Vertafore Insurance Podcast: Recent Episodes
Vertafore
The Vertafore Insurance Podcast will bring on the insurance industry's biggest influencers to talk about what is trending in insurance, best practices, and more!
Vertafore has been shaping the future of insurance AI for years. In this episode, we crack open the story behind the strategy. From early machine-learning models in 2017 to today’s trusted, human-guided AI, we trace the journey that turned automation into intelligence and set the stage for what comes next. You’ll hear how Vertafore is rethinking workflows, elevating industry expertise, and transforming data-heavy tasks into opportunities for speed, clarity, and smarter decision-making. Here’s a glimpse of what we dig into:
- The origins of Vertafore’s AI foundation and why it matters now
- How responsible, human-in-the-loop AI is reshaping everyday insurance work
- Where agencies can unlock efficiency and insight without losing the human touch
- A forward look at how AI is influencing Vertafore’s future content, products, and customer experience
Last-mile delivery is more than logistics; it’s a global insurance challenge, especially as Amazon scales coverage for delivery drivers worldwide. Recorded live at ITC Vegas, Sheetal Dhanuka, Product Manager at Amazon, shared how embedded insurance, regulatory complexity, and Amazon’s culture of customer obsession and innovation are reshaping last-mile delivery coverage.
In this episode, you will hear more about how:
- Amazon insures last-mile drivers across its global delivery operations.
- Focused driver compliance ensures accurate, ongoing coverage.
- Cloud migration presents real data security and privacy hurdles.
- AI drives smarter risk insights and insurance optimization.
InsurTech innovation is moving fast, and independent agents need partners who keep pace. In this episode, Doug Mohr, Vice President of Industry Relations and Partnerships at Vertafore, joins us to talk about the Orange Partner Program, what makes a tech solution agency-ready, and how AI is becoming a non-negotiable in the modern insurance tech stack.
Here are some highlights of this episode:
- Doug finds tech built to solve real agency needs.
- Industry-built tech has stronger adoption and staying power.
- Best practice recognition starts with smart tech adoption.
- AI delivers value in billing, service calls, and policy comparison workflow.
Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of the Vertafore Insurance Podcast!
The claims process can be overwhelming, with so many moving parts, adjusters, contractors, carriers, and so many moving parts. Thats why we invited Ben Morrow of Claims Setter, to come in and talk with us, to provide clarity, and help us understand how we can make that process calmer and more seamless. Whether it's day one or week 3 of a stalled repair, Claim Setter steps in with solutions to help take care of your policy holder
Listen to this episode today for these takeaways:
Claims happen every 17 years, clients need trusted guidance.
70% of situations are resolved without a formal claim.
Agents offer real value beyond the quote.
AMS360 integration via Vertafore Client Communications.
Thank you for joining us for this episode.
Insurance agencies have more data than ever, but unlocking its full potential is the real opportunity. August Butterbrodt, VP of Product at Vertafore, joins us to help our listeners turn that data into powerful, actionable insight.
In this episode, we talk about:
• Turning raw data into real-time, actionable insights.
• Using Generative AI to eliminate manual entry and streamline workflows.
• Connecting systems for a 360° client view in AgencyOne.
• Helping smaller agencies compete with data-driven decisions.
Be sure to tune in and hit that subscribe button!
Innovation is reshaping the independent agency model. Dale Steinke, Director of Agent for the Future at Liberty Mutual/Safeco, discusses AI, customer expectations, and the mindset agencies need to thrive. From Seattle’s innovation-driven energy to agency workflows and post-pandemic pivots, Dale shares where we're headed and how to get there faster.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:
• Amazon sets client expectations, your agency must deliver on.
• AI's already here, you just need to learn it, use it & manage it.
• Build an AI usage policy before it’s too late.
• Adaptability isn’t optional; it’s your competitive advantage.
• Agents must meet clients where they are, not the other way around.
Thanks for watching or listening to today's fast-paced episode. Please subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode!
In this episode Jody Entrekin, Founder of Entrekin Insurance, unpacks his golden rule of agency growth. From building a tech-powered agency in small-town Mississippi, to changing how clients experience insurance, Jody covers it all in this episode.
Tune in to hear:
- Why the right tech stack is critical to scaling a modern agency.
- The power of educating clients and walking away if values don’t align.
- How Jody stays hands-on, to deliver unmatched service to his clients.
- Why tech supports the agency, but relationships still drive the business.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
In today's insurance landscape, communication is critical to agency growth and client retention. Sean Darwish, CEO of Inteveo and creator of EcoLink, joins us to unpack how deeply integrated communication transforms agency operations from disjointed chaos to scalable, client-centric performance. In this episode, we dive into how EcoLink brings voice, text, AI, and AMS data together to power modern insurance communication.
Listen to this episode and you will hear:
- Why fragmented workflows cost agencies time, clients, and revenue.
- How AI-powered call routing boosts response time and compliance.
- Real-world agency impact: 30% of business lost during communication downtime.
- Why EcoLink is more than just a plugin it's purpose-built for insurance.
- How integrated communication elevates the entire policy lifecycle experience.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
In an industry constantly pushing for smarter workflows and scalable platforms, the conversation around core management systems like Sagitta is more relevant than ever. Joining us on this episode is Kate O’Toole, Vice President at Starkweather & Shepley, alongside Bruce Westman, Senior Director of Product Management for Sagitta at Vertafore. We explore operational efficiency, tech adoption, and the power of Sagitta’s user community. They share insights on driving change, building collaboration, and leading with a problem-solving mindset.
There is so much to unpack, in this episode including:
- Bruce’s Family Feud throwback and agency nostalgia.
- Starting with the problem before choosing tech solutions.
- The strength of the Sagitta user community.
- How working groups shape meaningful innovation.
- Importance of having the right people in place for change.
- AgencyOne’s UI and single sign-on advantages.
Get ready to laugh, learn and long for more, this one gives all the feels. Thank you for listening.
Automation isn’t just a buzzword anymore; it’s a business accelerator, and no one knows that better than Mariah Gates, Founder & CEO of Accelerated Automation. What began as a side hustle has grown into a full-scale operation that’s helped hundreds of agencies streamline operations, unlock their tech stack, and simplify complex sales cycles. Mariah breaks down the real-world challenges agencies face with automation, and how even the smallest agencies can create enterprise-level efficiency with the right strategy and systems.
In this episode, you will hear Mariah talk about how to:
- Maximize your existing tech stack.
- Automate follow-up instead of chasing more leads.
- Build complex backend systems but keep the user experience simple.
- Utilize your data better for cross-sell and retention.
- Adopt AI intentionally and scale with purpose.
If you are looking to level up your automation game, this episode is for you!
The benefits renewal season doesn’t have to be chaos, it can be your biggest growth opportunity. In this episode, Weston Lunsford, CEO of Plansight, joins the VIP Podcast to show how brokers are transforming the RFP process from manual madness into a modern, strategic advantage. With automation, clean data, and smart integrations, brokers are doubling client count, increasing revenue per client, and delivering high-touch service without the burnout. If you’re still managing renewals in spreadsheets and inboxes, this is your wake-up call to level up.
Click play on this one and you will discover how to :
Deliver faster, cleaner RFPs that convert, and impress the employer.
Automate low-value tasks to free you up for more value add tasks.
Double your client volume, without hiring new staff.
Push plan data directly into BenefitPoint, with no re-entry required.
Win by blending automation with high-touch, relationship-driven service.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
Modernizing insurance isn’t about disruption for disruption’s sake; it’s about identifying deep-rooted problems and creating connected solutions that serve the entire insurance value chain. In this episode, Robin Livesay, Head of Product Strategy at ePayPolicy, joins us to talk about transforming legacy workflows, aligning product ecosystems, and using real customer data to drive innovation. Her outside-in perspective is helping redefine how agencies, MGAs, and carriers manage payments and data.
Listen to this podcast, and hear us talk about:
• Solving real problems, not chasing flashy technology,
• Integrating products to create exponential user value.
• Using customer data to shape product and experience design.
• Connecting payment, policy, and commission data.
• Workflow flexibility that is essential for modern agencies.
This podcast is one you don't want to miss.
In a world where agents juggle leads but lack follow-through strategy, Todd Wurth, District Manager at Farmers Insurance, shares how he’s built a scalable, high-conversion process using AgencyZoom. From LA’s metro grind to Wyoming’s one-agent towns, Todd unpacks how consistent marketing, deep community engagement, and automated follow-up drive real growth—no matter the zip code.
Turned “low” close rate into repeatable, high-conversion follow-up strategy
Built 27+ automated pipelines tailored to product and prospect type
Combines email, text, and mail for multi-channel lead nurturing
Triggers life insurance campaigns using birthday data
Tracks ROI by campaign, activity, and individual producer performance
Getting a quote shouldn’t feel like a marathon, and yet for many independent agents, that’s exactly what it is. In this episode, we sat down with Gordon Kendall , VP of Product at Vertafore, who brings nearly 20 years of carrier experience and a serious passion for agency workflow. From rating commercial auto from the ground up to building products like PL Rating & Commercial Submissions. Gordon breaks down how quoting became the real moment of truth, and why time, not money, is the new metric of agency success.
When you listen to this episode you will hear how:
- Quoting sets the tone, before claims ever come into play.
- PL Rating and Commercial Submissions simplify the quoting journey.
- Bind bridges the data gap between agents and carriers.
- Fewer clicks means much healthier margins for agencies.
- Carriers must meet agents where quoting actually happens.
You looking for your moment of truth? You could find it in this episode.
The insurance industry is evolving at lightning speed, and keeping up with new ideas, tech innovations, and leadership insights can feel like a full-time job. That’s why we hit pause this week to bring you something special, a remix episode highlighting the best of Season 4 (so far). From high-impact insights to unexpected laughs, this recap is packed with our favorite moments, standout quotes, and other gems you won’t want to miss.
In this episode you will hear:
- Insights into agency management, customer experience and more.
- Real talk on the hard market and how our guests are surviving.
- Incredible soundbites from some of this season's guests thus far.
- A montage of both deeply inspiring moments as well as the comical ones too.
Whether you are a first-time listener or a return VIP, this is our gift to you! Thank you for listening!
Even after two seasons, this conversation with Drew Kinney still stands out as a must-listen. Drew, Co-Owner of Kinney Insurance Agency, delivers an authentic, agency-first breakdown of building a tech stack that works. Whether you're revamping your operations or just getting started with automation, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world advice that hasn’t aged a day.
Key takeaways from the episode:
- The dynamics of working with family in an agency setting.
- The “why” and the "How" behind their AgencyZoom configuration.
- Practical advice on process optimization using the right tech tools.
- What’s working in their workflows and what could be improved.
- Aligning marketing, business intelligence, and internal operations for scalable growth.
If you're serious about building a modern, efficient, and scalable agency, this one belongs on your playlist (again).
We're re-releasing this insightful episode with Troy Korsgaden, a recognized expert in the insurance industry, in case you missed it. Troy, a published author, speaker, consultant, and founder of Korsgaden International, shares his wisdom on navigating the current insurance market and its evolving future. In this episode, he dives deep into the powerful role of technology in driving efficiency and enhancing client service, while stressing the importance of a proactive, intentional approach.
This episode is caulked with so much value including :
- Key strategies for success in a transitional insurance market.
- How technology enables, not replaces, client relationships.
- The value of being proactive in client management.
- Aligning agency goals with efficiency and client focus.
- Overlooked growth opportunities for carriers and agencies.
Whether you're tuning in for the first time or the second or third, this episode is packed with timeless insights that will help you stay ahead in the ever-evolving insurance landscape.
Data intake remains one of the biggest friction points for insurance agencies trying to scale their operations and deliver stellar client experiences. In this episode, we sit down with Nick Berry, Demand Generation Leader at Canopy Connect, to dive into how long-term success comes from thinking beyond the quote, and meeting prospects where they are. Nick shares how agencies are using technology to turn clunky intake processes into profit centers.
Check out this episode and you will learn that:
- Only 7% of your market is ready to buy now, build for those who aren’t.
- Rapport starts with building relationships, not asking for VIN numbers.
- Coverage-based segmentation turns data into high conversion rates.
- Follow-up wins. Consistent and automated communication is key.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
The future of Insurtech isn’t just about adding features; it’s about delivering an experience that makes agents faster, smarter, and more efficient. This week, we sat down in-studio with Kelly Byrom, VP of Platform and Experience Design at Vertafore, to talk about the long game of building AgencyOne and what it takes to design smarter, faster, and more human-centered insurance software. Kelly shared what it means to centralize workflows, connect products, and build a user experience (UX) that solves problems instead of just looking good.
Tune in to hear more about how:
- User feedback shaped global navigation across AgencyOne.
- Design is about problem solving, not just aesthetics.
- Iterative updates deliver consistency and efficiency for users.
- Smart UX changes save agencies minutes per task.
- AgencyOne connects our products for faster, smarter workflows across roles.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
Agencies struggle with slow, manual payment processes that delay cash flow and limit growth. When speed and efficiency in insurance payments can make or break an agency’s growth, ePayPolicy stands out by solving for both, fast. On this episode, I sat down with Zac Franz, Strategic Partnerships Manager at ePayPolicy, to talk about how they’re streamlining the entire cash flow, improving receivables, and helping agencies write more business, faster.
When you download this one, you will hear more about how:
Automation reduces errors and frees up staff for high-value client work.
ePay's integration reduces payment workflows by up to 20 minutes.
Agencies scale faster with streamlined receivables and automation.
To standardize payments during mergers and acquisitions.
Ciick subscribe for more incredible content for the remainder of this season.
How do you build real growth? According to Rob Bowen, The answer is, by narrowing your focus, leveraging tech, and making the most of in-person networking. Rob is a powerhouse in the real estate investment space and a firm believer in the value of niche expertise and technology-driven efficiency. In this episode, we unpacked everything from the risks of liability and tenant legislation to why your CRM might be your most important tech investment right now.
Download this episode today and hear these takeaways and more:
- Niche markets offer deep growth opportunities.
- Liability insurance is the most overlooked risks for property owners
- Robotic processing & automation are essential to scale in this market
- Clean, accurate data and a strong CRM are the backbone of the modern agency
Agencies that can’t adapt in these market conditions will fall behind. Have your pen and paper ready, Rob puts on a clinic with this episode. Thank you for listening.
The insurance industry is moving fast, and tech is no longer optional it’s the edge. At Accelerate 2025, Vertafore unveiled a bold vision to power a more connected, intelligent, and efficient insurance ecosystem. In this episode, Vertafore CEO, Amy Zupon and James Thom, CPO at Vertafore, step on the main stage at Accelerate to break down how Vertafore is delivering innovation that matters. From platform unification to AI that works behind the scenes, and how agencies, MGAs, and carriers can win today—and tomorrow.
Download this episode and you will hear these key take ways.
- AgencyOne is live with dashboards, faster search, and navigation.
- Project Impact saves up to 45 minutes per day per service rep.
- Surefyre powers MGAs; 90% faster quotes, 44% growth in a year.
- AgencyZoom is now powering agencies across all sizes.
- AI drives results, automates tasks, boosts service, and reimagines insurance workflows.
At Vertafore, partnership is more than just another buzzword, it’s how we build. In this Fireside Chat, we sat down with customers, Shyla Lankford (Lipscomb Insurance) and Jordan Beck (Dimond Bros. Insurance) to unpack how their teams worked directly with Gordon Kendall at Vertafore to shape and improve products, PL rating and Commercial Submissions.
Download and listen to this Fireside Chat and hear all about:
- How Shyla’s feedback helped streamline quoting across 47 states
- How Jordan’s team cut quote time by 80% through workflow redesign
- Why direct agent-carrier collaboration is critical in today’s market
- How Vertafore turns agent feedback into live product updates
Get comfortable and cozy, in this fireside chat, we are taking you behind the scenes, to see how this partnership came to life.
Insurance agencies face the challenge of scaling client communications while staying personal. Matthew Smith discusses how Vertafore's partnership with ClientCircle changed the game for agency communications. Matt shares how agencies use both tools to automate outreach and improve retention.
Download this one and you'll hear these key takeaways:
- Instant AMS360 integration for onboarding and renewals.
- Automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
- Analytics track campaign opens, clicks, and retention.
- Omnichannel outreach: emails, texts, handwritten cards.
- Open APIs enable tailored agency communication solutions.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
Building real connection between tech providers and users is key to driving innovation in insurance. On this episode, I sat down with Jon Gorman, Executive Director at NetVU, and Rick Warter, Chief Customer Officer at Vertafore, to talk about how collaboration, education, and community power the future of the Vertafore ecosystem.
When you download this episode you will hear:
-NetVU connects Vertafore users for advocacy, education, and innovation.
-Accelerate delivers hands-on demos, community, and real collaboration.
-Product workgroups align agency leaders directly with Vertafore product teams.
-First-time attendees get mentors, tailored schedules, and early access.
-Customer success drives every initiative across NetVU and Vertafore.
Thank you for joining us again on another great episode and hit that subscribe button.
Ever wonder how MGAs are writing billions in premiums and reshaping the insurance game? The world of MGAs is transforming at lightning speed, and it’s not slowing down. With the rise of delegated underwriting authority enterprises (DUAEs), and premium volume soaring past $100 billion, the MGA market is no longer a niche, it’s a powerhouse. In this episode of the Vertafore Insurance Podcast, I’m joined by Dawn Walker, Senior Business Intelligence Analyst at AM Best, to unpack the state of the MGA ecosystem.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why carriers are leaning into MGAs for diversification—and how they’re assessing risk.
- The five key factors AM Best evaluates in DUAEs and why they matter.
- How the MGA model is becoming a preferred growth strategy over starting new business lines.
- What’s next for underwriting in emerging sectors like cyber and AI.
- Why underwriters are leaving traditional carriers for MGAs—and what that says about the future of talent in insurance.
The insurance industry is navigating challenges around agent-carrier connectivity and streamlining processes to meet evolving expectations. That’s why we sat down with Chris Gilespie, Director of Carrier marketing at Vertafore, to discuss practical insights from their recent Agent Experience Report and how carriers can better support agents.
Join us and hear Chris Gilespie bring us so much value around:
-Insights from Vertafore’s Agent Experience Report, from 1,300 agents
-The balance of training new underwriters while maintaining fast responses.
-The need for agents to utilize carrier tools for better collaboration.
-How tools like Surefyre and MGA Systems enhance speed and engagement.
-Carriers must automate tasks to maintain strong personal connections with agents.
Tune in to gain actionable insights and strategies to improve your agency’s carrier partnerships!
Being a producer in this current marketplace comes with its own challenges. Micah Salas, an outstanding producer with the Christensen Group joins us to shares his approach to success, emphasizing organization, discipline, and the use of technology to enhance client experience.
We invite you to eaves drop on this conversation to hear more about:
Using a CRM system to stay organized and disciplined in daily prospecting efforts.
Educating clients, building trust, and providing value over just selling.
Leveraging your tech stack for email campaigns, and data scrubbing helps improve efficiency.
How to be a chameleon in client interactions to help meet diverse client needs.
Be sure to listen for more insights on building long-term success in insurance, and how you can apply these strategies to your own practice.
he E&S market is hot. MGAs and wholesale brokers must quickly turn quotes around while managing complex submissions and carrier relationships. Mike Roy, Founder of Dark Matter InsurTech, shares how Dark Matter is helping MGAs, carriers, and agencies streamline operations, reduce errors, and speed up quoting and underwriting.
We invite you to check this one out and hear more about:
- How this integration approach eliminates headaches and simplifies tech stacks.
- Normalized data means cleaner submissions and accurate quotes, quicker.
- Streamlined data flow improves carrier-agency interactions.
- Automation drives speed, consistency, and fewer manual touchpoints.
- Dark Matter doubling down on innovation through tighter integration.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
In today’s fast-changing insurance landscape, strong leadership isn’t just about numbers , it’s about people. Managing your team with empathy, leveraging technology for efficiency, and navigating the hard market are critical skills for modern agencies.
On this episode with Tinsley English, we explore:
- Leading your team with empathy to boost morale and performance.
- Why technology is more than a tool, it’s vital for agency success.
- What inspired Tinsley to write her book and the lessons she’s learned.
- The power of treating every employee as a leader from day one.
- The impact of the hard market and how to adapt to its challenges.
This episode is packed with actionable insights so you can become a more effective leader.
The insurance industry is navigating one of the longest and toughest hard markets we’ve seen. Rising premiums, tighter underwriting, and reduced capacity are forcing carriers and agencies alike to rethink their strategies. In this episode of the VIP Podcast, we sit down with Maheu, VP of Partnerships and Industry Relations at Vertafore, to dive deep into how insurers and agents can adapt and thrive in these challenging times.
Kelly shares expert insights on:
- The real impact of prolonged hard market conditions and why they may be the “new norm”
- How carriers are leveraging AI and predictive analytics to price risk smarter
- The growing role of surplus lines and MGAs in providing flexible coverage solutions
- Why data-sharing between carriers and agents is a must for staying competitive
- How technology is streamlining underwriting and helping agencies win more business
Don’t let the hard market slow you down. Get the insights you need to stay ahead.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s crucial for clients to be able to self-serve and get the information they need quickly, saving time for both clients and agents. In this episode, we sit down with Matt and Kiki from the Insurance Agent App to discuss the evolution of their app, designed to improve the efficiencies for insurance agents, and enhance their customer's journey.
We invite you to eavesdrop on this candid conversation and learn more about:
- How you can have an app for your agency and "it's so easy!"
- How your client data can be integrated from carriers into one place.
- How self-service for clients and better efficiency for your agency is possible.
- How the customer-first approach helps agencies save time and money.
Get your pen and paper ready; you'll want to take notes on this one.
Landon Bentham, an experienced marketer, breaks down how agencies can leverage SEO, video marketing, and reputation-building strategies to elevate their client's experience. He emphasizes that while the digital landscape constantly evolves, agencies must prioritize quality content, long-term commitment, and simple but effective tactics to ensure they remain visible and accessible to clients. From reviews to video marketing, Landon shares actionable tips that can help agencies stand out and build lasting relationships with their audience. Listen is as we explore the critical roles of : Google Reviews: for improving local SEO and driving engagement Video Content: short, authentic videos that build trust and visibility Solid reputation & long-term brand-building over immediate sales SEO basics with optimized content and a verified profile on Google. Get your pen and paper ready; this is one you're going to want to take notes on.
Effective prospecting and streamlined sales processes are crucial to staying ahead in today's fast-paced, competitive insurance market. In this episode, we welcome Scott Angell, Senior Vice President at LeO, to discuss the future of sales, how to stand out in a noisy world, and how AI is transforming the insurance industry. With the ability to differentiate themselves and leverage data-driven recommendations, agents using LeO can drastically improve their efficiency and success rates, making the sales process faster, more innovative, and more effective.
Check out this episode to learn more about:
LeO’s AI technology prospect recommendations
Old-school sales tactics that make a difference
Deep dive into LeO’s data usage
Balancing human touch with AI for effective sales
Using data-driven sales tactics to set personalized goals
Tune in for a fresh perspective on balancing technology in a rapidly changing industry and get ready for some solid advice on staying ahead in your sales game!
Strong relationships are the cornerstone of success in the insurance industry, fostering trust, collaboration, and mutual growth between agents and carriers. Troy Korsgaden is a published author, trainer, speaker and consultant, and the founder of Korsgaden International. In this episode, we discuss the current and future state of the market. Troy also dives deep into the critical role technology plays in enhancing efficiency and improving client service, all while emphasizing the need for a proactive mindset and intentional strategies.
Meet Troy and hear more about:
- Staying focused on the client is the key to success in a transitional market
- Technology is an enabler, not a replacement, for the personal connections that define the insurance industry
- The importance of being proactive rather than reactive when managing client relationships
- How to align your agency's goals with operational efficiency and client-centered strategies for long-term growth.
- The biggest lessons he has learned throughout his illustrious career
- His thoughts on the most overlooked growth opportunities for carriers and agencies today.
Whether you're a carrier, agent, or broker, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you navigate the industry's complexities and come out ahead.
Over the last 50 years, InsurTech has evolved from manual processes and basic data management to a dynamic, tech-driven industry that leverages AI, big data, and automation to transform how insurance is delivered and experienced. In this week episode, we delve into the evolution of InsurTech over the past five decades, guided by the insights of industry expert Linda Vecoli. With a distinguished career in insurance and risk management, Linda shares her unique perspective on the technological advancements that have shaped the industry.
Linda's commitment to lifelong learning is evident in her decision to return to academia later in life, a move that has significantly enriched her professional journey.
Tune in to hear Linda's reflections on:
The transformative milestones in InsurTech over the past 50 years
Her personal experiences navigating and adapting to technological changes in the industry
The impact of continuous education on her career trajectory
Insights into maintaining relevance in a rapidly evolving field
Advice for professionals seeking to stay ahead in the insurance sector
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from Linda's extensive experience and forward-thinking approach.
Being a small business owner comes with its fair share of challenges. However, this forward-thinking power couple, Jessica Holder and Keenan Rice continue to rise above and face those challenges head-on. They have an outstanding balance of community involvement and innovative technology at their fingertips and have mastered the balance of work and fun in their agency.
Tune in to Jessica and Keenan and hear more about:
The delicate balance of marriage and co-ownership of a growing agency
How human touch and community involvement are possible with the right technology in your agency
How the emphasis on educating their community on the intricacies of insurance drives growth
Their powerful message of staying true to yourself and not sacrificing authenticity
Get ready to be inspired and educated by this episode. It's a good thing there is a rewind button; this one is full of impactful moments.
Get ready to huddle up and kick off Season 4 of the Vertafore Insurance Podcast with a bang! In this first episode, we’re talking on AgencyOne, Accelerate, Project Impact, and so much more. We’re kicking off a season full of exciting guests and tackling the everyday challenges insurance agents face, from agency management, sales automation, to leveraging the data in your agency. We have also made some changes, so you don't want to miss that either.
Here’s what’s inside this episode:
- An overview of AgencyOne and how it’s shaping future-ready agencies
- A preview of Accelerate and the tools that keep your workflow sizzling
- A deep dive into Project Impact and its role in boosting agent efficiency
- A sneak peek at what’s to come, including big-name guests and fresh insights
Dont' miss out on this one!!
Joyce Sigler, Vice President of Acquisitions & Technology at SeibertKeck Insurance Partners, is a Vertafore insurlebrity. Today, she pulls back the curtain on what her transition from the midsize market to an enterprise broker was like. And why she stayed. Meet Joyce and hear more about: Her wake-up call moving from midsize to enterprise agency Her advice on the automations you should consider in your agency Successful change always starts with great messaging Why we shouldn’t be afraid of big data and automation This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Websites are crucial for Insurance Agencies, because they serve as a digital storefront, accessible 24/7 to the communities that they serve. They help establish credibility, provide valuable information, and facilitate customer engagement and sales. A well-designed website can significantly enhance your brand's visibility and reputation. Jason Walker, President of Agency Revolution, recently acquired Forge3 and brought website services into the robust product portfolio of Agency Revolution. With his background in a website consulting firm startup, Shipyard, he is a wealth of knowledge on what makes a great website.
Listen in as Jason Walker breaks it all down and hear more about:
The tips and strategies to increase traffic to your website
Why social media profiles may be less relevant in the search process
How your website must market, sell AND service
The cons of buying a canned vs semi-custom site
Why QR codes are back in the game and here to stay.
This is a masterclass on how to maximize your agencies website, and digital footprint. Buckle up this is a good one.
AI is at the forefront of the insurance industry which means we must understand how it can improve the agency process today. However, At Vertafore, we believe it is important to have a strategy in place before deploying AI inside your agency. In this episode we are providing you an exclusive opportunity to listen in on a previously recorded webinar where we dive into all things AI.
Listen in as our Co-Hosts discuss the following:
Identifying use cases for AI in the agency
Gathering and organizing data in order to maximize the use of AI
Data and security measures with AI
Implementing AI in the agency
Specific ways that AI could be useful in growing and improving your agency
Get your pen and paper ready this is one you're going to want to take notes on.
Zac Franz, Manager of Strategic Partnership at ePay Policy, shares what’s going on in the payment solution space. Let’s put it this way – insurance payment solutions are innovating faster than you might think. And that’s a great thing.
Meet Zac and hear more about:
- How the hard market is affecting the payments space
- Why agency bill is predominant in a hard market
- 3 hot features new to ePay Policy that gives you time back to "do the human things"
- Why ePay Policy is now more than a payments solution
- The AMS360 and ePay policy integration
You may want to watch this one on YouTube so you can see all of his cool Vertafore gear :)
IPFS and AndDone are pushing the boundaries in premium finance and payment processing, with a focus on enhancing agency operations through streamlined, flexible fintech solutions. Chase Courtney joins us Live for a fun conversation on the challenges of integrating siloed systems, the role of insurance agents in driving industry progress, and how companies like Vertafore are creating tech-driven solutions that give agencies choice and control.
Tune in and hear all about:
-How AndDone's payment processing reduces inefficiencies
-The importance of improving system interoperability
-AndDone’s use of 3DS verification and integration with FedNow for real-time payment validation.
-The Orange Partner Program, fostering industry innovation, and offering best-in-class tools to empower agencies and MGAs.
Get ready to have some fun with us on this one. It's a good one.
ChatGPT is more and more becoming common place in our industry and is transforming the insurance industry. Current use cases could range from writing emails and creating marketing content to advanced risk assessment and client communication, the hosts share real-world examples of AI's integration into agency workflows. With insights into AI’s potential and limitations, this episode helps demystify how agents can leverage tech tools responsibly and effectively.
Tune in with our hosts and discover:
- Practical uses of AI in marketing, customer service, and policy comparisons
- How to prompt ChatGPT effectively for more accurate and customized outputs
- Ethical considerations and privacy risks when using AI in insurance
- Exciting advancements, like custom AI voices and evolving generative capabilities tailored to agency needs
These Insights from Vertafore’s very own team showcase practical, actionable ways to bring AI into daily insurance processes safely and efficiently. It's a good one for sure.
In this live episode from the Indie Tech Showcase Experience, Patrick McBride discusses how automation can free up agency staff, improve client interactions, and increase overall efficiency. Patrick shares how his agency leverages solutions like AgencyZoom and Lightspeed Voice to streamline operations and enhance the client experience, all while maintaining the human connection that clients value most.
Listen in on this one-of-a-kind, live episode and hear Patrick break down:
How technology frees up staff to handle client concerns with more empathy and efficiency.
How using tools like AgencyZoom, Patrick’s agency automates routine tasks, allowing more time for valuable client interactions.
Well-defined processes, backed by the right tech, help agencies adapt to market changes without compromising service.
AI’s potential to enhance quoting and carrier selection, emphasizing the need for industry adaptation.
This one will have you wanting to more for sure, good thing there's a rewind button.
The talent gap in insurance has continued to be a hot topic of conversation. Ivan Hudson, Director of The Center of Insurance and Risk Management for the University of Central Arkansas, walks us through how to partner with local colleges to start an internship program in your agency.
Meet Ivan and hear more about:
-How networking has changed post-COVID
-How to Find the “it” factor in your new hires
-The power of partnership with Risk Management programs
-What the top agency tasks are that an intern can manage
-How bringing an intern into your agency brings a fresh perspective
-How to transition from intern to full-time employee
This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Davie Holt brings his unique flair, offering wisdom, wit, and practical advice live from the heart of the Indie Tech showcase. Tune in as we dive into branding, authentic leadership, and making the most out of conferences. Whether you're an agent or a tech vendor, Davy's insights are sure to inspire and inform. Meet Davie and hear more about: The power of authenticity in both personal and professional branding How Virtual Intelligence Is doing things differently in the virtual assistant space Importance of adaptability and listening when organizing or attending conferences How to create lasting impressions and attract the right customers This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Tim Owen, Vice President of Product Management, is passionate about making compliance management as easy as possible. In a world of state-based regulation, this is no easy feat. Today, he shares his vision for the future.
Meet Tim and hear more about:
What DCM stands for
The history of the federal insurance licensing initiative
How Vertafore makes compliance management hands-off
State-based regulation vs federal regulation; pros & cons
Tim's opinion of whether or not the bar for licensing gotten lower?
Get your pen and paper ready this is one you're going to want to take notes on.
Transcript
In Conning’s 2024 MGA survey, the percentage of survey respondents who “strongly agreed” with the statement that “they are worried their firm is not investing enough in technology” has fallen significantly in the past five years from 23% in 2019 to 5% in 2024. Technology consulting firms, like KGM, have played a pivotal role in this shift.
Meet Ravendra and hear more about:
- The top 4 areas where MGAs are investing in technology
- The complexity of end-to-end connectivity for specialty lines
- Why KMG thinks in terms of design-first, not functionality-first
- What the world would look like without insurance forms
This is an episode you will want to bookmark.
Brad Ruben is no newcomer to ensuring agency tech stacks are impenetrable. He started Archway Computer in the days of on-Premises, in-house servers. Running an agency today, it is even more critical to not only protect your client and their businesses, but it is also important to make sure your business is protected. Join us as we chat with Brad about how times have changed and why agents’ data might not be as secure as they think.
Meet Brad and hear more about:
- Tackling the myth that in-house servers are more secure than the cloud
- Top trends in the IT space
- How to be proactive about protecting against evolving cyber risks
- Why you need to talk to your staff about cyber risks
- Should we be afraid of AI hacks
This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Grace Peabody, President of Peabody Insurance Agency, is an absolute insurance shark. She was recently named one of Flint County’s 40 under 40. After graduating with her MBA in 2013, she hit the business world running, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her agency, Peabody Insurance has also been named as a Best Practices agency. Join us as we chat with Grace and learn more about the best practices she has used to grow her agency and her career in such a short amount of time.
Meet Grace and hear more about:
- How to cultivate a growth-based culture
- The tips and strategies she shares for qualifying and hiring great talent
- Peabody Insurance the Best Practices agency
- How to guide change as a new leader in your agency
- Why you need to know your numbers in order to be a successful agency in 2024 and beyond.
This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Every year for the last 3 years, Catalyit has published an intriguing study analyzing agency digital transformation trends. (They must know agents love to see what other agents are doing.) We review the most surprising insights together. Download the whole study here.
Meet Marit & Casey and hear more about:
- How this study is produced
- Which video platform agents love the most
- How much technology do agents have today
- Are agencies seeing ROI on their tech investments
- Why Catalyit recently acquired StakWise
Download this one its a good one to refer back to
Shyla Lankford is a seasoned insurance professional with a career spanning over two decades, Since joining Lipscomb Insurance in 2010, she has become a cornerstone of their commercial insurance and risk management team. Most agents dismiss small business commercial because “It’s too cookie-cutter.” “They’re the price shoppers of the commercial space.” “It’s not profitable enough.” Shyla Langford, Chief Operating Officer of Lipscomb Insurance, heard every reason not to sell into this space...until she found Commercial Submissions…and the rest is history.
Meet Shyla and hear more about:
Why stewarding transitions is so important in a hard market
Using submissions data to drive efficiency
The secret to making small commercial business profitable
Reaching $1million with low-lift…and Commercial Submissions
Get your pen and paper ready this is one you're going to want to take notes on.
When most people hear about the transformation Vertafore is going through – bringing all of our products together into one platform – they typically only think about the front-end changing. They think about new styling, new design, more connectivity, cross-product workflows being less clicks, easier navigation, improved search functionality, etc. But today, in this third installment of the AgencyOne podcasts, we’re diving into the back-end. Today we are going to take a deeper dive into the infrastructure of AgencyOne. Buckle up!
Meet Jace & August and hear more about:
- Exactly what OneCore stand for
- The three pillars of OneCore
- The smashing early success of our new data delivery service
- How we’re centralizing our API ecosystem
- How we’re unifying data and focused on centralizing reporting
- Why we partnered with Amazon Web Services
This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Financial excellence is no longer a nice-to-have in your agency; it’s a need-to-have. These 4 leaders of new business management firm, AgencyPoint, explain why you need to dial your numbers in…and how to do it.
Meet the crew and hear more about: * when to consider top-line vs bottom-line growth * why your numbers should tell a story…and how to find it * the numbers you don’t see on a P&L, but you should know * how your agency could operate vs how your agency does operate * where to re-allocate to show profitability or invest in growth * Email Header: …and the birth of financial excellence…
Brett Fulmer, known as “Broker Brett,” is a dynamic insurance and insurtech consultant who excels in policy placement, risk management, and community building. As the Managing Broker at Newport Beach Insurance Center LLC. He seamlessly blends traditional insurance expertise with innovative technology solutions. In this episode, Brett discussed the importance of networking and community-building through initiatives like "Broker Brews" and the insurance running club, highlighting the value of these events in fostering connections and sharing knowledge across the industry. The discussion also touched on how mid-sized insurance agencies can leverage their agility and responsiveness to compete with larger enterprise players, as well as the potential impact of AI and other emerging technologies on the industry.
Check out this episode and hear more about:
The importance of networking and community-building through initiatives like "Broker Brews."
The evolution of openness and connectivity in the insurance industry
The challenges and opportunities around APIs, data scraping, and technology integration
The pros and cons of closed versus open technology ecosystems
The potential impact of AI and other emerging technologies on the industry.
This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.
Doug Mohr is an esteemed colleague, serving as the Vice President of Industry Relations and Partnerships here at Vertafore. His visionary leadership and innovative spirit have been instrumental in shaping the future of insurance software solutions. With a keen eye for transformative technology and a deep understanding of the industry’s intricacies, Doug has been pivotal in forging strategic partnerships that drive progress and efficiency. His unique ability to navigate the complex waters of industry relations has made him a respected figure within the industry.
Listen in as we dive deeper into:
Doug Mohr's career and his love for big orange
The history of Vertafore, as Doug takes us to school
The Orange Partner program and what it means to us here at Vertafore
The Importance of partnership, open API's, and the value that it brings to our industry.
You may want to bookmark this one, there is a lot of information in this episode.
Kelly Gonyo is a highly experienced and dedicated insurance professional with over two decades in the industry. As the founder and President of Blue Line Insurance Agency, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to client service. Her expertise spans various insurance roles, and she specializes in commercial insurance. Kelly is deeply committed to community service, actively participating in local economic development and supporting small businesses. Her insights on building strong client relationships and advocating for independent agents are truly inspiring.
Listen in as Kelly talks to us about:
- Her philosophy on leadership, emphasizing the importance of caring for your team and fostering a positive work environment
- Strategies for staying ahead of industry trends and successfully implementing new technologies
- The challenges she overcame and the mentors who influenced her success
- Her vision for the future of the insurance industry, highlighting key areas of growth and opportunity
- Practical tips for professionals looking to thrive in an evolving insurance landscape.
You may want to bookmark this one. There is a lot of good advice in this episode.
Denis Mrkva has significantly contributed to the field of data and analytics at Keystone Agency Partners, where he serves as the Vice President of Data & Analytics. His work focuses on implementing data-driven strategies that enhance the operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities of insurance agents. In this week's episode, Denis dives into the significance of data-driven strategies and the crucial role analytics play at Keystone Agency Partners. We also discuss the integral part Vertafore plays in their process.
Listen in as Dennis explains:
- The data-driven strategies used to boost operational efficiency and decision-making
- How Keystone leverages advanced analytics for better insurance portfolio management
- How working with Vertafore integrating cutting-edge technology continues to drive growth and innovation
- Practical examples of data application in agency growth.
You may want to bookmark this one, there is a lot of information in this episode.
Kelly Byrom and Daniella Ivey, are the leaders and the strategic mastermind behind this groundbreaking solution. We are calling AgencyOne. You heard about it a few weeks ago on the podcast. Today we will be having an in-depth discussion into the seamless interface, innovative look and feel, and enhanced customer experience that will set AgencyOne apart. Kelly and Daniella share how they've done extensive research with their largest customers to create a solution that focusses on the idea of "one experience." An all-in-one experience that clients are clamoring for. With high energy and the excitement, this episode captures the essence of what makes Agency One a game-changer in the industry.
Listen in as we :
Discover the strategies Agency One used to become a frontrunner in the industry
Hear more about customer-centric research: Learn how thorough research with top clients has shaped their services
Understand the demand for these Integrated Solutions
Gain practical tips and strategies to implement in your agency immediately
Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your agency's performance. Tune in now and learn more about AgencyOne.
As Vertafore CEO, Amy Zupon, said, “Project Impact is about more than just technology; it’s about creating meaningful change. We are committed to supporting our customers, our employees, and our communities in every way we can. We're thrilled to announce our latest podcast episode featuring Vijay Muniswami, the visionary leader behind Vertafore's transformative Project Impact.” Known for his innovative approach and deep industry insights, Vijay has been a driving force with in the Vertafore ecosystem and the insurance technology landscape for over a decade. His passion for leveraging technology to create meaningful change is nothing short of inspiring. In this episode, Vijay delves into how Project Impact is revolutionizing the insurance industry through technology, community engagement, and sustainability. Tune in to discover the incredible innovations and strategies driving this project forward!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What Project Impact is and how important it is to Vertafore's development of solutions
What Vijay and his team learned from from spending time inside 70 plus agencies
The impact of Vertafore’s community engagement and educational programs
Innovations enhancing customer experience and satisfaction
Sustainability practices and their importance in the modern insurance landscape
You may want to bookmark this one, there is a lot of information in this episode.
Vertafore is changing the game again, raising the bar for the user experience even higher with AgencyOne. This platform will transform the way insurance agencies operate by providing a comprehensive, all-in-one platform designed to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and elevate customer service. Whether you’re new to the world of insurance tech or looking to upgrade your current systems, this episode is packed with insights on how AgencyOne can be a game-changer for your agency.
AgencyONE was born out of the need for a more integrated and efficient agency management system. It’s the result of years of industry research and feedback from insurance professionals. The platform has evolved through collaboration with agencies of all sizes, ensuring it addresses real-world challenges and needs. Today we have Jace Hopper, VP of Product Management joining us alongside Kelsey Anderson Manager of Product Marketing to break it all down for us.
Listen in as Jace Hopper and Kelsey Anderson share:
What’s new with it and where we are today with AgencyOne
A behind the scenes look at how it is being put together from the marketing and product view point
The day to day challenges in an agency that AgencyOne solves
How this project is truly about enhancing our customer's experience here at Vertafore.
We discuss this and so much more, that we will be releasing a sequel coming out in the fall.
Dawnyel Smink is a force to be reckoned with in the insurance industry. As the founder and CEO of Canyon Lands Insurance (CLI), she has revolutionized the way insurance services are delivered, fostering growth across multiple states and establishing CLI as a powerhouse in the field. Her entrepreneurial spirit and keen insight have not only propelled her company to new heights but also paved the way for women in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
Dawnyel’s leadership extends beyond business acumen; she is a visionary who actively shapes industry practices, advocating for the empowerment and fair treatment of women. Her voice is a beacon of change, resonating through her participation in regional and national carrier councils. Dawnyel Smink is not just a leader; she is an innovator, a philanthropist, and an inspiration to many.
Listen in as Dawnyel talks about:
Her journey as an entrepreneur in this industry, and how she came to where she is today
Leadership principles she has learned along the way, and how she has used those to empower so many others
How her active participation in regional and national carrier councils has propelled her career forward
The transition from Canyon Lands Insurance to Keystone and the impact for her agents
What's next on the horizon for her agents at CLI and Keystone and her excitement for it.
Buckle up folks, because this one is a powerful episode
Jack Gibson is a distinguished leader in the insurance and risk management industry, renowned for his role as the President and CEO of the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI). With a career spanning over four decades at IRMI, Jack has been instrumental in steering the company’s strategic direction and expanding its educational resources. His expertise is also reflected in his authorship and editorial contributions to numerous industry publications. He was also instrumental in the partnership between IRMI and Reference Connect.
We want to dive deeper into Jack’s work and the services offered by IRMI.
Listen in as Jack talks about:
- His journey to IRMI and his prestigious career there as CEO.
- The long-term relationship between IRMI and Reference Connect by Vertafore
- The various use cases for IRMI in your agency
- All of the various content that IRMI offers including the brand-new BOP content
- What's next for IRMI.
This one you won't want to miss.
Christopher Frankland is an award-winning influencer in the InsurTech space, and the Global Head of Product & Innovation at Cover Desk. He has been serving in this role since April 2021. With a rich background in the InsurTech industry, Christopher has founded InsurTech360. His expertise extends to mentoring roles in various organizations, including Lloyd’s Lab, Hartford InsurTech Hub, gener8tor, and the Global Insurance Accelerator. Cover Desk, under his leadership, aims to lead global innovation efforts, including new product and service development, and identifying new market opportunities. This aligns with cultivating a culture of innovation across Cover Desk and the insurance industry.
Listen in as Christopher talks about:
His journey from across the pond to where he has become an award-winning influencer in our industry
How he became the founder of Insurtech360
The trends that he sees in the insurance industry as well as future trends
How Cover Desk is deploying incredible virtual employees trained in the technology used by your agency
The emergence of Artificial intelligence and how agencies could be using it
The use cases for artificial intelligence from a audio and visual standpoint using generative AI
You may want to bookmark this one.
There is a lot to unpack in this episode.
Mikaela Dittbrenner, Vertafore's Agency Demand Generation Marketing Manager, brings a diverse background in lead generation, campaign marketing and conversion path optimization for both B2B and B2C programs. Her relentless drive to boost demand generation and amplify brand visibility through strategic initiatives has propelled Vertafore's Agency Marketing presence to new heights within the industry.
Listen in as Mikaela talks about:
- Her Journey through her marketing career and how she landed at Vertafore
- What suprised her the most about the insurance industry
- What demand generation marketing is and why it is so important
- The importance of having good culture
- How to use demand generation marketing strategies to gather more opportunities for your sales team
- How to deploy a solid marketing campaign in your agency
- What is on the horizon for the Vertafore Demand Generation team through 2024.
Navigating this hard market takes extreme intentionality. Prioritizing mental health and having a great culture in your organization are just as important as having a solid foundation of process and procedure in your agency. Both lead to finding success in these times and today we have 2 great guests to talk more about this. Scott Howell is more than an insurance agent; he’s an educator, a thought leader, and a trusted advisor. His dedication to the industry and his clients is unmatched, making him a true “insurance guy” in every sense of the word. Scott is owner of iprotect Insurance and financial services and the co-host of the Insurance Guys Podcast. The podcast has become a go-to resource for insurance agents seeking guidance on everything from sales and hiring to the day-to-day operations of running a successful agency. Kenneth Williamson is the Director of Operations at Portal Insurance. He is a breath of fresh air as a voice in our industry. He leads his team with compassion and intentionality.
Listen in on this conversation as they talk about:
Scott Howell and the Insurance Guys Podcast as they celebrate 1 million downloads and what that means to him
Scott Howell and Kenneth Williamson as they introduce themselves to the audience
The importance of having a good culture in your agency and leading with compassion and mindfulness
Kenneth's approach to managing a service team during the hard market
Scott discusses his agency's tech stack, and how important it to the success of his agency
How important it is to have a solid foundation build on solid processes and procedures
The creation of their new company Mind Your Agency, and how it came to be.
You may want to bookmark this one
Alexis Cierra Vaughn was recently named "Women to Watch in InsurTech 2023', "Insurance Business America" as one of the top 85 trailblazing Elite Women in Insurance for 2022", Litghitco named her a top "Influencer" on the "Top 100 Insurance Innovators" list & ACORD and Alchemy Crew named her "Top 14 Global InsurTech Leaders of 2022 Globally.”
In other words, if you want a guide to identifying the right insurtech partner, start here.
Meet Alexis and learn:
- how she grew Cowbell Cyber agency appointments from a few hundred to 23,000
- the genesis and early successes of her new consulting company, off-course
- the difference between a great insurtech CEO and an ego-driven one
- bleeding-edge technologies to consider when building your tech stack
- questions to ask in your insurtech interview process
Scott Knowles is a serial entrepreneur in the Insur-Tech industry, recognized for his innovative contributions as the CEO and Co-Founder of Loss Scan. Scott has been instrumental in developing Loss Scan’s one-click tool that imports and extracts detailed information from loss-runs, eliminating manual processes and saving time for carriers and agents, His deep understanding of the insurance industry has allowed him to create technology that not only solves problems but also enhances human capabilities. Loss Scan was created, not to replace humans but to improve and enhance what they are doing. He wanted to provide a tool that could handle the tedious work of data extraction, so his clients could concentrate on interpreting the data and making informed decisions. Loss Scan, has since become a game-changer in the insurance technology space, demonstrating the limitless potential of AI in enhancing human capabilities.
Listen in as Scott talks about:
- His journey from his first successful start-up in Modgic to co-founding Lossscan
- How he came to the idea of Lossscan
- The importance of the technology behind Lossscan Various use cases for the technology
- Artificial Intelligence and how he is taking advantage of it to enhance the customer journey
- A data-driven , AI powered approach to underwriting
- The creation of Lossscan was not to replace humans but to enhance their capabilities.
You may want to bookmark this one, there is a lot of information in this episode.
Andrew Filar is the CEO and Managing Partner of Peachy Insurance, the fastest growing Allstate agency in the U.S. Andrew is focused on building the best team in the insurance industry. He has acquired seven Allstate agencies and has organically grown them from $0 to $36,000,000 in annual premiums in just 5 years. Additionally, Andrew is involved with Next Call Club, where he helps businesses turn cold leads into warm leads, close more clients, and improve ROI through effective outbound calling.
Listen in as Andrew talks about:
His journey and how he got to be the fastest-growing Allstate agency
His training for unlicensed callers, and the steps to take before passing them to a licensed sales agent
A live role-play with Heath to demonstrate an outbound call process
The importance of understanding the client journey and the tools he uses for follow-up
The lead scoring model and how he optimizes his process using this model qualification and verification for lead sources
A data-driven approach to not only optimize the funnel but also leverage the digital footprint
A closer look at how the cost moves through the process as opposed to the sticker price
A playbook for implementing an outbound calling strategy in your agency
The myth that online leads don’t stick around and how he shares his retention rate to respond to the judgmental bias
Next Call Club works and how to learn more about the service.
The highlighted main stage session on Wednesday was a panel discussion led by Vertafore’s CFO, Teresa Chia. We dove into topics that ranged from the current state of the market for independent agents, carriers, and MGA’s to current technology trends such as Artificial Intelligence. Let’s just say….there weren’t any quiet moments!
Hear the leaders below challenge each other and the industry:
- Charles Symington, CEO of Big I
- Bobby Reagan, Executive Chairman of Reagan Consulting
- Stephanie Bush, Former Head of Small Commercial & Personal Lines at The Hartford
- Drew Aldrich, Managing Partner at Viewpoint
Accelerate by Netvu in 2024 was hosted by the great city of New Orleans, and widely attended by independent agents and vendors from all over the country. With over 85 thousand hours of learning across those in attendance, over 250 techhub appointments, over 100 exhibitors, and so much more. This year's mainstage sessions were highlighted by two of our executives, CEO, Amy Zupon, and Chief Product officer, James Thom. They had the audience on the edge of their seats as they discussed 5 exciting product enhancements, gave away some amazing door prizes, and so much more.
Listen in as Amy and James talk about:
- How proud they are to be a part of the Netvu community
- Vertafore’s commitment to the indie channel by Investing record amounts back into our products
- Amy’s top 3 trends insurance industry as she sees it – Security, Data, Artificial Intelligence
- James discusses our desire to give back time empower to success by streamline process, eliminate manual tasks, equipping agents with the tools they need
- 5 product highlights that exemplifies our relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence
- Project impact, a project that shadows 72 agents and how we are identifying tons of opportunities to improve day to day processes
- James talks about the launch of the bind button on PL Rating
- Amy addresses the misconception that AZ is only for the small agency
All this and so much more…
We have a big announcement to make here at Vertafore! We made a promise 6 months ago and we are making good on our promise. The buy button is here. This is a story of passion and persistence that peaked at our Sales Kick-off Meeting. The buy button is not just about efficiency, it’s about giving the power back to the agency. With this new feature, your account managers, producers, and all other staff in your agencies, have the power to start and end a quote process without leaving the system of their choice.
It is about building trust. We built this buy button with both the agency and the carrier in mind. This is a big milestone for the industry, but we aren’t done yet. We will continue to evolve and continue to enhance this technology with you in mind.
In this special episode, we discuss:
- The history of this project and the impact it will have on our industry
- How important it is to build trust with your clients and how important it is for us to build that same trust with you
- The idea that this button goes far beyond efficiency.
- We also acknowledge that, while this is a big announcement, there is still more work to do, more enhancements and more to evolve.
There's a lot to unpack in this episode.
Click below to dig in.
Brian Comerford is an accomplished digital transformation strategist with a diverse background who began his journey in tv and radio. Brian’s specialties include innovation strategy, enterprise technology, and creativity. His work involves staying at the forefront of digital transformation and driving innovative solutions. Brian Comerford’s expertise and contributions play a significant role in shaping the insurance technology sector,and his, and work at Vertafore reflects a commitment to advancing the industry through technology and creative thinking.
Listen in as Brian sheds light on:
- The necessary mindset change that needs to take place in many agencies
- The reason he returned to Vertafore
- The evolution our industry has taken, from an order-taking mentality to one centered on consumer demand
- A strategic plan to cleanse your agency’s data
- Data Maturity and quality begins with self-awareness
- Navigating the challenges of change management in an agency.
Episode 11 of Season 3 on the VIP Podcast is now LIVE!
Each agency, carrier, and MGA has unique tech needs. That’s why we created the Vertafore Orange Partner Program—leveraging our open platform and APIs to create integrations with best-in-class solutions that complement your Vertafore suite of products. In this episode of the VIP Podcast, we went live at our annual Sales Kickoff meeting to meet some of our Orange Partners.
Listen in as we:
- Introduce our Orange Partner Vendors
- Discuss what being anOrange Parner program means to them
- Showcase their products and solutions
- Find out how to contact each vendor
There's a lot to unpack in this episode. Click below to dig in.
Dustyne Bryant of The National Alliance for Insurance Education definitely has her finger on the pulse, when it comes to our industry. Which is why she was a perfect guest to bring on for this episode. Dustyne Bryant sits down with, good friend and host of this episode, Heath Shearon, to talk all things state of the industry. She shares her experience and her advice on so many different topics on this one.
Together, we discuss:
- Dustyne Bryant's journey go get into the industry and where she is today.
- The Hard Market, and Why she believes we are where we are experiencing this type of market
- Insuretech and the State of the industry from a tech perspective
- Buzz words in the industry
- The future of our industry with regards to Artificial Intelligence
- Trending Coverages such as Parametric Insurance, Cyber Insurance, etc
- Finally we wrap up the podcast discussing the National Alliance- Practitioners Teaching Practitioners
Mike Becker, CEO of the National Professional Insurance Agents has his finger on the pulse of what is going on out there in our industry, discuss, which is exactly why we invited him to come on the show today and the state of the industry with, the Mayor, Heath Shearon. Mike Becker has connections all over the country inside insurance agencies big and small as well as significant connections on Capitol Hill. Mike share with us how PIA is advocating for insurance agents every day and also bridging the gap between agencies and technology,
Together, we discuss:
- Mike Beckers story on finding his way to the PIA of Arkansas
- What Pia is doing every single say to fight on behalf of the Small Business owners of our industry.
- How they are tackling the numner one issue facing PIA members today ... Finding and Keeping Talent.
- The importance of the Relaunch of the PIA Tech Council.
- The Experience of Joining Amy Zupon and others on the CEO panel at the Indie Tech Conference last year.
- How PIA is addressing the topic of AI
There's a lot to unpack in this episode. Click below to dig in.
Chris Paradiso of Paradiso Insurance is the guru of the customer journey. He gives us a peek behind the scenes and walks us through what makes his agency' so special as it relates to the customer journey. He talks so highly of his staff and how important it is to train your staff up and lead with proper communication. His agency has a robust touch point system post bind, and he has been very intentional every step of the way to ensure that each of his clients have a great experience with the Paradiso Agency....
Together, we discuss:
- Chris Paradiso's story of successes and he even shares with us his mistakes too.
- How Speed and Price are not the most important thing
- He talks about educating and training your team.
- Process and Procedures and how important it is to be intentional in setting those up
- Chris walks us through step by step through what they do at his agency.
- The importance of training your staff and communicating effectively.
- Email is about information-Phone calls are about communication.
- How important Flag Day is for his agency, and it sets the tone for the culture of his agency.
There's a lot to unpack in this episode. Click below to dig in.
David Watson, CEO and Founder of RiskAdvisor and Equity Partner of Mappus Insurance Agency, is a thought leader in the industry, as it pertains to processes and procedures in your agency. He talks us through the impact of the customer journey, and how important it is to have a Customer Journey enhanced and driven by technology. Not only does he walk us through what he is doing in his agency at Mappus, but also talks to us about RiskAdvisor and how he's found a way to improve the quoting process.
Meet David Watson and hear:
- David Watson's story of how he got in the industry and where he is today.
- How important David feels that it is to have Processes and Procedures set up for your agency.
- How he has leveraged automation in his agency's customer journey.
- A walkthrough step by step of his customer's journey, and the tech he uses to power this journey.
- A walk through RiskAdvisor and how you can use his product to enhance your agency process for quoting.
CJ Hutsenpillar of Hutsenpillar Insurance takes us behind the scenes and shows us how he has built his tech stack to focus on the needs of his customers. With a tagline in his agency of "where the convenience of online shopping meets the security of having a local agent," its no wonder why Hustsenpillar insurance setting the bar high for customer experience. Not only does he walk us through the sales cycle of his customers, but we also talk about so much more...
Together, we Discuss:
- What sets Hutsenpillar Insurance apart from the competition
- QQ Catalyst, AgencyZoom and the open API's that allowed them to build out a robust tech stack
- How he stopped looking at geographic location and focus the best talent available
- He walks us through his his customer journey from start to finish.
- The lessons learned from Direct-To-Consumer carriers and how to differentiate yourself from them.
- Automation presale and post bind.
- The importance of educating your customers as a part of the Customer Journey
There's a lot to unpack in this episode. Click below to dig in.
Carl Ziade and Jean-Pierre Vertil, Co-Founders of Gaya, make a lofty promise to “speed up your insurance quoting process by 10x.” Their AI-powered Chrome extension allows you to move data between carrier portals, management systems, and other software in just a few clicks. We have a sneaky suspicion this niche solution will grow to do big things in the future.
Meet Carl and Jean-Pierre to hear:
- The story of two immigrant founders taking their shot in America
- Why these Standford MBAs choose to tackle the insurance industry
- How Gaya leverages AI and Natural Language Processing
- Real agency use cases
- The vision for Gaya’s future
Mike Fusco of Fusco and Orsini pulls back the curtain and talk to us about the hard market through his lens. Mike and his agency have a strong focus on Commercial Insurance and Employee Benefits. He tells us how he uses robot process automation to improve efficiency, employee morale, and overall customer satisfaction. Not only do we discuss this, but also we discuss why he loves the hard market and so much more...
Together, we tackle:
- What sets Fusco & Orsini apart from the competition
- How his Team Dynamic produces big returns
- What is Robot Process Automation ?
- Why should we be paying closer attention to RPA?
- What's next in his agency for technology and Robots
- What should agencies expect in 2024?
There's a lot to unpack in this episode.
Rick Warter, SVP of Customer Success, discusses how we’re thinking about system conversions differently at Vertafore. Moving massive amounts of data from one system to another is no easy feat. Doing so accurately? Even tougher. Rick explains how his team is tackling this challenge using artificial intelligence in creative ways.
Meet Rick and learn:
- The current state of conversions at Vertafore
- What makes a system conversion so challenging
- How AI is improving accuracy and speed
- Where the conversions team is headed next
Jamie Peers, VP of Business Development at Synatic, guides us through the unknown as he peels back the layers of AI’s real impact on insurance. Fluent in data architecture and connectivity through his work at a leading API insurtech, Jamie’s outlook on the future of AI is intriguing. Ultimately, he wants to help you answer the question…for yourself.
Meet Jamie and learn:
- Who is Jamie Peers (and why you should know him)
- A 30,000 foot view on how AI works
- The unknown cost of AI in insurance
- AI challenges you should be aware of
- Where will insurance AI be in 3, 5 and 10 years?
The Vega-Sanz brothers started out as two frustrated and car-less college students trying to get to a local pizzeria. Now? They have been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 for building the first ever AI-powered insurance agent. This is a company to watch in 2024. Not just because of their innovative tech, but because of their endless ability to pivot.
Meet Matthew Vega-Sanz & Roberto Salinas and learn:
- The unbelievable (and at-times-humorous) story behind how Gail started
- What an AI-powered Insurance Agent can do in an agency today
- How Gail (aka, the AI) works
- Why agencies should see AI as a competitive advantage
- How Gail empowers (not replaces) the insurance agency team
Casey Nelson, founder and Ceo of Stakwise, is the Insurance tech stack guru and someone to count on to question the status quo and make you change the way you think about the technology in your agency. He is a former agency principal and has spent his entire career developing processes and procedures to increase efficiencies. Early in his career he saw technology as the answer to so much of the efficiency that he was seeking. and enhanced the processes he was implementing....
Meet Casey and hear:
- How he began his career in the Insurance industry.
- How to use the tech you have right now in your agency to improve efficiency.
- What he calls the "trinity of your technology" Stack
- What he thinks is crucial to your client's Experience at your agency.
- How to get staff buy in and early adoption of new technology.
- Casey define the difference in a CRM and AMS
When Sarah Zambrano, the operations director, of Colorado Insurance, started with the agency there were only 4 people on staff including the agency principal, fast forwarding to today there are over 100 people on staff and over 100 million in production. Sarah credits much of the agency's success to the relentless pursuit of consistent process and procedures. The procedures that were set up when they were a small agency are still in use today and are still incredibly valuable to the growth of the agency.
Meet Sarah and hear:
- How She got started with Colorado Insurance.
- What fundamental decision help set them up for success.
- How having consistent agency standards helps the agency be intentional in their growth
- Why the customer journey is so important and the processes and procedures they use to maintain consistency in that journey.
- How to prepare your agency for success beyond sales and service.
Elisa Stampf, CEO of Insure Equality, shares how she is working to make insurance a more welcome place for everyone. Through her non-profit, she has created an actionable framework to help any agency or company achieve a more open, authentic and, ultimately, collaborative culture. It all starts with one, honest conversation.
Meet Elisa and hear:
- Why she chose to make DEI for insurance her mission
- Defining Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; why is it important?
- Real-world examples of agencies & companies championing change
- How Insure Equality can help your business
- A sneak peek at Insure Equality's 2024 annual event
Click below to watch.
Drew Kinney is the co- owner of Kinney Insurance Agency, and someone you can always count on for a collaboration session. He is always open to sharing his ideas and his success stories with anyone in the industry. Drew is actively involved with the daily agency operations including: process management, agency data analytics, business intelligence reporting, and marketing.
Meet Drew and hear:
- How he got started in the industry
- What is like working so closely with family and how they make it work
- How they built their tech stack out.
- Step by step walk through how they set up their Agency zoom.
- How to operate your agency with the right tech stack
Click Here watch.
Episode 33 of the VIP Podcast is now LIVE!
Seth Zaremba, Founder of b atomic!, shares how he bootstrapped an insurance startup that's changing the analytics game. This isn't your standard, run-of-the-mill KPI conversation about total premium, retention and monthly sales targets. Seth is introducing new KPIs that the industry has never seen. And it all starts with three little words: cost per transaction.
Meet Seth and hear:
- From agency startup to insurtech startup
- Do agencies really own their data?
- Why current analytics don't give us a competitive edge
- The cost per transaction: what it is and why it matters
- How to begin leveraging data in your agency
Tolga Tezel, Founder & CEO of Canopy Connect, is solving for a massive problem in insurance: moving sales data WITHOUT human hands. In any other industry, data is supportive to the product being sold. In insurance, the data IS the product being sold...which means, there's a lot of it. And moving it between systems? Whew. Pretty sure sales teams are already tearing up reading this. But dry up those eyes. Tolga and crew have an exciting solution.
Meet Tolga and hear:
- How he ended up in insurtech of all things
- Why he has bootstrapped his company from the ground up
- How much time sales teams waste being data janitors
- An innovative solution for moving hundreds of data fields in just a few clicks
- Where Canopy Connect is going next
Episode 31 of the VIP Podcast is now LIVE!
Elijah Goodman, Producer at Goodman Family Insurance, was looking for a creative way to gain attention and write more business. He and his buddies created a video that went quickly went viral and Elijah saw his sales increase and his Tik Tok fame rise in the process. Goodman Family Insurance is a family-owned independent insurance agency. Elijah's unique marketing efforts made this local agency a household name and now writes in multiple states outside of his home state of Wisconsin.
Meet Elijah and hear:
- How he got his start in the agency.
- The origin story of his viral Tik Tok Videos
- Elijah Goodman's marketing advice for Indie Agents
- The rise and fall of Elijah's Tik Tok Channel.
- What is next for Elijah Goodman and Goodman Family Insurance
Click below to watch.
Adam Bowe, Founder of Cake, has created a Carvana-like insurance marketplace where you can buy or sell your book of business. Today, the only way to buy or sell is...know the right person. With cake, that changes to...know the right platform. Not only are they democratizing the M&A space, they're also making it possible to exchange groups of accounts (known as "slices"), instead of the whole cake (aka, book of business). Believe us, this is one you don't want to miss.
Meet Adam and hear:
- How Cake works
- The *free Value Your Agency tool available on haveyourcake.com
- Why this platform makes the M&A space available to anyone and everyone
- The "trust" challenge Cake must overcome - and how they're doing it
- Where this platform is headed in 2024+
Margeaux Giles, Founder & CEO of IRYS, sits down with us to try and settle the CRM vs AMS debate. Her experience in both agency operations and insurtech gives her a unique perspective on what the next generation of technology could look like for the indie agent. And it all starts with...the data.
Meet Margeaux and hear:
• 4 key differences between a CRM and AMS
• A high-level overview of the importance of data architecture
• Why agencies need a CRM to be competitive in the digital era
• How to overcome the change management hurdle
Carey Wallace, Founder of AgencyFocus, has an intriguing background. She cut her teeth in startup early-on after helping take a company public shortly after finishing undergrad. Since then, she's gone on to launch two more startups, both in the insurance analytics space. Her most recent venture is focused on helping agencies increase their valuation with......better data.
Meet Carey and hear:
- Who is Carey Wallace and why has AgencyFocus taken off?
- Her belief on the importance of an agency's data in 2023 and beyond
- How data and valuation are linked
- The biggest data challenges she helps under-valued agencies overcome
- A few things you can do to improve your data maturity
Pat Cline, Director of Accelerator Operations at 101 Weston Labs, is building a new kind of accelerator. This accelerator doesn't help carrier insurtech, MGA insurtech or, honestly, any insurtech other than solutions meant to drive change for indie agents. Its partnership with the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina state association is what truly makes it powerful.
Meet Pat and hear:
- First, what is an accelerator and how is 101 Weston Labs different
- Why 101 Weston Labs & IIANC is a match made in heaven
- A look at the first cohort of insurtech solutions
- The 12 week startup bootcamp and annual event
- Where 101 Weston Labs is headed in the future
Steve Anderson, CEO of Catalyit, joins us to discuss 2023 insurtech trends across almost 500 agencies from his recent 2023 State Of Tech Report. In this episode, you'll learn:
-
the #1 tech issue facing agencies in 2023
-
the average number of solutions an agency uses (and why)
-
how to turn your tech from a profit center into a cost center
-
a simple process for selecting the right tech for your agency
Becky Monfre, VP of Digital Accounts at Coterie Insurance, joins us to talk about how Coterie is making small commercial Insurance easier. She has been in the industry her entire career and understands the value of speed and efficiency for commercial insurance. As the head of digital distribution, she loves helping agents to embed small commercial insurance capabilities on their website.
Meet Becky and hear:
- What is Coterie Insurance claim to fame?
- How Coterie is able to help agencies get a bindable quote in 2 minutes
- The importance of having a strong process for this hard market.
- The impact of the Customer Journey
- How Coterie helps you matian the vital relationship peice with your customers.
Click below to watch.
Tom Parratt, Chief Operating Officer at Sheally Insurance Group, can tell you down to the second how long it takes for someone to answer and log a call. In fact, it was the time saved on this activity that brought them to Vertafore's My Personal Lines Suite. Listen as Tom shares how his background in professional soccer has helped him achieve operational excellence in a fast-growing North Carolina agency.
Meet Tom and hear:
- How he ended up in insurance after his successful career in professional soccer
- His philosophy around operational excellence
- Why data is a carrot not a stick
- How his Vertafore tech suite helps his team work 2.1X faster
Garrett Droege, SVP Director of Innovation at IMA Financial Group, is someone you can always count on to question the status quo. He researches and experiments with bleeding edge tech to help position his firm successfully for the next wave of adoption. That includes Virtual Reality, web3...and blockchain.
Meet Garrett and hear:
- How he ended up researching the bleeding edge of insurtech
- What is blockchain and how it helps decentralized data challenges
- The evolution of The Smart Contract
- Hurdles we must overcome to truly adopt blockchain tech
- How to prepare your agency
Zac Sutherland, Owner of Sutherland Insurance, joins us from Canada…eh! A few years ago, he become so frustrated with the inaccuracy and manual nature of his agency’s reporting that he took matters into his own hands. Fast forward, he now has a real-time look into his agency’s operations with just a few clicks. How’d he do it? Click play to find out.
Meet Zac and hear:
- The story of Sutherland Insurance
- The biggest challenges Zac faced around reporting
- Mistakes he wish he wouldn’t have made on his data journey
- How he built data visualization he trusts 100%
- The KPI’s he watches every week
Today, you'll hear from not one, but all three of our incredible Product VPs on the future of Vertafore. Imagine a world where your tech stack works seamlessly on the front-end and back-end. Goodbye excessive manual entry. Goodbye completely separate multiple interfaces and logins. Goodbye redundant data silos. That's the mission of AgencyOne.
You’ll walk away with:
- What are the biggest tech challenges facing agencies right now
- What is AgencyOne
- How does AgencyOne solve for these challenges
- How will our Product VPs work together to build AgencyOne
What can you expect this year and into 2024
David Foster, Founder of Three Arbor Insurance, is one of the most humble people you'll meet. You wouldn't guess he owns a successful multi-million dollar agency...that's still growing by leaps and bounds. Today, he shares why his focus on culture and process have been his secret weapons.
Tune in to meet David, plus:
- Hear why David started a scratch agency
- What it took to end the sales and service war behind closed doors
- How he built a tech stack that truly empowers his people
-
- and more!
There’s a lot to unpack in this episode.
We are continuing to build an amazing team here at Vertafore. The newest addition to the Big Orange? Teresa Chia, our Chief Financial Officer. This CFO is one you should know. She hails from the insurance industry! Her perspective on insurtech acquisitions and mergers is not to be missed.
You’ll walk away with:
- Who is Teresa Chia
- Why in the world she chose the insurance industry
- An inside look at the logistics of insurtech mergers and acquisitions
- Why Vertafore is part of her long-term plan
- Where she sees the insurtech M&A space headed in 2024
Keith Savino, Managing Partner of PCF Insurance Services, is fondly known as The Godfather of The Buy Button....and for good reason. He has worked with multiple organizations over a decade to make this dream a reality. Now, with the help of Gordon Kendall, Director of Product Management for PL Rating, it's on our doorstep.
You’ll walk away with:
- A short (and fascinating) history on rating (going back to the 80s, baby!)
- Why The Buy Button is about more than 24/7 access
- The 3 Myths about The Buy Button: online sales only, increased tech costs and commoditization
- The impact of The Buy Button on the indie channel
- The inside scoop on when and how this will be launched in PL Rating
First, what is the role of a CRO? CRO stands for Chief Revenue Officer, meaning they are responsible for every revenue-generating activity inside a company. Outside of product development itself, one could argue that quite of a bit of activity falls into this category - marketing, sales, customer experience - and one would often be right.
Gareth Walter, Vertafore's new CRO, brings 25 years of experience in technology-focused organizations. After successfully leading product teams in companies such as Salesforce and C3 AI, he is bringing his knowledge and passion for innovation into insurance. He's not here to smile and wave, that's for sure!
You’ll walk away with:
- Who is Gareth Walter and why he chose Vertafore
- Why he loves biking more than running
- How he developed a "playbook" over 7 successful years at Salesforce
- What he learned about leadership at C3 AI (an AI-powered CRM)
- His first 30 days at Vertafore - show us the opportunities!
- How he's thinking about the next year
Networks are a polarizing topic in the insurance industry. What value is worth giving up your entrepreneurial freedom for? Indie model purists would say….nothing! But the shrewd capitalist in many questions this. Kat Ternes, CEO of Indium, tackles this question head-on in her vision for the business. The model she’s building for this unconventional network is one to consider.
You’ll walk away with:
- A high-level overview of the great Networks debate in 2023
- Why Kat chose to lead Indium after a successful startup exit
- Breaking down Indium’s unconventional model
- Why this model will be successful in 2023 and beyond
- Tackling the AMS vs CRM challenge
Dana Pasquali, Vice President of Product Management, came into the insurance space with a drive to create real change. After successfully leading product teams in companies as young as an analytics-focused startup and as mature as General Electric, she is bringing her knowledge and passion for innovation into insurance. Keep an eye on her.
You’ll walk away with:
- Who is Dana Pasquali and why she chose Vertafore
- What makes a “successful” product team
- Mastering the art & science of choosing the right problems to solve
- Why data must be the foundation of any competitive product strategy
- What’s to come for midsize agencies in 2023+
This week Dean Giem, Founder of Paradox Insurance, and Liri Halperin Segal, Founder of LeO, join us to talk about how to leverage artificial intelligence in your agency. This isn't The Future; it's here.
Tune in to meet Dean and Liri, plus:
- Hear why Dean started a scratch agency
- Learn how to leverage rich 3rd party data to understand your prospects’ coverage gaps before walking in the front door
- Learn how AI can help you ask the right clients for the right referrals
- Understand how to create a smarter cross-selling strategy
- and more!
We live in a data economy. Agency owners need better access to the gold in their backyard. They need to see a wholistic view of their team, clients and business. They need open architecture to power a tech stack without duplicate entry. They need insurance-specific AI-powered Next Best Action predictive intelligence. August Butterbrodt, Sr. Director of Product Management, explains how his data science team at Vertafore is tackling these challenges head-on.
Tune in to meet August and walk away with:
- What has been Vertafore’s data delivery strategy in the past
- 2023 data challenges for every size agency
- Why data is your jet fuel
- How Vertafore is solving for agency data challenges
- What to expect in 2023
Just over a year ago, big bets were made on modernization. Legacy tech debt was limiting faster and smarter innovation from happening within the walls of insurtech leaders. It was time to invest in the future. We saw partnerships in the headlines with big names that brought with them big promises. Today, the question is: now that bets have been placed, who is leading the race for modernization?
I’m joined by Jace Hopper, VP of Product Management; August Butterbrodt, Sr. Director of Product Management; Ralph Severini, Global Leader of Insurance Alliances for Amazon Web Services.
Together, we tackle:
- What does “platforming” actually mean
- What is Vertafore’s plan of attack for platforming
- How is Vertafore re-engineering our data strategy
- Why did we choose Amazon as our digital transformation partner?
- What makes our partnership with Amazon unique?
- What should agencies expect in 2023?
Mariah Gates, founder of Gates Insurance, loves being on the bleeding edge of technology. Time and again, she has experimented with success, even when she couldn’t at first see the true impact. Today, she defends her title yet again for Most Innovative Agent by dipping her toes into chatGPT’s waters.
Tune in to meet Mariah and walk away with:
- How to overcome the challenges of being a female agency owner in a male dominated industry
- How she gets buy-in from her team for new tech (it’s spicy)
- How to measure service performance (and profitability) for the first time
- What is chatGPT
- 6 crazy examples of bad actors using this tool nefariously
- How Gates Insurance is eliminating low-value tasks with chatGPT
- How Gates Insurance is supporting high-value tasks with chatGPT
In 2008, Daniel Seong, founder of Great Park Insurance, lost everything. He and his wife had to shut down their business and, for a short period of time, live off food stamps with their 4 kids. It was during this time that Great Park Insurance was created. Today, 15 years later, the story of Great Park Insurance is one for the history books. And it’s one you don’t want to miss.
Tune in to meet Daniel and walk away with:
- What is the makeup of a true entrepreneur
- Do you have to have an ego to be an entrepreneur
- Is success the result of fate or (free) will
- The tech suite that powers 13 months of personalized communication in 1 month
- How he saves his sales team 45 min during discovery/qualification
- The secret to his 1 million Tik Tok followers
They say: “timing is everything.” Is that true when it comes to selling your agency? Mark Crites, Partner at Reagan Consulting, tackles the ins and outs of this question. We take a hard look at buyer health in 2023 and help you understand how to identify which buyers are the best for you.
Tune in to meet Mark and walk away with:
- New performance data points the Best Practices Study reviews in 2023+
- Proof that niches still lead to riches
- Is the fear of M&A activity killing main street America a ghost fear?
- Should you sell your agency in 2023?
- Who is the best buyer for you: private equity, public brokers or someone else?
- (Just because) Some thoughts on Silicon Valley Bank
This week Bob Rusbuldt, CEO at The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, joins us to share why he's retiring and a peek at the future of the national association. If you’re a history buff, you’ll love this one. You’ll walk away learning:
- The #1 challenge indie agencies faced in 1986
- Why Bob chose to become the Big I CEO instead of a fighter pilot
- His first week as the CEO (PSA: he was in the white house bunker)
- How the best leaders balance optimism with realism
- The genesis of Trusted Choice
- What's changed between 1986 and now for the indie agent
- What's next for The Big I
This week Krystal Buller, Learning & Development Specialist at Vertafore, joins us to talk about how to increase employee AND client retention through a great onboarding experience.
Tune in to meet Krystal, plus:
- Why Krystal ended up in the Learning & Development field
- How she's increased Vertafore's employee retention through a great onboarding experience
- Onboarding Best Practices for insurance agencies to consider
- The biggest "miss" when it comes to creating an amazing onboarding experience
The independent model couldn’t survive without connectivity. When carriers and agencies must work closely together for the sake of the customer...and do so quickly...the health of our connectivity is unavoidable. When agencies are forced to weaponize speed as a competitive edge in their experience and operations, the quality of connectivity within their tech suites and into partners’ tech must be held to a high standard. Jamie Peers, VP of Business Development at Synatic, walks us through the death and rebirth of connectivity in insurance. You’ll walk away learning:
- Why a South African insurtech launched in the U.S.
- Why Zapier isn’t enough
- The two fundamental tech “lies” you’re probably telling yourself
- Not all API’s are equal; how do you know which ones should make the cut?
- The difference between “Policy Download” and APIs
- How “tech debt” holds us back from modern connectivity
- Your data management matters – garbage in, garbage out
- Getting the right data to the right person at the right time
Andrew Wynn, Founder of Ascend, started his professional career as an entry-level Levi Strauss employee. Today, he owns an insurtech startup looking to resolve the payment processing controversy in the independent channel. By the way, that startup just received a $30 million Series A. You’ll walk away from this episode learning more about Andrew and why he decided to take on this challenge, in addition to:
- Why he swims the length of Lake Tahoe (12 miles!)
- His early days at instacart (before it was suburban moms’ favorite app)
- How to deal with imposter syndrome, the curse of every entrepreneur
- Why his first...and second...startups were both in insurance
- The Industry Problem Ascend solves
- How Ascend turns direct bill into agency bill
Jess Butler, VP of Product Management and Owner of Commercial Submissions, is taking over for the infamous Dave Acker, long-time champion of connectivity products here at Vertafore. Dave has been looking to retire, but needed to find the right person to whom he could pass the torch. That begs the question: Why Jess Butler? You’ll walk away from this episode learning more about Jess and why she said yes to leading Vertafore’s connectivity mission:
- How Jess got started in insurance over 20 years ago
- How she guided Travelers’ business strategy during rater adoption
- Her decision-matrix for prioritizing the fewest questions during rating
- Why she started a data analytics company in the mutual space
- A discussion on whether Vertafore “made sense” as the right next step
- A debate on whether the term “market connectivity” is outdated
Jason Cass has many accomplishments under his belt already: successful agency owner, host of one of the most popular insurance podcasts, founder of BrainShare, a cutting-edge author and thought-leader in the insurtech space. But he’s not done. In 2023, he’s launching a new conference called “IndieTech.” In this episode, you’ll hear:
- What is indietech? It’s not a conference. It’s not an event. It’s not a mastermind. It’s a live guided experience to help you vet the right and best tech for your agency.
- How he automated his entire sales process – thanks to a US AirForce Veteran (Jason’s COO)
- Insurtech predictions for 2023....and maybe 2024/2025.
- A bold, new...and maybe, crazy....idea for starting a scratch agency.
James Thom, Vertafore’s Chief Product Officer, candidly shares the challenges and opportunities for one of the largest tech providers in insurance. You’ll walk away from this episode with a better grasp on the insurtech conversation and how Vertafore plans to dominate it in 2023:
- What are the biggest challenges facing any insurtech in 2023?
- Which of those challenges is Vertafore facing head-on?
- Why data islands are killing efficiency
- Why our Amazon bet was the right move
- Why API development is a priority
- How we plan to win the commercial rating game
- What the best Canadian candy bar is
You know the scene from the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie. Clark Griswold has spent hours affixing a superfluous amount of flashy Christmas lights to his house only to have none of it illuminate when he plugs it in.
VIP guest Chris Cline, executive director of Agents Council for Technology, says this iconic movie moment can be compared to a common issue insurance companies face when they don't take the time to carefully strategize.
Chris believes you can buy every shiny tech option available, but if you don’t have a good strategy for putting it together, you won’t be successful—and no, the lights won’t turn on.
How can you balance your InsurTech aspirations with solid results? Listen now.
In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Jeffress, chairwoman at NetVU and current associate vice president at Peel & Holland.
During this episode, Rick and Jessica talk through:
- Building the planning muscle; learning to execute a plan, from start to finish
- Using the “relationship continuation” method to build loyalty with clients
- The specific ways she builds company culture through training & jam sessions
In 2021, there were over 1,000 insurance agency mergers and acquisitions in the U.S.—up 30% from 2020. This high activity is expected to continue in 2022, so if you’re an agency owner or hoping to be one day, Rick says it’s time to start planning for the day when it might be time to sell.
To make their business worth the most when the feeding frenzy comes, agencies need to be doing everything they can NOW to get fit and maximize value.
This episode is a super-informative listen for current agency owners and aspiring owners alike!
In this episode, we have AI and data experts Liri Halperin Segal and Michael LaBella joining us from InsurTech LeO, where Liri is the co-founder and CEO, and Michael is the vice president of sales.
During this episode, Rick, Liri, and Michael talk through:
- The importance of creating new data to improve sales (11:00)
- Why agencies don’t need to hire a data analyst if they have the right tools (14:22)
- The missing piece in self-service offerings at many agencies (17:20)
- Measuring the effectiveness of your tech. If employees aren’t using it, it’s a waste. (25:20)
Happy listening!
In this episode, we have the one and only Syd Roe joining us on the podcast, and she’s got some insights about tech and insurance you need to hear:
- Changes Syd wants to see in the industry
- How Syd envisions those changes coming
- The importance of an effective tech stack
- When to run—not walk—away from bad tech
Enjoy the episode!
Imagine you’re an agency owner, and you’ve just decided to invest in new technology to improve your business. That’s a crucial first step, but have you ever thought about the steps that come immediately after?
This topic has come up a lot lately, so we’re breaking down what you need to know.
During this episode, Rick shares his playbook to help you get ahead in the tech implementation game. Want to watch the episode instead? Check it out on YouTube.
If you’re a business owner, you’ve likely had thoughts and questions like these:
- I wish we would’ve done ____three years ago.
- Where would we be now if we had done _____ instead?
In this episode, we’re getting a bit introspective and talking about what would happen if we could go back in time and unwind some of the choices we made for our business. Of course, we don’t have the power to change the past, but we do have the power to change something today that will help you in the future.
Tune in to hear Rick’s perspective on what decisions you need to be making today for a better tomorrow—and why you should NEVER make fast decisions or band-aid decisions.
In this episode, Rick Fox is joined by Sarah Muniz, a long-time producer and author of the book, Undiscovered Voices: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Insurance.
Sarah’s voice is one you need to hear in this industry as she shares her valuable perspective working her way up from CSR to producer, and the many lessons she learned along the way as she navigated bias in the workplace.
A must-listen for everyone, hear why there is still a leadership gap in insurance, navigating unconscious biases, why more diversity in leadership roles helps companies make more money, and much more.
For this week’s episode, Rick Fox is talking all about the technology glow-up in the insurance industry. When it comes to keeping up with the expectations of customers and employees in 2022, industry leaders and professionals are sure to learn about:
- The advancing independent agent model as more and more captive agents switch over
- The competition created by tech-focused start-up agencies and why there are fewer barriers than ever to starting your own agency
- Why being data-driven is more important than ever at agencies
For this week’s special episode, the VIP recorded live at Accelerate, powered by NetVU, with a panel of insurance experts. Joining Rick Fox on the panel was Syd Roe, Vertafore’s director of agency marketing, Jessica Jeffress, chairwoman of NetVU, and Michael Lebor, CEO of InsuranceGiG.
During this live video recording, the panel dove into all things InsurTech, including where we stand in 2022, why independent agencies are not dead or dying, and what agencies can look forward to as they navigate the unlimited tech choices at their fingertips.
See the video of the episode here!
In this episode, Rick talks about ways a curious mindset can help if you’ve fallen victim to ‘mud season’ - that yuck period between beautiful snowfalls and the fresh start of spring, when you can feel a bit stuck.
Feeling stuck in the mud? Ready to spring into action? Rick spells out the three pillars of curiosity and how they can help you start winning again in business and in life.
During this week’s episode, Rick is joined by Ron Berg, a legend in the insurance industry who has served as Executive Director of the Agents Council for Technology since 2013.
Listen in as Rick and Ron dive into data security (insurance is a bigger target than ever!), workflows, and how Vertafore is solving one of the biggest headaches in insurance with the launch of Commercial Submissions (starting at 8:42).
Vertafore’s Commercial Submissions is the insurance industry’s first all-in-one solution to automate the commercial submissions process. They talk about how this game-changing tool will help support collaboration between the end-insured, agencies, and carriers, and streamline the complexity and uniqueness of small commercial lines quoting and submissions.
Learn more about Vertafore Commercial Submissions here or see it LIVE at Accelerate, powered by NetVU, in Denver March 28-31.
During this week’s episode, Rick is joined by Brian Ahearn, an international speaker, coach, and consultant who has spent over 30 years in the insurance industry. The author of Influence People, Brian breaks down how psychology can be applied to the insurance sales process.
Learn more about the art of listening, buying styles, and a simple hack Brian leverages to become more likeable (and sell more, as a result).
Anyone looking to sharpen their sales skills will benefit from this episode!
In this episode, Rick dives into the power of personal relationships and what that means for your business. Relationships are everything in the insurance industry, and the definition of those relationships has changed a lot in the past 10-15 years. Get ready to take notes as Rick shares tips for how to be a champion for today’s modern consumer—and it's more than just being nice on the phone.
This week’s episode is all about the million-dollar question we’re asking right now:
"How can we beat the Great Resignation blues with better recruiting?”
We recently ran an online poll asking this question, so we have new insights to share! Tune in to learn concrete ways the insurance industry can be proactive and find solutions to combat a worker shortage.
In this week’s episode we welcome guest Kat Ternes, an expert on sales for independent agencies. Rick and Kat talk about analysis paralysis, something all producers get caught up in—and Kat knows the way out. Plus, she gives guidance on how agencies can be embracing sales tools to help them get more done, talk to more clients, and do an overall better job.
The key to this? Sales enablement.
Ready to get hyped? This high-energy episode is jam-packed with everything you need to plan for a successful 2022. From setting realistic expectations to navigating curveballs, Rick outlines a step-by-step strategy for crushing all your goals in the New Year.
Press play and let’s do this!
In this week’s episode we welcome special guest Kim Beach. Kim is the founder and CEO of InsureWomen, an independent agency created in early 2021 to educate, empower, and service the insurance needs of all women.
Kim shares her journey to launch InsureWomen, an idea ignited by the recognition that women are often unheard and unseen when it comes to getting the right insurance options. Kim and Rick also discuss the importance of recruiting more women in insurance, reasons to start your own business today, and more.
In the second and final episode of our time capsule series, we’ve got more never-before-heard content from our incredible guests in 2021.
Listen as more VIP guests share what their biggest piece of advice would be for the insurance industry. Some of their answers might surprise you!
- Bill Pieroni, ACORD (1:08-2:48)
- Kelly Byrom, Vertafore (2:55-3:10)
- Brett Allen, BOSS Social (3:16-4:26)
- Dimitrios Argitis, Vertafore Canada (4:33-4:58)
- Michael Freilich, Renaissance Alliance (5:05-7:24)
- Shawn Michael Walker, Premier Group Insurance (7:34-8:23)
- Charles Specht, Permission Network Insurance Agency (8:32-10:46)
- Kelly Lennon, USI Insurance Services (10:54-11:17)
- Pete Tessier, BSI Insurance (11:27-13:02)
- Matt Masiello, SIAA (13:12-14:08)
It’s the last InsuRant of 2021, so we’re in goal-setting mode for 2022. Rick believes agencies needs to figure out what “itches” they need scratched to improve their business in the new year—whether that's automating the sales process, optimizing efficiency, or even enhancing the way they celebrate high-performing employees.
Rick also shares more about Vertafore’s recent AgencyZoom acquisition and its potential impact on our industry.
Today we're traveling back in time for our special “time capsule” episode with never-before-heard content from our 2021 guests.
For this part 1 episode, hear what beliefs about the industry some of our guests have in common:
- Jason Walker, Agency InsurTech (1:23-2:48)
- Crystal Ware, Empower Benefits &Insurance Group (2:50-4:00)
- David Carothers, Florida Risk Partners, LLC (4:01-6:20)
- Ashley Fitzsimmons, Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc. (6:22-8:22)
- Peter van Aartrijk, Aartrijk (8:24-9:00)
- Tyrre Burks, Player’s Health (9:01-10:05)
- Wyatt Stewart, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (10:07-11:29)
Today on the episode, we welcome Pete Tessier, vice president of sales and marketing at BSI Insurance and host of The Insurance Podcast. Pete shares why asking “what if?” is the key to helping an agency remain successful in the long term.
Rick and Pete dive into how addressing hypothetical questions help agencies be more agile and prepared for the unexpected. Also, learn one of Pete’s favorite hacks he uses during brainstorming sessions that will help your team feel included and improve company culture.
Listen all you gals and ghouls,
We've got a spooky show for you.
Grab your candy and take a seat,
It's time for a special "Rick or Treat!"
What's your fear, your worry, your fright?
Which problems lurch and go bump in the night?
Whatever haunts you or freezes your veins,
Let's bury the hatchet and dig its grave.
There's something for everyone,
Listen if you dare.
But enter with caution,
Cause you might get scared.
Today on the episode, we welcome Tyrre Burks, founder and CEO of Player’s Health, to talk about insurance in the world of sports. Tyrre is a former football pro whose career-ending injury forced him to pivot career paths before landing in insurance. He eventually founded Player’s Health, a risk services and insurance firm that protects that supports over 10 million athletes.
Listen in as Tyrre and Rick dive into topics, including how the USA Gymnastics scandal made a lasting impact on insurance, Tyrre’s thoughts on the NIL (name, image, and likeness) debate in the NCAA, and more.
This week, insurance expert David Carothers joins the VIP to discuss ways to supercharge sales with better processes and habits. One of the big influencers in the insurance space, David shares why his secret sauce for success has everything to do with developing good habits (for him, time blocking is KEY).
In the world of sales, simply working hard and fast might seem like the quickest path to success, but in the words of David, sometimes you have to “slow down to speed up.”
If you’re looking to build better habits, this episode is for you.
We’re back with another Ask Rick episode! Today Rick is answering your burning industry questions about cybersecurity, investing in tech, and steps you can take to overcome the “Great Resignation” transforming the job market.
Be sure to check out this article Rick mentions in the episode, written by Vertafore Chief Revenue Officer Cassidy Smirnow, which discusses how the insurance community can find and keep great people in this industry.
Remember, if you have a question you would like answered, you can submit your own questions to podcast@vertafore.com.
This week we welcome Vertafore’s VP of Platform and Experience Design Kelly Byrom to talk about the power of design to impact people, business, and everyday experiences.
In this episode, Kelly shares why curiosity is essential for fostering more inclusive design, and why there is a big opportunity for the insurance industry to use this thinking to attract younger generations in the workforce.
Hear real-life stories of the serious implications of design, including why poor design led to women being 47% more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash.
Ready to get curious? Push play and enjoy the episode!
In this special episode of the VIP, Rick is joined by two Vertafore colleagues for our very first InsuRant Roundtable. You’ve probably heard of our guests before: Dylan Braun is a producer of the show, and Justin Lair recently joined Vertafore as director of networks and associations.
Justin, Dylan, and Rick share their individual perspectives on the industry and marketplace right now. Justin believes that NOW is the most exciting time to be in insurance, and it has something to do with the sheer number of choices agencies have at their fingertips. Stick around for some fun rapid-fire questions at the end (with a few surprising answers), and we hope you enjoy this week’s episode!
Charles Specht joins us this week to talk about the life-altering power of this simple act: changing your mindset. Charles is President and CEO of Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc., and he has firsthand experience with how agents can transform both their professional and personal lives by developing a growth mindset.
Charles believes that mindset is 90% of the sales game, and the most successful professionals will fully embrace this technique to close more deals. He lays out the best ways to get started to grow a healthy mindset, and why time-blocking is one of the most valuable tools for building confidence.
In this week’s episode, Rick is digging into a recent survey sharing how carriers are currently using data at their companies and how that impacts agencies. He uncovers opportunities for carriers to lean on data to make better business decisions, as well as areas where carriers are already heavily investing in data to unlock value for their clients.
Find out how carriers are using data to differentiate their business and guide decisions on client satisfaction, actuarial pricing, cybersecurity, vendor management, and more.
Insurance is an industry run by data, so tune in to learn more about how carriers (and agencies, too!) are optimizing it to make their businesses run better.
Shawn Michael Walker joins us this week to talk about “sharpening your saw.” Shawn is SVP at Premier Group Insurance, and he talks with Rick about how agencies can get ahead of the curve as the industry goes through rapid changes.
Shawn believes that the most successful agencies in five years will be the ones who are educating themselves now. He lays out his favorite ways to get educated and how to best prepare for the future, plus his go-to websites and other resources to get ahead of the game.
In this week’s episode, Rick talks about how agencies and carriers can strengthen their relationships. Rick dives into data from a recent survey from Celent, a leading research and advisory firm that polled hundreds of agencies to find out what they need for an optimized experience with carriers and InsurTech.
Find out what agencies are saying about why they choose one carrier over another (hint: it’s not always price), how agencies feel about portals, what different generations of agency employees think about technology, and more.
Tune in to hear Rick’s three main takeaways that apply to both agencies and carriers in a time of increasing channel complexity.
You can download a copy of Celent’s report, “Optimizing the Independent Agency Experience,” from our website.
We’re back from summer break with a new guest episode, new music, and a new look. This week we welcome guest Jason Walker, a heavy hitter in the insurance world who helps agencies modernize and, in his words, “Do less and make more money.”
Jason is Founder and CEO of Agency InsurTech, where he eliminates “business as usual” and delivers simple growth strategies and solutions.
In this episode, Jason details his unique four-step approach to helping agencies implement tech. No two agencies are alike, and Jason’s approach is unique because from step one it’s all about creating a snowball effect of positivity throughout the process.
This is the perfect episode to kick off the rest of 2021, and we hope you enjoy the episode as much as we do.
Today on the show we have Tim Wilson-Humphries, an independent agent who specializes in health, life, and Medicare.
We’ve heard a lot of “how I got here” stories on the podcast, but Tim chose the insurance industry for a reason we haven’t heard yet: PTO. Tim and Rick discuss the challenges of starting out as an independent agent as well as the positives that eventually come, how to find an ideal demographic, and the importance of adaptability.
Tim taught us all something about finding a niche and creating a job you love, and we hope it will teach you something as well.
Our guest for this episode is Torey Maerz, Founder and CEO of Rocket Referrals. Torey is here to remind us that we can do hard things, and 2021 is going to be a year of adjustment for insurance. In this episode, listeners get a dose of tough love from a guy who knows what it takes to build strong and lasting relationships with clients to build success in times of change.
We are taking a 3-week summer break from producing new episodes while we book new guests, revamp our brand, and get a little R&R.
We encourage you to listen to this episode from earlier this year with guest Kelly Lennon, vice president and risk advisor for technology at USI Property and Casualty. Kelly and Rick Fox talk about innovative sales and marketing tools, including different ways to use video to your advantage. She’s also here to remind us that it’s okay to try new things (and then try them again if they don’t work).
There are three types of insurance agencies out there:
- ”Tech-forward” agencies that fully embrace and leverage technology to improve all aspects of their business.
- “Tech-friendly” agencies that use technology at a baseline level.
- ”Tech-opposed” agencies that are averse to implementing any new technology.
During this week’s episode, Rick breaks down why technology is so essential for enhancing the customer experience and why it will be impossible to grow without it—because, ready or not, tech has already changed everything.
No matter which of the three camps you fall into above, we think you’ll learn something valuable in this episode. Enjoy!
We’ve heard time and time again that insurance is strictly a “referrals business,” but that’s no longer the case in a digital, post-pandemic world. More than ever, insurance agencies need to invest in their brand to keep up with customer expectations and make their presence known in the market. But where to begin?
Today on the episode, Rick talks to insurance marketing expert Peter van Aartrijk about the essential toolkit agencies need to build their brand the right way. Learn how agencies can harness the power of their brand to form emotional connections with clients and employees, and make sure you have a pen ready when Peter shares his top three tips for brand-building!
Listen in to this week’s podcast for a dive into all things sales training. As Rick says, “Sales is a sport, and we need to compete to win.” Rick shares everything you need to be a sales champion, including his top sales techniques that range from how to stay connected with customers on a deeper level to how to be ready to adapt your strategy at any time.
Ready to get your head in the sales game?
Remember those memes from years ago that compare what people in your life think you do and what you actually do? We’re getting into that today—the expectation versus reality of being an insurance agent. And, what exactly does Ashley mean when she calls herself the “Beyoncé of insurance”?
In this episode, Rick and Ashley discuss the perception of an independent agent versus the reality, and how agents can transform from a frustrated paper-pusher to a trusted risk advisor.
Joan Jett may not care about her reputation, but that was back in the 80s and the world has changed. Do you care about yours? You should, because no matter the size of your company or what part of the industry you represent, a good reputation is vital—and how reputations are formed and maintained is not like it used to be. This week we are talking about how to create a positive reputation online, how to maintain it, and why it’s so important. Rick talks reviews, including how to generate more from your clients and how to respond, plus how reviews can impact other areas of business like hiring.
This is a topic that doesn’t get a lot of attention in our industry, but your “digital storefront” deserves a close look, and Rick has tips and tricks to help listeners avoid common mistakes in reputation management.
This week on the podcast we welcome Dimitrios Argitis, VP & GM of Vertafore Canada. He and Rick discuss how to create a robust and tech-driven company and how corporate strategy and tech strategy are essentially indistinguishable at any future-ready company.
Dimitrios has broken down four separate strategies for becoming future-ready: digital-first, cloud at the core, investment in the right relationships, and data-driven decision-making.
Listen in as he expands on these four strategies and shares what he’s learned when it comes to the insurance industry and technology.
You’ve heard Rick talk about him, you’ve probably heard about his mullet, and today you get to hear from him: Dylan Braun, producer of the show, joins Rick this week to rant about hiring, company culture, and keeping employees happy post-pandemic.
Dylan's been at Vertafore for three years, and he shares what he’s learned about the industry from a Millennial’s perspective and how he hopes it evolves and changes.
Do work with Millennials? Are you a Millennial yourself? This episode is for you.
This week we have social extraordinaire Brett Allen, owner and creator of BOSS Social. He has intensely focused on how to utilize social media in insurance without compromising relationships, expectations, or agency identity. Brett sees social selling as an opportunity to create better trust and relationships with customers.
Brett lays out five social hacks he’s found to be most effective, including content creation, how to drive LinkedIn traffic, and gathering more leads.
Brett is full of information on this topic, and he is sharing three bonus items with VIP listeners here. We hope you enjoy this episode and are inspired to implement these social sales hacks into your sales strategy.
We’ve made it to 100 episodes! Today Rick takes a look back on the last couple of years and all we’ve learned together. Namely: this industry still is, and always will be, about relationships. Since the beginning, we’ve all been proud to be in this industry and amazed at all the wonderful people we’ve connected with.
Listen in as we share some of our greatest hits from the last 100 episodes, including what we’ve validated, what we’ve learned, and what we’re thankful for. And, most importantly, thank you to our listeners for tuning in each week, contributing, and allowing this podcast to happen.
We’ll see you for the next 100!
Today on the show we have Tim Wilson-Humphries, an independent agent who specializes in health, life, and Medicare.
We’ve heard a lot of “how I got here” stories on the podcast, but Tim chose the insurance industry for a reason we haven’t heard yet: PTO. Tim and Rick discuss the challenges of starting out as an independent agent as well as the positives that eventually come, how to find an ideal demographic, and the importance of adaptability.
Tim taught us all something about finding a niche and creating a job you love, and we hope it will teach you something as well.
We’re back with an Ask Rick session! Today I’m talking about the importance of good listening, MGA/MGU market trends, and attracting young talent.
I think you’ll get a lot out of today’s episode from years of Rick’s industry knowledge. Remember that you can submit your own questions to podcast@vertafore.com.
Plus, it's time for Accelerate, powered by NetVU! Find out about this multi-month conference and register today.
In this episode, we welcome special guest Matt Masiello. Matt is the author of Insurance Agency 4.0 and is the current CEO of SIAA. As he puts it, “The future for the independent agency is bright.”
Matt has looked at what the future holds for the independent agency from all angles: commercial lines vs. personal lines, generational changes, upcoming threats, opportunities, and yes, of course, technology. Matt and Rick agree that no two agencies are the same, and therefore the future looks different for everyone. So, rather than giving specifics on what to “do,” Matt focuses on a path to follow.
This episode is packed with Matt’s knowledge and wisdom, and there’s a lot for listeners to take with them.
It's time for Accelerate, powered by NetVU! Find out about this multi-month conference and register today.
In this episode, Rick is talking about getting engaged in the insurance industry—and not just a little bit engaged, but full, all-in engagement with networks, peers, and user groups. All-in engagement is a great way to improve professionally and personally, and it’s a sure way to take your career to the next level.
Rick spells out the three pillars of engagement and the top three engagement hacks for industry professionals across the ecosystem. This episode is great for all our listeners, from the carrier space to the agency space at all levels of the organization.
This week we welcome guest Crystal Ware, Chief Risk Strategist at Empower Benefits & Insurance Group. Crystal is passionate about solving a huge problem in insurance: the talent gap that has emerged as more insurance professionals retire without enough younger people to replace them.
Rick and Crystal discuss how to attract the best and brightest talent via office environment, culture shift, and technology. Plus, Crystal shares the questions she thinks are missing in most interviews that would help make better hiring matches from both sides of the table.
We think this is a great episode to listen to, as all of us in insurance are quickly approaching a huge shift in industry demographics.
In this episode the Vertafore Insurance Podcast welcomes Wyatt Stewart with the Big “I”. Rick and Wyatt discuss the 2021 Big “I” Legislative Conference plus the importance of being politically active in the insurance industry. Wyatt gives listeners a glimpse of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to advocate for the independent agent on Capitol Hill.
No matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, this episode details legislative matters up for consideration in the near future that will affect the insurance industry at large. While the conference itself ends on April 16, the matters at hand will continue and it’s crucial that insurance professionals understand how politics affect the success of their business.
This week on the podcast we have Michael Freilich, CTO of Renaissance Alliance. Michael started in the industry twenty years ago and explains that even when he started there was a narrative that “the independent agent is going away.” Like many of us, he recognized this wasn’t true—but what he saw was true is that the independent agency is always evolving.
Throughout his career, he’s facilitated that evolution and studied ways to ease the process. Rick and Michael chat about his four big pillars for the independent agent: scale, skill, scope, and access to capital. Michael explains how he sees the independent agent being a data company in the future and how the leaders of an agency create the culture around change.
This month we hit the one-year anniversary of our world turning upside down, and basketball is back. Rather than the normal industry news and knowledge we typically cover in this podcast, this week we are pausing and reflecting.
From last March to this March, we’ve adapted and changed. We’ve learned to be our own tech support, take a zoom meeting in the only quiet corner in the house, and collaborate remotely. Despite all the hardships and challenges we faced, we’ve come a long way as an industry and as people. Listen in as Rick discusses some of the silver linings of the past year and what he is most excited for right now: basketball and a slow return to something close to normal.
We’ve got a VIP on the VIP podcast for this episode! Listen in as I talk with Bill Pieroni, CEO of ACORD. He has spent his entire career in the insurance industry and is interested in the value of industry digitization (and how sometimes we get it wrong).
Bill and I break down his research on digitization ROI. Bill has created five digitization categories, and he defines what each can expect going forward. We discuss if digitization is worth it and how to gauge technology investment ROI from several angles.
I learned a ton from chatting with Bill about his research, and I know it will prove valuable for gaining a better understanding of InsurTech investment.
Want to see the research for yourself?
ACORD Distribution and Digitization
ACORD Whitepapers
This week we dive into questions submitted by you, the listeners. Rick shares expertise on technology, client relationships, and managing employees.
All of the questions on today’s show were based on the subject of the evolving agency and what "keeping up” looks like. Rick discusses how to find technology that works for you (hint, trust your network!), how to encourage employees while adapting to modern practices, and how to continue personal relationships with your clients and use technology.
Got a question that you would like answered on the show? Get in touch – podcast@vertafore.com
This week, we welcome Bradley Flowers of the Insurance Guys podcast and founder of Portal Insurance, and we’re talking about sales versus service.
Bradley shares with us his philosophy on service, and how that has made all the difference when it comes to his agency’s success. Sales are important, but service should take the spotlight when it comes to growth and retention.
Rick and Bradley discuss the steps agencies can take to make service center-stage and better compete with direct-to-consumer companies. And Bradley gives his take on what agencies can learn from big box companies even when they don’t see eye-to-eye.
If you like stats, this episode is for you. Rick shares highlights from our annual insurance agency workforce whitepaper that details findings from a survey of more than 1,000 independent insurance professionals in the U.S. In this episode, Rick digs into how the industry reported on their feelings surrounding InsurTech and agency modernization and what this means for agencies looking to grow and thrive in 2021.
- (3:30) Feelings on InsurTech in general
- (6:45) The difference between using tech and embracing it
- (12:15) The problem with time
- (16:30) Getting real results from real change
White Page.
Our guest for this episode is Torey Maerz, Founder and CEO of Rocket Referrals. Torey is here to remind us that we can do hard things, and 2021 is going to be a year of massive change and adjustment for insurance when the world opens back up. It's time to get comfortable with discomfort, and it's time to embrace your entrepreneurial spirit for the explosion of changes coming.
In this episode, listeners get a dose of tough love from a guy who knows what it takes to build strong and lasting relationships with clients and build success in times of change.
This week, we're adding a new episode format to the podcast: Ask Rick. Rick gets all kinds of questions from people across the insurance industry. In this episode, Rick answers some questions that people across the industry can relate to, and we invite listeners to submit their questions to podcast@vertafore.com to be answered by Rick in a future Ask Rick episode.
In this episode we welcome Kelly Lennon, Vice President and Risk Advisor for Technology at USI Property and Casualty. Kelly is an insurance professional who also has a background in sales and marketing, and she is talking to us about the power of video for reaching end-insureds.
Kelly uses video to engage with the industry and her clients, and she's giving listeners tips and tricks on how to effectively incorporate amateur video into daily processes. She's also here to remind us that it's ok to try new things (and then try them again if they don't work).
Video can be a great way to differentiate yourself in the market, and this episode will give you a place to start if you haven't already. If you're already using video in your sales and marketing efforts, she offers some great tips and tricks to make it even better.
- (6:30) Using video to cut through the clutter
- (9:30) Growing business online using video
- (11:00) Repurposing video for the biggest impact
- (14:30) Embedding video as an active engagement strategy
- (16:30) Getting started
No matter your role in an insurance organization, you've got goals, projects, and dreams. It can be easy to fall behind and veer off course in your pursuit of a win no matter who you are or what the end goal is. In this episode, we're talking about a no-excuses approach to reaching your goals with a little inspiration from a silly but great movie, Wedding Crashers, and this applied to everything in your life—insurance-related or not.
A happy, loyal client is worth their weight in gold. We all know keeping an existing client is easier than finding a new one, but it's time to stop paying lip service to retention and start digging into the whys and hows of a great strategy to keep clients in your book of business.
In this episode, Rick outlines the top three reasons why retention is so important and provides a 3-step playbook for how to implement a winning retention strategy.
Tyler Asher believes that independent agents can turn their competitive advantage into superpowers in the market, and he’s here to tell us how. As President of Independent Agent Distribution at Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance, Tyler is a treasure trove of information and he’s hitting us with some high-impact knowledge in this episode.
Rick and Tyler discuss:
- Digital transformation and online presence (5:30)
- Turbocharging sales (13:30)
- The talent problem (and solution) (21:00)
It’s a new year with new goals and a fresh start—making it the perfect time to talk about taking your sales to the next level. Whether you are a natural seller or not, this episode is for you. In this episode I outline six proven strategies for slaying your sales goals in 2021.
We put a bow on 2020 and welcome the new year with James Thom, Chief Product Officer at Vertafore. James' industry knowledge runs wide and deep, and he's offering great, unvarnished advice for success in 2021.
Last year brought numerous challenges and opportunities to adapt and pivot, and with that came a surge in tech-enabled solutions throughout the industry. This year is about capitalizing on that surge of technology and making the best of it long-term.
Rick and James talk about:
- Big takeaway from 2020 (3:50)
- Themes and trends for agencies in 2021 (10:30)
- The 3 most important tech solutions for any agency (20:00)
Wow! It's hard to believe that we're already at the end of 2020. Time has simultaneously flown by and gone by slowly, but we made it through. In this week's rant, Rick recaps the year for us here at the #VIPodcast. He takes you through 2020 month by month chatting about all we got up to. Tune in to reflect on the year with us!
As we wrap up the year and look forward to 2021, Rick is excited to welcome Elizabeth Schenk, CEO of Agency Network Exchange (ANE), to the podcast! Elizabeth has a deep understanding of the independent agency and of the insurance industry and has some great advice we can all learn from.
What is the most common thing she hears from the agencies in ANE about the state of the industry this year? People's concerns are all different, but one common theme: wanting support to navigate through challenging times. It's hard to be a lone wold, but you don't need to be when there are so many networks across the industry there to help you out.
In this episode Rick and Elizabeth talk about:
- The state of the industry from a network perspective (7:30)
- What exactly is an agency network? (14:30)
- What to look for in an agency network (22:00)
2020 has been a hard year all around, but Rick reminds us in this week's episode that we all still have a ton to be thankful for. Tune in to hear Rick's 6 buckets full of thanks for those that have made an impact on his year.
This week on the VIP we are excited to welcome Nicole Smith, founder & CEO of JMS Creative Leadership Solutions and author of 20 Leadership Golden Nuggets: Practical leadership lessons to use today.
Nicole is an expert on all things leadership. She has built her career around helping others develop the tools they need to succeed and lead teams better. In this episode Rick and Nicole discuss:
- Understanding leadership (5:30)
- Emotional intelligence (9:35)
- Self-awareness (21:00)
- Affinity bias (26:50)
It's planning season! The holidays are right around the corner, so it's time to start planning for 2021. Now is the time to define business goals and make changes to accomplish them! Rick has six categories to think about for successful business planning:
- Staff (4:56)
- Sales (7:45)
- Service (9:57)
- Diversification (13:40)
- Technology (17:14)
- Culture (24:15)
As 2020 winds down we're evaluating lessons learned and planning for 2021! Rick's guest is Tom Super, vice president of insurance at J.D. Power, the nation's leading insurance customer intelligence and CX advisory company whose partnerships extend to the top 20 P&C carriers in the U.S. Tom shares insights into:
- COVID-19 initiatives for premium relief (9:15)
- Customized advice: Why agents are more important than AI and bots in this crisis (13:59)
- The impact of declining customer income (16:25)
- The benefits of carriers integrating agents into their digital processes (23:46)
- Key factors about today's consumers that independent agents should know (29:15)
This episode is full of insights to help you make informed plans for the upcoming year.
Q4 is when most people slow down and plan for the holiday season. How about doing it a little differently this year and end on a fantastic note? In this rant, Rick challenges us to re-energize, seize the moment, and end the year strong! Rick suggests:
- Sales: Set audacious goals, plan how to meet them, crush Q4, and set yourself up for an even better 2021 (4:06)
- Customer Service: Connect with your customers, work on surpassing your renewals goal, clear up your backlog, and finish this year strong (8:43)
- Leaders/Owners: Re-energize your staff, modernize your agency, and enter 2021 with a jump start (12:59)
Market connectivity is a big topic of conversation in the insurance industry right now. The pandemic brought it to the forefront when members of the insurance distribution channel scrambled to find ways to connect when stay-at-home orders were in place. In this week's rant, Rick breaks down insurance market connectivity and gives tips on how you can start and modernize your connectivity processes.
Many of us are working from home because of the pandemic. We feel safe, locked away in our offices, or secure office space in our homes. We don't think about the cybercriminals who are hunting for prey 24-hours a day. They're waiting for a tiny mistake or oversight to pounce and wreak havoc on our business.
Today's guest, Brad Schrum of Wingman Insurance—a cybersecurity expert with 25+ years of experience—is going to talk through some simple steps we can take to secure our data and explain why cybersecurity insurance is necessary for all insurance businesses.
The insurance industry is very excited about new technology that will revolutionize commercial submissions for the independent agency. Rick's guest — Sharmila Ray, who leads Vertafore's carrier solutions strategy — shares valuable insights into how close we are to having this technology. Sharmila's insurance industry expertise spans more than 15 years, including 12 years with McKinsey & Company where she worked with carriers on growth and distribution strategy.
Sharmila shares insights on:
- What customers in the small commercial lines of business really want (7:40)
- Why the independent agent model is here to stay (10:50)
- How carriers are preparing their systems for technology that will provide real-time quote and bind (11:45)
- How InsurTech companies, including Vertafore, are investing in commercial submissions technology for small and medium agencies (15:15)
Being on the brink of transformative technology is very exciting. Listen as Sharmila also shares how her commercial lines prediction from five years ago is on the verge of being realized.
Insurance agents often shy away from selling surety bonds because they are difficult and time consuming to write. In this episode, Aaron Steffey — managing partner of Steffey Insurance Agency, and co-owner of Propeller Insurance — joins Rick to share exciting news on how to write surety bonds in minutes and how to empower your customers to complete the process online at their convenience. Listen as Aaron tells Rick how automating the surety bond distribution process can bring you new business opportunities.
At the end of a successful webinar, some of Rick's guests asked where the women and people of color were. As a strong advocate of social justice, he was surprised to realize he had unconsciously chosen a panel that looks like him.
In this week's rant Rick shares how that realization led him to think deeper about diversity and inclusion, and delve into:
- Diversity in society (2:43)
- Diversity at work (10:06)
- Diversifying your book of business (16:40)
As Rick shares his thoughts on the subject, he looks forward to hearing yours.
Discussions about social justice are important - but they are also often uncomfortable and difficult. In this episode, Kwame Christian joins Risk to talk about how to have these conversations effectively. Kwame is a lawyer, professor, author, and director of The American Negotiation Institute, and has the world's most successful podcast on negotiation and conflict resolution. Kwame shares insights on:
- Why America is struggling with conversations about race (7:03)
- How to overcome the struggle of having difficult conversations (11:45)
- Next steps after you've had the conversation (22:02)
Americans are trying to have these difficult conversations openly and honestly in the hope of effecting change. Listen up for some additional tools and resources from Kwame to to enhance your skills with difficult conversations, both in your personal and professional life.
Many insurers are trying to figure out the best way to use industry data to grow their business. This task can be complicated, expensive, and time-consuming if not approached thoughtfully. In this week's rant Rick asks if your data is ready to be analyzed. He also offers simple ways to clean up your data and make it analyzable. Rick delves into this topic by addressing the following:
- Is your data ready to be analyzed? (2:25)
- Make your data work for you (7:00)
- If you're already analyzing your data, find additional ways to do so (18:47)
Are you watching the insurance industry evolve quickly, and know you must modernize but you're not sure where to start? "Your customers and producers hold the answers," says Bryan Falchuk, today's podcast guest.
Bryan is a 20-year P&C insurance veteran who has worked with carriers in multiple capacities. He is also a best-selling author, speaker and life-coach whose work has been featured in top publications like Inc. Magazine, The LA Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Prepare to take notes as Bryan simplifies the best way to approach your modernization project.
Recognizing and nurturing the talent in your organization can pay big dividends. In this week's episode Rick shares tips on how to treat the talent in your organization and how to empower them to be proactive and think for themselves. He also gave employees tips on how to be proactive in owning their talent, speaking up for themselves, and driving their careers forward. Rick breaks it down from three perspectives:
- How leadership handles talent in the organization (4:34)
- How to attract talent to the organization (11:36)
- Talented employees taking ownership of their talents and careers (16:58)
Make sure you have a pen and paper handy as Rick drops a few gems we're sure you won't want to forget.
Meet Anita Beyer, this episode's fascinating guest. Anita is a trail blazer in commercial insurance sales and the president of Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk. In this VIP episode Anita shares her experience as a woman in sales, encourages young women to explore career options in insurance, and offers tips for how women can be successful in the industry.
Anita is smart, creative and has a wealth of knowledge to impart on recent college grads and workforce veterans alike, who may not be sure of their career path but care about making a difference in people's lives.
We're in the middle of the summer and many of us are going on family vacations to have fun and re-charge. But the hardest part of taking time off? Coming back to work at the end of it. This rant is about putting things in place to make getting back to work easy and stress-free. Join rick to learn how to beat the summer funk when you get back to the office after your break.
If you're unsure of how AI can benefit your insurance business, today's episode is for you! Guest Ron Glozman is an artificial intelligence guru, thought leader, and CEO & Founder of Chisel AI, an AI solution for the global insurance industry. Ron breaks down how AI is changing the insurance industry and how it can help you double your business with your existing workforce.
In this episode Ron guides us through:
- The seven types of AI (7:34)
- AI in insurance: Natural Language Processing - data extraction and classification (18:20)
- Supporting insurers through change management (24:22)
- Dispelling the myth of AI taking away jobs in the insurance industry (28:01)
Ron simplifies complex information about artificial intelligence and will change the way you look at your business.
Today's InsuRant is all about independence, from Independence Day earlier this month to the independent agent channel. As America celebrated Independence Day, Rick thought about personal independence and the difference it makes in your life. This week's rant features advice on independence, freedom, and self-empowerment for individuals, and how those can impact your professional life.
If today's episode doesn't excite you and position you to win, I don't know what will. Our guest today is Brian Ahearn, Chief Influence Officer at Influence People LLC. He has 30+ years of insurance industry experience, is a LinkedIn learning author, and a Cialdini Certified Trainer (one of 20 globally). Today he shares how to apply the science of influence - psychology - to hear yes. You will have so many ah-ha moments you will kick yourself if you don't have a pen and paper to take notes. Brian offers subtle techniques you'll remember to help you hear yes.
It's time for another InsuRant! This week it's all about how to handle the uncertainty and stress that this year has thrown us. From COVID-19 to social unrest, and the added stress of an election year, it's easy to sink into the negative. Rick talks about how to create a positive mindset when negativity is forced upon us daily, as well as how we can change our lives, and the lives of those we interact with daily. Let's focus on what we can do instead of what we can't!
This week we're excited to welcome two very special guests, Chris Cline and Craig Welsh of Westfield Insurance! Chris and Craig are experts on all things distribution, and they have a rule for us all to follow: the big 3 + 1. But what is the big 3+1? One answer is 4, but Chris and Craig are talking about these four steps:
- Perpetuation
- Digital & Marketing
- Data & Analytics +
- Diversity & Inclusion
Grab your notebook and take some notes - this episode is full of important information.
This week Rick is joined by Dustin Yoder, CEO of Sureify and he'll have you dreaming about insurance. One day Dustin woke up at 26 and knew that insurance was his calling. Tune in to this week's episode as Rick and Dustin talk about the top-down approach to technology in insurance, customer experience and expectations, and how you can enable more sales.
Let's press pause on everything happening in the world and take these next 18 minutes to think about how your agency scores compared to your competition. Rick gives you the four subjects you should be tracking, and what you should be doing to achieve a perfect 4.0. We're going back to school y'all, so tune in to see how you score!
On this week's episode Rick is joined by Gordon Hui, VP of Strategic Innovation at Hartford Steam Boiler, a division of Munich Re. Gordon focuses on providing turnkey IoT solutions for small commercial lines, what we all know as the businesses on main street in our towns. But what is IoT and how can it help the independent agent? Tune in to hear what Rick and Gordon have to say about the topic.
As we're all aware, things are different now, but there are some silver linings to this less-than-ideal situation. Rick has identified two areas that have shifted since the beginning of COVID-19: a change in technology and a change in customer expectations.
But what can you do to meet these shifting needs and priorities? Tune in to this week's episode to find out.
On this week's episode, Rick is joined by Rob Galbraith, the most interesting man in insurance and Director of Innovation at AF Group. Rick and Rob talk all things insurance and the client digital experience. This episode is full of great insights - you won't want to miss this one!
It is time yet again for one of Rick’s InsuRants! This week Rick talks about how grateful he feels to be part of such a tight-knit industry. And don’t just take it from Rick, #VIPodcast producer Dylan Braun chimes in with what he has seen in the industry the past couple of months. We’re all #InItTogether, and Rick highlights how connected the insurance industry is in this challenging time.
If today's episode gives you flashbacks to your college Psych 1010 class... well, that's a good thing, according to our guest Dorothy L. Andrews, Principal & Chief Behavioral Data Scientist at Actuarial and Analytics Consortium. You may never have thought much about it, but behavior and psychology play a significant role in our industry - from a customer's sense of risk awareness to an underwriter's algorithms - the human mind is at work everywhere. In this episode, Dorothy sheds some light on:
- How insurance products impact real people, including through their biases (12:56)
- The three most basic psychological needs of our audience that we can work to fulfill (18:18)
- When insurance companies should be building bonds with their (future) consumers (19:30)
- The most important skill that actuaries are going to have to have for the future (25:20)
- How you can connect in a physical way through technology (30:50).
Join us for a conversation with Gilad Shai, founder of BOUND API - an InsurTech startup with a mission to provide agents with digital distribution channels across the web. As the founder of a startup, Gilad is intimately familiar with mergers and acquisitions within the InsurTech space from both sides of the table. In this episode, Gilad and Rick discuss:
- The three waves of the InsurTech revolution
- The dilemma every startup has to face
- Gilad's prediction for how technology will change the role of the agent
- And, just for fun, the one English phrase Gilad can't say
This week Rick is excited to bring back another repeat guest, Todd Sorrel and first-time guest Seth Nagle from ePayPolicy! Seth and Todd have some great insights and perspectives on what you can be doing tight now with the additional time on our hands.
This week, Rick and the ePay team leave you with some important questions you should be asking of yourself and your business:
- What can you do to improve processes and workflows?
- Is there another way to use your existing tech stack?
- Are there people in my community that I can reach out to?
Ultimately, get out of your comfort zone - now is the perfect time to make the changes you've always wanted to. Go get your business, change the way you do business, and experiment!
This week on the Vertafore Insurance Podcast, we have our first repeat guest, Ron Berg, Executive Director of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT). Ron has over a decade of experience working remotely, and he is sharing his knowledge with ACT members and the VIP audience to help navigate this time of change and uncertainty.
Rick and Ron leave you with these things that you can do to be successful right now:
- Contingency planning
- Remote working best practices
- Regulations to be aware of
- Taking cyber security into account
This week on Rick’s InsuRant we wanted to follow up on our previous rant about COVID-19 featuring Laura Nettles. Today Rick talks about our new normal, the human side of a worldwide pandemic, and how our industry is affected. Rick leaves you with the six ingredients to leading a remote workforce, and as a bonus we have three things you need to be doing in your day-to-day life right now according to Rick’s wife, Maghan.
Is the pace of change making you dizzy? We've said it before, and we'll say it again: the only way to survive is to embrace change and evolve. This week, Mike Becker, EVP and CEO of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) joins us to talk about his own philosophy around the changes that are shaking up our industry every day. In this episode, Mike covers:
- His recipe for surviving and adapting to change
- What you should consider as you take those first steps into new territory
- The importance of understanding your client base (and how to show them you do)
Every business, large or small, wants to grow - it's only natural. But growing isn't always easy! If your agency is succeeding, you might find yourself struggling with some growing pains as you try to navigate the path from a single person shop to a mega-broker and everywhere in between. In this week's InsuRant, Rick brings his experience as an agency owner and longtime industry veteran to the table to provide some solid advice for agencies of all sizes (and growing!)
This week we have two guests: Husband and wife, business partners, and podcasting duo Ted and Arleen Taveras. Ted and Arleen are the founders of Insurance Licensing Services of America, better known as ILSA, and also run the SpotOn Insurance podcast. This week, Ted and Arleen share their unique story and perspective to inspire you in your own career and life.
Some of the key moments you won't want to miss include:
- The most important thing you can do, period (11:20)
- Turning a niche from a limitation into an asset (26:00)
- Why prioritizing your culture is vital and how to do it (34:14)
This week, we are bringing you a special edition of the podcast! While we are all trying to settle in to our new normal, I wanted to bring this important discussion with Laura Nettles, CEO of Nettles Consulting, to you all. In this bonus episode, Laura and I talk about the things you can be doing in this new environment to maintain the customer relationships you value so much. Tune in and stay safe!
Robots, artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation: these are hot topics right now as scientists predict a major shift from human employees to computer labor in the near future. While long haul truckers might legitimately fear being replaced by self-driving trucks, Rick explains why he doesn't believe the humans in our industry are going anywhere. Check out this week's InsuRant to learn:
- Which parts of our industry we can and should automate to free up our people for more important parts of the job (8:40)
- What we should do now to position ourselves for the high-tech future (13:43)
- What InsurTech can do to be more like Netflix (15:40)
Today's guest is Caribou Honig, Chairman and co-founder of InsureTech Connect, one of the largest gatherings of insurance technology professionals in the world. Before he ventured into InsurTech, Caribou spent over a decade in the financial technology sector and witnessed the digital disruption-slash-transformation that occurred in the worlds of banking and finance.
With his vast knowledge and understanding of the insurance and technology businesses, along with the finance and investments that power the current surge in InsurTech, Caribou brings loads of insights to the table. Not least of which, the revelation that playing gold is no longer a necessary part of winning in our industry.
What does "modernizing your agency" mean and why is it something you have to do (and do now!) to survive? In this week's InsuRant, Rick explains the importance of moving into the future for the benefit of your customers, your employees, and your overall business. More than just updating the look of your office, Rick explains how and why using modern technology to engage your customers and empower your employees will ultimately enable profitable growth for your business.
This isn't your typical motivational speaker! Seth Preus of Mivation joins the podcast to shed some light on what motivation is (and isn't) and how you can harness the driving forces that will motivate you - and your employees. Learn the strategies Seth has found to motivate independent workers (around 7:15), the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators (at 10:08), and how to correctly use gamification to boost performance (head over to 22:40). This episode is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the topic of motivation, but if you're interested in learning more, it's a great place to start.
On today's InsuRant episode, we're talking about something that's personal to our host Rick Fox. As a Los Angeles native and lifelong Laker's fan, Rick has always found inspiration in the way Kobe Bryant lived his life and the values he demonstrated. While a basketball star might not be a typical source of professional motivation for insurance professionals, Rick shares Kobe's impact on his life and career and personal traits like work ethic and attention to detail. No matter who you are or what you're doing, Rick wants to share his source of inspiration with you.
Join us to talk about the diversity in your network with author, speaker, and consultant Amy Waninger. Amy's career has twisted and turned from her childhood in small-town Indiana to working in IT within the insurance industry, to finally finding her passion in educating others on the importance of diversity and inclusion (that's the first 14 minutes of the episode). Then, we dive in with Amy to get her take on how you can actively improve your life and career by intentionally making connections with people who aren't like you (at 17:00) and how you can take it a step further to make your business stand out and earn the trust of different communities you may not have been reaching before (skip ahead to 28:00). If you like what you hear in this episode, you can get a free e-book with even more takeaways from Amy at https://bit.ly/37jXNH2 (look on the left side of the page for 21 Insights for Inclusive Networking).
If your focus is strictly on "new business" you might be ignoring the incredible value to be found in retaining current business. Since most consumers are always on the lookout for a better deal, you can't take your existing customer base for granted. And you certainly shouldn't overlook how important recurring revenue is to your success. In this week's podcast, Rick gives advice and insight into some of the things you can and should be doing to work on your customer retention and explains in detail how improving retention directly impacts your bottom line.
Wouldn't you like your business to be as successful as Amazon? Love them or hate them, you can't deny Amazon has built an enviable brand since its start as an online bookseller in 1995. This week our guest Steve Anderson shares some key points from his international bestseller The Bezos Letters, which uncovers and simplifies the wisdom found in Amazon's philosophy. Steve talks about the importance of failing successfully (at 4:45), how "customer obsession" worked for Amazon and can for you too (at 11:30), and the one idea that has kept Amazon relevant across decades (at 28:44). If you've been craving a podcast with action items you can put to work for you right away, look no further!
It's a new year and that means it's time to start making your plans for 2020 education and travel. Whether you're a long-time conference-goer or looking to attend your first industry event, starting with your personal goals and finding the events you'll get the most out of is key. In this edition of the InsuRant, Rick gives his advice on how to decide which events to attend, his top picks for networking and education, and what to do once you arrive. Pro tip: if you register early, you might save enough on your registration to help finance an additional trip this year.
Welcome to 2020! Our first guest of the year is Ryan Hanley, Founder and Chief Strategist at Hanley Media. Ryan is an industry veteran across both the insurance and marketing fields. Now he spends his time trying to educate and inspire others to use the most modern tools and methods to enhance their businesses. This week's episode starts out with Ryan's background (around 6:17), how he realized he could transform the way insurance agents sell with the power of storytelling (around 8:45), and leaves us with some strategic and tactical takeaways that you can put to work in your own business immediately (from about 24:32 until the end).