughes. Mark talks about his knowledge and experience in risk engineering, and the hazards of dust.

Episode Highlights:

Mark shares how he got into risk engineering. (2:19)

Mark gives us a brief background of what risk engineering is. (4:39)

Mark mentions other aspects of risk engineering. (6:35)

How did the pandemic affect Mark’s career? (10:01)

Mark explains how some aspects of his job changed, due to COVID.(12:21)

Who are the people that typically reach out to Mark and hire him to go in, and risk engineer? (16:54)

Mark shares the biggest win he’s ever had, as a result of performing the risk engineering study. (28:30)

What’s Mark’s specific specialty? (35:34)

Mark shares the top three things that people should recognize when it comes to equipment safety. (39:43)

Mark shares the dangers of dust. (42:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Safety and protection in human life is always on the top of the list. You know, that's always going to be the first question, the first box that we're going to check is going to be life safety, and protection of people.” - Mark Suski

“When companies look at not only cost-wise, I think it helps bring down costs, but it helps, maintain. And, I think it's only going to get better and refined.” - Mark Suski

“When you think about it, risk engineering kind of does look at everything holistically... Because, A, they wanted to know what happened to my building, my structure and people. And, B, what would happen to my building, my structure, and my manufacturing processes.” - Mark Suski

Resources Mentioned:

Jensen Hughes

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Business owners often have the majority of their net worth tied up in their business. Does it make sense for them to diversify their wealth to protect their assets and achieve long-term financial security? Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA, talks about why it’s a bad idea to have all your eggs in one pocket and shares his 8 compelling reasons why business owners should diversify their wealth (reason #8 is the most compelling for him).

Episode Highlights:

Erik announces that the Stuff About Money podcast is now part of the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network. (1:33)

Erik discusses the importance of diversification for business owners to protect their assets and create long-term financial security. (3:10)

Erik explains that the first reason to diversify our small businesses is risk management, as spreading investments across different assets reduces risk and mitigates losses in market downturns or negative events. (5:06)

Erik mentions that the second compelling reason to diversify is the preservation of capital because if we manage risk outside of the small business, reduce volatility, and put our money elsewhere, we can preserve the capital and net worth we've created with our small businesses. (7:39)

Erik explains the third reason for diversification is retirement planning because diversifying and saving for retirement is crucial to avoid relying solely on the success of a business or its sale when it's time to retire. (8:15)

Erik shares that the fourth compelling reason to diversify your business is liquidity, as diversification helps you build liquidity outside of your small business because you can't sell it overnight like a stock. (8:57)

Erik explains that the fifth compelling reason for diversification is to seize growth opportunities. (9:30)

Erik mentions that the sixth compelling reason for diversification is for wealth preservation and smooth succession. (10:00)

Erik explains that the seventh reason is tax efficiency because it is a crucial reason for small business owners to diversify their investments and take advantage of tax-advantaged retirement plans to minimize taxable income and maximize returns. (11:33)

Erik shares the eighth reason to diversify from your small business is peace of mind because as business owners, we have a lot of pressure to make sure the business continues to succeed, especially in the insurance space. (12:07)

Key Quotes:

“As business owners, we should be actively looking for ways to diversify our wealth from our businesses. ” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

“Your small business is the engine of you creating wealth, you creating net-worth.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

“Let's make sure that all of our eggs are not in one basket or all of our eggs are not in our right hip pocket that is about to smash into the piano.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

Resources Mentioned:

Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC

Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Andy Neary, Founder of Complete Game Consulting.

Episode Highlights:

Andy shares his journey of struggling in sales for 10 years, reinventing his career, and finding success by adopting innovative marketing strategies, now helping others in the industry through his coaching and training business. (5:07)

Andy mentions that marketing in the insurance industry needs to shift from talking about yourself to focusing on the prospects' story, which can lead to significant changes and success for agencies and producers. (10:55)

Andy explains that the best marketing is simple and straightforward because if people don't understand what you're talking about, none of it matters. (13:47)

Andy believes that the key to success in sales is clear expectations and storytelling that resonates with the psychographics of ideal prospects. (15:47)

Andy mentions Complete Game Consulting does workshops and one-on-one coaching, and plans to launch a new online coaching platform called Complete Game University on January 1, 2024. (19:35)

Andy explains the importance of input and storytelling in attracting the right prospects and not getting complacent in the insurance industry, especially for former athletes. (26:07)

Key Quotes:

“I realized if we could help producers and the agencies they work for build better marketing messages directed at the right people, everything would change. And we've seen the fruits of that from our clients.” - Andy Neary

“The best marketing is the most simple, clearest marketing. And people don't like hearing that, because they love their fancy words, and they love the catchy phrases they use. But if people don't understand what you're talking about, none of it matters.” - Andy Neary

“I urge any agency, any producer who has reached that point to go, what are you going to do to double your book of business without all the effort that you had to put in to get to the first million or first five, whatever that number is? Brand recognition is the name of the game.” - Andy Neary

Resources Mentioned:

Andy Neary LinkedIn

Complete Game Consulting

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Selling the insurance brokerage in which you’ve put a lifetime of effort is no small step.

How do you know that you’ve got the right partner? The right price? The right place for your clients & staff?

Good news – the DIPP crew has done a bunch of legwork for you. Our M & A series covers some of the most important questions & brings you the answers, right from the source.

In this episode, you’ll hear the answers straight from Jamie Reid from Westland.

We asked Western Financial Group, Navacord, Rogers Insurance (CBN), AJ Gallagher, Westland, Brokerlink and HUB International the following questions:

Where did your firm come from and where are you going? Why should a broker sell to you – what value do you bring? What’s your target broker? Does a broker with a strong digital presence get a valuation boost? Do you want former owners to stick around? Do you keep the original name? What’s in it for the acquired employees? What’s in it for carriers? Who wins & who loses? How do you value a brokerage? What can a broker do to make their business worth more? How do valuations compare between heavy CL brokers vs heavy PL brokers? Does a ROFR diminish the value of a brokerage? What is your firm’s end game?

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Erik Garcia, CFP®, owner of Garcia Insurance Services and Garcia Financial Group, and host of the Stuff About Money They Didn't Teach You In School podcast.

Episode Highlights:

Erik shares that aside from hosting the Stuff About Money They Didn't Teach You In School podcast, he also spends 90% of his time on financial planning and investment management, with 50% of that time working directly with insurance agency owners and related professionals. (2:54)

Erik discusses two ways agency owners make money - through dividends/profit distributions and through capital appreciation, while also paying themselves based on their role in the agency. (7:21)

Erik explains the importance of having mentorship relationships in various aspects of life, as exemplified by the biblical characters Paul, Timothy, and Barnabas. (15:02)

Erik mentions that aligning company culture with core values and ensuring that the desired culture is manifested within the organization is important. (18:32)

Erik shares that he discovered his company's values by asking his staff through a questionnaire, and based on the responses, he developed core values centered around professionalism, knowledge, empathy, and creating a family-like atmosphere. (21:03)

Key Quotes:

“As agency owners, there are two ways we make money in this space... Number one is through dividends or distributions of profit, right? If I'm an owner, and whatever I own is profitable and there's money to distribute, I take money, right? The second way we make money as owners is through capital appreciation.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®

“As owners, we should pay ourselves for the work that we do. And then we should be motivated to be profitable” - Erik Garcia, CFP®

“We're a family and people sense that when they meet us and do business with us. They sense that we're family, they sense it when they come in, they feel that we're family. Our culture of family is a way that we can create a better memory for them a better experience for them. This is powerful stuff. This is my staff telling me, this is not me sitting in a room telling them what our values are. This is them telling me.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®

Resources Mentioned:

Erik Garcia, CFP® LinkedIn

Garcia Insurance Services

Garcia Financial Group

Podcast: Stuff About Money They Didn't Teach You In School

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode, James talks with Arel Moodie, Co-Founder of Talkadot.

To learn more about Talkadot, visit https://www.talkadot.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Arel shares about his childhood growing up in a difficult environment and how his desire to get out of that environment fueled him. (2:53)

Arel discusses how he went from being a successful college student to hosting a TV show, getting invited to the White House, and standing on TEDx stages. (17:37)

Arel explains the conventional stages of adult development theory, including self-centric, group-centric, skill-centric, and achiever stages. (26:15)

Arel discusses how individuals move from a self-centric mindset to a group-centric one, where they accept the group's beliefs as their own and develop an "us versus them" mentality. (35:41)

Arel mentions the difference between the skill-centric and achiever stages, and how the latter involves enlisting people with complementary skills. (43:33)

Arel explains how the achiever stage involves delegating and empowering others, while the skill-centric stage tends to hold onto tasks and believe that nobody can do it as well as they can. (49:07)

Key Quote: “For any of us, when we look at our story, it's very easy to look at the things that happened to us and say, that's the exact reason why I can't make it. Where, I think if you look at it from a different perspective, you always build a skill set, you always build a survival mechanism to get through anything that's tough. And that mechanism, that skill might just be the thing that makes you more successful than you would have been without it.” - Arel Moodie

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about projecting the mod and David shares a story about an agency he took.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a story about an account he took from an agency last year. (3:05)

David shares what led Think HR to happen. (6:59)

Does David think that requesting loss runs could help your situation? (8:12)

Is it necessary to have a drug-free program? (10:46)

Kyle shares what he likes about the auto owner. (15:39)

David shares the moral lesson of the story. (16:09)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you're doing things for your clients, make sure they know that you're doing things for them. I need to practice what I preach.” - David Carothers

“I'm not saying you shouldn't have a drug-free program or have some semblance of it. If you're going to try and do it to comply to get the credit on your worker's comp, you're actually going to spend more money to do that.” - David Carothers

“If you understand the way the money flows, just pay the policies off. You're going to actually do better and get a better use of your money than you would by just leaving it in the bank.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

QUESTION: Are you 12X? Professional insurance agents aren't throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. Super producers are in the right mindset, they have a plan, and they go for the jugular. They ask for the business, they demand attention, they require the insured's permission, they get awarded a signed Broker of Record Letters, and they build a $1,000,000 or more Book of Business. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain how to become 12X.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains what 12x is all about, where it is used, and how important it is. (2:10)

Charles says there is no reason not to be able to prospect greatness. (05:20)

Charles explains that productivity is an aspect of being successful in almost anything we do. (9:18)

Charles discusses the importance of knowing your numbers. (10:58)

Charles shares that he always loves hearing stories about Brokers of Record. (12:57)

Charles explains that in the insurance industry, permission is one of the most important things to keep in mind. (14:21)

Charles shares you can get more accomplished with a very tight relationship with one underwriter than you could ever get with a very strategic plan. (17:37)

Charles explains the importance of the 12x mindset and focusing on your micro-niche. (20:31)

Charles shares that sometimes business owners don't know exactly what's in their own best interest. (24:19)

Key Quotes:

"Lot of people can show up. But not a lot of people can show up and deliver. If you can show up and deliver, you are essentially writing yourself a blank check for the future. Sky's the limit if you're 12x." - Charles Specht

"I also know that you can get more accomplished with a very tight relationship with one underwriter than you could ever get with a very strategic plan." - Charles Specht

"You're not in the insurance business. You're in your micro-niche, your unique industry, of your prospect. And that's 12x. That is the mindset that you are in." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

“Repetitive tasks aren't profitable tasks.” CJ Hutsenpiller of Hutsenpiller Insurance joins the show to talk about an industry filled with repetition.

You can't always eliminate repetitive tasks, but you can control them through process, automation and a solid game plan for profitability.

Enjoy the episode!

Episode Links: Ellerbrock-Norris: https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/ Ellerbrock-Norris Wealth Strategies: https://www.ellerbrock-norris-ws.com/ Hutsenpiller Insurance: https://www.hutins.com/ LAUNCH: https://getlaunch.io/

Elliot Bassett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-bassett-aip-cpcu-84499515/ Ryan Brott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-brott-cepa%C2%AE-77a278a/ CJ Hutsenpiller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjhutsenpiller/

This episode is sponsored by LAUNCH.

In the world of insurance, independent agencies fight to survive. Brokers are forced to compete by blocking markets and bid for the lowest price. Worse yet, the industry is fragmented.

Agencies find it difficult to collaborate across division on the same client. Millions of dollars in potential revenue are left on the table. And agency owners lie awake at night wondering how to scale.

THAT’S WHERE LAUNCH COMES IN. Access the full-revenue potential in your existing book of business. See opportunities other agencies can’t. Offer more value. Gain a competitive advantage in a commoditized market.

Visit https://getlaunch.io/ to learn more.

Sometimes we don't explore utilizing a business coach because we feel that it means we can't build the business or we don't know how..BUT, a great business coach is worth more than gold..and this is how to reframe your search for the right business coach for you.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa mentions that having a business coach is beneficial for those who want to improve their business, achieve their goals, and have a better work-life balance. (1:28)

Teresa discusses the first step in determining if you need a business coach is to identify areas where you need growth, inspiration, or extra energy, and then write down 20 areas for improvement in your business or career. (3:19)

Teresa explains why it's crucial to find coaches who are industry-specific to effectively help with specific tasks. (6:49)

Teresa mentions that leadership coaches and culture coaches can help teams level up their communication and achieve objectives, while sales coaches can assist in improving sales processes and asking better questions. (12:21)

Teresa discusses the foundational points to determine what we truly want and how to improve our lives. (17:48)

Teresa believes that it's important to acknowledge and appreciate the knowledge and skills gained from previous coaches, as they contribute to personal growth and self-confidence. (19:54)

Teresa shares that joining a mastermind group can provide support, brainstorming, and guidance for career advancement, with different groups offering various formats and focuses to match individual needs and goals. (22:43)

Teresa emphasizes the importance of having a coach in life, acknowledging that nobody is perfect and there is always room for growth. (28:38)

Key Quotes:

“The first step to being able to decide if you need a business coach is to identify some of those areas that you need to grow in.” - Teresa Kitchens

“Some people get what they need from that coach, and then they have to move on to the next coach. But we need to honor the steps that that previous coach gave us. The knowledge, the skills that that previous coach gave us.” - Teresa Kitchens

“A really good coach understands you have your own goals, you have your own agenda, you have your own culture of who you are, and what you bring to the table. And a really good coach is going to help you to be a better person through that.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Sandra Gebhardt, an Online Marketing Strategist. Sandra discusses her expertise and strategies in building a brand and marketing effectively on digital platforms.

Episode Highlights:

Sandra shares her personal story of facing challenges such as her husband's brain tumor diagnosis and navigating a non-compete agreement while pregnant with their son. (1:55)

Sandra discusses the importance of having the right mindset in marketing, understanding the true nature of building a brand, and recognizing the impact of controlling the message. (9:20)

David emphasizes the significance of personal branding and authenticity in marketing and the necessity of professional management for digital advertising campaigns. (15:43)

Sandra believes that building a strong organic presence, having a good paid strategy, and implementing a marketing strategy is crucial for building a solid foundation in marketing. (25:59)

Sandra explains that in the online world, we only have one-quarter of a second to capture someone's attention, and it takes an average of 21 brand exposures before someone makes a buying decision. (30:43)

Sandra discusses the 5x5x5 method for digital marketing: send five connection requests, interact on five posts, and send five valuable direct messages every day, while also posting about yourself and your interests to build relationships online. (37:29)

Sandra mentions that she has a website where you can find information about her marketing services, as well as an app available for download with free training on the 5x5x5 methods. (52:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I speak at different events, and I train 95% of my clientele or insurance agents on how to build their own foundational marketing using social media platforms, mainly Facebook and LinkedIn.” - Sandra Gebhardt

“When you build a strong organic presence, when you have a good paid strategy, when you have a marketing strategy, you're building a foundation, and that can't be shook, your ads only get better as the pixels grow, as you learn the process of how to close an internet lead.” - Sandra Gebhardt

“When we're talking about mindset, what do you need to know? There's a huge difference between content creation and building a brand.” - Sandra Gebhardt

Resources Mentioned:

Sandra Gebhardt LinkedIn

Website: Working With Sandra Gebhardt Marketing

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

We are thrilled to welcome the Stuff About Money They Didn’t Teach You In School Podcast to the AI Podcast Network! Making a financial plan is complicated. There are a lot of moving parts and complexity…you could fill a book with just one plan! But often, more isn’t always better. Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC and Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA, talk about the benefits of keeping it simple. From children practicing copyright law to adults presenting too-long packets of paper to a 40 year monster of a plan, our intrepid hosts explore why simple is sometimes best.

Episode Highlights:

Xavier discusses the use of children on a mock jury to simplify arguments and make them more understandable, highlighting the need to keep things simple in various fields, including financial planning. (1:31)

Erik mentions that human nature tends to favor complexity over simplicity, but sometimes it's important to remember that simplicity can be more efficient and productive. (4:09)

Erik explains that the role of a financial planner is to help clients clarify their goals and provide simple steps to achieve them. (8:47)

Xavier believes that ongoing financial planning involves financial planner and client engagement to stay updated on their life events and ensure comprehensive financial management. (11:12)

Erik discusses how creating a one-page financial plan helps align your financial decisions with your values and goals, allowing you to take intentional steps toward where you want to be and remove obstacles along the way. (17:48)

Erik explains that financial planning is not just about creating a plan, but also about the ongoing process of discussing and prioritizing financial decisions and effectively communicating and implementing them. (20:24)

Xavier discusses the concept of simplifying news for kids and the importance of starting with simple and easy financial strategies before considering more advanced ones. (23:43)

Key Quotes:

“Ongoing financial planning, it's working with us, working with clients on a regular basis so that we can make sure we're keeping up with everything that occurs in your life.” - Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC

“You have to know where your money is and where it's going. You have to take account of your assets and your liabilities, the money in the money out of your accounts. It's not that complicated.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

“There's some very simple foundation fundamental things that we need to do first before we can layer in the more advanced, complicated strategies, we’ve got to start with the simple, we’ve got to start with the easy moving parts.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

Resources Mentioned:

Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC

Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ted Stuckey, President of Nationwide Brokerage Solutions.

Episode Highlights:

Ted believes that IndieTech has created a supportive and collaborative environment where agents and entrepreneurs selflessly help each other succeed, making it a unique and inspiring industry to be a part of. (3:17)

Ted mentions that NBS is focused on giving agents confidence and helping them understand market trends and carrier reactions to better protect their client's assets, particularly for local agents in the sub $4 million revenue range. (8:51)

Ted explains that the high net-worth insurance market is facing challenges as fewer carriers are willing to provide coverage, leading to potential loss of business to other carriers and a lack of specialized coverage options for high-value assets. (13:29)

Ted discusses how the current crisis is causing agencies to reevaluate their strategies and relationships with carriers, as they consider the potential risks and impacts of relying on a limited number of partners. (23:51)

Ted mentions that NBS is focused on the evolving middle market, offering a range of products including specialty lines and ancillary products, and providing support to local agents throughout their lifecycle. (29:44)

Key Quotes:

“The thing that I keep reminding my folks who are having, you know, probably similar reactions as your producers, is the market’s not discriminating, right? The reality of what any individual producer is going through is the exact same reality as any individual wholesale broker.” - Ted Stuckey

“If you think about NBS, and why we exist, what we do, it's, it's giving that local agent competence and meeting them where they are. Uniquely, we will broker a monoline work comp policy for a minimum premium.” - Ted Stuckey

Resources Mentioned:

Ted Stuckey LinkedIn

Nationwide Brokerage Solutions

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Ready to commit to a transformative journey and reach your highest potential? The episode takes a fascinating turn as we delve into the Mandalorian Code from the Star Wars series, illuminating how keeping personal promises shapes our identities. This is the way. We raise the question - what would it mean to live by this code in today's society? This intriguing discussion segues into the power of making and committing to singular promises to ourselves, exploring how this creates a virtuous cycle towards achieving our goals. So, tune in, engage with us on YouTube, and let us embark on this transformative journey together.

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

AI Tool Report

Daily Prompt

Taplio

Wonderchat.ai

Rogue Risk

Finding Peak

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Doug Avrin. Doug discusses his expertise in Workers’ Comp and his goal to help lead and develop others.

Episode Highlights:

Doug shares his journey in the insurance industry, starting as a trainee and working his way up to leadership roles. (2:51)

Doug discusses the importance of providing great service and reducing experience mods for customers. (8:40)

Doug explains that supporting injured workers and prioritizing their well-being in the insurance industry prevents long-term negative effects on their lives and overall costs. (17:23)

Doug mentions that the insurance industry needs to do a better job educating people about the value and benefits of risk management and workers' compensation, as many individuals don't understand the importance until they experience it themselves. (28:11)

Doug explains that developing effective responses to objections is crucial in sales, as it allows you to confidently address them and improve your chances of closing deals. (44:27)

Doug shares that loss prevention engineers make recommendations that cost money, but when producers deliver the message, insured individuals are more likely to receive and act on it, leading to safer environments and reduced claims. (49:46)

Doug believes that building trust and long-term relationships in the insurance industry is crucial for success, and it requires being more than just competent, but also helping insureds lower losses and costs, and create a better environment for injured workers. (53:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Frankly, that's kind of where I'm excited to be re-entering this industry is: let me lead some people again, let me develop them. Let me turn them into superstars so that they can crush it in the company that I end up working for will be able to do the same. I think this business is fun. I am competitive as the next guy. But this is how you win. I like to win.” - Doug Avrin

“Let's be good at what we do out there. Let's help these insureds lower their losses, lower their cost, and create a better environment for their injured workers. And when they get injured, let's make sure we take care of them so they don't want to go elsewhere. Save you the cost of turnover.” - Doug Avrin

Resources Mentioned:

Doug Avrin LinkedIn

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Selling the insurance brokerage in which you’ve put a lifetime of effort is no small step.

How do you know that you’ve got the right partner? The right price? The right place for your clients & staff?

Good news – the DIPP crew has done a bunch of legwork for you. Our M & A series covers some of the most important questions & brings you the answers, right from the source.

In this episode, you’ll hear the answers straight from Bruce Rabik, Rogers Insurance / CBN.

We asked Western Financial Group, Navacord, Rogers Insurance (CBN), AJ Gallagher, Westland, Brokerlink and HUB International the following questions:

Where did your firm come from and where are you going? Why should a broker sell to you – what value do you bring? What’s your target broker? Does a broker with a strong digital presence get a valuation boost? Do you want former owners to stick around? Do you keep the original name? What’s in it for the acquired employees? What’s in it for carriers? Who wins & who loses? How do you value a brokerage? What can a broker do to make their business worth more? How do valuations compare between heavy CL brokers vs heavy PL brokers? Does a ROFR diminish the value of a brokerage? What is your firm’s end game?

In this episode, James and guest host Peter talk with Tomer Kashi, Co-Founder & CEO of VOOM Insurance and SkyWatch.

To learn more about VOOM Insurance, visit https://www.voominsurance.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedo Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Tomer explains how his company, VOOM Insurance, and InsurTech MGA that creates usage-based insurance products for underserved niche segments within the mobility world. (4:24)

Tomer discusses his education and background in the Israeli army, which led him to become a tech founder in the insurance industry. (7:52)

Tomer shares the founding story of SkyWatch and how it started as a commercial drone insurance solution. (13:03)

Tomer explains how SkyWatch expanded into other niche insurance segments, such as motorcycle insurance, and the advantages of a pay-per-mile basis. (19:50)

Tomer explains how SkyWatch prices its drone insurance policies based on utilization and offers an optional telematics service to provide a risk score. (26:21)

Tomer mentions that drone insurance is currently a product that is pulled by commercial drone operators and their customers, rather than pushed by brokers and that it is not yet necessary for generalist agencies to offer it across the board. (34:05)

Tomer explains that SkyWatch works with aggregators like First Connect for distribution, but also offers direct appointments for those with relevant customers. (41:23)

Tomer shares their teamwork within the company, with a core value of "It's never not my problem." (47:02)

Key Quotes:

“Skywatch started as a commercial drone insurance solution. You see drones everywhere, from wedding photographers, to drone deliveries and in agriculture inspection. Really, everyone like even doing live shows, and we have customers in all of these segments.” - Tomer Kash

“We need to help these newcomers to join the industry,. We also see ourselves as a part of the ecosystem that wants to help this industry to thrive because we're, you know, benefiting from that. So, we work with flight schools, and we work with other organizations to promote flight safety, and also, you know, promote insurance.” - Tomer Kash

“One of the core values of our company is, “It's never not my problem”. Meaning, the R&D really cares about what the sales are doing in a day to day, and vice versa, and marketing and compliance everything. Really, everyone walks together. And this is what really drives everyone to work every day. It goes through different time zones, which is not easy.” - Tomer Kash

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different stages of the sales process.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a story about an agency that he’s working with that has a new producer. (2:44)

David mentions the purpose of having stages of the sales process. (3:38)

David shares the stages of their sales process. (6:56)

Kyle mentions one of the huge factors when it’s lost. (8:32)

David mentions what to do when the policy comes time to renew. (19:34)

Tweetable Quotes:

“ If you look at how it works, I suspect when I go in and talk to them and get them to turn into a prospect, the first meeting is the fact-finding. My only goal from that first meeting is to get them to commit, to give us information and to book the second meeting.” David Carothers

If you're going to close on that first appointment, there's something else behind the scene that you don't know everything about.” - Kyle Houck

“I just think that if people understood how easy it is to sell insurance when you're not selling insurance, everybody wouldn't be doing it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this throwback episode of the Power Women In Insurance, Teresa discusses something she often hears people talking about: the struggle to "have it all"...balance family, career, kids, and public service. Teresa talks about her 18 years as an agency owner and how she has learned to have it all.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa mentions the insurance conference she attended recently. (2:20)

Teresa shares her challenge for the listeners. (6:32)

Teresa explains what “interrupting politely” means. (9:14)

Teresa shares what she does after picking up her kids from school. (10:36)

Teresa mentions what she’s trying to do more with her team. (11:52)

Teresa shares why utilizing the knowledge of having all things is revolutionary. (13:07)

Teresa explains the benefits of time blocking. (14:36)

Teresa shares the ‘why’ in her life. (23:24)

Key Quotes:

“Having it all is kind of like multitasking. They say that there's no such thing as multitasking because really all you do is you switch your attention from one thing to another thing... And, then we constantly rotate our attention.” - Teresa Kitchens

“I think sometimes whenever we get into these conversations with our families, that they feel like we're not spending enough time with them, or we're too distracted... That it's because they don't feel seen, they don't feel heard, they feel like they're second-rate citizens. And, I don't want my family to feel that way... and I would never want them to feel that way.” - Teresa Kitchens

“When I don't listen, I am a lot. When I overpower people, I'm a lot. But that energy that I have, that voice, and the sense of discernment that I do have is something that people are attracted to. And with that, that makes me a great coach. That makes me a great mentor. That puts me in a space where I can work with a lot of people, and I love to do that.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Sterling Insurance Group

Contact Teresa Kitchens

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Grayson Carothers interview Gertha Jean, CEO of One Way Insurance Group (OWIG). Gertha discusses the strategies they have implemented that have resulted in attracting more desirable clientele and the concept and goal of the mobile office.

Episode Highlights:

Gertha shares her journey from working odd jobs to opening her own insurance agency. (3:39)

Gertha mentions that the first few years of starting One Way Insurance Group were tough, with a steep learning curve and many mistakes made, but ultimately it made the agency stronger and more successful. (14:11)

Gertha discusses two strategies they implemented in One Way Insurance Group: educating clients before filing claims and shifting their marketing focus to a specific niche market, resulting in attracting more desired clientele. (20:01)

Gertha explains that the mobile office is designed to make insurance an enjoyable and accessible experience, providing a safe space for conversations and workshops while showcasing the cool side of the industry. (25:42)

Gertha discusses the importance of social media in reaching a wider audience and showcasing the excitement and passion for a particular industry, specifically insurance, to promote representation and inspire others. (31:50)

Gertha believes that the insurance industry needs to adapt and pivot with the changing market, especially with carriers pulling out, in order to stay relevant and not be left behind. (42:03)

Gertha shares her experience of facing discrimination and how she learned to embrace her value and see herself as a qualified professional, regardless of others' biases. (49:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The whole idea behind a mobile office was to make insurance an experience. And also to go ahead and travel to different states, different events, and show people how cool this industry is.” - Gertha Jean

“First things first, representation matters. That's the first things first. And you have to be able to show people that people who look like you are in this industry and are successful.” - Gertha Jean

“In the insurance industry, some of us are so stuck in our ways. We want everything to be the same, but things are changing. And we have to learn to change with it.” - Gertha Jean

Resources Mentioned:

Gertha Jean LinkedIn

One Way Insurance Group (OWIG)

David Carothers LinkedIn

Grayson Carothers Linkedin

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Stacey Giulianti, Chief Legal Officer at Florida Peninsula Insurance Company.

Episode Highlights:

Stacey shares that Florida has a severe insurance crisis, with 76% of lawsuits against insurance providers for homeowners claims filed in the state, causing a negative economic impact and 71% of the money going to attorneys instead of consumers. (3:46)

Stacey explains that insurance companies are raising premiums to cover increasing costs of roofing materials and labor, and are working to change laws to reduce lawsuits and outlaw assignment of benefits by third-party contractors. (11:47)

Stacey mentions that insurance companies should better explain that regular homeowners insurance policies don't cover flood damage to avoid Better Business Bureau complaints. (16:07)

Stacey discusses the tort reform laws that Florida recently implemented which limit the ability of individuals to collect damages in liability cases if they are more than 50% responsible for the incident, aiming to make the system fairer and discourage unnecessary lawsuits. (18:47)

Stacey discusses the importance of good underwriting and building codes in minimizing the impact of a tragedy. (24:35)

Key Quotes:

“The market in Florida if you're a Florida agent is going to be absolutely phenomenally good over the next 36 months, even to 60 months. I believe it's going to be absolutely amazing.” - Stacey Giulianti

“To our underwriting people who took good policies, if you want to get a good rate, make sure that you have a good roof and an upgraded home. You’ve got to put some money into it and then you're going to have a safer home. And over the long run, it's less expensive from an insurance perspective.” - Stacey Giulianti

Resources Mentioned:

Stacey Giulianti LinkedIn

Florida Peninsula Insurance Company

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Jarid Beck, Co-Founder of Risk Management Advisors. Jarid discusses his expertise in the captive space, and how agents can introduce captives as a solution to their prospects and clients in the middle market arena.

Episode Highlights:

Jarid mentions that Risk Management Advisors’ specialty is helping individual business owners restructure their insurance coverage through single-parent captives, particularly focusing on workers' compensation, general liability, auto, property, and excess lines of coverage. (7:00)

Jarid explains that setting up a captive insurance company requires a long-term strategy, confidence in losses performing well, and understanding that it may not be cheaper in the first year but can reduce overall costs of risk over time. (11:45)

Jarid discusses the key mistakes to avoid when setting up a captive insurance company are taking on too much too quickly and under capitalization, so it's important to take a phased approach and ensure adequate funding from the start. (20:00)

Jarid mentions that the process of setting up a captive insurance company has become faster and more efficient, with approval times ranging from 5 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the goals and objectives. (29:35)

Jarid mentions that Captives can be used as a cost-saving tool and brokers should be discussing these options with their clients to avoid losing business to competitors. (39:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our primary specialty is single parent captives or pure captives, which is a captive that is really set up to write the insurance or serve the interests of one company or their family of companies.” - Jarid Beck

“The whole point of captive is to optimize premium spend, but it's also to develop partnerships. Everybody's interests are aligned, right? Everybody wants the losses low, the underwriting profits high, and it becomes less about price and more about quality. That's what we strive for with a lot of our clients” - Jarid Beck

Resources Mentioned:

Jarid Beck LinkedIn

Risk Management Advisors

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Good news – the DIPP crew has done a bunch of legwork for you. Our M & A series covers some of the most important questions & brings you the answers, right from the source.

In this episode, you’ll hear the answers straight from Shawn DeSantis, Navacord CEO.

We asked Western Financial Group, Navacord, Rogers Insurance (CBN), AJ Gallagher, Westland, Brokerlink and HUB International the following questions:

Where did your firm come from and where are you going? Why should a broker sell to you – what value do you bring? What’s your target broker? Does a broker with a strong digital presence get a valuation boost? Do you want former owners to stick around? Do you keep the original name? What’s in it for the acquired employees? What’s in it for carriers? Who wins & who loses? How do you value a brokerage? What can a broker do to make their business worth more? How do valuations compare between heavy CL brokers vs heavy PL brokers? Does a ROFR diminish the value of a brokerage? What is your firm’s end game?

In this episode, you get to listen in to a private shop talk conversation James had with a group of agency principal in Somewhere, USA.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

A speaker on the call shares the importance of integrating core values into daily activities and operations, particularly in the context of trucking and sales. (5:16)

James discusses the possibility of charging a fee in addition to the commission, the requirements for different licenses, and the potential profitability of running their own insurance program as both a wholesaler and retailer. (13:29)

James discusses his struggle with holding people accountable and his growth as a leader by delegating responsibilities to others, in order to focus on his own growth and goals. (18:51)

A speaker on the call discusses their profitable focus on personal lines and plans to expand into commercial lines while delegating day-to-day operations to managers. (24:21)

James explains the importance of narrowing down the target market and specializing in a specific niche to gain a competitive advantage and better serve clients. (26:33)

A speaker on the call emphasizes the importance of prioritizing qualifying needs and diving deeper into the process while acknowledging that there is no wrong process as long as there is a process in place. (32:53)

A speaker on the call mentions that James is known for executing his business strategies, making him a standout among others who only talk about it. (33:43)

A speaker on the call believes that joining a call with other independent agents can be beneficial for personal growth and motivation. (34:15)

Key Quote: “You have to give your team opportunity to fail and fail big. That's the only way you grow. Otherwise, you're rate limited. You're capped. ” - James Jenkins

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss the complexities of the middle-market insurance business.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle believes that when determining if a company is middle market, revenue is a more important factor than the number of employees. (2:41)

David mentions that segmentation of the middle market is important, as there are different levels within it and agents need to consider their carrier mix and risk tolerance when prospecting. (6:27)

Kyle discusses the importance of accurately representing your business to your insurance carrier to avoid potential coverage issues. (11:28)

David explains that understanding the risk profile and insurance needs of middle market companies is crucial, as their coverage requirements can be significant and complex, requiring educated decision-making and potentially assuming some of the risks themselves. (12:19)

David discusses the challenges of operating a middle market company versus a small commercial one, using a plumbing company as an example. (14:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I could have 100 employees, but our revenue is low because of our industry. And so I wouldn't consider that middle market. I could have 10 employees, and we could do 5, 10 million in revenue. And I would consider that middle market, you know, so for me it's revenue.” - Kyle Houck

“It's important to know if you're going to go into the middle market, or you want to even look to see what the opportunities are there understanding what the industries are that live in the middle market there, then you've got to overlay that with your carrier mix, because that'll tell you whether or not you even have the ability to write coverage for these people. ” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Ready to master the art of remote leadership and build effective training programs?

We discuss these and so much more in my first AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode of the podcast...

Strap in as we embark on a journey through the complexities of maintaining unity and connection within a remote team environment. We'll get hands-on with the power of regular meetings, random check-ins, and the unifying force of company swag.

I’ll share with you my own experiences and insights on how to celebrate team win in a remote setting and the importance of intentional connections within the team.

Navigating the challenges of training and managing remote teams can be tricky, but fear not. We delve into the process of onboarding new employees remotely, customizing training approaches, and developing a modular program for company-specific training. From the benefits of digital training platforms to the importance of cultural understanding and process familiarity, we'll equip you with the tools you need to ensure your remote team is on the same page.

In the final leg of our journey, we get real about underwriter-agent relationships, focusing on solutions and how to help agents get to a 'yes'. I open up about personal experiences and the frustrations that come with submitting accounts to underwriters. Further, we discuss the concept of service in solving problems and the importance of a killer instinct in life. To round off, we end on a lighter note and indulge in my love for conspiracy theories and the role of entertainment in our lives. So tune in and buckle up, because this is going to be one insightful adventure.

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Ryan Hanley Instagram

Rogue Risk

Finding Peak

User experience is vital to any agency, especially in the independent space. But what happens when you're serving multiple users? Who takes priority? Peter Teresi, Co-Founder and CEO at Certificial, joins the show to walk through how Certificial is connecting the end client's experience to your agents and your service team.

Enjoy the episode!

Episode Links: Ellerbrock-Norris: https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/ Ellerbrock-Norris Wealth Strategies: https://www.ellerbrock-norris-ws.com/ Certificial: https://www.certificial.com/ LAUNCH: https://getlaunch.io/

Elliot Bassett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-bassett-aip-cpcu-84499515/ Ryan Brott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-brott-cepa%C2%AE-77a278a/ Peter Teresi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete/

This episode is sponsored by LAUNCH.

In the world of insurance, independent agencies fight to survive. Brokers are forced to compete by blocking markets and bid for the lowest price. Worse yet, the industry is fragmented.

Agencies find it difficult to collaborate across division on the same client. Millions of dollars in potential revenue are left on the table. And agency owners lie awake at night wondering how to scale.

THAT’S WHERE LAUNCH COMES IN. Access the full-revenue potential in your existing book of business. See opportunities other agencies can’t. Offer more value. Gain a competitive advantage in a commoditized market.

Visit https://getlaunch.io/ to learn more.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Kathryn Arnold, Insurance Broker. Kathryn discusses how she came into the health/life industry and how much she loves the Medicare space in insurance. She also discusses her passion for helping others build their business and how she shares that passion through the Women In Insurance team.

Episode Highlights:

Kathryn shares that got into the insurance industry to prevent others from experiencing the financial burden she faced when her father passed away without a proper life insurance policy, and now finds fulfillment in helping people with Medicare, health insurance, retirements, and annuities. (1:23)

Kathryn mentions that she found her tribe within Women of Insurance, which helped her transition from a toxic work environment to building her own successful business through natural connections, lazy prospecting, and community outreach. (6:38)

Kathryn mentions that she receives a lot of gratitude and appreciation for organizing conferences, training, and providing resources, with many women unaware of the available options and benefits. (18:54)

Kathryn believes that learning from others is essential for personal growth and success, as no one has all the answers. (23:33)

Key Quotes:

“To me, Women of Insurance is a supportive, empowering, safe space for women to come together and connect without the drama and negativity or pressure.” - Kathryn Arnold

“Self-growth is something that you're going to have to constantly have. Because the industry is ever-changing, things are constantly changing, and you're gonna have to constantly self-grow.” - Kathryn Arnold

“The insurance industry is super competitive. It doesn't have to be so competitive. I don't have to compete with other people, there is enough of it to go around.” - Kathryn Arnold

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out: Kathryn Arnold

Kathryn Arnold Facebook

SLA Legacy

Women of Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Jeffrey Seidel, Owner of Northshire Insurance. Jeffrey shares what led him to be the first person in his town to open an independent insurance agency focusing on excellent customer service and how the agency uses technology to stand out.

Episode Highlights:

Jeffrey shares his journey and how he got introduced to the insurance industry. (4:17)

David discusses the challenges of starting his own agency, the importance of work-life balance, and the value of investing time in his children. (13:19)

Jeffrey mentions that he sold everything, including his house, and realized that he needed to focus on personal growth rather than material possessions due to his humble upbringing. (22:38)

Jeffrey shares his commitment to helping others and being present for his son, even if it means making sacrifices in his career and moving to a different location. (26:16)

Jeffrey discusses his journey of overcoming challenges and finding hope in building his insurance agency, inspired by other agents and driven by the desire for a simpler life. (33:22)

Jeffrey explains the value of peer-to-peer mentorship and the importance of attending events to connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. (55:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I explained to some of the clients that the fact that I'm coming in now gives me an advantage because I'm coming in with the technology and all the new learnings…it’s priceless compared to antiquated agencies that are still struggling with using a computer.” - Jeffrey Seidel

“I'm growing, and I'm getting to meet and talk to and develop that rapport with every single one of those clients that I do that, and they're the ones that help grow the agency.” - Jeffrey Seidel

Resources Mentioned:

Jeffrey Seidel LinkedIn

Northshire Insurance

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Innovation and Invention: Steve Anderson gets Jason's thoughts on the invention and innovation he sees in the industry today. Be prepared to hear how the old way of taking 90 minutes to quote 10 companies is over, Jason and his team can do it in less than five minutes. It's a game changer for efficiency.

Episode Highlights:

Jason discusses how they use a risk advisor tool and an AI language model to quickly enter and process information for insurance quotes, reducing the time it takes from an hour and a half to less than five minutes. (3:01)

Jason explains that Robotic Processing Automation allows robots to perform routine tasks in agencies, such as checking claims reports, monitoring changes in notes, and handling cancellations. (8:00)

Jason emphasizes the cost-saving benefits of using virtual employees and investing in technology for agencies, and the significant gap between those who adopt these practices and those who don't. (10:40)

Jason mentions that he created IndieTech 2023 for independent insurance agents to learn about and experience the latest technology in the industry, including education classes on data management, automation, and digital tools, as well as a CEO panel. (13:44)

Jason announces that if people use the code: “IPFS300” when purchasing a ticket for IndieTech 2023, they will get $300 off the regular price. (17:08)

Steve believes that the best way for agents to understand what's happening is by being exposed to others who are doing it, even if it may be mind-blowing and lead to some deciding to sell, it's important for leaders to support and allow those in their organization who see the potential to take action. (17:27)

Key Quotes:

“In the middle of the heartland in Indianapolis, Indiana for independent insurance agents, I am creating a technology show that is for tech and for agents. And it's going to be fantastic.” - Jason Cass

“All indietech is insurertech. But not all insurtech is indietech.” - Jason Cass

“For agents, the best way to figure out what's going on is to be exposed to other people that are doing it. And this is a way to do that.” - Steve Anderson

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Anderson LinkedIn

Catalyit

IndieTech 2023

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Do you lack the Motivation to prospect for new business? Most insurance agents say they have a difficult time maintaining Motivation. However, I think the real culprit is something different and that it's because producers lack Confidence that they, therefore, lack the Motivation to prospect. But -- if the truth is known -- In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht feels that something else is the real reason you lack Confidence and therefore lack Motivation and therefore lack results. And, in this episode, he'll explain what it is and how you can get it!

Episode Highlights:

Charles asks the question of which comes first, is it the motivation or is it the confidence? (1:28)

Charles shares that he wants people in the industry to have both motivation and confidence. (4:01)

Charles shares that you need to have a lifetime goal and a destination so that plans can be made to make it to that destination. (8:29)

Charles mentions that Confidence comes from the plan, and motivation is the fruit. (11:20)

Charles shares that when you have the structure in order, process and strategy, you are going to have results. (15:12)

Charles explains how you're going to use your social media strategy. (19:53)

Charles shares that you should keep in mind what's the one thing that you can do that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. (22:48)

Charles talks about a message that he got from someone on LinkedIn. (25:08)

Charles explains that we lack true accountability, and it causes us not to follow through. (28:15)

Key Quotes:

"When you have confidence, you get motivation, I don't think that you can have motivation that is any kind of motivation, certainly, that's going to last any amount of time if you don't have the confidence to follow through." - Charles Specht

"Confidence comes from the plan, when the plan is established motivation is the fruit." - Charles Specht

"If you lack true accountability, then it's quite likely, you're not going to follow through with the things that you want to actually do. You're just not." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Elnor Rozenrot, Founder of ClaimSetter. Elnor discusses the vision behind Claimsetter, and how policyholders, agents/brokers, and contractors can utilize it in their agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Elnor discusses his experience as the founder and CEO of a consumer credit card company and his realization of the inefficiencies in the insurance claims process, leading him to start a new venture called ClaimSetter to provide financing solutions for contractors and streamline the claims process. (2:43)

Elnor explains that ClaimSetter is focused on alleviating pain for contractors, policyholders, adjusters, and carriers by getting everyone on the same page and restoring properties quickly and efficiently. (10:12)

Elnor mentions that ClaimSetter supports its broker partners in assisting their customers with claims, particularly smaller agencies that lack resources. (26:00)

Elnor discusses his experience and approach to financial management, particularly in raising credit facilities and managing funds (43:09)

Elnor shares that their goal is to help bring everyone together to make the claims process smoother and help brokers differentiate themselves and take care of their customers. (46:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody stands to win by getting everyone together on the same page. And everybody's kind of losing today, because we're sort of looking at each other as entities that have different interests.” - Elnor Rozenrot

“We're here to help make the process smoother for everyone. So the entire idea here is that we helped bring everyone together, if you will. And we cut through a lot of the noise by using our own capital. And we're happy to take that risk.” - Elnor Rozenrot

Resources Mentioned:

Elnor Rozenrot LinkedIn

ClaimSetter

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Good news – the DIPP crew has done a bunch of legwork for you. Our M & A series covers some of the most important questions & brings you the answers, right from the source.

In this episode, you’ll hear the answers straight from Kenny Nichols, Western Financial Group CEO.

We asked Western Financial Group, Navacord, Rogers Insurance (CBN), AJ Gallagher, Westland, Brokerlink and HUB International the following questions:

Where did your firm come from and where are you going? Why should a broker sell to you – what value do you bring? What’s your target broker? Does a broker with a strong digital presence get a valuation boost? Do you want former owners to stick around? Do you keep the original name? What’s in it for the acquired employees? What’s in it for carriers? Who wins & who loses? How do you value a brokerage? What can a broker do to make their business worth more? How do valuations compare between heavy CL brokers vs heavy PL brokers? Does a ROFR diminish the value of a brokerage? What is your firm’s end game?

In the final installment of our summer solo episode series, James talks about navigating the hard market.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss the different generations of insurance buyers and share how to effectively communicate and sell to each generation.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that generational differences in the insurance industry are often overlooked, but understanding and adapting to the needs of each generation can improve sales. (2:45)

David explains the traits of the Silent Generation (1928-1945): trust in institutions, in-person interactions, risk aversion due to history, and value in low-deductible, cautious insurance. (6:33)

David shares how Baby Boomers (1946-1964) prioritize security and loyalty to insurers but are skeptical of digital tools. (11:53)

David mentions that Generation X (1965-1980) values both digital convenience and personal interaction, emphasizing family-focused insurance. (14:12)

David discusses Millennials (1981-1996) prioritizing digital management, seeking alternatives, valuing experiences, and proactive health measures. (16:25)

David shares about Gen Z's (1997-2012) focus on seamless online experiences, personalized insurance, and ethical companies, crucial in the gig economy. (22:02)

David and Kyle discuss the importance of respecting and valuing the perspectives of older generations, and the need for sales professionals to adapt and stay ahead of changing trends in the industry. (25:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One of the things I think's interesting right now, with being in our industry is just the general number of people that are from different generations, like we're dealing with multiple generations of insurance buyers.” - David Carothers

“All we're doing is fine tuning stuff that's pretty much already been invented. Yes, we're inventing new products. But the majority of those ideas are spawned from something else that already exists. I think that generation invented products to meet a need, and that's a big difference. They’re inventing things to meet a need. We're inventing things for convenience.” - David Carothers

“I think, obviously it's only going to keep changing so people have to get ahead of it and stay in tune with what's going on and not be reactionary as I think this industry has been for basically, its entire existence.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Most insurance agents fail at selling insurance because they started on the wrong foot. They never achieved traction and so they failed. What I've found is that many agents lack traction because they don't know what they're selling or to whom they're selling. They are "generalists" and they achieve mediocrity every single day. If you want to become more successful at selling insurance, figure out who your ideal prospect is (with absolute clarity) and prospect with diligence. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to do exactly that.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that articulating or defining your ideal client is the foundation of prospecting. (1:59)

Charles explains that if your message is that of the one you were focused on, it will tilt up towards the client you are messaging. (6:22)

Charles defines every agent as being very unique in every way in your own agency. (10:19)

Charles shares his experience with a shooting gun and how it relates it to the industry. (11:44)

Charles discusses instances where an agent will likely start to flounder. (15:06)

Charles shares a story of an agent that he knows and how it went with the agent's client. (17:02)

Charles explains that it's amazing what happens when you get clearly defined about who you're trying to attract, and who you're trying to repel. (20:17)

Charles shares one of the more difficult things for an insurance agent to do. (21:53)

Charles explains that the key to being successful in your niche is ultimately to decide to go all-in on the type of account that you want. (26:25)

Key Quotes:

"Those insurance agents who lack clarity and understanding or being able to articulate and define your ideal client are the ones who are going to fail." - Charles Specht

"If you don't have a script that is focused on your ideal client, you are basically playing luck, you're gambling." - Charles Specht

"If you don't have a clear idea of what you're trying to accomplish and who you're trying to resonate with, then you're likely going to sort of flounder." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Niki Henley, Owner of Extra Mile Insurance Solutions.

Niki started her agency in 2019 and was a guest in 2020. Today, we followed up with her progress and talked about what has helped her build her agency most successfully.

Episode Highlights:

Niki shares that she opened her own agency in 2019, and faced challenges in the first year, including the impact of COVID-19, but ultimately learned valuable lessons and adopted new technologies and strategies that put them ahead in the market. (2:04)

Niki discusses the importance of seeking advice and guidance from trusted mentors and industry experts before making decisions or implementing new tools in order to avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure success. (7:43)

Niki mentions that she is not a big gift person and has struggled with showing appreciation to her team, but has made efforts to improve by valuing their input and being transparent about goals and the bigger picture. (16:27)

Niki explains that implementing automation and streamlined processes has allowed for better collaboration and efficiency within the team, making it easier to onboard new staff and ensuring continuity in case of absences or emergencies. (24:11)

Niki shares that she learned that planning for the next five years is setting oneself up for failure due to unpredictable events, so she focuses on making realistic plans for one year at a time and taking advantage of opportunities in the current market. (29:34)

Niki advises beginners in the market to seek out mentors who have already achieved what they want to do, get their advice and feedback, and don't try to figure it all out on their own. (40:03)

Key Quotes:

“This may be surprising to some people but it's not actually technology or a tool. It was a mentor that changed the game for me.” - Niki Henley

“Get with mentors for people that you know, have already done it, seek them out, they're out there.” - Niki Henley

Resources Mentioned:

Niki Henley LinkedIn

Extra Mile Insurance Solutions.

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

This episode of "Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence on the MVP Podcast! Co-Host Danny Lawrence sits down with Caden Braly, VP of Business Development at AgentsTech.

Using Caden's expertise as an agent and insurtech specialist, he advocates for AgentsTech, by empowering agents to embrace insurtech solutions, revolutionizing both their front and back offices. This transformation is essential for their growth and success in the digital era.

Episode Highlights:

Caden explains that AgentsTech is a technology consulting firm that helps independent insurance brokers modernize their agencies by connecting them with the right InsurTech companies through personalized consultations. (2:11)

Caden mentions that not every InsureTech or IndieTech company is a good fit for your agency and its goals, so it's important to be unbiased and consider the specific needs and market of your agency before jumping on the latest buzzword or trend. (4:57)

Caden discusses his role as the VP of Business Development which includes being responsible for overseeing technology for inbound and outbound leads. (7:21)

Caden explains that Agents Tech specializes in teaching, training, and integrating peripheral software like Wunderite, Loss Run Pro, Bold Penguin, and Tarmika to increase efficiency and revenue for insurance agencies. (15:48)

Caden mentions that Wunderite and Bold Penguin are two companies making waves in the insurance market and the upcoming AMS CRM system called Iris is set to challenge legacy systems with its impressive integrations. (19:25)

Caden believes that IndieTech is a game changer for independent P&C brokers, providing efficient tech solutions that will give them a competitive edge in quoting and accessing markets. (25:06)

Key Quotes:

“We really try to do a good job of determining what is these insurance agencies need and then we connect them with those IndieTech companies.So we make sure that we know who they are, and we don't put them with a company or a tech company, that's maybe not going to solve their problem.” - Caden Braly

“IndieTech represents a shift in insurance brokers and you want to be on the good side of that shift before you get left in the dust, because other agents are going to be able to quote faster than you, they're going to be able to get accord forms and block markets faster than you. It's all about the efficiency.” - Caden Braly

Resources Mentioned:

Caden Braly LinkedIn

AgentsTech

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Amanda Brewton, Principal Owner of Medicare Answers Now. Amanda shares her insights and expertise in the Medicare field and offers valuable advice on marketing and selling Medicare plans, building relationships, and the need for education and referral-based marketing.

Episode Highlights:

Amanda shares her journey from working in a call center to starting her agency, which focuses on teaching and development for insurance agents. (4:16)

Amanda mentions that Medicare commissions are dictated by CMS, while life insurance commissions can be set by the entity, and Medicare agents are typically paid directly by the carrier. (11:48)

Amanda explains Medicare is a complex system with different parts and options, including Original Medicare, Part D for prescription drugs, and Medicare Supplements or Advantage plans, each with its own benefits and costs. (17:00)

Amanda discusses the different approaches and strategies for selling insurance, particularly in the Medicare market, the importance of finding the right business model and target market, and the need for education and referral-based marketing. (36:55)

Amanda shares that she runs two companies, one focused on Medicare answers and the other on insurance answers for beneficiaries, and she creates digital content for both demographics through various platforms like YouTube, TikTok, blog posts, Facebook, and LinkedIn. (46:08)

Amanda expresses her motivation to change the insurance industry stereotype and ensure people have accurate information and support. (52:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Candidly, I get paid to make other people's lives better. I help the agent achieve their dreams and make their lives and their employees' lives better.” - Amanda Brewton

“There are so many different ways to fundamentally grow your business and go after your target market.” - Amanda Brewton

“I want to change how people view the insurance industry as a whole. I want to have it where I know that grandma has gotten what she's needed.” - Amanda Brewton

Resources Mentioned:

Amanda Brewton LinkedIn

Medicare Answers Now

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

You may or may not be an agent looking to shift your career away from slinging policies and throwing mud against the walls to see what sticks. And, I get that. Or, you may not be an agency owner looking to add "Consulting" to your list of services provided. And, again, I get that. But .... it might just be the absolute PERFECT CHOICE for you going forward, and that's what this episode is also about.

Host Charles Specht explains and breaks down the two primary business models you can choose from, to help you earn $100k - $350k annually. And, Charles begins to unpack "Phase 2" which will be released later in Q4 of this year that will be specific to insurance agencies who want to take over the policies (via BOR) of mine and the other consultant's client's policies. Get ready, because we're getting ready to disrupt the entire insurance industry!

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions that his first approach to prospecting as an independent consultant in the insurance industry is to offer unbiased advice and guidance to small to medium-sized business owners for a fee, without directly involving their brokers or agents. (8:09)

Charles discusses his transition to a new business model where he works as an agency retainer, providing ongoing support and advice to clients for a higher fee, and he refers smaller accounts to other consultants in different states. (18:28)

Charles discusses how the constructive risk network is a good fit for individuals with insurance backgrounds and experience, including insurance agents, carrier people, sales reps, underwriters, claims people, risk managers, and insurance agency owners, particularly those with small to medium-sized agencies looking to transition into insurance consulting. (22:58)

Charles explains that phase one of his Constructive Risk Network involves bringing in insurance consultants under the Constructive Risk Network with exclusive assignments for each state, initially limiting it to three consultants per state. (27:05)

Charles mentions that the goal is to revolutionize the insurance industry by bringing in exclusive insurance agencies and consultants, focusing on the success of both the insurance buyer and the agent broker, and eliminating the quoting process. (28:54)

Key Quotes:

“Getting referrals as an insurance consultant is so easy, it's so easy. You're not competing against other agents, they've already got an agent, you're different.” - Charles Specht

“The goal then, is that we're going to be bringing in insurance agencies in each of the states. Again, very exclusive. We're not bringing in everybody, we're just going to be focused on a number of agencies that have some desire to write certain industries, certain classes of business, and there's no commission split here. You write the policy, you keep 100%. That's it.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Monica Adwani, COO at BRZ Insurance. Monica discusses her current role at BRZ Insurance, where she focuses on serving the Hispanic community, she also discusses the importance of leveraging technology in the insurance industry and emphasizes the need for clear goals and communication within your team.

Episode Highlights:

Monica shares how she fell in love with the world of insurance and eventually became an independent agent. (2:47)

Monica mentions that BRZ Insurance is a technology company that sells insurance and focuses on delivering the best customer experience through AI and multilingual support, utilizing their proprietary technology built internally. (14:14)

Monica explains that when looking for a VP, it's important to understand the purpose and expected return on investment, rather than just focusing on tasks and cost, as lacking clarity and goals will likely lead to dissatisfaction and a high failure rate. (22:42)

Monica believes that the key to showing up for your team and achieving efficiency is investing time in training and teaching them how you operate as an agency principal. (30:16)

David shares that Florida is experiencing a hard market, particularly for personal lines insurance, with clients facing significant rate increases at renewal. (35:44)

David mentions that agents must be transparent about rate increases and effectively deliver tough news to clients to thrive in the industry during a hard market. (42:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I am having so much fun because I get to serve my own people in my own language. And there is just so much education that needs to be done for our community. And I'm really, really thriving and very, very happy with serving our Hispanic and Latino community now.” - Monica Adwani

“We are a technology company that happens to sell insurance. We are powered by technology. Everything that we do is based on AI and based on delivering the best customer experience that we can to the client, and we do that by selling insurance.” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

Monica Adwani LinkedIn

BRZ Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

We first hit up Taylor soon after he started his role with Applied. He gave us a lot of insight into his background, his approach to the business and future plans for Applied.

Now that Taylor has had a chance to settle into the role, he’s starting to see some of the fruits of his efforts take shape.

Taylor then shares an update on the Epic transformation – making it more open, efficient & leveraging API connectivity. We also get insight into the Epic data lake and how Applied plans to use this for the benefit of their broker clients.

In the first podcast with Taylor, he introduced us to his “say/do” ratio. While he admits he’s not perfect, it sure sounds like there’s a lot of doing that corresponds to what he was saying.

In this episode, James talks about 4 reasons why you should NOT launch an insurance-related podcast in 2023. He ends the episode with a much better idea for generating real impact and profitable opportunities for your office.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the number one mistake that producers make.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle mentions the main mistake that producers make. (2:36)

Kyle shares why the mistake that producers make is not dropping the close. (10:56)

David gives his opinion on the main mistake that producers make. (12:42)

David mentions why producers that don’t know how to cut bait in the prospecting phase is the biggest mistake. (13:30)

David shares a story about his deal with a roofing company. (16:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I would say in the insurance world that people talk about coverages that they'd be missing or just different aspects of the forms. Then you have the discussion and the prospect agrees, but then you don't ask for the sale or for that agent of record letter.” - Kyle Houck

“I think that we're under such production pressure. People want the top of that funnel to be so massive that they just put everything in there. I'd rather refine it before putting it in there so I'm not using time and resources on it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Some of the toughest decisions in my life involved hiring and firing employees.

I was confronted with the emotional toll it took on both ends of the spectrum. That's why our guest, Joey Coleman, renowned author of 'Never Lose a Customer Again' and 'Never Lose an Employee Again', is here to shed some light on this intricate process.

With his own experiences as a leader and the challenging decisions he made as a CEO, Joey offers a unique perspective on the employer-employee dynamic.

The episode further highlights the intertwined connection between customer experience and employee experience, shedding light on the employer's responsibility to create a remarkable environment for their team members.

We also dissect the balance of hierarchy and dialogue in decision-making, the dangers of confirmation bias, and the importance of rest and recovery after big projects.

So, grab your headphones and tune in to this enlightening episode packed with valuable insights for leaders and managers alike.

This is not just a conversation; it's a transformative journey.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan and Joey discuss their experience of speaking with Marcus Sheridan and how much they admire his skills. (6:57)

Joey shares his experiences during COVID, including giving speeches and consulting for struggling businesses, and witnessing the contrasting emotions of people facing hardships and successes. (15:43)

Joey discusses the importance of employee experience in creating remarkable customer experiences and the interconnectedness between the two. (25:51)

Joey mentions that employers struggle to create a positive employee experience due to a lack of firsthand experience, a fear of vulnerability and admitting uncertainty, and a disconnect between customer and employee experience. (30:42)

Joey believes that being a great employer is understanding that employee experience is a journey, not a destination, and adapting to the changing world and employee needs (34:29).

Joey discusses the importance of valuing team opinions and involving them in decision-making while acknowledging that leaders must make tough decisions and take responsibility for the results. (46:42)

Joey mentions that leaders often fail to learn from experiments because they focus on justifying the results instead of understanding why things didn't go as planned. (56:25)

Joey discusses the episode's main takeaway, which is to be intentional about the type of people you want in your organization and to incorporate that into every step of the hiring and employee management process. (1:00:08)

Key Quotes:

“The best books are the ones that you can come back to. You can read it at a different point in your career when you're facing a different problem, a different situation, a different scenario, you're in a different organization, you've got a new product, a new service, whatever it may be.” - Joey Coleman

“Most leaders don't actually learned from the experiments. They justify why the experiment ended up the way it did, without exploring why the experiment didn't go the way they thought it was.” - Joey Coleman

“Words totally matter, like, it is literally the foundation of our ability to communicate in the modern era, is words, language.” - Joey Coleman

Resources Mentioned:

Joey Coleman LinkedIn

Website: Joey Coleman

Book: Never Lose an Employee Again

Book: Never Lose a Customer Again

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

Finding Peak

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Kelly Donahue-Piro, President of Agency Performance Partners.

Kelly Donahue-Piro and Teresa chat about how to lead a strong team into next generation of independent agencies

Episode Highlights:

Kelly explains that account managers often feel overwhelmed by their work and the demands of their roles. However, it is crucial to hold them accountable and focus on their potential. (3:13)

Kelly mentions that agencies should focus on sharing metrics with their team, providing tools and resources, and encouraging them to prioritize high-value clients during a hard market. (17:02)

Kelly discusses the importance of permission and rewiring behaviors to build trust in agency-client relationships, and the need for clear communication, proactive outreach, and a focus on building trust during challenging times. (21:30)

Kelly explains that effective leadership communication and the power leaders have in guiding their teams through change and difficult situations is important. (26:50)

Kelly discusses the challenges of the current market and the need for agents to adapt and communicate their value, while also acknowledging the potential for carriers to go insolvent and the frustration of customers. (30:55)

Kelly mentions that the insurance industry is facing challenges due to unpredictable weather events, aging agencies, and a shift towards online formats, but leaders can adapt by focusing on sales skills, controlling the message, and supporting their team. (37:10)

Kelly explains that attitude matters for leaders, as it sets the tone for the team's morale and productivity. (42:01)

Key Quotes:

“The reality is, I'm optimistic that in this market, the best agents will be created of all time. And we will learn how to have these difficult conversations, maybe kicking and screaming, but we will learn our tools, we will also learn how to communicate our true value.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

“Your attitude is contagious. As a leader, they are watching you. When you come in bummed out, you've given them permission to do the same and instead, you need to be giving high fives.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

“Our goal is just to give people the tools that they need, whether that's working directly with the coach, or whether it's working directly online, or just going to a website and getting it for free.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

Resources Mentioned:

Kelly Donahue-Piro LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partners

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview CJ Hutsenpiller, Private Client Advisor at Hutsenpiller Insurance. CJ shares his insights on leveraging chatbots and AI to improve efficiency and profitability for insurance agencies.

Episode Highlights:

CJ describes his agency as a technologically advanced insurance agency in Tennessee that specializes in personal lines and enjoys experimenting with new technology. (4:35)

CJ discusses the challenges of social platforms and the importance of staying authentic, utilizing AI to create scalable content, and focusing on meaningful conversations through chatbots. (11:45)

CJ believes using lead magnets that are not insurance-related to attract potential customers and then following up with insurance-related content later on, can be a practical approach to gaining new clients. (19:33)

CJ explains that the key to effective advertising is tailoring content to specific audiences based on their interests and preferences. (24:58)

CJ shares the benefits of learning from his mom in their family agency. (33:26)

CJ mentions that AI tools, like chatbots, are becoming more prevalent in the industry and can significantly improve efficiency and profitability for agents. (40:31)

CJ shares that the potential of open AI and AI, in general, to revolutionize industries and create cost-effective solutions is a game changer if utilized by agents. (49:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My mom was a freakin rock star in insurance and I was blessed to get to watch her operate for a long time.” - CJ Hutsenpiller

“There's a lot of things that you can do with some of these AI tools that are just mind-boggling that just didn't have the ability to do years ago, and it's just gonna make you be able to be that much more profitable because you can get more work done faster.” - CJ Hutsenpiller

“Open AI, AI in general, is going to be a game changer if agents will use it.” - CJ Hutsenpiller

Resources Mentioned:

CJ Hutsenpiller LinkedIn

Hutsenpiller Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Scott Mogensen and Joel Sitak of Foley. Scott and Joel discuss the challenges in the current hard market and share how Foley’s software simplifies the recruiting, screening, and monitoring of drivers in your fleet.

Episode Highlights:

Scott and Joel discuss their career journeys and how they reached their current positions at Foley. (2:58)

Joel mentions that Foley assists motor carriers in developing a digital safety program, integrating tools and data sources for efficient screening, monitoring, and risk reduction. (6:57)

Scott explains that real-time monitoring of driver's licenses allows immediate notification of any changes or issues, enabling proactive action and improved behavior from drivers. (13:23)

Joel discusses how emerging technology and changing laws are forcing employers to update their drug testing policies to address challenges in determining impairment and protect employees using CBD or hemp. (21:07)

Scott explains that solutions like motor vehicle record monitoring, random drug testing, and criminal monitoring are crucial for mitigating risk. (30:52)

Joel shares that as technology advances, safety profiles and driver data have become crucial for managing safety programs. (38:02)

Scott mentions that Foley’s software helps customers hire drivers quickly and monitor risk to lower insurance premiums. (40:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we're helping our customers do is take these isolated processes that are non-standardized, and usually, in a lot of carriers' cases, very paper-based, and bring them into a digital, single platform where they can operate more effectively both in the screening process and have more robust screening programs and also on the monitoring process, and really go one step beyond what the minimum compliance standards would be.” - Scott Mogensen

“Our solutions really help client retention because you're going to keep that client, they're not going to keep shopping around and find different insurance agencies to work with.” - Joel Sitak

Resources Mentioned:

Joel Sitak LinkedIn

Foley

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

For most brokers, their BMS is critical to the success of their business. As such, we felt it was important to have another discussion with Theo Duchen, Acturis co-CEO.

We also discuss Power Broker vs Acturis and what their broker clients get from those systems. We also discuss some of their other key developments and what brokers can expect in the future from Acturis.

This is the second installment of hot takes and strong opinions, James talks about prospecting and how to better connect with new prospects in the sales process.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the concept of the total cost of risk in insurance and its five key components. He also discusses various factors that contribute to the total cost of risk and how to provide the best value to clients.

Excuses never made anyone any money. People who go bankrupt always have an excuse as to why. Salespeople who don't win an account always have an excuse for their failure. That goes for insurance producers as well. There are reasons and excuses for all failures. But insurance agents who hold onto excuses are the ones who live paycheck to paycheck.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to eliminate excuses, how to execute a plan, and how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals that achieve success.

Episode Highlights:

Charles talks about excuses being the reason for us not achieving our goals in life. (1:14)

Charles provides some examples of the excuses that we commonly have in the industry. (3:45)

Charles tells us what excuses are going to do to our life. (7:52)

Charles says that a lack of execution on actual prospecting will cause failure. (11:25)

Charles shares that we have to have 12x goals, not only get out of the box but destroy the box. (16:47)

Charles gives us the S.M.A.R.T. goal strategy that we can apply to our daily actions. (19:21)

Charles shares that lack of execution results in excuses. (22:38)

Charles tells us to be S.M.A.R.T. (Sizable, Measurable, Actionable Reachable, Time-sensitive) about our goals. (24:36)

Charles says if we continue to hold on to excuses and reasoning and grudges we will ruin relationships. (26:37)

Key Quotes:

"A lack of prospects in the pipeline, a lack of execution on the actual prospecting activity will cause you to starve. Period." - Charles Specht

"The problem, however, is that we have a vast amount of times throughout the year where we do not take action. There's no execution. - Charles Specht

"If you begin to execute, rather than have excuses, you're probably going to be much more likely to succeed, not merely in the long term, but also right now in the short term." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Kali DeWitt Rodgers, Insurance Advisor at DeWitt Insurance Group. Kali and Teresa talk about how using automation in the family agency has helped them scale and yet work a flexible schedule for their team.

Episode Highlights:

Kali mentions that the most important thing to her about working in insurance is that you can still take care of your family and set your own hours. (4:06)

Kali shares that the DeWitt Insurance Group aims to educate new clients through a welcome campaign, guiding them through potential claims and repercussions. (12:11)

Kali mentions how automation has changed their agency for the better. (20:12)

Kali discusses how everyone in the agency has adapted to and embraced technology. (31:40)

Kali shares that a video proposal helped her sell their largest commercial account. (35:24)

Kali mentions that Lava Automation has significantly improved the wording of templates, making it easier for users to understand and respond to messages. (40:15)

Key Quotes:

“The one thing that I've really valued in our industry is that you can still take care of family, you can work your own hours, but the family is always going to come first.” - Kali DeWitt Rodgers

“We were certainly trying to get as many touchpoints as possible. So when someone comes to the agency, they're a new client, they're getting in touch points all through a welcome campaign, and it's educating them.” - Kali DeWitt Rodgers

“The one thing that we implemented that has been a total game changer is automation.” - Kali DeWitt Rodgers

Resources Mentioned:

Kali DeWitt Rodgers LinkedIn

DeWitt Insurance Group

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ron Wadley, an Agency Owner and Search Engine Optimization expert. Ron shares his journey to becoming an Agency Owner, and his expertise in SEO and other strategies that have contributed to the success of his agency.

Episode Highlights:

Ron shares that he has a background in actuarial work and healthcare IT, but decided to leave corporate life and opened his own insurance business 10 years ago. (2:55)

Ron mentions that Insurance for Texans is actively shifting its focus from personal to commercial insurance, bringing in experts in smaller commercial and life/health insurance to provide a boutique experience and be a single point of contact for businesses, while eliminating competitors like ADP and paychecks. (11:47)

Ron discusses the importance of hiring the right people for a successful independent agency, focusing on referrals and value-based work culture rather than traditional methods of recruitment. (20:56)

Ron mentions that the learning curve is steep when transitioning from a captive to an independent agent, as you have to learn multiple products, policy forms, and exclusions, but advancements in AI chatbots may help streamline the process in the future. (27:21)

Ron mentions that in order to make sound decisions in sales and hiring processes, it is important to detach from outcomes and focus on evaluating the decision-making process itself. (38:09)

Ron shares that Sprocket Ops offers to share their SEO secrets and insights on a daily basis for those interested. (52:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We can create a very white glove experience for those businesses that want more relationship and still get what they need to get. And so we're doing that by putting these people into the right roles, and having a couple of referral partners who can handle things that we don't touch.” - Ron Wadley

“I'll admit, we don't keep track of days off. If you need a day off, go do it, just get your stuff done. We're not tracking paid time off. But what we are doing is setting you up to be successful giving you the tools to get to where you want to be.” - Ron Wadley

Resources Mentioned:

Ron Wadley LinkedIn

Insurance for Texans

Sprocket Ops

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

I know, I know. This is a different kind of episode than you're used to. But, it just might be one that changes your life for the better!

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will begin teaching you about how to exit the "rat race" of selling insurance policies and -- instead -- become a wholly independent, fee-based insurance consultant where you will likely make between $100,000 - $350,000 in personal "take home" income every single year. I've created an exclusive group with assigned territories and this is available for both P&C agents as well as EB agents. If you're interested in that, keep listening. If you're VERY INTERESTED in it and want to learn more, send me an email by first visiting my website at: www.constructiverisk.com

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that he is making a pivot in his business by creating a network of insurance consultants who are hired by insurance buyers to provide unbiased advice for a flat fee. (2:41)

Charles discusses the challenges in selling insurance, including time-consuming data gathering and unresponsive marketing departments, and the benefits of being an insurance consultant. (5:53)

Charles mentions that an insurance consultant offers unbiased counsel and negotiates premiums down, typically saving clients 11-17% and potentially up to 55% of annual insurance costs, with fees ranging from $2,500 to $20,000. (9:39)

Charles explains that insurance agents can save clients money and provide value by representing multiple carriers, allowing them to be unbiased advisors and counselors to insured individuals. (13:48)

Charles discusses that having an insurance consultant instead of just trusting an agent can result in better outcomes and higher profits, with minimal expenses and no need for a physical office or additional staff. (18:40)

Charles discusses the downside of not having residuals like an insurance agent and the benefits of saving clients time and money through handling negotiations, managing policies, and providing risk management services. (20:56)

Charles mentions that an insurance consultant helps insurance buyers navigate the insurance process and ensures that agents have a fair opportunity to win business, benefiting both the buyer and the agents involved. (25:26)

Charles shares that he will be giving exclusivity in regards to the territory for insurance agents, with a focus on creating programs, obtaining endorsements, and providing marketing support to generate wealth and achieve personal goals. (29:13)

Key Quotes:

“I am creating a network of insurance consultants that are no longer having to sell insurance. They're now being hired by the insurance buyer and paid a flat fee to give them unbiased advice.” - Charles Specht

“As an insurance consultant, what I have to get the insurance buyer to understand is that I don't sell insurance, I'm not a competitor with their agent... I am completely separate from the entire placing of insurance, I am completely unbiased.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Constructive Risk

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with David Watson, CEO of Risk Advisor to discuss the changes and advancements in Risk Advisor technology over the past two years, highlighting the importance of technology in improving efficiency and potentially impacting pricing in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David Watson discusses the importance of evaluating one's schedule and having a supportive partner when starting a new venture, highlighting the need for a strong base structure both in business and at home. (6:15)

David Watson shares his recent business activities, including discovery calls, subscriptions, and referrals, emphasizing the importance of consistent and helpful content on social media platforms for generating leads and sales. (13:20)

David Watson mentions that the key to saving time and increasing agents' efficiency is eliminating duplicate entries and streamlining data collection and integration with various tools such as virtual assistants, CRMs, wholesale brokers, and Agency Management Systems. (26:10)

David Watson discusses the importance of feedback and prioritizing user ideas, including forming an Agent Advisory Council. (31:43)

David Watson explains that exciting upcoming developments in the next year will include new tools and resources to help agency owners hire the right people and increase their closing ratio, ultimately making their agency more profitable. (41:36)

David Watson mentions that Risk Advisors offers a 7-day trial with automated onboarding, including setting up branding, integrations, adding team members, and scheduling an onboarding call for success. (44:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we have been really focusing on this year is doubling down on helping agents have a better conversation, which is going to produce more sales, more cross-sells, and more revenue across the board.” - David Watson

“Our goal is to put out a platform that's going to help you and your agent and your producers that you're looking to hire be more efficient and make more money.” - David Watson

Resources Mentioned:

David Watson LinkedIn

Risk Advisor

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, we talk with Don Forgeron (CEO) & James Fordham (CIO) from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).

Don recently announced his retirement from the IBC and we get him to open up & dish on what he’s seen in his career. He shares some of the cool things that IBC does – things that brokers might not know. We also hear about the IBC’s PR work and the industry’s Covid response. Don also discusses the major trends that will shape the industry in the future.

James then gets the opportunity to dive into the DASH program coming to the industry in 2023.

DASH is a new industry-owned product that will deliver essential driver and auto data to the Canadian insurance industry. It will provide robust reports detailing a consumer’s complete insurance history including all coverages, claims, and other relevant information that will be used to provide an insurance quote.

The primary users of this product will be insurance underwriters and brokers. As an industry-owned product developed at the direction of the IBC Board of Directors, DASH will provide a cost-effective way to request comprehensive reports and will expand as the industry’s needs change.

In this first solo episode in the summer Hot Takes and Strong Opinions series, James answers questions from the audience on two topics:

Surviving the hard market

Required Time Off (RTO) and Work From Home (WFH)

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, listen in on a Killing Commercial producers' training call where they discuss the importance of creating and storing training materials, using tools like SharePoint and CRM systems, and the effectiveness of using AI-generated content for social media posts.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Nick Aube, Founder of Producer Systems, to talk about what it takes for a young agent to gain confidence early on in your career that brings you credibility and trust from your customers/prospects! Winning is what we all want to do, but guess what, IT TAKES HARD WORK!

Episode Highlights:

Nick believes that producers often come with a misconception that they need to quote and that by thinking for themselves and developing their own sales process, they can create their own path. (11:29)

Nick mentions that young producers often need more credibility and knowledge about the insurance game, which can hinder their ability to negotiate the proper coverage. (20:43)

Nick explains the importance of confidence, consistency, and a clear vision for success in the insurance industry. (30:28)

Nick mentions that he helps producers find the path and system they want to run, and how to create an environment where they can write new business. (40:12)

Nick discusses that transparency is crucial especially for young producers, as it builds trust and credibility. (49:47)

Nick shares an experience that taught him the importance of understanding the BOR and adjusting their pricing strategy accordingly. (52:25)

Nick encourages producers and agency owners to join Producer Systems every Wednesday at 12 EST for free a live call focused on collaborating on BOR, prospect positioning, and actionable steps for building sales processes. (56:24)

Key Quotes:

“Confidence, and then consistency, but also having the vision, the framework for how you want to operate, those three things, I think are super important.” - Nick Aube

“I'm a big believer in the Broker of Record. To me, that's the way forward. However, we're talking about confidence earlier, you need to be confident in your process, and your system to actually go out and execute.” - Nick Aube

Resources Mentioned:

Nick Aube LinkedIn

Producer Systems

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens discusses the top three tips to overcoming burnout.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa mentions that leaders should explore various options to overcome challenges and improve their team performance. (3:16)

Teresa explains that burnout is a deeper form of stress and that engaging in activities like volunteering and giving back to the community can help reset our souls and ignite a passion for meaningful community activities. (6:38)

Teresa discusses the importance of identifying and standardizing priorities within the team's work process to prevent burnout and improve productivity. (9:40)

Teresa encourages taking breaks when needed, evaluating current processes, and finding ways to improve them to combat burnout and enhance client satisfaction. (12:56)

Teresa mentions that by taking challenging moments and leveling up, companies can adapt and improve, and by matching industry trends and adapting to changes. (18:03)

Teresa suggests that to combat burnout, engage in activities like staying focused on your vision, delegating, and taking breaks to focus on the future and improve the agency and industry. (21:32)

Key Quotes:

“So take a break if you need to, watch your processes, your systems, whatever it is, think about how you can level up, okay? Work with your team on leveling up, okay? And then also look at what you can delegate, okay? Those are three huge starting points for being able to combat burnout.” - Teresa Kitchens

“If we can take these challenging moments, we can take just a little bit of time, level up, ask ourselves what doesn't work, then when the changes come down the road between claims, between the way that you know, companies operate, we will be further ahead, we will be matching, we will be better tomorrow than we are today.” - Teresa Kitchens

“Use this time to push forward. You need to take a little bit of a break, take a little bit of a break. Maybe you can clean cranky clients out of your book. Maybe that would help your team. But vision for the future and help your team to vision for the future, help them to feel like they're moving forward, making that agency better and your industry better for tomorrow because that is what we need to always be working on.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Joe Ardeeser, Founder of Smart Pricing Table. Joe discusses how the Smart Pricing Table software excels in building catalogs, pricing tables, and analytics for a better understanding of prospect interactions.

Episode Highlights:

Joe discusses the decision to sell their business and make their own in-house solution for writing proposals, and four years later, they launched it as Smart Pricing Table. (2:56)

Joe explains that their software excels in building catalogs and analytics on lower-level interactions and focuses on pricing tables and scope of work, allowing for a better understanding of prospects' interactions. (9:00)

Joe shares that their journey led to numerous discoveries including the ability to have someone else create proposals for a catalog, customer impressions, and the importance of optionality. (20:16)

Joe explains that building momentum in proposal creation involves asking new questions and updating your system as it allows for a more straightforward process, resulting in faster proposals and better outcomes. (26:56)

Joe discusses how a great proposal can significantly impact the outcome, making it crucial to critically think about it and make a difference in the process. (34:15)

Joe discusses the Profitable Proposal Blueprint which is a free guide available on the Smart Pricing Table website which includes five secret tips for continuous improvement. (40:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are lots of different solutions on the market, you know, where our software really hits it hard is building that catalog. That's the thing that we do really, really well. And because we're so focused on your pricing table, your scope of work, we also have analytics on lower-level interaction.” - Joe Ardeeser

“I think when we decided to go on the journey, there were so many discoveries. One of them is the fact that when you create a catalog, you can actually have someone else create proposals for you, which is a really, really helpful game changer.” - Joe Ardeeser

“I love the idea of building momentum. So each time you're creating a proposal, you're asking new questions, a lot of questions you've already answered, but you're asking some new questions. And you're always building your system.” - Joe Ardeeser

Resources Mentioned:

Joe Ardeeser LinkedIn

Smart Pricing Table

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Jason just rocked the OnPoint Podcast discussing IndieTech 2023. Shining a light on game-changing InsurTech, he highlighted AI's power to redefine the independent agent's landscape.

There are a number of things you can do to increase the likelihood of winning new clients from signed Broker of Record Letters. Some are more difficult to accomplish initially and may require experience, but others are things you can start doing immediately to win more signatures.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will begin to itemize the ABCs of what you need to do to win more signed Broker of Record Letters from your prospects.

Episode Highlights:

Charles tells us that this episode is about how to win Broker of Record Letters. (2:17)

Charles shares that the Broker of Record Letter is an insurance tool to ensure proper service from incumbent agents. (5:00)

Charles explains that the insurers' best interest is to gain a reputation in the marketplace. (8:34)

Charles states that most agents do not even mention the Broker of Record Letter to insurance buyers. (11:43)

Charles shares the ABCs of Broker of Record Letters, which will revolutionize your entire career. (16:10)

Charles shares the call experience that he had with a company that makes high-end treehouses. (20:00)

Charles explains that he will be putting up mini-courses that answer particular issues that will help agents. (23:44)

Charles tells us that advisors get more signed Broker of Record Letters than producers. (26:43)

Charles says that a Broker of Record Letter is the fastest, smartest, most ethical approach to building a $1 million or more book of business. (28:31)

Key Quotes:

"I really believe that the insurance industry is turning a corner and we're going to be accelerating towards a particular direction." - Charles Specht

"The Broker of Record Letters is not something that we talk about or that we wield. It is not to be a hammer in your hand and you beat the insurance buyer of your prospects into submission until they finally sign that thing." - Charles Specht

"You do not receive it if you do not ask. If you do not ask, you do not receive. If you ask, you will receive what you asked for." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Vince Shorb, CEO of National Financial Educators Council. Vince discusses the key components of financial literacy and wellness, including knowledge, skills, and the confidence required to effectively apply these elements in real-life situations.

Episode Highlights:

Vince discusses what led him to his mission of educating people about financial wellness (6:45)

Vince explains that financial literacy and wellness require knowledge, skills, and confidence for effective application. (12:39)

Vince mentions that financial coaches often face difficult conversations with couples discussing life goals. (19:49)

Vince believes that financial educators can help individuals navigate complex financial situations, leading to better lives and support for family and friends. (24:53)

Vince explains that education is crucial in building a long-term client, as it helps them understand financial complexities in a layman's way, preventing the loss of clients. (32:41)

David mentions that to overcome objections in a business, it's essential to have a plan and execute it. (38:05)

Vince encourages financial education in the financial service space to help build a brand around financial wellness. (44:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If we really focus and shape our message around education, if we're contributing to the community, so we do a lot of campaigns, we're going to communities, donate resources in the name of individuals, build that relationship from the education standpoint. So they know, hey, this is somebody I can ask questions to.” - Vince Shorb

“I think with you guys taking that role as educating, really explaining things in a clear, concise way, that's a lot what education is. That's building a long-term client that's building somebody that can come back to you and won't be sold by somebody else, you know, somebody else that comes along and educates them.” - Vince Shorb

Resources Mentioned:

Vince Shorb LinkedIn

National Financial Educators Council

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, we are joined by Josh Reznick of Foxquilt. Josh is a former carrier exec who has made the leap into the insuretech world.

Foxquilt is an Insurance-as-a-Service platform focussed on commercial insurance, underpinned by a unique data and machine learning underwriting infrastructure.

The team digs into Foxquilt’s approach to connectivity, working with carriers & vendors. We discuss eCommerce and embedded insurance and get into how this works for brokers.As Foxquilts reach is across North America, we also discuss some of the similarities between the US & Canadian landscapes.

In this episode, James talks with Ryan Mathisen, Co-Founder of GloveBox.

To learn more about GloveBox, visit https://gloveboxapp.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses his family's background in entrepreneurship and insurance. (5:06)

Ryan mentions that the number one thing you can do as a new producer, or a producer coming from the captive to the independent channel is to have a really solid mentor. (12:03)

Ryan discusses the idea of merging carrier mobile apps with a vertical-style product, which led to the creation of GloveBox. (20:19)

Ryan explains that the independent insurance channel faces an unforgiving landscape, with a strong focus on generational businesses and legacy processes and it is essential to have a sense of the business in order to provide solutions that make sense. (30:48)

Ryan discusses GloveBox's recent launch of their commercial product, including its features and functionality, and their plans for future development. (37:29)

Ryan explains how they prioritize feedback and align it with their roadmap. (44:20)

Ryan shares ways to engage with GloveBox, including their new website and social media. (48:47)

Key Quotes:

“It's so hard to replicate and again, this business is unforgiving. If you don't provide solutions that absolutely make sense, you're not going to win. It's really difficult and that's what I've learned.” - Ryan Mathisen

“We really want to give commercial agents tools that they need to be able to prospect, quote, sell, and service business. ” - Ryan Mathisen

“If it is a workflow between you and your policyholder, we want to host it. That's what we want. If you're engaging with the policyholder, we want to be the ones to support that. And that's where we live. ” - Ryan Mathisen

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the importance of detaching from outcomes, a powerful concept brought up by Josh Braun at Producers in Paradise. David also shares the structure of Producers in Paradise and a few of the lessons learned from the event.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the structure and concept of the Producers In Paradise conference. (2:28)

David shares how the sunset cruise in Key West provided an informal setting for sponsors and attendees to get to know each other. (3:21)

David mentions that Producers in Paradise is an annual event where attendees share their skills and needs, enabling others to identify potential partners. (4:30)

Josh discusses the importance of being detached from the outcome during his presentation at Producers in Paradise. (8:00)

David explains that agents and producers can try to control as much as possible in the sales world but they cannot control the environment. (17:32)

David shares that the most significant lesson he learned at Producers in Paradise was the need to quickly implement impactful nuggets of wisdom, as no one else is responsible for our mindset except ourselves. (21:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The key west event itself is special in that it is not a normal conference. And I think it's important for everybody listening to understand the architecture of that before we get into the lessons learned or the lessons that should be learned.” - David Carothers

“We go out into the sales world and we can prepare as much as we want, we can take all the training we want, we can have the best software, the best tools, just like in fishing, we can have the best tackle, the best electronics, the best boat. But what we can't control is the environment.” - David Carothers

“The biggest lesson that I've learned from Producers in Paradise is that we simply need to implement those things that are nuggets and impactful as quickly as we can hear them. Because no one else is responsible for our mindset other than ourselves.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Braun LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

What if you could win 12-15 signed Broker of Record Letters from your prospects in the next six months? How profitable would that be for you? Well, that's what one of my "12X Commission Mastermind" members accomplished for his agency in just the first six months of 2023, and since becoming a Mastermind member now only a total of seven (7) months ago. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, my guest is Illinois-based agency owner Ryan Cox and he shares what he's doing to prospect, to set appointments, and to win new business via BOR. And ... if you're interested in learning more about the "12X Commission Mastermind" then visit either www.12X.Club or go directly to: https://permissiongroup.com/mastermind/

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses his involvement in the management of employee benefit plans and medical insurance for small and midsize businesses. (2:19)

Ryan shares what led him to shift his attention to the Denver area and what made it so successful. (4:31)

Ryan mentions their outsourcing of telemarketing and email marketing, viewing it as an investment rather than a cold call and he believes this approach not only generates new clients and fuels growth but also helps address healthcare expenses. (17:13)

Ryan shares that SLI Benefits allocates 15-20% of its revenue to marketing campaigns, which has seen significant growth since its establishment. (19:01)

Ryan highlights that SLI Benefits' programs revolve around innovative concepts aimed at solving the complexities of healthcare. (26:56)

Ryan shares about the benefits of the “12X Commission Mastermind” program ane explains that it places great importance on having a well-defined process and unwavering conviction in one's work. (37:02)

Key Quotes:

“I outsource all of my telemarketing, email marketing, absolutely everything at great expense. But I look at it much more as an investment. If I know I'm going to have 15 conversations in a week, I'm probably going to get one or two new clients out of those conversations.” - Ryan Cox

“We really pride ourselves on offering those newer innovative types of concepts to crack the health care code.” - Ryan Cox

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Cox LinkedIn

SLI Benefits

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Discover how to revolutionize your insurance business as we chat with the incredible Shawn Fitzgerald of the Scratch Agency podcast.

Shawn's unique blend of progressive technology and prospecting techniques, combined with a respect for traditional methods, will give you the edge you need in today's competitive market.

Together, we'll explore the importance of finding freedom within ourselves, overcoming limitations, and navigating the challenges of the current economic crisis.

Dive into the world of carrier sales centers as we discuss how they can help you maximize efficiency and grow your business.

Learn the ins and outs of working with carrier representatives and customer service centers and the advantages of carving out a niche for yourself in the insurance industry. We'll also reveal the power of AI tools like ByWordAI, Chat GPT, and Grammarly in revolutionizing your blog writing process, saving you precious time and resources.

Finally, we get personal with Shawn as we discuss the mental and emotional journey of being a scratch agent. Shawn shares the incredible benefits of starting a podcast to build relationships, learn from guests, and find a sense of community, from the loneliness to the self-discipline required.

Don't miss out on this insightful conversation that will inspire you and provide tangible strategies to elevate your insurance business to new heights.

Episode Highlights:

Shawn discusses his approach to purchasing leads for his insurance agency and the benefits of doing so. (7:04)

Shawn shares the benefits of using a service center versus a sales center for insurance agencies, and how it can help maximize time and resources. (19:12)

Shawn mentions that AI has significantly improved efficiency in blogging, reducing time spent on writing from three hours to 30 minutes. (29:23)

Ryan shares his process for creating two blog posts daily in 30 minutes or less using a tool called Byword and a paid subscription to ChatGPT. (31:05)

Shawn mentions that he uses GPT to send emails more efficiently, providing a state of the market for commercial clients and personalizing them with Grammarly, creating a Facebook ad, and responding to forms. (37:04)

Ryan discusses the benefits of choosing a niche in the insurance industry and how it can lead to success. (42:06)

Shawn believes that mistakes in the industry can lead to avoiding passions, but finding a niche or field you love will keep your fire burning. (46:14)

Shawn explains that they started the Scratch Agency podcast because they wanted to share valuable information and learn from guests and the insurance industry community. (50:38)

Key Quotes:

“If you're not in a niche or a specific field that you love. It's easy to just skip out on that day. You know, if you love it, like I said before, it's going to keep that fire burning.” - Shawn Fitzgerald

“As a scratch agent one of the first things I did was I kind of had to build my niche based around the carrier access I had. So sometimes you don't always have the option. But once you get to a certain point, you can pick and do what you'd like.” - Shawn Fitzgerald

“The relationships I've built from the podcasts that Steven and I have built from the podcasts, I feel like are invaluable. So I know, we both know how hard those times are. And it's the three of us who know how hard those times are being a scratch agent. So I feel like if that can help, literally one or two people that also makes me happy.” - Shawn Fitzgerald

Resources Mentioned:

Shawn Fitzgerald LinkedIn

Scratch Agency podcast

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

SIAA

Finding Peak

Our industry is not short on ideas. But implementation is a completely different mindset. Larry Linne, CEO of InCite Performance Group, joins us this week to talk about how to properly execute your strategy as an insurance agent. Execution requires discipline, and partial execution leads to partial results.

Enjoy the episode!

Episode Links: Ellerbrock-Norris: https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/ Ellerbrock-Norris Wealth Strategies: https://www.ellerbrock-norris-ws.com/ InCite Performance Group: https://incitepg.com/ LAUNCH: https://getlaunch.io/

Elliot Bassett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-bassett-aip-cpcu-84499515/ Ryan Brott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-brott-cepa%C2%AE-77a278a/ Larry Linne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylinne/

This episode is sponsored by LAUNCH.

In the world of insurance, independent agencies fight to survive. Brokers are forced to compete by blocking markets and bid for the lowest price. Worse yet, the industry is fragmented.

Agencies find it difficult to collaborate across division on the same client. Millions of dollars in potential revenue are left on the table. And agency owners lie awake at night wondering how to scale.

THAT’S WHERE LAUNCH COMES IN. Access the full-revenue potential in your existing book of business. See opportunities other agencies can’t. Offer more value. Gain a competitive advantage in a commoditized market.

Visit https://getlaunch.io/ to learn more.

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Kim Beach, Founder & CEO of InsureWomen. Kim is an agency owner who is focusing on bringing insurance solutions specifically to women, to niche, and provide the care and coverage they need.

Episode Highlights:

Kim shares her career background. (2:53)

What really surprised Kim when she first started out in insurance? (4:53)

Kim shares what she found interesting after watching the movie, The Founder. (6:53)

Kim discusses gender roles within the industry and some of the feedback she’s received. (10:29)

Kim mentions their goals at InsureWomen. (11:51)

Kim shares where she envisions InsureWomen, five years from now. (14:06)

What were some of the first impressions of Kim’s platform? (16:57)

Kim explains the most hilarious thing about rough notes. (20:10)

What sort of changes has Kim been seeing in the industry recently? (30:46)

Key Quotes:

“I feel like I'm on a mission now, and I think that could happen to anybody. It’s so interesting because it's just a different tweak of how you think about things. So, if you feel like you're stuck somewhere, there's light at the end of the tunnel, things could change tomorrow, and something great could come about.” - Kim Beach

“We have the consumers and then we have the female agents that were trying to really create a community. I mean, as far as I can tell, there's not a national community of female agents. So, InsureWomen would love to be that community, where we can come together with best practices and that kind of thing.” - Kim Beach

“I'm older, but I'm doing new things every day that I never thought I would be doing because of this. And it's exciting to me, like, my whole world is different and that can happen to anybody. I just think you have to be ready for that to happen, kind of be looking for that opportunity that could change what you're doing.” - Kim Beach

Resources Mentioned:

Kim Beach LinkedIn

InsureWoSmen

June 2021 Rough Notes Article

IBA Elite Women 2021 Award

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kaleigha Cramer of 212 Insurance Group. Kaleigha shares her journey to becoming an independent agent and discusses the importance of rest, learning, and finding joy and purpose in your work.

Episode Highlights:

Kaleigha shares how she started in the insurance industry as a CSR and her transition to becoming an agency owner. (3:01)

Kaleigha discusses how she went from being born to teenage parents to owning a successful insurance agency. (10:40)

Kaleigha shares how the idea of "fake it till you make it" matters, along with taking care of yourself and taking breaks. (26:23)

Kaleigha explains how finding joy and purpose in your work is better than trying to push away bad thoughts. (30:52)

Kaleigha mentions her plans to grow their business by offering insurance to places like chicken houses, contractors, trailer parks, and churches. (35:55)

Kaleigha mentions how many farmers don't think about the problems of overspray or overcharging crops. (39:28)

Kaleigha mentions that learning new things can help you get better at any job. (58:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you're a producer, if your agency owner, it's okay to take a hat off, it's okay to rest. It's okay to take a day off if you need it. It will be there when you get back.” - Kaleigha Cramer

“The biggest thing for me is always know when to speak, and always be a learner. Because you need to use your voice when your voice needs to be heard. And you need to learn from everybody, learn anything, even if it's as little as like you're talking about something that you read in a book like you learning everything will help you in anything. ” - Kaleigha Cramer

Resources Mentioned:

Kaleigha Cramer LinkedIn

212 Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeremy Goodrich, Owner of Shine Insurance Agency.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares his personal interpretation of what success means. (2:56)

Jeremy discusses the five freedoms that form the foundation of everyone's vision for success: money, time, location, relationships, and health. (5:43)

Jeremy explains how active income and passive income differ, and suggests ways for agency owners to increase their passive income using their existing business. (12:05)

Jason and Jeremy discuss the strategy of recruiting revenue-generating team members as a means to grow an agency, even when the owner isn't actively working. (14:24)

Jeremy mentions the importance of cultivating a supportive culture and team within the insurance agency industry as a basis for growth. (21:01)

Jeremy explains that by delegating tasks, we can attain success and realize our five freedoms, even if this process takes some time. (24:38)

Jeremy expresses his belief that although we sometimes fall into negative personas, having positive intentions can help us achieve the life we desire. (28:43)

Key Quotes:

“The autopilot bus button is where the mentality changes for agency owners. And you really start thinking about the fact that the business you are self-employed inside of, if you can learn how to hit autopilot, that business can make you passive income that you're not working on.” - Jeremy Goodrich

“One of the things I've learned is as soon as you delegate something, you never want to do it again. It's a step back.” - Jeremy Goodrich

“Sometimes we get caught up in like the persona of an insurance agent. And underneath that veil is just the life that you want, the life that your intentions will provide for you, you can put things together to make that happen.” - Jeremy Goodrich

Resources Mentioned:

Jeremy Goodrich LinkedIn

Shine Insurance Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Abe Gibson interview Chris Walker, CEO of Refine Labs. Chris discusses how Refine Labs helps companies to execute marketing strategies to start generating revenue, and the importance of digital marketing in today's business landscape.

Episode Highlights:

Chris explains how he recognized the unique marketing approach he had created and decided to start helping companies at scale through Refine Labs. (2:48)

Chris discusses how each platform has a moment in time when it offers the most upside for content marketing. (7:50)

Chris mentions that users' expectations for content consumption and execution will need to rise as AI grows and content availability increases. (15:13)

Chris explains that effectively marketing your product or service requires dividing your target market into two categories: those actively looking to buy and those not. (20:18)

Chris mentions that there are moments of arbitrage and low barriers to entry in crypto, where people can create cheap, high-quality assets. (36:47)

Chris discusses the scale and impact of word-of-mouth marketing in today's digital landscape. (39:05)

Chris shares his insight on the importance of collecting direct feedback from customers to understand what marketing strategies are truly effective. (44:31)

Chris mentions which type of accounts see the most success with growth with Refine Labs. (48:39)

Chris believes that in business, it's crucial to align expectations with actual practice and work to achieve success. (53:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's true that you can put content on any platform, but it's undeniable that each platform has a moment in time, where there's significantly more upside than any other place on the internet.” - Chris Walker

“As AI continues to grow and content availability, free content availability goes up people's bar for the content that they believe, consume, and execute against needs to go way up, or you're going to potentially be taking a lot of bad advice.” - Chris Walker

“We typically find the most success with growth, what most people would consider mid-market segment or enterprise segment companies. So that could be somewhere between 300 employees and above. We work with companies like IBM and Teradata, so it's not like there are companies that are too big or too complex for us. But we also have a ton of success with what will be called single product, single market or platform software.” - Chris Walker

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Walker LinkedIn

Refine Labs

Abe Gibson

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this solo episode, James shares perspective on some of the negative side effects or dangers of being a highly driven, competitive and ambitious person.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the significance of being prepared on appointments and asking open-ended questions.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions the biggest issue when it comes to appointments. (2:05)

David shares a story about the most recent deposition he was in. (3:59)

David shares the two factors that the producers must do to be successful in the foreseeable future. (10:51)

Kyle shares some of the factors that he has used in the past. (14:13)

David shares one of the calls he was supposed to have. (15:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I'd like to focus a little bit on the open-ended questions because I think that if you're good at that, and you perfect that art, you will close a lot of business that way. If you ask questions the right way, you're going to be able to drive a wedge and allow that prospect to conclude that they're not getting what they're paying for.” - David Carothers

“We're so focused on going out and writing the accounts that have problems that we completely miss the fact that we have best in class resources and a really good platform of value add stuff. Companies that are already doing good and want more, we're attracted to them too.” - David Carothers

“When there are not any accounts that are having issues, you don't think that you need to fix anything. There's stuff that we can provide to them that could drop their mod lower.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Join me as I dive into an enlightening conversation with Kimi Donahue, senior agency success manager at Openly.

Discover her inspiring journey in the insurance industry and how her passion for connecting with others through music has played a role in her success.

Kimi opens up about living with Tourette's and its impact on her communication skills. We delve into the importance of understanding neurodiversity, providing feedback, and exploring the potential dangers of falling into a victim mentality.

Learn how to better communicate with neurodivergent individuals and foster an environment of understanding and acceptance.

Finally, listen as Kimi and I discuss respect, freedom, and relationship communication. We explore the power of respectful differentiation, personal agency, and improvement.

Hear how striving for excellence can help you further develop your unique skills and talents. Don't miss this insightful and thought-provoking episode with the amazing Kimi Donahue!

Episode Highlights:

Kimmy shares her experience with Tourette Syndrome, including her diagnosis, symptoms, and how she copes with it. (8:17)

Kimi explains the importance of setting expectations and being open to communication styles. (15:35)

Kimi mentions that being open to feedback and learning from it can lead to better communication and understanding of different personalities. (25:26)

Kimi discusses the importance of respect in relationships, whether it be in the workplace or in a romantic relationship. (37:07)

Kimi explains how being different has become mainstream these days and how some people use it as a crutch to get shallow feedback and victories. (42:40)

Kimi mentions that she is always looking for new experiences and strives to be the best at them. (53:58)

Key Quotes:

“I've just been really lucky or have done a good job of surrounding myself with people that are similar, that are just very growth minded. That's what I mean by learning basis is people that understand that, like, there's always room for improvement. And your perspective isn't always the only one that exists. And I think that's probably the biggest piece that my parents really helped drive home for me and my sister.” - Kimi Donahue

“I'm always looking for something new. And then of course, when I do it, I want to be the best I can be at it. That's hence, where the competitive nature comes in. You know, I enjoy recognition, I enjoy being a winner.” - Kimi Donahue

Resources Mentioned:

Kimi Donahue LinkedIn

Openly

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

Finding Peak

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews James Jenkins, Founder & CEO at RiskWell & Host of the Agency Freedom Podcast. James shares his personal experience leaving a captive agency and the lack of resources available to him at the time, which inspired him to write the book "Leaving Captivity" as a guide for others.

Episode Highlights:

James discusses his struggles due to a lack of resources when considering leaving his captive agency, which prolonged his transition by several months. (2:35)

James shares about his book, Leaving Captivity, and offers information about the extra content available for book readers on his website, including a subscriber wall and a code word for free access. (9:44)

James goes into detail about the topics covered in his book, such as time management and his personal journey leaving a captive agency. (20:00)

James discusses the benefits of the independent channel, highlighting its flexibility and the significance of time value compared to the captive agency environment. (29:19)

James explains the distinction between being an income statement and a balance sheet in an independent agency and how this difference empowers agents to create an asset for themselves and their kin. (37:50)

David announces a free giveaway for "Leaving Captivity". (41:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we do with our time is probably one of the most important things about who we are as people.” - James Jenkins

The message of leaving captivity really simply is just thoughtful and intentional about whatever you do…Highly intelligent people are highly driven, and typically very accomplished in various ways; nobody needs to teach them any of the basic stuff. It's just a good firm reminder to be intentional about everything you do.” - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

James Jenkins LinkedIn

RiskWell

Agency Freedom Podcast

Book: Leaving Captivity

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Kelly Donahue-Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly and Teresa talk about all things agency ownership, how to step into our power, and rock being a boss.

Episode Highlights:

Kelly mentions one of the things they try to fight for, within the agency. (4:54)

Kelly shares her background and how she got into the insurance industry. (7:49)

What are some of the key factors that people working in agencies or agency owners struggle with? (12:57)

Kelly explains why women have a stronger challenge with accountability and communication than other people do. (18:54)

Kelly mentions why she likes identifying roles. (19:31)

Kelly shares why she wants the women to be in tune with something personal, whatever their goal is. (21:19)

Kelly mentions how the online school came about. (24:57)

Kelly explains how she came up with the idea to launch an online school. (26:49)

Key Quotes:

“If you really invest in yourself, in your career...and, that could be from taking payments and learning how to cross-sell...you could do anything in insurance. And, I want every woman out there to hear that, because you don't have to settle for anything. If you have an insurance license, the potential is unlimited if you invest in yourself.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

“One thing that I like doing is identifying roles. So, ultimately, as chairman of the board, president of the business, my job is to keep things profitable, and be able to keep investing in the business to keep everybody employed.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

“Sometimes people are motivated by what's important to them. Sometimes people are motivated by seeing others succeed. And so, that's helped out a lot in my businesses and it's helped out in agencies too when people can kind of rally together.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

Resources Mentioned:

Kelly Donahue-Piro LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partners

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

This episode of "Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence on the MVP Podcast! Co-Host Danny Lawrence sits down with Aureus Analytics very own, Thomas Mann to discuss IndieTech and the career path that led him to the great team over at Aureus Analytics! Donna for Agents is one of the most impressive pieces of technology in the market place and is something your agency should take a look at!

Episode Highlights:

Thomas shares his decision to join Aureus Analytics and his passion for being a part of the change happening in the insurance industry. (12:43)

Thomas discusses the difference between IndieTech and InsurTech and why the IndieTech Showcase is important for the independent insurance industry to filter out the noise and focus on actionable technology for their day-to-day operations. (21:39)

Thomas explains the features of Donna for Agents, a consultative interface that integrates data from an Agency Management System and provides coverage-based recommendations. (34:53)

Thomas shares three concepts that are imperative for agencies looking to get the IndieTech advantage: having a CRM, harnessing the power of automation, and seeking subject matter experts to shorten the learning curve. (42:39)

Key Quotes:

"What really gets me going professionally, is just solving problems for the people I'm working for and with and so ultimately that's where it started." - Thomas Mann

“I'm always down to talk about what's going on in our industry because it's always changing.” - Thomas Mann

Resources Mentioned:

Thomas Mann LinkedIn

Aureus Analytics

IndieTech Showcase Experience 2023

Danny Lawrence LinkedIn

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Austin Moorhead, Founder of Lava Automation.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares the perspective that technology when maximized, can enhance internal camaraderie and allow employees to devote more time to the agency. (12:12)

Austin explains how custom reports can display data related to the successes and failures of campaigns, assisting in long-term campaign modifications. (16:01)

Austin shares his experiences attending various spring conferences, including BrainShare in New Orleans. (25:37)

Jason makes a comparison between two insurance conferences, Applied and Netview, discussing their respective energy and excitement levels. (27:24)

Austin discusses the significance of employing a CRM and maintaining community engagement but also cautions against the distraction of the latest technology trends. (31:44)

Key Quotes:

“I would love to welcome more people to do what we do. I think that there is such a burden in the P&C, but maybe even life and health but definitely the P&C vertical of unserved customers that don't know how to organize their CRM, in an effective way and they just kind of struggle with it.” - Austin Moorhead

“Having the type of data that tells you where you're succeeding and where you're failing, you know, from a macro level is really good when you're trying to make changes in your campaigns long term.” - Austin Moorhead

Resources Mentioned:

Austin Moorhead LinkedIn

Lava Automation

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Are you a crusty old insurance agent who hates BORs? If you are, then, goodbye. (I doubt you'd be reading this anyway if you were). However ... If you're a savvy, hungry, passionate insurance agent who wants to win and not lose, then today's topic is for you. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain to you why going after the BOR makes more sense than offering quotes, but also why there is nothing wrong with quoting ... so long as you're being wise about getting what you want out of the relationship. And, if you're interested in leveling up your sales game, visit www.12x.club and consider joining the 12X Commission Mastermind to learn how to build a $1,000,000 or more Book of Business through a signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles discusses the importance of both quoting and pursuing the Broker of Record letter in the insurance industry. (3:38)

Charles explains that when presenting quotes, insurance producers must focus on bringing less expensive options to policyholders, as bringing good quotes likely leads to more business. (6:44)

Charles mentions that quoting is still an important part of the process but offering quotes without the client’s permission is a weak move. (10:32)

Charles explains that it is important to have a bucket system to categorize accounts based on commission to determine how much time and effort to put into them. (15:55)

Charles recommends using time wisely to prospect on other accounts and find unhappy clients who may be willing to take over their policy instead of going through a quoting process without a Broker of Record letter. (22:52)

Charles mentions that accounts are merit-based, so learning persuasion, asking the right questions, prospecting, and following up is crucial for making business decisions. (25:58)

Key Quotes:

“I'm not saying that you should go through a quoting process if you don't have the broker of record letter. I'm definitely not saying that. In fact, I would normally caution you not to. But every account is different. And so you have to look at every account based upon its merits.” - Charles Specht

“Every single insurance producer, every single one of you needs to have buckets. And in your buckets, those buckets are going to have some kind of a label on them based upon what it is that you're going to do on that account.” - Charles Specht

“Every account stands on its own merit. You have to make a business decision on every single account. Therefore, you must always be learning, you must always be learning in order to understand how persuasion works. You must always be learning so that you can see what the relationship is like. You must always be asking the right questions so that you can penetrate deep into the relationship to figure out what exactly is there and what is not.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kevin Mlynarek, Co-Owner of Ideal Traits. Kevin discusses the importance of taking a logical approach to find the right fit for your team, the value of using personality assessments to determine if a candidate is suited for the role, and how Ideal Traits can help insurance agency owners make better hiring decisions.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin shares his firsthand experiences and the insights he has gained about the role of personality assessments in hiring processes. (09:53)

Kevin shares his personal belief about the importance of actively seeking top-notch talent, discussing the time he hired a 20-year-old with no sales experience who ended up buying his agency years later. (18:23)

Kevin encourages the use of virtual assistants, explaining how his team personally benefits from their services. (28:26)

David discusses the critical role of employing the right people, sharing how this strategy can provide agencies with a competitive advantage. (39:30)

Kevin mentions the strategies they employed to grow their agency, which included incorporating more value into their insurance policies and focusing on liability coverage. (44:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Creating great lives, not just for ourselves but for others, is super rewarding.” - Kevin Mlynarek

“You have to be engaged with your people. You’ve got to teach them, train them to roleplay.” - Kevin Mlynarek

Resources Mentioned:

Kevin Mlynarek LinkedIn

Ideal Traits

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, James talks with Adam Boca, Executive Director at NCM Insurance Agency.

To learn more about NCM Insurance Agency, visit https://www.ncminsurance.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Adam discusses his business model, which is very organic and does not involve cold calling or buying leads. (6:27)

Adam believes that having mentors in the insurance industry and setting attainable goals is important. (10:59)

Adam shares his experience learning compliance and licensing, and how they improve the customer journey by listening to feedback from clients. (18:04)

Adam discusses how they build a positive culture in their small office, including rotating lunches and getting together for meals at his house. (24:33)

Adam discusses his motivation for working in insurance and what keeps him coming back to it. (28:02)

James discusses the American Modern program and how it is a competitive alternative to Haggerty in most places. (33:42)

Key Quotes:

“Align yourself with some of the best carriers and other agents that can help guide you along the way. I think having mentors in the space is extremely important.” - Adam Boca

“We're just very fortunate that it's extremely organic, we don't do the lead generating thing, we don't buy leads, we don't cold call. So we're a very different business model.” - Adam Boca

“I'm not motivating myself by money. I mean, I think a lot of people get kind of lost in that. And for me, it's making sure that my customers have the very best in coverage for their particular need, and I know we're doing everything we can to provide that.” - Adam Boca

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers shares his expertise on how to structure fee agreements and recoup costs when auditing accounts and discusses the importance of being transparent about compensation with clients.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the process of auditing accounts including how to split fees with clients and which policies are included in fee agreements. (2:42)

David shares the reason why he prefers to engage with clients a month after their account renewal. (6:32)

David discusses how to handle mistakes found during a mod audit and ways to get paid for correcting them. (9:54)

David explains the importance of investing in relationships with clients and how to budget for third-party loss control services. (16:13)

David discusses the three ways to structure a fee agreement. (17:40)

David suggests pitching the fee structure to potential clients, as it may not be discussed in the middle market. (23:56)

David discusses the importance of transparency in compensation and how to use the risk management action plan to show clients what they are paying for. (25:07)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's really, really important that you understand how these deals get structured. And the best way to do it, in my opinion, is to always have some skin in the game for yourself because that's more attractive to the buyer.” - David Carothers

“When we do a proposal to somebody, we identify exactly what our compensation is going to be. It's completely transparent, especially in the fee basis because we're billing them for it. We're telling them, here's what we do, here's what we're charging you. They don't have a problem paying that bill. That's why the Risk Management Action Plan is so important because I'm sending that thing with an invoice every single time. I want them to see we've earned the money that we're billing them for.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Brian Falchuk, author of The Future of Insurance, as we explore the exciting potential of traditional insurance carriers collaborating with insurtech solution providers.

Brian shares valuable lessons from his experience in the industry, emphasizing the need to push boundaries, try new things, and adopt a fresh perspective on success. Together, we tackle the challenges insurance professionals face in delivering successful collaborations and highlight the revolutionary potential of AI and technology within the industry.

This fascinating discussion delves into the incentives driving insurance carriers and the importance of shifting our perspective on success. We emphasize the need to avoid hubris, ego, which can hinder progress, and the challenge of incentivizing people within large bureaucracies.

Brian shares his thoughts on how insurers can avoid stagnation by looking for "not losers" instead of winners and the potential consequences of ignoring warning signs when it comes to technology.

Finally, we touch on the necessity of adaptability in the face of changing buyer culture and trends. Brian stresses the importance of not putting any one ideology on a pedestal, as this can limit a business's success.

We also discuss the importance of understanding the diverse needs of different buyers and the role of AI and technology in bridging the gap between the tech and insurance industries. Don't miss this captivating conversation with Brian Falchuk as we uncover the future of insurance and the steps we can take to ensure success in this rapidly evolving industry.

Episode Highlights:

Brian mentions that he has a new book, "The Future of Insurance," which is the third edition in the series. (4:11)

Brian discusses the importance of understanding the culture, values, and engagement in a company. (10:59)

Brian explains the difference between insurers and venture capitalists in terms of underwriting. (17:09)

Brian discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the slowness of the insurance industry in adapting to new technology and the importance of being aware of industry trends. (25:24)

Brian shares a story about a successful texting solution for claims that moved a customer to tears, highlighting the importance of delivering on promises in the insurance industry. (43:33)

Brian discusses the challenges of using buzzwords in the insurance industry and how skepticism serves as a barrier to collaboration between traditional carriers and InsurTech companies. (48:05)

Brian mentions that the “Future of Insurance” book series emphasizes the importance of respecting staff and systems, focusing on people and processes. (53:22)

Key Quotes:

“It's really hard to genuinely understand what it's like to live in an agent's shoes if you haven't actually been there.” - Brian Falchuk

“The whole book series is not about any one specific thing. It's about the lessons we personally need to start living, to make the change where we can.” - Brian Falchuk

Resources Mentioned:

Brian Falchuk LinkedIn

Website: Brian Falchuk

Book: The Future of Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

Finding Peak

SIAA

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Aimey Bryan, Principal owner at Bryan Insurance Agency. Teresa and Aimey talk about how Aimey got her agency appointments, how she markets her agency, and more.

Episode Highlights:

How did Aimey get her start in the insurance industry? (2:51)

Aimey mentions that when she opened her main office, she was in a unique situation. (11:16)

Aimey discusses her carrier selection process. (13:00)

Has Aimey encountered any difficulties in going it solo as opposed to working with a larger buying network? (13:59)

Aimey explains how they got started in their original niche. (18:29)

Aimey shares how other agencies, including her own, are combining old and new school insurance practices in order to truly reach out and build their business. (23:05)

Aimey discusses the importance of marketing a product or a business. (32:57)

Key Quotes:

“I think having open lines of communication with your marketing rep and with the underwriters and really learning the guidelines and quoting them as much as you can to figure out what fits is really how you start off successful with any carrier that you take on.” - Aimey Bryan

“I think there are ways that you have to figure out how to make that connection, whether it's through social media, whether it's sending a thank you card, still, I feel like a handwritten thank you card goes a long way.” - Aimey Bryan

“If you can say I'm going to do one thing to market my agency a day, just one thing, whether that's like a post or whether it's calling, you know, five new prospects or something like that, if you can do one thing a day to push the needle forward at the end of the year, you're going to be that much further ahead.” - Aimey Bryan

Resources Mentioned:

Aimey Bryan LinkedIn

Bryan Insurance Agency

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Paul Hawkins and Sean Hawkins from HawkSoft. Paul and Sean discuss the value of understanding a customer's needs before offering solutions and the importance of building a workplace culture of empathy and collaboration.

Plus, they give a sneak peek into the upcoming release of HawkSoft 6, a cloud-based upgrade to their existing system.

Episode Highlights:

Sean discusses his early interest in programming and how it led to the creation of HawkSoft. (3:39)

Paul and Sean discuss the importance of relationships, which are the foundation of the core values within their company. (11:32)

Sean mentions that showing gratitude can improve relationships and productivity. (16:57)

Paul and Sean discuss HawkSoft's approach to sales and how they prioritize finding the right fit for an agency. (20:20)

Paul shares how they prioritize customer service and support, and how it has helped them grow their business. (30:10)

Paul explains their demo process, which involves asking questions to understand the needs of the agency and then catering the demo to those needs. (36:14)

Sean discusses the upcoming release of HawkSoft 6, which is a cloud-based upgrade to their current Agency Management System with new features, including faster reporting and enhanced task management. (44:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our core values that we ascribe to, that we hire and fire by, and we use to answer all the questions are all about relationships.” - Paul Hawkins

“HawkSoft 6 is just that next iteration. And we didn't want agencies to feel like we are creating a new product that we're going to resell to you guys, because that's not what we're doing. HawkSoft 6 is just an upgrade, it's an upgrade to the new product.” - Sean Hawkins

Resources Mentioned:

Paul Hawkins LinkedIn

Sean Hawkins LinkedIn

HawkSoft

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews James Jenkins, Founder & CEO of RiskWell.

Episode Highlights:

James shares his insight about the state of the insurance industry, including carriers, vendors, agents, and technology. (8:35)

James discusses the affordability crisis in homeowner's insurance and the need for carriers and agents to respond to it by raising deductibles and segmenting coverage, while also disclosing to clients what they are doing. (13:36)

James mentions that the affordability crisis is a common issue, and addressing it is crucial for the industry’s success. (16:38)

James believes that generative AI, a combination of AI and robotic process automation, has gained mainstream interest in the insurance industry due to its ability to generate new content and data, potentially revolutionizing the insurance industry. (24:40)

Jason discusses the importance of margins for agencies and how AI can help agencies reduce payroll expenses and gain a competitive advantage. (32:35)

James explains the comparison of the compounding effect of investing in a 401k to the compounding advantage of using technology in an agency, and how it can lead to a significant advantage over competitors. (39:20)

James discusses his upcoming book, "Leaving Captivity," which provides a blueprint for launching a successful scratch agency and how it can help agents avoid mistakes. (43:15)

Key Quotes:

“There's an affordability crisis almost uniformly across the country. And if we don't respond to it as an industry, then we will have an availability crisis very soon thereafter.” - James Jenkins

“The reality is, it's generative AI behind the scenes that is taking data from all these places and doing something with it, which is what we haven't ever seen before.” - James Jenkins

“We finished up the book, it is called Leaving Captivity. It is a blueprint that is designed to help someone launch a successful scratch agency.” - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

James Jenkins LinkedIn

RiskWell

Book: Leaving Captivity

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview David Neagel, Founder of Life Is Now, and host of The Successful Mind Podcast. David Neagel discusses the importance of having a positive mindset, and the significance of believing in oneself, charging the correct value for services, and being disciplined in sticking to one's business plan.

Episode Highlights:

David Neagel explains what led him to start his business, Life Is Now, which helps others achieve success through a positive attitude and skill development. (9:55)

David Neagel and Kyle discuss the importance of personal contact in sales and how it can profoundly impact results. (17:15)

David Neagel discusses his podcast, The Successful Mind Podcast which is both conversational and informative, and how it helps people with business advice. (29:19)

David Neagel mentions the key mindset shifts that can double revenue without doubling workload, including believing in self-worth and charging the correct value for services. (34:45)

David Neagel believes that knowing your hourly pay and making decisions based on it is important. (38:23)

David Neagel mentions that the average individual often doesn't outearn their families due to a financial setpoint in their head. (41:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The amount of decisions that people make from the idea that they don't really believe that they're worth success to begin with, is extraordinary to me. It’s just absolutely extraordinary. So we'll help them fix that first, and teach them how to make decisions based from the place that they actually believe that they're worth the success that they want.” - David Neagel

“With every business person that we work with, we put them through that exercise of what is their hourly pay worth. Because if they don't know that, they don't know where they're making decisions from as far as what is worth their time from a monetary perspective. And that's a big deal.” - David Neagel

“Sales is one of those things that is needed absolutely everywhere. But it's almost like a necessary evil when you hear about it.” - David Neagel

Resources Mentioned:

David Neagel LinkedIn

Life Is Now

The Successful Mind Podcast

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

In this episode, James talks with Zach Mefferd, CEO & Co-Founder of ZipBonds.

To learn more about ZipBonds, visit https://zipbonds.com/ Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Zach discusses his methods for disconnecting from professional obligations in order to dedicate quality time to his family, which often includes outings on the lake. (7:52)

Zach explains the genesis of Coverage Direct, a company he Co-Founded from the ground up with his business associate, Ryan Swalve, in 2016. (14:09)

Zach explains that Zip Bonds' mission is to be a partner for agents who want to compete against larger agencies by providing a surety division that helps close bonds for contractors and probate attorneys. (30:43)

Zach mentions the necessity of inquiring about clients' bonding requirements and suggests incorporating this question into the client onboarding or renewal procedures as a means to boost agency revenue. (36:27)

Zach discusses the commission structure for agents who use Zip Bonds' platform. (41:20)

Key Quotes:

“My passion is helping independent agencies solve problems that I had myself. That's the reason why both of our businesses existed.” - Zach Mefferd

“The real passion that I had when I got into it came from me being a commercial insurance producer, getting larger and larger opportunities and feeling like I was at a disadvantage because I didn't have a surety division in my agency. And that's the solution we're hoping to provide here for agents.” - Zach Mefferd

“The major value prop is we have underwriters in-house. So when something comes in, it is being marketed to multiple carriers on your behalf from an underwriter's perspective.” - Zach Mefferd

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss ways to address policy errors before they become a problem and the importance of getting to know your client's needs before trying to sell them anything.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses two possible approaches to rectifying an erroneously drafted policy: one way is to proceed as usual, prepare a quote, and then present the client with the revised figures; the other way is to promptly address and rectify the issue. (1:39)

David explains that it's important to enlighten clients about the total cost of risk, which includes the soft costs related to claims and the transferring of risk to staffing companies. (8:06)

David mentions the importance of thorough lead research and understanding your target demographic for effective insurance business marketing. (12:49)

David explains that to set yourself apart as an agent, it's helpful to ask clients about their decision-making process. (17:35)

David mentions that in transactions where broker selection is key and clients often believe agents are in competition with one another, it's crucial to clearly explain how your business operates and why choosing an agent for marketplace representation is a wise choice. (18:28)

David discusses the value of developing a personal brand and how it can contribute to retaining clients. (24:45)

David shares that increasing productivity often requires slowing down. (27:48)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I want to make sure everybody's very, very clear when you're working on your business plan, and you're starting to put your pipeline together, you know, you only need to do as much research as you need to do that step of the process.” - David Carothers

“This is the question you'd have to ask every time because it's going to open you up to be able to explain your process that other people aren't going to get the opportunity. And it's an easy question but many, many people never ask it when they go into a meeting. And that question is, “How do you make the decision of who you're going to select to represent you in the marketplace?” That's it.” - David Carothers

“I tell my team all the time, you have to slow down in order to speed up. If you're going too fast, you might feel activity, but you're not getting productivity. You have to let the system play and respect the amount of time it takes to do this stuff.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

What does it take to rise from humble beginnings and achieve massive success in business while creating millionaires out of your key employees? Join us as we sit down with James Webb, author of Redneck Resilience, and explore his incredible journey from a small town in Mississippi to becoming a successful entrepreneur owning one of the country's largest Orange Theory Fitness franchises.

In this fascinating and inspiring conversation, we dive into James's entrepreneurial journey and the pivotal moments that shaped his life and career. We touch on his early experiences selling pot holders at church bazaars, becoming an x-ray tech, and how the internet changed his entire trajectory. Throughout our discussion, we also examine the importance of resilience, relationships, and generational thinking in overcoming challenges and fostering long-term success.

Don't miss this engaging episode, as we also discuss the often-overlooked topic of compensating high-performing employees in industries like the independent insurance industry, where there is no consistent solution. James shares valuable insights from his own experience on creating an ownership structure that motivates and rewards employees, as well as the benefits of profit-sharing plans and equity-based incentives. Tune in to learn from James's incredible journey and unlock the secrets to resilience and success.

Episode Highlights:

James shares his entrepreneurial journey, including lessons learned from starting and selling companies. (9:13)

James discusses his experience being fired from executive positions and how it led them to become an entrepreneur. (17:27)

James believes that relationships define life, and mentors can guide individuals through difficult times. (23:06)

James discusses the commission structures and bonus programs they implemented for their sales reps, which led to significant increases in earnings. (31:05)

James mentions that equity is a motivating factor over profit sharing, as it provides ownership and rules. (38:11)

James explains that resilience is finding another path after being knocked down, rather than just getting back up and doing the same thing. (42:41)

Key Quotes:

“Relationships will define your life. And for me, it was developing relationships during these hard times. Mentors, people that helped me see, helped me guide. One of the reasons I love being a mentor now. It's been a lot of time doing that, is helping people get out of that thing.” - James Webb

“I use the term resilience. It's not just getting knocked down and getting back up. Why the hell do you want to get punched in the face again? It's getting knocked down, getting back up and finding another path. You know, I think that's one of the keys to resilience.” - James Webb

“My parents were probably the biggest influence in my life in terms of driving me and teaching me and showing me.” - James Webb

Resources Mentioned:

James Webb LinkedIn

Book: Redneck Resilience

Website: James Harold Webb

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

SIAA

Finding Peak

In this episode of " Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence on the MVP Podcast! Co-Host Danny Lawrence sits down with David Watson, CEO of Risk Advisor to discuss IndieTech and why more companies like Risk Advisor are becoming so crucial to long term agency success in this industry.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses his background and his path to becoming an insurance agent. He also shares his experience starting his own agency and eventually being acquired. (4:13)

David shares what led him to start his own IndieTech company, Risk Advisor, to solve a problem for his agency and other agents. (12:05)

David discusses the upcoming IndieTech Showcase event and why it's important for the insurance industry. (19:08)

David gives a brief demonstration of Risk Advisor and emphasizes the importance of building relationships with clients. (22:54)

David introduces Risk Advisor's agency proposals, which generate branded proposals based on the risk profile and carrier rating which include a premium summary and pre-filled claim scenarios. (31:42)

David recommends Advisor Evolved and Slack for automation and team communication, and Calendly for scheduling. (35:09)

David mentions that Risk Advisor offers special pricing for agents who are two years or newer in the industry. (38:16)

Key Quotes:

“What I'm excited about with the IndieTech Showcase is…it's all about tech for the independent agent. But then also, I love what he's doing with the kind of the walkthrough. You're going to be placed in the piece of the customer journey that your technology is focused on.” - David Watson

“We are helping you take in all this information, and why not make it easy to on the back end, once you're done and know where you're going to be recommending, why not make it easy to generate branded proposals?” - David Watson

Resources Mentioned:

David Watson LinkedIn

Risk Advisor

IndieTech Showcase Experience 2023

Danny Lawrence LinkedIn

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens discusses the significance of being bold and brave, as well as the value of progress instead of perfection.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa explains why, despite the fact that the insurance sector is theoretically 61-63% female, less than 15% of women are in the C suites, management, and leadership position. (2:16)

Teresa mentions that being brave requires stepping beyond one's comfort zone. (3:20)

Teresa explains that she is a huge storyteller; she enjoys telling others about what has happened to her or what has happened to a client and what she has learned. (6:07)

Teresa believes that we must recognize that taking a break on certain days is a necessary element of progressing and becoming better. (9:11)

Teresa mentions that journaling enables her to further evaluate her ideas. (10:39)

Teresa admits that she is the queen of setting goals that are much too lofty for her. (16:59)

Teresa explains that our lives, companies, and jobs are all living, breathing things with their own rhythms. (17:52)

Teresa discusses how we cannot aim for perfection since perfection is subjective. (19:07)

Teresa discusses her favorite quote from Alice in Wonderland and why she loves it so much. (21:39)

Key Quotes:

“No matter what we do inside the insurance industry, we need to show up every single day and bring our very, very best. That is about everything that we can do.” - Teresa Kitchens

“I don't know everything in the world, my team members do not know everything in the world, but they are brilliant in their own way.” - Teresa Kitchens

“When we voice our thoughts, when we voice our concerns, when we voice our journey, when we voice our ideas…They can be things that inspire other people.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Marcus Harris, Insurance Executive at Arnold Insurance. Marcus discusses how they value their producers, clients, and company at Arnold Insurance and shares the importance of different generations in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Marcus shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (7:52)

Marcus talks about his marketing company, which initially started as a video production company because he loved the concept of telling stories through video. (12:04)

Marcus mentions that he initially started the insurance business when his dad offered to help him start an agency in Denver. (19:38)

Marcus explains that part of what Arnold Insurance tries to drive home for their producers is that they need to finish the job to protect their clients, the agency, and themselves. (26:08)

Marcus shares that, for him, working with his family is a blessing and rewarding as everything is an opportunity for them to work together. (28:23)

Marcus discusses his experience with Keystone. (33:34)

Marcus explains that one of the biggest challenges from his perspective of growing an agency is getting bigger clients, and the only way to do that this is to know your stuff. (38:09)

Marcus explains that you are in the right competition when you overcome others by being consistent and gladly competing with the ones that are left. (47:12)

Marcus shares how much he enjoys the rush of getting the Broker of Record. (54:10)

Marcus explains that the insurance industry needs a new generation, and it is always great to welcome people that are trying to build their careers in this industry. (56:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that's what we're trying to drive home with our producers is, hey, you've got to finish the job, you've got to protect us, protect the agency, protect yourself. And then you've also got to take the opportunity to truly educate your client, make sure they know what they have." - Marcus Harris

"Insurance is a massive industry, right? I mean, there are tons of those guys in every corner. Most of those guys you get rid of, by just being consistent. And then the guys that are left, you're glad to be competing against those guys. That means you're in the right place. " - Marcus Harris

"I think you realize that you weed out a ton of your competition by stuff that's very much in your control. And when you get to a certain level, yes, you're going to get beat by guys that can hit the ball better than you like that. Just note, they’ve just got a skill set that is different, right?" - Marcus Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Marcus Harris LinkedIn

Arnold Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Nick Aube, Founder of Producer Systems

Episode Highlights:

Nick discusses the importance of building a Broker of Record (BOR) system and how it allowed him to produce differently, with pride and confidence. (3:12)

Nick explains how his system, Producer Systems, customizes processes for each agency and producer to define their own process. (17:13)

Nick shares his preference for cold calling and how he built his book of business through it. He explains why he finds it efficient and how he has adjusted his approach over time. (22:00)

Nick discusses how insurance agents can package loss control, risk management, and other services to solve the client's premium problem. (27:59)

Nick invites listeners to join Producer Systems Live, a weekly mastermind group where producers discuss how to win clients with good coverage and experience mod. (31:17)

Key Quote: “Prospecting is such an easy way to create confidence, but also it's the best way to get new business. You want to write more new business, spend more time prospecting. ” - Nick Aube

Resources Mentioned:

Nick Aube LinkedIn

Producer Systems

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Are you ready to finally figure out how to use LinkedIn for prospecting so that you can dominate in new business sales in 2022? If yes, then this episode is for you. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain to you how to get your LinkedIn Profile figured out by first determining your "Intent" and also your "Micro-Niche" focus. It's time to take action and not waste another year. LinkedIn is a superior tool, if you use it strategically.

Episode Highlights:

Charles introduces a new digital course called “12X Your Book with LinkedIn”. (1:06)

Charles tells us that LinkedIn is an underutilized secret when it comes to prospecting for new business. (3:13)

Charles explains that LinkedIn is more than just an online resume. (5:10)

Charles explains that the intent of what you're using LinkedIn for will dictate what type of connections you need to have. (10:45)

Charles explains that a vast majority of your competitors are not using LinkedIn, which presents an opportunity for you. (15:40)

Charles says that if you become micro-niched using LinkedIn, clients will see you as the best choice to do business with. (20:59)

Charles explains that focusing your profile on a specific category will not affect anything. (21:52)

Charles shares other alternatives to micro-niching your LinkedIn profile. (23:58)

Charles tells us that his new digital course comes with free content to be used on your actual feed. (28:18)

Charles shares that he is going to be the personal LinkedIn coach for people who sign up for the course. (32:20)

Key Quotes:

"Your profile is going to dictate what your content is. Your profile is going to be dictated by who you're trying to attract." - Charles Specht

'I'm not here to say anything is wrong. You just have to be okay with it. You just have to also realize there are consequences to using social media just socially, rather than using it for a business purpose. " - Charles Specht

"To attract, you need to repel. You need to repel the people you don't want in order to attract the people you do want." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Steve Munn of MAI Risk Advisors. Steve discusses how they have developed their company culture at MAI Risk Advisors and offers advice for new producers entering the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares about his background growing up in Western Canada. (2:21)

Steve explains he didn’t start in the insurance industry, and the first actual job he had was selling industrial supplies. (10:51)

Steve mentions that one of the biggest surprises for him after entering the insurance industry was the difficulty of the job at first, but as he learned, he just aimed to keep getting better. (16:10)

Steve shares that one thing he learned from playing sports that he applied in the industry was to build a great relationship with his team. (19:22)

Steve mentions that one of the most difficult challenges in terms of office culture is finding the right people. (24:31)

Steve shares that their current business profile at the agency is 80% commercial wich includes niches like real estate developers, churches, construction, nonprofits and private schools. (26:36)

Steve discusses the concept of the Industrial Network Group, a group he established for the manufacturing and industrial sectors. (29:50)

Steve encourages people who are new to the producer role or are just starting out in the industry to invest in themselves and keep learning. (37:54)

Steve explains that we've done our industry a huge disservice by teaching people to shop based on price where everyone is looking only at the bottom line and not at the actual details of what is and isn’t included in the policy. (45:16)

Steve mentions that they are currently working on creating social media marking videos. (49:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I really focus on my relationships with my account managers. I always express gratitude. I always thank them, you know, whether it's a huge deal or a small deal. It's still important. I try and be a good teammate." - Steve Munn

"I love connecting people. I love opening doors for people. It's fun to see other people succeed and you know, eventually, they return the favor, hopefully." - Steve Munn

"I want to be the guy my team relies on, right? And so, getting, doubling and tripling down on educational work really kind of gave me a lot of confidence." - Steve Munn

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Munn LinkedIn

MAI Risk Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, James talks with Zack Baldwin, Owner of TexPro Insurance.

To learn more about TexPro Insurance, visit https://www.texproinsurance.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Zack shares how his ego played a role in his decision to start his own agency and how he was quickly humbled by the challenges of the industry. (10:30)

James discusses Frank Shamrock’s concept of plus, minus, and equal process and how they are important in professional and personal contexts. (18:15)

Zack discusses the disruption in the insurance industry and the need for professionals to adapt to the changes. (22:29)

James explains the potential risks of taking business calls on a personal cell phone and the importance of capturing all communication in your agency management system. (42:31)

Zack mentions that delegation and specialization are essential for success in the insurance industry. (45:36)

Key Quotes: “The best thing I've probably done in the last year or two is connect with others around me to say, you know what? We're all in this together, we've all made that same mistake and let's help each other prevent going through that. And that's ultimately kind of what our business is, let's sell you a policy so that we can prevent that, right?” - Zack Baldwin

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the significance of messaging, stewardship reports, and how to utilize the risk assessment report.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that he always hears people complaining about losing their business and they feel that they’ve done everything right. (1:41)

David mentions that you must start with the onboarding before doing a stewardship report. (3:47)

David shares that if you structure your client to set their expectations appropriately on what they should expect from you, then you can update them in real-time every month. (3:59)

David mentions that it's normal for a risk manager to go into a business and do a walk through baseline risk assessment. They can capture everything that might be a hazard, needs to be corrected and document any deficiencies in training programs. (5:18)

David shares one of his favorite tricks when he’s doing a baseline risk assessment. (6:03)

David shares that when he does the baseline assessment, he interviews employees and some frontline supervisors. The scores are based on their actual conversations and results to back up his results. (7:39)

David mentions that the findings on the risk assessment report will become the framework for the risk management action plan. (8:26)

David thinks that anytime you give information more often in smaller bits, it becomes digested more easily and more clear of what you’re doing. (11:07)

Kyle shares that it’s significant to set the expectation on the front end and letting them know what's going to happen over the year. (15:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everything that I do in the middle market account hinges from that baseline risk assessment. I'll include the carrier loss control reps because I want them to have their two cents into what needs to go into that document.” - David Carothers

“When I do a risk assessment report, it's a 1 to 10 score. I give them a blank copy and say you don't need to walk around and look, you're here every day. I'm interested in you giving me your 100% anonymous score.” - David Carothers

“If you message appropriately and you tell your clients what it is you're doing for them, you can bet that they will bring you a pie, ” - David Carothers

“If you're telling them the things that you have planned, set out to do over the year, and you follow up with them as those things are going along, then that's the happy medium in my opinion.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

This episode is the start of a new monthly segment called, "Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence on the MVP Podcast! Co-Host Danny Lawrence sits down with Matt LaRocca of AgencyZoom to talk about the importance of not only having a CRM inside of your agencies but also how important it is that we as insurance professionals need to continue adapting to technology if you want to win the long game!

Episode Highlights:

Matt discusses the distinction between Agency Management Systems and Customer Relationship Management tools and how Agency Zoom fits into those systems. (4:03)

Matt explains the process of establishing an automated sequence for lead follow-up, a critical aspect for both novice agents and larger agencies. (6:54)

Matt shares strategies for customizing pipelines in Agency Zoom, featuring modifications for lead sources, stages, and employee assignments. (9:04)

Matt delves into the workings of automation within Agency Zoom, discussing automated emails, text messages, and task assignments with agents. (10:52)

Matt mentions the continual adaptation of agencies to evolving insurance technology, with fresh companies and quoting systems emerging periodically which proves highly beneficial for agencies as it enhances their competitive edge and boosts task efficiency. (15:56)

Key Quotes:

“What we have done is to try to simplify that day to day process for the producer and the CSR, by let's just say, setting up a sequence, right? Automation to be sent out from emails, from a text message, to a call, reminders, whatever that may be, we can then add that into a list and say a customized sequence for your agency.” - Matt LaRocca

“We can create different types of pipelines, we have pipelines that are already in place. But yeah, once you establish this, it's just more of a click and drag, and really, throughout each stage of our process, it's a very simple process to hear.” - Matt LaRocca

“With Agency Zoom we're adapting every two weeks, we have updates that are going on or system every single day.” - Matt LaRocca

Resources Mentioned:

Matthew LaRocca LinkedIn

AgencyZoom

Danny Lawrence LinkedIn

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Majda Baltic, President, and Owner of Majdas Touch Insurance, Inc. Majda is creating platforms for other agents and insurance clients to grow their insurance knowledge while getting the best support possible.

Episode Highlights:

Majda shares how she got into the insurance industry. (1:44)

Majda explains where her passion lies in this industry. (3:07)

How long has Majda been on the independent side? (5:49)

Majda mentions how the pandemic has affected their industry. (8:05)

Majda shares the time when she opened her agency in 2018. (9:50)

Majda mentions one of the reasons why she likes doing podcasts. (11:54)

Majda explains why opening an independent agency was mind-blowing for her. (13:17)

Majda mentions the significance of having a good support system at home. (17:06)

Majda shares how she has found success on the independent side. (21:56)

Majda shares a story about the time when she was hired by a captive company. (36:24)

Key Quotes:

“I started to dig deeper and kind of pick at different ideas on what would really make a difference in this industry, and it came down to me really wanting to empower the public, and making the right decisions when purchasing insurance.” - Majda Baltic

“One of the reasons why I like doing these podcasts is because it helps me to connect with other agents that are kind of in a similar situation. Even when you figure things out, it's still good to have people around you that have somewhat of the same idea.” - Majda Baltic

“Anytime that you hit a roadblock, taking those moments, and really just sitting with yourself and saying, you know, it's okay to take this break, or to take a week off, or whatever it is that you need. It's so replenishing. And it really refuels your soul in that fire to keep pushing forward.” - Majda Baltic

Resources Mentioned:

Majda Baltic LinkedIn

Majdas Touch Insurance, Inc.

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Paul Epstein, bestselling author, and keynote speaker. Paul discusses the importance of adaptability, resilience, and a positive mindset and the importance of understanding yourself and your purpose.

Episode Highlights:

Paul discusses his experiences in sales leadership and how he learned to play offense in defensive environments. (2:42)

Paul shares his thoughts on overcoming adversity and applying past experiences to current challenges. (11:11)

Paul mentions that his book “The Head Heart Hands Equation” aims to help individuals make better decisions faster and will be available in September 2023. (24:47)

Paul explains that culture transformation involves focusing on the three subsets of people: partners, tourists, and prisoners. (30:58)

Paul discusses how the majority of people haven't done the inner work of understanding themselves and their purpose, but successful people have intentionally put themselves in environments to understand themselves better. (35:22)

Paul explains that achieving success is a never-ending climb and it's important to define what success looks like in our own words. (43:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have done the inner work, to know who I am, to know why I do what I do, to have a vision on where I'm going to position it as a mission so that I don't give up at the first signs of hurdles, obstacles, setbacks, adversity, like this is the fortitude that's needed.” - Paul Epstein

“The number one way to battle through all these very human feelings is unshakable confidence.” - Paul Epstein

Resources Mentioned:

Paul Epstein LinkedIn

Website: Paul Epstein

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Davie Holt, National Sales Practice Leader at IPFS.

Episode Highlights:

Davie discusses the benefits of using IPFS to enhance the efficiency of payment and finance transactions for agents, allowing them more time to concentrate on sales, account management, and business development. (8:03)

Davie explains the mechanics of premium finance interest rates and provides strategies for agents to effectively market and position these to clients. (12:25)

Davie shares his method of consuming podcasts and other content to refine his business strategies, and his efforts to engage with a variety of perspectives and opinions for both personal and professional growth. (15:09)

Davie mentions the significance of having a diverse range of perspectives in business, familial, and spiritual aspects of life. (18:21)

Jason and Davie engage in a conversation about the confluence of different political beliefs and the vital role of diversity and immigration. (20:59)

Davie invites listeners who seek advice on enhancing their processes and increasing sales via payments or financial transactions to contact him on LinkedIn. (29:36)

Key Quotes: “If you want to spend your time doing administrative work and putting out fires, by all means, we'll fund you direct, and you can collect the down payments, and you can do everything yourself. If you want to sell more and you want time back, that's what we're here for to help you.” - Davie Holt

Resources Mentioned:

Davie Holt LinkedIn

Imperial PFS

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Do you struggle with "follow-up" for your prospects? Or, maybe you struggle because you only do follow-up in one form (e.g. cold calls or emails)? If yes, then welcome to the club! We all struggle with it. Prospecting is difficult and confusing and most agencies don't have someone to teach you how to do it because no one else there knows how to do it, either! In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain not only why having a systematized "follow-up" is both wise and necessary to growing your Book of Business, but he'll take you through a step-by-step prospecting follow-up program he recommends to many people in his 12X Commission Mastermind. PS: If you're interested in learning more about the 12X Commission Mastermind, visit my website at: www.12x.club

Episode Highlights:

Charles discusses the 12x Commission Mastermind. (1:47)

Charles believes that a significant portion of insurance producers and agents lack an established follow-up program when they're engaged in prospecting. (3:40)

Charles explains the significance of choosing the right strategies for your prospects to avoid overconcentration on a segment that may not align with your business interests. (08:00)

Charles discusses the process of setting up a follow-up program, which includes methods such as cold calls, emails, and social media engagement, along with participation in networking events, soliciting referrals, and incorporating additional elements. (12:01)

Charles shares a scenario showcasing diverse ways to prospect, including through cold calls and emails. (15:52)

Charles mentions that layering the prospecting follow-up leads to exponential results, as they follow a systematic process, ensuring long-term, measurable results. (29:27)

Key Quotes:

“Your prospect will respond to you in the time and in the platform that is most comfortable and convenient for them, not you. ” - Charles Specht

“You need to have at least three ways in which you're prospecting, but more than that is better. And they have to be effective, based upon the type of prospect that you're going after.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

12x Commission mastermind

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Liz Benz, Marketing Director at New Buffalo Insurance Agency. Listen to this inspiring conversation filled with insights on resilience, teamwork, and the pursuit of growth in both personal and professional life.

Episode Highlights:

Liz shares her entry into the insurance field, detailing how her husband, Doug Benz, guided her learning. (14:18)

Liz discusses the significant role of residual income and how an abundance mindset can alter one's perspective. (20:29)

Liz mentions how the benefits of entrepreneurship include flexibility and a harmonious work-life balance, which is especially important when managing tasks such as driving and family care. (31:55)

Liz explains that successful collaboration with a spouse requires recognition of past experiences and alignment with common marriage goals, with a readiness for handling challenges and a focus on the family, future, and children. (40:16)

Liz shares her discovery of Ryan Hanley via social media and the opportunity she and Doug had to meet him personally. (45:49)

Liz believes that maintaining patience and consistency in life contributes to reducing disappointment and enhancing the enjoyment of the present moment. (54:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Working in this industry and working with your spouse… I think one of the advantages for sure, is owning your own business first of all. Second of all is that flexibility.” - Liz Benz

“If you're looking to work with your spouse, or go through it, you have to know what you have been through together already, and what you can, how much you can take.” - Liz Benz

“Tomorrow is another day and you just keep going, you just keep going. And it's 1,000% worth it. So, it's all in the process. All those moments add up to where you are now.” - Liz Benz

Resources Mentioned:

Liz Benz LinkedIn

New Buffalo Insurance Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Does the Pareto principle (80/20 “rule”) apply to the placement of business with a broker’s markets? What are the pros & cons of having more markets vs less markets? How does a broker’s relationship with individual carriers change with size?

Yup – this is another debate about whether “size matters”

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode, James talks with Torey Maerz, Founder, and CEO of Client Circle.

To learn more about Client Circle, visit https://www.clientcircle.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Torey explains why the company rebranded from Rocket Referrals to Client Circle and outlines its plan to gradually phase out the old name. (9:11)

Torey shares the story of how they created the system for handwritten cards and highlights the company's commitment to customization. (17:51)

Torey discusses their “Journeys” product, which is goal-based and helps track data. (24:11)

Torey explains the process of building pre-built automation and taking client requests for new features and emphasizes the insurance focus of their platform. (34:50)

James mentions that while robots are skilled at detecting context and inference, they struggle with understanding subjective things such as sarcasm and humor. (41:05)

Torey believes that the insurance industry is slow to adopt new technology due to its risk-averse nature and the difficulty of changing established systems. (46:50)

Torey mentions that their focus is on providing value to customers to generate revenue and that they do not accept investments, so all customer revenue is invested back into the company. (53:07)

Key Quotes:

“The system that you are using with Client Circle now to send cards is one that I invented almost 10 years ago. And now, it's grown to a fact where I have relationships with paper vendors that literally make the paper out of pulp for us, make the envelopes because they're perfectly designed to work with those with our handwriting tech.” - Torey Maerz

“Our customers are paying for new features, you know, you're not just paying for the service you have, but you're paying to that will continue to build and add new things on. And so, we look at all of our customers as investors in the company. And that means that we need to constantly provide value. And so everything always comes back to that.” - Torey Maerz

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the daily routine that makes them the most productive and the most successful. David shares his process in finishing video content.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions the first thing he does every day when he’s doing things the right way. (2:01)

David shares what he likes to read. (8:19)

Kyle mentions what Daniel Seong shared with him. (9:23)

What’s the content of David’s editorial calendar for the entire year? (11:38)

David mentions the first thing he does when he gets in the office. (12:30)

David shares how he gets his video content done. (15:47)

Why is having a VA essential? (17:37)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If I don't have that accountability it doesn’t matter how successful I ever could become, how many deals I close, how much money the agency makes because I won't do that. I'll stop because I need accountability to get that done. Just like I need accountability to make sure that I eat right.” - David Carothers

“One thing is you need to plan for it. When you're walking in the next morning and you didn't get something done last night, you already have stress on you and you already feel behind.” - David Carothers

“You have to plan this stuff out and you have to stay regimen into it. If you don't, it spirals out of control and you really do end up putting yourself in a position where you get nothing done.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

No, I'm not talking about this podcast. I'm talking about you prospecting for new business! How you utilize "time" and the availability of it will have a direct correlation to your success in sales. If your prospect doesn't feel a need to move forward, to get things done, to understand how important it is to move quickly, you will not only struggle at setting new business appointments but you'll have a hard time winning. Why? Because, sales is war! And, because people (prospects) are lazy and unmotivated.

So, In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will give you some practical tips and suggestions about how to incorporate a "drop dead date" in your prospecting in order to win more new clients.

Episode Highlights:

Charles discusses procrastination and the role of time limits. (2:46)

Charles mentions the advantages of including timeframes in emails and calls when reaching out to potential clients. (8:49)

Charles explains that successful prospecting involves handling multiple prospects at once, adjusting proofs as needed, and respecting deadlines without applying excessive pressure. (14:39)

Charles discusses the crucial role of setting clear timelines and deadlines for prospects in reinforcing the position of an insurance agent. (20:55)

Charles believes that timing is a key factor to success in prospecting. (22:24)

Charles shares his view on the importance of incorporating time frames in sales, prospecting, and marketing procedures to enhance responses and boost business. (24:01)

Key Quotes:

“For us to win business, for you to win a new client, means somebody or other people are who are going to have to lose in order for you to win. If you're going to win a new client, at least one person, maybe more, has to lose in order for you to win.” - Charles Specht

“Sales is war. And if we don't give the insured some kind of a time period in which to have a decision done, they will continue to push it off, push it off, push it off, push it off. And before you know it, you are no longer at the top of their to-do list.” - Charles Specht

“Timing is so important to success. Timing is so important to prospecting. Giving your prospect a certain amount of time in which to get something done is very important.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Jake Jines from The Insurance Alliance to bring you the sales tip of the week.

Episode Highlights:

Jake discusses how the use of Loss Run Pro has helped speed up the process of getting loss runs and forms put together, taking a two-week process down to a three-day process. (5:16)

Jake discusses the importance of building relationships in commercial insurance and why sending a web form to fill out is not ideal. (8:17)

Jake explains that it is important to find value on both ends of the equation, whether it's the high mod or the low mod. (12:16)

Jake mentions that risk management helps businesses stay competitive by preventing bad accidents and saving money. (14:45)

Jake believes that staying consistent is key to success as a producer. (17:01)

Mitch discusses the Indietech Showcase Experience happening in Indianapolis, with a focus on the Indie Sales portion of the event for young agents. (17:27)

Key Quotes:

“If we're able to provide the value, become the experts on the mod and the work comp, where we can actually control it. It's putting us over the edge on so much, just by having those extra value points.” - Jake Jines

I'm reminding myself of being in the stage of my career right now as a producer. It's just a constant reminder of the importance of staying consistent and doing what I have to do because there's a lot of a good month and then there's always some down months. I'm just trying to remind myself is… the importance of staying consistent.” - Jake Jines

Resources Mentioned:

Jake Jines LinkedIn

The Insurance Alliance

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa sits down with Angela Adams, President of Angela Adams Consulting Services. Angela is a consultant to agencies all over the country to help them scale and grow their business.

Episode Highlights:

Angela shares her insurance background. (1:15)

Angela explains why insurance is an amazing field for women. (4:12)

How did Angela build her agency? (5:05)

Angela shares what she finds most agency owners struggle with. (9:20)

Angela mentions a common factor they found with agencies they had educated. (12:50)

Does Angela think that male agency owners have different philosophies in running their agency? (15:02)

Does Angela find that women are culture driven differently in their agency? (17:10)

Angela explains what Omnia is all about. (24:04)

What does MAP stand for? (27:59)

Key Quotes:

“I developed a love for insurance agency automation, improving efficiency and operations in an agency, and really thrived in that environment, and was doing the accounting for that agency... But, I really found my passion was more on the automation and operation side.” - Angela Adams

“I think people who are drawn to the insurance environment have a very high desire to help people, and I think it's why women thrive in this environment. Because, naturally, we're very nurturing and helpful, and this industry gives us a way to do that.” - Angela Adams

“If we can do the accounting or the operations management for an agency, then the agency owners can focus on what they do really well, which is generally selling insurance and growing their agency... And, by taking the things off of them that they're not good at doing, they do better as an agency. That's how we've grown, is by helping our agencies achieve their goals.” - Angela Adams

Resources Mentioned:

Angela Adams LinkedIn

Angela Adams Consulting Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Toby Hansen, Owner of Toby Hansen Insurance Agency, and co-founder of GSTsoftware. Toby talks about his move from captive to independent agent, what's going on in the world of Insurtech, and how GSTsoftware helps insurance professionals get their business done in the most efficient way possible.

Episode Highlights:

Toby discusses his background. (2:30)

Toby believes that insurance agents sometimes wonder if the carriers have a clear vision. (5:11)

What has Toby learned as a result of his transition from captive to an independent agent? (9:50)

Toby explains the idea of their payment portal and how it helps people. (13:28)

How does Toby get their product into the market? (16:46)

Toby mentions that if you don't have a good tasking system, you won't realize how much your employees are avoiding such issues. (25:09)

David, Kyle, and Toby discuss the significance of accepting all forms of communication. (29:04)

Toby explains the advantages of making the best use of technology. (41:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you don't have a good tasking system, you don't realize how much your staff is avoiding that stuff.” - Toby Hansen

“When you're in the agency world, and you've been the principal, you start to understand that for every person that just doesn't want to pay their bill, there's four of them that you just need you to hold their hand to pay their bill.” - Toby Hansen

“Technology is not in the agency world to replace human interaction in the human experience. It's here to enhance human interaction in the human experience.” David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Toby Hansen LinkedIn

Toby Hansen Insurance Agency

GSTsoftware

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mark Engels, CEO of ePayPolicy.

Episode Highlights:

Mark discusses the importance of digital payments and financing in the insurance industry, and ePayPolicy's mission to make payment collection and reconciliation as frictionless as possible for their agency customers. (5:26)

Mark shares the development of ePayPolicy's Finance Connect product, which serves as a middleware to exchange data between premium finance companies and agencies, making the financing process as simple as possible for all parties involved. (7:09)

Mark explains the practical use cases of AI in ePayPolicy's products, such as Checkmate and Payables Connect, to make them more efficient and improve customer service. (12:31)

Mark discusses the potential use cases for blockchain in insurance, but expresses skepticism about the widespread use of crypto for payments. (20:44)

Mark explains ePayPolicy's financing options for premium payments, including the ability to electronically sign premium finance agreements and set up auto payments. (23:33)

Key Quotes:

“I think as an industry, we're really just in the early innings of starting to transform into the new digital economy, that most other industries or at least kind of a decade down the road, a little bit further on. And so, you know, that's nothing but you know, a massive opportunity for our business and helping our customers transform and take that journey together.” - Mark Engels

“Our take on this is to enable it to be easier for all parties in the ecosystem so both our premium finance customers and the agencies to make the financing process as simple as possible.” - Mark Engels

“One of the huge benefits that we've got to being in business as long as we have is, you know, we work with over 6,500 agencies today. Agencies, brokers, MGAs. And then we also work with some of the biggest premium finance companies in the US as well.” - Mark Engels

Resources Mentioned:

Mark Engels LinkedIn

ePayPolicy

Finance Connect

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

While enjoying a Garrison Lil’ Juicy IPA, Aviva Digital Marketing Consultant Charlene Ramdeo chats with the DIPP crew about key tools to help brokers on their digital journey, how to win back market share and grow lead volume. She stresses the importance of Google reviews and focusing on improving your search engine ranking locally before trying to tackle more places. As Charlene says, “Start small, dominate that and then move on to other areas.”She surprises Jeff, Adam and Steve with some mystery shopping results for Excalibur Insurance, Mitchell & Whale and Cheep Insurance to see how long it takes each brokerage to get back to potential customers looking for quotes. She also weighs in on the speed of each company’s mobile site. Who do you think came out on top? Place your bets now!Resources:Tom ReidJeff RoySteve EarleAdam MitchellDigital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode, James talks with Vonda Copeland, Operations Specialist at Copeland Insurance Agency.To learn more about Copeland Insurance Agency, visit https://www.copelandins.com/Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights:Vonda discusses how she got into the insurance industry and mentions that everyone seems to have a strange story about how they got into the industry. (3:10)Vonda shares what it is like working in an agency with her husband and mentions that despite having both strong personalities, they are able to figure out things and meet in the middle. (15:27)Vonda explains that a checklist is important to make sure that important details are not missed and better understand missed opportunities. (20:09)Vonda emphasizes the significance of running credit reports and offers some examples of what might go wrong with your quotes if you do not pay attention to them. (28:11)Vonda shares how they use automation effectively in their agency and where it should not be used. (33:56)Vonda explains that Copeland Insurance Agency caters to different types of markets including custom harvesters, people in the fire field, and main street businesses. (38:14)Vonda mentions that she will not be starting a podcast anytime soon because she is currently redoing their tech stack. (42:48)Vonda discusses the benefits of using Agency Zoom, including its ease of use. (46:57)Vonda mentions that Copeland Insurance has some really great personal lines tools right now, and ModAdvisor has been a huge improvement for them. (52:03)Key Quotes:"I'm kind of like the technology nerd. I love trying out new things. If anybody ever wants to beta test a program, I'm all in. - Vonda Copeland "I'm also really a stickler on, you do the do’s and don’t do the don'ts. And if you don't do the do's or do the don'ts, then you know, that's when the disciplinary teacher comes out." - Vonda Copeland

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak, the Vice President of Schmale Insurance Agency. Stephen talks about how he gets new business and how his experience with ADP helped prepare him for what he does now.Episode Highlights:Stephen shares his background. (3:17)What is one thing Stephen still uses now that he would not have gotten if he hadn't been with the training? (5:23)Stephen explains how using humor can help win an appointment. (7:23)Stephen discusses why he prefers face-to-face interactions more than phone calls. (9:03)Stephen mentions that cold calling is still one of the primary ways he gets new clients. (17:48)What is Stephen's favorite icebreaker? (19:19)Tweetable Quotes:“One of my biggest drivers of how I still get new businesses is cold calling and it's been 10 years I've been in the game and cold calling or cold drops, however you want to look at it, is still a big part of how I do it.” - Stephen Sedlak“If you're going to wait for everything to come to you, you'll go dead, you’ve got to go out and find it and bring it in.” - Stephen Sedlak“You don't have to be a full on comedian, you just need a kind of icebreaker, to get them to talk with you and relate with you as a person not to somebody coming in there trying to sell them something.” Kyle HouckResources Mentioned:Stephen SedlakSchmale Insurance AgencyDavid Carothers LinkedInKyle Houck LinkedInFlorida Risk PartnersThe Extra 2 Minutes

"Seek out pain, fall in love with suffering." - David Goggins In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, we break why seeing comfort, even if it's comfort in being uncomfortable, is the worst course of action to reach success. "Discomfort is your friend." - Joe Rogan Big shout out to Chris Paradiso for the inspiration on this one, don't miss it…

Resources Mentioned:

Finding Peak

Whether you’re thinking about starting a new independent agency or looking to grow your existing agency, SIAA is the solution. They aren’t simply the largest agency network in the country, they’re the best - because they make a real commitment to their members’ success. SIAA member agencies are independent, but never alone. Visit siaa.com to learn more.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Anais Babajanian, Business and Career coach at Anais Babajanian Coaching. Anais and Teresa talked about how to get really clear about the items that hold us back so we can achieve our goals.

Episode Highlights:

Anais shares how she got her start in accounting and what led her to business and career coaching. (1:19)

Anais describes the process of getting a coaching certification and what it takes to be a truly great business coach. (4:16)

Anais advises anyone, particularly business owners who want to make a change in their businesses, to take it one step at a time and understand that not everything will change in one day. (7:02)

Anais explains how important it is to have goals and change them as life changes, but it is more about the trip than the destination. (14:18)

Anais explains how to determine when to drop an idea that is no longer working and move on to the next. (19:24)

Anais mentions that people must uncover the source of their repeating ideas and where these patterns are coming from because if they don't, they will repeat the same behavior. (28:01)

Anais believes that we are the product of our experiences and environments throughout our lives. (31:30)

Key Quotes:

“What I enjoyed the most about running the agency, working with my staff, was giving them good feedback, helping them realize their potential, and also doing those things for my clients.” - Anais Babajanian

“Redefine what success means for you and your business. And make sure to ask what you’re following, not the industry average, or what the agency or across the street is doing. Make sure it's your definition of success.” - Anais Babajanian

“You have to find the source of where these repetitive thoughts and these patterns are coming from? Because if you don't find that, then you're destined to do it again.” - Anais Babajanian

Resources Mentioned:

Anais Babajanian LinkedIn

Anais Babajanian Coaching

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bradley Flowers, Founder of Portal Insurance & Co-Host of The Insurance Guys Podcast. Bradley tells us all about the upcoming One City World Tour, including its purpose, the roster of speakers, and the activities that conference attendees can anticipate.

Episode Highlights:

Bradley notes that they opted to have the event during the week, on January 18th and 19th, so that guests may still enjoy their family day on the weekends. (9:03)

David explains that the most difficult part of organizing a conference is keeping everyone's attention and keeping them interested throughout. (10:44)

Bradley shares some of the challenges of being a speaker and one speaker he thinks is really effective. (17:25)

Bradley mentions that they made a mistake last year by having too many speakers and not leaving enough time for networking, so they're doing the opposite this year. (20:42)

David mentions that CoverWhale has been very effective for his agency. (31:25)

Bradley shares how he advises his team to respond when a client is upset with them. (43:42)

Bradley provides more details about the speakers and vendors who will be at the One City Conference. (46:01)

Bradley talks about how they tried to get Joe Rogan to come to the One City Conference. (48:09)

Bradley explains how they created a solution for agents writing pet insurance, making it easy to write with a competitive commission. (51:51)

Bradley shares that he always seeks to cover families since, historically, families purchase additional lines of insurance. (57:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One mistake we made last year is we had so many speakers that we did not leave enough room for networking. So this year, we're kind of doing the opposite. And we were purposefully having networking times and that sort of thing. We've got some pretty cool ideas and stuff that's gonna give some people who don't come to some serious FOMO. So it'll be a lot of fun.” - Bradley Flowers

“The reason a lot of people want to insure families is because traditionally, typically, families have extra lines of insurance they buy.” - Bradley Flowers

“I tell my team all the time, if somebody's upset with you, don't get offended. Like, don't let them cuss you out. To me, that's like the bar. But you’ve got to let them vent a little bit. Everybody hates insurance. Even me, right?“ - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned:

Bradley Flowers LinkedIn

Portal Insurance

The Insurance Guys Podcast

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Garrett Droege, Director of Innovation at IMA Financial Group. Garrett discusses the future of tech in the insurance industry and beyond and how to learn from your competitors.

Episode Highlights:

Garrett mentions that they have worthy rivals in their company with whom they share information and learn and that anyone can learn if their ears are open. (5:41)

Garrett shares his background story and how he got to where he is today in the insurance industry. (6:58)

Garrett mentions that he used to run a global broker network called Tech Usher, which specializes in technology-related insurance. (8:26)

Garrett mentions that everything he learned in the insurance industry was from other people and probably some of the competitors or people he thought were better than him in some way. (10:38)

Garrett explains how he and Ryan Hanley had the same idea on how Twitter is going to be the future of business. (15:33)

Garrett mentioned how Bezos and Elon are different kinds of geniuses. (20:59)

Garret discusses his theory that man will never reach a point when all cars on the road are smart enough to have a truly autonomous experience on highways. (23:28)

Garrett explains the difference between when the internet and online chat room first came out. (29:18)

Garrett mentions that you shouldn't be afraid to share your best stuff with people as you might learn a thing or two. (31:52)

Key Quotes:

"We have worthy rivals in this industry. We share information with them, they share information with us. You can learn things from anybody if your ears are open. You can't learn anything if you think you do everything well." - Garrett Droege

"Once we perfect the technology, there's more competition." - Garrett Droege

"Don't be afraid to share your best stuff with other people. You might learn a thing or two." - Garrett Droege

Resources Mentioned:

Garrett Droege LinkedIn

IMA Financial Group, Inc.

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

You don't need more 'time' on your calendar in order to be more successful. What you need is better 'usage' of your time. In others, stop doing whatever is keeping you from getting the results you ultimately want to achieve. To summarize it even more .... JUST SHUT UP AND START PROSPECTING!

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht breaks down the prospecting numbers (both weekly and annually) for you to demonstrate what is needed in order to start having the financial success you want for yourself.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares why you need to stop doing whatever else you are doing and start focusing on prospecting, or in other words, shut up and prospect. (1:53)

Charles discusses why prospecting is the most important thing you can do as an insurance agent. (6:35)

Charles mentions that prospecting can take many forms; you may be able to prospect current clients by gathering references and having them make phone calls or send emails on your behalf. (9:19)

Charles explains why producers should generally spend 30 minutes to an hour every day on LinkedIn. (16:05)

Charles mentions that prospecting is a numbers game and we work the numbers to get what we want while selling is a relationship game. (22:21)

Charles shares that while you're branding yourself, you'll be able to advertise yourself as the go-to expert in that industry. (24:57)

Charles explains that producers have been hired to prospect, make appointments, and convert those prospects into customers, with everything else being secondary. (29:05)

Key Quotes:

“Prospecting is your number one focus as a producer. If you are not focused on prospecting, something is wrong.” - Charles Specht

“Prospecting is a numbers game; Selling insurance is a relationship game.” - Charles Specht

“Make your money. Build your book. Become a millionaire insurance producer. There's no reason why you can't do it.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Elliot Bassett, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Ellerbrock-Norris. Elliot shares how he developed "Launch", a new tool for producers that fills a significant need in the industry and is critical for any producer or agency owner to consider.

Episode Highlights:

Elliot explains that Ellerbrock-Norris is a 116-year-old company in Nebraska that implemented a new kind of sales procedure six or seven years ago. (3:37)

Elliot mentions that those in insurances used to be able to differentiate themselves with a different carrier or a different program but that no longer is the case. (11:25)

Elliot explains that agency owners and producers must focus on the value they provide outside of the insurance product. (17:54)

Elliot shares that asking a better question will lead to an opportunity to add value. (21:12)

Elliot mentions that he sees a lot of firms who want to improve their defined sales process, create more consistency, and know that by doing so, they will be able to differentiate and win more business from their clients. (26:32)

Elliot explains how individuals should think about risk in terms of cyber security, as well as how they should think about onboarding and recruiting procedures. (35:08)

Elliot discusses how to quantify the client's risk and the importance of making it tangible. (47:45)

Elliot mentions that the premium is often viewed as the scorecard by policyholders and shares why it’s important to give them something else to use as a scorecard. (53:01)

Elliot argues that client preparation is an important factor in the sales process that is sometimes disregarded. (58:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's just getting the message out of what we're doing. We feel like we've built something that's pretty cool that solves a pretty big need in the industry that people outside of us have.” - Elliot Bassett

“We need to focus around, what is the value we're bringing outside of the insurance product? Because as we just said, you know, outside of maybe Erie and auto owners, the carrier's not the differentiator anymore, we have to build our value props.” - Elliot Bassett

“I'm always happy to jump on and talk to people about, you know, the sales process in general about Launch. I just love getting this message out. I think it's where the industry is going. I think we all need to be working towards that in our industry and looking forward to any of those discussions we want to have. ” - Elliot Bassett

Resources Mentioned:

Elliot Bassett LinkedIn

Ellerbrock-Norris

Launch

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, the DIPP crew speaks with Nick Kidd, CEO & Co-Founder of Quotey, about his journey from AXA to CEO of April Canada to leading all things commercial at Mitchell & Whale, the pain of manuals and comparative rating in commercial insurance quoting and how he believes Quotey has the potential to transform the insurance industry and be the preferred digital platform of choice in commercial lines.

Nick discusses how commercial insurance “is an awful beast to work in” and why that led to him creating Quotey – a platform built by brokers for brokers. With Quotey, Nick says that brokers can complete client applications in as little as 10 minutes. They’ll then receive multiple insurer quotes in seconds. Yes, we said seconds.

Grab yourself a pint and learn all about Quotey, Steve’s “say no to portals” movement and a whole bunch more in our first episode of season three.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

This is an hour long webinar sponsored by InsuredMine with Jason Cass, where he discusses VE's with other top CEO's of VE companies.

In this episode, James talks with Don Polczynski, President and Partner of RD Advisory Group, and Roe Polczynski, Founding Partner of RD Advisory Group.

To learn more about RD Advisory Group, visit https://rdadvisorygroup.com/.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

James explains that the goal of this episode is to provide context and practical insight into the topic of strategic planning and annual reviews. (2:30)

Roe discusses how they would advise someone to begin getting their minds around the strategic planning and review process. (4:16)

Roe and Don discuss the first stage in the process of developing a strategic plan. (9:18)

Roe shares that Agency CFO utlizes the Big I Best Practices Study to benchmark their agencies against their peers. (19:09)

Don discusses what an agency owner should do if they have never created a financial plan to determine where travel expenditures, employee benefits expenses, and dues and subscriptions go. (20:15)

According to Roe, producer compensation should be done right from the start since it is difficult to adjust producer compensation after it has started. (29:15)

Don shares that the annual Big I Best Practices Study recommends paying producers 33% of what they produce.

Don shares that he believes that the insurance industry's greatest weakness is prospect pipeline management. (34:48)

James recaps the importance of knowing your numbers, categorizing the money that you are spending, making wise selections with your tech stack, and getting a handle on your funnel. (47:39)

James shares that the Agency CFO program has been fantastic for his agency. (53:46)

Key Quotes:

“If you put yourself on the market, whatever market value is, you should pay yourself out. Plus, at the end of the day, at the end of the year, your agency should show a 25% profit margin.” - Don Polczynski

“Here's another pro tip - producer compensation. You’ve got to get that right from the onset. I am not about absolutes. This is one of those absolute moments. It is impossible to change producer comp after the fact.” - Roe Polczynski

“What do we not excel at as an industry? Prospect pipeline management.” - Don Polczynski

Resources mentioned: Big I Best Practices Study

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal discuss their better halves’ successes and motivations, and the importance of being coachable.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal asks David if her wife’s success drives him to compete better. (1:49)

David and Kyle share what they see in their wives that makes them think they are going to be successful in insurance. (6:19)

Kyle shares that coaching and being coachable play a big part in life. (11:03)

David shares about his time coaching sports for 3 seasons. (13:35)

David asks Crystal what led her to believe that she will be successful in insurance and what advice she would share to other women looking to get into the industry. (18:52)

David tells a story about his wife’s marathon experience. (20:06)

Crystal gives her advice to females that have just started in the industry. (23:45)

David states that he believes skills are completely transferable. (25:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Help them come to the conclusion, but don't tell them...that's the way people learn and grow. And that's what we have to do as good mentors, good bosses, good agency owners.” Crystal Ware

“If you can commit and make a plan, it's goal orientation. 100%. Anybody can complete a marathon. You have to be willing to do the work to get there. “ - Crystal Ware

“I want them to make decisions and understand the consequences and rewards that come from decisions.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Crystal Ware LinkedIn

Empower Benefits & Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Tanner Hackett, CEO, and founder of Counterpart, a management liability InsurTech reinventing the Commercial Insurance industry using the most robust data sets and cutting-edge technology, with the support and guidance of some of the most respected insurance, investment, and brokerage institutions in the world.

This is an absolutely tremendous conversation you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Tanner discusses his journey in the insurance industry, beginning with his entrepreneurial tech background. (7:16)

Tanner mentions that Counterpart is committed to assisting individuals in growing and understanding their exposures. (15:13)

Tanner discusses how Counterpart differs from the other 10 markets that can provide a competitive service. (17:50)

Tanner explains why he decided to go from wholesale to retail. (19:17)

Tanner discusses why he calls his team risk engineers rather than underwriters and what the difference is. (23:05)

Tanner shares that the reason he gets out of bed every day is to support entrepreneurs who are taking risks and doing things differently. (29:15)

Tanner discusses the importance of team consistency and having a clear vision. (36:19)

Tanner mentions that it's difficult to be a leader in the insurance industry these days and move the industry forward because many are so entrenched in their current workflows. (46:01)

Tanner explains small business risks and how Counterpart's products solve them. (55:03)

Ryan believes that the advantage of data is not just marketing, it’s also communications. (1:03:00)

Tanner explains they're here to educate the market about the potential for management liability. (1:04:57)

Key Quotes:

“It's really tough to be a leader these days in the insurance space and move the industry forward because people are so entrenched in their current workflows, current processes.” - Tanner Hackett

“We want to be advocates for these small businesses. We want to take this off their plate because we talked about how hard it is to be a small business already, and be educating these businesses about what their exposures are, how they're researching, and how our product responds to those risks.” - Tanner Hackett

“We're here to educate the market about the potential for Management Liability. Again, it's not where it is today, but what it should be for them in terms of the service that we can provide, and the quality product we can provide for the small business owners. And we need to do this through partnerships.” - Tanner Hackett

Resources Mentioned:

Tanner Hackett LinkedIn

Counterpart

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with author, entrepreneur, and thought leader, Brandon Smith to discuss how the adversity he faced has pushed him down his pathway to success. It is important to know that we all face adversity, but the real question is, "Did that adversity make you stronger?" We also discuss some sales tips and tactics young agents should be engaging in on a day-to-day circumstance!

Episode Highlights:

Brandon shares some of the challenges that he had as a young baseball player. (4:38)

Brandon shares how he determines his value how that has motivated him in recent years to give back to the community. (6:56)

Brandon believes that the majority of new agents quit the industry within 24 months because they don't have the right training and tools, and they perceive their job as a producer as an ordinary job, not a profession. (11:09)

Brandon believes that the most successful producers are those that are willing to admit that they don't know everything and that they need to learn new skills. (14:44)

Brandon explains that, even though he has the ability to educate, coach, speak, and invest, he is also a student who continues to read, learn, grow, and ask questions. (15:54)

Brandon believes that we must prioritize people over programs, policies, procedures, premiums, and revenues. (24:36)

Brandon explains that they have 14 touchpoints within the first 30 days of welcoming a new client. (28:32)

Brandon shares that their Renewal Protection Plan is a series of emails that begin 90 days before renewal because they discovered that many no longer read their mail. (33:19)

Brandon advises avoiding comparing your beginning to someone else's middle because the insurance industry's comparison game is unhealthy. (43:10)

Brandon mentions that what motivates him is motivating, encouraging, and challenging others to be the best version of themselves. (43:53)

Key Quotes:

“My value isn't based on what I accomplish, or what I do. My value is based on my identity, and who I am. And so, that's really kind of driven me in the last couple of years of investing in giving back to the community because truly it isn't about massive community investing in our industry, into young agents, new producers. Because when the water rises, all the boats rise.” - Brandon Smith

“When you have a relationship with someone, their heart follows. And when you have their heart, the wallet follows, and then the retention and the referrals, and the loyalty. And it's so much easier to do business, conduct business, and have a business transaction with our friends, with the people we have a relationship with.” - Brandon Smith

“What motivates me is to motivate, encourage, and challenge other people to be the best version of themselves to be the individual they recruited to be. And that's because I've had people in my life motivate me, encouraged me, and challenged me to be the best version of myself.” - Brandon Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Brandon Smith LinkedIn

Glidewell

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this solo episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens discusses what underearning is and why it is so important to see the signs of it so we can fully achieve our goals.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa shares how reading Barbara Stanny's book Overcoming Underearning has changed the way she thinks about herself, her business, and what she wants to accomplish in the insurance industry. (00:11)

Teresa explains that the book begins with a great parable, and it's truly about how we as people become overwhelmed by "what if," "maybe I can't," or "what if I don't?". (3:34)

Teresa mentions that she loves the definition of stress in the first section of the book because it says stress is underearning and worrying about the future, and she can relate to it because she always worries about the future. (6:12)

Teresa explains that underearning is a side result of not living our full potential, but we must remember that everyone has their own goals, perspectives, and way of reacting to things, and they react based on their own unique thoughts and feelings. (10:39)

Teresa shares that being able to dive further into what we want helps us define what we want, which is important. (13:42)

Teresa mentions that changing our relationship with money is one of the book's goals, and that money is just a tool to live the life we want to live. (18:03)

Teresa explains that the greatest fear for underearners is having more to do. The main fear that underearners have about earning more money is that they will have no life and that continue work endlessly. (26:02)

Teresa believes that if we do not accept personal responsibility, we will find ourselves in chaotic situations, financially, personally, spiritually, and emotionally, because we did not take care of business along the way. (29:16)

Teresa encourages everyone to set goals, answer questions about whether or not they are underearners, and evaluate their mental conversations. (43:50)

Key Quotes:

“Underearning is a side result from not living up to our full potential, whatever that looks like… but we have to remember that everybody has their own goals. Everybody has their own perspective. Everybody has their own way they react to things and they react based on their own personal thoughts and feelings.” - Teresa Kitchens

“In order to grow and to learn and to be something more, we have to know what we want to be and what we want to accomplish in order to get there.” - Teresa Kitchens

“One of the goals of the book is to be able to change our relationship with money. Money is just a tool. Money is a tool for us to live the life that we want to live.” - Teresa Kitchens

“By knowing what we want to do with our money, what makes us feel successful, what makes us feel happy, we can give ourselves pieces of that. But then we also know how we need to learn how to not let that get out of control. That is very important because if it gets out of control, it can impede us from being able to get where we really want to go.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

Book: Overcoming Underearning: A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Christopher Culin Tate, Real Estate Investor and Author. Culin shares a few of the proven strategies from his book, Host Coach, aimed to help individuals be successful in short-term rental investment.

Episode Highlights:

Culin describes himself as a serial entrepreneur who has owned businesses such as manufacturing and software, but his interest in real estate made him devoted to real estate investing in 2018. (2:39)

Culin shares that he saw an opportunity with Airbnb because of their small cabin, which was originally intended for family, but later allowed their friends to stay, as well as friends of friends that quickly became fully booked. (5:28)

Culin discusses the importance of going the extra mile, thinking like a business person, and thinking like you're in the hospitality industry in order to make your listing perfect. (12:14)

Culin talks aobut not accepting one-night reservations and shares two effective strategies for convincing guests to book for more than one night. (18:29)

Culin explains that having multiple platforms is not recommended as it results in fewer views. (21:24)

Culin advises people interested in investing in real estate to find their way and understand how it will fit their particular passion. (31:48)

Culin encourages listeners to subscribe to a tool called AirDNA, which will assist them in determining whether or not a market is viable. (35:43)

Culin encourages people who are looking to buy a home to find an agent who can help them research things like regulations at the state, county, municipality, or even HOA level information. (41:31)

Culin discusses how he came up with the idea of organizing his 90-minute outline for a presentation that shares real-life stories and processes for finding a property step by step, which became the outline for his book. (43:33)

Culin shares how private and public rental feedback can differ from guests. (48:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The most profitable properties are going to be the ones to get booked the most. And to get booked the most, you’ve got to get shown the most." - Christopher Culin Tate

"Don't chase the hot market. Chase your passion, chase where you would like to go and spend some time." - Christopher Culin Tate

"The tips and tricks that we do to scale our business, it's all in there and we wrote it. Like anybody who has written a book, you don't make millions of dollars selling books, you help people and it gives you a good platform to help more people." - Christopher Culin Tate

Resources Mentioned:

Christopher Culin Tate LinkedIn

Host Coach

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kelsie Hoehne Manager of Quality Assurance and Agency Training at TRICOR Insurance. Kelsie talks about the importance of building and maintaining a culture of learning within your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Kelsie introduces herself and shares her background. (2:02)

Kelsie discusses the TRICOR learning management system as well as its importance in creating and delivering consistent content that allows for transparency. (6:05)

Kelsie shares that the reason they are not leaning towards virtual employees is that they are currently focused on maintaining and managing internal hires. (8:21)

Kelsie mentions the importance of having a clear trajectory in order to understand and provide immediate value toward your goal. (12:51)

Kelsie explains that failure should be treated as a learning opportunity to build culture and psychological safety for those new to the industry. (14:43)

Kelsie shares that one of the things they are working on is emphasizing the culture of learning in the company. (17:30)

Kelsie elaborates on how important it is to build a strong relationships and connection with your employees. (21:43)

Key Quotes:

"The things that I remember most distinctly when I was new to the industry, are the times that I royally screwed something up because it was an out-of-the-box situation." - Kelsie Hoehne

"The culture is what keeps people, right? I think our greatest tool in the toolbox in terms of retention is building connection and a culture that they don't want to quit." - Kelsie Hoehne

"I think empathy is a cornerstone, not only in, like our claims process and just our day-to-day interactions with clients. It's a critical piece when we're talking about maintaining the humanity of the workplace" - Kelsie Hoehne

Resources Mentioned:

Kelsie Hoehne LinkedIn

TRICOR Insurance LLC

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the two main reasons why writing small accounts is a terrible strategy for an insurance agent and why THINKING BIGGER and writing larger accounts makes everyone happier. "Small Thinking" is a plague that may allow you to pay your monthly electric bill but it will never allow you to build wealth.

Episode Highlights:

Why is thinking small, a major problem? (2:55)

How does Charles' approach to work differ from that of 20 years ago? (5:30)

Charles explains how to compensate for inexperience, as a young agent. (6:56)

Is there a difference in process when prospecting large accounts versus smaller ones? (8:14)

What happens when you’re successful at writing small accounts? (9:37)

Charles details a conversation he recently had with the service team. (13:00)

What should your target goal be, as a starting point? (13:02)

Charles shares his message for agency principals. (14:44)

Key Quotes:

“You have to stop thinking small. And, you have to start going big. That's what you have to do. You really have to. I can give you all the tools, I can give you everything that you need to do, if you will, to make that leap to make that jump...But, you have to step off the plane.” - Charles Specht

“You'll make enough money to pay the electric bill, to pay the rent, or the mortgage or whatever it is. And you know what? Maybe every once in a while, go out to a nice little restaurant with your wife and your kids, and so forth. But, you're not going to build wealth.” - Charles Specht

“I have had a chance to talk with lots of different insurance agents. They message me on LinkedIn, they call me, they shoot me an email, whatever it is. I have a chance to talk to a bunch of the vast majority of them out there. I know their problems could be solved, if they would simply start thinking bigger.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Rodriguez, CEO and the Owner of Prominent Insurance Service. Jason discusses why he chose a franchise model to expand his agency and how they are providing opportunities for minorities to join the industry in the process.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains that his transportation company is what brought him into the insurance industry. (4:12)

Jason discusses the difficulties he faced when he first started out in the insurance industry, and what he did to build relationships with his clients and earn their business. (9:45)

Jason explains that he had no idea chargeback was such a big deal in the insurance industry at first. (11:47)

Jason shares why he would choose franchising over simply opening new offices in other areas. (18:02)

Jason discusses the factors that make it difficult for minorities to enter the middle market and how he is trying to help increase diversity in that sector. (25:46)

Jason explains that they are currently focused on areas they know they can win but as their firm grows and their resources expand, they will be able to go after larger businesses with more success. (33:40)

Jason discusses what to consider when opening a franchise for a well-known insurance company. (37:45)

Jason mentions that the key to starting a franchise is to be on the same playing field and have the same mindset. (40:25)

Jason expresses his desire to build and create communities, as well as to give the insurance industry more leverage and raise awareness of how good the insurance industry is. (42:06)

Jason advises those interested in entering the insurance industry to find a mentor who is willing to provide accurate information and guide them. (46:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I was a scratch agency, just an entrepreneur with no prior mentorship. And, I know the hurdles I had to go over, what I had to be able to obtain, and get to where I'm at today." - Jason Rodriguez

"When you know you are the minority in America and everybody else is doing business, it's really difficult sometimes to get them to understand, like, hey, we can do the same thing that they can do, just give us a shot, let us perform, and deliver on the promises that we say we're going to deliver." - Jason Rodriguez

"As we grow our firm and get bigger and bigger with resources, then we can probably go after those and have more success. But, right now we’re just gonna concentrate on where we know we can get some wins." - Jason Rodriguez

Resources Mentioned:

Jason Rodriguez LinkedIn

Prominent Insurance Service

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, James talks with Jason Kilgo, the founder of KilGO Insurance.

To learn more about KilGO Insurance, visit https://kilgoinsurance.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares his background and how he started KilGO Insurance. (3:33)

Jason shares that he doesn't regret anything because all the jumps he's made have made him a better agency owner. (5:53)

Jason mentions that Geico does extremely well when it comes to the training processes for coaches and supervisors and he tries to replicate that in his agency. (6:17)

Jason discusses the difference between selling on price versus selling on value. (10:19)

Jason mentions that his sales process involves leading with umbrella and he had to sell his team on the concept by providing the data to back it up. (31:20)

Jason explains that most of the objections he gets to umbrella insurance policies are from the people who live check to check and don't have the money for it but need it most. (32:34)

Jason explains that crazy and tragic things do happen and emphasizes the importance of having insurance. (38:17)

Jason explains that an agency should figure out how to step out of the crowd and find out what makes them different from the rest. (40:21)

Jason shares how they compete in the marketplace with channel partners like realtors and loan officers and those selling on price. (45:00)

Jason explains that he doesn't mind getting a 1-star review because this is the way people will know that they are real. (52:26)

Jason explains that he loves to talk with other agency owners and discuss how their sales process works. (1:00:00)

Key Quotes:

"We've got to make sure people have an umbrella policy. And I know, we're not going to be 100% close on that. But we need to make sure people understand if they don't get it, why they're not getting it? What are they missing by not having that policy?" - Jason Kilgo

“Our mission is helping people live life confidently through insurance." - Jason Kilgo

"I think right now, you’ve got to reach, you’ve got to dig in. And don't give up, don't get down. Don't think the world is coming to an end like a lot of people are thinking about." - Jason Kilgo

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal discuss their motivations, goals, fears, and challenges in their journey.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal believes that making money as a motive is not a bad thing. (3:15)

David talks about his goal setting and motivation. (3:36)

Crystal explains why she decided to start her own agency with David. (3:35)

David says that from an entrepreneurial perspective, he’s absolutely fearless. (9:15)

David states that he is a competitive person. (13:45)

Crystal talks about her fear when it comes to producing. (15:37)

Crystal gives advice to anybody interested in opening a solely personal line, boutique agency. (20:22)

Crystal discusses the difficulties she has encountered on her path. (21:21)

David explains why he thinks that if you're responsible for a larger team, it's easier. (24:48)

Crystal talks about how difficult it is to hire employees. (26:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I don't think it's wrong to set goals for material things if you're going to reward yourself for doing your job at a very high level.” - David Carothers

“From an entrepreneurial perspective, I am absolutely fearless. I will try anything.” - David Carothers

“Hiring can be a challenge. You’ve always just got to keep your eyes open and be ready when a good person is available.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

Crystal Ware LinkedIn

Empower Benefits & Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Sean Castrina, the host of The Ten Minute Entrepreneur podcast and best-selling author and entrepreneur. Sean talks about his writing process and shares valuable insight into becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Episode Highlights:

Sean introduces himself and shares a bit about his background. (1:13)

Sean explains that writing books has allowed him to examine what has worked and failed in his businesses and share that with others. (4:47)

David shares about his online ecosystem that trains commercial insurance producers, as well as the importance of writing a business plan. (10:17)

Sean explains how to conduct interviews and how communication is the key to success. (13:10)

Sean and David discuss that in order to be successful, you need to think in a different way than most people think because millionaires have the same mindset and that is why they achieve success. (17:46)

Sean recalls a speech he gave at a college, where he advised the graduating students to do two things in order to become millionaires later in life. (21:16)

Sean shares his experience of the first time he witnessed obscene wealth. (28:06)

Sean discusses an experience he had in college as a wrestling athlete, the pain he went through, and what he did to overcome it. (29:13)

David mentions that the experience Sean went through is what led to his mentality to be successful as an entrepreneur. (34:09)

Sean and David discuss a book by Chris Voss titled "Never Split the Difference". (36:00)

Sean shares with listeners how they can get a free copy of his book, 8 Unbreakable Business Rules for Business Startup Success. (40:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that the type of person dictates the great degree of the success that any organization will have." - Sean Castrina

"If you can communicate well, like, you know, in entrepreneurship, wow. You know, it changes the game because you're constantly, you know, either selling and or resolving conflict." - Sean Castrina

"I speak at colleges. And I always tell them, listen, every single person in this audience, you know… I can make you a millionaire if you just do two things. Now, I'm not going to make you a millionaire in 10 years, but I can guarantee that I'll make you a millionaire." - Sean Castrina

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Castrina LinkedIn

8 Unbreakable Business Rules for Business Startup Success

Never Split the Difference

The Ten Minute Entrepreneur podcast

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Sean Castrina, the host of The Ten Minute Entrepreneur podcast and best-selling author and entrepreneur. Sean talks about his writing process and shares valuable insight into becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Episode Highlights:

Sean introduces himself and shares a bit about his background. (1:13)

Sean explains that writing books has allowed him to examine what has worked and failed in his businesses and share that with others. (4:47)

David shares about his online ecosystem that trains commercial insurance producers, as well as the importance of writing a business plan. (10:17)

Sean explains how to conduct interviews and how communication is the key to success. (13:10)

Sean and David discuss that in order to be successful, you need to think in a different way than most people think because millionaires have the same mindset and that is why they achieve success. (17:46)

Sean recalls a speech he gave at a college, where he advised the graduating students to do two things in order to become millionaires later in life. (21:16)

Sean shares his experience of the first time he witnessed obscene wealth. (28:06)

Sean discusses an experience he had in college as a wrestling athlete, the pain he went through, and what he did to overcome it. (29:13)

David mentions that the experience Sean went through is what led to his mentality to be successful as an entrepreneur. (34:09)

Sean and David discuss a book by Chris Voss titled "Never Split the Difference". (36:00)

Sean shares with listeners how they can get a free copy of his book, 8 Unbreakable Business Rules for Business Startup Success. (40:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that the type of person dictates the great degree of the success that any organization will have." - Sean Castrina

"If you can communicate well, like, you know, in entrepreneurship, wow. You know, it changes the game because you're constantly, you know, either selling and or resolving conflict." - Sean Castrina

"I speak at colleges. And I always tell them, listen, every single person in this audience, you know… I can make you a millionaire if you just do two things. Now, I'm not going to make you a millionaire in 10 years, but I can guarantee that I'll make you a millionaire." - Sean Castrina

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Castrina LinkedIn

8 Unbreakable Business Rules for Business Startup Success

Never Split the Difference

The Ten Minute Entrepreneur podcast

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass invites you to IndieTech 2023, the first conference of its kind for independent insurance agents and brokers.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares that InsureTech Connect was created in 2017 to expose the insurance industry to the use of technology but did not include the independent insurance agent. (4:20)

Jason discusses that what he saw in InsureTech Connect is what is going to happen in the insurance industry in 5 to 10 years. (6:13)

Jason explains the difference between technology for the independent insurance agent and technology for a vendor. (10:33)

Jason explains why 2023 is going to the year for IndieTech, which will be for independent insurance agents and brokers so that they can unleash their independence. (12:17)

Jason elaborates on what will happen on the first day of IndieTech, which will include keynotes as well as the tech show. (14:22)

Jason shares that IndieTech will be all about showcasing talents and proving that we are in the greatest type of industry ever created. (18:20)

Key Quotes:

"It's time that we quit being frustrated by the technology stack we have because maybe you have the wrong technology stack and you need to find the right technology stack. This is it. Maybe you have the right technology stack, but you don't necessarily know how to work it and how it all goes together." - Jason Cass

"We're going to showcase this talent so that we make sure that we keep people involved in technology who understand that we not only are the best distribution system, but we are the greatest industry God ever created." - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass invites you to IndieTech 2023, the first conference of its kind for independent insurance agents and brokers.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares that InsureTech Connect was created in 2017 to expose the insurance industry to the use of technology but did not include the independent insurance agent. (4:20)

Jason discusses that what he saw in InsureTech Connect is what is going to happen in the insurance industry in 5 to 10 years. (6:13)

Jason explains the difference between technology for the independent insurance agent and technology for a vendor. (10:33)

Jason explains why 2023 is going to the year for IndieTech, which will be for independent insurance agents and brokers so that they can unleash their independence. (12:17)

Jason elaborates on what will happen on the first day of IndieTech, which will include keynotes as well as the tech show. (14:22)

Jason shares that IndieTech will be all about showcasing talents and proving that we are in the greatest type of industry ever created. (18:20)

Key Quotes:

"It's time that we quit being frustrated by the technology stack we have because maybe you have the wrong technology stack and you need to find the right technology stack. This is it. Maybe you have the right technology stack, but you don't necessarily know how to work it and how it all goes together." - Jason Cass

"We're going to showcase this talent so that we make sure that we keep people involved in technology who understand that we not only are the best distribution system, but we are the greatest industry God ever created." - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Nathan Christensen, CEO of Mineral, and Diane Haines, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Mineral. Nathan and Diane talk about how Mineral is using technology, content, and expertise to provide innovative HR and compliance solutions to their partners and clients.

Episode Highlights:

Nathan shares his background and what Mineral is all about. (2:30)

Nathan explains why they decided to rebrand in order to capitalize on their strengths while merging two companies. (7:25)

Nathan explains that the goal for naming the company Mineral was to be an essential ingredient in the success of both their partners and customers. (11:10)

Nathan shares his excitement for their "Mineral Intelligence" product, which provides clients with predictive, personalized insight. (15:24)

Nathan explains compliance has become increasingly important in the industry and technology is starting to catch up and solve it. (19:03)

Diane shares that they chose to focus on safety products to keep their customers, who are small and medium-sized businesses, safe and secure. (26:32)

Diane mentions that they still offer both resources and guidance in HR and compliance but are now integrated with added safety features. (28:57)

Diane explains that having access to an expert can help clients feel more comfortable. (32:51)

Diane mentions some of the focus that they have in the future for HR compliance is centered around local policies and employee engagement. (39:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We are an essential ingredient for both our partner and our customer success. And we are working every day to help them build healthier organizations." - Nathan Christensen

"The more complex this compliance environment gets, that's where we're really going to dig in, you're going to see us really try to get ahead of that for our partners and clients so that they're not caught on the back foot." - Diane Haines

"The next frontier for our company is predictive, personalized insight for clients, a product we call Mineral Intelligence." - Nathan Christensen

Resources Mentioned:

Nathan Christensen LinkedIn

Diane Haines LinkedIn

Mineral

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Nathan Christensen, CEO of Mineral, and Diane Haines, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Mineral. Nathan and Diane talk about how Mineral is using technology, content, and expertise to provide innovative HR and compliance solutions to their partners and clients.

Episode Highlights:

Nathan shares his background and what Mineral is all about. (2:30)

Nathan explains why they decided to rebrand in order to capitalize on their strengths while merging two companies. (7:25)

Nathan explains that the goal for naming the company Mineral was to be an essential ingredient in the success of both their partners and customers. (11:10)

Nathan shares his excitement for their "Mineral Intelligence" product, which provides clients with predictive, personalized insight. (15:24)

Nathan explains compliance has become increasingly important in the industry and technology is starting to catch up and solve it. (19:03)

Diane shares that they chose to focus on safety products to keep their customers, who are small and medium-sized businesses, safe and secure. (26:32)

Diane mentions that they still offer both resources and guidance in HR and compliance but are now integrated with added safety features. (28:57)

Diane explains that having access to an expert can help clients feel more comfortable. (32:51)

Diane mentions some of the focus that they have in the future for HR compliance is centered around local policies and employee engagement. (39:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We are an essential ingredient for both our partner and our customer success. And we are working every day to help them build healthier organizations." - Nathan Christensen

"The more complex this compliance environment gets, that's where we're really going to dig in, you're going to see us really try to get ahead of that for our partners and clients so that they're not caught on the back foot." - Diane Haines

"The next frontier for our company is predictive, personalized insight for clients, a product we call Mineral Intelligence." - Nathan Christensen

Resources Mentioned:

Nathan Christensen LinkedIn

Diane Haines LinkedIn

Mineral

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this special episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, Jason Cass and Travis Etheridge are guests at the Insurance Hacks webinar where they chat with Brad Ruben, of Archway Computer, about how Virtual Employees (VE's) are changing the game when it comes to handling unlicensed tasks in your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Brad shares his background, what Archway Computer does for independent insurance companies, and the Insurance Hacks webinar's goal. (1:11)

Jason Cass and Travis Etheridge discuss how they got into the insurance industry. (5:40)

Jason explains why they decided to form a Virtual Employee (VE) firm and how they plan to influence the independent agent's thinking in the future. (8:00)

Jason explains why he is prepared to pay more and treat his company’s VE’s better. (10:32)

Jason and Travis talk about how fantastic their company's VE relationship and culture are. (14:05)

Jason discusses what made him realize that he didn’t need licensed employees doing unlicensed tasks. (19:38)

Jason mentions that InsurTechs aided the insurance industry in sales, prospecting, and CRMs. However, Indietech 2.0 will assist insurance professionals from the time the policy is sold until they cross sell. (22:29)

Jason explains that their VE's know how to read a contract, how to look at it, and how to prepare it for the Senior Account Manager to review. (24:41)

Jason explains that Indietech 2023 will be different, with a trade show, four stages on each side, and demos every 30 minutes. (28:21)

Jason explains why they don't have onshore virtual or multilingual employees. (29:57)

Jason and Travis explain why agents who want to be treated as professionals should begin acting as such. (30:56)

Jason describes the Virtual Intelligence training procedure with its employees to ensure they can manage the tasks efficiently when placed in an agency. (37:56)

Key Quotes:

“If we can educate the independent agent on the questions they should ask, they're going to start making better decisions. And these people who are taking advantage of independent agents are going to be put out of business and that's a good thing.” - Jason Cass

“If you need help in your office, stop thinking of licensed people. Get your people together and say, what are 25% of the jobs that you do every day that you hate doing and you don't need to be licensed to do? Then write them down. And you now know what you need a VE to do. And now your staff is freed up and you're actually paying half the cost to get the person who's going to do a better job.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Brad Ruben LinkedIn

MyArchway

Travis Etheridge LinkedIn

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this special episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, Jason Cass and Travis Etheridge are guests at the Insurance Hacks webinar where they chat with Brad Ruben, of Archway Computer, about how Virtual Employees (VE's) are changing the game when it comes to handling unlicensed tasks in your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Brad shares his background, what Archway Computer does for independent insurance companies, and the Insurance Hacks webinar's goal. (1:11)

Jason Cass and Travis Etheridge discuss how they got into the insurance industry. (5:40)

Jason explains why they decided to form a Virtual Employee (VE) firm and how they plan to influence the independent agent's thinking in the future. (8:00)

Jason explains why he is prepared to pay more and treat his company’s VE’s better. (10:32)

Jason and Travis talk about how fantastic their company's VE relationship and culture are. (14:05)

Jason discusses what made him realize that he didn’t need licensed employees doing unlicensed tasks. (19:38)

Jason mentions that InsurTechs aided the insurance industry in sales, prospecting, and CRMs. However, Indietech 2.0 will assist insurance professionals from the time the policy is sold until they cross sell. (22:29)

Jason explains that their VE's know how to read a contract, how to look at it, and how to prepare it for the Senior Account Manager to review. (24:41)

Jason explains that Indietech 2023 will be different, with a trade show, four stages on each side, and demos every 30 minutes. (28:21)

Jason explains why they don't have onshore virtual or multilingual employees. (29:57)

Jason and Travis explain why agents who want to be treated as professionals should begin acting as such. (30:56)

Jason describes the Virtual Intelligence training procedure with its employees to ensure they can manage the tasks efficiently when placed in an agency. (37:56)

Key Quotes:

“If we can educate the independent agent on the questions they should ask, they're going to start making better decisions. And these people who are taking advantage of independent agents are going to be put out of business and that's a good thing.” - Jason Cass

“If you need help in your office, stop thinking of licensed people. Get your people together and say, what are 25% of the jobs that you do every day that you hate doing and you don't need to be licensed to do? Then write them down. And you now know what you need a VE to do. And now your staff is freed up and you're actually paying half the cost to get the person who's going to do a better job.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Brad Ruben LinkedIn

MyArchway

Travis Etheridge LinkedIn

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode, James talks with Davie Holt, National Sales Practice Leader of Imperial PFS.

To learn more about Imperial PFS, visit https://www.ipfs.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Davie shares a bit about his background and what led him to IPFS. (5:30)

Davie mentions that the goal for agents is to get to a point where the outbound effort turns to inbound. (10:46)

Davie explains that he didn't realize how great IPFS was until he became a part of it. (16:35)

Davie shares the elements that make IPFS feel like a family business. (18:18)

Davie explains that great leadership is your internal people who work for you and your clients that have also become great business partners. (22:53)

Davie explains that IPFS has wrestled with what approach will do well in terms of naming and branding. (29:13)

Davie shares the solution they came up with to solve payment problems for their customers. (31:57)

Davie mentions that he doesn't mind talking about differences between their company and their competitors. (37:57)

Davie shares why IPFS has always been the technology leader in the insurance premium finance space. (45:39)

Key Quotes:

"You have to find that balance between maintaining reputation, maintaining excellence, and also staying relevant. And, you can't ever lose what got you there. You can't ever lose the hunger. You can't ever lose the drive." - Davie Holt

"I have never ever gotten business or protected business that we've had, by saying just negative things about a person that worked for another company, or a company itself. But I also don't shy away from talking about the differences between our company and our competitors, either." - Davie Holt

“We all, that are insurance professionals, licensed non-licensed vendors, carriers, whatever, we all have an obligation to try to make this industry better." - Davie Holt

In this episode, James talks with Davie Holt, National Sales Practice Leader of Imperial PFS.

To learn more about Imperial PFS, visit https://www.ipfs.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Davie shares a bit about his background and what led him to IPFS. (5:30)

Davie mentions that the goal for agents is to get to a point where the outbound effort turns to inbound. (10:46)

Davie explains that he didn't realize how great IPFS was until he became a part of it. (16:35)

Davie shares the elements that make IPFS feel like a family business. (18:18)

Davie explains that great leadership is your internal people who work for you and your clients that have also become great business partners. (22:53)

Davie explains that IPFS has wrestled with what approach will do well in terms of naming and branding. (29:13)

Davie shares the solution they came up with to solve payment problems for their customers. (31:57)

Davie mentions that he doesn't mind talking about differences between their company and their competitors. (37:57)

Davie shares why IPFS has always been the technology leader in the insurance premium finance space. (45:39)

Key Quotes:

"You have to find that balance between maintaining reputation, maintaining excellence, and also staying relevant. And, you can't ever lose what got you there. You can't ever lose the hunger. You can't ever lose the drive." - Davie Holt

"I have never ever gotten business or protected business that we've had, by saying just negative things about a person that worked for another company, or a company itself. But I also don't shy away from talking about the differences between our company and our competitors, either." - Davie Holt

“We all, that are insurance professionals, licensed non-licensed vendors, carriers, whatever, we all have an obligation to try to make this industry better." - Davie Holt

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal share insight into the power and importance of having more women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David shares insights about earning a great weekend. (1:26)

David discusses how things are when he is not at work. (4:17)

Crystal explains why there are so few women working in the insurance industry. (10:11)

David explores the issue of women and minorities working as producers in the insurance industry. (16:31)

Crystal explains how she overcame adversity to get her dream job. (19:26)

David tells a story about his time at the St. Louis airport. (22:36)

David went into detail about how he chose The Protégé. (24:42)

Crystal responds to the question of who is the best teacher and who is more patient in her household. (28:26)

Female success in the sector is highlighted by David and Crystal. (29:30)

David summarizes the importance of minority and female producers to be part of the industry. (31:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Ladies, just stand up and raise your hand. And don't be afraid to say I'm going to give this a whirl and seek out mentors, seek out people to help shepherd you and say, “This is what I want to do.” Honestly, that's what I've done throughout my career.” - Crystal Ware

“If your perspective is right, and you focus on the content that makes up the person, you know, whether they're male or female is really kind of irrelevant.” - David Carothers

“I want to run a show where those people will feel comfortable to apply because they have the right skill set and the drive to achieve it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Crystal Ware LinkedIn

Empower Benefits & Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal share insight into the power and importance of having more women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David shares insights about earning a great weekend. (1:26)

David discusses how things are when he is not at work. (4:17)

Crystal explains why there are so few women working in the insurance industry. (10:11)

David explores the issue of women and minorities working as producers in the insurance industry. (16:31)

Crystal explains how she overcame adversity to get her dream job. (19:26)

David tells a story about his time at the St. Louis airport. (22:36)

David went into detail about how he chose The Protégé. (24:42)

Crystal responds to the question of who is the best teacher and who is more patient in her household. (28:26)

Female success in the sector is highlighted by David and Crystal. (29:30)

David summarizes the importance of minority and female producers to be part of the industry. (31:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Ladies, just stand up and raise your hand. And don't be afraid to say I'm going to give this a whirl and seek out mentors, seek out people to help shepherd you and say, “This is what I want to do.” Honestly, that's what I've done throughout my career.” - Crystal Ware

“If your perspective is right, and you focus on the content that makes up the person, you know, whether they're male or female is really kind of irrelevant.” - David Carothers

“I want to run a show where those people will feel comfortable to apply because they have the right skill set and the drive to achieve it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Crystal Ware LinkedIn

Empower Benefits & Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jackson and Jamieson Fregeau, Co-founders of Quandri.io, join the podcast for a deep dive into digital workers (aka Bots). Digital workers make automating the repetitive work of insurance easy, so your people can focus on what’s important. This is an episode you don't want to miss…

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jackson and Jamieson Fregeau, Co-founders of Quandri.io, join the podcast for a deep dive into digital workers (aka Bots). Digital workers make automating the repetitive work of insurance easy, so your people can focus on what’s important. This is an episode you don't want to miss…

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Jake Jines from The Insurance Alliance to bring you the sales tip of the month.

This will be the start of monthly episodes with Jake as we dive into many different producer sales tips ranging from cold calling, to prospecting, to quoting, to building relationships and we even might show you how to create effective sales proposals.

Episode Highlights:

Jake shares that he always follows up on a cold call to get the appointment, and he sends a follow-up loom video so the client knows who they are speaking with. (3:14)

Jake mentions that in cold calling, you have to be able to pick up on people's tone to be able to determine if it's a possible opportunity. (4:32)

Jake explains that he makes a 30-second video with the information and offers assistance so that clients can see that he is genuine based on his facial expressions. (5:50)

Jakes shares how his short video convinced a client who was hesitant with the initial quote to meet with him. (7:52)

Jake explains why it is important to customize videos for each client and shares a few strategies for doing so. (9:14)

Jake mentions that he is not a huge fan of the large dial game. If he realizes that the person is extremely busy but still has an interest, he will follow up. If the person does not show interest, he will follow up next year or in the next six months. (10:31)

Jake shares that he is still learning how to react to taking losses because he finds it affects him when he loses an account. (12:34)

Jake advises everyone to stay consistent and be able to bounce back after a loss, especially at the start, and to have the right mentality to stay consistent. (18:40)

Key Quotes:

"Cleansing is learning who the main decision maker is and finding out their details. And once I have them in that cleansing stage, I know I’ve got them. Doesn't mean I’ve got them this year, but I may have them next year because I know who I'm speaking with, and I have their information. So when I follow up, I send that loom video, and I put a face with a voice and I keep it real simple." - Jake Jines

“Another thing I do if the person's name is Kathy, I take a piece of paper and I write Kathy…say, Hi Kathy, and I put it up there in the camera, me smiling. That way she knows it’s a customized video, not just a video that I have that I send that to every single person.” - Jake Jines

"I hate to lose. So, I think as I progress in the insurance industry, maybe my question or my answer will change. But currently, where I'm at, losing is the absolute worst." - Jake Jines

Resources Mentioned:

Jake Jines LinkedIn

The Insurance Alliance

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Jake Jines from The Insurance Alliance to bring you the sales tip of the month.

This will be the start of monthly episodes with Jake as we dive into many different producer sales tips ranging from cold calling, to prospecting, to quoting, to building relationships and we even might show you how to create effective sales proposals.

Episode Highlights:

Jake shares that he always follows up on a cold call to get the appointment, and he sends a follow-up loom video so the client knows who they are speaking with. (3:14)

Jake mentions that in cold calling, you have to be able to pick up on people's tone to be able to determine if it's a possible opportunity. (4:32)

Jake explains that he makes a 30-second video with the information and offers assistance so that clients can see that he is genuine based on his facial expressions. (5:50)

Jakes shares how his short video convinced a client who was hesitant with the initial quote to meet with him. (7:52)

Jake explains why it is important to customize videos for each client and shares a few strategies for doing so. (9:14)

Jake mentions that he is not a huge fan of the large dial game. If he realizes that the person is extremely busy but still has an interest, he will follow up. If the person does not show interest, he will follow up next year or in the next six months. (10:31)

Jake shares that he is still learning how to react to taking losses because he finds it affects him when he loses an account. (12:34)

Jake advises everyone to stay consistent and be able to bounce back after a loss, especially at the start, and to have the right mentality to stay consistent. (18:40)

Key Quotes:

"Cleansing is learning who the main decision maker is and finding out their details. And once I have them in that cleansing stage, I know I’ve got them. Doesn't mean I’ve got them this year, but I may have them next year because I know who I'm speaking with, and I have their information. So when I follow up, I send that loom video, and I put a face with a voice and I keep it real simple." - Jake Jines

“Another thing I do if the person's name is Kathy, I take a piece of paper and I write Kathy…say, Hi Kathy, and I put it up there in the camera, me smiling. That way she knows it’s a customized video, not just a video that I have that I send that to every single person.” - Jake Jines

"I hate to lose. So, I think as I progress in the insurance industry, maybe my question or my answer will change. But currently, where I'm at, losing is the absolute worst." - Jake Jines

Resources Mentioned:

Jake Jines LinkedIn

The Insurance Alliance

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Steve Munn of MAI Risk Advisors. Steve discusses how they have developed their company culture at MAI Risk Advisors and offers advice for new producers entering the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares about his background growing up in Western Canada. (2:21)

Steve explains he didn’t start in the insurance industry, and the first actual job he had was selling industrial supplies. (10:51)

Steve mentions that one of the biggest surprises for him after entering the insurance industry was the difficulty of the job at first, but as he learned, he just aimed to keep getting better. (16:10)

Steve shares that one thing he learned from playing sports that he applied in the industry was to build a great relationship with his team. (19:22)

Steve mentions that one of the most difficult challenges in terms of office culture is finding the right people. (24:31)

Steve shares that their current business profile at the agency is 80% commercial wich includes niches like real estate developers, churches, construction, nonprofits and private schools. (26:36)

Steve discusses the concept of the Industrial Network Group, a group he established for the manufacturing and industrial sectors. (29:50)

Steve encourages people who are new to the producer role or are just starting out in the industry to invest in themselves and keep learning. (37:54)

Steve explains that we've done our industry a huge disservice by teaching people to shop based on price where everyone is looking only at the bottom line and not at the actual details of what is and isn’t included in the policy. (45:16)

Steve mentions that they are currently working on creating social media marking videos. (49:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I really focus on my relationships with my account managers. I always express gratitude. I always thank them, you know, whether it's a huge deal or a small deal. It's still important. I try and be a good teammate." - Steve Munn

"I love connecting people. I love opening doors for people. It's fun to see other people succeed and you know, eventually, they return the favor, hopefully." - Steve Munn

"I want to be the guy my team relies on, right? And so, getting, doubling and tripling down on educational work really kind of gave me a lot of confidence." - Steve Munn

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Munn LinkedIn

MAI Risk Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Steve Munn of MAI Risk Advisors. Steve discusses how they have developed their company culture at MAI Risk Advisors and offers advice for new producers entering the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares about his background growing up in Western Canada. (2:21)

Steve explains he didn’t start in the insurance industry, and the first actual job he had was selling industrial supplies. (10:51)

Steve mentions that one of the biggest surprises for him after entering the insurance industry was the difficulty of the job at first, but as he learned, he just aimed to keep getting better. (16:10)

Steve shares that one thing he learned from playing sports that he applied in the industry was to build a great relationship with his team. (19:22)

Steve mentions that one of the most difficult challenges in terms of office culture is finding the right people. (24:31)

Steve shares that their current business profile at the agency is 80% commercial wich includes niches like real estate developers, churches, construction, nonprofits and private schools. (26:36)

Steve discusses the concept of the Industrial Network Group, a group he established for the manufacturing and industrial sectors. (29:50)

Steve encourages people who are new to the producer role or are just starting out in the industry to invest in themselves and keep learning. (37:54)

Steve explains that we've done our industry a huge disservice by teaching people to shop based on price where everyone is looking only at the bottom line and not at the actual details of what is and isn’t included in the policy. (45:16)

Steve mentions that they are currently working on creating social media marking videos. (49:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I really focus on my relationships with my account managers. I always express gratitude. I always thank them, you know, whether it's a huge deal or a small deal. It's still important. I try and be a good teammate." - Steve Munn

"I love connecting people. I love opening doors for people. It's fun to see other people succeed and you know, eventually, they return the favor, hopefully." - Steve Munn

"I want to be the guy my team relies on, right? And so, getting, doubling and tripling down on educational work really kind of gave me a lot of confidence." - Steve Munn

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Munn LinkedIn

MAI Risk Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brett Young, CEO & Co-Founder of Erb and Young. Brett talks about the importance of teaching young agents the fundamentals of insurance and discusses how to notice patterns and use them to predict what comes next.

Episode Highlights:

Brett explains that the fundamentals are very important for agents and the good news is that the basics are all the same. (4:25)

Brett explains that to think that we understand sales and think we're done is misguided as mastery is a lifelong process. (9:16)

Brett mentions that life and people are a series of patterns and the more we study the patterns, the more we are able to be successful in our business. (14:36)

Brett shares about Erb and Young, how it started, and what is coming up next for the agency. (15:42)

Brett discusses how they were able to build a great team and the things they have to put into consideration to build a big agency. (18:23)

Brett explains that as far as a hierarchy in the business, the company is equally divided between him and his partners. (19:59)

Brett mentions that the biggest gift you can give to your team is clarity, as lack of clarity creates uneasiness. (24:36)

Brett shares that the advice he would give to people that have only started in the business for less than a year is to give it 5 years more and then you will see that it's worth it. (27:53)

Key Quotes:

"Even though we can learn these things ourselves and think that we go to a conference, or go to an event, or attend a webinar, or sit with somebody for an hour, and they teach us something that we have it, that's not mastery, and mastery is a lifelong process." - Brett Young

"Life is just a series of patterns… People, it's just a series of patterns. And if you study patterns, you start to notice the same things over and over again. And you start to notice the same things over and over again, we can't predict what comes next." - Brett Young

"I think one of the biggest gifts you can give your team is clarity. Yeah, there's uncertainty and a lack of clarity creates uneasiness." - Brett Young

Resources Mentioned:

Brett Young LinkedIn

Erb and Young

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brett Young, CEO & Co-Founder of Erb and Young. Brett talks about the importance of teaching young agents the fundamentals of insurance and discusses how to notice patterns and use them to predict what comes next.

Episode Highlights:

Brett explains that the fundamentals are very important for agents and the good news is that the basics are all the same. (4:25)

Brett explains that to think that we understand sales and think we're done is misguided as mastery is a lifelong process. (9:16)

Brett mentions that life and people are a series of patterns and the more we study the patterns, the more we are able to be successful in our business. (14:36)

Brett shares about Erb and Young, how it started, and what is coming up next for the agency. (15:42)

Brett discusses how they were able to build a great team and the things they have to put into consideration to build a big agency. (18:23)

Brett explains that as far as a hierarchy in the business, the company is equally divided between him and his partners. (19:59)

Brett mentions that the biggest gift you can give to your team is clarity, as lack of clarity creates uneasiness. (24:36)

Brett shares that the advice he would give to people that have only started in the business for less than a year is to give it 5 years more and then you will see that it's worth it. (27:53)

Key Quotes:

"Even though we can learn these things ourselves and think that we go to a conference, or go to an event, or attend a webinar, or sit with somebody for an hour, and they teach us something that we have it, that's not mastery, and mastery is a lifelong process." - Brett Young

"Life is just a series of patterns… People, it's just a series of patterns. And if you study patterns, you start to notice the same things over and over again. And you start to notice the same things over and over again, we can't predict what comes next." - Brett Young

"I think one of the biggest gifts you can give your team is clarity. Yeah, there's uncertainty and a lack of clarity creates uneasiness." - Brett Young

Resources Mentioned:

Brett Young LinkedIn

Erb and Young

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the five key areas you need to implement the "Power of 1" in order to build your Book of Business to $1,000,000 or more. Staying focused on one path of success is difficult for most producers, but getting better at it is what separates the pro's from the amateurs.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the power and importance of following through. (3:30)

What does Charles look for when predicting a new agent’s success or failure? (4:58)

Charles details his first piece of advice: have one mission. (6:55)

Charles shares a story from college to illustrate his second piece of advice. (12:16)

What should your only goal be at the end of your first appointment with a client? (15:29 )

What’s something that takes time and makes it more difficult to win? (19:12)

Charles shares his third piece of advice: how to approach micro niching. (21:22)

Charles explains his fourth piece of advice: one policy expertise. (23:26)

Charles details his fifth piece of advice: the one activity that will put gold in your pocket. (28:44)

Charles tells listeners why it’s so important to have a process and a plan. (32:48)

Key Quotes:

“The problem with us as producers, as insurance agents, as human beings, frankly, we're not very good at staying focused. We lose focus, therefore, very often, we're off the path. We're off the path of success. Sometimes we just lose our focus on what we're supposed to be doing.” - Charles Specht

“There's definitely certain characteristics of insurance producers that I see...that person is going to be a success, or that person is going to be out of this business in six months. And, it comes down to the power of one.” - Charles Specht

“If you are singularly focused...you are going to get more broker of record letters, period, hands down from the prospects that you meet with, because you are the obvious choice.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the five key areas you need to implement the "Power of 1" in order to build your Book of Business to $1,000,000 or more. Staying focused on one path of success is difficult for most producers, but getting better at it is what separates the pro's from the amateurs.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the power and importance of following through. (3:30)

What does Charles look for when predicting a new agent’s success or failure? (4:58)

Charles details his first piece of advice: have one mission. (6:55)

Charles shares a story from college to illustrate his second piece of advice. (12:16)

What should your only goal be at the end of your first appointment with a client? (15:29 )

What’s something that takes time and makes it more difficult to win? (19:12)

Charles shares his third piece of advice: how to approach micro niching. (21:22)

Charles explains his fourth piece of advice: one policy expertise. (23:26)

Charles details his fifth piece of advice: the one activity that will put gold in your pocket. (28:44)

Charles tells listeners why it’s so important to have a process and a plan. (32:48)

Key Quotes:

“The problem with us as producers, as insurance agents, as human beings, frankly, we're not very good at staying focused. We lose focus, therefore, very often, we're off the path. We're off the path of success. Sometimes we just lose our focus on what we're supposed to be doing.” - Charles Specht

“There's definitely certain characteristics of insurance producers that I see...that person is going to be a success, or that person is going to be out of this business in six months. And, it comes down to the power of one.” - Charles Specht

“If you are singularly focused...you are going to get more broker of record letters, period, hands down from the prospects that you meet with, because you are the obvious choice.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Walt Goshert, Insurance LinkedIn Expert and Independent Marketing Consultant. Walt discusses using the power of LinkedIn to build relationships and close sales and why it’s important to shift your mindset from chasing clients to attracting clients.

Episode Highlights:

Walt discusses his transition from being a broker to helping salespeople be more prominent on LinkedIn. (2:45)

Walt mentions that one opportunity you can get from LinkedIn is the ability to build a great relationship and close a sale. (10:31)

Walt explains that it is important to set the stage before asking any expectation questions to a client because otherwise, you would be viewed as a salesperson rather than an advisor. (15:15)

Walt mentions that when it comes to prospecting, the thing that repels people more than anything is seeing the desperation in an agent. (22:42)

Walt mentions that the proper mindset in this business is not to chase clients but to attract them instead. (28:34)

Walt explains that even if CEOs and CFOs are not interacting on LinkedIn, that does not mean that they are not paying attention. (34:56)

Walt shares that one of the sole reasons he invested in Sales Navigator is to know how much the content is resulting in profile visits. (44:45)

Walt mentions that knowing your market, building content by commenting, and doing it consistently are three things salespeople should do on LinkedIn. (50:15)

Walt explains the funnel strategy in creating content for a buyer's journey, and that is awareness, solution, and why they should hire you. (55:59)

Walt shares that he thinks that LinkedIn is becoming more of a factor in the middle market, and it is the perfect time to create content for this market. (59:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

"With LinkedIn, or online, you have the ability to communicate one to many. You're able to leverage what you know, what your authority is, and how you can create value." - Walt Goshert

"It's a case of taking that extra two minutes and doing it, you know, dropping in some comments before you do the connection request, send that after they connect, send that voice note or a video with a welcome message, so you stand out in their inbox as a real person." - Walt Goshert

“I think it kind of diminishes the value of the relationship, you know, it doesn't position you as that authority as that trusted authority, if you're constantly in the chase mode.” - Walt Goshert

Resources Mentioned:

Walt Goshert LinkedIn

Client Attraction Engine

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Walt Goshert, Insurance LinkedIn Expert and Independent Marketing Consultant. Walt discusses using the power of LinkedIn to build relationships and close sales and why it’s important to shift your mindset from chasing clients to attracting clients.

Episode Highlights:

Walt discusses his transition from being a broker to helping salespeople be more prominent on LinkedIn. (2:45)

Walt mentions that one opportunity you can get from LinkedIn is the ability to build a great relationship and close a sale. (10:31)

Walt explains that it is important to set the stage before asking any expectation questions to a client because otherwise, you would be viewed as a salesperson rather than an advisor. (15:15)

Walt mentions that when it comes to prospecting, the thing that repels people more than anything is seeing the desperation in an agent. (22:42)

Walt mentions that the proper mindset in this business is not to chase clients but to attract them instead. (28:34)

Walt explains that even if CEOs and CFOs are not interacting on LinkedIn, that does not mean that they are not paying attention. (34:56)

Walt shares that one of the sole reasons he invested in Sales Navigator is to know how much the content is resulting in profile visits. (44:45)

Walt mentions that knowing your market, building content by commenting, and doing it consistently are three things salespeople should do on LinkedIn. (50:15)

Walt explains the funnel strategy in creating content for a buyer's journey, and that is awareness, solution, and why they should hire you. (55:59)

Walt shares that he thinks that LinkedIn is becoming more of a factor in the middle market, and it is the perfect time to create content for this market. (59:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

"With LinkedIn, or online, you have the ability to communicate one to many. You're able to leverage what you know, what your authority is, and how you can create value." - Walt Goshert

"It's a case of taking that extra two minutes and doing it, you know, dropping in some comments before you do the connection request, send that after they connect, send that voice note or a video with a welcome message, so you stand out in their inbox as a real person." - Walt Goshert

“I think it kind of diminishes the value of the relationship, you know, it doesn't position you as that authority as that trusted authority, if you're constantly in the chase mode.” - Walt Goshert

Resources Mentioned:

Walt Goshert LinkedIn

Client Attraction Engine

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

In this episode, James talks with Mike Stromsoe, Founder and Lead Coach of The Unstoppable Profit Producers.

To learn more about The Unstoppable Profit Producers, visit https://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Mike shares his background story and what led him to create The Unstoppable Profit Producers. (3:45)

Mike discusses the need for leadership, leadership training, and other types of training in independent insurance agencies. (6:41)

Mike mentions that if somebody is interested in investing in strong leadership skills, he could recommend the Hero's Journey Leadership Program, which he believes is a game changer. (9:44)

Mike explains that feeding the mind with the right things is important because what we choose to put into our minds can make or break us. (14:23)

Mike explains the idea of the Be Unstoppable Bootcamp 2022 event and how much they believe in what they're doing. (18:54)

Mike believes that feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable is crucial because nothing grows in the comfort zone. (21:19)

Mike mentions that he is well aware that finding excellent people is difficult in today's society, which is why they've developed systems focused on people, processes, and promotion to assist individuals in finding those excellent people. (23:45)

Mike explains why core values are important for any business. (33:10)

Mike reminds the listeners that people will always miss 100% of the shots that they do take. (54:11)

Key Quotes:

“My encouragement if you're a leader in today's business world, insurance agency, industry, or otherwise, become a better leader and find a way to get into a program, invest in yourself to become a better leader.” - Mike Stromsoe

“In the comfort zone, nothing grows…because everything's comfortable. You’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable.” - Mike Stromsoe

“Culture eats strategy and everything else for breakfast and if you get a weak link or something goes sour within the orchard, if you will, unfortunately, sometimes you need to cut it.” - Mike Stromsoe

In this episode, James talks with Mike Stromsoe, Founder and Lead Coach of The Unstoppable Profit Producers.

To learn more about The Unstoppable Profit Producers, visit https://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Mike shares his background story and what led him to create The Unstoppable Profit Producers. (3:45)

Mike discusses the need for leadership, leadership training, and other types of training in independent insurance agencies. (6:41)

Mike mentions that if somebody is interested in investing in strong leadership skills, he could recommend the Hero's Journey Leadership Program, which he believes is a game changer. (9:44)

Mike explains that feeding the mind with the right things is important because what we choose to put into our minds can make or break us. (14:23)

Mike explains the idea of the Be Unstoppable Bootcamp 2022 event and how much they believe in what they're doing. (18:54)

Mike believes that feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable is crucial because nothing grows in the comfort zone. (21:19)

Mike mentions that he is well aware that finding excellent people is difficult in today's society, which is why they've developed systems focused on people, processes, and promotion to assist individuals in finding those excellent people. (23:45)

Mike explains why core values are important for any business. (33:10)

Mike reminds the listeners that people will always miss 100% of the shots that they do take. (54:11)

Key Quotes:

“My encouragement if you're a leader in today's business world, insurance agency, industry, or otherwise, become a better leader and find a way to get into a program, invest in yourself to become a better leader.” - Mike Stromsoe

“In the comfort zone, nothing grows…because everything's comfortable. You’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable.” - Mike Stromsoe

“Culture eats strategy and everything else for breakfast and if you get a weak link or something goes sour within the orchard, if you will, unfortunately, sometimes you need to cut it.” - Mike Stromsoe

It’s Cyber Awareness Month and in this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck share their Number 1 hack for writing Cyber in bulk.

Episode Highlights:

David explains that Managed Services Providers "MSP’s" are one of the areas where we have the ability to generate opportunities right now. (2:11)

Kyle believes that there are a number of MSP’s that assume they know more than everyone else just because they are IT professionals who understand how things operate and how to defend themselves. (3:36)

Kyle shares his observation that several MSPs perform a variety of other things, such as installing security cameras, alarm systems, key fobs, and gate stuff. (6:45)

David explains that KPA is significant because it has a certificate-tracking function, and utilizing a certificate as a lead source is important. (8:28)

David mentions that we simply need to take a breather and look around to find opportunities to write new business. (13:06)

David discusses that the number one hack for writing cyber in bulk is to review the master services agreement for managed services providers or anybody else and inform them that your risk management recommendation is that their clients have Cyber. (14:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“People, if you're not using certificates as a lead source, you are missing the boat.” - David Carothers

“We just got to stop and breathe and look around. If we do, we're going to find every opportunity we can to write new business, and that is it.” - David Carothers

“Review the Master Services Agreement for Managed Services Providers or anybody else. Tell them that your risk management recommendation that their clients have cyber and sit back and let the leads roll in." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

It’s Cyber Awareness Month and in this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck share their Number 1 hack for writing Cyber in bulk.

Episode Highlights:

David explains that Managed Services Providers "MSP’s" are one of the areas where we have the ability to generate opportunities right now. (2:11)

Kyle believes that there are a number of MSP’s that assume they know more than everyone else just because they are IT professionals who understand how things operate and how to defend themselves. (3:36)

Kyle shares his observation that several MSPs perform a variety of other things, such as installing security cameras, alarm systems, key fobs, and gate stuff. (6:45)

David explains that KPA is significant because it has a certificate-tracking function, and utilizing a certificate as a lead source is important. (8:28)

David mentions that we simply need to take a breather and look around to find opportunities to write new business. (13:06)

David discusses that the number one hack for writing cyber in bulk is to review the master services agreement for managed services providers or anybody else and inform them that your risk management recommendation is that their clients have Cyber. (14:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“People, if you're not using certificates as a lead source, you are missing the boat.” - David Carothers

“We just got to stop and breathe and look around. If we do, we're going to find every opportunity we can to write new business, and that is it.” - David Carothers

“Review the Master Services Agreement for Managed Services Providers or anybody else. Tell them that your risk management recommendation that their clients have cyber and sit back and let the leads roll in." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Chris Cline, executive director of ACT, the Agents Council for Technology, for a conversation on the overcomplication of insurance. They explain why hard times demand a determined focus on simple, repeatable tasks that produce results. Don't miss this episode…

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares that he is relaunching his newsletter, Finding Peak, which is focused on becoming the best version of yourself that you could possibly be. (2:17)

Chris mentions that everything in the world is now on a single device, and it's not so much about being on the phone as it is about what is done there. (13:39)

Ryan explains how Antifragile by Nicolas Nassim Taleb made him think about how he positions himself in the world, the skills he wants to acquire, and how he wants to set up his business and career so he can sustain himself personally and professionally. (21:15)

Chris talks about the evolutionary way the brain works and how that impacts all aspects of our lives. (27:18)

Chris discusses why he thinks people in the industry make things too complicated. (31:56)

Chris explains that commercialized, competitive rating is one of the industry's hottest topics right now. (39:33)

Chris believes that there is no such thing as the best tech stack unless it precisely matches the agency's business strategy. (47:50)

Chris explains mid-funnel technology and why it is so successful right now. (56:24)

Ryan believes that the winners and losers will be separated by true leadership moving forward. (1:05:52)

Chirs mentions the importance of remaining steadfast around what you're trying to get accomplished, and truly giving your teams what they need to be successful through that. (1:16:50)

Key Quotes:

“Our brains are processing what's in front of us differently based on the experiences we've had. But you know, you and I can be in the same room and see very different things. But the core fundamental things I think we would see, it's just how do you let that stuff that sits in the margins, the complex stuff, the subconscious level stuff, minimize the interpretation.” - Chris Cline

“You've got a relentless focus on processes first, making sure you got the right people in the right roles, doing the right things, and then use technology to bring that stuff to life.” - Chris Cline

“Whenever things get funky, leadership wins. Being able to set a clear vision. Remain steadfast to it, be a clear and active champion around what you're trying to get accomplished. And truly give your teams what they need to be successful through that is integral.” - Chris Cline

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Cline LinkedIn

Agents Council for Technology

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Chris Cline, executive director of ACT, the Agents Council for Technology, for a conversation on the overcomplication of insurance. They explain why hard times demand a determined focus on simple, repeatable tasks that produce results. Don't miss this episode…

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares that he is relaunching his newsletter, Finding Peak, which is focused on becoming the best version of yourself that you could possibly be. (2:17)

Chris mentions that everything in the world is now on a single device, and it's not so much about being on the phone as it is about what is done there. (13:39)

Ryan explains how Antifragile by Nicolas Nassim Taleb made him think about how he positions himself in the world, the skills he wants to acquire, and how he wants to set up his business and career so he can sustain himself personally and professionally. (21:15)

Chris talks about the evolutionary way the brain works and how that impacts all aspects of our lives. (27:18)

Chris discusses why he thinks people in the industry make things too complicated. (31:56)

Chris explains that commercialized, competitive rating is one of the industry's hottest topics right now. (39:33)

Chris believes that there is no such thing as the best tech stack unless it precisely matches the agency's business strategy. (47:50)

Chris explains mid-funnel technology and why it is so successful right now. (56:24)

Ryan believes that the winners and losers will be separated by true leadership moving forward. (1:05:52)

Chirs mentions the importance of remaining steadfast around what you're trying to get accomplished, and truly giving your teams what they need to be successful through that. (1:16:50)

Key Quotes:

“Our brains are processing what's in front of us differently based on the experiences we've had. But you know, you and I can be in the same room and see very different things. But the core fundamental things I think we would see, it's just how do you let that stuff that sits in the margins, the complex stuff, the subconscious level stuff, minimize the interpretation.” - Chris Cline

“You've got a relentless focus on processes first, making sure you got the right people in the right roles, doing the right things, and then use technology to bring that stuff to life.” - Chris Cline

“Whenever things get funky, leadership wins. Being able to set a clear vision. Remain steadfast to it, be a clear and active champion around what you're trying to get accomplished. And truly give your teams what they need to be successful through that is integral.” - Chris Cline

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Cline LinkedIn

Agents Council for Technology

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tyler Reitz, Vice President of Commercial Lines at Bowman's Insurance Agency. Tyler shares the perspective he gained from working in underwriting and how that has helped him find common ground with underwriters now that he is on the agency side.

Episode Highlights:

Tyler shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (2:44)

Tyler mentions that he has been able to build a relationship with underwriters that helps him in the business. (11:19)

Tyler explains that a lot of agencies are pushing to get the business on the books while missing out on making it attractive to underwriters. (14:43)

Tyler mentions that Bowman's Insurance Agency focuses on a wide variety of programs in municipalities, but the goal this year is to target larger accounts. (22:20)

Tyler describes his experience with an underwriter and advises someone new to the industry to do research and always know what to look for upfront. (25:40)

Tyler recalls a time when he was on the underwriting side of things in a broker record situation with five agents. (30:43)

Tyler shares that he has learned a lot of things since moving from a producer role to a partnership role. (39:27)

Tyler explains that anybody that wants to take over an agency wants to make changes in certain areas from the way things were done and make it better. (45:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think anybody taking over an agency would like to make definite changes in certain areas from the way things were done. I feel like that's the reason why you tried to want to take over an agency because you wanted to improve upon it." - Tyler Reitz

"I'm more of a generalist. Now, do I have some industries that I do very well in? Absolutely, where it's just kind of by association and working on referrals." - Tyler Reitz

"In the past, I was only focused on my book and doing what I needed to do for my clients. Now there's a whole other aspect of, now, you got all the different things of employees, all the administrative that comes with running an agency that takes up a lot of time. There's a lot more moving parts. So, that's the biggest learning curve for me." - Tyler Reitz

Resources Mentioned:

Tyler Reitz LinkedIn

Bowman's Insurance Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tyler Reitz, Vice President of Commercial Lines at Bowman's Insurance Agency. Tyler shares the perspective he gained from working in underwriting and how that has helped him find common ground with underwriters now that he is on the agency side.

Episode Highlights:

Tyler shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (2:44)

Tyler mentions that he has been able to build a relationship with underwriters that helps him in the business. (11:19)

Tyler explains that a lot of agencies are pushing to get the business on the books while missing out on making it attractive to underwriters. (14:43)

Tyler mentions that Bowman's Insurance Agency focuses on a wide variety of programs in municipalities, but the goal this year is to target larger accounts. (22:20)

Tyler describes his experience with an underwriter and advises someone new to the industry to do research and always know what to look for upfront. (25:40)

Tyler recalls a time when he was on the underwriting side of things in a broker record situation with five agents. (30:43)

Tyler shares that he has learned a lot of things since moving from a producer role to a partnership role. (39:27)

Tyler explains that anybody that wants to take over an agency wants to make changes in certain areas from the way things were done and make it better. (45:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think anybody taking over an agency would like to make definite changes in certain areas from the way things were done. I feel like that's the reason why you tried to want to take over an agency because you wanted to improve upon it." - Tyler Reitz

"I'm more of a generalist. Now, do I have some industries that I do very well in? Absolutely, where it's just kind of by association and working on referrals." - Tyler Reitz

"In the past, I was only focused on my book and doing what I needed to do for my clients. Now there's a whole other aspect of, now, you got all the different things of employees, all the administrative that comes with running an agency that takes up a lot of time. There's a lot more moving parts. So, that's the biggest learning curve for me." - Tyler Reitz

Resources Mentioned:

Tyler Reitz LinkedIn

Bowman's Insurance Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass discusses how he got involved in the Virtual Employee industry with Virtual Intelligence, how VE’s help the insurance industry in particular, and how to know that you are getting the right VE’s.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains that a VA is a Virtual Assistant and VE is a Virtual Employee and mentions the key difference between them. (3:08)

Jason shares how what the agricultural business went through in the past is similar to what is happening in the industry today. (4:40)

Jason mentions two things people should think about when it comes to their agency and process, which are licensed and unlicensed tasks. (9:20)

Jason shares about some of the great virtual companies that are available like Cover Desk, Savvital, and Lava Automation. (13:19)

Jason shares what led him and his business partner, Travis Etheridge, to start Virtual Intelligence. (16:31)

Jason explains that it is the people, process, and protection that are the key components of Virtual Intelligence that make them a great VE company. (21:10)

Jason explains why people are doing a disservice to both themselves and to the ones they hire when they hire directly instead of using a service. (25:37)

Key Quotes:

"That's why you get VE’s who don't just listen to what you say. They're actually able to take something and continue on if they run into an obstacle, able to think for themselves, able to hear the problem that a client has and able to offer a solution without being told everything to do. These people cost money." - Jason Cass

"Right now we're not selling on how great our VE's are. People are buying from us because they're buying in the trust of Jason Cass and the fact that I'm going to deliver a good product to them." - Jason Cass

"As I've said before, it's the greatest industry God ever created because it's allowed me to meet people that I never thought that I'd meet. I've gone places that I never thought that I would go. And I've given my family the life that I never thought that I could give them." - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Jason Cass

Virtual Intelligence

Cover Desk

Savvital

Lava Automation

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass discusses how he got involved in the Virtual Employee industry with Virtual Intelligence, how VE’s help the insurance industry in particular, and how to know that you are getting the right VE’s.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains that a VA is a Virtual Assistant and VE is a Virtual Employee and mentions the key difference between them. (3:08)

Jason shares how what the agricultural business went through in the past is similar to what is happening in the industry today. (4:40)

Jason mentions two things people should think about when it comes to their agency and process, which are licensed and unlicensed tasks. (9:20)

Jason shares about some of the great virtual companies that are available like Cover Desk, Savvital, and Lava Automation. (13:19)

Jason shares what led him and his business partner, Travis Etheridge, to start Virtual Intelligence. (16:31)

Jason explains that it is the people, process, and protection that are the key components of Virtual Intelligence that make them a great VE company. (21:10)

Jason explains why people are doing a disservice to both themselves and to the ones they hire when they hire directly instead of using a service. (25:37)

Key Quotes:

"That's why you get VE’s who don't just listen to what you say. They're actually able to take something and continue on if they run into an obstacle, able to think for themselves, able to hear the problem that a client has and able to offer a solution without being told everything to do. These people cost money." - Jason Cass

"Right now we're not selling on how great our VE's are. People are buying from us because they're buying in the trust of Jason Cass and the fact that I'm going to deliver a good product to them." - Jason Cass

"As I've said before, it's the greatest industry God ever created because it's allowed me to meet people that I never thought that I'd meet. I've gone places that I never thought that I would go. And I've given my family the life that I never thought that I could give them." - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Jason Cass

Virtual Intelligence

Cover Desk

Savvital

Lava Automation

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rob Schmidt, Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development at Seltzer Group Partners. Rob discusses what Seltzer Group Partners is and how being a member of Keystone Insurance Group allows them to provide their clients with high-quality solutions and services through its network of reliable business partners.

Episode Highlights:

Rob shares his background and how he got to where he is today. (3:30)

Rob shares a story about a client's employee on a trucking company that had an accident and a denied claim. (6:31)

Rob explains that the Seltzer Group Partners is structured as 60% commercial, 30% personal, and 10% benefits. (13:38)

Rob mentions that some of the challenges they have faced this year are related to software, hardware, and supply chain issues. (17:31)

Rob shares more information about how it works to be a Keystone agency partner. (21:11)

Rob discusses how they have used the Culture Wise platform to establish what they believe in and what they want to do everyday. (25:27)

Rob believes that the process of bringing a newly acquired agency to the company usually starts with the management team going to the new company for meet and greet sessions. (32:00)

Rob explains the challenges of continuing to meet organic growth goals when you are acquiring agencies. (34:10)

Rob mentions that one way of persuading prospects to get involved is to explain the niche programs you have and their benefits and to build relationships. (36:10)

Rob believes that the industry needs more insurance agencies that have great salespeople that also want to succeed. (41:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I always like to educate my customers... And it's amazing that nine times out of ten, they look at you like they've never been told this and they've been in business for decades. You know, you go in and you just explain to them. It's helpful.” - Rob Schmidt

“Keystone agency partners, I like the partnership word of it, because it really is a partnership…Every agency that becomes part of KAP, their situation can all be set different." - Rob Schmidt

“So you know, the agency side will build the relationships, you're trying to get the customers in the door. At the carrier side, the good carriers build those relationships with their agents as well.” - Rob Schmidt

Resources Mentioned:

Rob Schmidt LinkedIn

Seltzer Group Partners

Keystone Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rob Schmidt, Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development at Seltzer Group Partners. Rob discusses what Seltzer Group Partners is and how being a member of Keystone Insurance Group allows them to provide their clients with high-quality solutions and services through its network of reliable business partners.

Episode Highlights:

Rob shares his background and how he got to where he is today. (3:30)

Rob shares a story about a client's employee on a trucking company that had an accident and a denied claim. (6:31)

Rob explains that the Seltzer Group Partners is structured as 60% commercial, 30% personal, and 10% benefits. (13:38)

Rob mentions that some of the challenges they have faced this year are related to software, hardware, and supply chain issues. (17:31)

Rob shares more information about how it works to be a Keystone agency partner. (21:11)

Rob discusses how they have used the Culture Wise platform to establish what they believe in and what they want to do everyday. (25:27)

Rob believes that the process of bringing a newly acquired agency to the company usually starts with the management team going to the new company for meet and greet sessions. (32:00)

Rob explains the challenges of continuing to meet organic growth goals when you are acquiring agencies. (34:10)

Rob mentions that one way of persuading prospects to get involved is to explain the niche programs you have and their benefits and to build relationships. (36:10)

Rob believes that the industry needs more insurance agencies that have great salespeople that also want to succeed. (41:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I always like to educate my customers... And it's amazing that nine times out of ten, they look at you like they've never been told this and they've been in business for decades. You know, you go in and you just explain to them. It's helpful.” - Rob Schmidt

“Keystone agency partners, I like the partnership word of it, because it really is a partnership…Every agency that becomes part of KAP, their situation can all be set different." - Rob Schmidt

“So you know, the agency side will build the relationships, you're trying to get the customers in the door. At the carrier side, the good carriers build those relationships with their agents as well.” - Rob Schmidt

Resources Mentioned:

Rob Schmidt LinkedIn

Seltzer Group Partners

Keystone Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, James talks with Abe Gibson, Co Founder of Cover Your SaaS.

To learn more about Cover Your SaaS, visit https://coveryoursaas.io/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Abe shares the story of how Cover Your SaaS got started. (3:55)

Abe explains that they are leading in cyber because they sell the cyber risk report and also build trust by providing a complete package of what the client needs. (7:46)

Abe shares how he was able to choose David, Ciara, and Chris to partner with him. (11:18)

Abe mentions that they will be launching their own podcast soon, on which they will interview SaaS founders and CEOs. (20:17)

Abe explains that the biggest challenge they are currently facing, is the number of expectations with their prospects. (27:14)

Abe discusses the company's current focus as a retail agency, but envisions an MGA or wholesale approach in the future. (32:13)

Abe explains that he is confident in marketing and sales because of his background in selling. (37:27)

Abe shares the process of how he pitches potential clients. (41:11)

Abe explains that the market and the space are complicated because venture capital and private equity are pulling the levers. (51:13)

Abe advises listeners to make that jump to independence, as there is a lot of potential in the independent agency space. (55:28)

Key Quotes:

"I kind of just had this epiphany that I've sold software to insurance agencies, why not sell insurance to software companies?" - Abe Gibson

"We're really primarily just talking about cyber. And when we have that conversation from a risk management perspective, we're not really talking much about insurance. We're building enough trust. Because we're leading with that cyber risk report in that consultative risk management approach, that we can just present to them a complete package that includes all the lines of business that they need." - Abe Gibson

"I feel blessed to have the background that I do, I kind of knew the big players and who I need to talk to you. But, it was still extremely challenging. So I empathize a lot with people that are starting to scratch agencies, because it's very confusing and very cumbersome." - Abe Gibson

In this episode, James talks with Abe Gibson, Co Founder of Cover Your SaaS.

To learn more about Cover Your SaaS, visit https://coveryoursaas.io/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Abe shares the story of how Cover Your SaaS got started. (3:55)

Abe explains that they are leading in cyber because they sell the cyber risk report and also build trust by providing a complete package of what the client needs. (7:46)

Abe shares how he was able to choose David, Ciara, and Chris to partner with him. (11:18)

Abe mentions that they will be launching their own podcast soon, on which they will interview SaaS founders and CEOs. (20:17)

Abe explains that the biggest challenge they are currently facing, is the number of expectations with their prospects. (27:14)

Abe discusses the company's current focus as a retail agency, but envisions an MGA or wholesale approach in the future. (32:13)

Abe explains that he is confident in marketing and sales because of his background in selling. (37:27)

Abe shares the process of how he pitches potential clients. (41:11)

Abe explains that the market and the space are complicated because venture capital and private equity are pulling the levers. (51:13)

Abe advises listeners to make that jump to independence, as there is a lot of potential in the independent agency space. (55:28)

Key Quotes:

"I kind of just had this epiphany that I've sold software to insurance agencies, why not sell insurance to software companies?" - Abe Gibson

"We're really primarily just talking about cyber. And when we have that conversation from a risk management perspective, we're not really talking much about insurance. We're building enough trust. Because we're leading with that cyber risk report in that consultative risk management approach, that we can just present to them a complete package that includes all the lines of business that they need." - Abe Gibson

"I feel blessed to have the background that I do, I kind of knew the big players and who I need to talk to you. But, it was still extremely challenging. So I empathize a lot with people that are starting to scratch agencies, because it's very confusing and very cumbersome." - Abe Gibson

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how important it is to solve problems instead of selling a product because as prospects share information, the higher the chances are of being able to close a sale.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he’s beginning to believe that many agents do not understand how to identify and solve problems their prospects have. (3:37)

David explains how to increase your ability to close a sale by identifying the problems that you could solve for prospects instead of simply selling an insurance product. (9:27)

David mentions that it is important to have an outline to avoid any complications and misunderstandings. (11:56)

David explains that if you’re not getting the support you need from your agency, then you should go work for a different agency. (16:11)

Kyle talks about how agents can lead their prospects down the path of discovery by dictating the line of questioning. (21:34)

Kyle explains that explaining too much about the technical side of things to the prospect can make them feel overwhelmed. (24:07)

David shares one of the mass marketing videos that he finds to be very effective. (25:06)

David and Kyle explain how important it is to always follow up with your prospects, as it is very rare to have a sale on the initial pitch. (28:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you're not getting that kind of support, go work for a different agency. You know, I mean, I hate to say that, but that's number one." - David Carothers

"I think people have a hard time identifying how to figure out the problems. And the thing is, part of the issue is, the only solution has been to sell them insurance right?" - David Carothers

"So many times we talk about it, we beat it to death about how people are worried about selling a product instead of solving a problem." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how important it is to solve problems instead of selling a product because as prospects share information, the higher the chances are of being able to close a sale.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he’s beginning to believe that many agents do not understand how to identify and solve problems their prospects have. (3:37)

David explains how to increase your ability to close a sale by identifying the problems that you could solve for prospects instead of simply selling an insurance product. (9:27)

David mentions that it is important to have an outline to avoid any complications and misunderstandings. (11:56)

David explains that if you’re not getting the support you need from your agency, then you should go work for a different agency. (16:11)

Kyle talks about how agents can lead their prospects down the path of discovery by dictating the line of questioning. (21:34)

Kyle explains that explaining too much about the technical side of things to the prospect can make them feel overwhelmed. (24:07)

David shares one of the mass marketing videos that he finds to be very effective. (25:06)

David and Kyle explain how important it is to always follow up with your prospects, as it is very rare to have a sale on the initial pitch. (28:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you're not getting that kind of support, go work for a different agency. You know, I mean, I hate to say that, but that's number one." - David Carothers

"I think people have a hard time identifying how to figure out the problems. And the thing is, part of the issue is, the only solution has been to sell them insurance right?" - David Carothers

"So many times we talk about it, we beat it to death about how people are worried about selling a product instead of solving a problem." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Elisa Stampf, Co-Founder and CEO of Insure Equality. Elisa talks about diversity and how to be an agent of change for the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Elisa explains the importance of talking about insurance, not just as applies in the industry, but how it faces outward. (3:59)

Elisa discusses what Phoenix is and how it interacts with Insure Equality, and how it is aligned with the company's mission. (6:29)

Elisa shares that they have created seven components of culture that can measure how it feels to be in a workplace. (9:51)

Elisa mentions that people matter and employees need to know that the company they work for cares for them and for the community that they are living in. (13:43)

Elisa explains that the population within the insurance industry does not mirror or reflect the leadership, and one of the reasons is fear of admitting mistakes. (19:54)

Elisa explains that from the leadership and congressional perspective, vulnerability is the first step to allowing others to be real. (27:05)

Elisa mentions that trust is the scariest thing you can do because it requires you to be vulnerable, and authentic. (32:33)

Elisa explains that the most discussed topic in their community is mental health. (33:31)

Elisa explains that it is normal to experience pain when you are learning and growing. (36:01)

Elisa shares that when we honor and respect and listen to as many voices as possible, it benefits everyone in the community. (39:36)

Key Quotes:

"It's not just about saying that we're going to do the thing. It's about actually doing the thing, and how can I show up to do that thing as well." - Elisa Stampf

"We need to know that the company that we work for cares about us and cares about the community that we're living in because we're seeing the shift. And even if we weren't, people matter, and that's the baseline." - Elisa Stampf

"I will tell you, the more that you are real with yourself and others, the more that people that are like you that can mirror that back to you will show up for you" - Elisa Stampf

Resources Mentioned:

Elisa Stampf LinkedIn

Insure Equality

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Elisa Stampf, Co-Founder and CEO of Insure Equality. Elisa talks about diversity and how to be an agent of change for the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Elisa explains the importance of talking about insurance, not just as applies in the industry, but how it faces outward. (3:59)

Elisa discusses what Phoenix is and how it interacts with Insure Equality, and how it is aligned with the company's mission. (6:29)

Elisa shares that they have created seven components of culture that can measure how it feels to be in a workplace. (9:51)

Elisa mentions that people matter and employees need to know that the company they work for cares for them and for the community that they are living in. (13:43)

Elisa explains that the population within the insurance industry does not mirror or reflect the leadership, and one of the reasons is fear of admitting mistakes. (19:54)

Elisa explains that from the leadership and congressional perspective, vulnerability is the first step to allowing others to be real. (27:05)

Elisa mentions that trust is the scariest thing you can do because it requires you to be vulnerable, and authentic. (32:33)

Elisa explains that the most discussed topic in their community is mental health. (33:31)

Elisa explains that it is normal to experience pain when you are learning and growing. (36:01)

Elisa shares that when we honor and respect and listen to as many voices as possible, it benefits everyone in the community. (39:36)

Key Quotes:

"It's not just about saying that we're going to do the thing. It's about actually doing the thing, and how can I show up to do that thing as well." - Elisa Stampf

"We need to know that the company that we work for cares about us and cares about the community that we're living in because we're seeing the shift. And even if we weren't, people matter, and that's the baseline." - Elisa Stampf

"I will tell you, the more that you are real with yourself and others, the more that people that are like you that can mirror that back to you will show up for you" - Elisa Stampf

Resources Mentioned:

Elisa Stampf LinkedIn

Insure Equality

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Taylor Young, Vice President of Personal Lines at Erb and Young Insurance. Taylor talks about the mindset people need to have to succeed and shares what it was like starting his own business at a young age.

Episode Highlights:

Taylor shares his background and what led him to the insurance industry. (2:06)

Taylor shares that he had some insecurities about starting his own business when he was only 23 years old. (4:22)

Taylor explains that one thing that he was able to apply from playing basketball to running a business is to be able to help those around him be better. (13:17)

Taylor mentions that one of the topics they talked about on the Be Extraordinary Podcast was mental toughness. (18:34)

Taylor discusses the importance of having clarity in your mindset. (25:23)

Taylor talks about how great Vince Carter is at being able to recreate himself, and the process he went through to do it. (31:48)

Taylor discusses that he is currently helping the personal lines team create their structure and framework. (32:32)

Taylor shares that one thing that they were able to do based on Killing Commercial was to implement CRM. (35:30)

Taylor explains that money is an indication of progress and represents the hard work you have put in. (43:09)

Taylor advises the listeners to get out there and market because there is great value in being a marketer before a sales professional. (44:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The illusion of choice is thinking that you can get that thing by doing all these other things. The reality is that's not how it works, right? If that's what you want, and you're clear on what you want, then there are certain things that you need to do." - Taylor Young

"I always just see people in our space. I do personal lines and I just believe there's value in being a marketer before a sales professional." - Taylor Young

"The difference between forecasting and looking ahead and saying, Okay, what do my six months, year, look like? Well, that probably depends on what you want. That probably depends on how much you want." - Taylor Young

Resources Mentioned:

Taylor Young LinkedIn

Erb and Young Insurance

Be Extraordinary podcast

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Taylor Young, Vice President of Personal Lines at Erb and Young Insurance. Taylor talks about the mindset people need to have to succeed and shares what it was like starting his own business at a young age.

Episode Highlights:

Taylor shares his background and what led him to the insurance industry. (2:06)

Taylor shares that he had some insecurities about starting his own business when he was only 23 years old. (4:22)

Taylor explains that one thing that he was able to apply from playing basketball to running a business is to be able to help those around him be better. (13:17)

Taylor mentions that one of the topics they talked about on the Be Extraordinary Podcast was mental toughness. (18:34)

Taylor discusses the importance of having clarity in your mindset. (25:23)

Taylor talks about how great Vince Carter is at being able to recreate himself, and the process he went through to do it. (31:48)

Taylor discusses that he is currently helping the personal lines team create their structure and framework. (32:32)

Taylor shares that one thing that they were able to do based on Killing Commercial was to implement CRM. (35:30)

Taylor explains that money is an indication of progress and represents the hard work you have put in. (43:09)

Taylor advises the listeners to get out there and market because there is great value in being a marketer before a sales professional. (44:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The illusion of choice is thinking that you can get that thing by doing all these other things. The reality is that's not how it works, right? If that's what you want, and you're clear on what you want, then there are certain things that you need to do." - Taylor Young

"I always just see people in our space. I do personal lines and I just believe there's value in being a marketer before a sales professional." - Taylor Young

"The difference between forecasting and looking ahead and saying, Okay, what do my six months, year, look like? Well, that probably depends on what you want. That probably depends on how much you want." - Taylor Young

Resources Mentioned:

Taylor Young LinkedIn

Erb and Young Insurance

Be Extraordinary podcast

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Mathisen, Co-Founder, and CEO of Glovebox. Ryan shares the innovative solutions that Glovebox is working on that will make insurance processes easier and more reliable for agents and agency owners.

Episode Highlights:

Jason mentions that his 2015 book discussed the potential of a platform for providing a superior customer experience, which is very similar to what GloveBox is currently developing right now. (2:34)

Ryan discusses that the root of most of the problems for agents is data paths and that when you have a system that can accommodate that up and downstream data flow, you can start plugging in workflow components that you use. (6:05)

Ryan explains that GloveBox wants to work with the carriers who understand the opportunity that exists when the door is opened for that up and downstream data pass. (7:45)

Ryan shares that many agents have so much gold in their current book of business, that they don't need to go get more new business when it comes to traditional marketing aspects and they can leverage what they have to scale and build wealth. (11:24)

Ryan discusses that they feel like the Glovebox can be synonymous with the client experience because it's the new way that you engage with your insurance. (15:15)

Ryan explains that it's an interesting time right now across the board with agents because they're either so for technology or they're so against it. (20:01)

Ryan mentions that Glovebox has a new document upload option coming out in a couple of weeks. (22:43)

Ryan shares that GloveBox is building some really cool things right now, and he cannot wait to get it into people's hands. (26:12)

Key Quotes:

"The mobile app is just a component of your policyholders' experience. It's everything on the back end and it's the web version and it's the way they operate with workflows within your agency. And it's really so much more than just looking at a mobile app." - Ryan Mathisen

"There is a world where you can marry specific technologies together and create better workflows for the carriers that are open to that type of experience." - Ryan Mathisen

"We are in a very weird space right now across the board with agents. You know, they're either so for technology or they're so against it". - Ryan Mathisen

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Mathisen LinkedIn

Glovebox

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Mathisen, Co-Founder, and CEO of Glovebox. Ryan shares the innovative solutions that Glovebox is working on that will make insurance processes easier and more reliable for agents and agency owners.

Episode Highlights:

Jason mentions that his 2015 book discussed the potential of a platform for providing a superior customer experience, which is very similar to what GloveBox is currently developing right now. (2:34)

Ryan discusses that the root of most of the problems for agents is data paths and that when you have a system that can accommodate that up and downstream data flow, you can start plugging in workflow components that you use. (6:05)

Ryan explains that GloveBox wants to work with the carriers who understand the opportunity that exists when the door is opened for that up and downstream data pass. (7:45)

Ryan shares that many agents have so much gold in their current book of business, that they don't need to go get more new business when it comes to traditional marketing aspects and they can leverage what they have to scale and build wealth. (11:24)

Ryan discusses that they feel like the Glovebox can be synonymous with the client experience because it's the new way that you engage with your insurance. (15:15)

Ryan explains that it's an interesting time right now across the board with agents because they're either so for technology or they're so against it. (20:01)

Ryan mentions that Glovebox has a new document upload option coming out in a couple of weeks. (22:43)

Ryan shares that GloveBox is building some really cool things right now, and he cannot wait to get it into people's hands. (26:12)

Key Quotes:

"The mobile app is just a component of your policyholders' experience. It's everything on the back end and it's the web version and it's the way they operate with workflows within your agency. And it's really so much more than just looking at a mobile app." - Ryan Mathisen

"There is a world where you can marry specific technologies together and create better workflows for the carriers that are open to that type of experience." - Ryan Mathisen

"We are in a very weird space right now across the board with agents. You know, they're either so for technology or they're so against it". - Ryan Mathisen

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Mathisen LinkedIn

Glovebox

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rodney Erb of Erb and Young Insurance. Rodney shares about his passion for connecting people, and discusses team development and different strategies for maintaining a great work environment, and company culture.

Episode Highlights:

Rodney shares his background in the insurance industry. (2:54)

Rodney explains that what has been fun for them at Erb and Young Insurance is that they prioritize culture over everything else. (10:47)

Rodney mentions that they handle hiring and recruiting differently because hiring is obtaining someone quickly while recruiting is looking for someone over time. (12:03)

Rodney mentions that they believe that they are a personal development company that happens to sell insurance. (16:08)

Rodney shares the moment he realized that he was not good enough to play golf for a living. (22:02)

Rodney discusses how they want to scale their commercial lines in 2023 using what they have learned from Killing Commercial. (30:49)

Rodney explains that they aim to work in fields such as service, contractors, and trucking after learning a lot about it in 2018. (35:29)

Rodney explains that on their team, their strengths and weaknesses sit right beside each other, and what makes them strong is also what makes them vulnerable. (42:01)

Rodney discusses the process they use to empower employees in their company, and how they start by concentrating on people that are coachable and have a good attitude. (48:19)

Rodney shares his thoughts about the word humility and explains that he is just a student going through the thing called life. (53:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We were team builders. We realized that we had a passion for connecting people and bringing the right people to get the right people in the seats. And that's really what's holding true today. And that's kind of where we're having most of the fun." - Rodney Erb

"Our strengths and weaknesses sit right beside each other. You know, what makes you strong is also what kind of makes you a little vulnerable. What makes you valuable is also what makes you maybe a little bit of a liability." - Rodney Erb

"We believe that the size of the leader is determined by the size of the problem that that person is equipped to handle, correct, or solve." - Rodney Erb

Resources Mentioned:

Rodney Erb LinkedIn

Erb and Young Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rodney Erb of Erb and Young Insurance. Rodney shares about his passion for connecting people, and discusses team development and different strategies for maintaining a great work environment, and company culture.

Episode Highlights:

Rodney shares his background in the insurance industry. (2:54)

Rodney explains that what has been fun for them at Erb and Young Insurance is that they prioritize culture over everything else. (10:47)

Rodney mentions that they handle hiring and recruiting differently because hiring is obtaining someone quickly while recruiting is looking for someone over time. (12:03)

Rodney mentions that they believe that they are a personal development company that happens to sell insurance. (16:08)

Rodney shares the moment he realized that he was not good enough to play golf for a living. (22:02)

Rodney discusses how they want to scale their commercial lines in 2023 using what they have learned from Killing Commercial. (30:49)

Rodney explains that they aim to work in fields such as service, contractors, and trucking after learning a lot about it in 2018. (35:29)

Rodney explains that on their team, their strengths and weaknesses sit right beside each other, and what makes them strong is also what makes them vulnerable. (42:01)

Rodney discusses the process they use to empower employees in their company, and how they start by concentrating on people that are coachable and have a good attitude. (48:19)

Rodney shares his thoughts about the word humility and explains that he is just a student going through the thing called life. (53:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We were team builders. We realized that we had a passion for connecting people and bringing the right people to get the right people in the seats. And that's really what's holding true today. And that's kind of where we're having most of the fun." - Rodney Erb

"Our strengths and weaknesses sit right beside each other. You know, what makes you strong is also what kind of makes you a little vulnerable. What makes you valuable is also what makes you maybe a little bit of a liability." - Rodney Erb

"We believe that the size of the leader is determined by the size of the problem that that person is equipped to handle, correct, or solve." - Rodney Erb

Resources Mentioned:

Rodney Erb LinkedIn

Erb and Young Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, James talks with Jacob Neighbors, President of The Simmons Insurance Group.

To learn more about The Simmons Insurance Group, visit https://www.simmons-insurance.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Jacob shares his backstory and what he is doing now at The Simmons Insurance Group. (2:31)

Jacob talks about his relationships with his father-in-law and how he and his brother-in-law came to take over the family business. (6:32)

Jacob explains that it took them several approaches, including organic production, partner networks, and agency acquisitions, to grow the business from $3 million to $10 million. (10:47)

Jacob believes that it is important for the agency owner to be the production leader in the first $2 million of revenue but after that, the owner should move out of selling to allow for more growth, (16:43)

Jacob explains that certain things happen along a business's lifecycle that empowers its growth. (22:24)

Jacob elaborates on how to maximize the value of your business by bringing something special to the table, like market segments. (27:30)

Jacob explains that your finances are the score that is kept on your performance, which is what people recruit for. (34:18)

Jacob shares that he is passionate about family businesses and that more content and supports family businesses in the insurance industry especially. (35:58)

Jacob mentions what he has planned for his keynote for Innovation22. (40:25)

Jacob explains that valuing the business that you're going to acquire correctly and understanding the drivers that other people may be looking at is an important step toward acquiring a business. (43:40)

Key Quotes:

“In my mind, it's that that $2 million revenue hump is the first major hump to get over, and getting out of selling is really the kind of the most tactical way to move your business to the next level." - Jacob Neighbors

"As every business grows and becomes successful, there are certain things that happen along the lifecycle of a business that continues to empower its growth." - Jacob Neighbors

"Valuing your business appropriately is really critical for scaling it. Because if you're going to eventually push out stock options and bonuses to key staff and employees, or potentially new partners, I think it's just really important that you value it correctly so that you have a really good handle of what you have." - Jacob Neighbors

In this episode, James talks with Jacob Neighbors, President of The Simmons Insurance Group.

To learn more about The Simmons Insurance Group, visit https://www.simmons-insurance.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

Jacob shares his backstory and what he is doing now at The Simmons Insurance Group. (2:31)

Jacob talks about his relationships with his father-in-law and how he and his brother-in-law came to take over the family business. (6:32)

Jacob explains that it took them several approaches, including organic production, partner networks, and agency acquisitions, to grow the business from $3 million to $10 million. (10:47)

Jacob believes that it is important for the agency owner to be the production leader in the first $2 million of revenue but after that, the owner should move out of selling to allow for more growth, (16:43)

Jacob explains that certain things happen along a business's lifecycle that empowers its growth. (22:24)

Jacob elaborates on how to maximize the value of your business by bringing something special to the table, like market segments. (27:30)

Jacob explains that your finances are the score that is kept on your performance, which is what people recruit for. (34:18)

Jacob shares that he is passionate about family businesses and that more content and supports family businesses in the insurance industry especially. (35:58)

Jacob mentions what he has planned for his keynote for Innovation22. (40:25)

Jacob explains that valuing the business that you're going to acquire correctly and understanding the drivers that other people may be looking at is an important step toward acquiring a business. (43:40)

Key Quotes:

“In my mind, it's that that $2 million revenue hump is the first major hump to get over, and getting out of selling is really the kind of the most tactical way to move your business to the next level." - Jacob Neighbors

"As every business grows and becomes successful, there are certain things that happen along the lifecycle of a business that continues to empower its growth." - Jacob Neighbors

"Valuing your business appropriately is really critical for scaling it. Because if you're going to eventually push out stock options and bonuses to key staff and employees, or potentially new partners, I think it's just really important that you value it correctly so that you have a really good handle of what you have." - Jacob Neighbors

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mariah Davis, President and Owner of Oakview Insurance Services, Inc. Mariah talks about her journey from being a captive agent to an independent insurance agency owner and how she built her agency. She also shares the struggles she faced that made her stronger and better.

Episode Highlights:

How did Mariah get into the insurance business? (2:54)

Mariah mentions that when she was a captive, she didn’t know what profit-sharing was. (5:07)

What is it like for Mariah, working with her father? (5:17)

How long has Mariah been an independent insurance agent? (9:19)

What led Mariah to be an independent insurance agency owner? (9:24)

Mariah thinks that it’s essential to have district managers in the insurance industry. (10:04)

What was Mariah’s biggest challenge during her transition? (13:39)

Mariah mentions that it’s common in the insurance industry to start as a captive, then be independent. (15:25)

Mariah shares that some groups like the Mastermind and IAOA, are vital to getting the independent channel to talk to each other. (20:17)

David thinks that there’s a tipping point where people finally, were raised in a way where collaboration made more sense than it did a long time ago. (20:49)

Has Mariah’s growth been organic over the 10 years? (22:52)

Mariah mentions the Shiny Object Syndrome. (29:15)

Mariah mentions that it’s vital to change your workflow. (30:39)

Mariah shares that in December of 2019 she was diagnosed breast cancer. (35:52)

Mariah mentions that she has her struggles, but the nation is also struggling with the pandemic and the ramifications of it. (42:23)

Kyle shares a story about his newborn baby. (43:41)

How many treatments does Mariah still have to undergo, before she can ring the bell? (47:16)

What makes Mariah’s agency unique? (48:20)

What does Mariah’s strategy look like? (51:54)

Mariah mentions the Susan G. Komen Foundation. (57:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I feel like I know every position in our agency because I’ve had to be every position in our agency at one point or another. That just gives me a better understanding of what our team goes through with their chair.” – Mariah Davis

“I’ve had wonderful support, I have a wonderful spouse, and I have a wonderful support system of friends and the community. And everybody just rallied around me and so I can’t help but be positive. I am such a practical person that it was the only thing I can do. Having doubts being upset, you know, being depressed is just not that productive.” – Mariah Davis

“Everybody has a trial and tribulation. And so either we can pick up and we can keep going. Or we can just fall apart and wallow in it. And I just chose not to do that. And it’s a choice. I’m going to be positive about it. And I’m going to be this and we’re going to continue with life.” – Mariah Davis

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Mariah Davis LinkedIn

Oakview Insurance Services, Inc.

Susan G. Komen Foundation

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mariah Davis, President and Owner of Oakview Insurance Services, Inc. Mariah talks about her journey from being a captive agent to an independent insurance agency owner and how she built her agency. She also shares the struggles she faced that made her stronger and better.

Episode Highlights:

How did Mariah get into the insurance business? (2:54)

Mariah mentions that when she was a captive, she didn’t know what profit-sharing was. (5:07)

What is it like for Mariah, working with her father? (5:17)

How long has Mariah been an independent insurance agent? (9:19)

What led Mariah to be an independent insurance agency owner? (9:24)

Mariah thinks that it’s essential to have district managers in the insurance industry. (10:04)

What was Mariah’s biggest challenge during her transition? (13:39)

Mariah mentions that it’s common in the insurance industry to start as a captive, then be independent. (15:25)

Mariah shares that some groups like the Mastermind and IAOA, are vital to getting the independent channel to talk to each other. (20:17)

David thinks that there’s a tipping point where people finally, were raised in a way where collaboration made more sense than it did a long time ago. (20:49)

Has Mariah’s growth been organic over the 10 years? (22:52)

Mariah mentions the Shiny Object Syndrome. (29:15)

Mariah mentions that it’s vital to change your workflow. (30:39)

Mariah shares that in December of 2019 she was diagnosed breast cancer. (35:52)

Mariah mentions that she has her struggles, but the nation is also struggling with the pandemic and the ramifications of it. (42:23)

Kyle shares a story about his newborn baby. (43:41)

How many treatments does Mariah still have to undergo, before she can ring the bell? (47:16)

What makes Mariah’s agency unique? (48:20)

What does Mariah’s strategy look like? (51:54)

Mariah mentions the Susan G. Komen Foundation. (57:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I feel like I know every position in our agency because I’ve had to be every position in our agency at one point or another. That just gives me a better understanding of what our team goes through with their chair.” – Mariah Davis

“I’ve had wonderful support, I have a wonderful spouse, and I have a wonderful support system of friends and the community. And everybody just rallied around me and so I can’t help but be positive. I am such a practical person that it was the only thing I can do. Having doubts being upset, you know, being depressed is just not that productive.” – Mariah Davis

“Everybody has a trial and tribulation. And so either we can pick up and we can keep going. Or we can just fall apart and wallow in it. And I just chose not to do that. And it’s a choice. I’m going to be positive about it. And I’m going to be this and we’re going to continue with life.” – Mariah Davis

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Mariah Davis LinkedIn

Oakview Insurance Services, Inc.

Susan G. Komen Foundation

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Meg McKeen, Founder & Consultant at Adjunct Advisors. Meg talks about her life as a digital nomad, how she created a virtual business, and shares the lessons she learned as a woman in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Meg explains what a digital nomad is and her current setup for working from anywhere, as she is always on the move. (3:12)

Meg shares that the life of being a digital nomad is not easy, as it opens up different challenges along the way. (7:25)

Meg explains why she decided to start her business virtually and how it benefited her operations when COVID came. (11:33)

Meg shares that the most common issues that her clients bring up are mostly related to the misalignment of talent, timeframes, and goals from the producer back to the organization. (16:29)

Meg mentions that one thing that helped her succeed in business is knowing how to navigate a system that was not built for her. (27:29)

Meg shares that one of the most rewarding things she can do is to walk away from really nice revenue because of a values misalignment. (41:44)

Meg explains that it is important to show producers that it is okay to say no, and to be there to support them when they do. (45:37)

Meg mentions that she supports using discovery meeting calls. (53:37)

Meg advises listeners that if they are not on their way to their goal, it's not too late to change their course. (57:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The problem that I see over and over again is a misalignment of talent, timeframes, and goals from the producer back to the organization." - Meg McKeen

"Instead of trying to figure out how to play a game or navigate a system that wasn't built for you, create an entirely different one. I'm never gonna fix ‘all the problems’ that you've just highlighted in our business... What I can do is introduce some ideas, some concepts, and support for those who want to go about it differently." - Meg McKeen

"The perspective that I've had for 23 years on our business is that it's a business that wasn't built for me. So if I want to be successful in whatever, and I've been on the carrier side, I've been on the agency side, and now I'm out schlepping my own services, I have had to figure out how to navigate a system that wasn't built for me." - Meg McKeen

Resources Mentioned:

Meg McKeen LinkedIn

Adjunct Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Meg McKeen, Founder & Consultant at Adjunct Advisors. Meg talks about her life as a digital nomad, how she created a virtual business, and shares the lessons she learned as a woman in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Meg explains what a digital nomad is and her current setup for working from anywhere, as she is always on the move. (3:12)

Meg shares that the life of being a digital nomad is not easy, as it opens up different challenges along the way. (7:25)

Meg explains why she decided to start her business virtually and how it benefited her operations when COVID came. (11:33)

Meg shares that the most common issues that her clients bring up are mostly related to the misalignment of talent, timeframes, and goals from the producer back to the organization. (16:29)

Meg mentions that one thing that helped her succeed in business is knowing how to navigate a system that was not built for her. (27:29)

Meg shares that one of the most rewarding things she can do is to walk away from really nice revenue because of a values misalignment. (41:44)

Meg explains that it is important to show producers that it is okay to say no, and to be there to support them when they do. (45:37)

Meg mentions that she supports using discovery meeting calls. (53:37)

Meg advises listeners that if they are not on their way to their goal, it's not too late to change their course. (57:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The problem that I see over and over again is a misalignment of talent, timeframes, and goals from the producer back to the organization." - Meg McKeen

"Instead of trying to figure out how to play a game or navigate a system that wasn't built for you, create an entirely different one. I'm never gonna fix ‘all the problems’ that you've just highlighted in our business... What I can do is introduce some ideas, some concepts, and support for those who want to go about it differently." - Meg McKeen

"The perspective that I've had for 23 years on our business is that it's a business that wasn't built for me. So if I want to be successful in whatever, and I've been on the carrier side, I've been on the agency side, and now I'm out schlepping my own services, I have had to figure out how to navigate a system that wasn't built for me." - Meg McKeen

Resources Mentioned:

Meg McKeen LinkedIn

Adjunct Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this special episode, James talks with Matt Sutika, Chief Insurance Officer at Obie Insurance.

As a listener to AFP, you get priority access to an appointment with Obie for your office. There are no production requirements to maintain a relationship with Obie. CLICK HERE TO REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT WITH OBIE: https://www.riskwell.com/obie-interest -- Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this special episode, James talks with Matt Sutika, Chief Insurance Officer at Obie Insurance.

As a listener to AFP, you get priority access to an appointment with Obie for your office. There are no production requirements to maintain a relationship with Obie. CLICK HERE TO REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT WITH OBIE: https://www.riskwell.com/obie-interest -- Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

On April 28th, the first day of BrainShare 2022, the sessions were lead off by The Black Swan Group. Troy, an ex-hostage negotiator tells a story of how he saved a little girl with a gun pointed to her head.

On April 28th, the first day of BrainShare 2022, the sessions were lead off by The Black Swan Group. Troy, an ex-hostage negotiator tells a story of how he saved a little girl with a gun pointed to her head.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how to find success as an insurance agent. It's not about you. It's not about the insurance agent. The Hero of the "insurance story" is your prospect. Marketing, branding, and selling is best performed when you position your prospect as the Hero and you as the Guide. Give your prospect a plan for success and they'll do whatever you (the Guide) tell them to do!

Episode Highlights:

Which two stories should insurance agents have? (4:10)

Charles shares a story of how helpful life insurance is. (4:54)

Charles mentions the book, called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (8:21)

Charles explains why your sales process needs a script. (11:28)

Charles shares who the hero is when it comes to the storyline of a successful insurance agent. (13:18)

Charles explains who the villain is when it comes to the insurance process. (15:16)

As a producer, what do you need to remind the insured of? (16:58)

Charles details the key responsibilities of a guide and a producer. (17:54)

Charles explains why most insurance producers don't discuss what victory looks like. (22:44)

Key Quotes:

“You have to bring your prospect into the story, otherwise, you are white noise. You're just white noise in the background. You're just a buzzing in people's ears, and they're not really coming along with you in the story.” - Charles Specht

“The villain is the entire quoting process. You as the guide show up and what your responsibility to do in this whole process is to somehow be able to formulate a plan or a strategy so that the insured can actually see what they're supposed to do, and that will show them how to be victorious in the end.” - Charles Specht

“The storyline of a successful producer, you as a new guide have to come in and get the hero, the prospect, the insurer, to realize that the guide they have right now can't take them to the next level.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how to find success as an insurance agent. It's not about you. It's not about the insurance agent. The Hero of the "insurance story" is your prospect. Marketing, branding, and selling is best performed when you position your prospect as the Hero and you as the Guide. Give your prospect a plan for success and they'll do whatever you (the Guide) tell them to do!

Episode Highlights:

Which two stories should insurance agents have? (4:10)

Charles shares a story of how helpful life insurance is. (4:54)

Charles mentions the book, called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (8:21)

Charles explains why your sales process needs a script. (11:28)

Charles shares who the hero is when it comes to the storyline of a successful insurance agent. (13:18)

Charles explains who the villain is when it comes to the insurance process. (15:16)

As a producer, what do you need to remind the insured of? (16:58)

Charles details the key responsibilities of a guide and a producer. (17:54)

Charles explains why most insurance producers don't discuss what victory looks like. (22:44)

Key Quotes:

“You have to bring your prospect into the story, otherwise, you are white noise. You're just white noise in the background. You're just a buzzing in people's ears, and they're not really coming along with you in the story.” - Charles Specht

“The villain is the entire quoting process. You as the guide show up and what your responsibility to do in this whole process is to somehow be able to formulate a plan or a strategy so that the insured can actually see what they're supposed to do, and that will show them how to be victorious in the end.” - Charles Specht

“The storyline of a successful producer, you as a new guide have to come in and get the hero, the prospect, the insurer, to realize that the guide they have right now can't take them to the next level.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Marcus Harris, Insurance Executive at Arnold Insurance. Marcus discusses how they value their producers, clients, and company at Arnold Insurance and shares the importance of different generations in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Marcus shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (7:52)

Marcus talks about his marketing company, which initially started as a video production company because he loved the concept of telling stories through video. (12:04)

Marcus mentions that he initially started the insurance business when his dad offered to help him start an agency in Denver. (19:38)

Marcus explains that part of what Arnold Insurance tries to drive home for their producers is that they need to finish the job to protect their clients, the agency, and themselves. (26:08)

Marcus shares that, for him, working with his family is a blessing and rewarding as everything is an opportunity for them to work together. (28:23)

Marcus discusses his experience with Keystone. (33:34)

Marcus explains that one of the biggest challenges from his perspective of growing an agency is getting bigger clients, and the only way to do that this is to know your stuff. (38:09)

Marcus explains that you are in the right competition when you overcome others by being consistent and gladly competing with the ones that are left. (47:12)

Marcus shares how much he enjoys the rush of getting the Broker of Record. (54:10)

Marcus explains that the insurance industry needs a new generation, and it is always great to welcome people that are trying to build their careers in this industry. (56:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that's what we're trying to drive home with our producers is, hey, you've got to finish the job, you've got to protect us, protect the agency, protect yourself. And then you've also got to take the opportunity to truly educate your client, make sure they know what they have." - Marcus Harris

"Insurance is a massive industry, right? I mean, there are tons of those guys in every corner. Most of those guys you get rid of, by just being consistent. And then the guys that are left, you're glad to be competing against those guys. That means you're in the right place. " - Marcus Harris

"I think you realize that you weed out a ton of your competition by stuff that's very much in your control. And when you get to a certain level, yes, you're going to get beat by guys that can hit the ball better than you like that. Just note, they’ve just got a skill set that is different, right?" - Marcus Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Marcus Harris LinkedIn

Arnold Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Marcus Harris, Insurance Executive at Arnold Insurance. Marcus discusses how they value their producers, clients, and company at Arnold Insurance and shares the importance of different generations in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Marcus shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (7:52)

Marcus talks about his marketing company, which initially started as a video production company because he loved the concept of telling stories through video. (12:04)

Marcus mentions that he initially started the insurance business when his dad offered to help him start an agency in Denver. (19:38)

Marcus explains that part of what Arnold Insurance tries to drive home for their producers is that they need to finish the job to protect their clients, the agency, and themselves. (26:08)

Marcus shares that, for him, working with his family is a blessing and rewarding as everything is an opportunity for them to work together. (28:23)

Marcus discusses his experience with Keystone. (33:34)

Marcus explains that one of the biggest challenges from his perspective of growing an agency is getting bigger clients, and the only way to do that this is to know your stuff. (38:09)

Marcus explains that you are in the right competition when you overcome others by being consistent and gladly competing with the ones that are left. (47:12)

Marcus shares how much he enjoys the rush of getting the Broker of Record. (54:10)

Marcus explains that the insurance industry needs a new generation, and it is always great to welcome people that are trying to build their careers in this industry. (56:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that's what we're trying to drive home with our producers is, hey, you've got to finish the job, you've got to protect us, protect the agency, protect yourself. And then you've also got to take the opportunity to truly educate your client, make sure they know what they have." - Marcus Harris

"Insurance is a massive industry, right? I mean, there are tons of those guys in every corner. Most of those guys you get rid of, by just being consistent. And then the guys that are left, you're glad to be competing against those guys. That means you're in the right place. " - Marcus Harris

"I think you realize that you weed out a ton of your competition by stuff that's very much in your control. And when you get to a certain level, yes, you're going to get beat by guys that can hit the ball better than you like that. Just note, they’ve just got a skill set that is different, right?" - Marcus Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Marcus Harris LinkedIn

Arnold Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, James talks with William Jones, Editor-In-Chief of Independent Agent Magazine.

To learn more about IA Magazine and subscribe to receive your copies, visit https://www.iamagazine.com/ Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

William shares his background and what led him to his current position as Editor-in-Chief of Independent Agent magazine. (2:56)

William mentions that he is from the UK originally and explains that Queen Elizabeth has been a great true leader and deserves a lot of credit. (8:12)

William shares that being an influential journalist takes a lot of responsibility, but it is where success comes from. (12:56)

William discusses how he writes and edits articles, and how he ensures that he writes something new that hasn't been written before. (17:38)

James explains that he decided to write a book because he didn't want to keep brilliant ideas to himself. (25:34)

William shares that no one gets rich by being a writer, and the only goal of writing is to share great ideas and mentorship with others. (29:22)

William discusses the setup he had with his sales staff during COVID, and how he was able to produce great magazine material despite the challenges. (37:35)

William believes that being a member of the BIG I has many advantages, including employee benefits programs and independent agency coverage. (41:40)

William mentions that the BIG I works towards ensuring that independent agents are protected by national laws and state laws. (46:33)

Key Quotes:

"We write a lot about the community involvement of independent agents, both on a local level, with schools and churches, or whatever that might be. Independent agents are giving people." - William Jones

"I'd have worked really hard to actually be paid to write and to edit. So, you know, when the opportunity presented itself, I did see it as a chance for myself to make all that hard work pay off." - William Jones

"I think the need to bring in young talent and to keep basically the overall talent pipeline moving is going to continue to be something." - William Jones

In this episode, James talks with William Jones, Editor-In-Chief of Independent Agent Magazine.

To learn more about IA Magazine and subscribe to receive your copies, visit https://www.iamagazine.com/ Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Episode Highlights:

William shares his background and what led him to his current position as Editor-in-Chief of Independent Agent magazine. (2:56)

William mentions that he is from the UK originally and explains that Queen Elizabeth has been a great true leader and deserves a lot of credit. (8:12)

William shares that being an influential journalist takes a lot of responsibility, but it is where success comes from. (12:56)

William discusses how he writes and edits articles, and how he ensures that he writes something new that hasn't been written before. (17:38)

James explains that he decided to write a book because he didn't want to keep brilliant ideas to himself. (25:34)

William shares that no one gets rich by being a writer, and the only goal of writing is to share great ideas and mentorship with others. (29:22)

William discusses the setup he had with his sales staff during COVID, and how he was able to produce great magazine material despite the challenges. (37:35)

William believes that being a member of the BIG I has many advantages, including employee benefits programs and independent agency coverage. (41:40)

William mentions that the BIG I works towards ensuring that independent agents are protected by national laws and state laws. (46:33)

Key Quotes:

"We write a lot about the community involvement of independent agents, both on a local level, with schools and churches, or whatever that might be. Independent agents are giving people." - William Jones

"I'd have worked really hard to actually be paid to write and to edit. So, you know, when the opportunity presented itself, I did see it as a chance for myself to make all that hard work pay off." - William Jones

"I think the need to bring in young talent and to keep basically the overall talent pipeline moving is going to continue to be something." - William Jones

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers goes live at the Young Agents Conference in Oklahoma with guests Julie Hamill, Ryan Smith, Bradley Owens, Jase Riggs, Trent Willis, Wes Becknell, Shania Slavick, and Krista Kautz to discuss their experiences at the conference.

Episode Highlights:

Julie Hamill shares that her favorite part of the conference is networking. (2:42)

Brad Owens mentions that he was reawakened by what David Carothers spoke about at the conference and is ready to read the book "The Dirty 130". (3:41)

Jase Riggs, Wes Becknell, and Trent Willis explain that there were a lot of great things that happened at the conference, and the real challenge is being able to apply and implement those things in real life. (10:54)

Trent Willis shares that one of the things that separate successful agency owners is that they take action. (13:46)

Trent Willis and Wes Becknell explain that attending conferences like the Young Agents Conference helps you to get better by knowing what successful people are doing. (19:46)

Shania Slavick mentions that this was one of the most successful events they have attended, especially being able to bring new attendees that are young agents. (25:26)

Krista Kautz shares the heartwarming story of her peers setting up a fundraiser for her stepmother who is battling cancer. (30:22)

David Carothers encourages all the listeners to help out and raise the target goal of the fundraiser which is $25,000. (35:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think this success is really going to be who goes back and implements what they learned, right? That's what we come to conferences and learn. But can we go back and implement it?" - Trent Willis

“We're definitely trying to battle that talent gap. And the students were so engaged and amazed at how cool this industry could be. And then the amount of connections that they're getting for potential employers. Because, anyone knows that whenever you first come out of college, it's hard for some to get a job because you're competing against other resumes with experience.”- Krista Kautz

“I think the thing that sets us apart as successful agency owners is that all of us sitting around right here, we all take action. We take the first step. We're not scared to have this conversation. We don't let fear get in our way.” - Trent Willis

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Smith

Julie Hamill

Bradley Owens

Jase Riggs

Trent Willis

Wes Becknell

Shania Slavick

Krista Kautz

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers goes live at the Young Agents Conference in Oklahoma with guests Julie Hamill, Ryan Smith, Bradley Owens, Jase Riggs, Trent Willis, Wes Becknell, Shania Slavick, and Krista Kautz to discuss their experiences at the conference.

Episode Highlights:

Julie Hamill shares that her favorite part of the conference is networking. (2:42)

Brad Owens mentions that he was reawakened by what David Carothers spoke about at the conference and is ready to read the book "The Dirty 130". (3:41)

Jase Riggs, Wes Becknell, and Trent Willis explain that there were a lot of great things that happened at the conference, and the real challenge is being able to apply and implement those things in real life. (10:54)

Trent Willis shares that one of the things that separate successful agency owners is that they take action. (13:46)

Trent Willis and Wes Becknell explain that attending conferences like the Young Agents Conference helps you to get better by knowing what successful people are doing. (19:46)

Shania Slavick mentions that this was one of the most successful events they have attended, especially being able to bring new attendees that are young agents. (25:26)

Krista Kautz shares the heartwarming story of her peers setting up a fundraiser for her stepmother who is battling cancer. (30:22)

David Carothers encourages all the listeners to help out and raise the target goal of the fundraiser which is $25,000. (35:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think this success is really going to be who goes back and implements what they learned, right? That's what we come to conferences and learn. But can we go back and implement it?" - Trent Willis

“We're definitely trying to battle that talent gap. And the students were so engaged and amazed at how cool this industry could be. And then the amount of connections that they're getting for potential employers. Because, anyone knows that whenever you first come out of college, it's hard for some to get a job because you're competing against other resumes with experience.”- Krista Kautz

“I think the thing that sets us apart as successful agency owners is that all of us sitting around right here, we all take action. We take the first step. We're not scared to have this conversation. We don't let fear get in our way.” - Trent Willis

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Smith

Julie Hamill

Bradley Owens

Jase Riggs

Trent Willis

Wes Becknell

Shania Slavick

Krista Kautz

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Sean Kirby, from Performance Group Indiana, and contestant from The Protege season 2. Sean shares his experience on the show and the things he has been able to apply in the real world, and how he got an immunity because of his work product.

Episode Highlights:

Sean shares how he became interested in joining the Protege for season 2, after watching the first season. (3:40)

Sean explains that the relationships he gained with the other contestants on the show were a welcome surprise to him. (5:04)

Sean mentions that he had a great experience going through the challenges and how he has been able to apply them to his business. (7:45)

Sean shares how he was able to come up with the Blue Collar Blueprint, and so far has come to gain appointments from it. (9:15)

Sean explains that one of the challenges he has been faced is being too friendly and not separating the business enough to take things to the next step. (11:17)

David explains that Sean has a great team, and it's only a matter of consistency in being able to see results. (15:15)

David and Sean share some of their experiences with one of the more unique characters on the show. (21:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It made me become a bit more creative than I think I usually am, like, in a marketing sense. I've got some great coaches, so they've helped me fine tune where I fit in the marketplace and how to really build something for the customer." - Sean Kirby

"The persistence behind it, it will all pay off. I'm in the right group right now. One of them's got to hit. That's all I need." - Sean Kirby

"There was nobody that I would say just nailed it every week. The people that made it through are the ones that were the most consistent in their work product, period." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

Blue Collar Blueprint

Performance Group Indiana

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Sean Kirby, from Performance Group Indiana, and contestant from The Protege season 2. Sean shares his experience on the show and the things he has been able to apply in the real world, and how he got an immunity because of his work product.

Episode Highlights:

Sean shares how he became interested in joining the Protege for season 2, after watching the first season. (3:40)

Sean explains that the relationships he gained with the other contestants on the show were a welcome surprise to him. (5:04)

Sean mentions that he had a great experience going through the challenges and how he has been able to apply them to his business. (7:45)

Sean shares how he was able to come up with the Blue Collar Blueprint, and so far has come to gain appointments from it. (9:15)

Sean explains that one of the challenges he has been faced is being too friendly and not separating the business enough to take things to the next step. (11:17)

David explains that Sean has a great team, and it's only a matter of consistency in being able to see results. (15:15)

David and Sean share some of their experiences with one of the more unique characters on the show. (21:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It made me become a bit more creative than I think I usually am, like, in a marketing sense. I've got some great coaches, so they've helped me fine tune where I fit in the marketplace and how to really build something for the customer." - Sean Kirby

"The persistence behind it, it will all pay off. I'm in the right group right now. One of them's got to hit. That's all I need." - Sean Kirby

"There was nobody that I would say just nailed it every week. The people that made it through are the ones that were the most consistent in their work product, period." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

Blue Collar Blueprint

Performance Group Indiana

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Todd Thams, Founder of Mod Advisor, Direct Work Comp, and President of Thams Agency. Todd talks about how Mod Advisor helps agencies better communicate to their clients and prospects the impact of claims on their workers’ compensation premium, saving them both time and money.

Episode Highlights:

Todd shares that the reason why he founded Mod Advisor is that he wanted to have a better, easier way to communicate with prospects and clients about the impact of the cost of claims on their workers’ compensation premiums. (3:25)

Todd explains that if you don't have the tools and resources your competitors have, it automatically disqualifies you from the competition. (8:18)

Todd explains that he has been in every position in the company, from bathroom cleaner to producer, and that it has been a fantastic experience that has taught him so much about the industry. (10:56)

Todd shares that he has a team of nine developers on the backend that is working for him from overseas full time in terms of marketing, as well as part-time people and outsourced people that they work with on a daily basis. (14:59)

Todd shares that they run an optical character recognition system that allows users to drag and drop files into their system that turns the data into a table format. This system saves money and time. (17:59)

Todd explains that Direct Work Comp specializes in wholesaling agents across the country and has plans to convert data into a format that everyone can understand. (22:23)

Todd mentions that there is technology available out there that will make people way more productive and help them win more new business, although many are apprehensive about adopting it. (24:24)

Key Quotes:

"I just wanted a better, easier way to communicate to my prospects and clients, the cost of claims and the impact that they were having on their workers’ compensation premium." - Todd Thams

"I think the next natural step is if we're going to change an industry, and we're going to help brokers, and we're going to start winning, you have to make a commitment. And this is probably the biggest commitment that I've ever made." - Todd Thams

"There's the technology and things out there that will make people way more productive and help them win more new business than they know what to do with. They're just apprehensive about putting those pieces and technology into place." - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned:

Todd Thams LinkedIn

Mod Advisor

Direct Work Comp

Thams Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Todd Thams, Founder of Mod Advisor, Direct Work Comp, and President of Thams Agency. Todd talks about how Mod Advisor helps agencies better communicate to their clients and prospects the impact of claims on their workers’ compensation premium, saving them both time and money.

Episode Highlights:

Todd shares that the reason why he founded Mod Advisor is that he wanted to have a better, easier way to communicate with prospects and clients about the impact of the cost of claims on their workers’ compensation premiums. (3:25)

Todd explains that if you don't have the tools and resources your competitors have, it automatically disqualifies you from the competition. (8:18)

Todd explains that he has been in every position in the company, from bathroom cleaner to producer, and that it has been a fantastic experience that has taught him so much about the industry. (10:56)

Todd shares that he has a team of nine developers on the backend that is working for him from overseas full time in terms of marketing, as well as part-time people and outsourced people that they work with on a daily basis. (14:59)

Todd shares that they run an optical character recognition system that allows users to drag and drop files into their system that turns the data into a table format. This system saves money and time. (17:59)

Todd explains that Direct Work Comp specializes in wholesaling agents across the country and has plans to convert data into a format that everyone can understand. (22:23)

Todd mentions that there is technology available out there that will make people way more productive and help them win more new business, although many are apprehensive about adopting it. (24:24)

Key Quotes:

"I just wanted a better, easier way to communicate to my prospects and clients, the cost of claims and the impact that they were having on their workers’ compensation premium." - Todd Thams

"I think the next natural step is if we're going to change an industry, and we're going to help brokers, and we're going to start winning, you have to make a commitment. And this is probably the biggest commitment that I've ever made." - Todd Thams

"There's the technology and things out there that will make people way more productive and help them win more new business than they know what to do with. They're just apprehensive about putting those pieces and technology into place." - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned:

Todd Thams LinkedIn

Mod Advisor

Direct Work Comp

Thams Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Borja. John discusses building books of business and shares insight on how to tackle the challenge of attracting to new producers.

Episode Highlights:

John explains that he has been in the business for 15 years as an independent broker and has worked with three different brokers and brokerages, and this is his third time building a book of business from the ground up. (2:30)

John believes that building business books has a lot of appeals, but that the part that is hard and can be discouraging is the part where you have to fix things up. (4:39)

John explains that in California the broker owns the book of business, but principles make it hard to move. (5:54)

David explains that the way that he attracts producers, and the way that he hires producers is he makes them referral partners to his agency first. (12:29)

John explains how you may move the book of business with an agreeable attitude between your principal and yourself. (19:24)

John believes that agencies continue to make it difficult for producers to move on to other organizations, both at the regional and national levels. (22:52)

John explains how crucial it is for producers going forward to know what is negotiable up front. (25:22)

John mentions that he likes The Power Producers Podcast's intro because it is very relevant to the lifestyle of a producer. (27:54)

John discusses his decision to target and work with larger accounts. (32:04)

From a leadership standpoint, John believes it is not difficult to change, particularly if you know it will have a direct influence on your organization's income. (36:53)

John explains how he learned early on that this industry is greater than him, and that there is a lot of information out there; it's simply a question of choosing which one to emulate. (42:57)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have a little bit more knowledge on building books of businesses now at the third try then at the first try.” - John Borja

“I know that agency principals struggle with attracting new producers and I believe building books of businesses have big appeal. But at the same time, the restart or revamp stage is the part that is very, very hard. And it kind of can be discouraging.” - John Borja

“From a leadership perspective, I don't think it's difficult to evolve, especially if you know that it's going to create direct impacts with your revenue to your organization, good or bad.” - John Borja

Resources Mentioned:

John Borja LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Borja. John discusses building books of business and shares insight on how to tackle the challenge of attracting to new producers.

Episode Highlights:

John explains that he has been in the business for 15 years as an independent broker and has worked with three different brokers and brokerages, and this is his third time building a book of business from the ground up. (2:30)

John believes that building business books has a lot of appeals, but that the part that is hard and can be discouraging is the part where you have to fix things up. (4:39)

John explains that in California the broker owns the book of business, but principles make it hard to move. (5:54)

David explains that the way that he attracts producers, and the way that he hires producers is he makes them referral partners to his agency first. (12:29)

John explains how you may move the book of business with an agreeable attitude between your principal and yourself. (19:24)

John believes that agencies continue to make it difficult for producers to move on to other organizations, both at the regional and national levels. (22:52)

John explains how crucial it is for producers going forward to know what is negotiable up front. (25:22)

John mentions that he likes The Power Producers Podcast's intro because it is very relevant to the lifestyle of a producer. (27:54)

John discusses his decision to target and work with larger accounts. (32:04)

From a leadership standpoint, John believes it is not difficult to change, particularly if you know it will have a direct influence on your organization's income. (36:53)

John explains how he learned early on that this industry is greater than him, and that there is a lot of information out there; it's simply a question of choosing which one to emulate. (42:57)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have a little bit more knowledge on building books of businesses now at the third try then at the first try.” - John Borja

“I know that agency principals struggle with attracting new producers and I believe building books of businesses have big appeal. But at the same time, the restart or revamp stage is the part that is very, very hard. And it kind of can be discouraging.” - John Borja

“From a leadership perspective, I don't think it's difficult to evolve, especially if you know that it's going to create direct impacts with your revenue to your organization, good or bad.” - John Borja

Resources Mentioned:

John Borja LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with second generation agency principal, Matt Davis.

Episode Highlights:

Matt shares his background story and how he got into the industry as a second-generation agency owner. (2:57)

Matt explains that seeing his team succeed both professionally and with their personal goals is very fulfilling. (6:37)

Matt shares that GDI insurance is still focused on and specializes in residential construction. (11:13)

Matt mentions that he will be in Nashville at Innovation22 to discuss acquiring agencies and books of business. (12:42)

Matt explains that the sellers who will benefit the most from the private equity proposals are those that have a tightly run ship. (17:06)

Matt discusses some strategies for building relationships with prospects. (21:55)

Matt explains that one of the best things you can do is to become known for being fair and making sure that both parties always win the deal. (24:11)

Matt believes that a seller who refuses to provide financial records is a red flag. (26:41)

Matt explains that GDI Insurance has been working hard to rebuild the entire agency from scratch. (28:18)

Matt expresses his gratitude to his team for their dedication and shares how much enjoys watching their personal and professional growth. (29:25)

Key Quotes:

"If you become known for being fair, and making sure that both parties always win the deal. That's one of the best things you can do." - Matthew Davis

"If somebody's afraid, or hesitant to show you their financial records, these are red flags. So don't fall in love with a deal until you've seen everything and it's already closed." - Matthew Davis

"The sellers that are really going to make out well in this private equity offers are those that have a very tightly run ship. And it's going to be hard for anybody using traditional bank debt financing to compete on that multiple" - Matthew Davis

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about GDI Insurance Agency here: https://gdiinsurance.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with second generation agency principal, Matt Davis.

Episode Highlights:

Matt shares his background story and how he got into the industry as a second-generation agency owner. (2:57)

Matt explains that seeing his team succeed both professionally and with their personal goals is very fulfilling. (6:37)

Matt shares that GDI insurance is still focused on and specializes in residential construction. (11:13)

Matt mentions that he will be in Nashville at Innovation22 to discuss acquiring agencies and books of business. (12:42)

Matt explains that the sellers who will benefit the most from the private equity proposals are those that have a tightly run ship. (17:06)

Matt discusses some strategies for building relationships with prospects. (21:55)

Matt explains that one of the best things you can do is to become known for being fair and making sure that both parties always win the deal. (24:11)

Matt believes that a seller who refuses to provide financial records is a red flag. (26:41)

Matt explains that GDI Insurance has been working hard to rebuild the entire agency from scratch. (28:18)

Matt expresses his gratitude to his team for their dedication and shares how much enjoys watching their personal and professional growth. (29:25)

Key Quotes:

"If you become known for being fair, and making sure that both parties always win the deal. That's one of the best things you can do." - Matthew Davis

"If somebody's afraid, or hesitant to show you their financial records, these are red flags. So don't fall in love with a deal until you've seen everything and it's already closed." - Matthew Davis

"The sellers that are really going to make out well in this private equity offers are those that have a very tightly run ship. And it's going to be hard for anybody using traditional bank debt financing to compete on that multiple" - Matthew Davis

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about GDI Insurance Agency here: https://gdiinsurance.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss Clayton's book, The Chronic Cost, and how it can help companies with 50 to 500 employees better understand and save money in the employee benefit buying process.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the book, The Chronic Cost, was written to be concise and understandable for everybody. (3:06)

Clayton shares that the book The Chronic Cost also goes through how you can economically get to a company with 50 employees. (4:32)

Davis mentions that putting something in print that you can hand to people gives you more credibility because not everyone is into the digital age and some people would rather just read a book. (5:34)

Clayton discusses about the great feedback they have received since the book came out and how some clients got in touch with him after not hearing from them for a while. (7:59)

Clayton explains that having the goal of signing up clients for a monthly subscription has a strong connection with having recurring revenue. (11:11)

David explains that people that are looking to write a book have to integrate the traditional and digital print of their books. (13:14)

David shares how people can get a free copy of the book. (14:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We wanted to be concise to the point and make it understandable for anybody, but the book is meant for anybody in the buying process of employee benefits we target in the book." - Clayton Wood

"We're just trying to find another avenue to share our ideas with people because everybody needs to talk in a different way." - Clayton Wood

"I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the digital age that we forget, not everybody's caught up in the digital age is what we are. There are people who would prefer to just get a book and read it." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial.

Book: The Chronic Cost

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss Clayton's book, The Chronic Cost, and how it can help companies with 50 to 500 employees better understand and save money in the employee benefit buying process.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the book, The Chronic Cost, was written to be concise and understandable for everybody. (3:06)

Clayton shares that the book The Chronic Cost also goes through how you can economically get to a company with 50 employees. (4:32)

Davis mentions that putting something in print that you can hand to people gives you more credibility because not everyone is into the digital age and some people would rather just read a book. (5:34)

Clayton discusses about the great feedback they have received since the book came out and how some clients got in touch with him after not hearing from them for a while. (7:59)

Clayton explains that having the goal of signing up clients for a monthly subscription has a strong connection with having recurring revenue. (11:11)

David explains that people that are looking to write a book have to integrate the traditional and digital print of their books. (13:14)

David shares how people can get a free copy of the book. (14:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We wanted to be concise to the point and make it understandable for anybody, but the book is meant for anybody in the buying process of employee benefits we target in the book." - Clayton Wood

"We're just trying to find another avenue to share our ideas with people because everybody needs to talk in a different way." - Clayton Wood

"I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the digital age that we forget, not everybody's caught up in the digital age is what we are. There are people who would prefer to just get a book and read it." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial.

Book: The Chronic Cost

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Like other industry disruptions preceding it, the InsurTech movement was widely viewed as a threat to the existence of the independent agency channel. Thus far, the independent agent has proven to be an invaluable component in meeting client needs and expectations. Still, technology advances are the ecosystem in which they must operate – together with their carrier and digital partners. In this panel, leaders representing the three components of this dynamic, IA’s, carriers, and tech, share their thoughts on how to make the customer journey a smoother one and why collaboration is a win-win for all parties. Don't miss this conversation...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan introduces his guests: Amy Zupon, CEO of Vertafore, Tyler Asher, President of IA Distribution for Liberty Mutual, and Matt Masiello, CEO of SAA.

Amy Zupon mentions that the increasing amount of M&A in the industry is catching her attention right now. (8:50)

Amy Zupon explains that there is a huge amount of money invested in the space right now, and she sees this trend continuing. (11:07)

Matt Masiello shares that we are currently seeing a lot of exclusive business channels being converted to independent agency channels. (13:25)

Tyler Asher explains that in the next few years, what he sees is better quality service and continuous growth in market share. (15:55)

Matt Masiello believes that small businesses need to be a part of other organizations to remain small and independent. (22:27)

Amy Zupon explains that as a software company, they believe in an open platform, and they belong to groups where they participate with tech companies that are similar to them. (27:12)

Amy Zupon explains that the Orange Partner Program's concept is to be open and to establish relationships because the partnership is about trust and communication. (33:06)

Matt Masiello mentions that partnership has two bookends, first, you have to like your partner, and second, you have to have the same goal as them. (37:40)

Tyler Asher shares that the agents, carriers, technology providers, and vendors still have a lot of work to do when it comes to integration. (45:24)

Tyler Asher explains that retention is materially higher when customers engage in online digital capabilities for service. (54:24)

Matt Masiello shares that the two things independent agencies can do to scale their business are lead generation and digitization. (57:47)

Key Quotes:

"We did start that Orange Partner Program with the philosophy of being open and building on relationships and collaborating with others to build things." - Amy Zupon

"To really grow, it means taking a look at the digital resources that are out there and getting them into your agency, which includes building a digital brand, whether you're in a geographic market, or a digital market." - Matt Masiello

"I think right now, the biggest gap is making sure that we're serving customers in the way they need to be served today." - Tyler Asher

Resources Mentioned:

Amy Zupon LinkedIn

Matt Masiello LinkedIn

Tyler Asher LinkedIn

Vertafore

SIAA

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Like other industry disruptions preceding it, the InsurTech movement was widely viewed as a threat to the existence of the independent agency channel. Thus far, the independent agent has proven to be an invaluable component in meeting client needs and expectations. Still, technology advances are the ecosystem in which they must operate – together with their carrier and digital partners. In this panel, leaders representing the three components of this dynamic, IA’s, carriers, and tech, share their thoughts on how to make the customer journey a smoother one and why collaboration is a win-win for all parties. Don't miss this conversation...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan introduces his guests: Amy Zupon, CEO of Vertafore, Tyler Asher, President of IA Distribution for Liberty Mutual, and Matt Masiello, CEO of SAA.

Amy Zupon mentions that the increasing amount of M&A in the industry is catching her attention right now. (8:50)

Amy Zupon explains that there is a huge amount of money invested in the space right now, and she sees this trend continuing. (11:07)

Matt Masiello shares that we are currently seeing a lot of exclusive business channels being converted to independent agency channels. (13:25)

Tyler Asher explains that in the next few years, what he sees is better quality service and continuous growth in market share. (15:55)

Matt Masiello believes that small businesses need to be a part of other organizations to remain small and independent. (22:27)

Amy Zupon explains that as a software company, they believe in an open platform, and they belong to groups where they participate with tech companies that are similar to them. (27:12)

Amy Zupon explains that the Orange Partner Program's concept is to be open and to establish relationships because the partnership is about trust and communication. (33:06)

Matt Masiello mentions that partnership has two bookends, first, you have to like your partner, and second, you have to have the same goal as them. (37:40)

Tyler Asher shares that the agents, carriers, technology providers, and vendors still have a lot of work to do when it comes to integration. (45:24)

Tyler Asher explains that retention is materially higher when customers engage in online digital capabilities for service. (54:24)

Matt Masiello shares that the two things independent agencies can do to scale their business are lead generation and digitization. (57:47)

Key Quotes:

"We did start that Orange Partner Program with the philosophy of being open and building on relationships and collaborating with others to build things." - Amy Zupon

"To really grow, it means taking a look at the digital resources that are out there and getting them into your agency, which includes building a digital brand, whether you're in a geographic market, or a digital market." - Matt Masiello

"I think right now, the biggest gap is making sure that we're serving customers in the way they need to be served today." - Tyler Asher

Resources Mentioned:

Amy Zupon LinkedIn

Matt Masiello LinkedIn

Tyler Asher LinkedIn

Vertafore

SIAA

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa does a solo episode about leveling up and how to combat the junk in our heads that holds us back from success.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa mentions that we are at the time of the year when we think and make plans for the following year. (0:37)

Teresa shares how she is managing after experiencing a major tragedy last year. (1:42)

Teresa recalls a time in her life when she was just trying to keep everything together and mentions that it is okay to be in that season of life. (6:30)

Teresa mentions that the book titled "Secrets of Six-Figure Women" has been really helpful to her. (8:56)

Teresa shares that it is important to regularly ask ourselves what we want because as time goes by, it changes. (11:45)

Teresa talks about the process of creating a list of 100 things that she truly wants and how that exercise impacted her mindset. (16:21)

Teresa explains that regrets will always be there if you don’t ask yourself why you can’t have things that you actually want. (19:44)

Teresa mentions that she will be starting a book club for women who are overcoming under-earning. (20:42)

Teresa shares that she has always wanted to age gracefully and it is one of her priorities in life. (24:15)

Teresa explains that it is also the time of the year to look back and see what holds you back from achieving your goals to the next level. (27:51)

Key Quotes:

"As we get ready for goal planning for 2023, this is a mindset conversation. What holds me back from being able to accomplish what I want to accomplish?" - Teresa Kitchens

"I think it's important to ask ourselves, what do we want? What we wanted maybe a year and a half ago, two years ago, may not be what we want today. And it might change." - Teresa Kitchens

"If we don't level up, then how are we going to be a better leader if we don't do leadership activities, if we don't do leadership training, if we don't go out there and do the things that it takes to level up?" - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

Referenced Books:

Overcoming Underearning

"Secrets of Six-Figure Women"

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa does a solo episode about leveling up and how to combat the junk in our heads that holds us back from success.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa mentions that we are at the time of the year when we think and make plans for the following year. (0:37)

Teresa shares how she is managing after experiencing a major tragedy last year. (1:42)

Teresa recalls a time in her life when she was just trying to keep everything together and mentions that it is okay to be in that season of life. (6:30)

Teresa mentions that the book titled "Secrets of Six-Figure Women" has been really helpful to her. (8:56)

Teresa shares that it is important to regularly ask ourselves what we want because as time goes by, it changes. (11:45)

Teresa talks about the process of creating a list of 100 things that she truly wants and how that exercise impacted her mindset. (16:21)

Teresa explains that regrets will always be there if you don’t ask yourself why you can’t have things that you actually want. (19:44)

Teresa mentions that she will be starting a book club for women who are overcoming under-earning. (20:42)

Teresa shares that she has always wanted to age gracefully and it is one of her priorities in life. (24:15)

Teresa explains that it is also the time of the year to look back and see what holds you back from achieving your goals to the next level. (27:51)

Key Quotes:

"As we get ready for goal planning for 2023, this is a mindset conversation. What holds me back from being able to accomplish what I want to accomplish?" - Teresa Kitchens

"I think it's important to ask ourselves, what do we want? What we wanted maybe a year and a half ago, two years ago, may not be what we want today. And it might change." - Teresa Kitchens

"If we don't level up, then how are we going to be a better leader if we don't do leadership activities, if we don't do leadership training, if we don't go out there and do the things that it takes to level up?" - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

Referenced Books:

Overcoming Underearning

"Secrets of Six-Figure Women"

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Ryan Smith, a contestant on The Protege. Ryan talks about his experience on the insurance reality show, and shares some of the lessons that he has learned thus far.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares his background growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma and what led him to join the insurance industry. (2:48)

Ryan explains that part of his struggle in his submissions to The Protege is talking too much. (10:28)

Ryan shares that his goal is to be a fourth-generation agency owner and take the company to new heights. (12:50)

Ryan explains that having mentors through the independent agent channel has been so valuable for him. (20:39)

Ryan shares how he thinks he would be able to stand out in The Protege challenges. (28:38)

Ryan elaborates on how he is still analyzing how he can be able to be more intentional and focus on the words he is using in a strategic way. (31:15)

David reveals that one of the things he was looking for was to see how many people would contact Josh Gurley. (38:47)

Ryan explains how contestants connect with each other and bond every episode. (43:09)

Ryan shares that the interaction with the coaches and friends that root for him has been the most motivating experience for him. (47:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Ultimately, my goal is to be the fourth generation agency owner, Smith and Sons. And I mean, I'm a part owner already, but I want to take this generation of the business to new places to new heights." - Ryan Smith

"Having mentors, you know, through the independent agent channel, has been so valuable for me talking with people like Beaux Pilgrim, Jason Cass, and Mike Crowley." - Ryan Smith

"Insurance agents are not just old guys sitting around with fishing poles holding the dollar over you and saying, ‘Oh, gotcha’. You know, there's really a lot of excitement and a lot of fun that can be had in this industry." - Ryan Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Smith LinkedIn

Smith & Sons Insurance Agency, Inc.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Ryan Smith, a contestant on The Protege. Ryan talks about his experience on the insurance reality show, and shares some of the lessons that he has learned thus far.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares his background growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma and what led him to join the insurance industry. (2:48)

Ryan explains that part of his struggle in his submissions to The Protege is talking too much. (10:28)

Ryan shares that his goal is to be a fourth-generation agency owner and take the company to new heights. (12:50)

Ryan explains that having mentors through the independent agent channel has been so valuable for him. (20:39)

Ryan shares how he thinks he would be able to stand out in The Protege challenges. (28:38)

Ryan elaborates on how he is still analyzing how he can be able to be more intentional and focus on the words he is using in a strategic way. (31:15)

David reveals that one of the things he was looking for was to see how many people would contact Josh Gurley. (38:47)

Ryan explains how contestants connect with each other and bond every episode. (43:09)

Ryan shares that the interaction with the coaches and friends that root for him has been the most motivating experience for him. (47:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Ultimately, my goal is to be the fourth generation agency owner, Smith and Sons. And I mean, I'm a part owner already, but I want to take this generation of the business to new places to new heights." - Ryan Smith

"Having mentors, you know, through the independent agent channel, has been so valuable for me talking with people like Beaux Pilgrim, Jason Cass, and Mike Crowley." - Ryan Smith

"Insurance agents are not just old guys sitting around with fishing poles holding the dollar over you and saying, ‘Oh, gotcha’. You know, there's really a lot of excitement and a lot of fun that can be had in this industry." - Ryan Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Smith LinkedIn

Smith & Sons Insurance Agency, Inc.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this special episode, Ryan breaks down how in a "Human-Optimized" Agency of the Future, efficiency isn't the answer to exponential growth.

Efficiency may be part of the solution, but it's not the whole solution, and a lack of understanding of this concept is where many insurtech startups go wrong.

This is an episode you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan believes that the Rouge model is proven to be productive, efficient, and replicable by anyone with the vision and guts to do so. (2:35)

Ryan mentions that they are currently hiring at Rouge. Some of the positions they are looking for are aspiring chief revenue officers and producers. (6:11)

Ryan explains that the positions available are not for traditional people but more for people that like to build relationships and have an open mind to a slightly different approach. (10:25)

Ryan discusses how he got a great deal with a car dealership, and the moment he realized that the sales agent was just trying to sell something he had access to in his inventory. (15:30)

Ryan shares that the Carvana experience with his car trade-in was much better, but recalls two things he had hiccups with, which were the verification and the lien. (20:36)

Ryan explains that the car dealership experience he had was one example of a complete validation of the human-optimized model for the agency of the future. (27:08)

Ryan mentions that an important part of a human-optimized model is the step-up process from self-service to automated, made by an inside force of licensed professionals and outsourced VAs. (31:48)

Ryan explains that humans are still the most important part of the business, but if we push our customers directly to humans, we are limiting our ability to be efficient. (33:25)

Ryan shares that the future of the insurance industry is still going to stand out in the future as long as the human-optimized model is utilized. (36:24)

Key Quotes:

"If your traditional local, independent agency still dictates the way business will be done, I don't believe that you have a future in the industry. You can maintain it for sure, but you're not growing." - Ryan Hanley

"I also saw a lot of people that still believe that humans are not the answer. Humans are still an incredibly vital part of our business, still the most important part of our business. However, if we push all our customers directly to our humans, always the way we want it to be done, we are limiting our ability to be efficient." - Ryan Hanley

"This is where I think the business is going. This is where I think our industry is going. I'm so bullish on the independent insurance industry. I just feel like this move to a human optimized model is the best way." - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

SIAA

In this special episode, Ryan breaks down how in a "Human-Optimized" Agency of the Future, efficiency isn't the answer to exponential growth.

Efficiency may be part of the solution, but it's not the whole solution, and a lack of understanding of this concept is where many insurtech startups go wrong.

This is an episode you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan believes that the Rouge model is proven to be productive, efficient, and replicable by anyone with the vision and guts to do so. (2:35)

Ryan mentions that they are currently hiring at Rouge. Some of the positions they are looking for are aspiring chief revenue officers and producers. (6:11)

Ryan explains that the positions available are not for traditional people but more for people that like to build relationships and have an open mind to a slightly different approach. (10:25)

Ryan discusses how he got a great deal with a car dealership, and the moment he realized that the sales agent was just trying to sell something he had access to in his inventory. (15:30)

Ryan shares that the Carvana experience with his car trade-in was much better, but recalls two things he had hiccups with, which were the verification and the lien. (20:36)

Ryan explains that the car dealership experience he had was one example of a complete validation of the human-optimized model for the agency of the future. (27:08)

Ryan mentions that an important part of a human-optimized model is the step-up process from self-service to automated, made by an inside force of licensed professionals and outsourced VAs. (31:48)

Ryan explains that humans are still the most important part of the business, but if we push our customers directly to humans, we are limiting our ability to be efficient. (33:25)

Ryan shares that the future of the insurance industry is still going to stand out in the future as long as the human-optimized model is utilized. (36:24)

Key Quotes:

"If your traditional local, independent agency still dictates the way business will be done, I don't believe that you have a future in the industry. You can maintain it for sure, but you're not growing." - Ryan Hanley

"I also saw a lot of people that still believe that humans are not the answer. Humans are still an incredibly vital part of our business, still the most important part of our business. However, if we push all our customers directly to our humans, always the way we want it to be done, we are limiting our ability to be efficient." - Ryan Hanley

"This is where I think the business is going. This is where I think our industry is going. I'm so bullish on the independent insurance industry. I just feel like this move to a human optimized model is the best way." - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

SIAA

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Krista Kautz, Commercial Lines Producer at Berrong Insurance Agency. Krista discusses her journey from musician to insurance producer, what her niches are, and how she became involved with Oklahoma Young Agents.

Episode Highlights:

Krista discusses the Oklahoma Next-Gen Under 30 Awards. (2:40)

Krista mentions that she is currently the Vice Chair of the Oklahoma Young Agents and that her agency owners support her involvement. (4:19)

Krista mentions that even though she and Ryan Smith are competitors, they have brother-sister discussions, always giving each other a hard time and pushing each other to be accountable. (4:57)

Krista mentions that she uses an iPhone and that the most recent app she downloaded was Yahoo Sports. (14:04)

Krista explains why winning was her favorite thing. (15:45)

Krista discusses skills versus luck gave her the capacity to sit in a conference room and go through a commercial auto policy page by page, passing the initial exam and continuing on to her CISR. (16:46)

Krista explains how she first found a job in data entry and reception at an insurance company. (22:17)

Krista explains how she became an in-house producer at Berrong Insurance Agency. (24:01)

Krista mentions that her niches include oil & gas and trucking and that she is still working to expand and find a different niche. (26:46)

Krista shares that her first large account was an oil and gas risk. (27:42)

Krista discusses that she's looking for another niche that involves her in the community. (32:37)

Krista mentions that anybody in the insurance industry can lead from any position as long as they are not afraid to ask questions. (35:27)

Key Quotes:

“I do have niches. That's the oil and gas and, and trucking side. However, I am trying to diversify and find a little bit of a different niche. My niche is basically small business.” - Krista Kautz

“You can lead from any position, don't be afraid to ask the questions.” - Krista Kautz

“The skill portion is what got me past, being able to sit in a conference room and looking at a commercial auto policy, page by page and being able to pass the initial exam, continue on to my CISR. And then now I'm working on my CIC and that does take skill and willingness to learn.” Krista Kautz

Resources Mentioned:

Krista Kautz LinkedIn

Berrong Insurance Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Krista Kautz, Commercial Lines Producer at Berrong Insurance Agency. Krista discusses her journey from musician to insurance producer, what her niches are, and how she became involved with Oklahoma Young Agents.

Episode Highlights:

Krista discusses the Oklahoma Next-Gen Under 30 Awards. (2:40)

Krista mentions that she is currently the Vice Chair of the Oklahoma Young Agents and that her agency owners support her involvement. (4:19)

Krista mentions that even though she and Ryan Smith are competitors, they have brother-sister discussions, always giving each other a hard time and pushing each other to be accountable. (4:57)

Krista mentions that she uses an iPhone and that the most recent app she downloaded was Yahoo Sports. (14:04)

Krista explains why winning was her favorite thing. (15:45)

Krista discusses skills versus luck gave her the capacity to sit in a conference room and go through a commercial auto policy page by page, passing the initial exam and continuing on to her CISR. (16:46)

Krista explains how she first found a job in data entry and reception at an insurance company. (22:17)

Krista explains how she became an in-house producer at Berrong Insurance Agency. (24:01)

Krista mentions that her niches include oil & gas and trucking and that she is still working to expand and find a different niche. (26:46)

Krista shares that her first large account was an oil and gas risk. (27:42)

Krista discusses that she's looking for another niche that involves her in the community. (32:37)

Krista mentions that anybody in the insurance industry can lead from any position as long as they are not afraid to ask questions. (35:27)

Key Quotes:

“I do have niches. That's the oil and gas and, and trucking side. However, I am trying to diversify and find a little bit of a different niche. My niche is basically small business.” - Krista Kautz

“You can lead from any position, don't be afraid to ask the questions.” - Krista Kautz

“The skill portion is what got me past, being able to sit in a conference room and looking at a commercial auto policy, page by page and being able to pass the initial exam, continue on to my CISR. And then now I'm working on my CIC and that does take skill and willingness to learn.” Krista Kautz

Resources Mentioned:

Krista Kautz LinkedIn

Berrong Insurance Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Kenny Urbania, Chief Executive Officer at The Agency Collective. Kenny discusses The Agency Collective's desire to help not only in the growth of agencies but also in the development of a leader. Kenny also shares the structure they have at The Agency Collective for agents in terms of commissions and bonuses.

Episode Highlights:

Kenny shares his background story and discusses his 24 years of experience in the insurance industry. (2:05)

Kenny explains that The Agency Collective is more of a professional service business or agent co-op where they make a collective effort to put their premiums together in order to get better deals for the agencies and better bonuses for the agents. (6:05)

Kenny shares that in most situations, they do not charge anybody to join them, unless they want to get their premium right away. (12:27)

Kenny mentions that they monitor loss rates because they never want to touch commissions in order to provide agents 100% commission. (16:13)

Kenny shares that The Agency Collective is structured in a manner that they strive to pay agents as much as possible while still being the best partners with carriers. (22:41)

Kenny explains the importance of renegotiating the compensation levels and bonuses for the agents every year. (28:18)

Kenny shares that in addition to personal lines they also have commercial lines, life & financial, and they try to run on all platforms. (30:54)

Kenny shares one of his favorite success stories of a captive agent that broke free and took only 9 months with The Agency Collective to surpass the income he was making after 10 years. (43:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We never want to touch commissions, we want to give the agents 100% of the commissions. We work on contingency and bonuses. And that's one of the reasons why we watch loss ratios." - Kenny Urbania

"The bottom line is it's all about the revenue you can bring to your agency and the profitability and working together with the right person." - Kenny Urbania

"We all sell boxes, some are bigger, some are smaller, I don't care how big the agency is, or how small the agency is, there's nobody that gets treated differently." - Kenny Urbania

Resources Mentioned:

Kenny Urbania LinkedIn

The Agency Collective

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Kenny Urbania, Chief Executive Officer at The Agency Collective. Kenny discusses The Agency Collective's desire to help not only in the growth of agencies but also in the development of a leader. Kenny also shares the structure they have at The Agency Collective for agents in terms of commissions and bonuses.

Episode Highlights:

Kenny shares his background story and discusses his 24 years of experience in the insurance industry. (2:05)

Kenny explains that The Agency Collective is more of a professional service business or agent co-op where they make a collective effort to put their premiums together in order to get better deals for the agencies and better bonuses for the agents. (6:05)

Kenny shares that in most situations, they do not charge anybody to join them, unless they want to get their premium right away. (12:27)

Kenny mentions that they monitor loss rates because they never want to touch commissions in order to provide agents 100% commission. (16:13)

Kenny shares that The Agency Collective is structured in a manner that they strive to pay agents as much as possible while still being the best partners with carriers. (22:41)

Kenny explains the importance of renegotiating the compensation levels and bonuses for the agents every year. (28:18)

Kenny shares that in addition to personal lines they also have commercial lines, life & financial, and they try to run on all platforms. (30:54)

Kenny shares one of his favorite success stories of a captive agent that broke free and took only 9 months with The Agency Collective to surpass the income he was making after 10 years. (43:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We never want to touch commissions, we want to give the agents 100% of the commissions. We work on contingency and bonuses. And that's one of the reasons why we watch loss ratios." - Kenny Urbania

"The bottom line is it's all about the revenue you can bring to your agency and the profitability and working together with the right person." - Kenny Urbania

"We all sell boxes, some are bigger, some are smaller, I don't care how big the agency is, or how small the agency is, there's nobody that gets treated differently." - Kenny Urbania

Resources Mentioned:

Kenny Urbania LinkedIn

The Agency Collective

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Dawnyel Smink, Founder, and CEO of CLI Select Agencies, an alliance of independent agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Dawnyel shares her background and discusses her transition from being an elementary school teacher to owning her own business. (3:32)

Dawnyel explains that CLI Select Agencies is there to be of service to agencies and take care of agencies and one way of doing that is making sure they are a good fit. (9:19)

Dawnyel shares that part of what they do at CLI Select Agencies is discussing how agency owners can teach their team not to lie about leadership and what it really means to be a leader. (11:57)

James mentions that leadership is apologizing quickly when a wrong is pointed out to you, as humility speeds up reconciliation and recovery. (14:49)

Dawnyel explains that communicating clearly with people means being able to take accountability on both sides. (19:12)

Dawnyel shares that there is no perfect leader, and we have all made mistakes at some point in our careers. (21:59)

Dawnyel explains that when she is about to say something that she might regret, she creates a moment for herself to think and figure things out. (26:52)

Key Quotes:

"There is sometimes a disconnect between what we think we should do as a leader, and what we should say as a leader, and really how to be honest with ourselves." - Dawnyel Smink

"I think the biggest message and takeaway that you would get from coming in to hear me talk about leadership and the lies that we tell ourselves and the truths that we need to embrace are really that we all do it. We've all done it, someplace in time, there is no leader that is perfect." - Dawnyel Smink

"Don't be too quick to rush to judgement. Because once something comes out of your mouth, it's impossible to put it back in. Like, words put out into the universe never come back. They always have some kind of impact." - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned: Learn more about CLI Select Agencies here: https://www.canyonlandsinsurance.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Dawnyel Smink, Founder, and CEO of CLI Select Agencies, an alliance of independent agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Dawnyel shares her background and discusses her transition from being an elementary school teacher to owning her own business. (3:32)

Dawnyel explains that CLI Select Agencies is there to be of service to agencies and take care of agencies and one way of doing that is making sure they are a good fit. (9:19)

Dawnyel shares that part of what they do at CLI Select Agencies is discussing how agency owners can teach their team not to lie about leadership and what it really means to be a leader. (11:57)

James mentions that leadership is apologizing quickly when a wrong is pointed out to you, as humility speeds up reconciliation and recovery. (14:49)

Dawnyel explains that communicating clearly with people means being able to take accountability on both sides. (19:12)

Dawnyel shares that there is no perfect leader, and we have all made mistakes at some point in our careers. (21:59)

Dawnyel explains that when she is about to say something that she might regret, she creates a moment for herself to think and figure things out. (26:52)

Key Quotes:

"There is sometimes a disconnect between what we think we should do as a leader, and what we should say as a leader, and really how to be honest with ourselves." - Dawnyel Smink

"I think the biggest message and takeaway that you would get from coming in to hear me talk about leadership and the lies that we tell ourselves and the truths that we need to embrace are really that we all do it. We've all done it, someplace in time, there is no leader that is perfect." - Dawnyel Smink

"Don't be too quick to rush to judgement. Because once something comes out of your mouth, it's impossible to put it back in. Like, words put out into the universe never come back. They always have some kind of impact." - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned: Learn more about CLI Select Agencies here: https://www.canyonlandsinsurance.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss pharmacy benefits and how they work in the P&C world and why P&C agencies should have a conversation with their clients about benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the purpose of this series of episodes is to help P&C brokers and listeners understand that cross-selling may add an extra revenue stream to their business. (3:42)

Clayton defines a pharmacy benefit manager in the industry. (4:22)

Clayton discusses the importance of having a transparent pharmacy benefit manager. (7:30)

Clayton mentions that some health care plans have a brilliant marketing strategy, but it is only to make employees pay more. (14:28)

David explains to the listeners why service fees are valuable. (19:13)

Clayton explains that in the P&C world, prescriptions are a problem for small businesses with 50 to 150 employees, and it will be one of their largest percentages of claims. (21:37)

David believes that any P&C agency that does not even discuss benefits with its clients, whether they sell them or not, is allowing someone else to come in and have that conversation. (23:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we're doing here on this four-episode series or more, if we decide to do more, is just to help the P&C brokers, the audience of this podcast, just understand that there is a way to add an extra revenue stream to their business by cross-selling.” - Clayton Wood

“Putting a pharmacy benefit manager that's transparent is really important. Nowadays, there's a special term for them, they're called pass through PBM’s, which means they don't add any spread to the drugs, and they pass on 100% of the rebates.” - Clayton Wood

“Any P&C agency out there right now, that is not even having a conversation with their clients about benefits, whether they sell them or not, is opening up an opportunity for somebody else to come in and have that conversation.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss pharmacy benefits and how they work in the P&C world and why P&C agencies should have a conversation with their clients about benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the purpose of this series of episodes is to help P&C brokers and listeners understand that cross-selling may add an extra revenue stream to their business. (3:42)

Clayton defines a pharmacy benefit manager in the industry. (4:22)

Clayton discusses the importance of having a transparent pharmacy benefit manager. (7:30)

Clayton mentions that some health care plans have a brilliant marketing strategy, but it is only to make employees pay more. (14:28)

David explains to the listeners why service fees are valuable. (19:13)

Clayton explains that in the P&C world, prescriptions are a problem for small businesses with 50 to 150 employees, and it will be one of their largest percentages of claims. (21:37)

David believes that any P&C agency that does not even discuss benefits with its clients, whether they sell them or not, is allowing someone else to come in and have that conversation. (23:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we're doing here on this four-episode series or more, if we decide to do more, is just to help the P&C brokers, the audience of this podcast, just understand that there is a way to add an extra revenue stream to their business by cross-selling.” - Clayton Wood

“Putting a pharmacy benefit manager that's transparent is really important. Nowadays, there's a special term for them, they're called pass through PBM’s, which means they don't add any spread to the drugs, and they pass on 100% of the rebates.” - Clayton Wood

“Any P&C agency out there right now, that is not even having a conversation with their clients about benefits, whether they sell them or not, is opening up an opportunity for somebody else to come in and have that conversation.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

This episode is a replay of a live webinar Ryan did for David Carothers and the Killing Commercial community, breaking down the step-by-step method he's used over the last decade to drive consistent inbound leads into his agency using video marketing. This is a hyper-tactical episode, so sharpen your pencil and get ready to learn ALL the secrets of inbound video marketing. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan explains that he repeated the 100 days, 100 videos commitment in 2020, using the same technique he used in 2018. (8:24)

Ryan discusses how he searches for and creates his list of topics, which he then turns into a headline for videos that provide solutions. (11:31)

According to Ryan, if the video has good audio and clean visuals, consumers will pay attention to it; but, if the video has a busy background, their attention will begin to dry up. (15:30)

Ryan mentions the advantages of using the sun as the video's lighting setup and having crisp, clean audio. (19:07)

Ryan shares that he doesn't use his costly camera equipment, but rather the cinematic mode on his iPhone, which performs the job very effectively. (22:47)

Ryan believes that it is important to have a simple, clean, and repeatable video setup. (25:17)

Ryan explains how he grabs his video from his iPhone and why his video templates are remarkably similar. (29:27)

Ryan discusses the video formula he uses: beginning hook, middle build, and ending payoff. (31:26)

Ryan mentions where he publishes his videos and why he distributes them where he does. (42:12)

Ryan explains how referrals and people who contact you as a result of your video are not the same thing and should be handled differently. (46:08)

Ryan describes what he does and how he handles phone calls from people in the internet space. (50:15)

Key Quotes:

“We use video every day in everything we do not just to do video to get some attention. We do it to drive business” - Ryan Hanley

“Your consumers don't care. They absolutely, positively, without a doubt, do not give a crap about what equipment you use. Here's what they care about. They care that you are clear that they can see you and they care that they can hear you. And then after those two things, nothing else matters.” - Ryan Hanley

“Doesn't matter how big the account is, solve the problem. Go back and round out the account.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Killing Commercial

SIAA

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

This episode is a replay of a live webinar Ryan did for David Carothers and the Killing Commercial community, breaking down the step-by-step method he's used over the last decade to drive consistent inbound leads into his agency using video marketing. This is a hyper-tactical episode, so sharpen your pencil and get ready to learn ALL the secrets of inbound video marketing. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan explains that he repeated the 100 days, 100 videos commitment in 2020, using the same technique he used in 2018. (8:24)

Ryan discusses how he searches for and creates his list of topics, which he then turns into a headline for videos that provide solutions. (11:31)

According to Ryan, if the video has good audio and clean visuals, consumers will pay attention to it; but, if the video has a busy background, their attention will begin to dry up. (15:30)

Ryan mentions the advantages of using the sun as the video's lighting setup and having crisp, clean audio. (19:07)

Ryan shares that he doesn't use his costly camera equipment, but rather the cinematic mode on his iPhone, which performs the job very effectively. (22:47)

Ryan believes that it is important to have a simple, clean, and repeatable video setup. (25:17)

Ryan explains how he grabs his video from his iPhone and why his video templates are remarkably similar. (29:27)

Ryan discusses the video formula he uses: beginning hook, middle build, and ending payoff. (31:26)

Ryan mentions where he publishes his videos and why he distributes them where he does. (42:12)

Ryan explains how referrals and people who contact you as a result of your video are not the same thing and should be handled differently. (46:08)

Ryan describes what he does and how he handles phone calls from people in the internet space. (50:15)

Key Quotes:

“We use video every day in everything we do not just to do video to get some attention. We do it to drive business” - Ryan Hanley

“Your consumers don't care. They absolutely, positively, without a doubt, do not give a crap about what equipment you use. Here's what they care about. They care that you are clear that they can see you and they care that they can hear you. And then after those two things, nothing else matters.” - Ryan Hanley

“Doesn't matter how big the account is, solve the problem. Go back and round out the account.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Killing Commercial

SIAA

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Melinda Krieger. Melinda is with Hanover Insurance and she has had a 36-year career in the insurance industry, and we talk about how to weather the storms of life and the insurance market to have the career you want.

Episode Highlights:

Melinda shares her background experience and how she got into the insurance industry and joined Hanover Insurance. (1:19)

Melinda explains that you need to ask for what you wanted to be involved in, in your career journey. (6:00)

Melinda mentions that she has a group of high school friends who have been mentoring each other about business. (9:53)

Melinda shares her experience and insights from taking the Culture Index, on which she learned that she has a high energy quotient. (14:34)

Melinda elaborates on the importance of having your thinking time away from answering emails, and notifications. (20:26)

Melinda discusses the importance of making sure to have small and realistic expectations for self-care. (24:02)

Melinda shares that she loves connecting and talking to people because she believes that people need a safe place to discuss things they might be struggling with. (27:11)

Melinda talks about a recent conversation with one of her agent partners about noise and disruption in the insurance industry right now. (31:30)

Key Quotes:

"I think we always have to ask for what we want to be involved in. I think it's a little bit of a misnomer to think that people are going to carry you along in your career journey. I think you have to ask for it." - Melinda Krieger

"Women that are working and weaving always encourage each other, and so I think it doesn't have to necessarily come from within the industry you're working in it can be other people in your community." - Melinda Krieger

"So, I think one of the things I've had to wrestle with the most is that, while it's appropriate to have high energy and level of urgency, you have to figure out where that's appropriate to apply, right? Because you can't apply that level of energy and urgency to everything, there are different priority levels." - Melinda Krieger

Resources Mentioned:

Melinda Krieger LinkedIn

The Hanover Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Melinda Krieger. Melinda is with Hanover Insurance and she has had a 36-year career in the insurance industry, and we talk about how to weather the storms of life and the insurance market to have the career you want.

Episode Highlights:

Melinda shares her background experience and how she got into the insurance industry and joined Hanover Insurance. (1:19)

Melinda explains that you need to ask for what you wanted to be involved in, in your career journey. (6:00)

Melinda mentions that she has a group of high school friends who have been mentoring each other about business. (9:53)

Melinda shares her experience and insights from taking the Culture Index, on which she learned that she has a high energy quotient. (14:34)

Melinda elaborates on the importance of having your thinking time away from answering emails, and notifications. (20:26)

Melinda discusses the importance of making sure to have small and realistic expectations for self-care. (24:02)

Melinda shares that she loves connecting and talking to people because she believes that people need a safe place to discuss things they might be struggling with. (27:11)

Melinda talks about a recent conversation with one of her agent partners about noise and disruption in the insurance industry right now. (31:30)

Key Quotes:

"I think we always have to ask for what we want to be involved in. I think it's a little bit of a misnomer to think that people are going to carry you along in your career journey. I think you have to ask for it." - Melinda Krieger

"Women that are working and weaving always encourage each other, and so I think it doesn't have to necessarily come from within the industry you're working in it can be other people in your community." - Melinda Krieger

"So, I think one of the things I've had to wrestle with the most is that, while it's appropriate to have high energy and level of urgency, you have to figure out where that's appropriate to apply, right? Because you can't apply that level of energy and urgency to everything, there are different priority levels." - Melinda Krieger

Resources Mentioned:

Melinda Krieger LinkedIn

The Hanover Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Lyons from Insurance One. John talks about his experience being on The Protege, and the takeaways that he was able to apply in his agency.

Episode Highlights:

John shares his background in the industry and his niches before joining The Protege. (2:46)

John discusses the benefits of working with mentors who have experience in the subject as opposed to following a book. (7:54)

John shares that educating your clients and prospects is the main priority of our job as agents. (12:42)

John illustrates how everything in our lives affects us and imparts knowledge to us that we might not have otherwise acquired. (17:40)

David explains that his main responsibility is to make everyone he encounters feel wonderful. (19:31)

John shares that the biggest surprise he had from joining the show was that it forced him to execute, moving from the idea phase to the execution phase. (26:35)

John explains that the thing he kept saying to his team was to do the work, since they had decided to sign up for the challenge. (30:53)

John mentions that his activities outside of the curriculum have been quite successful, and he has conferences and specializations that he has created. (35:10)

John encourages listeners to do two things: first, find a way to learn from someone with industry experience right away, and second, learn when to quit. (38:55)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You got to have the wherewithal to understand the stuff that you do, and then take it, twist it, and put it into the peg that I'm doing, right?" - John Lyons

"I think everything that we do, and everything we're a part of in life kind of mimics each other and will always teach us things that you know, we may not have thought." - John Lyons

"Immediately find ways to get education from someone who's been in the business that's been doing it longer than you whether that's a mentor or you find a podcast or you find something where you can get educated very quickly. " - John Lyons

Resources Mentioned:

John Lyons LinkedIn

Insurance One

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Lyons from Insurance One. John talks about his experience being on The Protege, and the takeaways that he was able to apply in his agency.

Episode Highlights:

John shares his background in the industry and his niches before joining The Protege. (2:46)

John discusses the benefits of working with mentors who have experience in the subject as opposed to following a book. (7:54)

John shares that educating your clients and prospects is the main priority of our job as agents. (12:42)

John illustrates how everything in our lives affects us and imparts knowledge to us that we might not have otherwise acquired. (17:40)

David explains that his main responsibility is to make everyone he encounters feel wonderful. (19:31)

John shares that the biggest surprise he had from joining the show was that it forced him to execute, moving from the idea phase to the execution phase. (26:35)

John explains that the thing he kept saying to his team was to do the work, since they had decided to sign up for the challenge. (30:53)

John mentions that his activities outside of the curriculum have been quite successful, and he has conferences and specializations that he has created. (35:10)

John encourages listeners to do two things: first, find a way to learn from someone with industry experience right away, and second, learn when to quit. (38:55)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You got to have the wherewithal to understand the stuff that you do, and then take it, twist it, and put it into the peg that I'm doing, right?" - John Lyons

"I think everything that we do, and everything we're a part of in life kind of mimics each other and will always teach us things that you know, we may not have thought." - John Lyons

"Immediately find ways to get education from someone who's been in the business that's been doing it longer than you whether that's a mentor or you find a podcast or you find something where you can get educated very quickly. " - John Lyons

Resources Mentioned:

John Lyons LinkedIn

Insurance One

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Callum Beecroft, Owner of the phonejacker®. Callum discusses how he helps companies connect with prospects by cold calling for them and shares his cold-calling mistakes so that others can learn from them.

Episode Highlights:

Callum shares that he is an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded was Sky Sports. (2:15)

Callum explains that the reason he loves to win over hating to lose, and, in cold calling always tries to find the lesson in the loss. (3:55)

Callum shares the conversation he had with Benjamin Dennehy that led him to start the phonejacker®. (10:56)

Callum mentions that he also works for eCommerce businesses, and a marketing agency for prospecting, where he picks up the phone and sets meetings with the prospects that his clients want to meet with. (13:42)

Callum shares his decision making and the things he considers on starting the phonejacker® and learning cold calling practices instead of being an employee of a company. (15:14)

Callum explains that there is not much competition in the UK, and small businesses usually do not hire full-time employees. (19:05)

Callum mentions that the name "The Phone Jacker" came from a TV show in the UK called "Fone Jacker". (20:42)

Callum shares that the first thing he learned from his coach, Benjamin Dennehy, was to “be your own best friend”. (23:25)

Callum talks about his online newsletter called "The Hang Up", which can be seen on his LinkedIn. (29:59)

Key Quotes:

"You’ve got to be your best own best friend. And that's in a prospect in a cold call instance, but even more so for me going self-employed." - Callum Beecroft

"Are you better at what you're doing now than you were yesterday? Because if you can answer yes to that, then you're on the right track, and you just keep getting better. You learn from your mistakes and you grow and grow." - Callum Beecroft

"I share lots of content, mostly cold calls, where I analyze them. And we look at the areas where I made some mistakes and what lessons I can learn from those mistakes, what I would have done differently." - Callum Beecroft

Resources Mentioned:

Callum Beecroft LinkedIn

the phonejacker®

The Hang Up

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Callum Beecroft, Owner of the phonejacker®. Callum discusses how he helps companies connect with prospects by cold calling for them and shares his cold-calling mistakes so that others can learn from them.

Episode Highlights:

Callum shares that he is an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded was Sky Sports. (2:15)

Callum explains that the reason he loves to win over hating to lose, and, in cold calling always tries to find the lesson in the loss. (3:55)

Callum shares the conversation he had with Benjamin Dennehy that led him to start the phonejacker®. (10:56)

Callum mentions that he also works for eCommerce businesses, and a marketing agency for prospecting, where he picks up the phone and sets meetings with the prospects that his clients want to meet with. (13:42)

Callum shares his decision making and the things he considers on starting the phonejacker® and learning cold calling practices instead of being an employee of a company. (15:14)

Callum explains that there is not much competition in the UK, and small businesses usually do not hire full-time employees. (19:05)

Callum mentions that the name "The Phone Jacker" came from a TV show in the UK called "Fone Jacker". (20:42)

Callum shares that the first thing he learned from his coach, Benjamin Dennehy, was to “be your own best friend”. (23:25)

Callum talks about his online newsletter called "The Hang Up", which can be seen on his LinkedIn. (29:59)

Key Quotes:

"You’ve got to be your best own best friend. And that's in a prospect in a cold call instance, but even more so for me going self-employed." - Callum Beecroft

"Are you better at what you're doing now than you were yesterday? Because if you can answer yes to that, then you're on the right track, and you just keep getting better. You learn from your mistakes and you grow and grow." - Callum Beecroft

"I share lots of content, mostly cold calls, where I analyze them. And we look at the areas where I made some mistakes and what lessons I can learn from those mistakes, what I would have done differently." - Callum Beecroft

Resources Mentioned:

Callum Beecroft LinkedIn

the phonejacker®

The Hang Up

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Charles McDade, Agency Owner at McDade Insurance Brokerage Group. Charles discusses the ways in which his brokerage assists their clients in lowering their financial risk and saving money.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that he decided to create his own brokerage because he needed a little more independence and the option to put clients in the best possible situation. (3:03)

Charles explains how he used Google review to grow their personal lines. (12:23)

David shares why he thinks you should lead with umbrella when writing personal lines. (18:08)

Charles compares entrepreneurship to waking up in a smoke-filled room every morning and knowing that if just you sit there, you aren’t going to make it, you have to continue to push, move and figure things out. (21:12)

Charles explains that they've only been able to flow and expand by shifting their marketing technique to be either educational or memorable. (22:55)

David discusses how they are hammering the CRM with personal and commercial leads. (28:16)

Charles explains that eliminating humanity from the workplace is a bad idea no matter who you are. (37:22)

Charles believes that they've done over 150k from insurance reels in the previous three weeks. (39:27)

Charles believes many individuals don't realize the potential consequence of bad understanding is important to every conversation. (48:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

“For us, the only way that we've been able to kind of flow and kind of grow this stuff is kind of transitioning marketing style a bit to where we're doing kind of twofold, either educating the client or being highly memorable.” - Charles McDade

“Removing humanity from the workplace is a bad idea, no matter who you are. People don't buy from nameless, faceless robots.” - Charles McDade

“Reels have been a lot more usable. I mean, in the last three weeks, I think we've done about 150,000 on insurance reels now.” - Charles McDade

Resources Mentioned:

Charles McDade LinkedIn

McDade Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Charles McDade, Agency Owner at McDade Insurance Brokerage Group. Charles discusses the ways in which his brokerage assists their clients in lowering their financial risk and saving money.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that he decided to create his own brokerage because he needed a little more independence and the option to put clients in the best possible situation. (3:03)

Charles explains how he used Google review to grow their personal lines. (12:23)

David shares why he thinks you should lead with umbrella when writing personal lines. (18:08)

Charles compares entrepreneurship to waking up in a smoke-filled room every morning and knowing that if just you sit there, you aren’t going to make it, you have to continue to push, move and figure things out. (21:12)

Charles explains that they've only been able to flow and expand by shifting their marketing technique to be either educational or memorable. (22:55)

David discusses how they are hammering the CRM with personal and commercial leads. (28:16)

Charles explains that eliminating humanity from the workplace is a bad idea no matter who you are. (37:22)

Charles believes that they've done over 150k from insurance reels in the previous three weeks. (39:27)

Charles believes many individuals don't realize the potential consequence of bad understanding is important to every conversation. (48:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

“For us, the only way that we've been able to kind of flow and kind of grow this stuff is kind of transitioning marketing style a bit to where we're doing kind of twofold, either educating the client or being highly memorable.” - Charles McDade

“Removing humanity from the workplace is a bad idea, no matter who you are. People don't buy from nameless, faceless robots.” - Charles McDade

“Reels have been a lot more usable. I mean, in the last three weeks, I think we've done about 150,000 on insurance reels now.” - Charles McDade

Resources Mentioned:

Charles McDade LinkedIn

McDade Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James gets into some open ended shop talk with Guest Co-Host, Tamron Manning.

Episode Highlights:

Tamron shares that James has been a huge help to him in coming into the independent space. (2:52)

Tamron explains why the environment plays a big role in insurance when it comes to being a sports athlete. (7:02)

Tamron discusses that the main reason he wanted to switch to the independence side is because of the ability to create your own brand. (14:58)

Tamron advises the listeners to put their blinders on, control what they can, and focus. (21:44)

James shares his experience starting his company and how he got help to pull it off. (32:43)

James explains that a really great virtual team member can be a good asset for a start-up company. (38:14)

James shares his strategy for being able to achieve sustainable cash flow and growth with a start-up. (43:20)

James shares that, in his opinion, it is very important to prioritize your time over money, because if not, then you are making a tactical error. (46:53)

James explains that as long as you take good care of your clients and your team, you are going to have freedom and flexibility. (53:47)

Tamron mentions the importance of having a good culture in your agency and being a coach that your team wants to follow. (57:53)

Tamron shares that his goal is to be a lifelong learner. (59:25)

Key Quotes:

"If you're working on a skill, you're not going to see an immediate return on what you worked on the next day, it's going to be something that you see gradually." - Tamron Manning

"The moment your time becomes more valuable than your money, you have to prioritize time over money. Because if you don't, you're making a tactical error in my opinion." - James Jenkins

"Attract the right people, invite them to come on a mission with you. And then equip them the way that they need to be equipped to give them the resources that they need. And then get out of their way and cut them loose. And then see what happens." - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Tamron's agency at his website: https://integrityinsgrp.com/

Connect with Tamron on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamron-manning-73b849181/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James gets into some open ended shop talk with Guest Co-Host, Tamron Manning.

Episode Highlights:

Tamron shares that James has been a huge help to him in coming into the independent space. (2:52)

Tamron explains why the environment plays a big role in insurance when it comes to being a sports athlete. (7:02)

Tamron discusses that the main reason he wanted to switch to the independence side is because of the ability to create your own brand. (14:58)

Tamron advises the listeners to put their blinders on, control what they can, and focus. (21:44)

James shares his experience starting his company and how he got help to pull it off. (32:43)

James explains that a really great virtual team member can be a good asset for a start-up company. (38:14)

James shares his strategy for being able to achieve sustainable cash flow and growth with a start-up. (43:20)

James shares that, in his opinion, it is very important to prioritize your time over money, because if not, then you are making a tactical error. (46:53)

James explains that as long as you take good care of your clients and your team, you are going to have freedom and flexibility. (53:47)

Tamron mentions the importance of having a good culture in your agency and being a coach that your team wants to follow. (57:53)

Tamron shares that his goal is to be a lifelong learner. (59:25)

Key Quotes:

"If you're working on a skill, you're not going to see an immediate return on what you worked on the next day, it's going to be something that you see gradually." - Tamron Manning

"The moment your time becomes more valuable than your money, you have to prioritize time over money. Because if you don't, you're making a tactical error in my opinion." - James Jenkins

"Attract the right people, invite them to come on a mission with you. And then equip them the way that they need to be equipped to give them the resources that they need. And then get out of their way and cut them loose. And then see what happens." - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Tamron's agency at his website: https://integrityinsgrp.com/

Connect with Tamron on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamron-manning-73b849181/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how claims are paid in the industry and how C.B. Wood Financial is helping brokers deliver savings.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that some clients and employees who go to the doctor to get a prescription or have surgery or imaging don't know how much their claim will cost until they get the EOB. (2:31)

Clayton discusses the several factors of how claims are priced. (3:09)

Clayton highly recommends Marshall Allen's book: Never Pay the First Bill because it provides a clear idea of how claims are paid in the industry. (8:27)

Clayton explains C.B. Wood Financial's big win-win solution for its clients, which has been a huge success. (9:40)

David mentions that finding individuals who are specialists in things you don't know about, in areas of coverage that you don't represent every day, will lead to significant changes in your book of business. (13:50)

David explains that he was never interested in bringing benefits into the agency because it moves too quickly (14:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Glad we could help out some of these P&C brokers, learn how to help their plans, their client's plans. And ultimately, if we can show them that there's another strategy out there, they're the hero, you know, that's what we're trying to do make your the P&C broker the hero and deliver a ton of savings” - Clayton Wood

“Find the people that are the expert in the little things that you don't know about in the areas of coverage that you don't represent every single day. And that ultimately is what's going to drive significant change in your book of business.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial

Book: Never Pay the First Bill

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how claims are paid in the industry and how C.B. Wood Financial is helping brokers deliver savings.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that some clients and employees who go to the doctor to get a prescription or have surgery or imaging don't know how much their claim will cost until they get the EOB. (2:31)

Clayton discusses the several factors of how claims are priced. (3:09)

Clayton highly recommends Marshall Allen's book: Never Pay the First Bill because it provides a clear idea of how claims are paid in the industry. (8:27)

Clayton explains C.B. Wood Financial's big win-win solution for its clients, which has been a huge success. (9:40)

David mentions that finding individuals who are specialists in things you don't know about, in areas of coverage that you don't represent every day, will lead to significant changes in your book of business. (13:50)

David explains that he was never interested in bringing benefits into the agency because it moves too quickly (14:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Glad we could help out some of these P&C brokers, learn how to help their plans, their client's plans. And ultimately, if we can show them that there's another strategy out there, they're the hero, you know, that's what we're trying to do make your the P&C broker the hero and deliver a ton of savings” - Clayton Wood

“Find the people that are the expert in the little things that you don't know about in the areas of coverage that you don't represent every single day. And that ultimately is what's going to drive significant change in your book of business.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial

Book: Never Pay the First Bill

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Jason Cass for an absolute blitz of conversation on insurance, insurtech, and everything and anything else we could discuss in a 60-minute podcast. You will be educated, and you will certainly be entertained. You are welcome, insurance industry...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan mentions that he will be purchasing David Carothers' book The Dirty 130 for his team since the book when combined with the workbook, is an extremely exciting program for producers (3:07)

Jason explains that everything he and Ryan talked about before about what will happen in the insurance industry is already happening. (5:22)

Ryan believes that there are brilliant individuals flying about all over and that if you have the opportunity to give them lifestyle work rather than a traditional job, you can get fantastic people all across the country. (7:22)

Jason acknowledges that SAA provided him with the contract that got him the appointments, and he was able to accomplish it even though he was in his basement. (11:21)

Ryan and Jason discuss the clichéd Boomer attitude and why it has to go. (16:47)

Ryan mentions that it surprises people when he tells them that the average age of his team at Rouge Risk is 37 because most people expect them to be in their 20s. (21:19)

Jason discusses how Jake Jines became an employee of The Insurance Alliance and the $572,000 deal that Jake and Gavin just closed on their own. (39:21)

Ryan believes that data will play a significant role in the future of the industry, but that it may be both positive and negative. (42:14)

Jason explains how it is all about the client's behavior. It's about the agent and how they're going to use AI technology and data to meet that individual in a different way. (44:36)

Jason believes that there will come a time when data sharing between agencies will be as simple as a FanDuel. (49:06)

Ryan believes that how we develop culture and workstyle in our organizations is almost as important as any other decision we make since it is how brilliant people are attracted. (1:04:06)

Key Quotes:

“I also predicted after Dan Burris that AI would invent art that's never been invented before. And just if you look at the Colorado festival that happened like two or three days ago, the guy who won with the artwork, it was completely AI-generated.” - Jason Cass

“There are talented people flying all over the place. And if you have the ability to offer them lifestyle employment versus the classic, I'm going to bang on you and you should thank God that you have a paycheck style employment, you can get amazing people throughout the country.” - Ryan Hanley

“It's about that behavior of what's happening with the client. It's about the agent and how they're going to use that AI technology, that data to be able to meet that person in a different type of way, what those ways that are going to analyze that. That's where I think we're going to say, I mean, we just had data, but we didn't have anything.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Jason Cass LinkedIn

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Jason Cass for an absolute blitz of conversation on insurance, insurtech, and everything and anything else we could discuss in a 60-minute podcast. You will be educated, and you will certainly be entertained. You are welcome, insurance industry...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan mentions that he will be purchasing David Carothers' book The Dirty 130 for his team since the book when combined with the workbook, is an extremely exciting program for producers (3:07)

Jason explains that everything he and Ryan talked about before about what will happen in the insurance industry is already happening. (5:22)

Ryan believes that there are brilliant individuals flying about all over and that if you have the opportunity to give them lifestyle work rather than a traditional job, you can get fantastic people all across the country. (7:22)

Jason acknowledges that SAA provided him with the contract that got him the appointments, and he was able to accomplish it even though he was in his basement. (11:21)

Ryan and Jason discuss the clichéd Boomer attitude and why it has to go. (16:47)

Ryan mentions that it surprises people when he tells them that the average age of his team at Rouge Risk is 37 because most people expect them to be in their 20s. (21:19)

Jason discusses how Jake Jines became an employee of The Insurance Alliance and the $572,000 deal that Jake and Gavin just closed on their own. (39:21)

Ryan believes that data will play a significant role in the future of the industry, but that it may be both positive and negative. (42:14)

Jason explains how it is all about the client's behavior. It's about the agent and how they're going to use AI technology and data to meet that individual in a different way. (44:36)

Jason believes that there will come a time when data sharing between agencies will be as simple as a FanDuel. (49:06)

Ryan believes that how we develop culture and workstyle in our organizations is almost as important as any other decision we make since it is how brilliant people are attracted. (1:04:06)

Key Quotes:

“I also predicted after Dan Burris that AI would invent art that's never been invented before. And just if you look at the Colorado festival that happened like two or three days ago, the guy who won with the artwork, it was completely AI-generated.” - Jason Cass

“There are talented people flying all over the place. And if you have the ability to offer them lifestyle employment versus the classic, I'm going to bang on you and you should thank God that you have a paycheck style employment, you can get amazing people throughout the country.” - Ryan Hanley

“It's about that behavior of what's happening with the client. It's about the agent and how they're going to use that AI technology, that data to be able to meet that person in a different type of way, what those ways that are going to analyze that. That's where I think we're going to say, I mean, we just had data, but we didn't have anything.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Jason Cass LinkedIn

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this special episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Dave Jackson, Founder of IAOA. Dave discusses the upcoming IAOA Innovation22 event in Nashville, Tennessee, including what will be different this year, what new guests can expect, and why guests return year after year.

Episode Highlights:

Dave explains that the upcoming IAOA Innovation22 will be a three-day event. (2:47)

Dave discusses the event's theme and agenda. (3:52)

Dave explains how the nomination process for choosing speakers for IAOA Innovation22. (7:09)

Dave mentions that they never have a repetition of topics, and this year's ideas are incredibly broad and diversified. (13:58)

Dave shares that 50% of their guests are repeat attendees because they return and want to see their friends once a year and the event provides a great opportunity to connect. (18:56)

Dave explains that tickets are available until October 5, the day before the event and they are producing name badges on demand, so that everyone will have theirs printed when they arrive. (20:18)

Dave informs listeners that when attendees register, they are able to donate to the scholarship fund, and this year they had enough at a value of $649 to provide 11 scholarships. (23:32)

Dave discusses their future goal of creating a nonprofit scholarship foundation. (24:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We listen to our members from past years and no breakouts so you don't have to pick, you are going to see everybody in one room for two days straight, we give you plenty of breaks, so there's not going to be a problem.” - Dave Jackson

“We have hundreds and hundreds of attendees, and almost every year, it's about 50% first timers, the other 50% are repeaters. So, those first timers jump in, and everyone I mean, everyone you know, tells them, it's going to feel like you're drinking from a firehose, because you're going to be flooded with information and knowledge.” - Dave Jackson

“What we do is we allow attendees to donate to the scholarship fund when they register. This year, we had enough at a 649 value, that was the early bird price, enough to fund 11 scholarships.” - Dave Jackson

Resources Mentioned:

Dave Jackson LinkedIn

IAOA

IAOA Innovation22

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this special episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Dave Jackson, Founder of IAOA. Dave discusses the upcoming IAOA Innovation22 event in Nashville, Tennessee, including what will be different this year, what new guests can expect, and why guests return year after year.

Episode Highlights:

Dave explains that the upcoming IAOA Innovation22 will be a three-day event. (2:47)

Dave discusses the event's theme and agenda. (3:52)

Dave explains how the nomination process for choosing speakers for IAOA Innovation22. (7:09)

Dave mentions that they never have a repetition of topics, and this year's ideas are incredibly broad and diversified. (13:58)

Dave shares that 50% of their guests are repeat attendees because they return and want to see their friends once a year and the event provides a great opportunity to connect. (18:56)

Dave explains that tickets are available until October 5, the day before the event and they are producing name badges on demand, so that everyone will have theirs printed when they arrive. (20:18)

Dave informs listeners that when attendees register, they are able to donate to the scholarship fund, and this year they had enough at a value of $649 to provide 11 scholarships. (23:32)

Dave discusses their future goal of creating a nonprofit scholarship foundation. (24:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We listen to our members from past years and no breakouts so you don't have to pick, you are going to see everybody in one room for two days straight, we give you plenty of breaks, so there's not going to be a problem.” - Dave Jackson

“We have hundreds and hundreds of attendees, and almost every year, it's about 50% first timers, the other 50% are repeaters. So, those first timers jump in, and everyone I mean, everyone you know, tells them, it's going to feel like you're drinking from a firehose, because you're going to be flooded with information and knowledge.” - Dave Jackson

“What we do is we allow attendees to donate to the scholarship fund when they register. This year, we had enough at a 649 value, that was the early bird price, enough to fund 11 scholarships.” - Dave Jackson

Resources Mentioned:

Dave Jackson LinkedIn

IAOA

IAOA Innovation22

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ati Grinspun. Ati Grinspun is a branding and photography guru who works with women to help them with their personal branding and how to make a great impression on our clients.

Episode Highlights:

Ati explains how she became interested in becoming a branding business coach. (1:35)

Ati shares that while she was deciding what she wanted to do, she began working with women. (3:22)

Ati explains how she helps women overcome their fear of being really authentic. (9:26)

Ati believes that each of us can create a profitable personal brand by emphasizing who we currently are rather than attempting to become someone we are not. (13:59)

Ati mentions that we can bring our own experiences and all we've done to develop relevancy, but we must first believe it. (19:14)

According to Ati, a personal brand is more than just what we do, it genuinely incorporates who we are into what we do. (24:51)

Ati discusses the four most important things women need to build their personal brand. (35:54)

Ati explains that when someone isn't afraid to be vocal about their convictions, they attract people with the same beliefs. (40:28)

Ati discusses what it means to "keep in mind who your audience is." (45:28)

Ati explains that dedicating two hours per week to one platform is helpful. (50:05)

When it comes to social media, Ati shares that she wants women to embrace leaving a legacy in the world. (57:46)

Key Quotes:

“Women in general, we tend to believe that we have to be different and that we need to show up and that we need to be a certain way.” - Ati Grinspun

“I work with women like you that are very passionate about what they do. Because I think that when you have a passion to help people or you have passion for what you do, you will do anything to get your voice across.” - Ati Grinspun

“I do believe that every single one of us can build a profitable personal brand. We can stand out by putting a megaphone to we who we are already, instead of trying to become somebody we're not.” - Ati Grinspun

Resources Mentioned:

Ati Grinspun LinkedIn

Ati.G.Branding Photography

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ati Grinspun. Ati Grinspun is a branding and photography guru who works with women to help them with their personal branding and how to make a great impression on our clients.

Episode Highlights:

Ati explains how she became interested in becoming a branding business coach. (1:35)

Ati shares that while she was deciding what she wanted to do, she began working with women. (3:22)

Ati explains how she helps women overcome their fear of being really authentic. (9:26)

Ati believes that each of us can create a profitable personal brand by emphasizing who we currently are rather than attempting to become someone we are not. (13:59)

Ati mentions that we can bring our own experiences and all we've done to develop relevancy, but we must first believe it. (19:14)

According to Ati, a personal brand is more than just what we do, it genuinely incorporates who we are into what we do. (24:51)

Ati discusses the four most important things women need to build their personal brand. (35:54)

Ati explains that when someone isn't afraid to be vocal about their convictions, they attract people with the same beliefs. (40:28)

Ati discusses what it means to "keep in mind who your audience is." (45:28)

Ati explains that dedicating two hours per week to one platform is helpful. (50:05)

When it comes to social media, Ati shares that she wants women to embrace leaving a legacy in the world. (57:46)

Key Quotes:

“Women in general, we tend to believe that we have to be different and that we need to show up and that we need to be a certain way.” - Ati Grinspun

“I work with women like you that are very passionate about what they do. Because I think that when you have a passion to help people or you have passion for what you do, you will do anything to get your voice across.” - Ati Grinspun

“I do believe that every single one of us can build a profitable personal brand. We can stand out by putting a megaphone to we who we are already, instead of trying to become somebody we're not.” - Ati Grinspun

Resources Mentioned:

Ati Grinspun LinkedIn

Ati.G.Branding Photography

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Caryn Seifert, President of Streamlined Business Insurance. Caryn talks about her experience on The Protege and how she is applying what she is learning in her agency.

Episode Highlights:

Caryn shares that prior to getting into the insurance industry, she was in B2B sales and management in a lot of different capacities. (3:22)

Caryn discusses the turning point that led her to start her own agency. (5:44)

Caryn mentions that making an appointment to get her agency license in Florida was her first big challenge. (12:59)

Caryn shares that the thing she hates the most about phones is it's so hard to get anybody to answer their phone today. (21:19)

Caryn discusses her motivation for joining The Protege and who her coaches are. (22:23)

Caryn discusses her biggest surprise with The Protege and what she loves about it. (27:43)

David discusses what they did differently on this year's Protege that they didn't do last year. (29:57)

Caryn discusses the challenges she faced aside from the The Protege challenges. (33:45)

Caryn mentions what she is learning from the workshops, such as the need to tweak her cold calling scripts. (41:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You can't get better if somebody's just telling you what you want to hear. I prefer brutal, honestly. So like, tell me the truth.” - Caryn Seifert

“I took this serious, I took this like this is part of my job. I mean, yeah, I want the Killing Commercial program. But I'm still going to do my best on every single challenge because I know this is going to help me build the foundation going forward.” - Caryn Seifert

“There are some things you know, as I've been going through the production, like, there are some things like, I'm finding like, I need to tweak and change some things, like my cold calling script after the workshop that you and Mick did the premiere selling one recently. I changed up my cold calling script. So I'm using something different now because of that workshop.” - Caryn Seifert

Resources Mentioned:

Caryn Seifert LinkedIn

Streamlined Business Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Caryn Seifert, President of Streamlined Business Insurance. Caryn talks about her experience on The Protege and how she is applying what she is learning in her agency.

Episode Highlights:

Caryn shares that prior to getting into the insurance industry, she was in B2B sales and management in a lot of different capacities. (3:22)

Caryn discusses the turning point that led her to start her own agency. (5:44)

Caryn mentions that making an appointment to get her agency license in Florida was her first big challenge. (12:59)

Caryn shares that the thing she hates the most about phones is it's so hard to get anybody to answer their phone today. (21:19)

Caryn discusses her motivation for joining The Protege and who her coaches are. (22:23)

Caryn discusses her biggest surprise with The Protege and what she loves about it. (27:43)

David discusses what they did differently on this year's Protege that they didn't do last year. (29:57)

Caryn discusses the challenges she faced aside from the The Protege challenges. (33:45)

Caryn mentions what she is learning from the workshops, such as the need to tweak her cold calling scripts. (41:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You can't get better if somebody's just telling you what you want to hear. I prefer brutal, honestly. So like, tell me the truth.” - Caryn Seifert

“I took this serious, I took this like this is part of my job. I mean, yeah, I want the Killing Commercial program. But I'm still going to do my best on every single challenge because I know this is going to help me build the foundation going forward.” - Caryn Seifert

“There are some things you know, as I've been going through the production, like, there are some things like, I'm finding like, I need to tweak and change some things, like my cold calling script after the workshop that you and Mick did the premiere selling one recently. I changed up my cold calling script. So I'm using something different now because of that workshop.” - Caryn Seifert

Resources Mentioned:

Caryn Seifert LinkedIn

Streamlined Business Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mark Engels, CEO of ePayPolicy. Mark discusses the areas in which ePayPolicy has simplified the process of making insurance payments. Mark also highlights ePayPolicy’s new service, CheckMate, which is changing the game for paper check payments.

Episode Highlights:

Mark discusses how ePayPolicy’s new service, CheckMate, is making it easy for customers to receive payments and then have them auto reconcile into the back office to make things more efficient. (2:52)

Mark explains what a lockbox is and how it helps customers by transforming physical checks into digital files. (6:03)

Mark mentions that as ePayPolicy evolves, they are developing a solution for their clients that only take a handful of checks in their office each month and do not require a full-fledged outsourced lockbox service. (8:17)

Mark announces that ePayPolicy will launch a product associated with outbound payments for an insurance premium, as well as an invoicing solution that will take it to the next level. (10:14)

Jason explains how he became interested in the services and products offered by ePayPolicy. (13:07)

Mark shares that ePayPolicy will be attending AI Brainshare in March of 2023 in New Orleans. (15:45)

Key Quotes:

"If you think about the ecosystem today, and what we do, well, we help our customers accept and auto reconcile inbound payments associated with a premium." - Mark Engels

"There's still a lot of paper checks in the ecosystem. And, you know, it causes a lot of pain for the folks that are out there. And so we took a step back and said, Look, why don't we come up with a solution to offload that burden from our customers, we can't force the insurance into a method of payment." - Mark Engels

"It's our job to make it easier for our customers to accept those payments, and then make them auto reconcile into the back office to make it more efficient. So that's what CheckMate is all about." - Mark Engels

Resources Mentioned:

Mark Engels LinkedIn

ePayPolicy

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mark Engels, CEO of ePayPolicy. Mark discusses the areas in which ePayPolicy has simplified the process of making insurance payments. Mark also highlights ePayPolicy’s new service, CheckMate, which is changing the game for paper check payments.

Episode Highlights:

Mark discusses how ePayPolicy’s new service, CheckMate, is making it easy for customers to receive payments and then have them auto reconcile into the back office to make things more efficient. (2:52)

Mark explains what a lockbox is and how it helps customers by transforming physical checks into digital files. (6:03)

Mark mentions that as ePayPolicy evolves, they are developing a solution for their clients that only take a handful of checks in their office each month and do not require a full-fledged outsourced lockbox service. (8:17)

Mark announces that ePayPolicy will launch a product associated with outbound payments for an insurance premium, as well as an invoicing solution that will take it to the next level. (10:14)

Jason explains how he became interested in the services and products offered by ePayPolicy. (13:07)

Mark shares that ePayPolicy will be attending AI Brainshare in March of 2023 in New Orleans. (15:45)

Key Quotes:

"If you think about the ecosystem today, and what we do, well, we help our customers accept and auto reconcile inbound payments associated with a premium." - Mark Engels

"There's still a lot of paper checks in the ecosystem. And, you know, it causes a lot of pain for the folks that are out there. And so we took a step back and said, Look, why don't we come up with a solution to offload that burden from our customers, we can't force the insurance into a method of payment." - Mark Engels

"It's our job to make it easier for our customers to accept those payments, and then make them auto reconcile into the back office to make it more efficient. So that's what CheckMate is all about." - Mark Engels

Resources Mentioned:

Mark Engels LinkedIn

ePayPolicy

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Robert Sutter, President of Keystone Insurers Group, and Josh Gurley, Vice-President of HM Advisors, a member of the Keystone Top 20 Program. Robert and Josh talk about the ways in which Keystone is partnering with agencies to provide independent agencies with access to resources, expertise, and relationships to help them be successful long-term.

Episode Highlights:

Robert shares his background and how he got to where he is in the industry. (2:31)

Robert discusses how Keystone started 30 years ago and has grown to 16 states at this current time. (5:26)

Robert explains that their focus at Keystone is to show people three non-insurance ways of handling risk before they ever buy insurance. (13:25)

Robert shares that one of the advantages of the fee basis is the commitment of a contract for three years instead of one. (18:00)

Josh shares a story about one of the people he is coaching who couldn't make the decision. (24:39)

Robert explains and elaborates that one of the things they teach in their top 20 programs is the counterattack. (29:49)

Robert explains that he looks at two types of intentions from producer candidates for Keystone. (34:19)

Robert explains that most producers want to be technically competent about insurance but do not think about what they can afford to lose. (38:46)

Robert adds that their Top 20 program has a whole session regarding centers of influence and how to educate them. (45:57)

Josh explains the exact roadmap they use within the agency, starting with the initial marketing drop. (54:12)

Robert mentions that an online presence has to show that you provide a value that nobody else provides. (59:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I would rather have less money from you for the next 25 years than to have a lot of money from you for a year or two because I sold you things you did not need, and somebody else came in and pointed that out." - Robert Sutter

"Don't tell me they won't buy from you in your county because you don’t go to church with them or you don’t go to rotary with them because you've got to provide a value that guy's not providing. And I think that's just somewhat of an excuse for not prospecting." - Robert Sutter

"That's what we think insurance is, is a risk parachute for people that don't want to jump out of an airplane." - Robert Sutter

Resources Mentioned:

Robert Sutter LinkedIn

Josh Gurley LinkedIn

Keystone Insurers Group

HM Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Robert Sutter, President of Keystone Insurers Group, and Josh Gurley, Vice-President of HM Advisors, a member of the Keystone Top 20 Program. Robert and Josh talk about the ways in which Keystone is partnering with agencies to provide independent agencies with access to resources, expertise, and relationships to help them be successful long-term.

Episode Highlights:

Robert shares his background and how he got to where he is in the industry. (2:31)

Robert discusses how Keystone started 30 years ago and has grown to 16 states at this current time. (5:26)

Robert explains that their focus at Keystone is to show people three non-insurance ways of handling risk before they ever buy insurance. (13:25)

Robert shares that one of the advantages of the fee basis is the commitment of a contract for three years instead of one. (18:00)

Josh shares a story about one of the people he is coaching who couldn't make the decision. (24:39)

Robert explains and elaborates that one of the things they teach in their top 20 programs is the counterattack. (29:49)

Robert explains that he looks at two types of intentions from producer candidates for Keystone. (34:19)

Robert explains that most producers want to be technically competent about insurance but do not think about what they can afford to lose. (38:46)

Robert adds that their Top 20 program has a whole session regarding centers of influence and how to educate them. (45:57)

Josh explains the exact roadmap they use within the agency, starting with the initial marketing drop. (54:12)

Robert mentions that an online presence has to show that you provide a value that nobody else provides. (59:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I would rather have less money from you for the next 25 years than to have a lot of money from you for a year or two because I sold you things you did not need, and somebody else came in and pointed that out." - Robert Sutter

"Don't tell me they won't buy from you in your county because you don’t go to church with them or you don’t go to rotary with them because you've got to provide a value that guy's not providing. And I think that's just somewhat of an excuse for not prospecting." - Robert Sutter

"That's what we think insurance is, is a risk parachute for people that don't want to jump out of an airplane." - Robert Sutter

Resources Mentioned:

Robert Sutter LinkedIn

Josh Gurley LinkedIn

Keystone Insurers Group

HM Advisors

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Ted Stuckey, President of Nationwide Brokerage Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Ted shares what Nationwide Brokerage Solutions (NBS) are all about, and what they do to help the industry. (5:34)

Ted explains that NBS focuses on areas where agents are struggling, and aims to zero out these challenges. (11:03)

James shares that he is fascinated by how NBS is participating with so many carriers to serve a wide variety of niches. (20:01)

Ted explains why they currently are not participating in the transportation side of the niche. (21:12)

Ted shares how they ensure that clients are getting placed with the right coverages and carriers. (28:00)

Ted discusses that there will always be a blindspot in an agency, and shares an example of theirs, which is the high-touch service. (32:13)

Ted explains that the reason why they have a great relationship with underwriters and carriers is that they do the heavy lifting, and know when they are not a good fit. (40:55)

Ted shares about their program called "Cadillac" and how they have been partnering up with Allianz. (46:16)

Ted explains that if people are not intentionally focused on choosing a quote, they might end up being at risk in the end. (52:19)

Ted shares that it is easy to grow a career quickly, but it is almost impossible to grow and do it profitably. (55:38)

Ted recalls the greatest experience and knowledge he obtained with the previous companies he has been part of, including PNC and First Comp. (1:02:08)

Ted advises listeners to always tap into what is currently happening in other markets around the globe. (1:09:21)

Ted elaborates on the importance of finding the right partners for agents that are just getting started in the industry. (1:11:18)

Key Quotes:

"I learned early in my career, that it's pretty darn easy to grow a carrier really quickly. And it's next to impossible to grow quickly and do it profitably." - Ted Stuckey

"Don't be a hero, it's not worth it, you find those partners link up arm and arm and grow alongside them. And the best partners are the ones that will let you go once you get to a certain size." - Ted Stuckey

“We’ve all got to do our part to move the industry forward. And the more that we can not only meet the customer's expectations but then exceed them, the more we can get out of this sort of proverbial laughingstock of an analog world that we find ourselves in so often." - Ted Stuckey

Resources Mentioned:

To learn more about NBS, visit their website at https://nbsbrokerage.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Ted Stuckey, President of Nationwide Brokerage Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Ted shares what Nationwide Brokerage Solutions (NBS) are all about, and what they do to help the industry. (5:34)

Ted explains that NBS focuses on areas where agents are struggling, and aims to zero out these challenges. (11:03)

James shares that he is fascinated by how NBS is participating with so many carriers to serve a wide variety of niches. (20:01)

Ted explains why they currently are not participating in the transportation side of the niche. (21:12)

Ted shares how they ensure that clients are getting placed with the right coverages and carriers. (28:00)

Ted discusses that there will always be a blindspot in an agency, and shares an example of theirs, which is the high-touch service. (32:13)

Ted explains that the reason why they have a great relationship with underwriters and carriers is that they do the heavy lifting, and know when they are not a good fit. (40:55)

Ted shares about their program called "Cadillac" and how they have been partnering up with Allianz. (46:16)

Ted explains that if people are not intentionally focused on choosing a quote, they might end up being at risk in the end. (52:19)

Ted shares that it is easy to grow a career quickly, but it is almost impossible to grow and do it profitably. (55:38)

Ted recalls the greatest experience and knowledge he obtained with the previous companies he has been part of, including PNC and First Comp. (1:02:08)

Ted advises listeners to always tap into what is currently happening in other markets around the globe. (1:09:21)

Ted elaborates on the importance of finding the right partners for agents that are just getting started in the industry. (1:11:18)

Key Quotes:

"I learned early in my career, that it's pretty darn easy to grow a carrier really quickly. And it's next to impossible to grow quickly and do it profitably." - Ted Stuckey

"Don't be a hero, it's not worth it, you find those partners link up arm and arm and grow alongside them. And the best partners are the ones that will let you go once you get to a certain size." - Ted Stuckey

“We’ve all got to do our part to move the industry forward. And the more that we can not only meet the customer's expectations but then exceed them, the more we can get out of this sort of proverbial laughingstock of an analog world that we find ourselves in so often." - Ted Stuckey

Resources Mentioned:

To learn more about NBS, visit their website at https://nbsbrokerage.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how their company consistently reduces employer healthcare spending by 20-40%, and how they can assist agents not only getting more business but also maintain the accounts they already have by increasing stickiness.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares how C.B. Wood Financial found a niche in the healthcare industry, where companies with 50 to 500 people are large enough that their claims matter but too small to use large company strategies. (3:34)

Clayton explains the 80-20 rule in the health care business and how it may help firms cut plan costs while improving benefits. (8:37)

Clayton mentions that just by having enough strategies in their toolbox, businesses may produce huge savings for clients simply by knowing how to do it. (11:38)

Clayton shares that they advise their clients to stay on their existing plan if it offers unbeatable pricing. (17:48)

Clayton discusses how they bring in partners if they have questions they cannot answer themselves. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Just by having enough strategies in your toolbox, you could deliver a significant amount of savings for clients, just by being able to know how to do it.” - Clayton Wood

“We actually don't quote for clients anymore, for prospects anymore. What we've done is we've said, hey, look, send us your monthly bill, we're going to guarantee you a savings rate.” - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how their company consistently reduces employer healthcare spending by 20-40%, and how they can assist agents not only getting more business but also maintain the accounts they already have by increasing stickiness.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares how C.B. Wood Financial found a niche in the healthcare industry, where companies with 50 to 500 people are large enough that their claims matter but too small to use large company strategies. (3:34)

Clayton explains the 80-20 rule in the health care business and how it may help firms cut plan costs while improving benefits. (8:37)

Clayton mentions that just by having enough strategies in their toolbox, businesses may produce huge savings for clients simply by knowing how to do it. (11:38)

Clayton shares that they advise their clients to stay on their existing plan if it offers unbeatable pricing. (17:48)

Clayton discusses how they bring in partners if they have questions they cannot answer themselves. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Just by having enough strategies in your toolbox, you could deliver a significant amount of savings for clients, just by being able to know how to do it.” - Clayton Wood

“We actually don't quote for clients anymore, for prospects anymore. What we've done is we've said, hey, look, send us your monthly bill, we're going to guarantee you a savings rate.” - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

C.B. Wood Financial.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Tanya Andolsen, President of Argosy Risk Specialists, joins the podcast for a deep dive into environmental insurance. We talk about what exactly environmental insurance is, why it's essential, and ultimately how independent insurance agents sell more of it.

This is an episode you insurance nerds don't want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

Tanya discusses her background and how she got started in the insurance industry 27 years ago. (4:19)

Tanya explains the concept of being in the environmental insurance industry and the processes they follow. (9:54)

Tanya shares how everything can be related to our environment and how this can be explained to clients and contractors. (16:35)

Tanya explains that if there is a pollution exclusion on a claim, the chance is that it is going to be denied. (19:01)

Tanya shares the example of waste disposal as one environmental issue that could present an exposure for business owners if they are not properly protected. (23:35)

Tanya explains that environmental insurance helps clients with the things they cannot control. (30:46)

Tanya mentions that the process for environmental insurance is similar to other wholesale brokers that have an environmental division, and most policies are placed. (35:26)

Tanya explains that it is very important to have access to resources that will help clients understand their coverage. (38:56)

Key Quotes:

"What environmental insurance does is it helps you with the things that you can't control; the people that are coming by your property, your neighbors, you know, those class action lawsuits, things like that." - Tanya Andolsen

"A large percentage of what I see are developers, real estate investment trusts, and the reason they're buying it is that they've got the investors and lenders, and they want to make sure that they're covered and that there's protection there in the event of an environmental issue." - Tanya Andolsen

"Unfortunately, our society is becoming more and more litigious, and, you know, those are the things that insurance is there to help you with, to help your bottom line, or protect you because the chances are you don't have this coffer of money set aside to defend yourself from an environmental claim." - Tanya Andolsen

Resources Mentioned:

Tanya Andolsen LinkedIn

Argosy Risk Specialists

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Tanya Andolsen, President of Argosy Risk Specialists, joins the podcast for a deep dive into environmental insurance. We talk about what exactly environmental insurance is, why it's essential, and ultimately how independent insurance agents sell more of it.

This is an episode you insurance nerds don't want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

Tanya discusses her background and how she got started in the insurance industry 27 years ago. (4:19)

Tanya explains the concept of being in the environmental insurance industry and the processes they follow. (9:54)

Tanya shares how everything can be related to our environment and how this can be explained to clients and contractors. (16:35)

Tanya explains that if there is a pollution exclusion on a claim, the chance is that it is going to be denied. (19:01)

Tanya shares the example of waste disposal as one environmental issue that could present an exposure for business owners if they are not properly protected. (23:35)

Tanya explains that environmental insurance helps clients with the things they cannot control. (30:46)

Tanya mentions that the process for environmental insurance is similar to other wholesale brokers that have an environmental division, and most policies are placed. (35:26)

Tanya explains that it is very important to have access to resources that will help clients understand their coverage. (38:56)

Key Quotes:

"What environmental insurance does is it helps you with the things that you can't control; the people that are coming by your property, your neighbors, you know, those class action lawsuits, things like that." - Tanya Andolsen

"A large percentage of what I see are developers, real estate investment trusts, and the reason they're buying it is that they've got the investors and lenders, and they want to make sure that they're covered and that there's protection there in the event of an environmental issue." - Tanya Andolsen

"Unfortunately, our society is becoming more and more litigious, and, you know, those are the things that insurance is there to help you with, to help your bottom line, or protect you because the chances are you don't have this coffer of money set aside to defend yourself from an environmental claim." - Tanya Andolsen

Resources Mentioned:

Tanya Andolsen LinkedIn

Argosy Risk Specialists

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how competing insurance agents only win new business an average of 8% of the time in a normal quoting process. Incumbent agents win 92%. So, who has it better? That's really the issue. Incumbent agents retain their clients because they have access and currently control the insured's permission. Therefore, let's focus on winning permission rather than blind quoting.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares what is the problem with the normal quoting process in the insurance industry. (3:16)

Charles shares why he likes the books of Seth Godin. (5:44)

Charles explains his definition of permission. (8:48)

Charles tells listeners why it’s so important to get permission. (9:46)

What kind of quoting is Charles trying to get rid of? (14:31)

What’s one of the most difficult things for insurance agents to start figuring out? (18:30)

Charles shares one of the most important strategies to use. (21:10)

Charles gives an overview of different areas of permission. (27:48)

Charles shares the final tip which is to start going after broker of record letters. (28:39)

Charles mentions a dirty little secret about the insurance industry. (30:07)

Key Quotes:

“We need to make sure that we have the access to go forward before we actually do go forward.” - Charles Specht

“You’ve got to get that permission. Because if you don't have it, you ain't winning. I'm sorry to tell you, you are not going to win if you do not have insurance permission. There's a lot of insurance buyers out there who are using you for information.” - Charles Specht

“Having that mindset that you do not offer quotes going forward...Probably one of the more difficult things to do. But let me just tell you, you do that and the insured will never forget you.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how competing insurance agents only win new business an average of 8% of the time in a normal quoting process. Incumbent agents win 92%. So, who has it better? That's really the issue. Incumbent agents retain their clients because they have access and currently control the insured's permission. Therefore, let's focus on winning permission rather than blind quoting.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares what is the problem with the normal quoting process in the insurance industry. (3:16)

Charles shares why he likes the books of Seth Godin. (5:44)

Charles explains his definition of permission. (8:48)

Charles tells listeners why it’s so important to get permission. (9:46)

What kind of quoting is Charles trying to get rid of? (14:31)

What’s one of the most difficult things for insurance agents to start figuring out? (18:30)

Charles shares one of the most important strategies to use. (21:10)

Charles gives an overview of different areas of permission. (27:48)

Charles shares the final tip which is to start going after broker of record letters. (28:39)

Charles mentions a dirty little secret about the insurance industry. (30:07)

Key Quotes:

“We need to make sure that we have the access to go forward before we actually do go forward.” - Charles Specht

“You’ve got to get that permission. Because if you don't have it, you ain't winning. I'm sorry to tell you, you are not going to win if you do not have insurance permission. There's a lot of insurance buyers out there who are using you for information.” - Charles Specht

“Having that mindset that you do not offer quotes going forward...Probably one of the more difficult things to do. But let me just tell you, you do that and the insured will never forget you.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Heather McBroom. Heather is the CEO of Precision Services. She uses InsuredMine to help agencies streamline processes and take the headache out of setting up their agency for success.

Episode Highlights:

Heather shares that she and her mother have been in the industry since 1997. (1:32)

Heather explains that insurance is something you need to pay attention to in order to be profitable. (5:03)

Heather shares how she decided to create a one-note platform to be able to organize everything according to the needs of the business. (7:37)

Heather explains that they have saved a lot of time by creating an automation that is in her voice and own brand. (10:37)

Heather shares that she created a robust training program for her VAs that are in the Philippines that turned out very well. (12:53)

Heather elaborates on being very selective about who she works with as part of her being strategic. (16:22)

Heather shares that with the help of automation, they can work on the company culture for their clients. (19:04)

Heather explains that the importance of automation is that we have the capability to do things, but we are limited in time. (22:29)

Heather elaborates that with the help of automation, people's love and passion for their work and their company increase (23:55)

Key Quotes:

"I'm very selective about who I work with. And the reason is, I'm not going to give you all the tools and set you up for success, and then turn around and do that to a direct competitor." - Heather McBroom

"Nothing that I offer is rocket science, right? We all know that we could have the capability to do this; it's the time that you don't have." - Heather McBroom

"I mean, they're not out there doing sales, but they're out there doing something they're passionate about. And that increased, you know, their love for their job and for the company and increase the awareness of my company throughout the whole community." - Heather McBroom

Resources Mentioned:

Heather McBroom LinkedIn

Precision Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Heather McBroom. Heather is the CEO of Precision Services. She uses InsuredMine to help agencies streamline processes and take the headache out of setting up their agency for success.

Episode Highlights:

Heather shares that she and her mother have been in the industry since 1997. (1:32)

Heather explains that insurance is something you need to pay attention to in order to be profitable. (5:03)

Heather shares how she decided to create a one-note platform to be able to organize everything according to the needs of the business. (7:37)

Heather explains that they have saved a lot of time by creating an automation that is in her voice and own brand. (10:37)

Heather shares that she created a robust training program for her VAs that are in the Philippines that turned out very well. (12:53)

Heather elaborates on being very selective about who she works with as part of her being strategic. (16:22)

Heather shares that with the help of automation, they can work on the company culture for their clients. (19:04)

Heather explains that the importance of automation is that we have the capability to do things, but we are limited in time. (22:29)

Heather elaborates that with the help of automation, people's love and passion for their work and their company increase (23:55)

Key Quotes:

"I'm very selective about who I work with. And the reason is, I'm not going to give you all the tools and set you up for success, and then turn around and do that to a direct competitor." - Heather McBroom

"Nothing that I offer is rocket science, right? We all know that we could have the capability to do this; it's the time that you don't have." - Heather McBroom

"I mean, they're not out there doing sales, but they're out there doing something they're passionate about. And that increased, you know, their love for their job and for the company and increase the awareness of my company throughout the whole community." - Heather McBroom

Resources Mentioned:

Heather McBroom LinkedIn

Precision Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bryan Mccall, Agency Owner of Sand Springs Agency and Contender on The Protege Season 2. Bryan discusses why he joined The Protege, and what he has learned so far from the competition.

Episode Highlights:

Bryan explains how he got into commercial insurance. (2:55)

Bryan expresses gratitude to Sean and the other Protege participants for their kindness. (9:44)

Bryan, David, and Kyle talk about the amazing Protege belt that IPFS funded for the winner. (18:36)

David mentions Ric Flair as the second professional athlete he called out on the show. (20:26)

Bryan explains why he joined the protege. (26:15)

Bryan mentions that joining the Protege is like going outside of your comfort zone because commercial insurance was not in his wheelhouse and was not something that came naturally to him. (31:09)

Bryan discusses the most surprising aspect of The Protege process. (34:54)

Bryan believes that things that come easily never last, and that things that last never come easily. (54:27)

Bryan expresses his desire to become a permanent member of the Killing Commercial group. (57:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I wanted everybody to know how much fun this can be, you know, going through this process, seeing what's out there for commercial. And really, for me, I know that it's gonna seem like a stretch, stepping outside of your comfort zone. Because commercial was not in my wheelhouse. Like I said, I was licensed. But it wasn't something that came naturally to me.” - Bryan Mccall

“Things that come easy, never last things that last never come easy.” - Bryan Mccall

“My ultimate goal is to become a permanent part of your Killing Commercial group… I want to be a part of that and help anybody else. Whether they want to be mentored by me or not.” - Bryan Mccall

Resources Mentioned:

Bryan Mccall LinkedIn

Sand Springs Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bryan Mccall, Agency Owner of Sand Springs Agency and Contender on The Protege Season 2. Bryan discusses why he joined The Protege, and what he has learned so far from the competition.

Episode Highlights:

Bryan explains how he got into commercial insurance. (2:55)

Bryan expresses gratitude to Sean and the other Protege participants for their kindness. (9:44)

Bryan, David, and Kyle talk about the amazing Protege belt that IPFS funded for the winner. (18:36)

David mentions Ric Flair as the second professional athlete he called out on the show. (20:26)

Bryan explains why he joined the protege. (26:15)

Bryan mentions that joining the Protege is like going outside of your comfort zone because commercial insurance was not in his wheelhouse and was not something that came naturally to him. (31:09)

Bryan discusses the most surprising aspect of The Protege process. (34:54)

Bryan believes that things that come easily never last, and that things that last never come easily. (54:27)

Bryan expresses his desire to become a permanent member of the Killing Commercial group. (57:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I wanted everybody to know how much fun this can be, you know, going through this process, seeing what's out there for commercial. And really, for me, I know that it's gonna seem like a stretch, stepping outside of your comfort zone. Because commercial was not in my wheelhouse. Like I said, I was licensed. But it wasn't something that came naturally to me.” - Bryan Mccall

“Things that come easy, never last things that last never come easy.” - Bryan Mccall

“My ultimate goal is to become a permanent part of your Killing Commercial group… I want to be a part of that and help anybody else. Whether they want to be mentored by me or not.” - Bryan Mccall

Resources Mentioned:

Bryan Mccall LinkedIn

Sand Springs Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jason Cutter, CEO & Founder of Cutter Consulting Group. He explains how they assist businesses in dealing with the problems that affect business-to-consumer (B2C) sales teams.

Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass believes that the majority of people named "Jason" are now between the ages of 37 and 47. (1:35)

Jason Cutter mentions that he uses Android. (10:28)

Jason Cutter explains that he loves winning just because he is good at something, but he doesn't mind losing if he isn't excellent and someone else is. (11:36)

Jason Cutter believes that embracing his strengths and skills is the key to his success. (12:59)

Jason Cutter discusses his background prior to becoming a consultant and how he got into the consulting industry. (13:48)

Jason Cutter explains he's an operational man first and a sales guy second, which means he's learned how to be really good at sales, but his brain thinks operationally and in terms of systems. (19:49)

Jason Cutter believes that in today's digital world, it just takes 5 seconds for someone to ruin a reputation. (21:00)

According to Jason Cutter, the first step in breaking the ego that keeps organizations from scaling is admitting that they have a problem. (21:34)

Jason Cutter shares that the most prevalent problem that individuals bring to him is that their agents, salespeople, and reps aren't closing enough deals. (22:53)

Jason Cutter explains that when corporations approach him to begin a partnership, he usually begins with a gap analysis. (30:21)

Jason Cutter shares that he has several clients where the owner is the salesperson, and they've tried hiring people, but it never works and now he's assisting them in building from the ground up. (32:56)

Key Quotes:

“I love to win. Usually, it happens just because I'm good at something. I don't hate to lose. If I'm not good and somebody's better than me. - Jason Cutter

In this digital world, that takes five seconds for someone to destroy your reputation online.”- Jason Cutter

“I have many clients where the owner is the salesperson, and they've tried hiring people, and it never works out. And now I'm helping them build from the ground up, which I actually prefer. It's better to do it right the first time, then burn it all down and fix it. it's always a process.” - Jason Cutter

Resources Mentioned:

Jason Cutter LinkedIn

Cutter Consulting Group

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jason Cutter, CEO & Founder of Cutter Consulting Group. He explains how they assist businesses in dealing with the problems that affect business-to-consumer (B2C) sales teams.

Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass believes that the majority of people named "Jason" are now between the ages of 37 and 47. (1:35)

Jason Cutter mentions that he uses Android. (10:28)

Jason Cutter explains that he loves winning just because he is good at something, but he doesn't mind losing if he isn't excellent and someone else is. (11:36)

Jason Cutter believes that embracing his strengths and skills is the key to his success. (12:59)

Jason Cutter discusses his background prior to becoming a consultant and how he got into the consulting industry. (13:48)

Jason Cutter explains he's an operational man first and a sales guy second, which means he's learned how to be really good at sales, but his brain thinks operationally and in terms of systems. (19:49)

Jason Cutter believes that in today's digital world, it just takes 5 seconds for someone to ruin a reputation. (21:00)

According to Jason Cutter, the first step in breaking the ego that keeps organizations from scaling is admitting that they have a problem. (21:34)

Jason Cutter shares that the most prevalent problem that individuals bring to him is that their agents, salespeople, and reps aren't closing enough deals. (22:53)

Jason Cutter explains that when corporations approach him to begin a partnership, he usually begins with a gap analysis. (30:21)

Jason Cutter shares that he has several clients where the owner is the salesperson, and they've tried hiring people, but it never works and now he's assisting them in building from the ground up. (32:56)

Key Quotes:

“I love to win. Usually, it happens just because I'm good at something. I don't hate to lose. If I'm not good and somebody's better than me. - Jason Cutter

In this digital world, that takes five seconds for someone to destroy your reputation online.”- Jason Cutter

“I have many clients where the owner is the salesperson, and they've tried hiring people, and it never works out. And now I'm helping them build from the ground up, which I actually prefer. It's better to do it right the first time, then burn it all down and fix it. it's always a process.” - Jason Cutter

Resources Mentioned:

Jason Cutter LinkedIn

Cutter Consulting Group

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Tom Larsen, CEO of Larsen Insurance Agency. Tom discusses the traits of a great mentor and how important it is to have a great mentor to help you grow your business.

Episode Highlights:

Tom introduces himself and shares his background and how he got to where he is today. (3:19)

Tom explains that his business is 1/3 habitational because he got involved in their local RIA group for landlords. (9:47)

Tom shares that he figured out how to stick with the business in about the 4th year of running his agency. (12:24)

Tom discusses that he is currently mentoring someone at the moment and explains that having a mentor makes things easier. (17:30)

Tom shares that baseball has been his passion ever since he was a little kid, and he even joined the little league when he was young. (22:41)

Tom discusses that he believes in great culture in a company, and looks at his staff as his teammates. (28:53)

Tom mentions that new agents are having challenges joining the industry as companies are not creating many opportunities. (32:45)

Tom shares that he started his cluster 8 years ago and has continued to grow it up until now. (37:42)

Tom advises listeners to find a mentor that doesn't mind sharing experiences and will give them time when they need answers. (43:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I look at my staff as teammates. I really believe in my heart, I really believe the culture in an office is everything. And one bad apple can suck a whole bunch. And I truly, truly believe in culture." - Tom Larsen

"I think the insurance companies have clamped down on newbies, and they're not opening their doors much." - Tom Larsen

"Find a mentor. That'd be my number one piece of advice. Find a mentor. It could be somebody that's in a different agency, or maybe somebody that's retired, or, you know, somebody in one of the Facebook groups, whatever, but find a mentor. It could be somebody that doesn't mind sharing the experience that they've been through." - Tom Larsen

Resources Mentioned:

Tom Larsen LinkedIn

Larsen Insurance Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Tom Larsen, CEO of Larsen Insurance Agency. Tom discusses the traits of a great mentor and how important it is to have a great mentor to help you grow your business.

Episode Highlights:

Tom introduces himself and shares his background and how he got to where he is today. (3:19)

Tom explains that his business is 1/3 habitational because he got involved in their local RIA group for landlords. (9:47)

Tom shares that he figured out how to stick with the business in about the 4th year of running his agency. (12:24)

Tom discusses that he is currently mentoring someone at the moment and explains that having a mentor makes things easier. (17:30)

Tom shares that baseball has been his passion ever since he was a little kid, and he even joined the little league when he was young. (22:41)

Tom discusses that he believes in great culture in a company, and looks at his staff as his teammates. (28:53)

Tom mentions that new agents are having challenges joining the industry as companies are not creating many opportunities. (32:45)

Tom shares that he started his cluster 8 years ago and has continued to grow it up until now. (37:42)

Tom advises listeners to find a mentor that doesn't mind sharing experiences and will give them time when they need answers. (43:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I look at my staff as teammates. I really believe in my heart, I really believe the culture in an office is everything. And one bad apple can suck a whole bunch. And I truly, truly believe in culture." - Tom Larsen

"I think the insurance companies have clamped down on newbies, and they're not opening their doors much." - Tom Larsen

"Find a mentor. That'd be my number one piece of advice. Find a mentor. It could be somebody that's in a different agency, or maybe somebody that's retired, or, you know, somebody in one of the Facebook groups, whatever, but find a mentor. It could be somebody that doesn't mind sharing the experience that they've been through." - Tom Larsen

Resources Mentioned:

Tom Larsen LinkedIn

Larsen Insurance Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with David Carothers about his second book which releases on September 8th, 2022.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he explains the meaning and motivation for the title of his book, The Dirty 130. (2:03)

David believes that if he has a skill that distinguishes him from others, it is the ability to create a community around the content. (4:39)

David mentions that one of the topics discussed in his book is how to optimize any images you use on your site or in your blog articles for SEO. (6:48)

David explains that The Extra Two Minutes is about his sales-producing activity, whereas The Dirty 130 proceeds on a different path. (10:13)

David discusses how the other context around The Dirty 130 relates to the same things that they do in their agency, such as telemarketing and marketing drop. (14:31)

David discusses the workbook concept for The Dirty 130. (17:08)

David mentions that history is the best teacher of what we may expect in the future, which applies to all aspects of life, including sales. (22:05)

David discusses how he leverages Lately more than anything else to ensure that his content gets out, and it also provides him the flexibility of not having to worry about making sure the routine is completed. (27:53)

David explains that he wrote the book with the purpose of making it helpful to everyone in a sales role. (28:34)

David mentions that there is never a reason why you should not be able to generate content. (30:30)

David mentions that he wrote the book to help other agents, not to make a profit. (32:57)

Key Quotes:

“If there's something in my skill set, that's different from what other people have out there, it's the ability to create the community around the content.” - David Carothers

“History is the greatest teacher of what we can expect in the future that applies in all things in life. So the sales game should not be any different. ” - David Carothers

“Let me be very clear. I don't write a book in an effort to make profit off of it. If I did, it would be the wrong book. So let me I want to be very clear, I don't care where you go. It's pretty much going to be equal. And this is not about me lining my pocket as much as it is me helping other agents down the road.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about The Dirty 130 and pick up your copy here: https://www.dirty-130.com.

Learn more about Lately.AI and schedule your demo here: https://www.lately.ai

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with David Carothers about his second book which releases on September 8th, 2022.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he explains the meaning and motivation for the title of his book, The Dirty 130. (2:03)

David believes that if he has a skill that distinguishes him from others, it is the ability to create a community around the content. (4:39)

David mentions that one of the topics discussed in his book is how to optimize any images you use on your site or in your blog articles for SEO. (6:48)

David explains that The Extra Two Minutes is about his sales-producing activity, whereas The Dirty 130 proceeds on a different path. (10:13)

David discusses how the other context around The Dirty 130 relates to the same things that they do in their agency, such as telemarketing and marketing drop. (14:31)

David discusses the workbook concept for The Dirty 130. (17:08)

David mentions that history is the best teacher of what we may expect in the future, which applies to all aspects of life, including sales. (22:05)

David discusses how he leverages Lately more than anything else to ensure that his content gets out, and it also provides him the flexibility of not having to worry about making sure the routine is completed. (27:53)

David explains that he wrote the book with the purpose of making it helpful to everyone in a sales role. (28:34)

David mentions that there is never a reason why you should not be able to generate content. (30:30)

David mentions that he wrote the book to help other agents, not to make a profit. (32:57)

Key Quotes:

“If there's something in my skill set, that's different from what other people have out there, it's the ability to create the community around the content.” - David Carothers

“History is the greatest teacher of what we can expect in the future that applies in all things in life. So the sales game should not be any different. ” - David Carothers

“Let me be very clear. I don't write a book in an effort to make profit off of it. If I did, it would be the wrong book. So let me I want to be very clear, I don't care where you go. It's pretty much going to be equal. And this is not about me lining my pocket as much as it is me helping other agents down the road.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about The Dirty 130 and pick up your copy here: https://www.dirty-130.com.

Learn more about Lately.AI and schedule your demo here: https://www.lately.ai

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ryan Deeds of Ennabl. Ryan asks David to go through a typical Ennabl discovery process to illustrate what Ennabl does specifically to enable agencies to make themselves better.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses his experiences working with insurance agencies and Insurtech companies. (3:23)

David discusses having his staff, particularly his account managers, work remotely these days. (9:28)

David explains that the only way he could go out and create middle market accounts was to identify who his ideal prospect was and stick to it. (13:07)

David explains how many accounts he has for his company's revenue. (17:39)

David mentions that he created a series on how to Build Passive Revenue Streams in your Agency. (25:25)

David explains that the majority of their work is in residential service contractors and light manufacturing, such as cabinetry. (31:13)

David shares how many carriers they have and how many of them are core relationships. (33:04)

David explains why your operation should not have more than two or three wholesalers. (37:36)

David explains that the only thing his producers do with Hawksoft is build the policy shell. (42:51)

David discusses his projected growth for Florida Risk. (45:29)

Ryan explains his takeaways from David's experiences, as well as what he wants to learn about in their next conversation. (47:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“As a 20 year old, I never thought in a million years that I would love insurance agencies but that's kind of because I grew up in them and my career was based in them and the people that the people in Independence are just the best and they're just great people great families” - Ryan Deeds

“My agency, still from a technology standpoint, and the ability to handle service work for customers, very much resembles the agency that I started in the dining room in my home, the only way I was able to go out and write middle market accounts was number one, I had to know who my ideal prospect was and not deviate from that.” - David Carothers

“From a servicing perspective, my time is spent at the actual client, it's not spent doing insurance stuff. It's understanding risk management, walking the floor, doing those kinds of things” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Deeds LinkedIn

Ennabl

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ryan Deeds of Ennabl. Ryan asks David to go through a typical Ennabl discovery process to illustrate what Ennabl does specifically to enable agencies to make themselves better.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses his experiences working with insurance agencies and Insurtech companies. (3:23)

David discusses having his staff, particularly his account managers, work remotely these days. (9:28)

David explains that the only way he could go out and create middle market accounts was to identify who his ideal prospect was and stick to it. (13:07)

David explains how many accounts he has for his company's revenue. (17:39)

David mentions that he created a series on how to Build Passive Revenue Streams in your Agency. (25:25)

David explains that the majority of their work is in residential service contractors and light manufacturing, such as cabinetry. (31:13)

David shares how many carriers they have and how many of them are core relationships. (33:04)

David explains why your operation should not have more than two or three wholesalers. (37:36)

David explains that the only thing his producers do with Hawksoft is build the policy shell. (42:51)

David discusses his projected growth for Florida Risk. (45:29)

Ryan explains his takeaways from David's experiences, as well as what he wants to learn about in their next conversation. (47:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“As a 20 year old, I never thought in a million years that I would love insurance agencies but that's kind of because I grew up in them and my career was based in them and the people that the people in Independence are just the best and they're just great people great families” - Ryan Deeds

“My agency, still from a technology standpoint, and the ability to handle service work for customers, very much resembles the agency that I started in the dining room in my home, the only way I was able to go out and write middle market accounts was number one, I had to know who my ideal prospect was and not deviate from that.” - David Carothers

“From a servicing perspective, my time is spent at the actual client, it's not spent doing insurance stuff. It's understanding risk management, walking the floor, doing those kinds of things” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Deeds LinkedIn

Ennabl

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

There are one-owner shops, small agencies, medium-sized agencies, large alphabet houses, and everything else in between. The question is: Which one can you make more money at as a producer? In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht walks you through the pros and cons of each, tells you which type/size agency he would work at today if he was planning to pick one to work at, and an option for you if you're considering making a switch.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions that he learned more at a large agency than at any other agency he has worked for. (4:41)

Charles explains why, after learning so much at a bigger agency, he would never work for one again. (6:48)

Charles discusses that, after 20 years of business, he already knows what to do if he is approached by an agency for consultation or assistance with their operations. (7:34)

Charles mentions that all of the producers he knows that have to have some form of servicing role for whatever they do in their everyday operations have smaller books of business. (10:42)

Charles explains that if you're the owner of the agency, having a one-man shop is fine as long as you're writing some business. (12:06)

Charles believes that a tiered system that rewards constant activity, building a book of business, and bringing on more new clients throughout the year would make a lot more sense for an agency. (14:26)

Charles explains that if your agency is unwilling to give you the opportunity to own a stake in the business, it may be in your best interest to look into other options because there are other options. (17:06)

Charles believes that you don't have to make a habit or build a large book of business to be fairly wealthy as an agent in the United States of America. (20:01)

Charles believes that if you are looking for a new agency, you should go to one that puts money into training, sales, and other similar things. (23:30)

Charles mentions that if you're considering changing agencies, reach out to him and he'll try to give you some advice on what to do or look for. (28:19)

Key Quotes:

“I've been in the business now for over 20 years, I understand a lot of these different things, I would know what to do tomorrow if I went to work with an agency, if an agency brought me on, for some consulting, consulting, to help them with operations, and their producers and so forth.” - Charles Specht

“There are other options out there, there is no shortage of opportunities out there in regards to the agencies that you might be a really good fit for. So, if you don't feel like your agency is a long-term play for you, then maybe make a switch.” - Charles Specht

“If you're thinking about switching the agency where you're at, you know what, reach out to me. And I'll try to give you some advice maybe on what to do or what to look for, I might even be able to give you a referral in a few different agencies if you're willing to work remotely.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jeff Roy, Founder and President of Excalibur Insurance and one of the most innovative independent insurance agency owners in the world, joins the podcast for a conversation on digital virtual assistants, also known as robotic process automation.

This is a conversation you don't want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses Rogue Risk’s decision to switch to Nexure and change its agency management system. (10:34)

Jeff mentions that during an interview with Taylor Rhodes for the Digital Insurance Plan podcast, he confirmed that Tarmika will be discontinued in 2025. (12:14)

Ryan expresses his confusion as to why it is tough to create a CRM from an agency management system. (13:58)

Ryan mentions that he really likes what Better Agency is doing and thinks that they've made a lot of progress to being a player in the industry. (18:03)

Jeff explains that after seeing Applied Epic's demo, he became interested in the new feature that can run an AMS through the browser. (20:22)

Ryan believes that understanding where the company goes without rating multiple carriers is the way to place business faster with the appropriate carrier. (24:33)

Jeff explains that you need some AI and machine learning to be able to direct you to the proper company because companies are changing their prices and moving so quickly. (26:54)

Jeff explains what it means to have a properly trained bot. (34:50)

Jeff explains the difference between Robotic Process Automation and a Digital Virtual Assistant. (38:24)

Jeff explains how robots function when assigned significant responsibilities. (40:34)

Jeff mentions that their bot is safe with two-factor authentication and that it cannot be hacked in the same manner that their staff can. (44:43)

Jeff mentions that if anyone is interested in learning more about robotic process automation, he will be giving a 30-minute lecture on how robots can make an agency more human. (50:42)

Key Quotes:

“You need some AI and machine learning to be able to direct you with the right company. Because companies are changing their rates and changing things.” - Jeff Roy

“Why would you want to use a bot? Really, you want to replace anything that humans are doing that they don’t need to do with technology. And a bot, once it's trained, can do it reliable every time.” - Jeff Roy

“The bot is secure double factor authentication, you know, there's no way of getting it hacked in any different than our staff. So that's why it was important that we had the double factor authentication to get in, because I don't want to log into anything without that.” - Jeff Roy

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Roy LinkedIn

Excalibur Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

There are one-owner shops, small agencies, medium-sized agencies, large alphabet houses, and everything else in between. The question is: Which one can you make more money at as a producer? In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht walks you through the pros and cons of each, tells you which type/size agency he would work at today if he was planning to pick one to work at, and an option for you if you're considering making a switch.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions that he learned more at a large agency than at any other agency he has worked for. (4:41)

Charles explains why, after learning so much at a bigger agency, he would never work for one again. (6:48)

Charles discusses that, after 20 years of business, he already knows what to do if he is approached by an agency for consultation or assistance with their operations. (7:34)

Charles mentions that all of the producers he knows that have to have some form of servicing role for whatever they do in their everyday operations have smaller books of business. (10:42)

Charles explains that if you're the owner of the agency, having a one-man shop is fine as long as you're writing some business. (12:06)

Charles believes that a tiered system that rewards constant activity, building a book of business, and bringing on more new clients throughout the year would make a lot more sense for an agency. (14:26)

Charles explains that if your agency is unwilling to give you the opportunity to own a stake in the business, it may be in your best interest to look into other options because there are other options. (17:06)

Charles believes that you don't have to make a habit or build a large book of business to be fairly wealthy as an agent in the United States of America. (20:01)

Charles believes that if you are looking for a new agency, you should go to one that puts money into training, sales, and other similar things. (23:30)

Charles mentions that if you're considering changing agencies, reach out to him and he'll try to give you some advice on what to do or look for. (28:19)

Key Quotes:

“I've been in the business now for over 20 years, I understand a lot of these different things, I would know what to do tomorrow if I went to work with an agency, if an agency brought me on, for some consulting, consulting, to help them with operations, and their producers and so forth.” - Charles Specht

“There are other options out there, there is no shortage of opportunities out there in regards to the agencies that you might be a really good fit for. So, if you don't feel like your agency is a long-term play for you, then maybe make a switch.” - Charles Specht

“If you're thinking about switching the agency where you're at, you know what, reach out to me. And I'll try to give you some advice maybe on what to do or what to look for, I might even be able to give you a referral in a few different agencies if you're willing to work remotely.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jeff Roy, Founder and President of Excalibur Insurance and one of the most innovative independent insurance agency owners in the world, joins the podcast for a conversation on digital virtual assistants, also known as robotic process automation.

This is a conversation you don't want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses Rogue Risk’s decision to switch to Nexure and change its agency management system. (10:34)

Jeff mentions that during an interview with Taylor Rhodes for the Digital Insurance Plan podcast, he confirmed that Tarmika will be discontinued in 2025. (12:14)

Ryan expresses his confusion as to why it is tough to create a CRM from an agency management system. (13:58)

Ryan mentions that he really likes what Better Agency is doing and thinks that they've made a lot of progress to being a player in the industry. (18:03)

Jeff explains that after seeing Applied Epic's demo, he became interested in the new feature that can run an AMS through the browser. (20:22)

Ryan believes that understanding where the company goes without rating multiple carriers is the way to place business faster with the appropriate carrier. (24:33)

Jeff explains that you need some AI and machine learning to be able to direct you to the proper company because companies are changing their prices and moving so quickly. (26:54)

Jeff explains what it means to have a properly trained bot. (34:50)

Jeff explains the difference between Robotic Process Automation and a Digital Virtual Assistant. (38:24)

Jeff explains how robots function when assigned significant responsibilities. (40:34)

Jeff mentions that their bot is safe with two-factor authentication and that it cannot be hacked in the same manner that their staff can. (44:43)

Jeff mentions that if anyone is interested in learning more about robotic process automation, he will be giving a 30-minute lecture on how robots can make an agency more human. (50:42)

Key Quotes:

“You need some AI and machine learning to be able to direct you with the right company. Because companies are changing their rates and changing things.” - Jeff Roy

“Why would you want to use a bot? Really, you want to replace anything that humans are doing that they don’t need to do with technology. And a bot, once it's trained, can do it reliable every time.” - Jeff Roy

“The bot is secure double factor authentication, you know, there's no way of getting it hacked in any different than our staff. So that's why it was important that we had the double factor authentication to get in, because I don't want to log into anything without that.” - Jeff Roy

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Roy LinkedIn

Excalibur Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ossiea Lake. Ossiea Lake is a realtor and an insurance agent at Assured Connections Insurance that focuses her business on serving the community first.

Episode Highlights:

Ossiea explains that she has been in sales for nearly 20 years, beginning as a real estate agent before going on to insurance. (1:43)

Ossiea shares what sparked her interest in the insurance industry. (2:53)

According to Ossiea, Assured Connection Insurance started first by selling auto insurance and has grown from there. (9:17)

Ossiea explains how she met the person who opened the door for her to numbers to the carriers. (10:57)

Ossiea believes that real estate and insurance are strongly tied. (14:30)

Ossiea explains why she switched from branding real estate and insurance to branding her identity. (17:03)

Ossiea discusses how making connections and actively listening can help solve business problems. (21:57)

Ossiea mentions that she is still learning time management and that her dyslexic son has taught her how to look at things from different perspectives. (29:57)

Ossiea explains how she takes care of her mental health as a single mother. (34:46)

Key Quotes:

“I was at my bottom. And I said, I will not let this be who I am. And I will not let this situation deter me to where I'm supposed to go. So that gave so much fire.” - Ossiea Lake

“I'm going to the business and I started allowing the business to come to me because I have something unique.” - Ossiea Lake

“Only thing that I knew was, I'm a mother. And whatever it takes, as a mother, we're going to win.” - Ossiea Lake

Resources Mentioned:

Ossiea Lake LinkedIn

Assured Connections Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ossiea Lake. Ossiea Lake is a realtor and an insurance agent at Assured Connections Insurance that focuses her business on serving the community first.

Episode Highlights:

Ossiea explains that she has been in sales for nearly 20 years, beginning as a real estate agent before going on to insurance. (1:43)

Ossiea shares what sparked her interest in the insurance industry. (2:53)

According to Ossiea, Assured Connection Insurance started first by selling auto insurance and has grown from there. (9:17)

Ossiea explains how she met the person who opened the door for her to numbers to the carriers. (10:57)

Ossiea believes that real estate and insurance are strongly tied. (14:30)

Ossiea explains why she switched from branding real estate and insurance to branding her identity. (17:03)

Ossiea discusses how making connections and actively listening can help solve business problems. (21:57)

Ossiea mentions that she is still learning time management and that her dyslexic son has taught her how to look at things from different perspectives. (29:57)

Ossiea explains how she takes care of her mental health as a single mother. (34:46)

Key Quotes:

“I was at my bottom. And I said, I will not let this be who I am. And I will not let this situation deter me to where I'm supposed to go. So that gave so much fire.” - Ossiea Lake

“I'm going to the business and I started allowing the business to come to me because I have something unique.” - Ossiea Lake

“Only thing that I knew was, I'm a mother. And whatever it takes, as a mother, we're going to win.” - Ossiea Lake

Resources Mentioned:

Ossiea Lake LinkedIn

Assured Connections Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Sean Kirby interview Derek Hayden, Winner of The Protege Season 1. Derek talks about his takeaways after the competition and how he has applied them to his career.

Episode Highlights:

Derek shares how he is doing after winning The Protege Season 1, as well as the biggest results for him so far. (4:23)

Derek discusses how he prepares himself in the morning and how he got these steps from the book "Miracle Morning." (10:24)

Derek explains that he does not know what the criteria for teaming up with coaches was during The Protege. (21:18)

Derek shares he has started co-writing a book about transitioning from fully insured group health plans to self funded. (24:33)

Derek explains how everybody on the team invested in themselves by submitting videos and doing their best in the competition. (32:07)

Sean shares that one of the things he has improved since The Protege is his confidence. (39:36)

Derek explains that the thing that separates top-tier producers from the ones who just dabble is taking what they learn and putting it to action. (46:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The thing that I think separates your top tier producers from the ones who just tend to dabble, I think, is that they take what they've learned and put it into action." - Derek Hayden

"If you're considering but you don't know if you're going to submit your entry video, just do it because you don't know what will happen. It could be the best decision in your life or your career. Just do it." - Derek Hayden

"When you turn you start your generalists, you're doing you know smaller Mom and Pop being from a small town Main Street. You get what you got when it comes in front of you. When you start hunting, and you start going after accounts because you know that there's a problem you need to solve the confidence that comes with that you win one, you get another, another, you win one, and then it's just, it's easy." - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

Derick Hayden LinkedIn

Dansig Insurance Risk Advisors

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Sean Kirby interview Derek Hayden, Winner of The Protege Season 1. Derek talks about his takeaways after the competition and how he has applied them to his career.

Episode Highlights:

Derek shares how he is doing after winning The Protege Season 1, as well as the biggest results for him so far. (4:23)

Derek discusses how he prepares himself in the morning and how he got these steps from the book "Miracle Morning." (10:24)

Derek explains that he does not know what the criteria for teaming up with coaches was during The Protege. (21:18)

Derek shares he has started co-writing a book about transitioning from fully insured group health plans to self funded. (24:33)

Derek explains how everybody on the team invested in themselves by submitting videos and doing their best in the competition. (32:07)

Sean shares that one of the things he has improved since The Protege is his confidence. (39:36)

Derek explains that the thing that separates top-tier producers from the ones who just dabble is taking what they learn and putting it to action. (46:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The thing that I think separates your top tier producers from the ones who just tend to dabble, I think, is that they take what they've learned and put it into action." - Derek Hayden

"If you're considering but you don't know if you're going to submit your entry video, just do it because you don't know what will happen. It could be the best decision in your life or your career. Just do it." - Derek Hayden

"When you turn you start your generalists, you're doing you know smaller Mom and Pop being from a small town Main Street. You get what you got when it comes in front of you. When you start hunting, and you start going after accounts because you know that there's a problem you need to solve the confidence that comes with that you win one, you get another, another, you win one, and then it's just, it's easy." - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

Derick Hayden LinkedIn

Dansig Insurance Risk Advisors

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jake Jines, Risk Advisor at The Insurance Alliance. Jake shares what led him to enter the insurance industry and what his goals are as a young producer.

Episode Highlights:

Jake shares that he is an iPhone user, and as a young producer, he loves to win. (3:08)

Jake explains why skill has been a bigger factor in his life and where he is today. (4:32)

Jason shares how he met Jake and how he was recruited to work at The Insurance Alliance. (5:06)

Jake shares his backstory, from being at school to landing a job and being granted an opportunity in the industry. (7:13)

Jake explains why, despite having very little knowledge about the industry, he took the opportunity to be part of it. (10:06)

Jake shares that he is currently trying to figure out a niche that would genuinely work for him and that he could bring value to (14:01)

Jake recalls the days when he worked at Abstract during COVID and how it was related to bringing up great people in the team. (19:23)

Jason explains why Jake has a great perspective on life and how they hired Jake's friend to join the team. (23:03)

Jake shares about his side-gig, which is a self-owned clothing brand company. (24:40)

Key Quotes:

"What my current situation is I'm trying to figure out a niche that works for me, but I'm trying to find a niche that I can truly bring value to." - Jake Jines

"I know, underwriters are who write my paycheck, so I need to make sure that I'm doing my best to present them with the best and most profitable business." - Jake Jines

"I was coming into the industry with very little knowledge of anything. But to me, what got me hooked was just the opportunity alone in the insurance industry. So, I knew that I may not learn it right away. But I know what the six-month time span, I would start learning it more and more, and eventually, I would figure it out." - Jake Jines

Resources Mentioned:

Jake Jines LinkedIn

The Insurance Alliance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jake Jines, Risk Advisor at The Insurance Alliance. Jake shares what led him to enter the insurance industry and what his goals are as a young producer.

Episode Highlights:

Jake shares that he is an iPhone user, and as a young producer, he loves to win. (3:08)

Jake explains why skill has been a bigger factor in his life and where he is today. (4:32)

Jason shares how he met Jake and how he was recruited to work at The Insurance Alliance. (5:06)

Jake shares his backstory, from being at school to landing a job and being granted an opportunity in the industry. (7:13)

Jake explains why, despite having very little knowledge about the industry, he took the opportunity to be part of it. (10:06)

Jake shares that he is currently trying to figure out a niche that would genuinely work for him and that he could bring value to (14:01)

Jake recalls the days when he worked at Abstract during COVID and how it was related to bringing up great people in the team. (19:23)

Jason explains why Jake has a great perspective on life and how they hired Jake's friend to join the team. (23:03)

Jake shares about his side-gig, which is a self-owned clothing brand company. (24:40)

Key Quotes:

"What my current situation is I'm trying to figure out a niche that works for me, but I'm trying to find a niche that I can truly bring value to." - Jake Jines

"I know, underwriters are who write my paycheck, so I need to make sure that I'm doing my best to present them with the best and most profitable business." - Jake Jines

"I was coming into the industry with very little knowledge of anything. But to me, what got me hooked was just the opportunity alone in the insurance industry. So, I knew that I may not learn it right away. But I know what the six-month time span, I would start learning it more and more, and eventually, I would figure it out." - Jake Jines

Resources Mentioned:

Jake Jines LinkedIn

The Insurance Alliance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Stephen Turnbull, President of T5 Insurance Services. Stephen, a fifth generation insurance agent in his family, shares what he is learning as a new agency owner.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen shares his background as a fifth generation insurance agent and what led him to start his own agency two and half months ago. (2:42)

Stephen explains that his search for the best software is seen as an investment for his company. (10:02)

Stephen explains that the biggest thing he is excited about is building that culture that he has always wanted for his business. (15:13)

David shares how he prepared and trained his son to be able to understand the reality of the industry he is committing to. (21:20)

Stephen shares that they are currently using Agency Zoom and HawkSoft because of his familiarity with the software. (25:26)

Stephen explains some of the little things that can impact the mindset of your employees to either stay or leave. (31:37)

Stephen shares that if people do their job and do the right thing, they will be successful. (44:16)

David advises Stephen that, as an agency owner, he should document every process he has to be ready for anything. (47:00)

Stephen shares that one of the things he wanted to accomplish was to be on a podcast, and show appreciation to David for the opportunity. (50:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I feel I've done a good job of kind of just growing my brand and the community. You know, I was Steven Turnbull, who worked for Turnbull Insurance, but now I'm Steven Turnbull, who is T5." -Stephen Turnbull

"If you do your job and do the right thing, you're going to be successful. You know, do your job and do the right thing because, at the end of the day, we're solving a problem." - Stephen Turnbull

"As the President of T5, of my own agency, I'm looking at what the best software, you know, what the best system should I be using to build my foundation here." - Stephen Turnbull

Resources Mentioned:

Stephen Turnbull LinkedIn

T5 Insurance Services

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Stephen Turnbull, President of T5 Insurance Services. Stephen, a fifth generation insurance agent in his family, shares what he is learning as a new agency owner.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen shares his background as a fifth generation insurance agent and what led him to start his own agency two and half months ago. (2:42)

Stephen explains that his search for the best software is seen as an investment for his company. (10:02)

Stephen explains that the biggest thing he is excited about is building that culture that he has always wanted for his business. (15:13)

David shares how he prepared and trained his son to be able to understand the reality of the industry he is committing to. (21:20)

Stephen shares that they are currently using Agency Zoom and HawkSoft because of his familiarity with the software. (25:26)

Stephen explains some of the little things that can impact the mindset of your employees to either stay or leave. (31:37)

Stephen shares that if people do their job and do the right thing, they will be successful. (44:16)

David advises Stephen that, as an agency owner, he should document every process he has to be ready for anything. (47:00)

Stephen shares that one of the things he wanted to accomplish was to be on a podcast, and show appreciation to David for the opportunity. (50:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I feel I've done a good job of kind of just growing my brand and the community. You know, I was Steven Turnbull, who worked for Turnbull Insurance, but now I'm Steven Turnbull, who is T5." -Stephen Turnbull

"If you do your job and do the right thing, you're going to be successful. You know, do your job and do the right thing because, at the end of the day, we're solving a problem." - Stephen Turnbull

"As the President of T5, of my own agency, I'm looking at what the best software, you know, what the best system should I be using to build my foundation here." - Stephen Turnbull

Resources Mentioned:

Stephen Turnbull LinkedIn

T5 Insurance Services

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Steven Mohr, newly minted VP of Growth at Better Agency. After a three-year stop at Lightspeed Voice, Steven is already having an impact on the current and future customers of Better Agency.

Episode Highlights:

Steven shares what led him to the InsurTech industry. (6:17)

Steven mentions that he had been an agent before meeting Brad Fuller and joining Lightspeed Voice. (09:27)

Steven explains how he made the decision to jump back into AMS and CRM by joining Better Agency. (14:40)

Steven shares that Better Agency is always open to feedback and is focused on how they can make things better for their clients. (21:07)

Steven mentions that the mission that they are currently focused on is automating agency operations while maintaining the agency's relevance. (25:32)

Steven shares that there are a lot of innovations they are currently lining up, one of which is the Accord forms. (31:03)

Steven discusses the challenge of being on the road and away from his family and how technology has helped them connect while away. (36:09)

Steven shares his passion for golf and some of the people that he plays with when he has time. (38:18)

James shares that the Better Agency is almost an enigma because of the balance between power user functions. (43:28)

Steven shares that they are customizing their features to enable new customers to be able to do everything that they want. (47:39)

Key Quotes:

"I would love everybody to be able to do everything they ever wanted to do in life. That would be great, James could get his version, and then the rest of the world would get theirs. We are in a very specific industry and insurance. Your independent insurance agencies are our bread and butter." - Steven Mohr

"Some of the other challenges that we're seeing a lot is around onboarding, you know, data transfers, and they're just complex and we rely on other people's data." - Steven Mohr

"I'm an agency guy at the end of the day, I think most people would tell you that about me. You know, I think insurance agents are about the best group of people in the world. I think your jobs are incredibly hard. I tried to do it back in the day, and it's just a grind and I have all the respect in the world for you." - Steven Mohr

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Better Agency and sign up for your demo at www.betteragency.io

--

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Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue their conversation with Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite for a four-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." In this session, Peter talks about band of pricing.

Episode Highlights:

Peter shares what “band of pricing” is technique and how it can be used to talk about pricing with customers and prospects. (1:56)

Peter explains that price is always going to come up and you can take a proactive risk management approach to discuss it with your clients . (8:59)

David discusses how to be able to know if a client is getting a competitive price. (11:53)

David shares why it is also important to be able to analyze and walk away from an opportunity if needed. (15:44)

Kyle shares the situation where he had a bad prospect, and how he was able to deal with it. (18:31)

Peter and David explain how important it is to pre-qualify clients and prospects, as well as practice recapping what happened during the process of getting a sale. (23:39)

Peter shares that it is important to visualize your success and then analyze it to see what you can do better next time. (26:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think of everything, and I honestly feel like every single problem that our industry has revolved around education." - David Carothers

"I think the best athletes visualize their success and then they watch their footage to see what they could do better next time." - Peter MacDonald

"I think it's helpful to anchor that concept in your customer's mind that there's a band of pricing, and you can be on the high side, you can be on the low side, you can never guarantee you're going to be on the lowest with insurance." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderite

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

A weak mindset is often what most of your competitors possess. But what about you? Do you have a robust and competitive mindset when it comes to sales? Are you afraid to ask for the signed Broker of Record Letter? Are you nervous about telling the insured what you require from them in order to move forward?

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the seven things insurance producers need to have in order to possess a Millionaire Producer Mindset.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that he is developing his own producer school that will be launching very soon, which will go from A to Z on the entire sales process. (2:07)

Charles explains that the first thing to having a Millionaire Producer Mindset is to understand that sales are both a sprint and a marathon. (3:58)

Charles shares that prospecting is your primary daily function, and there really isn't a way in which to set appointments without prospecting. (8:27)

Charles explains that insurance agents should consider themselves both advisors and producers. (10:31)

Charles reminds us that agents need to remember that prospects want three things, to save money, save time, and have peace of mind. (12:18)

Charles shares that, as an agent, competitive dethronement is the business you are in. (16:18)

Charles explains that, as an agent, offering quotes to non-clients is a waste of time and not a very nice strategy. (17:47)

Charles explains that the last thing on the list to having a Millionaire Producer Mindset is to ask for a sale. (21:09)

Charles shares that everything is a sale, and to be human is to sell. (23:35)

Charles wraps up the episode by reminding listeners of the seven things to know in order to have a Millionaire Producer Mindset. (26:43)

Key Quotes:

"What you do for your prospects is serve happiness and collect signatures. Let me say it again, serve happiness and collect signatures. Did you hear me because I need to say it again, you need to serve happiness and collect signatures. That's what you are doing." - Charles Specht

"Always be closing. I just think there's truth to it. The truth of the matter is that yeah, you always need to be closing. Everything is a close. To be human is to sell. Everything is a strategy." - Charles Specht

"We need to ask for the business, we need to hold people's hand and take them down the path we want them to go. If you don't have that kind of a mindset. I would venture to guess that you're not very successful in sales." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Jeremy Powers, owner of Powers Insurance Experts, joins the show to share his story and the tips and tricks that have elevated his agency over the last 2 years.

This is an episode you do not want to miss if you are stuck in the middle of what you should be doing as a young producer. Jeremy has a passion that is unmatched, and the things he is doing for his community led to putting the business on the books.

Be the Jeremy Powers of your community! The little things make a difference.

Episode Highlights:

Jeremy shares his background and how he got to where he is today in business. (4:16)

Jeremy discusses the two things he does to encourage his team inside the agency as well as the producers and agents outside of his agency. (10:39)

Jeremy shares that one way that he finds work-life balance is by being able to have his daughters interact in the fun stuff that they do for the company. (17:41)

Jeremy shares that the biggest thing that helped him to get to where he is today is a book called Rejection Proof by Xiao Zhang. (22:36)

Jeremy shares why it is beneficial to imitate people that are better than you and doing great things. (25:32)

Jeremy discusses what has been going on in his agency, as well as their achievements in being an all-organic agency. (29:13)

Jeremy advises everyone that if they want to be successful, they should find something that gets them in the field and chase it. (35:52)

Jeremy explains how he is blessed to be a coach and has been coaching agents, and agencies. (41:49)

Jeremy shares that he always tells his team that he is never going to try to bring people into this business that are going to demoralize them. (47:23)

Jeremy recalls a story of when he was able to hire a tenured representative, who told him how excited she was to work for his company. (53:20)

Jeremy advises everyone to stop being their own worst enemy, and let go of negative thinking. (1:00:02)

Key Quotes:

"I tell myself all the time and I'm a strong believer that I don't want a penny more than God blessed me with because I don't want to be who he did not create me to be. I want to be exactly and authentically who I'm ready to be." - Jeremy Powers

"I tell my team, I don't believe the customer's always right. I hired you, I'm going to fight for you. And I'm never going to try to bring people into this business that are going to demoralize you." - Jeremy Powers

"Be the sun. Everyone wants to go towards the sun. Why not be the sun?" - Jeremy Powers

Resources Mentioned:

Jeremy Powers LinkedIn

Powers Insurance Experts

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ian Koniak, Founder & President of Ian Koniak Sales Coaching. Ian talks about habits, time management, and other things that will help make you successful.

Episode Highlights:

Ian shares his background story and how he started his current venture, Ian Koniak Sales Coaching. (2:06)

Ian explains why having no sales experience was one of his biggest challenges when he was starting out. (8:55)

Ian discusses how these challenges he experienced taught him about being resilient. (11:20)

Ian explains that he created a business model called "coaching as a service" that is based on customer retention and customer success. (17:26)

Ian discusses how having a core base helps with both renewals as well as referrals, and the key is to give value to customers. (20:49)

Ian shares that updating your vision enables you to create new directions and avoid burnout. (27:38)

Ian elaborates on two types of revenue-generating activities, the creation of a pipeline and the advancement of the pipeline. (35:27)

Ian claims that most people are spending their time on non-valuable activities instead of revenue-generating activities. (40:45)

Ian shares that if people want to know how much their true rate is, they should look at how many hours they really work on revenue activities. (45:21)

Ian explains that the most successful people in the world, across all industries, are those who are truly committed over a long period of time. (49:09)

Ian discusses that if people want to be successful, they don't need to reinvent the wheel but only follow the basic fundamental principles of success. (54:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

"On the road to mastery, there's going to be a lot of mundane work that, frankly, isn't fun. And we're in this dopamine-craving society where people just want immediate gratification." - Ian Koniak

"I know we're talking about ourselves and being the best you can be. But ultimately, to really succeed at the highest level, you have to make it about other people." - Ian Koniak

“Kobe Bryant went to practice hours before practice started because he wanted to be the absolute best. And until you can get yourself psychologically to a point where you're committed to yourself and your family and everybody else, you're going to be your best. The rest of it really doesn't matter.” - Ian Koniak

Resources Mentioned:

Ian Koniak LinkedIn

Ian Koniak Sales Coaching Inc

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

At our August Mastermind meeting of Champions, we had the one and only Benjamin Dennehy, the UK’s Most Hated Sales Trainer on to talk about prospecting and sales. It was so good that we had to turn it into a podcast. We hope you enjoy!

Could you write $250k of new business commission in the next twelve months? I think you can ... And here's how!

There are three main things you need to do in order to successfully write a quarter of a million dollars in commission this next year. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht breaks down the step-by-step process of how you can do this and how you can get every agent at your agency to do the same thing as well.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that the reason why he loves prospecting is that this activity results in having money in his pocket. (3:47)

Charles elaborates on how he fell into writing for subcontractors and other types of accounts. (5:02)

Charles explains why he decided that the first policy to write for an account was going to be $20,000 of commission or more because he was only writing for small accounts. (9:35)

Charles shares that the thing that is stopping you from writing $250,000 of the new commission is the blockage that you have in your mindset. (11:47)

Charles discusses how the size of the accounts that your agency goes after determines your path. (13:47)

Charles shares that if you go after whatever classes of business you are most competitive in, you are going to be successful. (17:38)

Charles explains why it is important to focus your time on carriers that are choosing to write certain classes of business to be competitive. (23:25)

Charles mentions that the only thing that is stopping you from writing $250k of revenue is your mindset. (25:30)

Charles explains how he helps people be able to achieve this goal, as he was able to do the same thing, in his 2nd year in business (29:37)

Key Quotes:

"The thing is, is that all I want you to understand when we're talking about you writing $250,000, of new commission over the course of a full year is that the thing that is stopping you from doing that is the blockage that you have in your mindset, period." - Charles Specht

"If you have a process, a system in which you are prospecting the type of business that your carriers want to write and are most competitive, then you are going to be successful." - Charles Specht

"The main thing that is stopping you from writing to under 250 grand of revenue over the next 12 months, is a limited mindset that is doing something that you've always done because you've gotten the same result." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jamie Shanks, CEO of Pipeline Signals. Jamie talks about CRM lead production and the things you can do to integrate your process.

Episode Highlights :

Jamie shares how 10 years ago he invented a sales category called “social selling”. (2:17)

Jamie explains the concept and the whole process of a situation challenge resolution. (5:23)

Jamie shares what a total addressable market is and how it is related to an ideal CRM situation. (9:00)

Jamie discusses three different integration models: CRM integration, Zapier integration, and CSV file organization. (14:52)

Jamie shares that Pipeline Signals has recently entered the insurance world and are currently pioneering this space called relationship signals. (17:27)

Jamie explains social selling, which is broken into two avenues, reputation management or brand management and account based sales development, both of which are very important. (20:18)

Jamie shares that for individual producers, you have to have the relationship signals. (26:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

"CRM, you know, globally still only has something like a 10% or 20%, penalty penetration rate of businesses over a million dollars around the world. So there is still a vast majority of companies that do not use CRM." - Jamie Shanks

"What I say to people is, specifically in professional services, in insurance, you know, what are you selling? You're not selling a product or solution, you are first selling yourself, you are in the relationship space." - Jamie Shanks

"The fastest way to scale your business is to reverse engineer your happy customers, called the sphere of influence, and identify those that leave your happy customers in a sphere of influence and go to other businesses." - Jamie Shanks

Resources Mentioned:

Jamie Shanks LinkedIn

Pipeline Signals

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Marit Peters, Executive Director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, otherwise known as the Big I of Texas.

Episode Highlights:

Marit explains that one of the reasons she works for the industry is because she thinks of independent agents as being so gracious in their communities. (4:54)

Marit shares the fundamentals of running a successful agency, including the importance of identifying those on your team that are dragging it down, and getting your metrics right. (12:00)

Marit explains why it is important to look back on historical trends in order to be able to determine the things that did not work out. (15:52)

Marit shares about the leadership book that she and her employees read called "The Dichotomy of Leadership." (23:07)

Marit mentions that their goal at the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas is to make sure that the independent agency channel is healthy. (27:35)

Marit explains how COVID has helped them become better at being reachable. (32:58)

Marit discusses the impact of the advocacy work that the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas is involved in on a government level. (41:08)

Marit shares that in a lot of rural communities a local presence makes a difference, but that may change in 10-20 years. (48:08)

Marit discusses an organization called "Salt" that is trying to create a modern experience for the personal line space. (52:48)

Marit shares that independent agents are critical to the communities, as they make sure that we are getting the right product. (56:18)

Key Quotes:

"I think the fundamentals are leadership and having the right courage to deal with difficult decisions, and making sure that you have the right people and hire people that are smarter than you and then trust them to do the work." - Marit Peters

"I want to make sure that we're constantly hearing what people need and making sure that we're adjusting and that we have the courage to do it and we don't get stuck in that piece." - Marit Peters

"If you are an agent out there that's not involved with an association, pick up the phone and call and explain why you're not. Because that is probably the best feedback an association can hear." - Marit Peters

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about IIAT at https://www.iiat.org/.

--

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue to interview Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite for a four-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." In this session, Peter shares useful steps that new agents can take when starting to build their book of business.

Episode Highlights:

Peter discusses the importance of cold calling for new agents that are trying to build their book of business. (3:57)

Peter shares that there are certain things people can do when building their book of business for the first time that big companies can't do. (7:58)

Peter explains that part of building a great book of business is having to do things that don't scale. (10:03)

Peter shares that it is best to have a salesperson as an internal advocate, as they will be eager on your behalf. (14:56)

Peter discusses different types of personalities cold-calling agents may encounter. (16:28)

Peter shares the steps to consider and gives an example of what to do in trying to insure tech companies. (18:42)

Peter explains that he is willing to go through a rough period of time because it gives a more positive return in the long run. (22:27)

Peter shares what having a great professional relationship looks like and the benefits of such a relationship. (24:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There are things that you can do if you're building your business for the first time that the big companies, they literally can't like their business model just won't allow for it." - Peter MacDonald

"Salespeople love to win. And, if you got a salesperson as an internal advocate that loves to win, and they're fighting on your behalf, that's awesome." - Peter MacDonald

"I think if you want to build a great business, the advice from Paul Graham, just like the founders of Airbnb, it's like, do things that don't scale. If you want to build a great business, like, that's what you got to do. That's what founders do all the time." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderite

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Nikki Ostrander. Nikki is the owner of a family agency with a deep understanding of what it takes to make the business a win/win proposition for everyone.

Episode Highlights:

Nikki discusses her background and what led her to start her agency with her mother. (3:03)

Nikki shares that she honors her mother by continuing, building, and growing her mother's reputation and legacy. (7:26)

Nikki discusses some of the challenges of being a business owner, mother, and wife. (12:22)

Nikki shares that she hired her best friend and it was one of the best decisions that she made. (15:11)

Nikki explains how she and her husband handle situations that may appear unfavorable when working together. (20:36)

Nikki discusses a practice she's been using to handle emotions before speaking. (23:24)

Nikki explains how she and her husband manage to balance family and business boundaries as a team. (30:32)

Nikki mentions that with the support of her team, they are able to execute the plan of work-life balance and agency growth. (34:00)

Nikki mentions she's always available to talk to anyone if there's anything she can do to help because she feels she wouldn't be where she is without the community of amazing people. (36:00)

Key Quotes:

“The first year of each kid's life, I focused on their first year, and I slow down. And if the business took a hit, the business took a hit. You only get the first year once. So much happens in the first year.” - Nikki Ostrander

“We are doing things to move in the direction where we can chase our family and create that work-life balance that's so important to everyone.” - Nikki Ostrander

“I'm always here to always here to talk to anybody if there's anything that I can do to help because, honestly, without this community of amazing people, I wouldn't be where I was.” - Nikki Ostrander

Resources Mentioned:

Nikki Ostrander LinkedIn

Watts Insurance Group

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Andy Mathisen from Glovebox and Jerry Conrey, CEO of Conrey Insurance Brokers & Risk Managers. Andy and Jerry share their insights on one of the lively discussions on LinkedIn regarding the classification and operation of agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Jerry and Andy share their insights from a recent LinkedIn discussion about agencies and how they are classified. (2:52)

Jerry shares his background and how he got his own company back in 2002. (8:20)

Andy explains that it is impossible to grow in a culture that is built on wanting to talk to every client. (13:24)

Jerry shares his motivation to achieve and focus on EBITA as well as maximizing the numbers at his agency. (23:58)

Jerry and Andy discuss why they think insurance careers are great. (30:27)

Jerry explains that, at his agency, every producer has an account manager, and people are associated with producers through a team approach. (36:15)

Jerry and Andy discuss people, operations, and how they impact an organization's culture. (41:03)

Jerry explains that you differentiate your agency by defining what differentiates you from everyone else. (46:55)

Andy shares that different companies entail different mentalities, which require different operations, systems, processes, and staff. (49:54)

Jerry shares that there are people in the industry that really share useful information, and you just have to find the right platform in order to be successful. (56:09)

Andy explains the new category that they have in the company called "client experience." (58:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I recognized in this business that you have to build and maintain, if I only focused on sales, too much would be going off at some point in time." -Jerry Conrey

"Who your people are is your culture, and how they communicate and how they work together and how they work within processes is what defines what your culture is." - Jerry Conrey

"Growth is different from retention. In order to grow, you have to retain, obviously, but you have to make sales to keep that growth." - Andy Mathisen

Resources Mentioned:

Jerry Conrey LinkedIn

Andy Mathisen LinkedIn

Conrey Insurance Brokers & Risk Managers

Glovebox

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Paul Baccaro, CEO & Founder of Social Jazz. Paul talks about how Social Jazz helps you create high-quality social media content for your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Paul shares that he is a solid iPhone user. He hates to lose, and he believes that passion got him to where he is today. (2:00)

Paul discusses his background and how he got into product development. (3:29)

Paul explains that Social Jazz was born out of the realization that content is one of the most common problems people are trying to solve. (5:39)

According to Paul, a company's social media and website serve as its digital storefront. (9:02)

Paul explains that most people are checking your digital storefront, and just because they are not hitting the like button does not mean they are not interacting. (10:52)

Paul shares that the future of Social Jazz is all about maintaining high-quality content that engages consumers and answers their questions. (12:51)

Paul explains how Social Jazz intends to leverage artificial intelligence to gear its content towards what is trending and what consumers are looking for. (16:51)

Key Quotes:

“Just because they're not hitting the like button doesn't mean they're not using that as a way to kind of evaluate you as a business and find out what you're all about.” - Paul Baccaro

“We do have the ability to do custom posts, so if you have a blog, and you want to promote it, you just go and then create a custom post and then link to it.” - Paul Baccaro

“If we understand what's trending, what consumers are looking for, at any given moment, you'll get way more bang for your buck on social than, you know, posting something that nobody's even searched for five years.” - Paul Baccaro

Resources Mentioned:

Paul Baccaro LinkedIn

Social Jazz

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kurt Thoennessen, personal risk advisor at Ericson Insurance Advisors & the founder and CEO of RiskRevu. Kurt talks about how digital forms allow insurance agencies to focus on serving their customers instead of spending time gathering information.

Episode Highlights:

Kurt shares his professional background and how he got into insurance.(2:35)

Kurt shares about family and multifamily offices, what they are and how they work. (7:49)

Kurt explains that they are looking to work with people that value them as advisors, people that are looking to them for advice about insurance. (12:47)

Kurt discusses how he deals with gathering the necessary information from high-net worth clients. (18:56)

Kurt shares that at Ericson they built a particular webpage called the "client diagnostics center" with specific client questionnaires. (26:14)

Kurt explains what led him to start RiskRevu which provides prebuilt digital forms for insurance agencies to gather information from their clients. (29:01)

Kurt shares his experiences being invited to conferences and his insights about the difference between then and now. (32:00)

Kurt discusses the possible expansions that he sees, not only for RiskRevu but for the industry as well. (36:04)

Kurt explains that he is most passionate about and focused on sharing with agents that there is a better way to gather information. (40:27)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We're looking to build those relationships, offer quality advice, and do the research so that we're giving accurate answers. But we'll work with anybody who wants to work with an advisor." - Kurt Thoennessen

"Data gathering happens when a client's buying a new home, it happens when they're changing their mortgage, it happens when they're, you know, changing the usage of a car or a boat, or whatever the case is." - Kurt Thoennessen

“Right now, what I'm really passionate about and really focused on is just sharing with other agents that this is a better way to gather information. You can do it with your clients; they will be OK with it. In fact, many of them will like it." - Kurt Thoennessen

Resources Mentioned:

Kurt Thoennessen LinkedIn

RiskRevu

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, the gang talks to Marilyn Horrick, Co-Chair of WICC Ontario, about her work with the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade, the benefits for brokers of getting involved in charitable ventures, and her love of grumpy people. Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Joshua Goodman, Director of Business Development for the Kansas Big I.

Episode Highlights:

Josh shares his background and what led him to his position at the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents (KAIA). (4:22)

Josh explains that the reason he decided to leave State Farm was because he would not have been able to take over his father's book of business when that time came. (8:38)

Josh shares how he started his own agency from scratch in 2010. (13:42)

Josh shares how they explain to a client that your agency is no longer the best fit for their needs. (18:21)

Josh explains that there is an art to communicating with your referral partners to get the types of referrals that you are looking for. (23:48)

Josh shares the factors that led to his decision to sell the agency. (24:41)

Josh explains automation is one of the biggest differences in how things used to be done and how they are done now. (34:41)

Josh shares that there is always this difficulty in hiring great talent, and it is one of the challenges he hears a lot from his members. (40:47)

Josh discusses that one thing that agency owners should focus on is the claims experience and management of the claims. (43:42)

Josh advises all agency owners, especially aspiring ones, to operate their business from an entrepreneurial perspective. (46:22)

Key Quotes:

"I had the entrepreneurial spirit, I wanted to work for myself and be my owner and State Farm agents are able to do that to a certain degree." - Josh Goodman

"The agency owners that are going to win in the short term and long term are going to be digitally data-driven, and run their business as an entrepreneur, in my opinion." - Josh Goodman

"If you're an agency owner or aspiring agency owner, operate your business more from an entrepreneur's perspective than an insurance agent who owns a small business and employs producers and a service team." - Josh Goodman

Resources Mentioned:

To learn more about the KAIA, visit their website at https://www.kaia.com/.

--

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue to interview Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite for part two of the six-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." In this session, Peter shares how to discuss broker selection with your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David explains that they always educate every single one of their clients regarding broker selection. (4:01)

Peter shares what broker selection means and explains how it works by using Amazon as an example. (7:53)

David shares that some clients do not understand their reputation in the insurance marketplace. (9:56)

Peter explains how he would explain broker selection to his clients in a way that they would be able to understand. (12:42)

Peter explains situations where clients may find themselves in an inaccurate comparison. (14:55)

Peter explains that when people are competing for your business, there needs to be a strategy behind how you're approaching the marketplace. (17:34)

Peter shares what will put the broker in the strongest position to do the best representation for clients and prospects. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

"At the end of the day, nobody has a college course, nobody has a high school class that says how to procure business insurance for your company. It just doesn't exist, right? Our industry, who taught people how to buy insurance." - David Carothers

"What can you do to sharpen your pencil that's going to put the broker in the strongest position to do the best representation for the clients and prospects you're working with." - Peter MacDonald

"There might be markets that you know, you don't have the ability to quote, and so you have to recognize that as well." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderite

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Erin Kaiser and discusses mental health and how to keep a positive attitude.

Episode Highlights:

Erin explains what it was like for her and her business during the height of COVID. (2:06)

Erin shares her experience as a captive agent working for State Farm who later started her own business. (8:44)

Teresa shares about being in business for 20 years, and how her divorce impacted her kids. (14:50)

Erin shares some of the common pitfalls of being an agency owner in terms of mental health and well being (21:05).

Erin shares some of the things that happen to her when she goes into a depressive state. (31:57)

Erin explains that even though her business is successful, she has made the decision to sell her business because it is the ultimate best choice for her. (38:42)

Erin shares more about the personal reasons that led her to the decision to sell her business. (42:28)

Erin explains why she does not believe in the word balance because there are times you will need to be more present in one area of your life and it will never be 50/50. (50:40)

Erin explains that an advantage of being a leader is that you have the ability to actually have the want to move through your depression or be aware of it. (55:15)

Erin shares that if you feel like you don't want to do anything, you can do that, but do not unpack your bags and stay in that space. (57:46)

Erin advises everyone to have a journal, as journaling has changed her life. (1:04:56)

Key Quotes:

"I am a walking example that you can still function at your highest degree, you can still build a successful company, you can still work out every morning at 5:30 am and still be done with your kids after dinnertime and still not be happy. Because you don't feel filled." - Erin Kaiser

"I don't believe in the word balance. I know that's weird. But I think it's an easy word that a lot of you are using because you have the truth is, you're never going to be balanced because sometimes in your life, you need to be more present in your personal life." - Erin Kaiser

"Ultimately what made me decide to sell my business was I needed the mental change up of it. I needed to take all the things I love…I'm going to take all the great things that I've learned and all the great things that I've created and do something really freaking awesome. I'm pretty excited for the next chapter." - Erin Kaiser

Resources Mentioned:

Erin Kaiser LinkedIn

Integrity Insurance Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kat Billingsley and Tina Meyer of Reliable Premium Management. Kat and Tina talk through the process of calculating, collecting, and remitting premium payments based on payroll recorded each pay period. They offer a Pay-As-You-Go Work Comp Solution to their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Kat shares that she most enjoys talking to people and problem solving which she is able to in her role with Reliable Premium Management. (2:43)

Tina shares her background and what led her to Reliable Premium Management. (7:24)

Kat explains what Reliable Premium Management is and the advantage of having human involvement in the process. (10:33)

Tina shares about their new website that they will be launching that is going to be convenient for carriers and agents. (16:00)

Kat explains how they are making a difference in the industry with the services they offer. (21:11)

Tina shares how carriers leave a lot of exposure on their workers' comp when they do it through the payroll reporting option. (28:24)

Tina explains that one of their services is the assistance of multi-entity policies. (34:47)

Kat shares how she was able to find value from their pre and post-audit assistance services. (39:27)

Tina and Kat explain the process of how they take on an account and look forward to the audit. (40:48)

Kat and Tina share the benefits of having the audit service that they offer and add that it can be provided as a standalone. (45:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We are that extra arm of service for you as the agent to be able to provide that customized solution that pays as you go solution for your clients." - Kat Billingsley

"When we provide an audit explanation, and we always copy the agent on that, we want the agent to know exactly why there was a discrepancy if there was one." - Tina Meyer

"Because we were founded by an agent, with the intention of serving other agents, it really kind of fits all of those needs without stepping on anybody's toes." - Tina Meyer

Resources Mentioned:

Kat Billingsley LinkedIn

Tina Meyer LinkedIn

Reliable Premium Management

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass chats with Kevin Ring, Lead Workers' Compensation Analyst at Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin in a wealth of knowledge on all things Workers’ Comp.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares that Workers' Compensation is a very interesting line of business. (0:27)

Kevin explains that there is no line of insurance where the insured has more control over what they pay without changing the check the insurance company is going to write when you suffer a disaster than Workers’ Compensation. (4:42)

Kevin discusses that the fundamental concept of Workers’ Compensation was already passed in Wisconsin in 1911. (7:42)

Kevin explains that the number one reason why audits wind up incorrect is that employers don't know how to keep the records the auditor needs. (13:59)

Kevin shares that most of the time when clients get a return premium, agents don't see it as an opportunity. (17:05)

Kevin explains what medical indemnities are, medical claims only, and the states where these are applied. (19:07)

Kevin shares why Mod Advisor is a great tool to analyze the mods and cautions people about the most common problems other tools suffer from. (24:54)

Kevin explains that businesses run on processes, and Workers’ Compensation is a process, so it is important to analyze and give attention to it. (28:52)

Kevin shares that there is a certified Workers’ Compensation advisor available both live in person and via Zoom. (33:48)

Key Quotes:

"The number one reason that audits wind up incorrect is that employers don't know how to keep the records the auditor needs." - Kevin Ring

"You really want to avoid having to argue that something's unfair, it's much more powerful to be able to argue that something is against the rules, but you have to know what the rules are first." - Kevin Ring

"Most businesses, most good businesses work on some sort of process, you know, especially when you start talking about manufacturing construction. You know, if you try putting the roof on before you have the rafters up, it's not going to work especially well" - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Kevin Ring LinkedIn

Institute of WorkComp Professionals

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Yes, indeed, your clients get solicited by other insurance agents all the time. During this policy renewal year, they are more likely to meet with those agents (your competitors!) to see if there are alternative options available to them to cut costs. Why? Because inflation, a lack of workers, and a hardening insurance market are forcing them to look at options in order to do nothing more than stay in business.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the THREE things you can do to ensure your clients renew with you rather than one of your competitors.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that the reality is that clients have almost no plan to leave you and yet they still talk to other agents. (2:11)

Charles explains that it is becoming difficult for insurance buyers and business owners to make a profit and stay in business. (4:41)

Charles elaborates on the industry's current situation and what people need to be careful of at this time. (7:31)

Charles explains that clients do not normally tell their agents that they are talking to their competitors. (10:21)

Charles explains how the challenge of maintaining clients can be turned into an asset in converting prospects into clients. (12:52)

Charles discusses three reasons why clients speak with other agents and what triggers these situations. (16:54)

Charles explains that clients meet other agents and competitors because of a lack of peace of mind. (21:34)

Charles explains how to create a significant amount of peace of mind in the minds and consciences of your clients. (23:45)

Charles explains that if you are able to provide clients with a renewal strategy and assurance, then they will most likely meet with you. (26:53)

Key Quotes:

"For the most part, most business owners or leaders in an organization do not tell their current providers of whatever the service or product is that they are getting quotes, and they are meeting with other vendors. " - Charles Specht

"Your clients are going to be meeting with competitors, other agents, other brokers, they're going to be meeting with direct writers, captives, other independent agents, and so forth, because they don't have peace of mind with anything that's happening right now." - Charles Specht

"We need to be able to create a significant amount of peace of mind in the minds and the consciences of our clients." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jotham S. Stein, Principal of the Law Offices of Jotham S. Stein P.C. and author of Negotiate Like A CEO. Jotham shares how his book can help people learn the true meaning of negotiating like a CEO and how important employment agreements are.

Episode Highlights:

Jotham shares his educational and professional background that led to where he is today. (2:14)

Jotham explains what it means to negotiate like a CEO. (3:27)

Jotham shares that, unfortunately, some of the worst fights are not only between college buddies but family fights. (9:37)

Jotham explains some of the worst-case scenarios he has encountered in an entrepreneurial situation. (14:27)

Jotham shares that his book is very useful for people who are inventing new things and want to create a company around what they have invented. (17:31)

Jotham discusses ways to promise people things that would not require extra time. (25:03)

Jotham explains that equity disputes come from people not having enough equity when they helped build a better book of business. (31:47)

David mentions that you can either have an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset and that too many people at the top have a scarcity mindset. (33:41)

Jotham explains that phantom equity is used to give someone equity without giving them any shares at all. (36:30)

Jotham elaborates on the importance of in-person visits, compared to zoom and telephone calls. (41:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the worst case scenarios, let's say, is the entrepreneur situation. Let's say, they take an outside investor into their company, and they build their company, and then they get forced out before their metaphorical baby." - Jotham S. Stein

“If you have people that are inventing things that want to create a company around what they invented, and they're taking in investors, you better read my book.” - Jotham S. Stein

“You either have an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset. And too many people who sit in my chair have a scarcity mindset.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Jotham S. Stein LinkedIn

Law Offices of Jotham S. Stein P.C.

Negotiate Like A CEO

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, join Tom, Steve, Adam & Jeff as the crew hosts Sherif Gemayel, CEO of Trufla Technology. Between the recording of this episode and it's airing, Sherif has sold his brokerage companies to focus on Trufla Technology. Trufla is an insuretech focusing on agency tools such as truMobile, truLeads and digital marketing for agents. In this episode, we get into:

Sherif’s fascinating rags to riches story & his journey in the insurance sector

The differences in managing digital vs retail brokerages

The genesis of the truMobile app

How brokers are like Amazon, Google & Netflix

How Trufla helps brokers monetize their data

How brokers are going to win – when connectivity is solved

If you’re an agent, watch this episode – you’ll walk away with some strategic gold! Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Andrew Correll, Director of Insurance Solutions with Security Scorecard.

Episode Highlights:

Andrew mentions that he began his career in the insurance market 10 years ago, mostly handling cyber insurance underwriting for technology and life sciences companies. (5:14)

Andrew believes that it's up to all of us to learn the ins and outs of what we do, instead of just trying to sell a product to anyone who picks up the phone. (11:38)

Andrew talks about where things are now with cyber insurance and data breach protection. (15:08)

Andrew believes that the Security Scorecards platform was really made for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and vendor risk managers. (24:33)

Andrew discusses how the level of connection they want to have with clients is one of the major value additions from a security scorecard standpoint. (29:20)

James explains how he starts putting together his cyber submissions, whether for a new customer or a renewal. (34:57)

Andrew mentions that if you monitor your book of business throughout the course of a policy term, you'll have some great opportunities to create a strong connection. (38:53)

As someone who will be selling cyber insurance, Andrew encourages everyone to adopt a "just enough to be dangerous" mentality and knowledge base when it comes to cyber. (51:27)

Andrew discusses why it is important to build a connection and partnership with a local MSP. (54:32)

Key Quotes:

“It's incumbent upon all of us to kind of learn the ins and outs of what it is we're doing, versus just trying to sell a product to anyone who's going to pick up the phone. When you start getting away from the transactional approach and going into a relationship approach.” - Andrew Correll

“In the cyber insurance market, we're utilizing a security scorecard as a way to kind of systematize part of your underwriting.” - Andrew Correll

“If you're monitoring your book of business over the course of a policy period, you're going to have some really good opportunities to build a solid relationship.” - Andrew Correll

Resources Mentioned:

To learn more about Security Scorecard, visit their website at www.securityscorecard.com.

--

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Peter MacDonald, Co-Founder & CEO of Wunderite for Part 1 of a six-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." They discuss the gap analysis and the reasons why it plays such an important role for producers.

Episode Highlights:

David shares why he likes interviewing people who were once agents turned InsurTech guys, because they don't forget what they did as agents. (2:25)

Peter explains why it is never beneficial to do free work for people who are never going to buy from you. (5:29)

Peter breaks down how he used to do a gap analysis with winning the account and Broker of Record. (9:18)

David shares that you should know everything that the person you're meeting with is tied to, both as an entity and as an individual. (13:05)

Peter shares that his most extensive account ever closed as a result of uncovering something missing from the umbrella was $200k. (16:37)

Peter shares how he uncovered and talked about savings and overspending with his clients. (21:13)

Peter talks about ordinances or laws requiring people to do something to their homes that they do not want to. (26:36)

Peter shares how he would communicate with his clients without overwhelming them with too much information. (30:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"What we're trying to do here in this gap analysis is not necessarily fix all the problems at once, right? Because you're probably not going to be able to do that, but it's just about all the things you can start to create pain about." - Peter MacDonald

"You're trying to create a cumulative effect of all this stuff that you can point to, like, why are there so many mistakes? The number one place to start is named insured." - Peter MacDonald

"What I don't want you to hear if you're listening to this is to do free work for people who are never going to buy from you. Like, that's what you don't want to do. You don't want to be stuck in a spot where you're like a net, analyzing people's risks." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderite

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley breaks down how the best content creators in the world overcome their fear and dominate inbound lead generation. Don't miss it!

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses some of the key points of Ryan Holiday's book, The Obstacle Is the Way (5:15)

Ryan explains how we can use fear as a signal to take action on the work that needs to be done. (8:54)

Ryan discusses what would happen if he let fear prevent him from recording a solo episode. (11:51)

Ryan believes we never know which content will be a hit, but we can generate more the next day, because it’s about releasing material and letting the market decide. (17:41)

Ryan mentions he'll keep creating content, educating, and helping people with insurance problems because he doesn't know which videos are good and which are bad. (22:56)

Ryan explains how he answers every question on their YouTube channel's comment section since he has no clue which response to which inquiry may lead to someone contacting him and doing business. (25:06)

Ryan goes over several techniques for creating video material. (30:47)

Ryan reminds us that we must not allow our fear to prevent us from fulfilling the duties we have set out to complete. (38:58)

Key Quotes:

“We can allow fear, false evidence appearing real, we can allow our perception of what might happen if we take a certain action keep us from doing that action. Or, we can use that fear as a signal. We can use it as a compass point, we can use it as our North Star for what needs to be done the work that needs to be done.” - Ryan Hanley

“It's not about which piece of content wins. It's about putting the content out there and allowing the market to choose.” - Ryan Hanley

“I will keep creating content, I'll keep educating, I will keep bringing value to people who have questions about insurance.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley

You don't have to be the "best" insurance agent out there. (Please, read that again!) There are literally tens of thousands of insurance agents out there who prospect in your very own geographic territory. You don't need to be the best out of all of them. In fact, all you have to be is the better CHOICE of whichever agent the prospect is using to get quotes on their behalf for that renewal. That's it.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how you can get your prospect to perceive you as the best CHOICE out of three agents, and fire their current agent in order to hire you!

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that in any line of business, you do not have to be the best, but remember that you are unique. (2:10)

Charles explains that the main struggle that most agents have, regardless of whether they are new or experienced, is mindset. (4:30)

Charles discusses that there are a lot of agents that are also contacting your clients and prospects, and you do not have to be better than those agents. (9:15)

Charles shares that you only have to be better than a handful of other agents that are your competitors. (12:43)

Charles explains that the strongest position for you to be in is to be the best option based on who your prospects are meeting with. (17:59)

Charles explains that if you create a strategy and do it right, you will be able to eliminate the other competing agents. (20:26)

Charles elaborates on forcing your thinking to be positive, telling yourself that there is no reason why prospects should pick other agents other than yourself. (23:35)

Charles shares the new things that will be coming in for 12x Mastermind, as well as putting together actual microniches for exclusive members. (27:43)

Key Quotes:

"I just want to tell you that there are a lot of agents out there who are calling on not only your own clients but your prospects' lot. You don't even have to be better than those 100." - Charles Specht

"I know how to make super producers. And so what I'm doing now is I'm taking that information and I'm going to be bringing it down now to an exclusive few those who become members of my 12x Mastermind."- Charles Specht

"You don't have to be the best insurance agents that's out there. You just have to be the best choice for whichever prospect you're talking about." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carrie Cheeks, Southeast Territory Manager at Risk Innovations. Carrie shares how Risk Innovations assists agents in providing their insureds with workers' compensation coverage.

Episode Highlights:

Carrie shares her background and mentions that this is her first corporate job since college. (3:59)

Carrie describes what Risk Innovations is all about and what her role is in the company. (5:18)

Carrie explains that they serve various types of agencies and can write a $300 policy to a $10 million policy. (7:17)

Carrie shares that they have a huge number of submissions they get in an accord app. (13:17)

Carrie explains that 95% of their markets prefer weekly or monthly self reporting. (16:19)

Carrie shares that they have access to about 10 programs across the country that are not exclusive, but the footprint is exclusive. (19:42)

Carrie explains that the benefit of working with a specialist is that they know how to sell the risk. (23:53)

Carrie shares that they were acquired in 2018 by JenCap and anyone that is contracted with them is automatically contracted with JenCap. (25:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We have access to probably 10 programs across the country. And while they're not exclusive, their footprint on them is exclusive." - Carrie Cheeks

"We don't need something that's the same class code over and over again. We can get carriers to get after it. You know, the more generalist it gets, obviously, the smaller our carrier list becomes." - Carrie Cheeks

"There are so many options throughout the country for different segments, people who specialize in different lines that we can send accounts to." - Carrie Cheeks

Resources Mentioned:

Carrie Cheeks LinkedIn

Risk Innovations

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Raution Jaiswal, CEO & Co-founder of InsuredMine. Raution discusses what fuels InsuredMine's growth and success, and explains why he believes they are the best all-in-one insurance CRM platform.

Episode Highlights:

Jason mentions that a lot of what the tech world in the insurance business is doing now is what Raution was doing since 2013. (4:02)

Raution mentions that he has returned to using an iPhone after a long period of using Android. (4:37)

Raution shares that he loves winning since he does not keep track of what he loses. (6:41)

Raution explains that the idea for InsuredMine came to him when he was the Senior Director of M&A for CBRE in 2016-2017. (9:55)

According to Raution, InsuredMine began by solving business problems and he did not originally envision creating a CRM. (17:05)

Raution explains the two factors that set InsuredMine apart from other companies. (18:23)

InsuredMine, according to Raution, is integrating AI into its features in order to become the production hack that agencies need. (20:25)

Raution believes that there is no system that manages renewals better than InsuredMine does. (23:14)

Raution elaborates that every agency with whom they work benefits and sees the results. (26:20)

Key Quotes:

“I do not keep stock on what I lose. And so and I lose a lot, and I don't care about it… the number of attempts and number of failures, it does not bother me. As long as I'm continuously continuing to win more than others.” - Raution Jaiswal

“We have spent so much energy with our clients to build this, that we are winning. We go into demo, we just talk about renewals, we walk away with a deal that itself is a big winner.” - Raution Jaiswal

“With every agency we are adding to the system, you know, more feedback is coming. And that feeds more energy to us to build a deeper product. And that's what we're going to continue. It's always been a product led company, and that will be the center stage for us, you know, just continue investing in product.” - Raution Jaiswal

Resources Mentioned:

Raution Jaiswal LinkedIn

InsuredMine

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Mason, President of Chenango Brokers. John talks about what a good wholesaler looks like to an agency and how Chenango Brokers provides independent and semi-captive insurance agents with quality competitive products from financially sound admitted markets.

Episode Highlights:

John discusses the commercial line comparative rate that Chenango Brokers have developed for agents to use that will give them access to a multitude of admitted carriers. (1:50)

John talks about having a system that asks questions and inputs the answers on a support form that brings back eligible quotes. (6:00)

John shares his background and the history of how he started Chenango Brokers. (11:58)

John explains that volatility is one of the things that makes their commercial package policy so valuable. (18:38)

John shares that they offer personal lines and a real-time life portal application that agents can utilize. (25:23)

John explains that picture-perfect submissions are the ones where applications are properly completed. (27:55)

John describes the key difference between a fleet and a non-fleet in a commercial auto program. (29:53)

John advises listeners to understand and study a few industries and also to understand what good communication is. (36:59)

John reminds young agents to listen to people who have been in the industry for so long and are successful. (38:51)

John recalls his former competitor, who had helped him make connections. (41:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Most people assume if you're a wholesaler, that you're just running a business. And you know, as a wholesaler, one of the things we also look at is the quality of the submissions that come in." - John Mason

"I have an old Italian friend who lives about a mile away, and he always says to me, ‘Giovanni, no matter what you take in, it's what you put in your pocket that counts’, and he's right on the money with that." - John Mason

"A great producer takes the time to understand the industry that he's trying to work in." - John Mason

Resources Mentioned:

John Mason LinkedIn

Chenango Brokers LLC

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom, Jeff, Steve & Adam get down & dirty with Braden on what the future holds for the future of agent digitization and what Braden is doing to help agents achieve that goal. Braden’s been in insurance since he was 16 years old and an entrepreneur for most of his life. He’s owned & managed retail brokerages and now he’s growing a digital one (Nuera Insurance) while also developing the great Canadian BMS system under the cheeky (get it?) moniker of Nude Solutions. Braden talks about:

How the customer experience at Nuera – powered by Nude solutions – can be significantly better than at traditional retail brokerages

The lack of evolution in insurance and his frustration at the friction that exists in the industry

The experience of younger staff who are used to operating digitally in their personal life

The need for carrier APIs to enable a digital carrier experience

The behavioral scoring & advanced front line underwriting tools available in Nude

How customers will pay more for convenience

Adam, Jeff & Steve all agree – get a demo of Nude now and get your mind blown! Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of the Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Jason Johnson and Katherine Jones from Coterie Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Katherine discusses her role as Director of Communications for Coterie. (4:49)

Katherine and Jason explain that Coterie is a managing general agency and that they do not want to be a direct to consumer company. (7:56)

Jason explains his role as the Director of Agency Experience as well as his philosophy within the company. (10:50)

Katherine and Jason share their experience of letting go of talented people in order to balance the financial stability of the company. (15:04)

Jason shares about their new products and services that are about to come out, like the technology they call "Simply Bind". (21:42)

Katherine shares how grateful they are to agents and brokers, and opens up about their company's podcast. (28:15)

Jason explains that Coterie is helping agents by focusing on speed, simplicity, and finding new ways to make sure that agents are capitalizing on their solutions to pain points that clients have. (32:16)

Jason explains that bulk quoting is something that they are currently working on and developing at Coterie. (35:39)

Katherine shares that they are always open to feedback. (38:22)

Key Quotes:

"Technically, we're a managing general agency…I just want to make that distinction and be accurate. But what we don't want to be, we don't want to be direct to consumer, right? We really believe in our agents and brokers, we believe in the relationships they have in their communities." - Katherine Jones

"Coterie would not be where we are today without the amazing agents and brokers who have been with us since the very beginning." - Katherine Jones

"It's why I love my job, right? I get to just outsource all the cool creative ideas from the agents and take them back to a bunch of brilliant minds who can make them happen." - Jason Johnson

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Coterie and how your office can get appointed at https://www.coterieinsurance.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck chat with Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey recaps the highlights from the previous sessions that could change the outcome of your business.

Episode Highlights:

Carey shares a recap of what has been talked about in the previous sessions that could change the outcome of your business. (2:55)

Carey explains that agency owners need to know their company's strengths and weaknesses. (5:54)

Carey explains that most of the attractive agencies are ones with sophisticated processes, technology, and great talent. (8:30)

Carey shares the things to consider if you are planning to buy an agency. (10:39)

Carey mentions that oftentimes, people regret their decisions because they only think about growing by acquisition. (13:33)

David explains that if you don't take the steps to execute, it really isn't going to happen. (15:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you don't know your own agency, and what your strengths and weaknesses are on your own valuation, it's tough to make that list of what you're looking for." -Carey Wallace

"Not every buyer, or not every seller, wants to sell for the highest price. There are plenty of sellers that want to make sure that their customers get the same experience they've been accustomed to, and they are looking for a buyer that can provide that was great." -Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Agency Focus

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this solo episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley breaks down three things he's learned about growing a digital, commercial insurance agency after the first 120 days of Rogue Risk being part of the SIAA ecosystem. This is an episode for the ages...Don't miss it.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan opens the episode by sharing his feelings lately about being creative. (2:00)

Ryan explains that he looks at everything as an obstacle, and how he surrounds himself with great people. (7:14)

Ryan shares that he has been happy with SIAA, and there are so many things that they are doing. (12:52)

Ryan shares why they are currently getting from Hubspot from an insurance perspective. (17:43)

Ryan shares that they are now in the process of transferring from Hubspot to using Nexsure. (25:58)

Ryan explains that the vision and process for Rouge is on the right path. (29:34)

Ryan shares that the biggest issue they always had was not having enough producers to do all the business. (35:12)

Ryan shares how important it is to find a great producer, regardless of their location. (39:00)

Ryan explains how to build trust with clients and validate them through that process. (44:27)

Ryan discusses how clients always want to hear that you’ve got them. (52:52)

Ryan shares that the last step to closing a sale is to send the video proposal. (56:17)

Key Quotes:

"There are amazing people out there who want to help clients who want to grow, who want to be successful, who want to make money, who want to help your agency, they're just not always going to be in your backyard. It's just that's the reality." - Ryan Hanley

"The vision for Rogue, the process for Rogue, it only continues to solidify in my mind that we're absolutely on the right path. We're just seeing the results." - Ryan Hanley

"Right now, growth is what's most important to Rogue. We need to grow, we want to grow, we can grow. We have everything in place, and we're starting to grow, which is great." - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Monica Adwani, host of TranscendwithM podcast, and Managing Partner of Savvital. Monica helps insurance agents with their day to day tasks with finding and locating Virtual Professionals. They take an 8 week training program and another 6 weeks with training to make sure the VP and the agency are ready to add a virtual professional to their team.

Episode Highlights:

Monica discusses the TranscendwithM podcast and its goals. (3:11)

Monica explains that everything she created with Troy Thompson, including the training for the VAs, is based on their experiences and the way they do business now. (13:45)

Monica discusses their eight-week internal program that nourishes insurance knowledge into their Virtual Professionals. (17:45)

Monica discusses the importance of having realistic expectations. (20:27)

Monica mentions the fact that they hire people specifically to solve problems. (22:29)

Monica explains the reason why they refer their employees as Virtual Professionals. (26:11)

Monica explains why they chose to source employees from Pakistan over other countries for Savvital. (30:16)

Monica mentions that their Virtual Professionals are working on their CIC and CISR certifications. (37:18)

Key Quotes:

“The goal is to be a vessel of change and provide that platform for people. Because it's not about me helping them grow. It's about them helping each other grow. So that's kind of like what Transcend with M is doing right now.” - Monica Adwani

“Explaining the why is the most important thing, and I will tell you that we spend more on the why, and getting the explanation of things than what we do on the process.” - Monica Adwani

“I am learning, they are learning everybody's learning, and we will continue to learn as we grow. But I think the essence and the base of what we are doing, that will never change.” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

Monica Adwani LinkedIn

Savvital

TranscendwithM

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ashley Napier, Chief Operating Officer at 3000 Insurance Group. Ashley shares what she enjoys about being in an employee-facing role in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Ashley discusses her background and what led her to 3000 Insurance Group. (3:35)

Ashley explains that her favorite aspect of coaching is the structure that enables her to sit with people and understand their problems or challenges. (7:25)

Ashley shares her experience of being in the healthcare industry and what she thinks are the challenges as well as the great experiences that came from it. (12:14)

Ashley shares that she prefers operations more than production in her line of work today. (18:45)

Ashley discusses how she conducts interviews and why she admits that it was terrible in the beginning. (20:36)

Ashley shares that she takes the interview process to uncover real character and skills applicants have. (26:01)

Ashley explains that it can be a challenge to balance both the production and operational sides of things. (31:07)

Ashley advises newcomers to the industry to always get a mentor. (35:27)

Ashley explains the importance of making space and creating opportunities for minorities in the insurance industry. (47:34)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I have a structure that I follow in coaching, and I am able to really sit with people and understand the things that are troubling them, the tasks or processes that are getting in their way, but more so than that, I'm able to just like to learn about them." - Ashley Napier

"The best advice I can give anybody new in the insurance industry is getting a mentor, get one for insurance, get one for personal growth, get one for professional growth, get a mentor, learn from the best, learn how to be better, don't waste time." - Ashley Napier

“We have to make space to invite these people in, we have to make space them. So, if we're not getting those applicants, how are we going to do that? How are we going to women? How are you advocating for the minorities?" - Ashley Napier

Resources Mentioned:

Ashley Napier LinkedIn

3000 Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass sits down with Heath Shearon, Sales Coach at Agency Performance Partners. Jason and Heath discuss the secrets of closing a sale, not just for new insurance agents but also for those who have transitioned from personal to commercial lines.

Episode Highlights:

Heath discusses how his commercial course is jam-packed with information ranging from prospecting to closing deals to building niches. (5:13)

Jason shares that the number one secret he has discovered to be true is that no matter how good a salesperson you are, if you are a better prospector, you will make it. (7:14)

Heath believes that since he is fearless, he is good at prospecting and cold calling. (8:27)

Jason shares how he came to the realization that nearly everything the more experienced people in the insurance industry had told him was true. (13:17)

Heath explains why finding a niche is still important despite being overused. (14:08)

Heath discusses a time when he started taking pictures while prospecting in the optimism that the images would help his underwriter close a deal. (17:48)

Jason believes that the word "closure" is incorrect since it implies that we are doing anything towards the end. (21:09)

Heath mentions that there are several closing techniques, and insurance professionals must determine which one works best for them. (22:38)

Heath emphasizes the significance of developing a connection or relationship with the underwriter. (28:42)

Jason discusses how insurance agents can generate more money per account. (34:38)

Key Quotes:

“You should always be closing from the jump, from the moment I step into that building, or I'm on that phone call, I'm assuming the sale all the way through and making sure that they think of me already as their agent.” - Heath Shearon

“There are different closing techniques that Hans and I talked about in the course and I even highlight four or five of them, but at the same time, I'm like, you gotta figure out what works for you.” - Heath Shearon

“Working with the underwriter is so huge in commercial insurance. I have a whole section devoted to this because I think we've overlooked that a lot.” - Heath Shearon

Resources Mentioned:

Heath Shearon LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partner

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this solo episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks about the possible benefits of being a producer instead of an agency principal.

For many people, the producer career track may yield greater happiness, satisfaction, and personal wealth than the agency principal track.

Episode Highlights:

James explains that for some, depending on one's goal, and how they are wired to be in the industry, being a producer is better than an agency principal. (0:53)

James shares that some benefits of being a producer are that there is no overhead and you are not paying any payroll because all you have is revenue. (02:53)

James explains that as a producer, you don't worry about vendors, tech stack, and administrative things. (03:33)

James shares why being a producer simply means having no distractions. (04:13)

James shares that, as a producer, you can increase your personal revenue with ease and your proximity to your client is a huge advantage. (05:15)

James shares that another advantage of being a producer is that you can easily define success. (07:23)

James explains that the challenge of being a principal is the struggle to balance growth and cash flow. (08:04)

James explains that another challenge of being a principal is the feeling of not having enough time. (09:04)

James shares that, as a principal, it is your responsibility to manage interpersonal challenges. (12:00)

James explains what shiny stuff syndrome is, and how it is a challenge for a principal. (13:57)

James explains that his point is that sometimes, being a producer is better than being a principal. (18:45)

Key Quotes:

"As the principal. It's your responsibility to come to the office and create the work that needs to be done by other people on your team." - James Jenkins

"If you don't have that roster of the up-and-coming talent, if you don't know who the next person is, who's going to win on your team, you are already at a deficit and your growth is going to be stunted." - James Jenkins

"If everybody is a boss, then there's no one to do the actual work. There's no one to handle the client relationships. There's no one to close the deal." - James Jenkins

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Cayla Carrillo, Don Polczynski, and Roe Polczynski of RD Advisory Group to talk about how their AgencyCFO service provides financial, growth, and organizational expertise to independent insurance agencies of all sizes.

Episode Highlights:

Roe, Don, and Kayla share their background and how they got into the financial industry. (2:47)

Roe explains the difference between a CFO and a CPA. (10:23)

Don shares five things every agency owner should understand about finances. (11:33)

Cayla explains that they always tell their clients that the finance fundamentals are the same regardless of the agency size. (14:24)

Cayla shares that the one role that does not understand how they are compensated is mostly the producers. (18:37)

Don explains that for the vast majority of agencies, sales management is the weakest point. (24:53)

Don and Roe discuss the importance of producers talking in revenue and not locking in premium. (29:46)

Roe advises agency owners to look into how they are going to retain their employees now that they are halfway through the year. (35:28)

Cayla and Don explain why, aside from the revenue growth rate, it is also important to monitor the retention rate. (40:30)

Roe shares that, as CFO, it is their fiduciary responsibility to help agency owners maximize whatever they can. (47:21)

Roe offers agency owners a free program they can provide to their clients. (52:00)

Cayla explains that if financial noise is your number one problem, they can fix it. (56:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"When you consider yourself to be incorporated and a business within the agency, you truly, I think, learn to develop yourself and think about your own profitability." -Cayla Carrillo

"As CFOs we have decided it is our fiduciary responsibility to help our agency owners maximize whatever they can." - Roe Polczynski

"We are here to talk. We never charge. We don't do quick sales. You call us if you have a quick question. We're gonna help you. This is a program to enhance your business not to scare you or to take away from you." - Roe Polczynski

Resources Mentioned:

Cayla Carrillo LinkedIn

Don Polczynski, MS LinkedIn

Roe Polczynski, MBA LinkedIn

AgencyCFO

RD Advisory Group

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

he Digital Insurance Pint Podcast is pleased to announce that they have completed a hostile takeover of The Insurance Podcast. “The combination of these two entities will form an unrivaled podcasting empire in the Canadian insurance space” said co-host Adam Mitchell. “There can be only one”, agreed co-host Tom Reid. The deal was led by co-hosts Steve Earle and Jeff Roy. They have identified some significant synergies and economies of scale in the deal. As a result, Pete Tessier has been released from his role with immediate effect. “$#^$! you guys” said Pete. With this acquisition, DIPP will now control 90% of the Canadian insurance podcasting market either directly, or indirectly, through its network of affiliates. The company has agreed to abide by anti-monopoly laws and will not raise its prices for at least a few days. This deal is subject to regulatory approval, but is expected to pass easily because no one really cares about it. More detail can be found in the attached video, where we also cover:

How smaller brokers are better equipped to pivot to consumers than the mega brokers on Enterprise platforms

Do we even need a BMS?

BMS’s are the biggest friction point in our business

BMS’s care more about their competition than our competition

Brokers Assn’s are prioritizing brand over connectivity

In what world does it make sense for a $10M broker to be on the same platform as a $200M broker?

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Cease & Desist podcast, Sean, Andy & Ryan welcome Chris Langille to the Cease & Desist Podcast! Chris is the founder of Advisor Evolved and has the inside scoop on web development. Want to know just how common an ugly website is in the insurance space... Make sure you give this episode a listen.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Erik Garcia, Certified Financial Planner and Investment Advisor with New Century Financial Group and the Founder of Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors. He is co-owner of Garcia Insurance Services in New Orleans. And, he is the co-host of the podcast Stuff About Money They Didn’t Teach You In School.

Episode Highlights:

Erik discusses what made him decide to enter the insurance industry. (11:16)

Erik explains that there is a difference between gaining cash flow and business growth. (17:37)

Erik tells business owners that they need to build their business as though they're going to sell it. (23:02)

Erik shares that the thing that drives him most crazy in the industry is contracts and the process of getting them. (29:51)

Erik discusses the captive agency he was with and the underwriting guidelines that had to be arranged when Katrina hit. (37:36)

Erik debunks the myth that because you own a business, you have attained freedom. (40:47)

Erik talks about every investment being a question of risk and offers examples. (45:05)

Erik shares that the worst thing that can happen to you as a leader is to look back and realize no one is following. (55:28)

Erik explains that the more you duplicate yourself in your business, the more freedom you gain. (58:58)

Key Quotes:

"You know, the worst thing that can happen to you as a leader is to look back and no one's following you." - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

"I want to be known as a financial planner. That's the work I enjoy. It gives me life. It is fun, there's nothing more fun than seeing people make good decisions with their money from an investment standpoint." - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

"The more you duplicate yourself in your business, guess what? You just got freedom, you have just released yourself from a little bit more captivity because you are not needed." - Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA

Resources Mentioned: Learn more about Erik's office at https://www.plan-wisely.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue their conversation with Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey explains the importance of having a perpetuation plan.

Episode Highlights:

Carey explains that if you have employees, renewable income, and processes in your agency, you need to have a perpetuation plan. (2:35)

Carey explains that the reason why agency owners don't have a perpetuation plan is because of fear and lack of time. (3:56)

Carey elaborates on the importance of having a disaster plan in place and how it should be set up as an agency owner. (10:12)

Carey shares that a perpetuation plan is in place to protect the agency to continue into perpetuity. (13:04)

Carey explains that having problems discussed even before they occur is the only way to prepare for them. (15:45)

Carey advises agency owners on what to do if they don't have someone internally to buy their agency. (18:28)

Carey shares that agency owners must truly understand and know what they own, to protect it. (22:25)

Carey explains that everything about a perpetuation plan is about getting protected, just like how business owners protect their clients. (27:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

"A perpetuation plan is in plan to protect the agency to continue into perpetuity. So, you have to think about it, how am I protecting this business and all the people that own the business collectively. And the best time to think about doing that is when things are good." -Carey Wallace

"If you don't have someone internally to buy your agency, but you have relationships in this industry with other agency owners that you trust. Approach, one of them to be the ones that could come in and run your agency to sell it externally." -Carey Wallace

"We're all business owners. And this is about getting you protected, just like you help your clients get protected. And, it's about trust and relationships." -Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Agency Focus

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Delivering bad news to current clients is an art. So is uncovering bad news from your prospects. In fact, the best and most wealthy insurance agents out there are typically the ones best at advising their current clients on industry trends, and uncovering pains/problems with their competition. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain how to do this for better client retention and for winning more signed Broker of Record Letters from your prospects.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that giving bad news and uncovering bad news are critical aspects of building a $1 million or more book business since it all comes down to winning and retaining clients. (3:30)

Charles discusses why delivering bad news to current clients is challenging. (9:21)

Charles explains the three most important strategies for maintaining a strong and loyal relationship with current clients and how to deliver bad news and get good results. (11:39)

Charles mentions that insurance agents must handle renewals in a very planned and strategic way in order to be considered an advisor. (17:20)

Charles believes that being able to spot pain is one of the most significant things insurance agents can do to win new clients. (24:54)

Charles discusses the significance of taking advantage of the hardening market in order to make more appointments and win more Broker of Record Letters. (25:36)

Charles encourages insurance agents to focus on being professional advisors in delivering bad news to current clients and becoming expert persuaders by identifying their pain points and issues with their present agents and then informing them about the superior services. (28:53)

Key Quotes:

“Delivering bad news and uncovering bad news are very, very important aspects to building a $1 million or more book business, because it all has to do with being successful at winning and retaining.” - Charles Specht

“You need to make sure that you are handling your renewals in a very structured and strategic way so that you are indeed an advisor and not necessarily someone who is quasi unethical when it came down to delivering that bad news.” - Charles Specht

“If there is one thing that will ensure your prospects start to meet with you and maybe consider options and even consider doing business with you is if you somehow were able to give them the information that it's likely their insurance rates are going to be increasing significantly, because that's what's happening in the rest of the marketplace across the United States of America and beyond. “ - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of Power Women in Insurance Podcast, Teresa talks to Nancy Huff Nicklow, the president and owner of Huff Insurance in Pasadena Maryland. She started in the insurance industry at 14 years old when she worked for her father filling and doing claims. Nancy took over the insurance agency at age 35, right after her father passed away. She shares the challenges she went through during that period and the changes she had to make to grow the agency. Listen in to learn how Nancy together with her husband has grown Huff Insurance massively by incorporating the right technological and digital marketing strategies. You will also learn the hiring strategy that she uses in hiring the right person for the team.

Top Takeaways:

Taking over an old insurance agency and changing how things work.

Understanding how technology works in growing an insurance business.

How to deal with change resistance among the staff members.

How to connect with clients through the use of extensive videos.

Finding the right employees that suit your agency’s values and expectations.

Key Moments:

[1:00] Nancy shares her story starting in insurance at 14 years and officially taking over her father’s insurance agency at age 35.

[2:20] Overcoming the challenges that initially faced her in the agency and going on to more than doubled its size in 13 years.

[7:35] How did she manage to take control of things in the agency?

[9:27] How digital marketing propelled them to grow so fast- clients came looking for them and not the other way around.

[12:01] She talks about how her husband got the education to do massive digital marketing for Huff Insurance.

[14:35] How she dealt with technological change resistance among her staff.

[19:18] The power of making connections with clients through video.

[20:58] What is Nancy’s biggest superpower?

[23:25] Nancy shares the turning point that saw her decide to do the right thing without caring what others think.

[30:43] What type of employee make an excellent team player in Nancy’s agency?

Visit the Power Women In Insurance Instagram Page! HERE

Connect With Teresa! Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx/

Nancy's Deets: Nancy's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.nicklow Huff Insurance Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/huffinsurance.MD Huff Insurance Website: https://www.huffinsurance.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-nicklow-63834227/

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Aaron Levine from Luxury Insurance Group. Aaron shares what Luxury Insurance Group is all about and how they are utilizing technology to provide that white glove service to their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Aaron shares his background experience and how he got into the Luxury Insurance Group. (2:40)

Aaron explains that their tech stack needs some work, but a good tech stack is like the white glove service that they are providing. (10:24)

Aaron explains that asking prospects how their buying process goes is essential to enhancing inbound opportunities. (17:39)

Aaron shares that they are 50-50 on personal and commercial lines and write a lot of high net worth, personal lines, property, and hospitality accounts. (22:00)

Aaron talks about winning deductibles on commercial property in New Jersey. (24:57)

David discusses that most of the agencies out there are more about themselves in terms of the selling process. (30:43)

Aaron shares that his favorite thing to do is to learn about the process. (32:27)

Aaron discusses his producers and what they are currently working on, especially in terms of their marketing drops. (35:00)

Aaron shares how they utilize their CRM in terms of marketing and branding. (39:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The data is public. There are no secrets, and we're not all about keeping secrets. We're going to keep it all open and honest." - Aaron Levine

"Almost every agency out there, for the most part, is very selfish in the selling process. It's all about them. It's very rarely about the prospect." - David Carothers

"A win is continuing the conversation, getting that next meeting, whether it's in person, or via Zoom with me on the phone. That to me is a win." - Aaron Levine

Resources Mentioned:

Aaron Levine LinkedIn

Luxury Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Peter MacDonald, Co-Founder & CEO of Wunderite. Peter discusses how Wunderites simplifies the process of submitting insurance applications, supplementals, and accords for both insurance brokers and their customers.

Episode Highlights:

Peter mentions that he will speak about sales automation at the Agents Leadership conference in Niagara Falls in September. (6:59)

Peter explains that Wunderite's main function is to simplify insurance applications, supplementals, and accords. (9:12)

Peter mentions that Wunderite’s goal is to make data collecting simple and straightforward so that insurance agents could win transactions, earn a lot of money, and have a great career. (13:00)

Peter recalls meeting his Co-Founder, Joe, on the first day of their business class in Boston in 2017. (15:22)

Peter expresses his gratitude for the remarkable things Jason Cass has done for the industry. (21:00)

Jason explains why insurance is the best industry ever created and why he loves what he does for it. (21:53)

According to Peter, if you do a better job, people will love you. (26:09)

Jason and Peter discuss the key takeaways from Malcolm Gladwell's book “Outliers”. (26:36)

Peter believes that if insurance is good enough for Tom Brady, it's good enough for everybody. (28:04)

Jason explains what is a pledge of performance (30:51)

Peter explains why insurance professionals should not use insurance terminology, but instead terminology from the industry that you working with. (36:58)

Peter believes that being on the ground will teach you a lot if you're new to the business. (36:55)

Peter expresses his desire to connect with agents n order to learn from them. (38:14)

Key Quotes:

“The main thing that Wunderite does is we make insurance applications, supplementals, and accords easier.” - Peter MacDonald

“Do your job, do it better, and people will love you for it.” - Peter MacDonald

“Know the lingo, don't use insurance words, use the words like from the business that you're working with.” - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderite

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Shawn Fitzgerald, Craig Bender, Scott Hobson, Mike Crowley, Doug Benz, Roe Polczynski, Cayla Carrillo in New York at the Go Big event for the Big I of New York.

Episode Highlights:

Shawn shares he has enjoyed meeting many people that he had only met digitally in person at the Go Big event. (4:23)

Shawn explains that one thing he learned at this event is that one of the areas where he definitely needs to step it up is the blogging space. (8:05)

Craig shares that he got into the insurance industry with the influence of his mom, who was also in the industry. (10:34)

Craig mentions that his favorite part about being part of the insurance industry is building relationships. (13:07)

Scott explains that lobbying the public is more like storytelling and advocacy. (17:19)

Mike shares his experiences and takeaway from the Go Big event, which their team found to be very informative. (27:31)

Doug explains that he enjoys learning about the cutting edge stuff that is out there and about clean data at the event. (34:43)

Cayla and David talk about what a great person James Jenkins is. (39:14)

Cayla shares that as a sales organization, you have to know the numbers and metrics in order to grow. (45:01)

Cayla mentions that it is essential to build relationships and trust with customers to be able to customize for them. (51:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I mean, you learned so much. So many different things, seeing what different companies offer, and really seeing how you can expand your own agency from just coming to an event like this." - Shawn Fitzgerald

“Every independent agent, every Big I member, is and can be a very powerful lobbyist for the industry that we love so much, and for our customers." - Craig Bender

"We became friends. They know us. The comfort level is through the roof. We never sell on the first call, because we don't know them. How can we customize for them?" - Cayla Carrillo

Resources Mentioned:

Mike Crowley LinkedIn

Craig Bender LinkedIn

Shawn Fitzgerald LinkedIn

Scott Hobson LinkedIn

Roe Polczynski LinkedIn

Cayla Carrillo LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Ben Isotta-Riches – EVP & MD of strategic partnership at Aviva Canada, continues our Brit Invasion theme, raises money through Movember; likes Alanis Morisette, and speaks the queen’s English. Instrumental in setting up the Aviva Digital Garage helping brokers digitize, engineering, API’s and holding events like hackathons spawning such ideas as Catalyst, the ability to quote, bind, and issue a commercial policy in 12 questions (later becoming Aviva Ally). The Garage also brought leading digital brokers together from across the country in various forums to share and challenge the status quo. Episode 7 opens the “garage door” and the crew (Jeff Roy, Steve Earle, Adam Mitchell, Tom Reid) discuss:

Top leadership change at Aviva and if the new Global CEO will change things for brokers

Learning from the digital garage and will it re-open?

Acceleration of digitization due to Covid

How connectivity, standards, and DX fit into Aviva’s plans and what can we expect in the next 12 to 18 months

What’s up with Guidewire?

Will insurance just be embedded as part of the things you buy?

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Troy Smith, Retired Detective and Hostage Negotiator with the San Antonio Police Department. Troy is now with the Black Swan Group.

Episode Highlights:

Troy shares his background story and how he ended up joining the San Antonio Police Department as an officer and later as a hostage negotiator. (5:19)

Troy discusses what led him to the Black Swan Group where hostage negotiation skills are applied in a business environment. (6:28)

Troy shares the story of a powerful moment when he gave his badge to a young boy with terminal cancer who wanted to be in law enforcement one day. (9:06)

Troy explains his day-to-day setup as a Black Swan coach and facilitator. (19:40)

Troy shares that the foundation skills as part of the training are labeling, mirroring, and dynamic silence. (22:57)

Troy shares how to use dynamic silence as a way to stay in the conversation and continue to get the information that you need. (29:54)

Troy explains that if you are in any kind of negotiation, you have to learn to be patient and be willing to commit to it. (32:15)

Troy discusses why they limit their coaching sessions to 1 or 2 per day. (41:40)

Troy shares how Chris spends his time on a day-to-day basis as he runs the business and makes important decisions. (45:16)

Troy advises the listeners not to get consumed with how everybody is doing down the road, and instead, just give their best at the moment. (47:41)

Key Quotes:

"If you don't use the silence to give them the time, you start over talking, you start talking over them. And before they can give you an answer, you've already moved on to the next thing." - Troy Smith

“If you're in a negotiation, you have to learn to be patient. This is something that you have to be willing to commit to.” -Troy Smith

"When you start saying it’s is all about you, it's not about them any longer. And most people are going to get turned off by that." - Troy Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about the programs and live events from the Black Swan Group at https://www.blackswanltd.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey shares how technology affects the value of your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Carrie explains that technology in your agency is either a profit center or a cost center, depending on how you utilize it. (6:49)

David shares that it is not just important to introduce new technology but you also have to know how to utilize it. (8:19)

Carrie explains the importance of encouraging agents to start with the problem and not the solution when determining the technology they might need. (13:59)

David thinks that people don't use technology because once they have done things the same way for a long time, they lose the feeling that they need it. (18:01)

Carrie shares that the number one reason people don't invest in technology is that they were burned by it at some point. (20:30)

Carrie shares that consumers are changing and technology allows us to be able to change with them. (21:25)

Carrie explains that technology plays a huge part in transitions, attracting talent, and maximizing the value and success of your agency. (23:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think we can all agree that technology in your agency is either a profit center or a cost center. And the reality is if you're not utilizing it, it is a cost center all day long."- Carey Wallace

"It's just a fact, we are changing, consumers are changing, and technology allows us to be able to change with them." -Carey Wallace

"I fear that for many people out there. They don't use technology, not because they're necessarily scared of it or anything else. They just have done things the same way so many times that they don't even feel like they need it. " -David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Agency Focus

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Darrin Schenck, VP of Sales and Marketing for TriageNow joins the podcast for a deep dive into nurse triage services. We learn what nurse triage services are, how they work, and why nurse triage is a necessary value-added service for all commercial independent insurance agents.

Episode Highlights:

Darrin mentions he's been with TriageNow since day one and has witnessed the company grow from an idea written on the back of a napkin to one of the top providers of telephonic nurse triage services in the nation. (5:56)

Darrin explains that telephonic nurse triage services bridge the gap between businesses that can afford to have a doctor or nurse on-site and those that must send everyone to the clinic down the street. (7:14)

Ryan shares that they utilize TriageNow for a few of their clients and that it was recommended to them by the Workers Comp Renegade, Mike McDonough. (9:10)

Darrin explains how TriageNow functions when someone is injured. (14:12)

Darrin believes that their total client base, regardless of industry, has a self-care rate of 42%. (23:35)

Darrin mentions that some triage services provide programs that are ideal for smaller clients with 50 or fewer injuries per year. (31:49)

Darrin explains that there is always a liability piece to the problem that must be considered and outsourcing that liability to a telephonic nurse triage service adds layers of protection between the employer and the problem if things go wrong. (35:15)

Darrin mentions that anytime they can keep people in the workforce productive, that's better for everybody. (38:08)

Darrin encourages anybody interested in TriageNow to visit their website. (42:07)

Key Quotes:

“We're a triage service, but we provide the information to the people who can be judge and jury and that allows them to determine compatibility.” - Darrin Schenck

“In a work comp world, anybody that's employing people that do anything remotely physical, a triage service is definitely worth exploring.” - Darrin Schenck

“I love the fact that I can tell a prospective client that I know personally the nurses that will be talking to your injured employees because I helped hire them and add them to our team.” - Darrin Schenck

Resources Mentioned:

Darrin Schenck LinkedIn

TriageNow

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Writing small accounts may help you pay the bills, but, you'll never achieve wealth writing small accounts. In today’s throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht teaches you how to determine what size account you should prospect and how to be more successful at building a Book of Business. Writing small accounts may help you pay the bills but, you'll never achieve wealth writing small accounts.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a story about his conversation with an insurance agent, who has been very successful over the last 5 years getting lots of new clients. (2:06)

Charles explains why producers should stop going after small accounts. (5:26)

Charles mentions what the agency principle should not allow their producers to do. (12:53)

Charles shares what could happen if you allow your producers to go after small accounts. (13:44)

Charles teaches you how to set prospecting goals with your producers. (14:34)

Charles explains what could happen if producers go after bigger accounts. (15:20)

Charles shares the advice he normally gives to his agents, regarding new accounts. (18:50)

Charles lays out the basic questions that you have to answer. (26:09)

Charles shares his takeaway from today’s episode. (27:21)

Key Quotes:

“There's a lot of things that I can say to insurance agents that help them become more successful. But, there are not too many things that I can do to help anyone be successful if they're just going to continue to play small, period.” - Charles Specht

“You don't have to go out for small accounts. You just have to make a decision that you're not going to be going after small accounts. You're going to go after bigger accounts. You have to actually come to a decision in your own mind about what is the size of the account that you're going to go after.” - Charles Specht

“If you stop going small and start going after the size of the account that you want to go after, you will make more money, you will likely have more joy in your business, and you will have more fun in what you do in your career.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Meet Jennifer Klages, a woman who has been in the insurance industry for 28 years and owns an independent agency in Chandler, Arizona. She started in the industry at 18 years right out of high school with an answering phone job and never left. In this throwback episode of Power Women in Insurance Podcast, Jennifer describes her journey from answering phone calls to an agency owner. She shares how she juggled being a present mother and running a successful insurance agency. Listen in to learn the methods that Jennifer uses to build lasting relationships with her clients and people in the insurance industry. You will also learn how you can start connecting with close communities on Facebook as a part of growing your business. “If you’re being very intentional about the clients you want to write, they will then become your little team of referrals.”- Jennifer Klages

Top Takeaways:

Finding a family with the IOA relationships.

How to cultivate authentic relationships with the right clients for massive business growth.

Building a community within your home area as a way of growing the insurance agency.

The power of having Facebook groups communities and their effectiveness.

Finding happiness in balancing being a mother and a career woman at the same time.

Key Moments:

[0:57] Jennifer talks about her insurance agency and how she started in the insurance industry.

[2:53] Going independent in 2012 and finding friends in the IOA relationships she has formed.

[6:20] The willingness of members to help within the IOA community that makes it easy to become a family of sorts.

[7:31] Jennifer shares how connecting with the perfect clients she wants to work with is her superpower.

[8:23] The power that lies in the cultivation of authentic relationships and friendships with the right clients- and how it helps with business growth through referrals.

[10:24] How Jennifer has been able to move towards personal and business growth by relating to the right people.

[12:19] She talks about her home town and what it means to be in a community.

[13:39] What does it mean to be in a Facebook community for an insurance agency owner?

[16:29] Do Facebook groups provide the right target market?

[18:18] What community Facebook groups would Jennifer recommend for other people in insurance to connect with?

[21:33] Why being a career woman did not stop Jennifer from being a good mother to her daughters.

[27:03] Enjoying every moment of being both an entrepreneur and a mother.

[31:37] She shares how she found support in both women groups and the IOA.

[33:32] The power of having the right people by your side.

[34:45] What was Jennifer’s Shakubuku moment?

Visit the Power Women In Insurance Instagram Page! HERE

Connect With Teresa! Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx/

Jennifer's Deets: Jennifer's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jennifertoddklages My Choice Insurance Facebook Page:

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Davie Holt, a National Sales Practice Leader. Davie shares how IPFS is refining and redefining the way that premium payments and financing are done.

Episode Highlights:

Davie explains why IPFS has always been on the front edge of technology. (12:55)

Davie explains that IPFS's strategy has always been to acquire and buy premium finance companies that couldn’t make it and have a strong track record of keeping those employees. (17:19)

Davie explains willful or ignorant misrepresentations of the policy is one of the most common pitfalls they encounter. (22:00)

Davie elaborates on how pushbacks are less likely to happen when people give customers a more narrow path to do business with them. (28:15)

Davie shares that when he started with IPFS, he was surprised to learn that, unlike IPFS that funds the markets on behalf of the agent, many bank-owned companies fund the agents directly. (33:54)

Davie shares that at IPFS, their goal is to properly train on how to sell and offer premium. (39:52)

Davie shares how IPFS works to build relationships with their clients by assigning them two dedicated people to them, an account executive and an advocate for your agency. (47:19)

Davie shares that he finds the insurance industry a great place to make a living. (53:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The history of IPFS has always been to acquire and buy premium finance companies that couldn't make it. And actually, we have an incredible track record of keeping those employees. So we're not slash and burn." - Davie Holt

"We knew that with as many people as possible on coverage, training, standards, and document marketing, we were never going to make experts out of insurance agents on premium finance." - Davie Holt

"Our business was built off the backs of agents as everybody listens and so we owe that to you. We owe that to trying to continue to innovate and make your process easier." - Davie Holt

Resources Mentioned:

Davie Holt LinkedIn

IPFS

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Billy Wagner, Author of Business Masterclass: What Would It Look Like if It Were Easy, and Multi-Unit Owner at Brightway Insurance. Billy discusses his new book which includes tips on how to find and employ a world-class, profit-producing team member, as well as why autonomy is important in any business.

Episode Highlights:

Billy discusses the thought process of writing his book: Business Masterclass: What Would It Look Like if It Were Easy (4:35)

Billy explains why he talked about autonomy during Brainshare and why it is so important to him. (7:43)

Billy mentions that one of the interesting things he's been doing is owning his mornings by listening to audible podcasts, walking and exercising with his dog, and then working on his top priority. (10:30)

Billy explains why people must ensure that their email address is not shown on their website. (12:58)

Billy explains the significance of analyzing where you spend your time and asking yourself: "What's the profit in it?" (15:48)

Billy shares his thoughts on mobile usage inside an agency. (18:14)

Billy mentions that he completely improved their recruitment and hiring process, bringing it from 17 to 21 steps. (21:24)

Billy discusses the purpose of the website for his book and coaching program and the feedback he received from those who purchased it. (25:29)

Billy share that the book is only the start, he also plans to do courses and trainings online. (26:43)

Key Quotes:

“When you're on a mission, and you have a why and you're getting after something, those things start to matter starts to piss you off, when you're wasting your time on things that you know, that are not productive, that are that can be automated or delegated.” - Billy Wagner

“What I'll end up doing is doing is a couple of course, trainings and doing it onlin,e and again, trying to give back to the community, because people are going to read the book, and that might be enough for them and they're going to grow, but there might be some people that want to go a little bit deeper, and I'm going to help them build something and build some of the stuff out there like their hiring process and those kinds of things.” - Billy Wagner

“I totally enhanced our recruiting and our hiring process we already had 17 steps, and I brought it to 21 steps of things that we do” - Billy Wagner

Resources Mentioned:

Billy Wagner LinkedIn

Brightway Insurance

Billy-Wagner.com

Book: Business Masterclass: What Would It Look Like if It Were Easy

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers comes to you live from the Big I of Kentucky event in Ohio with several guests, including John Ison, Tara Purvis, Adam Sheridan and Adam Murphy.

Episode Highlights:

John Ison shares that he is from West Liberty, Kentucky and has a two location agency. (2:39)

John Ison shares how their agency is utilizing technology now and the difference it makes. (5:46)

John Ison talks about how beneficial, especially for renewals, video conferencing is as well as Zoom meetings. (10:34)

Tara Purvis discusses how the event and the industry are blessed with a lot of female participation. (15:57)

Tara Purvis shares that the big guys in the industry are getting involved in educating and advocating for other people that are new in the industry. (20:57)

Adam Sheridan shares his position as the producer, and what his niches are. (26:43)

Adam Sheridan explains that the onboarding process for new clients is one thing he learned from the event that he will be applying to their company. (30:37)

Adam Murphy shares his background story and his experience in the industry. (37:08)

Adam Murphy shares that the biggest lesson he has learned is respect for entrepreneurship and the effort involved in turning a dream into a reality. (39:50)

Adam Murphy talks about how best practice is being able to implement a process. (49:43)

Adam Murphy reminds everyone not to be afraid to learn from others and to respect their elders. (56:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There are free resources to get information about clients to find ideal clients. You just have to figure that out." - John Ison

"I think the biggest lesson I've learned is respect for entrepreneurship. Like what it really takes the grind to take something from a dream and turn it into a reality." - Adam Murphy

"I think the thing I would say about entering a multigenerational agency is, you know, don't be afraid to learn from others, respect your elders, and everybody's got something to offer." - Adam Murphy

Resources Mentioned:

John Ison LinkedIn

Tara Purvis LinkedIn

Adam Sheridan LinkedIn

Adam Murphy LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Dave Lechasseur and Julian Stillitano from The Croo Group (Croo.io) join us on this podcast. A crew, in breakdance folklore, is a collective of b-boys and b-girls. In this episode, Dave and Julian throw it down as their company, croo.io, is cyphering the insurance industry and keeping things fresh, popping and locking with their nifty communication product. A crew, in breakdance folklore, is a collective of b-boys and b-girls. In this episode, Dave and Julian throw it down as their company, croo.io, is cyphering the insurance industry and keeping things fresh, popping and locking with their nifty communication product. Croo is redefining custom communication with their kick-ass managed cloud phone system, designed for insurance brokers at a great price and backed with fantastic service from real people who care. Their phone system is easy to implement, cheaper than many of the VOIP phone competitors, scales well is feature-rich, and has API integrations with popular CRM software and broker management systems. Throw in the fact act that you get most of the feature enhancements over the next five years, and you have an insurance vendor that is poised to keep growing in North America. In this episode, the DIPP team breaks down the following with croo crew:

How croo.io is focused on providing phone systems to insurance brokers and agents with a human touch

We learn about their 99.7 %customer satisfaction ratio

How croo.io does not have any hidden setup or support fees

Why should brokers be choosing a VOIP System and where their new clients are originating?

Why Steve Earle and Jeff Roy use and love the Croo.io

We unpack some of the most extraordinary things brokers are doing with their system.

What enhancements are on their product roadmap for 2021(hint: texting enhancements, unified messaging and sentiment analysis)

To steal a 1984 Breakdance song from Germany – Say What – Say Who – Alex and the city Croo.io https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2otNQA0Y0I Croo.io brings the moves to the broker communication dance floor and “It’s like that, and that’s the way it is.” Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Cease & Desist podcast, Sean, Andy & Ryan are joined by Ryan Hanley. This week's episode deep dives into Rogue Risks acquisition. Grab a glass of whiskey and enjoy the show!

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James shares the second part of a special on-location recording with members of the Killing Commercial mastermind.

Episode Highlights:

Alan Kinney shares that before entering the insurance industry, he attended engineering school and worked for IBM for seven years doing process management work. (4:53)

Alan Kinney mentions that he has a strong process background, and Drew has a strong data background, both of which have helped them operate their agency. (5:57)

Drew Kinney mentions that before entering the insurance industry, he worked for one of the top consulting firms. (6:58)

Alan Kinney believes that there is some value in engaging in Big I or PIA. It is important to network with them and work with them since there are some things they are doing that have a direct influence on the bottom line that others are unaware of. (10:39)

Jason Cass believes that no one can do what the Big I does in the legislative effort because they have relationships that no one else can make because they've been making them for decades. (14:07)

James Jenkins and Alan Kinney discuss what it's like to be a member of the Big I or the PIA. (15:26)

Alan and Drew Kinney discuss what it was like to be generational agents and work for an agency run by a family. (20:34)

Jason Cass explains that when someone has an abundance mentality, the first thing they want to do is attempt to take the abilities they have and help someone else gain those skills. (33:46)

Jason Cass shares that he has decided to shut down the whole agency for next year's Brainshare and bring his entire staff together. (42:30)

According to Jason Cass, most agency owners were good salesmen. However, the majority of good agency owners were not salespeople. (47:52)

Jason Cass discusses how the Agency Freedom podcast provides the most value to the listening community and what should happen next from his perspective. (49:39)

Jason Cass discusses the reasons for his desire to work with multiple podcasters. (52:10)

Key Quotes:

“No one can match what the Big I does on the legislative effort because they have relationships and no one can recreate those relationships because they've been creating them for 40,50, and 60 years and that's where the Big I is a huge player in our life.” - Jason Cass

“We've now built some depth into our agency. So, we can now bring some people in a very entry level position where they're learning the ropes and the ins and outs. And they have a career path to a more senior position where they're conducting these more complex count reviews.” - Drew Kinney

“Most agency owners were good salespeople. But most agency owners that are good agency owners were not salespeople.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Killing Commercial at https://www.killingcommercial.com.

Catch up on all of Season 2 of The Protege show here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL49Ufrhm-mQlXheQPUvlp7mDiZzc2jn7j

--

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey continues the conversation about how you can increase your agency valuation.

Episode Highlights:

David shares the time when he had a real accident in his life and how it was related to his weekend. (6:43)

Carey explains that when people read headlines, they have to understand what it is about and how it applies to their agency. (12:21)

Carey shares why a $2 million agency should place 80% of their book with their top six carriers. (16:31)

Carey talks about how concentration is a big factor in your agency, and how it will help your agency if agency owners have niches. (18:09)

Carey explains how it would be harder to anticipate things if people minimized their books of business. (23:36)

Carey reminds listeners that concentration is a key tool in relation to growing your book of business. (24:14)

Carey suggests talking about risk factors and ways people can themselves be an acquirer. (26:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You need to make your agency able to operate without you. That's counterintuitive to what someone is comfortable with." - Carey Wallace

“With concentration, you have to think about it and a lot of people don't look at their book of business through that lens." - Carey Wallace

"If they are aware that that's something that's in place, that there's an agreement, it's less likely they'll walk away with your book of business, and you at least have recourse to protect that." - Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Agency Focus

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Mark McClure, CEO, and founder of CommercialInsurance.net joins the podcast to talk about how warm phone call transfer commercial insurance leads can be a game-changer for growing independent agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Mark discusses his background and how he got started in commercial insurance. (6:38)

Mark mentions that having lead generations in their DNA made them unique, as well as running a Virtual Insurance Agency for eight years and realizing that not all leads are excellent leads for everyone. (15:44)

Ryan believes that there is always a great opportunity in trucking; the industry attracts a lot of drivers because they see what folks do with Commercial Auto, but the industry lacks the in-house knowledge to be a trucking firm. (20:48)

Mark discusses the difficulties they had trying to get their original appointments while they were still an insurance firm. (22:46)

Mark mentions that what keeps him awake at night is dreaming about selling insurance online without speaking with a customer and managing loss ratios, and ensuring that they are accurately classified. (24:23)

Mark discusses his predictions for what will happen next in the digital space. (31:14)

Mark mentions that one of the things he disliked about being an entrepreneur was when he first started and everyone encouraged him not to be a generalist. (39:01)

Key Quotes:

“Throughout the journey, we developed a skill at generating online leads and introducing them to companies no matter what industry they were in.” - Mark McClure

“We will see commercial insurance online explode into more of you know, the hockey stick that I was hoping we would see in 2012. It’s taking a lot longer and it's because it's a difficult product.” - Mark McClure

“What the future looks like, you know, my hope is eventually we get to a point where we can ask the customer do they want to talk to an agent that I think that's not going away, not during my working career. Or do they want to purchase online? If they want to purchase online, most likely to protect customer experience will take them down that route for those that have that ability and others we might obviously steer through the call of change. That's a network that we built today” - Mark McClure

Resources Mentioned:

Mark McClure LinkedIn

CommercialInsurance.net

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Please .... do not be one of those insurance agents who have no strategy or process when it comes to presenting renewal quotes/proposal to the prospect! If you do that, you're more likely to lose than win. Why? Because, if you do that you're wingin' it and throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will give you some options to consider to put you in a stronger position to win the business at the time you present your proposal, even if you can't get the signed BOR.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that many consumers do not make the decision to switch to a big provider with a single signature on a piece of paper. (5:40)

Charles discusses how to determine the best timing to offer a quote to the insured. (7:26)

Charles discusses the benefits of presenting a quote proposal to a prospect a week or two before the renewal date. (10:29)

Charles explains that submitting a renewal quote is a competitive bid situation, and it's war, and you must put yourself in a stronger position. (18:44)

Charles mentions that he prefers to give a quote within 10 days because most carriers have a Broker of Record letter policy that states that if something is not received within 10 days, the new agent will not be paid. (20:16)

Charles explains why you should not send your quotes to the insured by email and then let them decide. (26:14)

Charles mentions that many insurance brokers will present their proposals, but they have no knowledge of how the insurance buyer decides which quote to go with. (27:54)

According to Charles, millionaire insurance producers are professionals, they are strategic and have processes and systems which they follow for a reason. (29:19)

Key Quotes:

“Do not ever send your quotes to the insured by email and then let them make a decision.” - Charles Specht

“A lot of insurance agents will offer their proposal, but they have no idea how an insurance buyer goes about to actually deciding which quote to go with.” - Charles Specht

“I'm telling you that one of the more foolish things you can do is not having a step by step process or strategy for presenting your proposal to the insured right before their renewal window. If you don't have the insurance buy-in, you are hurting yourself. And I don't want you to do that. Why? Because you're better than that.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Meet Teresa Kitchens, an insurance agency owner- The Sterling Insurance Group in Plano Texas. She has been running her business for the last 18 years. In this throwback episode of the Power Women in Insurance, Teresa shares her journey as a business owner, wife, and parent and the challenges she has had to face. She describes why she started this podcast as a way to encourage women to step up and be part of the insurance industry. Listen in to discover Teresa’s plans to make an impact in the community as she grows her business and herself.

Top Takeaways:

Encouraging women in the insurance industry to step up and be better as their male counterparts.

What to expect in the Power Women in Insurance Podcast moving forward.

Learning the meaning of the word Shakubuku and its role in this podcast.

Key Moments:

[0:25] Teresa explains her reasons for starting this podcast as a way to encourage more women to be part of the insurance industry.

[3:32] Who is Teresa Kitchens, how did she find herself in the insurance industry, and what has she learned along the way.

[6:30] Questions she’ll be asking women in this podcast.

[6:39] What does Shakubuku mean, where it comes from and why it is Teresa’s favorite word.

[9:15] Teresa shares how family chaos led to finding her Shakubuku moment.

[15:18] How she is using the same words with her team as she did with her children to make them successful.

[17:32] The reasons why she is mentoring upcoming women in her industry.

[18:26] What is the beauty of the independent insurance industry?

Resources Mentioned: Book: Start by Jon Acuff: The Path from Average to Awesome Visit the Power Women In Insurance Instagram Page! HERE

Connect With Teresa! Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx/

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dillon Reed of Wunderite. Dillon talks about how to change the status quo in people's day-to-day businesses and help them advance into the next generation of the insurance business.

Episode Highlights:

Dillon shares his background story and how he made his way into sales. (5:01)

Dillon explains that his firsthand experience of having InsurTech is what attracted him to it. (10:10)

Dillon talks about the intercom on their website and how sometimes people confuse them with InsurTech that you can buy insurance from. (16:00)

Dillon shares that his favorite part about what he does is being able to talk to different people across the nation. (21:08)

Dillon shares how people tend to forget that, as a software company, they also run into evaluating other software tools. (26:05)

Dillon explains that an in-depth overview of their day-to-day basis of service is to digitize the last frontiers of the insurance industry. (32:20)

Dillon explains that their company will continue to build in the direction of what they hear feedback from their customers on. (40:58)

David talks about the event that they have put together that would be in Key West. (41:52)

Dillon shares that knowing what people need to do is so important as it creates clarity around what they are doing. (48:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We're just going to continue to build in the direction that we hear feedback from our customers on and from our prospective customers." - Dillon Reed

"I think insurance is the financial lubrication for the economy. It's one of the largest industries in the world. If you look around, everything's insured, from your phone to your desk, to your car, to your life, to your potential income in the future." - Dillon Reed

"Knowing what you need to hit or need to do is so important. And it creates clarity around what you're doing." - Dillon Reed

Resources Mentioned:

Dillon Reed LinkedIn

Wunderite

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Tolga Tezel, CEO and Founder of Canopy Connect. Tolga talks about how Canopy Connect is unlocking consumer data to empower consumers and help agency owners support their customers.

Episode Highlights:

Jason announces the launch of Brainshare 2023, which is going to be held in New Orleans. (1:30)

Tolga shares that he is an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded was Signal.

Tolga explains that he hates to lose more than he loves to win. (5:25)

Tolga shares that skill has been a bigger factor in his life, as he believes that people can make their luck. (6:32)

Tolga shares his background story and how he got to where he is today. (7:44)

Tolga explains how he started exploring how to unlock new data to help people get the most value from services. (11:40)

Tolga discusses the importance of convincing yourself that you are in it for the long haul when starting a start-up. (16:18)

Tolga explains why he thinks that people tend to associate insurance with tediousness is because of the missing connectedness. (22:51)

Tolga shares some of the things he would have done differently when he was starting in the industry. (25:22)

Tolga talks about bootstrapping for about a year before taking on external funding. (27:37)

Tolga shares that the book "Never Split the Difference" is a negotiation book he recommends reading. (29:45)_

Jason talks about how great the book "Atomic Habits" is. (32:28)

Key Quotes:

"I kind of realized that there was going to be other kinds of data that we could unlock for people to help them make better financial decisions." - Tolga Tezel

"I think when you're starting a startup, you have to be able to convince yourself that going into it, that this is something that you can dedicate like a decade or more of your life to." - Tolga Tezel

"If you're considering external funding, I think a general rule of thumb that I would subscribe to is like, do as much as you can, as quickly as you can, without funding so that when you do take the money, you get better terms." - Tolga Tezel

Resources Mentioned:

Tolga Tezel LinkedIn

Canopy Connect

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

It's one thing to agree that targeting BOR's is a smart move but it's another thing altogether to develop a step-by-step process to winning signed Broker of Record Letters on a consistent basis. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will "build you a house" by explaining what the foundation is, what the four walls are, and what the roof is to winning more signed Broker of Record letters from your prospects.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains why winning in a standard quoting procedure is quite difficult. (3:24)

Charles demonstrates how a Broker of Record letter is a better option than the quoting process. (7:05)

Charles believes that one of the main strategies in regards to the Broker of Record letter is asking for it. (9:13)

Charles explains that every single prospect meeting you have with an insured person needs to have a goal. (10:43)

Charles explains the advantages of being aggressive in your requests in order to persuade others to do what you want them to do. (13:50)

Charles explains that it is impossible to train individuals to be successful at selling anything if they are not aggressive in asking for the business. (17:10)

Charles discusses why the micro-niche, the foundation for your house, is so important in obtaining a signed Broker of Record letter. (17:49)

One of the ways to create a wall when building your house, according to Charles, is to plan out how you're going to prospect. (20:20)

Charles mentions that if you have a very powerful message that includes both the pricing side and a significant service side, you'll have a very excellent hit ratio on prospecting and setting appointments. (23:34)

The fourth wall, according to Charles, is how we lead that appointment to ask for the business. (24:17)

Charles discusses how the follow-up program will be the roof of the construction that binds the four walls together. (25:57)

Charles explains that the foundation is everything; it is the micro-niche, and everything is constructed on top of that; you can't have walls or a roof until it is completed. (27:45)

Key Quotes:

“You have to be aggressive in regards to what you're asking for in order to get them to do what you want them to do.” - Charles Specht

“If you have a very strong message that has both the price side as well as the significant service side, you're going to have a very good hit ratio on prospecting to setting appointments.” - Charles Specht

“Foundation is everything it is the micro niche, everything is built on top of it, you can't have walls and you can't have the roof until you get that done.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers chats with Kaleigha Cramer, Kai Smith, and Eddie Chen about their experiences at the Insurance Soup Live Conference.

Episode Highlights:

Kaleigha and Kai share what made them decide to come to Arlington for the Insurance Soup Live Conference. (2:22)

Kaleigha explains that her favorite things about the Insurance Soup Live Conference are getting to network with everybody, meeting new people, and making new friends. (4:47)

Kai explains that this conference had completely different crowd than what she is used to, which she really enjoyed. (6:31)

Kai shares that the blend of captive and independent agents at the conference at the conference was unique and showed that they can all learn from one another. (8:01)

Kai advises people to do what is best for them, whether that be an independent or a captive agent. (11:37)

Kaleigha talks about the importance of investing in ourselves as independent agents. (13:11)

Eddie shares his background story and what he has found most interesting at the conference. (16:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody here has been incredible. So much knowledge. There has been tons of things I've learned.” - Kaleigha Cramer

"Developing those friendships and just meeting people for the first time has been incredible, people who have taught you so much over the past several years." - Kai Smith

"Family-owned and operated businesses are what we are really proud of and anything we can do to help out in the excess and surplus lines and anything premium financing, we'd love to take care of your business." - Eddie Chen

Resources Mentioned:

Kaleigha Cramer LinkedIn

Kai Smith LinkedIn

Eddie Chen LinkedIn

Station 5 Insurance

Imperial Premium Finance Specialist

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Paul Macdonald EVP of personal insurance, former lawyer, Aon Employee, PWC consultant and Tragically Hip fan talks about the Vyne system being Economical’s moonshot that will allow them leapfrog the industry. Paul and the DIPP crew cover a lot of ground, including:

Status update on Economical’s historic demutualization process.

The strategy and implementation of Vynne and what’s coming next.

Economical’s win over Intact on the Uber account.

Rowan Saunders’ statement “I don’t want to be an alarmist on this one, but I think it is almost too late for some brokers that have not stepped up”.

How Economical is applying the learning from Sonnet to their broker channel and taking new business from brokers with Sonnet.

Economical’s Vyne implementation has taken them off the Corduroy road of digital connectivity that many insurers are still driving down. The term 100th meridian refers to attempts to make difficult roads more passable. Planks of wood or full logs would be laid across dirty or muddy roads. This was done to ensure wheels could roll over the wood and avoid being stuck in the mud or slowed by poor road conditions. The incongruous wood resembled corduroy. Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James shares a special on-location episode with members of the Killing Commercial mastermind.

Episode Highlights:

David Carothers explains that the major purpose of Killing Commercial Mastermind is to create a community of individuals who can rely on each other, learn from each other's experiences, and help each other improve. (4:52)

James Jenkins recommends Killing Commercial to anyone searching for a community of commercial lines focused rockstars who are killing it in incredibly spectacular ways. (6:10)

David Carothers mentions that the community has a lot of great things going on that will transform the financial futures of many families. (7:55)

Doug Benz believes that establishing his agency in Buffalo was the smartest decision he's ever made. (11:38)

Doug Benz explains how fantastic it is to talk to other individuals and hear about what you're doing in your agency. (13:11)

David Carothers highlights how everyone in the community is upfront and honest about what they're doing well, what they're suffering, and what they could do better. (15:13)

Dan Smith explains how the Killing Commercial mastermind helps him run his legacy agency. (21:44)

Mike Carey shares what made him happy and at ease as a Killing Commercial mastermind member. (22:55)

Justin Sloan explains how he met David Carothers and became involved in the community. (24:16)

Dan Smith discusses their greatest success as a fourth-generation legacy agency. (28:55)

Justin Sloane mentions that his agency recently merged with six other local businesses and are now more than just property-casualty. (31:22)

Justin Sloan explains that during the first season of Protege, he had significant personal development. (35:32)

Mike Carey mentions that the one thing they are successful at in their agency is ignoring rejection. (40:16)

Dan Smith explains that the carrier selection process and procedures have been key to the success of his agency. (42:32)

James Jenkins discusses his favorite feature of Key West as a first-time attendee. (45:56)

Key Quotes:

“Our real goal was to build a community of people that could rely on each other draw off of each other's experiences and make each other better.” - David Carothers

“It's been exponential growth since I surrounded myself with David Carothers and others and like-minded people.” - Dan Smith

“I'm really trying to grow the agency, with some of the captive partners coming in and saying - You know what, that model was great while it lasted. But the future is definitely independent channel. And you're seeing it from all the other captive carriers across the board.” - Justin Sloan

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Killing Commercial at https://www.killingcommercial.com.

Catch up on all of Season 2 of The Protege show here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL49Ufrhm-mQlXheQPUvlp7mDiZzc2jn7j – Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey continues the conversation about how to determine the value of your agency through benchmarks.

Episode Highlights:

Carey explains that one of the things to look at when finding your agency's value are benchmarks, and measuring your performance compared to benchmarks. (1:30)

Carey shares that it's impossible to make an investment in your business without being able to measure the return. (5:26)

Carey explains that if you don't have technology in place, you're not going to be able to answer questions and will end up selling at a discount. (9:46)

David mentions that there is a lot innovation and a lot of technology out in the industry but isn't ready yet. (11:36)

David shares a story of a guy he talked to and explains the difference between HubSpot and HawkSoft. (14:51)

Carey explains the difference between someone who buys technology and utilizes it and someone who doesn't. (17:47)

Carey shares that the next thing that needs to be talked about are the factors that determine the multiple inside an agency. (19:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I will tell you, you just took us back to someone who buys technology and doesn't utilize it. That is an expense. Someone who buys technology and utilizes it measures the success. That is an investment." - Carey Wallace

"The next thing we need to talk about is that magical multiple that we all talk about. What are the factors that determine the multiple inside an agency?" - Carey Wallace

"I think there is a lot of innovation and a lot of technology. I also think there's a lot of innovation in technology that tactically probably isn't ready to be agency facing yet." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Agency Focus

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Alan Ringvald is the CEO of Relativity6, a best in class insurtech company solving the very specific problem of business classification. In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Alan explains that Relativity6 uses a proprietary process to create a new datapoint for determining the NAICS code for a given business. Industry misclassification is a HUGE problem in the insurance industry. Don’t miss this episode…

Episode Highlights:

Alan explains that Relativity 6 focuses only on one kind of data point for determining the NAICS code for a business. (6:53)

Alan shares the key differences that they have, which separate them from other InsurTech companies. (11:17)

Alan shares his background story and how he ended up in this the InsurTech industry. (14:46)

Alan shares something they are working on that will assess a building for the last 10 years called "address only". (19:37)

Alan admits that their technology still has limitations, like not being able to find a holding company. (24:00)

Alan explains the changes that have occurred in the tech industry over the past 5 years in terms of privacy and security. (29:00)

Alan shares that there is no tech company, not even Relativity6, that can replace everything or fully solve any problem. (38:09)

Alan explains that data information in insurance if used correctly, is a strategic advantage. (45:56)

Ryan mentions that there is a substantial population of agents that unconsciously have no intention of growing. (49:10)

Key Quotes:

"The whole concept was, can we bring context to the table, and make it make more sense, which is why we call ourselves Relativity, which is obviously hard to say and spell." - Alan Ringvald

"I will never say that, Relavity6, or any other type of company is fully solving any kind of problem, it's like a crazy, not real thing to say. I don't ever see that being the case." - Alan Ringvald

"We're not here to replace the way humans think. We're just trying to automate the process that could take you forever to do and help you do that better and incrementally improve." - Alan Ringvald

Resources Mentioned:

Alan Ringvald LinkedIn

Relativity6

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how cold calling still works and it works very well for those who use the right script. Charles Specht will teach you what your script could be and how to effectively cold call in order to set more appointments with your prospects.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a poignant story from when he first got into the insurance business. (2:36)

Charles mentions why being a debt collector on the telephone was one of the more difficult things he’s done in the business world. (3:48)

Charles explains what a “C3” is. (8:39)

Charles shares why leaving voice messages is necessary. (9:13)

What’s one of the main reasons why insurance agents don’t get a lot of value out of the time they spend cold calling? (11:05)

Charles explains how to create an impressive script when cold calling prospects. (14:25)

What are the two things your script must contain to be successful? (19:10)

Charles shares a strategy that can help you understand what the best case scenario is going to be. (22:09)

Key Quotes:

“If you do not have cold calling right now in your prospecting strategy, you are losing out. I want you to think about it this way...Prospecting works really well when you are communicating to somebody in the time and the platform that they feel comfortable with.” - Charles Specht

“Do not waste your time, do not waste their time talking about just general type stuff. Get into it. You should be able to give your absolute pitch that at the end, you ask a question where you're expecting a yes or a no to it.” - Charles Specht

“If they don't meet with you for one reason, they're probably going to meet with you for another reason. And, once you're there at the appointment, then it's all about relationship. But prior to that, it's a numbers game. Cold calling is a numbers game.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Meet Brooke Sarratt, an independent insurance agency owner in Fort Worth Texas. Her agency- White Slate helps families and small to medium businesses with insurance packages that fit their needs and wants. In this throwback episode of the Power Women in Insurance Podcast, Brooke shares her insurance journey with the host Teresa Kitchens. She shares how she started with cold calling large commercial insurance agencies and later fell in love with the industry. Listen in to learn what it takes for a woman to start and run her own insurance agency. You will also learn what Brooke is doing to help women in the insurance industry, especially those who are just starting.

Top Takeaways:

Rising from a stay at home mom to an insurance agency owner.

The importance of keeping a positive mind and right attitude when running a business.

Helping others as a form of giving back.

The power of working with people you like as a way to keep your business’s value.

Key Moments:

[0:25] Who is Brooke Sarratt?

[1:48] She shares her journey from being a stay at home mom to an entrepreneur.

[4:04] How her voice became her strength during her cold calling days.

[7:22] Why she would like to get back to cold calling even though she isn’t doing it now.

[9:05] Brooke shares how running her agency has become her biggest accomplishment.

[11:51] How journaling keeps Brooke focused with gratitude and a positive mind.

[15:20] How she is reaching out to help other women in the insurance industry refocus in the same way she was helped before.

[20:59] Brooke shares her Shakubuku moment- learning to work with clients she likes.

[23:47] How to set free or let go of rude and disrespectful clients.

[26:52] Why it is hard to start an insurance agency and keep its value.

[28:23] Why women in the insurance industry should reach out for support from other women in the same industry.

Visit the Power Women In Insurance Instagram Page! HERE

Connect With Teresa! Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx/

Brooke's Deets: Agency website: https://www.WhiteSlateIns.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooke.sarratt Agency Facebook Page: White Slate Insurance On Facebook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-sarratt-7113b356/ YouTube: WhiteSlateIns Email: BSarratt@WhiteSlateIns.com

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Eric Rich of Mentor Insurance. Eric talks about the incredible potential in the insurance industry as well as some of the things we need to consider in order to be successful.

Episode Highlights:

Eric shares his background story and how he ended up in the insurance industry. (3:47)

Eric explains that the biggest lesson he learned was being able to understand the sense of his grit. (8:50)

Eric talks about his goal of being able to share his job opportunity with others and let them know that there is a lot of potential in this industry. (14:24)

Eric recalls the moment he saw the value that people create and problems being solved for clients in the industry. (20:57)

David shares that Cole’s Directory is something that continues to be useful today. (25:17)

Eric talks about always telling his agents that a good agent is not afraid to share bad news with their clients. (32:33)

Eric shares that the biggest mistake that he is seeing in newer producers is the lack of persistence. (40:41)

Eric advises the listeners to find a friend in sales but in a different industry. (43:25)

Eric explains why we, as an industry and as producers, do a poor job of explaining to our clients what we do. (52:52)

Eric discusses that to be successful, you have to have patience and persistence in the industry. (1:00:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I never knew that I could even be in this position or have this type of success. I never knew this job was out there. I tell all my young producers, just the greatest kept secret in the world. It's the greatest case, the greatest job in the world." - Eric Rich

"I always tell my agents that a good agent is not afraid to share bad news with their client. And I say, get it out in the open as soon as possible." - Eric Rich

“I'm a big person on persistency. I always say that's the number one thing you have to have in this business. You've got to be persistent." - Eric Rich

Resources Mentioned:

Eric Rich LinkedIn

Mentor Insurance

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Davie Holt, National Sales Practice Leader at Imperial PFS. Davie discusses the significance of Imperial PFS and premium finance in the industry and also explains that diversity in thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and positions in life and in the marketplace will weave a better fabric for the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Davie explains that part of the reason he is where he is today is because of his mentors. (5:46)

Davie shares that he is an iPhone user and recently downloaded a video editing app. (8:41)

Davie mentions that he loves to lose because he knows that the next victory right after that is going to be greater than even what was at stake before. (10:07)

Davie shares that it is luck that has been a bigger factor that has made him be where he is today. (11:44)

Davie talks about how IPFS has begun to shift its thinking on marketing so that people understand that they are so much more than a premium finance company. (16:17)

Davie explains that the diversity of thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and positions in life and in the marketplace is what will weave a better fabric for our industry and our society. (23:07)

Davie talks about the two different types of insurance groups that he is currently interested in, those that are technology focused and those that are minority focused. (25:13)

Davie talks about the pros and cons of big conferences versus smaller conferences. (28:02)

Davie shares that IPFS offers a one-platform solution that allows you to handle billing transactions, documents, and premium finance. (30:18)

Davie shares that he is currently rereading "Never Split the Difference." (31:36)

Key Quotes:

"I'm going to learn, I'm going to dominate. I'm going to embrace that. I'm going to embrace the suck of losing so quickly and move on. Because your greatest victories didn't come without losses preceding them." - Davie Holt

"One of the greatest things I took away is that the best presidents in United States history surrounded themselves with people that kind of disagreed with them." - Davie Holt

"Diversity, we need some diverse thoughts and different ideas. We all do. On the vendor side, for us out in the production world at the carrier level, a little extra diversity wouldn't hurt anybody." - Davie Holt

Resources Mentioned:

Davie Holt LinkedIn

Imperial PFS

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU, VP of Operations at Copeland Insurance Agency, and Custom Harvest Insurance, LTD. Vonda talks about the obstacles she faced in succeeding her goals in life, what they have been accomplishing in their agency, how they utilize technology, and how they manage their producers.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Vonda Copeland. (1:24)

Vonda shares her background and her career in the insurance industry. (3:59)

Vonda mentions that she is currently doing a lot of work with foster kids. (7:00)

Vonda shares a story about her parents. (9:31)

David mentions that he would instead teach his kids the right way to guide themselves through a properly calibrated moral compass than a full wallet. (18:14)

Vonda shares how her offices look like. (18:49)

Vonda says that they started as a community-based operation. (20:34)

What was the process that they used to determine what they want to automate and leverage technology? (22:36)

Along the lines of technology, does Vonda and her team use a CRM? (26:09)

Vonda mentions that they are currently using Agency Zoom, and they are gradually building a better pipeline system. (26:13)

Kyle mentions that not all producers are early adopters. (28:25)

David shares that he’s not advocating the agencies moving to everything fully automated, but sometimes agencies miss out on business because they don't make it easy for people to do business. (34:04)

Vonda says that automation exposes your weaknesses. (35:46)

Vonda mentions that she created her technology stack list. (35:56)

Vonda shares that she’s always continually looking for something that will integrate, and if it does not integrate, she refuses to make her people do double entry. (37:47)

Vonda explains why she loves using Podium. (38:26)

Vonda mentions that they started using the beta testing of Podium’s video chat. (41:57)

Vonda shares her feedback with AMS 360. (44:38)

Vonda shares a story about the conversation she had yesterday with a couple of people in her smaller Hangout group. (51:53)

David talks about his biggest fear. (54:37)

Do Vonda and her team have it set up on individual policies, or is it a program that they administer as the captive? (59:14)

Vonda shares that the work comp program is a program that they have put together with a new carrier. (1:00:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It took a while of trying different things. But when you do that, you're not afraid of change. When you go through that...you're not afraid to try something and suck at it because it's like, “Okay, try something else.” And I think that definitely changes my approach to how I work in the office.” - Vonda Copeland

“You have to really be careful where you're going to allow that automation into where you feel comfortable to where it's not going to do more harm than good.” - Vonda Copeland

“Gratitude is the name of the game.” - Vonda Copeland

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Vonda Copeland LinkedIn

Copeland Insurance Agency

Custom Harvest Insurance, LTD

In this episode of Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Taylor Rhodes joins the show. Former US Marine, Arizona Rancher and Rush Fan, Taylor Rhodes, is getting the Applied System's troops ready for the next round of the Canadian Broker management systems business wars. Scratching your head on Applied? – not so fast. What is cool about Mr. Rhodes; he is new to the insurance industry and has no insurance “dirty laundry” to air. He sees the insurance industry as an underutilized digital playground that needs fresh blood to accelerate connectivity.

In this episode, Taylor (while drinking a good La Fin Du Monde 9% Quebec beer) talks about 3 key areas that Applied is focusing on: 1. Velocity 2. User Experience (#ux) 3. Digital Connectivity

In addition, we get an update on many of the Applied System’s newest products, including Policyworks, Indio, Applied mobile (CSR 24), salesforce integration, and Applied Automation. Taylor also talks about the 5 key trends shaping business today and we pull back the covers and talk about how Google’s investment and expertise have helped improve Applied. Over the last 20 months, Taylor has been putting his stamp on the Applied organization. To steal a Rush lyrics, he is doing all of the above to bring the user experience and client experience “closer to the heart.” Taylor is a breath of fresh air that Canada’s biggest BMS system needs to fuel their Epic business transformation. Join Tom Reid, Steve Earle, Adam Mitchell, and Jeff Roy as they open the tap and raise the bar with Taylor Rhodes. P.S. What happened to Jeff’s glasses?

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with "Broker Brett" Fulmer, Ambassador for Finaeo, Evangelist for Smart Choice, and startup consultant.

Episode Highlights:

Brett shares his background story and how he got started in the industry. (7:45)

Brett talks about his team of six agents that he has recruited for SmartChoice. (12:26)

Brett explains that he has been a P&C guy but he is enjoying learning about life insurance. (16:21)

Brett explains the difference between the life cycle of life insurance compared to P&C. (20:20)

Brett talks about the different digital life broker wholesalers and their advantages, as well as his personal choice, Finaeo. (26:26)

Brett shares how fortunate he is to be a part of things that he has equity in and be able to build with his friends. (36:02)

Brett advises the listeners to lever up their technology and reach further with their core competencies. (41:01)

Brett shares the topics he is exploring writing a book on. (47:55)

Brett asks James his thoughts on how to level up from a one to two-person operation, to a small business. (50:00)

Brett explains why you always need people that will frankly tell you the truth in your life. (58:24)

Key Quotes:

"I feel so fortunate to be touching things I have equity in and to help build things with my friends. You know, I'm very intentional about not overlapping in trying to find complementary projects." - Brett Fulmer

"I always say I try to be out there enough to open doors. But my goal isn't just to kind of make noise. You know, you still want to build effective, profitable companies. You still want to be successful. And it's been such a value add to be known in the community." - Brett Fulmer

"I always say you need people close. Somebody always has to be able to call you a dummy you know, you need true speakers in your life." - Brett Fulmer

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more and connect with Brett at https://www.brokerbrett.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey talks about the importance of EBITA and how to determine the true value of your agency.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that Florida trucking insurance is doing great in the industry right now. (4:08)

Carey shares her financial background and how she started in the industry. (7:09)

Carey explains that carriers and agency owners must think in terms of revenue, as it is the key to driving the business. (9:11)

Carey shares that they have helped build a program that is targeted at looking at all parts of being an owner. (13:28)

Carey shares the numbers people need to focus on to determine their agency's value. (15:25)

David mentions that most people think that if a problem comes in, they can just sell their way out. (17:30)

Carey talks about looking into past revenue before making an investment in a company. (19:28)

Carey discusses the importance of EBITA and explains that you have to think in EBITA, in order to make a good, sound business decision. (21:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I see myself as being a business partner to agents that want to transition, want to grow, and want to maximize the value of their asset and run it like a business." - Carey Wallace

"If you're going to make an investment, the revenue is one data point. But what's the predictability that that agency is going to continue to produce that way? What's their retention rate? Are they growing? There are so many things to ask." - Carey Wallace

"It's not your top line revenue, it's the profit inside that agency. That's the number that gets multiplied by a factor in order to determine the value of your agency." - Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Agency Focus

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Referrals, referrals, referrals! You've probably heard that referrals are great to get and have the highest win percentage when compared to other forms of prospecting. And, you'd be right to think that because it's true. However, most insurance agents and agencies do either a very poor job at systematically asking for (and receiving) referrals from their client base or COIs, or they have no process for referrals at all. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will give you a step-by-step process you can use to get more profitable referrals from your clients and COIs.

Episode Highlights:

Charles reveals that while he was a producer for almost 10 years, he wasn't very good at getting references. And it was partly because the kind of company he was pursuing was not one that relied heavily on referrals. (2:01)

Charles explains that when it comes to requesting referrals, you must be careful what you ask. (5:56)

Charles discusses the reasons why it is critical to have prospects prepared ahead of time. (9:04)

Charles mentions that if you are comfortable with your customers and your circle of influence, the recommendation will be substantially better. (12:00)

Charles explains that when you work with clients and centers of influence, you highlight possible opportunities that can be powerful for prospecting. (14:47)

Charles suggests that if you've saved 30 customers in various places, you can create Excel lists for different prospects you're analyzing and identifying as possibly good prospects to go after in those geographic territories. (16:37)

Charles believes you should invest heavily in referral prospecting. (18:46)

Charles explains that when he asks his coaching clients, who are insurance agents, about their methods of prospecting, very rarely do they mention referrals. (21:57)

Charles mentions that we are severely lacking in getting referrals, an excellent method of prospecting but that it shouldn't be too tough to improve. (25:04)

Key Quotes:

“If referrals are important to you, then choose wisely.” - Charles Specht

“When you work with each of your clients, and your centers of influence and you're going through the list of these potential prospects and they're highlighting them, you need to utilize that information because you're going to have multiples. You're going to have multiples. And that becomes very, very strong information to use when you're prospecting.” - Charles Specht

“I encourage you to start looking into getting better at doing referral prospecting. And then thank me later.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley, interviews Chris Greene, the Flood Insurance Guru. Chris joins the podcast for a master's level conversation on content marketing and how properly using your CRM can create an undeniable competitive advantage in your business. Don’t miss this episode…

Episode Highlights:

Chris discusses how insurance is not the problem but the risk is, and how he is working on this data to solve the issue. (4:13)

Chris explains how their flood risk analysis provides a huge value to their referral partners to grow their business. (8:29)

Chris mentions that videos used for education and advice are still considered streamlining. (14:31)

Chris shares how he uses automation to follow up with his clients. (22:32)

Ryan explains that this is the moment where HubSpot tools, like video cards, give you a true competitive advantage. (25:35)

Chris explains that conversations like why they weren't closing more business can be seen at HubSpot as one of its features. (36:34)

Ryan shares that the industry needs a company that offers Accord form integration and creation at a price that the industry can afford. (44:09)

Chris talks about Hubspot being better than any AMS, and shares how they are currently using it in their interview process. (51:14)

Chris shares that what he likes about Ryan's content creation is that it is very neutral and does never put out any misinformation. (55:53)

Chris shares three different books he requires people to read before they come on board. (59:50)

Key Quotes:

"We just need one company that offers Accord form integration and creation and mapping easily at a price the industry could afford and they would absolutely friggin dominate." - Ryan Hanley

"It's not about us. It's about the customers, you know? So, it sticks in my head and everything I do now." - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Greene LinkedIn

Flood Insurance Guru

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this throwback episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Brian Blakely, the director of property & casualty insurance at Stonebridge Insurance and Wealth Management and host of The Good Life Small Business Podcast. Brian talks about what he learned from Bradley Flowers and how he started a podcast.

Episode Highlights:

Brian shares the best things to do in Kearney, Nebraska. (2:40)

What has attributed to Brian’s career, skill or luck? (9:38)

Brian shares his background. (13:32)

Brian mentions what he’s currently working on with his podcast. (24:08)

Has Brian seen any success that’s helped him grow as an agent and with his podcast? (31:19)

Brian shares why podcasting is something that he’s passionate about. (38:51)

Brian mentions what he’s trying to accomplish this year. (40:06)

Brian shares a story about his first conversation with Bradley Flowers. (47:34)

Key Quotes:

“I trust everybody in here and I don't need to look over my shoulder. We've all got the client’s best interest at heart. So, another instance of where I got pretty lucky is the people that I get to work with every day and the culture that we have here is great.” - Brian Blakely

“Sometimes it's good to hear from other people who may have the same story as you do or can use some support when you think you're all alone. What better time to come out with a small business podcast locally here in my community where people can not only get to know these small businesses better, they can learn about their story.” - Brian Blakely

“You may be embarrassed about some of the content that you have out now. I mean, it gets better the more you do it but you just have to be consistent. Don't be scared, just do it. Have someone help you. There's plenty of people out there.” - Brian Blakely

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

Brian Blakely LinkedIn

Stonebridge Insurance and Wealth Management

The Good Life Small Business Podcast

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Debby Kallinikos. Debby and Teresa talk about how she has built her career around being curious and serving others.

Episode Highlights:

Debby shares her insurance journey and how she got to where she is today. (1:26)

Debby mentions how important it was for her to be around someone that knew what they were doing when she was training and how she sought that ought. (5:31)

Debby explains that the better you are at asking what you want to know, the more you will be able to learn. (9:10)

Teresa asks Debby what qualities she is looking for in a person or mentor to ask questions to. (14:36)

Debby explains that she helps her clients see their coverage by asking them what it covers. (17:08)

Debby shares that she prefers in person classes and finds online classes challenging. (22:20)

Debby explains why it is important to take ownership of your own knowledge and education. (24:59)

Debby shares that people need to take responsibility for learning things that they don't know. (27:04)

Debby advises everyone to make a plan and find the right fit for their career and what they really want. (29:00)

Debby encourages everyone to listen to the past podcasts that Teresa has done that connect people in the industry. (31:45)

Key Quotes:

“For me to become good, I've got to be around someone that knows what they're doing. And I've got to surround myself with that knowledge." - Debby Kallinikos

"I think if it's something you're passionate about, and you really feel like you can help this industry and be of service, then you should go for it." - Debby Kallinikos

"I think that the people that work for companies typically as reps, those people seem to have the most education because they're on a salary, they're not getting paid commission." - Debby Kallinikos

Resources Mentioned:

Debby Kallinikos LinkedIn

USI Insurance Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Greg Zahn, AVP of Multiline and Digital Strategies at Highland Capital Brokerage. Greg talks about his career in the insurance industry and the significance of life insurance. He also discusses the benefits of understanding the disability policy in life insurance, and the value of digital tools in creating systems that are more accessible. Episode Highlights:

David introduces Greg Zahn. (1:29)

Greg shares his background in the insurance business. (2:02)

Greg says that most of what they do at Highland will make sense as to why he works on a digital footprint, and what he does for PNC and benefits organizations. (2:21)

Greg shares the goal of their company. (3:01)

Did Greg work initially in life insurance after college? (4:42)

Greg says that his experiences led him to understand many aspects of life insurance. (5:52)

Greg shares that one of the key elements of life insurance is a disability. (12:41)

Greg mentions that term insurance is a great and easy solution to get the death benefit done. (13:43)

What is the significance of disability? (15:45)

Greg shares that there are plenty of options about disability to where a business can have a disability policy for their customer, or their employee. (16:57)

Greg mentions that life insurance has a significant aspect when it comes to cash value inside the permanent policies. (17:53)

Greg shares that when it comes to death and disability, facts and figures are helpful, and sometimes they like stories of where things have gone wrong, but at the end of the day, helping them understand that a minor cost compared to a major issue is vital. (24:02)

Greg thinks that having a network is a big factor. (28:05)

David says that most financial planning companies out there are beholden to their products, and they are not regularly the best thing for the situation. (29:54)

Greg shares the beauty of brokerage. (31:05)

Greg mentions that Easy Life is an electronic application system and a client-facing tool. (34:54)

David mentions that they have the Easy Life widget on their Florida Risk Partner website. (37:13)

What are the biggest obstacles that Greg has come into when trying to engage with firms like them? (42:38)

Greg explains the methodology with Highland Capital Brokerage. (44:20)

Greg mentions that they have a new digital tool coming out that is more educational. (47:13)

Greg says that Highland Capital Brokerage has support systems that can help those transactional opportunities and don't bury you in opportunities that are not cost-effective for you to work on, but at the same time making sure that you're visible. (47:50)

David says that the thing he likes about digital more than anything else is the analytics that he gets from it. (48:45)

Greg thinks that being digital, being aware, being connected, and the data in understanding how to read it is vast. (50:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The ability to help individuals find the right solution for their family and their needs, and work with insurance professionals that may not traditionally do life insurance is an awesome thing to do every day.” - Greg Zahn

“If you don't have a good partner that you can trust that's going to deliver the right solutions to your customers, then don't go into it just to chase money, do it for the right reasons.” - Greg Zahn

“Google is not the most helpful thing for good objective research, but customers do it. So make sure you understand, really work around the value, and anyone that's bringing a soul product, and not the market is not really truly bringing value to your customer solutions.” - Greg Zahn

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Greg Zahn LinkedIn

Highland Capital Brokerage

in this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Keating, Vice President of Keating Agency Insurance. Ryan shares his experience as the Season 2 Coach of The Protege, an insurance reality show, and discusses how the ways in which agents create value and connections is rapidly changing.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares that he is an Android user and the last app he downloaded is called MyMind, for meditation. (2:43)

Ryan explains that he loves to win because winning is a celebration, and losing gives you a negative feeling. (4:20)

Ryan shares that luck has been a bigger factor than skill in where he is today. (4:42)

Ryan shares his background story, and how he got into the insurance business. (5:28)

Ryan shares that his experience on The Protege helped him to build his network on a larger scale. (7:01)

Ryan talks about what it is like to work in a family business, and how generational differences can bring up issues. (14:30)

Ryan explains that every agency is run differently, and when it comes to growth, there are 100 different ways to make it work. (17:00)

Ryan shares that the way agents create value and connections has rapidly changed. (20:48)

Ryan talks about cyber real estate, cyber insurance in the future, as well as cyber liabilities. (23:24)

Ryan explains that InsurTech is a software as a service, but also needs to have sales as a service. (27:20)

Key Quotes:

"Every agency's run differently. And when you look at acquisitions or growth, and you can do things, 100 different ways to make it work." - Ryan Keating

"These InsurTechs need distribution, and there's SaaS, software as a service, but there is also a need for sales as a service." - Ryan Keating

“I think as agents they get stuck in the narrow-minded, but our day-to-day is dealing with reactive issues for our clients. And taking a step back the industry as a whole, there's so much going on in it. - Ryan Keating

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Keating LinkedIn

Keating Agency Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

One of the biggest reasons insurance agents don't achieve success as a producer is due to the QUANTITY of accounts on their prospect list. But the biggest reason overall is no doubt the QUALITY of the accounts on their prospect list. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to increase the QUALITY of the accounts you are prospecting in order to close more deals and make more money!

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that most insurance brokers are inexperienced and have a large number of accounts to call. (3:57)

According to Charles, insurance brokers might have 1000 different prospects on their database. However, if none of them are truly qualified to the point that they are likely to conduct business with you, calling them to set up appointments would be the largest waste of your time. (4:35)

Charles discusses the three most important things that insurance agents should have in terms of their database quantity. (9:21)

According to Charles, the quality of the prospect list is the difference between being a millionaire insurance producer and always spinning your wheels and not achieving the results you want. (10:51)

Charles believes that the reason people are not achieving the financial status and the results they desire, is that they have a deficient prospect list. (14:00)

Charles explains that if you contact customers that are coming up in the buying window, the number of set appointments you have will significantly increase. (18:27)

Charles mentions that your database should include the most profitable micro-niches. (19:37)

Charles discusses that there are lots of different ways in which to find lists of prospects. (22:21)

Charles explains that when your book of business and profession develops, you may not need the quantity as much since the quality will be there. (29:37)

Key Quotes:

“The quality of your prospect list is the difference between you becoming a millionaire insurance producer versus you continually spinning your wheels and not getting the results that you want.” - Charles Specht

“The reason that you are not achieving the financial status, the results that you want the amount of commission money in your own bank account right now, the reason why you're not winning as many clients gathering enough broker record letters and so forth is because you likely have a deficient prospect list.” - Charles Specht

“As you're maturing in your book of business, as you're maturing in your career, you might not need the quantity any longer because the quality will be there. But, as of right now if you don't have either, it must be very difficult for you to actually keep going and to have the success that you want.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bradley Flowers, Founder of Portal Insurance and Co-Host of The Insurance Guys Podcast. Bradley discusses content creation, where you should spend your ad dollars, and how to build your brand and market your business.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Bradley Flowers. (1:24)

Bradley shares how he met David. (2:25)

Bradley shares his story and his work background. (3:29)

Bradley shares how he got into the insurance industry. (4:55)

Bradley talks about working at a state farm agent to learn P&C. (6:38)

Bradley talks about The Insurance Guys Podcast. (7:26)

Bradley says that they use the podcast as a vehicle to get to know people like Ryan Hanley. (7:56)

Bradley shares how he started the Portal Insurance. (8:13)

David shares how he invites his guest to join him in the podcast. (9:45)

David talks about the email that he received from Josh Gurley. (10:01)

Where would Bradley advise producers or agencies to start over building their brand? (17:27)

Bradley talks about the video studio he built at the back of his office. (19:27)

Bradley shares his own process of creating content. (24:31)

Bradley believes that people should create the content they’re most passionate about. (30:55)

Bradley shares what happened to Mitch Gibson after following his advice. (36:13)

Bradley just started a local podcast. (37:07)

Bradley says that podcasts can become the epicenter of all of your marketing where everything is derived from. (40:05)

Bradley shares the keys to their success. (43:08)

David says that wegotyourpodcast.com as an easy, out of the box way to get your podcast produced. (45:44)

What has been the biggest challenge of Bradley? (48:08)

Bradley talks about the first content he created. (59:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One thing that I love to do is I just love connecting with people.” - Bradley Flowers

“I'm a big believer in hiring against your weaknesses.” - Bradley Flowers

“The key is not reaching a bunch of people. The key is finding the right ones” - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned :

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Huock LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

Bradley Flowers LinkedIn

Portal Insurance

The Insurance Guys Podcast

We Got Your Podcast

London was calling at 10:00 pm UK time when the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast team jumped across the pond for our podcast with the man nicknamed Duke. Theo Duchen, like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and every other great tech entrepreneur, started Acturis in his basement 20 years ago. Fast forward to today, and Acturis has over 870 employees and does business in 6 countries. Theo, over the last 20 years, has been co-CEO with his business partner David McDonald and they have successfully made this work. To top all this off, his Favorite Canadian Singer is Alanis Morisset, isn’t that ironic. Over a good Camden pale Ale, we discussed with Theo the following items:

We unpack why Acturis bought Zycomp Systems (Power broker), the 2nd biggest BMS in Canada and what they were planning on doing with it in 2021 and beyond.

We discover how their multi-tenant SAAS platform is loved by small brokers, big brokers, consolidators, aggregators, MGA’s, insurers and broker networks.

We learn they are one of the world’s only vendors who do 50% of their transactions through electronic trading.

We dig into why Acturis has Phil Colin’s invisible touch with carrier connectivity and have a stranglehold on connectivity in the UK.

We discuss electronic trading and broking in a box.

In true Alanis style, the digital insurance pint Podcast team of Tom Reid, Steve Earle, Adam Mitchell, and Jeff Roy discuss everything; you Oughta know about Acturis. Listen and determine if Acturis will become the Jagged little pill that catapults the Canadian broker distribution channel to the next level in connectivity and customer experience. Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Cease & Desist podcast, Sean, Andy & Ryan welcome some of their favorite people in the industry, Bradley Flowers and Scott Howell! If you have an interest in mini horses, then this is the episode for you!

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Michael Zalle, founder and CEO of Yellowbird, an environmental health and safety consulting company.

Episode Highlights:

Michael tells James about the growth of Yellowbird since its inception three years ago. (4:37)

Michael shares his background story, and what Yellowbird does in the industry. (11:48)

Michael explains that he started Yellowbird because the concept of skill set on demand was very interesting to him and he saw how useful it could be in the field of environmental health and safety that requires regular training. (16:36)

James talks about how Yellowbird could help a small agency act big with the wealth of services they provide. (22:21)

Michael talks about how people in the industry are starting to rely on third-party providers to outsource work for them. (31:29)

Michael shares that the number one use case that they have in Yellowbird, is the hard to insure, those with unique risk profiles. (38:28)

Michael explains that there is a big difference between an accident and an incident. (44:48)

Michael shares that anything that is risk-related can generally be solved within 24 to 48 hours with Yellowbird because he has thousands of people in hundreds of locations. (46:20)

James explains that Google is not research, but the Urmi International Risk Management Institute, and National Alliance ISO manual, is research. (52:00)

Key Quotes:

"I started Yellowbird, basically, in the back of an Uber, because the concept of skill sets on demand was very interesting to me. But the concept of commoditization of human beings was not interesting to me." - Michael Zalle

"I always say there's a line of value. And as long as we stay within the line of value, then everybody wins." - Michael Zalle

"To be truly helpful, you need to have resources. And so for me, I look at what I do, as the magic bag behind the broker. If it has to do with anything that's risk related, Yellowbird can generally have it solved within 24 to 48 hours." - Michael Zalle

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Yellowbird at https://www.goyellowbird.com/.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the importance of having driver selection criteria established on the front-end and communicating that to your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David talks about the call that he had with someone where they talked about a contentious meeting all based on having drivers with bad driving record. (2:07)

David talks about how bad driving records are impacting the hiring plans of companies. (4:41)

David discusses the importance of providing a driver selection criteria. (6:49)

David shares that many companies who have bad comp claims are auto-related. (9:13)

David explains that your agencies need to have criteria established and clients should be MVR’s in house. (10:05)

Kyle asks David if there are any restrictions on employees accessing their MVR. (12:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm pretty sure that everybody that is looking for a job in the trades right now has a crappy driving record. That's just my theory because the ones who don't are always getting hired." - David Carothers

"I think that you know, if the client is of decent size, you're totally right, they should have some sort of MVR check capabilities on their end" - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Sarah Muniz, producer at Home Team Insurance and author of Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance. She joins the podcast to talk about why women need to play a larger role in the future of insurance. This is a tremendous episode of the podcast that you don’t want to miss…

Episode Highlights:

Sarah discusses the origin story of her book, which is based on her and other women’s struggles to move into a leadership position as women in the industry. (4:16)

Sarah explains that the major problem that she wants to solve is showing that we have more than enough talent in the industry. (12:25)

Ryan discusses the idea of how many women in the 61% have truly wanted to be in a leadership position. (14:43)

Sarah talks about different types of barriers she thinks will affect the percentage of women in leadership roles. (17:00)

Sarah compares the profits of a diverse firm to those of a company that is not diverse. (23:37)

Ryan explains that he is willing to take anyone regardless of their situation as long as they are willing to show up and work hard and play in our culture. (26:37)

Sarah shares that if women get more opportunities, it also creates opportunities for minority groups. (30:24)

Sarah elaborates that the only factor that should come into play when hiring is if the person is going to fit into the team. (38:03)

Ryan explains that he thinks that there is a major gap in quality leadership in the industry. (43:02)

Sarah shares that the key to being at a higher level is to support yourself for more opportunities. (48:42)

Ryan explains that everyone should control their personal brand in order to control their career. (52:01)

Key Quotes:

"If someone is talented and willing to work hard and fit in your culture, they should absolutely have the option to come work for you or with you." - Sarah Muniz

"The other problem that I have seen is that a lot of times women are hired into service positions, whereas men are hired right into producer positions." - Sarah Muniz

"I do believe that you should make a name for yourself and have your own personal brand, outside of your employer to where you're making a name for yourself. I do 100% agree that you should do that. The part that is hard, and it's happened with me, is having your own personal belief system and brand can actually gets you in trouble with whoever you're employed by." - Sarah Muniz

Resources Mentioned:

Sarah Muniz LinkedIn

Home Team Insurance

Insurance Nerds: Undiscovered Voices

Amazon: Undiscovered Voices

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Setting appointments with new prospects is hard. But it's also one of the most important things a producer needs to improve at in order to win new clients. "Scripting" (what you say or write to your prospects) is the difference maker for all of it. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht outlines what is potentially the best prospecting script in the entire insurance industry, as well as how you can personally edit it to make it your own.

Episode Highlights:

One of the most difficult challenges, according to Charles, is getting over the point of hesitancy. (2:37)

Charles explains that the insurance industry's best prospecting script is the one that works for your unique prospect. (3:40)

Charles mentions that anything you provide your prospect in return for an hour of their time must be meaningful and simply understood. (5:55)

Prospecting, according to Charles, is not easy, is not pleasant, and is challenging. However, if you want to establish a million-dollar book of business, you'll need to persuade individuals to meet with you. (07:29)

Charles provides samples of the top prospecting scripts in the insurance industry. (11:23)

Charles explains that everything is constructed on the micro-niche, and you must start there. (17:04)

Charles discusses why he typically encourages insurance salespeople to have their first script be fairly price sensitive, so that it resonates with everyone. (29:48)

Charles mentions that the finest prospecting script for the insurance sector must fit the needs of the individual you're interacting with at the time. (30:42)

Key Quotes:

“If you don't have many different scripts to use for your prospects, you are probably not getting the results you want.” - Charles Specht

“Focusing on how to set appointments is probably the smartest thing you will ever do in your career.” - Charles Specht

“As you're figuring out what your script and your pitch and your cold call carrot is, you have to really understand what is one of the main problems they're dealing with. Because whatever you're saying has to be a solution to that problem. And if you don't understand your prospect's problems, the solution that you have to offer really isn't going to be that great.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Andrea Gioia from Coterie Insurance. Andrea talks to us about how Coterie is building out the technology to quote commercial insurance quickly and efficiently.

Episode Highlights:

Andrea talks about her background and what led her to Coterie. (1:29)

Andrea shares that their mission at Coterie is to build and foster a world-class team and to bring speed, simplicity, and service to small businesses or commercial insurance. (4:31)

Andrea explains how they are constantly learning and iterating around what data they have available. (6:45)

Teresa talks to Andrea about the importance of data and how it is being secured. (8:46)

Andrea talks about why they focus more on small commercial, which have 10 employees or less. (12:14)

Andrea discusses several parts of their process and the teams that are responsible for these specific processes. (14:49)

Andrea explains that they sell directly to a policyholder through their quote flow. (16:09)

Andrea and Teresa agree that most people who own a company don't know anything about insurance, and also don't want to know anything about it. (19:18)

Andrea shares their future plans at Coterie which include honing in on and continuing to iterating the data as well as adding lines of coverage and the ability to quote multiple lines at the same time, even with different carriers. (21:00)

Key Quotes:

"Our values are so important to us. They're intelligence, integrity, passion, and humility. But when you have that combination, it's so magical." - Andrea Gioia

"I would say most people that own a company don't know anything about insurance and don't want to know anything, so they are looking for an agent. They want to be taken care of. And so I think the demand is certainly still there." - Andrea Gioia

"What I'm most excited about is iterating on our confidence models on our data. We're going to get really good at being able to hone in on what data is actually needed, and the right sources to bring that in." - Andrea Gioia

Resources Mentioned:

Andrea Gioia LinkedIn

Coterie Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In today’s throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interviews Bob Klinger, President and CEO of Klinger Insurance Group located in Germantown, Maryland. Bob discusses his military background, what brought him into the insurance industry, marketing strategy, his staff, and giving back. Episode Highlights:

How did Bob Klinger get into the insurance industry? (2:49)

Why did Bob Klinger decide to start a dry cleaning business? (5:37)

Bob explains the importance of working in various roles to understand the pieces and parts of what made their operations tick. (8:36)

Why does Bob take his staff on field trips? (13:23)

Bob shares how his Ranger mentality impacted his managing style and how he has evolved. (15:26)

Everyone that holds a desk at Klinger Insurance Group has to hit numbers, daily/weekly goals, and incentives. (17:26)

Hiring and probationary periods. (18:24)

Prioritizing your daily routines. (26:41)

Using your CRM and tracking outbound calls. (28:46)

Why is it important to execute a defined process? (30:58)

Marketing, advertising, and giving back to the community. (39:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think that if anything gives me chills, it’s giving back. You know, I grew up pretty easy, I grew up pretty poor, and so being in this industry has given me a blessing and a standard of living to give back.” - Bob Klinger

“No matter who you are, you have to execute the process that has been defined, that has been proven to be successful to perfection.” - David Carothers

“I just realize that not everybody's going to think like you; in some cases, that's good.” - Bob Klinger

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Bob Klinger LinkedIn

Klinger Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mark Engels, Chief Executive Officer at ePayPolicy. Mark talks about how ePayPolicy simplifies the digital engagement strategy for your agency and what makes for a great customer experience.

Episode Highlights:

Mark talks about what ePayPolicy is and the issue it addresses in the insurance industry. (2:17)

Mark explains that he hates to lose and expects to win, but remembers the ones he lost more than the ones that he won. (3:20)

Mark shares that he believes that it is a strong combination of both skill and luck that got him to where he is today. (3:54)

Mark shares his background story and how he started in the business. (4:43)

Mark explains that the foundation of ePayPolicy's vision is to solve one of the largest pain points of all agencies and brokers, processing the paper check. (12:34)

Mark shares that over the past 10 years, almost all the experiences in the insurance industry have become digitized. (15:08)

Mark shares the story of how ePayPolicy initiated building an acquisition team that led him to have the opportunity to join. (16:19)

Mark talks about the service they call “Checkmate”, which takes the ePayPolicy platform and moves it from digital accounts receivable management to accounts receivable management, regardless of payment method. (18:51)

Mark shares that he is currently reading "Super Pumped" which is a story about Uber. (24:21)

Key Quotes:

"If you think about our business, and where we sit in the ecosystem, you know, we're in a unique place in that we serve all the constituents in the industry." - Mark Engels

"As we think about the way the world has moved here, you know, over the past, let's call it, you know, five to 10 years, or more, almost all the experiences that we have, have become digitized." - Mark Engels

"It is why we exist, to help make that simpler, and to help these companies within this broad and fantastic ecosystem of insurance, simplify their daily life in the back office and make it a great experience for their insurance." - Mark Engels

Resources Mentioned:

Mark Engels LinkedIn

ePayPolicy

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Our creative energy kicks in when there is a problem to be solved! Don't miss this energizing convo on Age of Indiependence podcast with Quantum Assurance International’s Director of Education, Amanda Mapp. It turns out clients want us to solve real problems, and over-apologizing keeps us from seeing the best outcomes. This is an episode you don't want to miss!

Episode Highlights:

Amanda believes that fear of judgment or rejection keeps us from taking risks because we don't see risk as something that will benefit us regardless of the outcome. (8:56)

Amanda agrees with Katlyn that if we can educate our children to have a mentality change, it will be tremendous for their risk tolerance and desire to take more risks. (11:38)

Amanda discusses why the price is the most painful aspect of a policy. (15:41)

Amanda discusses what factors influence her satisfaction. (18:47)

Amanda believes that in the insurance industry, we must be extra creative in order to solve challenges (25:44)

Amanda explains that regardless of where we were raised geographically, how we sound in general, not just like the things we say, can affect how the call will flow, and that the person on the other end of the line will impact how that discussion goes. (27:10)

Amanda emphasizes the importance of associates understanding that they too are consumers. (29:53)

Amanda explains that, instead of sharing a story, we may ask some questions to learn more about the client's situation, which also builds connection and ultimately works towards the goal of addressing an issue. (32:14)

Amanda explains that switching the roles of customer and associate is one method to encourage people to understand how something sounds. (33:38)

Amanda discusses why it is important to practice dealing with situations in stressful scenarios. (36:24)

Amanda mentions TikTok as a wonderful way to learn that has a lot of very excellent knowledge since there are so many extremely educated and really talented individuals on there sharing their experiences and spreading a lot of information (38:12)

Key Quotes:

“Being a success is subjective but somebody being satisfied is internal.” - Amanda Mapp

“In insurance, we have to get extra creative with solving problems. Because we don't have a one size fits all solution for people, at least it shouldn't be that way. So, we have to think outside the box and think how do we, adjust coverages or look at different carrier options to make sure that a customer's problem is actually being solved at the end of the day.” - Amanda Mapp

“I think there's a disconnect sometimes where our associates don't always realize that they're also consumers. So they put themselves in only the suit, you know, in the worker position, right? And they don't think about themselves as the consumer.” - Amanda Mapp

Resources Mentioned:

Amanda Mapp Linkedin

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

If you're like most insurance agents out there, you're not getting the new business commission results you know you're capable of. You're either not prospecting enough, prospecting inefficiently, not setting enough appointments, not sure how to transition to asking for the signed Broker of Record Letter, or how to close the business if you go through a quoting process. Usually, this boils down to doing things over and over and over again that do not work or do not get a high enough ROI.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will talk about how you should Pivot, what to Pivot to/from, and how to determine if the Pivot you make will be profitable or not for you or your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that a common issue that people have is that they can't stop doing one thing and start doing something else. (4:53)

Charles shares that pivoting starts at the very beginning of the building process. (7:02)

Charles talks about his experience working with a very large agency over the last three years. (10:23)

Charles advises listeners to start utilizing some of the technologies that are out there, such as InsurTech. (14:50)

Charles explains that you need to have more prospects in your database than you think is necessary. (19:17)

Charles explains that the pivot and the database are important as you cannot call the same account every couple of weeks. (23:38)

Charles shares that it does not make sense for you to keep doing something that doesn't get you results. (25:36)

Charles shares some of the things that would cost you zero dollars but still help you in your success. (28:20)

Charles explains that you need to step back and begin to list the things you need to pivot and go through them one at a time. (29:14)

Key Quotes:

"You need to take a step back, begin to look around at the things that you need to pivot, and make that change today." - Charles Specht

"Tech really doesn't help you to sell; that's completely different. You need to be able to persuade, you need to be able to ask for the business, you need to be able to prospect, you need to be able to do all of that." - Charles Specht

"If you're actually you're able to do certain things in certain ways, and you can help yourself by including technology into your entire process, then I would say it would probably make financial sense for you to actually do that." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Kilgo, Founder of KilGO Insurance. Jason talks about how they treat their clients, providing the best rate with a good policy, and making sure their clients are satisfied. Jason also shares how his team has been working remotely even before the quarantine and how he manages Zoom meetings with clients.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains where he came from, and how he got into where he’s at today. (17:03)

Jason shares how he met Warren Buffet. (19:47)

Jason shares one thing he learned at the shareholder meeting. (24:04)

Jason shares why he chose the insurance business. (24:41)

Jason says that he got a big ego and a lot of ambition personality in his early 20’s. (26:17)

Jason shares what makes him do mortgages. (27:19)

Jason shares why he decided to get back into insurance. (29:26)

Does Jason ask everyone if they’re delighted at the end of the call? (30:15)

Jason says that mortgages really gave him flexibility and entrepreneurship. (33:25)

Jason talks about his strategy. (34:02)

Jason says that if you call his company, you can expect the best rate with good policy coverage. (35:28)

How often does Jason normally work from home? (43:21)

What are the things that Jason looks for when he’s at meeting with loan officers in terms of partnering? (44:28)

Jason thinks that having a survey is important. (55:03)

Jason shares how they treat their clients. (56:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If I'm going to sell something, I want to sell something that's a need. I don't want to sell a want.” - Jason Kilgo

“The number one thing for a culture of what people want out of a job is they want freedom.” - Jason Kilgo

“I think we're good, but we could be better” - Jason Kilgo

“I feel like every job has been a great stepping stone to where I am now.” - Jason Kilgo

Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn- David Carothers

LinkedIn- Kyle Houck

LinkedIn- Jason Kilgo

KilGO Insurance

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Paul Jackson joins the show. Paul’s favorite Canadian singer is Bryan Adams. Dopey is his favorite dwarf. He is also a fanboy of one of the smartest CEOs in Canadian insurance history, Charles Brindamour of Intact Insurance. However, more importantly, as Chief Operating Officer at Gore Mutual, Paul is part of an astonishing team that has redefined a historic Canadian Mutual insurance company, with deep roots in the Canadian P and C industries, with a new strategic strategy plan, code-named – The Next Horizon. During our Garrison Pucker Up pint with Paul, we boldly dig into Gore Mutual’s Next Horizon strategy. We discuss the management changes and strategy shift Gore has made to hit their aggressive east to west expansion plans to grow into a top 10 insurance company in Canada with two billion dollars in premium. The Pint Podcast team unpacks the key parts of their new strategy, which consist of four main pillars

Purpose Driven

Digitally Led

National Expansion

Insurance Retailing

We discuss the technology flip from Duck creek to guidewire and talk about Gore’s brokerage ownership in the Insurance Store. Join Tom Reid, Adam Mitchell, Steve Earle and Jeff Roy as they, Cut like a knife into all the cool things Paul Jackson and the Gore Mutual team are doing. Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, host James talks with Pat Mulroy, Head of Distribution for Tarmika.

Episode Highlights:

Pat shares his career path in the insurance ecosystem. (4:51)

Pat talks about what Tarmika is doing on the embedded side and that led to his position there. (6:25)

Pat explains that Tarmika sees embedded insurance as something they can offer to both consumers and agencies as an additional distribution method, a starting point, but not something that is going to complete the full journey. (11:33)

James shares his experience of going to a Coldplay concert and using Allianz concert ticket insurance. (16:09)

Pat explains why the ability to offer multiple carriers from certain embedded offerings is very unique. (21:01)

Pat shares that their new product, which is called "The Tunnel”, has been available for months now and they are continuing to expand. (25:03)

Pat shares that it is very important to understand the experience an agency wants to create in order to be able to create the right platform. (31:00)

Pat talks about how they have created integrations that their partner carriers do not have to do. (37:21)

Pat talks about the notion of a disruptor and highlights the need to embrace different types of distribution. (44:10)

James shares the benefits of agents partnering with loan officers and mortgage companies. (49:05)

Pat shares some of the reasons why he loves working in this type of industry. (51:46)

Key Quotes:

"So, I am of the opinion, this is a blanket statement across all things embedded, that the front end experience is insanely important to making this truly feel embedded." - Patrick Mulroy

"I think we fell into a better position and others specific to the embedded space because of all of the years that we were involved in the rating side of the business." - Patrick Mulroy

"I personally like working in this space so much because of the unknown, so many different parties, technology companies, agencies, carriers, consumers, are all trying to figure out, how this is ultimately going to play out and look, is wildly interesting to me." - Patrick Mulroy

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Tarmika here: https://www.tarmika.com

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about fleet safety and how beneficial it is for sales. They also discuss mirroring and labeling prospects.

Episode Highlights:

David explains why he would always try and use the carrier for fleet safety. (3:33)

David explains that when he was a start-up in the tech perspective, he was only using a laptop and Microsoft Office. (7:17)

David talks about investing in training programs and email automation when starting up. (9:24)

Kyle explains that the nice thing about using KPA or Mineral is that the reports are pushed out to the employees and it helps with monitoring and accountability. (11:05)

David shares about a call that he had with someone in a Killing Commercial. (12:16)

David explains about mirroring and labeling somebody as a prospect and what you should sound like. (16:35)

David explains that agents see KPA or Mineral as a way to get business and not as a way to keep it. (17:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that the thing that's really nice about using KPA or Mineral or really, you know, other ones that are out there is that it pushes it out to the employees, quarterly or monthly." - Kyle Houck

"When you're mirroring and labelling somebody as a prospect, you always want to say, it sounds like, it feels like, it seems like. Not, I'm hearing, I'm feeling or whatever. Because the second you put “I” into the conversation, it becomes selfish and about you and not about them." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Michael Lebor, founder and CEO of InsuranceGiG. Michael joins the podcast for a deep dive into how we use data to create better outcomes for our business. Michael is solving big problems with InsuranceGiG, and we’re honored to have him share his insights and expertise. Don’t miss this episode.

Episode Highlights:

Michael explains what InsuranceGiG is and how it is beneficial to the industry. (8:14)

Michael shares that if you are in insurance technology, data is either a weapon or a liability. (11:53)

Michael explains that they get their foot in the door with their pricing model and organic platform. (18:02)

Michael shares that they recently went live with HawkSoft AMS and explains why it is a game changer. (21:26)

Ryan explains that he sees the tool as very useful in saving time, as the system can do all the work on the same platform. (30:44)

Michael explains that their main drive is not to replace the core policy system but to make things as easy as possible as well as cheap and fast. (34:18)

Michael shares that InsuranceGiG has categories like data, operational workflows, and submissions. (40:17)

Michael talks about their company and system being able to demonstrate visibility into the flow of data across the entire supply chain. (52:15)

Michael explains that InsuranceGig has the beauty of having incredible vendors, like Record Linker. (58:13)

Key Quotes:

"If you look at yourself as a company, or somebody in the insurance technology, business data is either one of two things to you, it's either a weapon, or it's a liability." - Michael Lebor

"We're not replacing the core policy system. But we really think that we're going to be this really valuable, a creative, secondary layer on top of them." - Michael Lebor

" I'm just going out to the best vendors that are out there and saying just connect to me, become part of our data fabric." - Michael Lebor

Resources Mentioned:

Michael Lebor LinkedIn

InsuranceGiG

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Elisa Stampf. Elisa has helped build Insure Equality and protect the people's voices in the insurance space. She pioneers conversations and helps others to find that safe space to have the tough conversations that will help make tomorrow's industry a better place.

Episode Highlights:

Elisa shares her background story and how she got into the insurance industry. (1:33)

Teresa explains that to move forward, people have to make big changes in the industry. (9:05)

Elisa explains that Insure Equality was created because people wanted to have a better way forward. (10:29)

Elisa shares that another theme that consistently comes up would be based on relationships. (14:16)

Teresa explains that the younger generation is very conscious when it comes to equality, as they want to work in a diverse community. (20:22)

Elisa talks about their vision moving forward, which is all about accountability, community, and transparency and the pledges that agencies are signing to move toward that vision. (23:44)

Elisa explains that they have pledged signers in over 18 states and Canada in just a span of six months. (35:27)

Teresa discusses how the first people lined up for change are those that are putting their egos aside. (40:45)

Elisa talks about moving forward and taking action instead of sitting and lamenting the past. (43:38)

Key Quotes:

"It isn't just about women, it's about black people, brown people, queer people, we're all coming to this industry and getting a bit of a like crisis of consciousness or crisis of self awareness." - Elisa Stampf

"We are not the first group of people that have tried to make a change in this industry. And we certainly won't and shouldn't be the last. But for many people, this is their first foray into this conversation. And that alone is super impactful." - Elisa Stampf

"Everybody makes mistakes, and we have to get comfortable as a culture with saying that we've made a mistake and then taking action with it." - Elisa Stampf

Resources Mentioned:

Elisa Stampf LinkedIn

Insure Equality

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Scott Beene, the CEO of Diversicom Corporation. Scott Beene talks about his unique views of Managed Services and why you should invest in Managed Service Provider. Scott also shares that he participated in four different groups and why building trust and relationships with clients is important.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces guest Scott Beene. (1:43)

Scott Beene shares his background story. (2:33)

Scott Beene shares his experience working with the second world’s largest distributor of technology. (7:13)

Scott Beene talks about the win-win profitable relationship. (11:28)

Scott Beene was kind of naive when he started because he was an engineer. (12:35)

Scott Beene talks about what the cybersecurity threat has done with the industry. (14:06)

Scott Beene says that when he started, the term “Managed Service” doesn’t exist yet. (15:47)

When Scott Beene got engaged with a prospect, how does he determine if he’s gonna work with them or not? (18:25)

Scott Beene discusses the two questions he asks a prospect. (19:56)

What's the biggest obstacle that Scott Beene runs into when he is dealing with prospects? (24:59)

Scott Beene shares that they literally treat the technology in the client’s business as a virtual employee. (28:15)

Scott Beene has worked with four professional groups. (33:45)

Scott Beene shares the hardest part about running an IT company. (35:55)

Scott Beene talks about the reaction of prospects about the job description. (43:00)

Scott Beene talks about his favorite author. (55:06)

Why does Scott Beene ask for a job description from clients? (49:57)

What is the daily routine of Scott Beene? (53:07)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have a goal to get to a point to where I only look at my email three days at three times a day”- Scott Beene

“Most of my peers laughed at me, thought I would never gonna make it. And today, over half of IT companies are running their business using this model called Managed Services”- Scott Beene

“I’m trying my best not to start my week before it's finished”- Scott Beene

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers - Linkedin

Kyle Houck - Linkedin

Florida Risk Partners

Scott Beene - Linkedin

Diversicom Corporation

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Troy Korsgaden, President & Consultant of Korsgaden International. Troy talks about how he was able to build himself back from having mental and physical health issues.

Episode Highlights:

Troy shares that he is an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded was Blankest. (2:19)

Troy explains that he loves to win but he learns from losing. (3:43)

Troy shares that luck has played a bigger role than skill in getting him to where he is today. (4:09)

Troy shares how he expanded his practice and hired and develop people to become bigger and stronger in the business. (10:46)

Troy explains that it is not easy being a self-employed person, but the advantage is that carriers would hire you from a global standpoint. (12:19)

Troy discusses the moment where he became unhealthy, mentally, and physically and how he was able to change it. (14:09)

Troy explains that his fears led him to ignore the rock bottom moment. (17:56)

Troy shares the story of how he was able to bring himself back as a bigger and stronger person in 100 days. (20:36)

Troy explains that he helps other people that are having mental issues as a way of giving back. (24:54)

Key Quotes:

"I had to stop and I just had to really take a look at myself. How did I get here? Why did I get here? And then where do I want to go? What changes am I going to make to get healthy? Because you’ve got to have good health, everything you want to do is useless if you're if you don't have the health to be able to do it." - Troy Korsgaden

"You're going to fall off once in a while, and I did. But you know, just at the end of the day, I'm a bigger, stronger, better person for it. And my business is stronger and better." - Troy Korsgaden

"You know, the old saying, 95% of what you worry about never comes to happen, never comes to pass, and never happens." - Troy Korsgaden

Resources Mentioned:

Troy Korsgaden

Korsgaden International

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved. Chris talks about website development, the importance of SEO and pay-per-click, knowing the entire process from top to bottom in doing niche marketing, and the importance of having a VA in the organization.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces guest Chris Langille. (1:24)

What does Chris Langille do with traffic generation? (4:14)

Chris Langille talks about how often things change in business throughout the course of a year or two. (7:25)

Chris Langille shares his unique background story. (11:47)

Chris Langille got to the point where he was running the agency by himself. (14:31)

Chris Langille talks about website marketing. (17:05)

What is the mistake that most people make with marketing? (22:32)

There are certain things that you shouldn't waste your time on and there are certain things that you should spend time and money on. (22:52)

Why is insurance a very competitive industry? (26:54)

What is Chris’ biggest obstacle when he engages with agencies that he runs into? (28:24)

Chris Langille talks about how they started doing search ads for trucking. (38:08)

Chris Langille shares that they are on the process of buying data from google. (42:25)

What would be Chris Langille’s advice to somebody who wants to revamp their marketing efforts? (54:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Don't think about the cost as an expense. think about it as,’If I can outspend my competitors, I'm gonna win.’” – Chris Langille

“You got to have the right mindset with it. You can't put your website in the marketing expense column anymore. It's the cost of doing business, it’s like your electric bill.” – Chris Langille

“We have to educate the person first and then they become a client and that's sort of always been our approach.” – Chris Langille

Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn- David Carothers

LinkedIn- Kyle Houck

LinkedIn- Chris Langille

Advisor Evolved

Local Traffic Marketing

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Graham Haigh, VP of broker distribution at Wawanesa, avid golfer, scotch drinker, huge Winnipeg Jets fan and an even bigger fan of the broker distribution channel, talks about all the great things Wawanesa is doing to become even more broker friendly. Tom, Adam, Steve and Jeff discuss the following topics with Graham:

Is Western Financial Wawanesa’s version of Canadian Brokerlink?

Are aggregators friend or foe?

Is digitizing claims the next frontier for Wawanesa?

What will a broker of the future look like?

Why won’t Technology plays, Insurtechs, and auto manufacturers beat brokers in the future?

How software brokers are using today is considered bush league?

Finally, Graham gets to the bottom of all the bullshit surrounding insurance companies claiming there is such a thing as a direct type of customer.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Cease & Desist podcast, Daniel Jimenez and Margeaux Giles chat with Ryan, Sean, and Andy. If you love Christmas music, romance novels, and hunting for unicorns then you HAVE to listen.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with the one and only Dr. Billy Willams, CEO of Inspire A Nation, an equity partner in over 100 retail insurance agencies, and an investor in many other businesses. Episode Highlights:

Dr. Billy Williams talks about his background and what led him to start Inspire A Nation. (5:23)

Dr. Billy Williams shares that he does not worry about a person's mindset, but what is important is discipline. (10:27)

Dr. Billy Williams explains that when he chooses an agency management system, he makes sure that it does 90% of everything he needs. (20:03)

Dr. Billy Williams mentions that he is a step-by-step guy, and gives out the steps he is guided through on a normal workday. (24:34)

Dr. Billy Williams explains that the reason most people won't follow a process is that they don't take the time to create a process. (30:07)

Dr. Billy Williams elaborates on common weaknesses that a lot of people have. (38:17)

Dr. Billy Williams explains that he is not a cold caller type of guy, but a big referral type of guy. (44:31)

Dr. Billy Williams shares that one thing agents can do to make themselves experts is to understand that insurance is all about claims. (46:43)

Dr. Billy Williams explains the importance of having enough of a niche and knowledge in your demographics. (49:18)

Dr. Billy Williams elaborates on the importance of people getting back to the process and understanding assurances about the claim. (56:39)

Key Quotes:

"Profit sharing is a part of new business. If I didn't write new business, and I didn't have renewals, I don't have profit sharing. " - Dr. Billy Williams

"The reason why most people won't follow a process is that they don't take the time to create a process. They don't take the time to follow a process." - Dr. Billy Williams

"The process for me is freedom. Freedom for me is delegation. If I can't delegate it to someone, I'm not free. If I'm the only person who can do that, I'm not free." - Dr. Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Inspire A Nation and connect with Billy's team at https://www.inspireanation.org.

Learn more about the Tango process documentation program at https://www.tango.us

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with the Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about driver selection criteria and how important it is. They also discuss how being a bit more forceful with clients can help them to understand that you want what is right for them.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that it is sometimes okay to be more forceful with your clients because it can help them to understand that you are only willing to provide the best. (1:52)

Kyle explains that there are people that are stuck in the perspective of being at low risk, and the means of having insurance is not important. (4:42)

David shares why companies need to have a formal safety program in place. (8:11)

David talks about himself being a hall pass monitor when it comes to interstate driving for his clients. (11:22)

Kyle mentions that it's hard to get contractors to do the things that you need them to if they don't feel like it has any impact on them. (13:05)

Kyle explains that it may be more effective to use the incentive method to keep drivers on track. (14:21)

David shares that it is also important to have a defined keyword, progressive disciplinary policy. (15:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the things that I didn't bring up is that sometimes you've got to be a little bit more forceful with your client. Sometimes you want what's right for them more than they want what's right for them because they just don't get it." - David Carothers

"If people aren't following your program and the stuff that you've put in place, I think that it's better to use the incentive method to get them on track." - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Bradley Flowers, founder, and president of Portal Insurance and the co-host of the Insurance Guys Podcast sits down with Ryan Hanley in Cleveland, Ohio in front of an audience of over 150 people for a live recording of the podcast. In this conversation, they dive deep into culture, hiring, and the marketing strategies producing exponential results in 2022. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind conversation.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan introduces this special live episode with guest, Bradley Flowers. (1:35)

Bradley shares that looking for opportunities not only within your agency but outside of your agency is a way to stand out. (11:13)

Bradley shares that they have an unlimited time off policy in the company so long as they are able to deliver results. (18:13)

Bradley explains that culture is not something you accomplish, it's a living, breathing thing that you're constantly working on. (20:37)

Bradley explains how managing people can be changed by understanding the average millennial. (26:56)

Bradley shares the story of the first employee he had to fire and what he learned from it. (29:57)

Bradley talks about having a great working relationship with your VA’s. (36:05)

Bradley talks about the opportunity that they have with cross-selling at the moment. (38:06)

Bradley explains that every single client goes through the same process, through automated texts and emails. (43:13)

Bradley shares what their emails and text messages are composed of and how it subliminally tells people the purpose of their message. (45:25)

Bradley explains why text messages are still important in communication nowadays. (47:23)

Key Quotes:

"It's harder now than when I started. There definitely were some things that were hard when we were scratching that are not hard now. But there are some things that were easy when we started that are hard now." - Bradley Flowers

"We are not perfect at culture. That's like the first thing out of my mouth. And it's not something you accomplish. It's a living, breathing thing that you're constantly working on." - Bradley Flowers

"Combined with the average employee now staying at a job for four years and eight months, the average millennial stays at a job for three years and six months, and Gen Z is like two years and eight months. I think of your approach managing people with those few things in mind, it kind of changes the way that you manage." - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned:

Bradley Flowers LinkedIn

Portal Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Danielle Willets, Big Dog at Little Dog Social Media. Danielle talks about how Little Dog Media helps agencies with their social media. They pre-plan and post 15 different social media posts per month to help with brand awareness and generate business for insurance agents.

Episode Highlights:

Danielle shares why she started Little Dog Social Media. (1:23)

Danielle explains that she saw the potential to help insurance agents and companies through social media. (3:26)

Danielle shares that they are not just putting out content on social media, but also looking and understanding how it benefits the agency. (06:16)

Danielle discusses that they create content for each platform that can be the same content, but written or geared differently on each platform. (8:46)

Danielle shares how they are able to utilize the features and benefits of every platform, like Facebook and LinkedIn. (10:52)

Danielle explains that they also provide resources to keep the clients active on different social media platforms. (13:38)

Danielle shares that her favorites and top priorities to recommend are Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business, and LinkedIn. (15:16)

Danielle talks about other services they offer, such as marketing, print, and creating digital graphics. (16:34)

Danielle explains that they provide monthly reports to their clients so they can be aware of the engagement and growth of the audience. (19:42)

Danielle talks about the different pricing and packages available on their website. (23:16)

Key Quotes:

"The items that we like to help agents with is not just, you know, putting out content on social media, but putting out content and looking and understanding how that content is benefiting the agency." - Danielle Willets

"We give them the resources to keep active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and then we have to talk about Google My Business, and having your Google My Business listing claimed is so important. It's worth its weight in gold. " - Danielle Willets

"We eat, breathe, and sleep insurance and social media 24/7. That's what we are, that's what we're thinking about all the time watching the trends, looking to see how we can run campaigns, how we can make the agents successful." - Danielle Willets

Resources Mentioned:

Danielle Willets LinkedIn

Little Dog Social Media

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Chelsie Sweazy, who comes to us from MJ Insurance, located in Carmel, Indiana! Chelsie started her career on the carrier side with Travelers, then just over 2 years ago, Chelsie jumped headfirst into the agency side with MJ Insurance as a Risk Management Consultant/Producer. Before I got to know Chelsie about a year ago, she and I were competing for an account against each other for a prospect, and yes, she won the account. I LOVE to win, but Chelsie made me realize that I HATE losing way more.

Episode Highlights:

Chelsie shares why she posted the question, "would you rather have $30 trillion or 30 trillion friends?" and answers it herself. (4:16)

Chelsie explains that coming into the sales role and getting into cold outreaches has been the biggest struggle for her. (7:28)

Chelsie explains that her goal is to bring value to prospective clients and that she is not interested in taking someone's program and just recreating it with a different broker, or a different carrier. (16:34)

Chelsie shares how she became interested in cyber policies. (22:38)

Chelsie shares that her way of keeping up to date with constant learning is through webinars. (23:29)

Chelsie shares that they have seen more claims in the last 12 months, particularly ransomware claims. (28:44)

Chelsie explains why multifactor authentication is very important as the baseline of defense against cyber hackers. (30:17)

Chelsie shares her time blocking techniques and how they have helped her be more successful in her book of business. (36:37)

Chelsie talks about how to evaluate and adhere to your time block to be able to balance everything on your schedule. (41:24)

Chelsie shares that yellow is her favorite color, and her favorite ice-cream flavor is peanut butter cookie dough. (45:17)

Chelsie shares that Oprah Winfrey is the person she would like to talk to and hang out with, aside from Jesus. (46:44)

Chelsie explains why she would choose to be in Aruba if given a chance to go to a place she wants. (47:24)

Chelsie advises the listeners to always be learning and to stay true to themselves. (48:35)

Key Quotes:

"I am constantly trying to learn and so cyber just became the thing. I think it's a trend that's not going away. Cyber continues to evolve. I don't think that's going to change either." - Chelsie Sweazy

"I think if you don't have a plan, I don't know how you're going to succeed. And like you said, I am very routine driven." - Chelsie Sweazy

"Stay true to yourself. I think a lot of times that can get lost. And so for me, just stay true to yourself. Especially, you know, just being a female in the insurance space. Sometimes, it's just different. And so I would say stay true to yourself and be you." - Chelsie Sweazy

Resources Mentioned: Are you a young insurance professional? Are you ready to be heard? Are you ready to grow? Click here to join our Young Insurance Professional Group which is loaded with FREE resources and opportunities to help you become the best agent you can be.

Chelsie Sweazy LinkedIn

MJ Insurance

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Gabriel Oh, Principal at Western Pacific Insurance Group. Gabe talks about how he got into the business of insurance, his passion to support small local businesses, and shares his advice on how business owners can start doing something for their communities.

Episode Highlights:

How did Gabe Oh get into the insurance industry? (6:00)

What was Gabe’s deciding factor in doing insurance? (7:47)

Gabe never did this for the money, it wasn't a money play. (10:44)

For Gabe Oh, it’s always about what you can do best for the client (11:07)

Gabe just changed his time, from seven to seven (14:15)

Gabe loves what he does for the community and industry. (14:47)

How did Gabe Oh get the idea of doing the walk video with local people? (15:09)

Gabe shares how he tries to support local businesses. (22:31)

How easy has it been for Gabe Oh to adapt to everything that's going on right now? (25:47)

This is an awful time for a lot of people but there's going to be good that comes out of this (29:05)

How did Gabe Oh prepare himself for the new normal? (29:51)

Gabe Oh gave his advice to business starters. (46:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Be genuinely kind to people. Don't be an arrogant punk, you don't know what they're going through.”- Gabe Oh

“We operate here based on what the right thing to do is for this community because this community has given so much back to our agency” - Gabe Oh

“I started this from scratch. I didn't get a loan from my dad. I grinded to get this thing up and running and I think that kind of holds me down a little bit and keeps me humble” - Gabe Oh

“When I go to hire people, we hire people that have good values and morals and that's kind of helped us move forward” - Gabe Oh

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers - Linkedin

Kyle Houck - Linkedin

Florida Risk Partners

Western Pacific Insurance Group

Gabriel Oh - Linkedin

In this episode of the Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass and Erik Garcia, CFP®, sit down with Felix Garcia and Ebens Jean to discuss their journeys to America, their careers in the insurance industry, and the life lessons they have learned along the way.

Episode Highlights:

Erik shares what inspired him to interview Felix Garcia and Ebens Jean, both of whom immigrated to America, not speaking the language, and ended up in the insurance industry. (1:47)

Ebens shares his experience of immigrating to America from Haiti and the challenges of not speaking the language and adjusting to a new culture and climate. (5:04)

Felix shares about his childhood in Cuba and his journey as a teenager from Cuba to Spain and ultimately to New Orleans, and the difficulties and discomfort of being a foreigner in a new country. (10:38)

Felix and Ebens recall what it was like going to school as immigrants who spoke with an accent and did not know the language well. (17:51)

Ebens shares the story of getting his first paycheck in America and how that felt. (22:48)

Felix shares the trajectory of his career and what led him to the insurance business. (29:08)

Felix explains that the desire to succeed is ingrained in immigrants. (39:08)

Ebens shares why his company looks for and hires people with an entrepreneurial-driven mindset. (44:46)

Ebens shares that he is currently reading "The Power of Broke" by Daymond John. (49:55)

Felix reads an excerpt from the book he wrote, “Ingredients of Success”, about what success really means to him. (50:26)

Key Quotes:

"When I first arrived in the United States, I was afraid. The wind that I was breathing wasn’t mine, the language barrier, new people in a new country. I didn't feel right about walking in the street, because I just felt like I was a foreigner and I didn't believe belonged here. And those were my feelings at the very beginning." - Felix Garcia

"If you're willing to put in that work, and the sky's the limit, especially in this industry, you could make as much as you want, but it depends on you." - Ebens Jean

"Some people think that success is driving an expensive automobile, buying a big house, being successful in business. Success is more than that. Success to me, is the way you walk the path of life each day. It is the things you do and the things you say." - Felix Garcia

Resources Mentioned:

Ebens Jean LinkedIn

Felix Garcia LinkedIn

Erik Garcia LinkedIn

American National Insurance

One Way Insurance Group

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In today’s throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interview Chris Cotton, owner of AutoFix SOS. Chris travels around between states in a mobile home with his family coaching auto shop owners to help them run their business. This podcast discusses how business coaches can get struggling businesses to make a profit, and goes into the details that auto repair shops need to succeed in the current market, such as digital inspections.

Episode Highlights:

Chris talks about how he and his family changed their life course as they started AutoFix. (2:15)

What does Chris Cotton’s daily routine look like? (5:26)

How did Chris originally get into auto repair? (8:45)

What led Chris to leave his shop and do road coaching and consulting? (16:15)

How does Chris determine who he wants to work with? (18:35)

How does Chris go about giving people advice on how to fix their business? (21:55)

Provide unemotional guiding and accountability, and focus on educating them about the things they don’t know. (22:35)

Embrace technology and make sure your social media is up to date. (22:35)

People want you to guarantee results. (26:10)

How does Chris hold people accountable for following the process? (27:20)

The process is like math, and if you follow the proven process you will get the right answer. (28:10)

When Chris is building a relationship, he tries to leave people in thought so that if they don’t follow through they will feel responsible for that. (32:25)

Chris considers experiences to be bad when people do not follow through with the plan or stop taking phone calls. (34:55)

Focus on learning from your successes as well as your mistakes. (38:50)

Chris’greatest success story, what did he learn from it, and how is he replicating it in other shops. (40:15)

How does Chris help shops navigate social media? (44:15)

Facebook is (essentially) free, take the time to make 2 posts a day, and make a video for your page. (44:45)

The future of auto repair is in Facebook ads, as far as cost-per-click and return on investment. (45:38)

Digital inspections for cars can help bring shops up to current standards and gives people visuals for their car’s repairs without requiring any phone calls. (50:50)

Digital files also help protect your business because there is minimal risk of losing information and provides accountability. (53:55)

What percentage of shops are actually using digital inspections? (55:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There’s not anybody who’s really too small to work with.” -Chris Cotton

“If during the coaching process, I say something that hurts our feelings or motivates you to want to do better, that's where the real change happens.” -Chris Cotton

“As long as you’re with me I’ll be with you ‘till the end.” -Chris Cotton

“I think so many of us deal with the old chiche of failing forward and learning from your mistakes and learning from your losses and everything else that you don’t take the time to learn from things that you win at.” -David Carothers

“You are way more successful if you have a visual or if you can show somebody versus trying to paint a picture over the phone.” -Chris Cotton

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers Linkedin

Chris Cotton LinkedIn

AutoFix SOS

AutoFix SOS: Facebook

Reach out to Chris Cotton

580-491-3519

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Corina Ludwig, CEO of Function Fox, a task and project management software platform.

Episode Highlights:

Corina discusses her background, as well as her life vision and values. (4:58)

Corina explains when they discovered that the technology they had created for themselves may benefit others in the creative industry. (6:21)

Corina mentions that their group prefers to focus on what they do best: being creative rather than spending a lot of time on software. (10:18)

Corina shares the lessons she has learned along her journey that she is now using as a seasoned Executive. (14:31)

Corina discusses FunctionFox's business structure. (18:48)

Corina explains how FunctionFox supports its team members' personal and professional vision and growth. (19:48)

Corina discusses their transition from 25% to 100% percent remote workforce. (21:35)

Corina discusses the current developments in the advertising industry. (25:00)

Corina discusses the freelancing trend in the advertising industry. (28:50)

Corina discusses FunctionFox's platform and the flexibility it offers to its customers. (36:49)

Corina explains that email doesn't operate the same way it used to, that traditional advertising is fading, and that there are many new channels in the advertising business. (40:22)

Corina believes that there is a wealth of information and ideas available to us, regardless of the industry, and that there is a lot of overlap. (45:52)

Key Quotes:

“When we started 22 years ago, the vision was simple. We wanted to help better understand our profitability, and to help increase our revenue at the end of the day. And so we built a tool for ourselves…and found that this was really helpful, not just for us, but also from the background that I had, knowing that there wasn't really anything in the industry.” - Corina Ludwig

“We're helping people increase their revenue, increase their billable hours, and at the end of the day, be more profitable, and really, that's the goal. It's not just selling a software service or providing a productivity tool, but it's actually helping them grow their business.” - Corina Ludwig

“There's lots of knowledge and insights that we can get, regardless of the industry you're in, and lots of overlap.” - Corina Ludwig

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Function Fox at https://www.functionfox.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck address the importance of establishing driver selection criteria upfront and communicating it to your client.

Episode Highlights:

David believes that everyone searching for work in the trades right now has a bad driving record since those who don't are always employed. (4:14)

David explains that the dissatisfaction comes from the agents' failure to properly prepare their clients for what they must do on their end. (7:25)

David mentions that anyone who needs a driver selection criteria template can write him an email, and he will provide a copy. (7:45)

According to David, many persons who have poor comp claims are auto-related. (8:50)

David shares that he's dealing with customers that run background checks for a living and are innocent, but a lawyer is fishing because of one of their PEO clients. (9:51)

David explains the need for establishing driver selection criteria in advance and communicating the criteria to your client. (13:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Two things need to happen…You need to have the criteria established. But number two, you really should be having your clients run the MVR’s in-house, they need to be the ones doing this.” - David Carothers

“You need to have the driver selection criteria established on the front end and communicate that to your client.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses the biggest problem insurance agents have. It’s not around prospecting or messaging. The biggest problem insurance agents have is their lack of success at getting their prospects to fire the incumbent agent in order to hire them. That is what this episode is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the process of competitive dethronement. (2:56)

Charles shares how insurance is war. In sales, you either win or lose. (4:21)

Charles explains how to get the incumbent agent fired, to get you hired. (9:19)

Charles shares a story about speaking to an insurance agent, who sent him a message on LinkedIn. (11:43)

What’s the second thing you want to do to get the incumbent agent fired? (13:30)

Charles shares how to get the insured to realize that their agent hasn't fulfilled their services. (18:31)

Charles explains another way of identifying significant problems that the insured has with their incumbent agent. (20:28)

Charles shares what you need to do to help the insurer take away the pain. (25:50)

Charles mentions why it’s important to remember that insurance buyers have the insurance mentality of a four-year-old child. (29:33)

Key Quotes:

“If you can't get the incumbent agent fired, you will never get another client. If you can't get the incumbent agent fired, you will never get hired, period. And so, we don't have a prospecting problem, we have a firing problem, that is the issue.” - Charles Specht

“If you can begin creating that killer mindset, so that you understand what this is, I do believe that everything else will become easier. I do believe that you'll be more focused, that you will understand the process more, that you will start creating strategies and systems, and a process that is going to work yourself through the situation with the insured, so that at the end, you are more likely to ask for the broker of record letter, and get awarded the broker of record letter.” - Charles Specht

“If you don't win, you lose. And, there is somebody else right now sitting in your chair, on your throne, the other incumbent agent. Unless you can get the insured to willfully fire, terminate that relationship, you will never get another client, period. If you can't get people fired, you can never get a new client. It is that simple.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Gordon Coyle, founder, and president of The Coyle Group. Gordon is a risk management and insurance services firm specializing in liability products. He joins the podcast and explains how he's using video to create inbound leads in specialty liability insurance.

This is an episode you do not want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Gordon shares his background story with Ryan. (13:00)

Gordon explains that his natural curiosity and motivation from Ryan led him to take it to the next level in the technological aspect of the business. (18:31)

Gordon talks about consistency and discipline being the keys to everything that you do. (21:07)

Gordon shares how he was able to assist someone who had seen his videos and asked for his help. (26:23)

Gordon shares that he gets his leads from people that are searching for answers on insurance on YouTube. (33:51)

Gordon explains that one of the hardest things for him to do is to repurpose content. (40:31)

Gordon shares that every sales job is all about getting noticed, and the best way to do that is through social media. (45:22)

Gordon shares that there are a lot of producers that have stood out and become successful through the use of social media. (48:14)

Gordon talks about the difference between paid and organic marketing in social media. (54:23)

Gordon advises people to think about the sales process and the closing ratios when talking about inbound and non-inbound businesses. (57:40)

Key Quotes:

"Consistency and discipline, I think, are key not only for marketing but a lot of things in whatever you do." - Gordon Coyle

"Every sales job is all about getting noticed, right? You have to kind of build interest you have to have you have to get your foot in the door, your toe in the door. And, you know, how do you do that? How do you get noticed? And I think that there's a lot of good opportunity to do that with content." - Gordon Coyle

"The consistency around video creates an aura of expertise, knowledge, whatever it may be, you become a very believable character." - Gordon Coyle

Resources Mentioned:

Gordon Coyle LinkedIn

The Coyle Group

The Coyle Group - YouTube

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Lorin Montgomery. Lorin is an amazing commercial insurance producer with Brown & Brown Insurance. She built a successful career and has been able to ride the tides of commercial insurance in Florida for 38 years and she is still going strong!

Episode Highlights:

Lorin discusses her journey to get to where she is today. (1:50)

Lorin shares the best day she's ever had in her 38-year career. (6:45)

Lorin explains that she gets most of her clients from referrals because she no longer cold calls. (18:40)

Lorin discusses her strategy with everyone she meets for the first time. (19:16)

Lorin discusses the transition from Liberty Mutual to a brokerage-type position. (23:58)

Lorin discusses the learning curve of submissions on the brokerage side. (25:54)

Lorin mentions that Corporate Insurance Advisors was sold to Brown & Brown in 2021 bringing her back to corporate America. (30:52)

Lorin discusses the importance of differentiating yourself from everyone else. (40:18)

Lorin gives advice to someone entering the commercial industry at this time. (48:43)

Key Quotes:

“You've got to differentiate yourself from everybody else in the pack. And the only way to do that is to do something different.” - Lorin Montgomery

“Always learn, always be a resource, always try to be that person that's going to be valuable to somebody else” - Lorin Montgomery

“Brown & Brown acquired Corporate Insurance Advisors, and so we were absorbed into the Brown & Brown family. And what's really neat about that is I'm now back in large corporate America.” - Lorin Montgomery

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Lorin Montgomery (954-732-9453)

Brown and Brown Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interview David Lefevre, who works in the marketing department of Florida Risk Partners and Salespwr.com. David talks about how to use CRMs to ensure your salespeople have the tools they need to be successful, and the importance of knowing and being able to talk about your customers.

Episode Highlights:

You are not an insurance agency until you close a deal and you have to do policy administration. Until that point, you are a sales organization. (8:55)

The difference between a B2B sales organization and an inbound sales organization. (10:08)

David discusses his daily routine and how he breaks down his days. (10:50)

David’s backstory and how he got to where he is now. (13:45)

Using mapping to show customers and leads in a certain radius or boundary. (20:56)

There are different types of people who are good at different things, let people play to their strengths. (22:30)

What’s the biggest mistake David has seen that the sales organizations make? (24:40)

It really comes down to managing your team and having realistic expectations, so the biggest mistake is having unrealistic expectations. (24:55)

What’s one thing David Lefevre sees that successful organizations have in common? (26:00)

Giving your salespeople the support they need to be successful. (26:36)

David Lefevre’s explanation of the strategy around content. (28:50)

You can determine your future customer’s needs based on your current customer’s needs. (30:50)

Know your customer, and be able to talk about them the same way you can talk about yourself. (32:30)

What’s the biggest obstacle David dealt with in implementing automation and CRM in companies he works with? (36:17)

The idea of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is centralized contacts and management of information, where everything that’s being done is not lost. (38:10)

The CRM helps ensure you are giving your salespeople the tools they need to succeed. (39:55)

Install a CRM to help prevent information from leaking out. (41:55)

What is David’s advice for someone who is getting started with using a CRM? (46:00)

Stick to the basics and don’t do something that makes you segment out your clients. (46:37)

David Carothers is doubling down on evergreen content instead of coronavirus content. (49:55)

Use email as a tool to build relationships. (56:15)

David Lefevre clarifies the difference between advertising and marketing. (57:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The high production agencies realize that they are sales organizations.” -David Carothers

“Mapping is an essential part of all business today in the United States.” -David Lefevre

“Success breeds on success so give your salespeople winning opportunities.” -David Lefevre

“People need to think of their customer just as they do trying to talk about themselves.” -David Lefevre

“When I think of marketing, I am trying to create awareness for my company...Advertising is giving money to somebody else to get my information in front of you, regardless of when you’re ready to buy.” -David Lefevre

“I think advertising is shouting.” -David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers Linkedin

Florida Risk Partners

SalesPWR

Reach out to David Lefevre

(813) 857-3283

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Lane, Director of Sales at Tarmika. Chris talks about the importance of price transparency, and how they make a great company by giving back to their employees.

Episode Highlights:

Chris shares that he used to be an Android user, but in 2020 switched to becoming an iPhone user. (3:27)

Chris explains that he was always involved in sports growing up and that it had an impact on making him love to win all the time. (4:38)

Chris explains that it has been both skill and luck that have been the reason for where he is today. (8:57)

Chris explains the services that they provide at Tarmika and how they benefit their clients. (16:58)

Chris talks about how they have grown their market since starting back in 2019. (21:50)

Chris shares the story of how they went down with one of their beta carriers that were doing robotic processing. (26:00)

Chris shares that all of the people they have hired have been essential to the greater good of the company. (32:24)

Chris explains how great it is to see such a variety of API’s coming through. (35:18)

Chris discusses the role of RPA’s internally in an agency. (39:26)

Key Quotes:

"Everyone's bought in for the greater good of Tamika, and trying to, not change the industry, right? We just want to make agents be a little more efficient when it comes to quoting small commercial." - Chris Lane

"Agents should do their homework when they're looking at any product, any insurer tech product, whether it be rating, whether it be management system, CRM." - Chris Lane

"Look at insurance. You know, it may not be, you know, working for one of the big three accounting firms, or, you know, one of these big corporations, but it gives you the chance to really kind of define yourself for it. It's all in what you want to put into it." - Chris Lane

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Lane LinkedIn

Tarmika

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ciara Gravier, CIC, PWCA, CPIA, Founder, and CEO of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management. Ciara talks about her knowledge and expertise in the insurance industry and how COVID-19 has affected her business.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Ciara Gravier. (1:24)

Ciara shares that they started their company in January 2019. They hired their first producer in November and three telemarketers before the pandemic happened. (3:58)

Ciara mentions that she started her agency on paper about a year and a half ago, but they have been hitting it hard since January. (13:52)

Ciara thinks that the hardest part when the COVID-19 happened, was that it was the same time when they were trying to reinvent themselves. (14:48)

Ciara mentions that they have commercial experience but not in the middle market. (15:38)

Ciara thinks that the insurance industry is still very heavily male-dominated, but she surrounded herself with a lot of men that believe in her, probably more than she does. (16:52)

Ciara shares a story about a prospect that was referred to her by a good referral partner. (18:04)

Ciara mentions that the carrier appointments have been a big challenge for them, especially in South Florida. (30:14)

Ciara explains that apart from COVID-19, focusing on their content and videos has also been a challenge for them. (40:51)

Ciara shares that her father always tells her to remember the big picture and not to get caught up in the little things. (45:36)

Ciara shares her advice for the listeners, that you have to be patient with the process, find a mentor, find a skilled agent and follow them, and try to spend time with them and learn from them. (55:37)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You have to get your designation. Because having those letters behind your name is going to help you with adversity, you're going to face being young and being a woman, some people just don't take the advice seriously.” - Ciara Gravier

“I think honestly, some women might feel like they belong in the desk processing certificates. No, not at all. Any woman can do this job in the agency and run the show. It's not limited to just picking up the phone.” - Ciara Gravier

“I understand being an underwriter, the people that feed you the most and feed you the best are the ones that get your first attention. So it has been very difficult to find an underwriter that we can bond with, that responds to us quickly.” - Ciara Gravier

“I just want to be able to take care of my family, I don't need to have a million houses. I just want the flexibility, this job, and owning an agency does give you flexibility in your life.” - Ciara Gravier

“I think that I don't see myself working anywhere else but insurance, and I also think it's something I can do until I retire...I want to live a good life, a comfortable life, and take care of my family.” - Ciara Gravier

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Ciara Gravier LinkedIn

The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management

In this super-packed episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with five outstanding female agency principals from across the country. They cover a wide variety of topics and provide valuable insight and perspective on the state of the industry and how we can better foster growth in our teams and agencies.

A special thanks to Vonda Copeland, Ciara Gravier, Whitney Ricci, Teresa Kitchens, and Ngozi Nnaji for joining us on this episode.

Episode Highlights:

Vonda, Ciara, Whitney, Teresa, and Ngozi share their background stories and what they love about the industry. (4:08)

Vonda explains why she sees the female representation in the industry as a mother figure in terms of how they treat the business. (13:07)

Ciara shares that as she grows, being more maternal is the challenge she aims to overcome. (17:54)

Ngozi believes that having a female agency owner is the best of both worlds because of their resilience, power, influence, and sensitivity. (21:38)

Ngozi believes that the industry needs to see that female owners are out there and bringing success to the industry. (26:04)

Teresa explains that women also can take the mission and the vision out into the world. (34:38)

Ciara talks about CSRs in the industry, who are predominantly women, and showing them the opportunity of ownership and the possibility of becoming independent agents. (38:34)

Vonda, Ciara, Whitney, Teresa, and Ngozi share their take on a tagline, "Insurance is Female." (44:07)

Vonda and Teresa talk about how the female population goes about the word "we" in a healthy way. (53:36)

Ngozi believes that labels matter for people to recognize and appreciate and allow people to create awareness. (1:01:42)

Ngozi shares how she productively engages her clients. (1:13:15)

Ciara explains how she engages her clients, most of whom speak Spanish. (1:17:18)

Key Quotes:

"We've got to get to the fact that we want to be accepted as that “we”, you know when we're talking, we want to be a part of that. And not, you know, that we're still trying to fight to get into this industry." - Vonda Copeland

“I think it's the opportunity to show the world that we have it all…the resilience, the power, the influence, the sensitivity that's needed." - Ngozi Nnaji

"The women are the ones that are running your business. You get to go golf and all of your CSR’s are the ones that are running and making you your money. So I feel like as an agency owner, we need to highlight the career paths that they could have." - Ciara Gravier

Resources Mentioned:

Vonda Copeland LinkedIn

Ciara Gravier LinkedIn

Whitney Ricci LinkedIn

Teresa Kitchens LinkedIn

Ngozi Nnaji LinkedIn

Sterlings Insurance

The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management

Copeland Insurance Agency

Ricci Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about two more key impulse factors to help you close sales: fear of loss and a sense of urgency.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle introduces two additional impulse factors that can help you close sales: fear of loss and a sense of urgency, which he mentions go hand in hand with what they represent from the potential customer’s perspective. (1:26)

David explains that Mineral is a good tool to help prospects understand the fear of loss. (2:40)

Kyle shares that a sense of urgency is a way of letting prospects know that you are not going to take a lot of their time. (6:04)

David shares that in a cold-calling situation, an icebreaker can simply make it or break it. (8:13)

Kyle talks about having a sense of urgency for ourselves and not only for our clients. (9:47)

Kyle and David did a cold calling roleplay to give an example of how to pitch with all four key impulses. (12:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you're paying for it and not giving it to people, how are you using that to generate new business?" - David Carothers

"When you're cold calling, you've got to get their attention right out of the box. You can't just go in and say, I'd like to talk to you about your insurance and risk management program." - David Carothers

“I would walk in, I would ice break, use some Jones effect and some indifference. And I would add some sense of urgency at the very end of it and say, ‘I'm just looking to introduce myself, you know, real quick to the person.’ So that real quick part, that's the sense of urgency.” Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Todd Thams, founder of Mod Advisor, Direct Work Comp, and President of Thams Agency, joins the podcast to break down how Mod Advisor is helping independent insurance agents deliver maximum value to their insurance clients.

Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Todd discusses the concept of broker-type ventures. (10:51)

Todd expresses his excitement about Mod Advisor and all of the exciting things that they will be doing. (13:45)

Todd explains that he considers himself to be a builder based on his life experiences. (14:57)

Todd mentions the customers and their expectations as the main differences between operating Tham's Agency, a third-generation family company, and working in InsurTech. (16:56)

Todd says he attributes his whole path to IAOA. (22:20)

Todd explains that the objective at Mod Advisor is to demonstrate and identify the workers’ comp issue in an easy-to-understand style for the customers. (30:42)

Todd believes he has control over what goes on in his mind and how he assists his customers. (34:05)

Todd discusses his thoughts on insurance fees. (36:11)

Todd believes that the national insurance system is dysfunctional and that agents should be permitted to charge whatever they want. (37:29)

Todd explains that everything they want to accomplish in the next 12 to 24 months will simplify and streamline the whole process. (47:28)

Todd explains that everything he does with Mod Advisor is completely dedicated to the independent agent channel. (49:04)

Key Quotes:

“If the customer is willing to pay it because they want the level of service, then I don't know why we need the state to regulate and say you can't do that.” - Todd Thams

“I hear there's a lot of frustration around duplicate data entry. And I think we intend to solve that problem. And make it super easy for brokerages across the country to get loss information, payroll informatio,n and everything in our system. And do that quick and fast.” - Todd Thams

“Everything that I do with Mod Advisor is 100% committed to the independent agent channel.” - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned:

Todd Thams LinkedIn

Mod Advisor

Direct Work Comp

Thams Agency

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht teaches you how to determine what type of business you should target for prospecting. In other words, Charles will teach you the step-by-step process he takes his 1-on-1 coaching clients through to determine their own most profitable micro-niche focus. This is the topic Charles gets asked about most, which is why he gets very detailed in the process of it in this episode.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the difference between a niche and a micro-niche. (1:48)

Charles shares that if you do not know what you are targeting, then everything is a target. (5:00)

Charles explains that you can be passionate about other things, but it does not necessarily have to be your micro-niche. (7:30)

Charles shares that micro-niching means you are focusing only on a specific area of a niche and not different areas. (11:16)

Charles explains that it is important to consider your geographic territory when creating a micro-niche. (15:42)

Charles explains that every agency is different and should have a minimum revenue threshold, which can also help you determine your micro-niche. (20:26)

Charles talks about the importance of having access to carriers to be competitive. (22:14)

Charles shares that he personally wants to go after classes of business that are ugly and nasty that most insurance carriers don't want. (26:12)

Charles explains that it is important to know your competition and to start to ask yourself if it is the best area for you to spend your time. (30:09)

Charles shares that micro-niching means being seen by your prospects as exactly what they need. (33:42)

Key Quotes:

"Being a micro-niche means you're focused in that area. And you can't be focused in that area if you're torn between too many different areas." - Charles Specht

"It's a whole lot easier to win the race if you're driving the fastest car, riding the fastest horse, whatever, it's just a whole lot easier to win when you have the best." - Charles Specht

"The thing about a micro-niche is that you get so dialed in, that you become the most obvious choice of which agent to do business with." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson is joined by 3 of his fellow protege contestants, Sean Kirby, Jonathan Lugo, and Ryan Smith, to discuss Challenges 5 and 6 of The Protege (an Insurance Reality TV Show Competition produced by David Carothers) and the feedback they received from David. The last 5 months have been filled with weekly challenges, discussions, accountability, and coaching that have truly changed the way we all look at selling insurance. Only 2 challenges are left before the top 6 contestants are selected to compete in the production stage to see who will be crowned THE NEXT Protege!

Episode Highlights:

Mitch introduces his guests, San Kirby, Jonathan Lugo, and Ryan Smith, his fellow contestants on The Protege, who have joined the podcast to discuss the most recent challenges.

Ryan shares that the feedback he got from Challenge 5 on The Protege was that he was talking too much. (3:59)

Jonathan explains that there are a lot of rules and formats that need to be followed when completing the challenges for The Protege. (7:31)

Sean shares that The Protege was built in a very specific way, and that the whole setup is to built towards production. (12:13)

Sean talks about his former teammate, Brian McCall, and how Brian is starting to jump into the list of top performers. (16:45)

Jonathan and Sean explain that being on the show is very different from just watching it, and the contestants are getting better at what they do. (19:30)

Ryan elaborates on his experience doing Challenge Six and how it went for him doing the elevator pitch. (22:34)

Jonathan shares the things he focused on and what he did differently that made him the top performer for Challenge Six. (24:57)

Sean shares that he did a short and sweet elevator script. (27:17)

Ryan explains that for someone who hasn't tried cold calling, this challenge can be mentally challenging. (35:49)

Sean recommends everyone be in a comfortable position when making cold calls. (39:30)

Key Quotes:

"When you're sitting down to actually do the calls, especially for some of this nature, it can be difficult." - Ryan Smith

"If we're not in a comfortable position before we make our calls, physically, you're not going to be comfortable on the phone, so you want to get into a comfortable position." - Sean Kirby

"My goal is to be at the top next week. And if I'm not focusing on being in the top six, I'm focusing on being top next week. If so, that gives me a good position to be in the top six." - Mitch Gibson

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

Jonathan Lugo LinkedIn

Ryan Smith LinkedIn

Smith and Sons Insurance Agency

The Performance Group

Veritas Insurance And Risk Management

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa talks to Kaleigh Kitchens (her daughter) about her entering the insurance industry and what she has experienced so far. This is one episode and we will make other episodes as we document her first year in the insurance industry and how she grows her roots in a new career.

Episode Highlights:

Kaleigh shares her journey and her story of how she found herself in the insurance industry. (2:42)

Kaleigh talks about competence as her biggest fear, and discusses joining the industry as a third generation. (9:25)

Kaleigh shares their action plan they developed as to how her and her mom will work together without compromising the relationship between the family. (12:59)

Kaleigh shares that she is expecting to learn more about time management, self-discipline, and improving her confidence in her 12-month training program. (17:35)

Kaleigh explains that the first step is the hardest, but if we accept it and are brave enough, we can actually see the process we need to follow. (23:19)

Kaleigh assures everyone that we can always learn from our mistakes, and those mistakes will only make us better. (31:10)

Kaleigh shares that starting with the service and reading about fanatical prospecting are the two things that made a big difference in her transition to insurance. (32:29)

Kaleigh shares that she is currently reading a book called "Confidence Code" about women's confidence compared to men's. (33:39)

Key Quotes:

"You have to know when things are going in the right direction and know when to back them up and when to leave." - Kaleigh Kitchens

"I want to be challenged on every level, especially if it's going to make my success in the long run that much more profitable. I can sacrifice a year of my time for the life lessons I am going to learn from this program." - Kaleigh Kitchens

"We're an open family. And we're all about rolling with the punches. And we're glad to have you guys listening along with us. And I'm extremely stoked that I get to be here and to share my story with, especially my mother, but with all of you as well." - Kaleigh Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Kaleigh Kitchens LinkedIn

Contact Teresa Kitchens

The Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Micah Salas, Advisor of Risk Management & Business Insurance at Marsh & McLennan Agency. Micah talks about cold calling, getting prospects from LinkedIn and creating a content production strategy.

Episode Highlights:

Micah shares his background story, and how he got into the insurance industry. (2:53)

Micah explains that there are a lot of people with a lot of different experiences across the country that you can use as resources. (6:57)

Micah says that Marsh & McLennan Agency allows them to be entrepreneurial. (7:43)

Micah shares that they’re pushing hard to get all of their producers using Salesforce consistently to have those processes in place. (10:03)

Is there a specific market segment that Micah goes after? (10:37)

Micah says that everyone, especially in construction, buys workers’ comp because in order to get to the client’s job site you need to show a certificate. (18:13)

Micah talks about Texas Mutual's dividend program in Texas. (20:08)

Micah shares that he made contact with a large company with more than 2000 road contractor employees, a billion dollars in revenue. (28:20)

Micah talks about his ROI. (29:56)

Micah says that he regularly puts out content on his LinkedIn account. (32:49)

What is Micah’s content production strategy? (38:07)

Micah shares that he has zero interest in quoting or bidding but they have a different approach. (38:58)

Does Micah read a lot of books? (39:29)

Micah shares his starting point and how he refines that to have the highest hit ratio. (45:37)

What advice can Micah give to anyone who is starting out in the insurance industry as a producer? (59:26)

Key Quotes:

“Don't listen to fake news that cold calling is dead.” - Micah Salas

“From an insurance agency standpoint, or agent producer, I would spend 30 minutes a day to an hour connecting with people, following people, seeing what's going on and posting relevant content. But if you're expecting it to get rich on it, it's not going to happen.” - Micah Salas

“I stay pretty tight to what I know I do well, just because I know going into those meetings, I can speak with confidence and then I know we can deliver as well.” - Micah Salas

Resources Mentioned:

The Power Producer’s Podcast

LinkedIn- David Carothers

Killing Commercial Insurance

Florida Risk Partners

LinkedIn- Kyle Houck

Micah Salas

Marsh & McLennan Agency

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Chandler, Strategic Partnership Creator & Marketing Distribution Ambassador at QuoteWizard. Ryan talks about the importance of making agents' lives easier by helping them understand what their brand means to them.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Ryan and shares how they were introduced. (3:09)

Ryan explains that he loves to win, but the fear of losing is something special. (8:30)

Ryan mentions that he thinks skill sets built the foundation of where he is, but luck helped carve the path forward. (9:14)

Ryan talks about how COVID impacted his marriage plans. (10:39)

Ryan shares his background story and how he ended up in the insurance industry. (12:37)

Ryan shares that his main initiative with an independent landscape is to be the partner for the agents. (14:25)

Ryan talks about the Agency Zoom integration with QuoteWizard. (20:46)

Ryan reflects on his experience in sports industry and compares that mindset to the insurance industry mindset, and explains how they are both focused on innovating and moving forward. (21:53).

Ryan discusses QuoteWizard’s six-tier optimization marketing strategy. (24:56)

Ryan shares that one of the keys to success in the industry is to help agents understand what their brand means to them. (31:23)

Key Quotes:

"I think the skill sets you up from when luck comes your way. So you put the skill in place. And when that opportunity, let's call it luck, comes your way, you have the skill sets to back up that lucky opportunity that's costing you your path." - Ryan Chandler

"The more work I can do in the space to make their lives easier is my end goal, and that's why I'm here is to, you know, keep chipping away at that boulder and create a path for us all to thrive." - Ryan Chandler

"That's where my passion lies, it's understanding, you know, the role the independent agents play in this space. And every day, it's waking up to see what tools, what technology, what assets exist, where QuoteWizard could be a better partner to what we're trying to achieve here." - Ryan Chandler

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Chandler LinkedIn

QuoteWizard

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Haig Ardzivian, VP of Operational Innovation at Quantum. Haig shares how your agency can grow with intentionality. When it comes to change, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Get the cliff notes on Lean Six Sigma and hear how to find a "NorthStar" that keeps your team on a strategic path while you grow.

Episode Highlights:

Haig shares his background story and how he crossed paths with Quantum and eventually became the operational innovation VP. (2:48)

Haig explains that the whole concept of Lean Six Sigma is how you look at a process, the various steps of the process, and analyzing potential failure points. (6:11)

Haig shares that in an agency, people management is an advantage, especially if the agency has effective leadership. (11:37)

Haig shares his advice to agency owners which is not to expect their people to know how to bundle. (16:08)

Haig explains that it is very important to talk to your people and get their take on things and review them. (17:37)

Haig talks about the importance of being able to be disciplined enough to not change all the time. (21:29)

Haig explains that it's important as a leader to see the difference between when something is a preference and when it's better. (26:18)

Haig shares that if you are looking to scale your company's progress, always think about the funnel strategy. (31:01)

Haig talks about what happens when you lose credibility with your brand, and scale too fast. (32:07)

Haig explains that it is very important to understand what your primary goal is and make sure you are always focused on it. (36:58)

Haig shares that you have to check your effectiveness and that when you do, you will be able to see where you can create the most impact for your company. (43:06)

Key Quotes:

"I think the owner, from a cultural perspective, has a much bigger impact on a smaller agency, because they're always around. And they can lead through people seeing how they handle certain situations. And I think that's very impactful in an agency." - Haig Ardzivian

"Another thing about change management, you know, going off of your thoughts on, like, entrepreneurial spirit, let's move fast, and let's get things done, is that you have to be disciplined enough to not change all the time." - Haig Ardzivian

"Whatever you're great at, and whatever your passion is, maximize that as much as you can. Because that's fun for you, you're good at that. But when you're looking to scale, you have to think about your funnel, more than anything else." - Haig Ardzivian

Resources Mentioned:

Haig Ardzivian Linkedin

Quantum Assurance International

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host James Jenkins interview Dan Abrahamsen, Co-Founder of Cover Whale. Dan talks about how dedicated Cover Whale is to assisting their trucking clients and carrier partners in risk management and how Cover Whale uses data and advanced technology to enhance the safety of our roadways.

Episode Highlights:

Dan shares that he started his career in the industry on the P&C carrier side, specifically with the trucking and transportation industry, before co-founding Cover Whale. (2:27)

Dan discusses how Cover Whale utilizes an AI powered dash camera to help coach and advocate for their insureds. (9:41)

Dan believes that Tesla's insurance program is focused on the long term and shouldn’t necessarily be written off but doesn’t offer the same value as other InsurTech solutions. (23:03)

Dan shares that their model is to provide one quote back per submission with eight different carrier partners, as of today. (28:40)

Dan explains that the first part of their process is to give clients a nearly instant indication rate, to help get the conversation started. (34:17)

Dan shares that they offer a competitive payment term from their financial partners. (41:26)

Dan talks about being more traditionally focused on agencies with a transportation portfolio to help clients with comprehensive risk management solutions. (47:27)

Dan explains that the 3 things they think trucking operators should have are liability, comp and collision, and cargo. (50:21)

Dan explains how important it is to give agents information to enable them to answer the most complex questions. (55:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think most truckers, they want to hear what you can do for them, and you have a very short window to make that clear. So, our first step in the process is we will give you a fast and loose rate based on your geographic area, number of vehicles, and we will give you that indication rate right away right on the portal " - Dan Abrahamsen

"I think like with anything in life or in insurance, what starts as super complex and foreign can quickly kind of peel back to something more manageable, you can get your hands around it." - Dan Abrahamsen

"You never want to be giving off-the-cuff guidance, if you're not entirely sure yourself. I do think that the educational component, we're committed to it, we're here to kind of push some of this forward." - Dan Abrahamsen

Resources Mentioned:

Dan Abrahamsen LinkedIn

Cover Whale

David Carothers

James Jenkins

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Cory Schnabel, Agency Principal at KC Insurance Group in Kansas City, MO.

Episode Highlights:

Cory talks about how he got started in the insurance industry. (5:27)

Cory shares that he bought his first Allstate agency in 2010. (6:42)

Cory how he started KC Insurance Group and what helped him to get contracts with several carriers. (12:51)

Cory shares that his referral partners are one of the secrets to his success. (20:46)

Cory explains how he connects with his referral partners. (21:36)

Cory shares his best practices for establishing value and connection with a channel partner. (26:03)

Cory discusses what he believes works best with channel partners in 2022 and beyond. (30:37)

Cory explains that most people, perhaps 90% of lenders, agents, wealth planners, CPAs, and insurance brokers, have no idea where a large portion of their business comes from. (32:39)

Cory shares his thoughts on what he learned from IAOA. (37:55)

Cory discusses some of his decisions that he would alter if given the chance. (51:57)

Cory believes if you trust in yourself and bet on yourself, you'll be alright. (54:38)

Key Quotes:

“We'd always heard the grass was greener on the other side. But then we really learned like, wow, the grass is greener. And these underwriters care about you and they're going to help you place the risk.” - Cory Schnabel

“What can we do different and what we can do different is care. It's literally that simple. Like, there's no paid coaching program. There's no paid mentorship, there's no paid automation. It's literally just care.” - Cory Schnabel

“If you believe in yourself, you want to bet on yourself, which is something I love doing. Failure motivates me. You're going to be okay and you just have to take it one day at a time.” - Cory Schnabel

Resources Mentioned:

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the Jones effect and indifference, two of the four key impulse factors that can help to close sales.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle talks about impulse factors and when and how he first learned about using this strategy to close sales. (1:49)

Kyle explains that the Jones effect is referencing somebody else that you have sold to, to give you credibility and put the customer at ease. (2:52)

David explains that using the Jones effect to show that you know or service their competition makes you useful to them and makes them want to meet with you. (7:00)

Kyle explains that indifference has to do with your body language and your tone. (8:05)

David shares that controlled intensity is one of the gifts that many people lack in any sales capacity. (11:44)

Kyle talks about how he mirrors the client as a way of preparing for the actual sales pitch. (12:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think the Jones effect part of it is crucial in establishing some credibility and relaxing the prospect." - Kyle Houck

"So indifference is easy too. I'm naturally pretty indifferent. But it has to do with your body language and your tone." - Kyle Houck

“If people feel like you're useful to them to give them information about their competition, they're gonna be willing to meet with you almost every time.” David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht interviews one of his sales training clients, Man Phung. Man only started writing commercial accounts about three years ago but has been implementing the things Charles has been teaching, such as Thinking BIGGER, micro-niching down, utilizing the 12-Month Timeline of Services, etc. The result is that he's writing much bigger accounts today. Charles and Man share tips in this episode about what is working and what Man changed in order to be successful.

Episode Highlights:

Man shares his background story and how he got started in the industry. (6:35)

Man shares that their agency has over one hundred commercial accounts both in Indiana and Texas. (8:58)

Man talks about the two biggest accounts that they are writing, which are construction and manufacturing. (9:45)

Man explains that he does a little bit of everything as a business owner, from cold calling to social selling to managing a team. (11:49)

Man shares understanding the size of the account and class of business helped him to choose the accounts that contribute to the success of his business. (13:08)

Man talks about the first big account he had in his agency and what he did to be able to write that account. (20:33)

Man advises everyone to believe in their perspective and never to hold themselves back. (23:52)

Man shares how he was able to win a new account with a good broker of record, which was by accident. (26:06)

Man advises listeners not to let themselves hold themselves back and to change the way they think about their limiting beliefs. (29:34)

Key Quotes:

"You can only write so many accounts. No matter how good you are, you can only write so many accounts." - Man Phung

"We are our worst enemy. We hold ourselves back. And it's true. And I used to think the same way like I couldn't do it because I'm playing against the biggest broker in the world" - Man Phung

"So if you're starting some something new like me three years ago, start high and and hone in. So, figure out the revenue and then figure out what markets you have." - Man Phung

Resources Mentioned:

Man Phung Linkedin

Brightway Insurance

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Nick Ayers, Chief Marketing Officer at Better Agency, joins the podcast to talk about insurance marketing, building technology, and putting on rockstar conferences. There's always a tremendous conversation when Nick's on the show.

Don't miss this episode.

Episode Highlights:

Nick shares some ideas to take into consideration before starting a company. (7:06)

Nick mentions that the cornerstone of marketing is being able to understand how people feel and being able to articulate the voices already in their heads. (12:36)

Nick explains that a lot of companies will soon realize that they need to hire real marketing motions in their company. (19:38)

Nick shares that their strategy has been to always commit to being genuine to their brand. (25:12)

Nick talks about how the industry has changed and in some ways relaxed in the last few years. (31:05)

Nick shares their journey to making their first acquisition and the questions they were asked by most people. (42:10)

Nick explains that he believes that independent agents are the best channel for insurance distribution. (45:10)

Nick and Ryan discuss the best insurance events. (48:37)

Nick explains that they learned lessons from these past conferences which they will apply in their future conferences. (54:06)

Key Quotes:

"We're going to continue to be who we are, and that's a major part of our overall brand, and that we're going to try to be relentless truth-tellers." - Nick Ayers

"We believe that independent agents are the best channel for insurance distribution. There isn't anything stronger or better than when companies work directly with independent agents." - Nick Ayers

“If we want to compete with everybody else in the AMS or the CRM, we're going to constantly be playing that comparison game. We want to do something that nobody's done before." - Nick Ayers

Resources Mentioned:

Nick Ayers LinkedIn

Better Agency

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Carey Wallace, a financial expert. Carey helps agency owners run a profitable business and be ready for future endeavors.

Episode Highlights:

Carey shares her story and how she got into the insurance industry. (1:55)

Carey explains that there's no formal training when you become an agency owner, which makes it intimidating. (6:41)

Carey shares that agency owners have to know a lot about other businesses to underwrite and cover the risk. (8:55)

Carey elaborates on the things she does to help agencies get through the process emotionally and mentally. (12:30)

Carey explains that EBITA is a measure of any business's true profitability. (17:00)

Carey shares that she has been doing valuations for years now, and about 95% of the agencies wanted to transition internally and plan for it. (24:05)

Carey explains that putting a perpetuation plan in place is very important in preparing to run an agency. (28:31)

Carey talks about the process and preparation that she provides to future agency owners. (31:28)

Carey admits that some of the most difficult situations for an organization she has worked with have occurred when the agency lacked a system. (34:55)

Key Quotes:

"Unlike a lot of people, insurance found me. I didn't find insurance it was it was truly a gift to be quite honest." - Carey Wallace

"I am here to help independent agents make their agency the best that it can be. I'm not here to say this is the only way to do it." - Carey Wallace

"I get to learn about each agency that has different niches, different focuses. Some have a financial arm, some have a real estate arm, some are just straight up independent insurance agents. They're all different. And it's super exciting for me to get to know some pretty diverse businesses.” - Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

AgencyFocus, LLC

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Ryan Deeds interviews Joe Hollier, Nifty Rewards Co-Founder. Joe explains what the Metaverse is, how we can benefit from it, and what we need to expect in the future.

Episode Highlights:

Joe shares his background story and the what led him to Nifty Rewards. (2:21)

Joe explains what the Metaverse is, and its advantages and disadvantages. (6:35)

Joe shares that what they do with Nifty is build an agent-facing community and teach agents on a unique platform. (11:07)

Joe talks about a new idea that they are currently building that will be called NFP, or Non-Fungible Promotion. (14:15)

Joe talks about how Spatial has improved and that you can create your own space. (19:29)

Joe differentiates, that Web1 is the prodigy of AOL, Web2 allows us to engage, and Web3 is the virtual experience. (21:57)

Joe explains that the problem that we are facing now is that technology is innovating too fast. (27:21)

Joe talks about the importance of having knowledge about the Metaverse and being able to imagine what can be done in terms of adaptation. (36:29)

Joe explains that the more we talk about the Metaverse and its technology, the more it will become a naturally growing conversation. (39:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"What we're doing with nifty is building an agent-facing community, you know, what we're doing is teaching agents in a different unique kind of platform, what digital engagement looks like, what it looks like to put your brand out there in a Metaverse." - Joe Hollier

"Everything you do, everything we do in life, there's going to be this digital connection. And we're going to be living in this environment, not just looking at it on a screen. So that's really going to be what Web3 is all about." - Joe Hollier

"I think the grand dream or the grand fantasy of a Metaverse is you have all these virtual worlds that exist. And your little avatar can hop from one to the other, and engage with whatever's going on in those particular virtual worlds or ecosystems. It's not there yet, what we have right now is a bunch of individual virtual worlds." - Joe Hollier

Resources Mentioned:

Joe Hollier LinkedIn

Nifty Rewards

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Will Shaw, CEO & Co-Founder of Better Agency. Will discusses the goals of Better Agency and their dedication to agency success.

Episode Highlights:

Will mentions that he has an iPhone and that the most recent app he downloaded was the Wells Fargo app. (4:27)

Will believes that in order to succeed, his desire for success must be greater than his fear of failure. (5:32)

Is it skill or luck that has played a larger role in Will's life? (5:57)

Will discusses his upbringing and where he is right now. (6:57)

Will explains that Better Agency’s whole purpose is to assist agencies in selling more. (13:33)

Will discusses how they engage in more internal dialogues about content and strategy with folks who aren't users or aren't interested in becoming users. (16:44)

Will mentions that as an outsider entering the sector, one of the things he has been most interested in is how many discussions he can have with agencies each week. (20:49)

Will believes that every insurance coverage should be sold by an independent agent. (22:56)

Will explains that InsurTech has a retention issue. (23:48)

Will mentions that he learned a lot while studying InsurTech and that he feels they've done a lot of good in terms of pushing the boundaries of what's technically accessible, particularly with carriers. (26:41)

Will shares that he just finished reading the book: The Gap and The Gain. (27:15)

Key Quotes:

“In order to succeed, my desire for success must be greater than my fear of failure.” - Will Shaw

“We’re an Agency Success Platform, we're going to help agencies sell more premium at the end of the day. That's always that's our, our core focus.” - Will Shaw

“I think where InsurTech is going and where we're trying to drive it to is really what InsurTech is: agent enabled services. How do you make it easier for agencies to provide their value? Because that's really what consumers need and what they're desiring.” Will Shaw

Resources Mentioned:

Will Shaw LinkedIn

Better Agency

Book: The Gap and The Gain

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jeremy Chen of Jeremy Chen Sales. Jeremy talks about how he helps companies improve their sales strategies and performance.

Episode Highlights:

Jeremy shares his background story, and how he got to where he is in his professional career. (1:50)

Jeremy explains that when he started getting into sales, he never really had any experience in the field. (6:33)

Jeremy talks about how he got an opportunity and landed a job at a cell phone company. (22:37)

Jeremy shares that his selling secret is always pretending he knows who he is talking to. (28:17)

Jeremy explains that the biggest mistake made by producers or salespeople is their mindset. (33:33)

Jeremy shares that he learned the process and flow of cold calling by just doing it. (39:05)

Jeremy talks about his favorite sales story based on his experience being a salesperson for a vet company. (41:57)

Jeremy explains that people are unaware that they only want to hear other people tell them that they are correct instead of telling them that they are wrong. (47:45)

Jeremy shares that in the sales industry, some people just need the time to think through whatever their argument is. (50:40)

Jeremy explains that he thinks cold calling has been ongoing and active even during the COVID pandemic. (52:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You're asking the questions from a position of, I just want to be told that I was right the entire time, as opposed to actually, I'm doing something wrong." - Jeremy Chen

"I was going broke, I certainly wouldn't depend on digital marketing to bring me my next meal. Right, I would go out and find it." - Jeremy Chen

"Sales and appointment setting is a game of hot potato, and the more you talk, the longer your hands are going to burn. So I don't care what you say, just make it so clear to the point that you can toss that potato back in their lap." - Jeremy Chen

Resources Mentioned:

Jeremy Chen LinkedIn

Jeremy Chen Sales

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

On this episode of Cease & Desist podcast, Ryan, Andy, and Sean welcome Liv Coffman from Armadillo to the podcast! This long-awaited episode dives into home warranties, chicken and what it's like being in the LGBTQ+ community in the insurance space.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James welcomes co-host, Ciara Gravier, to the show. Ciara is the co-owner of The Bunker in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Episode Highlights:

James introduces the topic for this episode, Excess and Surplus insurance, and his episode co-host, Ciara Gravier. (0:11)

Ciara talks about the importance of efficiency in her two person agency. (6:38)

Ciara shares that one of the things she did that helped her perform more profitably was to have an underwriter on her side. (10:23)

Ciara mentions that a large portion of their referrals and leads come from their networking efforts. (14:42)

Ciara explains that Wunderite has been very helpful in gathering their supplements. (18:38)

Ciara shares going to conferences has provided her with valuable information that she has been able to apply to her agency. (23:59)

Ciara mentions that they do turn away business if it is not the right fit. (34:04)

Ciara explains that they utilize Think Direct for her other agency. (52:08)

Ciara believes that one thing she learned from the Killing Commercial was to ask the underwriter, "What do you like to write?" (57:55)

Key Quotes:

“How do we write surplus and excess insurance profitably? How do we do it quickly and efficiently so that you can put more of it into your agency and do it in a way that makes sense in the larger operation?” - James Jenkins

“It's all or nothing. If you're not ready to move everything, then we're not ready to help you let us know when you're ready to come into The Bunker.” - Ciara Gravier

“The key is to find an underwriter that you click with, that you guys get along, and then treat them well with your submissions.” - Ciara Gravier

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Ciara's agency at https://www.bunkeryourrisk.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different impulse factors that can help you close sales.

Episode Highlights:

David talks about season two of The Protege and how interesting it has been to watch which contestants are succeeding, and it may not be the ones that were originally the front-runners. (1:36)

David explains that if you want to have insurance-related knowledge, get the CIC designation. (3:15)

Kyle and David talk about a relatable mindset that Tiger Woods has that can also be applied to sales. (8:19)

Kyle talks about the importance of confidence in sales and believing that you are supposed to be there and that you belong. (13:38)

David talks about the downfall of a sales process that is based on auditing policies rather than bringing value. (16:03)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Half the battle is believing that you're supposed to be there. They took the appointment, as you know, don't talk yourself out of it because you think you don’t belong." - Kyle Houck

"I think many times what happens is we get so caught up in needing to know every single nuance of policy language, exclusions, endorsements, how to talk technically, and all of that." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Zach Mefferd, co-founder of Coverage Direct and Zip Bonds, joins the podcast for a spirited discussion on what it means to transition from independent insurance agent to InsurTech technologist.

Zach is an all-time thinker in the independent insurance industry, and it is a true pleasure to have him on the show.

Episode Highlights:

Zach explains how hard it is to build technology and his unique perspective on building the technology for Zip Bonds . (3:58)

Zach shares how he also gets frustrated with technological solutions. (7:24)

Zach elaborates on the program they call Zip Score, which focuses on small contractors. (10:38)

Zach explains that the agencies that have the most success with their product, allow them to be an extension of their business. (15:40)

Zach shares that they intentionally hire people with underwriting experience or those with an underwriter mindset. (20:15)

Zach talks about the building of the commercial side of the business as well as focusing on the overlooked areas in surety as their set of new features. (24:47)

Zach explains that even if customers don't know that they need it they will eventually know somebody who will need surety. (28:36)

Zach explains that carriers, larger agencies, and people that have influence in this space are starting to understand the reality of API connections. (32:16)

Key Quotes:

"People are as complicated as technology. You just have to kind of understand how to see that, hey, it's a broken thing, and do that in a systematic way." - Zach Mefferd

"What I really see us able to do, and I'm really glad that it's kind of morphed into this, is we want to be the division of surety for your agency. We're never going to compete, obviously, with P&C." - Zach Mefferd

"I say all the time, you don't get it if you don't ask for it. All you gotta do is ask. They don't know that you have it and if you haven't asked for the opportunity, you're going to miss it. Someone else is going to take it." - Zach Mefferd

Resources Mentioned:

Zach Mefferd LinkedIn

Zip Bonds

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Most insurance agents don't know how to clearly articulate their value or adequately differentiate themselves in their prospect's minds. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how to best differentiate yourself with a written, objective, and strategic 12-Month Timeline of Services.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains what should happen when you’re trying to get a prospect to schedule an appointment with you. (2:18)

Charles mentions what most insurance agents do when they're in a meeting with a prospect. (3:31)

Charles recommends the book called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (5:50)

Charles mentions one of the most fascinating things about the book. (6:12)

Charles shares how the timeline of services could get you more business. (8:47)

Charles explains why differentiating yourself from the competition could be the biggest problem. (12:01)

Charles explains the timeline of services in detail. (13:10)

Charles shares a story about his client that has the largest broker of record in his curriculum. (18:23)

Charles explains why the timeline of services is so important. (20:17)

Charles mentions the three things you need to focus on with your 12-month timeline of services. (27:24)

Key Quotes:

“All of these things that we tell a prospect about... what it is that makes us better, all it really does is put us in the same bucket as everybody else. Because, the vast majority of your competitors out there are doing just that.” - Charles Specht

“You have to be able to teach your prospects how to get the things that they want. You have to be able to explain to your prospect what it is that you're going to be able to do for them, so that they can achieve the things they want.” - Charles Specht

“If you can't differentiate yourself from the competition, then you are the very epitome of mediocrity. Nobody is going to make a switch to get some more mediocrity. So, you need to really figure out how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson is joined by THE Fabulous GloveBox Gurus (Danielle Driscoll, Nicole Mirich, Chelsea Stewart, and Natasha Hansen) to talk about their stories and the paths they took that led them to our amazing friends at GloveBox! After meeting the Gurus in Denver in January, I knew I had to get them on the show and learn more about them. These ladies are so passionate about this industry and truly believe in making a difference in our industry.

Episode Highlights:

Danielle, Nicole, Chelsea, and Natasha introduce themselves. (2:18)

Danielle, Nicole, Chelsea, and Natasha share why they chose the insurance industry and why they chose to work at Glovebox. (8:03)

Natasha shares that social media has become a necessary piece of the marketing toolkit that is also easy to use. (20:28)

Danielle explains that they are creating their content and that each of them is unique in different ways. (23:33)

Chelsea shares that GloveBox is a CXP, a Customer Experience Platform, and it's a platform that creates something new for clients. (27:03)

Natasha shares that when she started, she did not know much about the insurance industry, but people are always willing to help and educate. (34:53)

Chelsea explains that one pain point that has always been an issue in the mortgage industry is connecting to third-party vendors. (38:16)

Nicole talks about the release of their pre-verified accounts, which was done with the help of using AMS. (42:20)

Danielle, Nicole, Chelsea, and Natasha talk about the founders of GloveBox. (46:12)

Danielle, Nicole, Chelsea, and Natasha share their favorite colors, favorite flavor of ice cream, favorite places to visit, and who they would like to hang out with if given the chance. (49:04)

Key Quotes:

"We got into this because we saw that it was cool, that was innovative. And that's what people want these days. They want something cool. They want something innovative." - Chelsea Stewart

"So, the biggest value add is even if you're scared of growth, you can kind of think of Glovebox is your first hire, because we are hitting that front end sales process and that post bind service process all in one." - Nicole Mirich

"Instead of looking at people to compare yourself or as competition, look at the things that they're doing and look at those things as opportunities." - Natasha Hansen

"If there's something that you want, go for it. I like to encourage people to try anything that they are envisioning or anything that they're passionate about. You never know if you don't try." - Danielle Driscoll

Resources Mentioned:

Danielle Driscoll LinkedIn

Nicole Mirich LinkedIn

Chelsea Stewart LinkedIn

Natasha Hansen LinkedIn

Glovebox

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Debra Mathias, CEO of Connect to Clients. Debra is a LinkedIn expert who helps professionals build solid LinkedIn profiles.

Episode Highlights:

Debra shares how she fell in love with LinkedIn and how she became the "LinkedIn" Queen. (2:09)

Debra explains that authenticity intrigues people, and the three questions she always asks about are about pets, family, and sports. (9:05)

Debra shares that there are a lot of good changes that have happened in LinkedIn for people to build themselves. (12:35)

Debra elaborates on the algorithm of LinkedIn and how to increase your connections. (17:10)

Debra explains how important it is to have a photo on your LinkedIn accounts, and what third connections are. (21:54)

Debra talks about the things to post on your LinkedIn accounts that could help you grow your connections. (26:48)

Debra shares that if you do not have interaction on your post, it's going nowhere. (29:48)

Debra explains that the reason why people like and comment on content is that they like and trust that certain person. (35:45)

Debra talks about the most important part of your LinkedIn account which is the Analytics Dashboard. (39:02)

Key Quotes:

"What you're trying to create is that interesting thing about yourself. " - Debra Mathias

"I want to give tips on this because it is my passion to see that everyone succeeds on LinkedIn as I have." - Debra Mathias

"If you do not change the banner behind your photograph, you're not going to get found on LinkedIn." - Debra Mathias

Resources Mentioned:

Debra Mathias LinkedIn

Connect to Clients

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jim Schubert, CEO of Southern States Insurance, and Podcast Host and "Headmaster" at Agents Growth Academy. Jim talks about the qualities that make an effective producer and how he is giving back to this great industry.

Episode Highlights:

Jim shares his background story, and what led him to be part of the insurance industry. (3:12)

Jim shares a fun story about how he showed appreciation to his employees during the pandemic. (12:50)

Jim explains that the best producers in his organization and the best producers in the industry are the educators. (19:09)

Jim talks about the things that he learned and the perspective that he gained while on a recent retreat. (23:10)

Jim shares that he has made valuable connections within the last five months since he started the podcast. (30:26)

Jim explains that the best producers are the people that can tell really great stories. (33:02)

Jim talks about gratitude as one of the most important things that people don't think about often. (41:08)

Jim shares that the joy and the benefit he got out of doing his podcast is the deeper connection with other people. (45:16)

Jim shares how they came up with "Insure the Cure" and have raised over half a million dollars. (47:38)

Jim explains that when you are passionate about your goal, people naturally follow and are drawn to it. (54:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I was kind of in the same mindset of like, you know, I don't want to ever seem like I'm, you know, taking, I want to be able to give." - Jim Schubert

"The best producers that we have in our organization and the best producers that I've seen in our industry are the educators." - Jim Schubert

"I basically spent the last six years just getting the agency to a place where I felt like it was mine. And it was being run with the culture that I envisioned and with the people that I wanted around me." - Jim Schubert

Resources Mentioned:

Jim Schubert LinkedIn

Southern States Insurance, Inc.

Agents Growth Academy

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Stacey Guilianti, Chief Legal Officer at Florida Peninsula Insurance. Stacey offers a carrier’s perspective on the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Stacey shares that he is an iPhone user and the last application he downloaded was the Calm app. (3:55)

Stacey mentions that 80% of him loves to win and only 20% hates to lose. (4:37)

Stacey explains that 50% of the factor that got him to where he is today is luck, and the other 50% is skill. (5:32)

Stacey shares his background story, how he started, and where he is at today. (6:45)

Stacey shares some of the things they do that make their company grow, that others are having a hard time doing. (9:53)

Stacey explains that the receivership means that the state takes you over and helps you run off. (11:54)

Stacey discusses why there are so many lawsuits in Florida compared to the rest of America. (12:51)

Stacey explains the difference between a contractor and an accredited claims adjuster. (17:21)

Stacey explains what’s involved in starting an insurance company. (19:12)

Key Quotes:

"When I co-founded this company with an Allstate agent, and some other people, you know, our job was to make sure that we did everything right, and we did it by the book, and we helped our customers" - Stacey Guilianti

"From a carrier standpoint, it's really sometimes important for agents to put themselves in the position of the carrier that we're trying to do what's best for you." - Stacey Guilianti

Resources Mentioned:

Stacey Guilianti LinkedIn

Florida Peninsula Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Joel Stevenson, CEO of Yesware. Joel talks about sales and technology and how Yesware is changing the face of technology for salespeople.

Episode Highlights:

Joel shares his background and what he does in the software for salespeople industry. (4:04)

Joel shares his experience with CRMs and the tools that led him to a software company for salespeople. (7:38)

Joel explains that their services are highly recommended for entrepreneurs, salespeople, and people from the company that is transactional. (12:30)

Joel shares some of the marketing tools and software they use. (14:17)

Joel talks about the biggest win they have heard from a client from using Yesware. (18:46)

Joel shares that most of their clients today come from tech sales, and they are currently doing business with Flywire and Monday.com. (22:30)

Joel talks about the integration that they have with Salesforce, which is currently being integrated for a better customer experience. (24:41)

Joel elaborates on the notable changes in the software industry before and compared to today when everything is easier and cheaper to get. (35:05)

Joel talks about the integration they are currently building for Yesware. (38:37)

Joel explains that not using a tool like Yesware gives you an information disadvantage over your competitors. (48:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The founding sort of philosophy of Yesware was like, Let's build technology, actually, for salespeople, and not for the manager." - Joel Stevenson

"It's about the conversations and the questions that you're asking people, the things that really, really matter in sales." - Joel Stevenson

"As soon as people think that they're being spoken to by a machine, or it's just automation, and there's no human behind it, you're done." - Joel Stevenson

Resources Mentioned:

Joel Stevenson LinkedIn

Yesware

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this solo episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks about key points from the first year of the podcast, what the future looks like, and addresses some lessons learned about social media and digital communication.

Episode Highlights:

James shares how he was invited by Jason Cass to join the AI Podcast Network and start his podcast. (3:49)

James talks about how he has improved as a podcast host over the year. (6:27)

James explains some of the topics that have not been discussed on his podcast yet but are soon to be. (8:57)

James shares the reason why he will be changing the tagline for the podcast. (10:58)

James explains that Agency Freedom is a place where agents and he have aligned values and visions. (17:24)

James shares how he gets the ideas and context for his episodes. (20:20)

James explains that he is sharing his story because he still has to deal with the negative effects of having a strong type of personality. (23:52)

James expresses his unconditional apology to his listeners who perceive him as toxic, arrogant, or condescending. (27:57)

James shares that he is one of the voices that is attempting to advance the status of the independent agency channel and push people in a positive direction. (34:20)

Key Quotes:

"If you have found yourself disliking me or finding me to be toxic, or any of those other negative words, arrogant, cocky, condescending, elitist, confrontational, unkind, really any of those things, this is your unconditional apology from me, because my perceived communication really is at this point hindering my growth as a professional." - James Jenkins

"When you peel out the layers of the onion, that really is what we are all about, is helping our peers, me helping my peers, get closer to what they want, closer to the ideal version of your in industry, your agency, anything that I can do to advance it, that objective is going to have my full attention." - James Jenkins

"There is a battle that I think every very competitive person faces between being a good colleague, being a genuinely kind, industry peer, and being extremely competitive and wanting to win at all times." - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They chat about why it's important to recognize the benefits of having a niche and how to develop one.

Episode Highlights:

Josh clarifies the difference between having a niche and having an ideal prospect. (2:36)

Josh recalls the first account they worked on and how they progressed from there. (8:10)

What advice does Josh have for those who are just starting out in a certain niche? (10:45)

Josh mentions that within the first two years of their agency's existence, it was voted affiliate member of the year. (11:04)

Josh says that trade shows were their number one way of getting new business up until COVID. (16:58)

Josh recounts one of Andrew's most memorable accomplishments from a few years ago. (21:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I've gotten more business off of just giving away free information to people than you could ever believe.” - Josh Gurley

“If you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time, you don't have to have your account managers do different things. It's not brand new, you're not having to figure out who the markets are.” - Josh Gurley

“If you take what we've done in the niche, and that's not all that we do, right? I mean, that's probably 30% to 40% of what we do. But if you take what has been done in the niche, and you take the business that has been written out of there, it’s well over a million dollars in five years.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley Contact

Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

David Carothers LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Raghav Tanna, Co-Founder, and CEO of Tarmika joins the podcast for an all-time discussion on building technology, the independent insurance industry, and world domination.

Raghav is always the most interesting guy in the room, so don't miss this tremendous episode...

Episode Highlights:

Raghav talks about the impact of embedded insurance on independent insurance agencies. (5:50)

Raghav explains how Tarmika can help create the ideal digital insurance workflow. (10:06)

Raghav mentions the need to embed oneself in areas where consumers already trust the brand. (15:15)

Raghav explains why retention is where agencies need to focus their customer experience in a digital world. (16:09)

Raghav mentions that the best way to find out what a customer wants is to ask them. (20:25)

Raghav discusses whether he would sell his company. (36:23)

Raghav congratulates Ryan on creating a scalable platform that others wanted to utilize in the future. (39:34)

Key Quotes:

“You need to embed yourself into places where people already trust the brand.” - Raghav Tanna

“Embedded insurance is a buzzword, and I wish there was a different word we can use. Because I think too many people say they can do it. It does not completely destroy the independent agency channel and it shouldn't. It makes people work harder and work differently to get small commercial business for their agency. I think that's the piece that we need to focus.” - Raghav Tanna

“I think you need to make 30-40 touch points per customer to make sure they feel heard and feel wanted. Right? You have to do that. Because you have zero touchpoints when you sell them in a digital world.” - Raghav Tanna

Resources Mentioned:

Raghav Tanna LinkedIn

Tarmika

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Amber Inclan, Vice President of Inclan Insurance Services. Amber talks about how she has built a virtual commercial insurance agency on her terms and is building the career she wants.

Episode Highlights:

Amber shares her background story and how she was able to be where she is today in business. (2:52)

Amber shares that she had to fight for, trust, respect, and what she wanted when she first started in the insurance industry. (8:17)

Amber explains that one of her advantages in the insurance industry is that she educates her clients. (10:46)

Amber mentions that one of her biggest struggles in building her agency was starting from scratch. (14:02)

Amber explains that people, especially clients, have adapted to the new setup of business that is remote. (17:30)

Amber shares that they set up their company to be as upfront and transparent to their clients as possible. (23:11)

Amber shares that their mission is to provide as much information as they can before losses happen. (26:55)

Amber shares that the biggest things that helped her during the most difficult challenges were resilience and adaptability. (28:04)

Key Quotes:

"We're big on education, we educate our clients, I don't want to work with somebody who is just looking for the cheapest policy." - Amber Inclan

"When your clients feel like number one, you're providing them value, but two, you're simplifying the process and you are guiding them through it, they don't have as much to do. They are extremely grateful." -Amber Inclan

"How do we learn from those quote, unquote, “failures”, and I don't even believe in the word failure. I believe they are lessons learned." - Amber Inclan

Resources Mentioned:

Amber Inclan

Inclan Insurance Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jonathan Rosenfeld, Personal Injury Attorney and Owner of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers. Jonathan discusses how Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers helps their clients navigate personal injury cases.

Episode Highlights:

Jonathan talks about his background and gives a brief introduction of what his profession as a Personal Injury Attorney is all about. (3:00)

Jonathan shares that in every industry and profession, you just have to get out and be consistent in doing what you desire. (10:47)

Jonathan shares that he is shocked by the number of people reaching out to him regarding their not being able to get their checks. (17:35)

Jonathan explains that a mass tort is really any situation where there's a large group of people who've been impacted by a similar event or incident. (22:59)

Jonathan shares some scenarios where he thinks simple cases should have been resolved. (30:22)

Jonathan talks about the company needing to be responsible and go down to its insurance obligations. (35:40)

Jonathan explains that people, when pushed to their patience, wind up getting an attorney to file cases against their employers. (38:31)

Jonathan elaborates on the difference between completely manufacturing an incident and manufacturing an injury and maybe exacerbating the injury. (49:16)

Jonathan shares some sample cases that can be considered an exception to the rule. (55:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

"They're not out there to squeeze blood out of a rock, you know. They're out there to try to pay their bills and really try to get really what's reasonably entitled to under the law." - Jonathan Rosenfeld

"There's a difference between, you know, completely manufacturing an incident and manufacturing an injury and maybe exacerbating the injury." - Jonathan Rosenfeld

"If anyone's got a legal question, you know, God forbid, someone's injured, reach out, call me. If I can't help you, I can find someone who can." - Jonathan Rosenfeld

Resources Mentioned:

Jonathan Rosenfeld LinkedIn

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Sarah Muniz, author of, Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance. Sarah talks about the challenges that she has overcome in life, and the results of perseverance and believing in one's self.

Episode Highlights:

Sarah shares that she is an iPhone user and recently downloaded Spotify and Audible. (2:25)

Sarah explains that the reason why she loves to win is that, for her, winning is a way to stop losing. (7:31)

Sarah shares that she has not had a lot of luck and has had to push obstacles through, and this has been done with skill. (8:38)

Sarah talks about her life and the background of how she was able to be where she is today. (9:12)

Sarah shares that she witnessed an accident that changed her perspective and made her want to help people as part of her career. (18:02)

Sarah discusses her current career as a personal lines producer in a large insurance agency. (20:07)

Sarah discusses the points, the inspiration, and the idea behind the creation of her book, titled "Undiscovered Voices." (25:40)

Sarah shares that after creating her book, she felt very therapeutic and positive. (31:25)

Sarah shares what helped her find her voice. (40:29)

Sarah shares that she is currently into reading "The Temp" which is an audible book. (44:20)

Key Quotes:

"They diagnosed me and the doctor told my mom that I would be smart enough to get married someday and have children, and that's all I would ever be able to do. Obviously, I've done more." - Sarah Muniz

"That was the fire that lit under me that I wanted to take my control back, and I wanted to help speak for others as well, that maybe can't speak up. " - Sarah Muniz

"Lots of women in my research, do give up on the industry, and we want to keep the talent here. So that's really what it's about is keeping our talent in-house." - Sarah Muniz

Resources Mentioned:

Sarah Muniz LinkedIn

Insurance Nerds

Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Colby Tunick, CEO of ReFocus AI. Colby discusses how The ReFocus AI platform is a game-changer and how they are able to help in the insurance business.

Episode Highlights:

Colby talks about his background, where he started, and how he was able to get to where he is today. (2:56)

Colby explains that ReFocus AI exists to flag the clients that are most likely to leave at the regular expiration date of their contract. (7:02)

Colby elaborates on the reasons why he decided to focus on retention instead of copying what everybody else does. (13:48)

Colby shares that they currently cater to both carriers and brokers in the small-to-middle market. (18:15)

Colby shares that what sets them apart from other competitors is that they work closely with adopters to understand their data. (24:07)

Colby explains that the older and more established agency management systems are not easy to partner with. (28:45)

Colby shares that they always think about how they can offer their service with the least amount of effort for the end-users by eliminating portals and APIs. (36:03)

Colby shares that the interesting thing about insurance is that the people who hold the data, the influence, and the ability to sell are independent agents. (41:02)

Colby explains what an API stands for and what it is for from a technological aspect. (44:55)

Colby shares a concept that deals with software called "technical debt". (48:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think it just goes to show that when you have innovation and you're growing quickly, what they're looking for is how they can reduce the number of systems they're using." - Colby Tunick

"The interesting thing for us is that we actually work with just as many mutual carriers as we do independent agents." - Colby Tunick

"If we can make our team more efficient by recapturing an hour or two right now, we're setting ourselves up to nail it when the market becomes a lot more competitive, and we know everyone's going to be struggling with retention, that's where we want to be." - Colby Tunick

Resources Mentioned:

Colby Tunick LinkedIn

ReFocus AI

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with two insurance podcasting legends, Zack Gould and Matt Naimoli.

Episode Highlights:

Matt and Zack talk about their experiences and how they founded G&N Insurance. (8:54)

Matt and Zack talk about what made them realize the value they could contribute to a channel they assumed was much smaller than it really was. (13:13)

Zack shares that the BobbleOn experience was motivated by necessity. (14:24)

Matt explains that BobbleOn began as a catchphrase, not as a company or brand. (14:47)

Zack believes that many of the most successful enterprises are founded to serve and help our past selves. (19:26)

According to Matt, nothing surpasses seeing other agency owners succeed and knowing that they have an impact and a positive influence on their performance. (25:32)

Matt believes that starting with the end goal in mind is always a wise decision and is important in any project or journey. (28:34)

Zack explains that if you don't believe you're on the right track, you must alter your path in order to live the life you want. (36:52)

Zack and Matt both agree that vision boards are a creative way to encourage people to set goals. (37:43)

Matt explains that if you can connect your objectives with the overall goals of your team, you will win. (44:00)

Matt explains why they haven't been as active in the independent channel in the past two years. (51:17)

Key Quotes:

“If you can align your goals with your team's goals in general, you're going to win.” - Matt Naimoli

“There's nothing that feels better than seeing other agency owners thriving and knowing that we had even 1% of an impact and a positive influence on their success.” - Matt Naimoli

“Growth, just flat out is a sexy place to be around. And if you're an insurance agency that focuses a ton on retention, you're just not as fun. Retention is important. Serving your clients is important. But, if it's rephrased in some kind of growth manner, and if you really have a growth mindset as a company, it's just a more fun company to work with.” - Zack Gould

Resources Mentioned:

Check out their agency and what they're up to at https://insurewithgn.com/ Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss how to drive wedges and how to get along symbiotically with payroll companies.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that payroll companies are a huge source of income in their agency. (1:45)

Kyle shares what he sees on policies that are done through payroll companies. (3:34)

Josh shares that he thinks payroll companies don’t pay attention to credit because they’re not in the business of workers’ compensation. (11:04)

David mentions that how you work with payroll companies is important because they can be a very good referral source. (19:05)

David explains why payroll companies are not competing for workers’ comp (20:48)

Kyle shares that there have been a number of times in the past where he worked with payroll reps that referred a decent amount of business. (22:45)

Josh shares that they hired a VA at their office for personal lines, and how it is working out. (27:22)

David mentions that there will be a big announcement in the next episode. (29:27)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The thing is, every carrier, they have that one special tier, that secret thing that they don't tell anybody about, that they pull out every now and again...and so whenever they tell you, ‘hey, we're at our best deal’, usually, they have that kind of one extra gear that they can put the account into” - Josh Gurley

“We have a responsibility to our clients, that is undeniable. But we also have a responsibility to our carriers. I mean, we're responsible for bringing them good risk, we're responsible for hitting our loss ratios with them, and also our production goals.” - David Carothers

“If you have a clean account, and they have 0% credit, and the carriers file for 40%, then the question is why are you not getting any credit? And you could be getting up to 40%. But I think a lot of times, that's what you get with the payroll companies is they don't know” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley Contact

Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

David Carothers LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this tremendous episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, We're joined by the one-and-only Bobbie Collies, Vice President of Distribution at Coterie Insurance. Bobbie is the perfect blend of a carrier professional the industry needs to cultivate; traditionally trained but insurtech-minded.

We're honored to have Bobbie on the show…

Resources Mentioned:

Bobbie Collies LinkedIn

Coterie Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

LeTesha Wheeler is the senior territory manager at Liberty Mutual where she helps insurance agencies across the country to build their book and be more impactful with their clients. She is also an influencer, speaker, and author who is passionate about motivating others to walk in the fullness of their lives.

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens speaks with LeTesha as she shares about her insurance journey that started with an internship when she failed to get into law school. She describes her journey as a mother, wife, and career woman who wanted to climb the corporate ladder. Listen in to learn the importance of exercising love and unity in the society while embracing our differences respectfully. You will also how to build relationships in the insurance industry without biases. “You have to listen to people’s life experiences to understand how to help them live a better life.” LeTesha [38:03] Top Takeaways:  How the insurance industry has changed over the years to become more inclusive.  The importance of unity and love in society despite our differences.  How to look at situations in a positive light with love instead of forming negative stereotypical notions. What you will learn:  [3:06] LeTesha describes her journey in insurance which started as an internship and 20 years later she’s still with Safeco insurance having served in different roles.  [11:51] She talks about her journey as a working woman, wife, and mother and how she has seen the insurance industry change in the last several years.  [16:38] The importance of carriers in insurance companies and the collaborative and innovation factors they bring on board.  [19:13] LeTesha talks about her childhood as a mixed child and why she wrote her book ‘Half Breed’ as a way to unite people.  [25:45] How to build relationships and mentorships in your career versus staying in society’s biases.  [31:58] Learning to respect each other even as we disagree to create the ability to communicate harmoniously.  [37:46] The importance of understanding people’s experiences in the insurance industry in order to help them.

Relevant Links: Website: https://www.leteshawheeler.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leteshawheeler/ Book: Half Breed: Finding Unity in A Divided World

Connect With Teresa! Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Co-Founder and CEO of Wunderwrite, Peter MacDonald to discuss the things he learned as a young agent 7 years ago which gave him the tools and ability to build an amazing product like Wunderwrite. Peter also talks about the importance of building relationships and why it should be a common denominator in everyone's success strategy. If you haven't had a chance to talk to Peter or Dillon over at Wunderwrite, then you need to book a call with them now and just have a conversation.

Episode Highlights:

Peter discusses how they came up with the concept for Wunderwrite. (8:32)

Peter believes that the reason the industry has so many independent agents is that they are more efficient than larger corporations. (16:18)

Peter discusses his experiences as a young producer as well as the skills he has learned over time. (19:05)

Peter discusses the four habits of referability, which include arriving on time, doing what you say you're going to do, completing what you start, and saying please and thank you. (19:53)

Peter mentions that if he were a rookie agent today, the first thing he would do is create connections with people who can recommend him to new business. (26:31)

Peter mentions that he and his colleague have earned their Six Sigma Green Belt. (35:37)

Peter explains the API application program interface. (40:19)

Peter compares Wunderite's program to some other application that was created several years ago. (40:56)

Peter mentions that one of the challenges with an API is that it requires detailed documentation. (41:57)

Peter discusses the importance of reviews, particularly in the digital market. (47:30)

Peter answers Mitch Gibson's five rapid-fire questions are answered by Peter. (53:09)

Key Quotes:

“What I know now is that the industry is set up the way it is, for economic reasons. The reason there are so many independent agents, is, frankly, because you guys can do it more efficiently than some huge corporation can do it.” - Peter MacDonald

“If I was a young agent today, the number one thing that I would do is I would build relationships with centers of influence, who can refer me business” - Peter MacDonald

“We want to combine a streamlined, simple process with a lot of the things that we've come to appreciate and joy and other areas of our life. And we're still not where we want to be 100%, like we're always wanting to be improving, there's so much more than we could do. But this is kind of where the product is today.” - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderwrite

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Stuart Leo Founder & CEO of Waymaker.io. Stuart discusses the importance of software in the industry, and the key points in our history that can be used as a tool in today's software and strategic process.

Episode Highlights:

Stuart shares his background story and what Waymaker.io is all about. (2:07)

Stuart explains how they were able to build up the company from the concept of military strategy. (4:49)

Stuart talks about how small-to-medium-sized enterprises would benefit from the system. (12:08)

Stuart explains three common problems that every organization will go through, starting with companies spinning their wheels. (14:01)

Stuart elaborates on why people need software and the seven questions that they have on their website. (17:42)

Stuart shares that the biggest challenge that he has encountered was the challenge of people learning new skills. (22:12)

Stuart explains that their goal as a company is to be the Siri and the Alexa of your business. (28:17)

Stuart shares some lessons from US history that can be turned into a great software and strategy process. (30:05)

Stuart explains that coaches and consultants love them because they get a methodology they can take to their clients. (36:58)

Stuart talks about their company's pricing for partners and business users and their inclusions. (40:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Everybody thinks that I've got to hustle. Actually, no, you've got to focus. You've actually got to do one or two or three things remarkably well, and then you gotta let go of everything else. " - Stuart Leo

"Look at the percentage of time you spend working out how to win, and the percentage of time you spend trying to win, and if you just rebalance that one thing alone, you will achieve massive transformation." - Stuart Leo

I think there are some lessons to learn from history, that we're going to turn into some cool software and some cool strategy processes, put them in our playbooks, and get them back out there and flip and win the game." - Stuart Leo

Resources Mentioned:

Stuart Leo LinkedIn

Waymaker.io

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass chats with Ryan Hanley, Founder & President of Rogue Risk. Jason & Ryan look back at their time in the insurance industry and Ryan discusses what is ahead for Rogue Risk.

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how the Jack-of-all-Trades is dead. The "generalist" producer is a thing of the past. Insurance agents who become experts in a specific area (Micro-Niche) get more clients more quickly and win significantly more signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a story about a man named Jack. (2:07)

Charles explains what a micro-niche is. (2:55)

Charles mentions the problem with being a generalist. (4:07)

What would Charles recommend to insurance producers? (5:04)

Charles shares the story of when he first understood the power of micro-niches. (5:16)

Why are the riches in the micro-niches? (11:21)

What’s something Charles often hears from the employee health benefits producers? (13:21)

Is micro-niching about more than just types of accounts? (14:04)

Charles mentions some of the factors that you need to consider when you first start exploring micro-niches. (24:54)

Key Quotes:

“The insurance producer, who is micro-niche, is the one who wins the day. Period. And, so the riches are in the micro-niches.” - Charles Specht

“Being micro-niched allows you to write significantly larger accounts. If you are a generalist, that's not necessarily true. You're not going to be able to write larger accounts all the time. But, being micro niched separates you from the competition.” - Charles Specht

“The focus is that the riches are in the micro-niches. If you get that... you are going to have a book of business that will explode. - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Ryan Hanley interview Jamie Peers, VP of Sales and Alliances at Synatic. Jamie discusses how Synatic provides a full integration solution that delivers value at a fast speed, and also how Synatic minimizes data integration, automation, and analytics time and cost by up to 80% by combining simple tools with enterprise-grade functionality.

Episode Highlights:

Jamie shares his background story and explains what Synetic is all about.

Jamie explains that the "Miller Lite" is a machine that can learn to decide on data. (7:00)

Jamie explains that an API is a way for people to programmatically interact with the system and get data in and out. (9:36)

Jamie provides a few examples of the solutions that Synatic has delivered. (18:21)

Jamie shares that "Ivan's" has a huge amount of critical mass and it is a big challenge to compete with them. (27:53)

Jamie explains that creating new AMS and EMS platforms is possible, but there is the same issue of having another data point. (32:33)

Jamie shares that what they are doing is to show the market that data and integrations do not need to be expensive. (39:59)

Jamies shares that the industry is running behind other industries, just from a data maturity point of view. (46:30)

Jamie shares why it is difficult to deal with and get data out of claims. (55:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We need to make systems work together better, and it's plausible, so let's go and do it. And it's why we're focusing on the insurance industry because we see that momentum change." - Jamie Peers

"So, we take an API that speaks English and make it speak to another API that speaks French, and that is effectively what Synatic does. An API is a way for people to programmatically interact with the system and get data in and out." - Jamie Peers

"My opinion on Ivan's is that they've got a huge amount of critical mass. And that is very telling. So to even conceptualize competing with Ivan's is just such a monstrous thing." - Jamie Peers

Resources Mentioned:

Jamie Peers LinkedIn

Synatic

David Carothers

Ryan Hanley

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Peter MacDonald, Co-Founder, and CEO of Wunderite.

Episode Highlights:

Peter shares his background story and what led him to the insurance industry. (5:31)

Peter shares that he met Wunderwrite’s Co-Founder, Joe Schnare, on his first day of business school. (11:11)

Peter explains that one of the challenges the industry is facing is not having enough technology to capture underwriting data. (17:51)

Peter mentions that the more interesting aspect for him and his company is being able to understand who their customers are. (21:21)

Peter shares a concept he learned from Roger Sitkins and Larry Linne called the Trusted Advisor Team. (26:58)

Peter explains that most people don't understand their insurance, but if they do, they will buy more. (31:22)

Peter explains data input and output as well as digital signatures and their significance. (35:47)

Peter shares that agents are doing interesting things with connectivity between software platforms. (42:13)

Peter talks about the automatic handwriting tool that was originally invented for the President of the United States. (44:10)

Key Quotes:

"I think you have to be working with great people, you have to have great people doing what they love to do and what they're talented at." - Peter MacDonald

"If you're running a vanilla insurance agency, if you're good at what you're doing, I guarantee you, your customers are going to be growing with you. At least if you're doing your job, they are." - Peter MacDonald

"Agents are doing really interesting things with connectivity between software platforms, I think agents are recognizing that they're being held back by some legacy tools…I love the excitement, and I love the innovation that is ultimately going to benefit your customers and your business." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Wunderite and sign up for your demo and consultation at www.wunderite.com/agencyfreedom

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss the five-tool player to utilize in the market space.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions why some people hate the audit. (3:37)

David explains why he attends every single audit of his clients. (4:11)

Josh shares why the audit is one of the best wedges out there. (5:54)

David mentions that he wrote an e-book on how to prepare for an audit. (7:47)

Josh gives a one-liner about setting up property insurance. (9:45)

Josh mentions one of the things they talk about when somebody has a blanket property policy. (10:07)

Josh shares one of the things he learned early on in his career that has been significant. (12:11)

Josh mentions the specific question to ask when talking about property. (16:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are so many different things that you can help with at the time of the audit. I don't think that marketing automation drip for the “bee's knees” and “end all be all” but it is certainly their support for the ground troops.” - Josh Gurley

“You're going through a minefield and if you step on a mine which is a claim, do you want the insurance company to show up with a pen and a check, or do you want them to show up with a forensic accountant? That's really the crux of the issue when it comes to property insurance.” - Josh Gurley

“I think with property you can really just drive that wedge by saying, what would you expect to happen versus what is actually going to happen.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley Email

Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, take a look inside the acquisition of Rogue Risk by SIAA with Matt Masiello, CEO of SIAA, and Ryan Hanley, Founder and President of Rogue Risk.

This is an episode you don't want to miss...

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht breaks down what those seven steps are and how you can do it, too!

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions his book called, The Millionaire Producer. (1:49)

Charles shares the first step: collect signatures and serve happiness. (3:00)

What’s one of the most important and most expensive pieces of paper in the insurance business? (4:44)

Charles walks us through the second step. (7:28)

Charles details the third step: think bigger. (12:38)

Charles shares the crucial fourth step in building your book of business. (15:17)

Charles explains the fifth step: riches are in the micro-niches. (17:16)

Charles mentions the sixth step. (21:17)

Charles shares the final step, which is accountability. (26:40)

Key Quotes:

“Our clients need to be happy. They want to be joyful, they want to be satisfied, they would like to stay loyal, they want to be happy that they chose you. And so, we have to provide services that provide solutions to the bigger problems that they have. You do that…your client will remain happy.” - Charles Specht

“You're not necessarily a salesperson, you are a persuader. You need to work on your persuasion. As you work on your persuasion, your tact, your delivery, how you actually message things, you're gonna see your book of business actually increase significantly.” - Charles Specht

“That's what an insurance agent does...collect signatures, serve happiness. Stop offering quotes to people who have not yet given you their permission to represent you in the marketplace. That's not what pros do.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Crystal Fox, the Director of the Beauty Queen Insurance Program at The Smith Sawyer Smith agency. Crystal entered the industry during COVID as a pivot from the beauty industry and tapped into her passion for beauty to create a National beauty insurance brand that is taking over the nation.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal discusses her background in the beauty industry prior to entering the insurance industry. (2:36)

Crystal discusses how she became interested in the insurance industry. (6:07)

Crystal mentions that she began with claims, which she considered was an excellent way to learn about insurance. (12:50)

Crystal explains how she came up with the concept of naming her insurance company after a beauty queen. (20:09)

Crystal discusses how she manages branding and the business environment, which may be challenging at times. (22:05)

Crystal describes how she works in the insurance industry as a woman. (22:22)

Crystal mentions that one of the reasons she attempted to get into a beauty school was to explain the differences between general liability and professional liability, as well as why you need them and what they mean. (29:00)

Crystal discusses how many routes she explored before declaring that she had enough knowledge and/or before deciding whether or not it was a good avenue for her. (32:11)

Crystal expresses gratitude to everyone in the insurance business for their help. (35:35)

Crystal explains her desire to ensure that clients get quotes in a timely way. (40:09)

Key Quotes:

“I know the universe will put me where I need to be when I need to be there with the right opportunity.” - Crystal Fox

“I still work after hours and I still love looking on Instagram and social media and looking at businesses and how I can help them. So when you're passionate about it, you know, it just doesn't feel like work.” - Crystal Fox

“I always research the prospects before I go in, I make sure I understand them and I follow them on social.” - Crystal Fox

Resources Mentioned:

Crystal Fox LinkedIn

The Smith Sawyer Smith Agency

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Michael McCormick and Taylor Dobbie, of Insurance Soup to discuss their Career Insurance Agent program which helps agents build their own independent agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Taylor and Michael share the background story of Insurance Soup and how it all started with the idea of an agent community. (2:57)

Taylor explains that Career Insurance Agents help agents open independent insurance agencies. (12:54)

Michael talks about how great Taylor is at being able to help agents understand and identify challenges and situations when opening an independent agency. (15:05)

Taylor shares that the most common theme that they run into is a production and product line. (21:59)

Taylor explains that being busy and being productive are two totally different things. (30:49)

Taylor talks about their digital learning center, which is now called Collective Agency Council. (34:10)

Michael discusses the reasons why they changed the name of their digital learning center from Career Agent Concepts to Collective Agency Council. (38:44)

Taylor explains that a common roadblock that they see from agents is their ego, and it stops them from continuing to evolve. (46:35)

Michael elaborates that the way to get to the next level is to constantly and consistently learn. (47:54)

Taylor and Michael share that they have finally been able to set up a conference this coming May 5th and 6th. (50:37)

Michael shares that the reason they decided to have a bigger conference is to have a huge focus on keeping everyone together. (57:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

Losses are lessons. And if they're not, then they're really losses. Acknowledging and understanding that is obviously huge." - Michael McCormick

"A big part of the reason that we're in, you know, these positions is because of the fact that we are constantly, always learning." - Michael McCormick

"When you surround yourself with people that are looking to grow and have the same mindset, what you take away from those conversations and those relationships that you build while you're there is worth the price of admission. - Taylor Dobbie

Resources Mentioned:

Taylor Dobbie LinkedIn

Michael McCormick LinkedIn

Insurance Soup

Career Insurance Agent

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Steve Anderson, Co-Founder & CEO at Catalyit™. Steve talks about how he helped transform the insurance industry during its slowest time and how the industry has greatly evolved in the last few years.

Episode Highlights:

Steve explains that he has observed that for the last 7 years, he has seen technological innovation. (5:24)

Steve shares that the insurance industry is one of the leading industries looking at and experimenting with what blockchain could streamline. (8:23)

Steve discusses how they were able to create the Catalyit that is used in the insurance industry. (14:07)

Steve explains that there is no best agent business agency management system, only the best system for your agency. (17:20)

Steve mentions that carriers have more to worry about InsurTech than agents. (23:25)

Steve shares that somehow the pandemic has played a big role in the fast-changing innovation of the insurance industry. (24:45)

Steve talks about the book he published back in 2019 that is still available. (28:47)

Key Quotes:

"I do feel like the technology certainly is getting better. RPA is a great example of that. And people are adapting to it or figuring out what it can do to benefit them." - Steve Anderson

"We help agents discover technology. We help agents evaluate that technology. We help agents select the best technology for their organization. And we help them implement it." - Steve Anderson

"There is no best agency management system, but there is the best system for your agency." - Steve Anderson

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Anderson LinkedIn

Catalyit™

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this special on-location episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James shares a series of brief conversations with attendees at the Better Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on April 8-9. This is part 2 of a two-part episode. Make sure to catch the first half that was dropped a couple of days ago on our episode feed.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Crystal Fox, Director of the Beauty Queen Insurance Program at The Smith Sawyer Smith Agency. Crystal talks about how she came up with the idea to create the Beauty Queen Insurance Program and where she sees it headed.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal shares her background, how she started, and how she ended up where she is today. (5:07)

Crystal elaborates on how hard it was to come up with a name for the beauty insurance industry. (21:59)

Crystal shares that she makes sure that her clients fully understand what they are signing up for when she offers the insurance to them. (28:21)

Crystal explains that for the next couple of years, they are planning to have a policy in every state and create brand recognition. (31:11)

Crystal shares that marketing has been the biggest hurdle for her in her beauty insurance program. (32:22)

Crystal shares that some of her claims that might come up are for permanent makeup and microblading. (37:22)

Crystal talks about her group on LinkedIn, where she can get leads. (43:23)

Crystal shares that her focus is to be able to be in all 50 states and just keep the company growing. (44:09)

Crystal explains that she currently wants to do business as a one-woman band, and be quiet and stealthy. (47:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I said yes to the universe and said, I know it'll put me where I need to be when I need to be there. And I'm open to new opportunities, trying new things, I will show up." - Crystal Fox

"I don't want to say I'm proud of myself, but you know, I'll take all the wins and I don't want to get too big for my britches, but I also want to make sure that I celebrate my successes when I secure them." - Crystal Fox

"So we're in 14 states. I'd love to be in all 50 by the end of the year, but maybe it'll take a couple of years." - Crystal Fox

Resources Mentioned:

Crystal Fox LinkedIn

The Smith Sawyer Smith Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

On this week's episode of Cease & Desist podcast, Andy and Ryan are joined by the guys from Erb and Young! Listen to find out how Taylor almost took Steph Curry's spot and how important culture is in the workplace.C

In this special on-location episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James shares a series of brief conversations with attendees at the Better Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on April 8-9. This is part 1 of a two-part episode. Make sure to catch the second half that will be dropping a couple of days after this episode.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss what a wedge is all about and how you frame it.

Episode Highlights:

David shares one of the wedges that he always looks for about worker's comp. (5:38)

David shares one of the things he wants to make sure that they cover as they bring up different wedges that they can utilize at the point of sale. (8:42)

Josh shares his thoughts on worker's comp in Florida. (9:11)

Josh explains the difference between a net reporting of claims and a gross reporting of claims. (11:19)

David shares why you need to communicate at a sixth-grade level when talking to your prospect and clients. (15:57)

How does Josh frame his wedges? (16:44)

Josh mentions one of the things they work on with their clients. (17:18)

Kyle mentions one of the programs they utilize that’s a bit in line with the workers’ comp. (20:42)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's all about formulating a plan around the rules that are available. So, when you have a lot of states that have the experience writing, there's a ton of stuff out there” - Josh Gurley

“You can run a report and see what your mod would have been, had those deductibles been applied. A lot of times it can make a significant impact on somebody’s premium.” - Josh Gurley

“Doing your job is kind of like getting married. Once you ask somebody to get married to you, you should already know the answer before you're going to ask. The way that I like to frame it is just when I see that I've already run it through the software.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley Email

Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

David Carothers LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Andrew Darlington, the president of Veritas Risk Management and Insurance Services out of Johnson City, Tennessee. While Andrew might operate out of a small town, the way he approaches building and marketing his agency is anything but small town-minded. This is an episode of the show you don’t want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

Andrew shares his experience of being one of the first to use Salesforce for insurance. (07:12)

Andrew talks about how they create their process by writing it down and using Salesforce to automate it. (12:10)

Andrew discusses how long it took and how much he has spent building out Hubspot in their system, which he believes is a phenomenal system. (17:14)

Andrew shares that one of the advantages of Salesforce is that it is completely customizable. (21:26)

Andrew explains that one-way Salesforce can take it to the next level is by making its system unbreakable. (26:09)

Andrew talks about the reporting systems that Salesforce and HubSpot have. (28:32)

Andrew shares that for a small agency that can use Donna, it is a game-changer. (31:17)

Andrew shares that HubSpot and Salesforce are an investment of time, and learning that, if got right, are invaluable. (35:14)

Key Quotes:

"I mean, the great point is that when you have your processes, you write them down on paper, and you go through them, and that's what we're trying to do right now is get our processes better." - Andrew Darlington

"The nice thing about Salesforce, as we're building out this process, is that it's completely customizable." - Andrew Darlington

"Your processes will change a little bit, I think it gets even better once you understand the full scope of the tools that you have in front of you." - Andrew Darlington

Resources Mentioned:

Andrew Darlington LinkedIn

Veritas Risk Management and Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jess Dantice, CEO & Founder of Zenjuries. Jess talks about the factors that have Zenjuries in hyper-growth mode and how the Zenjuries app makes it easier, faster and more cost effective for businesses to win at workers’ comp.

Episode Highlights:

Jess talks about the factors that pushed them into hyper-growth mode over the past two months. (5:21)

Jess explains how they figured out the missing ingredient outside of their technology. (9:06)

Jess mentions that every business agency that operates today has a bandwidth issue. (12:03)

Jess discusses how they deal with the lag time issue in workers' compensation. (22:36)

Jess mentions that they would like to assist 100 commercial insurance providers by the end of this year, but there are certain requirements. (31:17)

Jess discusses why he believes they are not for everyone or every agency. (34:08)

Jess mentions how much he appreciates the fact that they have simplified their product to an app where he can get reports as soon as they happen. (39:43)

Jess explains that if you're going to change the game, you need actual information and real-time communication with all of your carriers, which is what they provide. (50:43)

Jess highlights the most important takeaways from this episode. (51:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I want to know that the guy I'm betting on is going to give everything he's got and so that's kind of what happened was Zenjuries to get us here to this moment.” - Jess Dantice

“If you want to grow, you have to create capacity to service the growth you want, right? And that means you have to spend money up front. And usually a lot of it usually costs about 50 grand, just to hire a good person, that's just one person. And that creates some capacity for you to grow. Otherwise, you really can't grow.” - Jess Dantice

“We are licensed mostly with carriers and providers, and we want to keep doing that. However, we've always had a heart for the agents, I'm a recovering agent, I will always want to support a certain amount of agents.” - Jess Dantice

Resources Mentioned:

Jess Dantice LinkedIn

Zenjuries

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Vice President of Gordon Companies Insurance Services, Aaron Gordon joins the show to discuss the struggles some young agents experience in their first few years in the industry which can be very frustrating at times. Just getting started in the industry can be stressful, but with patience, hard work, passion, energy, and the willingness to learn, you can be pretty successful in this industry. Aaron discusses the importance of not just branding your agency, but, the importance of branding yourself and your process.

Episode Highlights:

Aaron discusses one of his favorite aspects of the insurance industry. (2:23)

Aaron believes that the most important thing a young person can do, particularly in sales, is to show senior leadership that they are interested in learning. (5:23)

Aaron explains that in the insurance industry, the larger the agency, the more successful it is. (11:41)

Aaron mentions that one of the things that have astonished him the most is the real adoption of technology by those who he did not expect to adopt it. (15:32)

Aaron discusses why insurance companies have typically had high retention rates. (20:29)

Aaron believes that referral partners are very important and that they are the basis upon which the insurance industry was built. (22:49)

Aaron mentions that the greatest thing about the insurance business, whether it's in your agency, a different agency, or a partner, is that people in this profession like supporting one another. (33:23)

Aaron emphasizes the significance of determining what works best for you and pursuing it. (38:19)

Aaron highlights the importance of adding value to whatever you do. (41:07)

Aaron answers Mitch Gibson's five rapid-fire questions. (53:34)

Key Quotes:

“The most important thing that a young person can do, especially on the sales side, is show senior leadership that they're interested in learning.” - Aaron Gordon

“The barrier to entry in insurance agencies is so low, and that's not knocking us. Like, you don't have to be a lawyer, you don't have to be an accountant, that when you come in, you got to show those senior people that you're in it to win it. Trusted Advisor style, not just sales and leave.” - Aaron Gordon

“The best thing about this industry, whether it's in your agency, or a different agency, a partner is people in this industry love helping each other.” - Aaron Gordon

Resources Mentioned:

Aaron Gordon LinkedIn

Gordon Companies Insurance Services

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Rebecca Adelman, a lawyer for insurance companies defending insureds in lawsuits to talk about the legal and insurance industries and how she had made her home in that space. They also talk about how to step over challenges and show up authentically by embracing the courage to make a difference in our world.

Episode Highlights:

Rebecca talks about her past and how she got to where she is in her work now. (2:01)

Rebecca notes that she has dealt with a wide range of coverage kinds and finds it to be an interesting aspect of her job. (9:39)

Rebecca explains that over the years, insurance companies have been able to adapt to what the consumers' needs are. (15:21)

Rebecca discusses her story and how she overcame the odds in the insurance and law fields, which have traditionally been controlled by men. (18:23)

Rebecca explains that she tells her story to inspire people, especially women, to pursue the path that they want in their careers. (23:03)

Rebecca shares that there is no work-life and no life outside of work, but only your life that you have to live out. (28:00)

Rebecca discusses how empowerment for her is the byproduct of this idea of showing up authentically and showing up with courage. (34:50)

Rebecca explains that thresholds are at the beginning and end, depending on how you courageously see it. (43:47)

Rebecca shares that part of courageous living is showing presence in our professional lives, particularly in this world of insurance. (48:30)

Rebecca says that, despite the industry's natural progress, she believes there is still a long way to go. (53:14)

Rebecca shares that a way to authentically show up is to ask yourself if you have done five things that made you happy. (55:54)

Key Quotes:

"10 years ago, well, most of the interfacing I would do and the networks on my insurance side were men. Now 10 years down the road 90% of the work that I do is for women." - Rebecca Adelman

"There's nothing like your work life and your life outside of work. There's just your life. It's just your life. There's no work-life, this life is just your life, go and live your life." - Rebecca Adelman

"Dismantling the idea that there's any, that there's even a possibility to find a balance, like, it's not really about balance, it's how you deal with being inbalance." - Rebecca Adelman

Resources Mentioned:

Rebecca Adelman LinkedIn

Adelman Law Firm

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ebens Jean Co-Founder/CEO at One Way Insurance Group, Ebens talks about the diversity of life, and how building community strengthens our unity.

Episode Highlights:

Ebens shares that he just recently switched to an iPhone and the last application he downloaded was YouTube Kids. (3:43)

Ebens explains that he loves to win because he gets the feeling of success every time he wins something. (5:30)

Ebens discusses that he had to learn a lot of things growing up, making him believe skill over luck has had a greater impact on his success. (7:11)

Ebens shares his inspiring background story and how he was able to get to where he is today. (8:07)

Ebens shares that he got into the insurance industry because of his work that dealt with B2B sales. (13:01)

Ebens shares how he was able to go from personal lines to commercial lines. (17:31)

Ebens discusses how the community has been a big part of the success of his business. (22:03)

Ebens explains that when they help a community, they do not ask for anything in return. (24:26)

Ebens shares his story of returning to Haiti in 2009 to give back to his people. (26:14)

Ebens explains that if you have a dream, you must also know and accept the risk. (30:56)

Ebens shares that he is currently reading the book called "The Acts You Answer." (33:59)

Key Quotes:

"All the stuff I had to learn, how to talk to people, how to approach people, how to build relationships with people, it's all become a skill for me like to work to get where I'm at now." - Ebens Jean

"We are big on our community, man. Like without the community, we wouldn’t be here today." - Ebens Jean

"We want to continue to bless others like, not in return like we build relationships with people in the community. If they want to do business with us, that's great. If they don't want to do business with us, that's fine." - Ebens Jean

Resources Mentioned:

Ebens Jean LinkedIn

One Way Insurance Group

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht talks about the five things insurance producers do each week that will guarantee them success. Stay committed to these five things and you'll be well on your way to building a $1,000,000 or more Book of Business!

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains a problem that he sees with far too many producers. (2:42)

Charles mentions what he would’ve done if insurance didn't work out for him. (8:57)

Charles lists the five things that successful producers do each week. (10:29)

Charles shares why sometimes he needs a kick in the pants. (11:16)

Charles shares a story about a producer he’s been working with for quite some time. (13:27)

How many phone calls should you be able to take in an hour? (15:27)

Charles explains why the vast majority of insurance producers are not good at administration and data management. (17:43)

Charles shares why ideal prospecting is like building a house. (22:15)

Key Quotes:

“I really hope you understand how important each and every day is... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You know, Friday is not a day in which to take off. Friday is a day in which to sell some insurance.” - Charles Specht

“What you sow, you will reap. If you sow rest, you're going to reap poverty. But, if you go out and you plant the seeds, and you water the seeds and you tend the soil, you are going to reap the fruit. You absolutely will. All the work that you put into your insurance career is going to come back to you tenfold… a hundredfold.” - Charles Specht

“The fortune is in the follow-up. Consistency is key, and you need to do things that calculate toward profit. If you're not doing things that calculate toward profit, guess what? You're calculating towards poverty, and that's not a recipe for success.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Alan Stein, Jr., a best-selling author, coach, and speaker. Alan talks about what we can learn from the mindset of athletes, the importance of having a clear vision, and why consistency is vital to success.

Episode Highlights:

Alan shares that he spent most of his career in basketball at the youth and high school levels. (3:07)

Alan explains that unseen hours are times an athlete spends intentionally when no one else is watching. (9:45)

Alan shares examples of a situation when people who did little things consistently yielded big results. (15:08)

Alan discusses how, for him, the perfect mindset means the ability to focus, not get distracted by the past, and not get anxious about the future. (19:02)

Alan shares how this perfect mindset can be applied in the insurance business. (21:55)

Alan explains that when we focus on the things we have control over, we greatly increase the chance of getting the outcomes we want. (24:15)

Alan shares that every organization, company, or individual needs to get a crystal clear vision of what success looks like to them. (29:15)

Alan shares that as a leader, the decisions we make should only be to either accept something or correct it. (42:52)

Alan explains that in any relationship, the sooner you can qualify someone as not the right fit, the better it is for both parties. (49:10)

Alan talks about his first book, titled "Raise Your Game," and his new book called "Sustain Your Game." (51:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The earliest coaching maxim I learned, which certainly applies to every area of life, is that little things done consistently, yield big results." - Alan Stein

We need to focus on the things we have control over. And when we do that, we greatly increase the chance of getting the outcomes we want" - Alan Stein

"If you do your due diligence, you figure out and identify the pain point that the prospective client or customer has, and you have a solution that you can customize that matches that, you greatly increase the chance of the client choosing to purchase." - Alan Stein

Resources Mentioned:

Alan Stein LinkedIn

Raise Your Game

Sustain Your Game

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Aaron Gordon of the Gordon Companies.

Episode Highlights:

Aaron shares that he is the second generation to work for their family-owned and operated independent agency. (4:53)

Aaron mentions that some of the customers they have now were names he heard at the dinner table with his family while he was growing up. (7:27)

Aaron mentions how fortunate he was to start with a book of business in front of him, which enabled him to try a few new things. (10:58)

Aaron explains how he got his start at their family-owned business. (15:23)

Aaron believes that many individuals who work in insurance lose sight of its history. (20:09)

Aaron discusses why it is important for the second and subsequent generations to value and respect what came before them. (23:05)

Aaron shares his experiences with one analog and one digital system. (28:40)

Aaron mentions that they do not now take Bitcoin payments, but that they would in the near future. (33:10)

Aaron explains that he produces or develops 20 pieces of content every week in order to get five pieces of content. (52:22)

Key Quotes:

“I think that a lot of people get into our industry lose sight of the history.” - Aaron Gordon

“If you're authentic and you do you, it'll come through, you just have to be super consistent.” - Aaron Gordon

“I think that there's something envious about looking at a business and building your structure, your operations, your processes, your tech, forming your ideal client, by the way, based on solely your vision. For me, a lot of the things that I do are clouded for lack of a better term by our already ideal client, already existing client.” - Aaron Gordon

Resources Mentioned:

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss what are one-liners that producers utilize and the main action that PEOS does.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions one of the best things that happened to him through the pandemic. (3:26)

Josh shares his favorite one-liner. (4:16)

Josh shares one of David’s favorite one-liners of his. (4:55)

David shares the type of one-liners he likes to use. (5:34)

Josh shares a story from one of the largest accounts in their agency. (16:46)

David mentions the number one thing that PEOS does. (20:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think everybody's got to have a good one-liner and you have to be able and willing to share it with people. People like to joke around that you don't have to be all business and serious all the time. It's good to break stuff up with a laugh.” - Josh Gurley

“One of my favorite things to say to people is, that sounds like the quote, hope and hope method to me. They go out and get a quote. They ask you if they can give you a quote and they hope that their quote is cheaper. I hope they get the business and I hope to god that the other guy did it right because all they're doing is copying and pasting what the other person did.” - Josh Gurley

“If you change this product in any way, then we need to know that you have insurance. We want to be additionally insured on your policy because we want to put some space between whatever the event happens in us.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley Email

Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

David Carothers LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens discusses the significance of being bold and brave, as well as the value of progress instead of perfection.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa explains why, despite the fact that the insurance sector is theoretically 61-63% female, less than 15% of women are in the C suites, management, and leadership position. (2:16)

Teresa mentions that being brave requires stepping beyond one's comfort zone. (3:20)

Teresa explains that she is a huge storyteller; she enjoys telling others about what has happened to her or what has happened to a client and what she has learned. (6:07)

Teresa believes that we must recognize that taking a break on certain days is a necessary element of progressing and becoming better. (9:11)

Teresa mentions that journaling enables her to further evaluate her ideas. (10:39)

Teresa admits that she is the queen of setting goals that are much too lofty for her. (16:59)

Teresa explains that our lives, companies, and jobs are all living, breathing things with their own rhythms. (17:52)

Teresa discusses how we cannot aim for perfection since perfection is subjective. (19:07)

Teresa discusses her favorite quote from Alice in Wonderland and why she loves it so much. (21:39)

Key Quotes:

“No matter what we do inside the insurance industry, we need to show up every single day and bring our very, very best. That is about everything that we can do.” - Teresa Kitchens

“I don't know everything in the world, my team members do not know everything in the world, but they are brilliant in their own way.” - Teresa Kitchens

“When we voice our thoughts, when we voice our concerns, when we voice our journey, when we voice our ideas…They can be things that inspire other people.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jonnie Anderson Owner, and Olivia Hein Owner and Producer of Legacy Insurance Partners. Olivia and Jonnie discuss how they were able to build a women-owned and operated agency that is passionate about helping its clients completely understand their insurance coverage and helping to protect them from the unexpected.

Episode Highlights:

Olivia shares that she is an iPhone user, and Jonnie is an android user, and both have recently downloaded the Hi-Hello and Stash applications. (3:28)

Olivia explains that she has always loved to win, but it is okay to lose sometimes. (5:21)

Jonnie shares that skill has been a bigger factor in her life, while Olivia shares that it is luck. (6:31)

Jonnie and Olivia share their backgrounds and how they both started in the insurance industry. (7:32)

Olivia and Jonnie explain that they are the total opposites of each other, but their differences are a big factor in their success. (14:12)

Olivia shares that you need to admit to yourself what you are passionate about as well as the things that exhaust you. (17:13)

Jonnie discusses how they do 95.5% more commercial personal lines to bring in the business. (23:35)

Olivia shares how she was able to build her network, starting with a friend in the real estate industry. (25:03)

Jonnie explains that they are very proud that they are a female-owned and operated agency. (29:40)

Jonnie shares that as owners, they collaborate with their team, and they have an open-door policy in the company. (31:16)

Jonnie and Olivia share that they are currently waiting for the audible book "Atomic Habits". (35:59)

Key Quotes:

"I think you have to admit to yourself what you're passionate about, and what exhausts you because being 50-50, you never want to think, why don't I contribute that to our agency?" - Olivia Hein

"I turned the no’s into yes’s by just by being really annoying and consistent, and at some point, they needed me to save the day, whether it's a Sunday night and just slowly build up my reputation, kind of one person at a time." - Olivia Hein

"We're extremely proud that we are female-owned and operated. We never started our agency thinking, this is like a girl power agency, no boys allowed. But we haven't recruited a single person that's on our team...it’s just been word of mouth and it feels really good" - Jonnie Anderson

Resources Mentioned:

Jonnie Anderson LinkedIn

Olivia Hein LinkedIn

Legacy Insurance Partners

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Justin Sloan interview Chris Craddock, CEO of The Redux Group, and host of the Uncommon Real Estate Podcast. Chris discusses all things real estate investment, scaling your business, leadership, and everything in between.

Episode Highlights:

Chris discusses his background and how he got into the real estate market. (2:42)

Chris explains that the idea of figuring it out is important for being able to accept that the business has its ups and downs. (8:16)

Chris shares that one of the challenges the real estate industry is facing now is market inflation. (13:38)

Chris explains that the best place to put your money is in real estate, if you can do home rentals and Airbnb. (16:30)

Chris discusses why you should invest your money in real estate rather than keep it in the bank. (20:37)

Chris shares that real estate is such a successful industry because they know how to find the best deals for their clients. (26:44)

Chris shares some of the books that he recommends for business owners to read if they want to work on their business and not in it. (27:49)

Chris shares what he discussed on his podcast called "Uncommon Real Estate Podcast". (35:55)

Chris discusses the types of surprise expenses he has seen in the past and how he was able to handle those surprise expenses. (38:43)

Chris shares that, as a life coach, he has helped a lot of people to be the best version of themselves. (43:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

"'I've heard Tony Robbins say just so many times, that we never fail from lack of resources. It's always a lack of resourcefulness. " - Chris Craddock

"If you want to get into investing, you either need to know how to go directly to the seller, or you need to find somebody that does know how to go directly to the seller." - Chris Craddock

"If they’ve never been burned before, then they're somebody that just hasn't been in it long enough." - Chris Craddock

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Craddock LinkedIn

The Redux Group

Uncommon Real Estate Podcast

Justin Sloan

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Brian Fritton, CEO of Havoc Shield, a cybersecurity-focused consulting firm.

Episode Highlights:

Brian explains that the reason they have built the business is that they care about keeping people in their jobs. (6:33)

Brian shares how Havoc Shield was created and what they do as a cyber security company. (8:34)

Brian discusses that they are transparent about their company and is aware that there is still much to learn as to what they can offer. (14:35)

Brian shares that one of their products that helps clients counter-check the requirements is called the "Cyber Fitness Assessment". (19:26)

Brian explains that they have an annual fee, but that it comes along with recurring benefits, as well as collateral and quarterly updates. (25:11)

Brian shares that he thinks people who take advantage of this technology are more likely to demand better pricing. (30:33)

Brian shares that one of their services is to help reduce the scope of an attack by isolating all the computers. (34:32)

Brian talks about their reseller program that has tiered pricing. (39:33)

Brian explains that they have built an impact calculator, to help tailor-fit any premium clients' preferences. (43:00)

Brian shares with us that we should remember to put two-factor authentication on everything, keep our computers updated, and train our people. (46:35)

Key Quotes:

"We are decidedly transparent about where we are on things. And we know that we have as much to learn when we enter a new space as a value we have to offer. And so we like to do it carefully and in fast iterations." - Brian Fritton

"I think to that extent, the folks who use something like this are going to be able to demand better pricing from the carriers, they're going to be able to write more through the carriers, which is going to mean better pricing." - Brian Fritton

"A couple impactful things to save your skin…two factors on everything, keep your computers updated, and train your people. Those three things are almost free." - Brian Fritton

Resources Mentioned:

You can learn more about Havoc Shield's programs and how they can benefit your insureds here: https://bit.ly/36w7WoS

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss commercial insurance sales and the biggest mistakes that people make in their business.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions the main mistake that most producers make. (2:45)

Josh shares why getting your competition fired is the most significant action that most producers fail to do. (3:29)

David mentions how he prepares for a new business meeting. (12:42)

Josh shares that if the producer talks more than the client, the producer will fail. (16:06)

Josh mentions what he would tell his clients when having a conversation with them. (16:44)

David shares why a relationship builds over time and a relationship is not built to get the business. (18:01)

David explains the reason why some people don’t confidently and immediately discuss their own company. (23:44)

Josh shares what he does to get the competition fired. (25:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We spend so much of our time trying to get hired. We talk about all the benefits and how great we are. We fail to do what I think is the very most important thing which is getting your competition fired.” - Josh Gurley

“I want a company that's looking to grow. Not want to hang here for a few years, and then maybe we'll push the needle. No, I want people who push the needle every day because I push the needle every day.” - David Carothers

“Don't ever present to anybody that can't make the decision. Nobody can present better than you can. If you're not talking to the gatekeeper and the gatekeepers get all the information, then you go present it to the gatekeeper and you don't get the deal, don't be surprised.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley Email

Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

David Carothers LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley sits down with Alan Stein, Jr. Alan is an experienced keynote speaker and author. At his core, he’s a performance coach with a passion for helping others change behaviors.

He spent 15+ years working with the highest performing basketball players on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Kobe Bryant). Through his customized programs, he transfers his unique expertise to maximize both individual and organizational performance.

In his latest book, Raise Your Game, Alan explains how high performers who want to learn how to maintain excellence across the short, intermediate, and long term. It assembles invaluable advice and lessons from successful athletes, entrepreneurs, social scientists, journalists, CEOs, motivational speakers, business coaches, and consultants, as well as my own unique personal stories.

Don't miss this episode.

Episode Highlights:

Alan and Ryan talk about the incident that happened at the Oscars involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. (8:34)

Alan explains that Will Smith might only have been overwhelmed and it triggered a primal reaction. (20:01)

Alan shares that emotional regulation is associated with an individual seeing a certain situation or moment but admitting they are not seeing the whole picture. (26:18)

Alan explains that one of the tools of being an active listener is called "list back," meaning listening back to what the other person said, but using the same language. (34:14)

Alan shares that he thinks that if there had been any other woman in that audience with a shaved head, Chris would have made the same joke towards them. (37:00)

Alan explains that the goal of his book "Raise Your Game" is to give people strategies to achieve optimal performance, and "Sustain Your Game" is about giving people tools to sustain that performance. (39:21)

Alan shares that he views stagnation as a kind of treading water that moves but isn't going anywhere. (44:15)

Alan explains that a great portion of the things that we should look to tweak is in our daily routine. (49:16)

Alan shares an example of stagnating and tweaking in the form of powerlifting. (54:55)

Alan talks about how learning to detach from the outcome and learning how to just love the process is a great mindset to have. (59:50)

Key Quotes:

"We all have the right to express ourselves however we'd like, but we also have the right to face the consequences of whatever that may be." - Alan Stein, Jr.

"I'm a huge believer that you'll never improve something you're oblivious to, and you'll never fix something that you're unaware of." - Alan Stein, Jr.

"'Our perspective on the world and the way we view ourselves has a lot to do with what we consume, it has a lot to do with what we consume nutritionally." - Alan Stein, Jr.

Resources Mentioned:

Alan Stein, Jr. LinkedIn

Strongerteam

Sustain Your Game

Raise Your Game

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Carrie Reynolds, The Insurance Goddess at Alan Galvez Insurance. Carrie rebranded her agency. Teresa and Carrie discuss why she did it, how she did it and how the timing was perfect for her agency.

Episode Highlights:

Carrie shares her background story and what led to her decision to rebrand her agency. (1:49)

Carrie shares that her mother also worked in their agency back when she was in high school. (6:05)

Carrie explains that you have to know the things that you are not good at and find people that are good at those things. (10:40)

Carrie discusses that their idea when they rebranded was to keep everything consistent regardless of the platform on which they were communicating. (13:48)

Carrie shares that it was she and her team that were responsible for the success of the changes in their agency. (17:44)

Carrie explains that her father, as the former owner of the agency, never had any pushback. (21:41)

Carrie discusses how newsletters helped them avoid challenges with rebranding with their existing clients. (24:43)

Key Quotes:

"Of all the things you have in your marketing arsenal, your brand is probably number one. Because it's who you are, what you believe in. And sometimes it's what the public perceives you to be." - Carrie Reynolds

"There are certain things that you have to be, that you have to live by, in order to kind of carry on this brand." - Carrie Reynolds

“I’m all about hire for attitude, train for aptitude. That’s my motto.” - Carrie Reynolds

Resources Mentioned:

Carrie Reynolds LinkedIn

Alan Galvez Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with the "Flood Guru" himself, Chris Greene, to discuss why creating a consistent content strategy is so important for his business model. Recently, Chris launched a Flood Insurance Learning Center/Educational Video Library with thousands of different topics to choose from. We discuss the ROI of having a learning center like the one he started. You can check out his learning center by visiting the link below.

Episode Highlights:

Chris discusses the reasons why he started to get involved in digital marketing. (2:33)

Chris shares some advice for young agents that are wanting to get into video creation. (8:24)

Chris explains that the most important thing to consider in video creation is the consistency of your work. (10:15)

Chris discusses the method called "Blog Blocking" and how it works to help you with your video creation schedule. (12:40)

Chris shares that he always sleeps with his iPhone next to him so that when an idea comes to him at night, he will be able to save it. (16:46)

Chris elaborates on how important title tags and descriptions are to your videos. (25:34)

Chris discusses some pointers to think about, like being able to be so good that people can't ignore you. (30:42)

Chris shares that some of his favorite podcasts are the ones from Jason Cass. (32:24)

Chris explains that getting a cheap quote is never going to change the risk. (38:08)

Chris talks about his favorite color, ice cream flavor, favorite place to visit, and the one person he would want to spend 24 hours with. (39:00)

Chris gives out three useful tips in video editing and video creating for people that are just starting in the industry.

Key Quotes:

"I said, people come to us for one reason, it's education. And they also come to us for three reasons. Either we can help them understand their flood insurance, we can help understand their flood risks, or we can actually help them lower that risk." - Chris Greene

"At the end of the day, I don't care how great you are, how average you think you are, consistency is what's gonna win." - Chris Greene

"Getting a cheap quote is never going to change the risk. And it's our job to help you understand the risk, change the risk and create long-term rates to build on your insurance because we did the first two things." - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Greene LinkedIn

The Flood Insurance Guru

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Aimey Bryan owner of Bryan Insurance Agency and Agency Marketing Pro. Aimey discusses the benefits and importance of digital marketing, content creation, and having a learning mindset in business.

Episode Highlights:

Aimey shares how she got into the insurance industry. (2:38)

Aimey discusses how she began to write for both personal and commercial markets. (7:28)

Aimey mentions that they've become really good at writing for contractors. (10:15)

Aimey explains the differences between their services at their Upstate and Long Island offices. (11:24)

Aimey explains how she balances time between doing work and interacting with third parties, while also ensuring that the agency does not suffer as a result. (15:15)

Aimey discusses the differences of how she has handled her two agencies before and after COVID. (18:37)

Aimey believes that you can teach anybody insurance, but not empathy, communicating to people, or taking care of people. (26:38)

Aimey discusses the benefits of using an automated response system or a chatbot. (30:27)

Aimey gives advice to anyone wishing to become more involved in their agency's digital marketing. (42:56)

Aimey mentions that she has virtual assistants that assist her with the digital aspect of her business. (45:07)

Aimey gives advice to the younger females who aren't sure what they want to do. (47:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I helped agents and other small businesses kind of like realizing that there's a way that you can put your personality for your agency out there.” - Aimey Bryan

“My advice for agents if you want to do digital is to not be afraid just to jump in and try it. You're not going to mess something up.” - Aimey Bryan

“If you're constantly learning and always have a learning mentality, you're going to be fine. And you're going to grow and you're going to do what you need to do in this business and you'll be successful.” - Aimey Bryan

Resources Mentioned:

Aimey Bryan LinkedIn

Bryan Insurance Agency

Agency Marketing Pro

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kim Beach, Founder, and CEO at InsureWomen. Kim discusses the opportunities for women in the insurance industry and how her company, InsureWomen, provides a network to support both women who buy insurance and women who sell insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Kim shares her perspective on winning and losing. (5:50)

Kim elaborates on how her skills have helped her get to where she is today. (7:05)

Kim discusses her background and how she came to work in the insurance industry. (8:09)

Kim explains that their mission at InsureWomen is to serve women that are not being served and create a network that cares about women in buying process. (13:49)

Kim expands on the events that led her to believe that women in the insurance business need to be empowered. (15:57)

Kim shares that she created the network to help both women insurance buyers and women insurance sellers. (19:22)

Kim discusses that the insurance business is a great business for women as there is a lot of opportunity for them. (22:39)

Kim shares that she is currently reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. (26:49)

Key Quotes:

"I want to help women insurance buyers and women insurance sellers basically I'm going to create that network. I'm not looking to become a big agency." - Kim Beach

"I mean, this business, is a great business for a woman, you know, it's a great business, I mean, better than real estate, because guess what, you end up with an asset at the end." - Kim Beach

"This whole platform gives women something that men kind of can't have unless you want to be an InsureWoman." - Kim Beach

Resources Mentioned:

Kim Beach LinkedIn

InsureWomen

Book: Daring Greatly

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

On Sunday, March 27th, Will Smith walked on stage at the Oscars and bitchslapped Chris Rock for making fun of his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Outrageous, yes... but also courageous in its own way. There's a lesson we can learn from this exchange that many will disagree with on principle.

Let's discuss...

Most insurance agents out there don't really know what they are supposed to be doing, as far as prospecting and selling are concerned. They have little training and often they're trained to do what the person before them has done, even if that person didn't achieve A+ results.

In today's episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will detail seven things insurance agents need to do to become Millionaire Insurance Producers.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains why he wrote the book, The Millionaire Producer, about permission, and why it matters. (2:49)

Charles elaborates on the first aspect of the book, which is collecting signatures and serving happiness. (05:44)

Charles explains that when you create enough value and solve major problems, your insured would be happy to sign all your broker letters. (08:18)

Charles shares that you have to think bigger than you think is already big. (10:25)

Charles advises everyone to start targeting larger revenue-generating accounts. (13:30)

Charles explains the 4th chapter, which is to stop quoting insurance renewals. (14:36)

Charles explains why rich people are always in micro-niches. (20:18)

Charles shares that insurance agencies should create fee-based products. (23:57)

Charles elaborates on Chapter 7 that it is very important to have your accountability group. (30:25)

Charles shares about the 12x group coaching mastermind program. (33:45)

Key Quotes:

"My philosophy of insurance sales is centered around the idea of permission. Some call it sales, others refer to it as persuasion. But I firmly believe that what matters most to you is that you secure your prospect's permission." - Charles Specht

"Think bigger, not merely big, not what you think is big but bigger than that. The best learning moment is the idea, the concept, and the reality of what it means to think bigger." - Charles Specht

"The issue comes down to whether or not you're going to need to do what you know you need to do to be successful."

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Ciara Gravier CIC, CRM, CCIC, PWCA, CPIA interview Sarah Muniz, author of the new book, Undiscovered Voices. Sarah talks about her experiences in the insurance industry and the benefits and value of having women in any industry.

Episode Highlights:

Sarah shares that he fell in love with the insurance industry since 2001. (3:13)

Sarah explains how women, particularly those in the insurance industry, support one another (7:12)

Ciara shares some of the reasons why she got all her designations. (13:14)

Sarah explains that her book is about talent, the benefits of women, and the insurance benefits of women in leadership. (17:29)

Sarah mentions that women lack confidence in their early years because they have to show their abilities many times before they feel confident. (23:13)

Sarah believes that people must always improve both personally and professionally, in order ot keep moving forward. (34:39)

Sarah discusses how long it took her to write her own story of her experiences. (38:13)

Sarah believes that it's going to take men and women working together to make any real change. (51:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Women lack confidence, because we have to prove that we can do something a lot of times before we feel confidence.” - Sarah Muniz

“If you're not growing, you're dying. I mean, and that goes for you know, personally and professionally you have to always grow. Otherwise, you're going backward.” - Sarah Muniz

“It's going to take men and women working together to make any real change.” - Sarah Muniz

Resources Mentioned:

Sarah Muniz LinkedIn

David Carothers

Ciara Gravier CIC, CRM, CCIC, PWCA, CPIA

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Will Shaw, CEO of Better Agency on a variety of nuanced topics in the agency accounting and cashflow side of our industry headspace.

Episode Highlights:

Will shares that Better Agency focuses on the CBO and they are an agency success platform. (8:48)

Will elaborates on how to define what an expense is and what revenue is in terms of cash flow and accrual basis. (12:01)

Will discusses how the data they get comes directly from the carrier commission report. (21:21)

Will explains why Better Agency is often labeled as a CRM and as an AMS type of company. (23:57)

Will shares the reason why accounting has been really interesting for him. (28:30)

Will elaborates on the usefulness of Quickbooks for accounting and keeping books in order. (41:14)

Will shares that moving accounting platforms is as easy as plugging whatever accounting system you have into your bank account. (45:32)

Will explains why you don't need to be a specialist for your agency, and how not to complicate things in your company. (50:31)

Will shares that as the CEO of the company, your goals should be to set the vision, hire correctly, and not run out of money. (52:39)

Will shares that they are planning to create a fundraiser to be able to help build up the insurance industry's success. (57:07)

Key Quotes:

"What's been interesting to me is how many people want to use specific platforms versus using like a QuickBooks Online." - Will Shaw

"At the end of the day, we want to help agencies sell more premium, sell more insurance, and be great at what they do." - Will Shaw

"I think that's my point is that you don't need to be the specialist for your agency because it's unique to insurance, it is not, this is very common, we deal with it, like as a software company. This is across the industry." - Will Shaw

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Better Agency and request your demo here: https://www.betteragency.io

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how to prepare for a marketing drop.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle discusses how he tries not to overcomplicate things, which is one of his key points in how he prepares for a market drop. (1:55)

Kyle shares that he looks at social media for owners, CEOs, and people who are typical decision-makers. (4:33)

David explains that, for him, the key has always been to personalize the marketing drop as much as possible. (6:20)

David discusses how ProWriters can easily be used to personalize its user experience and how preparation can be done weeks in advance. (9:11)

Kyle shares that the return to work program is one of the cyber world's positive impacts on a business. (11:05)

David shares that you need to think about who your audience is, learn about your audience, and then determine what the best angle is to go in with based on that limited research that you have. (13:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the places on the website that I think sometimes gets overlooked is the "about us," or the "people." If you can find some of these websites, they have really good ones." - Kyle Houck

"I think the other thing you could do is simply compliment them on their website. Let them know you've been on it. If their website is better than average, tell them so." - David Carothers

I think that you can literally create a marketing drop around any subject, you want to create a marketing drop around, doesn't matter what it is, you know, it's just a matter of taking the time to think it through." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In order to attract new clients, you must repel those who are not ideal for you. The right messaging will attract the right people, and you'll win more new clients with very attractive marketing that repels everyone you don't want. It works, but most agents haven't figured it out quite yet. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains what you need to do in order to repel bad (not ideal) prospects to attract and win the best and most profitable clients.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that the success rate of attracting your ideal client comes from being able to repel those who are not. (1:53)

Charles explains how to attract a level of comfort with prospects. (04:51)

Charles discusses how you can repel prospects that you do not want by starting with a particular message. (06:44)

Charles elaborates on how you can focus and figure out who your ideal prospect is. (10:43)

Charles shares that he is articulating a certain message that is going to resonate with those people that are trying to sell new business. (14:50)

Charles explains that people will get the absolute best results by being more specific in what they want to write. (19:40)

Charles shares that everybody wants a specialized brand and nobody wants a generic brand. (21:00)

Charles shares that individualizing is what prospects want for their businesses. (23:34)

Charles talks about an agent he met, and the lesson we can learn from them. (27:19)

Charles explains the idea of winning more clients through the competitive quoting process. (31:49)

Key Quotes:

"I truly believe that the success rate of being able to attract your ideal client comes from being able to repel those who are not." - Charles Specht

"I'm trying to articulate a certain message that's going to resonate with those who are trying to actually sell new business period, and it's called millionaire insurance producer podcast because it has nothing to do with account managers." - Charles Specht

"I truly believe that the entire industry and society as a whole is becoming less generalist and much more interested in finding the brand that that really speaks to them and writing something that really speaks to them." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

The Only Superpower You Need

There is only one superpower you need to win. It's not intelligence or good looks or killer sales skills... it's macro consistency. The consistent, win. Period.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan explains why he hasn't done an episode in a couple of weeks. (1:26)

Ryan believes that consistency is a success superpower. (3:11)

Ryan discusses how the difference between those who use consistency as a superpower and those who don't is that those micro-moments may derail macro consistency. (4:58)

Ryan explains that when people know they can rely on you, and you trust yourself, you have a superpower. (7:19)

Ryan mentions that if he can think of anything he regrets, it's the times when he allowed micro-inconsistencies. (09:05)

Ryan mentions that if you want to be successful, you must show up, return, and be consistent. Make a plan to make it happen. (11:26)

Ryan expresses his desire for himself and everyone else to become the type of person who can trust themselves, who can believe that once they put their minds to anything, they will return back until the task is done. (12:46)

Key Quotes:

“When people know they can count on you, good things happen. And not just other people, like you start to trust yourself. And that to me, my friends is the superpower is that you trust yourself” - Ryan Hanley

“We just can't let little micro speed bumps, little obstacles that show up derail us from coming back to that thing that we want, that we know is good, that we know brings us joy and happiness and meaning in our lives.” - Ryan Hanley

“This is my goal to become the type of person who can trust myself, who can trust me, who I can believe that when I set myself to something I will continue to come back until the task is done. I wish that for myself. I wish it for you.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Dawn Janes Bartley is the CEO and founder of Minnesota Insurance Group serving in business management, agency sales, and broker services director. In this throwback episode of the Power Women in Insurance Podcast, Teresa sits with Dawn as she shares her insurance journey that started 23 years ago. She explains in detail her loss of drive and passion for her career recently and how she’s working to get over that slump. Listen in to learn how being surrounded by a positive tribe of people will help you regain your energy if you have been losing the motivation to continue running your business. You will also learn how to be a good leader who helps the team to fully participate in projects and move forward. “Find a tribe or create a tribe, it doesn’t have to be insurance professionals, it just needs to be a tribe of people that are as excited about growth as you are.” [23:57]

Top Takeaways:

How to be a collaborative leader who cares about the team’s approach towards a project.

How to feel empowered by giving back to the community.

The importance of being around positive people helps you be more energetic.

What you will learn:

[1:27] She shares her insurance journey that started 23 years ago without experience in the industry.

[4:00] She explains how she has shifted over the course of being a business owner and how she’s now working to refine her initial drive.

[8:03] How she is drafting to get the energy to continue in her path.

[13:42] How she leads her team by being open and collaborative towards their project ideas.

[17:22] Dawn describes ways in which she and her team have given back to the community during the COVID-19 period and how that has served as empowerment for her.

[19:17] How outside helping and engaging with the community rejuvenates her team.

[22:07] Why do you need to find positive people that will motivate you to be more energetic.

Relevant Links: Website: https://www.mnagent.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnjanesbartley/ Email: dawn@mnagent.com

Connect With Teresa! Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx/

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tracy Cotton, Executive Client Manager at Starr-Mathews Agency. Tracy discusses why everybody, particularly those in the insurance industry, should be flexible and open to new experiences and how she came up with the concept of trying 50 new things on her 50th birthday.

Episode Highlights:

Tracy discusses her pre-& post-Chattanooga experiences. (4:20)

Tracy discusses her favorite things to do in Chattanooga. (9:45)

Tracy explains how she was offered the opportunity to name her own position, which is Executive Client Manager. (11:17)

David, Kyle, and Tracy discuss how being honest with clients may help to solve certain situations. (22:38)

Tracy believes that personality tests are not the primary basis of the concept of a utility player. (39:31)

Tracy discusses how her paper planner helped her in coming up with the concept of trying 50 new things for her 50th birthday. (41:56)

Tracy believes that being flexible and open to new experiences is important in everything she does, including insurance. (45:18)

Tracy discusses her favorite thing she did with 50 out of 50. (48:21)

Tracy believes that the 50/50 rule helps in the process of determining what you really want to do. (51:26)

Tracy shares her intention to inspire her female insurance industry colleagues to explore new things. (51:59)

Tracy mentions that balancing between planning ahead and being open to opportunities as they arise is similar to what we do in insurance. (52:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I really wanted people to be able to plug-in from the get-go and really start feeling like we're part of, you know, we're part of the risk management or partner and they're their business there.” - Tracy Cotton

“A balance between planning ahead and being open to those opportunities as they come up. And that's not really any different than what it is we do in insurance.” - Tracy Cotton

“There really is no one choice in insurance. I continue to be amazed at the different ways that a career can change and the opportunity that is there.” - Tracy Cotton, CIC, CISR

Resources Mentioned:

Tracy Cotton, CIC, CISR LinkedIn

Starr-Mathews Agency

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brenden Corr, Senior Director of Business Development at Loss Run Pro. Brenden discusses how their simple and easy-to-use subscription software service helps insurance professionals. Brenden and Jason also discuss the software's influence on Jason's agency.

Episode Highlights:

Brenden shares that he is an iPhone user and the last application he downloaded is about the NFL playoffs. (3:00)

Brenden explains that he loves to win more than he hates to lose because he is competitive. (6:16)

Brenden shares that he believes that luck got him to his position but his skills got him to understand the responsibilities of his position. (7:22)

Brenden talks about the history of Loss Run Pro, how it was built, and its success in the industry. (14:46)

Brenden elaborates on how Loss Run Pro was able to get the help they needed to build the system from betas and focus groups. (17:05)

Brenden explains that having the ability to get direct loss runs from the carriers is the next step and the next direction of growth for them. (20:45)

Brenden shares that they are redoing workflows to incorporate Loss Run Pro on a larger scale. (22:20)

Brenden shares that he is currently reading a book about moods and how it affects our leadership ability. (25:14)

Key Quotes:

"We spent all of 2020 in betas and focus groups, but our focus groups and betas were with Graham Heffernan, you know, Conner Strong, the Partners Group, like all like some big hitters in the industry. And they helped build out the interface." - Brenden Corr

"Having the ability to get direct loss runs from these carriers. You know, that's the next step. That's kind of the next 12-month roadmap for Loss Run Pro." - Brenden Corr

"We don't need to do anything special. The platform is fantastic. So as you said, it's an agency platform. It's built around getting loss runs for new business." - Brenden Corr

Resources Mentioned:

WEBINAR: MARCH 29th 2:30-3:30MST (Join here)

Brenden Corr LinkedIn

Loss Run Pro

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ellie Platt. Ellie explains how she manages and values her team, and how they show their dedication to their clients and the community they serve.

Episode Highlights:

Ellie shares her journey and how she got into the insurance industry without having any insurance background. (4:37)

Ellie discusses how her biggest challenge has been acquiring Nationwide books of business. (8:22)

Ellie mentions that bringing people into their process has always been a challenge. (18:27)

Ellie shares that the main activity in their company is account reviews, and it drives everything that they do. (20:46)

Ellie shares that the biggest lesson she has learned with acquisition is to listen to her team and identify high-priority clients. (23:04)

Ellie shares that one of her strengths is building cross-cultural relationships. (28:29)

Ellie explains that it is important to find people to work with locally, even in just a small capacity. (39:50)

Ellie shares how she handled their team culture during COVID and how she consolidated afterward. (46:36)

Ellie discusses her relationship with her son and his interest level in the insurance business. (51:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm just really identifying kinds of high premium clients, and so we are very proactive in reaching out to them." - Ellie Platt

"I think one of my strengths is building cross-cultural relationships, and so that's what I've tried to focus on more than anything, and it transfers." - Ellie Platt

"I don't even think I understood the insurance industry at all, but I just got my own business entrepreneurial bug, like, I can do this for myself, and it's unlimited. And so I did it. I mean, it was a leap of faith." - Ellie Platt

Resources Mentioned:

Ellie Platt LinkedIn

Platt Insurance Group

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

The AI Podcast Network is always delivering the best and we are able to do that by always having our eye out for the best. Well, look what we found…

Cease and Desist Podcast is the newest Podcast to join the Network! We will be featuring one episode per month on this podcast which is unique in its topics and delivery. From the brains of the people at GloveBox, this podcast is awesome, cool, hip, and just straight real.

In this episode of Cease & Desist, the guys are joined by Cristina Ciaravalli from Plaid. Listen to find out how social media can be used to network alongside how this billion-dollar company has grown and where it plans to go.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Mike Creamer. Mike is an Executive Underwriter and the 2021 winner of the Small Business Underwriter of the Year award from Chubb.

Episode Highlights:

Mike shares his journey to becoming the Small Business Underwriter of Chubb. (9:25)

Mike elaborates on the practice of underwriting, how they analyze business, and what constitutes good judgement in terms of underwriting. (14:58)

Mike explains some unique traits that he would consider using to determine if an account is a great one. (22:48)

Mike shares that the “Internet of Things” is one of the current trends that may have a positive or negative impact on the industry. (27:18)

Mike explains how underwriters and commercial insurance as a whole have been affected by COVID. (29:55)

Mike shares that not having a correct understanding of what your prospect should be insured with is one thing he sees as a common mistake of retail agents. (32:02)

Mike discusses a couple of points about how the relationship between a great agent and an underwriter should be. (37:30)

Mike shares that wholesalers are one of the classes of business that most underwriters would like to write for. (40:07)

Mike mentions that one of the things he likes about working at Chubbs is that it is one of the largest pollution writers and defence-based writers. (49:57)

Key Quotes:

"This is a fiercely competitive business. We're all out there both, you know, competing against our peers, but also, we're invested in success." - Mike Creamer

"The partnership is only as good and as open as the partners are. And, you know, we're all here to do the same thing, ultimately is to hopefully toss a couple of extra nickels in the bucket at the end of the day and have that effort pay off." - Mike Creamer

"The only surefire way as an underwriter to never pay a claim is to never write any business. You have to find that line of, how likely is my bad day to come? And, when my bad day comes on this account, how many zeros are on that check?" - Mike Creamer

Resources Mentioned: Learn more about Chubb Insurance here: https://www.chubb.com/us-en/business-insurance/small-commercial.html Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the purpose of marketing drops, why we should value everyone regardless of their position, and why having a good conversation with the gatekeeper is important.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he got 25 to 30 emails asking him whether he is making drops right now, as he said on the podcast. (3:31)

Kyle explains that the whole purpose of the marketing drop is to either verify the information we have on the decision-maker or to determine who the right person is. (5:28)

Kyle discusses the principle of marketing drops. (6:55)

Kyle believes that having a good conversation with the gatekeeper is the first step, which is frequently missed. (9:12)

David mentions that he values everyone, regardless of who he is talking with. (11:21)

David believes that they should do another episode on prepping for the drop, and what happens after the marketing drop. (13:50)

David and Kyle talk about what to look for while doing marketing drops or having a conversation with a gatekeeper in their office. (14:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing that may often be overlooked is having a good conversation with the gatekeeper. Because the gatekeeper is literally the person between you and the decision-maker” - Kyle Houck

“I don't talk any differently to the person that's the receptionist than I do to the person who's going to end up making a decision to buy from me, I'm the same regardless of who I'm interacting with.” - David Carothers

“If you're paying attention to some things that they've got in their office, whether it's just something cool that you see or something that you actually can relate with them on. I think that's huge.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson is joined by 4th Generation Insurance Agent, Ryan Smith from Smith and Sons Insurance Agency. The Protege Season 2 Contestant took time to discuss his path from studying Risk Management in college to helping young agents in Oklahoma and why this industry is the best-hidden gem out there. Ryan also talks about why young agents need to have a " Board of Mentors'' rather than just having one "Mentor." Don't be afraid to ask others for help and always try to make a difference each day.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares about his life outside of the insurance agency. (2:22)

Ryan discusses his journey studying Risk Management. (9:44)

Ryan explains why he decided to join the Protege. (18:47)

Ryan mentions that he is the current Vice-Chair for the Big I of Oklahoma's Young Agents. (29:53)

Ryan mentions the Big I of Oklahoma's Invest program, which helps young people learn about insurance not just as a topic, but as a profession. (32:45)

Ryan discusses the Big I of Oklahoma's FILO, Future Insurance Leaders of Oklahoma, program, which is for young people who are new to the industry. (34:29)

Ryan mentions that there is a lot of opportunity for young people in the industry and that there are a lot of changes happening, which is why he's more focused on going after larger accounts. (39:34)

Ryan explains why he signs his documents with the title "Business Insurance Broker" rather than "Risk Advisor." (42:41)

Ryan mentions that he's working to shift away from messages about general topics and toward addressing a specific problem on LinkedIn. (48:44)

Ryan shares that one of the key takeaways from Charles Specht's presentation was that there are three ways to use the information on LinkedIn: as a curator, a creator, or a communicator. (51:50)

Ryan discusses what thrills him about The Protege process. (55:12)

Key Quotes:

“It blows my mind that people don't realize how much information and value can be gained from just listening to podcasts.” - Ryan Smith

“I think that there is a there's way more opportunity for young people in the industry. That being said, there's a lot of changes going on. And that's kind of why I'm more focused on going after larger accounts, is because I think that's where the agent, independent agent in 10-15 years or more or less, that's where you're going to be valuable is being able to work with people on larger accounts.” - Ryan Smith

“Where I'm at now is trying to transition less from the messages that are just general topics, you know, just stuff I feel good about, and focusing more on like, here's a problem I see for my prospect. Here's my idea on how that can be addressed. And so that's where I'm at now with LinkedIn.” - Ryan Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Smith LinkedIn

Smith and Sons Insurance Agency

Big I Oklahoma

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Sarah Muniz Insurance Nerds Book Author. Sarah has a new book titled "Undiscovered Voices" where she talks about women in the insurance industry, the discrimination, but really highlights what men and women can do to grow and bring on/empower more women into leadership.

Episode Highlights:

Sarah shares the idea, the inspiration, and the importance behind the creation of her book titled "Undiscovered Voices". (2:00)

Sarah mentions that it took her four years to figure herself out and where she wanted to be on her career path. (6:45)

Sarah shares her story of how she pitched her book for women in insurance. (8:40)

Sarah explains how interesting it is to do research about confidence level and where we fall on that spectrum. (12:44)

Sarah discusses that if women receive the right training and right support system in the industry, women are more likely to go for it compared to men. (17:35)

Sarah shares that soft skills are the most important thing that we need in our industry, and women are natural with it. (24:06)

Sarah elaborates on things that all people can do to empower other women to be able to break the glass ceiling and be what they want to be. (31:23)

Sarah mentions that creating an open communication environment would encourage women to speak up. (33:22)

Sarah shares that her favorite part of her book is the last chapter that her daughter helped her to write. (37:14)

Key Quotes:

"I think a lot of times things like happen and land in a certain way in a certain order. The universe knows more than we do." - Sarah Muniz

"Men start seeing that all the mistakes that they made between 20 and 40, and then they doubt themselves because they're reflecting on the mistakes that they made when they were overly confident, but not competent." - Sarah Muniz

"I think soft skills are the number one most important thing that we need in our industry, who are better at empathizing and having those soft skills than women. I don't think anyone could argue with that." - Sarah Muniz

Resources Mentioned:

Sarah Muniz LinkedIn

Insurance Nerds

Book: Undiscovered Voices

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Jason Cass, interview Dr. Billy Williams, CEO of Williams Family Investment Group and President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. They talk about the four types of discipline, the five levels of leadership, and how investment allows you to accomplish more of what you want.

Episode Highlights:

Billy discusses why agents must understand the four types of discipline: self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing or delegation. (4:45)

Billy explains how he goes about recruiting a new workforce. (12:36)

Billy explains how VAs can support the renewal process. (20:36)

Billy discusses S.T.T.T.T.S. (Standards, Time, Task, Tools, Training, and Spot checking), and why it is important for every organization. (34:37)

Billy believes that people need to have a budget for their time. (41:55)

Billy shares that his time is the most valuable resource he has. (44:23)

Billy talks about the five factors that generate revenue in the insurance industry. (45:00)

Billy discusses the five levels of leadership and how they benefit agencies and owners. (49:14)

Billy explains that by ensuring that your team is progressing through their levels of leadership, you will be able to do what you want. (47:51)

Billy suggests hiring a Virtual Assistant if you are starting a small business. (58:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My time is the most valuable resource I have.” - Dr. Billy Williams

“Your business should either be your passion or fund your passion.” - Dr. Billy Williams

“Every time we talk, I want to leave you with something that is a value, and not just fluff. And I want it to be something you can walk away and do not just something to walk away and no, but something you can walk away and do.” - Dr. Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Billy Williams LinkedIn

Williams Family Investment Group

Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring

David Carothers

Jason Cass

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Nyasha Gutsa, CEO at Billy. Jason and Nyasha discuss:

Nyasha’s journey from Zimbabwe to the United States and how it all started with a penpal.

Nyasha’s experience in private aviation as a pilot.

The inspiration behind Billy, the end-to-end insurance platform for construction.

Nyasha’s thoughts on what’s ahead for Billy and for the industry as a whole.

Key Quotes:

"I think the analogy to that is, sometimes the things that, you know, seem laughable might be the biggest opportunities ever." - Nyasha Gutsa

"I was really lucky that I came to this country to learn how to fly in, you know, the United States remains the cheapest place, in my opinion, to learn how to fly and many countries, you know, ship their pilots to learn how to fly here." - Nyasha Gutsa

"That's what we're really trying to do, which is just remove those insurance headaches, so the contractors can just focus on what they do best, and make insurance work for them instead." - Nyasha Gutsa

Resources Mentioned:

Nyasha Gutsa LinkedIn

Billy

Book: When things fall apart

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

In the third and final episode of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone concludes his discussion with the co-author of the book Best Version Possible, Brent Kelly. They discuss chapters 9-11 of BVP and learn how to define your PODs, what accountability and leadership look like, and answer the question Why Not You?

To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP.

Episode Highlights:

Brent explains the distinction between a unique selling concept and a unique sales strategy. (3:56)

Brent answers the three questions that are asked in the Law of Compensation. (10:49)

Brent shares a story from their Elite Sales Mastery program called the Elite 50 (25:45)

Brent outlines some of the open-ended questions an agent should ask clients to get them to start a new file with your firm. (28:29)

Brent discusses the foundation of the pyramid of success and its objective of inspiring individuals. (38:51)

Brent discusses his insights on how being a great salesperson translates to becoming a successful agency owner. (42:34)

Brent offers his recommendations on what Producers should be reporting to their Sales Leaders in their monthly meetings. (46:20)

Brent discusses how leaders can multiply the skills of their team members. (51:01)

Brent goes over what he would say to an agency if they were to ask why they need his organization to help them attain absolute freedom. (55:04)

Key Quotes:

“I'm less worried about title, and more worried about the impact, and how we actually tell those stories and create value in the marketplace. Not because it was on our business card, it's because how we're perceived and how we approach things.” - Brent Kelly

“You could have every strategy and tactic in the world and do things really well, at least of what you think. But if people aren't going to do those things that agreed to it, doesn't matter.” - Brent Kelly

“Going further is different than just going faster. And people have to understand that right? You might know exactly what you need to do. But the question is, Who are you going to take with you?” - Brent Kelly

Resources Mentioned:

Brent Kelly LinkedIn

Sitkins Group, Inc.

Best Version Possible Documentary

Best Version Possible

Insurance Coach

Josh Lipstone

Explain This Book to Me

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers with co-host Kyle Houck and guest host Ryan Deeds interview Jeff Teschke, Founder & CEO of Forge3 to talk all the value of maximizing your agency’s website.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff shares about his early life, the school he attended, and what led him to create the insurance agency website platform, Forge3. (4:56)

Jeff elaborates on what agencies might not know about their websites from a technological perspective. (10:15)

Jeff shares that opportunity pages and about us pages are some of the most important pages on the agency's website. (19:32)

Jeff explains that on the about page, agencies should show the human element as much as they can. (21:26)

Jeff explains that agencies that care about the value of the insurance and being well protected are an awesome fit for them. (27:08)

Jeff offers some tips on how to tell if a website was built the right way. (29:03)

Jeff discusses some of the downsides to customizing sites from scratch. (34:06)

Jeff on how websites can help you build pre-relationships with potential clients. (48:34)

Jeff explains that if you have a database on the website that can answer questions, it can be a great benefit to the agency in terms of web ranking in the long run. (54:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You show that you're the expert, and you're the thought leader in this content. And I think that gets past insecurities of being too small for whatever people are looking for." - Jeff Teschke

"In the insurance industry, there's still a massive opportunity to be very different and to really breakthrough by just doing a little bit more than the other guys down the street.” - Jeff Teschke

"I think if you just do things where you can answer questions that clients have and then create that database on the website, our team can start using that content even just to share it with clients or producers can share it manually with prospects." - Jeff Teschke

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Teschke LinkedIn

Forge3

Ryan Deeds LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses THREE things you absolutely need to get from your prospect if you decide to offer quotes, instead of being awarded a signed Broker of Record Letter on the current policies. Doing these three things will significantly strengthen your position to win, while not doing them is a dagger of death.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions why constructive risk exists. (2:55)

What issues does Charles face, when working with insurance agents? (5:44)

Charles explains why he needs to invest more in stocks. (8:03)

Charles shares the three things you need to do to better position yourself. (12:37)

Charles mentions why being micromanaged is very important. (16:24)

Charles explains why it’s unethical to go through a quoting process with multiple agents. (20:51)

Charles shares why precision is important to guarantee a business relationship. (23:09)

Charles mentions what happens when you can't get those three things. (34:05)

Key Quotes:

“When we go through a quoting process, we don't actually dictate any terms with the insured with the prospect. In other words, we don't establish the rules of the game.” - Charles Specht

“You have a stock price with your prospects. It's going up and down, based upon a lot of circumstances that not only you do directly, but also, based on what's happening behind the scenes.” - Charles Specht

“Everybody has to come in with their best rate. Otherwise, it's just a free for all and you're not in a very strong position there. You’ve got a weak stock price.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Tyler Asher, President of IA Distribution for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance. Tyler oversees billions of dollars in written premium and is a critically important player in the IA insurance game.

Episode Highlights:

Tyler discusses his role as the President of Independent Distribution for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance. (6:31)

Tyler explains how he got to where he is today. (7:12)

Tyler explains what Liberty Safeco's unique strategic advantage is. (9:00)

Tyler mentions that the IA system is still lagging behind some of the major direct writers and consumer digital use which is a gap that they are actively working to fill by ensuring that agents have the technologies they need to succeed. (17:43)

Tyler mentions that, from a character aspect, they are constantly trying to associate with agencies that have a handful of key characteristics. (22:57)

Tyler shares his thoughts on what comes next for Liberty and how it will react to the InsureTech sector. (29:04)

Tyler offers advice to anybody who is starting a new agency and wants to see immediate success. (36:48)

Tyler mentions that they have a consistent product and market across the country for every one of their agencies. (40:39)

Tyler expresses their gratitude for the opportunity to work with the 24,000 retail agents around the nation who have found a way forward. (51:09)

Tyler discusses the book, The Infinite Game by Simon Sinik, which has been influential to him from a management perspective. (55:03)

Key Quotes:

“My role is as president of independent distribution means I wake up every day with my team, and we're solely focused on how do we help agents win in the market today, and prepare to win tomorrow.” - Tyler Asher

“Everything starts as a partnership, right? So it's really understanding what both sides need, where an agency is headed for its overall business, where is the carrier headed, and just making sure that that communication is in lockstep.” - Tyler Asher

“A huge thing is just realizing that being independent, doesn't mean going in alone. And so, for any new agency, scratch agency, first time in the independent agency system, there's a lot to learn.” - Tyler Asher

Resources Mentioned:

Follow and connect with Tyler on his LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-asher-283a457/

If you're interested in becoming appointed with Liberty Mutual, click here: https://business.libertymutualgroup.com/business-insurance/contact/agency-appointment-request

If you're interested in becoming appointed with Safeco, click here: https://www.safeco.com/agent-resources/become-independent-agent

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Chris Greene, The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris discusses the Flood Education Center's mission and highlights the importance of customer/client feedback and the key elements to consider while developing content.

Episode Highlights:

Chris discusses why he chose to launch the Flood Education Center on the 10th anniversary of his mother's passing. (3:00)

Chris mentions that the Flood Education Center has been in the works for four years before he launched it. (5:11)

Chris explains how he determines the appropriate video duration and how much he can provide to someone before it becomes too much? (11:16)

When developing content, Chris explains why it is critical to focus on what our consumers do. (15:07)

Chris explains what a universal customer experience is and why it is important to them. (20:46)

Chris mentions having the Learning Center on HubSpot with all of the data in there, makes it really easy. (23:14)

Chris explains why HubSpot Academy is amazing. (29:23)

Chris explains why all of their videos are between two and two and a half minutes long. (34:20)

Chris discusses how dedicated they are to ensuring that the Learning Center fulfills its purpose. (36:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When people give you feedback, don't get an ego and say, you know, whatever, or, you know, I'm better than that, really listen to it, so that you can continue to improve it.” - Chris Greene

“We do some content that we personally want to do, yes. But we really try to focus on what our customers want.” - Chris Greene

“If you can't find what you're looking for, if it doesn't have it, make sure to fill out a contact us form in the notes put, ‘Hey, I'm looking for this if your learner center doesn't have this’, and we will go and actually create that content, just for you.” - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Greene LinkedIn

The Flood Insurance Guru

HubSpot

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Casey Hege. Casey is helping agents to get online forms to send to clients to streamline the quote submission process.

Episode Highlights:

Casey discusses her background, how she got into insurance, and where she is now. (1:33)

Casey shares her experience of influencing the vision of her entire team and promoting a different mentality. (8:27)

Casey discusses the first prototype they created for SALT. (11:01)

Casey explains that we are all unique and that they are still trying to figure out the independent channel. (15:56)

Casey mentions that the best clients they have right now are the community agents. (17:31)

Casey shares tips and strategies for influencing an agent's mindset for the better. (19:59)

Casey mentions that they recently received an endorsement from the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. (24:22)

Casey discusses the four commercial lines niches that they have. (27:07)

Casey tells us how we can contact her and what we can expect from her company. (28:11)

Casey mentions that her dream job is to be a Disc Jockey. (31:59)

Key Quotes:

"Our best client right now is a community agent type that has got 5-10 people, that's just looking for a better way to reach the next generation of buyer, to create efficiencies in their shop, to scale." - Casey Hege

"I think that's really the most critical part is setting the expectation, once you close the deal, how you're going to work with them. That's where you need to really step in and become the expert." - Casey Hege

"When we try to be generalists, everything to everyone, we wear people out, you know? It's hard to build system and process around being a generalist." - Casey Hege

Resources Mentioned:

Casey Hege LinkedIn

SALTinsure

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Cassidy Arbeli, Business Strategist and Consultant and CEO of The Arbeli Group. Cassidy shares her journey to becoming an independent agent and offers advice to other women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Cassidy gives us her background story and her path from captive to independent. (3:06)

Cassidy shares her perspective on being a female in the insurance industry. (12:52)

Cassidy discusses what she has learned from putting herself out there and collaborating with others in the industry. (18:11)

Cassidy talks about what is happening at her agency. (21:50)

Cassidy shared some of the things she learned from her experience being a captive agent. (23:22)

Cassidy shares why she started her podcast and how it is going today. (28:52)

Cassidy explains how she handles situations that she finds uncomfortable. (32:20)

Cassidy shares her biggest takeaway from Innovation this year. (34:12)

Cassidy mentions that her business now has contacts in all of the hotel malls in their target area. (36:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I also think that there are people who are natural-born leaders, there are people that are going to be more comfortable being in uncomfortable situations." - Cassidy Arbeli

"Sometimes you have to build your own table if you don't feel like you have the invite to the table or you feel like there isn't a table for you." - Cassidy Arbeli

"I urge anyone who is listening, just don't be afraid use your voice. If there's something you want to say, there are ways to say things in a way that invite other people onto your journey and they want to be part of what you're doing." - Cassidy Arbeli

Resources Mentioned:

Cassidy Arbeli LinkedIn

Unburden Your Business

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In the second episode of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone has the honor of sitting down with the co-author of the book Best Version Possible, Roger Sitkins. They discuss chapters 5-8 of BVP and learn about overcoming team members' objections, how to narrow it down to one thing, how to turn your team members into a high-performing team, and making sure your FIC pipeline is overflowing.

To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP.

Episode Highlights:

Roger mentions a few of his favorite books. (1:40)

Roger shares that nurture was a stronger contributor to the person he is today. (3:12)

Roger talks about the importance of workplace culture and getting buy-in from your team. (4:56)

Roger shares that the Sitkins Group has three steps to help tackle seven different initiatives all at once. (10:46)

Roger talks about the four important parts of an agency's improvement cycle. (15:21)

Roger shares that, often time, producers are not separating the roles of sales and service. (21:43)

Roger provides the differences between activity-based versus result-based tasks. (24:21)

Roger walks the loyal readers through the ideal way to complete the Sunday evening review. (31:48)

Roger shares how many niches he thinks producers and agencies should have. (41:49)

Roger explains the importance of measuring the spread per employee. (48:00)

Roger discusses good conversion ratios, good closing ratios, and the difference between those two. (51:40)

Key Quotes:

"Competition to me, is a combination of services, coverages, and pricing, not just pricing." - Roger Sitkins

"We have to define culture, and in our world culture is the language and behaviors that are normal. And some agencies have very specific goals, very specific critical success factors. They're always talking about them. And they literally speak the same language." - Roger Sitkins

"It's not like in the old days, when the boss would just walk in and say, here's what we're going to do. And it was a dictatorship. In today's world, you want people to buy in, and we find the best way to get people to buy in, is if they understand where the agency is going." - Roger Sitkins

Resources Mentioned:

Roger Sitkins LinkedIn

Sitkins Group, Inc.

Best Version Possible Documentary

Best Version Possible

Insurance Coach

Josh Lipstone

Explain This Book to Me

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews David Meerman Scott, the best-selling author of 12 books, including Fanocracy. David discusses how we can harness our passion and make it the finest asset for our business. David also shares how to turn fans into customers and customers into fans.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he is an iPhone user and still has the box of his first iPhone. (3:45)

David shares the story of the surfboard and the Apollo rocket in his background. (7:19)

David discusses why he prefers winning over losing, and why he believes skill is what has led him to where he is now. (10:52)

David shares his background and the experiences that led him to where he is today. (11:54)

David discusses how he came up with the idea for his book, Fanocracy. (16:45)

David demonstrates how a business owner can gain fans for what they do rather than for themselves.. (24:03)

David explains how he was able to meet and chat with several great personalities. (29:56)

David shares the story of a dentist with whom he has spoken and who has encouraged him to show his passion. (32:49)

David gives a fast summary of the book Empire of Pain, which he is currently reading. (38:23)

Key Quotes:

"We're not in the insurance business. We're in the business of building fans of what we're doing." - David Meerman Scott

"I honed in on things that interest me, things that fascinate me. I'm always open to patterns in the universe that I'm seeing as being important that other people may not be seeing." - David Meerman Scott

"People love to do business with people who are passionate about what they do. And interestingly, it doesn't have to be a passion for the work that they do if they share the passion of what they love in their personal life." - David Meerman Scott

Resources Mentioned:

David Meerman Scott LinkedIn

Fanocracy

Book: Empire of pain.

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview John Yarbrough Carrier and MGA/MGU Solutions Specialist at Appulate. John talks about the impact of being transparent with your clients and how their company helps agents with their services.

Episode Highlights:

John shares his background, how he started, and what he does in his current role. (2:04)

John mentions that the best companies are the ones who are forward-thinking and willing to change. (6:00)

John describes how their system works when agents reach out for their services. (13:48)

John shares how they integrate with the agency management system. (17:18)

John shares how an agency can use its platform in many different ways. (25:47)

John mentions the most common questions that he has been asked about their platform. (28:57)

John shares that manual entry is still a big challenge or problem for them. (37:07)

John shares that transparency is the key to being able to let clients make better decisions. (43:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You've got to have a combination of both things, you've got to have experience, but you've also got to be nimble and be willing to change." - John Yarbrough

"What is really cool about competition is it normalizes what's happening. And I think that's something that we haven't seen." - John Yarbrough

"Where our technology really thrives is that online ecosystem, where agents are all interacting with their markets, on our platform." - John Yarbrough

Resources Mentioned:

John Yarbrough LinkedIn

Appulate

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Erik Sjolie, the agency principal of Sky Insurance Brokers in Sacramento, CA.

Episode Highlights:

James encourages listeners to join the Live Coaching Calls every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. CST. (2:27)

Erik discusses his background and what led to his decision to leave the corporate world. (17:15)

Erik believes that failing is the best trainer in the world. (19:58)

Erik discusses the thought process behind making the shift from Life & Health to Personal & Commercial. (22:34)

Erik shares what he went through when made the jump to being independent. (27:51)

Erik offers advice to anyone establishing their own agency. (36:48)

Erik explains how he resists the desire to specialize. (41:37)

Erik discusses the importance of company culture, which is often overlooked when starting a business. (54:59)

Erik advises anyone beginning a company to read Phil Knight's book Shoe Dog and pay attention to the overtones of perseverance. (1:02:31)

Key Quotes:

“I knew what I wanted to build, I was laser focused on it. And I was willing to make every sacrifice to achieve my goal.” - Erik Sjolie

“I love working with people that are new to the industry or making that transition because it's good to share some of my experiences just to try to save them, or just educate them a little bit.” - Erik Sjolie

“In this industry, especially nowadays with the technology where it is and where the industry is going, it's going to take a lot of that level of focus and willingness to take on obstacles to succeed and get where a lot of people want to go.” - Erik Sjolie

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Erik's office here: https://www.skyinsurancebrokers.com

Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

Shoe Dog

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about some of the difficulties they have encountered when working with construction accounts.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle shares that learning centers are the best, and for him, the library is the original learning center. (1:33)

David shares his first new favorite thing, which he finds awesome. (4:48)

David explains how he tried to explain the necessary coverages to his client. (8:37)

David and Kyle agree that contractors hate insurance, but they aren’t sure why. (11:56)

David explains that if you're getting normal renewals without the spike, you need to find out where they took coverage. (13:46)

Kyle shares his story with contractors and saw that it is centered around the subcontractors. (15:46)

David mentions what he would do if they were to be accused of something they are not. (19:33)

Kyle mentions why they do not deal with a particular sector of contractors. (20:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you don't know what your carriers are saying, for homeowners, whether it's your policy or one that you're selling, you better find out whether or not that roof is going to be valued at replacement cost or diminished value." - David Carothers

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been injured and gone to urgent care? What are the first two questions that you're asked? Was this an auto accident? Was this a work-related injury? Your health plan is more than likely not going to pick up coverage if you willfully filed an exemption and got injured on the job.” - David Carothers

"I would say a lot of the stuff with contractors that we see is centered around the subcontractors and not reporting them." - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

After a 3-week hiatus, The Ryan Hanley Show is back, with a deep breakdown of the trends and ideas impacting the digital distribution of insurance products in 2022.

This is Part II of a two-part series.

Don't miss this one...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses the Reuter’s report, “Insurance Distribution: 7 Key Trends for 2022” (3:06)

Ryan talks about trend number 1, M&A activity, and explains that increased M&A doesn't necessarily lead to increased distribution. (5:18)

Ryan explains that acquiring the right agency or set of agencies can be an enormous way to increase your distribution. (8:20)

Ryan discusses trend number 2, the resilience of intermediaries, and what's in their books. (10:17)

Ryan explains trend number 3 which is ecosystems openness, and the drive to circularity. (13:33)

Ryan mentions that the innovation train is waiting for no one and innovation is already happening.(18:15)

Ryan explains why embedded insurance, trend number 6, is something that we brokers should be most scared about. (24:07)

Ryans shares trend number 7, customers are driving flexibility. (28:39)

Ryan provides two different options and or ways how you can run your business successfully. (30:08)

Ryan shares how he wants to deliver and be different from the rest. (33:17)

Key Quotes:

"The most opportunistic brokers are going to be the ones that can step forward and take market share from the competitors." - Ryan Hanley

"But from a communication standpoint, flexibility is a key driver to scalable growth, in my opinion." - Ryan Hanley

"I tell you today, our process isn't perfect. It's certainly not everything that I want it to be. But I know where we're going." - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley

After a 3-week hiatus, The Ryan Hanley Show is back, with a deep breakdown of the trends and ideas impacting the digital distribution of insurance products in 2022.

This is Part I of a two-part series.

Don't miss this one.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan explains why he took a 3-week hiatus from recording. (0:30)

Ryan talks about what has been happening over at Rogue Risk. (1:34)

Ryan discusses the recent McKinsey report that says that the value in the insurance industry is rapidly shifting to brokers. (09:38)

Ryan explains that branding and marketing can’t create the same level of connection without any human touch. (18:21)

Ryan mentions that there's always another carrier that can write the business. (22:23)

Ryan shares the power, capabilities, and advantages of brokers. (25:15)

Ryan mentions that there's a huge opportunity for brokers to launch their paper. (27:35)

Ryan shares that the human optimized model is what they were trying to do at Rouge. (30:39)

Ryan shares that utilizing a mentor or just thinking through with your leadership team can make a big difference. (31:51)

Key Quotes:

"I'm sorry that I have not gotten an episode out to you in the last three weeks, I promise, I'll be more consistent because I want to be more consistent, because there are a lot of incredible things going on but I've just been a little overwhelmed." - Ryan Hanley

"This is the way the industry is going. The winners are going to be human optimized." - Ryan Hanley

"If you haven't built the systems processes, if you don't have the technology, if you haven't set expectations if you don't have the branding, content messaging, if you don't have a culture built inside your business, to support the retention, the service and retention of that business, it means nothing." - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley

QUESTION: Are you 12X? Professional insurance agents aren't throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. Super producers are in the right mindset, they have a plan, and they go for the jugular. They ask for the business, they demand attention, they require the insured's permission, they get awarded a signed Broker of Record Letters, and they build a $1,000,000 or more Book of Business. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain how to become 12X.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains what 12x is all about, where it is used, and how important it is. (2:10)

Charles says there is no reason not to be able to prospect greatness. (05:20)

Charles explains that productivity is an aspect of being successful in almost anything we do. (9:18)

Charles discusses the importance of knowing your numbers. (10:58)

Charles shares that he always loves hearing stories about Brokers of Record. (12:57)

Charles explains that in the insurance industry, permission is one of the most important things to keep in mind. (14:21)

Charles shares you can get more accomplished with a very tight relationship with one underwriter than you could ever get with a very strategic plan. (17:37)

Charles explains the importance of the 12x mindset and focusing on your micro-niche. (20:31)

Charles shares that sometimes business owners don't know exactly what's in their own best interest. (24:19)

Key Quotes:

"Lot of people can show up. But not a lot of people can show up and deliver. If you can show up and deliver, you are essentially writing yourself a blank check for the future. Sky's the limit if you're 12x." - Charles Specht

"I also know that you can get more accomplished with a very tight relationship with one underwriter than you could ever get with a very strategic plan." - Charles Specht

"You're not in the insurance business. You're in your micro-niche, your unique industry, of your prospect. And that's 12x. That is the mindset that you are in." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with nationally touring comedian, Executive Producer, CEO & Founder of My Breakup Registry, Podcast Host of The Future Role Model, and Glovebox Guru, Natasha Pearl Hansen to discuss why she decided to join the Glovebox team and why building partnerships is so important in everything we do in this industry.

You can check Natasha out on all social media platforms or check out her new Amazon Comedy Special, " I Was Supposed To Get Married Today" on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Episode Highlights:

Natasha shares how COVID impacted her career and the comedy industry as a whole. (2:49)

Natasha talks about her work as a stand up comedian. (8:37)

Natasha shares why she decided to partner with Glovebox. (11:15)

Natasha discusses how she established her personal brand. (17:14)

Natasha provides her insights and anticipation to where GloveBox is headed in the future. (34:01)

Natasha shares new benefits and features that are currently available with GloveBox as well as those that are lined up to be released in the 2nd Quarter of 2022. (42:55)

Natasha offers a few tips and tricks for people that are starting an insurance agency. (49:44)

Natasha shares her favorite color and ice cream flavor and who she would want to spend 24 hours with if given a chance. (1:00:58)

Natasha mentions her favorite comedian. (1:02:55)

Natasha offers a final piece of advice to people that are starting up and trying to figure out their careers. (1:06:08)

Key Quotes:

"Over time your brand finds you. I think if you force it, it's not your brand. It's your tagline. But if you let it organically happen, and you see a through-line and everything that you do, that becomes your brand" - Natasha Pearl Hansen

"It's not about taking over human power, it's giving your human power a rocket ship backpack." - Natasha Pearl Hansen

"If you do anything, to a level that doesn't reflect what you want to be living like, then that's going to reflect everywhere in your life." - Natasha Pearl Hansen

Resources Mentioned:

Natasha Pearl Hansen LinkedIn

Glovebox

My Breakup Registry

The Future Role Model Podcast

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Jennifer Standish, owner of Prospecting Works. Jennifer has a company that helps people with cold calling success.

Episode Highlights:

Jennifer shares how her passion for cold calling began. (2:24)

Jennifer mentions what she loves about cold calling and helping people confront their call. (3:30)

Does Jennifer think that women are better at cold calling than men? (4:50)

Jennifer shares how she works directly with people to help them overcome their fears in cold calling. (7:10)

Jennifer mentions her appreciation for commercial insurance. (9:51)

What’s the process when someone wants to start with cold calling? (12:14)

Jennifer lists some of the programs they offer at Prospecting Works. (22:28)

Jennifer shares a success story about someone she has helped. (28:35)

Jennifer mentions why she thinks that women could have a tremendous opportunity in cold calling. (35:30)

Does Jennifer think that texting has changed the culture of cold calling? (37:14)

Key Quotes:

“Call reluctance isn't really a fear of the phone or rejection, it's really fear of self-promotion. And so, it’s what is holding people back from picking up the phone is also holding them back in a lot of other areas in their lives.” - Jennifer Standish

“If people can understand that they're calling to help a business, protect itself, and protect its employees, you almost have this moral responsibility to call as many people as possible.” - Jennifer Standish

“If you're going to cold call or you're going to have employees that are going to cold call, then you need to accept every cold call that comes to you. Because, a lot of this is karma and you can learn a lot about what you're doing, by taking calls.” - Jennifer Standish

Resources Mentioned:

Jennifer Standish LinkedIn

Prospecting Works

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, CFP®, Managing Partner at C. B. Wood Financial. Clayton shares cold calling strategies that have worked for him and discusses the current landscape of self-funding and healthcare benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares his background, how he started in benefits, and where he is today. (2:44)

Clayton mentions the reason he switched careers and left the corporate world. (7:00)

Clayton shares his process of being able to get the numbers that he wants in terms of cold calling. (12:20)

Clayton mentions that you need to make a difference in your cold-calling, the second you're there. (18:23)

Clayton believes the reason sales, cold calling, and content marketing are tough, is that it is can be demeaning. (25:39)

Clayton shares how he opens the call, how handles it, and how he closes it, he also shares the average time he can save someone. (27:43)

Clayton mentions that people always have to critique and try to change what they're doing to make it most efficient. (32:21)

Clayton discusses the landscape of self-funding right now. (42:43)

Clayton gives three bullet points to determine that who you are speaking with is a good lead. (46:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I couldn't stand being able to or having to make the same money as the person on my left and the right and work 10 times harder and put in more hours and it just drove me nuts." - Clayton Wood

"I think one thing that makes sales and cold calling and content marketing so tough, is it's demeaning." - Clayton Wood

"I always tell myself, sales is a roller coaster, you know, whenever you have your darkest day is when you close the biggest business." - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Clayton Wood LinkedIn

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Alyssa Bouchard VP, of Industry Engagement at Gamma Iota Sigma, and Zane Smith, Gamma Iota Sigma Chapter President. Zane and Alyssa talk about how Gamma lota Sigma encourages college students to pursue careers in insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Zane and Alyssa share that they are both iPhone users. (2:21)

Zane and Alyssa share the last application they recently downloaded. (5:28)

Zane shares that he hates to lose, but Alyssa, on the other hand, loves to win. (7:24)

Zane and Alyssa share that skill, over luck, has been a bigger factor in both their lives. (10:26)

Zane and Alyssa share their background story, how they started, and how they met. (11:23)

Alyssa explains that Gamma Iota Sigma is a student professional organization, a collegiate fraternity, that is completely focused on the risk management and insurance industry. (17:13)

Alyssa discusses why she is excited about what is happening in the insurance industry. (23:49)

Zane shares what he does as the president of their University chapter. (31:20)

Zane encourages businesses to accept and invest in new hires and interns. (34:27)

Zane and Alyssa share recent books they have read. (35:45)

Key Quotes:

"Gamma lota sigma is a student professional organization, a collegiate fraternity, that is completely focused on the risk management and insurance industry. Our mission is to promote and sustain student interest in insurance careers." - Alyssa Bouchard

"I think it's just no matter what your role is, I think it's important that everyone know. You can impact the future of talent, you can support students like Zane, and build your talent pipeline for your organization." - Alyssa Bouchard

"Students and people are not just falling into insurance like so many others have before, they're choosing it and they're picking that as their career path." - Alyssa Bouchard

Resources Mentioned:

Alyssa Bouchard LinkedIn

Zane Smith LinkedIn

Gamma Iota Sigma

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In the first episode of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone begins his discussion with the co-author of the book Best Version Possible, Brent Kelly. They discuss chapters 1-4 of BVP and learn about how much money an agency owner can leave on the table when they go to sell, the seven deadly traps to avoid, how to gain clarity as an agency owner, and becoming your best version possible.

To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP.

Episode Highlights:

Brent shares that he likes both books and e-books, and his favorite book is 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell. (2:20)

Brent shares that both nature and nurture made him the person he is today. (3:30)

Brent explains the quote at the beginning of his book and what it meant to him. (5:03)

Brent shares the tale of two owners and the path that each chose. (7:20)

Brent shares a reference to a chapter he wrote in the book regarding EBITDA. (10:38)

Brent shares how insurance agents are supposed to stand out and come up with their own unique sales approach. (16:53)

Brent agrees that the trap of part time clients is the largest trap but also one of the easiest to get out of at the same time. (22:15)

Brent elaborates on the trap that he sees most agencies start to tackle first and how they can begin dealing with it. (24:37)

Brent shares his memories of the beginning of the broke grow program. (28:29)

Brent shares his insights of being a therapist or psychologist for his clients. (33:37)

Brent shares about the four different versions of the book, the Best Version Possible. (39:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You've got to have a level of awareness of ‘Am I on the right path here?’ And sometimes you don't even know it until you talk to other people, whether it's peers or coaches." - Brent Kelly

"There is certain God-given wiring that we have. I think it's up to us to figure out what our strengths are in that wiring and then maximize the heck out of it through nurturing our environment." - Brent Kelly

"Agencies have too many things to do. It's not about doing more. It's about understanding the power of 80/20 and doing the right things and doing them better." - Brent Kelly

Resources Mentioned:

Brent Kelly LinkedIn

Sitkins Group, Inc.

Best Version Possible

15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Insurance Coach

Josh Lipstone

Do you lack the Motivation to prospect for new business? Most insurance agents say they have a difficult time maintaining Motivation. However, I think the real culprit is something different and that it's because producers lack Confidence that they, therefore, lack the Motivation to prospect. But -- if the truth is known -- our host Charles Specht feels that something else is the real reason you lack Confidence and therefore lack Motivation and therefore lack results. And, in this episode, he'll explain what it is and how you can get it!

Episode Highlights:

Charles asks the question of which comes first, is it the motivation or is it the confidence? (1:28)

Charles shares that he wants people in the industry to have both motivation and confidence. (4:01)

Charles shares that you need to have a lifetime goal and a destination so that plans can be made to make it to that destination. (8:29)

Charles mentions that Confidence comes from the plan, and motivation is the fruit. (11:20)

Charles shares that when you have the structure in order, process and strategy, you are going to have results. (15:12)

Charles explains how you're going to use your social media strategy. (19:53)

Charles shares that you should keep in mind what's the one thing that you can do that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. (22:48)

Charles talks about a message that he got from someone on LinkedIn. (25:08)

Charles explains that we lack true accountability, and it causes us not to follow through. (28:15)

Key Quotes:

"When you have confidence, you get motivation, I don't think that you can have motivation that is any kind of motivation, certainly, that's going to last any amount of time if you don't have the confidence to follow through." - Charles Specht

"Confidence comes from the plan, when the plan is established motivation is the fruit." - Charles Specht

"If you lack true accountability, then it's quite likely, you're not going to follow through with the things that you want to actually do. You're just not." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

If you aren't giving your customer service team a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, hosted by Katlyn Eggar, find out which Top 5 indicators you can score to drive client success.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares the first mistake that makes your customer service department vulnerable. (0:34)

Katlyn explains why accountability is all about visibility because without seeing the right data, customers can feel unsatisfied. (05:51)

Katlyn mentions that we should write down the when, why, and how many. (8:08)

Katlyn shares why not scoring for performance on your customer service team could also make your agency vulnerable. (11:11)

Katlyn shares five targets that touch on what you don't want to miss for your agency scoreboard. (14:03)

Katlyn suggests that not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, could lead to the danger of extending trust without clarity. (17:25)

Katlyn shares that the fifth metric will help you know when you need to provide more coaching to your team. (19:30)

Key Quotes:

"If you're not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. Anytime you extend trust, pause to make sure you're extending clarity" - Katlyn Eggar

"We shouldn't assume that the coverages the client chose when they first purchased a policy are the coverages they still need today." - Katlyn Eggar

"If you're trying to improve your agency's retention, it starts with your team and your people and just knows that there are quantifiable things you could use as indicators to figure out how well your service team is doing." - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Wes Becknell, Vice President of Marketing at RockLake Insurance Group. Wes answers the most queried questions in the trucking industry.

Episode Highlights:

Wes shares his background and how he found his way into the insurance and trucking business. (4:24)

Wes explains why their company is different and what they do for their clients. (12:17)

Wes shares that their company goal is to be 1% better every day. (17:47)

Wes mentions that they cater to the new ventures for their clients, but are also open to switching to the standard carrier as a backup plan. (26:52)

Wes elaborates how the MCSS system can pull a lot of information beneficial to the business and its clients. (30:24)

Wes shares that they are ready to visit agents virtually or in the office to show what they can offer. (33:41)

Wes mentions that their rater has the capability to compare three rates at one time. (42:49)

Wes expresses his excitement to be partnering up with David this summer. (44:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There's a book called Atomic Habits. He talked about trying to get 1% better, we try to get 1% better every day. That's our goal." - Wes Becknell

"When you educate your clients, they become a good client, but you also become that trusted resource that they understand that you know what you're doing. You are the expert in this field, and that's why they hired you." - Wes Becknell

"In a space where it takes weeks to get a quote, you can actually get your policy with us within 30 minutes." - Wes Becknell

Resources Mentioned:

Wes Becknell LinkedIn

RockLake Insurance Group, Inc.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, an innocent question like "What keeps you up at night?" leads to a lively discussion about the process of going paperless and other innovations in the broker space. Host Tom Reid asks the questions (most of them anyway), and digital brokers Adam Mitchell, Jeff Roy and Steve Earle bring the insights. But seriously, what's the drum kit doing in the background?

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Miles Merwin, Agency Principal of Advisors Insurance Agency in Greenville, SC and founder of the Producers to Principals coaching program.

Episode Highlights:

Miles mentions the first time he met James and shares a little bit about his background. (9:05)

Miles discusses a few of his hobbies, including musical instruments, kayaks, classic cars, and golf. (11:33)

Miles shares why he always retrains himself to stay focused on the things that created success in the first place. (16:22)

Miles explains that working with and helping agency owners excites him and is what led to the creation of his Producers to Principals coaching program.

Miles discusses how he figures out how to attract top talent and retain top talent in his insurance agency. (22:20)

Miles explains something that he learned from the 80/20 principle and how he was able to apply the principle. (30:00)

Miles shares his insights about flashy stuff and tech decks that are out there. (37:24)

Miles mentions that as agency owners, it's your job to challenge your team and be a coach. (43:38)

Miles shares how he has created such a well-documented and well-processed agency. (50:57)

Miles shares his new project which is a new service page that will be available on their website. (57:26)

Miles gives his advice to all agency owners that want to grow successfully. (1:04:38)

Key Quotes:

"It's not our responsibility to be on the court actually playing the game and taking the shots. Right? Our job is to stand beside the court and coach the game that's happening in front of us." - Miles Merwin

"Instead of my product being insurance policies, it was people. My product was the successful people in our organization. And that's what I was going to focus my time on. And so I 100% separated myself from sales." - Miles Merwin

"The biggest thing that helped me cross barriers was changing my network. If you're at half a million dollars in revenue, then you should be talking to agency owners who are in your network that are three times your size." - Miles Merwin

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about Advisors Insurance Agency at their website: https://www.advisorsinsuranceagency.com/ Miles is also the founder of the Producers to Principals coaching program. Learn more and schedule your no-cost Discovery Call at https://www.producerstoprincipals.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about how to use a financial discussion with your client or your prospect to make your point and drive the wedge.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a place where you can learn and collaborate with other agents in the Power Producers Mastermind. (1:16)

David recalls an experience with a plumbing contractor. (04:58)

David explains that if you can assume a revenue threshold, and assume a profit margin on a company, it can create opportunities for conversation. (11:27)

David shares that most high mod companies would pay for the total cost risk. (13:42)

David and Kyle share their experiences in math and calculus back in the day. (14:21)

David explains that operational discussion or working operations with your client and not focusing on the insurance is what separates you from the others. (16:17)

David shares how he was able to help a hotel business to be able to have better efficiency. (19:23)

David explains that the right clients and prospects find interested people interesting. (22:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you can go in and assume a revenue threshold, and assume a profit margin on a company, that opens the door for you to have some pretty interesting conversations." - David Carothers

"In most cases, if you go into a company that's a high mod company, you're going to find that they're working three or four months a year just to pay for the total cost of risk." - David Carothers

"The right clients and prospects find interested people interesting, period. It's a proven fact if you're interested in them, they're going to be interested in you and what you're doing." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Power Producers Mastermind

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht teaches you exactly what you should say, and ask your prospect during your first meeting and -- specifically -- why you should ask for the signed BOR. Doing so tells you absolutely everything you need to know about your position in the process as well as how strong of a position the incumbent agent has with the insured.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains why it’s better to ask for business during the first appointment. (2:33)

Charles mentions one of the nice things about being a micro-niche. (3:42)

Charles shares what you should find out from your prospect during the first meeting. (5:31)

Charles mentions the type of questions you should be asking your prospect. (7:50)

Charles shares one of the ways he shows a lot of value to his clients. (9:25)

Why should you ask for the broker of record letter during the first appointment? (13:19)

Charles mentions what happens when you ask for the broker of record letter before the first appointment. (16:58)

Charles shares what millionaire insurance producers do. (29:08)

Key Quotes:

“You need to find lots and lots and lots of problems during that actual appointment. You need to have specific questions already written down, sitting on a piece of paper. One that you're actually holding in front of you so that you can ask your prospects those questions. If you don't have those questions written down in front of you, you are an amateur and you deserve not to win.” - Charles Specht

“Every single point of communication is about positioning, positioning, positioning, positioning. You are always trying to position yourself better every point of communication either strengthens or weakens the relationship with your prospect. You are either gaining ground or you are losing ground.” - Charles Specht

“If you show up to the place of business, sitting down with a business owner who has decided to give you an hour of his or her life, to talk about something that is not really interesting to them, that they don't like... that causes frustration.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Meg McKeen, Founder of Adjunct Advisors. Meg and Teresa talk about how the insurance industry is changing with virtual work environments and how the culture of growth and significance is creating a more impactful industry for the future.

Episode Highlights:

Meg shares how she was introduced to the insurance industry and what led her to become a coach for women in insurance. (2:15)

Meg explains that women have a specific space, role, and voice in the insurance industry. (5:46)

Meg shares her insights on what she is seeing in the industry right now. (10:31)

Meg discusses the types of environment she is seeing that people are looking for which is different than they did before. (14:23)

Meg shares that you have to know how you are wired and you have to know yourself. (23:26)

Meg explains her lifestyle, and shares more about the digital nomad lifestyle. (28:10)

Meg elaborates on the changes and the impact of being a digital nomad on her coaching. (32:46)

Meg shares that risk is everywhere, and your tolerance is only what is keeping you from trying something new. (35:41)

Meg reminds everybody that we don't have to do it alone, and we shouldn't do it alone. (42:38)

Key Quotes:

"We need to come up in the industry so people can retire. So people who have done their time who have contributed meaningfully to the industry can go on and retire, if that's what they choose, or give back to their communities in a different way." - Meg McKeen

"I think the flexible work environment gives us that freedom and that flexibility to be all those things to all those people and put work where work belongs." - Meg McKeen

"If not now, when? And that's a question that I asked myself all the time. What am I waiting for? Who is it I'm asking for permission from? Are they ever going to give it?"- Meg McKeen

Resources Mentioned:

Meg McKeen LinkedIn

Adjunct Advisors

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Doug Benz, President of New Buffalo Insurance Agency. Doug talks about his agency and shares strategies on picking up middle market accounts to grow your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Doug shares he is an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded. (3:29)

Doug tells us that he loves to win more than he hates to lose. (5:08)

Doug shares that he believes in a mix of both skill and luck. (5:27)

Doug shares his background story and how he got to where he is today. (6:02)

Doug shares what his agency makeup looks like. (9:09)

Doug explains that he is the one that deals with large accounts in his company. (15:08)

Doug shares that it is always hard to find the right producer. (17:45)

Doug explains that when you own an agency, there is a lot of stuff coming at you all the time. (23:39)

Doug shares about competitors in the industry. (27:52)

Doug shares his thoughts about his kids taking over the business in the future. (33:18)

Key Quotes:

"It takes a lot of that business to get a livable income. But, if you're chasing some of this larger stuff, it's not as hard as people think, is maybe not as hard as you or I always used to think it was, and there's so much value that you can bring." - Doug Benz

"Everybody I know that's in this business. Seems like they have a nice, nice life and it's residual and you don't need to go, you know, to get a graduate degree in it." - Doug Benz

"What I love about this business is that you get to help people, to go into an organization and make meaningful changes to help them." - Doug Benz

Resources Mentioned:

Doug Benz LinkedIn

New Buffalo Insurance Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In episode 0 of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone provides the roadmap for the Best Version Possible book written by co-authors Brent Kelly & Roger Sitkins of the Sitkins Group. Josh provides a 50,000-foot view for each chapter and what the Loyal Readers can expect from the next three episodes.

To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP.

Most insurance agents fail at selling insurance because they started on the wrong foot. They never achieved traction and so they failed. What I've found is that many agents lack traction because they don't know what they're selling or to whom they're selling. They are "generalists" and they achieve mediocrity every single day. If you want to become more successful at selling insurance, figure out who your ideal prospect is (with absolute clarity) and prospect with diligence. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to do exactly that.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares that articulating or defining your ideal client is the foundation of prospecting. (1:59)

Charles explains that if your message is that of the one you were focused on, it will tilt up towards the client you are messaging. (6:22)

Charles defines every agent as being very unique in every way in your own agency. (10:19)

Charles shares his experience with a shooting gun and how it relates it to the industry. (11:44)

Charles discusses instances where an agent will likely start to flounder. (15:06)

Charles shares a story of an agent that he knows and how it went with the agent's client. (17:02)

Charles explains that it's amazing what happens when you get clearly defined about who you're trying to attract, and who you're trying to repel. (20:17)

Charles shares one of the more difficult things for an insurance agent to do. (21:53)

Charles explains that the key to being successful in your niche is ultimately to decide to go all-in on the type of account that you want. (26:25)

Key Quotes:

"Those insurance agents who lack clarity and understanding or being able to articulate and define your ideal client are the ones who are going to fail." - Charles Specht

"If you don't have a script that is focused on your ideal client, you are basically playing luck, you're gambling." - Charles Specht

"If you don't have a clear idea of what you're trying to accomplish and who you're trying to resonate with, then you're likely going to sort of flounder." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers went to Vegas for the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference, where he got a chance to jump on a podcast with a few of the best people in the industry, including Keynote Speaker, Alan Stein Jr., Shawn Eagan - Senior Vice President at Imperial PFS, Katherine Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Strate Insurance Group, Andy Phillips, Risk Manager, Motivational Speaker, Josh Gurley of HM advisors, Stephen Sedlak, President at Workcompology, Christian DeLozier, Trusted Business Risk, and Insurance Consultant at Mike Keith Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Alan Stein Jr. shares how the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference for 2022 went for him and explains how he prepares for speaking engagements and how he continues to grow in his craft. (2:11)

Andy Phillips shares what made him decide to come to Vegas aside from the conference and discusses The Playbook Podcast with David. (7:56)

Shawn Egan shares his experience at the conference and discusses premium financing. (18:26)

Katherine Smith shares her insights about having more female participants in the conference. (31:40)

Katherine Smith shares how the new business and talent marketplace are right now, as well as their differences. (39:46)

Katherine Smith explains that applicants can talk a good game all day long, but you have to test their work product before you bring them on board. (50:18)

Josh Gurley shares that this Keystone Conference has made a great difference in people's careers. (54:46)

Stephen Sedlak and Josh Gurley discuss the important role that having a coach can play in your success. (59:55)

Christian DeLozier shares his biggest takeaways from the conference and how he would apply those in reality. (1:07:18)

Josh Gurley talks about delegation. (1:11:42)

Josh Gurley, Christian DeLozier, Stephen Sedlak, and David Carothers agree that there is a greener pasture in the insurance industry. (1:14:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's been my experience, that in admission of not knowing something, literally saying the words I don't know, is part of being vulnerable. And I believe vulnerability is the key not only to sales, but to leadership, to parenting, you fill in the blank." - Alan Stein Jr.

"I don't have to hide behind pretending to know everything because I certainly don't. I can share the things with you that I do know and I can be very honest about the things I don't, and we can all get better from it." - Andy Phillips

"If you are looking and you do think that making a move is the best for you don't underestimate your company's ability to counter." - Katherine Smith

"The people that had the mindset that they can do it all themselves, without any help or anything, I think that's an absurd statement." - Stephen Sedlak

Resources Mentioned:

Alan Stein Jr LinkedIn

Andy Phillips LinkedIn

Katherine Smith LinkedIn

Strate Insurance Group

Shawn Eagan LinkedIn

Imperial PFS

Josh Gurley LinkedIn

HM advisors

Stephen Sedlak LinkedIn

Workcompology

Christian DeLozier LinkedIn

Mike Keith Insurance

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom Reid, Steve Earle, Jeff Roy, and Adam Mitchell answer the question, "Who will win in a digital world?", meaning will brokers be able to take back market share from direct writers?

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Scott Elliott, former City Councilman of McKinney, Texas, and the Executive Director of One Heart McKinney. OHM is a non-profit organization designed to coordinate and direct traffic for a variety of services to the community.

Learn more at https://www.oneheartmckinney.com/

Learn more about the Save A Suit organization, championed by Rob Bowen, Chris Paradiso, and others at: https://www.saveasuit.org/get-involved/

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, Todd Thams, Founder of Mod Adviser, Direct Work Comp and President of Thams Agency, and Kevin Ring of the Institute of WorkComp Professional talk all about learning to read and understand mod worksheets.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin explains that it's very easy to give a bad rap to mod worksheets because we don't understand them. (2:15)

Todd shares the first thing he would be check in a mod worksheet. (4:51)

Kevin shares the most important thing to know when getting through an injury code. (6:33)

Todd discusses that the conversations in the mod worksheet dissection don't seem to resonate if they don't have any Workers’ Comp claims. (9:35)

Kevin explains that there is a threshold that varies depending on your market area and what state you are in. (12:21)

Kevin shares the information that we need to look for on mod worksheets. (18:12)

Todd explains that we need to be professionals and do the right thing in situations even if it does not meet our best interests. (21:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You can't let the sweet smell of the premium overwhelm the stench of the account."- Kevin Ring

"There’s no mod worksheet that was explicitly designed for a human to read and understand it. It was really all down to the computers. But...once you kind of understand what the inputs are, It's not that hard to get your head around what's happening." Kevin Ring

"At the end of the day, doing the right thing will serve you farther in this industry than trying to make a few quick bucks the wrong way." Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Todd Thams LinkedIn

Kevin Ring LinkedIn

Mod Adviser

Direct Work Comp

Thams Agency

Institute of WorkComp Professional

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson interviews Joe Kampert, Agency Owner of Redwood Insurance Group in Austin, Texas to discuss what being a young agency owner is all about. Joe has built an agency around his passion for helping others. Throughout the show, Joe drops A LOT of helpful tips that will help you establish your foundation in this great industry.

Episode Highlights:

Joe shares some takeaways that helped him prepare for what he is doing for his agency today. (3:59)

Joe talks about the importance of creating your house of dreams. (11:51)

Joe shares that exercising patience and perseverance is key to pursuing success. (17:54)

Joe offers his insights on leaving an legacy and doing it by yourself. (20:30)

Joe talks about his employees’ routine schedule. (26:31)

Joe shares some of the things people should be posting on community groups. (34:53)

Joe explains that you don't have to impact the entire world, as long as you have impacted a person, it should be enough. (53:21)

Joe tells us his favorite color and favorite ice cream flavor. (54:50)

Joe shares that Kobe Bryant is the person he would like to meet if given a chance. (55:01)

Joe shares his favorite place to visit and one place he would like to travel to. (55:41)

Joe shares a piece of advice for listeners. (56:42)

Key Quotes:

“Don't solicit to them. Allow them to find value in you and what you're talking about, and they will reach out to you, I promise.” Joe Kampert

"Why would you go see somebody finding success and not try and do what they're doing, using what they're doing to find success?" - Joe Kampert

"You don't have to impact the entire world with what you like, as long as you're impacting one person's life. That's what matters, right?" - Joe Kampert

Resources Mentioned:

Joe Kampert LinkedIn

Redwood Insurance Group

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens gives 5 tips for better productivity and time management because her main goal in 2022 is to be more present for those around her.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa discusses the juggling act of being a woman and mother in business. (1:15)

Teresa shares that to be productive, you have to know your time management. (3:20)

Teresa shares the first tool to be used for productivity, which is Calendly. (4:25)

Teresa explains the benefits of time Blocking in time management and productivity. (10:17)

Teresa shares the importance of separating out emails to be more productive and organized. (14:16)

Teresa explains that being present and intentional with your business, team, and clients is very important. (18:07)

Teresa shares that maximizing the use of your calendar is also important to be productive. (21:07)

Teresa explains that if you are not working out and do not do self-care, you will feel less energized. (22:57)

Key Quotes:

"As women, we want to be everywhere at all times taking care of everybody at all times." - Teresa Kitchens

"If you want to be more present, plan for it, make an intentional move for it." - Teresa Kitchens

"Even if you're working for a big company, we cannot manage a team if we don't know where we're supposed to be and what we're doing." - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

The Stack Method

Many people wanted to know, so it seemed only fitting that we invite Sydney Roe onto Agents Influence podcast and find out why she left B Atomic to join #thebigorange. It shocked many people, but after you listen to this podcast you will see this is nothing but good for her and great for our industry with a big win for Vertafore!

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Ryan Mathisen of GloveBox, interview Zach Mefferd, Co-Founder at ZipBonds. Zach explains the importance of giving your clients access to a bonding capacity and how ZipBonds is working to help agents provide that access in a simple and intuitive way.

Episode Highlights:

Zack discusses different sports events with David and Ryan. (3:47)

Zack shares his background story about what made him decide to pursue this path with ZipBonds. (10:36)

Zack explains how ZipBonds was able to bring in different carriers with the mindset of how they can help them. (16:28)

Zach shares the most important things we should remember about surety bonds. (21:09)

Zack explains what they call the zip score which is integrated into the API, to understand bonding capacity better. (26:22)

Zack shares how he exactly built the things he did as a commercial producer. (32:48)

Zack explains that there are a lot of Virtual Assistants you can hire and help you grow your business. (37:25)

Zack shares that people won't understand the stress of being an entrepreneur unless they do it. (42:16)

Zack shares that he thinks everyone in the industry is or has already been adapting to the new technology. (53:26)

Zach shares their plans and focuses on different connections for ZipBonds this year. (57:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you lead with surety, or find a way to help people get access to a bonding capacity that they didn't have prior or let them at least know that they can be bonded, because a lot of them don't, that's stickier than anything else." - Zach Mefferd

"You don't have to be the most polished, your pitch doesn't have to be elaborate. You just have to put in the work and be consistent." - Zach Mefferd

"I think it's really hard to understand all the stresses of being an entrepreneur, whether it's insurance or anything else without actually doing it." - Zach Mefferd

Resources Mentioned:

Zach Mefferd LinkedIn

ZipBonds

Ryan Mathisen LinkedIn

GloveBox

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode, Troy & Monica chat with Jason Cass about their new VA Companies and how they are bringing new alternatives to the insurance industry. Also, they share a few nuggets on how to improve your operations and succeed by implementing automation, technology, and training.

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom Reid, Steve Earle, Jeff Roy, and Adam Mitchell share their take on the current state of the broker channel, and more specifically where acquisitions are headed in the context of the pandemic.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this solo episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks about five distractions that have to be identified and overcome in your agency.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers together with Todd Thams, the Founder of Mod Adviser, Direct Work Comp and President of Thams Agency, and Kevin Ring of Institute of WorkComp Professional, discuss audits and certificates of insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Todd shares his background and experience in the audit industry. (5:22)

Kevin tells us that there is a tremendous amount of low-hanging fruit on the premium audit nowadays. (9:14)

Kevin shares the importance of having certificates of insurance in a company. (12:11)

Kevin tells us that all clients are not created equal and we have to accept that. (18:21)

Todd shares that he never finds any mistakes on his audits and NCCI worksheets. (20:49)

Todd tells us that we need to focus on what we want to become. (28:43)

Todd shares that he refers off to things he does not know and makes sure that the experts handle them. (30:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's no more difficult to become a premium auditor than it is to become an agent." - Kevin Ring

"All clients are not created equal. And it's something that we deal with, and we talk a lot about in our training is that what we teach is, at the highest level of how this can be done." - Kevin Ring

"Find what you like to do. Focus on that. become the expert in that. Stay in your lane." - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned:

Todd Thams LinkedIn

Kevin Ring LinkedIn

Mod Adviser

Direct Work Comp

Thams Agency

Institute of WorkComp Professional

David Carothers

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ciara Gravier Founder & CEO of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management. Teresa and Ciara discuss commercial insurance, how being a woman is challenging, and how to niche down.

Episode Highlights:

Ciara shares her background story and how she got to where she is today. (1:15)

Ciara explains how her business has been affected by COVID. (3:54)

Ciara shares what they learned from their experiences during COVID. (9:01)

Ciara explains the sales process training and what it helps you with. (15:46)

Ciara shares that she is not afraid to tell the truth when she does not know the answer to something. (25:50)

Ciara shares her advice for people that are starting and wanting to nail their process. (33:34)

Ciara talks about the importance of doing business with the people that you want to. (39:01)

Ciara shares a couple of things to consider before deciding to let go of a client. (41:43)

Ciara explains that everything is a learning curve, and we are learning every day. (44:49)

Key Quotes:

"If this is your job, and this is what you're going to do, and you're going to grow a business, you might as well do it with the people you like, right?" - Ciara Gravier

"I don't know everything, but I am associated with people that do. So if I don't know the answer, I have someone on my side that does. So I will get you the answer." - Ciara Gravier

"When I was younger, my dad told me - If you’re going to make insurance your career get designations, because, I mean, you're young, and you're a woman in a man’s industry" - Ciara Gravier

Resources Mentioned:

Ciara Gravier LinkedIn

The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Hogue, Director of Insurance, Agent Sales at QuoteWizard. Jeff tells us what QuoteWizard is all about and how they are helping agents capture the growing market of online insurance shoppers.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff shares that he is an iPhone user and that the last app that he downloaded was a sports application. (10:57)

Jeff mentions that he loves to win. (12:30)

Jeff talks about his family and where he gets his sales skills from. (12:41)

Jeff believes that a bigger part of where he is now is because of luck. (13:21)

Jeff shares more about his story and how he ended up at QuoteWizard. (13:49)

Jeff talks about why LendingTree and QuoteWizard make such great partners. (18:32)

Jeff explains what he thinks is the difference between QuoteWizard and other companies that offer similar services. (20:00)

Jeff shares some of the really cool features that QuoteWizard provides. (23:49)

Jeff explains to Jason what their live call transfer service is about and how it works. (25:17)

Jeff shares an average of how much an agent spends for leads. (32:04)

Key Quotes:

"It’s all about getting your financial house in order, and that’s the company vision from the very top. We want to be the one-stop-shop where somebody needs a credit card. Somebody needs insurance. Somebody needs a mortgage. Somebody needs a personal loan, we do small business loans...our hands our in all the cookie jars" - Jeff Hogue

"Live transfers are actually one of the most exciting products and a lot of people find a lot of success with it." - Jeff Hogue

"Why do people stay with us? Well, a lot of people can find systems that really make them successful. That would be number one. But number two is just in today's world, people are going to the internet first to find insurance. So, if you’re not trying to capture that market, you are losing a big portion of it." - Jeff Hogue

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Hogue LinkedIn

QuoteWizard

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Long over due, one of the best podcasts in this great industry is Power Producers Podcast.

A brainchild of David Carothers, this podcast is changing agencies. In this podcast he lays out all the secrets that he uses and teaches to write large commercial and how to run an agency while writing those accounts.

We are hyped to now have Power Producers Podcast on The Agency Intelligence Podcast Network!

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Howie Zales, President of HJZ Productions. Howie talks about being a professional camera operator for network level sports and entertainment events and his recent shift into broadcast-quality live streams and remote recording productions.

Episode Highlights:

Howie shares his background as a camera operator for network level sports and entertainment events. (2:08)

Howie shares some of his experiences on the sidelines. (3:12)

Howie explains how he positions himself when taking pictures in a sports event. (9:47)

Howie explains how everything shut down in sporting and entertainment world during COVID. (13:45)

Howie shares how he does his live streaming, and how it took over network television. (18:02)

Howie shares the must-haves when starting in the live stream video industry. (25:46)

Howie tells us the common mistakes he sees in a video broadcast show. (27:52)

Howie gives advice to people that would like to start their internet channel. (29:47)

Howie shares about his books and courses that are now available. (40:44)

Howie tells us how cameras operate in live coverage of a sports game. (43:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Our business was unique in the sense that everything was shut down. So we had people willing to work obviously, right. But there were no sports. There was no entertainment. All the buildings in the arenas were shut down." - Howie Zales

“I live stream my podcast weekly from my house using professional software. And we have a content delivery network, or CDN where all of our shows live. And we actually create and house content for clients and direct these players to their web experience.” - Howie Zales

"The use of live stream to get content out there is totally taking over how people are getting their content out there. Because you can't rely on, you know, the social media platforms to distribute your content, because the algorithms constantly change." - Howie Zales

Resources Mentioned:

Howie Zales LinkedIn

Broadcast Sports Course

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Florida Risk Partners

The Extra 2 Minutes

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom Reid, Steve Earle, Jeff Roy, and Adam Mitchell discuss what is the new normal of being an insurance broker in the digital age, what it will take to win market share going forward and most importantly, what they’re drinking.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Grant Botma, the Founder and CEO of Stewardship and the author of Work-Life Harmony, available now on Amazon. You can buy his book, and check out all of the useful links to the variety of resources from Grant here: https://www.liinks.co/grantbotma

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Work–Life Harmony: Enjoy Your Life and Family More Because of (Not in Spite Of) Your Work

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Billy Van Jura, Owner of Birchyard. Billy shares his thoughts on how independent agents should understand their value when it comes to InsurTech and their customers and data.

Episode Highlights:

Billy tell us about his notes that are now available on Gumroad. (6:04)

Billy explains that independent insurance agents are distributing a product for companies that don’t have another way to distribute them. (12:02)

Billy talks about an app called ViewSpection and its benefits and uses for insurance companies. (15:21)

Billy explains that insurance companies are paying InsurTech firms and lead providers money they don't need to pay them. (19:03)

Billy thinks that if you had five options for a customer, you're probably all set. (21:43)

Billy talks us through the idea of independent insurance agents operating as the MGA. (25:46)

Billy tells us that he went straight to being independent and it was not easy. (32:04)

Billy shares that he pays call centers for his insurance company. (41:18)

Key Quotes:

"Understand that your real value as an insurance agent is customers. That's your value. You know how to accumulate the data wrapped around human beings and you're just not doing enough with it." - Billy Van Jura

"Nobody wants to talk about the advantage they have which is that they don't have to spend as much to get customers because they're one of us so to speak, right? Like they're in there. They already have and that's a huge advantage." - Billy Van Jura

"Insurance companies are paying InsurTech firms and lead providers money, they don't need to pay them." - Billy Van Jura

Resources Mentioned:

Billy Van Jura LinkedIn

Birchyard

The Insurance Bill

Billy's insurance, insurtech, sales and other ideas and notes

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Greg Head, Founder of Gregslist. Greg shares about his background in the software industry and gives us his insights on InsurTech and software disruption in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Greg shares that he is an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded. (3:43)

Greg tells us why he loves to win. (4:35)

Greg says that he thinks that skill has been a bigger factor in his career. (5:16)

Greg shares his background and his story of how he got to where he is right now. (6:31)

Greg tells us more about Gregslist.com. (8:27)

Greg explains that the software industry has grown over the years. (11:11)

Greg shares that insurance and tech experts are the ones who are finding leverage and creating businesses. (18:20)

Greg explains that timing and team are two components that make companies strong. (22:06)

Greg tells us that the AMS business hasn't changed in so many years. (27:06)

Greg shares some of the myths in the software industry. (33:53)

Key Quotes:

"The software industry has grown since the late 80s, right, we had the software in a box, and then software and servers, and now software in the Cloud. And for the most part, that is all those early phases, it was software for every kind of company." - Greg Head

"So there's a horse race to be the best. And that's where most of the capital goes when the horse races on and everybody's trying to get big fast." - Greg Head

"There will always be people involved. And the people will finally have the leverage of technology like Steve Jobs’s bicycle analogy, right? We were pretty fast humans, you know, relatively bad at running. But when we got the bicycle we were the fastest on Earth." - Greg Head

Resources Mentioned:

Greg Head LinkedIn

Scaling Point

Gregslist

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

This is a special multi-guest episode of The Ryan Hanley Show with a "Who's Who" lineup of technology power players including Steve Anderson, CEO of Catalyit, Peter MacDonald, Co-Founder & CEO of Wunderite, and Andrew Wynn, Co-Founder & CEO of Ascend. We get after all things independent insurance agents and technology. You don't want to miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Peter explains how they came up with the idea of talking about the future of insurance technology. (7:44)

Steve explains the Catalyit concept and what they do. (9:33)

Andrew introduces himself and what Ascend does. (12:10)

Peter shares his background and Wunderite’s concept. (14:17)

Steve discusses how technology is becoming more accessible to the general public. (17:53)

Peter believes that insurance agents have always had a perspective on customer service and that it has always been a high concern for agencies. (24:46)

Andrew discusses his thought process for launching his own company. (29:07)

Peter mentions that their company's health insurance was recently changed this year and how technology was integrated into the sales demonstration. (36:38)

According to Andrew, they wanted to create a solution that was more than just premium finance and gave a much better customer experience. (45:07)

Peter explains how he came up with the idea for Wunderite. (47:36)

Peter talks about the need for an ecosystem to support the tools that we want as agents. (1:02:00)

Key Quotes:

“It's not about technology, it's about meeting the customer where they want to be.” - Steve Anderson

“The future of InsurTech is really about empowering independent agents.” - Peter MacDonald

“We wanted to build a product that delivers that better customer experience, while staying competitive on the rate.” - Andrew Wynn

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Anderson LinkedIn

Peter MacDonald

Andrew Wynn

Catalyit

Wunderite

Ascend

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Nicole Mirich to discuss how GloveBox is helping agencies and clients.

Episode Highlights:

Nicole tells us about GloveBox and why she decided to work there. (3:44)

Nicole shares some challenges agents have in being able to embrace this technology. (6:28)

Nicole tells us how GloveBox has been able to bond with the carrier side of the industry. (9:06)

Nicole shares how GloveBox allows agencies to diversify their service offering, even for clients who may not be as comfortable with technology. (11:14)

Nicole tells us what they do in the app that encourages the relationship with the agency. (15:22)

Nicole shares some of the new developments GloveBox is working on. (19:23)

Nicole explains GloveBox’s focus in the industry and the carriers they are working with. (22:24)

Key Quotes:

"We provide agencies with a technology that's their own, that they can provide to their clients." - Nicole Mirich

"We try to make the platform very communicative with other systems and very easy to customize." - Nicole Mirich

"We are now at the point where we're ready to start adding integrations with mutual carriers, captive carriers, etc." - Nicole Mirich

Resources Mentioned:

Nicole Mirich LinkedIn

GloveBox

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, Jason Cass and Jeff Shi interview Matthew Sutika, Chief Insurance Officer at Obie. Matthew talks about how they have integrated their own technology to help companies be able to achieve their ideal results. Matthew also talks about some of the future projects they have lined up.

Episode Highlights:

Matthew tells us that he loves to win and loves the idea of winning more than he hates to lose. (4:48)

Matthew explains why he thinks skill has been a big factor in his career. (5:14)

Matthew explains what Obie is and why he decided to join, and the interesting things he likes about it. (12:11)

Matthew opens up about a project Obie is currently working on. (18:26)

Matthew explains that insurance is all about data and it is really important to embrace the new technology for the industry. (22:39)

Matthew tells us that the power of being able to organize data based on the needs of the business is very significant. (28:25)

Matthew shares his insights about cryptocurrency and how it can be related to the progress of a company. (33:21)

Matthew tells us more about the Co-Founders of Obie, Aaron and Ryan. (41:51)

Matthew mentions that his father has been his greatest mentor in the business. (45:09)

Key Quotes:

"We're talking about InsurTech but there's also PropTech, right? Like the property tech companies, the property manager digitising. And so, our number one thing is we wanted to have a product that actually makes sense for what's going on right now." - Matthew Sutika

"I always say, let's keep building great technology." - Matthew Sutika

"The unique thing about our InsurTech company is we're actually built by insurance people and we have a pretty large brokerage in the back of it…So, you know, we have a good mix of actual insurance people at our company." - Matthew Sutika

Resources Mentioned:

Matthew Sutika LinkedIn

Obie

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, Jason Cass and Jeff Shi interview Tim Metzner, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Coterie. Tim talks about what Coterie does to help small agencies and startups provide great service at a reasonable investment cost.

Episode Highlights:

Tim starts the episode by sharing that he is an iPhone user. (3:21)

Tim shares that he hates to lose more than he loves to win. (3:49)

Tim tells us that luck has been a bigger factor in his life. (4:22)

Tim shares his background and how he got to where he is now. (5:12)

Tim talks about being a Chief Strategy Officer and still hiring a CEO for his company. (9:37)

Tim talks about how Coterie started and what the company is all about. (11:46)

Tims shares that they use API integrations with most of InsurTech globally. (16:41)

Tim explains the mechanics of Series A, B, C, D, and C rounds. (23:58)

Tim talks about how Coterie works with partners and investors. (28:17)

Tim shares about other InsurTech vendors that he knows of. (36:44)

Tim talks about the genius model that's behind the scenes, that allows companies to still be connected. (41:53)

Key Quotes:

"We just believe that the fact that 40% of small businesses don't have insurance is a big problem." - Tim Metzner

"We've said from the beginning, we want to build a great company that can last for a long time. And we've got patient investors who have bought into our vision, and that's exciting." - Tim Metzner

"We want an agent to have a super easy button for a customer to quote and bind right on their website, we want them to make it easier to service a policy for their customers." - Tim Metzner

Resources Mentioned: Resources Mentioned:

Tim Metzner LinkedIn

Coterie

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jeff Shi Linkedin

Agency Intelligence

Are you ready for Episode 1 of the InsurTech Series? This series will showcase all innovations aimed at extracting cost savings and efficiency from the existing insurance structure.

In the first episode of the Agents Influence podcast InsurTech Series, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Shi, Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International and CEO of Quotehound. Jeff talks about what InsurTech is and what Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 are and how they are connected to everything.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff starts the conversation with how COVID has changed our lives. (3:21)

Jeff and Jason talk about Cryptocurrency and whether it will be a big thing in the years to come. (10:07)

Jeff talks about how his company has been able to gain capital raise from 2019. (14:53)

Jeff explains what Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 are. (19:39)

Jeff shares how important it is to have Cyber Insurance in a company. (25:25)

Jeff explains what a seed round and Series A mean, in terms of investments. (30:56)

Jeff expresses his appreciation to Jason Cass and recalls the first time he was on a podcast episode. (40:43)

Key Quotes:

"We're at the point where you can't see that almost every single industry can be disrupted." - Jeff Shi

"Imagine being an actuary right now, being an actuary, right now, in a cyber insurance world is either the most stressful, I'm drinking five classes a week, a night, and I'm popping in other words in the morning." - Jeff Shi

Insurance is paying for the future. And right now, I haven't seen a single cyber insurance company disclose that they're buying Bitcoin in the treasury." - Jeff Shi

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Shi LinkedIn

Quotehound

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Ron Shroyer, Vice President of Sales at Aureus Analytics, to discuss the future of tech and why it is so important to find tech that works for you and your agency.

Measuring your customer's happiness is a huge component of your retention. With Aureus Analytics' new product, Donna for agents can measure and collect all of this data for you, which in return allows you to sell your customer what they NEED.

Episode Highlights:

Ron provides a quick background story about Aureus and what his company is all about. (5:19)

Ron shares that they help clients learn more about their customers. (10:06)

Ron tells us about the 100 customer experience scoring called Sentimeter. (12:17)

Ron explains why data is very important for future insurance agents. (17:49)

Ron explains what his company's technology looks like. (19:51)

Ron shares that his back-end technology caters to every agency because they know that agencies operate differently. (25:14)

Ron tells us about his company's competitors and how he approaches them. (33:28)

Ron shares that it is important to look at succession planning to prepare for the future. (41:37)

Ron shares his vision of the Aureus in the future and how they are scaling up to it. (46:46)

Ron shares his favorite color and ice cream flavor. (50:41)

Ron tells us one place he would go if he would be traveling. (51:50)

Ron gives us his piece of advice to young agents out there listening. (52:42)

Key Quotes:

"Aggregating data like that is to be able to provide a better product and service, it's going to help serve you a lot more efficiently and effectively." - Ron Shroyer

"Everyone has their kind of hopes and dreams as far as how they want people to utilize the product. But we know that we still have to be as flexible as possible because every agency operates a little bit differently." - Ron Shroyer

“You need to surround yourself with individuals that are going to put you in a better position than where you are today.” - Ron Shroyer

Resources Mentioned:

Ron Shroyer LinkedIn

Aureus Analytics

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses the 12X Mindset, which results in one new client per month via Broker of Record Letter. Charles talks about the basic foundation of the 12X Mindset which is, 1) Stop offering quotes to non-clients; 2) Develop a Micro-Niche, 3) Target larger revenue-generating accounts, and 4) Target signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the goal of this episode. (2:20)

What are some of the things insurance producers should do to win prospects? (5:34)

Charles gives a significant piece of advice to help you with prospecting. (7:58)

Charles shares some statistics from his experience as an insurance producer. (12:30)

When did Charles really start to understand the power of the broker of record letter? (21:33)

Charles mentions the 12X Club website. (22:10)

Charles gives the four keys you need to have a 12X mindset. (22:27)

Charles explains how to create services within your niche. (31:29)

Key Quotes:

“You can’t articulate to your prospect about what makes you different, and what makes you better. Please understand, your prospect will never be able to figure it out for themselves, ever.” - Charles Specht

“Prospecting is a numbers game. Selling insurance is a relationship game. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can just walk into somebody's office and ask for the sign broker of record letter, and expect to get it.” - Charles Specht

“Everything that you do, every question you ask, every telephone call, every email is a point of positioning. You're trying to position yourself in a better light, in a better position, stronger position, so that you can win the business.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom Reid, Steve Earle, Jeff Roy, and Adam Mitchell discuss consumer behaviour, and how far along insurance consumers are in their digital adoption.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Andrew Wynn, Co-Founder of Ascend, a modern insurance payments platform.

To schedule your live demo of the Ascend platform, visit https://www.useascend.com/agencyfreedom. When you sign up for Ascend and complete your first transaction, Ascend will send you a custom Yeti tumbler.

Disclosure: James is a brand ambassador for Ascend and will receive a referral fee if you sign up using our affiliate link and complete a transaction on Ascend.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht gives the back story of his first ten years in the insurance industry as a producer. Charles explains why he stopped selling insurance and became a fee-based consultant to insurance buyers, how insurance buyers choose an agent, and how he eventually transitioned into teaching insurance producers how to win signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions the three things that an insurance buyer is looking for. (1:32)

Charles gives a brief background of his consulting company. (3:03)

Charles mentions the reason why insurance buyers hire him as their insurance consultant. (5:56)

Charles shares the skill sets you’ll need when it comes to prospecting. (10:01)

Charles walks us through his career background. (11:42)

Charles mentions why he loves to hear the word ‘yes’. (13:48)

Charles explains what a minimum revenue threshold is. (16:33)

Charles shares one of the big decisions he made in his career. (23:22)

Charles mentions the website Broker of Record Letter Group Mastermind. (29:17)

Key Quotes:

“What I do is work with insurance agents to actually help them become more successful. It's a lot more fun, it's a lot more exciting than having to actually put together apps and so forth. Personally, I'd love to be able to see the producers actually get that win, to be able to see that smile that they heard somebody say ‘yes’.” -Charles Specht

“I love to hear the word ‘yes’, because I know that when I hear the word ‘yes’, that means they have said no to the incumbent and that they have chosen to actually begin doing business with me. And so, I love prospecting. I love being able to meet with people. I love being able to talk to people. And, so, you know what? I was just a prospecting machine.” -Charles Specht

“I focus on working with insurance agents to help them get more broker record letters. You wonder why? Because, that's what my client, the contractor, wants. They want to be able to pick one agent. I don't focus on the broker of record letter just because I think it's an awesome, interesting way with the prospect, no. I focus on the broker record letter because it's what the prospect wants.” -Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

This is a special Billy Williams episode on maximizing agency growth in 2022. In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley and Billy Williams dive deep into what holds agencies back from growing and what the major keys are to breaking free of stagnation and making growth real moving forward. This is an episode you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Billy mentions that in 2022, he hopes to make the podcast rounds to help people get back on track. (3:53)

Billy recalls winning the bodybuilding Natural Nationals two years in a row. (9:25)

Billy believes that a lack of emotional discipline is the biggest factor preventing any firm from growing. (15:03)

Billy explains that as leaders, we are only actually responsible for three things: hiring, training, and accountability. (20:53)

Billy discusses the significance of effective processes and spot-checking. (30:30)

Billy mentions that process is nothing more than the steps it takes to get something done. (35:11)

Billy mentions that the real reason most agencies aren't growing is that they have terrible leads. (43:07)

People often conflate popularity with profitability, according to Billy. (54:15)

Billy discusses Fix My Insurance Agency in detail. (1:04:56)

Key Quotes:

“The thing that made me really really good as a bodybuilder, was not what I gave up. It was what I reallocated.” - Billy Williams

“The real issue in most agencies when they're not growing…The reason why they have terrible staff, the reason why they have terrible technology, the reason why they have terrible processes, the reason why they have terrible cash flow, is because they have terrible leads.” - Billy Williams

“Running an agency is not that damn hard. We make it hard. We get caught up in the admin, right? That's what happens. We get caught up in the admin and we think that's insurance. Insurance is not admin, insurance is issuing a damn policy.” - Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Billy Williams LinkedIn

Williams Family Investment Group

Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring

Fix My Insurance Agency

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Emily Gerber Poe Owner of Gerber Insurance & Financial Services. They discuss how Emily took over the agency from her Father and how she has made it the powerhouse it is today.

Episode Highlights:

Emily shares her beginnings and how she got into the insurance industry. (1:31)

Emily tells us about what has contributed to her becoming a great leader. (6:39)

Emily shares the changes that she has made for the agency that she took over. (9:47)

Emily shares the concept of the trash button and trust bucket, and how it works in her agency. (13:02)

Emily opens up about the things that she has done and accomplished over the past few years. (16:19)

Emily explains how she makes sure that she shows up for her team as a visionary and as an owner. (20:45)

Emily shares talks about the ebb and flow with business growth. (24:42)

Emily shares her strategy to keep everybody aligned and in the loop. (31:14)

Emily gives us a couple of traits of being a great leader. (35:36)

Key Quotes:

"I think one thing about being a good leader is recognizing when you're wrong, and recognizing when you've made a mistake and being able to go to your team and say, you know, we're gonna pivot because this actually didn't work." - Emily Gerber Poe

"Doing acquisitions takes a lot of time. And it's not a switch that you can flip. But I think the more streamlined the processes are, the easier it is for everybody to recognize and understand what the rules are. - Emily Gerber Poe

"I think as a leader of a company, there is never really I don't think there's ever been a season that's ever been the same for me and I'm okay with that, and I love that." - Emily Gerber Poe

Resources Mentioned:

Emily Gerber Poe LinkedIn

Gerber Insurance & Financial Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Austin Moorhead, Founder of Lava Automation. Austin discusses how his company helps new and existing agencies automate their system and build their processes in a CRM. Jason and Austin also talk about the benefits of having a VA in your Agency.

Episode Highlights:

Austin shares that he is an iPhone user. (5:08)

Austin says he is a fighter so it means he loves to win. (6:03)

Austin shares that hard work has been the biggest factor in his success. (6:24)

Austin shares a bit of his background and how he started his automation company. (7:33)

Austin explains that his company automates the agency process, and is now changing the process of what the CRM can do. (12:52)

Austin expresses his interest in a unified user experience. (17:37)

Austin shares what system they use to cater to their client's needs. (20:31)

Austin talks about the importance of having a VA in an Agency. (27:58)

Austin tells us that successful agencies happen to have amazing VAs. (35:08)

Key Quotes:

"If we're into the theme of a unified system, then it's about what else can I bolt on to it." - Austin Moorhead

"VA’s, VE's, they're probably the most critical part of your agency, they're probably going to get you the highest ROI out of any employee that you've got." - Austin Moorhead

"Let the CFO be in charge, do the things that are going to make future smart financial decisions. And then I think that you'll never look back and like, oh, my gosh, look what we see at least. - Austin Moorhead

Resources Mentioned:

Austin Moorhead LinkedIn

Lava Automation

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Today we are bringing you a special episode from the Cease & Desist podcast, hosted by Ryan Mathisen, Andy Mathisen, and Shaun Mulhern from GloveBox with Jason Cass in the guest chair! Tune in to hear about what the future of the insurance holds, what Jason is investing in and what he plans for the future!

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, host Tom Reid, Jeff Roy, Adam Mitchell and Steve Earle talk about the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically how their brokerages adapted to working from home.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Christian Moore, founder of the Real Good Group in Lexington, Kentucky.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

Excuses never made anyone any money. People who go bankrupt always have an excuse as to why. Salespeople who don't win an account always have an excuse for their failure. That goes for insurance producers as well. There are reasons and excuses for all failures. But insurance agents who hold onto excuses are the ones who live paycheck to paycheck.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to eliminate excuses, how to execute a plan, and how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals that achieve success.

Episode Highlights:

Charles talks about excuses being the reason for us not achieving our goals in life. (1:14)

Charles provides some examples of the excuses that we commonly have in the industry. (3:45)

Charles tells us what excuses are going to do to our life. (7:52)

Charles says that a lack of execution on actual prospecting will cause failure. (11:25)

Charles shares that we have to have 12x goals, not only get out of the box but destroy the box. (16:47)

Charles gives us the S.M.A.R.T. goal strategy that we can apply to our daily actions. (19:21)

Charles shares that lack of execution results in excuses. (22:38)

Charles tells us to be S.M.A.R.T. (Sizable, Measurable, Actionable Reachable, Time-sensitive) about our goals. (24:36)

Charles says if we continue to hold on to excuses and reasoning and grudges we will ruin relationships. (26:37)

Key Quotes:

"A lack of prospects in the pipeline, a lack of execution on the actual prospecting activity will cause you to starve. Period." - Charles Specht

"The problem, however, is that we have a vast amount of times throughout the year where we do not take action. There's no execution. - Charles Specht

"If you begin to execute, rather than have excuses, you're probably going to be much more likely to succeed, not merely in the long term, but also right now in the short term." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, John Fohr, Co-Founder of TrustLayer, the digital platform helping agencies and business owners alike better track licensing, certificates, and insurance, joins the podcast for an EPIC conversation.

This is one you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

John sits down with Ryan and talks about when he started his business. (9:16)

John shares how they started the accelerator broker tech ventures during the pandemic. (14:01)

John shares more about his company, what they do, and how they operate with their clients. (23:05)

John shares some of the challenges they had to face as a start-up company. (29:10)

John tells us that their company and their clients are not brokers instead they work with brokers. (34:22)

Johns explains that their main goal for the broker is to make them earn more revenue because of their services. (39:41)

John shares that the way brokers adapt is by thinking that the value is for the customer and not just for you. (42:22)

John tells us that we should want to focus on building ground truth to build a proof of coverage. (49:41)

John talks about managing integrations in an efficient way. (54:43)

Key Quotes:

"So for us, like, we're the trust layer, right? We're happy to be that middle layer. And if people don't even know that we exist, that's fine, because we can work on just building infrastructure for the insurance industry." - John Fohr

"We are either revenue-neutral, or we are revenue positive. For the broker, We're trying to help you guys make more revenue." - John Fohr

"Remember, this isn't a value just for you. It's a value for your customer." - John Fohr

Resources Mentioned:

John Fohr LinkedIn

TrustLayer

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Linda Marie Fisher and Teresa Kitchens talk about how Linda went from commission-only sales for an agency to opening her own agency and running a rock star team.

Episode Highlights:

Linda shares her journey to becoming an insurance agent. (1:33)

Linda thinks back to the moment when she was able to secure her first high-end client for her company. (5:29)

Linda tells us what she gets out of attending conferences. (11:51)

Linda explains that to make the company successful, we have to take care of our employees. (15:03)

Linda shares what she gives to newly hired agents, and how this helps them improve as a team. (20:37)

Linda recalls a moment in time that gave her the passion to be the leader she is today. (26:52)

Linda shares that listening to her employees is her best problem-solving strategy. (35:49)

Linda advises us to connect with people that are in the position of where we want to be. (38:47)

Linda says that this industry is so giving and that all we need to do is to surround ourselves with the right people. (40:03)

Key Quotes:

"If you look at a lot of agency owners and why we became owners, it's because we love to sell." - Linda Marie Fisher

"This business is a relationship business. It's not just this relationship with our team. It's our team's relationships with our clients, to our team's relationships with the carriers, it's our team's relationships." - Linda Marie Fisher

"You get to a time when you have to make a decision. Either I'm going to stop growing, and I can handle it all myself. Or I've got to hire people to help me with this. Yeah, well, if you're going to hire people to help you with this, you better figure out how to be a leader." - Linda Marie Fisher

Resources Mentioned:

Linda Marie Fisher LinkedIn

Cardinal Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Roger Sitkins, CEO, of Sitkins Group and Brent Kelly, President of Sitkins Group. Roger and Brent talk with Jason about their new book, Best Version Possible, which helps you explore what the best version possible looks like for you and your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Brent discusses the new book, Best Version Possible, that he and Roger wrote. (3:05)

Roger explains that the idea behind the book is to show people that there is the best possible version of themselves. (6:33)

Brent shares what he thinks would happen at the end of people's lives with their best possible selves. (10:29)

Roger shares his mentoring relationship with Brent and talks about his role models throughout his career. (17:39)

Roger and Brent discuss their new documentary on the Sitkins Group. (25:09)

Roger shares his insights about time management being impossible in the insurance business. (31:07)

Brent shares a lesson he learned from the late Jim Rhon and how it helped him to his goals. (38:33)

Roger shares what he thinks we will see in the next 30 years for the industry. (42:54)

Brents states that technology is not here to replace relationship but to enhance it. (49:54)

Roger and Brent share a book they are currently reading. (56:15)

Key Quotes:

"What is our best version possible? What does that mean? And are we living up to it? So that was just the overall theme of how we're writing this book." - Brent Kelly

"One of the things that I realized early on in life, is that every problem I've ever had came disguised as an opportunity." -Roger Sitkins

"How do we take this legacy that works and bring it into the future? And you know, the key philosophies, the principles, the strategies, they really don't change. Some of the methods and how we communicate that in today's world have absolutely changed, but the philosophies have not.’" - Brent Kelly

Resources Mentioned:

Brent Kelly LinkedIn

Roger Sitkins LinkedIn

Sitkins Group, Inc.

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Tamron Manning, Founder and Owner of Integrity Insurance Group in Lexington, Kentucky to discuss the highs and lows that he has experienced as a start-up agency owner in the last 3 months. Tamron opened up the doors at Integrity Insurance in October of 2021 and has hit the ground running. This guy is going places!

Episode Highlights:

Tamron shares some of the most difficult challenges he faced when he started his business at 27. (2:26)

Tamron shares some of the things he would have changed when he was just starting the agency. (4:47)

Tamron recalls a moment when he was just starting and felt like he was in a captive situation. (7:56)

Tamron shares some of the software he uses for his video proposals. (14:51)

Tamron tells us that he has not yet integrated with any of the Tech companies but is currently in the process, to provide more customer satisfaction. (23:19)

Tamron shares what he thinks are the best referral partners for the business. (28:57)

Tamron tells us the common struggles that he is currently facing as an agency owner. (34:07)

Tamron shares what his mental mindset was to proceed in building and starting his career. (40:31)

Tamron gives us the reason why he loves the insurance industry. (45:40)

Tamron shares his favorite color and his favorite flavor of ice cream. (49:35)

Tamron shares that his favorite place to go that he has never been would be Australia. (51:16)

Key Quotes:

"You need to learn from these people, and listen to them and then practice roleplay. Some people roleplay. You need to do that kind of stuff to be good for the game." - Tamron Manning

"If you spend your whole time planning and waiting for that perfect time or waiting for your savings account to hit this amount. You'll never do it, man." - Tamron Manning

"Figure it out as you go, fail as many times as you can. And you'll find, I promise you'll figure it out. If you keep failing enough. And you learn from that and you do it again." - Tamron Manning

Resources Mentioned:

Tamron Manning LinkedIn

Integrity Insurance Group

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Age of Indiependence Podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Brian Ahearn, Author, Coach, and Chief Influence Officer at Influence People. Science tells us that the methods you use impact your ability to influence and persuade. In "Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents", Brian Ahearn shares how you can increase your impact in your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Brian tells us that he does set goals but he did not set a New Year's resolution. (6:23)

Brian shares some highlights of the books that he has published. (9:23)

Brian recalls the moment he realized that his passion was persuasion, influence, and helping people grow. (12:05)

Brian tells us that there are scientific ways to be a more effective influencer. (17:20)

Brian explains that 95% of our decision-making comes from a subconscious level. (23:09)

Brian explains how a sales coach can persuade people new to the insurance industry to be persuasive. (25:10)

Brian gives his advice to everyone in the industry to make sure they don't miss out on the tool of compare and contrast. (30:51)

Brian points out how important it is to know other people's personality types. (39:30)

Brian says that the motivation of wanting to control schedules and income can help people in sales be successful. (46:44)

Brian explains the importance of the principle of liking. (47:58)

Key Quotes:

"Pave the way to success, make your goals public, take some active steps, whatever your goal is, it has to be voluntary, it has to be yours, it can't be thrust upon you." - Brian Ahearn

"It's not that it's unimportant to understand your personality, but it's always more important to understand the person that you're interacting with." - Brian Ahearn

"Focus on the principle of liking, which says that it's easier for people to say yes to you if they know you, and they like you. But don't spend your time trying to get people to like you." - Brian Ahearn

Resources Mentioned:

Brian Ahearn Linkedin

Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents

Influence People

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom Reid goes over the pros and cons, challenges and opportunities of making insurance paperless, with digital brokers Steve Earle, Adam Mitchell, and Jeff Roy.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Matan Slagter, the Co-Founder and CEO of Armadillo, an emerging player in the home warranty space. Armadillo is one part tech company and one part residential service company. They are making the legacy players very uncomfortable.

Learn more about Armadillo and their partner program at https://www.armadillo.one

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Bradley Flowers, entrepreneur-in-residence at Portal Insurance, for a tremendous conversation on what comes next for one of the most exciting and interesting young agencies in our industry. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Bradley talks about hiring someone to work on his various projects. (6:59)

Bradley shares his definition of what a good salesperson and a good producer is. (14:14)

Bradley tells us about his office space and the percentage of expenses that go to it. (20:20)

Bradley shares that he does not think that there is anything wrong with being a mainstream generalist. (31:24)

Bradley says that convenience beats price 98% of the time, and shares insights about retention. (36:45)

Bradley shares that it is important to automate, outsource, and delegate. (41:56)

Bradley talks about the two important things he has learned in the past two years. (47:49)

Bradley shares a situation he had with one of the companies that offers InsurTech. (58:53)

Bradley explains how agents are still important in a company's success. (1:02:42)

Bradley and Ryan talk about NFTs and Cryptocurrency, and how it is going to revolutionize the video game. (1:05:37)

Key Quotes:

If you work with good independent agents, they are going to put you with the correct carrier for your risk. They're not going to try to fit something into a box that doesn't belong there. Generally speaking." - Bradley Flowers

"Again, with your team. There are no better people than the people that work for you." - Bradley Flowers

"The hardest thing, I think, is to delegate the things that you're not good at, but you like doing." - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned:

Bradley Flowers LinkedIn

Portal Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

There are a number of things you can do to increase the likelihood of winning new clients from signed Broker of Record Letters. Some are more difficult to accomplish initially and may require experience, but others are things you can start doing immediately to win more signatures.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will begin to itemize the ABCs of what you need to do to win more signed Broker of Record Letters from your prospects.

Episode Highlights:

Charles tells us that this episode is about how to win Broker of Record Letters. (2:17)

Charles shares that the Broker of Record Letter is an insurance tool to ensure proper service from incumbent agents. (5:00)

Charles explains that the insurers' best interest is to gain a reputation in the marketplace. (8:34)

Charles states that most agents do not even mention the Broker of Record Letter to insurance buyers. (11:43)

Charles shares the ABCs of Broker of Record Letters, which will revolutionize your entire career. (16:10)

Charles shares the call experience that he had with a company that makes high-end treehouses. (20:00)

Charles explains that he will be putting up mini-courses that answer particular issues that will help agents. (23:44)

Charles tells us that advisors get more signed Broker of Record Letters than producers. (26:43)

Charles says that a Broker of Record Letter is the fastest, smartest, most ethical approach to building a $1 million or more book of business. (28:31)

Key Quotes:

"I really believe that the insurance industry is turning a corner and we're going to be accelerating towards a particular direction." - Charles Specht

"The Broker of Record Letters is not something that we talk about or that we wield. It is not to be a hammer in your hand and you beat the insurance buyer of your prospects into submission until they finally sign that thing." - Charles Specht

"You do not receive it if you do not ask. If you do not ask, you do not receive. If you ask, you will receive what you asked for." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Kelly Mora, owner of Heritage Insurance Agency. They discuss how to create a culture of caring and how in Kelly’s agriculture-based agency, her team cares and builds community.

Episode Highlights:

Kelly mentions she comes from a hospitality background and considers herself to be more of a creative thinker than a technical thinker. (04:30)

Kelly emphasizes that they want to have control over who they associate with, not just within their agency but also with the clients they serve. (10:37)

Kelly believes that when you're happy and feeling fulfilled by your day, you owe it to your community and that you're incredibly privileged to serve the people you do. (12:10)

Kelly shares that metrics are hard and that's something they're working on currently to help them fill out their analytics a little more. (16:53)

As leaders of their organization, Kelly mentions that their role is to help people achieve their goals. (17:52)

Kelly explains that although many people criticize the millennial generation, they have embraced it. (21:01)

Kelly thinks that symbiotic relationships are the only way for longterm success to work. You're not just looking for a job, but a place to call home. (26:04)

Kelly mentions that they value work ethic, and if you don't share that mindset and take pride in yourself, you won't be successful on their team. (27:11)

Kelly shares the importance of addressing trust. (32:04)

Key Quotes:

"We always remind ourselves, we are very fortunate to serve the people we do, and that they have entrusted at. And we try to continually earn that every day." - Kelly Mora

"It's a culture of care that our agency is a family and you can't expect the value to be given to your agency by your members if you don't first value them." - Kelly Mora

"In the last five years, we recognized we had a very youthful team. And it was by design. You know, that's where some real great energy comes from. A lot of people complain about the millennials set, but we embraced it." - Kelly Mora

Resources Mentioned:

Kelly Mora LinkedIn

Heritage Insurance Agency

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ashley Napier, 3000 Insurance Group’s Chief Operating Officer. Ashley discusses her path to becoming the COO of 3000 Insurance Group and how they are utilizing Virtual Assistants in their agency.

Episode Highlights:

Ashley mentions that she is an iPhone user. (2:43)

Ashley says that she likes winning because it gives her a sense of accomplishment. (3:40)

Ashley explains how grit, determination and blessings have led her to where she is now. (6:04)

Ashley shares more about her past, and how she got started in the industry. (7:51)

Ashley shares what led her to the COO position. (14:08)

Ashley explains an experience in 2015 that made her not want to get insurance. (16:46)

Ashley talks about 3000 Insurance Group. (21:22)

Ashley shares her insight into hiring VA’s and how they are utilizing them in her company. (29:13)

Ashley mentions that she is currently reading Traction. (37:51)

Ashley shares that she is currently hooked to watching Ted Lasso. (41:14)

Key Quotes:

“I’m not saying sales was easy, and I just accomplished it and moved on, but leading people is where I'm supposed to be at this time.” - Ashley Napier

“So coaching and mentorship and watching people set goals and struggle with the obstacles that get in their way, understanding what's on the other side of them, what's on the other side of their goals.I love just coming alongside people and getting in the well with them and watching them grow. - Ashley Napier

“I would say that the VA’s can only do as good of a job as we give them instructions for. And so, we have really looked at ourselves, our systems, our processes, our workflows to make sure that we're providing them the very best instructions that we can.” - Ashley Napier

Resources Mentioned:

Ashley Napier LinkedIn

3000 Insurance Group

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, Tom Reid talks to digital brokers Adam Mitchell, Jeff Roy, and Steve Earle about their experiences transforming their brokerages from traditional shops to digital operations.

Resources:

Tom Reid

Jeff Roy

Steve Earle

Adam Mitchell

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Trace Meek, Founder of Fetch Underwriting and the Managing Editor of the Insurance Daily News digital publication.

To learn more about Fetch Underwriting, visit their website at: https://www.fetchuw.com.

To catch up on the current news and updates in the insurance industry, bookmark and visit https://insurancedailynews.com/.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Josh Gurley, partner at HM Advisors, for an epic conversation to start 2022. They break down the business of insurance, selling commercials and growing your business. Josh is an all-time professional in our industry.

Episode Highlights:

Josh shares with us about doing a year in review. (6:00)

Josh tells us that one of his top 10 happenings of last year was making new friends who inspire him. (11:55)

Josh tells us that, to be successful in business you have to be brave enough to tell people the truth. (20:44)

Josh says that it is very important to call the next move with your clients. (28:38)

Josh mentions that his company currently operates in 23 different states. (33:33)

Josh talks about what he’s learned from technology this year. (36:19

Josh says that people need to understand that technology should only do what works for them. (44:43)

Josh shares what he thinks is the most valuable thing in the insurance industry. (52:41)

Josh shares some advice he gave to a client. (56:51)

Josh says that you only need to do the thing that you're good at and everything else will follow. (1:01:34)

Josh shares the importance of family in his life and imparts some advice on a few things that you should not delegate. (1:02:51)

Key Quotes:

"I just really want to help provide education to our industry, because I think we're in one of the most honorable industries that a person could possibly be." - Josh Gurley

"I think that what people need to understand about technology is that you should do what works for you." - Josh Gurley

"I think from an ownership perspective, if growing the value of your agency is through personal production, and you can do that, then do it." - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Gurley LinkedIn

HM Advisors

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

The "content strategy" you use on LinkedIn is almost as important as your profile page itself. But, there's also a sense in which you don't have to create any unique content at all and still be ultra-successful at prospecting with LinkedIn. However, insurance agents who create quality content are the ones who are thought leaders in their fields.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you about the three main forms of content strategy you need to focus on to write more new business using LinkedIn, and which one is the most effective.

Episode Highlights:

Charles starts the episode by thanking all the listeners that have been listening throughout the year. (1:07)

Charles continues to discuss the basics of what your LinkedIn profile should look like. (4:33)

Charles advises us that if we become micro-niched, we should also be aware of our potential. (9:45)

Charles shares some examples of topics that you can talk about in your LinkedIn content. (12:35)

Charles tells us how he creates his content. (16:35)

Charles gives out an example of how struggles in cold calling can be turned into content. (20:47)

Charles shares when to know that you have become an interactive person on LinkedIn. (23:40)

Charles advises us to become "content creators" rather than "content curators" but just being social and interacting is also helpful. (26:40)

Charles shares that using LinkedIn strategically can lead to a lot of business opportunities. (27:57)

Charles talks about the value and benefits of being able to get his digital course. (28:47)

Key Quotes:

"Your LinkedIn account is not for you. It's for the people you're trying to reach out to. It's for the people you're trying to attract." - Charles Specht

"I think that the rate of return on LinkedIn is so much greater than cold calling. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying cold calling doesn't work. It works. It has its place, but it doesn't work as effectively as LinkedIn, period." - Charles Specht

"I would advise you, don't be a curator of content, you should be a creator of content because you become an instant thought leader in the entire space." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Stacie King, CEO of Stacie King & Company and Digital Content & Communications Director at Agentero. Stacie is amazing at using online content to build brands, increase awareness and provide education to the insurance space.

Episode Highlights:

Stacie shares her background and experience. (1:42)

Stacie discusses her current role and responsibilities as a digital content director. (8:26)

Stacie states that agents should not be afraid to embrace technological innovation. (11:41)

Stacie says that listening to podcasts sparks listeners’ creativity and gives the listeners new ideas they can apply to their company or work. (17:22)

Stacie shares tips on how you can improve your marketing through podcasts and social media. (21:22)

Stacie states that there are a lot of media options that agents can use to connect to their prospects and clients. (26:06)

Stacie shares what she does when she sees a potential post she can use for her marketing. (31:56)

Stacie believes that one of the most important things agents should have is LinkedIn. (33:35)

Stacie shares the most important line that agents should start with. (36:15)

Key Quotes:

“I wanted to show people who have had a lot of adversity, and who have got various challenges, and who overcome them and succeed and do cool things and big things in their lives, even though they've had some challenges.” - Stacie King

“I encourage agents if nothing else, you don't have to be the expert at all things right? You can rely on other resources, you can rely on other people to fill in the gaps in the areas that maybe you're not as strong in.” - Stacie King

“If I can teach people anything, here's the one I want you to remember: What can I do for you today? I have a lot of contacts in the XYZ industry, or I have a lot of resources at my disposal, how can I help you? That's the line that everyone needs to start with.” - Stacie King

Resources Mentioned:

Stacie King LinkedIn

Agentero

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, Jason Cass chats with Jeff Roy, Tom Reid, Steve Earle, and Adam Mitchell, hosts of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast. They share the exciting news that the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast will be joining the AI Podcast Network! The hosts tell us a little about themselves and discuss how they are working towards making the industry better in Canada and beyond.

Don’t miss this episode and get ready to listen to the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast on the AI Podcast Network every Saturday!

Episode Highlights:

Jeff shares how the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast was started. (2:48)

Adam introduces himself and gives a brief background of what he does. (4:13)

Steve shares his story, what he does, and some of his projects with Adam and Steve. (5:19)

Tom joins the conversation and provides information about himself. (7:23)

Tom, Steve, and Adam share things that they have learned from each other. (11:50)

Jeff explains that they know everything is not going to work but they always learn to work together. (14:57)

Steve and Tom share what they think has been the biggest factor in their life, skill or luck. (16:54)

Jeff gives out his insight about having skill or luck as the biggest factor in his life. (20:45)

Jeff explains that the funds they make at the end of each season go to charity. (23:07)

Jeff talks about how Canada and the United States are dealing with the same industry issues. (24:56)

Key Quotes:

"We have the same battles. So it's not just across Canada, the issues across Canada and the US are almost identical, just with different names attached, right? We're all fighting the same fight." - Jeff Roy

"We've had great people on the podcast that we've had good conversations with but more importantly, exposed our questions and thoughts to everybody else to share with them." - Jeff Roy

"All of us here have given hundreds, if not thousands of hours to make the industry better. You know, we just don't work on it. It's not all about us. It's about making the industry better. - Jeff Roy

Resources Mentioned:

Tom Reid LinkedIn

Jeff Roy LinkedIn

Steve Earle LinkedIn

Adam Mitchell LinkedIn

Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Are you ready to finally figure out how to use LinkedIn for prospecting so that you can dominate in new business sales in 2022? If yes, then this episode is for you. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain to you how to get your LinkedIn Profile figured out by first determining your "Intent" and also your "Micro-Niche" focus. It's time to take action and not waste another year. LinkedIn is a superior tool, if you use it strategically.

Episode Highlights:

Charles introduces a new digital course called “12X Your Book with LinkedIn”. (1:06)

Charles tells us that LinkedIn is an underutilized secret when it comes to prospecting for new business. (3:13)

Charles explains that LinkedIn is more than just an online resume. (5:10)

Charles explains that the intent of what you're using LinkedIn for will dictate what type of connections you need to have. (10:45)

Charles explains that a vast majority of your competitors are not using LinkedIn, which presents an opportunity for you. (15:40)

Charles says that if you become micro-niched using LinkedIn, clients will see you as the best choice to do business with. (20:59)

Charles explains that focusing your profile on a specific category will not affect anything. (21:52)

Charles shares other alternatives to micro-niching your LinkedIn profile. (23:58)

Charles tells us that his new digital course comes with free content to be used on your actual feed. (28:18)

Charles shares that he is going to be the personal LinkedIn coach for people who sign up for the course. (32:20)

Key Quotes:

"Your profile is going to dictate what your content is. Your profile is going to be dictated by who you're trying to attract." - Charles Specht

'I'm not here to say anything is wrong. You just have to be okay with it. You just have to also realize there are consequences to using social media just socially, rather than using it for a business purpose. " - Charles Specht

"To attract, you need to repel. You need to repel the people you don't want in order to attract the people you do want." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with the Season 1 winner of The Protege, Derek Hayden. Derek joins the show to discuss his experience on the reality TV show and the things he has learned along the way that have led to Mr. Hayden's success. Yes, his favorite color is camo!

Episode Highlights:

Derek shares what led him to be in the insurance agency as a producer. (3:53)

Derek tells us about his education and how he was able to focus on his studies while playing baseball. (6:08)

Derek mentions that his early beginnings as an agent were a rough start. (8:22)

Derek mentions that his education has helped him learn how to build his process and explain benefits to potential clients. (15:01)

Derek shares his great experience with The Protégé, the first reality TV show for insurance. (20:47)

Derek explains how he got interested in joining the podcast industry. (28:16)

Derek gives out tips on how to make the perfect video for prospecting. (42:23)

Derek tells us that his favorite color is camo. (47:58)

Derek tells us that his favorite place is with his family at their family farm. (49:01)

Derek shares his advice to all young agents that are getting started in the industry. (51:11)

Key Quotes:

“You do have control over solving a problem. So, if you know what your target market’s problem is, lead with the solution to that problem 100% of the time.”- Derek Hayden

“For me being able to get laser-focused on what I know I do really well. And what I know, I have tools and resources to build my book around. That's when I started to, you know, stack them up here and there to build my personal book of business.” Derek Hayden

"I know in my niches, what their problems are before I even step in the door. So that's one thing about, niching down. I know a group of 50 employees is having this problem, because there's no one that's been able to solve it. So I'll create my questions and ask my questions around that problem." - Derek Hayden

Resources Mentioned:

Derek Hayden LinkedIn

The Protege - Season 1 Winner

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this solo episode of the Agency Freedom Podcast, James shares on five lessons learned in 2021.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this throwback episode of the Ryan Hanley Show, host Ryan Hanley interviews Josh Braun, the Founder of Sales DNA. The Master Guru of cold email prospecting, (and all things sales), Josh Braun, explains why we don’t get the response rate on cold outreach we should be and what to do about it.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions why salespeople will typically work with him. (17:50)

What has been one of the huge obstacles right at the beginning for Josh? (19:26)

Josh shares the best way to understand the customers. (21:47)

Josh mentions why he would highly recommend interviewing five or six customers.

Why does Josh prefer shorter emails? (26:25)

Josh mentions the two factors that your prospect wanted. (31:27)

Can Josh define their superpower and show them in a way that they even have a problem to begin with, and allow them to make the connection? (33:28)

Josh shares a story that happened several years ago with his wife when he saw a U-Haul. (40:39)

Josh shares a story of a man named, Dale Dupree. (46:43)

Josh mentions the visuals that he teaches to people. (51:09)

Key Quotes:

“So, the biggest mistake that I see people make, and it's no fault of their own, is that they've never done the job of the person that they're reaching out to. And so oftentimes, they're speaking a completely different language.” - Josh Braun

“Nobody wakes up one day and just buys a product, they will try to get by the best way they know how to get by because of habit and anxiety. It's hard to glean that information a lot of times from marketing materials because there's a spin to it.” - Josh Braun

“The superpower is you need to shine a light on a problem that people don't know about because every one of your prospects is running in their own sneakers today. I call these illumination questions.” - Josh Braun

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Josh Braun LinkedIn

Sales DNA

Most insurance agents don't know how to clearly articulate their value or adequately differentiate themselves in their prospect's minds. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how to best differentiate yourself with a written, objective, and strategic 12-Month Timeline of Services. Episode Highlights:

Charles explains what should happen when you’re trying to get a prospect to schedule an appointment with you. (2:18)

Charles mentions what most insurance agents do when they're in a meeting with a prospect. (3:31)

Charles recommends the book called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (5:50)

Charles mentions one of the most fascinating things about the book. (6:12)

Charles shares how the timeline of services could get you more business. (8:47)

Charles explains why differentiating yourself from the competition could be the biggest problem. (12:01)

Charles explains the timeline of services in detail. (13:10)

Charles shares a story about his client that has the largest broker of record in his curriculum. (18:23)

Charles explains why the timeline of services is so important. (20:17)

Charles mentions the three things you need to focus on with your 12-month timeline of services. (27:24)

Key Quotes:

“All of these things that we tell a prospect about... what it is that makes us better, all it really does is put us in the same bucket as everybody else. Because, the vast majority of your competitors out there are doing just that.” - Charles Specht

“You have to be able to teach your prospects how to get the things that they want. You have to be able to explain to your prospect what it is that you're going to be able to do for them, so that they can achieve the things they want.” - Charles Specht

“If you can't differentiate yourself from the competition, then you are the very epitome of mediocrity. Nobody is going to make a switch to get some more mediocrity. So, you need to really figure out how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

In this throwback episode of the Power Women In Insurance, Aurora Mullett, the Agency Owner of Intrinsic Insurance Services, sits down with Teresa Kitchens to discuss how she got into insurance, how she niched, and how she pulls in her local network to bring value to the industry. In addition, she has a great message about learning from everyone, and being "gender blind" in seeking assistance in this industry.

Episode Highlights:

Aurora shares how she got into the insurance industry. (1:08)

How does Aurora feel about the underwriting process? (6:24)

Aurora explains how she narrowed down her niche. (10:46)

Aurora tells us how she’s able to communicate with her target market. (11:11)

Aurora shares some stories about the Haggerty niche. (12:09)

How does Aurora make sure that her agency is well situated? (16:58)

Aurora shares how she teaches new members about the culture inside their agency. (21:40)

Aurora gives a piece of advice to those who are in the insurance industry. (30:14)

Key Quotes:

“The smallest niches are really the easiest to dominate because people look at it, and they're so revenue-based that they don't look at the bigger picture of it. They just go...I'm only going to make $50 off that. That's not worth my time. Instead of saying, well, that $50 can lead into this commercial account, and this high net worth account and everything else that it goes through.” - Aurora Mullet

“It's really great to have Google reviews out there, and it does your ranking...But, I want to be very strategic about the way I do my reviews, so that they realize there's a lot of problems I can solve, instead of just...I’m a homeowners agent.” - Aurora Mullet

“We’re an all-woman agency. So, I think that our mindset of taking care of others and being there to problem solve is a natural thing with women anyway, but it becomes very adaptable.” - Aurora Mullet

Resources Mentioned:

Aurora Mullet LinkedIn

Intrinsic Insurance Services

Contact Teresa Kitchens

In this throwback episode of the Agents Influence podcast, see what Safeco Insurance Director of Marketing, Chuck Blondino is saying about independent agents and why he places a safe bet on small agents and their future in the industry. Check out his wealth of industry knowledge.

Most insurance agents don't know how to clearly articulate their value or adequately differentiate themselves in their prospect's minds. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how to best differentiate yourself with a written, objective, and strategic 12-Month Timeline of Services.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains what should happen when you’re trying to get a prospect to schedule an appointment with you. (2:18)

Charles mentions what most insurance agents do when they're in a meeting with a prospect. (3:31)

Charles recommends the book called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (5:50)

Charles mentions one of the most fascinating things about the book. (6:12)

Charles shares how the timeline of services could get you more business. (8:47)

Charles explains why differentiating yourself from the competition could be the biggest problem. (12:01)

Charles explains the timeline of services in detail. (13:10)

Charles shares a story about his client that has the largest broker of record in his curriculum. (18:23)

Charles explains why the timeline of services is so important. (20:17)

Charles mentions the three things you need to focus on with your 12-month timeline of services. (27:24)

Key Quotes:

“All of these things that we tell a prospect about... what it is that makes us better, all it really does is put us in the same bucket as everybody else. Because, the vast majority of your competitors out there are doing just that.” - Charles Specht

“You have to be able to teach your prospects how to get the things that they want. You have to be able to explain to your prospect what it is that you're going to be able to do for them, so that they can achieve the things they want.” - Charles Specht

“If you can't differentiate yourself from the competition, then you are the very epitome of mediocrity. Nobody is going to make a switch to get some more mediocrity. So, you need to really figure out how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with David Carothers, founder of Florida Risk Partners. The main topic of their conversation is on tactics and strategies you can deploy in your agency to begin prospecting for and landing larger and more profitable accounts in 2022.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens gives a quick reminder to give ourselves credit, to rejoice, find joy, and ROCK 2022.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa encourages the audience to create a list of everything they were able to accomplish in the year 2021. (02:42 )

Teresa talks about the importance of taking a moment to look back and give yourself credit for all that you have achieved . (03:23 )

Teresa mentions that she’s started working with a business coach who urged her to construct a bucket list of 100 things she wants to do. (03:32)

Teresa says that she likes the idea of being able to look at 2021 and recognize 100 things that have been done wonderfully. (04:10)

Teresa shares that her family had a wonderful outing to celebrate her and her husband's birthday. (05:22)

Teresa mentions that her team has been developing the Power Women in Insurance podcast for two years. (08:10)

Teresa reflects on the many powerful women that have graced the podcast. (08:36)

Teresa encourages listeners to go into January with a new focus and determination to make a difference in our world (9:00)

Key Quotes:

“The reality is sometimes we don't look back and give ourselves credit for the awesomeness that we have achieved." - Teresa Kitchens

“In order to appreciate, grow, and move forward to make 2022 the year that we truly want it to be, we have to love and honor, the struggle, the joys, the triumphs, the areas where maybe we didn't quite reach those goals. That area where maybe we didn't quite reach that success point that we wanted. We need to look at those and we need to say I'm blessed and I'm grateful. And, you know what, we're gonna make 22 awesome.” - Teresa Kitchens

“Go into January with a new set of eyes, a new heart, a new focus, and a new determination to be able to get out there and make a difference in our world.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass is joined by Katlyn Eggar Director of Education and Development at Quantum Assurance and host of the Age of Indiependence podcast. Katlyn talks about the benefits of having a strong corporate culture and agency brand when recruiting new talent. Katlyn and Jason also celebrate the one year anniversary of the Age of Indiependence podcast and look back on how it all began.

Episode Highlights:

Jason and Katlyn talk about the first time they actually teamed up for a podcast episode. (2:02)

Katlyn and Jason share how they came up with the Age of Indiependence. (5:27)

Katlyn shares her experience and status being in Quantum Assurance as the Director of Education and Development. (7:26)

Katlyn talks about working closely with the recruiting team and how it helps the company. (11:36)

Katlyn shares how she balances her work and time for her kids. (15:48)

Katlyn expresses her thoughts of where she sees herself 5 years from now. (19:32)

Katlyn shares her recruiting experience and how beneficial it is to have a recruitment structure. (24:29)

Katlyn shares her plans for the next quarter for Age of Indiependence. (28:23)

Key Quotes:

"We want to change the face of insurance, change the brain of insurance to make it a place people want to be." - Katlyn Eggar

"There are so many people out there praying for their next career. And they haven't even thought about insurance yet. And so I feel like our team can make a really big difference there. Just the stories from the team members and agents that have come through Quantum and what it's done for their lives, and we were really committed to that. - Katlyn Eggar

"The stronger your corporate culture is internally, and the stronger your agency's brand is external, the easier it's going to be free to recruit." - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance

Age of Indiependence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Luis Leal from Leal Insurance Services. Luis joins the show to discuss the different types of marketing habits he has created, along with building a 1500 member Facebook "Dad's Group" that is a great lead generator for his business. Luis also discusses what his agency does the best at and they stick with being great at those tactics. Episode Highlights:

Luis Leal shares how he first learned about the Independent Agents Owners Alliance (IAOA). (2:47)

Luis explains what he does on his Facebook and in the community to let people know more about him. (7:01)

Luis shares the common personal things he posts on his Facebook group. (11:50)

Luis provides us with marketing and media strategies he uses to work well with his producers. (16:04)

Luis gives his current insights into implementing the use of the Glovebox app for his clients. (21:42)

Luis shares the traits he thinks separate him from other competitors. (25:58)

Luis states that his company gets a lot of new contractors and provides pros and cons of having them. (34:18)

Luis talks more about subcontractors and how he works with them efficiently to win over competitors. (44:22)

Luis answers speedy questions like his favorite color, sports team, sports, place, a person that he wants to be with, and his favorite thing to do. (47:24)

Luis shares his coaching experience with his son’s school game. (48:47)

Key Quotes:

“We want to build an agency that's bridging the gap between the big insurance company and the client, and we'll do that in any way that works for the client.” - Luis Leal

“One thing I heard recently was, technology when you need it, human when you want it. That’s the idea of the agency we want to build.” - Luis Leal

“We want to build a technology facing agency with the small town service field. That's why we have the tagline ‘big city insurance small town service.’” - Luis Leal

Resources Mentioned:

Luis Leal LinkedIn

Leal Insurance

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Beth DeLaForest, owner of Aspire Insurance Group, with offices in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Learn more about Beth's operation at https://www.aspireinsurancegroup.com/

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

You probably didn't write as much new business this year as you could have. Nope. Not even close. You probably could have doubled it. Easily doubled it. Maybe even tripled it? You already have the tools to do it. You don't need better scripts, better prospects, or anything like that. You just need better accountability. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht shares how both insurance producers and agency principals can double their new business revenue in just one year.

Episode Highlights:

Charles tells us that in this episode he is going to talk about how to multiply your business. (1:14)

Charles teaches about multiplying time to multiply your outcome. (5:43)

Charles explains that you need to write down all of the different things that you do in your business. (9:22)

Charles mentions that prospecting in December can make a huge difference. (13:59)

Charles shares that people need to ask themselves the question, "Where do I waste my time?" (18:10)

Charles reminds everyone that your biggest competition out there has nothing on you. (20:38)

Charles shares that you are your biggest enemy. (22:43)

Charles asks the "why" questions to stop mediocrity. (24:24)

Charles reminds listeners to be accountable to themselves and use their time wisely. (28:20)

Key Quotes:

"There's no reason why you can't succeed, there's no reason why you can't competitively dethrone every single competitor that ever comes in front of your path." - Charles Specht

"My lack of production is my fault, just like your lack of production is your fault." - Charles Specht

"I truly believe that the only thing that really stops us is whatever is going on in these thick skulls of ours." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa sits down with Faye Saxon Horton, founder of I Sell Medicare Plans, which helps agents across the country find their flow in selling Medicare, Final Expense, ACA, and other products.

Episode Highlights:

Faye shares her journey in the insurance industry. (1:19)

Faye shares what I Sell Medicare Plans is all about. (4:22)

Faye mentions her I Sell Medicare podcast. (5:13)

Faye explains Club Wiin. (6:02)

Does Faye find that women have different challenges in the insurance space than men in the Medicare arena? (7:07)

Faye shares why women tend to be able to identify the level of stress or the level of the situation better than men. (10:53)

Faye mentions one of the things they do at Club Wiin. (15:13)

Faye shares the largest hurdles that people have to overcome to be more effective in their sales process. (19:08)

Faye mentions the significance of having a mindset. (27:34)

Key Quotes:

“What I am able to train and teach others to do, I've actually done, and I actually do. So, I continue to sell but I do not compete with those agents that I'm coaching. I don't compete at all with anyone who wants me to help them to grow their business by selling Medicare plans.” - Faye Saxon Horton

“I do honestly believe the reason that I'm able to have Medicare customers, Medicare beneficiaries who stay with me and have such a high retention rate, is because I make it simple. Keep it simple, and then it's easier to understand.” - Faye Saxon Horton

“It's all of those things that we do just naturally, that help us to connect with our team, with our agents, with other professionals, and with our customers. It's all of those things that we do just naturally just by being females, that helps us to better connect.” - Faye Saxon Horton

Resources Mentioned:

Faye Saxon Horton LinkedIn

I Sell Medicare Plans

Club Wiin

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Zach Mefferd, Co-Founder at ZipBonds and Coverage Direct. Zach talks about his passion for cars and explains how ZipBonds aims to help both consumers and agents.

Episode Highlights:

Zach mentions that he is an iPhone user. (2:48)

Zach shares about parenting with his two kids. (3:03)

Zach explains why he hates to lose. (4:21)

Zach shares more about his background. (5:17)

Zach mentions leaving Chicago to move to Iowa. (9:21)

Zach shares about his passion for cars. (10:07)

Zach explains why he named his company Coverage Direct. (13:48)

Zach explains the difference between commercial and contract bonds. (18:35)

Zach talks about ZipBonds and the benefits to agents and consumers. (24:27)

Zach talks about watching Squid Game. (28:32)

Zach mentions that he is currently reading Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis. (29:29)

Key Quotes:

“What I primarily focus on now was really just a product of us running at problems. That's what we talk about all the time. We don't shy away from them. And if we can't figure out a solution for it, we figure that others probably have the same problem and so we go try to try to fix those.” - Zach Mefferd

“I think if it's something that you have any sort of discomfort in, you can think through a better solution just like I said, run at it, you know, figure it out, do that, provide value to the space and you know, everybody wins.” - Zach Mefferd

“Coverage Direct represents the independent insurance agency channel and actually selling coverage not insurance, that's a difference.” - Zach Mefferd

Resources Mentioned:

Zach Mefferd LinkedIn

ZipBonds

Coverage Direct

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis

It's that time of the year again. It's the end of the year and it's time to create our goals and expectations for next year. But do you have any? Or, are you just throwing together the same expectations as you have the last couple of years? If that's you or it's what you're allowing as either a Sales Manager or Agency Principal, then this episode will prove to be tremendously helpful because our host, Charles Specht, will give you the essential topics/questions you need to figure out answers to set achievable, wealthy sales expectations for 2022 ... and hit them!

Episode Highlights:

Charles asks all the listeners of this episode how they did this year. (2:00)

Charles states that now is the perfect time to plan for your goals for 2022. (4:07)

Charles shares the mindset of setting wealthy sales expectations for next year. (7:50)

Charles reminds everyone that every agency is different. (9:45)

Charles shares his story of talking to a couple of producers and how it went for both of them. (12:10)

Charles shares the basics of what you need to figure out as an Agency. (20:47)

Charles provides accurate numbers as a guide for agents in order to meet their daily expectations. (24:55)

Charles states that in order to achieve your goals, you need to manage your numbers. (29:11)

Charles says that the point of this episode is to focus is what we need to do in the future and not what happened in the past. (30:16)

Key Quotes:

"The issue is, what is the strategy you're setting up for yourself? Is it one that's going to help you create success? Or is it one that's just going to help you coast through the year." - Charles Specht

"If the numbers that you're creating are bent towards being small and comfortable, sorry, you're not going to achieve wealth, you're just going to make enough money to pay the electric bill. That's the difference." - Charles Specht

"You want to go small, you'll get small results, you want to pick it up, then pick it up, you want to go big, go big, you want to be wealthy, then you better start taking a look at your numbers." - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Ricky Hayter from Portland, Oregon.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this solo episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley breaks down how he's positioning Rogue Risk for success in 2022 and what independent agents can do to put themselves in a position to dominate.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan opens the episode by telling his listeners his plans for 2022. (00:45)

Ryan explains that it is important to recalibrate our minds on how we are going to plan for 2022. (3:18)

Ryan shares why it is important to acknowledge our mistakes to create a better plan for the future. (7:52)

Ryan expresses his love and appreciation to his listeners, company, and his podcast. (13:29)

Ryan states that 2022 is going to be a big year for InsurTech. (15:30)

Ryan shares his insights about giving importance to carriers, producers and vendors. (21:19)

Ryan tells everyone to focus through the filter of who they are and who they want to be. (26:59)

Ryan elaborates on the importance of not being afraid to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. (30:15)

Ryan shares that no one really has the answer, but we all have parts to the solution. (35:11)

Key Quotes:

“We've been laser-focused on only working towards projects, on only thinking through tools, on only taking meetings or having discussions around things that pass through the filter of who we want to be.” - Ryan Hanley

“I want Rogue to be one of the largest high volume writers of small commercial premium in the entire country someday.” - Ryan Hanley

“We have to try things. You have to learn, you have to be willing to fail. That's how we dominate 2022. That's what we do at Rouge. I have zero ego for failure. - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Rouge Risk

Anyone can just show up and -- sadly -- that's all most producers do. The real question to answer should be: What am I accomplishing when I actually do show up and do the work? In other words, are you achieving the results you really want for yourself, or are you doing just enough to get by? Are you merely hitting your "safe goals" or are you doing so much work you're making those old goals look like child's play? That's what host Charles Specht talks about today as he dives deep into the topic of "Showing Up Big to Put Up Big."

Episode Highlights:

Charles opens the episode by explaining that we all need to show up. (1:20)

Charles states that there is a difference between being able to produce and being able to talk about what is in the policy. (5:09)

Charles asks the listeners how many hours they put into the insurance business? (7:38)

Charles explains that prospecting is a numbers game and selling insurance is a relationship game. (14:00)

Charles states that if you are not spending that much time prospecting then you are not doing the extra mile. (18:19)

Charles asks listeners to examine the impact that showing up and leveling up could have on their success. (25:57)

Charles shares a story of a conversation he had with a producer. (27:02)

Charles ends the show with the question: “Are you actually showing up and doing the work?” (32:47)

Key Quotes:

“The nice thing about the insurance business is you get to build whatever it is you want to build.” - Charles Specht

“You don't necessarily need to change a lot of things in your entire prospecting strategy. You just need to use your time wisely.” - Charles Specht

“If you actually began to show up and began to put up and began to level up, I wonder how much you could actually write a new business this year? I wonder if we began stringing years together like that year after year after year? How much business could you possibly write?” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Cassidy Arbeli, Owner of All Nevada Insurance - The Arbeli Group, Business Strategist and Consultant, and host of the Unburden Your Business podcast. Cassidy discusses how she was a State Farm agent turned independent and how her love of business and the industry has grown into her helping other women with building a successful business.

Episode Highlights:

Cassidy opens the conversation by introducing herself and sharing more about her background. (1:33)

Cassidy shares the reason why she decided to start up an independent agency. (6:00)

Cassidy shares why she is successful in both being able to provide for her family while also empowering other people. (11:21)

Cassidy shares that she has created a formula for their company that can help clients achieve what they want. (16:57)

Cassidy talks about the women that she has helped and hired to work for her company. (21:46)

Cassidy believes that the game is changing for women that are getting into the insurance industry. (28:09)

Cassidy shares her insight about common challenges that she finds women have in the insurance industry. (31:24)

Cassidy tells the listeners why she loves insurance. (37:42)

Cassidy started the program to help women in the insurance industry because she believes that women are best at this. (41:56)

Key Quotes:

“In the captive world, you have this carrot that's put in front of you, and everybody is working really hard to get the awards and get on the top of all the reports and all the things that you know the company wants from you.” - Cassidy Arbeli

“You can build whatever you want in your life, you just have to identify the things that you want, which is the hard part. And then once you identify what that is, and you're intentional about the things you do, you can create the strategy.” - Cassidy Arbeli

“I think if we don't know what we want, then how will we know if we're ever going to be happy?” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Cassidy Arbeli LinkedIn

Unburden Your Business

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mary Boyd, CEO of Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation. Mary talks about Road Rewards, the unique telematics app that Plymouth Rock offers and why it is proving to be beneficial to both customers and agents.

Episode Highlights:

Mary explains to Jason that she hates to lose, and most people do not know about it. (4:32)

Mary shares why she thinks both skill and luck are beneficial factors in her career. (5:07)

Mary shares her background story, when she started and how she got to where she is today. (5:50)

Mary explains how Plymouth Rock has been able to connect their brand with top sports brands in the country. (10:08)

Mary talks about their Road Rewards, their version of a telematic application. (15:27)

Mary tells Jason that there is a fear factor from the consumers of their information not being put to good use. (21:18)

Mary shares the benefits of gaining data from their customers. (24:07)

According to Mary, the COVID epidemic has significantly reduced the number of individuals who drive. (30:14)

Mary explained her company’s use in the telematics application industry. (33:05)

Mary expresses her interest in reading Bryan Falchuk’s books. (36:52)

Key Quotes:

“Telematics would be way more powerful than credit. Because it's not just using a surrogate for what your driving behavior is, it’s your driving behavior.” - Mary Boyd

“So my focus when I got here was one to build and maximize upon the tools and the processes and support that we already had for our business. But also to connect our team so we can get the most out of that. And that has actually been really a powerful thing.” - Mary Boyd

“I think there are many drivers that are good drivers that are getting a very competitive price for the coverage they're getting today. And so they may be completely satisfied with what they have, versus having a telematics app...but it is going to be better for everyone.” - Mary Boyd

Resources Mentioned:

Mary Boyd LinkedIn

Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Prospecting for new business isn't usually "fun" and making cold calls is often even less exciting. In fact, many insurance agents don't cold call at all. And, those who do either don't leave voice messages whatsoever or they leave messages that are terrible and get zero results, meaning no one ever calls them back. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain not only why you SHOULD leave voice messages when you do cold calling but he gives you at least three real and usable scripts of what your voice message should be.

Episode Highlights:

Charles opens the episode by saying that he does not think too many people like prospecting. (1:20)

Charles explains that you should have a good message when prospecting. (5:14)

Charles explains why he recommends leaving a voice message but also why it should be the last-ditch effort. (8:57)

Charles provides tips and samples of how to speak with gatekeepers. (9:34)

Charles provides samples of what he thinks might be some of the best voice messages sound like. (15:30)

Charles shares an example of how most of the agents leave their voice messages. (24:00)

Charles gives out more samples from his script that he uses in cold calling. (28:00)

Charles states that it is very important to relay the importance of your message in a cold call voice message.

Key Quotes:

“I want you to understand, prospecting is a numbers game. Selling insurance is not a numbers game. Selling insurance is a relationship game. Prospecting is a numbers game. In other words, how many people are you actually contacting?” - Charles Specht

“Always try and look at it from the perspective of how can I help this person? What can I say that's going to sort of flip the scenario here, so that I'm not merely somebody who's soliciting, but someone who's offering value.” - Charles Specht

“As soon as they realize that this voice message is from an insurance agent, they stopped listening to you in the same way that a receptionist stopped listening.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Sean Kirby to discuss some of the top things they learned at their first-ever AI BrainShare.

Episode Highlights:

Sean explains that the BrainShare conference was different from any other conference he has been to. (4:55)

Sean talks about the things he learned from Marcus Sheridan at AI BrainShare 2021. (7:03)

Sean shares that he likes how Marcus gives tips on how your prospects can value you. (10:14)

Mitch shares that he learned how to set the table for your customers and prospects even before talking to them. (11:52)

Sean and Mitch explain that they have taken down notes about why rates go up, and what drives them to go up. (15:02)

Sean admits that he is planning to go back to recording videos very soon. (16:51)

Mitch shares how important it is to learn how to prioritize tasks, and how it would benefit you as an individual.

Mitch explains that he wants to interview someone from BrainShare and ask them about their perspective about the things they have learned. (22:30)

Sean shares about the Dad’s group that he started after getting the idea from Luis Leal. (25:23)

Key Quotes:

“So I will say that BrainShare is a very intimate thing. I've been to conferences in the past, and they are very broad, and you're trying to figure out, you know, there's 1000 people, there are 500 people, this was 125 people. So, when you're in a session, everyone has a voice. You get to meet every single person there.” - Sean Kirby

“It goes from trying to sell the product to finding the solution. Because at the end of the day, you're not trying to sell cyber insurance solutions. You're saying, hey if we fix this on your website, or we fix this on your back end...you know that I'm not talking about insurance.” - Sean Kirby

“I want to see myself as a community connector...that's who I am.” - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

AI BrainShare

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

Performance Group Indiana

Marcus Sheridan Linkedin

The Visual Sale

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Chris Greene, The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris is based in Georgia and serves the lower 48 states with flood insurance solutions, both NFIP and private. Learn more about his program and how you can partner with him to serve your clients and collect a generation commission split at https://www.floodinsuranceguru.com/floodinsuranceprogram.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

It's your fault. It's all your fault. Don't blame me and don't blame anyone else. You're building what you want to build so look in the mirror and own it. The size of your Book of Business is your own business but if you don't like what you're building then STOP AND BUILD SOMETHING ELSE. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, Charles Specht will tell you what you need to do to stop thinking small, how to start thinking BIGGER, and what you need to change in order to achieve the new business revenue growth you want.

Episode Highlights:

Charles opens the episode by sharing with his listeners why he is angry. (1:39)

Charles shares his experience with the two agents that he has encountered. (2:55)

Charles mentions that sometimes you just have to take a step back and ask yourself, “What are you building?” (8:53)

Charles talks about advising an agent to increase the size of the account that they prospect. (12:36)

Charles explains that he wants people to realize that there is no reason to stay small. (14:31)

Charles shares that the best business lesson he learned was the power of thinking bigger. (17:38)

Charles shares another story of an insurance agent that he has worked with and the power of thinking bigger. (20:00)

Charles shares the reasons that keep him going, and keep him motivated to continue. (25:15)

Charles closes the episode with the question, Are you choosing or just allowing things to happen. (27:37)

Key Quotes:

“I'm going to tell you why I'm not happy. I'm not happy because I am sick and tired of insurance agents thinking small, period.” - Charles Specht

“Sometimes you just have to take a step back and ask yourself, ‘What am I building here? What actually am I putting into place? What am I creating?’ You have to take a step back and do that every once in a while, because you just don't realize what you're doing in the middle of it.” - Charles Specht

“There's no reason why you have to stay small. It doesn't matter, whatever the case is, if your agency isn't used to those types of accounts, it doesn't matter, write them, prospect them, you'll figure it out.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ricky Hayter, owner of ANR Insurance Group, joins the podcast for a tremendous conversation on what it takes to run an independent insurance agency. Ricky is growing his agency like crazy and shares some of the challenges they've faced as well as how they've overcome all of them on the path to world domination. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Ricky discusses his thoughts as a leader and his observations while acquiring an agency. (6:44)

Ricky shares his personal view on the ability to provide energy in an office setting vs working remotely. (12:52)

According to Ricky, it is critical to offer employees the same level of independence as everyone else in the firm. (19:15)

Ricky says that when he interviews individuals now, he looks for people who can manage themselves, are self-motivated, and are reliable. (23:59)

Ricky describes how he gives his people time off. (29:48)

Ricky feels that the only way to properly develop a healthy unrestricted time off culture is to start from scratch. And you need individuals who can manage it. (32:10)

Ricky says he can educate anyone willing to work hard how to sell insurance. (37:55)

Ricky explains that he seeks highly skilled customer service representatives because he understands he needs to fill that gap for himself. (46:51)

Ricky and Ryan discuss their hiring mindset. (52:47)

Ricky cites Tarmika as a product he utilizes. (57:43)

Key Quotes:

“Hiring people around your weaknesses makes you better.” - Ricky Hayter

“At the end of the day, I mean, I gotta do what I say I'm going to do. That's it. Yeah. And that just goes so far. They buy-in, because I tell him what we do. And I also tell them what we can't do and why.” - Ricky Hayter

“I look for super skilled customer service people because I know I have to fill that gap for myself.” - Ricky Hayter

Resources Mentioned:

Ricky Hayter

ANR Insurance Group

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens, Aurora Mullett, and Vonda Copeland sit down to talk about how the industry is in transition and how women and men are the same and different, and how we as women can lessen the gap.

Episode Highlights:

Vonda talks about her experiences as a female agency owner. (2:21)

Aurora discusses her experiences as a female insurance executive. (5:46)

Aurora explains that she has experienced more bias from women than she has ever experienced from males in the industry. (7:52)

Vonda believes that her agency needs more female salespeople to balance things out. (17:35)

Teresa, Aurora, and Vonda talk about what they can do to encourage women to work in sales rather than just ownership or CSR. (18:46)

Aurora believes that it's okay for a woman to be aggressive when the situation calls for it. (20:38)

Vonda discusses the distinctions between being a female agency owner and a male agency owner. (27:41)

Aurora and Vonda talk about how they manage their home responsibilities while working in the insurance industry. (35:01)

Vonda discusses the benefits and drawbacks of social media. (41:14)

Aurora believes that we should never build empowerment for one another by excluding others. (44:53)

Key Quotes:

“Social media has helped the women in this industry because you can connect with other women and you don't feel like you're in such a male-dominated industry because you have that connection.” - Vonda Copeland

“There's no excuses, if you're ready to roll in that direction,there's always a way to jump into it and get some things in place.” - Vonda Copeland

“If we as women can get rid of the narratives we've been taught and realize that they are there to support and help and we can help and support them. I think a lot of this men versus women will eventually fade” - Aurora Mullet

Resources Mentioned:

Aurora Mullett LinkedIn

Vonda Copeland LinkedIn

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Travis Parry, Ph.D., Balance Coach and Bestselling Author of Achieving Balance. Travis shares why we need to shift our focus from perfection to becoming perfected and shares how you can achieve balance in your career and life.

Episode Highlights:

Jason started his show by discussing what balance is. (1:20)

Travis shares that he is an iPhone user. (4:22)

Travis says that the last application he downloaded was Pos Bean. (4:33)

Travis answers the question of whether he loves to win or he hates to lose. (5:34)

Travis chooses luck over skill as the bigger factor in his career. (6:34)

Travis shares his background story, how he started, and where he is at this point. (7:34)

Travis talks about his father and his achievements. (12:13)

Travis shares the reason that made him write his book, Achieving Balance. (18:03)

Travis shares what we can do to achieve more balance in our life. (25:54)

Travis explains the difference between owning a business and running a business. (35:15)

Travis shares the books that he is currently reading. (40:00)

Key Quotes:

“Time is our greatest asset. What are you doing with it? What will you be known for because of how you’ve used it?" - Travis Parry

“Whenever it's hard and challenging upfront. That's when you're going to have the best podcast.” - Travis Parry

“We are perfectionists to a fault. We focus on perfection as the goal instead of becoming perfected.” - Travis Parry

Resources Mentioned:

Travis Parry LinkedIn

Travis Parry

Achieving Balance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Permission is everything. The Broker of Record Letter is not everything. Permission is the goal; the BOR is a tool. Spend more time gaining the insured's PERMISSION and you'll be able to collect a lot more signatures on BOR's. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to win your prospect's PERMISSION in order to win more new business.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that everything about the Broker of Record letter has to be focused on a specific word which is: Permission. (1:40)

Charles shares why the idea of gathering the insured’s permission is necessary in order for you to actually have success in the entire outcome. (4:14)

Charles mentions that gaining the insured’s permission is one of the wisest things you can do. (6:10)

Charles shares the focus of everything that he teaches and does. (10:37)

Charles discusses that the Broker of Record letter is the most valuable tool and piece of paper in the insurance business. (13:07)

Charles mentions that if you can't get the incumbent agent fired, you cannot get hired. (15:20)

Charles believes that there are some services that you can provide to the insured that actually help them to understand the value that you provide. (17:00)

Charles mentions that the Broker of Record letter literally is everything. (21:32)

Charles discusses the things that you can do to put yourself in a stronger position to win the business. (22:58)

Charles mentions that it is important to provide a valid reason to the client on why they should give you permission. (27:46)

Key Quotes:

“The Broker of Record letter is the fastest, smartest, most ethical approach to building a $1 million or more book of business.” - Charles Specht

“Don't actually begin doing free work, don't work for free. If they do not give you permission, you do not have a client, you do not have a prospect, you have a suspect.” - Charles Specht

“Gaining the insured’s permission is one of the wisest things you can do. Gaining the insured’s permission will allow you to get more signed broker record letters.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James is joined by several friends who have all come together to share on the Top 10 things independent agents and teams should be thankful for this year.

Joining in the conversation are J.C. Wogomon, Lucas Jones, Eric Roberts, Jared Lorenz, Casey Nelson and Michael Franke.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Monica Adwani for Part 2 of the book review of The Gifts Of Imperfection by Brené Brown.

Episode Highlights:

Monica starts by saying how things have changed since the last interview. (2:37)

Monica shares her perception about being worried about making mistakes as an adult. (8:18)

Monica talks about how productivity and innovation are very important. (17:02)

Monica speaks about how amazing women can use guilt against themselves. (23:45)

Monica shares her opinion on one of the topics in the book about appreciation. (30:09)

Monica states that having a moment of privacy calms her. (36:04)

Monica shares her understanding of a phrase from the book. (38:21)

Monica and Teresa talk about cultivating meaningful work and letting go of self-doubt. (43:08)

Monica tells Teresa what she listens to when driving. (54:07)

Monica shares a memorable movie that is related to the topic of cultivating joy. (1:00:00)

Key Quotes:

“How am I going to be perceived if I am not perfect, you know? That's what holds us back from creativity.” - Monica Adwani

“You're living your life and life is made of moments. So, are you living in the present? Or are you living just for living and just, you know, creating a legacy that you're not going to get to enjoy.” - Monica Adwani

“I think respecting the diversity of thoughts. If we practice more of that, I think we can definitely make a little bit of headway into being less judgy and expecting others to have the same thought process” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

The Gifts of Imperfection

Monica Adwani LinkedIn

Risman Insurance Agency

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

The Gifts of Imperfection: Brené Brown

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved. Chris shares digital marketing strategies and tools to improve your agency’s digital presence.

Episode Highlights:

Chris talks about his last name and its country of origin. (1:42)

Chris talks about his 2 sons and what’s keeping them busy. (5:24)

Chris shares his ideas about new technology. (12:08)

Chris talks about how he gets results for his clients. (17:20)

Chris shares more about investments. (23:35)

Chris talks about Google My Business and how important it is. (25:14)

Chris shares that the biggest competitor of GMB is Apple, in his opinion. (31:38)

Chris talks about tips on how you can get on Google My Business. (34:14)

Key Quotes:

“I never planned on, you know, doing what I do now. I mean, it kind of happened by accident. And, you know, I love doing it.” - Chris Langille

“We tell our clients all the time that 99.9% of independent agents do zero advertising. So if you just do a little bit more than them, you're going to be ahead of the game in major ways, it's going to be a major competitive advantage. But yes, it does cost money, it takes time for it to work.” -Chris Langille

“I think a lot of agencies don't know how good they actually have it in our industry, with the technology vendors that we have, and the price points that we have, for the software and services that we have in our industry. .” - Chris Langille

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Langille - LinkedIn

Advisor Evolved

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Brandon Smith, author of the 2022 Producer Development Planner and the creator of the Producer Development Program. Learn more about Brandon's planner and program at https://www.producerdp.com

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Kevin Abramson, President at Cover Whale joins the show to discuss why the insurance industry is ripe for innovation and how Cover Whale plans to attack these opportunities.

Cover Whale is currently providing insurance truckers by breaching the gap between insurance and technology.

This is a tremendous conversation, don't miss it...

Episode Highlights:

Kevin discusses his firm, Cover Whale, and the work they accomplish. (4:28)

Kevin provides his thoughts on what it takes to be a great leader and how to take charge of your own destiny. (10:45)

Kevin shares some challenges that he encountered that he did not expect. (16:04)

Kevin agrees that having that human aspect in a tech business is not very easy. (20:19)

Kevin explains what he means by digesting data faster. (24:10)

Kevin elaborates on how he manages to catch and spot bad behaviors in an app. (27:22)

Kevin states that failure is part of being a start-up company. (32:35)

Kevin shares his vision and plans for the future for his company. (38:01)

Kevin talks about giving value to the insurance industry and making a difference. (48:14)

Kevin shares the importance of having accurate and reliable metrics in a business. (53:38)

Key Quotes

“I would say, you know, we've got a lot of tech people at our company, but at my core, I'm an insurance person that really loves tech. And it's not the other way around.” - Kevin Abramson

“It's been an industry where data has been prevalent, heavy, you know, lots of data, massive amounts of data. I think the difference-maker is being able to digest that data, but also to digest it faster, in real-time.” - Kevin Abramson

“I think, if we look at where we'll be two years from now, one of the core tenants in our business and our mission of the company is, we will continue to take risks.” - Kevin Abramson

Resources Mentioned:

Kevin Abramson LinkedIn

Cover Whale

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

LinkedIn is one of the absolute most potent tools out there for prospecting, whether in B2B or B2C. Unfortunately for most insurance producers, they either don't use LinkedIn at all, they use it poorly, or they come across as spammy. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will begin teaching you how to use LinkedIn to prospect better, close more deals, and build your Book of Business.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains how he utilizes each social networking platform. (1:57)

Charles considers LinkedIn as a fantastic tool to network and prospect. (10:05)

Charles believes that it’s tough to utilize LinkedIn as a prospecting tool if you're not actively engaging with your prospects. (12:14)

Charles discusses the value of micro-niching. (13:10)

Charles believes that focusing on one area will help you succeed. (16:22)

Charles shares that he will be releasing content on how to utilize LinkedIn soon. (18:02)

Charles says that if we can give prospects free information that helps people. That's the know, like, and trust factor. (21:24)

Charles invites anybody interested in learning more about LinkedIn to contact him. (25:27)

Charles explains that if you are not visible on LinkedIn, you are missing out on one of the best opportunities to prospect. (29:02)

Key Quotes:

“LinkedIn can be your absolute best way to prospect out there. It literally can, it can change and revolutionize everything you do.” - Charles Specht

“You will be able to win more business, you will be able to resonate with your insurance buyer, if they see you as somebody who understands them.” - Charles Specht

“I decided to become the go-to agent when it comes to the broker of record letters. That is my predominant focus.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Monica Adwani, to review Brene Brown's book: The Gifts of Imperfection. Teresa and Monica discuss how the ten Guideposts may benefit women and leaders.

Episode Highlights:

Monica talks about their new virtual professional company called Savvital. (3:42)

Monica discusses the book's first paragraph. (7:41)

Monica explains why we must remember that everyone has unique challenges. (17:17)

Monica discusses what she learned from the book on how we can support each other and approach each other in ways that promote an authentic experience. (19:52)

Teresa and Monica discuss that responding appropriately, listening, and acknowledging when somebody comes to you is important. (22:18)

Monica explains how it is empowering to know that she can educate her children to hope because it is a conscious choice. (29:47)

Monica talks about letting go of perfectionism (40:02)

Teresa and Monica tackle the third guidepost from the book, which is cultivating a resilient spirit and letting go of numbing and powerlessness. (51:22)

What does Monica do to cultivate joy? (1:00:22)

Monica mentions how great it is to understand that happiness is momentary, but joy can be constant. (1:06:08)

Monica believes that no matter what stage or scenario we are in, we constantly say, "just look on the bright side of things," and that joy is just practicing more of that. (1:10:43)

Key Quotes:

“We all play different roles at different times of the day with different people. And when we are stepping into those roles, we need to learn how to quickly adapt to how we're going to react, and how we are going to provide them with the conscious choice of how this relationship is going to go." - Monica Adwani

“I cultivate gratitude and joy when I cook for other people. When I just do anything that is selfless...I feel like I cultivate gratitude and joy, and I feel good. And I feel joyful when I am able to do those things that don't have any impact on me, but they have an impact on others.” - Monica Adwani

“There are moments that you can feel happiness, but the joy in your heart is something that only you can achieve by having that space within yourself and knowing that you are loved, regardless, and that this is yours, right? This is your thing and no one can mess with it.” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

Monica Adwani LinkedIn

Savvital

Brene Brown's book: The Gifts of Imperfection

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

The Gifts of Imperfection: Brené Brown

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Shi, CEO of Quotehound and Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International to talk about all things Crypto and what it could mean for the future of the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff mentions that there is a lot of change going on in the insurance, agency, and insurtech worlds. (2:49)

Jeff says that this was his first year on LinkedIn and paying attention to ITC events. (5:53)

Jeff explains that VCs are the ones driving the Insurtech space. (11:08)

Jeff discusses Geico's decision to lay off 135 R&D employees. (25:48)

Jeff believes that our industry is excellent, but that we need 100,000 additional salespeople to compete at the next level. (31:57)

Jeff explains that insurance breakthroughs have to be claimed. (41:27)

Jeff mentions that he loves chatting with people in the reinsurance industry. (43:45)

Key Quotes:

“Most of us buy coins. tokens on the exchange, right? Every token we buy affects shelf stocks...they are all regulated, they all have the IRS sending us our tax statements of what we gained, what we lost.” - Jeff Shi

“Our industry is great but for us to compete at the next level we need 100,000 more salespeople” - Jeff Shi

“The adjustments are not built for the rich, but they are the one that's in position to take strategic moves.” - Jeff Shi

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Shi LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Quotehound

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Ty Harris, Co-Founder, and CEO of Openly Insurance. Openly is an emerging digital native carrier currently operating in 14 states. They are positioned to be a major player in the IA channel for years to come.

Learn more about Openly at https://www.openly.com.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ciara Gravier CIC, CRM, CCIC, PWCA, CPIA, Founder and CEO of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management joins the show to share all her secrets to winning the start-up independent agency game.

Ciara is someone I’ve personally been a fan of for a long time and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to spend time and learn more about her story. You're going to love this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Why did Ciara establish her own agency? (5:15)

Did Ciara ever regret letting the Allstate brands go? (8:09)

Ciara shares what they did when she first started the agency. (12:41)

Ciara mentions that they were able to assist others in starting their own businesses from the ground up. (15:16)

Ciara discusses some of the challenges of not having direct appointments. (18:28)

Ciara explains why including business in the books has been difficult for her. (25:02)

Ciara explains why engaging in the killing commercial is one of the best things their agency has ever done. (30:53)

Ciara mentions that she enjoyed the podcast with Ryan and James Jenkins. (44:26)

Ciara and Ryan discuss Crypto. (51:42)

Ciara shares why she believes that her agency is on the right track. (1:04:04)

Key Quotes:

“We're able to help these people find an attorney, find an accountant, you know, set up their businesses from the ground up. They can trust us.” - Ciara Gravier

“So we joined Killing Commercial and that has really been the best thing that we've done.” - Ciara Gravier

“What's great about this industry is that everyone can achieve success however they want. And everyone has a different roadmap to it.” - Ciara Gravier

Resources Mentioned:

Ciara Gravier LinkedIn

The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

No, your prospects don't really HATE you. Nope, they don't LIKE you, either. Moreover, they probably don't KNOW you from Adam (whoever that guy is). The real issue, however, is that your prospects don't TRUST you. And, why don't they trust you? The answer to that question -- as well as how to fix it -- is what host Charles Specht will teach you in today's episode ... which is all about Mastering the Art of Persuasion.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares how to turn prospects into clients. (1:03)

Charles talks about rude prospects and making them do business with you. (4:19)

Charles shares tips on how to understand phrases from prospects and what they really meant to say during a call. (10:04)

Charles shares about the C3 or the Cold Call Carrot. (12:04)

Charles talks about mergers and acquisitions. (16:21)

Charles states that the size of your book of business is dependent upon your ability to persuade. (20:12)

Charles elaborates on the advantage of being able to persuade. (23:40)

Charles shares how to gain the prospect’s trust. (25:46)

Key Quotes:

“If we do our cold calls, and people respond negatively, we did not persuade them. If we present a quote, and they don't buy from us, we didn't persuade them. If the underwriter does not actually give us a quote, even though we're begging, we haven't persuaded them. There's a lot of things that we have to do. And persuasion is probably at the top of the list of the things that we must” - Charles Specht

“The size of your book of business is dependent upon your ability to persuade.” - Charles Specht

“We need to become not just merely producers, we need to become people who are experts in the art of persuasion.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens is joined by Kristen Walkup, Agency Development Office Manager at Willow Wood Insurance Agency. Kristen talks about being an office manager and shares her experiences on going from captive to independent.

Episode Highlights:

Kristen shares her journey into the insurance industry. (1:22)

Kristen shares her positive experience of moving to the independent side, despite it happening during COVID. (6:19)

Kristen talks about her strategy to keep everything straight in a conversation. (8:48)

Kristen talks about how people want to connect at work before and during COVID. (20:58)

Kristen explains how she handles a conversation with a client. (25:05)

Kristen shares her transition from working for a big company to running her own business. (29:39)

Kristen gives out advice to agency owners on being able to find their own space. (34:20)

Key Quotes:

“A lot of times people are uneasy making a decision, and I just want them to know, we're here for them no matter what.”- Kristen Walkup

“Customer service to me, and that relationship with the customer? It’s the driving force of what makes me do what I do. I like to help people, I like to work with them, get to know them, and build that.” - Kristen Walkup

“I try to also give them information that would help them understand from a novice point of view, from a person who doesn't work in the insurance industry, so that they can know what the best steps are. And then also to make them feel comfortable calling me with questions.” - Kristen Walkup

Resources Mentioned:

Kristen Walkup

Willow Wood Insurance Agency

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brad Fuller, CEO of Lightspeed Voice. Brad talks about what makes Lightspeed Voice unique, the importance of customer service, and the value of integrations.

Episode Highlights:

Brad answers whether he is an android or iPhone user. (4:07)

Jason asks Brad what was the last app he downloaded. (4:27)

Jason asks Brad if he loves to win or does he hate to lose. (5:36)

Brad states that he thinks the biggest factor to where he is now is luck. (7:47)

Brad shares his background and how he started with his career. (9:36)

Brad talks about his company Lightspeed Voice. (18:15)

Brad talks about what customer service is about for his company. (24:48)

Brad explains that Lightspeed Voice has a strong focus on building and improving integrations. (26:14)

Brad elaborates about Lightspeed Voice owning its infrastructure. (32:18)

Brad shares the story of how she met his wife. (35:03)

Brad shares that he watches Billions on Hulu. (40:21)

Key Quotes:

“We want you to focus on what you do best and not have to worry about your telecommunications platform.” - Brad Fuller

“The integrations that we do have are over the top outstanding, we have very strong partnerships and strategic alliances with all these technology partners. And we have dedicated people who are constantly reviewing and researching ways to make not only new integrations but the integrations that we have even better.” - Brad Fuller

“Our company has a culture of gratitude and it is showing gratitude to our clients every single day. We truly care.” - Brad Fuller

Resources Mentioned:

Brad Fuller LinkedIn

Lightspeed Voice

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Nick Ayers, Chief Marketing Officer of Better Agency and Co-Founder of the Insurance Agency Owners Alliance.

Learn more about Better Agency and request your demo at https://www.betteragency.io.

Learn more about IAOA and join the Facebook group at https://www.iaoa.com/.

Visit our website to join our email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedompodcast.com

Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

Email us at podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

PathPoint, the first open digital wholesale brokerage for the Excess & Surplus lines market in the insurance industry. Some people find E&S boring and difficult. In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Alex Bargmann, CEO and co-founder of PathPoint. They discuss why this is no longer the case and why independent agents need to start taking notice of E&S business. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Alex discusses how he got into the insurance industry. (6:13)

Alex mentions how it took him a long time to truly comprehend E&S underwriting and rating, and how the processes are significantly different. (10:51)

Alex mentions that they have executive support for putting products or providing capacity to PathPoint in order to digitize the wholesale distribution platform. (17:48)

Alex explains what he really likes about PathPoint. (21:54)

What were the most glaring challenges Alex knew he had to address, either immediately or later, in establishing PathPoint? (23:21)

How difficult was it to get E&S carriers to return digital quotes? (29:17)

Alex explains that they are very specific about their appetite and making sure they are not just adding class codes for the sake of adding class codes. (39:17)

Alex talks about the first carrier they worked with. (44:25)

Alex and Ryan discuss agency billing and direct billing. (47:23)

Key Quotes:

“One thing I really liked about PathPoint where we were able to sort of figure out our differentiators, is like we didn't have to deal with this notion of do we go direct? Or do we go through agents?” - Alex Bargman

“I think there's some value in being able to digitally quote business” - Alex Bargman

“The thing we were able to leverage is that we didn't actually have to convince them to automate underwriting because they had incidentally already done it by writing these binding authority guidelines.” - Alex Bargman

Resources Mentioned:

Alex Bargmann LinkedIn

PathPoint

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Mernice Oliver, Founder and Executive Director of The National Association for Advancement of Women In Insurance. Mernice is a business coach in the insurance industry who focuses on women and helping them achieve their goals.

Episode Highlights:

Mernice shares her humble beginnings and how she got to where she is today. (2:06)

Mernice shares her opinion on the difference between men and women in the industry. (15:54)

Mernice talks about her book What I Wish I Knew on The Other Side of Agency Ownership. (18:49)

Mernice shares her insights about being able to get to a point of equality in ourselves. (24:11)

Mernice shares what women can do to build up confidence. (27:24)

Merince shares her Facebook community page called Insurance Women Rock where people can connect. (32:19)

Mernice talks about the leadership organization she has created, the National Association for Advancement of Women In Insurance. (37:38)

Key Quotes:

“I believe that you can always change, you can grow and evolve, and you can come back stronger and bigger and better, no matter how low you get.” - Mernice Oliver

“I believe the linchpin of change that happens for women is when we identify our purpose.” - Mernice Oliver

“I'm going to create a company that really fills that gap for women. Because I'm not just going to help you with a business, you're more than your numbers.” - Mernice Oliver

Resources Mentioned:

Mernice Oliver LinkedIn

Mernice Oliver International

National Association for Advancement of Women In Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

What I Wish I Knew on The Other Side of Agency Ownership: Lessons In Life & Business For The Woman Insurance Entrepreneur

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Keith Savino, Managing Partner of Broadfield Insurance, a PCF insurance partner. Keith discusses data digitization, his thoughts on cyber liability, insurance technology, and their goals in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Jason asks Keith if he is an Android or an iPhone user and the last app he downloaded. (3:53)

Keith states that he wants to succeed. (4:21)

Keith answers Jason’s question if he believes in skill or luck. (5:41)

Keith shares that he started in the insurance industry because of his brother. (7:42)

Keith shares his thoughts about cyber liability. (13:42)

Keith talks about how he uses AMS360. (19:21)

Keith shares his point of view about API today and where he thinks it is heading. (22:50)

Kieth gives some advice to all agents and brokers who are starting out in the industry. (27:39)

Kieth answers Jason’s question on where he sees the industry in the next 5, 10, 15 years. (32:44)

Keith talks about having a management system for your agency. (37:08)

Keith shares the significance of becoming a servant in the industry. (39:24)

Keith shares that his favorite book is “Sacred Cows (makes the best burgers)”. (43:02)

Key Quotes:

“To me, success involves knowing all the people, places, and things that helped get you there.” - Keith Savino

“Finding somebody who really understands the nuances behind those executive lines policies will help you get through the fog.” - Keith Savino

“If you're investing in the future, you always have to be considering that the different demographics that you want to reach, have to be spoken to in a way in which they want to be reached.” - Keith Savino

Resources Mentioned:

Keith Savino LinkedIn

Broadfield Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers

Most insurance producers don't work on their personal development, let alone their sales development.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to achieve 1% weekly growth in various areas of your selling process in order to be 50% better at selling insurance, just one year from today.

Episode Highlights:

Charles gives some tips on how producers might double their commission winnings next year. (3:50)

Charles discusses the concept of compound interest. (6:0b6)

Charles discusses where you should start working on improving 1% per week. (8:39)

Charles explains the significance of micro-niche selection. (10:23)

Charles discusses the creation of your value differentiator. (11:42)

Charles talks about scripting and messaging. (14:11)

Charles discusses the seventh way for generating a 1% rise every week and generating 50% more revenue. (16:51)

Charles mentions that most insurance salespeople do not have a strategy for leading a prospect down the route that they want them to take. (20:31)

Charles highlights the need not to give the incumbent agent the last look. (24:04)

Charles talks about the 19th method, which is asking for the final sale. (29:13)

Charles mentions that a producer is an amateur if they do not manage their personal development. (34:15)

Key Quotes:

“If you could get better at your sales process by just 1% every single week, you'd be 50% improved at winning new business after just one year.” - Charles Specht

“In order for you to actually get much better at it, you have to really start being proactive at it. You need to learn, you need to have education, you need to really start thinking from a forward perspective on where do I want to be one year from now?” - Charles Specht

“If you don't handle your personal development, you are an amateur. And amateurs only make enough money to pay the bills and they don't make a lot in life.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Mastermind

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Raution Jaiswal, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of InsuredMine.

For more information about InsuredMine, please visit their website.

Visit the Agency Freedom website to join the email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode. Join the Agency Freedom Podcast Facebook Group. Email podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Brandon Smith, EVP at Glidewell and founder of the Producer Development Program. Brandon joins the podcast to help us better understand how to train high-functioning, successful insurance producers. We all want to write more business, Brandon Smith helps us understand how to help our producers do this every day. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan and Brandon open the conversation with their thoughts on the Buffalo Bills game. (4:36)

Brandon and Ryan discuss the ambiguity of sales. (24:19)

Brandon answers questions about how he hires people and how he makes them feel supported. (28:12)

Brandon shares how he solves transparency and communication issues. (36:38)

Brandon shares the greatest part of being in the insurance industry. (41:38)

Ryan and Brandon discuss having a process for a person to sell at their full capacity. (47:24)

Brandon shares more about his Producer Development Program. (52:31)

Brandon introduces a Planner he created to help people get the most out of their time. (57:05)

Brandon and Ryan talk about what a busy schedule means. (59:59)

Key Quotes:

“Why have we as a society come to the place where we celebrate victimhood, rather than celebrating people for their accomplishments and what they do.” - Brandon Smith

“What makes our industry so great is the freedom to operate our businesses the way we want.” - Brandon Smith

“We don't know what being bored is anymore, we're so busy, digitally distracted. The speed at which we're living, I believe, is the greatest threat to our industry right now.” - Brandon Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Brandon Smith Linkedin

Producer Development Program

Glidewell

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brandon Smith, Executive Vice President of Glidewell. Brandon talks about great agents, creating the ideal work schedule, and his upcoming book “Let’s Go!”.

Episode Highlights:

Jason announces that Agency Intelligence Podcast Network currently has 37k monthly listeners. (2:30)

Is Brandon an iPhone or Android user? (4:06)

Jason asks Brandon if he loves to wait or he hates to lose. (5:36)

What’s been a bigger factor in Brandon’s life? Skill or luck? (6:25)

Brandon elaborates on his life story. (6:57)

Brandon shares about the new thing he has been doing to help people. (9:23)

Brandon shows his gratitude to the agents with whom he has collaborated. (18:40)

Brandon expresses his opinion on the ideal way to live life. (20:55)

Brandon talks about his ideal work schedule and how manages it. (26:03)

Brandon shares about his book, “Let’s Go!” is currently on pre-order. (30:21)

Brandon wraps up with a meaningful message. (35:49)

Key Quotes:

“Everybody wins. Anybody can win. But losing is what potentially could define you.” - Brandon Smith

“I feel like the biggest threat to my agency, to my life, is the speed in which I'm living life.” - Brandon Smith

“The way I see it is that the only way, the best way to live life is to be intentional.” - Brandon Smith

Resources Mentioned:

Brandon Smith Linkedin

Glidewell

Book: Let’s Go!

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Don And Roe Polczynski, founders of RD Advisory Group and the Agency CFO program.

Learn more about RD Advisory Group. Visit the Agency Freedom website to join the email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode. Join the Agency Freedom Podcast Facebook Group. Email podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Will Shaw, CEO, and co-founder of Better Agency. They discuss entrepreneurship, InsurTech, and what Will has learned from assisting agency owners in growing their businesses. Will is an all-time guy in our industry...this is a conversation you don't want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

Will talks about a five-year play with InsurTech. (7:54)

Ryan states that building your network is always important. (10:57)

Will explains why they chose to bootstrap Better Agency. (17:29)

Will shares his insights about independent insurance agencies. (24:19)

Will claims that every client should be covered by every policy. (34:06)

Will discusses what his duties were when Better Agency first began. (41:44)

Will elaborates on the advantages of having an independent agency. (46:42)

Ryan and Will discuss their love for the Buffalo Bills. (53:27)

Will explains what it means to have a "ride or die" mentality. (57:23)

Key Quotes:

“The things I'm working on today are the things people are going to see in three or four months.” - Will Shaw

“I hire people that are better than me in every way.” - Will Shaw

“If you try to have your hand in everything you're just never going to get out of your business.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Will Shaw Linkedin

Better Agency

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens discusses goal setting and accountability for her own goals in 2021, how she is ending 2022, and how we should see goal-setting as we move forward in the new business world that we live in.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa mentions that she made an episode last year about her goals for 2021. (2:06)

Teresa discusses her main goal for the past year. (3:40)

Teresa believes that she has met about 50% of her 2021 goals. (6:13)

Teresa mentions that just because something didn't work doesn’t mean we failed. (8:13)

Teresa shares what she has learned this year with her team. (8:55)

Teresa discusses another huge success for her and her team. (11:04)

Teresa mentions that she encourages everyone to say "what do we want to learn for the year moving forward?" rather than "what are our goals?" (12:28)

Teresa explains why she’s not going to micromanage her team. (16:22)

Teresa mentions team building with different locations as one of her goals. (21:05)

Teresa expresses her gratitude for the fact that, while they did not meet all of their goals this year, they did meet the majority of them. (23:36)

Teresa believes she is blessed by the community, her team, and her book of business. (31:54)

Teresa explains the concept of monday.com and how it helps her. (33:03)

Teresa expresses heartfelt love and appreciation for the insurance industry. (37:26)

Key Quotes:

“I want to be really honest because I think as women, we need to feel like we have each other's backs. And I think we can't do that unless we are authentic.” - Teresa Kitchens

“I'm honored that even though we didn't achieve our goals this year, we achieved most of them.” - Teresa Kitchens

“If we can approach things with love, and a calm approach of loving every moment and saying, ‘Where can I improve?’ and being open to that growth, maybe even with that person, if that person is willing to stay in community with you, then we are successful.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Aaron Gordon, Vice President of Gordon Companies Insurance Services. Aaron discusses the advantages and challenges of running a family business.

Episode Highlights:

Is Aaron an iPhone or Android user? (5:50)

Does Aaron love to win or hate to lose? (6:17)

What does Aaron attribute to his success, skill or luck? (8:06)

Aaron shares his background story. (11:04)

Aaron mentions that not everyone is meant to be a business owner. (17:23)

Aaron talks about the importance of caring in the insurance industry. (22:49)

Aaron explains why his parents are his best asset to the clients. (28:34)

Aaron discusses his marketing strategy. (32:14)

Aaron explains what he believes is the best aspect of the insurance industry. (36:55)

What is Aaron currently watching? (39:15)

Key Quotes:

“Most of our business is coming from one of those two things, either referral sources that have given up on the agencies that they used to, because they sold, or people who have given up on those agencies.” - Aaron Gordon

“I think also what I found, especially on the agency side, and this might be a good segue is when we win we usually win because of what we're good at.” - Aaron Gordon

“The beauty of this industry is that you had somebody who cared. All you’ve got to do to be successful is care.” - Aaron Gordon

Resources Mentioned:

Aaron Gordon LinkedIn

Gordon Companies Insurance Services

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Many insurance agents do a poor job of clearly explaining to their prospects and clients about what the insurance program covers or excludes. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how you can transition prospects into loyal, paying clients by being ultra-transparent and educational.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions that many insurance agencies do not have a formalized proposal. (2:05)

Charles explains why you will lose clients and prospects if you confuse them. (4:47)

Charles discusses a different way of meeting with prospects in order to win their business. (7:30)

According to Charles, if you can explain how you'll be able to produce a better positive outcome, clients and prospects will be much more inclined to desire to do business with you. (12:58)

Charles explains that you can win more clients by being more transparent and advocating for education. (15:36)

Charles gives an example of how you could do a much better job of making your prospect or insured feel more comfortable with you. (17:16)

Charles explains that prospects want to know that they purchased insurance from the right broker and that they have coverage with the finest provider at the lowest possible cost. (22:25)

Charles makes a special offer to those who want to join the Permission Group Mastermind. (25:47)

Charles discusses what's going on with Permission Group Mastermind. (26:37)

Key Quotes:

“The lack of education, the lack of understanding that the insurance buyer has about the entire insurance process is not your friend, it's your enemy.” - Charles Specht

“This whole idea of how you can win more clients is by being more transparent, by being much more of an advocate for education, helping them actually see what they have what they don't have, rather than doing what lots of agents tend to do is they win a new client, and then they ghost that client.” - Charles Specht

“I do believe that when you go into the mastermind, you're going to be in a much stronger position to actually win” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Group Mastermind

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

a

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks about the insurance carrier relationship, MGAs, wholesale brokers, and how to navigate and steward your carrier and program relationships.

Visit the Agency Freedom website to join the email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode: Connect with us on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group.

Most of your competitors out there are throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. They slap together a "bare bones submission" and blanket the marketplace. Those agents do not experience great results and they tend to have smaller Books of Business. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how (and why) to win more clients by overcoming mediocrity and being the more professional insurance advisor, compared to your competition.

Episode Highlights:

Charles tells the story of how he first got into the insurance business. (5:02)

Charles discusses the concept of the inferior submission. (7:03)

Charles explains the importance of having the entire process written before meeting with a prospect or current client. (11:15)

Charles explains why blocking the market is not in the best interest of insurance. (13:20)

Charles believes that to be better than a “block the markets” broker, brokers must be able to explain to the insured why they are better. (20:48)

Charles explains why many workers' compensation insurance underwriters will not or cannot quote a prospect who does not offer health benefits to their employees. (23:16)

Charles mentions that bare-bones submissions rarely receive quotes from underwriters. (25:31)

Charles explains the importance of educating the prospect on how a bare-bones submission actually harms them. (28:29)

Charles mentions that if brokers follow the process he highlights, they will receive significantly more broker record letters than they have in the past. (31:47)

Key Quotes:

“Put together a submission that will knock the socks off of your underwriter. A bare bones submission handcuffs the underwriter to not be able to work with another agent, maybe even agents that they would choose to work with. ” - Charles Specht

“The insurance industry is not set up for your success. The insurance industry is set up for your failure. It is not set up in a way that is going to help you in the trust process with your prospects.” - Charles Specht

“We need to educate the prospect on how a bare bones submission actually hurts them, how it hinders them, we need to explain to the insured that we are not going to be doing that on their behalf.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by David McFarland, founder, and CEO of Coterie Insurance, for an all-time conversation about insurance, insurtech and what it takes to win the small business insurance market. David is one of the smartest guys in commercial insurance and things he and his team are doing at Coterie are rapidly changing the standard for ease of business. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

David explains what an actuary is. (5:20)

What are some of the ways David worked within the business to overcome what seems to be a fairly common problem with carriers? (10:38)

David explains first-order positive, second-order negative in Coterie. (15:15)

David discusses how Coterie manages things in general.. (16:09)

David mentions that the most valuable asset of any firm is its people. (19:13)

David explains how Coterie gets people to believe in what they do. (21:55)

David mentions that Coterie hires on four criteria: integrity, intelligence, passion, and humility. (27:37)

David explains what makes Coterie unique. (32:17)

David says they aim to create a tech and insurance product that will allow their distribution partners to run in ways they couldn't before. (35:30)

David explains third-party data and how Coterie uses it. (42:27)

David mentions that they aim to ensure the success of their distribution partner. (49:10)

David says they're always seeking new data sources, evaluating its influence on customers, and verifying its accuracy. (51:58)

What does David see happening with small company insurance in the coming years? (53:46)

Key Quotes:

“We create cross-divisional teams to accomplish certain missions. So, if we have a particular objective or key result, we will put together a group of people who are qualified to tackle this thing. And that is their job and they have to work together.” - David McFarland

“We hire on four things. Integrity, intelligence, passion, and humility, and humility elevates all the other three. And the one sentence way that we describe it is that we're smart, passionate people who do the right thing, and we're not going to brag about it.” - David McFarland

“What we want to deliver is a product, both a tech product and insurance product that's going to enable our distribution partners to run in ways that they just couldn't do before.” - David McFarland

Resources Mentioned:

David McFarland LinkedIn

Coterie Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Aimey Bryan, Principal owner at Bryan Insurance Agency. Teresa and Aimey talk about how Aimey got her agency appointments, how she markets her agency, and more.

Episode Highlights:

How did Aimey get her start in the insurance industry? (2:51)

Aimey mentions that when she opened her main office, she was in a unique situation. (11:16)

Aimey discusses her carrier selection process. (13:00)

Has Aimey encountered any difficulties in going it solo as opposed to working with a larger buying network? (13:59)

Aimey explains how they got started in their original niche. (18:29)

Aimey shares how other agencies, including her own, are combining old and new school insurance practices in order to truly reach out and build their business. (23:05)

Aimey discusses the importance of marketing a product or a business. (32:57)

Key Quotes:

“I think having a open lines of communication with your marketing rep and with the underwriters and really learning the guidelines and quoting them as much as you can to figure out what fits is really how you start off successful with any carrier that you take on.” - Aimey Bryan

“I think there's ways that you have to figure out how to make that connection, whether it's through social media, whether it's sending a thank you card, still, I feel like a handwritten thank you card goes a long way.” - Aimey Bryan

“If you can say I'm going to do one thing to market my agency a day, just one thing, whether that's like a post or whether it's calling, you know, five new prospects or something like that, if you can do one thing a day to push the needle forward at the end of the year, you're going to be that much further ahead.” - Aimey Bryan

Resources Mentioned:

Aimey Bryan LinkedIn

Bryan Insurance Agency

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Monica Adwani, co-founder of Savvital. Monica discusses what's great about the insurance industry, the power of women in the insurance industry, and how women are contributing to the industry's success.

Episode Highlights:

Is Monica an iPhone or Android user? (2:34)

What was the most recent app Monica downloaded? (2:44)

Does Monica love to win or hate to lose? (4:32)

What attributes to Monica’s success, skill, or luck? (5:02)

Monica shares her background story. (6:34)

Monica shares about her family background. (12:04)

Is Monica of the opinion that the insurance industry is the best industry ever created? (21:29)

Jason believes that if there are no women in the insurance industry, men would be unable to do what these account managers can. (28:17)

Monica mentions that the nurturing factor that people are born with is one of the things that makes us more vulnerable. (29:42)

Monica discusses women's roles in the insurance industry. (30:47)

Monica believes that women are doing an excellent job of improving the image of the insurance industry. (32:10)

Monica expresses her delight at seeing men and women working together to improve the insurance industry. (36:51)

Monica discusses the Savvital concept, which she co-founded with Troy Thompson. (37:48)

Monica explains why they decided to start their own agency. (42:09)

Key Quotes:

“I do think that our industry has a lot of involvement, not just in the economy…most people don't know that our industry has investments and naturally has a hand in many, many other industries out there.” - Monica Adwani

“I think it's amazing that we are definitely promoting our insurance industry to more women, I think they definitely need to give it a chance because they can be really, really successful.” - Monica Adwani

“We don't have a piece of technology we're going after, we want to help people just like we want to help customers with insurance, we want to help agents with their businesses. And I think that differentiates a lot because we know how hard it is to grow an agency and the pain points. ” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

Monica Adwani LinkedIn

Savvital

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brett Young, CEO at Erb and Young. Brett discusses how his team has grown over the years, why they are always recruiting, and what steps they take to find the next winning team member.

Episode Highlights:

Brett discusses his agency, Erb and Young. (1:46)

Brett talks about what it's like to work on his team. (6:18)

Brett talks about a time when their business model wasn't making progress. (9:44)

How has Brett had to adapt their team culture to support growth? (11:48)

Brett mentions that as businesses grow and add team members, they become more specialized in their work. (14:25)

Brett explains why they are continuously hiring. (16:45)

Brett explains their recruitment strategy. (18:37)

Brett mentions that he is a team builder at heart. (20:25)

Brett explains that they defined their ecosystem five years ago, over the course of their ten-year lifetime. (21:50)

Brett describes what they're searching for in a candidate during the recruitment process. (25:15)

Brett believes that the insurance industry is highly unique in that it provides people with an almost unlimited amount of not only income but also autonomy. (32:29)

Brett explains why it is important to sell the agency's goal. (33:55)

Brett discusses some of the things that interviewers should stop doing. (35:21)

What advice does Brett have for someone who is interviewing for a new job? (37:30)

Key Quotes:

“As you grow and as you add team members, you just become more specialized in what you do.” - Brett Young

“Content has been a massive strategy in regards to showing the heart of who we are.” - Brett Young

“It's important to sell the dream to make sure that people know that this is a long term deal and it's worth it. Because there are going to be tough days, there are going to be tough situations, there are other jobs you can go out and get a quick fix. And this is just not one of them.” - Brett Young

Resources Mentioned:

Brett Young LinkedIn

Erb and Young

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

Yes, indeed, how you represent your prospects to the marketplace will either make you a winner or guarantee your failure. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht demonstrates how you can construct a new business or renewal submission to your carriers that will not only cause the underwriters to want to quote your submission but will encourage them to give you a better quote!

Episode Highlights:

Charles discusses how important it is to present the insured to the marketplace. (3:02)

Charles explains the two things that a business owner may do to ensure success. (4:59)

Charles shares a story about when he was still figuring out his consulting practice. (5:59)

Charles discusses the responses he received from his LinkedIn question for underwriters. (9:05)

Charles explains the significance of a superior submission. (25:54)

Charles believes that a good submission will get you more broker record letters if you can demonstrate to the prospect that you would be marketing them like a Ferrari in the market. (30:30)

Key Quotes:

“If I can help you be more successful in your career, whether you're on the carrier side or the agency side or in loss control, or whatever it is, doesn't matter if you're doing personal lines or employee benefits, property and casualty life insurance, I don't care, I want to be able to help you. ” - Charles Specht

“If you can put together a superior submission and give reason, detailed description and reason to the underwriter, what they've done for certain things, and why credits should be given. You're much more able to justify those credits with the underwriter and likely to get them” - Charles Specht

“If the insured knew how poorly so many agents out there are representing them to the marketplace right now, based upon their renewal submission, let alone the new business submission. I believe those insured's would fire their agent immediately and sign a broker of record letter to anyone else who's willing to put together a good submission.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this special on-location episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks shop with Ryan Hanley, Mitch Gibson, and David Carothers. A variety of topics are chopped up and a lively, entertaining conversation ensues.

Join the Agency Freedom Podcast Facebook Group To sign up for Agency Freedom Podcast's email list, please visit Agency Freedom Podcast Email podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Erik Garcia, CFP®, owner of Garcia Insurance Services and Garcia Financial Group. Ryan & Erik discuss what it means to set goals and actually make those goals a reality. Erik is one of the most thoughtful insurance professionals in the game. You are going to love this episode.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan and Erik discuss an insurance podcaster chat group. (12:20)

Erik shares about his Brainshare experience in September. (14:12)

Erik explains why agency owners and employees must be 100% expendable. (20:45 )

Erik adds that as a business owner, his value for his agency is as a visionary and strategist. (23:15)

Erik discusses the importance of business owners determining what they are working towards and what their end game is. (26:32)

Erik mentions that business owners must be concerned for their staff. (28:46)

Erik discusses why business owners should evaluate their role in the business. (31:26)

Erik explains why perception is reality. (41:50)

Erik explains that as a business owner, he must ensure that his clients are aware of his availability. (43:04)

Erik talks about the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. (47:08)

Erik discusses building relationships and creating shared experiences with others. (51:53)

Erik shares how he met David Carothers and creates a shared experience. (55:06)

Erik explains how important it is for business leaders to create experiences with their staff. (1:02:55)

Key Quotes:

“We make money two ways as business owners, one by doing work earning a wage the same way any staff member would. And the other way is by ownership, we should compensate ourselves in terms of our wages. similarly to what we would pay someone to do the job.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®

“We have to be genuine, authentic people. We can't create these false realities for people.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®

“If there's someone you want to become a client, look for those opportunities to create shared experiences with them. Don't talk about insurance.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®

Resources Mentioned:

Erik Garcia, CFP®

Garcia Financial Group

Garcia Insurance Services

Plan Wisely

Plan Wisely: Agent End Game

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Outliers: The Story of Success

Unless you have the "pen" for one of the carriers, you don't determine price or rates. The underwriter has all of the control for that. So, the competition really takes place at the "underwriting level" and not at the "retail agent" level. Why do your prospects think they can get better quotes by working with multiple agents? ANSWER: Because they don't know any better. If you can clearly articulate to the prospect that you will ensure competition will take place with the underwriters, you should be able to BOR all of the markets you want.

That's what host Charles Specht talks about in this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast.

Episode Highlights:

Charles discusses the factors that lead to a lack of trust in the insurance relationship. (2:06)

Charles explains why a lack of qualified competition to motivate the current broker is not in the insured's best interests. (6:13)

Charles discusses his responsibilities to an insured who likes the current agent. (10:04)

Charles shares several ways to motivate individuals to work hard. (12:06)

Charles believes that competition should take place at the underwriting level rather than the retail agent level. (13:45)

Charles mentions that it is important to explain to the insured how the procedure ensures competition, not at the agency level, but at the carrier level. (16:07)

Charles explains why micro-niching is so significant. (17:50)

Charles discusses the need for educating the insured on how insurance works. (19:28)

Charles explains why insurance producers must be able to tell underwriters exactly what they want. (24:39)

Key Quotes:

“I have no plans to move the business away from the incumbent agent. Because the incumbent agent might not necessarily be doing a bad job, it's just that the insurer doesn't know if they're doing a good job. And the insurer doesn't know if the agent who they like is actually getting them the best deal. That's normally why I'm hired, when the insured kind of likes their agent.” - Charles Specht

“This is why micro-niching becomes so important because the more that you are entrenched in the insurance industry, the more you will know what's happening in the insurance marketplace for that industry.” - Charles Specht

“If you can help your prospects see why you would be better. They might actually give you everything you want.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa sits down with her inner circle and discusses imposter syndrome. They discuss how they see themselves, how others see them, and how it has impacted their careers.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa explains what imposter syndrome is. (3:21)

Beth mentions one of her first breakthroughs. (9:11)

Ashley shares the experience of having professional peers see her in a different light. (9:42)

Kai gives her thoughts on the word “imposter”. (10:29)

Beth gives insight on how imposter syndrome has affected her. (17:34)

Ashley explains why sometimes they don't give themselves enough credit. (19:56)

Kai shares why social media plays a huge role in their industry. (22:33)

What are some things that help Lisa tackle the feeling of imposter syndrome? (27:33)

Lisa explains how body language helps her with confidence. (32:25)

Key Quotes:

“I feel like the kid that’s sitting on the bus seat by ourselves, with no friends until I met you lovely ladies, until I got into IAOA. I think it has just been awesome because I feel like I found my tribe. I found you guys. I feel totally accepted and validated in what I do, and I'm just grateful to you all, for that.” - Kai Smith

“Instinctively, I need to trust that I have instincts of things that are genuine. And if they don't work out, it's not for lack of trying or effort, it’s just they didn't work out one way or another.” - Lisa Hengel

“If we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and to listen to what others are saying about us, and people are still sticking around, they still want to talk to us afterward, they still think we're doing a good job... That's when it's like, okay, this is past just the surfacey stuff. Maybe I am actually worthy of their time, worthy of their attention.” - Lisa Hengel

Resources Mentioned:

Ashley Mastowski LinkedIn

First Choice Insurance Group

Beth DeLaForest LinkedIn

Aspire Insurance Group Inc

Kai Smith LinkedIn

Station 5 Insurance

Lisa Hengel LinkedIn

Willow Wood Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Cheatham, Vice President of Product and Content Marketing at Bold Penguin. Jason and Chris discuss what's ahead for the Insurtech industry, the importance of cyber liability, and the new products that Bold Penguin is developing for agents. Episode Highlights:

Chris explains what Risk Genius was all about. (2:34)

How did Chris become the Luke Skywalker of insurance? (3:29)

Is Chris an Android or iPhone user? (3:56)

Jason shares about his 75 HARD journey. (6:45)

Does Chris love to win or hate to lose? (8:49)

What does Chris attribute to his success, skill or luck? (15:48)

Chris discusses what Bold Penguin does for agents. (17:23)

Chris talks about their new product, consumer quote start. (20:42)

Could Chris consider himself well enough in the world of insurtech? (21:48)

Chris expresses interest in seeing what the next wave of insurtech will be. (22:20)

Jason and Chris discuss the significance of cyber liability. (24:25)

Chris mentions that he plans to launch a podcast eventually. (31:18)

Chris shares that they are the lead sponsor of Insurtech Connect. (32:07)

Chris explains why the insurance industry was referred to as the "Wild West". (32:48)

What is Chris currently watching? (35:58)

Jason explains how he manages to embrace a bunch of habits all at once with the 75 HARD. (38:43)

Key Quotes:

“What will trigger cyber for small business insurance, like a policy coverage, and who's going to buy them?” - Chris Cheatham

“My number one mission at Bold Penguin is declared by what we do. So I've been up since 5 am, working on a new website. I think that's gonna go really, really far in clarifying what our products do.” - Chris Cheatham

“I've actually been working quietly on a podcast... I want to do one where I go and talk to agents about their origin stories. What were you doing before? What was the kind of origin of the idea? How'd you launch it? What was the low point? And then where are you at now?” - Chris Cheatham

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Cheatham LinkedIn

Bold Penguin

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Many insurance brokers "ghost" their clients once the dust of the policy binding process settles. They move on to other things and conveniently "forget" to implement the services they promised the insured in exchange for their business. Or, they just flat out provide poor customer service after the sale. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how you can win more signed BOR's from your prospects by proving you provide superior customer service.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions that there is an issue with trust in the insurance industry, and it is the result of things that insurance agents have done in the past. (3:42)

Charles explains that his goal is to assist insurance agents in knowing how to produce a better customer service product and experience in order to win more business. (4:56)

Charles believes that when people grow more successful in the insurance business and get more clients, it becomes more difficult to provide excellent customer service. (5:59)

Charles explains the reasons why clients distrust insurance agents and insurance companies. (7:47)

Charles mentions Chris Paradiso and his agency as an example of a company that does an excellent job of onboarding clients and staying in touch with them. (13:04)

Charles discusses strategies for agencies to enhance their onboarding process. (13:47)

Charles discusses the steps that insurance agents may take to show prospects what it's like to do business with them in the future. (15:46)

Charles mentions that a 12-month timeline of services helps producers to get more signed broker record letters than anything else. (20:51)

Charles explains how to present an excellent 12-month service timeline. (23:58)

Charles explains that one of the main reasons prospects don't trust brokers is that they make lofty promises but provide poor after-sales service. (28:00)

Key Quotes:

“As insurance agents, we have done things over the course of time that have hindered our trust with prospects, insurance buyers, in the marketplace, and our reputation out there in the world. And a lot of it is because we provide a lot of verbal exercise and not a lot of follow-through.” - Charles Specht

“If we can alleviate this particular problem. If we can address it right up front, then we can provide a solution to overcome it, we can implement something that will cause the insured to actually see that you are the more obvious choice of which agent to do business with, you will collect more signatures on signed broker of record letters, you will then serve happiness, and you will have a lot of happy clients going forward.” - Charles Specht

“Brokers who promise a lot, but provide poor customer service after the sale is one of the main reasons why your prospects don't trust you. You have to have a solution to that problem. And I'm telling you that the 12 month written timeline of services is probably one of the best ways to overcome this problem.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Rob Bowen, Founder and CEO of Patriotic Insurance Group in Chester, NY. James and Rob discuss Rob's Freedom Jump, lessons learned as a former Farmers Agency owner, and his involvement in the Suits For Soldiers organization.

Visit Agency Freedom Podcast to sign up for our email list, be a potential future guest on the show or engage with us personally.

Most insurance brokers don't have a "Plan of Attack" when it comes to representing their prospects/clients in the marketplace. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains that the producers who get the most signed BOR's are those brokers who can effectively explain, to the insured, how they will handle the renewal process with each of the carriers and, specifically, how they will be a fierce negotiator on their behalf to ensure the best T&C's and the lowest premiums possible.

Episode Highlights:

Charles recalls what he has discussed in his previous episodes. (1:03)

Charles shares the reasons why insurance buyers, predominantly construction companies, hire him to manage the insurance renewal process on their behalf. (7:05)

Charles explains why getting broker record letters and winning has become difficult. (8:53)

Charles describes the super producers who have a million-dollar book of business. (11:34)

Charles explains why you need to do different things when sitting down with your client at the very first meeting (18:07 )

Charles mentions the major aspects of time on services that you need to spend time talking about with your insured. (21:32)

Charles explains the importance of explaining to the insured your time on services, the things that you will do to ensure the best result for the prospect. (22:29)

Charles mentioned that one of the things that he does is go out to all the markets that are writing your business. (25:11)

Charles explains why most insurance producers have no plan. (29:40)

Key Quotes:

“When you're sitting down with your insurer in that very first meeting, you need to do a few different things in that meeting. You need to build that rapport. You need to make sure that the insurer feels fairly comfortable with you to start talking.” - Charles Specht

“Once you have found out a number of problems with your competition, then you start to open up your timeline of services, you start explaining what you're going to provide to them over the course of a 12 month period, you're explaining to them what it is that you're going to actually provide.” - Charles Specht

“There is a much better plan to build a $1 million or more book of business and it is in the art of persuasion. It's in negotiation. And specifically, it's for those who are flat out terminators when it comes to renegotiation. Not too difficult to do, but potentially difficult for some to begin implementing. ” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Peter MacDonald, co-founder, and CEO at Wunderite. Peter discusses insurance start-ups, entrepreneurship, and how independent agents can make commercial insurance submissions better. This is an episode you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Peter explains what Wunderite is and what they do. (11:59)

Peter mentions that Wunderite's goal is to make it simpler for agents to gather the data they need from customers, to make it incredibly easy, and to make it available on any device. (13:25)

Peter mentions that Wunderite software is designed with the customer in mind and it allows customers to use the program in their own unique way. (14:57)

Peter explains why Wunderite is focused on making their software easier to use than a pen and paper for their customers. (20:53)

Peter explains how Wunderite fits into the day-to-day operations of the customer. (23:36)

Peter mentions that one of their primary goals for this year is to have acord forms in Wunderite. (27:58)

Peter mentioned that Wunderite has carrier supplementals. (29:49)

Where does Peter see the potential for big wins in the insurance industry? (32:32)

Peter believes that insurance is the original big data industry. (35:23)

Peter defines success in his own words. (49:10)

Key Quotes:

“With Wunderite, what we wanted to do is make an easier way to capture the data that you need from your customers...So you don't have to ask all these annoying questions.” - Peter MacDonald

“I've always wanted to build something on my own. I've always wanted to challenge myself to execute on these ideas and that's what I'm doing with my company and it's like the best thing I could possibly be doing is what I have to be doing.” - Peter MacDonald

“We're on a journey, we're not perfect, but that's kind of the goal. So it has to be super easy to use the software. That's the only way it's gonna make it easier than, you know, pen and paper.” - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Peter MacDonald LinkedIn

Wunderite

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Dustyne Bryant, MBA, CIC, CISR, and Cathariya Ferris, CIC, CRM, CPCU, CLCS, AU, of The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. Teresa, Dustyne, and Cat discuss the importance of leveling up our insurance education and the excitement of digging deep in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Dustyne shares how she got into the insurance industry. (1:34)

Dustyne mentions her role at National Alliance. (5:36)

Dustyne explains why she invited Cat to be her co-host in the Awkward Insurance podcast. (7:50)

Cat shares how she got into the insurance industry. (9:27)

Cat mentions one of the reasons why she’s thrilled to work at the National Alliance. (13:19)

Cat explains why it’s important to understand why insurance matters. (18:23)

Dustyne shares how someone can learn to love the insurance industry. (20:01)

Dustyne mentions what they strive to do at The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. (21:23)

Cat shares the significance of a growth mindset. (28:45)

Dustyne shares what drives their career and education at The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. (32:26)

Key Quotes:

“Having those connections with all of my clients and their personal stories, and talking about grandkids and kids, and going back to school, and not having to focus on business numbers, and all of that, was just where my heart was. So, personal lines have always been my focus. That's what I do here at the National Alliance.” - Dustyne Bryant

“At this point in my life, I didn't care so much about my career, per se. I just wanted to make myself better. I felt like I wanted to defy the stereotype of what a teen mom was going to be. So, it was really important for me to just always keep pushing forward to kind of create this life that I could be proud of. - Cathariya Ferris

“I think it's really important, especially as women, that we continually encourage that growth mindset in each other. Because otherwise, it's too easy for society whether it be our peers, our community, our parents telling us, well, this is what you're going to do in your life. This is what needs to happen and the way that I try to live my life is I try to live my life in a way that my kids can be proud of.” - Cathariya Ferris

Resources Mentioned:

Dustyne Bryant LinkedIn

Cathariya Ferris LinkedIn

The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass is joined by Kelly Donahue-Piro, President of Agency Performance Partners to discuss the solutions to the problems that the majority of agencies are experiencing. Kelly also talks about their courses and training, which can help agents and agencies improve.

Episode Highlights:

What’s Kelly’s opinion about the role of Jason Cass with his partner Travis? (10:32)

Kelly advises Jason on whether he should hire someone to manage his company. (12:05)

Kelly recommends that agency owners establish a vision of where they want to go in 10 years. (15:38)

Kelly believes that there is a lack of execution rather than a shortage of solutions to the hiring problem. (16:37)

What are the benefits of the great resignation for insurance agents? (17:16)

Kelly thinks that every agency must fight for what it needs and also be intentional and strategic. (19:59)

Kelly discusses their online school and the process pack that can be purchased on their website. (21:18)

Kelly talks about their next course, Plan and Execute: Creating Your Agency Success Blueprint, which will be available in October. (23:38)

Kelly explains how they can help agencies with their metrics. (28:32)

Kelly discusses the agency with whom they worked during the pandemic. (32:49)

What does Kelly watch to unwind? (34:31)

What book is Kelly currently reading? (35:45)

Key Quotes:

“If you find the good people, and you can make it work, because that's your culture, you also have to have fairness and equality between everybody.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

“You have to figure out your vision, like what do you want to be in 10 years and be every year working 10% closer to that, because that's the right thing, right?” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

“There is no shortage of solutions. What there is, is a shortage of execution.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

Resources Mentioned:

Kelly Donahue-Piro LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partners

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James shares a lively and far-reaching conversation with Ricky Hayter, Mike Fusco, and Nicholas Ayers while attending the BrainShare gathering in San Antonio in Sept 2021.

To sign up for our Agency Freedom Podcast email list, please visit Agency Freedom Podcast

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Wade Eyerly, founder and CEO of Degree Insurance. Wade discusses how to establish an insurance product where one didn’t previously exist. Wade is a tremendous person, and Ryan and Wade take this conversation in a variety of directions. You don't want to miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Wade explains what led him to Utah. (8:51)

Wade discusses the concept of Degree Insurance. (18:40)

Wade discusses how he became a missionary. (28:43)

Wade explains why he chose Moscow to serve as a missionary volunteer. (31:09)

Wade shares the story of how they helped a man they met quit smoking. (33:44)

Wade mentions that building genuine friendships rather than trying to network with everyone under the sun gives much greater results. (44:25)

Wade believes that trust stems from shared experience, which cannot be rushed. (48:30)

Wade believes that insurance is a fantastic industry in which you do not have to be the brightest person on the planet. (57:58)

Wade mentions that insurance enhances people's ability to take risks. (59:36)

Wade explains that the purpose of Degree Insurance is to remove the risk out of higher education. (59:59)

Key Quotes:

“If you spend two years walking around trying to help people as your full-time gig, you learn to love those people. You learn to care about them. You learn what's important to you.” - Wade Eyerly

“Insurance is such a great industry...you don't have to be the smartest person out there. If you can put your nose down and hustle, you can do really well, in any part of the country with traditional products.” - Wade Eyerly

“Insurance unlocks other people's ability to take risks and nothing is going to drive the economy faster. build more wealth, do more things than letting people take responsible risks.” - Wade Eyerly

Resources Mentioned:

Wade Eyerly LinkedIn

Degree Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Jennifer Standish, owner of Prospecting Works. Jennifer has a company that helps people with cold calling success.

Episode Highlights:

Jennifer shares how her passion for cold calling began. (2:24)

Jennifer mentions what she loves about cold calling and helping people confront their call. (3:30)

Does Jennifer think that women are better at cold calling than men? (4:50)

Jennifer shares how she works directly with people to help them overcome their fears in cold calling. (7:10)

Jennifer mentions her appreciation for commercial insurance. (9:51)

What’s the process when someone wants to start with cold calling? (12:14)

Jennifer lists some of the programs they offer at Prospecting Works. (22:28)

Jennifer shares a success story about someone she has helped. (28:35)

Jennifer mentions why she thinks that women could have a tremendous opportunity in cold calling. (35:30)

Does Jennifer think that texting has changed the culture of cold calling? (37:14)

Key Quotes:

“Call reluctance isn't really a fear of the phone or rejection, it's really fear of self-promotion. And so, it’s what is holding people back from picking up the phone is also holding them back in a lot of other areas in their lives.” - Jennifer Standish

“If people can understand that they're calling to help a business, protect itself, and protect its employees, you almost have this moral responsibility to call as many people as possible.” - Jennifer Standish

“If you're going to cold call or you're going to have employees that are going to cold call, then you need to accept every cold call that comes to you. Because, a lot of this is karma and you can learn a lot about what you're doing, by taking calls.” - Jennifer Standish

Resources Mentioned:

Jennifer Standish LinkedIn

Prospecting Works

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this throwback episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Billy Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the Williams Family Investment Group, and the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Dr. Billy Williams talks about goals and sales processes and understanding what calendar blocking is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Billy Williams shares his background. (7:54)

How did Dr. Billy Williams learn to play golf? (14:49)

Dr. Billy Williams shares why every agency should have a set standard that they recommend to their customers, a minimum recommended coverage standard. (22:41)

Dr. Billy Williams mentions his goal in the sales process. (27:05)

Dr. Billy Williams shares the elements in understanding the calendar blocking. (34:06)

What made Dr. Billy Williams decide to enter the military? (56:49)

Dr. Billy Williams shares a story about his conversation with Jason and Travis. (59:24)

Dr. Billy Williams mentions the book The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy and Can’t Hurt Me, by David Goggins. (1:05:04)

Key Quotes:

“Always do something every day toward your end goal. I don't care if it's five minutes, two minutes, three minutes. Never let a day go by that you don't do something towards your end goal.” - Billy Williams

“Once you have an agency recommended coverage, then you have standard consequences. Because our strength and insurance is not selling benefits. Our strength is being able to teach people the consequences of making a dumb ass decision.” - Billy Williams

“What I've learned in everything that I've ever played tennis, golf, sports, basketball, football, baseball doesn't matter. The person who makes the least amount of mistakes will usually win most of the time. It's not the person who is just great. It's the person who doesn't make great mistakes.” - Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Billy Williams, Ph.D. LinkedIn

Williams Family Investment Group

Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring

Communicating with others well directly impacts your outcomes. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, Education Manager at Quantum Assurance. Amanda talks about the DISC personality types, how to better understand people with different personality types from yours, and how to deal with personality differences!

Episode Highlights:

Amanda talks about the Leadership Academy at Quantum Assurance. (5:10)

Amanda discusses why she wants to bring the DISC personality traits to people's attention. (5:57)

Amanda discusses the DISC personality type classifications. (13:33)

Amanda discusses the personality of someone with the D "Director" personality type. (17:25)

Amanda explains that, while there is a formula that may work for many conversations, there will always be something that needs to be adjusted depending on the customer. (22:31)

Amanda shares why she has a soft spot for those with the I personality type. (24:03)

What are some of the things that would drain an I if they happened often in an insurance agency? (26:46)

Is it common to find an I in a sales role? (29:23)

Amanda discusses why the S personality is known as the "feeler" personality. (30:13)

Amanda discusses personality type C. (37:27)

What advice does Amanda have for those who want to improve their communication skills at work or at home? (45:41)

Key Quotes:

“We have to realize that while there's a formula that might generally work for a lot of our conversations, there's always going to be something that we have to adjust depending on the customer that we have.” - Amanda Mapp

“If we can get our strong folks in one category to focus on that one thing, we're going to see better production from them.” - Amanda Mapp

“I love anything that talks about personality because sometimes it's like horoscopes, sometimes it's so dead-on and sometimes people are like, that's not me. But I just want to be like, yes, it is, you just don't want to see it.” - Amanda Mapp

Resources Mentioned:

Amanda Mapp - Linkedin

Quantum Assurance

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Jeremy Powers, the Founder of Powers Insurance Experts in South Carolina.

Visit the Agency Freedom Podcast website to sign up for our email list and receive updates and resources directly in your inbox every Friday morning.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Raymond Lynch, Vice President of Growth at Coterie Insurance. Raymond talks about his transition from Liberty Mutual to Coterie Insurance, and why small business insurance is the place to be.

Episode Highlights:

Raymond discusses his decision to transition from Liberty Mutual to Coterie. (11:45)

Raymond adds that he's back to doing what he loves, which is leading people and helping them achieve their goals. (17:05)

Raymond believes that we need to improve our change management skills across the whole value chain. (22:41)

Raymond shares what he’s noticed with all the API technology that everyone’s talking about. (28:21)

Raymond explains why transparency has to come to insurance. (33:09)

Raymond explains where data comes from, how it's used, and how it's helping to improve the process. (41:06)

Raymond shares the most important thing they’ve learned through their journey. (49:18)

Raymond discusses the aspects of coding that he enjoys the most. (50:49)

Raymond explains why one of his favorite things to do is work with new agents. (53:39)

Key Quotes:

“Why waste hours of your time trying to figure out how to answer these questions when we can make an API call to 5,6,7 different vendors, and pull in a lot of information.” - Raymond Lynch

“I think it's easy for experienced industry people to throw shade and be like, ‘Oh, they don't know what they're doing.’ It's true, we might not know what we're doing all the time. But we're pouring a lot of effort with a lot of smart people to improve and try to get better, and to try to do things just a little bit differently.” - Raymond Lynch

“Behind the scenes, it may not be the traditional underwriting relationship that you're used to, but know that we have some really strong underwriting minds that are kind of keeping the guardrails in place and making sure that we're writing the right business.” - Raymond Lynch

Resources Mentioned:

Raymond Lynch LinkedIn

Coterie Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

The biggest problem insurance agents struggle with is not market access or even a lack of services provided by their agency. The biggest problem is a lack of trust from your prospects. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht breaks down ten of the main reasons why insurance buyers don't trust you -- and then gives you the answer of how to overcome the first one!

Episode Highlights:

Charles discusses why the insurance business lacks trust. (3:35)

Charles discusses why he started a consulting company called "Constructive Risk". (6:32)

Charles expresses his hope to see the insurance business improve. (11:28)

Charles discusses the main reasons why your prospect shouldn't trust you. (12:15)

Charles mentions that most insurance customers are surprised when they discover how much insurance agents are paid vs how little assistance they actually receive. (15:04)

Charles explains why inexperienced brokers pursuing quotes from the incorrect market access points is an issue. (21:42)

Charles explains how to earn your prospect's trust. (26:49)

Charles emphasizes the necessity of clarifying the renewal procedure. (28:49)

Charles mentions that it is important to remember that the underwriter does not have your best interests in mind. (30:40)

Charles explains why sometimes underwriters don't tell you everything. (32:08)

Charles mentions another way to win a lot of business. (36:43)

Key Quotes:

“It is wrong to try and sell on price or product when you could be selling by solving a problem” - Charles Specht

“I would love to change the insurance industry in the future, I would personally love to have all policies be written at a 0% commission and insurance agents establish a set rule for the service fee, a fee for the services that they provide.” - Charles Specht

“I believe that if we were really honest with ourselves, we would probably come to the conclusion that it is not in the insured's best interest to work with me solely on their insurance renewal, that they would probably be better off if they worked with different agents and agencies, got quotes from them, from different carriers based upon their relationship with those carriers and how much premium they have with them, their relationship with the underwriters, what services they provide, and so forth.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht, CIC, CDA

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Lisa Hast, Agency Principal at Iron Rock Insurance. Lisa talks about the new flood insurance rates and what to expect beginning October 1st.

Episode Highlights:

Lisa shares her background story. (1:25)

Lisa discusses what's going on in the flood insurance industry that we need to know about. (2:43)

What will the flood insurance policy be like in the future and how will premiums be affected? (3:55)

Are there any alternative options Lisa can think of for people to avoid these flood challenges? (6:52)

Is there a difference between private flood and FEMA-oriented flood programs in terms of what lenders will accept? (14:13)

Lisa discusses what they've done to get the information out about the flood insurance updates. (18:20)

What advice can Lisa provide to members of her community team? (20:04)

Does Lisa have any idea what the process is to get somebody grandfathered in? (21:48)

Key Quotes:

“I can tell you, as long as we have the ability to be able to put the homeowners and the flood together under one carrier, the new stuff will be okay, because a lot of these carriers will do the home insurance with a flood insurance endorsement on them.” - Lisa Hast

“So we're just trying to get the message out to the realtors, to the consumers, you know, to our county commissioners, to our governor, or to our state representatives that we need some help.” - Lisa Hast

“Property in Florida overall is hard. Now, flood is going to be hard....People are not going to be able to afford to purchase a home.” - Lisa Hast

Resources Mentioned:

Lisa Hast

Iron Rock Insurance

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Greene, The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris discusses the release of the risk rating 2.0 and the upcoming changes in flood insurance policies.

Episode Highlights:

Chris Greene shares his background. (5:16)

Chris explains that on October 1st, the National Flood Program will release the risk rating 2.0. (10:04)

Chris clarifies the difference between a flood and a flash flood. (12:42)

Chris adds that instead of giving someone a quote, they give them a flood risk proposal. (15:02)

Where does Chris envision himself in the next 5 or 10 years as a flood insurance guru? (17:13)

According to Chris, all renewals will be rewritten in the risk rating 2.0 program starting in April 2022. (22:15)

Chris says it is essential for agents to inform clients on the impact of the April 2022 reforms in flood insurance, particularly the claims variable. (22:36)

Chris mentions that he recently published a video titled “What Role Does Time Play in Flood insurance?”, in which he discusses waiting periods, the length of time a claim remains on the property, and other topics. (22:46)

Key Quotes:

“Marcus and I just hired two additional flood education specialists who have a background in education to help me do the same thing I'm trying to do. I can tell you, I'm here to hire world changers.” - Chris Greene

“I'm not helping the world by trying to do a phone call from somebody, I'm helping the world or trying to get information out there.” - Chris Greene

“You can make the decision, but it's my job to make sure you have the information.” - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Greene LinkedIn

Flood Insurance Guru

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kat Ternes, Vice President of Revenue at AgencyZoom. Recruiting comes with a bunch of challenges! Hear what hurdles Kat had to overcome to build her team, and how this can help you find top talent for your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Kat shares how she was first introduced to AgencyZoom. (3:17)

Kat discusses some of the challenges she has faced when it comes to recruiting. (5:54)

Kat talks about the team culture and core values of AgencyZoom. (7:47)

Kat shares how they established their seven core values together with the team. (12:53)

Kat explains how their team members are rated on a one-to-five scale. (19:46)

How would Kat Ternes describe what it’s like working in the startup world? (22:14)

Kat shares how she's building her own candidate pool. (28:33)

Kat discusses how she organizes her schedule. (34:36)

Kat explains why great, successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. (39:15)

Kat emphasizes the need of recognizing that the job market and the employee market are currently globalized. (41:36)

Key Quotes:

“Great successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. They're making good money. They're happy. They have freedom in their lifestyle because they're at 120% quota. Their boss doesn't care if they don't come in on Fridays.” - Kat Ternes

“Thinking about it through that lens, that I'm not an insurance agent recruiting, I am a small business owner who has a sincere impact on my community and I am truly trying to help your career and grow. It is the lens that we should look through more.” - Kat Ternes

“I am not here to say that recruiting is easy. What is easy, and most of us already have as a skill, though, is networking.” - Kat Ternes

Resources Mentioned:

Kat Ternes Linkedin

AgencyZoom

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James discusses the four major options for your freedom jump. He looks at the pros and cons of each of the options and lays out items you should be aware of as you are deliberating your Freedom Jump... OR re-evaluating your best available option in how to structure your agency.

Visit the Agency Freedom Podcast website to sign up for AFP's email list and receive real-time updates, notifications, resources and episode notes delivered right to your inbox every Friday morning.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Jonathan Libby, founder of Steady State Finance, the smart Defi insurance company. Listen for an absolute nerd session on all things crypto, blockchain, decentralized finance (DeFi) and what the future holds for insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Jonathan explains what decentralized finance means. (5:06)

Jonathan tells listeners what the role of DeFi will be in the future. (9:00)

Jonathan explains how decentralized exchange effects the ecosystem. (13:16)

How difficult is it to make changes within the Bitcoin community? (18:30)

Jonathan details how to disrupt insurance and implement new concepts. (22:31)

Jonathan gives listeners insight on how Steady State Finance operates. (26:46)

What’s the process, if a consumer wants to be part of this? (32:49)

Jonathan gives an example of what Steady State Finance can offer. (33:45)

How did Jonathan get into this space? (36:16)

Jonathan walks listeners through how he put several concepts together to build something significant. (38:22)

Key Quotes:

“I think in cryptocurrency... universal basic income, is for the first time is even actually possible, in a way that you can actually feasibly work, where people can all have a standard of life without sacrificing individual liberties.” - Jonathan Libby

“We're almost building a model that prioritizes reinsurance. We move from reinsurance to actually sharing the protocols ourselves as they keep developing. And by us, I mean a deep centralized community, not run by me not run by anyone you know, directly...But, by the people.” - Jonathan Libby

“My thought was...let's apply this. I'm like, this is the future. So, I started looking...How do I put together a bunch of concepts together and build something? Eventually, I met a very well known figure in the space, named Tim frost, from Yield app, and Yield app contracted me to build an insurance solution for them, and how to insure their portfolio to defy risk.” - Jonathan Libby

Resources Mentioned:

Jonathan Libby LinkedIn

Steady State Finance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

You may or may not be an unethical insurance agent, but your prospects don't know how to tell the difference. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht hopes you won't "break up with him" as he bullet points a number of reasons both your prospects and your clients don't trust insurance agents, and what you can do to change it.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains why insurance buyers, most of whom were construction corporations, recruited him as an independent consultant. (5:45)

Charles discusses the first reason which is: insurance agents show up with quotes that have inflated premiums. (7:38)

Charles believes that the average insurance buyer out in the United States is paying about 15% more for their insurance than they really need to. (9:20)

Charles mentions that, on average, whenever he works with insurance buyers, he usually reduces their costs between 11%-17%. (9:55)

Charles talks about hidden broker fees as well as other hidden fees. (10:49)

Charles shares why a commission relationship with insurance agents is not necessarily in the insured's best interest. (11:59)

Unqualified agents who give poor service, according to Charles, are also a problem. (12:51)

Charles talks about agents who are accessing the wrong carrier points. (13:39)

Charles explains why most insurance agents do a terrible job marketing their current clients to carriers at renewal. (14:38)

Charles discusses two more issues that he sees with the insurance agent. (17:05)

Key Quotes:

“I really feel that the average insurance buyer out there is paying about 15% more because on average whenever I work with insurance buyers, I usually get them down between 11% and 17%, based upon their quotes just by asking the underwriter” - Charles Specht

“If you've got a client who you know that there was no competition on, you are less likely to cross your T's and dot your I's and really push the underwriter for more credit. I'm not saying you're bad. I'm not saying you are unethical. I'm saying it is what it is.” - Charles Specht

“If you can get it across to your insured, your prospect, that you are open, that you are transparent, that you are going to educate them in the process. If you show them how you can be trusted, you will not only get more signed broker record letters, you will write bigger accounts, your book of business will continue to grow. You will become a millionaire insurance producer if you can do those things. And so that's why I wanted to talk about this issue.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this throwback episode of the Power Women in Insurance Podcast, Teresa speaks with Kristin Isaacson, Partner at Role Play at the Olson Agency. She has a background as a facilitator in communications and sales. She strives to understand team members’ individual needs both personally and professionally. Listen in to learn how Kristin Isaacson and Jeremy Olsen saw a need in the insurance industry and created a program that works towards bettering relationships in agencies. You will also learn the need for women to show up as leaders and match up to men.

“You have to stay very resilient mentally, you can’t let negativity get you down in this space.”- Kristin Isaacson [19:56]

Top Takeaways:

How to create a successful program that helps teams build strong relationships with their customers.

The strategy of helping team members to take action and coming up with solutions that helps their customers.

The power of resiliency- not allowing negativity to get to you in the insurance business.

How to show up as a woman in business by practicing to be better.

What you will learn:

[2:14] She explains how he joined the insurance industry as a team coach.

[4:06] How she has helped the team come up with a peer and manager coaching structure.

[5:35] She explains how she and Jeremy Olsen developed and executed the Role Play program at the Olsen Agency.

[13:03] Why women need a support system and to believe in themselves more than men in similar positions.

[16:31] How she either acts with tough love or empowerment when coaching women as called by the situation.

[23:53] How to practice positive thinking and gratitude for self-development to be a good team member.

Relevant Links:

Website: https://www.insuranceroleplay.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RPOA.LIVE/

Facebook Private Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1371258396384138

Email: kristin@insuranceroleplay.com

Book mentioned: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Connect With Teresa!

Sterling Insurance Group's Website: https://www.sterlinginsnow.com

Teresa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.comerkitchens

Sterling Insurance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlinginsurancegrouptx/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlinginsurancegroup/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlinginsurancetx/

In this episode of Agent’s Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kyle Nakatsuji, Founder & CEO of Clearcover. Kyle chats with Jason about growing and thriving in the insurance industry, his biggest influences, and greatest challenges.

Episode Highlights:

Is Kyle an iPhone or Android user? (2:50)

Does Kyle love to win, or hate to lose? (3:30)

Which has been a bigger part of Kyle’s success; skill or luck? (6:14)

Kyle gives listeners insight into his background. (8:15)

What do you need in order to be a successful insurance organization? (13:40)

Kyle walks listeners through what his company, Clearcover, offers. (17:30)

Who was Kyle’s mentor as he grew in the insurance industry? (25:02)

Which state does Kyle think will be the toughest challenge to be profitable in? (35:21)

Key Quotes:

“Look, I'm willing to accept being unprofitable, but I need to make sure I understand why I'm unprofitable.” - Kyle Nakatsuji

“But on our side, it's just about being aware of the ethics of the tool that you're using, and making sure that you don't get too wrapped up in what's possible, and pay attention to what you should actually be doing with the tool.” - Kyle Natatsuji

“If you read a bunch of terrible business, which you subsequently offload to a reinsurer, who then loses their apps on it, you're not going to have a reinsurance deal in a year or two, which means it's all going to come back on your balance sheet.” - Kyle Natatsuji

Resources Mentioned:

Kyle Nakatsuji LinkedIn

Clearcover

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the two main reasons why writing small accounts is a terrible strategy for an insurance agent and why THINKING BIGGER and writing larger accounts makes everyone happier. "Small Thinking" is a plague that may allow you to pay your monthly electric bill but it will never allow you to build wealth.

Episode Highlights:

Why is thinking small, a major problem? (2:55)

How does Charles' approach to work differ from that of 20 years ago? (5:30)

Charles explains how to compensate for inexperience, as a young agent. (6:56)

Is there a difference in process when prospecting large accounts versus smaller ones? (8:14)

What happens when you’re successful at writing small accounts? (9:37)

Charles details a conversation he recently had with the service team. (13:00)

What should your target goal be, as a starting point? (13:02)

Charles shares his message for agency principals. (14:44)

Key Quotes:

“You have to stop thinking small. And, you have to start going big. That's what you have to do. You really have to. I can give you all the tools, I can give you everything that you need to do, if you will, to make that leap to make that jump...But, you have to step off the plane.” - Charles Specht

“You'll make enough money to pay the electric bill, to pay the rent, or the mortgage or whatever it is. And you know what? Maybe every once in a while, go out to a nice little restaurant with your wife and your kids, and so forth. But, you're not going to build wealth.” - Charles Specht

“I have had a chance to talk with lots of different insurance agents. They message me on LinkedIn, they call me, they shoot me an email, whatever it is. I have a chance to talk to a bunch of the vast majority of them out there. I know their problems could be solved, if they would simply start thinking bigger.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar catches you up to speed on highlights from this summer and shares her recent episode cliff notes, favorite quotes, and spoiler alerts!

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares how she’s spent the summer vacation with her family. (1:55)

Katlyn shares a couple of highlights about her podcast episode with Ryan Frank. (11:23)

Katlyn mentions what she and Cassidy Arbeli discussed. (13:51)

Katlyn shares her interview with Justin Marks. (15:23)

Katlyn recaps some key takeaways from her podcast interview with Ethan Barhydt. (17:38)

Katlyn explains why her podcast episode with Ethan, was by far, one of her favorites. (19:08)

Katlyn mentions an important element in making a long-lasting positive impact on a person’s life. (22:56)

Katlyn shares her episode with Peter van Aartrijk. (23:43)

Katlyn mentions Jeff Kirchick’s book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (26:23)

Key Quotes:

“We're focusing on branding the client relationship, and where the biggest opportunities are to solve problems for them. Now, you've created that consultative approach within your agency, and anyone can start there.” - Katlyn Eggar

“It's totally possible for your sales team to get on the phone and quote and close a new policy without even mentioning the name of your agency. And so, I just wanted to leave you with that little tidbit today, because it's such a great reminder to all of us about how every conversation is a branding moment for our agencies.” - Katlyn Eggar

“At the end of the day, the bottom line for me is don't just look at the numbers, you've got to listen to the calls, you've got to get inside of the call, not just look at the outcome, and that will point you in the right direction so that you can start figuring out how to coach those behaviors.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Grayson Thompson, Principal Problem Solver at Mission Insurance Agency in Dublin, OH.

Join the AFP Facebook Group to connect with James and your fellow Freedom Jumpers. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the five key areas you need to implement the "Power of 1" in order to build your Book of Business to $1,000,000 or more. Staying focused on one path of success is difficult for most producers, but getting better at it is what separates the pro's from the amateurs.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the power and importance of following through. (3:30)

What does Charles look for when predicting a new agent’s success or failure? (4:58)

Charles details his first piece of advice: have one mission. (6:55)

Charles shares a story from college to illustrate his second piece of advice. (12:16)

What should your only goal be at the end of your first appointment with a client? (15:29 )

What’s something that takes time and makes it more difficult to win? (19:12)

Charles shares his third piece of advice: how to approach micro niching. (21:22)

Charles explains his fourth piece of advice: one policy expertise. (23:26)

Charles details his fifth piece of advice: the one activity that will put gold in your pocket. (28:44)

Charles tells listeners why it’s so important to have a process and a plan. (32:48)

Key Quotes:

“The problem with us as producers, as insurance agents, as human beings, frankly, we're not very good at staying focused. We lose focus, therefore, very often, we're off the path. We're off the path of success. Sometimes we just lose our focus on what we're supposed to be doing.” - Charles Specht

“There's definitely certain characteristics of insurance producers that I see...that person is going to be a success, or that person is going to be out of this business in six months. And, it comes down to the power of one.” - Charles Specht

“If you are singularly focused...you are going to get more broker of record letters, period, hands down from the prospects that you meet with, because you are the obvious choice.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Daniel Seong, Founder, and President of Great Park Insurance. Daniel stops by the podcast for a conversation on the life you can build through a career. Daniel is one of the all-time people with an all-time story, and what he's been able to do is nothing less than inspirational. It was a great pleasure to have Daniel on the show.

Episode Highlights:

Daniel shares how they started creating Tiktok videos. (8:35)

How does Daniel manage the feedback from their videos? (12:43)

Daniel shares how he maintains being consistent and detailed throughout his everyday life. (18:12)

Daniel mentions what he would always tell people about winning. (23:36)

How does Daniel maintain his focus today, for the next phase of his career life? (25:38)

Daniel shares why he’s excited for the second part of his life with Great Park Insurance. (29:39)

Daniel mentions how social media has changed the culture of the insurance industry. (49:16)

How was Daniel able to trust his employees at Great Park Insurance? (52:42)

Ryan shares what the listeners can learn from this podcast. (1:04:02)

Key Quotes:

“Just me reaching out for that five minutes really does make an impact on them. Not because we're just huge influencers, but because it’s just somebody that went through it, and can share a little bit of insight with them to just let them know...Hey, it's going to get better.” - Daniel Seong

“I think leadership and respect from the team doesn't happen overnight. I think there just has to be this consistency and discipline that comes from the leader throughout years and years, and years.” - Daniel Seong

“You always have to operate with the end in mind. If that's your goal, then all the work from now to that goal, you should welcome it. You should welcome all the sweat and the work and the hours that go into it.” - Daniel Seong

Resources Mentioned:

Daniel Seong LinkedIn

Great Park Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Rachel Robison, MBA, Chief Executive Officer at Siege Technology Solutions, Inc. Teresa and Rachel chat about the necessity of technology in the insurance space and how it impacts clients, team members, and even the resale value of the agency.

Episode Highlights:

Rachel mentions her interest in the technology industry. (4:43)

Rachel shares how she randomly got into the industry. (5:39)

Rachel mentions what she loves about being in the commercial insurance space. (6:54)

Rachel explains how the CRM they built works. (10:03)

What were some of the goals they’ve achieved for their agency? (13:01)

Rachel shares what her missions for Siege Technology Solutions, Inc are. (16:13)

How does Rachel help agents to manage their time and resources? (21:37)

Rachel mentions her vision for agency owners. (33:04)

Key Quotes:

“I started out personal, and ended up commercial. I love the commercial aspects of things, just because there's always something different, something unique. It was always a challenge, always something different to learn.” - Rachel Robison

“Finding qualified leads is difficult. But, then also, once you get those leads, having a good way to be able to continuously connect with them, and to follow up with them and to nurture those leads.” - Rachel Robison

“The ones that adopt early, they're gonna have such a competitive advantage in the market, and then the ones that come in are eventually gonna get pulled along by the time. So, I think within the next five years, you'll see the majority of agencies are going to be on some sort of CRM based system.” - Rachel Robison

Resources Mentioned:

Rachel Robison, MBA LinkedIn

Email- Rachel Robison

Siege Technology Solutions, Inc.

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

Time for a throwback! In this episode of Insurance In Your Words, an AI podcast series originally aired in 2016, host, Joey Giangola discusses value and meeting expectations with your clients. If a policy can’t support the value expected by the client, something has to change. It doesn’t matter if it’s the policy or the client. Giving away foolishly unsupported value will have you cleaning out your office faster than a custodian with an abnormally small bladder.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how to find success as an insurance agent. It's not about you. It's not about the insurance agent. The Hero of the "insurance story" is your prospect. Marketing, branding, and selling is best performed when you position your prospect as the Hero and you as the Guide. Give your prospect a plan for success and they'll do whatever you (the Guide) tell them to do!

Episode Highlights:

Which two stories should insurance agents have? (4:10)

Charles shares a story of how helpful life insurance is. (4:54)

Charles mentions the book, called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (8:21)

Charles explains why your sales process needs a script. (11:28)

Charles shares who the hero is when it comes to the storyline of a successful insurance agent. (13:18)

Charles explains who the villain is when it comes to the insurance process. (15:16)

As a producer, what do you need to remind the insured of? (16:58)

Charles details the key responsibilities of a guide and a producer. (17:54)

Charles explains why most insurance producers don't discuss what victory looks like. (22:44)

Key Quotes:

“You have to bring your prospect into the story, otherwise, you are white noise. You're just white noise in the background. You're just a buzzing in people's ears, and they're not really coming along with you in the story.” - Charles Specht

“The villain is the entire quoting process. You as the guide show up and what your responsibility to do in this whole process is to somehow be able to formulate a plan or a strategy so that the insured can actually see what they're supposed to do, and that will show them how to be victorious in the end.” - Charles Specht

“The storyline of a successful producer, you as a new guide have to come in and get the hero, the prospect, the insurer, to realize that the guide they have right now can't take them to the next level.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Luis Leal of Leal Insurance Services in San Antonio, Texas.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews the veracious Carol Roth, entrepreneur, business television personality, and best-selling author of The War on Small Business. Carol joins the podcast for a tremendous conversation on small business in America.

Episode Highlights:

Carol explains why small businesses are being undervalued, especially during the pandemic. (7:58)

Carol mentions how social media has exacerbated talking about intentions. (11:41)

Carol shares her opinion as to why small businesses were murdered. (15:18)

Carol explains the things that small business owners can do to be more active. (17:43)

Carol mentions her book, called, The War on Small Business. (18:19)

Carol shares why she’s fascinated by cryptocurrency. (25:19)

Carol gives her opinion on cryptocurrency. (33:04)

Carol explains why inflation is the worst-case scenario, in terms of wages and prices. (39:39)

Carol shares her background as a free speech advocate. (48:02)

What made Carol decide to write a book? (57:24)

Key Quotes:

“When intentions don't really matter, outcomes matter. So, there are a lot of people with a lot of really great intentions. They have no economic experience, and you end up putting ridiculous things in place to create barriers to economic benefits and wealth creation.” - Carol Roth

“Have that patience and that breathing room to say...You know, I understand what this small business owner is going through and I'm gonna support. So, I feel like that's the kind of capitalist side.” - Carol Roth

“I'm a free speech advocate, and so, I feel like, as long as you're not saying something that's directly calling for violence or harm against somebody, or doing something illegal, you should be able to say whatever you want.” - Carol Roth

Resources Mentioned:

Carol Roth LinkedIn

Carol Roth Twitter

Website- Carol Roth

The War on Small Business

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how quoting is for the weak! This is a truism. But if you're not going to offer quotes, what should a producer do, exactly? That's what Charles Specht breaks down for us today. Instead of offering quotes, use this process instead to win signed BOR’s!

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a story about a poll he recently did on LinkedIn. (1:45)

Charles explains why he disagrees that the broker of record letter is unethical. (2:56)

Charles mentions one important thing that insurance agents should do. (7:30)

Charles shares what insurance agents prospecting goals should be. (8:29)

Charles explains some of the reasons why insurance buyers don’t trust insurance agents. (12:32)

Charles explains how to get more signed broker record letters and how to build your book of business. (16:53)

Charles mentions some of the goals you should have when meeting with your prospect. (19:45)

Charles mentions why being micro niche is key. (26:08)

Charles shares another part of the broker of record letter process: the written timeline of services. (27:54)

Charles explains the definition of winning. (33:49)

Key Quotes:

“Let me just tell you, I do not at all like or agree with insurance carriers that have a problem with a broker of record letter. It exists for your policyholder. That's what it exists for.” - Charles Specht

“I do believe that the broker of record letter again is not only ethical, I also feel it is in the insurance’s best interest to know that it exists, to know that it is something that they can use at any one time. And, I also feel that it is in the insurance agent’s best interest to have the broker of record letter as the trophy of what they're trying to accomplish.” - Charles Specht

“A lot of this process is a process of switching your thinking. You need to rethink your strategy for prospecting new business. That's what we have to do, we have to rethink our strategy for prospecting new business.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Majda Baltic, President, and Owner of Majdas Touch Insurance, Inc. Majda is creating platforms for other agents and insurance clients to grow their insurance knowledge while getting the best support possible.

Episode Highlights:

Majda shares how she got into the insurance industry. (1:44)

Majda explains where her passion lies in this industry. (3:07)

How long has Majda been on the independent side? (5:49)

Majda mentions how the pandemic has affected their industry. (8:05)

Majda shares the time when she opened her agency in 2018. (9:50)

Majda mentions one of the reasons why she likes doing podcasts. (11:54)

Majda explains why opening an independent agency was mind-blowing for her. (13:17)

Majda mentions the significance of having a good support system at home. (17:06)

Majda shares how she has found success on the independent side. (21:56)

Majda shares a story about the time when she was hired by a captive company. (36:24)

Key Quotes:

“I started to dig deeper and kind of pick at different ideas on what would really make a difference in this industry, and it came down to me really wanting to empower the public, and making the right decisions when purchasing insurance.” - Majda Baltic

“One of the reasons why I like doing these podcasts is because it helps me to connect with other agents that are kind of in a similar situation. Even when you figure things out, it's still good to have people around you that have somewhat of the same idea.” - Majda Baltic

“Anytime that you hit a roadblock, taking those moments, and really just sitting with yourself and saying, you know, it's okay to take this break, or to take a week off, or whatever it is that you need. It's so replenishing. And it really refuels your soul in that fire to keep pushing forward.” - Majda Baltic

Resources Mentioned:

Majda Baltic LinkedIn

Majdas Touch Insurance, Inc.

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Sanjay Gupta, Executive Vice President at ACI Worldwide. Sanjay talks about his expertise in the digital payment space and how consumers utilize their applications.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Sanjay’s success, skill or luck? (3:38)

Sanjay shares his background. (4:01)

Sanjay shares his experience being in the digital payment space for many years. (6:12)

Sanjay mentions the broad-based survey they did recently. (6:55)

Sanjay shares what the options are when receiving the payments electronically. (8:28)

Sanjay explains their application called Mobile Presentment. (10:26)

Where does Sanjay see the company going in the future? (12:37)

Sanjay shares what a digital wallet is. (14:39)

Does Sanjay think that the larger carriers are better than the regional carriers when it comes to adopting their technology? (20:00)

Sanjay mentions the book entitled The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. (24:56)

Key Quotes:

“I think what is definite is that change is definite and innovation is definite. I think staying abreast of that but keeping the consumer in mind is critical.” - Sanjay Gupta

“Innovation doesn't need to start with a big corporation. It can actually start local and it can start small. Whoever listens to the consumer and provides these options has positioned themselves to be winners in the medium to long term.” - Sanjay Gupta

“If they want to be winners, I think they need to stay close to the consumers and give them the choice particularly in the digital payments area that they want.” - Sanjay Gupta

Resources Mentioned:

Sanjay Gupta LinkedIn

ACI Worldwide

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

The Last Lecture

In this throwback episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future.

Episode Highlights:

Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40)

Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17)

How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12)

Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17)

Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23)

Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33)

How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22)

How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09)

The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53)

What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45)

What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44)

Key Quotes:

“I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma

“I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma

“I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Grant Botma LinkedIn

Culture Course

Stewardship

Advertisers:

Agency VA

We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James jumps in to the first "Hot Takes" content. He'll talk about strategies to drive efficiency and efficacy in your activity. This will inevitably lead to great profit for you and your team.

In this tremendous episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Andrew Ryan and Jack Hertvik of Hertvik Insurance Group. Andrew and Jack are running a dynamic and growing agency that pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a traditional independent insurance agency, and in turn, dominating the insurance game.

Episode Highlights:

Jack shares one of the things he loves about working in the insurance industry. (9:27)

How did Jack become an SIAA Master Agency? (10:06)

Jack mentions one of the fascinating things happening in the industry. (11:34)

Andrew shares how technology has changed the insurance industry. (13:16)

Andrew mentions one of the huge factors that he and Jack have discussed. (16:42)

When did Jack and Andrew decide that using more tech tools was for the benefit of their agency? (24:24)

Jack shares the importance of building out your agency’s tech plan slowly. (36:04)

Jack gives a few pieces of advice about the insurance industry. (42:36)

Andrew tells listeners where he sees the agency five years from now. (51:35)

Key Quotes:

“If it was as easy as putting it in a box and just saying, hey, do this do that, we'd all be successful insurance agencies. So, watching them figure it out and kind of having that curiosity of figuring out what works for them is the best part of my job.” - Jack Hertvik

“You always need to be thinking about how your replacement is going to handle it, not necessarily because you're going to be gone. But, because you might advance or you might have somebody else that needs to do that job. You have to be thinking about that stuff in the future.” - Jack Hertvik

“I think that empowerment thing that Jack mentioned, is very important. And I think that's huge, especially in like, smaller agencies it’s probably even more important. Because if you have that embedded in your culture from the beginning, it's just, it's huge.” - Andrew Ryan

Resources Mentioned:

Andrew Ryan LinkedIn

Jack Hertvik LinkedIn

Hertvik Insurance Group

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Lorena Tomasini, Life and Health Insurance Broker at MALM Life & Health Insurance Agency, and host of Twelve Minute Talks Podcast. Lorena is a life/health insurance agent in Miami. Lorena tells the listeners about how she has partnered with her mom to sell life and health insurance. She also discusses how to find what works and some challenges she has overcome with selling over the phone.

Episode Highlights:

Lorena shares her background. (1:15)

How did Lorena get into the insurance industry, and how was it working with her mother? (3:24)

Lorena shares some of the biggest challenges she’s experienced being in the life insurance industry. (5:37)

Lorena explains how their clients’ reacted when they transitioned from working in the office to working from home. (9:13)

Lorena mentions how the pandemic affected their agency. (13:11)

How is Lorena’s agency able to reach out and get new clients amidst the pandemic? (16:25)

Lorena shares some of her successes, especially working with her mother. (20:01)

How does Lorena determine if she’s found something she wants to stick with? (26:09)

Lorena gives a short background about her podcast called, Twelve Minute Talks Podcast. (29:24)

Key Quotes:

“My mom and I just decided to open our own agency together. Since we have been working together we thought, okay, let's make it official now and start our own agency. It’s not really something that I thought I would be doing 15 years later or anything. But, it's something I really enjoy and it’s a once in a lifetime experience...also to work with family.” - Lorena Tomasini

“People want to do this elaborate thing, where at the end of the day, people just need the information that's suitable for them...and that you can help them solve their problem.” - Lorena Tomasini

“When I first started out in insurance, we did a lot of mortgage protection, and we would buy leads, which, there is nothing wrong with that. Because obviously, you need somewhere to start, or if things are slow...we can't just sit here and hope for things to happen. So, it's a combination of things to get clients, it's not just one thing.” - Lorena Tomasini

Resources Mentioned:

Lorena Tomasini LinkedIn

MALM Life & Health Insurance Agency

Twelve Minute Talks Podcast

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Caribou Honig, General Partner at SemperVirens Venture Capital, Chairman, and Co-founder of InsureTech Connect. Caribou talks about what Venture Capital is all about and how InsureTech Connect was found.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Caribou’s success, skill or luck? (5:25)

Caribou explains why it’s significant to invest in Venture Capital at the early stage. (8:33)

Caribou shares what characteristics a person must have to be a Venture Capitalist. (10:32)

Caribou explains why pattern matching is beneficial. (12:11)

Does Caribou think this year has been tougher for InsureTech startups than in previous years? (14:26)

Caribou explains what Venture Capital is. (17:42)

Caribou shares how InsureTech Connect started. (22:39)

Does Caribou think that the lack of funding is the main reason that's limiting the agents from scaling and growing? (27:39)

Caribou mentions that he’s reading the book entitled Old Man's War, by John Scalzi. (33:44)

Key Quotes:

“Keeping an open mind around the online stores is very important. There's been a lot discussed and written about diversity and inclusion, particularly in the venture capital space. I think one of those things is making sure that we don't overfit pattern matching.” - Caribou Honig

“I think that as long as you have that, success begets more success. At least that success begets more funding in hopes that there will be another iteration or to have additional success.” - Caribou Honig

“I think we did the best we could in terms of some digital content and virtual content. But, I think we also all know that's not quite the same as gathering together seven or eight thousand people, right? To get the serendipity out of the bee!” - Caribou Honig

Resources Mentioned:

Caribou Honig LinkedIn

SemperVirens Venture Capital

InsureTech Connect

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Old Man's War (Old Man's War, 1)

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Brecklyn Chumbley, Relationship Manager at RiskWell in McKinney, Texas. Brecklyn was the first hire at RiskWell and shares her unique perspective on the Freedom Jump and how to run a profitable, growth-focused office.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how competing insurance agents only win new business an average of 8% of the time in a normal quoting process. Incumbent agents win 92%. So, who has it better? That's really the issue. Incumbent agents retain their clients because they have access and currently control the insured's permission. Therefore, let's focus on winning permission rather than blind quoting.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares what is the problem with the normal quoting process in the insurance industry. (3:16)

Charles shares why he likes the books of Seth Godin. (5:44)

Charles explains his definition of permission. (8:48)

Charles tells listeners why it’s so important to get permission. (9:46)

What kind of quoting is Charles trying to get rid of? (14:31)

What’s one of the most difficult things for insurance agents to start figuring out? (18:30)

Charles shares one of the most important strategies to use. (21:10)

Charles gives an overview of different areas of permission. (27:48)

Charles shares the final tip which is to start going after broker of record letters. (28:39)

Charles mentions a dirty little secret about the insurance industry. (30:07)

Key Quotes:

“We need to make sure that we have the access to go forward before we actually do go forward.” - Charles Specht

“You’ve got to get that permission. Because if you don't have it, you ain't winning. I'm sorry to tell you, you are not going to win if you do not have insurance permission. There's a lot of insurance buyers out there who are using you for information.” - Charles Specht

“Having that mindset that you do not offer quotes going forward...Probably one of the more difficult things to do. But let me just tell you, you do that and the insured will never forget you.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Katherine Ternes, Vice President of Revenue at AgencyZoom. Kat joins the podcast to share her unique and dynamic expertise on developing processes and implementing a CRM inside independent insurance agencies. Kat is one of the most interesting people in the insurance industry. Did you know she's a world-class trap shooter? This is an episode you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Kat mentions an embarrassingly wonderful part of her being a geriatric millennial. (12:57)

Kat shares her interests in competitive sports. (17:59)

Kat mentions one of the things she learned that people want to strive toward.(27:37)

Kat shares what people can achieve from being resourceful. (32:41)

Kat mentions why she’s very proud of her team. (34:48)

Kat explains what AgencyZoom is all about. (38:52)

Kat discusses why employee enablement is so important. (40:31)

Kat explains how to manage your sales processes. (50:18)

How does Kat manage to keep track of their goals? (1:03:13)

Key Quotes:

“There's a matching component to grit that is actually able to be taught and able to be nurtured when you're exhausted. And, that's resourcefulness. Gritty people learn how to build up their resources.” - Katherine Ternes

“We've hit all of the goals that the business sets, but, my own personal goals, I either need to lean into the resourcefulness and just say like, it's okay to have a moment of rest. Or, I have to get gritty real quick here. And it's really fun to be at that crux.” - Katherine Ternes

“The teams that go and investigate the stuff that gets put on the roadmap and they test it, and they beta use it...those are the ones that make a world of difference. Those are the ones that take technology from being 150 agencies and it's just one person's opinion, and it's some engineers building stuff. You guys are the ones that take it and really build it into what independent agents need.” - Katherine Ternes

Resources Mentioned:

Katherine Ternes LinkedIn

Agency Zoom

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ursula Merten, Director of Insurance Strategy & Transformation at Omni:us. Ursula is a great data-centric person who has studied data, claims, and is utilizing that information to create a great insure tech connection.

Episode Highlights:

Ursula shares her background. (1:11)

What does Ursula find most interesting about insurance? (3:14)

What has been Ursula’s favorite part of her career so far? (6:04)

Ursula shares her realization of being in the insurance industry for more than 20 years. (11:35)

Ursula shares her mission when it comes to artificial intelligence. (16:53)

How did Ursula get started at Omni:us? (20:00)

Ursula shares where she envisions the insurance industry will be, a few years from now. (22:35)

Does Ursula think that women deal with technology differently than men? (27:44)

Ursula shares one of her favorite things that Omni:us is doing. (31:47)

Key Quotes:

“From all my different experiences, from different parts of the insurance ecosystem, I gained more and more knowledge. I didn't even realize that at the time. I kind of became a subject matter expert because I had a 360 view of insurance, being on all different sides, being part of the systems.” - Ursula Merten

“I love mentoring. Coming from the background of how I grew up, being in a single mom environment with sisters...We all had to support each other, and come up with inventive ways to survive a lot of times. I think that life skill set that I have, I was able to apply to help women that I saw that needed my help, and needed that guidance, that didn't have the guidance at home.” - Ursula Merten

“It's important that people concentrate on coming up with some certain standards, some certain controls around data. Because, otherwise, we see what happens. We've seen everything else is that, it's impulsive reactive behaviors to new technologies, and then it gets crazy.” - Ursula Merten

Resources Mentioned:

Ursula Merten LinkedIn

Omni:us

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Beth DeLaForest, Agency Owner at Aspire Insurance Group Inc. Beth talks about her approach to becoming an independent agency and how Aspire Insurance Group was born.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Beth’s success, skill or luck? (3:50)

Beth mentions what the bounce-back factor means. (4:41)

Beth shares her background. (5:34)

What does Beth’s agency look like, at present? (9:05)

Beth shares a story of how she acquired a new agency last year. (10:06)

Beth mentions an interesting fact about John. (12:31)

Beth explains what their average account looks like. (14:04)

Beth shares how she communicates with her team. (21:39)

Beth shares how she delivers the best service to a customer. (23:55)

Beth mentions that she’s reading the book, entitled: Never Lose a Customer Again, by Joey Coleman. (29:48)

Key Quotes:

“I think I just had a really strong vision of what I wanted to see an agency actually look like. And so, I had negotiated a buyout for my book of business. And then I took that in 2014 and started Aspire Insurance Group Inc.” - Beth DeLaForest

“At this point, I've been in every seat in the agency. I've sat in and worked in, which I love because it helps me relate really well to my team.” - Beth DeLaForest

“It's a blessing to have markets and stuff. But I mean, industry trends tend to run together. So, if you're going to have a snag in one industry, like, one sector of business, it's going to be felt throughout all of the companies.” - Beth DeLaForest

Resources Mentioned:

Beth DeLaForest LinkedIn

Beth DeLaForest Facebook

Aspire Insurance Group Inc.

Aspire Insurance Group Inc. Facebook

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Kirchick, Strategic Sales Director at Cresta. Whether you realize it or not, every day you are selling something. Jeff Kirchick explains how the timeless skills of salesmanship impact your everyday conversations, why the customer is not always right, and how to detach yourself from the outcome.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff gives some background and insight on Cresta. (5:20)

Does Jeff think that sales is a science or an art? (6:59)

Jeff shares why it’s important to give people a framework from where they can operate. (9:25)

Jeff mentions why people should treat the customer the way they would treat their best friend or family member. (12:20)

Jeff gives some details about his book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (18:47)

Jeff explains why children have the capability to be better and more authentic salespeople. (25:09)

Jeff mentions why a good leader asks open-ended questions. (32:00)

Jeff shares one of his favorite chapters from his book. (34:58)

Jeff mentions one of the reasons why he wrote the book. (42:26)

Jeff how Cresta works and why it’s such a valuable tool. (46:59)

Key Quotes:

“It was kind of a logical fit for me to come to Cresta, which is both within contact center and AI. Their philosophy is not using AI to replace people, but rather, to use AI to upskill people. In other words, to learn the behaviors of the top-performing agents or sales agents.” - Jeff Kirchick

“Give them a framework that they can operate within. Because, you know that you need to exist within that framework to succeed, but, make it loose enough that the individual can still act in a way that is their authentic self.” - Jeff Kirchick

“This book is for salespeople, but, it's also for everyone. The reason for that is because I think everyone is a salesperson in some way.” - Jeff Kirchick

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Kirchick Linkedin

Cresta

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Cassidy Arbeli, owner of All Nevada Insurance.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Zach Mefferd, CIC, Co-Founder of Coverage Direct and ZipBonds. Zach joins the show for an exclusive, first-ever podcast interview. In their conversation, they discuss where Zach developed his entrepreneurial spirit and how he's cultivated that spirit to found multiple successful companies within the independent insurance industry. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Ryan explains why streaming is interesting and important. (5:18)

Zach mentions how he became interested in car racing. (14:07)

Zach shares his thoughts on having a business partner. (28:10)

Zach shares why boundaries are vital. (43:53)

Zach mentions one of the things they do when hiring people. (47:27)

Zach explains the four things that people must do to run a business. (52:02)

Zach shares what made him move to Salesforce. (56:55)

Zach mentions his favorite features of Salesforce. (58:34)

Zach explains what ZipBonds is all about and why agents should be interested in it. (1:05:46)

Key Quotes:

“I don't have a problem with people, as long as we're on the same playing field to do it. They should be able to appreciate and enjoy their success.” - Zach Mefferd

“Stop trying to make everything perfect before you go move. Make a step, do something. It can be done. It is going to be difficult. But, stop trying to have everything perfectly laid out before you start.” - Zach Mefferd

“We move fast, we break things, we fix them, we find out how we can improve when we move on. We don't dwell on what didn't go. We just focus on what we can learn from, then move on.” - Zach Mefferd

Resources Mentioned:

Zach Mefferd, CIC LinkedIn

Zach Mefferd, CIC Twitter

ZipBonds

Coverage Direct

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht is here to tell you that it's time to make a decision, and to make the decision to be a Producer. You're not a CSR. You're not an Account Manager. You are a Producer. Producers produce. Period. That's what producers do. So, let's get serious and decide to play smart rather than play safe!

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains why he’s glad to have the opportunity to be in the insurance industry. (3:34)

Charles gives the two actions to take if there are areas where you're not getting the results that you want. (5:59)

Charles mentions one of the beautiful things about the insurance business. (9:48)

Charles shares what his thoughts were during his recent battle with COVID-19. (12:16)

Charles explains the importance of having the right mindset. (14:38)

Charles mentions one of the major problems that he often sees in producers and servicing teams. (17:24)

Charles shares a story about his conversation with an insurance agent before he started recording this podcast. (23:09)

Charles shares the process of how to stop producers from servicing and make them start producing. (24:58)

Key Quotes:

“I truly believe that the insurance industry is probably one of the best industries that anyone could be in, whether they are 65 years old, or 25 years old, just out of college. It doesn't matter. I love the insurance industry. There are so many different things that you can do.” - Charles Specht

“Let's create a process that is actually going to guarantee to ensure the results that you want going forward that you are going to build the book of business that you want, not something that's just going to fall together, or happen by chance.” - Charles Specht

“You need to find what works for you and then stop playing games, and go all in. You go all in. You need to have a killer mindset, you need to have a killer attitude, you need to make sure that the line of producer and servicing is very clear, and you do not cross over.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

We are thrilled to announce that the Power Women In Insurance podcast, hosted by Teresa Kitchens, has joined the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network! This means you can now listen to Power Women In Insurance episodes in all the same places you currently listen as well as on the Agency Intelligence feed along with other shows like Agents Influence with Jason Cass, Agency Freedom with James Jenkins, The Ryan Hanley Show, and Age of Indiependence with Katlyn Eggar, to name a few! Check out theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com to learn more!

Listen to the latest episode with guest Uchenna Lewis, a bi-vocational pastor who is helping prepare others to achieve heaven, but not leave hell behind for their family.

Episode Highlights:

Uchenna discusses some of the experiences she’s had as a vocational pastor. (2:08)

Uchenna explains how life insurance and wealth planning can bring families peace of mind. (6:24)

How does Uchenna begin conversations about legacy planning with families? (8:55)

What led Uchenna into this type of work and what is she most vested in? (10:28)

What kind of approach does Uchenna take to insurance and financial services? (11:58)

Does Uchenna feel a sense of responsibility with the families she encounters? (17:00)

Uchenna explains how her work is an extension of ministry. (19:20)

What does Uchenna find most rewarding about her work? (21:08)

How can people connect with Uchenna and learn more? (23:40)

Key Quotes:

“When we meet, or when we have our personal financial strategy sessions, what's your legacy plan? For some people that kind of throws them off, because they're thinking I've never thought about that, right? And, so we begin to have those conversations, because everybody should. You don't have to be a Vanderbilt to have a legacy plan.” - Uchenna Lewis

“I'm really vested in helping most people see the value of making the sacrifice now, so that life is better for generations to come. And, there's a true legacy being left behind... generations after generations from them. So, that's really what led me to this space.” - Uchenna Lewis

“I really take a very holistic approach to insurance and financial services. You're looking at your life as a whole and in totality, and the impact that has on your family, not only those here now, but even your children's children.” - Uchenna Lewis

Resources Mentioned:

Uchenna Lewis

Contact Teresa Kitchens

Sterling Insurance Group

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Tobe, Innovation and Customer Experience Expert, and author of the book entitled, Coloring Outside the Lines. Jeff talks about his customer experience journey and how we can identify the needs of our customers.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Jeff’s success, skill or luck? (7:30)

Jeff shares a story about his opening act for a guy named Zig Ziglar. (8:51)

Jeff shares his background. (10:09)

Jeff mentions his new book coming out this fall entitled, “The CX Edge: Critical Questions to Ask About Customer Experience.” (10:46)

Jeff explains what his book called Coloring Outside the Lines is all about. (11:49)

Jeff shares the differences between customer service, customer experience, and customer excellence. (14:31)

Jeff mentions why organizations should write a service recovery policy. (17:07)

Jeff mentions his book called Anticipate: Knowing What Customers Need Before They Do. (19:03)

Jeff explains how can we identify what our customers need internally and externally. (19:11)

Jeff gives a piece of advice to the loyal listeners. (21:31)

Key Quotes:

“You don't have to be a professional speaker, you are a dedicated insurance professional. As long as you're passionate and you can inspire people, you'll be great in the business.” - Jeff Tobe

“I encourage organizations of literally any size to write a service recovery policy. When this happens, no matter your size, you're all being consistent with how you handle it.” - Jeff Tobe

“How do we get them engaged at a grassroots level? Engagement starts at the bottom and works that way up. It does not start management and comes down.” - Jeff Tobe

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Tobe LinkedIn

Jeff Tobe Website

Coloring Outside the Lines

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Anticipate: Knowing What Customers Need Before They Do

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Peter van Aartrijk, CEO of Aartrijk and author of "The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand". Your brand story is already within you. Learn how to tell human stories that build your company culture and brand.

Episode Highlights:

Peter shares his background. (3:18)

Peter explains how he applied his background in journalism to the insurance industry. (5:30)

Peter gives a short background about his podcast, called On Point. (8:32)

Peter shares his book entitled, The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand. (9:57)

Peter explains why independent agency owners should invest in branding. (13:54)

Peter shares the first steps that an insurance agency owner should take when establishing a brand. (17:18)

What are the symptoms of poor branding strategies that Peter has seen? (22:10)

Peter explains the four quadrants of work. (26:51)

Peter shares a story about the core values that were on the website of a regional PNC carrier. (29:41)

Peter shares why the insurance industry is an opportunity for young people and all kinds of people. (36:01)

Key Quotes:

“We've gotten to the point now where we've made it really simple, but, you've got to start with the strategy. You've got to start before you get into anything else in marketing, or expressing your brand, you have to start with the brand story. And, that's what we'd like to do.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“I think you've got to have a really good story that everybody buys into enthusiastically and shares. Because, if you don't, and leave it to chance, people are gonna freelance and make up their own stuff. And as the company gets bigger and bigger, you start to see the wheels coming off from a cultural standpoint and from ultimately, a customer standpoint.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“The beauty of being an independent agent is that you are working in the best country on the planet, you can do whatever you want, it's your farm. That's the beauty of business ownership.” - Peter van Aartrijk

Resources Mentioned:

Peter van Aartrijk LinkedIn

Aartrijk

The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand

On Point podcast

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

The Powers: Ten Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Benito Ortiz from Albequerque, New Mexico. Benito is the agency principal for Strategic Insurance Group (SIG).

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Pat Costello, CPCU, Co-Founder, and Principal at Evolve MGA. Pat joins the podcast for a wonderfully nerdy deep dive into cyber insurance. Pat and Ryan also also discuss exactly how independent insurance agents can (and should) sell more cyber insurance to their clients. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Pat mentions what he’s learned from the pandemic. (5:34)

Pat shares two reasons why having people in an office environment is vital. (7:17)

Does Pat prefer working remotely or working in the office? (10:29)

Pat shares his background and how Evolve MGA started. (13:15)

Pat mentions some of the biggest issues he has seen from a retail broker perspective. (16:21)

Why do agents still sell cyber insurance like it's a luxury and not as a necessity? (18:40)

Pat gives a couple of facts about ransomware. (26:13)

Pat shares why social engineering is the most common claim they see behind ransomware. (30:23)

Pat explains why cyber insurance is significant. (34:24)

Pat shares what they have recently introduced into their form. (47:35)

Key Quotes:

“If you have a few sales folks...I love having them together in the same room to kind of motivate each other and feel the energy, feel the vibes.” - Pat Costello

“I think the insurance industry in the way it's set up with renewals, breeds an attitude of complacency for it, along with the fact that it's a pretty big age gap in the insurance industry.” - Pat Costello

“As everything gets more connected to the internet and as people start using technology more, there's more potential for things to get hacked. If somebody is connected to the internet, it has the potential to be hacked. And so, everything that we are doing on a day to day basis is getting more and more technology driven.” - Pat Costello

Resources Mentioned:

Pat Costello, CPCU LinkedIn

Evolve MGA

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Abel Travis, MBA, Vice President & Head Of Fundamental Underwriters at AF Group. Abel talks about what AF Group is all about and the company that he represents called Fundamental Underwriters.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Abel’s success, skill or luck? (7:04)

Abel gives us his background in the insurance industry. (7:59)

Abel shares what happened when he had an offer from Hartford. (8:49)

Abel explains what AF Group is all about. (11:12)

Abel mentions one of the companies that he runs for AF Group called Fundamental Underwriters. (12:09)

Abel gives the average premium size with Fundamental Underwriters. (12:52)

Abel shares what he did when nobody knew what was happening in the insurance industry. (19:05)

Abel mentions how The Insurance Innovators Unscripted podcast started. (21:08)

Where does Abel see the insurance industry going, five to ten years from now? (26:39)

Key Quotes:

“I love to win just because I love the feeling that comes with winning. Frankly, I don't necessarily hate to lose because I look at losing as a learning opportunity. If it doesn't work, you leverage what you've learned, and you try to turn that into a win in whatever way possible.” - Abel Travis

“I wanted to make sure that I had the opportunity to have a family but I also wanted to have a life I love to just enjoy. But, as I started to learn a little bit more about the insurance industry, it became a no-brainer. It really helps to provide stability for the people, for the economy, for the business, and that's something that in the early days I wanted to be a part of.” - Abel Travis

“I do think there has to be some sort of a government backstop. I also believe that insurance organizations could look at opportunities or even if it's mandated somewhat in a similar way as Tria, to help fund that backstop. We're not trading future dollars for potential challenges that we may face in this economy.” - Abel Travis

Resources Mentioned:

Abel Travis, MBA LinkedIn

AF Group

The Insurance Innovators Unscripted

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ethan Barhydt, CEO of VoiceOps. Katlyn and Ethan find out which sales behaviors are most difficult to drive inside an insurance agency and how coaching enablement can increase your results.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares what coaching looks like for the average agency. (7:02)

How does Katlyn identify if the person is coachable? (15:35)

Katlyn shares one of her experiences about something she’s tried that didn't work out well. (17:41)

Katlyn mentions what they have started doing at Quantum when someone comes on board. (25:23)

Should people invest their time and energy in coaching? (27:07)

Katlyn mentions the first thing you can do to increase your sales numbers. (27:43)

Ethan explains more about speech analytics and the technology of coaching. (30:18)

Ethan shares some of the problems he experienced with speech analytics. (32:20)

Katlyn shares one of the things that she loves about VoiceOps. (36:28)

What are behaviors that matter most to Katlyn? (40:18)

Ethan mentions one thing he’s found interesting about call centers and teams. (46:52)

Katlyn gives us the takeaway from today’s episode. (50:52)

Key Quotes:

“Coaching is a thing that you obsess over, and you think about all the time because you understand when you're on the floor of a call center or sales team, you see the impact that coaching makes.” - Ethan Barhydt

“My sense is that as a company grows, especially when it's growing fast, like quantum has, you start to see the benefits of more structure and structure becomes quite important as you're trying to drive consistency across a big organization.” - Ethan Barhydt

“Accountability is all about visibility. If you don't have your eyes on exactly what's going on, it's going to be really hard to hold your associate accountable to those behaviors that will drive the results.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Ethan Barhydt LinkedIn

VoiceOps

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Katlyn Eggar, the Director of Education at Quantum Assurance International.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Jason Cass, Owner of Agency Intelligence and managing partner of the Insurance Alliance. This is the second half of the conversation with Jason Cass that started on the Agency Intelligence podcast early this week. In this episode, we break down the current state of digital insurance and where we see the largest opportunities for growth. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Jason and Ryan discuss carrier growth rates and contingencies. (5:10)

Ryan mentions what’s significant about AP Intego’s platform. (6:57)

Jason and Ryan share their opinions on when to utilize B2B platforms. (9:26)

Jason mentions why every agency has their own fingerprint. (10:27)

Jason explains how to build a balance sheet. (11:44)

Jason shares what David explained to him about how agents try to build P&Ls when you should be trying to build a balance sheet. (11:32)

Jason shares one of the things he realized from what David said to him. (12:12)

Ryan tells Jason about a conversation he had this week at Indium. (18:36)

Key Quotes:

“Every agency is actually its own fingerprint, right? Because we're all unique. So, you've got your team built-in on this.” - Jason Cass

“David really laid that out one time, when he was trying to explain to me about how agents try to build P&Ls, when really you should be trying to build a balance sheet. How you build that balance sheet is by creating revenue, but not with so many clients.” - Jason Cass

“I think when you say long term of who you can be, I think people don't realize it's those types of people who are going to stay with you and build that base that's going to help you project that. It's all because you tried to give them that one coverage.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Jason Cass LinkedIn

Agency intelligence

Insurance Alliance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Writing small accounts may help you pay the bills, but, you'll never achieve wealth writing small accounts. In today’s episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht teaches you how to determine what size account you should prospect and how to be more successful at building a Book of Business. Writing small accounts may help you pay the bills but, you'll never achieve wealth writing small accounts.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a story about his conversation with an insurance agent, who has been very successful over the last 5 years getting lots of new clients. (2:06)

Charles explains why producers should stop going after small accounts. (5:26)

Charles mentions what the agency principle should not allow their producers to do. (12:53)

Charles shares what could happen if you allow your producers to go after small accounts. (13:44)

Charles teaches you how to set prospecting goals with your producers. (14:34)

Charles explains what could happen if producers go after bigger accounts. (15:20)

Charles shares the advice he normally gives to his agents, regarding new accounts. (18:50)

Charles lays out the basic questions that you have to answer. (26:09)

Charles shares his takeaway from today’s episode. (27:21)

Key Quotes:

“There's a lot of things that I can say to insurance agents that help them become more successful. But, there are not too many things that I can do to help anyone be successful if they're just going to continue to play small, period.” - Charles Specht

“You don't have to go out for small accounts. You just have to make a decision that you're not going to be going after small accounts. You're going to go after bigger accounts. You have to actually come to a decision in your own mind about what is the size of the account that you're going to go after.” - Charles Specht

“If you stop going small and start going after the size of the account that you want to go after, you will make more money, you will likely have more joy in your business, and you will have more fun in what you do in your career.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Hanley, Founder and President of Rogue Risk. Ryan chats about figuring out his legacy, developing his agency into what it is today, and important lessons he’s learned along the way.

Episode Highlights:

Does Ryan love to win or hate to lose? (6:10)

Ryan chats about his rapid business growth. (9:26)

Does Ryan consider his company an agency or a brokerage? (10:36)

Ryan discusses affinity partnerships and the types of businesses he focuses on. (12:10)

What did Ryan have to do in order to grow his business and hire employees? (13:01)

What does Ryan’s agency look like today? (15:26)

What is Ryan sick of trying to convince people of? (16:08)

Ryan explains his approach to content marketing. (17:36)

What’s something Ryan does to mentally escape from work? (20:28)

Key Quotes:

“What the industry tells us is there is a machismo to the chest thumping. Look how far I got by myself, right? Like, there's this sense of, you know, I earned this summer.” - Ryan Hanley

“My philosophy is there are two reasons why small businesses do not purchase online: trust and customer experience.” - Ryan Hanley

“My perspective is, look, in order to properly offer your customer base small business insurance, you have to be able to offer more than one option. We have to be able to offer multiple products and one of the core philosophies at Rogue Risk is, no customer left behind.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Hanley

Rogue Risk

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Marks, Co-Founder and President of Quotehound. Justin discusses how leads can provide a consistent flow of predictable opportunities, but your agency might not be ready just yet. Find out what to have in place first so you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize your investment.

Episode Highlights:

Justin explains his background in the digital marketing space. (1:40)

Justin details the daily conversations he has about data analytics and algorithms. (5:00)

What kind of agencies does Justin primarily work with? (5:58)

Justin talks about the consumer experience and importance of lead management. (10:46)

How does Justin handle serving clients in different niches? (13:10)

What are some common pitfalls when it comes to leads? (15:50)

Justin shares his advice on how to create successful sales processes. (20:19)

Justin discusses what your focus should be during the follow up processes. (26:52)

How do you build a great team culture? (37:02)

Justin explains why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to new business. (41:38)

Key Quotes:

“I think it's important to put yourself in the consumer experience as well. When they're going online, they're going to a website, and they're giving all this information about them. One of the important things I like to share with agency owners is... when you do get that person on the phone, be friendly.” - Justin Marks

“I think some of the other things that are very important is picking a CRM that your team has full belief in. There are more CRMs out there than I have fingers and toes and my opinion on CRM is...it's very simple. Find a CRM that your team uses. It creates efficiency, and has great follow up processes.” - Justin Marks

“If you're able to write two policies versus one, you know the economics are going to be greater. So, it allows you then to take that money, reinvest into more marketing to ensure that you keep that engine running, and to ensure that you're growing the right type of clients that are good for the business, and good for the consumers as well.” - Justin Marks

Resources Mentioned:

Justin Marks LinkedIn

Quotehound

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Joe "Fraiser" Kampert, the VP of Sales for Redwood Agency Group in Austin, Texas.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how cold calling still works and it works very well for those who use the right script. Charles Specht will teach you what your script could be and how to effectively cold call in order to set more appointments with your prospects.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a poignant story from when he first got into the insurance business. (2:36)

Charles mentions why being a debt collector on the telephone was one of the more difficult things he’s done in the business world. (3:48)

Charles explains what a “C3” is. (8:39)

Charles shares why leaving voice messages is necessary. (9:13)

What’s one of the main reasons why insurance agents don’t get a lot of value out of the time they spend cold calling? (11:05)

Charles explains how to create an impressive script when cold calling prospects. (14:25)

What are the two things your script must contain to be successful? (19:10)

Charles shares a strategy that can help you understand what the best case scenario is going to be. (22:09)

Key Quotes:

“If you do not have cold calling right now in your prospecting strategy, you are losing out. I want you to think about it this way...Prospecting works really well when you are communicating to somebody in the time and the platform that they feel comfortable with.” - Charles Specht

“Do not waste your time, do not waste their time talking about just general type stuff. Get into it. You should be able to give your absolute pitch that at the end, you ask a question where you're expecting a yes or a no to it.” - Charles Specht

“If they don't meet with you for one reason, they're probably going to meet with you for another reason. And, once you're there at the appointment, then it's all about relationship. But prior to that, it's a numbers game. Cold calling is a numbers game.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by James Jenkins, CIC, CRM, CRIS, Founder of RiskWell Insurance. This is what happens when you hit record on a random conversation with James Jenkins... you're welcome.

Episode Highlights:

James mentions a cool thing about his conversations with Ryan. (6:56)

James shares why Ryan’s approach on podcasts is different from his. (10:19)

James explains the two opposing absolutes. (17:23)

James shares one of the most significant things that emerging agents and tenured agents need to pay more attention to. (26:22)

James shares the conversation he had with their Q3 quarterly prep yesterday. (39:11)

James explains the beauty of having the right mindset. (47:10)

James gives us fives steps that every agent should do to gain more growth opportunities. (57:35)

Key Quotes:

“This is the meat and potatoes of why I just love talking with you. Because, there is no black and white in this conversation. There is entirely shades of gray, there are nuanced places on a spectrum between two opposing absolutes.” - James Jenkins

“I think everyone is better when the agency principal comes ready to play. Because, the agency principal, all of the producers are going to fall in line behind however the principal is doing business, and the industry as a whole is better for it.” - James Jenkins

“If somebody wants to talk to you, make them talk to you then. Just having that tribal mindset of the independent agency, the retail IA...We are a tribe together. - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

James Jenkins, CIC, CRM, CRIS LinkedIn

RiskWell Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Bryan Falchuk, Founder and Managing Partner of Insurance Evolution Partners, and Best-Selling Author of Future of Insurance. Bryan talks about his book and why mindset is a huge factor.

Episode Highlights:

Bryan shares what he has been doing since he’s written multiple books. (5:04)

Bryan mentions what he realized after writing the book. (5:36)

Bryan shares the opinions he received from some people about his book. (9:03)

Bryan shares the interesting journey that’s been in investment. (12:24)

Bryan explains why mindset is vital. (18:50)

Bryan mentions the word hubris. (19:33)

Bryan shares the big differentiator for an agent. (23:43)

Bryan shares his experience of how the nature of work changes when a financial crisis happens. (28:44)

Key Quotes:

“There's better technology and worse technology but that's not really what matters because the best technology in the world is worthless if you're not going to use it right. If you're not going to deploy it effectively and empower your people to use it.” - Bryan Falchuk

“You don't digitize for empathy, you digitize to take the process and the pain and the kind of monotony out of it. Empathy is all that's left and it gets amplified.” - Bryan Falchuk

“Keep your eyes open to some of the new kinds of products and ways that they're being delivered so that you get to play with them rather than getting surprised by them.” - Bryan Falchuk

Resources Mentioned:

Bryan Falchuk LinkedIn

Insurance Evolution Partners

Future of Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses the biggest problem insurance agents have. It’s not around prospecting or messaging. The biggest problem insurance agents have is their lack of success at getting their prospects to fire the incumbent agent in order to hire them. That is what this episode is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the process of competitive dethronement. (2:56)

Charles shares how insurance is war. In sales, you either win or lose. (4:21)

Charles explains how to get the incumbent agent fired, to get you hired. (9:19)

Charles shares a story about speaking to an insurance agent, who sent him a message on LinkedIn. (11:43)

What’s the second thing you want to do to get the incumbent agent fired? (13:30)

Charles shares how to get the insured to realize that their agent hasn't fulfilled their services. (18:31)

Charles explains another way of identifying significant problems that the insured has with their incumbent agent. (20:28)

Charles shares what you need to do to help the insurer take away the pain. (25:50)

Charles mentions why it’s important to remember that insurance buyers have the insurance mentality of a four-year-old child. (29:33)

Key Quotes:

“If you can't get the incumbent agent fired, you will never get another client. If you can't get the incumbent agent fired, you will never get hired, period. And so, we don't have a prospecting problem, we have a firing problem, that is the issue.” - Charles Specht

“If you can begin creating that killer mindset, so that you understand what this is, I do believe that everything else will become easier. I do believe that you'll be more focused, that you will understand the process more, that you will start creating strategies and systems, and a process that is going to work yourself through the situation with the insured, so that at the end, you are more likely to ask for the broker of record letter, and get awarded the broker of record letter.” - Charles Specht

“If you don't win, you lose. And, there is somebody else right now sitting in your chair, on your throne, the other incumbent agent. Unless you can get the insured to willfully fire, terminate that relationship, you will never get another client, period. If you can't get people fired, you can never get a new client. It is that simple.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James has a lively conversation with Jason Cass, managing partner of The Insurance Alliance and the Founder of the Agency Intelligence

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

AI Mastermind

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Nigel Walsh, Managing Director of Insurance for Google. Nigel joins the podcast for a fun and nerdy discussion examining the differences between digitizing your insurance business and building a digital insurance business. The distinction is larger and more impactful than you might think. Don't miss this epic conversation...

Episode Highlights:

Nigel shares the difference between digitization and digitalization. (11:09)

Nigel shares why digitization is not a bad thing. (15:18)

Nigel mentions some important points about digitalization. (19:32)

Nigel shares how people have become more innovative during the pandemic. (20:45)

Nigel mentions some really cool things he learned during his induction to Google. (23:49)

Nigel shares how to earn someone’s trust and respect. (30:04)

Nigel mentions the best advice he was given when he left university. (36:23)

Key Quotes:

“If we create a fully digitalized agency that customers aren't ready for, then we still fail...Which is why digitization also works.” - Nigel Walsh

“Sometimes, good is good enough. It doesn't need to be leading edge. You just need to make sure that you can pay your claims, you can serve your customers...that you do the right thing.” - Nigel Walsh

“More businesses have been started in the last 12 months. So, even during a pandemic, people become more innovative, and are out there taking risks using government support or whatever else to go and start businesses.” - Nigel Walsh

Resources Mentioned:

Nigel Walsh LinkedIn

Google

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Most insurance agents don't know how to clearly articulate their value or adequately differentiate themselves in their prospect's minds. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how to best differentiate yourself with a written, objective, and strategic 12-Month Timeline of Services.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains what should happen when you’re trying to get a prospect to schedule an appointment with you. (2:18)

Charles mentions what most insurance agents do when they're in a meeting with a prospect. (3:31)

Charles recommends the book called, Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller. (5:50)

Charles mentions one of the most fascinating things about the book. (6:12)

Charles shares how the timeline of services could get you more business. (8:47)

Charles explains why differentiating yourself from the competition could be the biggest problem. (12:01)

Charles explains the timeline of services in detail. (13:10)

Charles shares a story about his client that has the largest broker of record in his curriculum. (18:23)

Charles explains why the timeline of services is so important. (20:17)

Charles mentions the three things you need to focus on with your 12-month timeline of services. (27:24)

Key Quotes:

“All of these things that we tell a prospect about... what it is that makes us better, all it really does is put us in the same bucket as everybody else. Because, the vast majority of your competitors out there are doing just that.” - Charles Specht

“You have to be able to teach your prospects how to get the things that they want. You have to be able to explain to your prospect what it is that you're going to be able to do for them, so that they can achieve the things they want.” - Charles Specht

“If you can't differentiate yourself from the competition, then you are the very epitome of mediocrity. Nobody is going to make a switch to get some more mediocrity. So, you need to really figure out how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Tara Kelly, President & CEO at SPLICE Software Incorporated. Tara talks about her expertise in programming and the services they have in the company.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Tara’s success, skill or luck? (4:47)

Tara shares her background. (6:23)

Tara mentions the goal of her company. (8:19)

Tara shares their platform and the services they offer at SPLICE Software Incorporated. (9:19)

Tara explains how to utilize their system. (10:29)

Tara shares how their system could be helpful to other agencies. (12:58)

Tara shares a story about a test environment they set up. (20:08)

Tara shares her thoughts on digital voice assistants. (23:21)

Tara explains why some people don’t trust data. (27:13)

Tara mentions why customer experience is about creating value. (37:07)

Key Quotes:

“I actually believe in luck. I think luck is a powerful thing. It's keeping your eyes wide open and setting your filters to let luck in.” - Tara Kelly

“We try to be a partner and I think that's the important thing. There's a lot of opportunities when a customer or prospect says, let's stay in touch. I'm going to give you permission to talk to me and my favorite places.” - Tara Kelly

“Let's take one that we've done well and let's try to just build on that. All good things with AI, automation and data require the consumer to step up and play ball for a better planet and it's required.” - Tara Kelly

Resources Mentioned:

Tara Kelly LinkedIn

SPLICE Software Incorporated

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht breaks down what those seven steps are and how you can do it, too!

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions his book called, The Millionaire Producer. (1:49)

Charles shares the first step: collect signatures and serve happiness. (3:00)

What’s one of the most imporant and most expensive pieces of paper in the insurance business? (4:44)

Charles walks us through the second step. (7:28)

Charles details the third step: think bigger. (12:38)

Charles shares the crucial fourth step in building your book of business. (15:17)

Charles explains the fifth step: riches are in the micro-niches. (17:16)

Charles mentions the sixth step. (21:17)

Charles shares the final step, which is accountability. (26:40)

Key Quotes:

“Our clients need to be happy. They want to be joyful, they want to be satisfied, they would like to stay loyal, they want to be happy that they chose you. And so, we have to provide services that provide solutions to the bigger problems that they have. You do that…your client will remain happy.” - Charles Specht

“You're not necessarily a salesperson, you are a persuader. You need to work on your persuasion. As you work on your persuasion, your tact, your delivery, how you actually message things, you're gonna see your book of business actually increase significantly.” - Charles Specht

“That's what an insurance agent does...collect signatures, serve happiness. Stop offering quotes to people who have not yet given you their permission to represent you in the marketplace. That's not what pros do.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom podcast, James talks with 30+ year industry veteran, Jerry Conrey, from Orange, CA.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Ron Shroyer, VP of Sales at Aureus Analytics. Ron joins the podcast for a deep dive into data, DONNA, and why those who can harness data will rule the (insurance) world. This is a conversation you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Ron shares his career background. (6:59)

Ron explains what Aureus Analytics is all about. (11:29)

What did Ron find was unique when he first came to Aureus Analytics? (14:28)

Ron shares how having access to influential people can really help with growth. (23:53)

Ron explains what the sentiment score is all about. (26:43)

Ron shares the difference between structured data and unstructured data. (36:56)

Ron explains how DONNA works. (38:11)

Ron mentions the most significant thing that they’ve processed within DONNA. (46:06)

Key Quotes:

“I love the industry. I mean, it is so well connected with the people... Just how the industry has an influence on what goes on with the rest of the world...everybody needs insurance.” - Ron Shroyer

“If you take a deep look inside the opportunities you have, you can grow exponentially with the customers that are already at your door. It's way less expensive from a retention standpoint, and then also from a front-end organic growth standpoint. I mean, if you could save a point in retention, it makes it easier to get your growth goals in place.” - Ron Shroyer

“We are good at understanding data and being able to give you a really strong insight based on that data. I look at that opportunity with Agency Zoom and running those trigger events and making our insights actionable.” - Ron Shroyer

Resources Mentioned:

Ron Shroyer LinkedIn

Aureus Analytics

DONNA for Agents

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses how the Jack-of-all-Trades is dead. The "generalist" producer is a thing of the past. Insurance agents who become experts in a specific area (Micro-Niche) get more clients more quickly and win significantly more signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares a story about a man named Jack. (2:07)

Charles explains what a micro-niche is. (2:55)

Charles mentions the problem with being a generalist. (4:07)

What would Charles recommend to insurance producers? (5:04)

Charles shares the story of when he first understood the power of micro-niches. (5:16)

Why are the riches in the micro-niches? (11:21)

What’s something Charles often hears from the employee health benefits producers? (13:21)

Is micro-niching about more than just types of accounts? (14:04)

Charles mentions some of the factors that you need to consider when you first start exploring micro-niches. (24:54)

Key Quotes:

“The insurance producer, who is micro-niche, is the one who wins the day. Period. And, so the riches are in the micro-niches.” - Charles Specht

“Being micro-niched allows you to write significantly larger accounts. If you are a generalist, that's not necessarily true. You're not going to be able to write larger accounts all the time. But, being micro niched separates you from the competition.” - Charles Specht

“The focus is that the riches are in the micro-niches. If you get that... you are going to have a book of business that will explode. - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Scott Howell, CLCS, Agency Owner of iProtect Insurance & Financial Services, and Co-Host of The Insurance Guys Podcast. Scott talks about how he met Bradley Flowers and why communication plays a huge role in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Scott mentions what he really appreciates about Jason. (4:04)

Does Scott listen to a lot of podcasts? (6:26)

What has attributed to Scott’s success, skill or luck? (16:29)

Scott shares his professional background. (24:27)

How did Scott become institutionalized? (34:47)

Scott shares the story of how he met Bradley Flowers. (37:38)

What’s something that Scott learned in his business, that he didn't know in the past? (42:42)

Scott explains why communication is so important. (43:41)

Key Quotes:

“I would say I love to win. I don't think much about losing, I just keep going every day, putting one foot in front of the other. I've always said that insurance is a lot like working out.” - Scott Howell

“I think it's good to hear what everybody's doing. And, no matter which podcast you listen to, no matter who the host of the podcast is, as long as it's within the insurance sphere, okay. You can always learn something from every single podcast.” - Scott Howell

“I think that you have to communicate with your spouse, and let them know how much time, energy, and dedication that starting an insurance agency from scratch or less than scratch is going to take.” - Scott Howell

Resources Mentioned:

Scott Howell LinkedIn

The Insurance Guys Podcast

iProtect Insurance & Financial Services

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Cassidy Arbeli, podcast host of Unburden Your Business. Cassidy chats about agency life, entrepreneurship, and how agents can invest in themselves through ongoing education. Learn how to understand your money and where to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Cassidy Arbeli. (1:27)

Cassidy shares her experience working remotely with her team. (5:33)

Katlyn shares the programs that they offer at Quantum Assurance International. (11:49)

Cassidy mentions why learning and understanding money is vital. (13:50)

Cassidy gives a short background of her program called, Agency By Design. (14:52)

Katlyn shares why she loves being a woman in the insurance industry. (18:09)

Cassidy shares a story about her popular mom blog. (21:01)

Cassidy mentions why she likes the idea of residual income. (22:11)

Cassidy shares her Facebook group called Female Insurance Agency Owners. (27:50)

Key Quotes:

“It's totally 2021 now to start relationships and friendships, and conversations and collaborations with people through the internet, and it's not weird anymore. I think just showing people that you can hop on and just get to know somebody this way is something normal now.” - Cassidy Arbeli

“Whether you're in insurance or you're in a different industry, this is your business. This is your baby. You get to decide how it affects your life, what it does for you, and how you show up for it.” - Cassidy Arbeli

“I think I've been successful in everything else that I have chosen to do. And, how I can show up for other people and show them this formula and say...Hey, you know, this is what you need to do for your business. We're going to do it together. I’ll help you figure out how it needs to look for you.” - Cassidy Arbeli

Resources Mentioned:

Cassidy Arbeli LinkedIn

Unburden Your Business

Female Insurance Agency Owners Facebook page

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht talks about the five things insurance producers do each week that will guarantee them success. Stay committed to these five things and you'll be well on your way to building a $1,000,000 or more Book of Business!

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains a problem that he sees with far too many producers. (2:42)

Charles mentions what he would’ve done if insurance didn't work out for him. (8:57)

Charles lists the five things that successful producers do each week. (10:29)

Charles shares why sometimes he needs a kick in the pants. (11:16)

Charles shares a story about a producer he’s been working with for quite some time. (13:27)

How many phone calls should you be able to take in an hour? (15:27)

Charles explains why the vast majority of insurance producers are not good at administration and data management. (17:43)

Charles shares why ideal prospecting is like building a house. (22:15)

Key Quotes:

“I really hope you understand how important each and every day is... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You know, Friday is not a day in which to take off. Friday is a day in which to sell some insurance.” - Charles Specht

“What you sow, you will reap. If you sow rest, you're going to reap poverty. But, if you go out and you plant the seeds, and you water the seeds and you tend the soil, you are going to reap the fruit. You absolutely will. All the work that you put into your insurance career is going to come back to you tenfold… a hundredfold.” - Charles Specht

“The fortune is in the follow-up. Consistency is key, and you need to do things that calculate toward profit. If you're not doing things that calculate toward profit, guess what? You're calculating towards poverty, and that's not a recipe for success.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom podcast, James and Alison Jenkins share a candid and unfiltered conversation about the challenges, the thrills, and the lessons learned in the last 8 years of running two insurance agencies and making their Freedom Jump.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses THREE things you absolutely need to get from your prospect if you decide to offer quotes, instead of being awarded a signed Broker of Record Letter on the current policies. Doing these three things will significantly strengthen your position to win, while not doing them is a dagger of death.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions why constructive risk exists. (2:55)

What issues does Charles face, when working with insurance agents? (5:44)

Charles explains why he needs to invest more in stocks. (8:03)

Charles shares the three things you need to do to better position yourself. (12:37)

Charles mentions why being micromanaged is very important. (16:24)

Charles explains why it’s unethical to go through a quoting process with multiple agents. (20:51)

Charles shares why precision is important to guarantee a business relationship. (23:09)

Charles mentions what happens when you can't get those three things. (34:05)

Key Quotes:

“When we go through a quoting process, we don't actually dictate any terms with the insured with the prospect. In other words, we don't establish the rules of the game.” - Charles Specht

“You have a stock price with your prospects. It's going up and down, based upon a lot of circumstances that not only you do directly, but also, based on what's happening behind the scenes.” - Charles Specht

“Everybody has to come in with their best rate. Otherwise, it's just a free for all and you're not in a very strong position there. You’ve got a weak stock price.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Insurance In Your Words, an AI podcast series originally aired in 2016, host, Joey talks with Nate Waite about the work he's doing to bring this system closer to reality and the players in the process who aren't.

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ryan Frank, pastor, publisher, and entrepreneur. Ryan documents his journey to opening his first insurance agency. Hear as he shares which leadership principles and team-building skills have helped him see success.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares his background in ministry and being a pastor. (6:32)

Ryan shares what Kidz Matter is all about and his online school, Kidmin Academy. (8:40)

Ryan explains the mission and the purpose behind Kidmin Academy. (11:19)

Ryan mentions that he’s a big believer in finding good people, empowering them, and letting them go. (15:49)

Ryan shares his number one tip in delivering a successful conference that people will come back to. (20:59)

What made Ryan decide to build an agency? (30:30)

Ryan shares some of the things that he’s been doing to network with other agents. (37:16)

Ryan shares why the best leaders are the growing leaders. (40:31)

Ryan mentions the significance of systems and structures. (44:12)

Ryan explains why you’ve got to run your business as if it’s twice its size. (47:05)

Key Quotes:

“I always seem to be kind of wired, where…. I loved pastoring people, I loved ministering to people, but I also had this entrepreneurial spirit in me.” - Ryan Frank

“Let's learn from that failure and just move on. The more I empower my team, the more I find that our organization grows, and the more margin or capacity I have for more.” - Ryan Frank

“The best leaders are growing leaders, and the best way to grow is by spending some time with people and growing your network with people. So, that's been huge for me.” - Ryan Frank

Resources Mentioned:

Ryan Frank LinkedIn

Ryan Frank Website

Frank Insurance Management

Kidz Matter

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht teaches you exactly what you should say, and ask your prospect during your first meeting and -- specifically -- why you should ask for the signed BOR. Doing so tells you absolutely everything you need to know about your position in the process as well as how strong of a position the incumbent agent has with the insured.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains why it’s better to ask for business during the first appointment. (2:33)

Charles mentions one of the nice things about being a micro-niche. (3:42)

Charles shares what you should find out from your prospect during the first meeting. (5:31)

Charles mentions the type of questions you should be asking your prospect. (7:50)

Charles shares one of the ways he shows a lot of value to his clients. (9:25)

Why should you ask for the broker of record letter during the first appointment? (13:19)

Charles mentions what happens when you ask for the broker of record letter before the first appointment. (16:58)

Charles shares what millionaire insurance producers do. (29:08)

Key Quotes:

“You need to find lots and lots and lots of problems during that actual appointment. You need to have specific questions already written down, sitting on a piece of paper. One that you're actually holding in front of you, so that you can ask your prospects those questions. If you don't have those questions written down in front of you, you are an amateur and you deserve not to win.” - Charles Specht

“Every single point of communication is about positioning, positioning, positioning, positioning. You are always trying to position yourself better every point of communication either strengthens or weakens the relationship with your prospect. You are either gaining ground or you are losing ground.” - Charles Specht

“If you show up to the place of business,sitting down with a business owner who has decided to give you an hour of his or her life, to talk about something that is not really interesting to them, that they don't like... that causes frustration.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of Agency Freedom podcast, James wraps up our foundational episodes with a discussion on the internal and moral concerns you should be aware of.

Specific topics in the episode include: challenges created by your people, your processes and your production, and also how to conduct a 12-area threat assessment for your clients.

In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses the 12X Mindset, which results in one new client per month via Broker of Record Letter. Charles talks about the basic foundation of the 12X Mindset which is, 1) Stop offering quotes to non-clients; 2) Develop a Micro-Niche, 3) Target larger revenue-generating accounts, and 4) Target signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains the goal of this episode. (2:20)

What are some of the things insurance producers should do to win prospects? (5:34)

Charles gives a significant piece of advice to help you with prospecting. (7:58)

Charles shares some statistics from his experience as an insurance producer. (12:30)

When did Charles really start to understand the power of the broker of record letter? (21:33)

Charles mentions the 12X Club website. (22:10)

Charles gives the four keys you need to have a 12X mindset. (22:27)

Charles explains how to create services within your niche. (31:29)

Key Quotes:

“You can’t articulate to your prospect about what makes you different, and what makes you better. Please understand, your prospect will never be able to figure it out for themselves, ever.” - Charles Specht

“Prospecting is a numbers game. Selling insurance is a relationship game. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can just walk into somebody's office and ask for the sign broker of record letter, and expect to get it.” - Charles Specht

“Everything that you do, every question you ask, every telephone call, every email is a point of positioning. You're trying to position yourself in a better light, in a better position, stronger position, so that you can win the business.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson goes solo to discuss why building your network is so important in this industry, along with discovering what processes work best for you as a producer. Not everyone has the same process, but we can all learn from what each other are doing.

Episode Highlights:

Mitch mentions why he loves using the analogies of baseball and insurance. (1:48)

Mitch shares why building your network is the most significant factor in learning the products that you're selling. (5:49)

Mitch shares why a lot of people want to work for an independent company, rather than a captive company. (8:58)

Mitch mentions the two best relationships he has on the mortgage and real estate side. (10:44)

Mitch shares how the Agency Intelligence Mastermind group has been beneficial for him. (13:05)

Mitch explains how he changed the way he put the customers in his agency management system. (16:33)

Mitch mentions what differentiates them from the other insurance agencies. (24:23)

Mitch shares why he’s glad that he got beat by the huge account that was given to him. (34:36)

Key Quotes:

“Just because you get beat doesn't mean it's one of those things that you have to sulk over and get angry and get mad.. You’ve got to learn from it.” - Mitch Gibson

“I think that's what makes losing so hard, is when you put your full fledged effort into something and you have a positive thought about it, and you feel like you're gonna make a difference... and, then you just get beat.” - Mitch Gibson

“Understand your network is your net worth. So, continue to build those relationships, find those people to connect with, and surround yourself around people that want to do business with good people.” - Mitch Gibson

Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this throwback episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass offers up a solo podcast episode to address the four main goals that people want to align your business. He also shares the poll results of this question, the importance of merging your company’s sales culture and service culture to create a better customer experience.

Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass talks about Safeco ‘Agent for the Future’ study.

What was Ryan Hanley from Action is the Answer’s online post about?

Do your actions align with your goals?

Jason defines the four core goals of your business.

Which was the most popular business goal in the poll: freedom, impact? Wealth, or notoriety?

You need to be a sales culture and a service culture, but you can’t silo it.

How are the two different types of people we can sell to?

If agents have an 88-90% retention then there is about a 10-12% chance of writing those clients.

Those that focus on selling based on price will be eliminated because customers have devices on their phones where they can search for the best rates daily.

What is revenue-per-client based off?

Don’t just meet the customer's expectations. Also, meet their expectations.

Key Quotes:

“We could have an impact on somebody. We could have an impact on something like an organization or the environment. So it depends on what you’re defining your impact to be.” – Jason Cass

“I think business competitive edges are so 80s and 90s. Today, people need to believe in what you’re doing. They need to believe in your story.” – Jason Cass

“Wealth means to me, am I able to have people around me that love me? Am I able to be a part of organizations that appreciate what I can do? Am I able to be a part of organizations that I am able to appreciate what they do?” – Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

We're so excited to introduce you to the newest series on the AI Podcast Network: the Millionaire Producer Podcast, hosted by Charles Specht, national sales director and keynote speaker.

Charles was a producer with a $1,000,000+ Book of Business, before starting a consulting company working directly with insurance buyers. Now, he’s taking over the podcasting world to give you tools to package your services in such a way that your prospects will fire their current agent and sign your Broker of Record Letter…during the very first appointment!

In this first episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht gives the back story of his first ten years in the insurance industry as a producer. Charles explains why he stopped selling insurance and became a fee-based consultant to insurance buyers, how insurance buyers choose an agent, and how he eventually transitioned into teaching insurance producers how to win signed Broker of Record Letters.

Episode Highlights:

Charles mentions the three things that an insurance buyer is looking for. (1:32)

Charles gives a brief background of his consulting company. (3:03)

Charles mentions the reason why insurance buyers hire him as their insurance consultant. (5:56)

Charles shares the skill sets you’ll need when it comes to prospecting. (10:01)

Charles walks us through his career background. (11:42)

Charles mentions why he loves to hear the word ‘yes’. (13:48)

Charles explains what a minimum revenue threshold is. (16:33)

Charles shares one of the big decisions he made in his career. (23:22)

Charles mentions the website Broker of Record Letter Group Mastermind. (29:17)

Key Quotes:

“What I do is work with insurance agents to actually help them become more successful. It's a lot more fun, it's a lot more exciting than having to actually put together apps and so forth. Personally, I'd love to be able to see the producers actually get that win, to be able to see that smile that they heard somebody say ‘yes’.” -Charles Specht

“I love to hear the word ‘yes’, because I know that when I hear the word ‘yes’, that means they have said no to the incumbent and that they have chosen to actually begin doing business with me. And so, I love prospecting. I love being able to meet with people. I love being able to talk to people. And, so, you know what? I was just a prospecting machine.” -Charles Specht

“I focus on working with insurance agents to help them get more broker record letters. You wonder why? Because, that's what my client, the contractor, wants. They want to be able to pick one agent. I don't focus on the broker of record letter just because I think it's an awesome, interesting way with the prospect, no. I focus on the broker record letter because it's what the prospect wants.” -Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Charles Specht

Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Late-night ramblings uncover Justin's superpowers, what Katlyn thinks of the biz dev messages in her inbox, and how we really feel about Tesla. Catch the bonus episode we threw in just for you, of our pre-episode promo on Facebook live with lots of great content directly following current events, leadership development, and insurance training tips. Thanks for hanging out with us- Cheers!

Episode Highlights:

Justin chats about their Virginia office. (6:15)

Katlyn discusses her class in their Allen office. (8:20)

Katlyn shares what she likes about reading the biz dev messages. (11:57)

Justin mentions why he signed up for two cyber trucks. (14:18)

Katlyn mentions their new course called ‘Managing Your Brand’. (18:48)

Justin shares why he’s always excited about one-on-one meetings. (23:21)

Justin shares their future plans for the agency. (25:16)

Justin mentions one of the reasons why the fireside chat is important. (36:05)

Justin shares one of his greatest fears. (42:43)

Key Quotes:

“I actually like reading the biz dev messages, because I like looking for good ideas, and, like, connecting with someone out of the blue is always one of those mysterious life skills that you want to be able to have.” - Katlyn Eggar

“I do love the idea of people talking about insurance, like, you know, people should be talking about insurance.” - Justin Eggar

“Sometimes we all get so busy that you can end up neglecting people... I have, by accident. And, so I try to be purposeful with bouncing back and forth.” - Justin Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Justin Eggar LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom podcast, James discusses legal and regulatory concerns that are guaranteed to help you avoid getting sued or finding yourself on the wrong end of a letter from a state agency.

Specific topics covered include: Best practice guidelines for documentation, disclaimers, becoming familiar with the standard components of an ISO insurance policy form and a lot more.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Heath Shearon, a former Territory Sales Consultant for Encompass Insurance, who is now the founder of the Insurance Town Podcast, one of the fastest-growing podcasts in the insurance industry. Learn why he's known as the "The Mayor" and how Heath made the transition to a full-time podcaster. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Heath shares one of the things he does that a lot of people don't do. (12:05)

Heath mentions the good thing about listening to different podcasts. (14:40)

Heath mentions the most used word on Ryan’s podcast. (16:07)

How does Heath feel about his career today? (17:59)

Heath explains the huge problem he sees in the insurance industry. (22:35)

Heath shares his career background. (24:28)

Heath mentions why being in a small town fits his personality. (34:34)

Heath mentions one of the biggest compliments he’s received. (38:14)

Heath shares one of the things that he and his wife always say. (50:37)

Key Quotes:

“We're passionate about what we believe in. So, that passion comes out. It does come across negatively a lot. And so I'm hoping that just by a little something that we do, maybe even this podcast can help inspire at least one person to be positive today, who knows?” - Heath Shearon

“I love the whole small town feel thing, and I love the whole community looking out for each other. And I love the idea of connecting others, enhancing one's day, any way that I can.” - Heath Shearon

“I never understood the latest and greatest marketing tools. But, I knew the industry and I knew how the industry worked, and I knew this industry more than anything else is one big great community. And, it is a way that we can connect to one another.” - Heath Shearon

Resources Mentioned:

Heath Shearon LinkedIn

Insurance Town Podcast

Encompass Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Sean Kirby, CPIA, Insurance Agent at The Performance Group. Sean talks about his approach in the insurance industry and how The Performance Group Podcast became the connector of their community.

Episode Highlights:

What activities does Sean like to do outside of insurance? (3:55)

Sean mentions what he learned about communication. (5:20)

Sean explains his role at The Performance Group. (6:56)

What’s the most difficult thing for Sean, being in the business? (8:53)

Sean shares how The Performance Group Podcast turned into relationships and business. (10:49)

Why does Sean think podcasts are an asset? (13:58)

Sean explains some of the processes they have at The Performance Group. (17:42)

Sean shares some of the struggles he’s had in the insurance industry. (22:50)

Sean gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (27:00)

Key Quotes:

“I've learned a lot more from screwing that up, than I have by doing it the right way, and not making those same mistakes twice. So, it's all about time management, and open flow of communication.” - Sean Kirby

“Trial by fire made me who I am today and it's actually helped me so much in understanding my staff, and the pressure put on them in situations.... For them to learn from mistakes, and let them screw up.” - Sean Kirby

“Media has morphed into this other thing, where we are in the position to put other people on and give them a platform. At the same point, you're reaping the benefit of whether it's their insurance, their network, recognizing you, or just being the connector of your community.” - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Kirby, CPIA LinkedIn

The Performance Group

The Performance Group Podcast

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Laura Adams, financial spokesperson, speaker, and writer. Laura talks about her book entitled, Money-Smart Solopreneur and the classic problem that most salespeople face.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Laura’s success, skill or luck? (5:01)

Laura shares her background. (7:05)

Laura mentions how she became interested in podcasting. (7:50)

Laura mentions her book entitled, Money-Smart Solopreneur. (12:22)

Laura shares the classic problem that many salespeople face. (16:54)

Laura explains why starting a business is challenging. (21:02)

What does Laura think about the future of her book? (25:41)

Laura gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (29:10)

Key Quotes:

“Just because you don't have a job, doesn't mean you can't save for retirement, right? Doesn't mean you don't have benefits. You can create your own benefits package as your own self-employed person, which a lot of people don't realize.” - Laura Adams

“Ultimately, it's your responsibility to make sure you're double-checking their work. If they make an error, it can come back on you. So, you do need to be involved. And you do need to understand the basics of taxes when it comes to your business.” - Laura Adams

“I think we really do need to realize that people want to be met in different places. And, we need to make sure that we don't forget that... and help people find the products that they need.” - Laura Adams

Resources Mentioned:

Laura Adams LinkedIn

Laura D. Adams website

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

Money-Smart Solopreneur: A Personal Finance System for Freelancers, Entrepreneurs, and Side-Hustlers

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to plan your most intentional results yet and how to use a documented process to achieve the big wins that are most important to you this year. You'll learn how to map your processes by deciding WHO is going to do WHAT, WHEN, and HOW you want them to do it.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares the most important responsibility within an agency, as a business owner. (3:00)

What is process mapping? (3:52)

Katlyn mentions why the topic of process mapping is vital. (6:16)

Katlyn breaks down what it will cost you to put this into practice. (7:27)

Why should business owners create new processes for their agency? (9:14)

Katlyn gives us the first step to mapping processes. (11:11)

Katlyn shares the six types of process ideas. (12:18)

Katlyn shares how to create the process using the method she created. (18:56)

Key Quotes:

“Getting these processes in place first means that you'll have far more success with your VAs and your new technology, than agents who just haven't defined their process yet.” - Katlyn Eggar

“Whatever your goals are, know that you are doing one of the best things you can do as an agency owner, by carving out time to create new processes for your agency. It's one of the best ways to invest your time.” - Katlyn Eggar

“You're a leader. You have the potential to influence your entire team to be more intentional with their efforts and moving in the same direction. And, by investing in your processes, you've added value to your team and fuel to your plan to achieve great things this year.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Freedom podcast, you'll hear about:

Innovation both inside your agency and how you relate to the marketplace
Innovation in your sales process and Channel Partner relationships
Innovation in how you steward your client relationships
Financial best practices and how to better get a handle on understanding your numbers
Environmental concerns and how you can optimize your physical space to promote mental and wellness.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Matthew Sutika, Chief Insurance Officer and Ryan Letzeiser, Co-Founder and CEO of Obie. Matthew and Ryan join the podcast to talk about power mergers, partnerships and changing the way independent insurance agents find coverage for rental property owners. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Matthew mentions why Ryan Hanley is the coolest guy in insurance. (6:16)

Ryan shares his insurance background. (8:59)

Matthew shares the process they’ve built for Obie. (18:42)

Ryan shares the benefit of designing policies from the consumer side. (24:11)

How does Ryan manage variables that have traditionally been disqualifiers? (27:22)

Ryan explains the admitted products process. (29:29)

Matthew mentions their main focus. (31:40)

Matthew shares what they’re currently working on in the company. (36:56)

Matthew and Ryan give some advice to the agents who are listening. (42:33)

Key Quotes:

“I wanted Obie to be in every brokerage. I wanted everybody to have us as a carrier, even if they only use this once or twice a year. At least, it'll be fast, easy. And it'll be nice, right? Some of the bigger brokerages that love to have space will use us, day in and day out. So, that's really what we focused on.” - Matthew Sutika

“I think just having a math background has allowed us to work in the right direction, basically from the bottom up rather than the top down. And yeah, I think that's a huge differentiator in making sure that we at least have a product that we know we can sell right out of the gate.” - Ryan Letzeiser

“At the end of the day, your program efficiency comes out of somebody that's kind of been there, done that. And, then you exclude the things that you don't really like about their program, and you hopefully can supplement with things that you do like from other programs to make it more comprehensive.” - Ryan Letzeiser

Resources Mentioned:

Matthew Sutika LinkedIn

Ryan Letzeiser LinkedIn

Obie

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

We’re excited to announce that the first episode of The MVP Podcast, hosted by Mitch Gibson, on the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network is live!

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with agency owner of Portal Insurance and co-host of the Insurance Guys Podcast, Bradley Flowers, to talk a little more about his path and the things he’s learned along the way from being a young agent, to growing a rapid growing start-up agency in Mobile, Alabama.

Episode Highlights:

Bradley shares his favorite hobby. (3:01)

What are Bradley’s biggest motivators? (5:40)

Bradley shares the characteristics he looks for in new agents. (9:43)

Bradley explains the agency’s core values. (9:59)

Bradley shares how their hiring process works. (13:03)

Bradley mentions his YouTube series called, Making The Donuts. (16:01)

Bradley shares the significance of having a personal brand. (24:53)

If Bradley could spend 24 hours with anybody in the world, dead or alive, who would it be, and why? (31:51)

Key Quotes:

“If you have a good culture fit, everything else probably is going to work itself out. Because, if they're not a good fit at what we're hiring for, if they're a good culture fit, we'll find a position for them.” - Bradley Flowers

“If you're applying for a job, how do I show them that I'm going to add more value to this job, and to this organization than what they're paying me. Or, if you're working for a company, how do I add more value than what I'm doing now?” - Bradley Flowers

“Being different and being better, and being extraordinary... it's supposed to be difficult, and it's supposed to be hard. You're going to deal with problems that you didn't expect, that you shouldn't have to deal with. But, because you're doing something amazing, that's a good thing. You need to embrace that. You need to be ready for it.” - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned:

Bradley Flowers LinkedIn

Portal Insurance

Insurance Guys Podcast

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Alexander Low, Head of Enterprise Strategy & Operations at Lately. Alexander talks about his approach in the insurance industry and explains what Lately is all about.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Alexander’s success, skill or luck? (4:50)

Alexander shares his background. (5:41)

Alexander explains how to shift your mindset. (8:04)

Alexander explores why Lately has been such a helpful product. (10:00)

Alexander shares what B2B true relationships are all about. (15:38)

What made Alexander write the article called, ‘CRM Is Dead, Long Live the CRM’? (19:26)

Alexander shares a story about the CMO from IBM about 10 years ago. (25:25)

Key Quotes:

“You have to lose to win, though, sometimes. You ought to take the losses when you take them. As long as you learn from those losses and then build on that, then that should help the winning. I’m all about winning.” - Alexander Low

“Businesses that start to understand that... I don't care whether you're a solopreneur or a global multi-billion dollar organization, everybody has the same challenges. What COVID has done has changed how our buyers buy and this is across all industries.” - Alexander Low

“CRM system is just simply a record of truth, car clients, relationship management. It should just do that, it should record conversations, contact details of what is happening in that relationship between you, and your prospects, and your client.” - Alexander Low

Resources Mentioned:

Alexander Low LinkedIn

Lately

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mike Crowley talks with Landon Bentham TRA, MBA, on how he successfully transitioned and helped modernize his father-in-law’s hometown agency one step at a time. For anyone that is frustrated with how your agency is set up, this episode will give you the blueprint on how to successfully move your agency forward to prepare for the future.

Episode Highlights:

Landon shares his background. (2:13)

Landon mentions his father-in-law, Mark Rice. (3:44)

Landon shares how he got his father-in-law involved in their promotional video. (11:53)

Landon shares why evolution could propel us into the future. (22:43)

Landon mentions how he approaches meetings with his staff. (28:53)

Landon explains why redoing their website became an issue. (33:26)

Landon mentions one of the things that his father-in-law said to him. (39:06)

Landon gives a piece of advice to the loyal listeners. (43:22)

Key Quotes:

“Just thinking about how we interact with customers a little differently, is gonna make all the difference.” - Landon Bentham TRA, MBA

“The relationship is first and so taking care of that relationship, then allowed me to say, let's try this. I'm going to try it first and see if it works. And if it does, we've proved it, and then you decide if we should invest in it or not.” - Landon Bentham TRA, MBA

“It's the basics of relationships, and understanding that I have the same goals, which is to grow the business that the prior generation does, which is to grow the business to sustain it.” - Landon Bentham TRA, MBA

Resources Mentioned:

Landon Bentham TRA, MBA LinkedIn

Callahan & Rice Insurance Group, Inc.

Reach out to Mike Crowley

Agency Intelligence

James unpacks the super important area of contractual concerns as well as physical concerns.

In this episode, you'll hear about: team member compensation, equity vs ownership, vendor protections, office planning and outfitting, critical incident response planning.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Brett Fulmer, known as Broker Brett on social media, a true renaissance man in the insurance industry. In this epic conversation, we break down his career and why his path is quickly becoming more the norm, than the exception. Don't miss this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Brett shares his background. (6:11)

Brett gives his thoughts on broker relationships. (16:55)

Brett shares the future of agencies. (19:19)

Brett shares some of the programs he created when the pandemic hit. (21:45)

Brett explains how his team allows him to be a better version of himself.(25:16)

Brett shares his career background. (25:54)

How does Brett decide which types of projects he wants to be involved with? (34:38)

Brett discusses the origins of his agency. (42:13)

Brett mentions the mindset of being a leader. (51:53)

Key Quotes:

“I've actually got to a point where I don't even think about it as insurer tech and insurance anymore. It's sort of like fit, place, time. And, hopefully, everyone's using technology well.” - Brett Fulmer

“I'm looking for people who are gonna challenge me... we can grow and win together. I'm not looking for people to pat me on the butt. I'm too nice to everyone so, everyone’s too nice to me. I mean, people are gonna challenge me and help me kind of grow and go forward.” - Brett Fulmer

“The crown jewel I'm chasing is like...Wow, we figured out the mouse trap and we can deploy other people to do the same thing. Even candidly, the name sets itself up to... once we feel like we have it, we can deploy other insurance on it… help other people get rolling, but we’ve got to figure out how to make our own stuff work first.” - Brett Fulmer

Resources Mentioned:

Brett Fulmer LinkedIn

Newport Beach Insurance Center LLC

Finaeo Inc.

CaptaIMS

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU, Vice President of Operations Administration at Copeland Insurance Agency. Vonda talks about her approach in the insurance industry and her acquisition development.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Vonda’s success, skill or luck? (14:48)

Vonda shares how she got into the insurance industry. (15:43)

Vonda mentions her very first role in the agency. (20:48)

Does Vonda still utilize Quickbooks or does she prefer AMS? (22:36)

Vonda shares how Jay’s vision has improved the agency. (24:08)

Vonda shares how their acquisitions have developed. (27:37)

Vonda explains how she manages acquisitions and growth. (30:35)

Why does Vonda feel it’s important to utilize a calendar? (33:37)

Vonda mentions why developing resilience is key. (40:36)

Key Quotes:

“You all have to remember that we work in risk management. We work with the knowledge that we have to provide a safe work environment. And, we have to treat ourselves the same way as we would treat any of our commercial clients who are concerned about what to do with employees.” - Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU

“The best way to get a contract for a company to expand your markets is through acquisition. So, we started acquiring… And, I don't even know how many acquisitions we've done over the last 20 years.” - Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU

“I think the real answer to developing resiliency is learning how to pivot. Because, when stuff comes at you, you have choices. You can not deal with it, you can crawl in a hole, you can pretend it doesn't exist, or you can meet it head-on and figure out what you're going to do with it.” - Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU

Resources Mentioned:

Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU LinkedIn

Copeland Insurance Agency

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to protect the strongest asset in your agency by eliminating threats that shake up your top performer's confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with an unclear vision.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn mentions why some people are putting extra workloads on their top performers. (5:13)

What is a top performer? (6:12)

Katlyn shares why protecting the top performers, doesn't mean they’re not developing the underperformers. (7:21)

Katlyn shares what it feels like to be a top performer. (8:38)

What is the first threat to a top performer? (9:52)

Katlyn shares a story of how she once lost a top performer. (10:02)

Katlyn explains the second threat to a top performer. (13:26)

Katlyn mentions the disc assessment they have at Quantum. (17:08)

Key Quotes:

“We have to understand that losing a top performer could be one of the largest threats to our agency. And our SWOT should include all the things that threaten to shake our top performer’s confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with too vague an idea of where to go from here.” - Katlyn Eggar

“Top performers can feel like the agency is counting on them. They take pride in their work, but that means they have to make sacrifices. Maybe sometimes you even wondered if it was worth it.” - Katlyn Eggar

“A successful person who is burned out can feel like a failure. And, a high achiever who feels like a failure at your agency will eventually find a place where they feel like they're on top of the world.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agency Intelligence, guest host Mike Crowley interviews Carrie Galvez Reynolds, Owner of Alan Galvez Insurance. It is never easy mixing family and business decisions but sometimes original or older generations just need to step aside. Carrie used a unique situation in her family agency to remove one of the parents from the agency. It was a business decision, not a personal decision. Sometimes you need to chalk it up to this is what is best for the business and here is why. Carrie tells in detail how she made that transition.

Episode Highlights:

Carrie shares her career background. (2:57)

Carrie explains how ‘Insurance Goddess’ became her character. (9:13)

Carrie mentions the bravest thing she has done. (14:25)

What was the reaction of Carrie’s parents when she showed up as Cleopatra? (15:52)

Carrie gives a piece of advice to the listeners to help motivate them to make those changes. (19:19)

Carrie shares the problem she faced last year in the agency. (27:58)

Carrie shares why the last few years have been the best they’ve had, from a cultural standpoint. (34:51)

Which does Carrie prefer, audiobooks or podcasts? (37:53)

Does Carrie prefer remote work or office work? (38:44)

Key Quotes:

“I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, and I didn't hurt anybody in the process, and I really had a good time with it. So, that was probably one of the bravest things I ever did.” - Carrie Galvez Reynolds

“If you really need to make your case, there are plenty of people in our space. Now, thank heavens for that, they have taken the plunge and are doing lots of things that you could use to make your case to the family members.” - Carrie Galvez Reynolds

“It’s hard enough to find good people to begin with. You’ve got to take care of your people.” - Carrie Galvez Reynolds

Resources Mentioned:

Carrie Galvez Reynolds LinkedIn

Alan Galvez Insurance

Reach out to Mike Crowley

Agency Intelligence

James unpacks the opportunities and threats that you'll face in the social and technological areas of your agency.

In this episode, you'll hear about: Selecting your tribe, planning your high level social media strategies, building your ideal tech stack and planning for cyber liability and data breach events.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Cameron Tolman, MBA, Director of Business Development at Podium. Cameron joins the podcast to discuss exactly what Podium is and does, as well as how independent insurance agents can bridge the gap to digital transformation. This is an episode you don't want to miss...

Episode Highlights:

Cameron gives a short background on Podium. (7:31)

Cameron shares their modern customer journey. (9:54)

Cameron mentions why having brick and mortar is great for visibility. (14:12)

Cameron shares the beauty of working from home. (18:31)

Cameron mentions how Podium is trying to help businesses. (19:23)

Cameron shares the ability to grow at scale. (26:18)

Cameron gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (30:51)

Cameron shares how many businesses are utilizing Podium. (41:30)

Key Quotes:

“We expect convenience. And, we expect to make well-informed quick decisions, and to be able to get what we want as quickly as possible. So, Podium’s vision and goal is to modernize the way that local businesses are seen, chosen, and connected to their customers.” - Cameron Tolman

“It's time for evolution. And that's what's been fun for me... handling and working in this industry, is helping business owners who've been here for a while, understand that that the next phase is not really that intimidating.” - Cameron Tolman

“When we talk about scaling a business, technology is a tool, it's a resource, it's multiplying great people into having the capacity to do five acts of what they're able to do with email or with a phone call.” - Cameron Tolman

Resources Mentioned:

Cameron Tolman, MBA LinkedIn

Podium

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Erin Neill, Owner of Hanby Insurance. Erin goes in depth about how she acquired the agency and details her goals for the future.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Erin’s success, skill or luck? (4:58)

Erin shares her background. (6:37)

Erin mentions how she was able to acquire Hanby Insurance. (10:24)

Erin shares the first action she took after acquiring the agency. (12:10)

What did Erin’s staff situation look like in the first three months? (16:33)

What does Erin’s agency look like at present? (22:11)

Erin shares her big focus for the agency. (27:19)

Does Erin have plans to hire a COO? (29:26)

Erin mentions why she’s grateful that she met Jason. (37:20)

Key Quotes:

“We're going to have a goal. I don't know what we're going to do to get to that goal, but we're going to get there and we're going to track it.” - Erin Neil

“I've been trying the last two years to shift my focus from working in the agency to working on the agency. But, I love insurance, and I love selling insurance.” - Erin Neil

“Right now, I just focus on annual and revenue goals. And well, my thing is, you know, originally, I just wanted to be a 500,000 in premium, you know? And, we're going to do that.” - Erin Neill

Resources Mentioned:

Erin Neill LinkedIn

Hanby Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brad Shorkend, co-CEO of Still Human. Brad unlocks how to activate and energize humans, and shows the role EQ will play in the insurance world as technology continues to advance.

Episode Highlights:

Has Brad lived in South Africa his whole life? (3:44)

Brad shares how his travels have been part of his research on human behavior. (8:55)

Brad explains what Still Human is all about. (11:19)

Brad shares his studies on human consciousness. (19:33)

Brad shares what’s missing when it comes to communication. (32:50)

Brad mentions the significance of verbal communication. (34:35)

What makes work suck for Brad? (39:44)

Brad shares how changing our interaction with clients can make an impact. (52:18)

Key Quotes:

“I think what people don't understand is culture is always being created, either because of us or in spite of us. And, what people also don't understand with culture, you get culture in the context of the way people do things a certain way in a certain environment, which is clearly visible.” - Brad Shorkend

“I use the word ‘obsessed’ deliberately. They obsess about getting certain things, right? Because, they understand that if you get the human being into its most optimal state, performance is at a higher level.” - Brad Shorkend

“Make sure that the communication matters both ways. Be in optimum delivery mode, be an optimum receiving mode, check for clarity. It saves so much time, energy, and frustration at a time where we're lacking.” - Brad Shorkend

Resources Mentioned:

Brad Shorkend LinkedIn

Still Human

Book: We Are Still Human: And Work Shouldn't Suck

The Nanodegree - Use the coupon code AIROCKS for a 10% discount at checkout.

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

We Are Still Human: And Work Shouldn't Suck

This is Cass...I was reminded lately of the big lies we tell ourselves in this business. So I went back and reviewed what I learned when this type of thing happened before. In this podcast, I share them with you. Loyal listeners already know them and always need to be reminded...as I was.

In this episode, James unpacks the Operational component of your Agency Freedom Launch Plan. We go in to great detail on the key parts to consider as you are reviewing and setting up your operations from top to bottom.

Visit https://www.riskwell.com/podcast to sign up for our Freedom Jumpers Email List and receive all of the links and downloads for resources useful stuff for your agency.

In this episode of Agency Intelligence, James Castell joins guest host Mike Crowley. James talks about how he successfully joined a family agency by opening a new product division in their agency and within 10 years is awarded one of Liberty Mutual's agent of the year awards.

Episode Highlights:

James shares how he got into the insurance industry. (2:43)

James mentions how the give and take with his father went. (8:39)

James shares how he was able to turn a Medicare supplement agency into an agency of the future in less than ten years. (17:38)

James explains what they created for Medicare clients. (21:43)

James gives a piece of advice to those who can’t make a change in their family agency. (35:00)

James mentions their long-term vision. (39:56)

Which does James prefer, audiobooks or podcasts? (42:07)

Does James prefer remote work or office work? (43:12)

Key Quotes:

“I think as things digitize and move forward, and people go that route and want simplicity and want all the ease, there's still going to be a niche for us to carve out of people who care.” - James Castell

“As a second generation, if you don't have buy-in from the first, that you are doing something for the betterment of the agency... then, there needs to be some bigger, bigger bricks moved.” - James Castell

“If you're not seeing eye to eye that you're both doing things for the best thing for the agency, that's a problem. You need to sort that out before you need to digitize or get texting, or all that.” - James Castell

Resources Mentioned:

James Castell LinkedIn

Castell Insurance

Reach out to Mike Crowley

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ellie Platt, Owner of Platt Insurance. Ellie talks about her expertise in the nonprofit and the growth of her agency.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Ellie’s success, skill or luck? (9:17)

Ellie shares her background. (10:16)

Ellie mentions how Kate has helped her in the insurance industry. (11:44)

Ellie mentions her main niche in this industry. (14:28)

Ellie shares the biggest challenge she’s faced. (15:03)

Has Ellie thought about growing in commercial lines? (17:04)

Ellie mentions what she has done on the nonprofit side. (23:48)

Does Ellie see her son being in the insurance industry? (26:56)

Ellie gives a piece of advice to the loyal listeners. (32:32)

Key Quotes:

“My background is nonprofit, it's still where my heart is. I mean, if you look at our agency, so much of where we spend our time and our network, and our referrals come from that nonprofit world. So, it's definitely something I'm interested in.” - Ellie Platt

“You're learning to play the game. Who cares about A's and B's, but the fact that you're learning what it takes to get an A, that's a skill. That's something that you can use.” - Ellie Platt

“The one thing I've learned is it's so easy to get off course by shiny objects or something that might be working for another agency. But, I think staying the course sometimes is important. So, that's been a big thing for me.” - Ellie Platt

Resources Mentioned:

Ellie Platt LinkedIn

Platt Insurance

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Emily Gerber Poe, Owner of Gerber Insurance & Financial Services, and Founder/Owner at Medical Claims Helper, Inc. Emily's visionary leadership style has led her multi-location agency to flourish in the independent world. Hear how she is successfully mastering agency acquisition, diversifying her portfolio, and recruiting from outside of the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Emily gives a short background of her agency. (3:02)

Emily mentions the lesson she’s learned from her father. (7:41)

What were some of the thoughts going through Emily’s mind when she purchased the agency? (9:40)

Does Emily think that it's harder to be a captive agent or an independent agent? (17:10)

Emily mentions how many locations she has. (26:33)

Emily shares how she’s able to manage all three locations. (27:16)

How can we have a better learning experience in the insurance industry? (32:14)

Emily mentions what stood out to her about the agency manager she hired. (38:54)

Does Emily like to use the enneagram as her favorite personality assessment? (40:21)

Key Quotes:

“Not every day is fantastic. It's not rainbows and unicorns over here every day. But, I think part of what I was able to see from dad was that he was a hard worker. And, so was grandpa and they loved people. At the end of the day, they slept really good at night, because they were doing the right things for the right reasons.” - Emily Gerber Poe

“I was so much younger than the majority of the agents that were going to have to go through this transition. And, I also love change. So, change doesn't scare me. I actually thrive in change.” - Emily Gerber Poe

“I'm never gonna sink this ship. This is my plan A through Z. I don't have an alternative or an ulterior plan. So, any decisions that I make I just ask that you trust me, that I've researched it enough that I know what I'm doing, and also I didn't choose to go independent. This was forced on me, and I'm grateful for it now.” - Emily Gerber Poe

Resources Mentioned:

Emily Gerber Poe LinkedIn

Gerber Insurance & Financial Services

Medical Claims Helper, Inc.

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Andy Mathisen, Co-Founder, and CMO of GloveBox. Andy talks about his approach in the insurance industry and what we should know about GloveBox.

Episode Highlights:

What has contributed to Andy’s success, skill or luck? (8:17)

Andy mentions the last book he read. (8:32)

Andy shares his background. (13:03)

Andy shares how GloveBox was created. (17:52)

Andy mentions how they work on the API. (22:00)

Andy explains the main reasons why policyholders don't start an account with their carrier. (25:50)

Andy shares what their web app does. (27:53)

Andy explains what a “learned experience” is. (31:25)

Key Quotes:

“We're trying to bring everyone together, huddle everyone up... say, look, this is benefiting the distribution channel of the independent agent, and it's helping them service their book of business, and it's helping the policyholder have a better relationship with their insurance, which ultimately helps everybody: the agency and the carrier.” - Andy Mathisen

“The best part about GloveBox as a user is that you don't have to remember a username and password. You enter your phone number, you get a pin number. Thank goodness. The day of username and passwords are gone, let’s get rid of that.” - Andy Mathisen

“You're only thinking of your insurance once or twice a year. But, if we can have them learn to come and use this more frequently, you're going to see a better client out of it, and their retention is going to go up.” - Andy Mathisen

Resources Mentioned:

Andy Mathisen LinkedIn

GloveBox

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

We're thrilled to introduce a new series on the AI Podcast Network! Today, we bring you Agency Freedom Podcast, hosted by James Jenkins, Chief Risk Officer at Riskwell Insurance.

In this pilot episode, James unpacks the mission for Agency Freedom Podcast. He addresses the question of why we're doing this whole thing and exactly what you can expect in the coming weeks and months. James shares his origin story in the insurance world and a brief recap of how he came to make his Freedom Jump to the Indy side.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Meg McKeen, Founder and Chief Confidence Officer at Adjunct Advisors, LLC, joins the podcast for a conversation on sales, the insurance industry, and the power of developing your authentic voice. Meg is a tremendous resource for our industry and I know you're going to love this episode...

Episode Highlights:

Meg mentions how she maintains her composure. (10:22)

Meg mentions why the competition in their industry is confusing. (15:43)

Meg shares why every scenario that people could need insurance for is coming from a place of negativity. (16:50)

Meg shares the main factor that a successful agent of the future has. (20:46)

How does an agency principal allow someone inside their agency to have a personal brand? (24:12)

Meg mentions why she agrees that the majority of decision-makers in their industry have hit their number. (42:05)

What keeps producers from moving to an agency that excites them? (43:19)

Meg shares why selling insurance has been entrepreneurial, without having to be an entrepreneur. (47:33)

Key Quotes:

“Whatever the content is that you're creating, the more ability, the stronger ability you have to reach exactly who it is you want to talk to, they'll stand in line 200 deep to meet you, if you have the ability to do that.” - Meg McKeen

“My heritage is the independent channel. I worked for carriers coming up in the business, for carriers that represented or had independent agents represent them. I'm not knocking one way or the other, there's a lot of ways fundamentally to get where we want to go.” - Meg McKeen

“I am a champion for women in our industry. I firmly, firmly believe we have fundamentally everything it takes to be successful. We just have to see the path.” - Meg McKeen

Resources Mentioned:

Meg McKeen LinkedIn

Adjunct Advisors, LLC

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Zach Simmonds, Account Executive at Eber & Associates Insurance Services. Zach talks about his career as a new agent and his niche in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Zach shares his background. (5:14)

What has attributed to Zach’s success, skill or luck? (10:03)

Zach shares some of the strategies he uses to be successful. (13:52)

Zach mentions his biggest learning curve. (18:28)

Does Zach have any niches? (21:05)

Zach shares the full package, plus work comp that they offer. (22:43)

Zach shares his thoughts about having the right relationship. (35:12)

Zach mentions what he’s currently doing in the agency. (39:26)

Key Quotes:

“I think in this industry, any sales position, you have to be willing to just kind of throw yourself in the fire.” - Zach Simmonds

“I think people genuinely, for the most part, do want to help younger people in their career. hen youshow that you're willing to put the work in, I think not only the people you work with, but the people that are clients want to help out.” - Zach Simmonds

“There’s a lot of things that I think sometimes you can assume a business owner understands it, because you see business owners that do...ut, there's business owners that really don't want to get in the weeds with what we do, and you’ve got to help them see how it impacts them.” - Zach Simmonds

Resources Mentioned:

Zach Simmonds LinkedIn

Eber & Associates Insurance Services

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Insurance In Your Words, an AI podcast series originally aired in 2016, host, Joey Giangola, talks to Troy Thompson about the importance of viewing your systems, processes and wow factor as a continued work in progress that are never fully complete.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Bob Frady, CEO & Founder of HazardHub, joins the podcast to discuss the value of hazard risk data and why the secret to the future of insurance success is putting data to use for your business. This is an episode you don't want to miss…

Episode Highlights:

Bob mentions why January was an interesting month for them. (4:09)

Bob shares why people think that they’re significantly larger. (7:50)

Bob shares how HazardHub was created. (13:24)

Bob mentions a couple of things they’ve figured out. (19:04)

Bob mentions the focus of their business. (22:32)

Bob shares why being an entrepreneur is not easy. (25:37)

Bob explains why data is significant nowadays. (30:10)

Bob Explains the risk of data being incorrect. (40:03)

Bob shares the product they built called Agent Risk View. (50:21)

Key Quotes:

“Spending time on a spreadsheet, planning stuff out to me is not nearly as effective as going to some fundraiser that you think is a waste of time. Because you just never know what's going to happen. You know what's going to happen on your spreadsheet, but your spreadsheet doesn't run the world... Showing up, that's what runs the world.” - Bob Frady

“Have an idea, draw it, put it down on paper, show it to people, and if people give you the thumbs up, ask them to pay for it. See what happens. It’s not particularly genius ethic, it's just pragmatic.” - Bob Frady

“Human beings are social animals, and you have to understand that. Understand people first and then selling, rather than become a sales expert and not understand people.” - Bob Frady

Resources Mentioned:

Bob Frady LinkedIn

HazardHub

Agent Risk View

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Michelle Mosher, Founder, CEO of Southshore Insurance Professionals, and Michele Horwitz, Agency Owner of Bay Area Insurance Shop, Inc. Michelle and Michele talk about their approach to business and niche in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Michele and Michelle’s success, skill or luck? (7:28)

Michelle and Michele share their career background. (10:31)

Michelle mentions one of her goals when she opened her agency. (16:50)

What’s the main niche of Michele’s agency? (20:37)

Do Michele and Michelle agree that the amount of competition is based on the number of prospects? (24:40)

Michelle mentions her biggest challenge, at present. (30:22)

What’s something that’s been significantly helpful to Michelle when doing business? (33:26)

Michelle and Michele give a piece of advice to the loyal listeners. (40:45)

Key Quotes:

“I think that insurance is still such a relationship business, that there will be a point that the "not talking" doesn't work anymore. There's going to be a stage in this process that there has to be relationship building, and it’s harder to do digitally.” - Michele Horwitz

“It's okay to take time for yourself and not every client is a good client. But, the ones that are good understand when you need to take time for yourself.” - Michelle Mosher

“There are a lot of helpful hints out there. But, there's also a lot of noise and you just have to figure out what you're good at, what your path is, and move from there.” - Michele Horwitz

Resources Mentioned:

Michelle Mosher LinkedIn

Southshore Insurance Professionals

Michele Horwitz LinkedIn

Bay Area Insurance Shop, Inc.

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews three-time TedX speaker, best-selling author, and leadership guru Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. Dr. Dewett shares with us how to lead authentically, inspire a creative work environment, and why we shouldn't be afraid to show our ink.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Todd Dewett shares some of the books he authored. (4:47)

Where does Dr. Todd Dewett get his stories? (5:48)

Dr. Todd Dewett shares how he takes note of his ideas. (7:47)

Dr. Todd Dewett mentions his TedX experience and his upcoming TedX talk. (8:25)

Dr. Todd Dewett explains how he gets people to reframe their thoughts and learn. (11:33)

Dr. Todd Dewett explains what business owners do to make sure that the culture they've created encourages innovation. (18:29)

Dr. Todd Dewett explains the variables he’s seen in team cultures. . (22:50)

Dr. Todd Dewett shares what the status bubble is all about. (27:25)

Dr. Todd Dewett shares how a leader should address risks. (32:13)

How should a person who's very risk-tolerant talk to a group of people who are more risk-averse? (34:37)

Key Quotes:

“All I do is look at what happens and find useful ways. I say to myself, every time something happens, I bet, I know how to spin that and help people because others have been through that thing, too.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD

“I'd like to try and educate people to number one, stand up, speak up, advocate for good quality change in their life, not just at work, and to have their eyes open when they do so because it is rough waters sometimes, and you got to be ready to navigate them.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD

“If you value innovation, you're going to have to have tough conversations and get past your own perceptual biases, and make it a much, much bigger conversation where others have just as much or more say, than you, that's just a requirement for real innovation.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. LinkedIn

Dr. Dewett Website

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance International

Back by popular demand, we dug deep into the archives and found an old podcast series from 2016 called, Insurance in Your Words. This podcast was hosted by the one and only, Joey Giangola, and is very unique in how it's recorded and delivered.

In this episode, Joey shares how knowing the margins, (commission – time = profit) on each policy you sell and market will make sure you’re always preparing a healthy dish for your agency.

If you have listened before or are listening for the first time, we're sure you'll enjoy!

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan is joined by Clint Pulver, Emmy Award winning keynote speaker, professional drummer, and author of I Love It Here. A former private pilot turned generational workforce expert, Clint has dedicated his professional career as the undercover millennial, uncovering the secrets to what leaders are doing right. Clint shows us how to be mentor-managers and why this particular management style is the key to future organizational growth.

Episode Highlights:

Clint shares his background. (9:04)

Clint shares what being undercover is all about. (19:09)

Clint mentions the magic of the research. (23:33)

Has Clint worked in the insurance industry? (24:23)

Clint mentions the four types of managers and management. (26:36)

Clint shares the significance of mentorship. (29:35)

Clint mentions the research he did during the pandemic. (34:12)

Clint explains the five C’s of mentorship. (36:30)

Key Quotes:

“Sometimes we have no idea. You're in the right place, the right time, something happens. And, we don't even recognize the moment when it's happening. But, there's power in when somebody actually takes the time to design it... to create it in someone’s life.” - Clint Pulver

“When a manager became a mentor in somebody's life, where they advocated as much as they developed, when somebody looked at that person and said...Because of you, my life's going to be a better story.” - Clint Pulver

“No significant loyalty will ever happen without significant connection. Mentorship is priceless in this because mentorship is not leadership. It's also not management. Mentorship cannot be given, it's not a title. Nobody gives a title to a mentor. You're not like, you got this promotion. Now you're a mentor. It doesn't happen that way. Mentorship has to be earned, and it's earned by who you are.” - Clint Pulver

Resources Mentioned:

Clint Pulver LinkedIn

Clint Pulver

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Book: I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave

I Love It Here

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Quincy Branch, President, and CEO of Branch Benefits Consultants. Quincy shares how he built a successful career in the insurance industry, the importance of mentorship and what he’s learned from his acquisitions.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Quincy’s success, skill or luck? (7:43)

Quincy shares his background. (9:27)

Quincy mentions one of his first ventures. (11:23)

What does Quincy’s agency look like now? (16:37)

Quincy shares what he worked on when he started in their agency. (18:42)

Quincy shares his memories at the final four. (26:42)

Quincy mentions the significance of constant grounding. (34:21)

Quincy shares what he’s learned from the acquisitions. (40:41)

Key Quotes:

“There's no aspect of an agency that I haven't seen run. So you know, I may not be the best at it. But, at least I've seen it in some way, shape, or form.” - Quincy Branch

“If I say, I found a niche and knowledge... benefits are definitely my niche and knowledge.” - Quincy Branch

“How best to get involved is to get involved at the ground level, where change is happening. You know, it's one thing to have a seat at the table...But, it's a whole nother thing to make sure that you're ordering off the menu with the holder. Leave your city, even if you can set the menu. You know, how much better is that?” - Quincy Branch

Resources Mentioned:

Quincy Branch LinkedIn

Branch Benefits Consultants

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Teresa Kitchens, agency owner of Sterling Insurance Group and podcast host. Teresa shares how she's upping her game with CRM skills, new recruits, and celebrating her competition.

Episode Highlights:

Teresa shares why she started the Power Women in Insurance podcast. (1:44)

Teresa gives a short background about the company. (3:04)

Teresa shares her experience at the Innovation Conference. (4:52)

Teresa mentions the impact of social media on the insurance industry. (13:16)

Teresa mentions the significance of being genuine. (17:02)

Teresa shares the first Better Agency webinar she attended. (17:42)

What was Teresa’s favorite part from the conference? (23:35)

Teresa mentions some of the guests from her podcast. (32:32)

Teresa shares how her life in the insurance industry has been. (36:17)

Teresa shares the culture they have in the agency. (42:47)

Key Quotes:

“I love being a part of that voice in the industry, and hopefully encouraging other women to find their voice and be leaders, and get out there and build their own space within the insurance industry.” - Teresa Kitchens

“I think it's just such a fun industry right now to be in...To watch it grow and change and evolve, and the people's personalities to come out in their own agencies. I think that's fabulous.” - Teresa Kitchens

“If we are against each other, we have less of an opportunity to truly survive this whole tech boom, or whatever we want to call it in the insurance industry. With all the tech companies coming on, and to be able to kind of take over the insurance space...e need to band together to be able to create a community, and a voice that makes people proud to be an insurance agent, and to be able to allow this profession to go on, and provide for our children moving forward and everything else.” - Teresa Kitchens

Resources Mentioned:

Teresa Kitchens LinkedIn

Sterling Insurance Group

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass is joined by Katlyn Eggar, host of Age of Indiependence Podcast. Listen as they discuss leads, retention and significant processes that are beneficial in a modern agency.

Episode Highlights:

Does Jason think automated agencies will take over modern and hybrid agencies? (4:34)

Katlyn explains the difference between the modern agency and the automated agency. (6:36)

What skills do we need to be ready for the future of technology? (9:10)

Katlyn talks about how to scale processes. (10:58)

Katlyn shares some of the most significant processes that you must have in your agency. (14:24)

Jason shares where most people tend to have issues with customer experience. (22:36)

Katlyn mentions what she loves about technology and automation. (24:23)

Katlyn gives a couple of steps on how to close the sale. (28:56)

Katlyn shares how the Quantum Assurance Agency has been doing. (41:59)

Key Quotes:

“If we're preparing ahead of time for this crazy, automated agency of the future...We have to start learning marketing, and branding and these crazy things now. ow are you going to interact with clients online in that digital world, and what it's going to feel like to them? hat are the skills that we need to know to be ready for that?” - Katlyn Eggar

“Building out your sales process is really figuring out what you want that conversation and that client experience to look, and feel like, so that branding of your agency happens right upfront. You're creating a buying experience for the client, not just punching in data that one day a computer is going to be able to do for you.” - Katlyn Eggar

“We've shown you the success of many agents out there. You know that you're not just hearing this from me and Kaitlyn, you're hearing this, you're reading about it, you're hearing everywhere...That process is important inside of your business. Everything that we're asking you to do, and how you felt so uncomfortable as we were talking, that's the part you're growing. And, if you keep ignoring that, you're going to get separated.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan is joined by Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of physics at the Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences (CASS) in the department of physics at the University of California San Diego… and he's awesome.

Episode Highlights:

Brian shares how he sees the world differently. (8:57)

Brian mentions why some people see science as a zero-sum game. (14:46)

Brian mentions some of his guests on the show. (16:34)

How does Brian approach big ideas? ? (19:24)

Brian explains the motto in his YouTube channel. (22:16)

Does Brian think that his openness and candor are inspiring other people? (23:07)

Brian shares why he cares about artificial wisdom. (38:42)

Brian shares why wisdom is significant. (40:46)

Key Quotes:

“I truly believe that if you don't examine the biggest questions, then you're kind of wasting this most precious gift that will soon be over. Your job is you to be an expert in minimizing risk and reducing rogue wave impacts, and so forth.” - Brian Keating

“There's nothing you guys can do to prevent the ultimate destination. We're all born to die. So we must make use of the time we have to live. And to me, living is nothing if you don't ask questions with deep and passionate curiosity.” - Brian Keating

“From my perspective, what I really want to do is bring together this multiverse of minds and assemble. Now, thanks to technology, we can do it. There's no excuse not to do it. And, so I'm trying to do it.” - Brian Keating

Resources Mentioned:

Brain Keating LinkedIn

University of California San Diego

Brian Keating Podcast

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses what scripts are all about. You can watch the scoreboard from the stands, or you can get in there and call the plays. Scripts allow you to run organized plays. Learn who should use scripts, the symptoms that you might need a better script, and the first 3 scripts you should write.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares what scripts enable us to do. (1:00)

Katlyn mentions who should utilize scripts. (2:17)

How do you know if your agency’s scripts need to be updated? (2:46)

What’s the first step to overcoming your team’s objections? (4:59)

Katlyn mentions the first objection. (5:37)

Katlyn walks us through the second objection. (8:20)

Katlyn explains the third objection. (8:58)

What is a call calibration? (9:56)

Katlyn gives the first three scripts to utilize. (13:42)

Key Quotes:

“Your clients and your business are too important to be lackadaisical. So, let's do ourselves a favor and figure out how to make everything we do consistent and repeatable.” - Katlyn Eggar

“People love doing things that they're good at. So, let's help them be really good at sales. It's our job to make it as easy as possible for our sales team to be able to hit the ground running, and be experts at what they come to work to do every single day.” - Katlyn Eggar

“Carving out a little bit of time per week where you're able to review calls together as a group, and also in one on one settings, gives people that extra edge that they need, that extra coaching that they need, to be ready for game time.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Quantum Assurance International

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

In this throwback episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kelly Donahue-Piro, Owner and President of Agency Performance Partners. Kelly puts a fun spin on her interview by occasionally asking Jason Cass questions as well. During this conversation, hear whether or not video is a lazy man’s book, what to look for when hiring people, the power of prospecting, and the differences between producers and account managers. Episode Highlights:

Kelly Donahue-Piro asks Jason Cass what has been his most difficult business challenge

You can’t pay people a salary that isn’t making your job easier.

The first step in not being ignorant is to learn how to learn.

Is Kelly an iPhone user or an Android user?

Does she love to win or hate to lose?

Is she stronger because of her skill or because of luck?

What should you look for when hiring someone?

Why does Jason think video is a lazy man’s book?

Has Jason thought about taking a social media break?

How many clients does Kelly have and what software does she use?

Jason Kelly talks about the growth of women in the industry and producers and account managers.

Why do producers tend to hate prospecting?

How does Jason approach cold calling and addressing producers?

Kelly Donahue-Piro shares her secret shopper statistics from 2017.

Key Quotes:

“You’re hiring people to make your life easier, and if there is someone on your team that is not making your life easier, that is on you.” – Kelly Donahue-Piro

“The two biggest things that any employee needs is to be teachable and to have a good attitude. If you have that in life, you are unstoppable.’” – Kelly Donahue-Piro

“Producers wouldn’t want to be account managers and account managers wouldn’t want to be producers. But if there is one thing I could tell producers, it’s you need to treat your account manager like they walk on water.” – Kelly Donahue-Piro

Resources Mentioned:

Kelly Donahue-Piro - LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partners

Reach out to Jason Cass

Agency Intelligence

AIBrainshare.com

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Kyle Nakatsuji, Founder and CEO of Clearcover, joins the show to breakdown why he started Clearcover and why his unique perspective on the industry forced him to create an auto insurance carrier of the future. Kyle gets it, and you MUST listen to this episode…

Episode Highlights:

Kyle shares how he got started as a venture investor. (13:17)

Kyle shares how the idea of curiosity plays a significant role in being successful. (18:46)

Kyle explains why he started a company in this particular area of insurance. (23:32)

Kyle shares two ways to improve retention as an insurance company. (28:42)

Kyle shares what to consider when building the infrastructure of the organization. (33:19)

Where does Kyle see the next generation of carriers? (36:29)

Kyle mentions a surprising statistic about personal auto carriers. (36:44)

Kyle shares what he’s most excited about. (37:09)

Has Kyle started to consider other products? (43:51)

Key Quotes:

“As a venture investor, you really get paid to do two things. You get paid to be intellectually curious, and you get paid to sell money, which is a weird thing to do. It's a weird phrasing, but that's kind of what you do. ost competitive deals, you're selling, right?” So you get paid to learn and build ideas and theses, and then sell money.” - Kyle Nakatsuji

“When you start learning about something, you rapidly climb up and you think you know a ton about it. And, then the more time you actually spend with a topic, you kind of fall off this cliff of stupidity.” - Kyle Nakatsuji

“It’s not that these carriers don't see the opportunity, or they don't want to help...But, the opportunity has to be of a certain size to warrant the kind of investment, to turn a ship that big...And, with some with newer carriers like us, we're just more free to experiment. There's much lower overhead to do interesting and innovative things with our partners.” - Kyle Nakatsuji

Resources Mentioned:

Kyle Nakatsuji

Clearcover

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass discusses the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network that they are creating and provides an update on The Great Separator.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains what the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network is. (3:39)

Jason mentions some of his special guests from the previous podcast episodes. (4:45)

Jason shares why The Great Separator is a big deal for him. (10:12)

Jason mentions the significance of data, people, and process. (11:43)

Jason shares why the pandemic made The Great Separator occur more quickly. (17:03)

Jason shares the four agency models. (19:10)

Jason mentions what he sees inside those agency models. (27:39)

Jason shares what The Great Separator would look like, as they start to evolve. (29:42)

Jason shares the significance of diversity. (34:43)

Jason shares what happens when you have unhappy people in your agency. (43:46)

Key Quotes:

“The more content we produce, the more impact we make because we see the numbers, we hear the stories, and we get the feedback from you. And when we hear that stuff, we realize we need to create more content.” - Jason Cass

“The best thing that you can do for any of us is just to share our message in our podcast with other people. That's all that we can say, because the best thing that we can do is get everybody on the same page going the same way, and then we're going to be able to achieve those goals faster.” - Jason Cass

“The weapon of choice is nothing other than discipline and our discipline as an industry blows. That means that part of The Great Separator is discipline.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this throwback episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Christopher Paradiso, Owner of Paradiso Insurance and Paradiso Presents, Independent Insurance Agent, Digital Marketing Expert, and Public Speaker out of Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Christopher Paradiso talks about the importance of family, how data gets sold, indietech, retaining business, and what it will take to improve the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Is Christopher Paradiso an iPhone or Android user?

What is the last app that Christopher downloaded?

Does Christopher Paradiso love to win or hate to lose?

What has played a bigger role in Christopher’s career, skill or luck?

Christopher discusses his Italian family, his patriotism, and his sister.

Christopher Paradiso talks about how data gets sold in the industry.

What is Jason Cass’s definition for indietech?

What will it take for the IA channel to change?

What does the relationship between agents and carriers look like?

What is one of the toughest agencies to work for in the industry?

Christopher shares his thoughts and industry predictions for 2020.

Retaining and servicing customers is important. Not just gaining new business.

What are some of Jason and Christopher’s favorite people in the industry?

The industry will get better if there are more women.

The business that stays is the business that pays.

We have to be a customer experience culture.

What did you fail at and why did you fail at it?

Key Quotes:

“It is remarkable how systems take our data as we pay, agencies pay, their staff to enter data. We pay a monthly fee for these ratings systems and then our data gets sold.” – Christopher Paradiso

“We will have the power to take that power back when we can take our unstructured data back and do something with it creatively. Generate business. Be able to utilize it so that we can market more efficiently.” – Christopher Paradiso

“Carriers and agents need each other more than ever and we need to become better partners. Period.” – Christopher Paradiso

Resources Mentioned:

Christopher Paradiso

Paradiso Insurance

Paradiso Presents

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

AI Brainshare

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Aaron Steffey, the co-founder and managing partner of Propeller Bonds joins the podcast to discuss how his digital surety bond platform is changing the game for independent agents that want to add surety bonds to their portfolio of products. Don't miss this episode…

Episode Highlights:

Aaron shares his background in insurance. (11:49)

How did Aaron meet Ryan Hanley? (15:40)

Aaron shares his business philosophies. (19:00)

Aaron walks us through the customer facing side of his website. (20:02)

Aaron talks about adaptability within the industry. (25:24)

Where are bonds coming from? (27:35)

Aaron explains his underwriting process. (30:45)

What does Aaron attribute his success to? (34:28)

Aaron shares how he drives sales. (39:38)

Key Quotes:

“Coming from an agent perspective, I always understood the value of the agent. I actually think that carriers and anyone else drastically underestimates the agency relationship with the customer. I think it's more powerful than people give it credit for a lot of times.” - Aaron Steffey

“What a lot of newer products are going to do is make it adaptable, to where you can take yourself out of the whole process if you want. Or, you can not market the link to anyone and keep it in-house, and just have it help your staff process bonds faster. So. it can be whatever you want it to be. I think that adaptability and flexibility is really what's needed.” - Aaron Steffey

“I think the fact that we offer distribution and technology is a really attractive thing for them. Because, we're able to go out and appoint hundreds of agencies essentially for them.” - Aaron Steffey

Resources Mentioned:

Aaron Steffey LinkedIn

Propeller Bonds

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Dustyne Bryant, MBA, CIC, CISR, the Personal Lines Academic Director at The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. Dustyne talks about her approach in the insurance industry and what their agency is all about.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Dustyne’s success: skill or luck? (6:21)

Dustyne mentions what challenged her during the college years. (14:49)

Dustyne mentions the factor that resonated with her about her position. (24:47)

Dustyne mentions their faculty prospect page. (28:00)

Dustyne shares the courses that they offer. (28:50)

Dustyne mentions their webinars. (36:11)

Dustyne shares the significance of maintaining your CIC. (39:01)

Key Quotes:

“There's nothing that even we can do as parents or that your parents could have done. I'm more right or more wrong. It's how you choose to overcome whatever it is you felt you were wronged by. It's the same professionally. If you're not supported enough in your professional career, then find the support from within and rise above that. Use it as an opportunity to prove that you can find better support someplace else.” - Dustyne Bryant

“In terms of wanting to be better than that person, I need to be a better version of myself. I just constantly kept setting the bar higher and higher. This opportunity at the National Alliance, which I'm totally in love with right now, is something I saw myself doing when I was closer to retirement.” - Dustyne Bryant

“Insurance is awesome. You and I get energized about insurance. Anybody I speak to that is a true insurance nerd are constantly wanting excitement to make this even better. So, if you're a participant and you see that it feels mundane or something, say something about it, it's your job. Add it to yourself to make the most out of your education.” - Dustyne Bryant

Resources Mentioned:

Dustyne Bryant LinkedIn

The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Graeme Newell, CSP, President of 602 Communications. Graeme is a professional speaker and behavioral finance researcher. He uses brain science to help us make better financial decisions. Our brain is hardwired to incorrectly forecast the future and to freeze up when we're feeling fear. Learn whether you can trust your gut and what this means for your clients when they are purchasing insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Graeme shares how he got started in brain science research. (4:04)

How does decision making work inside of our brain? (6:36)

Graeme emphasizes that maintaining safety is what insurance is all about. (10:54)

What does Graeme encourage people to do when it comes to huge decisions? (14:58)

Graeme shares how the fear effect can impact sales goals. (16:35)

Graeme talks about the significance of establishing a great relationship with the client. (18:50)

What are some of the biggest mistakes that Graeme has seen? (20:35)

Graeme talks about the biggest element that's going to torpedo someone’s investment strategy. (23:40)

What is a confirmation bias? (32:43)

Graeme gives advice on how to become better at decision-making. (35:08)

Key Quotes:

“It's incredibly important to understand that we're going to make decisions instinctually. We think we're making them rationally. But, the brain science bears this out... nothing could be further from the truth.” - Graeme Newell, CSP

“I think you’ve got to realize...For all of us in the insurance industry, the moment you even bring these things up, adrenaline happens. Just mention the word ‘death’ or ‘disaster’ or ‘car wreck’, and boom. It's over for the day. You've got to make sure that you give people time and energy to contemplate these decisions, because that's when the decisions stick.” - Graeme Newell, CSP

“What our brain has a tendency to do, is to think that how it is now, is how it has always been in the past… and how it always will be in the future. This worked well during evolutionary times, bringing us to the present moment when there was danger or opportunity.” - Graeme Newell, CSP

Resources Mentioned:

Graeme Newell, CSP LinkedIn

602 Communications

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Daniel Seong, Founder of Great Park Insurance. Daniel talks about his approach in the insurance industry and what he has achieved.

Episode Highlights:

What does Daniel attribute his success to? (9:45)

Daniel shares his background. (11:31)

How did Daniel feel about his move to America from Korea? (15:36)

Daniel shares what he has learned from the past year. (17:38)

Does Daniel believe that delegation has been part of his success? (19:13)

Daniel discusses leadership and his team culture. (21:13)

What’s the main reason why agents don’t delegate? (22:12)

What are some of Daniel’s onboarding goals? (30:24)

Daniel shares that he’s reading a book called Unlearn, by Barry O’Reilly. (42:19)

Key Quotes:

“I'm finding out that the team is here to step in. And, we'll figure it out. The service team left, but we figured it out. As long as the bond, the leadership, the respect for each other is solid and strong… people are willing to chip in.” - Daniel Seong

“As leaders, we have to keep pushing that envelope because we expect a lot of things from our staff and our team members, but yet we don't push ourselves. The staff needs to see that.” - Daniel Seong

“Everybody just needs to do their part. No matter how big or how small they think it is, everybody matters. As long as the leader is conveying that one single direction, with time, it all works out.” - Daniel Seong

Resources Mentioned:

Daniel Seong LinkedIn

Great Park Insurance

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, the all-powerful, Mike Stromsoe, the founder of Stromsoe Insurance Agency and the Unstoppable Profit Producer, joins the podcast for the first time to drop absolute knowledge bombs on growing your agency through the adversity of COVID and everything else. Don't miss this conversation...

Episode Highlights:

Mike shares how producers can start to refocus. (1:35)

Mike explains why you should be willing to live out of your comfort zone. (2:49)

What are the attributes of high achieving people? (4:16)

What does Mike recommend for agents feeling isolated during Covid? (8:47)

Mike shares what he learned about personal development. (16:54)

Mike shares why we must position ourselves to avoid distractions. (23:10)

How can people get back into their habit train? (28:20)

Mike shares why agility is the number one character trait that we need to possess, as entrepreneurs. (40:55)

Key Quotes:

“Our mindset is our skillset. And there's absolutely no question about that. So, I could go on with a long set of acronyms about what comes to my mind when I hear that...I guess the only other one that I will add to that is what we perceive is what we believe.” - Mike Stromsoe

“We're all privileged to have our life. If you're fortunate to have a life with health, and great people around you, you're extremely privileged. So, we have our life and ultimately, at the end of the day, we have to understand what is it? We have to know where we're going and knowing our destination is all we need to get there. So, at the end of the day, we don't have to do anything...We get to design our own life.” - Mike Stromsoe

“Those who make the greatest progress in this world are those who are willing to live outside of their comfort zone. Progress begins outside of your comfort zone. You've got to get comfortable being uncomfortable if you're going to be in the high achievement realm in today's business and personal world.” - Mike Stromsoe

Resources Mentioned:

Mike Stromsoe LinkedIn

Stromsoe Insurance Agency

Unstoppable Profit Producer

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In the third episode of Book 4 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone sits down with co-author of The Visual Sale, Tyler Lessard. They continue their discussion of the buyer's journey and how to use video in the Consideration, Decision, and Post-Sale stage. We also learn about a mutual hatred for cooking blogs.

Episode Highlights:

Tyler gives a piece of advice to those who are considering writing a book. (1:13)

Tyler shares a story about Uberflip and how to best utilize explainer videos. (5:48)

What are some examples of calls to action that have higher conversion rates? (9:12)

Tyler shares his thoughts about pricing transparency. (15:43)

Tyler discusses why someone may decide not to move forward with a call to action. (19:04)

Tyler gives an example of a great subject line and a generic subject line. (22:10)

What are Tyler’s thoughts on using emojis in subject lines? (23:31)

Why can't we embed videos into the email, and what’s preventing it from happening? (25:15)

Tyler shares the video and business benchmark report that VDR does annually. (32:43)

Tyler shares a story about a small tech company called Buck. (34:58)

Tyler explains why filming and production are the most important stages. (41:04)

Tyler outlines helpful tools that Vidyard offers. (55:01)

Key Quotes:

“First and foremost, if you're worried about your competitors learning about what you really do... Rest assured; they already know. To think that your competitors aren't doing research on you, they don't have somebody who signed up for an account and gave it a try...That's just not reality.” - Tyler Lessard

“The opportunity to have a video as your call to action...is that opportunity to be different, to be unique, to stand out and to offer them a type of action that feels more natural to them, as opposed to something that is going to require effort or action.” - Tyler Lessard

“I do find that in today's marketplace, it is simply an expectation of audiences, and there is very little tolerance for not having closed captions. So, I do think it's something that we need to consider not just for the convenience, but also for true accessibility for different audience members.” - Tyler Lessard

Resources Mentioned:

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Tyler Lessard LinkedIn

The Visual Sale

The Visual Sale: How to Use Video to Explode Sales, Drive Marketing, and Grow Your Business in a Virtual World

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Joshua Warren, M&A Advisory Practice Leader at the ABD Team. Joshua talks about the agency and how the private equity sector has become huge.

Episode Highlights:

What does Josh attribute his success to? Skill or luck? (9:18)

Joshua shares his background. (17:28)

Joshua tells us the origin story of the ABD Team. (20:59)

How is Joshua involved in transferring risk in this industry? (22:45)

What exactly is a private equity firm? (23:10)

How has insurance adapted to the needs of very sophisticated buyers? (25:07)

Joshua explains how to apply insurance to the strategic needs of clients. (27:50)

How does rep and warranty insurance work? (30:32)

Joshua explains why private equity is more successful than ever before. (34:15)

Joshua discusses the underwriting process. (44:56)

Key Quotes:

“I hate to lose because when I lose, I dissect it, think about it, rehash it and do a look back over every decision I’ve made to see if I could have done something differently.” - Joshua Warren

“The insurance companies are stepping up in ways that provide real protection and real value, both in their products and their services. I've never been prouder to be in this business.” - Joshua Warren

“I’ve been, for the last 10 years, very focused on my job, the team around me and the company I work for...And less focused on getting into situations where I can share things I've learned, places I've been and where I’m going...So, that I can maybe make it a little easier for the people coming up after me.” - Joshua Warren

Resources Mentioned:

Joshua Warren LinkedIn

ABD Team

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses all things content. When she’s not podcasting, she’s in the content creation zone! Hear what she has tackled lately in sales onboarding, machine learning, and strategic client care.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn gives a little background on Quantum Assurance International. (4:53)

Katlyn talks about her role as Director of Education. (6:08)

Katlyn shares some of the projects that she’s been working on. (8:40)

Why is Katlyn so passionate about sales? (8:57)

Katlyn shares what it was like working with the education team at Quantum. (9:48)

Katlyn gives insight on two things that need to be done differently.(10:49)

Katlyn discusses what to do if your sales managers are stretched too thin. (13:58)

What’s the best way to introduce yourself to a new prospect? (17:25)

Key Quotes:

“Podcasting is something that I do as an opportunity to meet new people, and to be an active, positive contributor in the independent agency space.” - Katlyn Eggar

“I'm just really glad that my career landed me in this space, where I get to use my strength in being a process-oriented person, being a strategic person, and someone who loves sales. To be able to turn that into resources and content that are helping people build insurance careers, that at the end of the day, will change their lives for the better.” - Katlyn Eggar

“If you're good at sales, you'll be able to evaluate your marketing campaigns more effectively. If you're really great at sales, you're going to have an even stronger retention program. You'll be able to create that team culture where the people that you're bringing on and investing in can get up and running, learn new skills, be effective and really buy into what your agency's doing.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Quantum Assurance International

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Sean Kirby, Insurance Agent at The Performance Group. Sean is a young insurance professional at the age of 25. Sean is hustling with his local podcast, providing insurance and financial services, along with leading his young team of insurance agents at The Performance Group.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Sean’s success: skill or luck? (6:01)

Sean shares his background. (14:14)

Sean gives a little background on the multiple businesses he owns. (19:53)

How did Sean overcome his insecurities as a young agent? (23:22)

Sean explains why it’s important to be passionate about your work. (27:01)

Sean gives a little background of The Performance Group Podcast. (31:17)

Sean mentions how he was introduced to IAOA. (34:12)

What are some tools that Sean recommends for editing? (39:31)

Key Quotes:

“I'm trying to learn how to transition these young boys, young women, young wrestlers to learn that loss is ok if it drives you toward bettering yourself on that next one.” - Sean Kirby

“If you walk in with confidence, then I know what your problem is and I know how to fix it. The conversation is easy. It's not about age, it's not about reputation, it's about my problem. Because of the way we're structured, we can solve so many more problems than just risk management.” - Sean Kirby

“I think once you find what you like about what you do, and dive deeply into what you like about what you do, it's easy to fall more and more in love with the industry...That's where I'm at now.” - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

Sean Kirby LinkedIn

The Performance Group

The Performance Group Podcast

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan chats with James Altucher, a modern era Renaissance man. His podcast, The James Altucher Show, is listened to by millions of people every month, his books sell millions of copies around the world, and somehow despite all of his success, remains curious and driven. James has figured out how to skip the line, and today he shares his experience in relatable ways every insurance professional can put to use immediately.

Episode Highlights:

James shares the importance of authenticity. (6:00)

James explains the difference between perception and reality. (11:44)

James tells us why every person should have their own insurance profile. (16:27)

James discusses how business models change in insurance. (19:48)

What is an ‘idea exponential’? (30:12)

What do all good interviewers have in common? (38:11)

James shares why zoom for podcasters is not ideal. (46:46)

Key Quotes:

“I always say the things that I think will help the most people. I always wanted to be authentic to myself in terms of shutting things down, that I feel are no longer necessary, even if it costs me money or whatever.” - James Altucher

“Personal branding became this big thing over the past 10 years. I want that perception to be as close to reality as possible. And then if you succeed, you succeeded because of who you are. Your authentic message helps the world and has a better chance of not only helping people, but surviving for the long term.” - James Altucher

“Everybody's got problems, no matter how much of an expert you are in anything, even keeping yourself motivated. Sometimes you're just not motivated. Sometimes you're burnt out, and it's a hard thing.” - James Altucher

Resources Mentioned:

James Altucher LinkedIn

The James Altucher Show

Choose Yourself!

Skip The Line

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Choose Yourself!

Skip the Line: The 10,000 Experiments Rule and Other Surprising Advice for Reaching Your Goals

In the second episode of Book 4 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone sits down with co-author of The Visual Sale, Tyler Lessard. They discuss Tyler's journey into the world of video, how the evolution of buyer behavior has changed and how to use video during the awareness stage of the buyer's journey. We also hear about a conversation that Tyler had with his son when he began writing the book.

Episode Highlights:

What does Tyler attribute to his success; nature or nurture? (2:41)

Tyler mentions his definition of connection. (3:52)

After his first discussion with Marcus, Tyler discusses the goals they set for the book. (5:53)

Tyler shares a story about his son, Alec. (8:21)

What are Tyler’s Four E’s of video? (11:53)

Tyler shares why he included home insurance as part of the video. (15:14)

What are some best practices for recording a video? (17:25)

Tyler shares what business owners must do before they start creating a video. (27:35)

Tyler mentions the five styles of educational videos. (33:16)

What advice would Tyler give to the listeners to overcome their hurdles? (43:08)

Tyler mentions the best strategy for video on social media. (53:08)

Key Quotes:

“We need to be mindful about how we enable people on the other ends of these connections. To connect with us, get to know us, to feel invested in our personality, in our success and to make them feel like we're invested in them as well.” - Tyler Lessard

“If all else fails, start with your website. Look at what you're trying to accomplish there. Could video help me tell a bigger, better story here? That's going to create a more emotional connection with those buyers.” - Tyler Lessard

“The best strategy for video on social, is to create video content that is meant for the social networks. But that being said, many of us have a lot of great content that we can repurpose and reuse on these different channels. And, that's absolutely an area that you can start and get value from quickly.” - Tyler Lessard

Resources Mentioned:

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Tyler Lessard LinkedIn

The Visual Sale

The Visual Sale: How to Use Video to Explode Sales, Drive Marketing, and Grow Your Business in a Virtual World

In this episode of the Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Paul Gaglioti III, CIC the CEO and Founder of Harbor.AI. Paul talks about their approach in the insurance industry and what Harbor.AI is all about.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Paul’s success: skill or luck? (14:21)

Does Paul think that insurance is a great industry? (23:36)

What are Paul’s goals as a tech-enabled digital wholesale intermediary? (27:04)

What is Harbor.AI? (29:26)

Paul walks us through their appointment process. (32:04)

Paul highlights some of the features his app offers. (33:30)

Paul explains the focus of his business. (36:46)

Key Quotes:

“You have to be on top of how products shift and evolve. That, in itself, is something very complex. There's a lot of great trading partners in the space that can help you do that.” - Paul Gaglioti

“I believe that luck is where preparation meets opportunity, right? So, I think that's a combination factor. You unlock everything with time and dedication.” - Paul Gaglioti

“If a carrier works with us, we are going digital with you. If you don't want to go digital with me, I can't help you because it's just not the way the deal trades out.” - Paul Gaglioti

Resources Mentioned:

Paul Gaglioti III, CIC LinkedIn

Harbor.AI

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ty Harris, the CEO & Co-Founder of Openly. Ty shares how his insurtech is creating beautifully simple insurance products that are right for the client. Hear why he rejected the Direct-to-Consumer model and how their 8-second-bindable-quote empowers agents, instead of replacing them.

Episode Highlights:

Ty gives us a little background on his company. (6:25)

What motivated Ty to start Openly? (8:09)

Ty breaks down the components of their product. (10:54)

How does Ty set his clients up for success? (24:22)

How does Openly help solve pain points? (29:44)

What does the future look like for risk evaluation? (33:04)

Ty talks about the team culture at Openly. (37:19)

Ty explains his interview process. (38:37)

Key Quotes:

“When we launch other products down the road, we are dedicated to the simplicity, openness and transparency of the product, as we continue to expand.” - Ty Harris

“What we're hoping to do is to free up time for the agent to counsel the customer, to give them advice on the coverage they need… and to reassure them about their coverage choices.” - Ty Harris

“I actually see teamwork as an offshoot of integrity, where you're saying...It is my duty to do the best thing for the whole company, as opposed to the best thing for my area of the company.” -Ty Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Ty Harris LinkedIn

Openly

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Ben Zimmer, CRIS, CAWC, the Founder, and CEO of Ethos Insurance & Risk Management. Ben talks about his approach in the insurance industry and why hustling has been his passion.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Ben’s success, skill or luck? (9:08)

Ben mentions why the independent insurance agent is the greatest connector there is. (14:49)

Ben shares the real agent experience and explains what the word hustle entails. (19:35)

Ben mentions why hustle is a passion. (20:02)

Does Ben feel that being a collegiate athlete has given him an avenue and a platform (23:36)

Ben shares the biggest difference in separation between him and the competitors in his community. (25:50)

Key Quotes:

“Ultimately, it's about adding value. I don't want to miss out on an opportunity because I wasn't prepared and I think that just comes from a lot of mistakes. I would say hard work more than luck just because I guess I've been lucky to be surrounded by mentors.” - Ben Zimmer

“I continue to develop relationships because of insurance, people have to have it and it's so fun. All I gotta do is go be a good person and give back to my community.” - Ben Zimmer

“Every opportunity and every day someone else adds energy to you. Hustle to me is energy and time well spent.” - Ben Zimmer

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

Ben Zimmer LinkedIn

Ethos Insurance & Risk Management

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, James Jenkins, the founder of RiskWell Insurance, joins the podcast to discuss insurance technology decision-making, how to pick a niche market, and the best way to choose your carrier mix. This is an episode you don't want to miss…

Episode Highlights:

James shares why he likes doing feature requests. (17:09)

James mentions his responsibility as the business owner. (18:16)

James shares how he came up with the happy hour announcements. (22:28)

James mentions a platform called High Level. (24:53)

What could happen to the small commercial, five years from now? (32:13)

James shares why the gap between the generalist and the specialist will grow. (32:36)

James shares the other niches that he has lined up. (41:18)

James mentions his philosophy on carrier experts. (47:10)

Key Quotes:

“I am your best client and the biggest thorn in your side. Because when you do something cool, man, I think that's really cool. And I'm going to talk about it a lot. I'm going to post about it, I'm going to share about it. I'm a great brand ambassador.” - James Jenkins

“I think we just need to keep banging the drum. The reality is when they climb up on their hilltop and wave their flag, they're not gonna back down from that. Because then it seems like a defeat or a failure, and no business owner wants to do that.” - James Jenkins

“I think the important thing is having those behind the scenes conversations where you can influence the decision-makers before they decide to climb a hill and wave a flag.” - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

James Jenkins LinkedIn

RiskWell Insurance

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In the first episode of Book 4 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone, begins his discussion with co-author of The Visual Sale, Marcus Sheridan. They discuss the six types of videos that you need to produce for your business, how to find & hire a videographer, and how to get buy-in from your team on embracing video. And you'll find out what Marcus' favorite book of all time is.

Episode Highlights:

What does Marcus attribute to his success, nature or nurture? (2:21)

Marcus mentions the Visual Sale website. (4:05)

Why does Marcus believe that an organization is a media company over a sales organization? (8:17)

Marcus shares why you need a videographer more than a salesperson. (9:21)

What is the difference between videos that are used for sales and videos that are used for marketing? (12:57)

How does the sales team integrate video into the sales process? (19:46)

Marcus mentions where the 80% video comes from. (19:52)

Marcus shares his opinion on the “About Us” video. (28:28)

What are the biggest mistakes that companies make with fit videos? (31:42)

Marcus shares the main key in the process of researching. (40:18)

Marcus mentions the aspects of a great videographer. (54:22)

Marcus shares a story about creating a video with Jenny. (1:05:44)

Key Quotes:

“The idea is that we've got to take part in the digital world and embrace the digital buyer, and therefore align with what the digital buyer wants. That's why you have to see yourself as a media company.” - Marcus Sheridan

“If we can help the sales team shorten the sales cycle and close more deals today, it was worth it. Regardless of what happens on the marketing side, regardless of if it ever produces a single lead, it was worth it. This is essential to remember.” - Marcus Sheridan

“I don't want to write about the best equipment that I should be using to get started, that could change so much over the next year. It would be silly to do that. So, that's the type of content that we would need to have on visualsale.com so that we can evolve it. I wanted this book to be more evergreen that you read in five years, it could be just as relevant.” - Marcus Sheridan

Resources Mentioned:

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Marcus Sheridan LinkedIn

IMPACT

The Visual Sale

In this special anniversary edition of The Ryan Hanley Show, we break down all the things that worked in year one of Rogue Risk. We talk carrier partnerships, technology stack, staffing, shout-outs, and content strategy. This might be the best insurance podcast in the history of insurance podcasts... maybe.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan talks about how Rogue Risk is just getting warmed up. (2:48)

Ryan shares one thing he was able to do that most startup agencies are not. (6:12)

Ryan gives a shoutout to five carriers. (6:25)

Ryan mentions why you must take every appointment that you can get if you’re new to the business. (10:35)

Ryan shares how Rogue Risk has been, from a technology standpoint. (14:54)

Ryan mentions one of the pieces of Rogue Risk that has worked incredibly well. (51:28)

Ryan shares how to create video content. (57:33)

What are some of Ryan’s long term strategies? (1:03:09)

Key Quotes:

“The idea of taking the best of what we have in our industry from a digital standpoint, and mashing it up against the best of what we have to offer from a human standpoint, and creating an agency around that concept... Man, so many things went right.” - Ryan Hanley

“I have been blessed by carrier partnerships, nurturing those carrier partnerships, and being respectful, honest, upfront, and transparent with those carrier partnerships.” - Ryan Hanley

“We all have to make decisions. In this case, I want to work with people who want to work with me. I'm not the old-school agency owner who's going to beg for an appointment. If you don't want me, that's fine, I'm out. I'll go find people that do and work within the confines of those relationships, because that's what a partnership should be.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Rogue Risk

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Joe Kampert, the Vice President of Redwood Agency Group. Joe talks about his approach in the insurance industry and why business owners must look into their ROI.

Episode Highlights:

What has contributed to Joe's career, skill or luck? (8:13)

Joe shares the origins of his insurance career. (16:22)

Does Joe’s agency handle personal or commercial insurance? (19:42)

Joe explains why business owners must look into their ROI. (24:02)

Joe discusses his agency’s virtual groups and events. (30:04)

Joe tells us why he’s a big believer in collaboration. (33:36)

Joe explains the “house of dreams”. (38:37)

Key Quotes:

“I don’t hold anything back. I’m always trying to help in bringing agents together, because I think collectively we can change this industry. I think we’re starting to. We’re on this trend that 10,15, 20 years from now...You know, I’ve always said it’s better to be at the top of the mountain together versus being there alone. ” - Joe Kampert

“I’m seeing a trend of strategic referral partnerships. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I’m going to provide the optimal experience to the client, right? That’s our word of the year here at Redwood: experience. It never feels like a transaction. It’s always going to be a positive experience in anything that you’re doing with us.” - Joe Kampert

“You can't change people's opinions with a comment. I need to see your face. I want to see how you're trying to relay information to me.” - Joe Kampert

Resources Mentioned:

Joe Kampert LinkedIn

Redwood Agency Group

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Patty Lares, the CEO of AA Lares Insurance Services. Patty shares how she built her agency from scratch and how they are still seeing success 21 years later. Learn how to layer on new team members strategically, 3 things to know about marketing, and why we want to help people find an insurance career by design and not by accident.

Episode Highlights:

Patty gives a little background about her team and her agency. (5:17)

How has Patty’s agency grown over the past 20 years? (7:02)

Patty shares how she’s developed her business using the power of threes. (9:46)

Patty gives insight on her social media branding strategies. (11:32)

Patty shares how in-office promotions have boosted team morale. (14:10)

How does Patty streamline roles within her agency? (16:17)

How does Patty’s customer service team feel about cross-sales, upsells, and rounding out accounts? (25:26)

What is Patty’s advice for those considering careers in the insurance industry? (43:47)

Key Quotes:

“What I’ve seen from my entire team over and over is…‘When are we doing the next promotion? What are we going to do?’ You’re getting them involved and getting them excited to learn to give back. It doesn’t mean it’s just money. You can give back with your knowledge. You can give back by supporting other organizations within your community. - Patty Lares

“If any agent out there has not taken that step of stepping into more social media or just automation, and learning more of the new technology that's out there....You know, it brings so much opportunity for growth.” - Patty Lares

As a leader of an organization, you must constantly be speaking about it. But more than that, showing them the value and focusing on the value. What’s the value for the client? Because it’s not about me, it’s about you. If you’re constantly speaking that way and showing up that way… we can say all we want and tell our team to do certain things. But, if we’re not showing up that way, they’re not going to do it either. - Patty Lares

Resources Mentioned:

Patty Lares LinkedIn

AA Lares Insurance Services

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Michael Lewis, the President of Archbold and Lewis Insurance Inc. Mike talks about his career in the insurance industry and how he utilized technology to be successful in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Mike shares his background. (9:52)

Did Mike ever have any type of thought that he may or may not like the insurance industry? (12:07)

Mike shares the biggest changes in their agency. (13:56)

Mike shares what he hears on the captive side and the independent side. (18:06)

What brought Mike’s passion to what he’s doing? (21:58)

Mike mentions why he brought his son into the insurance industry. (23:04)

Mike shares his process in creating content. (30:48)

Key Quotes:

“To anybody out there, let them start branding themselves, let that content get out there because the old way is gone. Everybody's sitting at a stoplight right now looking at their phone, sometimes right when they're rolling down the road. So, that's where it's off.” - Michael Lewis

“As an insurance agent, I want to be there for the absolute worst thing that can happen to someone to their family. I want to be there for them. I want to make sure that they had the right protection and that somebody listened and cared enough for them to help them get the coverage that they needed.” - Michael Lewis

“If you can't do it, you almost need to pay someone to do it. Somehow make it happen because that's what most people do. They're like, I think I'm going to try social media. They post something, then a week goes by and they post something else. We end with all the algorithms and nobody ever sees it. It's gone and they're like, that didn't work. Just keep going.” - Michael Lewis

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

Michael Lewis LinkedIn

Archbold and Lewis Insurance Inc

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Nick Jordan, founder of ContentDistribution.com and the ClusterAI platform, joins the podcast for one of the nerdiest marketing episodes in the history of this podcast. It's amazing... you're going to love it (and learn something).

Episode Highlights:

Nick shares his background. (7:17)

Nick gives an insight into the conversation around organic searches. (10:18)

Nick shares why the opportunities around SEO are bigger than you might think. (14:49)

Nick mentions the problem that most businesses have or most business owners feel. (15:03)

Nick explains the funnel. (17:35)

Nick shares a summary of what ClusterAI does. (26:23)

Nick mentions why content velocity is the main thing to do. (28:19)

Nick explains the Youtube embeds. (34:16)

Key Quotes:

“When you're leveraging backlinks to drive a particular outcome, what you're doing is you're praying to the Google gods. And if something goes wrong, you're praying again, because there are too many variables to diagnose and resolve. But when your strategy is entirely focused on being better than any other page, Google could show 100% in your control.” - Nick Jordan

“You look for adjacent services or questions that your customer will always have. And then you target those to build awareness there. I call this brandjacking when you rank for other people's brand. And I love it because the more they spend on marketing, the more people going into your funnel.” - Nick Jordan

“Google would be a very, very poor user experience if anyone could just post content and it ranks, you know, Google's like the stock market, it's going to bleed up.” - Nick Jordan

Resources Mentioned:

ContentDistribution.com

Nick Jordan LinkedIn

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone, provides the roadmap for the upcoming episodes for Book 4, The Visual Sale. The Loyal Readers will be prepared for what is to come, be able to purchase a copy of the book in advance of the first episode and follow along each week as we tackle the book together.

Resources Mentioned:

The Visual Sale

Tyler Lessard: The Goal is To Own The Question

A Masterclass in Communication with Marcus Sheridan

The Visual Sale: How to Use Video to Explode Sales, Drive Marketing, and Grow Your Business in a Virtual World

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Roy, the CEO of Excalibur Insurance Group. Jeff and Jason tackle everything that business owners should know, including the answer to this question: "Jeff, what is one thing you are doing today that you were not doing 10 years ago?" Take a listen to find out his answer!

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Jeff’s success; skill or luck? (10:37)

Jeff shares his background in science and how he found his way into business. (11:55)

Jeff shares good business owner practices. (16:35)

What has been different about what Jeff does today, versus 10 years ago? (21:27)

Jeff mentions how the law of attraction has helped him. (27:41)

Jeff shares a story about Mike Stromsoe’s event that he attended. (30:48)

Jeff shares details on a concept he’s currently working on. (33:39)

What's the number one way that Jeff gets business into his agency? (35:42)

Jeff discusses lead quality in the age of Covid. (38:00)

Jeff shares how he collects data with his marketing team. (44:34)

Key Quotes:

“I hate to lose. Basically, you learn everything by losing. All through sports growing up, you know, that's where I learned everything. The feeling of losing motivates you to become better, pick yourself up and be a better version of yourself.” - Jeff Roy

“Skill makes luck. If you're doing enough things out there, eventually, you're going to get some luck because you're doing enough items. So, I'd say they're joined at the hip.” - Jeff Roy

“We've got a mind that it's okay to make mistakes. My mantra is launch, fail, learn, fix. We try new things. We do things most people wouldn't do. We take the path less traveled...But, we try and make it work. We're not scared to spend money and learn from it.” - Jeff Roy

Resources Mentioned:

Jeff Roy LinkedIn

Excalibur Insurance Group

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Ryan Mahoney, an Insurance Agent at Goosehead Insurance. Ryan talks about his career in the insurance industry and understanding the avenues for creating content for social media. Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares his background and his career in the insurance industry. (12:09)

What was the biggest obstacle that Ryan had to overcome? (14:46)

Ryan shares one of the biggest benefits that his company had. (14:59)

Ryan mentions their retention rate. (15:37)

Ryan shares one of the elements that reminded him of Gary Vee. (20:50)

Ryan shares the short-term and the long-term game of creating content for social. (23:11)

Why is it important to be authentic in content creation? (39:34)

Ryan gives pieces of advice on editing video content. (43:39)

Key Quotes:

“It's better to be lucky than good. But for us, we're very intentional about what we do on a daily basis, whether that's content or prospecting, or anything. So, I think skill comes as time goes on with experience and all that stuff.” - Ryan Mahoney

“If you're not able to solve a problem on one risk for them, you're kind of fighting an uphill battle at that point, too. So, being able to kind of find a solution for everything has been a big win for us.” - Ryan Mahoney

“I always think for every person who's going to walk away from you, there's one that's going to walk towards you.” - Ryan Mahoney

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

Ryan Mahoney LinkedIn

Goosehead Insurance

In the latest episode of the Ryan Hanley Show, host Ryan Hanley interviews Jennifer Linton, the Founder, and CEO of Fenris Digital. Jennifer joins the podcast to talk about the often misunderstood superpower of data…MORE SALES. Jennifer also talks about the impact of embedded insurance and how her company is competing with data giants to deliver data resources downstream to retail agencies and start-ups. Episode Highlights:

Jennifer shares her background. (11:54)

Jennifer mentions what embedded insurance is. (13:57)

Jennifer shares why she considers embedded insurance a game-changer. (19:45)

Jennifer mentions the huge issue for their agency. (31:20)

Jennifer gives a little background about their data and system complexity. (32:27)

Jennifer mentions the reason why they have broad data. (34:45)

Jennifer shares how most of their API's function. (36:26)

Where does Jennifer’s agency data come from? (45:25)

Jennifer shares one of the next products they’re going to launch. (55:20)

Jennifer shares what they would do for their clients. (56:26)

Key Quotes:

“I honestly believe that the best solution is to meet the customer where they are. Get that product started, get the best information in there.” - Jennifer Linton

“We want to make a good customer experience and a good agent experience. The only way to do that is because you need data, you have to have data, and consumers don't understand why you need so much data. Because they're used to other channels where they can buy something with a click or a couple of questions.” - Jennifer Linton

“I think it's important to always try to find the right partners, we just keep an eye on not just the data, but the benefit. So, we've got to make sure there's a good problem we're solving with that data, and when that makes sense, it opens up the entire world.” - Jennifer Linton

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Jennifer Linton LinkedIn

Fenris Digital

In this episode of the Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kate Bradley Chernis, the Co-Founder and CEO of Lately. Kate talks about how to utilize Lately in your social media accounts and how it could help your agency.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Kate’s success, skill or luck? (6:59)

Kate mentions what she learned from her radio career. (8:59)

Kate mentions how she started her first company. (11:32)

Kate shares a story about her Walmart project. (12:34)

Kate mentions the idea behind Lately. (16:05)

What’s the DNA of every marketing and sales message? (16:20)

Kate mentions the LinkedIn video publishing they released. (22:57)

Kate shares how to utilize hashtags. (25:17)

Key Quotes:

“I was incapacitated because I wasn't listening to my own body for a long time. It helped really perpetuate me into where I am now and to be an entrepreneur. It took going all the way down into being in substantial pain to get that message. Now I know that when I feel an instinct that something is wrong or right, I listen or my body will scream at me.” - Kate Bradley Chernis

“My job is to make you feel like you've got a voice and to trust me. Trust me to give you something new that you're going to fall in love with and feel safe about.” - Kate Bradley Chernis

“The way people digest marketing has changed. It's not immediate. Nobody cares about something going live right now or butts and seats. It's the after the fact, where you get the exponential, eyeballs and engagement.” - Kate Bradley Chernis

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Kate Bradley Chernis LinkedIn

Lately

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Bobby Touran, the CEO of Pathpoint. Bobby breaks down startup culture, how his team is solving big problems in the commercial insurance world, and what your team is really thinking when it comes to cyber insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Bobby shares his background. (2:08)

What are some of the things that Bobby does for fun when he’s not working? (4:47)

Bobby gives a little background about Pathpoint. (8:58)

Bobby shares what he learned from the commercial insurance industry. (10:57)

Bobby mentions one of the inefficient segments of commercial insurance. (13:46)

Bobby shares why history is a good indicator for the insurance industry. (18:50)

Bobby shares what to do if you want to quote cyber on every account. (26:05)

Bobby mentions why the key user of their solution is the CSR. (36:01)

Bobby mentions the main goal of every insurance agency. (52:24)

Key Quotes:

“What we do as a company is we enable a faster, more efficient way to place small commercial ENS business today. I say today because our vision and our roadmap is very much focused on improving all sizes of ENS risk that come into the market.” - Bobby Touran

“Agents are working so hard. They're working so many different angles. Nowadays, everyone's working from their house with everything else going on in their lives. Ease of Doing Business is so incredibly important.” - Bobby Touran

“One of the things that I really believe is that great software is always a facilitator. If the software is truly good, what it's doing is it's making something easier.” - Bobby Touran

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Bobby Touran LinkedIn

Pathpoint

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Brian Blakely, the director of property & casualty insurance at Stonebridge Insurance and Wealth Management and host of The Good Life Small Business Podcast. Brian talks about what he learned from Bradley Flowers and how he started a podcast.

Episode Highlights:

Brian shares the best things to do in Kearney, Nebraska. (2:40)

What has attributed to Brian’s career, skill or luck? (9:38)

Brian shares his background. (13:32)

Brian mentions what he’s currently working on with his podcast. (24:08)

Has Brian seen any success that’s helped him grow as an agent and with his podcast? (31:19)

Brian shares why podcasting is something that he’s passionate about. (38:51)

Brian mentions what he’s trying to accomplish this year. (40:06)

Brian shares a story about his first conversation with Bradley Flowers. (47:34)

Key Quotes:

“I trust everybody in here and I don't need to look over my shoulder. We've all got the client’s best interest at heart. So, another instance of where I got pretty lucky is the people that I get to work with every day and the culture that we have here is great.” - Brian Blakely

“Sometimes it's good to hear from other people who may have the same story as you do or can use some support when you think you're all alone. What better time to come out with a small business podcast locally here in my community where people can not only get to know these small businesses better, they can learn about their story.” - Brian Blakely

“You may be embarrassed about some of the content that you have out now. I mean, it gets better the more you do it but you just have to be consistent. Don't be scared, just do it. Have someone help you. There's plenty of people out there.” - Brian Blakely

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

Brian Blakely LinkedIn

Stonebridge Insurance and Wealth Management

The Good Life Small Business Podcast

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Veruna

We Got Your Podcast

In the latest episode of the Ryan Hanley Show, host Ryan Hanley interviews Josh Braun, the Founder of Sales DNA. The Master Guru of cold email prospecting, (and all things sales), Josh Braun, explains why we don’t get the response rate on cold outreach we should be and what to do about it. Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions why salespeople will typically work with him. (17:50)

What has been one of the huge obstacles right at the beginning for Josh? (19:26)

Josh shares the best way to understand the customers. (21:47)

Josh mentions why he would highly recommend interviewing five or six customers.

Why does Josh prefer shorter emails? (26:25)

Josh mentions the two factors that your prospect wanted. (31:27)

Can Josh define their superpower and show them in a way that they even have a problem to begin with, and allow them to make the connection? (33:28)

Josh shares a story that happened several years ago with his wife when he saw a U-Haul. (40:39)

Josh shares a story of a man named, Dale Dupree. (46:43)

Josh mentions the visuals that he teaches to people. (51:09)

Key Quotes:

“So, the biggest mistake that I see people make, and it's no fault of their own, is that they've never done the job of the person that they're reaching out to. And so oftentimes, they're speaking a completely different language.” - Josh Braun

“Nobody wakes up one day and just buys a product, they will try to get by the best way they know how to get by because of habit and anxiety. It's hard to glean that information a lot of times from marketing materials because there's a spin to it.” - Josh Braun

“The superpower is you need to shine a light on a problem that people don't know about because every one of your prospects is running in their own sneakers today. I call these illumination questions.” - Josh Braun

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Josh Braun LinkedIn

Sales DNA

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Craig Wiggins, the President, and CEO of Craig Wiggins Coaching and Consulting. Craig talks about his career in the insurance industry and shares a turning point in his life that completely changed the way he approached his business.

Episode Highlights:

What has attributed to Craig’s success, skill or luck? (7:42)

Craig shares his background. (9:41)

What does Craig’s agency currently look like? (12:06)

Craig shares how the first 18 months of his career in the industry went. (14:12)

Craig mentions the turning moment of his life, back in 2008. (15:02)

How did his most unforgettable moment make an impact on his life? (22:11)

Craig mentions his self-reflection and realizations in life. (23:45)

Craig shares why the employees' accountability is the most difficult part. (24:56)

Craig shares how they evaluate during an interview. (29:00)

Craig mentions their comp plan and tiered comp plan. (35:36)

Craig shares about his consulting company. (39:44)

Craig mentions the book entitled Radical Candor, by Kim Scott. (48:21)

Key Quotes:

“All those mistakes and all that that I struggled through put me in the position I'm in now and without that, who knows where I would be, and I may be in a different but, much lesser place. So, it all works out.” - Craig Wiggins

“A lot of people think your agency is your customers, it's not your customers, trust me. It's your people that's your agency, that's what's going to represent your whole brand, and what you're all about, and where you are in your community. So for me, I'm glad we went through that. I hated it at that time, it was gut-wrenching and it sucked, but it was the best thing that could have ever happened for sure.” - Craig Wiggins

“So, the way you build loyalty is to be truthful and to truly try to work with them to help them accomplish what they want. And if they leave, they leave, but I think that's the process, you got to go through, fortunately, truly trying to build a world-class team of people that excel at a much higher level than an agency where everybody's just kind of going through the motions.” - Craig Wiggins

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Craig Wiggins LinkedIn

Craig Wiggins Coaching and Consulting

Radical Candor

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In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, MBA, the Education Manager at Quantum Assurance International. Amanda discusses what we've learned about training new employees, how we feel about video content, and what keeps your new sales professionals in the game.

Episode Highlights:

What does Amanda’s daily life look like? (5:59)

Amanda mentions why she loves the training and development that are going digital lately. (6:44)

Katlyn begins the pop quiz questions for Amanda. (7:22)

What was it like for Amanda before she branched over into the instructional design aspect of insurance? (10:01)

Amanda mentions the huge part about the leadership development program. (10:09)

Amanda shares her onboarding experience. (12:14)

What were some of Amanda’s favorite projects that she worked on? (15:22)

Amanda mentions why education and leadership correlates. (23:23)

Amanda shares one of the benefits of videos. (32:46)

Amanda mentions one of the common pitfalls in training and development. (39:05)

Key Quote:

“When I think about that very first role on the phones and the nerves that I felt talking to clients and knowing that I had this huge responsibility. It was heavy, but it's a good kind of heavy. It can have such a reward, high risk- high reward.” - Amanda Mapp

“What we do in training is so important because confidence comes from competence and feeling like you know what it is that you're there to do.” - Amanda Mapp

“In the insurance industry, there's always going to be different experiences that come on your line or situations that come on your line that you've not dealt with before. You go back to that first level of learning where you say I have to put all my attention and focus into it. I can't text and drive on this one, I have to just focus on this one thing that I'm dealing with. The more that you do it, the more feedback that you have.” - Amanda Mapp

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Amanda Mapp, MBA

Quantum Assurance International

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson interviews Todd Saylor, the President and Owner of PayServ Systems. Todd talks about understanding work-life harmony, the significance of being passionate about the insurance industry, and mastering the five T’s.

Episode Highlights:

Mitch mentions Todd’s book entitled, Wired Differently. (4:03)

Todd shares an interesting fact about losing and being decisive. (8:09)

Todd shares about work-life balance and his message to the listeners. (12:36)

Todd mentions the best accomplishment that 2020 did for them. (20:12)

Todd shares what he wants the people to learn from the work-life harmony. (25:02)

Has Todd’s passion always been to be an entrepreneur? (26:23)

Todd mentions why you need to know who you are to be able to become who you want to be. (34:13)

What can Todd do as a person to help him become the best version of himself? (38:01)

Todd shares the significance of owning his brand. (49:00)

Todd shares the five T’s. (50:38)

Key Quotes:

“One of your gifts you need to know to be wired differently is owning who you are and pursuing what you want. I want you to understand one of the gifts that you need to leverage and know about yourself is that you're affable.” - Todd Saylor

“I strongly believe that part of my success and part of what you're grasping now in your life is that you're embracing that work-life should be in harmony with God and in harmony with business.” - Todd Saylor

“I want to encourage the listeners that growing and building a family, building a company, and trying to serve the Lord all at the same time, there's no such thing as buckets anymore. Your cell phone is with you, your family is with you, and God is always with you, and that's a really important cocktail.” - Todd Saylor

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

Todd Saylor LinkedIn

PayServ Systems

Wired Differently: Leveraging Your Favors on Fulcrum Principles

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Agency VA

We Got Your Podcast

Wired Differently: Leveraging Your Favors on Fulcrum Principles

Nancy Duarte, communication expert and strategist to some of the most influential CEOs in the worlds explains how to create persuasive stories using data.

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Billy Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the Williams Family Investment Group, and the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Dr. Billy Williams talks about goals and sales processes and understanding what calendar blocking is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Billy Williams shares his background. (7:54)

How did Dr. Billy Williams learn to play golf? (14:49)

Dr. Billy Williams shares why every agency should have a set standard that they recommend to their customers, a minimum recommended coverage standard. (22:41)

Dr. Billy Williams mentions his goal in the sales process. (27:05)

Dr. Billy Williams shares the elements in understanding the calendar blocking. (34:06)

What made Dr. Billy Williams decide to enter the military? (56:49)

Dr. Billy Williams shares a story about his conversation with Jason and Travis. (59:24)

Dr. Billy Williams mentions the book The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy and Can’t Hurt Me, by David Goggins. (1:05:04)

Key Quotes:

“Always do something every day toward your end goal. I don't care if it's five minutes, two minutes, three minutes. Never let a day go by that you don't do something towards your end goal.” - Billy Williams

“Once you have an agency recommended coverage, then you have standard consequences. Because our strength and insurance is not selling benefits. Our strength is being able to teach people the consequences of making a dumb ass decision.” - Billy Williams

“What I've learned in everything that I've ever played tennis, golf, sports, basketball, football, baseball doesn't matter. The person who makes the least amount of mistakes will usually win most of the time. It's not the person who is just great. It's the person who doesn't make great mistakes.” - Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Billy Williams, Ph.D. LinkedIn

Williams Family Investment Group

Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring

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GloveBox

Veruna

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Heath Shearon, Sales Consultant and host of Insurance Town podcast. The Mayor joins us for an unscripted update on what's new in the insurance world and what we can learn from the rise of reality shows in the insurance world.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares her first episode with Jason Cass on Agency Intelligence and how she met him. (6:54)

Katlyn mentions the great aspect of having a podcast. (11:03)

Heath shares how he was named “The Mayor” and how Insurance Town Podcast was created. (12:47)

Heath mentions what he learned early on in his career. (14:18)

Katlyn shares why agents are more connected these days. (26:40)

Katlyn mentions the latest trends in creating better content. (35:28)

Heath shares what he loves about LinkedIn. (44:22)

Key Quotes:

“I think it drives that even further in the big fish, small pond thing. I think podcasting is becoming its own thing to where you could be a big fish in that smaller pond.” - Heath Shearon

“I think as you peel back the curtain it makes us more relatable and it all goes back to the relationship. I think that's prevalent and it's needed in every facet of the industry no matter what buzzword pops up. It all goes back to the relationship.” - Heath Shearon

“So, I think that the less of a gap that there is between how you interact on LinkedIn and how you would interact at an actual cocktail party, the better off that you're going to be along the way.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Heath Shearon LinkedIn

Encompass Insurance

Insurance Town Podcast

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ePayPolicy

We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, guest host Mitch Gibson kicks off a six-part miniseries by sharing a little about himself, the benefits of learning from agencies and agency owners, and what he has in store for the loyal listeners.

Episode Highlights:

Mitch shares his background. (00:53)

What’s the reason Mitch is interested in learning about agencies and agency owners? (1:31)

Mitch shares what HRM Insurance is all about. (2:55)

Mitch shares a little background about his family. (3:26)

Mitch mentions the conversations he had with his mentors. (6:17)

Why does Mitch want to be in the insurance industry for the rest of his career? (10:17)

Mitch shares the time when he decided to start trying to find ways to add value to his community. (25:11)

Key Quotes:

“I needed to kind of grow up a little bit and give yourself a chance to make sure you're successful for your family and give them the food on the table that they need and just be in that family guy. So, I thank the Lord for putting me in the situation that I'm in.” - Mitch Gibson

“We have one goal, to become the best independent insurance agent that we can. And if that's not on your mind or at the forefront of what your goals and aspirations are to become the best independent insurance agent you can be. You might be in the wrong business profession.” - Mitch Gibson

“To give us the keys to success, that's gotten them where they are. Doesn't mean one way is different, or one way is correct, and the others are wrong. We're all made up differently. We're all wired differently and that's what makes us unique.” - Mitch Gibson

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Mitch Gibson

HRM Insurance Services

Advertisers:

We Got Your Podcast

Insurance Daily News

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Two-time World Series Champion, Todd Stottlemyre, joins the podcast to discuss his new book, The Observer: A Modern Fable on Mastering Your Thoughts & Emotions. While the book and the concepts and tactics contained within it are excellent, this conversation goes even deeper in ways we could have never expected. You’re going to love this…

Episode Highlights:

Todd shares about his success. (7:42)

Todd mentions the difference between sports and business. (8:53)

How does Todd get people aligned? (13:45)

Todd mentions what’s unique about a sports team. (14:06)

How was Todd able to pull himself together and focus when he needed to? (22:21)

Todd shares his routine to get in the zone. (24:37)

Todd mentions the essential functions he needed to be able to perform daily. (27:41)

Todd mentions his mindset on preparation. (30:30)

Todd mentions the significance of starting your day with yourself. (41:16)

Todd explains what the seven-day challenge is all about. (49:38)

Key Quotes:

“If everyone individually is very, very focused and harnessing their role and becoming the best version, they can have their role, because of what it means to the business or what it means to the team. This is where you start to get peak performance.” - Todd Stottlemyre

“How do you see yourself on this team? Let me help you become the best version of you, at this company, on your job, in your role. And by doing this, by me helping you and by me helping you hit your goal, we're going to hit our team goal.” - Todd Stottlemyre

“So, what I’ve learned over 15 years is what’s the perfect routine for me, so that when I hit that mound at game time, mentally, emotionally, from a psychological standpoint, from a biology standpoint, I could get myself into the state of flow, total focus, total concentration, so that I could perform at a peak level that night.” - Todd Stottlemyre

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Todd Stottlemyre LinkedIn

Todd Stottlemyre Twitter

ToddStottlemyre.com

The Observer

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jay Mueller, the President at Camargo Insurance Agency, Inc. Jay talks about how he got into the insurance industry and the four steps to transformative change in business and life.

Episode Highlights:

Jay shares his background. (9:31)

How did Jay get into the insurance industry? (17:03)

What is Jay’s plan this summer? (21:43)

Jay shares a little about his children. (26:38)

What are the four steps to transformative change in business and life? (31:31)

Jay explains the vivid vision process. (32:25)

Jay shares the difference between a mentor and a coach. (36:09)

Jay shares his thoughts through the lens of an insurance agency that applies to any business. (37:29)

Key Quotes:

“In every challenge, you see an opportunity, and you can't help yourself, but act on it. Well, you're gonna have some failures, but you're gonna have some successes, and people are not afraid of that failure. They find the success wherever they can.” - Jay Mueller

“You get to imagine whatever you want your life, your business, and your family to be with no strings attached. And that is the number one key if you don't forget the no strings attached, then it is not a vivid vision.” - Jay Mueller

“Talking to other entrepreneurs who have started from scratch and built something, there was no clear path forward for how they were gonna make that happen. They just had to become resourceful and say, okay, we live in the most dynamic business environment in the world, there's a way to get this done.” - Jay Mueller

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jay Mueller LinkedIn

Camargo Insurance Agency, Inc

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Lightspeed Voice

We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of Agents Influence Podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA, Lead Workers’ Compensation Analyst at Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin talks about how he got into the insurance industry and his knowledge and expertise in workers' compensation.

Episode Highlights:

What has been the biggest key to Kevin’s success? (6:41)

Kevin shares his background. (10:09)

Kevin shares what he likes about workers' comp. (14:27)

Kevin mentions what the work mod sheet is all about. (20:52)

Kevin shares the two studies he learned from Hartford. (26:05)

What’s the role of Kevin’s Company? (36:21)

Kevin shares what he’s currently reading. (38:33)

Key Quotes:

“I think that the producers we work with work really hard to avoid losing, when you start talking about qualifying prospects and not getting yourself knee-deep in opportunities that you don't have a really high probability of winning.” - Kevin Ring

“Mistakes happen all the time in the premium audit and that leads to the experience.” - Kevin Ring

“If you work with us when you have workers comp risk and you have a question, if we don't know the answers we know the people that do. We're focused on actually helping people do what we teach. We're in the education business and we're much more in helping you do business.” - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Kevin Ring LinkedIn

Institute of WorkComp Professionals

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Agency Performance Partners

We Got Your Podcast

In the latest episode of the Ryan Hanley Show, host Ryan Hanley interviews Steve Lekas, the Cofounder and CEO at Branch Insurance. Steve talks about what led him to love the insurance industry and shares three insights on creating real value for consumers.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares why the mutual should have been the perfect insurance model. (7:00)

Steve mentions what led him to love the insurance industry. (14:32)

Steve shares his background. (16:34)

How did Steve come up with the name for his agency? (19:31)

Steve shares the three insights that led him to start an agency. (22:12)

What makes Branch different from any other agencies? (26:33)

How was Steve able to piece it together, when everyone else has not been able to? (35:19)

Steve mentions what has been fascinating and exciting for their agency. (36:53)

What does the future of working with independence look like for Steve? (52:44)

Key Quotes:

“Part of how we built this idea of community is with some real product innovations, and how the community can benefit each of the members. And I love the metaphor of a tree creating coverage, I love that it grows, and it was a name that ended up sticking, as we incorporated and went to market.” - Steve Lekas

“I think we come at it from a little bit of a different angle because of the experience of working with consumers and understanding their buying, and shopping behaviors. And architecting a business that was built to solve the problems I couldn't solve in some of my past lives.” - Steve Lekas

“I think our mission is to make insurance less expensive, and by making it less expensive, we can help more people be insured, which we most explicitly go after through our nonprofit arm safety nest.” - Steve Lekas

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Steve Lekas LinkedIn

Branch Insurance

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Tarmika

We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Rob McCarthy, an Executive Lines Broker at Risk Placement Services. Rob talks about the benefits of finding your niche and what brought him to Risk Placement Services.

Episode Highlights:

Rob shares his background. (7:21)

How did Rob get to where he is now? (12:15)

Rob shares when he discovered that he had a niche in the contractors’ side. (16:00)

Rob shares the time when he left the agency in December or 2019. (17:56)

What does Rob think that’s holding people back? (25:52)

Does Rob work with the executive lines? (32:21)

Rob shares the books that he’s currently reading. (36:18)

What’s Rob currently watching? (38:34)

Key Quotes:

“I would say it is a bit of luck that I connected with the people that I did, which helped me get to where I am. But it is the skill in the work that really lets you make those connections and skills, you just got to do the work. So, definitely a mixture of both.” - Rob McCarthy

“Understanding what their pain problem is, and creating that content around that, you're dealing with people who have high mods, you can create content around that, and believe it or not, even the larger accounts are searching the internet. “ - Rob McCarthy

“I think the core thing for me is, if you're gonna get into it and really try, and build an inbound process, you've got to stick with it, and you've got to commit to it.” - Rob McCarthy

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Rob McCarthy LinkedIn

Risk Placement Services, Inc

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Tarmika

We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar shares the Top 5 Things she learned about sales and how sales are the key that unlocks everything in your business.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn shares her interview with Dr. Billy Williams. (2:19)

What’s Katlyn’s commitment to her listeners? (4:41)

Katlyn mentions why Ryan Hanley’s podcast episode inspired her to do a podcast. (6:10)

Katlyn shares her background. (7:29)

Katlyn gives a high-level overview of Quantum Assurance International. (18:20)

Katlyn mentions what the sales conversation looks like in their industry. (28:04)

Katlyn mentions one of the things that stood out to her. (35:45)

Katlyn shares the fifth lesson she learned that has been valuable for her. (44:22)

Key Quotes:

“One of the ways I can better help agents is by getting the message out that you can grow and thrive even in this competitive market. You can win the high volume game without losing the heart and soul of your agency.” - Katlyn Eggar

“The power of social media is so important right now. Just staying connected and getting to know each other better during this time.” - Katlyn Eggar

“At Quantum, we believe that we can break through plateaus by being problem solvers working together and equipping agency owners with systems and the tool belt needed to succeed.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Quantum Assurance

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Imperial Premium Finance Specialists

We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Dale Langehennig, CIC, the owner of Texas Preferred Insurance. Dale talks about his shift from working in a prison system to the insurance industry and shares advice on how to overcome obstacles in your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Dale shares his background and his present career. (16:02)

How did Dale shift his career from working in the prison system to the insurance industry? (24:03)

What does Dale’s agency look like today and how many employees does he have? (29:16)

Dale mentions the main goal that he wanted for his agency. (29:25)

Dale shares where his second office is located. (29:39)

What was the main change that Dale made? (32:37)

Dale shares the most significant leading factor in his agency. (38:22)

Dale mentions a piece of good advice from Michael Hyatt. (40:23)

Dale shares why he wanted to get to a salesforce-based platform. (46:59)

Dale mentions Michael Hyatt’s book entitled, Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals. (58:20)

Key Quotes:

“If we're going to focus on the negative, it just takes the legs out from under us to be able to move forward and have that positive momentum to win. I truly love to win more than I hate to lose because I know we're going to lose sometime. Just keep getting out there and winning.” - Dale Langehennig

“If I've got to have a disclaimer on every single thing we do, I'm gonna find a better way. There's got to be something better than this.” - Dale Langehennig

“When that obstacle is in front of you, don't go to the right or the left, or stop. Go straight through it and you will find the lesson that obstacle is teaching you. When you lose staff or that one major account or maybe things are happening in your family, you learn from that to do better.” - Dale Langehennig

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Dale Langehennig LinkedIn

Texas Preferred Insurance

Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals

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Agency VA

We Got Your Podcast

Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals

Preston Diamond, founder of the Institute of WorkComp Professionals, joins the podcast to share his wisdom on building worker’s comp book of business and how the secret to his success has always been speaking in language his clients could understand.

Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Renado Robinson, Owner of Crosswinds Insurance Agency. Renado talks about prospecting, growing his business and what it means to have a blended agency.

Episode Highlights:

Renado shares a little background about himself and his career path. (11:57)

Renado mentions the first thing he does when he gets to the office. (20:29)

What’s Renado’s average account size by premium? (25:42)

Renado mentions his background in insurance and what they do. (26:17)

Renado explains why he calls his agency a blended agency. (27:11)

How long did it take for Renado to hire somebody? (28:04)

What does prospecting look like for Renado? (31:26)

Renado shares one of the jobs he had when he was in Atlanta and what made him successful at it. (38:14)

Key Quotes:

“If someone walks in the door, it's your job to take care of them and not say this is not my job.” - Renado Robinson

“I tell my staff and anyone who asks me about my secret when it comes to selling, it's the thrill of the chase.” - Renado Robinson

“Whatever you don't do for a customer as an agent, another agent will do. Make sure you're taking care of your customer at all costs. Make them think they're the best thing since sliced bread and you're guaranteed to keep that customer for a long time.” - Renado Robinson

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Renado Robinson LinkedIn

Crosswinds Insurance Agency, LLC

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Justin Sloan, Principal Agent and Owner at BSP Insurance joins the podcast for conversation around building independent insurance agencies as well as a bunch of other interesting stuff…

Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Nicholas Ayers, the Chief Marketing Officer at Better Agency and the Founder of ThriveSure Insurance Solutions. Nicholas talks about the companies he’s built, understanding the creative aspects of video and marketing, and the significance of data.

Episode Highlights:

Nicholas shares a little background about his companies and the work that he’s currently building and growing. (3:20)

Was Nicholas always into marketing? (6:23)

Nicholas shares how Better Agency started. (9:07)

Nicholas gives a couple of pointers for agency owners that are doing direct mail. (11:56)

Nicholas mentions why he thinks that insurance agents must find a dedicated marketer. (22:41)

Nicholas shares what an agency owner might look like in the years to come. (32:26)

Is it possible for an agency to have an active marketing campaign and not have CRM technology in place? (33:36)

What’s the difference between an agency management system and a CRM? (37:51)

Nicholas mentions why he’s a huge advocate for the independent agency channel. (52:24)

Key Quotes:

“CRM is just a tool, it doesn't do you any good if you don't use it. Just like the hammers and screwdrivers in my garage, it doesn’t do me any good if I don't use them. But you need to have a strategy, you need to have a path that has set markers, set metrics, so that you know you're doing the right things if you're going to accomplish the goal that you have.” - Nicholas Ayers

“I think provocation is a very good thing, every successful brand does it to a level. I think if you want to be vanilla, it's a great way to be forgotten, and just realize that this is who we are, this is what we stand for. These are the customers we want to go after.” - Nicholas Ayers

“When you're having fun doing what you're doing, and it centers around a core mission, a core purpose, and your brand is internal, not external, it’s internal, it's coming from inside. Because you believe in it and it's hard to not have a good time, you don't get tired when you're winning the fight.” - Nicholas Ayers

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Nicholas Ayers LinkedIn

Better Agency

ThriveSure Insurance Solutions

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In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ron Assise, President at The Horton Group. Ron talks about his knowledge and expertise in the insurance industry and the challenges of finding, recruiting, and training the right staff.

Episode Highlights:

Ron shares that he worked at Prudential Life for seven years and wrote a lot of PNC for Prudential standards. (11:27)

Ron mentions that if you really want to have pride in something, you better put your name on it. (13:40)

Ron shares that he was talking to somebody yesterday about perpetuation and it's one of the things that a lot of us struggle with. He also had no perpetuation. (23:01)

Ron mentions that finding, recruiting, and training the right staff is one of the biggest challenges in their agency. (31:01)

Ron shares that one of the downsides to being a salesperson is when you don't watch when things get out of hand. (38:12)

Key Quotes:

“I think certainly skill and preparation have played a major role. Anybody that has had any degree of success in life knows luck certainly plays a factor in so many different things.” - Ron Assise

“Fortunately, we had a lot of good people. I had to take my control freak head off and my micromanager head off and be a lot more trusting. It was an interesting transition and a learning experience for me for sure.” - Ron Assise

“There's almost always somebody here that's going to help you. Don't be too proud to realize that you can always be better and that we all need help.” - Ron Assise

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Ron Assise LinkedIn

The Horton Group

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Mitch Gibson, of HRM Insurance Services and host of the Inside Hancock County podcast, joins the show to discuss content marketing and what the future of content creation looks like for the insurance industry. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Hanley, the Founder of Rogue Risk. Ryan talks about the significance of self-awareness, his vision for Rogue Risk and shares an exciting announcement about where The Ryan Hanley Show is headed.

Episode Highlights:

When was Ryan’s first operation day at Rogue Risk? (5:15)

Ryan shares why employees are human capital assets. (13:40)

Ryan mentions his true vision for Rogue Risk. (17:41)

Ryan shares what he wanted to provide to the producers who want to sell through a process and wanted to be backed up by a best in class service. (22:10)

What was Ryan’s blindspot with regards to technology? (24:53)

Ryan mentions what he knows about Salesforce. (37:47)

Ryan shares an important announcement about The Ryan Hanley Show. (48:01)

What’s the most recent book that Ryan read? (57:37)

Key Quotes:

“When I wake up in the morning, if I have to deal with anything related to operations, it takes energy away from me. If I can spend time building relationships, selling, nurturing current clients, if I can be on a new business generation strategy and really implementation of the product...if I can work on those things, I finish the day with more energy than I started.” - Ryan Hanley

“I'm trying to marry the product of insurance with the service of insurance and allowing, and creating something that people have never seen before.” - Ryan Hanley

“If I'm building culture, if I'm building strategy, you know, if I'm putting the services behind you, and then I'm recruiting, hiring the right people and allowing earning into what they build. I think that we can take over and make a real mark.” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Ryan Hanley LinkedIn

Rogue Risk

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In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews David Wood, the Founder of Focus.ceo. David talks about what led to his career in coaching and how he’s helping business owners find their focus.

Episode Highlights:

Does David love to win or hate to lose? (7:31)

What’s the biggest factor that got David to where he is today? (9:24)

David shares how tragedies in his past led to where he is today. (13:31)

David shares that he embarked on a 20-year discovery of himself to discover a vulnerability, influence leadership, emotional intelligence, and all of the things he didn't have as a kid. (16:24)

David shares an impactful story about coaching someone (17:49)

What do business owners struggle with most and how is David helping them? (19:40)

David shares an exercise you can do right now (25:06)

How does David fill his time outside of business? (32:58)

What is David reading right now? (40:49)

Why does David believe attachment is suffering? (42:39)

Key Quotes:

“They don't come to me because they just want their relationships to be better, or to be a stronger leader. Other people can do that. They come to me because they want someone who has that rare capacity to straddle both worlds. So I've learned that I'm the bridge between the left brain and right brain.” - David Wood

“It’s fine to be attached to something as long as it stays with you. Right? Like your income, or your bank account, or your car or your dog or your partner or your parents. But as soon as they that's threatened, which is going to happen, that's the nature of life, that everything will disintegrate and go everything, everything.” - David Wood

“I don't think there's a wrong way to do things, you're doing everything right, it got you this far, you're doing great. If you want to do better, that's a fun game. If you're always looking for more, I'd be really happy to help you to achieve twice as much as what matters to you.” - David Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

David Wood LinkedIn

Focus.ceo

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Agency Performance Partners

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In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future.

Episode Highlights:

Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40)

Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17)

How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12)

Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17)

Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23)

Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33)

How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22)

How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09)

The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53)

What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45)

What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44)

Key Quotes:

“I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma

“I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma

“I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Grant Botma LinkedIn

Culture Course

Stewardship

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Matthew Sutika, Chief Insurance Officer of Obie, a former State Farm turned Independent now turned Insurtech innovator joins the show to talk about the mentality he used to build his habitational insurance empire. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Billy Wagner, Multi-Unit Owner at Brightway Insurance. Billy talks about his focus on growth and sales, the hiring process, and his four different levels of compensation.

Episode Highlights:

Billy shares that when he started studying the insurance business, he was interested in the P&C side and started a scratch agency in 2006. (12:18)

Billy shares that his success in the industry had to do with the skill sets he had and his knowledge of how to manage people. Because of that, each of his team members already has nine team members, and they all came from the service industry. (18:50)

Billy mentions that if you have the right structure, the right system, and you get the right person, you can approximately always make a hire if it's structured correctly. (25:11)

Billy mentions that having different levels of validation is vital. (28:52)

In Billy’s opinion, when somebody delivers an exceptional value, you must continue to find creative ways to recognize that. (32:05)

Key Quotes:

“My goal is that everyone that works in this agency is debt-free, including their mortgage. So, as long as they stay with me, and they continue to pay it down, I will continue to let them leverage what they're doing and the momentum towards that so that everyone that works here is debt-free eventually.” - Billy Wagner

“I am tremendously focused on the growth of my staff, whether it be personally or professionally, and people are happiest when they're growing.” - Billy Wagner

“I'm an entrepreneurial spirit, and I think of other businesses and I always come back to investing more in this one. It just nothing else brings the same return because you're not a hero to zero. After a lot of work, you've got a foundation that always kind of keeps growing.” - Billy Wagner

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Billy Wagner LinkedIn

Brightway Insurance

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Podium

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In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews David Carothers, Principal at Florida Risk Partners. David talks about the culture of control and culture of collaboration and how he came up with The Protege.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces David Carothers. (1:02)

David mentions that he currently has five hot buttons. (4:09)

David shares that the one that he’s been stressing about is the agency principals that are trying to figure out what they’re going to do, as they retire. (4:12)

David mentions that people must understand that there's more to life than being an income statement rich. (7:24)

David mentions that there are two things the insurance industry can do but only a few agencies do it. (9:18)

David shares that the first is a track to partnership, you must have a backfill in your organization, if you want to perpetuate the asset that you've built to move forward. (9:26)

David shares that the current problem they have in the middle market agencies is they’re tying their paycheck to the sale of a product, not the solving of a problem. But they can charge a service fee for their work, netting commissions. (10:44)

David shares a story about the chicken farm that he used to work. (11:35)

David mentions that every day, he sees agents in internet forums and all over social media, complaining when they lose an account. (21:58)

David mentions that you have to learn how to be uncommon in a common industry. (22:54)

David shares how he came up with The Protege. (24:31)

David shares that some producers are not getting the proper training they need. Therefore, there’s a significant gap in their industry, when it comes to having a proven and replicable sales process. (25:20)

David mentions that there’s nothing that gets him fired up more, that validates his existence, and feels better about himself than when he hears how his work is helping other agents to be successful. (36:57)

Key Quotes:

“I think it's a huge place where agencies are missing the boat right now because they're missing fresh ideas. They're missing platforms on which they can communicate and create brand awareness, and they're missing building the culture of their agency because it's a culture of control instead of a culture of collaboration.” - David Carothers

“If you grow a successful agency or any successful private business as an entrepreneur, if you're doing things right, you're going to get a better return on your money than any other place that you're going to find it.” - David Carothers

“If you're going in on that trucking account, and you're competing against two or three other people. Guess what, all three or four of you have in common, every one of you can place insurance, every single one of you. What are you going to do to differentiate yourself from the people that are going in to place a product? That's how you win in the middle market.” - David Carothers

“There are some people who do a good job at training producers and salespeople. But there's a big gap and it’s not something that agencies are equipped for, you have to find that on the outside.” - David Carothers

“That’s the gasoline that goes in my engine. That's why I work the number of hours a day, and do the things that I do because I get self-validation by helping other people more than any money is ever going to give me.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

David Carothers LinkedIn

Florida Risk Partners

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Insurance Daily News

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Chris Greene, President at The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris talks about the significance of having flood insurance and the impact of utilizing video as a platform to teach people about flood.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Chris Greene. (00:51)

Chris mentions that Louisiana had the most hurricane landfalls ever recorded. (1:37)

Chris shares that in 2019, they went to several parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, and Nebraska, meeting with flood victims, helping them mitigate issues, and provided them an appropriate rate, based on the actions they're willing to take. (6:01)

Chris mentions that Arizona is one of the most frequently flooded areas because of the monsoon season. (6:44)

Chris shares that wildfires create one of the biggest flood exposures because it takes FEMA a few years to change a flood map and to do a flood insurance study. (8:04)

Chris shares that they use technology with Google or GIS and other platforms that could help them understand their flood risk. (8:46)

Chris mentions that when he was in college he volunteered for the hazmat team. (10:13)

Chris mentions that he started in the insurance industry in 2009, and worked at Liberty for six months. (10:45)

Chris shares that three years ago, he took a video course from Nick Ayers called Major Live Video and it taught him more about videos. (14:05)

Chris explains the reason why he created the video journey of 365 flood education videos. (15:07)

Chris shares that this December, he’s about to hit 700 videos in 700 days and his goal is to reach 1,000 videos in 1,000 days. (15:33)

Chris shares that they use YouTube as their video platform and have a playlist for insurance agents, realtors, lenders, and more. They’re also building out a knowledgebase article system on their website. (18:53)

Chris mentions that he has Virtual Assistants that are working on his videos and makes the process easier. (21:12)

Chris shares what Vidyard is all about. (29:54)

Chris shares that he grew up with learning disabilities. Therefore, having a passion for education has always been the core focus of their company. (40:25)

Key Quotes:

“It’s not all about selling all these policies. For me, it's about diving in deep and finding a solution. Honestly, that to me, is the biggest one, I just enjoy that.” - Chris Greene

“What people don't realize is a piece of content doesn't have to be a blog that doesn't have to be a video. What I tell people is that an image can say more than 1,000 words, a lot of times.” - Chris Greene

“Our whole goal is to be an extension of your team. Our whole goal is at the end of the day to make your agency look like a rock star, like a commercial agent of the day to Hey, you completely saved me on this deal and made me look good to the client. So, all of a sudden, they've got a customer for life. That's kind of our goal.” - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Chris Greene LinkedIn

The Flood Insurance Guru

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In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jay Bregman, the Founder, and CEO of Thimble. Jay talks about his concept and ideas in building Thimble and the three lessons that he wrote back in May.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Jay Bregman. (3:15)

Jay mentions that he did an internship at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School in 1999. (8:54)

Jay shares that during his internship, he met a lot of law students but most of them were unhappy. They wanted to be entrepreneurs, rather than lawyers. (9:01)

Jay shares that he went to graduate school at the London School of Economics in London. He got together with his friend and they started a courier company. (9:25)

Jay mentions that they started this company without any knowledge on how to start a courier company based around technology. (9:35)

Jay mentions that in 2008, he had his first experience with a sudden downturn in the market. (10:15)

Jay shares how he came up with the idea of starting Thimble. (11:21)

Jay mentions that he was excited about Thimble because it was challenging and highly regulated. (12:23)

Jay shares a very interesting story of how they came up with Thimble as the name of their company. (13:15)

Jay mentions that the main idea of their company is to build this symbol of how these small businesses can succeed on their terms. (14:17)

Jay shares that they have a widget and brokers portal that the people can access, and they also have a mobile application that’s highly utilized. (18:02)

Jay mentions that he’s reading the book called Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. (35:45)

Key Quotes:

“I think everybody denies the privilege that they've had. I try to think very carefully about how much privilege I've had growing up, regardless of whether that was kind of on the spectrum between luck and not luck. I think everyone should be aware of that.” - Jay Bregman

“From our perspective, we’re a product based company. We say let the best product win. We think that the agents will recognize that our product is a great product that people want. Everybody will benefit from that transaction.” - Jay Bregman

“When you're running a small business, this happens. Not necessarily all the time, but it happens. And when it happens, it is kind of always existential because you're a small business. The shockwaves do affect you more than larger businesses who have more layers of insulation against things like this.” - Jay Bregman

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jay Bregman LinkedIn

Thimble

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

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Insurance Daily News

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass and guest co-host Katlyn Eggar interview Brent Kelly, the Vice President at Sitkins Group, Inc. Brent talks about how joining the Sitkins Group made him better in the insurance industry and the skills that he has developed with the company. He also shares the significance of the 80/20 rule.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Brent Kelly. (1:14)

Brent mentions that luck is met with preparation opportunities to take action. Therefore, you have to be in the right place at the right time. But if you’re not prepared, it doesn’t matter. (4:08)

Brent shares that he started in Sitkins Group in 2017 and shares his conversation with Roger Sitkins. (5:23)

Brent mentions one of the foundational elements that they teach and show agencies, are the 80/20 rule. (7:39)

Brent shares that when he works with agencies, the key point is understanding the levers that move things to free up time. Because that’s the only diminishing asset that we have. (9:13)

Brent shares that most producers spend 80% of the time in activities and only get 20% results, and it should be totally flipped. (9:48)

Brent thinks that being busy is all around us, and it’s difficult to go deep in the right stuff. Because depth requires thought, depth requires consistency, and depth requires a commitment. (10:40)

Brent mentions that DEEP stands for, Delivering Excellence in Every Process. (12:02)

Brent mentions talks about HAWG: Hysterical Activity on the Way to the Grave. (15:42)

Brent shares that agencies can grow up to 25% to 30%, by getting people to understand the value of their time, and be more proactive with that. And then focus on the right clients versus every client. (17:23)

Brent mentions that the best way to get out of debt is to stop borrowing money. (20:49)

Brent shares that next week, they will officially release all of the inclusive models to agencies to where every one of our trading programs, all of our tools, and resources are available. (40:48)

Key Quotes:

“I do feel like you hear the hockey stick growth, and not just financial I mean, just as far as learning and growth as a professional. So it's been a great opportunity for me and I'm having a blast doing it.” - Brent Kelly

“You can get back the money, you can get back things, you can even restore some relationships, right? But you can’t get back your time. So, a big part of that is how do you prioritize in the right way, and finding that 80/20 is critical?” - Brent Kelly

“Now, PIG is Profitable Income Growth, and that's what we want for predictable income. whatever it is, Don’t be a HAWG be a PIG.” - Brent Kelly

“You’ve got to have some kind of structure or rule. So you're going to have guidelines and guardrails, you're going to go all over the place. So, if I knew what my minimum account size is, or if it's a personal line account, I know that I simply will not write a model on the account.” - Brent Kelly

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

LinkedIn- Brent Kelly

Sitkins Group, Inc.

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AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free.

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Sharon Emek, the President & CEO of Work At Home Vintage Experts. Sharon talks about her advanced knowledge in technology, her achievements in the industry, and the sophisticated software they created.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Sharon Emek. (3:21)

Sharon shares that she came to the industry in the early 1980s and she was a professor at Rutgers University where she participated in doing management consulting. Eventually, she left teaching and became an actual management consultant to insurance brokers. (7:23)

Sharon mentions that she learned the insurance industry by the time it was the advent of computerization. (7:43)

Sharon mentions that she started her insurance brokerage in 1988 and grew to quite a large brokerage in Manhattan. (8:55)

Sharon shares that she became very active in the industry and ended up being the chair of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers in New York. (9:14)

Sharon mentions that she won an award as the first woman to win a national award for public policy. (9:57)

Sharon mentions that for every problem there's an opportunity. (11:11)

Sharon explains their latest applications and the series of assessments that they have online. (18:14)

Sharon shares that their software became more sophisticated and it’s called a blind qualifying process. (23:21)

Sharon mentions that they are creating software that’s a service assist model that can qualify the best people and take the HR function of the brokers. (23:32)

Sharon mentions that insurance is an industry that lends itself to being remote and it is a knowledge industry. (30:10)

Sharon shares that everyone thinks of insurance as a policy, but they don't understand that insurance is about managing risk. (31:50)

Sharon mentions the book called Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. (36:37)

Key Quotes:

“I think people create the luck that they have. If you're not out there networking and meeting people, then you miss opportunity.” - Sharon Emek

“You can't always find the talent in your backyard any longer. People move all the time and there's not enough talent so what you do is hire the person because you need somebody.” - Sharon Emek

“The industry is about analyzing and managing risk, not just policies.” - Sharon Emek

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Sharon Emek LinkedIn

Work At Home Vintage Experts

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

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Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

In this episode of Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Justin talks about his experience working with his spouse, the struggle and success in building their agency, and how the pandemic made an impact on their agency and their family as well.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces her husband, Justin Eggar. (1:28)

Justin thinks that the pandemic has expanded their understanding of the possibilities of working from home. (4:07)

Katlyn mentions that 9 years ago they opened their first scratch agency in Geneva, Illinois. (8:09)

Justin mentions that their first agency was located in a building that was built in 1920 and it used to be a candy store. (4:36)

Just shares that over the ensuing years, they grew from one agency and then a couple of years later they opened their second agency. (10:49)

Justin thinks that part of their success is that they lean on each other. (11:35)

Katlyn mentions that they have been using internet leads as a primary marketing source since 2011. (14:06)

Justin mentions that they have been working together since 2011. (12:13)

Justin shares that captive carriers have a mindset where they put arbitrary goals because they want to have elements that are hard to chase. (17:25)

Justin shares the reason why they had more than a 90% retention on internet leads as they were building their organization. They learned to do it the right way and ensured that their frontline salespeople were doing it the right way as well. (23:50)

Justin mentions that agents must not look at what's bringing in the most revenue in your agency. Rather, look at what's bringing the most profit into your agency and see where you can replace yourself. (24:09)

Justin shares that they started in a place where they were small hometown agents and over the years they continued to refine and grow. Since then, it allowed them to continue to scale through those plateaus over the years to where Quantum is today. (30:24)

Katlyn mentions that when an insurance agency owner succeeds, it creates a ripple effect. (37:39)

Justin mentions that Katlyn did a course on process mapping for agencies that the Quantum agents have. (48:29)

Key Quotes:

“I know that people believe they can work with their spouse but it's all about separating job duties, having respect for each other, and having a common purpose. If you can align in a couple of those things, certainly anything's possible. I got lucky we have a great working relationship. We have a really fun time together.” - Justin Eggar

“You can't trust a carrier to have your best intention when it comes to the goals they're putting on the board. You need to have your own goals as a business owner.” - Justin Eggar

“Legally, we're an insurance organization, but the heart of what we are is to create an incredible agency solution welcoming agents into the next 10 to 20 years and provide a good home for them.” - Justin Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Justin Eggar LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

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We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Christopher Martens, CIC, CPRIA, Personal Risk Specialist at USI Insurance Services. Chris talks about what high net worth personal lines are all about and shares his approach to prospecting.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Chris Martens. (1:52)

Chris mentions that he’s not an agency owner. He’s a producer and his specialty is high net worth, high-value homes, and assets. (23:28)

Chris shares that most of the clients and prospective clients that they deal with have multiple residences, they have different ownership structures, and he has a lot of assets under management. (23:50)

Chris shares that property can sometimes be finite. There's a replacement cost that can vary depending on whether it's catastrophic, whether more things could happen at the same time, and almost like surge pricing. But he likes to focus on liability. (24:40)

Chris mentions that these assets aren't always in brokerage accounts, and the inland marine is one of the best policies ever created. (27:49)

Chris mentions that he’s an old school type of prospector and he likes cold calling. (28:27)

Chris thinks that the more time you spend in the professional world, you meet more people if that's how you go about doing right. (32:48)

Chris mentions that he’s been in the insurance world since 2014. (32:57)

Chris thinks that everybody should spend time on a trading desk. (34:39)

Chris mentions the book called Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. (47:40)

Key Quotes:

“Someone with multiple zeros, maybe in a bank account gets to a car accident, there could be additional zeros in that lawsuit. It's just the nature of the world we live in right now. And I find it extremely important to make sure that we kind of protect that exposure, that we're guarding against the catastrophic situation.” - Christopher Martens

“As I've been in the industry, I've really kind of delved back into family history, and I asked my dad so many questions over the past couple of years and I try to dig up stuff. So, it was kind of a homecoming for me.” - Christopher Martens

“I am a believer that you have to have a specialty. Anybody that's a mile wide and an inch deep, I think you're a master of nothing. I think you have to find something that you're a little passionate about and sometimes, the market finds you.” - Christopher Martens

“Think about the insurance world, whether you've been in it 20 years, 50 years, you've been in it for 20 minutes...Tomorrow's a new day, it constantly changes because it's adapting to the world. So, to anybody that's either new or has been in it, you've got such an opportunity because tomorrow, it resets.” - Christopher Martens

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Christopher Martens LinkedIn

USI Insurance Services

Atlas Shrugged

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Agency VA

Insurance Daily News

Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Ed.)

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Steven Mohr, the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Lightspeed Voice. Steven talks about how they developed Lightspeed Voice, what agencies are looking for in a phone service and what Lightspeed Voice is working on now.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Steven Mohr. (1:10)

Steven shares that during his younger years, he tried to be an entrepreneur but didn’t work out, then early on in his career he found his way in the business. (9:54)

Steven mentions that when he found his way to E Bridge, which was a technology company, document management within the insurance business that built an AMS called E Agent. (10:22)

Steven shares that when Allstate purchased the product back in 2012, he went along with the acquisition and worked there until last year managing the agency facing technology. (10:38)

Steven mentions that agent integration was one of the first integrations that lightspeed voice did. He made a connection to help lightspeed voice grow and help the agent provide functionality. Steven and Brad became partners in April of last year. (11:10)

Steven thinks that most people want to be able to text from their main phone. (17:48)

Steven shares that their ultimate goal is to make sure that even if it is a third party, they can port that number over from where you send the text, and it ends up in the system of record. (18:59)

Steven mentions that they have a couple of solutions that are built into the product , and since softphones are popular nowadays, they provided what they call Find Me Follow Me, where within the solution, you set a trigger and automatically forward it to your cell phone, and it stays within the Lightspeed Voice Network, which is very significant. (23:09)

Steven mentions that they’re currently offering two things, the physical phone on your desktop or instead of a physical phone, they can provide third-party software. (23:41)

Steven shares one of the reasons why he invited Jason and David to visit him. (31:05)

Key Quotes: “That’s why we love partnerships and everything. You know, you're always trying to stay out with what's out there, right? Just as a company, you just want to be relevant based on what's out there, and we need folks to come in and tell us that’s fine. But everybody's going to have that, what are you going to do differently? What are you going to do next level?” - Steven Mohr Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

AI Mastermind

Reach out to Jason Cass

Steven Mohr LinkedIn

Lightspeed Voice

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Lightspeed Voice

The New Year is always filled with possibilities and opportunities. In this episode of The Show we breakdown 2020 and share Rogue Risk's plans for world domination in 2021. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Mallory Leonard, Principal at ExecHQ. Mallory talks about the significance of having a good coaching culture that’s beneficial in growing your business.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Mallory Leonard. (1:03)

Mallory mentions that she was living in San Diego for 10 years when she had her agency at Allstate agency and eventually sold the agency in 2019. (1:53)

Mallory shares that she started as a Sales Producer for an agency and grew a book business on the broker side, at the same time. (4:55)

Mallory shares that if you treat your agency like a retail location, you're going to get retail employees. Therefore, she treated her employees like professionals. (6:30)

Mallory mentions that you have to make sure that you're putting people in place who have the right leadership skills. But if they don’t, help them and cultivate them to be a good leader. (8:29)

Mallory thinks that setting strategic goals with your employees is helpful for the growth of the operation. (10:13)

Mallory mentions that written expectation of what you want from them, on a production level or a productivity level is a huge factor. But if they’re not hitting the right actions, figure out what was the obstacle. (14:01)

Mallory shares that collaborating with your employees and finding out what would make them love being in your office is vital. (19:48)

Mallory shares that if you have a disciplinary situation and they’re used to having a conversation with you, it becomes a bit easier. Because they're used to having that relationship and that ability to communicate with you. (24:59)

Mallory thinks that what you need to look at is their ability to sell and be able to recognize if that person is in the right role. (26:56)

Mallory explains how her goal sheet could be a helpful tool. (27:50)

Mallory shares that if you have the right organization and the right employee, join them in the meetings and work as a team in that way, you create a mentorship between your employees. (37:59)

Mallory thinks that the biggest mistake people make as a leader is assuming that they know what's best for everyone. (41:02)

Key Quotes:

“I swore off insurance. I have never even worked in insurance again. But I was young and I even didn't realize that it wasn't insurance that I didn't like, it was the culture and the breakdown of the office. And I always said, I would never let my employees feel the way I felt in that organization ever again.” - Mallory Leonard

“Giving them an understanding of what they are there for, right? So, they're not just there to sell insurance, they're not just there to service your policies, they're there to see these growth paths, and they need to own it just as much as you do.” - Mallory Leonard

“You can't expect your middle producers to be your best producer, there's always going to be someone in the middle ground, and you can push them to get there. So, I'd rather have two producers that did average than, one high-end producer because if I lose them, I'm screwed.” - Mallory Leonard

“I think the biggest thing to remember is that our human nature is that we thrive on structure, right? We thrive on process and accountability. So, this is your time to give them that structure, that process, and that accountability that they're not getting anywhere in their life right now.” - Mallory Leonard

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Mallory Leonard - LinkedIn

ExecHQ

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We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mitch Gibson, Risk Advisor at HRM Insurance Services. Mitch talks about identifying the risks in your business and the ways to resolve them. He also shares his podcast called Inside Hancock County.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Mitch Gibson. (1:21)

Mitch thinks that his skills have gotten him to where he wanted to be in the insurance business. (9:46)

Mitch mentions that he’s one of six kids, he has 4 brothers and a sister, and they’re a baseball fan. (13:20)

Mitch shares that during his junior year in college, he started working at MS Communications, which is a radio station communications company in Indianapolis, and that was the time when he knew that he wanted to get into sales. (15:53)

Mitch mentions that music was his passion and everything that has to do with the production was his passion, as well. (22:18)

Mitch shares that his podcast, Inside Hancock County, is about the local businesses, organizations, and leaders in Hancock County. (25:59)

Mitch shares that he doesn’t talk a lot about insurance because he wants the people to understand through his podcast or daily videos, that people wanted to know and see what's going on in the community. (29:30)

Mitch shares that if you’ve decided that the insurance industry is what you’re going to do for the rest of your career, you need to start making changes now for you to enjoy and have success in the long run. (43:31)

Mitch mentions that to have a successful career, build your brand that represents who you are as a person. (45:58)

Key Quotes:

“I love what you're doing. Not just you, but everybody in our insurance world, trying to not just change the way, we as insurance agents do business but also just change the insurance industry as a whole.” - Mitch Gibson

“The policy could be great but at the end of the day, if you're not servicing the account as it should be, I am more than happy to take care of it. That's where I'm going to strive. So, they go, why did I lose this account? Well, Mitch Gibson’s service is better.” - Mitch Gibson

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Mitch Gibson LinkedIn

HRM Insurance Services

Podcast- Inside Hancock County

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Agency VA

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jack Wingate, the Founder and President of ALLCHOICE Insurance. Jack discusses how they built an agency that cares more about the customer service experience than its carriers.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Jack Wingate. (3:45)

Jack shares that he started in the North Carolina Farm Bureau, where a lot of people in North Carolina get started in the insurance business in August 2004. (5:28)

Jack mentions that they have acquired four locations, Greensboro, Clemmons, Hendersonville, and Wilmington. (5:36)

Jack explains how they came up with their beard logo. (7:19)

Jack shares that the concept of one app is transformational because, at the end of the day, insurance companies are underwriting companies. (19:23)

Jack shares that if we visualize the pyramid, the carriers are at the top, the clients are at the bottom, then in between is either a direct channel, website, direct mail, or the agent. (19:52)

Jack thinks that at this point they have been limited from a technology standpoint. (26:49)

Jack mentions one of the issues with carriers is their system of customer service. They spend vast amounts on IT’s but don’t get enough solutions. (35:22)

Jack thinks that the people who are listening to Jason’s podcasts are the ones who understand that if we want carriers to do tasks for us, we have to do the tasks for them as well. (38:46)

Jack mentions that their technology is not stable enough because 80% of their agents don't have access to technology. (39:09)

Jack shares that he spends about two to three hours a week reading about technology, search engine optimization, and anything that’s applicable to his agency. (41:04)

Key Quotes:

“We have a responsibility as agents, we can't continue doing business as normal. We have to sell a value, we have to do our frickin jobs, and assess risk, and not just give prices. If a client wants a price, there are up to 1,000 ways that they can get a price, without the independent agent.” - Jack Wingate

“There's so much money that they're spending in IT for band-aids, they throw hundreds of millions of dollars at band aids a year, as an industry. Why not rip the band-aid off and let's actually fix the problem, and integrate to where we are weak.” - Jack Wingate

“The reason our technology isn't as good as it needs to be is because 80% of our agents have no technology. So we have to play down to them. It's time to get those guys on the train or let them go softly into that good night because they'll take our industry down, they're holding us back, they've shackled us. It's time for you to go out there and write good business for your carriers.” - Jack Wingate

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Jason Cass Calendar

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jack Wingate LinkedIn

ALLCHOICE Insurance

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Tarmika

Imperial Premium Finance Specialists

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Shi, the Chief Visionary Officer at Quantum Assurance International, and Zack Gould, the Managing director at G&N Insurance. They pay tribute to the CEO and founder of Zappos, Tony Hseih, and share how Tony made an impact on them and left a legacy.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Jeff Shi and Zack Gould. (1:43)

Zack shares that he started G&N from scratch with Matt in 2010, and they both spent a couple of years at Liberty Mutual. (2:37)

Zack mentions that they ran the company for 10 years and recently exited the company and sold it to another insurance agency, but currently run the agency. (2:47)

Jeff mentions that he’s a huge fan of Tony Hsieh’s books and a lot of agents from his captive career came to him because he has built a different model of scaling. (3:43)

Jeff shares that Tony makes other people's dreams come true and has done it twice. (5:01)

Zack thinks that a lot of entrepreneurs who started had an immense amount of pressure that they have a lot to figure out early. (6:42)

Zack mentions one of the big takeaways that he took from Tony's early story when they were first building Zappos, is to never outsource your core competency. (7:13)

Jeff thinks that the biggest challenge of being a CEO and leadership role is the cash flow and cash reserve, people, and lead sales and marketing. (10:13)

Jeff mentions that Tony does an amazing job when he does interviews to make sure that whoever is interviewing, fits their culture. (11:32)

Zack mentions that customer service is the backbone of the company, and he wished that he did that. (18:11)

Jeff suggests that visiting the Zappos office is a must and worth the visit. (33:03)

Zack shares that when they sold their company to the current parent company, they didn't agree with their core values and made the decision not to carry their core values over to their company. (43:21)

Zack mentions that Tony believed in people colliding with other people, and the conversations that they would have and what would come from those conversations. (44:49)

Zack shares that as insurance agents, if we can focus our energy on customers and not focus our energy on our competitors, it would be a much more beautiful place to work. (53:35)

Key Quotes:

“You set up a beer or coffee just to say, let's just break bread. Let's chat and what have you. Tony did that so regularly. And that's such a great message for entrepreneurs to put the jacket and suit down. And just to grab a coffee and grab a beer and meet eye to eye with your team.” - Zack Gould

“I love the whole core value thing. This is what we build. This is what we're proud of and let us continue to build the thing that we are proud about to build that legacy.” - Jeff Shi

“I want to be known as a guy who cared. I tell people on their first day, you can ask anybody at G&N and I say the same thing 10 years from now. I do not care if you're working at G&N. I hope you are, but that's your decision and that's our decision. Together, you do not have a lifetime contract here. What I do hope is 10 years from now, if I see you, we can grab a beer because we're on those kinds of terms.” - Zack Gould

“One of the legacies I want to leave behind is to show people the school doesn't define you, your job doesn't define you, college doesn't define you. Being a good person, leaving a memory for other people, and being loved by everyone will define you, and happiness defines you.” - Jeff Shi

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Jeff Shi LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Zack Gould LinkedIn

G&N Insurance

Tony Hsieh LinkedIn

Zappos

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Insurance Daily News

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jennifer Carroll, the CEO of Veruna. Jennifer talks about how Veruna’s platform has changed the agency management system and how they became the world's number one customer relationship management system.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Jennifer Carroll. (1:08)

Jennifer shares that fear is fun, strong, and temporary. If you want to change to exist in the long term, you need to get motivated for a positive long-term change for something you want. (7:36)

Jennifer mentions that she didn’t start off in the insurance industry, she’s a licensed attorney and has been working with tech startups for the last 10 years. (9:41)

Jennifer shares that you can't be tone-deaf, you must understand and be where your customers are, to understand their business needs to continue and grow in the right direction. (10:31)

Jennifer mentions that her undergraduate degrees were in biology and chemistry, then she went to law school. (11:22)

Jennifer mentions that 10 years ago, she was working in a small tech startup that won a contest. (12:05)

Jennifer shares that she exclusively worked with tech startups around Austin, for several years, until one of her strategic consulting engagements as a lawyer was with Veruna, and that’s how she met the team and the board. (13:40)

Jennifer mentions that they just hired a head of product this year, and he’s been in the B2B software space for many years, he's a nice grounding source for her team, and he’s been driving a lot of change internally on their product and the engineering side. (18:02)

Jennifer shares that salesforce is also a platform for non-code development and to understand that there are some interesting possibilities for improving the way they do business, the way they help their team and get things cleaner, and better. (21:20)

Jennifer shares that she’s reading a book entitled Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. (46:36)

Key Quotes:

“If you want wonderful things to happen in the world, you need to have a positive attitude about it. And so, positivity breeds positivity, and if you want to get people motivated and working on things, then you have to give them something to reach for and work for. It takes a lot longer, and it's a lot slower. But if you want people to change their attitudes and adopt change successfully, they need to be motivated.” - Jennifer Carroll

“We're trying to win positively by motivating people to make the world a better place and change for the better, for the future. And that's how we look at things in Veruna.” - Jennifer Carroll

“As a leader of your organization, you need to be thinking about how do you get the right data, that's scientifically gathered in your system in a way that's uniform, that you can test against, right? And you have to limit your variables to one testing variable at a time.” - Jennifer Carroll

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

AI Mastermind

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jennifer Carroll LinkedIn

Veruna

Advertisers: Veruna

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Roger Sitkins, the CEO of Sitkins Group, Inc. Roger talks about the coaching and training programs that they provide to independent insurance agencies and discusses how your clarity, consistency and commitment can determine your level of success. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Roger Sitkins. (1:06)

Roger mentions that he made an early career decision and chose his parent’s insurance agency. (9:58)

Roger shares that through the years, he learned a lot from his parents and eventually worked in the business. But unfortunately, during his senior year of high school, his father became a quadriplegic due to a doctor’s malpractice, and their life changed dramatically. (10:14

Roger shares that the first program they developed was a weekend sales and marketing Bootcamp, then they created the first producer training camp, the sales managers camp, and the CEO camp. (11:28)

Roger mentions that the GAP for GAP stands for, Goals And Plans for Growth And Profit. (21:32)

Roger shares one of the biggest mistakes that he sees, whether it's individual producers or agency owners, is when someone's numbers aren't right. Therefore, you must know your closing rates. (23:30)

Roger mentions that from a behavioral strategic standpoint, consistency is an important factor. (28:33)

Roger shares that the top part of an agency pyramid is called personal accountability and the foundation part of it is the culture and cadence of accountability. (28:57)

Roger mentions one of the issues he has seen with many producers, agencies, and all the personnel, is that they have self-limiting beliefs. (42:33)

Roger shares that if you’re making less than 30% operating profit, which means no interest or investment income, then you're leaving millions of dollars of value, on the table. (52:02)

Roger mentions that he just finished reading the book entitled Virtual Selling, by Jeb Blount. (53:58)

Key Quotes:

“When you do the right behaviors and the right strategies. And you're focused, you know where you're going, you got clarity, you create luck. So you've got to develop your skills regularly, that creates luck.” - Roger Sitkins

“The numbers are nothing more than the result of behaviors and strategies that you have in place. So, if your numbers aren't right, don't look at the numbers, the numbers are the result. You've got to look at the behavioral issues, your habits, your traits, and your strategy.” - Roger Sitkins

“We can never want it for you more than you want it for yourself. If you want it, you know your desired destination, you know what your best version possible looks like, and you know that at the end of your career, you don't want any regrets. In fact, you want re-greats. You want great results that you've replicated regularly, and wind up doing more than you ever thought you could do.” - Roger Sitkins

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Roger Sitkins LinkedIn

Sitkins Group, Inc.

Virtual Selling: A Quick-Start Guide to Leveraging Video, Technology, and Virtual Communication Channels to Engage Remote Buyers and Close Deals Fast

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We Got Your Podcast

Virtual Selling: A Quick-Start Guide to Leveraging Video, Technology, and Virtual Communication Channels to Engage Remote Buyers and Close Deals Fast (Jeb Blount)

Peep Laja, founder of world-renowned conversion optimization company CXL and the copy testing platform Wynter.io joins the podcast to explain why every we do is a commodity except our brand. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Tena Hoyt, the Owner of Geary & Hoyt CPA’s PC. Tena talks about the impact of recent tax changes, the significance of giving financial reports to your clients, and shares her knowledge and expertise in the accounting industry.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Tena Hoyt. (4:12)

Tena mentions that when her father’s former accountant offered her a new job, she left her father’s restaurant for the accounting firm, as a staff accountant. (8:41)

Tena shares that their niches were insurance agencies, grocery stores, and retail. However, the insurance agency somewhat developed with the client base that they have and they have seen what’s essential along the way, that they could potentially provide. (11:04)

Tena thinks that it’s significant for the client to get reports that are meaningful to you, particularly with the trust fund. (15:14)

Tena shares that when it comes to automation, getting information from the client has allowed them to do the automation for them every month. (19:54)

Tena mentions that this year’s changes in tax law have been one of the most challenging years she experienced. (20:14)

Tena shares that for the last four years, they’ve been encouraging people to utilize their platform, and it’s been used more this year. (22:41)

Tena mentions that some people don’t like change, but once they realize the ease and what they can get, then they're more apt to use it. (22:49)

Tena mentions one of the main reasons they started with the portals because they're more secure, and are a quick log in. (24:24)

Tena mentions that she’s currently reading the book entitled Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine, by Mike Michalowicz. (28:05)

Key Quotes:

“You need to have the skill and there has to be a little bit of luck, to make sure that you land in the place where you want to be. So, I would say a little bit of both because I think that's how I kind of land where I am now, from where I started.” - Tena Hoyt

“People think of accounting as all math and yes, there is quite a bit of math in there. But it’s also like a big puzzle. Because you have to take all of this information and put it together to come up with that result.” - Tena Hoyt

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

AI Mastermind

Reach out to Jason Cass

Tena Hoyt LinkedIn

Geary & Hoyt CPA’s PC

Advertisers:

Imperial Premium Finance Specialists

ePayPolicy

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brandon Smith, the Managing Partner at Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group. Brandon talks about how to build better relationships with clients, his goals, and the benefits of the Producer Development Program.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Brandon Smith. (1:09)

Brandon shares that their agency started as an independent life insurance agency 40 years ago and he’s been in the insurance industry for 17 years. (3:59)

Brandon shares that he used his background in communications and marketing to help him grow his knowledge in the industry. (5:32)

Brandon mentions that he’s responsible for the profitability of the agency, the systems, and strategies and the marketing and high-level thinking. (5:58)

Brandon shares that since COVID, they’ve found different ways of doing business, they have shifted their business model to working remotely, and 50% of their employees will not be working in the office permanently. (7:16)

Brandon mentions that they also have a department that ensures churches and nonprofits, and they have insured 1,000 churches in the state of Montana. (8:38)

Brandon mentions that their heartbeat is their people and the importance of helping them in the financial crisis that they’re facing. (13:58)

Brandon shares that the work that they’re currently doing is lowering their revenues and compensation, and trying to retain a client who is purely shopping based on price. But if they sell on price, they’re going to lose them on price. (22:42)

Brandon thinks that closing a deal has become more challenging with remote work due to the lack of building a relationship with the client. (29:48)

Brandon mentions that the most significant part of sales is the transition from the proposal to the close. (31:05)

Brandon shares that his passion is to challenge people and producers in the insurance industry, whether it's a vendor, carrier, or agent to be the best version of themselves, to encourage them to keep doing what they're doing, and focus on what really matters. (39:23)

Brandon shares how the Producer Development Program started and what it’s all about. (43:39)

Key Quotes: “Our mission, our goal is to end the financial crisis in families. We are seeing a financial crisis across this country, and our goal is never to sell another policy. Our goal is to have a conversation with people and to love them through finances, and provide solutions approaching with empathy.” - Brandon Smith Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Brandon Smith LinkedIn

Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group

Producer Development Program

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We Got Your Podcast

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Carlos Vargas, the Founder and President of Vargas & Vargas Insurance. Carlos talks about his career in the insurance business and how video and social media have helped grow his agency.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Carlos Vargas. (1:11)

Carlos thinks that winning and losing are significant because we all learn from losing. He loves to win, but he will not learn his lesson, without losing. (4:50)

Carlos shares that he was trained in the life insurance industry, by his parent’s insurance agent, and the old process of the life insurance industry made him learn about prospecting when you're in people's homes. (7:18)

Carlos shares that as salespeople, they go into the conversation or the battle with our hand out. But nowadays, we receive it through social media. (10:58)

Carlos mentions that the power of social media is unbelievable, and he has a personal VA that’s been working on his social media. (14:22)

Carlos shares that the acronym FROG means, Friends, Recreations, Occupation, and Goals. (19:28)

Carlos mentions that he’s been doing the FROG process, since the 80s with loan officers, realtors, and closing attorneys. (22:59)

Carlos mentions that their property books of business are approaching 6,000 homeowner policies. (24:53)

Carlos thinks that dedicating your time to the business is the key to your company’s growth. (28:15)

Carlos mentions that he’s done almost 1,000 videos. (34:40)

Carlos shares that at this point, insurance is a wonderful industry. (38:47)

Key Quotes:

“This is the best industry in the world in its raw area. You don't have to be an immigrant like me to succeed in it. You just have to, you know, just have to jump in and just do your best.” - Carlos Vargas

“I think I just found this niche, where I get paid for making friends. Do you know what I mean? I get paid for making friends. I get paid for going out developing relationships.” - Carlos Vargas

“I'm willing to share my secret sauce. But I'm the chef, I cook it my way. Please call me to reach out to me if I can help you. And I want nothing for it. If I can help you, I'll tell you, I'll give you all my scripts. I'll give you everything. But you gotta cook it yourself. You gotta make that meal yourself.” - Carlos Vargas

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Carlos Vargas - LinkedIn

Vargas & Vargas Insurance

Advertisers:

Lightspeed Voice

Veruna

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ashley Fitzsimmons, Customer Experience Manager at Ohio Insurance Agents Association. Ashley talks about how we can build and develop stronger relationships inside the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Ashley Fitzsimmons. (1:35)

Ashley mentions that she started in the family agency on July 5, 2019, in northeastern Pennsylvania near Scranton. (9:38)

Ashley shares that she wants to be the voice for other people, and because of that, she caught the attention of the CEO of the Ohio Insurance Agents Association, at a conference in Pennsylvania. (10:35)

Ashley mentions that in her first four years in the industry, she didn’t dare to expand and meet other agents, but eventually she started to learn how to network. (14:47)

Ashley shares that the people in their industry truly care, not only about insurance but also about the relationships. (15:06)

Ashley shares one of her biggest accomplishments was the IA Circle, which is a confidential mastermind group for agencies in Ohio. (22:48)

Ashley mentions that back in March, she transitioned over to the Director of Education, at OIA, and she improved the customer experience when it comes to education. (23:37)

Ashley shares that OIA has a company that they created called Intel Agents, which is a data-driven company that’s providing information to independent agents. (26:19)

Ashley shares that the people she’s working with are thinking on a different scale, and it’s amazing because they’ve helped her to grow in this industry, what they're doing is what all agencies need. (38:37)

Ashley is hoping that everyone continues to build and cultivate relationships in the insurance industry. (48:06)

Ashley mentions that she’s currently reading the book entitled The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, by Scott Galloway. (50:18)

Key Quotes:

“I truly believe that it is the type of person that’s in this industry that makes it what it is, and has made it what it is today..” - Ashley Fitzsimmons

“I think it's very important to say to women now that maybe they still feel like that glass ceiling is holding them back to just speak up. If you want something, you need to go and ask for it. You might have somebody that is stuck in their old ways. If you want something, and you're not happy where you are, go and do it.” - Ashley Fitzsimmons

“We need to be helping one another and taking one another under our wings, and not threatened by another woman using her voice. If somebody else is standing up and using your voice, awesome, and give her a high five. If somebody new is on the scene, we should be liking their posts, commenting, and telling them they're doing a great job.” - Ashley Fitzsimmons

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Ashley Fitzsimmons LinkedIn

Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc

Advertisers:

Agency VA

Advisor Evolved

The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google

In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Dr. Billy Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the Williams Family Investment Group, and the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Dr. Billy talks about how to successfully grow your agency and the three emotions that stop agencies from growing, the four types of discipline, and the significance of understanding the S4TS model.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Dr. Billy Williams. (1:19)

Billy shares that he’s a retired army, and 21 years after serving in the military, he took a Ph.D. in finance. (2:18)

Billy mentions what made him leave Allstate after 4 years, was because they were not allowed inside to open an agency, and they were only selling outside. (04:07)

Billy shares that he opened his first independent agency in April 2008, and today, they have more than 160 agencies under the Williams Family Investment Group, $1.2 billion in premium, and more than 2,000 members at Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (05:06)

Billy mentions that when you’re getting ready to grow, they have a mentor that you can attend and they are not part of your ownership, but they will teach you how to grow. But if you decide to grow bigger and you want a team of people to help you in growing bigger, take a look at investing. (11:34)

Billy mentions the main issue that stops agencies from growing is unmanaged emotions. (12:50)

Billy shares the three types of unmanaged emotions and those are mental, physical, and purely emotional. (13:04)

Billy mentions that ego is what we do, arrogance is what we refuse to do, and our insecurities are based on our history. (14:05)

Billy shares the four types of discipline and those are self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing. (16:23)

Billy explains the S4TS model that they teach and live by, at Williams Family Investment Group and Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (20:13)

Billy shares that there are only 14 tasks, every week in an agency. (24:47)

Billy mentions that you shouldn’t implement a process in your agency unless you've placed the tools and automation in place before, bringing it to your people. (26:56)

Billy shares that he finished his Ph.D. in 2002. Therefore, it took him 20 years to become Dr. Williams. (34:57)

Billy mentions that KPIs are not results. Because KPIs produce results. (36:21)

Billy shares that as an insurance agency owner, they only have three jobs. It’s hiring, training, and accountability. (40:32)

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Katlyn Eggar

Billy Williams, Ph.D. LinkedIn

Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring

Williams Family Investment Group

Advertisers:

Podium

ePayPolicy

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Sonny Patel, Founder & CEO of Insurmi. Sonny talks about how he built Violet, a digital assistant for the insurance industry. He also shares his knowledge and expertise in the world of Artificial Intelligence.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Sonny Patel. (2:12)

Sonny mentions that he worked at an agency as an office assistant and worked his way up to become a sales director, for about 3 years. (5:28)

Sonny shares that the problem in their industry was the way they were selling policies was outdated, and most of what they’re doing in their agency is done offline. (5:43)

Sonny mentions that he started Insurmi in 2006. (6:25)

Sonny mentions that they built Violet for two primary customer segments, for the enterprise, and the agencies. (9:42)

Sonny shares that they built Violet in a way that is tailored for an insurance agency. Therefore, the onboarding and the setup of the product are specifically tailored for a commercial agency or a personal lines agency. (9:58)

Sonny mentions that they have done everything on the back end manually, and they have gone through every single company in the United States and linked up their claims information. (11:00)

Sonny shares that the beta version that they launched for agencies, have it so that submission will go, either through API integration, into salesforce, or any other API enabled CMS, or it will send the agency, the agency owners, or the agents, an email or text message. (12:43)

Sonny mentions that they’re trying to position Violet as a center assistant that is connected to everything. (16:29)

Sonny thinks that incorporating the behavioral data into the Violet experience is what they plan to have in five years and there are a lot of other companies that are trying to move towards it. (17:55)

Sonny shares that he’s a huge advocate for the insure tech industry. (23:45)

Sonny mentions that he’s reading a book entitled Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff, by Joel Peterson. (26:18)

Key Quotes: “When we look at our product roadmap, we want to have it where Violet can personalize the experience to remember that customer and include different data points into her recommendations and have it become more of a true assistant.” - Sonny Patel Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Sonny Patel LinkedIn

Insurmi

Violet Core

Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff

Advertisers:

The Hanover Insurance Group

Imperial Premium Finance Specialists

Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff

In this final episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Jason Cass, giving insights about her interviews and experiences with the rock stars of the insurance industry. Katlyn also discusses how the Age of Indiependence became a huge part of her journey and where that journey is headed.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn thinks that one of the greatest factors about guest hosting a podcast is the opportunity to interview such amazing guests and be joined by rock stars in the industry. (2:11)

Jason shares one of the reasons why they made Agency Intelligence is because people wanted him to take the interview a bit further than he did on Agents Influence. (3:10)

Jason mentions that they will be working with Kelly Donahue-Piro and her company, Agency Performance Partners, at The Insurance Alliance, starting in January 2021. (4:11)

Katlyn discusses the podcast episode with Kelly Donahue-Piro entitled, What Your Team Isn’t Telling You Through Big Changes. (4:53)

Katlyn mentions that in January 2021, they want to use that opportunity to turn over a new leaf. (6:329)

Katlyn shares that the Konmari method is about decluttering, getting rid of the noise, and keeping the things that you love. (8:30)

Jason discusses the podcast episode with Alejandro Velez entitled, Competing with the Goliaths. (10:14)

Katlyn shares that some call centers do effective tasks. Therefore, the challenge is to not let our disdain, for the things that they're doing poorly hold us back from being able to pull the curtain back. (11:17)

Katlyn thinks that efficiency is more significant than speed. (11:49)

Katlyn mentions one of the huge challenges they had as local insurance agents was to achieve economies of scale. (13:44)

Katlyn shares that the Age of Indiependence has been valuable for her because she started as a captive agent, and it was a big milestone for her, transitioning from the captive world to being an independent agent. (23:15)

Key Quotes:

“My goal with these episodes has been, to bring a perspective that is new and fresh, but it's something that an agency of any size could walk away with some tangible takeaways, some new ideas, and some things that you can put into practice, every once in a while.” - Katlyn Eggar

“At the end of the day, we're going to create more opportunity for people in our communities that need the best job in the world which we have waiting for them in our offices, and it's going to change our lifestyle because we're going to go from just slogging it out every day trying to get out of doing things the same way, to being the coaches, the leaders, and the world changers that we want to be.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jason Cass LinkedIn

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Advertisers:

Podium

Veruna

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Tyler Lessard, VP Marketing and Chief Video Strategist, at Vidyard. Tyler discusses how creating educational and personalized video content is significant in growing your business in today’s world.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Tyler Lessard. (1:19)

Tyler mentions that today’s world is all about authority, engagement, and earning trust with our buyers. (2:52)

Tyler shares that he was a graduate of the Systems Design Engineering program at the University of Waterloo, 20 years ago. (6:41)

Tyler mentions that his first job was at Blackberry as an engineer, but he slowly migrated away from being a developer. (6:51)

Tyler shares that when he knew that he was better at working with people, he became a developer relations manager, where he worked with third-party developers to support and educate them on how to build great mobile apps. (7:06)

Tyler mentions that he co-authored the book entitled The Visual Sale, with Marcus Sheridan. (9:44)

Tyler shares that he partnered with Marcus to produce a book on how businesses, salespeople, and marketers can leverage video in today's world. (10:09)

Tyler mentions that written blog content is still valuable and significant. However, if your entire content strategy for engaging your audience is written blogs, you have to work on it a bit. (13:23)

Tyler shares that as a video hosting and publishing platform, what they do first is put those videos on your website and other places, and make sure that it’s centrally managed. (19:58)

Tyler mentions that they have been doing a video hosting solution for over 10 years, and a couple of years ago they launched a tool that acts as a Chrome extension. (21:58)

Tyler shares that he was recognized in the initial batch of Fearless 50 Marketers, from around the world. (25:38)

Tyler mentions that as you’re marketing and selling, look for new channels, and look for new ways to engage your audience. Build your personal profile as best you can and that'll go a long way as you build your authority, and trust in the future. (34:06)

Key Quotes: “We can't build authority with written content and boring emails, we have to put ourselves out there, we have to create our brands, we have to tell visual stories, we have to communicate with people in more trustworthy and personal ways online. And that's really what video is all about.” - Tyler Lessard Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Jason Cass Calendar

Reach out to Jason Cass

Tyler Lessard LinkedIn

Vidyard

The Visual Sale

Advertisers:

Podium

Tarmika

Sheldon Snodgrass, owner of Steady Sales, a CSR focused consulting firm, joins the podcast to share his experience and expertise driving agency growth by helping CSRs overcome sales reluctance. This is a tremendous episode... Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Benjamin Dennehy, Managing Director at The UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer®. Benjamin talks about the sales process and his knowledge, and expertise in being a salesman.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Benjamin Dennehy. (1:42)

Benjamin mentions his YouTube channel called The UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer, and it’s about cold calling people live while filming it. (5:34)

Benjamin mentions that most salespeople think that it’s the winning personality because they only remember 20% of people that buy from them, and they're selling to 20% of the people that have their personality. (6:56)

Benjamin thinks that luck is preparation when meeting opportunities. (8:21)

Benjamin shares a story about his job at a company that specializes in setting appointments. (15:07)

Benjamin shares that when he was turning into the person he was pretending to be, he started to figure out how selling works. (18:35)

Benjamin realized that buyers don’t tell the truth. All people lie to a salesman about everything and there's nothing a prospect can say that's not off ground. (22:07)

Benjamin mentions that salesmen don't have control and they always defer to prospects. (24:35)

Benjamin shares that the hardest part is not trying to be liked and most salesmen believe that you have to be liked to sell. (26:00)

Benjamin mentions that every salesman should be 100% commissioned and shouldn't be paid basic, at all. (28:20)

Benjamin shares that if you follow a process religiously and get better at it, even though you might not like the outcome, it will still be the right outcome. That’s why he follows a strict process. (30:30)

Benjamin mentions that everything he does breaks a patent, and it works because the buyers were expecting him to act a certain way. (50:16)

Benjamin shares that his advice for everyone is to pick a book about sales and do everything that’s on the book repeatedly, and regardless of what the system is, you'll be successful. (1:02:36)

Key Quotes:

“To be good at sales, you have to be good at basically duplicating and mirroring the person you're selling to and giving them the personality they need to feel comfortable to buy.” - Benjamin Dennehy

“It’s all about control, and what I realized is salesmen never have control. They always defer to prospects. Another rule, the man with the gold makes the rules. Somewhere along the line, salesmen and people were taught that if you've got the money, you've got the power. But I realized very quickly, your money is useless if no one's willing to take it.” - Benjamin Dennehy

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Benjamin Dennehy LinkedIn

The UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer®

YouTube- The UK's Most Hated Sales Trainer

Advertisers:

Hanover

Agency Performance Partners

Veruna

Miles Merwin, President and Founder of Advisors Insurance Agency, stops by the podcast to talk about his new program, Producers to Principals. Miles is helping producers (and Agency Owners) take control of their business to become more productive and efficient every day. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

Jay Mueller, agency principal at Camargo Insurance, breaks down his power move in 2018 to take control of the future of his agency and build the business he wants to work in. This is an episode you don't want to miss... Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Carey Wallace, the CEO of Intell Agents. Carey talks about understanding the functions of utilizing data in our agency valuation and the measurements and methods that impact the value of your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Carey Wallace. (1:53)

Carey mentions that she’s been in the insurance industry for over 12 years and her background is in finance. (8:33)

Carey shares that they built a consulting, valuation, perpetuation planning services, and data analytics team in order to leverage the data and start to help agents understand what's inside their agency and what they can learn from each other. (10:41)

Carey mentions that at present, 50% of the agency owners are at or near retirement. (13:15)

Carey shares that Intell Agents started around two years ago in Ohio, and they have over 20,000 agencies in their ecosystem. (14:11)

Carey mentions that the main priority in their industry is hiring. (15:37)

Katlyn shares that one of the big culture shocks for captive agents, when they go independent, is working with multiple carriers that pay different amounts based on the line of business. (19:25)

Katlyn mentions that a pilot program is a method that your agency can adopt, to begin a new change. (23:01)

Carey shares that the consistency in the revenue, and the future revenue that is going to be generated and maintained, will impact the value of your agency. (24:56)

Carey mentions that the reason why private equity is so interested in their industry is because of their consistency in the renewal income. (26:46)

Carey mentions that it’s significant to get familiar with what the benchmarks are to understand your agency. (33:03)

Carey shares that she firmly believes, that the current technology inside the independent insurance agents is widely underused. (33:11)

Carey thinks that the pandemic has created a gap between those that have already leveraged technology and data, and those that are not. (36:12)

Katlyn thinks that in the present independent world, we’re seeing a shift towards a greater demand, to have systems and processes in your agency to drive organic growth. (39:55)

Carey mentions that predictive benchmarks such as productivity, are elements that you should be aware of, to know exactly what's happening and make shifts in order to change the outcome. (53:20)

Key Quotes:

“I am not an insurance agent. I've never sold a policy in my life. I've probably never planned to sell a policy in my life, but I love insurance because I love small businesses. I love helping small business owners win.” - Carey Wallace

“As an industry, we are inundated with all these different solutions, but there is no roadmap to tell you how to get there, and in my mind, data in what you're trying to do in your agency is the starting point to drive you to the things that would make the most sense.” - Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Carey Wallace LinkedIn

Intell Agents

Advertisers:

Podium

Agency Va

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Reid Holzworth, Chief Executive Officer at IVANS Insurance Solutions. Reid talks about the opportunities in insurance technology, data, and how IVANS was built to digitally connect the insurance industry and streamline the flow of insurance across North America. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Reid Holzworth. (1:27)

Reid mentions that TechCanary became the number one insurance solution worldwide on the Salesforce platform. (7:33)

Reid shares that although TechCanary was originally built as an Agency Management System, it transformed the platform. (7:40)

Reid mentions that TechCanary was acquired by Applied Systems in April 2019. (7:54)

Reid shares that the tasks that they can do with IVANS and all of the connections that they have today can streamline the overall flow of insurance across North America. (13:30)

Reid shares that most people don’t realize that IVANS stands for: Insurance Value Added Network Services, and IVANS has been in the industry for 35 years. (13:52)

Reid explains that people don't always realize the depth of what IVANS does. They’re currently connected to 400 carriers across and they’re integrating with every single policy administration system. (9:18)

Reid mentions that they recently launched their submissions platform to help streamline the whole flow of submissions. (20:49)

Reid shares that IVANS has the largest insurance data set in the industry and nobody has the data that they have. (28:34)

Reid shares that commercial lines rating has been popular for quite some time and some companies have built it over many years but it is now becoming something that everyone is starting to see. (41:56)

Key Quotes:

“When you look at opportunities in insurance and insurance technology and making a change in a positive way for our industry. All roads lead back to IVANS, they do that in a lot of ways.” - Reid Holzworth

“It's time now in our industry to utilize those connections to help everyone in the ecosystem and to streamline...So for me, it’s exciting because I get to affect change in a positive way, you know, and help the industry and the industry got me to where I am today.” - Reid Holzworth

“Yes, the future is giving agencies power with that data that may be hard to get out of the agency management system.” - Reid Holzworth

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Reid Holzworth LinkedIn

IVANS Insurance Solutions

Advertisers:

Agency Performance Partners

Lightspeed Voice

ePayPolicy

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Hala Taha, the Host, and Producer of Young And Profiting Podcast. Hala talks about how she got into the podcast industry and built her show. She shares her knowledge and expertise in marketing and growing an audience.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Hala Taha. (1:41)

Hala mentions that she worked at Hot 97 for free for about 3 years where she had her radio shows with other DJs. (8:01)

Hala shares that she decided to get her MBA and went into corporate, then started a young and profiting podcast, and currently, she’s working at Disney. (11:20)

Hala mentions that her job at Disney is focused on email and mobile marketing. (11:42)

Hala shares that her Young and Profiting Podcast has been running for 2 years, and they’re listed on the top 10 “How To” podcasts on Apple, they have over 30,000 subscribers on Castbox (13:28)

Hala mentions that she recently started a podcast marketing agency this summer, and all her clients were top podcasters. (19:02)

Hala thinks that the strengths of her team are video production and micro-content. (21:11)

Hala shares that her podcast is known as one of the most quality podcasts, in terms of the content that they do and it’s based their research on their guests. (21:26)

Hala mentions that Heather Monahan is her mentor and her first client. (21:50)

Hala shares that her education came from the people that she interviewed, and she has a very educational show and it was always about actionable insight. (24:37)

Hala mentions that you shouldn’t underestimate your marketing, especially if you have a podcast. It’s an audio platform and the visual goes with it. (29:50)

Hala shares that she’s grown a lot of her success by expanding her network, being resourceful, and being helpful to as many people as possible. (29:50)

Key Quotes:

“One of the things that I'm known for is like part pairing up with other podcasters, and not competing so much, and getting bigger and growing my network through collaboration. So I love to win, but I'm not afraid to collaborate, and I'm not afraid of the competition.” - Hala Taha

“I have faced a lot of rejection over my life, and have always gotten back on the horse and I've created my path. In many instances, the gatekeepers usually don't like me, don't pick me, and I usually have to break my door down and make my path.” - Hala Taha

“In terms of how I built my success, it's being resourceful and being scrappy. So like, I do my best when my back is against the wall.” - Hala Taha

“I'm not an insurance agent. But for instance, you have that Facebook group with other insurance agents. That's a great example of expanding your network, growing from other people, and supporting other people in a way that grows your brand.” - Hala Taha

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Hala Taha LinkedIn

Young And Profiting Podcast

Advertisers:

The Hanover Insurance Group

Veruna

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Alejandro Velez, Director Of Strategic Alliances at Quantum Assurance International. Alejandro talks about what agencies can learn from call centers and what call centers should be learning from agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Alejandro Velez. (0:58)

Alejandro mentions that he’s a giant insurance nerd. (2:40)

Alejandro mentions that the way he got into insurance was very happenstance, and when he worked at a call center insurance company, he went to the claim side. (8:38)

Alejandro thinks that there’s a certain level of criticalness to the understanding of insurance. Because when you're purchasing insurance, what you're literally purchasing is the claims experience and claims protection should the need arise. (9:22)

Alejandro mentions that insurance takes a bad day and prevents a bad life. (12:14)

Alejandro shares that when he was in claims, he was defending the arbitrations coming in from the other insurance companies that were suing their insurance. (12:45)

Alejandro shares that when you’re in a traditional call center setting, you’re talking about your average handling times and what percentage of the time you were available to take calls. Therefore, the focus is always going to be speed. (16:29)

Katlyn shares that one of the best tools in her tool belt is the quality of consultation and the connection, the conversation with her client, the time and care that she’s spending with her client, and keeping those aspects as a part of the heart and soul of her agency. (19:27)

Alejandro mentions that in his 15 years of being an insurance nerd, he hasn’t figured out a way to make a solid recommendation without knowing what it is you're protecting. (25:22)

Alejandro mentions that quote live is where the customer calls in and they get the quote before ending the call. (26:45)

Alejandro shares that you must not lose the opportunity to build rapport and connect to the customer. (30:19)

Katlyn shares that there's such a focus on referrals and marketing in the local community that sometimes, an online presence can accidentally get left by the wayside. (35:37)

Alejandro thinks that nowadays, having an online presence offers a level of validity and credibility. (36:26)

Key Quotes:

“I do enjoy reading or listening to books. But really, my heart goes into the insurance world. I am constantly reading insurance journals. I am heavily interested in what's happening in the industry as a whole.” - Alejandro Velez

“Everyone wants to make an impact, everyone wants to help others and unfortunately, the insurance industry gets a little bit of a bad rap when it comes to that. Because no one really wants to deal with insurance. But when you need your insurance, you need your insurance.” - Alejandro Velez

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Alejandro Velez LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Advertisers:

Veruna

Tarmika

Kelly Donahue-Piro, founder and president of Agency Performance Partners, joins the podcast for a fast-paced discussion where we solve all the independent insurance agency problems. Yup, all of them... Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Rob Galbraith, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, at Insurance Nerds, and Author of the worldwide industry bestseller, The End Of Insurance As We Know It. Rob has been branded the “most interesting man in insurance”, he discusses how the traditional insurance industry is responding to technology, and how his book changed his career in insurance. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Rob Galbraith. (1:13)

Rob mentions that he’s been on the carrier side for over 20 years. (10:51)

Rob talks about the book he wrote, entitled The End Of Insurance As We Know It. (11:14)

Jason thinks that the industry is becoming less siloed because people are realizing that they have to work together, for the betterment of everybody. (11:57)

Rob shares that Insurance Nerds focuses on helping people who are struggling in their insurance careers, and it’s all about celebrating insurance and building community. (13:08)

Rob mentions how he was named “the most interesting man in insurance”. (14:40)

Rob shares that he’s an expert on the devastation that fires can cause, and when his book came out, he had an opportunity to give talks worldwide. (15:11)

Rob mentions that his book is about the upcoming changes in the next 10 years in the insurance industry, then the last three decades combined. (16:40)

Jason believes that Insurtech is making a valiant effort to try and incorporate the independent insurance agent channel into what they’re doing. (18:25)

Rob shares that there’s so much more with insurance that we need to come to grips with. (21:03)

Rob shares that from a technology standpoint, there’s a lot of technology that's being developed and most of it is intended to play in the independent agent space. (28:11)

Jason mentions that it's probably a bit easier to learn technology than it is to learn insurance because when you learn technology, you know what you want. (30:27)

Rob mentions that he’s been reading a lot about Silicon Valley, Artificial Intelligence, and about the USA versus China. (43:45)

Key Quotes:

“I had an opportunity to go to the underwriting department and I just loved it. I love the uncertainty. I love that no two days are the same. In underwriting, it's always very different, very interesting problems, and stuff to solve. So that kind of matches my personality and got me into the innovation side of things.” - Rob Galbraith

“I don't think we'll ever do business in the same way that we've always done before. So I think having that mixed model, like, yes, sometimes people are going to want to walk through the front door, but oftentimes, they're not. And so being able to meet customers where they want to be met, I think makes a lot of sense.” - Rob Galbraith

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Rob Galbraith LinkedIn

Insurance Nerds

The End Of Insurance As We Know It

Advertisers:

The Hanover Insurance Group

Veruna

This episode is the full audio version of the B Atomic (NEON) launch video released just over a month ago. The goal of releasing the audio version is to give you an opportunity to digest the words and the meaning and purpose behind those words. https://batomic.com https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kelly Donahue - Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly talks about the key challenges agencies face, how you should invest in your team, and why it’s helpful to have an outside perspective to help your agency transform. Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Kelly Donahue - Piro. (1:39)

Kelly shares that she has worked with over 1,000 independent agencies within the US and Canada. (2:34)

Where did Kelly get the passion for helping agency owners? (3:24)

Kelly mentions that the insurance industry is the most stable business on the planet. (6:10)

Kelly thinks that as people go through significant changes, it’s vital to keep in mind three elements. (9:46)

When it comes to common threads, what are some of the mindset changes in agencies that Kelly and her agencies have partnered together to tackle? (13:59)

Kelly explains that a company’s biggest investment every month is payroll. (15:08)

Kelly shares that nowadays, it’s beneficial to invest in your team to have strong time management skills because you're going to hit in all different directions, and most of it is disorganized. (16:39)

Katlyn believes that clients deserve options, and being in a role where you can provide professional advice and make sure that their family's taken care of is wonderful. (20:28)

As independent insurance agents, how does Agency Performance Partners work with clients to make sure that they're best protected, without price becoming the focus of everything that they do? (21:02)

Kelly explains the three key challenges that she sees in the frontline team. (21:17)

Kelly mentions that you have to find something significant to your target market and grab it. (24:29)

Kelly shares that agency owners have ideas in their heads of what producers are supposed to be doing and what an account manager is supposed to be doing. But at the desk level, the work coming in hasn't changed. (34:13)

Key Quotes:

“A lot of times small things make a big difference, but sometimes it's difficult decisions whether it's putting people in different seats on the bus, installing a process, and retraining people into better ways of doing things.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro

“I think sometimes when you're inside of an agency, it's very cloudy. You need someone from the outside saying, hey, these are the couple steps we can do and we'll get there together. So I love what I do. I wake up every morning excited to do what I do and I think that in a lot of ways, it's the biggest blessing you've ever had.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro

“You have to look at the numbers and have trust and faith in them. That’s the biggest challenge we see if you look at a report and you don't have faith in it, your staff won't have faith in it, and it just becomes a paperweight.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Kelly Donahue - Piro LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partners

Advertisers:

ePayPolicy

Agency VA

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Patrick Romey, Client Partner at Facebook. Patrick talks about digital transformation in the agent community and how agencies can utilize Facebook's free tools and advertising platforms to grow their books of business.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Patrick Romey. (3:37)

Patrick shares that his first job was a hands-on experience with the advertising system that many businesses are using today, and it allowed him to see how the advertising system and the products have evolved. (7:26)

Patrick started working at Facebook in 2015. (7:46)

Patrick shares that Facebook’s philosophy is that they want solutions that scale to businesses of all types and all sizes. (9:01)

Patrick thinks that the major shift that Facebook has seen over the last few years in advertising has been the shift in focus from likes and clicks to giving businesses the tools to be able to measure actual business outcomes. (11:10)

Patrick shares that social media has grown up quite a bit and the advertising tools are more stable and drive meaningful business outcomes than before. (11:43)

Jason shares that data can be used to ethically collect behaviors of people to be more efficient, to make things more efficient for them on the consumer side and the business side. (11:57)

Patrick thinks that most people don’t realize how many messaging apps we're using, and how Facebook messenger became the predominant way to communicate. (13:05)

Patrick mentions that customers nowadays are more confident in using Facebook messenger because they can expect a response and they can respond on their own time. (23:15)

Patrick shares that data is increasingly powering customer acquisition campaigns, by making sure that you have sound goals with your advertising and liquidity with advertisers. (26:53)

Patrick mentions that if you focus on removing friction for customers that want to do business with you, you'll be set up for success. (33:48)

Key Quotes:

“Facebook products are designed to help businesses of all sizes and give small businesses the access and resources to the same tools that big businesses are using to drive success.” - Patrick Romey

“When we think about the insurance industry, it's about all of those different customer touchpoints, and constantly thinking about what are ways that you can remove friction from somebody who may be inclined to research on their own, and be able to find information about your agency or somebody who's wanting to message your business.” - Patrick Romey

“Putting yourself in the shoes of a potential customer, when they are doing research they want to be able to gather information about your business pretty quickly and understand your expertise, your services, and a chance to sell yourself. So the more that you can make that easy, without putting work on the customer, the better.” - Patrick Romey

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Patrick Romey LinkedIn

Facebook

Advertisers:

The Hanover Insurance Group

ePayPolicy

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Bob Klee, CPRIA, CPRM, President at Kelly Klee Private Insurance. Bob talks about his in-depth knowledge and expertise as an insurance professional and why agents like doing high-value homes. He also shares a little bit of background into what it's like to be an entrepreneur. Key Quotes:

“The root of luck in Latin is happy, for happenstance and you can't control that. But you can control skills because you can study, learn, and get better, and so a lot of athletes that are really good today, aren't necessarily the best athletes on the field. But they've learned, studied, they practiced over and over, and that's what makes them good.” - Bob Klee (8:27)

“I wasn't the best athlete, but I worked hard and I had fun doing it and it did okay, and the same thing with shooting, you study and practice, and you know, work harder than the next guy.” - Bob Klee (9:13)

“Chris used to buy leads of hometown quotes, we loved him and then he started doing his first videos he shared with us. I remember my team looks at this guy, Chris, now he doesn't need to buy leads because he does such a great job with media.” - Bob Klee (24:00)

“We have the best people in this business. We love working with them. They love working with us. But we'll run through walls for them. I believe they'll run through walls for us. We've got incredible people.” - Bob Klee (25:41)

“It’s all about the P, it’s the process you have to have. I think the lack of process is what makes most agencies fail at internet leads or sales in general. But you have to step back and slow down making the process and then you hold people to those processes.” - Bob Klee (26:18)

“Everybody wants to be in our space. I mean, there are people that do, primarily businesses, non-standard auto, home, that's all they want. For the most part, most agents who buy leads don't want those and so we filter out more than one or two actions, whatever it is they want to filter to. So the higher your filter, the more expensive the lead is.” - Bob Klee (33:15)

“The word insurance almost always is one of the highest per click. It's like over 50 bucks consistently. So if you're bidding on the word insurance, they got you 50 bucks every time, and you're converting 25%, you're spending $200 to get one lead.” - Bob Klee (34:24)

“If you're asking me questions and getting information from me, don't fix it while you're asking questions. Because if it's that easy to fix, anybody can do it. I don't care whether you’re talking to a standard product and I can quote it in five minutes, which I wouldn't, but you can, because I want to add value to that conversation.” - Bob Klee (39:07)

“California keeps changing the rules. Same thing with the additional living expenses and other things. They just forced it on the insurance. Sorry, forget grandfathering, we're making it effective now.” - Bob Klee (45:52)

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Bob Klee LinkedIn

Kelly Klee Private Insurance

Advertisers:

The Hanover Insurance Group

Agency VA

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Tolga Demirel, the Co-Founder of Agency Zoom. Tolga talks about the power that a highly trained and highly motivated team can have in an agency, and the significance of technology to an agency. Episode Highlights:

Katlyn introduces Tolga Demirel. (1:21)

Tolga shares that he started his insurance career in late October 2011. (3:35)

Where did Tolga get the idea for Agency Zoom? (5:12)

Tolga shares that they are where they are today, because of their cultural adaptation. (8:36)

What are some of the differences that Tolga has seen in the struggles that agency owners are facing? (11:05)

Tolga mentions that the biggest change that he has seen is an increased appetite for technology. (12:54)

Katlyn shares that in the insurance world, the agency owner is viewed by the carrier as a distribution point or distribution channel. (17:14)

For the agency owner, what are some key elements that they need to be able to get visibility on before they can hold their team accountable for big changes? (18:52)

Katlyn thinks that accountability is a challenge within organizations in every department and a huge challenge for the leaders. (22:49)

How would Tolga reinvest the time, talent, energy, and resources into transforming the agency into a sales organization? (27:37)

Tolga shares that you should be creative in how to keep your people motivated, fairly compensate them, and let them grow together with your agency. (29:49)

Katlyn thinks that team culture and being all about people still exists in an agency that has a sales organization mindset. (32:21)

Tolga believes that when you make your customers happy, you become happy. (36:46)

Tolga shares that you should view automation in a way that it can help your agency on both sides, and sales enablement is an area where there's a tremendous need in the independent space. (38:18)

Tolga mentions that proactive engagement is going to win the future. (38:59)

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

LinkedIn- Katlyn Eggar

LinkedIn- Tolga Demirel

Agency Zoom

Advertisers:

Imperial Premium Finance Specialists

ePayPolicy

In the sixth and final episode of Book 3 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his discussion with the author Brian Ahearn. They discuss how to use the principles of influence in social media and some of the stories that didn't quite fit into other parts of the book. And Brian teaches us his secret to happiness. Key Quotes:

“I came up with a personal brand at the time, and my slogan was ‘when it needs to be done well’. That tied back to my personal mission statement, which starts with the overarching aim that when I die, God will say, ``Well done, good and faithful servant.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (5:11)

“I think if you do it well, you can support people. And they may end up leaving, that's okay. They'll probably also help you recruit somebody that could fill that position, and then you go back to what you've always done.”- Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (11:42)

“We gain authority status with people quite often when we're willing to admit weakness...you know, you're seen as a little more humble.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (17:15)

“I always think it's good to start with, relationship. If you have that connection, because of perhaps friends you have in common, connections you have in common, it's amazing how that will make a difference.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (23:08)

“It's called social media. I mean, we should be social. This is not just about you, me, or anybody else, broadcasting our message all the time. Basically, using it as an advertising platform in building relationships so that we can hopefully help each other connect with other people, maybe do business, but it's not just this big advertising platform.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (24:56)

“If you stop and think about your main business, insurance, you don't know the political affiliation of the people that you ensure, you don't know their views on lots of things. But you do know that these people need insurance, and that's what you do. So you don't want to alienate people, simply because they see that you hold an entirely different view on a controversial subject.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (30:08)

“You’ve got to move away from telling people what to do to ask them, it's the act of asking, and when somebody comes back and affirms that, yes, they will do something. That's the commitment that they've made.”- Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (38:27)

“The more effort you put into something, the more likely you are to want to see it through. So all of that psychology that I could use to maybe persuade you I can use to persuade myself to accomplish the things that I want to accomplish.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (47:00)

“I plan on being a lot better in 2022, 26, etc. Because I'm always going to be looking for ways to grow and that will benefit any of my clients.” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (59:19)

Resources Mentioned:

Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT LinkedIn

Influence People, LLC

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Book: Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

Advertisers:

Agency VA

ePayPolicy

Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

Chad Eddy, president and CEO of Indium, one of the most agent-friendly Agency Networks in the insurance industry. In this episode of the show, we break down a recent blog post Chad wrote that breaks down the repercussions of victim mentality on our success. Get more: https://ryanhanley/com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Erik Garcia, CFP®, President of Garcia Financial Group and Owner of Garcia Insurance Services and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, Family Therapist at Matt Morris & Associates, and co-hosts of the podcast, Building Us. Erik and Matt share their knowledge and expertise on money and relationships and how their podcast, Building Us, is tackling these topics in a unique way. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Erik Garcia and Dr. Matt Morris. (1:10)

Matt shares that he’s a Family and Couples’ Therapist, and a Professional Counselor, as well. (2:42)

Erik shares that he’s a Financial Advisor and a Certified Financial Planner. (2:50)

Matt shares that their podcast, Building Us, is all about love and money. They discuss anything that touches relationships. (6:09)

Erik shares that he was thinking about his idea of data and stats in the relationship world, as it relates to money in couples. (12:33)

Matt shares that they wanted to talk a little more about some of the research studies that deal with relationships and money. (15:05)

Why are we all griping about money? (16:09)

Matt shares that money is a decision that has to be made, a decision that includes values, priorities, planning, and all of that come with emotions and opinions, which results in conflicts. (16:38)

Erik talks about the idea of income disparity. (22:35)

Matt mentions that research shows that when the wife or the female partner in the relationship earns more money than the husband, divorce is more likely. (27:28)

Matt thinks that people get divorced for several reasons, but certainly finances and fighting about financial conflict as part of it. (37:42)

Erik shares that strong budgeting skills are what people find desirable and only a few people can budget consistently and regularly. (39:37)

Matt explains financial infidelity. (47:26)

Erik mentions that they originally started doing Building Us podcast work in the premarital space. (51:04)

Erik shares that you shouldn’t run from conflict, lean into it because on the other side, you'll be much stronger. (54:37)

Key Quotes:

“If a couple is on the same page financially, then they feel more satisfied in their deliberations about money. If they feel more connected financially, there's a higher correlation, a higher likelihood that they'll also have a very satisfying sexual life.” - Matt Morris (34:32)

“Money's like fuel to the fire, and that can exasperate, inflame, any other type of argument that you have.” - Erik Garcia (38:15)

Resources Mentioned:

Reach out to Jason Cass

Erik Garcia, CFP®

Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT

Garcia Financial Group

Matt Morris & Associates

Advertisers:

Hanover Insurance Group

LightSpeed Voice

In this interview with Tony Caldwell from the Uncaptive Agent Podcast, we dive deep into the "Human-Optimized" agency concept and why now is the time to begin building the agency that will compete into the future.

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass brings back Katlyn Eggar, Director of Education and Development at Quantum Assurance International to introduce the new miniseries on Agency Intelligence podcast that she will be hosting: Age of Indiependence. Katlyn explains that the Age of Indiependence podcast will share game plans, tips and best practices that will make it a little bit easier for agents to make a bigger impact in their agencies. Episode Highlights:

Jason welcomes back Katlyn Eggar. (1:10)

Katlyn shares the reason she loves her position is because she gets to impact insurance professionals in their career, she helps develop the strategic programs, and processes that help their agents and sales professionals, to scale and grow. (6:31)

Katlyn mentions that nine years ago, she and her husband, Justin opened their first insurance agency, and it was a local insurance office boutique-style agency. (7:33)

Katlyn thinks that some best practices can make strategic moves in growing your agency with a purpose. (9:44)

Jason mentions that Katlyn is known because of their previous podcast about leads. (10:49)

Katlyn shares that referrals are essential, but they should occur organically. (12:54)

Katlyn mentions that digital marketing allows you to expand your reach, and it’s how you can scale and grow to new levels. (12:59)

How much is Katlyn’s agency putting on in premium a month? (22:10)

Where would Katlyn like to focus this industry and expose this industry, for more greatness? (23:30)

Katlyn thinks that she’s seeing a huge gap between the captive agent experience and the independent agency experience. (23:35)

Jason shares that they’re going to turn over the Agency Intelligence podcast to Katlyn, and for a mini-series, entitled Age of Indiependence. (25:27)

Katlyn believes that agents could learn a lot from call centers and call centers could learn a lot from agencies, as well. (27:57)

Key Quotes:

“You have to have a blueprint when you're scaling and growing an agency, or else it feels a little bit like throwing paint at the wall, a lot of trial and error. So we really believe that with the right game plan, the agents can make a really big splash in the insurance ecosystem, we heavily invest in the agency model, we believe in agents because that's where it all began for us.” - Katlyn Eggar

“We carried with us a passion for seeing the other agents that were growing their businesses alongside us seeing them succeed and growing, as well, and every day I get to come to work and help agents succeed. And I love sharing game plans and tips, and best practices, and things. It'll just make it a little bit easier for agents to make a bigger impact in their world, in their agencies.” - Katlyn Eggar

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Advertisers:

Tarmika

ePayPolicy

In the fifth episode of Book 3 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his discussion with the author Brian Ahearn. They discuss how the principles of influence impacted others in very well known and public situations and what the company or person should have done. And you'll find out if Brian was able to put his daughter on a plane after watching the movie Taken.

Key Quotes:

“I think being so rooted in, we're the biggest in the world, we don't need to change, people need to change in relation to us, was a big part of the downfall.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (5:14)

“Their inability to persuade the right people, I think is a big reason that they missed the mark so badly and ultimately lost their dominance, and filed for bankruptcy.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (7:14)

“I always say, great ideas don't become projects until somebody above you says yes. So to me, that shows that everybody in an organization has to at some level, have good persuasive skills. Otherwise, those really smart minds, who could propel you forward may not be listened to.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (8:14)

“If you're not giving me something out of a genuine thought of giving, if you're really giving it as a tactic, just to get me to do something, then what I'm saying no to is the tactic.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT(31:26)

“If we don't act here, it could be the downside, that starts to make a very persuasive case to listen closely to what those people have to say, rather than just thinking, you don't know what you're talking about, we're doing fine.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (10:25)

“I might say, you know Josh, everything you've said makes complete sense to me, and there's a part of me that's drawn to that. Another part of me deep inside that said, something's not right here, and I'm going to have to trust my gut for now on this and just remove myself from the situation.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (32:10)

“Even when we are not focused on something, we are still taking in that stimulus. That's a big reason that people could become alert to the danger that helped us survive, and I think that's the mechanism that's at work. You can't put your finger on it, but your senses are taking in enough for you're saying something's not right here and therefore, I need to proceed with caution.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (32:46)

“If you and I now had to negotiate something, we would have a much better opportunity to come up with some kind of deal. Because I get a sense that you like me, I like you, there is respect and trust, there are all these variables that will have us hang in there longer and work harder to come up with a deal.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (56:05)

Resources Mentioned:

Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT LinkedIn

Influence People, LLC

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Book: Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

Advertisers:

ePayPolicy

Agency Performance Partners

Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

Want to write more commercial insurance? Sure, you do; commercial accounts produce more revenue per account than a standard home and auto account. The problem is, COVID has put a damper on traditional commercial prospecting methods such as networking and cold drop-ins. In this webinar, agency owner, industry expert and podcast host Ryan Hanley will discuss 7 ways to use digital tools to increase your number of commercial prospects and close more sales. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jim Harris, Disruptive Innovation Keynote Speaker, International Bestselling Author, Thought Leader, and Columnist at Strategic Advantage. Jim talks about disruptive innovation and the impacts of autonomous vehicles. He also shares his knowledge and expertise in auto insurance and exponential growth.

Key Quotes:

“People say you are very lucky. Yes, I was lucky. But I co-created my luck in putting 300 opportunities in the hopper.” - Jim Harris

“This was a kind of two by four to the head for me, saying that if not even the best companies can create job security for people, what will create job security?” - Jim Harris

“Ultimately, what creates security for us as employees, and corporately, as organizations are one learning to change, accepting uncertainty.” - Jim Harris

“A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. This crisis is driving more change. It is responsible for more digital transformation in organizations, and processes than anything else.” - Jim Harris

“If you don't think that the electrification of transportation is going to impact the industry going forward, I beg you to think again.” - Jim Harris

“If I am not mobile-centric if my business is not oriented to the smartphone, I am choosing not to use a supercomputer in the pocket of every single customer and prospect.” - Jim Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Jim Harris LinkedIn

Strategic Advantage

The 100 Best Companies to Work for in Canada

The Learning Paradox

Advertisements:

Agency Performance Partners

ePayPolicy

Agency VA

The Learning Paradox

The Financial post 100 best companies to work for in Canada

Listen as Ryan breaks down the good, bad, and ugly of the first 7 months of Rogue Risk's existence. Specifically, we focus on some of the unforeseen obstacles that hindered growth and what he is doing and plans to do in order to course-correct and hit annual goals. Get more https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mike Crowley, Vice President at Crowley Insurance Agency INC. Mike talks about his journey of being in a family-owned agency and shares what he has done to change it. Mike also discusses the significance of having the right mindset and adapting to changes.

Key Quotes:

“Without them trying to find out the reason, my opinion has always been, especially because it has worked well...okay, you don't want to do it, I'm gonna do it.” - Mike Crowley (18:44)

“Nobody's ever going come at you and fire you for doing something on your own time with your own dollar.” - Mike Crowley (19:25)

“All these people don't want to try and do something because either they're scared or you know, they're afraid of failure, whatever the case is. My advice is always, you know, try just do it.” - Mike Crowley (20:24)

“Our mindset is, that we're in the greatest industry there is. And the reason for this is because if I lose a big account, or like you it a whale, I'm just going to go get 10 more whales to put on the books.” - Mike Crowley (22:27)

“I see that things are changing. And I'm going to be able to adapt to the mindset that expenses don't matter as much.” - Mike Crowley (35:54)

“So my purpose was, I'm gonna grow, I'm going to make new and renewal on a decent really well percentage higher than the norm. And I'm going to watch as the harder I work, the more sales I get, the more money I make, and that mindset crafted my pay scale...I lose this account, I'm just going to go do this.” - Mike Crowley (25:53)

“The biggest change I did without telling them at all, was changing our website. And that was done, you know, to the point where they buy into the fact of a website's importance. - Mike Crowley (34:24)

“Things are changing in the world, we need to start learning what others are doing.” - Mike Crowley (38:01)

“In upstate New York, when they hear the word Crowley they think it's the dairy company and they think of milk. I'm trying to change it to the point where people think of insurance versus milk.” - Mike Crowley (38:42)

“We got to keep feeding this fire. And we might not be feeding the fire by hiring more people. We're going to feed the fire by some of these other things that we're going to start implementing.” - Mike Crowley (40:14)

“Make sure be patient and you're going to see great results as you continue to move forward.” - Mike Crowley (40:44)

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Mike Crowley Linkedin

Crowley Insurance Agency INC

Advertisers:

Hanover Insurance Group

Tarmika

David Carothers, principle at Florida Risk Partners and founder of Killing Commercial Producer Training joins the podcast to discuss his first 7 months training some of the best independent agencies in the country to produce Middle Market Commercial Accounts.

In the fourth episode of Book 3 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his discussion with the author Brian Ahearn. They discuss how Brian has used the principles of influence that was discussed in episode 2 in real life situations. And at the end, you'll want to buy as many yellow sticky notes as possible.

Key Quotes:

“Book two differs a little bit from the book we're talking about in it is a very hardcore sales book and it's specific to insurance agents. So it looks at the sales process and when these principles are most applicable at different points.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (1:44)

“Handwritten is always best. That's what indicates that you have done a little bit more .” - Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (7:08)

“The more somebody knows that you personalize something to them...they are to respond in kind.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (13:45)

“Sometimes I will put a sticky note sticking out of the book on page 43. Just so they'll flip it open. And I say, I think you'll really like this story. And if they start with that story, and they're activated, like, wow, now they want to read the book.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (15:03)

“It's critical to get your expertise out early. So people will then pay attention.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (20:26)

“Leverage what you are good at. So maybe if you come into the insurance industry, and you're not really strong yet on coverages and certain other aspects. But you might be really, really good with technology, and your ability to bring that to insurance agents and help them get better. That becomes part of your expertise.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (22:52)

“It's not what it costs me or how hard it was, for me, it's what it means to them. And if it means a lot, and they're praising me, I should graciously accept that.”- Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (36:35)

“The difference between the person who would constantly be the ‘I need the sales numbers with profit by Friday’ and the person who's thought about it, and always asks instead of tells. They always have fallback positions. They give reasons because that's the person who by far will get what he or she needs much, much more than the person who is in that trap, because that's what they've always done is just tell people what to do.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (44:37)

“I work to live, I don't live to work, I will never sacrifice my faith, my family or my personal well being for my career.” - Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT (51:20)

Resources Mentioned:

Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT LinkedIn

Influence People, LLC

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Book: Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

Advertisers:

Podium

ePayPolicy

Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Christopher Cook, owner of Alliance Insurance Services. Christopher talks about their preparation for their transition to the Neon platform, which made him decide to use Neon, and the formula of his vision to lead his agency that's doubling every year.

Key Quotes:

“Effort is the thing that multiplies both your talent and your skill.” - Christopher Cook (7:20)

“We all have to be able to adapt. And thankfully for us, we have some things in place, such as, quote, bids, and void phones, all the stuff that I think years ago, you would say, these are non-negotiable.

"If you don't have these things, then you're not really running an agency.” - Christopher Cook (12:04)

“I am not quite a staunch believer that you shouldn't take payments in the offices...I think that's an opportunity to build a relationship.” - Christopher Cook (13:00)

“Just forget what you know, and build what you need.” - Christopher Cook (18:01)

“I want my people on a keyboard less and dealing with humans more, and VA’s allow you to do that.” - Christopher Cook (29:01)

“We all are different in our own spaces. But we can certainly recapture quite a bit of time, with some of the efficiencies that we're going to be able to pick up in the neon environment.” - Christopher Cook (33:04)

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Christopher Cook LinkedIn

Alliance Insurance Services LLC

Advertisers:

Hanover Insurance Group

ePayPolicy

Producer trainer and Agency Growth Consultant, Mick Hunt, founder of Premier Strategy Box, stops by the show for a deep diver on producer development.

My friend and mentor, Chris Paradiso, joins the podcast for an old school rap session on all things independent agency. This is an episode you don't want to miss... Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass gives you a preview into a special AI Mastermind Facebook Live with Mastermind Member and guest, Miles Merwin, Founder and President of Advisors Insurance Agency. Jason and Miles went live on Facebook to discuss working remotely, efficiency, team building, virtual assistants and more - it was so good we just had to share!

Key Quotes:

“If you can't change your people, change your people. If that's the way that your business is running, and you find that the type of personality that's most efficient in your working situation is somebody who works from home. There’s different types of people out there and as a business owner, you moved the way that makes sense for your clients and your team.” - Miles Merwin

“You’ve got to be creative in working with your team. Otherwise, your team's going to crash because it's just them by themselves, but you've got to keep them engaged in a remote setting, versus engaged in an office setting.” - Miles Merwin

“After that first success, I was like man, a VA is you know, they are just fantastic. I can skip the recruiting, I can skip the reading resumes all night long. I can skip the awkward interviews, I can skip the taxes, all that junk, I can skip all that stuff.” - Miles Merwin

“When you build a good culture with them, to know what you have and then you explain your culture to them, and it's strong so you know your points of differentiation. Know your story. Your history, what you're passionate about, get them into your culture as much as possible. They feel a part of your culture has an onboarding program, because that is one thing that I'd say was rough is the onboarding process led by the VA companies.” - Miles Merwin

“You can't talk shop with the people who work for you. Like, you can't be bringing ideas to them, you need to bring solutions, not ideas, you have to get them, right? You got to let them buy into the culture and then change the processes afterwards.” - Miles Merwin

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Miles Merwin LinkedIn

Advisors Insurance Agency

Advertisers:

Podium

Lightspeed Voice

ePayPolicy

In the third episode of Book 3 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his discussion with the author Brian Ahearn. They discuss the other tools that the Loyal Readers will need in their tool belt to get someone to say Yes to them. And you'll learn why you should always use your four-digit birth year and not your two-digit birth year. Key Quotes:

“Unlike the principles of influence, those that can be very situational contrasts are always, always available, because human beings are always making comparisons from one thing to another.” - Brian Ahearn

“It is a natural tendency for us to look for things that confirm what we already hold dear, what we believe, and what we value. That is a much easier cognitive process than looking for all the reasons to disconfirm what we believe, or what we value.” - Brian Ahearn

“People don't make decisions based solely on logic, right? Feelings come into play, and that feeling of what we consider to be fair, at least here in America is very traditionally a 50/50 type split.” - Brian Ahearn

Resources Mentioned:

Brian Ahearn, CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT LinkedIn

Influence People, LLC

Joshua Lipstone LinkedIn

Lipstone Insurance Group

Book: Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

Advertisers:

Agency VA

ePayPolicy

Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Peter van Aartrijk, Author, Podcast Host, and CEO at Aartrijk. Peter talks about the services that their company has to offer and the significance of working on company culture. He also shares his knowledge and expertise in the insurance industry and branding strategy.

Key Quotes:

“Hey, I may not always be excellent, but I'm always confident.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“You can't go to a meeting, and just sit there and listen. I don't like those kinds of meetings. I mean, they're good for an hour or two, but not an entire conference built around people speaking at you. I like it when there are more dynamics and discussion among the group, then you get some organic thought coming out of it. And some of the best ideas come from those conversations.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“Where people work is important, why they work is even more important, why they want to work with your agency. And all those other issues of when, and how they dress and all that’s fine. But I think that the important thing is what is the environment in which you're asking people to come to.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“You have to do marketing to get to the point where you have a relationship to where you can play golf and do all sorts of things. Marketing is what gets you there.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“The core values are what drives the company’s success. Because when people on the inside act like they should on the outside, there's no disconnect between the people who make the bread, and the people who eat the bread or buy the bread. It’s all the same that’s why our favorite brands are like people, and they're like trusted friends because we're sharing the same core values.” - Peter van Aartrijk

“There's a lot of risk in hiring new people. But I think most of the problems that firms have is they don't prune the rosebush or they don't create an environment in which people want to leave” - Peter van Aartrijk

“The world has changed, and I think a lot of agents are pivoting, as painful as it is. And some are energized about it like you seem to be. But we're seeing a shift, and I'm excited about the agents in the future.” - Peter van Aartrijk

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

AI BrainShare

AI Mastermind

Reach out to Jason Cass

Peter Van Aartrijk Linkedin

Aartrijk

The Powers: Ten Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand

Insurance Journal: On Point

Advertisers:

Hanover Insurance Group

Agency VA

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass continues the fourth part of his miniseries, Building An Agency. For the final episode of the miniseries, Jason brings on guest, Ryan Deeds, VP of Technology and Data Management at Assurex Global to talk about technology and data management, Agency Management Systems, software development, electronic signatures, and more. Key Quotes:

“I think today in today's world, a nimble firm that has a good strategy, even if you're two people, three people, starting it up from the with the right perspective in mind, the capabilities and the things that you can deliver today to both your internal staff and your external customers are so much more significant.” - Ryan Deeds (03:33)

“Every tool that's out there, every Agency Management System that's out there will solve the problem. It's really about a commitment to the Agency Management system that you choose, the phones that you choose, and how to leverage those the most effectively.” - Ryan Deeds (4:38)

“If I'm just starting out in the agency, what I'm doing first is writing down those kinds of things like e-signatures, that's cutting the grass.” - Ryan Deeds (12:24)

“Go get the right tool for the right job, learn how to use it.” - Ryan Deeds (18:53)

“Every wrench has its own limitations. But I guarantee most of our agencies that are listening to this and out their period, have not hit the limitations of the wrench. They've hit the limitations of their budget allotment to spend money to learn that wrench.” - Ryan Deeds (22:28)

“Just give yourself a little bit of freedom. Make sure that you forgive yourself for screwing up. Keep trying to learn.” - Ryan Deeds (24:27)

“I think that if you're starting a new agency, or you have an agency, and you're ready to grow and get out, that's where we got to start, right? We got to prep the site, we got to know who we are, we got to understand what who we're going after, what the limitations are, what are true tools that we need.”- Jason Cass (26:04)

“You can go out and get one piece of software that fundamentally changes your whole deal. And you can implement it in a week and get that done. And now you have a better customer experience.” - Ryan Deeds (26:37)

“If you can maximize your advantage over the slog, the slowness, that's where you’ve got to be, you know, you can make decisions quicker, you can implement stuff faster, you can fail more rapidly.” - Ryan Deeds (26:56)

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

You've heard about NEON, you're read the Tweets, seen the videos... now it's time for the official launch. It's go time. That's why we got Seth Zaremba, founder and CEO and Sydney Roe, Chief Marketing Officer to stop by and explain exactly what NEON is and how it's going to change the independent insurance industry forever. Watch the launch: https://batomic.com/neon-countdown/

In the second episode of Book 3 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his discussion with the author, Brian Ahearn. They discuss the seven principles of influence, how to use them, the power that they have, and how to get someone to say Yes. And you'll hear how one of the principles caused Josh to buy a backpack leaf blower, but you'll have to listen to find out why. Episode Highlights:

How did Brian spend his Labor Day? (0:40)

Brian talks about the two-day workshop he’s doing. (1:26)

Does Brian do any keynote or speaking engagements for associations? (1:52)

Brian shares that they use a basic model called core motives developed by DR Gregory Neider. (3:55)

What are some of the decisions that people are making in business that are autopilot decisions that Brian has observed in his years of coaching? (7:39)

Brian says that people are more motivated by what they may lose versus what they may gain. (8:48)

Brian explains how the principle of reciprocity would apply to sales or business. (12:40)

Brian mentions that a small act can start to change how somebody thinks and feels about you and your agency. (13:02)

Brian gives examples of principles that can make a big difference. (14:55)

Josh says that when you think of reciprocity, think of the word giving. (18:43)

Josh says that he challenges the loyal readers to think about the people in their life who have had an impact, which at the time, maybe you didn't appreciate or understand. (25:04)

Brian shares his experience working with the Claims Department. (26:23)

Brian talks about the game changer when it comes to manipulation. (27:42)

What type of advice can Brian give to loyal readers who do work in a family business and struggle with listening to one another? (30:11)

Brian says that virtually everything has good and bad, positive and negative. ( 34:16)

Brian encourages loyal readers to get something that's going to come to the surface as a rejection or a weakness in what they’re offering. (35:55)

Brian thinks that certain things are based on trends. (38:34)

Does Brian have any advice on how someone can go about changing their opinion and not be called out by others? (47:14)

Brian says that he’s not going to change anybody’s opinion on Facebook, but he’s going to change your opinion when he has a one on one conversation. (49:19)

Brian explains how the scarcity principle works. (57:30)

Brian shares the story of his father who serve

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass continues the third part of his solo miniseries, Building An Agency. Jason talks about prospecting and servicing and the reasons to be in AI Mastermind. Key Quotes:

“Everything in prospecting and servicing from a high level comes down to two things...proactive and reactive” - Jason Cass

“We can do the process that we always talk about, that I just laid out. Or what we can do is we can focus on the clients that we have, create a customer experience, knowing who they are allowing and giving them that technology, understanding the type of service and communication they want, servicing and communicating that way with them.” - Jason Cass

“When you start seeing the success that comes now, it's easier to find other producers because you discovered who you are, you've gotten the markets that make you successful, you've attracted the people that are in that need, you've built authority with them.” - Jason Cass

“I fell in love with the saying a long time ago that insurance is fun. And when we make it fun, we make it fun for our clients, we attract those people who like it to be fun.” - Jason Cass

“I think that we focus way too much on prospecting, when we should be focused on servicing that will then help our prospecting.” - Jason Cass

“No matter what anybody tells you don't sell on price” - Jason Cass

“I want you to keep in mind you don't need a lot of markets, you don't need a lot of prospects, you just need the right ones.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

We Got Your Podcast

Reach out to Jason Cass

Advertisers:

Podium

ePayPolicy

Basilios Manousogiannakis, Client Relationship Manager and Product Owner at Employers Insurance joins the podcast to explain how Employers have evolved from a failing State-owned single state carrier into a national powerhouse investing in technology across the spectrum of the insurance marketplace. Get more://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass continues the second part of his solo miniseries, Building An Agency. He also shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of getting markets. Episode Highlights:

How many agents and how many other business owners that you’re taking advice from have started their books from scratch? (6:25)

Jason mentions that he started three books from scratch before he built his agency. (6:53)

Jason thinks that it’s vital to realize what carriers we're going to need, to write business. (8:05)

Jason shares that the aggregators benefit because they take advantage of your ignorance and also, take advantage of the fact that you're in a position that you’re dissatisfied with and you need markets. (8:37)

Jason creates a scenario on how to get markets. (9:00)

Jason mentions one of the things he never would have done to get an aggregator. (9:13)

Jason realized that he wasn’t writing a lot of business through the aggregator. (11:05)

Jason shares that one of the incentives to growing is that you grow, you write profit, and when the company profits, you should get a piece of that. (12:20)

Jason shares a couple of his ideas on what we can do to get markets. (12:38)

Jason mentions that most of the brokers used to all be the same. But now, the brokers realize that they have to niche, as well. (13:40)

Jason shares that there are MGA’s that’s focused on personal lines and have good direct markets, and other MGA’s that’s focused on commercial insurance and specialty. (13:53)

Jason shares that choosing the client and then finding the markets that serve them, could lead to more efficiency and more productivity. (14:40)

Jason thinks that the aggregators and other groups are legitimate, but there are points that you need to know and understand that there are other avenues. (25:05)

Jason explains the difference between clusters, and the aggregators or groups. (26:09)

Jason mentions that clusters have all the contracts themselves. (27:08)

Jason shares that most of the carriers should understand that the independent insurance industry system is getting young because they left them out with the training and the way that they pay. (27:55)

Jason shares that the reason why he gets upset with clusters and other groups is because they don't do what they say and they only want your book of business. (31:02)

Key Quotes: “You have to keep in mind, I didn't talk about getting markets and then discovering who you were. We talked about

In the first episode of Book 3 of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone begins his discussion with the author of the book Influence People: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical, Brian Ahearn. They discuss why Brian wrote the book, what the Loyal Readers will learn by the end of the series, and what the word PEOPLE actually means. And there's a chance a popular Marvel character will make a surprise appearance at some point. Episode Highlights:

Does Brian prefer to read a physical book or an Ebook? (1:40)

What is Brian’s favorite book? (2:43)

Brian mentions that he wrote a blog post called “Five books that impacted my life.” (2:54)

Would Brian say it’s nature or nurture that made him the person that he is today? (4:42)

Josh talks about Kobe Bryant’s quote that he has read which is “I was blessed with talent, but worked as if I had none.” (6:06)

Josh and Brian discuss a story from a book written by Dave Lakhani. (6:40)

Brian talks about the fear of rejection. (9:11)

Brian explains why there are no chapters in his book. (11:59)

Brian says that if you find yourself in a situation where the technique doesn't work, you're dead in the water, But if you understand the philosophy and the psychology behind it, then you can pivot. (14:30)

Brian defines what social psychology and behavioral economics are. (15:40)

Brian says that people will learn throughout the book that small changes can make a big difference in people’s willingness to say yes and do what you want them to do. (17:22)

Brian mentions that his goal is to take what people are learning through research and help individuals and organizations put it into practice. (18:49)

What advice can Brian give to Josh to get over the hump and be able to promote himself? (20:59)

Brian talks about the bio on his website. (21:53)

Brians talks about the acronym he came up for the word PEOPLE (Powerful, Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical). (24:37)

How much could Brian deadlift, bench, or squat back when he was doing competitive bodybuilding? (26:03)

Should the loyal readers try to emulate their heroes that may have certain gifts that they are not blessed with? And if not who should they try to emulate? (27:56)

Brian mentions that he encourages people to understand what research says about how humans think and behave. (30:02)

Brian gives an example of what non-sales selling is. (32:45)

Chris Burand, president of Burand Associates, a leading P&C insurance consultancy, joins the podcast for an incredibly deep discussion on the coming hard market, why we're insuring the wrong things and how "Clean Data" will play a major role in agency valuation over the next ten years. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass talks about getting markets, discovering who you are, prospecting, and servicing, as he explains it from a new agent’s perspective and an established agent perspective. Episode Highlights:

Jason thinks that the best way to get better is to get some training, and that’s what he and many other agents have done, watch others, and figure out what they're doing with the successes and what they're doing with their failures. (2:02)

Jason shares when he and Mike Beard started their agency in 2002. (4:37)

Jason mentions that Mike Beard was his number one mentor. (4:56)

Jason shares that the reason he left Mike was that he could get a job four blocks down the road, from his house. (5:09)

Jason mentions that after three years, he joined another agency called The Insurance Partnership. (5:22)

Jason shares that he wants loyal listeners to know that Tom Simpson is a real person, a person who trusted him, a person that he trusts, and they did business and he owes him and the team at The Insurance Partnership a lot because they taught him everything that he knows today. (7:03)

Jason mentions that he decided over Thanksgiving in 2009, that he was planning to start his agency. (7:30)

Jason mentions that 95% of the world’s problems are caused by a lack of communication or miscommunication. (9:36)

Jason shares that discovering who you are, building your brand, and creating your culture, is vital nowadays in how you will be successful, plays a substantial part in the great separator. (11:12)

Jason mentions that we need to know the audience we are going to attract so that we can build the authority. (12:35)

Jason mentions that at The Insurance Alliance, they are an agency that writes commercial insurance. (12:54)

Jason shares that he wants his team to spend their time on servicing their clients, and he believes that servicing their clients creates better sales. (13:44)

Jason mentions that you shouldn’t reach out to an aggregator because there are better options out there. (20:14)

Jason shares that one of the reasons why others start their independent insurance agency is because they’re tired of representing just one company exclusive. (20:38)

Jason mentions that the things that other people are telling you can, and can't work, they telling you the truth and lies because everything can truly work. (21:47)

Jason explains the significance of knowing who we are. (22:36)

Jason shares that you don’t have to provide the solution, as long as you can lead them to the solution. (25:57)

Jason mentions that discovering who

Dax Craig, co-founder, and President of Pie Insurance joins the podcast to talk about how Pie leverages a deep understanding in analytics to create a competitive advantage in the small business insurance marketplace. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jennifer Hasan, Sales Trainer and Consultant at Prospecting Works. Jennifer talks about proper prospecting and communication. She also shares her knowledge and expertise in cold calling and the significance of having the right mindset to be a successful salesperson. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Jennifer Hasan. (1:01)

Jason shares that discipline is needed when you're trying to prospect and even the best prospectors have to rely on discipline. (3:22)

How long has Jennifer been an Android user? (3:40)

What was the last app that Jennifer downloaded? (5:33)

Jennifer shares that she’s always on the quest for difficult logic puzzles and it helps your brain to think in different ways. (5:42)

Does Jennifer love to win or hate to lose? (6:33)

What does Jennifer attribute to her success, skill or luck? (8:36)

Jennifer shares that a huge percentage of top athletes came from homes where they were raised by single mothers, and came from really difficult places yet they achieved insane success. (9:44)

Jennifer shares her background. (10:33)

Jennifer shares that one of those freelance gigs she had, turned into a great job that led to her position as a Director of Business Development, for a marketing communication and design firm. (11:23)

Jason mentions that when we're talking about business, we talk about finding the client and selling the client. (13:11)

Why do people not like to cold call? (14:11)

Is having a script one of the main things that you have to do to be successful? (16:10)

Jennifer shares that when she writes scripts for her clients, she writes it with the client mind, she’s using words that make the client feel comfortable with them because you have to be authentic. (16:22)

Jennifer mentions that it all goes back to being careful about who you're calling, what you're saying, and resisting the urge to call thousands of people. (19:55)

Jennifer mentions that if you want a dream client list, then only call companies that would qualify for that dream client list. (20:52)

Jason mentions that we can get better business by being proactive in our prospecting, rather than being reactive. (22:07)

Who taught Jennifer how to cold call? (23:19)

What's going on in somebody's head who's not successful, against somebody who is a successful cold caller? (25:04)

Jason shares what he likes about cold calling. (25:49)

Jason believes that not every agency should be successful in genera

In this episode of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone concludes his discussion with David Carothers, the author of the book, The Extra 2 Minutes. They discuss how everything leading up to this moment has prepared us to close the deal and how to provide the client experience that no one has seen before. And David lets us in on a secret about his upcoming book. Episode Highlights:

How is David feeling with this being the last episode? (00:44)

David mentions that he will write another book. (1:08)

David shares that he’s had several people reach out to him from just hearing the podcast great (1:28)

What has writing this book meant to David? (2:15)

David thinks that he underestimated the reach that we have on people and our ability to influence people in changing the way they run their business, or they approach sales. (2:23)

In David’s opinion, if the book has made enough impact on people, they'll take the time to go do that. (3:39)

Josh shares the reason why he’s doing this podcast. (4:29)

David mentions that he’s generous with his time, he likes helping people, and he likes knowing that the advice that he gave helps them win. (5:10)

David tells Josh that he has never felt more vulnerable than writing a book and just putting it out to the public. (5:41)

Josh mentions that this is making him contemplate writing a book. (6:18)

David shares that writing a book is a good exercise and therapeutic. (6:25)

David mentions that he’s one of those people where he can't just put something on the schedule that requires some level of creativity and thought into it. (7:20)

If David could go back to when he was writing it, what would he have done differently, and what would he keep the same for writing the book? (8:01)

Does David have any advice for the loyal readers who would be contemplating writing a book? (9:43)

Josh mentions the next section of the book, which is closing the deal and it starts with Chapter 12, The Meeting. (10:03)

Could David give us an example of how or what he would say to the prospect in discussing the journey, how he prospects, why he’s a good fit, and why they're a good fit? (11:47)

David shares that it’s essential to know the prospects that you're going to be able to make the biggest impact on, and have the best opportunity to drive, and change in their organizations. (12:26)

David shares one of the best success stories he ever had. (13:42)

Does David ever get to the point and realize that the prospect is not a good fit for him and the agency, and how does he pivot the conversation to not move forward? (17:10)

David shares that he doesn’t want to ask people about the insurance-related question because they're automatically associat

Ron Glozman, founder and CEO of Chisel AI, joins the podcast for a look into how independent insurance agencies and carriers can use artificial intelligence in a practical way to reduce errors and omissions claims. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this throwback episode of Agents Influence podcast from January of 2020, host Jason Cass interviews Chuck Blondino, Director of Agency Capabilities and Programs at Safeco Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance, who has been on the show previously in 2015 and 2017. Chuck Blondino shares what it took for him to grow his business, what high-growth agencies are doing for expansion, ways to approach the recruitment process, and the insightful Edelman.com trust barometer report. Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass introduces guest Chuck Blondino. (1:01)

Is Chuck Blondino an iPhone user or an Android user? (4:02)

Does he love to win or does he hate to lose? (4:31)

Is he stronger because of his skill or because of luck? (6:28)

Chuck Blondino talks about his journey in his business. (9:00)

What was it like for Chuck moving from Seattle, Washington to Salt Lake City, Utah at age 20 to build his business? (11:17)

You’ve got to be recruiting all the time. (22:41)

What are high-growth agencies doing to expand? (23:02)

How does Chuck approach being in his own business? (26:39)

What does Chuck mean by people having a ‘handshake mindset? (29:55)

Chuck talks about what he learned from the Edelman.com trust barometer report. (37:42)

A report says that 75% of agents want their agent managers to cross-sell and sell more. (44:34)

3 Key Points:

The market share for independent agents hasn’t moved in a decade more than 1 point in personal lines (30%) and commercial lines (76%).

When many people are hiring, unfortunately they don’t start shifting into the CEO mindset and don’t invest in the culture or the training.

About 46% of the high-growth agencies are hiring producers and 56% of high-growth agencies have someone handling the marketing duties for them.

Key Quotes:

“Today, there are so many ways to make it (success) happen, so many ways to achieve success that to get stuck is almost a choice.” – Chuck Blondino

“As soon as you say the words ‘I’m too busy to…’ you’ve got to hire somebody. You’ve got to hire people to help because that is where the multiplication comes in.” – Chuck Blondino

“I’m trying to

The wise and powerful Billy Williams stops by the show for a conversation on dealing with the turmoil in our current political climate. Whether you are experiencing the current unrest or not, the ideas and thoughts shared in this episode will get your mind going. Enjoy... Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jason Quaglia, Health Care Liability Broker at Burns & Wilcox. Jason talks about the aspects of a brokerage and the significant relationship between insurance agents and brokers. He also shares his knowledge and expertise in the brokerage industry. Episode Highlights: Jason introduces Jason Quaglia. (1:49)

Is Jason an iPhone or an Android user? (4:44)

What was the last app that Jason downloaded? (5:04)

Does Jason love to win or hate to lose? (6:12)

What does Jason attribute to his success, skill or luck? (7:00)

Jason shares his background and his career in insurance. (7:59)

Jason shares that the market has been tough, and building relationships is vital at this moment. (11:30)

Has Jason seen a lot of agents that are quoting and acquiring in the industry? (13:31)

Jason mentions that in this business, the premium is the name of the game. (15:19)

What does Jason feel when an agent is doing better than him? (17:45)

Jason mentions that communication is the biggest crux with regards to broker-agent relationships. (18:02)

Jason shares that it’s becoming difficult in the healthcare sector if an agent thinks that they can pin two brokers against each other. (20:04)

Jason Cass shares that brokers have hate against agents because they don't do what they’re supposed to do. They don't get signed apps and don't get all the supplements signed. (21:3)

Jason shares that early on in his career, he learned that it’s better to come out with the best pricing and the best coverage every time. (23:51)

What are the actions that Jason has seen from agents that prevent them from getting the best price or getting the fastest service? (25:25)

Jason mentions that the more we know about our accounts, the better outcome we're going to have. (25:51)

Jason Cass shares the conversation he had with Travis. (26:38)

Jason Cass mentions that whenever they write a huge piece of business, they write a Statement of Operations, and it’s one of the points that they teach to their producers. (27:33)

In today's episode of the Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Joshua Lipstone, continues his discussion with David R. Carothers, CIC, CRM, the author of the book, The Extra 2 Minutes They discuss the steps you need to take to book the appointment, how to confirm the appointment, and how you need to prepare for the appointment. You even hear a dad joke or two, but you’ll have to listen to hear. Episode Highlights:

David shares that the best way to get a hold of him is to visit the Killing Commercial website and if you’re looking for a one-stop-shop to learn as much about him as possible, their website is probably the best place to go. (1:33)

Josh mentions the next section of the book, which is setting appointments and it starts with Chapter 9, Booking The Appointment. (2:09)

Josh shares that bullet point scripts allow you to hold your team accountable, you're able to listen to their calls, and you can see if they're following the script, and if they don’t, you can indicate how they can improve and be able to hit their numbers. (3:50)

What are some bullet points that they can use when they call on a prospect to discuss workers’ compensation? (4:08)

David mentions that subconsciously, the human brain feels in control if they say the word no. (6:19)

David shares that their new model allows the person on the other end to feel in control of the conversation. (6:26)

David explains the script called, the two no’s to the yes. (8:20)

Josh says that it sounds like people need to go to college and study psychology if they want to be a good salesperson. (9:41)

Josh mentions one of the points that David said multiple times and it is, when you engage with the prospect in the first meeting, you tell them that you’re there to sell a product, and you’re there to help them solve a problem. (11:02)

Josh shares a classic rejection response, how would David respond to that type of rejection? (12:13)

Josh mentions that in the book David talked about the objection where they say, “we shop every year, and we always have the best price.” Is this the type of prospect that the loyal readers should go after? (13:53)

David explains the two different ways of considering the objection. (14:43)

David thinks that most of the time, agents or any salesperson that’s out there don't take the time to quantify what they are working for or the hourly rate they are willing to work for. (15:38)

David talks about the conversatio

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Heather Monahan, Founder & CEO of Boss in Heels, TedX Speaker, Best-Selling Author of Confidence Creator, and Keynote Speaker at Speakers Bureau. Heather talks about the struggles that she faced in her life and career and how her mindset helped her to get back up again and be better than ever. She also discusses how to build up our confidence and how we can continue to grow during this pandemic. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Heather Monahan. (2:16)

Is Heather an iPhone or an Android user? (3 :40)

What was the last app that Heather downloaded? (4:02)

Does Heather love to win or hate to lose? (4:31)

What does Heather attribute to her success, skill or luck? (4:55)

Heather shares her background and her career. (5:56)

What are the things that people need to do to be able to rebound? (8:41)

Heather shares that getting fired was difficult for her. (8:54)

Heather explains that understanding the idea that you can live in a lane less world is powerful. (11:12)

Does Heather feel that she has more freedom over the last three years than she ever had? (12:52)

Heather mentions that she is a huge believer in innovation. (13:01)

Heather shares a chapter from her book that includes a story about her son. (14:06)

How does Heather lift herself and keep herself going through the day? (14:52)

Heather talks about her first TedX Talk. (14:54)

Heather shares that visualizing herself doing a great job, and visualizing being in the arena or stage is helpful for her. (15:44)

Heather mentions that she always writes a simple note on the bottom of her heel for motivation. (16:40)

Heather talks about a psychological study called Pavlov's Dog. (17:33)

What are Heather’s thoughts about living in the moment? (18:35)

Heather mentions that anytime you feel anxiety, just focus on your breath and where you are right at that moment. (18:47)

How do people cope with the pandemic, and what are the ways that they can do to get through? (20:56)

Heather shares that it’s necessary to look at the culture, the morale among employees, and the sense of giving people an option that they're not forced to g

Aubie Knight, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) joins the podcast to breakdown a new study his organization recently published based survey results from independent agents and impact of COVID-19 on their business. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Alaina Chisholm, Financial Professional at World Financial Group, and host of the Pursuit of Relentless podcast, Alaina talks about her inspirational weight transformation, 75 hard challenges, the significance of having a disciplined routine and how relentless leadership development helps people to level up. Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass introduces guest Alaina Chisholm. (1:04)

Is Alaina an Android or an iPhone user? (4:56)

Does Alaina love to win or hate to lose? (7:38)

What was the last app that Alaina downloaded? (8:39)

What does Alaina attribute to her success, skill, or luck? (12:24)

Alaina shares her background story. (16:06)

Alaina shares what made her decide to build her own business. (18:41)

Alaina says in 2018 she made a decision for herself that she doesn’t want to be overweight. (21:01)

Alaina says that you have to have a disciplined routine in order to be successful in business. (21:42)

How long does it take for Alaina to get to the weight she wants? (22:08)

Alaina explains what relentless leadership development is. (29:18)

Alaina says that she’s not focused on money, she’s focused on helping people. (30:41)

Alaina explains why discipline equals freedom is the best mantra that she can tell herself. (32:16)

Alaina explains how we find discipline. (37:24)

Alaina explains what the 75 hard mental toughness challenge is. (40:29)

What is Alaina reading right now? (42:26)

Key Quotes:

“In order to be successful in business, you have to have a disciplined routine, especially when you're running a company.” - Alaina Chisholm

“I'm not focused on money. I'm focused on helping people.” - Alaina Chisholm

“When you're an achiever, you're sitting there in your life, and you're literally just going through going I know, I'm bett

In this episode, host Joshua Lipstone of The Explain This Book To Me podcast continues his discussion with David R. Carothers, CIC, CRM, the author of the book, The Extra 2 Minutes. They discuss how important the followup is after your marketing drop, how you need to be creative to gain extra touches with the prospect, and what to do if that first marketing drop didn't go exactly as planned. Episode Highlights:

What is the ideal day at Florida risk partners for David and what is David doing when he spends time with his family? (2:10)

Does David want his producers to enter the contact invites by a certain time of day? (6:16)

David says everyone on his team collaborates for the scripts to make sure everyone is on the same page. (8:00)

Did David follow someone to gain knowledge? (9:17)

David says that the book, Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, is the most impactful book he read in his career. (10:15)

David thinks that social media and platforms like LinkedIn have made it so much easier for us to digest high points and snippets from things. (11:00)

What are some common objections that a salesperson would encounter and how can they overcome that in a phone call? (12:28)

Do David and his team do any role play? (21:49)

Does David have a producer who’s making the follow-up phone call? (25:03)

What are the things that David or his producers have changed when something wasn’t going their way? (26:51)

David explains the difference between focusing on solving a problem and focusing on selling a product. (27:52)

David gives examples of the question that people should be asking their prospect to get the “NO”. (29:50)

David shares what guests on the Power Producer Podcast receive. (48:16)

Davis shares an idea of how a voicemail script may go if he’s making a follow-up call after being rejected by or potentially rejected by the prospect. (52:07)

Josh talks about David’s methods written in the book to help leverage connections. (55:22)

David explains why you’re missing the boat if you aren’t using LinkedIn. (1:01:12)

Key Quotes:

Katlyn Eggar, Director of Education Development for Quantum Assurance Internations stops by the podcast for EPIC conversation on all things crushing online leads to rapidly grow an independent insurance agency. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Walt Goshert, Insurance LinkedIn Expert and Independent Marketing Consultant. Walt shares his knowledge and expertise in using LinkedIn to build and refine your prospecting. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Walt Goshert. (1:01)

Is Walt an iPhone or an Android user? (2:07)

Does Walt love to win or hate to lose? (6:00)

Walt says that in the insurance business, you must have the discipline to improve your game and get better. (7:11)

What does Walt attribute to his life, skill or luck? (12:13)

Walt shares his background story. (15:22)

What was Walt’s main line of insurance that he wrote? (17:03)

Walt shares his experience being a brokerage. (18:53)

Jason believes that training about having a process is what they forgot to learn. (19:53)

Jason shares that over the last two years he learned that when you start getting into the big agencies, they expect risk management. (23:24)

Jason shares what he said about LinkedIn back in 2013. (26:15)

Walt says that marketers tend to ruin everything. (30:48)

Walt shares that it’s significant to understand how LinkedIn search works to be able to tap the database. (32:02)

Walt says that LinkedIn gives you a platform to build your personal brand and get noticed. (33:31)

What are some tools out there that agents can use that work with LinkedIn and can help them refine their prospecting? (35:21)

Walt thinks that a video is an untapped tool on LinkedIn. (35:43)

Does Walt consider personalized small business as a commodity? (42:37)

Jason shares what David Carothers and Killing Commercial showed him. (48:15)

Walt mentions that mindset is significant in the business. (51:27)

Walt explains the target market. (56:51)

Walt says that if you're a personalize

Chad Spaide, president and CEO of BenefitSource Insurance Services and the founder of Pure Potential Insurance Automation joins the podcast to once and for all answer the question of who actually owns insurance agency data, why it doesn't matter and what you should be doing with all the data you have. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Daniel Faggella, Head of Research, CEO of Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research. Daniel discusses the significance of Artificial Intelligence, AI investments, chatbots, niching, and data algorithms.

Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces the guest, Daniel Faggella. (1:01)

Jason explains the benefits of the AI Mastermind membership. (2:33)

Daniel shares what he has been doing over the past months. (4:13)

Daniel says that artificial intelligence for underwriting and claims is just the name of the game. (5:18)

Why has marketing, and customer service not been what Daniel has expected? (6:06)

Daniel says that there are companies that want to allow people to know about and even exaggerate AI or tech applications that make them look good to their customers or investors. (6:46)

Daniel talks about the specific reasons why marketing and customer service are not gaining traction. (8:07)

Daniel gives two examples of AI applications. (8:34)

Does Daniel think that chatbots are good in the insurance industry? (10:31)

Daniel talks about what we can do with chatbots from a realistic perspective. (11:58)

Daniel explains why press releases are not market research. (15:27)

Daniel says that if you have two choices as to where AI investment is going in insurance, pick the one that’s most correlative to risk reduction. (15:54)

Daniel talks about how AI might start to creep into the agent land in two to three years. (21:58)

Daniel shares why he respects the entrepreneurial grin in a big way. (25:03)

Daniel talks about how agencies will be able to use Artificial Intelligence. (28:25)

What can Daniel advise for those who run a smaller business? (30:30)

What is Daniel reading right now? (32:18)

Key Quotes: “If done right, chatbots involve a tremendous amount of forethought as to what are the low hanging fruit questions and

In this episode, host Joshua Lipstone of The Explain This Book To Me podcast continues his discussion with David Carothers, the author of the book, The Extra 2 Minutes. They discuss how making that first impression matters more than you think, to make sure that you dress for your day, and whether it matters if you do or do not wear socks. They also discuss how that first contact will go and how it will set you up for success moving forward. Episode Highlights:

David talks about the best and worst first impression he ever made. (2:13)

Does David give out his metal business cards to anyone? (6:57)

David talks about the custom made suits he has for his producers, and what people can learn from it. (10:11)

David shares the memorable meetings that he had with prospects or clients. (18:36)

David talks about the multiple angles that he’s working on when he’s doing something. (22:35)

David says that he rented the Florida aquarium for a massive holiday bash with clients, prospects, and anybody who has any stake at his company. (24:10)

When David is doing a marketing drop during the pandemic, is he doing it by stopping at the business, or by phone call? (28:11)

David shares their set schedule at Florida risk management. (39:34)

David says that Kyle was selling office supplies for a National Office Supply company, and was able to call on 40 to 50 businesses a day. (31:02)

David shares that he’s a huge proponent of leaving something that is not insurance related to his prospects. (32:21)

David explains why he chose BMW owners as a target. (34:16)

David explains how to get past the gatekeeper to get to the decision maker. (40:20)

What does David do when a prospect refuses to meet with him? (43:16)

How does David get the client to write a review specifically for him? (58:26)

Key Quotes:

“I am nothing if not consistent. I’m not the smartest guy in the world but the stuff I do and that I execute, I am going to literally do it the same way every single time.” - David Carothers

"You just have to make sure they understand- you respect and appreciate that you have interrupted their day. It doesn't matter if it's on the phone, or if you're talking to them in person... But then the most important thing is to close the manners loop, make sure you thank them for their time at the end of the conversation." - David Carothers

“I actually love taking somebody who I know just wants to rip my head off and turning them into a fan. Like, whatever humor can happen, whatever little thing I can do for them, that’s a bonus for me.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Mike McDonough, the Work Comp Renegade, also known as "Maverick Mike," joins the podcast to break down his philosophy on Workers Comp as well as what it takes to be the best at what you do. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com.

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Bill Martin, President and CEO at Plymouth Rock Property Assurance. Bill talks about how he got into the insurance industry and his journey to becoming the CEO. He also discusses the value of understanding the analytics and data in the industry. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Bill Martin. (3:06)

Is Bill an iPhone or an Android user? (3:41)

What was the last app that Bill downloaded? (4:56)

Does Bill love to win or hate to lose? (6:10)

Has Bill listened to Jason’s podcast before? (6:44)

What does Bill attribute to his success, skill or luck? (7:02)

Bill shares the first big break of his career in insurance. (7:55)

Bill shares his background and journey to success. (8:40)

Bill mentions that he did a series of three startups. (11:56)

Bill says that the main idea is that you should be able to know before you offer somebody insurance is what you need to charge them. (14:43)

Bill mentions that there is no great insurance story that isn't a distribution story. If you have great agents, you're going to win. (18:00)

Bill explains that he gets to concentrate on making his product more attractive to both the distributors and the customers, and that's where the value is going to be built. (18:46)

Would it be safe to say that a lot of CEOs don't think like Bill? (19:25)

Bill mentions that there is some brilliance to the delivery of really good ideas that aren’t apparent at first. (21:38)

Jason shares that the distribution system has given him a life, he never thought that would be possible. (22:15)

Jason thinks that a lot of people lose sight of understanding that it's a passion, a willingness, and a desire to change an industry and have it look perhaps, different. (22:34)

Bill shares that there are some great things about the regulation that we aren't embracing enough, but there are also some things that are just getting old. (24:24)

What is the game plan that Bill cast as a vision for Plymouth, and how does he see the future? (26:14)

Bill mentions that he started the small piece of a company called Neptune Flood Insurance. (26:50)

Why has the industry not tried to take over the National Flood Insurance Program? (28:46)

John Mason, President at Chenango Brokers LLC, joins the podcast to talk about how he built his small-town retail agency into a five-location powerhouse and ultimately transitioned into a 24 state growing wholesale operation. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Dustin Bloch and Kyle Kemp, Vice Presidents at Quantum Assurance International. Dustin and Kyle talk about online leads, sales, market share, and captive agencies vs. the independent space. Dustin and Kyle also discuss how stepping outside of your comfort zone can lead to growth in your business. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Dustin and Kyle. (1:01)

Are Dustin, and Kyle Android or iPhone users? (4:06)

What was the last app that Dustin and Kyle downloaded? (4:22)

Do Kyle and Dustin love to win or hate to lose? (4:44)

What do Kyle and Dustin attribute to their success, skill, or luck? (5:53)

Kyle shares his background story, and to where he’s at now. (7:38)

Dustin shares his background story and how he got into the insurance industry. (8:46)

Dustin talks about his role in Quantum Assurance International. (10:34)

Kyle says that they lose the stigma of the data lead because they’re taking care of every single need of the customer (14:32)

Dustin says that retention numbers can be good by building a solid connection and creating a buying conversation. (17:05)

What is the mindset that a producer has to have to be able to understand that online leads are going to be a part of this game? (18:00)

Dustin shares that doing what is best by the customer, what’s best by the company, and what’s best by the partners is one of the rules they have in the company. (18:42)

Dustin and Kyle talk about their onboarding process and how it looks for agents. (20:40)

Dustin explains why they don’t have sales managers. (21:19)

Jason talks about the feedback he has gotten from the mastermind members. (22:08)

Dustin explains why to be unreasonable is their mindset right now. (25:37)

Kyle explains why he gets inspired by people who get out of their comfort zone. (27:22)

What are the traits that Dustin and Kyle are looking for when they’re doing an interview? (28:30)

Where do Dustin, and Kyle see captive agencies 10 years from now? (42:13)

Kyle and Dustin discuss their thoughts about market share. (47:13)

Dustin talks about the best things about being captive. (52:18)

Dustin mentions that independent space will continue to grow when you get people who are tired of doing it one way and want to do it in a different way. (1:03:34)

Kyle says that as a business owner you deserve options, whether it's at the point of sale or renewal, you deserve the options for your customers, and to make sure you're constantly taking care of the people in your communities. (1:04:53)

Key Quotes:

“We believe that managing is easy, leading is hard and our goal is to lead people.” - Dustin Bloch

“Good things are going to happen when you start to get out of your comfort zone. You start trying techniques, you try things that you haven't done before.” - Kyle Kemp

“If you're going to make the switch independent, don't let your carriers dictate where your business goes.” - Kyle Kemp

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Dustin Bloch LinkedIn

Kyle Kemp LinkedIn

Quantum Assurance International

Advertisers:

Podium

ePayPolicy

In this episode host, Josh Lipstone of The Explain This Book To Me podcast continues his discussion with David Carothers, the author of the book, The Extra 2 Minutes. They discuss how to identify and locate your ideal prospect. And you may hear how David's mind was blown away from something that was discussed in Book 2, Episode 1, but you'll have to download this episode to find out. Episode Highlights:

What are the things from the first episode that stood out for David? (3:10)

Why does David think that prospect identification is one of the biggest challenges? (6:41)

David thinks the insurance industry is severely lacking in production training. (7:06)

David shares his fundamental theory in insurance production. (7:36)

David says that the difference between giving somebody the why and asking the question in a short amount of time is the title of his book. (11:16)

How does a producer define who their ideal prospect is if they’re new to the industry? (13:31)

David mentions that in the first year of his career his ideal prospect was anybody who was in life science technology. (14:56)

David says that the best way to help yourself define your ideal prospect is through conversations with your underwriter. (19:04)

David explains what affiliate marketers do. (25:22)

David says that when he’s looking at the thing about who belongs at the table, he’s looking at the moral compass and the value of that organization. (28:04)

Davis explains why he wants to bring somebody into his agency, who does not fit the characteristics of what he would consider being an ideal client. (29:17)

What other places can David recommend people to start locating their ideal prospect? (33:33)

David mentions that it takes time to identify the ideal prospect and figure out where you want to go. (36:09)

How many producers does David have in his office? (38:02)

David shares what type of data people should be gathering, and the tools that they should be using to gather that information. (41:31)

Does David have a philosophy on how long some business needs to be in business? (45:35)

What is the philosophy of David about blocking markets? (48:12)

David mentions where people should look to find out when a worker’s compensation is ready. (51:04)

David explains what an appointment setter is.

Jeff Roy, easily one of the top three insurance agency owners in the world stops by the podcast to breakdown his world domination strategy... Oh and Jack Wingate bombs the podcast for the double treat of amazing. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brian Fanzo, Virtual Keynote Speaker, Digital Futurist, and founder of iSocialFanz. Brian talks about his passion for technology, business, change, and digital innovation. He also discusses the significance of authenticity and transparency to a person’s success. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Brian Fanzo. (2:57)

Is Brian an iPhone or an Android user? (5:11)

Does Brian love to win or hate to lose? (5:26)

What does Brian attribute to his success, skill or luck? (7:33)

Brian shares his background and his journey to success. (10:03)

Brian talks about labeling himself as a Digital Futurist. (19:18)

Brian shares that his mission is to help people see the synergy between digital innovation and humanity. (19:54)

Brian mentions the significance of your brand, your name, and treating everyone like you treat yourself. (22:37)

Brian explains that forcing people to change into a world that they're not used to is not usually a good trend for adoption and understanding. (23:26)

Brian mentions that he’s a big advocate for childhood hunger, child trafficking, and he’s also working with a couple of organizations. (24:00)

Brian thinks that if we can open our perspective to where technology can fit today, we can adapt and kind of shape this future that we have. (25:45)

From what Brian does and what he teaches in marketing, strategy, and how he uses the technology, what’s Brian’s relationship with his insurance agent? (26:05)

Brian believes that at this moment, every business is in the business of trust, building trust, maintaining trust, and scaling trust. (26:20)

Brian shares that some people mistakenly say that the younger generation doesn’t have loyalty but in Brian’s opinion, he sees them as the younger generation that has more choices, more information, and more access than anyone else has ever had in the history of the world. (27:43)

Brian shares a story about his 10 year old daughter. (28:13)

Brian says that for the first time in history, we have five generations in the workplace. (34:51)

Brian shares an interesting story about his experience with the insurance agent that he ended up going with. (38:17)

Brian mentions that he’s doing a lot of coaching. (42:35)

Brian says that from a virtual perspective, this is where his business progressed and has grown multiple businesses, on helping them embrace live video. (43:50)

Brian thinks that now is the most beautiful time to build those initial relationships on trust. (45:17)

Brian shares that he was diagnosed with ADHD at age 31. (52:23)

Brian mentions that he’s currently reading a book entitled, Black Sheep: Unleash the Extraordinary, Awe-Inspiring, Undiscovered You by Brant Menswar. (53:06)

Brian shares his mantra. (54:57)

Brian believes that together, we can make the world a better place by each one of us doing our part. (55:37)

Jason mentions that transparency is significant. (58:19)

Key Quotes:

“My mission is to help people see the synergy between digital innovation and humanity… and so that's why the heart, family, people, you know, is a big part for me.” - Brian Fanzo

“It doesn't matter which generation, legacy, current or the future generation, that you're trying to appease to, there is no question that all of them respond best to human touch and authenticity.” - Brian Fanzo

“Take one thing that you’ve written down or that you’ve listened to and turn it into action, because anyone can listen, anyone can read, a whole bunch of people are going to take notes, but very few people are taking action right now.” - Brian Fanzo

Resources Mentioned:

ePayPolicy

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Brian Fanzo Digital Futurist

Advertisers:

Podium

Veruna

Lightspeed Voice

The fabulous, Shefi Ben-Hutta, co-founder of Coverager, joins the podcast to talk about her experience in insurance coming Israel, and why feeling like an outsider has turned into her superpower. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Delanea Davis, the co-founder and CEO of Cloud 9 Online. Delanea talks about the benefits of the MediMed app and how her research abilities made her successful. They also discuss the significance of mental health in our society and understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Delanea Davis. (1:12)

Delanea shares that when she joined Travelers in 2006, they didn't have a market research department, and she was brought in to build out the department and learn to show the organization how to bring the voice of customers, and agents into decision making. (4:13)

Is Delanea an iPhone or an Android user? (6:21)

Delanea shares the fascinating fact of the two devices. (6:49)

Delanea says that when she left Travelers, she formed a holistic wellness company. (7:31)

Delanea shares that technology was their catalyst in achieving their goal. (8:09)

What is the recent app that Delanea downloaded? (9:17)

Does Delanea love to win or hate to lose? (9:47)

Delanea shares that due to the pandemic, there has been a spotlight on mental illness as a huge problem. (10:51)

Delanea explains the benefits of their app. (12:08)

What does Delanea attribute to her success, skill or luck? (13:17)

Delanea mentions that Grit is a popular word in the entrepreneurial world. (15:47)

Where was Delanea born? (18:40)

Delanea shares her educational background and her career. (21:28)

Delanea says that she loves studying behavior, and people understanding what makes them tick and try to anticipate what they're going to do next. (22:49)

Jason says that he really likes Delanea’s research ability. (24:57)

Delanea shares that she studied the Ph.D. level in organizational psychology and certification program in hypnosis. (27:24)

Delanea shares that the effectiveness of hypnosis blew her away. (27:55)

Delanea explains the difference betwe

In this episode, host Josh Lipstone of The Explain This Book To Me podcast sits down with David Carothers, the author of the book, The Extra 2 Minutes: How spending an extra 2 minutes on nearly anything in your sales career will take you from good to “best in class.” to discuss David's favorite client, how selling fruit at school gets you in trouble with the principal, how his sales process has followed him from the hollers of West Virginia to the beaches of Florida, and much more. This first episode sets the stage for the upcoming ones and this is a book that will be on your shelves for life. Episode Highlights:

Josh introduces David Carothers. (1:09)

Does David’s toilet paper go over or under? (1:37)

What was the last book that David read? (2:16)

What made David the person he is today, nature or nurture? (2:49)

David shares his childhood background and his career. (3:53)

David shares a pretty humorous story about the Maxwell book signing. (4:43)

David mentions Malcolm Gladwell’s book entitled, Outliers. (8:05)

David mentions that he always tells everyone that he's been a salesman his whole life. (10:05)

What is David’s job title at Florida Risk? (10:48)

Josh mentions that he’s part of David’s Killing Commercial program. (11:26)

When did David realize that he’s kind of extra, and how did it change the way he was? (13:16)

Did David ever have a passion or a drive to be an entrepreneur before? (17:37)

David says that what makes him unique is that he recognizes potential opportunities quickly, and he doesn’t waste time going after it. He’s not afraid to make a mistake and he’s not afraid to take a chance. (18:35)

What is a holler? (23:01)

Josh talks about what David said that made him go back to his philosophy on the milestone moments. (28:47)

When did David come up with the idea of the extra two minutes? (31:50)

David says that everybody out there knows that we should take the time to do the job right. (33:55)

Where does David use the library card? (36:23

Chris Langille, founder of Advisor Evolved, ripped off an amazing Twitter storm a few days ago breaking down exactly what he would do if he were to start an insurance agency today. This fast-paced breakdown of agency life is going to push some boundaries of what we expect independent insurance agencies to look like but rings true for what's to come. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Seth Preus, founder of Mivation. Seth talks about the SaaS model and how they are using it to create software that provides sophisticated compensation models. Seth also talks about the significance of learning and unlearning and how using extrinsic and intrinsic rewards helps in motivating people. Episode Highlights:

Is Seth an Android or an iPhone user? (2:40)

What was the last app that Seth downloaded? (3:22)

Does Seth love to win or hate to lose? (7:57)

What does Seth attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (11:49)

Seth shares his story and his family background. (13:16)

Seth says that he has moved to 10 different states in his life. (17:39)

Seth shares why moving to Colorado Springs is really a good change for him. (18:13)

Seth shares what made him listen to motivational speakers like Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar. (19:01)

Seth shares how he learned the fundamentals of sales. (19:37)

Is there anything Seth can say about living in the moment? (29:46)

Seth explains the significance of or learning and unlearning. (30:26)

Seth talks about how he started Mivation. (33:01)

Seth mentions that he really values freedom. (34:01)

Seth says that Mivation was born out of the needs of insurance agencies. (34:14)

Seth explains why they spent more time thinking about the psychology behind sales. (34:54)

Seth explains what extrinsic and intrinsic rewards are. (35:29)

Seth talks about a study that showed people were more likely to stay late to help a co-worker hit a goal and deadline than they were to stay late to hit their own deadline. (38:22)

Seth explains what accountability is. (42:55)

Tracy Cotton, one of my favorite people in the insurance industry, joins the podcast for a deep discussion on the producer vs agency owner relationship and how producers can maximize their value over the long-term. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his conversation with Jason Cass, author of Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. In the final episode of Book 1, Customer Service is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition, Josh and Jason finish the book and talk about what is next. How did things change in the last 5 years and how will things change in the next 5-10 years? Episode Highlights:

Is Jason an Android or an iPhone user? (1:53)

What was the last app that Jason downloaded? (2:49)

What was the last book that Jason has read? (4:12)

Jason says Fanatical Prospecting is the best prospecting book in the world. (6:30)

What does Jason attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (6:58)

Does Jason love to win or hate to lose? (9:10)

Joshua talks about the eight step process of how you recommend building the modern customer experience for an agency in 2015. (17:47)

Jason explains why step six is powerful which is to establish your brand and USP. (20:20)

Jason says that elevator speech is not what you say, it’s about what everybody is saying about you. (21:00)

Jason talks about the great separator. (25:20)

Jason explains the two ways to be able to tell the future. (29:40)

Jason discusses the three pillars of the great separator. (30:53)

Jason explains why we need to have a holistic approach. (32:44)

Jason mentions that Agency Intelligence is a technology-driven practice for utilizing data, people, and processes that allows insurance professionals to create a customer experience. (33:56)

Jason shares how he met Seth Zaremba and his background. (36:33)

Does Jason think that one of the three pillars is more significant than the others? (39:48)

Jason shares why he believes that process is vital for any organization. (40:51)

Jason me

Fanatical Prospecting

Yes, it seems like everyone these days is talking about virtual assistants. But why not get your information from the Godfather of insurance virtual assistants, the guy whose literally creating the de facto program for VAs throughout our industry? That's right, we got Wessly Anderson on the show today, co-founder of Agency VA to answer all your virtual assistant questions. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his conversation with Jason Cass, author of Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. Josh and Jason talk about the second half of the Infographic from the book. They discuss how to propose, not quote, the sale through technology and automation. How to onboard and service your new clients with welcome packets, self-service options, mobile app, email, and social media and what to do to cross sell and refer more business to your agency. Episode Highlights:

What is the one thing from the book that people agree with Jason about, and what is the one thing about the book that people disagree with him about? (1:44)

Jason says that he writes blogs whenever he goes camping. (2:45)

Jason mentions that he’s writing about API versus RPA. (2:53)

Jason believes that RPA will turn into a robotic process. (3:17)

Jason thinks that many people get upset because they pride their whole life on customer service, and society has changed it to customer experience. (4:17)

Jason says that the main pushback he’s getting is that people don't want to change. (5:53)

Jason says that customer experience is a huge part of the great separator. (6:48)

Josh says that when he read the statement of the CEO about independent agents, he felt betrayed. (7:26)

Jason shares his opinion about the CEO’s statement. (7:46)

Are agents moving in the direction of being able to replace insurance companies with any form of mechanism or will there always be insurance companies around, but fewer insurance companies? (10:02)

Jason says the people have figured out that in certain industries a middleman is not necessary, but sometimes it is. (12:09)

Jason believes that agents will eliminate each other, and employees will eliminate you quicker than your outside competition will. (13:30)

Josh shares that we should eliminate the word quote or quoting from our vocabulary. Instead, we use the word proposal or proposing because quoting is when you give someone a price, and as independent insurance agents need to do is propose. (14:07)

Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition

Jason Liu, CEO of Zywave, stops by the podcast to talk about the future of Zywave and enterprise technology. We dive deep into the future of Zywave and why now is the time for small and middle-market agencies to take a deep look into their package of tools and resources. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brian Ahearn CPCU, CTM, CPT, CMCT, Chief Influence Officer at Influence People, and international speaker, coach, consultant, and author. Brian talks about being one of only 20 people in the world certified by Robert Cialdini to teach his methodology when it comes to influence. Brian also talks about his passion for teaching how to communicate differently, understanding what psychology says about our minds, and how we can ethically influence people to do things. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Brian Ahearn. (1:01)

Is Brian an Android or an iPhone user? (4:18)

What was the last app that Brian downloaded? (4:36)

Does Brian love to win or hate to lose? (5:57)

What does Brian attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (7:01)

Where does Brian reside now? (8:11)

Brian takes us back to his college life and brings us forward to where he’s at now. (8:34)

Jason shares why Brian’s LinkedIn profile is very unique. (10:22)

Brian explains who Robert Cialdini is in his methodology. (11:57)

Brian says that Robert Cialdini wrote a book called “Influence: Science and Practice” which has sold three and a half million copies. (12:18)

Brian explains what is so special about Robert Cialdini’s teachings. (13:26)

Brian says Robert Cialdini is practicing what he preaches. (13:39)

Brian says we need to recognize that humans are most likely to respond to loss as opposed to gain. (15:49)

As an ethical persuader, Brian is putting out what he knows is in your best interest as a potential customer. (16:22)

Brian gives an example of what creates a scarcity mentality. (22:30)

Jason believes that our podcast is the best because we take these listeners down roads that people don’t normally go. (23:01)

Brain explains the scarcity mentality. (25:30)

Brian tells his story about running across Robert Cialdini’s materials. (27:15)

Brian explains what reciprocity is. (43:40)

Brian talks about a meme of Eminem that circulated on Facebook a few years ago.

Influence: Science and Practice

In this episode of Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his conversation with Jason Cass, author of Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. Josh and Jason discuss the first half of the Infographic from the book. They discuss how your branding, USP, and niche dictate your sales funnel, how you can drive leads to your agency through organic and paid leads that drives the business you want and how to convert those leads by utilizing social media, content creation, email marketing, and your website. Episode Highlights

Are there any loyal listeners who emailed Jason about an episode he recorded five years ago? (2:03)

Jason shares the conversation he had with Daniel Burris a year ago. (2:41)

Joshua says that the guidance of Jason’s book was really helpful for him. (3:42)

Jason explains the difference between traditional sales funnel and the modern customer experience sales funnel. (5:45)

Joshua says that most of the information in Jason’s book and the information he may talk about on the podcast are related to commercial lines. (9:08)

Joshua says that one of the things that agency owners and agents need to think about is how to target specific classes of business and commercial lines. (9:42)

Joshua wants people to remember that time and knowledge are valuable (10:41)

Jason explains the two types of commercial sales. (11:27)

Jason shares his five-step USP that he uses when calling somebody. (12:01)

Joshua shares his favorite stories that Jason tells in this book. (18:13)

Jason tells the story about his recent success following the killing commercial method. (18:59)

Joshua says that it is interesting that we have these cycles where things go out of style and come back in, like what we have now. (25:05)

What's the first thing to focus on for someone who's starting their own agency? (26:31)

Jason talks about his viral post about candles and rose petals. (30:41)

Where does Jason think people should focus their attention with regards to social media? (35:33)

Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition

Charles Specht, president of Permission Group LLC, the place where insurance producers can find useful information, resources, and inspiration for building a $1,000,000 Book of Business. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his conversation with Jason Cass, author of Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. Josh and Jason discuss how having the right technology, app, and payment solutions for your clients provide the Modern Customer Experience and you may be surprised about what is no longer as important in 2020 as it was in 2015. Episode Highlights:

Given the direction that Jason is taking the insurance Alliance now, is it possible for Jason to do it in a 56 square foot office? (2:03)

What did Jason benefit from having an office in the basement of his home? (3:45)

Jason mentions that he has three office locations. (4:34)

Jason talks about his meeting together with Neon and the agency owners. (5:50)

Jason shares the saying Wesley Anderson says to him that sticks to his mind. (7:30)

Is working at home good or bad? (7:46)

Jason shares that as an agency owner, stress occurs when he tries to figure out the mentality of the staff and if they can deal with issues. (8:06)

Jason asks, what could the culture of an agency or business be like if you go from having an office to working from home? (8:40)

Jason mentions the significance of Robotics Process Automation. (13:47)

Do Jason's clients use self-service for COIs? (18:28)

Joshua believes that mobile application is beneficial to his clients. (21:04)

Joshua shares that Jason will transfer from QQ to Veruna. (22:11)

How does Jason position the application to his clients, and how does he market it to them? (22:27)

Jason mentions how to get commission statements from a website. (22:49)

Jason shares that management systems are available on mobile applications. (24:31)

Joshua mentions that Ryan Deeds will bring his podcasts on Agency Intelligence in August. (31:24)

Jason shares that Kiki Johnson and Ma

Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition

Scott Howell, president of iProtect Insurance and co-host of The Insurance Guys podcast stops by the show for one of the most EPIC episodes we've ever released. We talk about insurance industry obstacles, sales, life, transitioning to independent, leadership, and everything in-between. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his conversation with Jason Cass, author of Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. Josh and Jason discuss the impact that an AMS has on your agency, and how in the future you may not even have an AMS. They also talk about how your website is your curb appeal to the virtual world with the do’s and don’ts of it.

Episode highlights:

What made Jason realize that we weren’t like San Antonio and why? (3:49)

How was Jason’s transition going on with Veruna? (5:29)

Jason shares how he met Seth Zaremba. (6:48)

Jason talks about the transformation that he experienced. (7:46)

Jason says that Veruna is a reliable and easy-to-use tool for data migration. (10:31)

Jason shares that he was in a meeting when they inform him about the other seven main people that will get in with Salesforce. (13:53)

What does Jason think will happen if Salesforce goes away? (14:35)

Jason says that AMS will not go away, but just be transformed. (22:27)

When Jason started his agency in a 50 to 56 square foot room, did he actually measure it? (24:39)

Why does Jason feel that customers using his payment method isn’t a big deal, what has changed in the last five years? (26:20)

Jason never expects that his clients will make the online payments as he just sends them a link through ePayPolicy. (27:39)

Jason tells why he is against the agency or the company apps. (29:04)

Jason thinks that we should always stay attuned to be someone's animal in the circus and make sure that it’s not us. (30:58)

Does Jason feel that providing an actual quote on his website is necessary? Or we have to follow Marcus Sheridan’s method of calculating the cost? (32:06)

Why are we comparing ourselves to an insurance company, as independent insurance when we provide something different? (44:20)

Jason talks about his blog titled “What Does Super Mario Brothers Have To Do With Direct Writers?” (46:23)

Jason shares that visible contact information and an appropriate welcome position call to action are important contents for a website. (49:02)

Key Quotes:

“You can either chase the shiny things or you can get rid of the dull things.” - Jason Cass

“If we want to be partners, we need to be partners.” - Jason Cass

“You'll be able to lead a team and an agency in business and an organization in your family when you know the difference.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to

Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition

One of the best agency owners in the country, Jack Wingate of ALLCHOICE Insurance joins the podcast for an EPIC breakdown on the insurance industry and how he learned all the secrets. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In this episode of Explain This Book To Me podcast, host Josh Lipstone continues his conversation with Jason Cass, author of Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. Josh and Jason discuss how the independent insurance agent is like a frog in a pot of boiling water, the companies that you need to be successful, and the impact of a phone call with a prospect about the past experiences she had with Geico Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Josh reminds the loyal listeners to remember the story of The Ringling Brothers and what happened to Cirque du Soleil. (2:35)

Josh mentions the controversial McKinsey report. (4:04)

Does Jason have any thoughts on how to provide a better customer experience? (4:19)

Jason talks about his trip to St. Louis. (5:53)

Josh shares the excerpt from chapter two of the book, “The Ground Rule”. (7:30)

Does Jason think that the frog is about to cook to death, or the frog still has time to jump out of the pot? (8:34)

Should travel agents, or the companies be the animal? (9:03)

Jason shares how independent agents helped the people in South Carolina. (11:23)

Josh and Jason mentioned the eBook entitled Leaders Helping Leaders Lead Their People, Coping With COVID-19. (12:11)

Josh mentions the companies that are recommended specifically for this book. (12:29)

Josh mentions the companies that Jason recommends to the loyal listeners. (12:35)

Jason mentions that the ePay policy provides a better experience for the consumers. (20:23)

Jason shares that Advisor Evolved is still the best and will be with them for the next five to ten years. (20:37)

What kind of convenience is Jason creating? (26:50)

Key Quotes:

“Just because you're consistent with something doesn't mean that it's convenient for your customer. I can consistently do the same thing year in and year out. But if my customer isn't able to get to it easily, they're just not going to do it.” - Josh Lipstone

“I have to do what I always say I do, and make sure that agents out there in my agency specifically, are using the best tools of today.” - Jason Cass

“Never eat lunch alone, start meeting with other people that are inside of your town in your community...and ask those people, how do I get going, what should I say? What should I do?” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Reach out to Josh

Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition

Erik Garcia, a certified financial planner and co-owner of Garcia Insurance Services, joins the podcast for a deep dive into why every independent insurance agency really is a unique snowflake and why understanding that fact early is a key to long-term success. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

We’re excited to announce a new podcast series on our AI podcast network! The series is called Explain This Book To Me and it is hosted by Josh Lipstone. In this inaugural episode, Josh talks with Jason Cass, author of the book, Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition. It’s been 5 years since the launch of the book and they are going to explore what Jason got right, what Jason got wrong, and the new journey that Josh and Jason will be on together. Episode Highlights:

Does Jason use Mac or PC? (2:10)

What has writing this book meant to Jason both personally and professionally? (7:33)

Why did Jason write his book? (9:29)

Jason says that the word he likes to use recently is the transformation. (17:36)

What was Jason’s view in 2015, and his view for 2020? (22:05)

Jason explains that more people and more companies are going to fail because of their own egos and problems, rather than the outside forces that would make a big business collapse. (26:37)

Jason says that there are businesses that are leading the way, but they’re using bots and screen scraping. (27:01)

Jason explains why customer experience is vital and important. (29:01)

Jason explains why the customers who keep on trying to classify data are going to have problems. (29:23)

Jason says that any company that deals with data is the future. (32:26)

Is there any company that Jason sees as a competitor with better tools? A tool that they should mimic and offer as part of their modern customer service? (34:29)

Jason says that the way that we collect information has to change. (35:34)

What does a VA do that Jason can think that some agencies are using their VAs for that could end up hurting themselves? (46:27)

Jason thinks that VA’s work will change where it’s going to come into. (50:04)

What does Jason think that Neon and B Atomic can do to help insurance agents? (57:14)

Jason shares why he hates having a company contest. (59:04)

Jason talks about the buyouts of aggregators and why it needs to be exposed. (1:04:24)

Does Jason think that insurance companies should stop paying commissions? (1:10:24)

Who are Jason’s mentors? (1:13:35)

Key Quotes:

“We will be paid based on how good of business people we are.” – Jason Cass

“Artificial Intelligence will not replace insurance agents, but insurance agents that use artificial intelligence will replace those that do not” – Jason Cass

“Listen to how these people are talking. They’re not wanting to see the future” – Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned :

Agency Intelligence

Reach out to Jason Cass

Reach out to

Customer Service Is Just Foreplay: The Modern Customer Experience Will Separate You From Your Competition

Jeff Shi, founder of Quantum Assurance, joins the podcast to talk about his transition from captive to independent and why his past experience finding rivals inside the captive community has propelled his agency towards world domination. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Michael Overstreet, Owner of Safe Street Insurance. Michael shares how he got into the business of insurance and how his knowledge and passion for gardening led him to his niche. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Michael Overstreet. (1:02)

Is Michael an iPhone or an Android user? (5:25)

What was the last app that Michael downloaded? (8:07)

Does Michael love to win or hate to lose? (8:50)

What does Michael attribute to his success, skill or luck? (9:11)

Michael shares his background story and his key to success. (12:34)

Michael says that when he went to the Dominican Republic, he got interested in tropical trees, fruit trees, and gardening. (12:53)

Michael confirms that he is still doing videos to build an organic presence for both gardening and insurance. (14:50)

Is Michael building authority or actively prospecting a niche? (16:54)

Michael says that videos could be a way of building relationships across the country. (22:57)

Michael mentions that he has 150 fruit trees in his yard. (23:51)

Does Michael plan to move on a bigger property? (24:13)

Michael plants 20 peach trees and earns from selling it every spring. (24:28)

Michael mentions that his wife loves Plumcots. (25:16)

Has gardening been a part of Michael's life since he was young? (25:54)

Michael says that he collects rainwater and it helps to water his garden. (35:07)

Michael believes that everyone needs to find a positive addiction in their life. (40:14)

What is Michael's favorite fruit and vegetable? (41:58)

What is Michael reading right now? (43:20)

Jason talks about what Nicholas Ayers said to him that sticks to his mind. (45:24)

Michael says that his friend Nick helps him with his script and everything. (51:09)

Tarmika is changing the small commercial insurance landscape. Today guest, Raghav Tanna, founder of Tarmika, explains exactly how his technology is helping independent insurance agents across the country make small commercial business profitable again. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Dani Kimble, Chief Marketing Officer at O’Neill Insurance. Dani talks about the core values, culture, and business strategy at O’Neill Insurance and how they are helping their clients during the pandemic. Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass introduces guest Dani Kimble. (2:11)

Is Dani an Android or an iPhone user? (5:28)

Does Dani love to win or hate to lose? (5:35)

What was the last app that Dani downloaded? (:)

What does Dani attribute to her success, skill or luck? (6:23)

Dani shares her background and the key to her success. (9:59)

Dani shares that her professional title is the Chief marketing officer. (14:42)

Dani says that in her perspective, every interview is like an audition. (16:06)

Dani explains how her mindset was changed when she met the people at O’Neill insurance. (16:50)

Dani says that they have a set of behavior that they call fundamentals. (19:37)

Dani shares how people at O’Neill insurance put culture at the center of their business strategy. (20:09)

Dani says that Ron Kaminski helped O’Neill Insurance employees to put their culture at the core of a business strategy. (20:54)

Dani shares the number fundamentals of O’Neill insurance is “do what is best for the client”. (26:33)

Dani says that O’Neill insurance called their clients to check out how they’re doing during the pandemic. (26:54)

Dani states that the main focus of O’Neill insurance is to embrace changes. (27:20)

Dani Says that it was challenging for her to work full time and homeschooling her three kids. (30:09)

Dani makes sure that she is educating her children about what is going on in the world. (36:01)

Key Quotes:

“One of our main focuses right now is to embrace change and that's a core value of ours.” - Dani Kimble

“Communicating sometimes, checking in on p

Description: Dawnyel Smink runs a tremendously successful independent agency and one of the most well-respected agency networks in the entire country. In this episode of the podcast we breakdown her secrets to success. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Bryan Falchuk, Best-selling author of the book Future of Insurance, executive coach, TEDx presenter, public speaker, and advisor to the insurance industry. Bryan talks about his insurance career and philosophy and what he’s doing to help the industry. Episode Highlights:

Jason mentions his guest is a TEDx speaker. (1:17)

Jason Cass introduces guest Bryan Falchuk. (3:27)

Is Bryan an Android or an iPhone user? (4:50)

What was the last app that Bryan downloaded? (5:53)

Does Bryan love to win or hate to lose? (6:36)

What does Bryan attribute to his success, skill or luck? (7:12)

Bryan shares how he got into the insurance industry. (9:31)

Bryan says he loves seeing opportunities and finding ways to seize it. (9:58)

Bryan says he wanted to be in a consulting company because he wants to see different things. (10:31)

Bryan shares that his first client at liberty mutual is David Long. (13:35)

Since Bryan became a CEO, where is he now? What is he doing? (15:11)

McKinsey and Beasley are the two sides of Bryan’s insurance career. (15:25)

Bryan decided to be independent because he wanted to write his book. (18:32)

Bryan says that if you are a trusted adviser and a trusted protector of the insured, you'll be able to have a strong business with high retention growth. (40:36)

Bryan says that he spent time in agents’ offices listening to how frustrated they are. (41:19)

Bryan says that listening to our agents and customers is significant. (42:37)

What is the meaning behind the umbrella universal insurance’s logo? (42:54)

What is Bryan reading right now? (43:53)

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Katlyn Eggar, the Director of Education and Development at Quantum Assurance International. Katlyn talks about how she opened her first insurance agency and how she strategizes, plans, and produces the onboarding program to keep the team at Quantum providing a world-class experience. Episode Highlights:

Jason introduces Katlyn Eggar. (3:30)

Is Katlyn an iPhone or an Android user? (5:06)

Does Katlyn love to win or hate to lose? (5:26)

What does Katlyn attribute to her success, skill or luck? (5:56)

Katlyn talks about her previous jobs. (9:39)

Katlyn shares how she met her husband. (12:43)

Katlyn talks about opening their first insurance agency in 2011. (13:24)

Katlyn shares that they use Allstate agency as their carrier. (13:32)

How was their first year in the insurance industry look like? (14:07)

Does Jason think Katlyn and her team did a successful job in their first year? (14:41)

Jason says that 83% of the commercial insurance that's in the United States is controlled by an independent insurance agent. (20:12)

Katlyn thinks that there’s a lot of misconception about internet leads that hold back agencies from delivering to a wider audience. (23:57)

What is Katlyn’s current job title? (31:22)

Katlyn shares that she goes to work and strategize, plan, and produce the onboarding program, the talent development program for the different channels within Quantum. (31:33)

Katlyn shares that they have a virtual student experience through Quantum University online. (32:15)

Katlyn explains more about “learning transfer”. (36:07)

3 Key Quotes: “ I don't know if people think they have to be more aggressive in selling internet lead. You have to be assertive, but you don't have to be aggressive. You have to be strategic. You

There is one man changing the paradigm of the insurance industry. His name is whispered around carrier C-suites and agent Facebook user groups alike. We need him to win and if history is any guide, he will be. That man is Seth Zaremba. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

Tommy Walker, former editor-in-chief of Quickbooks and Shopify joins the podcast for an old school deep dive into the secrets of content marketing and how insurance agencies and carriers can leverage content marketing to win the long-game. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Joey Giangola, the Marketing Director of Ecommerce at Risk Placement Services. Joey talks about how to make insurance faster, easier, and more reliable. Joey also explains the significance of business relationships and educating agents with different processes and products.

What has Joey done since he went to RPS? (4:01)

Where does Joey think this industry was in 2011? (5:33)

Does Joey think we’re heading to the point where we could find a good consumer online? (10:43)

Joey explains how to make your agents comfortable with who you are. (11:55)

Joey explains the importance of allowing your consumers to come with you as a partner on this journey. (14:05)

Joey explains which direction RPS is trying to go. (18:47)

Joey says that RPS has done custom integration and focuses on the agent’s time. (20:00)

Joey thinks people are comfortable establishing a business if it can be managed easier. (24:59)

Joey explains that the easier data is understood and manipulated, the less of an issue it becomes for the consumer. (27:14)

What does RPS think about data? (29:13)

Does Joey think privacy is significant to people? (30:43)

Joey explains that people in the technology space justify things based on their knowledge. (39:00)

Is Joey going to do more podcasts? (55:39)

What was the last video game that Joey played? (1:01:34)

3 Key Points:

RPS is definitely trying to get ahead as much as they can in terms of leveraging.

RPS is eliminating unnecessary information that has been carried over, and this is something they think is going to get forward.

RPS just launched its first podcast called “Exchange Insurance”.

Key quotes: “I

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Beth Armknecht Miller, the Leadership Development Advisor and Executive Coach of Executive Velocity. Beth talks about the significance of key positions, succession planning, and the relevance of core competencies. Episode Highlights:

Jason Introduces Beth Miller. (2:11)

Jason mentions that BrainsShare will happen on October 25, 2020. (3:08)

Is Beth an iPhone or an Android user? (6:24)

What was the last app that Beth downloaded? (6:33)

Does Beth love to win or hate to lose? (7:28)

What does Beth attribute to her success, skill or luck? (7:56)

Beth considers herself a lifelong learner. (8:58)

Beth shares that she is ready to get her Certification In Emotional Intelligence assessment next month. (9:07)

Beth graduated from Babson College, major in finance. (11:33)

Beth mentions the significance of key positions, and key employees in succession planning. (16:54)

Beth shares that assessment is not only about skills, but also in emotional intelligence. (18:01)

Jason shares a story about his friend Wessly Anderson. (26:38)

Beth explains the definition of 360-degree assessment. (28:04)

Beth says that development planning is the core component of succession planning. (28:33)

Beth shares that talent management means being strategic about your talent. (30:29)

Jason talks about the talent management system. (31:38)

How do you prepare yourself first before the organization? (34:32)

Jason shares that when our brain feels comfortable seeing something else, then it's okay to leave where it is. (35:30)

3 Key Quotes:

“EQ is better than IQ.” -Beth Armknecht Miller

“My whole identity is wrapped up in a good agency.” -Beth Armknecht Miller

“If you give them some coaching, they'll come around.” -Beth

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass shares a presentation he did for the Mastermind group a couple of months back. This Mastermind meeting video recording has been watched twice as much as any other and this 12-minute presentation is why. Take a listen for proof that one thing can change everything. Episode Highlights:

Jason shares what he experienced when he went to Best Buy to get ink. (10:57

Jason never heard anybody talk about autonomous cars like Jim Harris does. (12:22)

Jason encourages everyone to watch the fascinating 11 minutes video of Jim Harris, where Jim states that 94% of accidents are due to driver’s error. (12:44)

Jason says that BMW and Mercedes Benz are reducing their top of the line price because they have to compete. (13:55)

Jason says that Tesla is more than just an electric car, and it is changing the automobile industry in ways that most of us don’t see. (15:19)

Jason states if you took all the cars and put them bumper to bumper on the interstates, it only takes up less than 20% of the interstate. (16:52)

Every car placed into the Uber Lyft system eliminates 12 to 30 cars on the road. (18:13)

Key Quotes:

“I don't think we have as much time we think we do”. - Jason Cass

“For every car, that is put into the Uber Lyft system eliminates 12 to 30 cars on the road”. - Jason Cass

“You and I are listening to the fact that there's something better coming and they all think it's a faster damn horse”. -Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

Agency Intelligence

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Todd Thams, principal of the Thams Agency in Iowa, is going to be one of the winners coming out of the current COVID-19 craziness. Todd is taking his workers' compensation expertise and building a direct-to-consumer brand that will leverage his deep under Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Cheatham, the CEO of Risk Genius. Chris talks about the importance of knowing your policy coverage, Covid-19 coverage concerns, litigations, and social inflation. Chris also shares what made them build the algorithm, and how Risk Genius can help with technology and automation. Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass introduces guest Chris Cheatham. (1:01)

Is Chris an Android or an iPhone user? (2:27)

What was the last app that Chris downloaded? (2:35)

Does Chris love to win or hate to lose? (5:35)

What does Chris attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (6:06)

Chris shares his background story and the secret of his success. (8:22)

Chris tells a story about the carrier who wants to use their software for policy review and checking. (13:49)

Chris explains why they develop algorithms that understand General Liability policies. (18:29)

Chris states that he was not necessarily an insurance expert when he started. (18:55)

Chris shares that it took five years to figure out how they continuously add different lines of business for carriers. (19:26)

Chris speaks about the greatest coverage crisis in the history of insurance. (20:53)

Did anybody find out that there was actually COVID coverage? (21:56)

Chris talks about social inflation. (28:57)

Chris shares that Warren Buffett came up with a letter to the shareholders in 1975. (29:02)

Chris says that some states are looking to create immunity for businesses that open up like nursing homes. (37:56)

Chris states that policy checking will become even more vital going forward. (44:31)

3 Key Points:

The idea of Risk Genius for developing the algorithms was if somebody would upload a policy, there would be a checklist of clauses they need to review.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Matt Naimoli, the co- founder of G&N Insurance and BobbleOn. Matt talks about the aspects of a good partnership and the challenges he faced in building the company together with his business partner, Zack Gould. Matt also highlights the importance of core values and how those impacted their insurance company. Episode Highlights: Jason Cass introduces guest Matt Naimoli. (1:05)

Matt shares that he enjoys working with his business partner. (4:25)

Matt talks about his dynamic partnership with Zack Gould. (4:54)

Jason says that meeting Matt is one of the biggest days of his insurance career. (6:03)

What would be the hardest part of having a partner? (10:26)

Jason says that entrepreneurial minds are tough to compromise. (12:11)

Who is the person between Matt and Zack? (12:58)

Matt says that naming the company is the hardest decision. (13:31)

Jason asks Matt, “Why can't we have partnerships in business, but we can have partnerships in life?” (16:00)

Matt mentions the three essential aspects of the partnership. (19:16)

Matt shares the importance of core values. (19:27)

Is Matt an Android or an Apple user? (36:17)

Does Matt love to win or hate to lose? (36:33)

What is Matt reading right now? (41:15)

What is Matt listening to right now? (41:22)

Matt recommends reading the book entitled A Gentleman In Moscow. (43:53)

Matt mentions his BobbleOn podcast. (44:50)

3 Key Points: Matt says, with a tremendous work ethic, you will have th

A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel

Micah Salas, a commercial risk advisor at Marsh, breaks down his process for winning the insurance game. Micah's five-step formula, including the idea of "Hiring" an agent versus selling insurance is a game-changer for everyone that takes notice. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

Do you have 12 minutes? There is a lot going on in America and even know more noise. This podcast is not that. It's 10 minutes of what someone else says and 2 minutes of what I think. You got 12 minutes? #ouramericancause

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Amrhein, owner of Insurance is Fun. Chris shares his background story and the key to his success, the importance of customer service training, and the unique value that insurance agents can bring to their clients. Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass introduces guest Chris Amrhein. (1:12)

Is Chris an Android or an iPhone user? (4:33)

What does Chris attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (4:15)

What was the last app that Chris downloaded? (6:25)

Does Chris love to win or hate to lose? (11:34)

Chris Explains why surfing is the perfect metaphor for business. (14:39)

Chris shares his background story and the key to his success. (17:55)

Chris shares that he left John Hancock over a dependent agency were he later became a part-owner. (20:38)

Chris shares his experience with the two-week class with high-level sales training from a company at a fancy resort he attended. (26:28)

Chris says that one of the exercises that he used to do was, “how much money do you want to make?”. (28:49)

Chris talks about his experience having a class with 3-star generals. (32:27)

Chris says that he brings the value that will help clients make the decision that's best for them. (34:10)

Chris shares that the magic key question he always asks is, “so what?”. (35:52)

If the industry was a song that Chris wanted to represent today’s industry, what song would it be? (43:12)

What is Chris reading right now? (51:10)

Key Quotes:

“It's your game to play the way you want.” - Chris Amrhein

“I’ve done customer service training for a long time and one of the things I try and make sure is everybody says is ‘we love choice’ but the fact is, there's a limit because you go quickly from I want a choice to the deer in the headlights.” - Chris Amrhein

“If you're in this for a career, enjoy, it is gonna be one of the greatest things you've ever done when you look back on it.” - Chris Amrhein

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Steve Anderson, owner of The Anderson Network and Author of The Bezos Letters. Steves shares his thoughts about the management systems and the digital ecosystem, data, and the importance of experimenting and inventing something new in the industry. Episode Highlights

Jason Cass introduces guest Steve Anderson (1:10)

What has been Steve doing for the last two months? (2:52)

Steve agreed with Jason that not everyone is geared for or should work from home. (5:24)

Steve discusses the importance of using Instant Messaging tools and other communication platforms such as Teams and Zoom. (7:45)

Steve says technology is an essential factor in what you do and how you operate. (14:02)

Steve thinks that the customer's expectation is also one of the things that we are changing. (18:49)

Steve shares what an agency needs to do with their customer. (23:10)

What does Steve see in this time that makes him wonder if it’s going to stay or not? (26:29)

Steve explains why he thinks that agents with an online presence will have lots of opportunities. (27:29)

Steve shares that people are a lot more aware of what they need to know more about than what's actually in their policy is a potential benefit of the COVID Regard Insurance. (31:03)

Steve says that the issue is the carriers haven't had the infrastructure up until very recently able to connect. (35:41)

Steve shares why the industry needs experimentation and invention instead of innovation. (46:16)

What is Steve reading right now? (44:35)

Is Steve planning to go anywhere in July? (50:17)

3 Key Points:

For Steve, one of the potential benefits of the COVID regarding insurance is people are a lot more aware that they may need to know more about what’s actually in their policy.

Steve loves the idea of helping the customer to have a simpler process for getting their information to somebody else.

Steve notices that because of the new crop of association agencies coming in, the mindset is changing like on what an ass

Bryan Falchuk, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, former insurtech executive and now managing partner of Insurance Evolution Partners joins the podcast to breakdown the future of insurance from disruption to evolution. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

This platform has always been about giving a voice to those who have no voice so we can make forward change, progress, and momentum in the insurance industry. In summary, it's about empowering people of our industry to question what we have always been told so that people think differently. This episode is no different, the episode was created to reach the same goal, but not just for our industry but for society as a whole. No intro, outro, or ads. This discussion doesn't need anymore noise.

David Carothers, principal at Florida Risk Partners and the founder of Killing Commercial, a community of insurance producers learning to dominate the middle-market space joins the podcast for a deep dive into his unique approach to selling. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jon Spaugy, the founder of BIG Independent Group. Jon shares his passion for the industry, his goals, and why he started an insurance association. Jon also talks about his company’s experience working from home during this time and gives an update on the BIG conference in August. Episode Highlights:

Jason Cass introduces guest Jon Spaugy. (1:07)

Is Jon an Android or an iPhone user? (3:33)

What was the last app that Jon downloaded? (4:20)

Does Jon love to win or hate to lose? (7:52)

What does Jon attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (10:10)

Jon shares his background story and the key to his success. (12:34)

Jon talks about the position that Hartford offered him. (16:51)

Jon talks about the time he decides to be an agency owner. (20:09)

What brought Jon to California? (22:23)

Jon shares that when he started working in the industry, he was working with his parents. (23:03)

How did Jon come about with Facebook live and what is his obsession with it? (24:10)

What is the goal of Jon Spaugy? (29:34)

Jon explains why he started the insurance association. (30:11)

Jon is having a conference in August. (38:11)

Jon shares their experience working from home. (46:08)

3 Key Points:

Jon’s offices do not have a lot of people that come into the actual office anymore. His employee can perfectly work from home or come to the office, or they can do both.

When Jon is doing the meetings for the association that they're working with they are talking to the agents about making sure that they're using the format, especially on bigger accounts.

Jon’s company is working closely with CIC insurance Academy to get education out to people too.

Key Quotes:

“You can't be an environment of winners on your own because you can, it's how you connect, you have to do it. I can't make you do it.” - Jon Spaugy

“You have to humble yourself down when you have that you better appreciate it.” - Jon Spaugy

“You could have a lot of passion and then the execution didn't come off as good as it should have.” - Jon Spaug

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Dan Burton, founder of Drone Base company. Dan talks about the benefits, and efficiency of drone technology, especially during the Coronavirus situation. Dan also shares the mission and goal of his company. Episode Highlights

Jason Cass introduces guest Dan Burton. (1:24)

Is Dan an Android, or an iPhone user? (3:28)

Does Dan love to win or hate to lose? (3:35)

What does Dan attribute to his success, skill, or luck? (4:24)

Dan shares his background story and the key to his success. (5:30)

Dan went to business school and did his research on drone commercialization before he started his company in 2014. (7:10)

Dan says that they’ve done hundreds of thousands of flights in all 50 US states and 70 different countries. (7:23)

How does Dan get better decisions by drone flight? (7:45)

Dan shares that they also do underwriting work more typically for commercial and industrial insurance. (9:17)

Dan says that Drone Base built the largest network of professional drone pilots in the world. (10:15)

Dan says that Drone Base is really pushing the operational edge of what's possible. (14:30)

Does Dan think Amazon will be able to deliver with drones? (16:18)

Where does Dan see his business 5 to 10 years from now? (18:49)

Dan thinks drone technology has the ability of carriers to deliver value to their policyholders in natural disaster situations. (21:28)

Dan says that drone technology allows a way to provide a contactless inspection during this Coronavirus situation. (23:15)

What is Dan reading at this point right now? (26:47)

3 Key Points:

The goal of Drone Base is to get its customers a better, faster, and safer decision from a drone flight that is powered by their network of drone operators all over the world.

Dan thinks scale means being able to serve truly national companies, and multi-state also brings value to the individuals in a small town in Kansas.

Dan believes drone technology has the ability of c

In today’s throwback episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Randy Schwantz, Best-Selling Author and Owner of The Wedge Group. Randy discusses how he has managed to become a sales expert without selling insurance, goal-setting, and preparing for retirement.

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Cole Williams Risk Advisor at Insurance Associates, Inc. Cole Williams talks about the food safety system, how he looks for a prospect, why you should invest in your own knowledge, and why he always makes sure that the relationships move in the right direction. Cole also shares why he focuses on the coverage that's going to put money in the client’s pocket.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews McBilly Sy, Managing Partner at Better Agency. McBilly talks about his experience growing up in the Philippines, how he started his career, how success is defined differently in different countries, and how to maximize learning and relationships.

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Erik Garcia, Certified Financial Planner and owner of Garcia Insurance Services. Erik explores the idea of measuring wealth, not by money, but by the quality and quantity of relationships that we accumulate throughout our lives. He explains how shared experiences and investing in building memories can help build strong relationships.

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Yitzi Weiner, CEO of Thought Leader Incubator and Editor-In-Chief of Authority Magazine. Yitzi Weiner talks about the opportunities of becoming a thought leader, how it helps to build a strong brand, and why we need to improve our communication skills.

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Heath Shearon, Sales Consultant at Encompass Insurance. Heath discusses his history and what brought him to the insurance business, the different ways Heath is able to help insurance agents, and the importance of professionalism and collaboration among insurance agents.

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Deeds, Vice President of Technology and Data Management at Assurex Global. R yan talks about data and his ideas about retention, revenue, producers, and sales discipline. Ryan also discusses one core analytic and its significance.

In today’s episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Tron Young, Principal of Joseph Arthur Middle School who was recently named the 2020 Illinois Principal of the Year. Tron shares how he makes education fun and how he engages with his students and the impact he is trying to make in the field of education.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, Jason Cass hosts Nicholas Ayers, Will Shaw, Preston Schmidli and McBilly Sy to talk about their new startup, Better Agency. They discuss their reasoning for starting this new company, their goals, and how they feel Better Agency will shape the future of the insurance industry.

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass speaks with guest Teresa Kitchens, Owner of Sterling Insurance Group. Teresa talks about what brought her into insurance, what makes it valuable, and how COVID-19 will affect change within the industry. She also talks about her podcast, Power Women in Insurance.

Matt Naimoli, the co-founder of G&N Insurance and Bobble On, joins the podcast to dispel the many myths surrounding selling an agency.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Brandon Smith, Managing Partner at Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group. Brandon Smith talks about how he started into the insurance industry, how he spent his time during the COVID-19crisis, and how important building relationship is in this industry.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Justin Sloan, Real Estate Investment Insurance Specialist and Principal Agent & Owner at BSP Insurance. Justin Sloan talks about the logical effects that the coronavirus will have on the insurance agency, ways that his agency staff is remaining active in the process, how the coronavirus compares to other previous disaster insurance situations, the specificity of his insurance agency, and the wide range of career paths that the insurance agency offers.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Dave Jackson, Owner of Jackson Insurance Group PLLC and Founder of Insurance Agency Owners Alliance (IAOA). Dave Jackson discusses IAOA, Jackson Insurance Group, his recurring trips to Hawaii, why carriers are running the insurance industry, and the influence of technology and data.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews David Davis, Chief Technology Officer at Fudge Insurance. David talks about how his brother-in-law introduced the idea of him bringing his technology background into insurance, how technology and data in the insurance agency is evolving, and how the insurance business has helped him develop the lifestyle he desires.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Erik Garcia, Owner of Garcia Insurance Services, President at Garcia Financial Group, and Investment Advisor at New Century Financial Group, LLC. Erik Garcia and Jason Cass talk about four reasons why Erik finds reasons for apprehension with Dave Ramsey’s investment advice.

COVID19 Special Episode #6, The Last of the Special Episodes This is Cass and for this final episode I am joined by Chris Burand and let me tell you, you are in for a treat. He blew my mind twice and made me think about things that I have yet to. He opened my mind to solving this crisis we are all in for the future so it never happens again. I promise you, this is mind candy with many different flavors. Enjoy and Lead.

COVID19 Special Episode #5 Less is more, it is a statement I say often when I return from Cuba. Miles reminded me of this today. In a weird strange way that has become us. Right now we have less to do yet the things we can do, we focus on more and those are the things that matter.I t's the same with your business. Enjoy

There has been a lot of discussion inside insurance circles about whether or not we should be prospecting, marketing and selling during the COVID-19 crisis. I say, Yes! Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

Episode 4 of the COVID19 Special Episodes. The podcast was recorded with Elisha Cavanaugh and Erin Nutting and we discussed life inside and outside the agency in this new temporary norm. We give great advice about drinking more wine and how we are all dealing with our new profession as a school teacher. I am sure no one is dealing with this right? Sit back, hit play and put a smile on your face. We got this.

Episode Three of the COVID19 Special Edition Podcast Series, Helping insurance leaders lead their people, I sat down with Erik Garcia this past Saturday afternoon to give you the leadership knowledge that flows from this man’s brain. Erik and I have done many podcasts together (he even has his own) but this ranks high up there. IMO, as one of the best yet and there is no better time to deliver it. Once you listen to this, your fears of the unknown will subside and the leader that is in you, the one you have been building for years for this moment, will start to rise. #rationaloverconfidence

This podcast is the How-To-Guide for working at home. We talk about the starting point to the finish line and everything in-between. The goal was to give you guidance and tactical information and Wes delivered…BIG time.

In these unprecedented times, we need unprecedented leadership. I reached out to Jeff Roy, President & CEO of Excalibur Insurance Group, after he released information on what business owners can do to Cope with COVID19. This is a special edition episode to help agency owners lead the way. No one has ever gone through this, but together we will and it all starts here with this podcast.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Jeff Shi, Chief Visionary Officer at Quantum Assurance International and Wessly Anderson, Founder of Financial Network and Co-Founder of Agency VA. The conversation revolves around Jeff Shi’s leap from selling cars to selling insurance, his work at Allstate and Quantum Assurance International, scaling his busy to incredible levels, and the importance of bouncing back from your falls as quickly as you can and growing from past experiences.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Grant Botma, Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship, as well as the number 1 best-selling author of The Problem Isn’t Their Paycheck. Grant Botma discusses how he evolved from growing up in a household with parents that struggled with alcoholism to growing his company Stewardship into an INC 5000 company, the blueprints to creating a successful company culture, and the importance of planning your ideal week.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Jared Bellmund, Managing Partner at ALLCHOICE Insurance in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Jared Bellmund talks about the power of really getting to know potential clients through finding out their needs and engagement with them, not relying on social media for marketing, and the usefulness of having a downloadable app.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Christian Moore, Owner and The Insurance Guy at The REAL Insurance Agency, and Founder of The Edgent in the Lexington, Kentucky area. Christian Moore talks about his quest for the truth and transparency, ways that his agency is structured and give back to their local community, being a Christian entrepreneur, pushing agents to focus on giving good advice, and holding steadfast to his integrity.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass is joined by Mastermind member Daniel Seong who talks about his life and career in the insurance industry. Find out his advice to other agency owners.

Rand Fishkin is a world-class entrepreneur, best selling author and one of the most dynamic individuals in the marketing and entrepreneurial space, if not the world. His work has also played a major impact on the success of my own career and it was my great honor to share our conversation with you.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Jack Wingate, Founder and President of ALLCHOICE Insurance in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina Area. Jack Wingate talks about getting started in the insurance industry, what branding really means to him, the importance of being ok with not having all the answers so that you can find them, and why you need to spend some time outside of your agency.

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass has a discussion with Arleen Taveras & Ted Taveras who are both the President and COO of Spot On Insurance and ILSA and also the Co-Hosts of Spot On Insurance Podcast. Arleen Taveras & Ted Taveras talk about their backgrounds in technology, insurance, compliance and starting ILSA and Spot On Insurance, as well as developing their compliance courses and their Spot On Insurance Podcast.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Erik Garcia, Owner of Garcia Insurance Services, President at Garcia Financial Group, and Investment Advisor at New Century Financial Group, LLC. Erik Garcia discusses the differences between financial advising and financial planning, avoiding the one size fits all approach to financial planning, the concept of ‘fee compression,’ Dave Ramsey’s advice, and planning for your ideal future.

David Davis went from traveling the world, solving Fortune 500 technology challenges to a single location independent insurance agency and is absolutely changing the game. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass has a discussion with Raghav Tanna, Chief Executive Officer of Tarmika, a company that is helping insurance agencies become more efficient through a single entry comparative rating solution. Raghav Tanna talks about how he got into the insurance industry working for his dad, the creation of Tarmika, Raghav’s goals for the independent agency system, the differences between indietech and insurtech, and how Tarmika is empowering independent agencies.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Chad Spaide, Founder of Pure Potential Insurance Automation and President of BenefitSource Insurance Services. Chad Spaide talks about what it is like to run an agency, utilizing automation properly, converting his agency from paper to digital, risk management, customers needing to hear from agents, and getting agents onboard with automation conversions.

Carey Wallace, CEO of IntellAgents, joins the podcast to explain how agents and associations can pool their data resources to build more efficient and valuable organizations. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass has a discussion with David Carothers, Principal at Florida Risk Partners, Founder of Game Changers Marketing, Founder of Killing Commercial Insurance Sales Training, and Book Author at The Extra 2 Minutes. David Carothers and Jason Cass talk about commercial insurance, reinventing yourself, adapting what you learn to your business, and Killing Commercial Insurance Sales Training.

Brian Ahearn, former Director of Learning at State Auto Insurance, explains how insurance agents harness the powers of influence and persuasion. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass has a discussion with Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved and Insurance Website Developer. Chris Langille talks about the new product offerings that are coming from Advisor Evolved, the problems with relying on word-of-mouth marketing, qualitative return-on-investment versus quantitative return-on-investment, and the power of Advisor Evolved websites.

One of my favorite people in the whole world, Sydney Roe, joins the podcast to share the origin story to her superpowers. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass has a discussion with Erin Nutting, Agency Owner of Integrity Insurance Services and one of the most frequent guests to the show. Erin Nutting opens up about her current relationship that has led to an engagement. Hear what Erin has learned about not just building stronger interpersonal connections, but also how things like empathy, communication, grace, and balance also have benefited her work life as well.

Former rockstar turned high-performing insurance producer, Woody Brown, joins the podcast to explain how he learned to avoid the insurance celebrity trap and grow his business. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

Today’s episode of Agents Influence, is a throwback to an interesting 2018 podcast Jason Cass did with Mark McLaughlin, IBM‘s Global Insurance Director. The two explore the insurance industry, its challenges, and the revolutionary solutions of the future. Mark share his opinion on the role technology will play in the insurance industry going forward.

Leadership and sales master guru, Brent Kelly, stops by the podcast to discuss why leaving the insurance industry isn't all its cracked up to be. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass does a special episode where instead of an interview he talks about the presentation he is planning to give at the Edwardsville Economic Forecast Breakfast that is put on by Walt Williams, who is the economic director and development director in Illinois. Jason also covers his ideas on the pillars of business intelligence, ways data is transforming P2P business, and also why transformation is crucial to focus on as opposed to change.

Jason Cass is one of the most underappreciated and misunderstood resources in the insurance industry. It's time we pull back the curtain. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Anson Thompson, ‘Insurance Ninja,’ Co-Owner of The Thompson Group and Author/Owner at The Loft Publishing Company. Anson Thompson discusses how he came to being an insurance agency owner, the importance of talking to strangers, his three-step process for meeting clients, educating customers, and the proper way to communicate with business owners.

Grand Master of agency growth, Billy Williams, teaches us why building an insurance agency is similar to how an architect designs a building. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Todd Sorrel, Co-Founder of ePayPolicy.com and Seth Nagle the Director of Marketing at ePayPolicy.com. The discussion covers the creation of ePayPolicy, how it is servicing the insurance industry, their take on the mobile market, APIs and integrations, and the need for symbiotic data sharing to improve the customer experience.

Matt Masiello, CEO of SIAA, the largest market access organization in the US shares his perspective on what the future looks like for the insurance industry. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Chuck Blondino, Director of Agency Capabilities and Programs at Safeco Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance, who has been on the show previously in 2015 and 2017. Chuck Blondino shares what it took for him to grow his business, what high-growth agencies are doing for expansion, ways to approach the recruitment process, and the insightful Edelman.com trust barometer report.

Alan Stein Jr has coached some of the highest performing college and NBA basketball players in the game and joins the podcast to examine the unique traits of high performers. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass is joined by Ryan Hanley and they share their list that they have compiled of 20 people in the insurance industry, from consultants to technologists, worth paying attention to in 2020. Find out why you need to know more about these experts.

Listen as Jason Cass and Ryan Hanley breakdown 20 MUST FOLLOW insurance professionals and the impact they're already having on the insurance industry. Get the list of everyone mentioned: https://ryanhanley.com/2020

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Micah Salas, Advisor, Risk Management & Business Insurance at Marsh & McLennan Agency in the Houston, Texas area. Micah Salas talks about the extensive training he received in the insurance agency, premium-size accounts, target premiums, the importance to educate customers, and training producers.

World-class insurance agency owner, Mike Crowley, joins the podcast to help us define the relationship between agents and carriers. Find more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Greene, President at The Flood Insurance Guru in Birmingham, Alabama. Chris Greene talks about his experience using VAs, YouTube ads, creating an explosive amount of education flood content last year, what write-your-one-carriers, are and establishing The Flood Insurance Guru.

Bradley Flowers, founder of Portal Insurance and co-host of The Insurance Guys Podcast joins the show for deep dive into the winning insurance content strategies he's used to grow his agency. https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Burand, President of Burand & Associates in Pueblo, Colorado and he has also been doing consulting for insurance agencies and carriers for about 27 years. Chris Burand shares his expertise on how recessions impact agencies, reinsurers becoming agents, and the disruptive impact of data.

This episode is a Content Warfare podcast throwback from 2015 with the amazing Jay Baer on his New York Times bestselling book, Youtility. https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Tariq Valente, Head of Business Development at SurFly, an Amsterdam-based technology company that offers a customer engagement tool for leading brands. Tariq Valente discusses the importance of going beyond technology implementation and providing strong customer experiences that exceed expectations, why the more outlets for stories we have the more it erodes trust, and how insurance is moving towards daily challenges and prevention.

In this solo episode, we examine how the industry can support and help build insurance agencies you want to be a part of. Isn't that what everyone wants? https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Kelly Donahue-Piro, Owner and President of Agency Performance Partners. Kelly puts a fun spin on her interview by occasionally asking Jason Cass questions as well. During this conversation, hear whether or not video is a lazy man’s book, what to look for when hiring people, the power of prospecting, and the differences between producers and account managers.

The most engaging, relatable and flat out awesome marketing professionals in the world, Ann Handley teaches us how to be irresistible. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Christopher Paradiso, Owner of Paradiso Insurance and Paradiso Presents, Independent Insurance Agent, Digital Marketing Expert, and Public Speaker out of Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Christopher Paradiso talks about the importance of family, how data gets sold, indietech, retaining business, and what it will take to improve the insurance industry.

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Ryan Deeds, Vice President of Technology and Data Management at Assurex Global and the Host of The Digital Broker podcast. Ryan Deeds discusses the importance of account managers and how they will play a much bigger role in insurance agencies, his podcast The Digital Broker, simplicity and saving time, and even the possibility of voting on cell phones.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass ends the year 2019 and the decade of 2010 as well with a special agency discussion with Ryan Hanley, Founder and Chief Strategist at Hanley Media, and Scott Howell and Bradley Flowers from The Insurance Guys podcast. They provide their shared insurance expertise, discussing everything from the impact of technology on the insurance industry, direct to consumer marketing, producers and account managers, how to properly treat and inspire your staff, and structured and unstructured data.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with Troy Thompson, Business Development, Insurance Professional and Agency Owner of Pinnacle Insurance of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Troy Thompson talks about the advantages that he has experienced in starting to use an old school flip phone instead of his smartphone, his 30 Day Flip Phone Challenge to offer people a chance to engage with family and friends more, how he got started in insurance, monitoring employee calls to improve customer service, and whether or not technology is getting too much access to our personal data.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with Erik Garcia, Owner of Garcia Insurance Services, President at Garcia Financial Group, and Investment Advisor at New Century Financial Group, LLC. Erik Garcia discusses what brought him into the insurance industry, reasons why people need outside accountability partners, why people struggle with motivation, niche markets, how struggle makes us stronger, and why the insurance industry needs to be viewed as a service industry.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Billy Williams, PhD, President of Williams Family Investment Group & Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Billy Williams opens up about his military experience, creating Army College Recruiting, investing vs. running an agency, selling access to your community, the six main ways you become wealthy, and the four types of business partners.

Insurance entrepreneur, Chris Greene, the Flood Insurance Guru is changing flood maps and turning the business of insurance upside down. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with Christopher Cook, Owner and Agent at Alliance Insurance Services, LLC in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Christopher Cook discusses Alliance Insurance Services, the importance of building relationships, talent migration, being a part of the Neon pilot program, contingencies, and the need for more streamlined communication systems in the insurance industry.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with Elisha Cavanaugh and Erin Nutting about the importance of building relationships in the industry and maintaining. As insurance agency owners, Jason, Elisha, and Erin all supply wisdom on ways they have customized their businesses, built a strong rapport with clients, and have adapted to changes in the industry by putting relationship-building a priority.

Scott Monty, former head of digital communications and social media for Ford Motors joins the podcast for a rich conversation on deep thinking and long-form content. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Mark Evans, Founder of Standard Sales Company, Sales Coach, and Author. Mark Evans returns to the podcast as a guest to discuss the story behind creating a new book entitled Raise Your Standards: The Definitive Guide to Building Seven-Figure Sales. Mark also provides sales advice and how to elevate the standards of sales professionals.

Raise Your Standards: The Definitive Guide to Building Seven-Figure Sales

We're joined by Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute and Content Marketing World and now the author of a thriller novel, A Will to Die. Joe share what he's learned throughout the transition from hardcore content marketer to novelist Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass offers up a solo podcast episode to address the four main goals that people want to align your business. He also shares the poll results of this question, the importance of merging your company’s sales culture and service culture to create a better customer experience.

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Frank Sentner, insurance industry expert, as well as Sole Proprietor at Sentwood Consulting, which is focused on improving the business process integration between insurers and independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms. Frank Sentner discusses IOT devices for risk mitigation, what he has learned from the history of insurance, the importance of protecting against cybersecurity, and the future of technology and data in insurance.

Entrepreneur and co-founder of G&N Insurance, Zach Gould, joins the podcast to discuss philosophy and how we unlock the truth of happiness and success. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

Entrepreneur and insurance agency owner, Nicholas Ayers, joins the podcast to explain how to hack human behavior to grow your business. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with guest Mike Crowley, Vice President at Crowley Insurance Agency, Inc. in Syracuse, New York. Mike Crowley talks about what it was like taking over his family’s insurance agency, making himself the third generation to do so, what it takes to upgrade and update insurance business solutions, and the impact that videos have played in his career.

Quentin "Q" Allums, CEO of Urban Misfit Ventures, joins the podcast to discuss how viewing himself as a misfit helped build his powerhouse personal brand. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with guest Josh Fyhrie, CIC, CPRM, CPRIA, CISR, Founding Partner at Colorado Insurance Advisors, an independent, full-service insurance agency specializing in commercial and personal insurance policies in Fort Collins, Colorado. Josh talks about how he got involved in the insurance industry, how he has developed and expanded his business, his long-term goals, and factors that cause the industry to have a bad image.

New players in the industry would have you believe the traditional independent insurance salesman, the agent, is dying a slow death by a thousand new pieces of technology. I'm not so sure. Get the resources here: https://ryanhanley.com/death-of-the-insurance-salesman/

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews John Bachmann, RVP of Business Development at SocialSurvey, where he helps insurance professionals assist their customers. John Bachmann talks about his experience working at SocialSurvey, how and why he got involved in creating videos, the importance of customer service.

There is so much noise in the world it's easy to lose track of what you really think versus what you've heard or read or watched. Here is how to find time for your own thoughts... Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, Jason Cass and Mike Crowley discuss the recent b atomic podcast - The Man Who Invented 'Insurtech' - featuring Sydney Roe, Seth Zaremba, and Frank Sentner. Jason and Mike break down the highlights of that podcast and what it means for the future of the insurance industry.

Grant Botma, a dynamic professional services entrepreneur, joins the podcast to explain how leaders can motivate their team when their paycheck isn't the problem. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, Jason Cass chats with Zack Gould, Co-Founder (along with Matt Naimoli) of G&N Insurance, about a big, surprising change they have decided to make with their agency. They also discuss Zack and Matt’s other venture, Bobble On.

Customer Experience Futurist, Blake Morgan, joins the podcast to talk about the "Experience Economy," artificial intelligence and why tomorrow's customers need to be targeted today. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

Creative entrepreneur, Steve Babcock, (formed Chief Creative Officer of VaynerMedia), stops by the show to discuss his move to away from VaynerMedia to open his own agency Made In-House, helping organization generate more creativity from within. Get more of the podcast here: https://ryanhanley.com

Jeff Fromm, author, speaker and millennial marketing strategist joins the show to explain why purpose is MUST be a verb for successful organizations. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Sydney Roe, Chief Marketing Officer at b atomic, an insurance technology company created to help independent agents leverage their data to create memorable customer experiences. Sydney talks about the importance of timing, other ways to view digital communication and data collection, and intention versus action.

After a 9 month hiatus from the insurance industry, I've learned some valuable lessons about leadership, marketing and where I see opportunities in the insurance industry moving forward. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com

Maria Ross, author of The Empathy Edge, joins the podcast to explain why more businesses need to harness make empathy their competitive advantage. Get more of the podcast: https://ryanhanley.com

Nancy Duarte, communication expert, and strategist to some of the most influential CEOs in the worlds explains how to create persuasive stories using data. Get more of the podcast here: https://ryanhanley.com

In today’s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews guest Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved, an insurance website development company. Chris talks about the work he is doing with Advisor Evolved, issues between insurance agents and technology, and the overwhelming fragmentation of information.

Tamsen Webster joins the podcast to explain how we change what people see in order to turn ideas into impact. https://ryanhanley.com

Entrepreneur and bestselling author, Ron Tite, teaches us how to see the world from a non-obvious and humorous angle in order to communicate more effectively. Get more of the podcast: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass discusses testimonials vs. reviews, what his responsibility is to you, and speaks to how insurance activist Seth Zaremba’s data shows how necessary Neon really is.

Bestselling author and entrepreneur, John Jantsch, examines the transcendentalist idea of self-reliance and its impact on entrepreneurial success. Get more of the podcast: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass talks with guest host Erin Nutting, Agency Owner of Integrity Insurance Services in the Tucson, Arizona area. They analyze the recent blog post that Erin Nutting wrote for Agency Intelligence called “Business Warfare: When Emotional Terrorism Takes Over Your Business." They cover issues like being a parent and a busy business owner, addressing mental health issues, and not misleading our audiences, children, and clients.

In this episode, we're joined by branding expert, Jeremy Miller, for an in-depth lesson on how to name your business to match your brand strategy. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

Matt Phelps, founder and president of Metabolic shares his entrepreneurial origin story into the fitness industry. Learn more about Metabolic: https://trainmetabolic.com/ Get more of Ryan Hanley Show: https://ryanhanley.com/

International keynote speaker and social influencer, Brian Fanzo, joins the podcast to share his thoughts on scaling trust and future of business. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com/

In the first solo episode, Ryan Hanley digs into the reason this podcast exists and what listeners should expect moving forward. Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews returning guest Steve Anderson, President and Executive Editor of The Anderson Network, and The Wall Street Journal, USA Today & International Best Selling Author of “The Bezos Letters - 14 Principles to Grow Your Business Like Amazon.” Steve Anderson shares insight on his new book “The Bezos Letters: 14 Principles to Grow Your Business Like Amazon,” what agents can gain from these 14 principles, the difference between growth and leadership principles, as well as why we need to be thinking and acting like a "Day One" business, every day.

The Bezos Letters: 14 Principles to Grow Your Business Like Amazon

Now a successful entrepreneur, former NFL Pro-Bowler, Justin Forsett, joins The Ryan Hanley Show to share his experience evolving from professional sports to business. Justin explains which skills and mindsets help him reach peak performance in both chapters of his life. Get more here: https://ryanhanley.com/

World-class speaker and communicator, Marcus Sheridan, shares his thoughts, ideas, and experience on communication in the workplace. "When you stop having to prove yourself, you start listening." Get more: https://ryanhanley.com/

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Peter Tessier, Host and Producer of The Insurance Podcast.com, Speaker, and Insurance Consultant from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. As two insurance experts with their own insurance industry podcasts, Peter from Canada, and Jason from the United States, they have an insightful discussion about how insurance differs on each side of their North American borders and the potential impact of artificial intelligence and data collection on the industry.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks with a guest that has been on the show before, Erin Nutting, Agency Owner of Integrity Insurance Services in the Tucson, Arizona area. Erin Nutting discusses the realities involved in creating a home-life and work-life balance, the concepts of love languages and the Enneagram Personality Test, and forms of communication that she wishes would open up more in the insurance industry.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass continues the Summer of Sales Series with David Carothers, founder of Florida Risk Partners, about his career and founding his agency from scratch.

In today's episode of Agent's Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Mark Evans, founder of Standard Sales Co. Evans discusses how he became involved in sales and how a key mentor helped him see his own potential. This conversation also explores the importance of following up and bright opportunities for agents today.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass talks about the five truths of the insurance industry and the three lies that interfere with those truths. Learn how to filter your decision-making process properly to decrease poor choices and to strengthen your team.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Amy Franko, Founder and President of Impact Instruction Group, who works in the areas of professional services, insurance, and technology. Amy talks about creating her book “The Modern Seller,” the importance of learning sales skills, and most effective leadership methods to help your sales associates be successful.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Randy Schwantz, Owner of The Wedge Group and Best-Selling Author. Randy Schwantz discusses how he has managed to become a sales expert without selling insurance. Randy also explains how he arrived at assisting the insurance industry, goal-setting, and preparing for retirement.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Charles Specht, President and CEO of Permission Group Inc., Author, Sales Trainer, Consultant, and Keynote Speaker. Charles talks about pre-qualifying accounts, he addresses the various opinions about broker record letters, the quality of submissions, and tips on closing insurance sales.

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Brent Kelly, Vice President at Sitkins Group. Having known each other for about a decade, Jason and Brent share a candid and open discussion about what Jason refers to as the biggest lie that agents tell each other in the industry, that somehow the more carriers that they have, the more people they will be able to help.

Learn the problems of trying to be everything to everybody, why prospecting is more necessary than selling, how to prepare to be the agency you want to be, and glean knowledge from their strategies on how less can equal more in the long run.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews past guest Preston Schmidli, Principal and Insurance Expert for Friends With Benefits Insurance Agency and Digital Marketing Specialist for Good Vibe Squad marketing agency. Preston Schmidli offers an extensive and highly valuable discussion on insurance marketing, how technology is evolving in the insurance industry, the importance on fixing instead of replacing things, and the advantages of working with Friends With Benefits and how it all began.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews past guest Olivia Schmitt, Select Business Unit Manager at TRICOR Insurance in Dubuque, Iowa. Olivia shares how she balances her life as a mother with her insurance career, the importance of schedule flexibility, and how emotional intelligence is impacting leadership roles.

In today´s episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Carey Anne Nadeau, Founder and CEO of ODN, Insurtech Founder and Data Expert. ODN predicts where car crashes are most likely to happen to increase the profitability of traditional auto insurance underwriting and telematics programs. Carey Ann Nadeau shares how she arrived in the big data industry and what her company ODN is able to accomplish and improve in the insurance field.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass celebrates the Mother’s Day month of May with the Month of the Insurance Woman by welcoming Jill Roth, Executive Vice President at Ahart, Frinzi & Smith, the national young agent of the year for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) as well as one of their National InsurPac board members, and a proud mother and wife. Jill shares her expertise as an insurance agent, a vice president running an agency, and what it takes to multi-task in order to succeed in not just business, but also in your family life.

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass welcomes Erin Nutting, an agency owner of Integrity Insurance Services, a national speaker, a highly accomplished blogger, and a proud mother. Erin discusses her journey towards building her own business in the insurance industry, balancing changes in her life, and how the rewards and love of motherhood plays into her life. She offers honest personal stories and provides advice on how to grow in the insurance industry

There have been many changes in my agency and for the past 2 years, I have been hyper-focused on it for the past two years. Stay tuned as I lay out what it is and how it is working in my office. Then I take the conversation down a road I don't really want to travel but have to. Something has to be said, so I am filling that voice

In today´s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Greene, Owner and Insurance Agent at Community First Agency in Covington, Georgia, and President of The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris Greene offers up his expertise on creating his niche in flood insurance, building up his agency expertise, and being able to provide people with valuable industry education

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass has an informative discussion with Bradley Flowers, owner of Portal Insurance and co-host of The Insurance Guys podcast. Gain insight on advancing your agency and insurance business from proper networking and relationship-building techniques, best practices for communicating with clients, and the things that Bradley Flowers learned from Gary Vaynerchuk.

In today's episode of Agents Influence podcast, Jason Cass chats with Ed Higgins, owner of Thousand Islands Insurance Agency. Ed Higgins has been working on a plan to bring to the attention to our state regulators that the online and on TV commercials are misleading and are not a true representation of the policy they are selling. Higgins, agent since 1974, who has been on the cutting edge of technology for decades, also talks about agents need to do to provide more value and a better experience to customers than the primary providers.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass records a Valentine's Day Special Facebook Live Event in which he interviews insurance power couple, Jeff Roy and Una Roy from Excalibur Insurance. They discuss the dynamics of being a couple within the workplace, maternity leave, differing insurance rates, and other details of the insurance business.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass speaks with CEO of Zinc Insurance, Seth Zaremba. Seth speaks about the history of his career in the industry and Seth and Jason discuss the way data is changing insurance, what the place of the agent is in the new insurance business taking shape now, and the form the agency business needs to take to respond effectively to the power and value that data is bringing to insurance.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass is joined by Wessly Anderson to discuss the state of efficiency-improving data implementation in the insurance industry, and ways to strengthen the operation of an agency through data and outsourcing. Updating agency practices for the present moment with modern technology can be a painful growing process, but it's ultimately necessary for an agency to remain competitive.

In this episode of Agent's Influence, we throw it back to a podcast from 2 years ago that predicts the future of the insurance industry. Take a listen as Jason Cass interviews Daniel Burrus of Burrus Research about the future of AI, the difference between change and transformation, and how to anticipate future trends in technology.

In this episode of Agent's Influence podcast, Jason Cass has Wessly Anderson as a special co-host. Jason and Wessly interview Nicholas Ayers and talk about all things leads, marketing, and the magic of having a process.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass offers a solo discussion, where he gives you access to his curated collection of special insurance industry professionals that you should be learning from, just like he has. Better your agency business by getting familiar with these men and women who span across a wide range of agency needs, from marketing to automation...and beyond.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass sits with four change agents in the insurance industry, Wessly Anderson, Preston Schmidli, Nicholas Ayers and Ryan Hanley, for another special Facebook Live event. They talk about all things marketing, sales, and how to generate the best leads. This is an episode you won't want to miss.

In today’s episode of Agent’s Influence, Jason Cass interviews Daniel Faggella, CEO and Founder of Emerj. Daniel gives us the 401 on artificial intelligence, insurance, and how we can apply it to our own agency.

In today's episode of Agent's Influence, Jason Cass interviews Robb Zbierski, Professional Speaker, Instructor and Coach at Freedom Personal Development. Robb teaches us how we can hack our brains to be more successful. The difference between a business continuing and failing is a mindset. Check out Robb's book "Master your Mind" to learn more about how you can hack your brain.

Master Your Mind: Counterintuitive Strategies to Refocus and Re-Energize Your Runaway Brain

In today's episode of Agent's Influence, we have Part 2 of the special Facebook live event with Jason Cass and Ryan Hanley.

As we listen to the second part of the series, Ryan and Jason talk about growing a business and being profitable. The two also delve into the workings of digital marketing.

Jason Cass and Ryan Hanley got together around Thanksgiving for a special Facebook live event that was so good we turned it into a two-part podcast! Previously at Agency Nation before making the move to Bold Penguin, Ryan has become a key voice in insurance and marketing. We hear Ryan go through the process of finding his "thing" and what he should do next in his career. Jason and Ryan also talk about marketing and what it takes to be an independent agent.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass chats with Miles Merwin, Founder and President of Advisors Insurance Agency. Jason and Miles talk about preparing for retirement within insurance and what that means for each person.

Jason Cass shares the overwhelming response to his previous podcast, "Special Episode: My Story I Was Told Not to Tell. Here It Is...". Here are a few of their stories.

In 2013, I was told to take down my website or I would be black balled in the industry. Obviously I never did, but I suffered greatly for it and until today I was too scared to tell the story. But now I have a buddy in the industry who is suffering, and I think my story is probably his story. This is actually the story of many agents who are trying to change the status quo and are being silenced by those who are trying to keep it. So here is my story...

In today's episode of Agent's Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Reid French, CEO of Applied Systems. The two talk about the progression of insurance over the years and discuss the recent developments between Applied Systems and Google. Reid shares what he believes is in store for the insurance industry.

In today's episode of Agent's Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Tariq Valente, Head of Business Development at Surfly. Tariq helps businesses connect more profoundly with their clients. Expectations and a shared understanding are two components of a successful customer experience. Jason and Tariq talk about the evolution of customer experience and how insurance is evolving.

In today's episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Olivia Schmitt, Select Business Unit Manager at TRICOR Insurance. Jason and Olivia discuss managing select, smaller premiums. They delve into the importance of leveraging smaller clients and how to use technology to enable rock solid processes.

In today's episode of Agents Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Wessly Anderson, CTO of Agency VA. Jason and Wessly discuss innovation and transformation in the insurance industry ranging from new data solutions to new agency strategies.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, Joey Giangola is back for a chat! One year after he moved on from Agency Intelligence to pursue new adventures, Jason Cass checks in with Joey Giangola, now Managing Editor at Agency Nation, and a youtube and podcast insurance sensation with over 10 years in the insurance industry. Joey and Jason talk about what the future of insurance will look like. They dive into topics about the technology of the industry and why relationships are the industry of the future.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Justin Goodman, President of Goodman Insurance and Total CSR. Jason and Justin talk about the importance of having relevant training material within the insurance industry. Justin shares his background and his excitement around developing training material that works. The industry has historically lagged in training content due to costs. Total CSR created a platform that bridges the training gap within the industry. Find out how Justin and Total CSR are changing the face of insurance.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Marcus Hayes, Director of Operations at LightSpeed Voice. The two explore the benefits of an integrated telephone system, like LightSpeed Voice. Marcus shares his background and his excitement around telephony technology that can move the insurance industry forward. LightSpeed Voice is a company that simplifies telephone systems and allows you to track, transcript, and automate the customer-service process.

In today's episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Mark McLaughlin, IBM's Global Insurance Director. The two explore the insurance industry, its challenges, and the revolutionary solutions of the future. Mark shares his opinion on the role technology will play in the insurance industry going forward.

In today's episode of Agent's Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Chris Cheatham, CEO of RiskGenius. The two explore the insurance industry and its challenges. Chris shares his background, experience, and motivation for creating RiskGenius. RiskGenius is a company that simplifies policy reviews to only take a couple seconds rather than a lengthy several months. RiskGenius is changing the face of the insurance industry.

Jason Cass, owner of The Insurance Alliance and founder of Agency Intelligence(formerly Grow Program) recaps where he’s been (AI BrainShare 2018) and where he’s going with his agency. He encourages listeners to focus on cleaning up the way that you handle your culture and staff. Picture your agency as a site and let’s talk about cleaning that up.

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews Nicholas Ayers, the Co-founder of i80 Insurance Solutions, based in Vacaville California, that handles auto, home, business, and life insurance. Listen and learn as Nicholas offers straight-forward advice on being profitable, reaching potential customers, and maximizing the power of video for marketing.

In today’s episode of Agency Intelligence, host Jason Cass interviews insurance agency President and Owner, Andrew Muller of Mappus Insurance Agency, based in Charleston, South Carolina. Andrew shares his experiences purchasing Mappus Insurance Agency, how the deal was structured, and ways he strengthened the company during and after the transition of becoming the new owner.

In this 8th episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Reid Holzworth, the Founder and CEO of TechCanary, the #1 source for insurance solutions on the Salesforce platform. Reid shares his personal history of how he became involved in insurance, technology, and technology in the insurance business, and the ways in which TechCanary has grown to be the go-to customizable solution for the insurance industry.

Miles Merwin, the owner and founder of Advisors Insurance Agency, shares how he ended up in South Carolina and the winding road that led him to the insurance industry. Miles reveals how getting let go from his first insurance job actually shifted his mindset and solidified his desire to be in the insurance industry and do everything necessary to be successful. As a business owner, Miles explains how to make effective hiring decisions and what to consider when growing your business and forecasting the future of your agency.

In this 7th episode of Agents Influence, host Jason Cass interviews Cindy Donaldson, the founder of Red Barn Consulting, a world class marketing team based in New Hartford, Connecticut. Cindy shares her backstory and the ups and downs she has gone through establishing businesses, the importance of establishing a solid company culture that is productive, and how to increase productivity in your business. “The operations, the culture of the company, all of that really needs to get worked on before you get to marketing and sales.” – Cindy Donaldson.

During this episode of AI your host Jason Cass talks about where he’s been, what he’s been doing and his plans for the podcast going forward. Show Notes: There have been a lot of changes going on in Jason Cass’s life.

He bought an agency and the process was longer than expected.

Purchased the agency through an SBA loan.

The process has been longer than expected.

You go through five layers of underwriting, you have to be pretty clean.

Had his agency that went out about a year.

Not a big fan of business plans that go out past a year.

A business plan only matters until you get punched in the face.

Went to the IAOA – Insurance Agency Owners Alliance

Run by Dave Jackson and Nicholas Ayers.

This is about real change by listening to people who do what you do every day.

In January go to IAOA, then Elevate in June, and AI Lab

IAOA was a very positive thing for his business.

He and his peers sat around as business owners and critiqued each other’s businesses.

We use criticism in a negative light and it doesn’t always have to be.

Randomly listened to phone calls and critiqued them.

Broke down what they did in their office every day.

We need to ask ourselves how are we going to make things better for our employees?

It all starts internally.

You can only get better in business life as much as you gain personally.

Billy Williams says that culture runs your office.

Why AI?

Agency intelligence is what’s going to power you for the future.

If you have a lot of flashy marketing and then your physical agency doesn’t reflect that, it seems like you’ve fooled them.

If you just do your best and create a customer experience that’s new and tangible, that’s a better experience.

If you do the best you can for your business, customers are going to go tell everyone about you.

You’ll start to get referral-based business with a higher closing ration.

You need to have videos and blogs, but you need to focus on agency intelligence.

Why are we still talking about the customer experience?

The industry is way behind.

Going forward there will be two separate podcasts:

Agency Intelligence

A regular podcast

Focused on the nitty gritty.

Doing this to lay a foundation of importance for agency intelligence and creating a great customer experience.

Agents Influence Conversations with Jason Cass

Conversations with influencers and thought leaders.

Will still exist but will be less frequent.

If you don’t create a great customer experience you won’t be making as much as those who do.

Videos, blogs, and Facebook are important, but you need agency intelligence for success.

Go to insuranceagencyintelligence.com and check out the mastermind tab if you’re interested in being a member.

Tweetable Quotes

Business owners run their agency like a business, agency owners run their agency like a business.

Have a client experience that separates you.

The business that stays is the business that pays.

Resources Mentioned InsuranceAgencyIntelligence.com Agentsinfluence.com Crestmark Bank IAOA Elevate Rocket Referrals Lightspeed Voice

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, Jason Cass speaks with Erik Garcia of Garcia Insurance Services in New Orleans, about the importance of establishing specific processes and workflows for your insurance agency. These two insurance business owners get their creative juices flowing with tips on which apps and services help with work, and which books inspire their methods. They examine teamwork, automation, and customer renewals. Jason Cass and Eric Garcia even speak about situations that call for firing clients to justify the time spent and the revenue associated with that time.

It’s the two starting points of any customer experience. Summary: In today’s episode of Agents Influence Podcast, host Jason Cass, the owner of The Insurance Alliance, the founder of the Grow Program and the author of the Amazon best-selling book Customer Service is Just Foreplay shares email feedback he has received about becoming a more […] The post Being Consistent and gathering Data, that’s where you start. appeared first on .

Why are InsurTech companies any different than other businesses? It’s hard for any business to make a profit in the first two or three years. That is just one topic that Caribou Honig, the Chairman and Cofounder of HR Transform & InsureTech Connect and Cofounder of boutique VC firm QED Investors and I discuss. It’s time to quit […] The post When Do InsurTech Companies Start to Make a Profit? appeared first on .

That’s right you heard it here first they broke the mold. All these so-called video experts want to tell you how to use video for your agency but it all has to do with advertising and marketing. What they can’t tell you and show you (because they are not agents) is how to use it beyond […] The post Advisor Evolved Broke the Video Mold appeared first on .

You can only fool the prospect and client so long before they realize you are just another old-school agency. As we work hard to create the customer experience that the customer of today demands we are cutting the process short and the customer are realizing it. We are the bodybuilder who only works his or […] The post Is Insurance Advertising and Marketing enough in 2018? appeared first on .

It’s see you later, even though we might not be sure when that is. Sometimes an opportunity comes along you didn’t expect that you just have to take. They aren’t always easy to see or get to and might come at the expense of close friends. That’s what Jason talks about today with Joey Giangola […] The post This isn’t Goodbye… appeared first on .

They say all good things must come to an end. Maybe that’s true, or maybe they just have to move on? There’s probably no right or wrong answer, but movement is an inevitable force of the universe. That’s what Joey talks to himself about today as he makes peace with where he’s going. Listen to […] The post The End appeared first on .

It’s pretty easy to cross the line when you exploit a tragedy and someone’s ignorance at the same time. Attention for attention’s sake is only good if people don’t hate you when it’s all said and done. Lemonade’s recent shenanigans have put them directly in the center of insurance agents cross-hairs. That’s what Jason talks […] The post Has Lemonade Finally Gone to Far? appeared first on .

It’s really easy to tell yourself something without doing the necessary work to visualize the reality. That happens more often then not when you set your sites on a new niche or line of business. Your commission goals fly off the rails into a fantasy land fill with impossible expectations. That’s what Joey talks about […] The post How Real Are Your Commission Goals? appeared first on .

If you’ve been having a hard time lately, that might not be a great sign. They keep saying that the industry will see more change in the next five years then in the last 25. The Safeco Report looks to put some hard numbers to all the feelings and theories surrounding what we do. That’s […] The post Can You Tell Your Producer’s and CSR’s Apart? appeared first on .

It’s not that complicated, it’s just hard working making it happen. The trick is figuring out who should be finding you and more importantly how to speak their language and completely forget yours. From there it’s all about telling them the things they need to know to build trust and demonstrate just how amazing you […] The post Everything Your Niche Needs to Find You appeared first on .

It sounds crazy, but if you’re not, there will probably be someone who is. That someone will also be close enough to your business to take anything and everything they want. It’s a hard concept to grab since we’re only in the second or third inning of what the internet has done to our attention. […] The post Should You Be Insurance Famous? appeared first on .

If you don’t, you’re probably not doing something consistently The easiest way to make sure something gets done is to have it automatically happen every time. The fancier word for that is called automation and is the cheapest and fastest way to find consistent. That’s what Joey talks about with Nancy Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, […] The post Do You Have Enough Leads to be Picky? appeared first on .

The game might have just started, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be playing. It’s very possible this revolution could allow the industry to make up a ton of traditionally stagnate ground in a hurry. They only thing we have to do is start playing this new game most people haven’t heard of yet. That’s […] The post Will Your Voice Enable Enough Conversations? appeared first on .

It doesn’t even have to be anything that big, just something that makes a difference. The problem with change is that we are always looking for it to be unmistakably noticeable. Almost as if there was a giant neon sign above it that said “big change here” leaving you with very little chance of missing […] The post What Do You Want to Change? appeared first on .

Don’t worry, there’s really only two types of email you should/can send and it’s really just about having the right mindset. It’s fast, cheap and easy. In fact it almost sounds too good to be true, but those are some of the benefits of deploying an effective email marketing strategy. The bigger problem is getting […] The post Do You Suffer From Email Intimidation? appeared first on .

It’s hard to see until you start or stop investing in it. Breaking routines and habits can be very powerful if you’re going to come back with a better one. Even if you don’t, just taking that step back to let everyone else see what it looks like is crazy. That’s what Joey talks about […] The post What’s the ROI of Changing Your Perspective? appeared first on .

It doesn’t matter how many times you hear it, you need better people around you. It’s even better when those better people not only help you become a better person, but also help you become better at making other people better. It’s this dynamic that could use a little work in the insurance industry to […] The post Multiplying Leaders Builds a Better Industry appeared first on .

Doing it the same every time, everywhere is a lot harder than you think. Mix in a constantly moving target that makes you do it different than before, and you’ve got a solid customer experience recipe. It’s in the consistent evolution that your customers will find comfort and familiarity. That’s what Joey talks with Christopher […] The post Are You Consistently Evolving With Your Clients? appeared first on .

Sometimes it’s really hard to tell because everyone just wants to be nice so you’ll leave them alone. The first and most important question you need to ask yourself is, do you even have a system in place to get it? If not, that’s the first thing that needs to happen before you can even […] The post Are You Getting the Right Feedback? appeared first on .

There’s going to be a lot of room for the people who are willing to bridge the gap. If you’re willing to leverage or even help translate your expertise into more efficient technology driven process, everyone will win. It’s that reluctance that will create the opening for someone or thing else to sneak in and […] The post Are You the Human Interaction Between Technology? appeared first on .

All you have to do is given them something they can’t buy that people talk about. Alright, fine. That’s a very vague and possibly misleading statement, but if you give it a little thought you just might find what you’re looking for. If you focus on a specific commercial niche there’s a probably a lot […] The post Make X Dates Come to You appeared first on .

If you do you’ll realize just how obtainable it might actually be. It’s this super sizing effect that triggers a state of paralysis that’s hard to snap out of. The easiest way to do it is to just focus on the smallest of first steps that can be taken to go further. That’s what Joey […] The post Stop Thinking Big to Get The Process Going appeared first on .

Did you have a high caliber person in the industry take you under their wing. If not, now might be a good time to pay attention to the person that isn’t tell you how to do things. Having that person who’s been there before is invaluable to what you should do next. That’s what Jason […] The post Where Did All Our Mentors Go? appeared first on .

If not, there’s a good chance you’re not doing it right. Yes, at the end of the day what you do in your business needs to make money, but if you don’t have fun (with your content) along the way it’s going to be really hard for people to care. It’s that caring that helps […] The post Are You Having Fun? appeared first on .

There might be a little more to it, but if you’re paying attention there’s probably a better way. You don’t always have to put your own money on the table to grow your business. You can also dramatically increase your income far beyond what you imagined by doing things differently That’s what Jason talks to […] The post Can Positivity Make You $50,000 a Month? appeared first on .

At some point it won’t be the local agencies around town because they’ll be playing a different game. If you’ve dedicated yourself to really doing things different (for and extended period of time) you’ll also need to adjust who you’re doing against. It’s completely fine if you think anything that has been said thus far is egregiously […] The post Who Are You Really Competing With? appeared first on .

If you don’t there’s a good chance the people you want to do business with won’t finish it. You’ve been told to tell your story for awhile now, but that’s easier said then done. Finding the dedication and motivation to think someone cares enough about you is exhausting. That’s what Joey talks with Jerry Nicklow, […] The post Are You Painting a Complete Social Media Picture? appeared first on .

Technology tug-o-war has gone on long enough between us and our companies. The push needs to be harder and more unified to get their attention and you need to be ready to respond when it happens. This is the constant power struggle to nowhere our industry currently finds itself in where the winner will just […] The post The Missing Link to Change Insurance Companies appeared first on .

If you don’t there might not be any more changes left to make. Trying to change someone’s behavior is one of the most difficult things we try to do to each other. However, that doesn’t stop us from trying. Should we instead be looking to pull the emergency ejection lever? That’s what Joey talks with […] The post Should You Think About Making an Unthinkable Change? appeared first on .

If you don’t it’s going to take a lot longer to figure out if you’re talking to the right person. For so long we’ve been told referral’s are the best leads you can get. Many say their agencies are built on referrals. But when it comes down to it are you just not tracking where […] The post Are You Offering Accelerated Referral Training? appeared first on .

If your agency is falling behind it could be because you’re missing one of these pieces of technology. Not only is it important to have all six of these items, but they also have to functioning at a high level. To do that your agency has to be disciplined in the processes and procedures you […] The post 6 Vital Tools Your Agency Needs appeared first on .

Even though sometimes it feels like it, you just need to look a little harder. Who’s responsibility is it to make sure you’re having a good time learning what’s real? That’s a question the people doing the teaching aren’t asking themselves enough these days. That’s what Joey talks with Jessica Burch, of Bryce Point Insurance, […] The post You’re Not Alone in This Old Industry appeared first on .

Do you know what you know better than anyone else? If you don’t there’s a good chance there’s another agent or agency out there that will. The reason you don’t is because you have been able to commit yourself to that thing you do know and do over and over again. That’s what Joey talks […] The post The Price You Pay Knowing Everything appeared first on .

If it was so easy to be a great lead, don’t you think everyone would be one? Sometimes you have to draw a very noticeable line in the sand if you want to know who you’re dealing with. It’s obviously easier said then done because someone or something is always trying to wash it away. That’s […] The post Create Quality (Leads) Over Quantity With Necessary Friction appeared first on .

Chances are if you can’t “figure it out” your working hard on the wrong things. This podcast first aired on Agency Nation Radio on 08/13/17. Which you can listen to here. The only thing your agency needs to be working hard on over the next year to win is your customer experience. That will positively […] The post Are You Consistently Working Hard Enough to Win? appeared first on .

If that’s all you’re trying to pick you’ll never end up tasting what’s at the very top. Now that might be a “pie in the sky” analogy, but at what point do you need to reach a little higher to get a better taste? It takes a special person to step over over a dime […] The post How Much Low Hanging Fruit Can Your Agency Eat? appeared first on .

When you think about it, you’re really giving it more authority than it deserves. So many of the decisions you make surrounding how you run your business are dictated by your management systems capabilities. Most of which are centered around one core function of your business. While that function is vital to the success of […] The post Is Your Management System Holding Your Agency Hostage? appeared first on .

There’s only one person’s advice that has proven itself right time and time again. That person is Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion, who provides the most practical and effective marketing advice for insurance agents. There’s a lot of different people trying to sell you their version of success, but you need to make sure it’s […] The post Who Do You Listen to That’s Actually Right? appeared first on .

Why aren’t you good enough to take your niche to the highest level? It’s an uncomfortable question you never gave your enough credit to ask. Even though only a handful of big crazy niche agents will have the audacity to believe it, now’s your chance to be one of them. That’s what Joey talks with […] The post A Big Crazy Niche Thought You Deny appeared first on .

It’s a challenge like no other that you never even thought would be possible. If you’ve been trying to grow your agency and can’t quite hit your goals, this might be what’s missing. Sometimes it take a crazy, radical change you never considered to kick things into gear. That’s what Jason talks about today in […] The post Can Your Agency Handle the Ultimate Throwdown? appeared first on .

It better not be service. Because that’s what everyone says and they rarely ever mean it. While it’s not hard to stand out and be different in the insurance industry, few agents obsess over it. That’s what Joey talks with Mike Crowley, of Crowley Insurance, about as he explains his obsession of their experience. Listen […] The post What Experience Do You Do Different? appeared first on .

If you do, you could find yourself with hundreds of new people to talk to every month. It all starts with getting out of the insurance industry and learning from people who could care less about it. That means attending different conferences and events specific to the skills you’re trying to acquire. That’s what Joey […] The post Are You Putting Things in the Right Spot? appeared first on .

Who are you waiting for permission from to tear down the walls you built? The faster you allow yourself to redefine the latitude of your opportunities the more possibilities you’ll find. It’s in these possibilities you’ll discover one of the most consistent lead sources hiding behind successful agencies. That’s what Joey talks with Joel Dunham, of […] The post Think Bigger to Create A Steady Stream of Business appeared first on .

If not, you’ll have to rely on a bunch of tactics that won’t age well in your agency. You have to get serious right now about leveling up yourself and your agency by being more intentional with your time and the people that steal it. Otherwise you’ll find yourself having a lot of backwards conversations […] The post Are You Someone People Want to Buy From? appeared first on .

If you do then you’ll know who’s ready to buy from you before they do. Marketing automation is a wonderful thing, at least after you get it setup. The amount of information and action it can deliver when properly deployed is overwhelming. You’ve probably heard a drumbeat steadily getting louder surround this topic and the […] The post Do You Know What Your Leads Should be Doing? appeared first on .

It’s going to take longer than you think and be more risky than want. If you’re always looking for the fastest way to disqualify someone else success you’ll never look long enough to see the truth. The further back you go the closer you’ll get to their initial moment of truth that brought them where you’re […] The post How To Build Your Secret Weapon appeared first on .

If not, there a good chance you’ll find yourself run over on the side of the road. To avoid that from happening, you have to think bigger, much bigger than you currently are. Because they way you built your agency isn’t going to be sustainable in a future with abundant leverage. That’s what Jason talks […] The post Can You Disrupt Yourself Before Someone Else Does? appeared first on .

Sometimes it’s hard pill to swallow if your not worth the attention. It’s easy to think every technology and agency management system should want to bend over backwards for you. However, the truth is, all that bending might end up hurting the company more than it will you. That’s what Joey talks with Christopher Cook, […] The post Whose Job Is It to Make Your Life Easier? appeared first on .

If you don’t, I’m sure every other insurance agency you know will take them off your hands. The crazy part is you don’t have to do much to make it happen except invest in the right tools. You have enough to think about in your agency everyday, getting people to say nice things about you […] The post Do You Want 58 Google Reviews? appeared first on .

Is sharing and connecting with other agents to learn what makes them successful. It’s all about getting out off the office to discover a new perspective on how to grow both personally and professionally. It’s those interactions and connections that keep the ambition and energy flowing for a new, younger generation of agents. That’s what […] The post The Secret to Recharging the Millennial Agent appeared first on .

This is actually at the core of understanding the intentions behind an effective Facebook or YouTube video strategy. If you don’t take the time to think about how, when and why someone is coming across your video and what they might want to do when they’re done, I’ve taught you nothing. It’s those intentions that will […] The post Are You Good Enough for People to Miss You? appeared first on .

A true differentiator is what you can do, not the things you’re incapable of doing. It might seem like a pointless lesson of semantics, however trying to turn the tables of efficiency on the efficient will always end badly. Baselines get established for a reason, trying to push them back for a lack of ability […] The post Do You Understand the Value Of What You Can’t Do? appeared first on .

You can’t let the clients you have stop you from trying to get the clients you want. If you’re focusing the business you’re trying to attract online and are concerned with how your existing clients will handle, don’t be. Most clients rarely care enough about the content you’re creating to impact their decision to work […] The post Clients Don’t Care What You Do Next appeared first on .

If you’re not there’s a good chance you’re not confident in the value you provide. I know it’s a tricky thing in this industry to technically “get paid” what you’re worth as often that price is already set for you. However, if you’re lucky enough to live in a part of the country where this […] The post Are You Getting Paid What You’re Worth? appeared first on .

Exploring how big your insurance world can get will only lead to better discoveries. The smaller you keep it the more crazy and uninspiring it becomes. It’s only when you search to expand your knowledge of like-minded agents who share the same challenges, struggles and even success that you win. That’s what Joey talks with […] The post Are You Coasting Around Your Small Insurance World? appeared first on .

There’s nothing wrong with becoming obsessed with positive change in your agency. These action all stem from your ability to truthfully identify what you can do and what you can’t do. From there it’s your job to decide how those failures can be positively changed in your agency moving forward. That’s what Jason Cass talks […] The post How Honest Are You About Your Failures? appeared first on .

You’ll know if it is when people find you no matter what. There’s a lot to be said for identifying and committing to something you know will be successful and produce results. It’s that commitment that will serve you well in the long run and make sure you have plenty of opportunity. That’s what Joey […] The post Is Your Content Robust Enough? appeared first on .

If you don’t then you’ll probably find yourself staying put for awhile. Correctly identifying what you need help with is vital to running and growing any successful agency. It’s this awareness that will create massive separation between you and your competition and allow you to do what you do best. That’s what Joey talks with […] The post Do You Know What You Don’t Know? appeared first on .

You’ve got to stop listening to the mother ship if you want to even have a chance. That mother ship is each insurance company that manipulates you into doing what’s best for them, not your agency. It’s at the core of this relationship that you need to realize is preventing you from doing more effective […] The post Can You Knock on 40,000 Doors a Day? appeared first on .

All you’re doing is showing people how little you care about what’s really important. Instead, educate your client to a better experience so they don’t have to worry about taking every last dollar on the table. Understanding the value in relation to the savings is a service that everyone else is afraid to provide. That’s what Joey talks […] The post Stop Selling on Savings appeared first on .

There’s also no guarantee you’ll every get one, which is why they’re so powerful and secret. If seems like someone has an unfair advantage, usually you’re just haven’t looked hard enough to find out how they got it. Because more often than not, the only thing unfair about it is how long it took to […] The post Secret Weapons Aren’t Made Overnight appeared first on .

When you get back from a conference you want to come home with something you can do today. But still you want to be inspired and inform enough to set the course of your agency for the next six to 12 months. That’s a mix that is hard to find at most insurance conferences when […] The post Keep It Practical (Elevate ’17 Recap) appeared first on .

=What you lack in speed you’ll need to make up for in comfort. There’s a lot to be said for making something easy and how the importance of that ease effects your agency. Especially when most of us claim to be referral based businesses that just take care of their customers. That’s what Joey talks […] The post How Fast Does Your Referral Machine Go? appeared first on .

If you don’t you’ll never be able to get past where you are. Every now and then you need to make sure you’ve submerged yourself in a situation you’re not sure you’ll be able to get out of. It’s that fight or flight response you need to keep in shape to keep growing. That’s what […] The post Find People That Can Knock You Down appeared first on .

It’s hard pill to swallow, but the sooner you do the better you’ll feel. This magnified perception of caring causes you to do some fairly foolish and ineffective things for your agency. Instead of focusing most, or all, of your efforts on solving peoples problems, you waste them worrying about telling them how great you […] The post No One Cares About You appeared first on .

There isn’t a right or wrong answer, however one leaves you with a lot more to think about. If you can’t learn from your losses you’ll have a hard time finding many wins. It takes a lot of humility and self-awareness to honestly address yourself and what went wrong when something doesn’t work. That’s what […] The post Should You Love to Win or Hate to Lose? appeared first on .

If you do you’ll dramatically increase the profitability of the niche you love. You have to put in the work to identify what policies and coverage make your niche more valuable to survive. Otherwise you’ll spend most of your insurance career floundering time and opportunities on the smaller fish. That’s what Joey talks with Terry Grier, […] The post Sell From the Top Down to Find the Right Trigger appeared first on .

It might seem impossible, but if you can do it you’ll have more time and sanity than you know what to do with. Take that and combine it with the ambition and dedication to think bigger than any of your competitors and you might be on to something. If you’re constantly getting asked the same […] The post Answer Questions Before They’re Asked appeared first on .

It’s not a fun place to be when you can’t get over your control issues and grow your agency. There’s probably a lot of little things you do that take time and produce little results. If you just spent a little more brain power figuring out where you need to do your best work, it […] The post No Outsourcing Imagination Means Doing All the Work appeared first on .

It’s hands down one of the easiest ways to make a fool of yourself to everyone you know. You have to put in a lot of work on every social platform before you’ll come close to sniffing a sale. If you really get good you will be able to sell without selling. That’s what Jason […] The post Stop Selling on Facebook and Social Media appeared first on .

Would you rather the phone not ring if you can’t take care of that call the right way? It’s a problem you didn’t think was even possible, but the reasoning behind it is pretty sound. It all comes down to how much demand have you created for your service and how long are people willing […] The post Is Having Too Much Business a Bad Thing? appeared first on .

When it’s all said and done, it’s just a fancy lead provider It’s always a good idea to step back and ask yourself the question, do my clients care as much about this as I do? If the answer is no, then you might want be sure just how much that thing dictates the direction […] The post Don’t Let Dave Ramsey (ELP) Boss You Around appeared first on .

Do you have enough information to make tough decisions fast enough before they cost you money? That is what’s at risk with every hiring and firing decision your agency makes. Just using the eye test leaves you vulnerable to so many blind spots you can’t see. That’s what Joey talks with Larry Freudenberg, of Triest Agency, […] The post Let Your Clients Fire Your Employees (Part II) appeared first on .

It’s probably the first part of your insurance game that gets rusty after you experience some success. After you boil down all the different variables that make up the best agent, the only one left standing with all of them is prospecting. If you don’t dedicate some portion of everyday to this vital, yet simple […] The post Do You Have Enough Prospecting Motivation? appeared first on .

There’s nothing wrong with want to do things your way as long as you can back it up. It might have been beaten into to fight for every piece of business that comes your way. However, if you want to lay down the ultimate qualification test, don’t fight. Instead provide as much value as you can […] The post Should You Fight For Business Without Value? appeared first on .

They don’t always happen the way people tell you they should. The question is if you think you can keep making them work when most people haven’t been able to? It’s these accidents you’ve been told over and over again to avoid, however they could potentially lead you where no one else has gone. That’s […] The post Are You Listening to Your Happy Insurance Accidents? appeared first on .

It’s an interesting question no one has an answer for until a real game is actually played. InsureTech has become the number one buzz word in the industry this year to the point it’s distracting from the main objective. Attracting new blood and ideas into our ancient industry is a must, but at what cost […] The post Are InsureTech Players Building a Stadium Without A Ball? appeared first on .

If things aren’t getting done then there’s something wrong with the way you’re doing it. Taking an honest look at how you think you’re getting stuff done is a necessary skill. Because if you don’t, you won’t realize that you aren’t taking enough chances to figure out something that works. That’s what Joey talks with […] The post You’re Not Taking Enough Honest Chances appeared first on .

More often than not, it doesn’t and you’ll have to find out the hard way. Luckily there’s an easy way to make sure you don’t have to find out the hard way. ‘ You just have to ask yourself a few very important questions to determine if your dream niche will provide you with the […] The post Will Your Dream Niche Love You Back? appeared first on .

You’re probably doing it now, you just don’t know who to focus on first. When you F.R.O.G. someone all you’re doing is talking about their Family, Recreations, Occupation and Goals. If you dedicate yourself to those things for other people you will be shocked at how often your phone will ring. That’s what Jason talks […] The post Can You F.R.O.G. Your Way to 13,000 Policies? appeared first on .

Only as good as the technology that sends it. There are a lot of specific pieces of information you would probably like to include automatically when sending a welcome kit to a new client. The only problem is, you can’t seem to find a way an easy way to do it without reinventing the wheel […] The post How Good Can Your Welcome Kit Be? appeared first on .

Never doubt the power of a little public humiliation to force yourself to get better. If you think you’re just magically going to work up better on camera video skills, you sadly mistaken. The only way you will develop those skills is if you publish your failed attempts. That’s what Joey Talks with Rob McCarthy […] The post Embarrassment Is The Only Way to Video Success appeared first on .

It’s hard to image the amount of time and money needed to change how insurance companies do things. It’s such a daunting task, most of us have given up if you were even trying in the first place. It’s this change that is necessary for agents to remain relevant in the buying process and continue […] The post Can Millions of Dollars Change Carriers Growth? appeared first on .

It’s a slippery slope that can have you spinning your wheels faster than you ever imagined. On the other hand, if you know who and what you’re looking for you could just very well be passing up on great familiar business. There is one major distinction you need to make before you get into the […] The post Should You Take Insurance Shoppers Back? appeared first on .

If you’re always waiting to be an expert then you’ll never try anything that will make you one. There are certain baselines you need to follow. Pillars and cornerstones that shouldn’t be moved. However, everything that falls in between is fair game for your imagination. That’s what Joey talks with Joel Dunham, of Stoller Dunham […] The post Why You Know More Than You Think appeared first on .

If not, you might be unnecessarily chaining yourself to a desk and derailing your growth. There’s something to be said for finding a way to move and shake your way to more business. Often times we lose sight of the opportunity this industry provides and the flexibility it demands to make it what you want. […] The post Are You Taking Advantage of Your Insurance Freedom? appeared first on .

The truth will set your employees free and motivate them to a new level you didn’t think was possible. That’s what happens when you create accountability and culture in your agency focused on performance based results. That performance doesn’t need to be tied to production or sales volume. Instead, you can let customer stratification play […] The post Let Your Clients Fire Your Employees appeared first on .

Neither are adding the value you can if you just make your move and go forward without them. There’s a a lot of noise floating around the industry about what disruptors can and will do to our industry. Instead of constantly worry about their potential impact, focus on how you can get around them. That’s […] The post Get Insurance Companies Out of the Way and Ignore Disruptors appeared first on .

It’s actually easier than you think because no one said you had to be the best to everyone. Being better is easy advice to give, but really hard to deliver on. It’s not fair to claim it to be cure for all your troubles. However, every once in awhile there comes a time when you […] The post Are You the Best Around? appeared first on .

Just identify your five best prospects and have the discipline to market to them through eight different channels. It sounds too simple to be true, but what you’ll normally find is that your lack of success is rarely the fault of the strategies or tactics. Instead it’s the lack of dedication and discipline to create and […] The post How to Make $100,000 Your First Year as an Agent appeared first on .

You might think it’s your name that defines who your are, but it’s what you do that defines your name. That might seem like a fun game of semantics, but that’s something you probably easily lose sight of when it comes to your agency and the things inside it. The perfect name won’t create you […] The post How Important is Your Name? appeared first on .

If you’re looking for one of the fastest shortcuts to blogging success, adding video is your ticket. It can be overwhelming just developing solid blogging habits and throwing video production on top of it can feel like an immovable object. However, once you’re able to build the strength to do both you’ll never look back […] The post Why Adding Video to Your Blog is the Missing Secret Sauce appeared first on .

You can’t go wrong paying for of you. Because if you’re not worth paying for more of then there’s a deep problem that would negate most your efforts that precede. Just think back to the all the stuff that you threw money at and how successful it was or wasn’t. Sometimes it worked sometimes it […] The post Don’t Be Afraid to Throw Money at More Time appeared first on .

If you won’t follow yourself no one else will. It’s pretty hard to get more without becoming more. That more you’re thinking about goes beyond just money and material things, it covers everything from health to happiness. If your unwilling or incapable of becoming more than you’ll always fall short. Becoming more means going beyond […] The post Lead Yourself to Attract Everything You Want to Be appeared first on .

If you don’t look for either of them you’ll never find the chicken or the egg. If you’re tired of taking whatever falls on your desk, you’ll have to start taking the small steps to walk away from it. The biggest risk you run is making sure you’re walking in the right direction and won’t […] The post Is Perfection Preventing Your Perfect Client? appeared first on .

It’s hard to climb a mountain from the bottom of a hole. That’s what the experience can be like for some agents who borrow money to climb their mountain. Setting basic principles for how you want to do business and becoming comfortable with what works for you will make the climb that much easier. That’s […] The post Don’t Borrow Money to Create a $8.3 Million Agency appeared first on .

The short answer is yes. The long answer is absolutely yes. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be the person focusing on collecting them. In fact, if it’s something that you aren’t uniquely qualified to do than it’s even more powerful off-loading that task to experts. That’s what Joey talks with Eli Gillespie, of Gillespie […] The post Do You Need People to Say Nice Things About Your Agency? appeared first on .

It’s an answer you’re probably quick to have but you should really think twice before having it. Yes, you’ve been conditioned to think think this business all about relationships, which is true. But no one said you have to be the one always creating every relationship. That’s what Joey talks with Jerry Nicklow, of Huff Insurance, […] The post Should You Pay Someone to Go to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner? appeared first on .

It’s okay to be who you are as long as that’s who you want to be. It might sound a little philosophical, but there’s nothing wrong with doing things the way you want to do them as long as it’s working. You shouldn’t let anyone insurance shame you into think you need to be something […] The post Self Awareness Goes Further Than You Think appeared first on .

Do you ever cut open your “apples to apples” quote to make sure you really know what’s inside? We think we know which companies are the best, but do you really know small coverage details that can make an impact? Is comparative rating helping erode our ability to help people discover their full exposure and […] The post Are You Really Doing Your Job? appeared first on .

If you don’t, you could find your on camera failure to great to overcome. There’s definitely a lot of moving parts when it comes to creating videos for your agency. Deciding which parts you’re going to be responsible for can be a daunting task. However, if you underestimate just one small step in the process […] The post How To Build A Video Production System That Sticks appeared first on .

It’s not the most practical advice to give but if you can pull it off your business will better off for it. Most of the time you’re focused on the lowest common denominator when it comes to relationship building with potential referral partners. Thinking that the more people you know will lead to the most […] The post Earn the Extra Referral by Being Better appeared first on .

If not, you’ll find yourself waiting for something that isn’t going to happen. It’s our job to know what’s available to make our business lives better. It’s also our job to know if it’s a partial or complete solution. However, it’s not an easy job and one that most agents don’t do. If you want […] The post Offer to Take Someone Where They Want to Go appeared first on .

It’s one of the most powerful things you won’t believe until it happens to you. You will know when you are creating the right content when people call you and act like they already know you. It’s at this point you’ve created effective enough content that allows someone to build a relationship with you on […] The post The Secret to Building Relationships On Demand appeared first on .

You probably don’t realize it but there’s secret wage assassins hiding in every corner of your agency. If you’re not careful, you’ll be dead before lunch and have no idea how it happened. These assassins take many shapes, but all share the common denominator of indecision on your part. The other suspect in this minimum […] The post Who’s Making You Work for Minimum Wage? appeared first on .

They’ve always said the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. That’s especially true if you can figure out a way to keep those parts strictly focused on one job that keeps the whole machine moving. It’s when we try to have a part do to many things when the system breaks down […] The post Deconstruct Your Producer to Make a Better One appeared first on .

You might be surprised just how powerful organizing the necessary things to get to a place your not sure how to find can be. If you’re able to consistently do this you’ll increase your chances of finding that place when you need it the most. Because if you become to focused on the plan you […] The post Are You Consistently Planing Without a Plan? appeared first on .

Don’t let you appetite for cross-selling get bigger than what your agency can handle. It’s all comes down to making tough, disciplined decisions on how you want your agency to operate. There is no wrong answer when it comes to how you operate, the only trouble you’ll find yourself in is not making that decision. […] The post How Much of the Insurance Pie Should You Eat? appeared first on .

The experience is all that matters, if you’re doing it right they won’t remember how it was done. Yes, as an industry we collectively need to be striving for a better tomorrow. That tomorrow probably needs to come sooner than any of us want to admit, however that doesn’t mean we should feel guilty about […] The post Are You Pushing or Pulling Food onto Your Table? appeared first on .

It’s silly to think about the power that remaining 20 percent holds over you. If you’re waiting to have all the information and all the answers, you’ll be waiting forever. One of the most powerful skills you can master is to accept imperfection. If you don’t, you will constantly be sabotaging yourself and your agency. […] The post 80 Percent is All You Need to Do What Needs Done appeared first on .

There are certain pillars that shouldn’t be moved and others that haven’t been built yet. It’s your job to build yours around the ones you can’t (and shouldn’t) move. Otherwise you’ll find yourself right back where you started with nothing to show for it. This tends to happen to most agents when setting up new […] The post Overloading Unstable Habits Establishes Failure appeared first on .

Evil or not, something has to change with the way P&C companies handle appointments. Did you make a deal with an insurance devil like SIAA to trade market access for noticeable commission splits? There are some agents in the industry who think this is contributing to a degrading process that limits the unique voice of […] The post Did This Self-Created Necessary Evil Steal Your Voice? appeared first on .

Is your agency leveraging the most powerful sales tool currently available? That tool is video and if you aren’t then your seriously underestimating how much more effective your sales process can become. The word on the street is that within five years 70 percent of the traffic on the internet will be video focused. Just […] The post How to Create Conversations You Want to Have appeared first on .

It’s something as simple as this that can completely derail your efforts attracting new clients. If most of your new business isn’t coming from where you’re trying to get it, you might be better off going to where it is. It’s this simple concept combined with setting the proper expectations and delivering information sooner than […] The post Are You Talking to the Wrong Person? appeared first on .

It doesn’t matter if something only does part of the job, it’s up to you to find someone to do the rest. It’s these hesitations that stop your agency from reaching a level of self-sufficiency that only feels like a dream. The constant state of fragmentation leaves your agency broken to new possibilities and complete […] The post Old School Automation Stops You From Doing Everything (Part II) appeared first on .

The true visionaries in any industry or profession are seeing and playing a game that no one else can. If you can’t see it, your not looking hard enough and will find yourself standing on the sidelines sooner than you’d like. Industry after industry has ignored the things they don’t want to see and every […] The post Can You See Better Customer Service That’s Not There? appeared first on .

It’s hard to stand tall in the middle of a hurricane. If you can do it, you’ll be the only one left standing while everyone else is trying to rebuild what got blown away. Agency that take the time to hire people with the right core characteristics and teach them “how they do things” will […] The post Does Stress Stop You From Hiring Your Way? appeared first on .

It’s almost never what everyone says it’s supposed to be. The number of agents that don’t know how much money is at the end of the insurance rainbow their chasing is concerning. You will be very disappointed when you hit a goal and have nothing to show for it because you didn’t breakdown commission percentages […] The post Do You Know What Your Biggest Opportunity Is? appeared first on .

If you don’t know what the problem is you’ll have no way to offer a solution. It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else thinks the problem is and what you should be doing. But you first have to stop and define your version of success before anything positive can happen. That’s what […] The post Feel the Pain to Define Your True Success appeared first on .

You have to have all the pieces in place if you want to fully take advantage of your most successful stuff. Hope can go a long way to keeping you moving toward a bigger goal, but at some point you’re going to need to really hammer down and weld your ambition to your skill. It […] The post Are You Hoping For a Homerun Instead of Hitting One? appeared first on .

Accessibility is becoming one of the most important commodities you and your tools need to provide. Are the systems inside your agency providing you with flexibility to do what is necessary to keep up with the industry? Allowing those systems to become obsolete immovable objects in your agency is one of the most dangerous neglections […] The post Has Your Management System Finished the Race to the Clouds appeared first on .

Spending too much time focusing on something you can’t properly execute is dangerous. Not making decisions fast enough and refusing to outsource the skills you can’t execute leaves you especially vulnerable On the first episode of 2017 Jason talks about where GROW is heading in the new year and how that aligns with the needs […] The post Marketing is Overrated in 2017 appeared first on .

You can’t grow if people you work with on both sides of your agency don’t have enough value. Is it too dangerous to rely on someone for too much or too little? Are there intentions just as important as their actions and who should you ultimately do business with? It’s these questions and more that […] The post That’s Not Who I Want to Work With appeared first on .

An overthought process will always reach a dead end. If you been trying to setup an automated email sequence to cross-sell your auto and home clients, just start with one email. Rome wasn’t build in a day. If you don’t ask it will most likely never happen. Simplicity wins every time and will start bringing […] The post Are You Automatically Asking For What You Want? appeared first on .

If It’s Not Your Job, Don’t Do It. It’s possible you might think you should or have to pick up the slack when someone in your office goes on vacation. That was probably a true statement in the days of yellow pages and type writers, but an old school service delivered in a new school […] The post Old School Automation Stops You From Doing Everything appeared first on .

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, especially if your missing one entirely. You have to be very clear about what you want and or need a piece of content to do and how it’s going to achieve that result for it to actually happen. Something as simple as creating a landing […] The post Are Landing Page Lies Killing Your Content? appeared first on .

The money is in the second, third and fourth time Google tells someone that you’re their solution. By now you probably know all leads aren’t created equal and figuring out a way to attract more of the good ones is the key. Obvious statements aside, it’s a fresh and different approach to attracting them is […] The post Are You Getting the Good Leads Over and Over? appeared first on .

They only way you can better is by understanding what has prevented you from getting there. Today we are going to look back at the top 5 most downloaded episode of the year to really figure out what problems you struggled with the most. based on the list, a lot if it had to do […] The post Best of 2016: The Top 5 Topics You Struggled With This Year appeared first on .

If you don’t start learning, adapting and deploying new experiences your clients demand, you’ll lose the war. The insurance industry as a whole has allowed mediocrity to lead the way in defining our future. It’s been able to happen because not enough of us have stood up and demand something better. This is your call […] The post Building a Better Bomb Mediocre Agents Won’t Use appeared first on .

The road less traveled can often times lead to where you want to go. When it comes to creating content for your agency, no one really knows for sure what’s going to work. That’s the exciting part for you as you have the lience to live your early content days like a 19 year-old college […] The post An Express Ticket to Attracting Unloyal Customers appeared first on .

It’s not just the execution of the tactic it’s the execution of the intention. Value is not defined by your proximity. It’s also not defined by being a warm body in a room. The value you will or will not bring someone can far exceed the traditional methods you were surrounded with. It’s up to […] The post Misunderstood Value That’s Leaving You Vulnerable appeared first on .

An agent-less buying process might seem like a slippery slope but could end up right where your prospects want to be. It is the earliest of days in the awkward relationship agents are building with Insure-tech startups promising to revolutionize the way insurance is bought and sold. Are these threats challenging our lively hood or only hoping […] The post What Does a One-Stop Shop Insurance Experience do to Your Agency? appeared first on .

You think you’d be used to planning for a bunch of things that you don’t want to happen. Like the contractor who never works on his own house, I bet your agency doesn’t have a very good plan for you unexpectedly not being there anymore, permanently. However, it’s still something that needs to get done […] The post The Unsexy Goal You Won’t Work On Next Year appeared first on .

It’s a brave new world when it comes to the number of options you have for getting work done by the right person at the right time. There isn’t a single issue that can destroy your agency’s profitability than than finding the perfect balance of staffing solutions. If you have to many people doing too […] The post Overstaffed Vs. Understaffed: Who’s Doing the Right Work? appeared first on .

Let’s be honest selling commercial lines insurance is one of the most inefficient sales process on the planet. Commercial underwriting and application process make personal lines like an unimaginable futuristic reality. What if you had a much more efficent way to find the best place to put your business and get credit for the stuff […] The post Can His Bold Idea Put an End to Your Application Madness? appeared first on .

If you don’t know what you’re wasting you’re time on you’ll never what you should be doing instead. There’s a lot to be said for getting something out of your head. By doing that you will free your ability to not think about something that is a low return activity. Also, we don’t have to […] The post Confident Time Management You’re Afraid Of appeared first on .

Ignorance can sometimes be bliss but is can also mislead you to a fantasy land that doesn’t exist. When your idea meets reality is the first self awareness test you’ll get to take. As excited as you might think the world is to hear about the thing your excited about, most of the time it’s […] The post You Never Know Until You’re In It appeared first on .

We’re in a service business that should be working retail hours. Most of our clients are at work when your doors are open for business. Why should you ask them to take time away from what they do to buy what you’re selling. That is just one of the main problems facing our industry and […] The post Can You Be Available When Your Customers Are? appeared first on .

Just because it’s important to you doesn’t mean it’s important to them. That’s the first thing you need to remember when considering creating any type of communication to your clients. It’s always about them and never about you. That when you know you can focus on what is going to matter most. That’s what Joey […] The post Making Your Clients Care Makes You More Money appeared first on .

It’s easier said than done and something you might be inadvertently guilty of. Actions taken out of insecurity and insincerity is a combination that generally leads to disaster. Doing something because it’s worth doing and will make them better than they were before will win everytime over doing it for yourself. That’s what Joey talks with […] The post Are You Doing Stupid Things You Don’t Need To? appeared first on .

It’s easy to always talk about the things that are comfortable, but it’s the uncomfortable conversations that have to biggest impact. Today Jason Cass is flying solo to take a quick look back at 2016 and preview the upcoming CEO month of December on Agents Influence. Jason also shares a few great resources and tools […] The post Having Conversations People Don’t Want to Will Keep Us Together appeared first on .

Bigger clients bigger commissions aren’t always as profitable as they seem, but sometimes they are. It’s actually pretty easy to figure out if the extra work is worth your time. It’s easy to want to to churn and burn on 15 minute sales calls take what you get. It’s a different world when the new, […] The post Can Your Sales Process Handle Better Prospects? (Part II) appeared first on .

It’s alright to create necessary friction if you don’t need to talk to everyone. If there is one thing we want more than anything to be true, it’s that phone trees are an effective way to handle incoming phone traffic. However, there is substantial data to back up the fact that people prefer talking to […] The post How Bad Does It Hurt Falling Out of a Phone Tree? appeared first on .

The death of the insurance designation might have been greatly exaggerated. In a time where everyone has the ability to demonstrate their expertise on demand, spending time learning about how something is done, instead of just doing it, might seem counterproductive. However, today Jason Cass welcomes Peter MacDonald, VP of Sales and Marketing for Murry […] The post Can You Designate Yourself to Success? appeared first on .

Just how serious should we be about making sure our clients other insurance needs are taken care of? It’s an interesting question and one that hasn’t been mention aloud very often. Should we, or can we do more in creating a customer experience that keeps the insurance flowing, even if it’s something your agency doesn’t […] The post Is It a Referral or Marketing Problem? appeared first on .

You don’t always have to listen to the first or loudest person you hear when getting into the insurance industry. It’s also a surpsising journey on how most of us got here. The industries adjecent to the one we call home ussually produce the most interested canadates. It’s also surprising to hear the people in […] The post Who Taught You How to Think Outside the Box? appeared first on .

If your employees aren’t happy before they come to work, there’s a good chance they’ll walk out your door the way they came in. There isn’t an agency owner, on some level, that doesn’t want to try and get the most out of their people and provide an enjoyable working envirionment. The problem is trying […] The post Will Happiness Set Your Agency Free? appeared first on .

If you are, you’ll find yourself celebrating a lot of moral victories that won’t impact your agency. If you want to cut through the noise and do something no one else is doing, sometimes that means ignoring things that everyone says you should do. Because when you try to hedge your bets you spread yourself […] The post Are You Playing for a Participation Trophy? appeared first on .

If the sky was falling would you want to know? On this brand new show, Jason Cass and Joey Giangola casually discuss the head in the sand mentality you might be taking with the disruptors gunning for our jobs. Jason feels that winning in social and digital will be what keeps the best agents in […] The post 001 Listen In: Dark Fears You Aren’t Properly Afraid Of appeared first on .

Just because some one has the resources doesn’t mean they know how to use them? It seems like the defult postion in the insurance industry is to try and hold on and protect what we have and complete close oursleves off to something new. This most commonly shows up in the form of technolgy and […] The post Will a Regulation Breakdown Obliterate the Market? appeared first on .

Assumed expectations aren’t clear to anyone but you. This week Jason Cass stops to take a break from his Young Agent Series to recap the great action that has already happened with agents Jordan Greer, Erin Nutting, Rene Hernandez and Josh Lipstone. He also shares some insight on the Young Agents still to come to […] The post The Conversation You Didn’t Have With Your Employees (That They Hate You For) appeared first on .

It’s easy to get set in your ways and treat all leads the same. When you start to level up your marketing you’ll also find your sales skills will also need to keep up with the times. Creating content that compels people to contact you and tell you how they found you is probably something […] The post Can Your Sales Process Handle Better Prospects? appeared first on .

Relying on other people to be as good at their job as you are at yours is a risky proposition. You know you can’t be everything to everyone, all the time, everytime. So when you find referal partners that make sense and can solve your clients problems it’s generally a good thing. However, when you […] The post Are You Afraid to Send Business Out the Door? appeared first on .

Too often you convince yourself you’re not ready to speak up and take the initiative. The longer you wait in your insurance career to do that, the longer you’ll find yourself sitting on the sidelines not playing with the big boys. Today Jason is joined by Josh Lipstone, Vice President of the Lipstone Insurance Group, […] The post You Can’t Get Ahead Waiting For Someone Else to Make a Difference appeared first on .

Have you ever thought about the power of one to many and what would happen if you started marketing to potentail refereal partners? If inbound marketing to potential clients scales your effectiveness, just think about the possibilties of creating that same funnel for someone who can consistenly bring you business? Sure you can go pound […] The post Disrupting Relationships to Create a Referral Partner Machine appeared first on .

It actually already happened, but companies are afraid to move on without it. The faster you can be at delivering the information your clients and prospects want puts our industry further from “disruption.” The challenge is having the courage to step out on to that ledge and see what the new insurance world would look […] The post The Death of The Insurance Application appeared first on .

Sometimes a little perspective goes along way to reminding you how lucky you are and erase the fake excuses holding you back. Inspiration comes in many shapes and sizes, but finding something this satisfying in the insurance industry doesn’t happen everyday. Today Jason talks with Rene Hernandez, an agent for CPC Insurance, about how he overcame […] The post $80,000 Worth of Adversity Created His Opportunity (You’re Probably Taking For Granted) appeared first on .

They are always great to have but will be fleeting if you don’t know what to do with them when they come. If you’re able to generate enough forward momentum to create content success, you’re bound to run into a host of new problems you didn’t know existed. In order to keep those problems and […] The post Creating New Problems When Something Dramatically Works appeared first on .

Maybe us new agents just don’t have the same killer instinct as generations past. However, the idea of trying to sell every prospect every last policy is a tactic that is unwelcomed by today’s consumer. It’s like if you walked into a mattress store and they tried to sell you a new recliner after they […] The post Old School Selling: The Problem Forcing Every Sale appeared first on .

The residue of certain inequalities from generations past can be bleakly palpable. That statement can be true for many demographics across an infinite numbers of industries. It also becomes alarmingly more depressing each year it to be true. Expediting the dismissal of “less than” is one action all corners of society will benefit from. Specifically talking about […] The post The Truth of Being a Woman in Insurance With a Strong Niche appeared first on .

You just better be very comfortable with the results you’re currently getting. Maybe it’s implied that you are always looking to improve and grow your agency. But often times you talk about things you’d like to be doing when the one or two things you are won’t let you do anything else. That means one […] The post You Don’t Have to Do Anything (You Don’t Want To) appeared first on .

It will keep hurting every time until you can figure out how to get results that create momentum. How many times have you heard yourself say, I was doing really good job blogging, but I haven’t written for three months. Why do you keep finding yourself starting at the bottom of an empty bottle of […] The post Why Do You Fall Off The Content Wagon? appeared first on .

If you paid them different you might be surprised at what is possible. One of the tried and true commission splits our industry has held on to for decades has been something close to 50/50. It’s only fair that the place that puts a professional roof over your head take it’s fair share to keep […] The post Can Your Agents Sell $364,000 of Premium in One Month? appeared first on .

It has nothing to do with your camera, microphone or editing software. Creating visually appealing video content is the barrier for entry these days, just because you have a decent camera and microphone doesn’t mean people will flood your phone lines wanting to do business. Instead, your biggest challenge is knowing what to say and […] The post The Video Secret That Makes Your Phone Ring appeared first on .

The only victim is your insurance career and how far it will or will not go. Any good horror movie director knows that the scariest thing they can do is leave it up to your imagination. Because you will create something far more uniquely terrifying than they could ever hope to visualize. The same concept […] The post Don’t Make It Scarier Than It Is appeared first on .

This is the first step down a slippery slope to an unprofitable agency. For years we’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to our relationship with insurance companies. We’ve always assumed when it happened it would feel like a bomb was dropped. What if instead of a giant terrain leveling […] The post The $17,000 Fallout of Cut Commissions appeared first on .

Identifying your strengths and weakness in the industry is something you have to do to succeed. Also, understanding how necessary certain evils are can go a long way to reshaping how you approach a line of business. Failing to make these vital self-assessments will ultimately leave you a jack of all trades that no one wants […] The post Where’s Your Line in the Sand? appeared first on .

The sooner you stop lying to yourself and face the reality of the challenge, the more successful you’ll be. It seems like everyday I hear from an agent that wants to do video or who has bought equipment to get started. The sad part is that nine times out of 10 that agent makes one […] The post Video is Hard appeared first on .

We would all save a ton of time if we just knew what insurance companies wanted. Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew with the click of a button what type of business an insurance company was most interested in writing? The full dog and pony show we put our clients through just to figure […] The post Who’s Hungry for Your Business? appeared first on .

You’ve heard this before, but if you keep doing the same thing and expect a different result that’s the definition of insanity. As over used of a theme as that is, there’s still no better way to honestly look at the content you’re creating, or in most cases not creating. You can only tell yourself […] The post Don’t Define Insanity Trying to Create Content appeared first on .

If you can’t get the very first thing right, why should anyone believe you’ll be better with the second, third or fourth? Since starting this show over seven months ago, I’ve had the opportunity to listen how a lot of agencies answer their phone. Most of what you’ve heard so far has been the best […] The post Answer The Phone appeared first on .

Increasing your relevance is the only way you can withstand the insurance agents of the future. “If it can be done it will be done and if you don’t do it someone else will.” Those are words to live by from today’s guest Daniel Burrus who is a futurist, business adviser, author and public speaker. […] The post How to Survive the Artificially Intelligent Agent appeared first on .

Have you ever thought how you’re going to be selling a policy, 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years in the future? In this special edition episode we brought together three of the best insurance podcast hosts to talk about where everything is going and what it all means. Jason is joined today by Agency […] The post Insurance Podcast Cage Match: Ryan Hanley, Jason Cass and Joey Giangola Break Down Current Trends in the Insurance Industry appeared first on .

You have to be able to put one foot in front of the other no matter how fast you move at first. The dangerous side of acclimation is standing in a cesspool and not knowing it. You can’t expect to move you’re agency forward if your surround by an undetectable toxic environment. First you have […] The post Get Stuff Out of the Way to Make Progress Possible appeared first on .

Traditional sales training never takes into account the person you’re trying to take the business from. If you can’t successful separate a client from their current broker than you’re not giving them a real opportunity to hire you. In this episode Jason Cass talks with Randy Schwantz, the best-selling author of several books include The Wedge […] The post Close More Business By Firing the Incumbent appeared first on .

The truth is that not everyone gets to keep selling insurance, even if they want to. Not acknowledging the high churn rate of agents in our industry would be like trying the movie “Spotlight” like a work of fiction. It happens and it happens a lot. If we don’t start talking about it more it’s […] The post Sometimes We Don’t All Make It appeared first on .

It’s a tempting option that should be true but could possibly leave you holding the bag. We are genetically hardwired to get the most out of doing the least amount of work, so the idea of buying up existing insurance agency fits right in. The only problem is it could also have the potential to […] The post Should You Buy All Your Clients at Once? appeared first on .

It’s the little things that really do have the potential to create a big impact. The only problem is making them happen over and over again on their own is no small task. Trying to making something like that happen usually opens you and your agency to a plan that might not go as smoothly […] The post How Much Business Are You Missing When Things Don’t Go As Planned? appeared first on .

In a saturated industry, how do you stand out? We all know that the end goal is to get the premiums on our books. So how do you accomplish this goal? Are you buying leads? Are you getting referrals? Are you capturing the power of SEO? Do you have to spend money to make money? In […] The post Design, SEO, and Insurance – Getting Premiums on Our Books appeared first on .

Why would you stack the deck against yourself when the difficulty level is already higher than you can handle? Content will never be simple until you give yourself permission to create it during a time that’s right for you. That means in the morning, the afternoon or night. It’s doesn’t and shouldn’t be a reclusive hobby […] The post How You Can Make Creating Content a Simple Sales Activity appeared first on .

There is no insurance law that says you have to do anything and everything someone asks for when they call your agency. You also don’t need to keep the same systems and process you’ve had the last 20 years. The only thing that happens when you do is your clients get a slightly god awful […] The post We Don’t Do That Anymore appeared first on .

Don’t make yourself feel better by making up reasons you can’t do something. Instead, be honest and comfortable with the fact that you might not need the thing you’re excusing. Knowing what you do well and works is ten times more valuable than chasing the next big thing. Business and marketing shame is a cottage […] The post Excuses You Tell Yourself That Aren’t True appeared first on .

Has your agency paid its staff the same way since 1952? Do most of your employees become complacent once they start making a certain amount of money? If you haven’t changed the way you reward the work being done for you why should you expect different results? Today Jason talks with Tom Baker who runs […] The post Pay Your Employees Based on One Goal appeared first on .

The people who make the calls are the ones who are the most successful, the question is if your making the right one for today? We all wish there was a line of people around the corner waiting for us every morning when we got to the office. How can you pull people to you instead […] The post Business Finding You Vs. You Finding Business appeared first on .

How do you break through a ceiling you didn’t build in the first place? The disenchanted state of insurance agent commissions and the “value” we’re required to add to make a sale are running quickly in the opposite direction of each other. Goals aren’t being met and business is staying the same. Can it be […] The post This Can’t Be Your Agency’s Maximum appeared first on .

What if you could keep existing clients happy and attract new ones all at the same time? That is just one of the challenging part of the job being an independent insurance agent. Between sales, services and client happiness you can easily get lost chasing one of those three tails. Making sure you know which […] The post Are You Giving Clients Something They Can’t Buy? appeared first on .

There are a lot of things that can happen when you buy another agency, but there’s one thing you can have total control over. Buying an established “book of business” as we like to say is a decent way to grow your agency. But a lot can happen during that process to determine it’s overall […] The post When Two Agencies Become One appeared first on .

When we as agency owners and managers take the time to learn about the natural skills of our staff and new hires, we can create an optimal work culture for our agencies. Whenever we talk about improving our agencies, we often relate back to the customer experience and neglect the importance of the staff’s role in the customer […] The post Hiring the right people for your agency and nurturing their natural skills appeared first on .

It’s an age old questions that never seems to have an answer that lasts long enough to keep anyone happy. There’s an easy answer that you can start using today and there’s a more advance answer that you’re really going to have to be serious about email and marketing in general to be able to […] The post When’s The Best Time to Send Emails? appeared first on .

If we don’t, there won’t be anything left to control. Sometimes you have to do something out of pure necessity even before you have it completely figured out. That’s where the insurance industry currently stands when it comes to improving our current system sharing information and streamlining processes. It’s not the overall difficulty of the […] The post Doing the Easy Things Regardless of Who Controls It appeared first on .

If you try too hard to set goals, the action of setting them becomes a goal itself. As agents we’ve been born and raised in an environment that welcomes interruption. Whatever is standing the closest to us or whoever is screaming the loudest usually gets our attention and ultimately distracts us from “that thing we […] The post How to Set Simple Goals That Get Results appeared first on .

When we say “run your agency like a business” we’re keeping our end of the advice by providing you with the most valuable resources to build your agency business. In this podcast, we’re lucky to have Skip Weisman, a former CEO of five different Major League Baseball franchises. This experience gave Skip tremendous insight and skill for building high-performing teams in the workplace […] The post Run Your Insurance Agency as a Business and Communicate to Motivate appeared first on .

If a policy can’t support the value expected by the client, something has to change. It doesn’t matter if it’s the policy (see commission) or the client. Giving away foolishly unsupported value will have you cleaning out your office faster than a custodian with an abnormally small bladder. Before you start throwing hard objects at […] The post The Danger of Clients Demanding Unpaid Value appeared first on .

I know you know his name. His name is synonymous with success. He knows the insurance business and has made a ton of money helping insurance professionals make a ton of money. On June’s 23rd’s Thursday Mastermind Call, we had the pleasure of having Jeremiah Desmarais join us for our GROWMastermind meeting that we had on […] The post LinkedIn and the Key to Writing Business Insurance appeared first on .

Is it possible for three corners of our industry to look each other in the eye at the same time?That’s what it’s going to take if we’re ever going to sort through the technical, logistical and practical problems creating a uniquely standard “one time system.” Currently agency management systems don’t have the proper demand or financial incentives to take action. Today Joey talks with Nate Waite about the work he’s doing to bring this system closer to reality and the players in the process who aren’t.

We are honored to have Dave Frees on our podcast to teach us some things about enhanced communications. If you haven’t heard him speak, just take a look at his bio below to understand that depth of his impact. In this podcast we get a teaser on some very powerful approaches in communicating, persuading and […] The post Insurance Agents – Communicating, Persuading, Influencing appeared first on .

There is no final destination for how your agency does things, there’s just a current state of being.Tell me if this sounds familiar, you want to improve the way things are done in your agency but you get so over whelmed with the best way to do it. So much so you end up doing nothing. Not only do you NOT build that new system, but your now so distracted by your inability to build that new system you stop focusing on your sales goals. On top of it all you realize you need to start saying no to the wrong prospects to make room for the right ones. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. That’s what Joey talks to Troy Thompson from Pinnacle Insurance about today. The importance of viewing your systems, processes and wow factor as a continued work in progress that never fully complete.

The last time Jason and Joey went to head to head, Google Hangouts was a big thing and they talked about The Internet of Things (IoT). In this Grow Show they talk about the customer experience and what it means to stand out and separate yourself from other agencies. And guess what? It has nothing to do […] The post Is Your Agency Connecting Its Decisions? appeared first on .

Two years ago, we first released our podcast with Chuck Blondino, where he uncovered some very important statistics on agencies across the country. To date, we’ve gotten over 5,000 downloads on that podcast. Chuck is the Director of Agency Capabilities and Programs at Safeco and studies the performance of agencies and how they grow. And it’s no hearsay when […] The post The Growing Gap Between Agents Who Do and Agents Who Don’t – Stats from Safeco’s Chuck Blondino appeared first on .

Impossible is nothing! – Muhammad Ali In this podcast, Jason talks about the different types of organizational cultures. As agents, we’re exposed to the sales and service cultures and he argues that sales cultures are inefficient and why a service based culture retains customers, which achieves growth beyond a sales driven focus. Is he wrong, or is he […] The post Sales Cultures and Why They’re Inefficient appeared first on .

Do you think any good business would keep selling a product if they always lost money on it? Why are you any different? Blindly selling any and every policy someone asks you for is becoming a more unhealthy recipe by the day? Knowing the margins, (commission – time = profit) on each policy you sell and market will make sure you’re always preparing a healthy dish for your agency. Not only will that vital information drive most, or all, of your marketing decisions, it will help you identify who you’re targeting and/or what improvements can be made to increase your margins. Joey talks with Erin Attkins about how they make these smart decisions in her agency and how they’re trying to improve those processes.

All time isn’t created equal, if you keep treating it like it is than you’ll always be out of control. You have to be able to react, but not nearly as much as we’ve been taught. Reacting to the wrong things will lead to an unpleasant cycle of order taking. The only thing stopping you […] The post Are You Controlling Your Day, or is it Controlling You? appeared first on .

This is podcast #4 in the “Times of the Young Agent” series. This is a bit different. We’ve invited Billy Van Jura back to host our podcast to interview Ryan Sautman and Travis Etheridge, partners with Jason Cass at the newly formed The Insurance Alliance.

Like other young agents, they are tweaking the definition of the “independent insurance agent,” and they do so by distinguishing between salesman and advisor, captive and independent. They’ll tell you where they see opportunity as young agents and how they plan to capture their market going forward.

In this series, we are discussing “these times of the young agent,” and in this podcast, Jason Cass gives a heartfelt solo on his own experience navigating his way from a budding agent to an agency owner. He goes deep into his own trials starting his own agency, and points out the challenges of balancing “old” wisdom with new ideas.

We are looking at these “Times of the Young Agent” and for this episode, we are proud to have, for the first time ever, an interview with a dynamic duo: Lisa and Will Lemanski, owners of Meiers, Lombardini, and Lemanski Insurance in East Lansing Michigan.

We are also proud to interview Lisa Lemanski who was just awarded National Young Agent of the Year by the IIABA this past weekend in New Orleans. Their advice as young agents couldn’t have come at a better time.

These are agents who are turning the perception of insurance, insurance agents, and the insurance industry to meet today’s conscientious consumers. They view themselves more as educators and counselors of insurance rather than sales people and they’ve cut out all the fat; meaning all the things that were a waste of time and a waste of marketing dollars. Listen to the podcast to see how you should be spending these resources.

It's been a few weeks since we released a podcast, busy with insurance work. But don't fret because in this episode we pick right back up with Boyd McGee, the National Young Agent Committee Chair for the Big I. We are stepping into our new series, "Times of the Young Agent," where we discuss issues that young agents face.

He gives some awesome thoughts on what the agency managements system of today and tomorrow should look like. Are you going to listen to it?

Blog post reference: Why Young Agents Are Key to Choosing Agency Management Systems

Listen to the last podcast in the Summer of Marketing series with Eddie Emmett, The Godfather of Insurance Edutainment.

He talks about some very valuable steps that agents should take to kickstart their local search on Google, spread their brand on Facebook, and ignite a referral program using YouTube.

Learn some insights on Per-per-click and per-thousand on Facebook Ads. Join Eddie and Jason as they close the series by smooth sailing through the marketing advice that all agents should by now start adopting and implementing.

Is it:

A.) Agents without a perpetuation plan?

B.) The mass consolidation of large local brokers buying up smaller ones?

C.) That companies demand high premium volumes but don’t hold up their end of the bargain by providing stable rates and help with marketing, etc…?

Would you agree with him?

Listen to Jason Cass and how he answers this question as Billy Van Jura interviews the host of Agents Influence. Jason answers a wide range of tough questions from what thinks about large office signage to being part of a cluster.

The Summer of Marketing wouldn't be The Summer of Marketing without our Part 2 of our Top Listen with Chuck Blondino.

In Part 1, Chuck Blondino discussed his background and his outlook on independent agents and the industry. In Part 2, he discusses what he would do in 2014 to be successful in an era of rapidly changing consumer demands.

Enjoy the remix version.

The Summer of Marketing would not be The Summer of Marketing without a special remixed edition of our all-time Top Listen with Chuck Blondino, currently the Director of Agency Capabilities and Programs at Safeco Insurance.

Originally released in January, 2014, this podcast answers these questions:

What do you see the future small and medium size agency looking like? In the ways of technology and doing business? Will there be just large agencies getting larger?

When do you see the hard market balancing out to flat rate increases?

Agents, particularly new agents and those moving from the captive field are having a hard time getting contracts with companies. Any ideas on how to fix this?

When companies take rate increases why do they do it all at once rather than slowly and spread out over a couple years?

Is your company pro social marketing and digital media? What are you doing to help agents use these tools more effectively?

Join us for the second podcast in the Summer of Marketing series with BrentKelly, CEO of BizzGrizz, formerly known as The Insurance Coach.

Brent was an insurance agent for 15 years and continues to pour out his passion for the indendent insurance industry by providing coaching and mentoring services tailored to agents, as well as other small business owners.

He answers these meaty questions that are more relevant than ever.

What’s the biggest challenge agents are having in evolving to the new age consumer? and

How can agents get there?

What questions can agents ask themselves to help them develop their personal branding?

Brent tackles these questions point-by-point and distinguishes between selling and marketing and what you should do to stand out.

Resources:www.brentmkelly.comwww.bizzgrizz.com - Join Brent Kelly’s FREE webinar seminar on Lifecycle Marketing

Books:Ducttape Selling http://ducttapeselling.com/How to Sell Your Way Through Life by Napolean Hill

If Ryan was going to start an insurance blog today his first three post would be validated content about:

· Your Company

· Your Client

· Your Community

Sounds hard right? It was before you listened to this podcast.

Ryan Hanley, Head of Marketing for Trustedchoice.com / Managing Editor of Agency Nation stops by Agents Influence to breakdown strategies to GROW your business in today’s world.

Learn:

the difference between a referral vs. a lead

how Ryan would strategize a brand new agency

some inside scoop about Trusted Choice

what new skill Jason Cass acquired at the base of the Mississippi River

While the summer of 1967 was tagged “The Summer of Love,” we are calling this summer, the summer of 2015: “The Summer of Marketing.”

Collectively, we can mark the edge of this industry’s creativity in marketing, and openness in marketing communication as we create a counter culture of marketing systems and approaches to the traditional, often archaic execution of the insurance industry.

In this podcast, we kick off with Jason Cass for The Summer of Marketing podcast series happening from July through August.

And last but not the least, we bring him in, by listener demand . . . Bob Juracka, the CEO of Nexsure. If you want to learn about a complete platform including a fully integrated accounting system with a high-level horsepower software, listen to this interview for the last segment for The Month of Maynagement Systems.

They were first to come out with mobile technology, first to be on a truly modern platform, and their name is now gaining popularity among smaller companies. Their strategy had previously been focused on larger accounts and agencies, but they’ve shifted gears to serve agencies of any size.Their core belief is that a portal must be a true portal, a unique access to that singular database by all its different constituencies.

Just when we thought it was over, we realized we’re just in the middle. The Month of Maynagement Systems brought in a lot of listens and the demand for additional CEOs of management systems, so here we are extending The Month of Maynagement Systems.

There are 10-20 good systems out there with the same core functionalities across the board, but what adds deep value is knowing that the developers speak your language and we can’t understate the importance of our mantra: “by agents for agents!”

He's a programmer, a CEO, and an insurance agent who has been running his agency for 25 years. If anyone knows how an agency management system should run, it would be Eddie Price, the CEO of Jenesis Agency Management Solutions.

In this podcast, we’re not only getting to know the history of the system, but we’ve also broken down some of its proud features:

No contract

Offers the system as both a windows-based system and cloud-based system

Integrated accounting

E-signatures

Open API integrations

Integrated with Phone Tree -a system that works as an automated marketing system with 4 touch methods

You hear it a lot from Jason Cass, but he shouts it out loud, "the independent insurance industry is the best industry that God's ever created." Today we have the CEO of Applied Systems, Reid French, whose company supports our industry as one of the main developers of another management system.

We've brought to you the CEO of QQ Systems, The VP of Aartrijk, and now the CEO of Applied Systems. We want you to have the information you need as an agency owner. We want you to enrich your knowledge by giving you the story behind the systems that support our entire business activity.

Join us for the another podcast from The Month of Maynagement Systems to learn about the largest provider of agency and brokerage systems in the world.

This is podcast #2 of The Month of Maynagement Systems and we have industry veteran Rick Morgan who is the Senior Vice President of Aartrijk.

Join this unscripted conversation between Jason Cass and Rick Morgan as they discuss why agents need to use an agency management system, and why everyone in the agency must be fully invested and involved in the process of their management system.

This is podcast #1 of our Maynagement Month series with Mark Malis, CEO of QQ Solutions.

Learn about the evolution of QQ Solutions and learn why its history makes it so special. Learn the key difference it has over other agency management sytems.All management systems have the same core features so it's up to each user and how they like "the feel" of each management system. But if you need access to open API, then QQ Solutions is what makes the entire difference.

Jason Cass is back in action to introduce the next podcast series with an unrelated rant, in true Cass fashion. You will love it! The month of may will be a series on Management Systems, but before getting into it, Jason talks about his frustration with people telling him that price is not important to the consumer to whom we sell.

Listen to 11 minute rant then email Jason Cass at jason@growprogram.com and tell him what you think about it. Is he wrong? He bets he's not!

Chris Amhrein is the president of Insurance is Fun, and when you listen to this podcast, you’ll quickly grasp the wit and humor behind the industry expert and history buff himself.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and that applies to insurance talk too! Join this insightful conversation where he talks about the industry: historically, generationally, operationally and ‘potentially,’ and see how easily it spilled over to an hour-long podcast.

He challenges his listeners on what it means to stay atop of marketing strategy and technique: “If I can find anyone in the world, why you?”Bio: Chris Amhrein is a veteran in the industry, who like many, stumbled into the business as a post-college graduate. He spent many years as a full-time educator/VP-Education for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents and VP-Education for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America which brought him around nationally giving seminars on everything from agency management to the claims made CGL.

He is now a speaker, consultant, seminar leader and training developer, and resides in Lorton, Virginia, with the love of his life (and wife) Donna and youngest son Alexandru (21). His two older sons - Patrick, 37 and Kevin, 35 – are doing quite well without him.

If you like tapping into a puddles of theory and enjoy stretching the outer limits of the box, then The Grow Show is the place for you. Hinging off Jason's podcast from 3 weeks ago, they further discuss John Chamber's forecast of the internet:

“In five years ALL business will be digital and just happen to be in the industry they serve or create things for.”

– John Chambers, Chairman of Cisco

In this recording we have Jason and Joey battling it out in discussing the elimination of insurance companies.

Guess who takes the more sober approach and guess who takes it to "church!"

Back from a short hiatus, we have Jason and Joey on the Grow Show unpacking Google's role in Insurance. How do we as insurance agents need to think about this entry by Google? Is this dark and dismal?

This is a recording from Wednesday, February 11, and we will sprinkle our weekly podcasts with The Grow Show recordings. Don't forget that you can stream live on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 11a CT/12 p ET.

“In five years ALL business will be digital and just happen to be in the industry they serve or create things for” – John Chambers, Chairman of CiscoIn this podcast, Jason Cass talks about his weekend epiphany about the internet as he listened to an interview with Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN. He relates the interview with you, the agent and the insurance professional. It summarizes your business, where we're going, why we're going there, and how we're going to get there. The insurance industry of the future will be nothing like it is now, and how insurance companies will not be a part of it. No insurance companies, just us agents. Is that possible?Jason says it is actually inevitable.It is outside of the box thinking, but is directly related to the inside of your agency.

All roads lead to Duke Williams when it comes to payments. His product is often brought up by industry tech expert, Steve Anderson, and agents all around are eager to find out how this technology can help their agencies save money and run better and easier payment systems for their clients.

Get behind the scenes with a 52-year industry veteran who remains at the forefront of software and technology. His technological expertise and legal background positioned him to lead many “firsts” for the insurance industry including uploading and downloading back and forth between carrier and agency, back in the day when no management systems existed and information was stored in a diskette.

He also had a hand in modifying the Fair Isaac Quotes Scoring Model from banking to insurance and was the cause of credit scores to be factored in automotive underwriting. -A love and hate for agents!

Agents, know your industry’s history, see how far it has come, and how much further it has got to go.

She's younger than most of us, owns more agencies than most of us, and is brilliantly known in her community as the "Insurance Chick." She has plans on growing her agency by acquiring another in the near future and has been successful in growing her business. Her agency prides herself on staying on top of technology and implements the type of technology that makes communication with her clients easiest.

As agents, we often take for granted all the systems, processes, and tools that make our business run. In this podcast Jason Cass interviews the CEO of AgencyPort Software, Curt Stevenson and walks through what it means to adapt a product to the user of today.

Over 100,000 independent agents use AgencyPortal, an innovative platform that allows carriers to brand it their own so we can consider it a behind-the-scenes software. Curt Stevenson reveals the amount of research it involved to so that the user's preference is given the highest priority. To develop the software, AgencyPort not only takes the carriers' user requirements, but ensures that the platform is usable and ultimately fits the needs of the agent. This is an example of what it means to adapt to the pace of digital business.

Taken directly from their site: "Engaging outside the walls of the insurance company today means giving users what they want, when and where they want it, quickly and simply. If you don't, someone else will."

This is podcast #4 in our Big Wig Series with Chip Bacciocco, CEO of Trusted Choice. He had previously been a podcast guest for Grow back in May, 2013 where he talked about ProjectCAP, now known as Trusted Choice.

Chip Bacciocco shares some inside scoop surrounding the Wall Street Journal article on Google’s emergence in the insurance space. Suffice to say, despite the rapidly changing competitive landscape in the last 10 years, Chip still believes that the independent insurance agent is by far the best route for purchasing insurance.

But there’s a big "but.” What worked before simply won’t work anymore.

It’s not enough to hand out coffee mugs to new clients. Independent agents must take the steps to become as sophisticated as the companies and the captives.

What else is missing from your marketing and operations repertoire can be summed up in this last podcast of the year. Jason ties it all in and breaks down what's been cookin' in DIMA (Digital Insurance Marketing Academy), what's behind the scenes in Insurance Mastermind, and everything else that we've brought to you, the Grow community. We brought to you topics like . . .

What's digital Darwinism

How we pay producers

How we make LinkedIn work

How to create facebook contests

How do we determine what the right retention scores are

How to negotiate higher commissions with our companies

. . . a good mix of pratical theory. But we have failed!! Check out this podcast to see how we failed and what to look forward to in 2015, The Year of the Roadmap.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled podcast in the Big Wig Series with the last episode of the year for The Grow Show with Jason and Joey.

Is your website good enough for 2015? What's the difference between mobile friendly, mobile responsive, and mobile sites? Is there a difference? What matters most: aesthetics of content?

To address these web-related questions, we have special guest Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved and web expert.

Join us for another interview in the Big Wig Series!Peter van Aartrijk is the CEO of Aartrijk, a boutique communications firm specializing in insurance and financial services. He is also the branding guru at Chromium, a branding consulting firm. He speaks nationally on issues of branding and marketing and has amassed a wealth of knowlege and experience within the insurance industry.

You do not want to miss this! This was what we call, "pure juice." Peter addresses why agents and agencies need a brand and then distinguishes the innovator brands from brands simply of status quo.

Shane Eastman is the President of i80 Insurance in Vacaville, California, an hour north of San Francisco. He is a regular in digital communities, like Jason Cass, where agency owners share ideas, solutions and support.

Shane talks about his two main streams of marketing, the power of Social Media and what it has done for his agency. His success story is worth listening to. He started his agency in February of 2013. In his first year as an independent agent, his agency wrote 650k, by the end of this year, he will have reached 1.5 million.

He sees first hand how social media has changed the buying patterns of people. He receives inquiries through internet marketing and social media at least 3-5 times a week. He’s done phenomenally and he has a lot of heart to share. Failure is not an option.

Agency apps and digital communities are just a couple of things that Dave Jackson has pioneered in his area of business. He’s a veteran agent but just started his independent agency a year ago. He’s doing awesome things in Gilbert, Arizona and has taken the reigns on digital and social marketing.

Dave has been on both sides of the fence and compares and contrasts having been on the captive side versus the independent agency owner side in this podcast. Since becoming an agency owner, he’s been able to write more business, and has also had more fun drumming up business. He started a Facebook group for agency owners that’s become incredibly active and has become a consistent resource for convert agents.

See what his agency has done on Facebook that's set him up to never have to do marketing for his agency again.

Jason Cass is back in rotation with a rant to introduce what’s to come for the rest of 2014, and to give a sneak peak of early 2015. We’ve got Big Wig Season kicking off on Tuesday, November 25 so don’t miss our most popular series! Listen to another passionate Cass rant and discover the steps out of mediocrity.

This is your platform so get involved!

You're getting deep and more involved with your social media platforms, you wonder what strategies and tricks to implement to increase your social proof.

What do you do? Listen to Jason and Joey in the Grow Show as they look at the ethics of asking for and creating reviews and testimonials. See what else other agents doing and see why it's important to load your sites with social proof.

More efficient office operations. Digital tools to optimize your sales and referral process. Social marketing strategies to create a more personable approach, and social media to clutch client retention. These are just a few points Jason Cass discusses in this interview by John Carroll.

Join John Carroll as the roles reverse in one of the last podcasts in the Month of Marketing. Jason Cass also walks through his early beginnings as a salesperson and explains how he became an agent, then an agency owner, and now to one of the most influential insurance agents in the social and digital business space.

There’s no better time than now to be an insurance agent in the independent insurance industry -with tools at your fingertips not only to stand out in your market but to survive in the game.

Listen to this podcast if you’re new to the game, and get spurred to transform your agency into a social and digital business.

Jeff Tobe is an international keynote speaker who helps organizations rethink the customer experience and motivates individuals to identify visible opportunities where others only see visible limitations.

In this podcast, Jason Cass delves into Jeff Tobe's six points:

Cost vs Value

Perspective

The Harvey Principle (identifying opportunities)

Give Yourself and ASK (Alternative Solution Kit)

Another podcast from the Month of Marketing. John Carroll from Insurance Splash helps agents and agencies market their business. If you haven't met John or have heard of Insurance Splash, you'll have to do some digging now.

He makes selling insurance cool, as he's been told several times over. He's got a huge following and his content sticks. This podcast puts John front and central as he talks about his background and how he helps agents navigate through the digital marketing world.

Join Jason Cass in the first Google+ Hangouts with the industry's marketing all-stars, Carrie Reynolds, Ryan Hanley and Steve Anderson.

Carrie Reynolds talks about branding and the importance of a story, Ryan Hanley talks about "audience," and Steve Anderson, the expert on mobile technology shares how texting can add another element of engagement to make the entire customer experience whole.

Gather the best practices in the industry and begin implementing these marketing programs into your own practices to optimize the customer experience in your agencies.

This is the first ever Grow Show. Once a month Joey Giangola and Jason Cass will discuss new and upcoming industry-related news and trends and open up the discussion with everyone in the community.

In this show, Jason and Joey discuss Ryan Hanley's blog post titled, "Google Has Killed the Generalist and No One Cares."

Is your content getting Google love? Or are your efforts falling into the wayside with too general of information? Do you have a specialization? If so, then Google wants you! If not, then you may want to reconsider your content.

Part 2 is a continuation of Jason's interview with Ryan Hanley where he continues to talk about his timeline and his thoughts on the evolution of social media and how it is being used for business today.

With the advent of online technologies, successful agencies today are the ones who are providing clients with an experience and fulfilling all three sides of the client expectation triangle: price, service, and speed of delivery.

Ryan talks about his expertise within Google+ and the power of connecting through Google Plus. As the new Digital Marketing Lead, his goals are to provide the resources for independent insurance agents.

Jason Cass brings Ryan Hanley back on 18 months after his first podcast appearance at Agents Influence to discuss social media marketing done right by looking into Ryan's successful progression from insurance agent to top content creator in marketing insurance within the digital space. Ryan Hanely who's built the Hanley Media Lab, lead his own podcast ("Content Warfare") and successful YouTube channel, as wells as been part of the Grow Program, has recently joined Trusted Choice to head up its efforts to drive agents towards the same success in digital marketing.

Ryan reminds listeners that the purpose of social media content isn't just for fun, nor just to educate, but also to sell policy! Creators of content are those who truly control where the intention goes.

This is a double header, solo performance where Jason Cass talks about big things for September. We’re kicking off the September podcast series, “The Month of Marketing,” and discussing how the industry can raise the tide together.

This podcast also has a blog post version, both of which encourages agents to be part of the industry transformation. Jason leaks secrets about “Insurance Agent 2020” and striking Facebook gold. He also talks about Ryan Hanley and his new gig.

Lastly, Jason addresses the number one question agents are asking him today and talks about a universal law that will get agents thinking and acting.

This Jason Cass interview with Ron Story Jr., is one of the last podcasts in the The Weird and Amazing People series. Ron Story Jr., entrepreneur and Founder ofLeadWarmer will get you thinking about your agency more as a business, rather than just . . . an agency! Most people treat their agency like a job rather than a businessand Ron challenges listeners to think about what they're doing to invest in their business.

If you want to grow your business, go buy an agency. The average age of property casualty agency owners is 59 years old and over making it the perfect time to acquire agencies.

Ron breaks down how his radical ideas of growing an agency can be accessed and achieved. Check out what he means by the “hot dog stand” mentality and why you should get out of it.

“Where will you be five to ten years from now?”

Doesn’t that question sound like the classic first-interview question you cringe to hear and sneer as completely useless? Times have changed and technology has been evolving more rapidly than ever . . .

Here we are, back to discuss the future of the insurance industry and whose brain is better to pick than Aaron Wallrich, fourth generation family agency owner, and another weird and amazing guest who wants to challenge you to think of what it will take to survive the industry in the next five to ten years.

Aaron Wallrich is the Sales Manager of Wallrich Agency in Shawano, Wisconsin and an active member of industry social circles. He’s known for creating his agency’s in-house data management system and knows what it’s taken the industry to transform in the last 40 years.

Together with Jason Cass, Aaron Wallrich points out the systems, processes and bag of tricks you might be missing to keep up with the rapid changes.

If you missed the first half, Jason Cass and Billy Van Jura talked about insurance as a commodity and why that should be seen as your greatest advantage. They also talked about the types compensation model that works and builds perpetuation in your agency. In this second half, Billy switches it up and turns to his own questions about social media.

In Part 2, this podcast starts off with Billy Van Jura saying “I want to hit you with your social media.” Billy poses the question: “Is there a percentage formula of how many clients you have to how many social likes or followers you should have?” Listen to Jason’s treatment of this question: in 90% of the time, create a situation in which people will want to buy and the rest of the 10% can be about your agency, about insurance, or about a sale.

Tune in once again to Billy Van Jura and Jason Cass in yet another rich conversation. Join the fun!

Meet the next Weird and Amazing Person in this podcast series, Billy Van Jura, Partner at Birchyard Insurance Consultation in New York. He’s a loyal podcast listener and is way ahead of the game.

This is a two-part podcast that will ruffle your feathers so stay tuned for next week’s Part 2 release.

Listen in on this conversation between Billy Van Jura and Jason Cass as they two-step through their different -and similar stances on insurance, the industry, and the compensation model.

His anti-marketing and pro-customer spending approach will make you rethink your strategy. He also talks about '“insurance as a commodity” and why that’s a 100% great thing for agents who really listen. Lastly, he shares his thoughts on "The" compensation model that works and retains great agents. This podcast ends abruptly with Billy posing questions on Social Media which is to be continued in Part 2. (Don't miss out next week!)

In Part 1 of the Robb Zbierski interview, he gave some interesting tips on how the brain works.

In this second part, Robb talks about why the brain works the way it does then offers some exercises that help enhance your brain power and establish positive patterns.

Robb’s visual analogies about the way the brain works awakens your awareness which allows you to make more conscious decisions and actions.

Again for those of you missed the first part, Robb Zbierski is with Freedom Personal Development; they offer personal development programs, including memory training and other “train your brain” programs.

When you meet someone new, you shake their hand and their name dissolves from your memory just as soon as they say it.

If you’re one of these people, you need to know that memory affects every little thing from your relationships to your business to your own personal development, and you’re about to uncover how these tiny mysteries connect in this next podcast from The Summer of the Weird and Amazing Person series.

Robb Zbiersk from Freedom Personal Development breaks it all down. He helps you understand how your brain works and how to train your brain for success. Simply said, you become overall . . . more awesome.

This podcast is packed with pure tactical information so we had to break it up into two parts. Be sure to check back in next week to see what other little daily changes you can make to maximize the power of your brain.

Welcome to the summer’s podcast series we’re calling the Summer of the Weird and Amazing Person. Listen to this podcast to hear who and what’s in store, so you can start thinking and seeing outside-the-box.

For the first podcast in this series, we’re also starting it off with Jason’s rant where he challenges agents to find what the real value proposition is for your clients.

If what you’re doing today is not working the same they were with new business sales, and if you’re wondering what why your retention is slipping and you’re blaming somebody else, you’ll want to listen to this podcast to see what you need to do to provide true value for your customers.

Join us for the final podcast of "The Month of the Insurance Woman" series.

We all know that Washington state get a lot of rain....but the shower of love this agent gives her clients is no where comparable! Claudia McClain the owner of McClain Insurance Services in Everett, WA joins the podcast this week to tell us how she does it. She breaks down:

Why working at Sears in the 70's taught her the value of cross selling and how it affects her agency still today.

How and why she invest the vast majority of her advertising money into her clients.

How and why she touches them 18-20 times a year

These are just a few of the puddles of fresh water you will find in this conversation.

The “Month of the Insurance Woman” so far has been huge and it’s about to get bigger…

Jill Roth, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Ahart, Frinzi, and Smith was named National Young Agent of the Year on April 9th of 2014. She has served at the highest level of the young agent network by being a member of the National Young Agents Committee.

She has a two location agency with one office in Alexandria, VA and the other in Phillipsburg, NJ.

Her agency recently found a “rainmaker” and she gives some insight to how you might find one.

She states she has it easier than a man in the insurance business. Yep, you heard it right…easier.

She talks about how they look at compensating their the staff and the producers.

In honor of Mother's Day this Sunday, we are celebrating the "Insurance Woman" for the month May! For this podcast, we've got out our very own Grow Blog contributor, and owner of Alan Galvez Insurance, Carrie Reynolds. She talks about how she has developed her agency from a family-run business, and how she's built her branding to become the "Insurance Goddess."

For this podcast, Mr. Greg Batty, Vice President of Ken McEachran Agency, Ltd. talks about this rare niche, how he get involved, and why it's become 60% of his business.

Listen to this podcast to see how he turned his passion into a business niche.

Today we are joined by Jim Schubert of Southern Sates Insurance. What a guy, what a blogger, and what a great business man. Listen to what his agency has done and is doing to them 1-2 leads a day!

This month, we're talking about niche markets, so don't miss out.

See what's on tap for the month of February! We are celebrating Agents Influence's first birthday in March, so we're ringing in the celebration by featuring the top-3 listened-to-podcasts-of-the-year this month . . . so stay tuned! Also, Jason Cass offers a beautiful rant about social and digital business and why it is unquestionably the wave of the present and future for independent insurance agents.

Join the last podcast in the BigWig Series with Jason Cass and Tom Ealy, President of Encompass Insurance. See how he is positioning his company and learn what he says about "top line enablers" and "bottom line enablers."

On this podcast Jason Cass speaks with Ron Berg, the new Executive Director of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT), who has recently taken over for the great Jeff Yates.

Ron Berg talks about technology for the office and technology out of the office, technology for workflows and technology for sales as well as business intelligence!

Get familiar with how ACT is making your life easier and helping you generate income using the tools of today.

Join Jason Cass for another interview in the "BigWig" series, with Tom Minkler, President of Clark-Mortenson Agency out of Keene, NH. He is also the Chairman of the IIABA for the 2013-2014 term.

Find out why this guy believes in the industry and why this is the best time to be an independent insurance agent.

Continuing from Part 1, Jason Cass interviews Chuck Blondino where he reveals some practical steps independent agents can follow to gain success.

In this podcast, see what Safeco Insurance Director of Marketing, Chuck Blondino is saying about independent agents and why he places a safe bet on small agents and their future in the industry. Check out his wealth of industry knowledge.

Join us for another podcast in our "Big Wig" Series with Karen Bailo - Agency Sales & Distribution Business Leader of Progressive Insurance. She shares a wealth of insight, including the specific tools Progressive uses to help young agents leverage their expertise.

As part of the "Big Wig" podcast series, Jason interviews Bob Rusbuldt, CEO of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, also know as the Big I. He advocates on behalf of agents, in the front lines of legislation, and companies protecting and maintaining the competitiveness of independent agencies.

Interview with Chip Bacciocco - Project CAP

On this interview Jason talks to Dick Lavey about what Hanover does to help agents become successful through a program called Agents Solutions which educates agents on a particular industry.

Still need your help! On this podcast we talk about the questions we will be asking and what we still need from you.

If you want to know the answer to this question then you have to listen to this podcast. On this podcast we talk a lot about direct writers and how to overcome their influence to our prospects and clients. I make reference and discuss this article about IIA’s Vs. Direct writers. Last..I need your questions for the CEO’s and top brass I am interviewing on the show in November and December. Tell me your thoughts , tell me your ideas and I am going to tell the world what you have to say!

Jason Does QA

Rick Morgan & Peter Van Aartrijk stop by to discuss what is social business

Topic 7: Podcast 3: Ryan Andrews

Quincy Branch and the Quadrant Culture

On this podcast Jason talks with amazing up and coming young agent Brent Kelly. They discuss the future and how things look for the young agents of tomorrow.

Topic 6: Podcast 3: Jason on Rate Increases & more...

Topic 6: Podcast 2: George Nordhaus

Howard Candage

Travis Swain is a virtul agent who is doing some amazing things. Listen as he talks about...

How he got started
Getting Markets
How he runs his agency/cost savings
How he can run his business from anywhere in the world
Challenges he faced

On this podcast Jason interviews the owners at WAHVE to discuss their program for outsourcing your CSR's and how this is a big shift in all industries and how insurance is now making the move and how it can benefit the right type of agent or agency.

Also learn morea about the Insurance Agent Mastermind progarm by going to www.InsuranceAgentMastermind.com. Right now we are giving away the free interview with Jason where he goes even more in depth about his agency and its unique structure for quicker return on profitability.

Jason talks openly and honestly about how he runs his agency from a 54 sq ft space in his basement. He covers everything from phone system to management system and answers your questions from last weeks podcast.

The traditional Brick and Mortar agencies need to open their eyes to what is happening... In our newest podcast we discuss the traditional Brick and Mortar agency vs. the Virtual Agent of the future. And not just that, but how quickly and easily (not to mention cheaper) it is for an agent in todays environment to set up and run a profitable agency. Now I know what you traditional agents are thinking "that won't happen in my territory". That's exactly what my past employer thought! That was until I struck out on my own and started my agency from a small 60 sq ft room in the basement of my house. Now only a few years later some of their biggest clients...are now mine. So if I'm a young hungry agent who is unhappy and looking to strike out on their own...this podcast will give you the hope you've been looking for. And if you are a traditional agency you better listen up, because if you don't your agent might soon become your competitor. Also on this podcast we clear the air about insuranceagentmastermind.com. We have been getting a lot of questions about this. Basically it's going to be a fantastic program for the right type of agent, but listen to the podcast and you will learn more.

Agencies that make changes only will soon become obsolete agencies in the near future. Doesn't make sense right? You always thought it was all about making changes...Well, in my interview with Daniel Burrus (one of the most well known futurists on the planet) he talks about having to do more than just making changes...you have to transcend.To help explain he talks about how going from disc, to cassette, to CD were just changes. But when we made the leap to MP3 and getting everything on our smartphone....that transitioned to a whole new level.I know I get excited but this is hands down one of the best interviews I have ever done...many agents will be blown away by it!

Think about this for a minute and how much things have changed in just the last 10 years...in 2003...

Health care was privatized

Blackberry phone was technology of the future

GM was #2 on Fortune 500

Time magazine person of year was the soldier (2012 it was the protestor)

AIG was the player in insurance

Wow, think about how far things have come since then! You need to think about the things Mike talks about in this interview...seriously.

Mike Manes is a guy who gets it and has an unbelievable way of telling it like it is and like it is going to be in the future. Warning! If you like things the way they are this podcast is not for you! He talks about Intelligent Design. What is this? Listen as he explains it.Do you know how he spells technology? He spells it Tech-Knowledge-Y. He also explains how cross mentoring is the answer to the generational warfare we are engaged in right now. Mike had so much good stuff to say that I just kept recording and asking questions for about 1 hour. To respect your time I have divided this interview into two separate podcast. This is part one and next week we will release part 2.

Part 2 of a live panel discussion with Ryan Hanley, Chris Paradiso, Brian Appleton, and myself. On this podcast we discuss marketing technology and why it is so important to the future success of the independent agent.

Part 1 of a live panel discussion with Ryan Hanley, Chris Paradiso, Brian Appleton, and myself. On this podcast we discuss marketing technology and why it is so important to the future success of the independent agent.

This podcast gives a personal recap of the 3 podcast you have heard from this month and gives you a peak to what is coming next month

Topic 3- Technology & Marketing of your agency

· Ryan Hanley / Brian Appleton / Jason Cass –The Unconnected generation (Click here to listen)

· Chris Paradiso – Brand your agency through your community (Click here to listen)

· Chris Bacciocco – ProjectCAP and the online consumer(Click here to listen)

May 28th at 10CST we will be doing a live panel discussion with Ryan Hanley, Chris Paradiso, Brian Appleton, and Jason D Cass. At 10am CST click this link to be directed to the live broadcast. You will also receive an email 1 hour before it starts with this link again.

Ever heard of ProjectCAP? Well, chances are you probably haven’t...but you soon will. Because these guys are about to change the game...say what?!?!?!CAP (Consumer Agent Portal) is a united effort by the IIABA (Big I) to give the independent insurance agents an online presence. The personal lines market is being dominated by direct writers and as more gets taken away from us independents. But not for long...not if projectCAP has anything to say about it! FUN FACT Personal lines market share for the independent agent industry is 34% and falling. Increasing that share by only 1% would create $85,000 in independent agency commission per county!Almost 80% of consumers go online to shop for insurance (these are YOUR clients). The good news is less than 25% actually buy online (take that geico lizard!). But when they get that quote online, their next step is to search online to seek out an agent. Are you there for them to find?On this interview we talk with the CEO of CAP, Chip Bacciocco. He tells it like it is. He defines and explains what CAP is and what it means to our industry. And if you are a fisherman then you will love his analogies!

On this podcast we interviewed Chris Paradiso from Paradiso Insurance in Stafford Springs, CT.

Do you want practical ideas? Things that are really being done in an insurance agency that you can do in your agency? Things that are going to create awareness for your agency and bring the community together at the same time? Well then this is the podcast for you!

Chris dives DEEEEEP into what his agency does to set itself apart in the community in which he lives in and operates. While I was on the podcast with him I wrote down about 11 ideas that I want to start using immediately! This podcast will give you Goosebumps, tears, and excitement all in one!

In this month we are tackling technology part 2 (marketing, branding, and creating relationships in your agency). On this podcast is Ryan Hanley, Jason D Cass (that's me) and Brian Appleton (he is pretty cool too) straight drop the bomb on this topic! On this podcast Ryan Hanley will tell you about how he connects with the “connected and unconnected” consumer in his agency - and why and how your agency can do both to MAKE MORE MONEY. Brian will give his insight as he talks about what he sees in helping agencies build their marketing plans & strategies (he is a straight marketing master...I know this personally because he helps me). You’re going to enjoy this I promise! And when you listen remember as always we need your comments to keep the fire and the conversation going...so please comment!

When it come to technology in your agency or company operations, workflows, and procedures, seriously there is no one better…well maybe but I have not found them yet. We dive deep into some thoughts and ideas of what is out there…why it is important…and what you have to do to start making it happen…this dude is just downright knowledgeable! Some of the cool ideas he has makes me feel as if I am out dated….and my agency is virtual!

Jeff Yates is a master when it comes to knowing what agents need to be effective in running their agencies profitably. He is the Executive Director of the Agents council for Technology. Jeff discusses what Real-time is and how to use it in your agency. He also talks about certain tech groups that were formed that are transforming the way the industry thinks about and uses technology effectively. If you want to save money and be more profitable you need to listen to this.

This month we will be covering the first part of our 2 part series on Technology. And when we talk about Technology in this podcast we are discussing it in terms of operations of an agency.

On this podcast Jason Cass and Brian introduce this month's topic and dive into where technology is currently with a lot of Independent Insurance Agencies and what the problems and frustrations are.

As always after you listen please give us your thoughts and comments...this is how we get the conversation going and work toward developing solutions.

All I have to say about this podcast is WOW. In this podcast I interviewed Gene Ruggerio who is an agency owner/manager out of Alabama. His agency is blowing up and every time he turns around he is opening a new agency.He has agents right now beating down his door to try and work for him. There are many reasons for this but one of them is defiantly the fact that his is paying his agents 80% commissions on new and renewal business...80%!

Behavioral Modification and Agent Pay Structure and Commissions In this podcast I interview John Fear who is a consultant for some of the best agencies in the industry. He gave me an amazing interview. Many people would have to pay a large fee to get the kind of insight and information John gave me on this interview.