Awkward Insurance: Recent Episodes
The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research
Welcome to Awkward Insurance, the podcast that strives to bridge the thrilling world of insurance with the real-life struggles of those of us in the trenches. For producing and servicing agents, insurance centers around relationships and personal connections but let's face it, building relationships can be awkward. In this podcast hosted by The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research Academic Directors; Dustyne Bryant, CIC, CISR, MBA, and Cat Ferris, CIC, CRM, CPCU, AU, our conversations are unscripted, unplanned, and may have you wondering what just happened.
Subscribe and share with all of your fellow insurance nerds!
It’s the end of an era! In this heartfelt farewell, hosts Dustyne Bryant, Ashley Fitzsimmons, and Producer Mac reflect on the journey of Awkward Insurance. From awkward beginnings to unforgettable moments—including their adventures in Vegas—they share highlights, podcast stats, and a countdown of top episodes.Join them for one last laugh (and maybe a tear) as they celebrate the connections made and the impact of the show.Thanks for listening—Toodles! 🎤✨Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professionaldevelopment, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides apractical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participantsand their clients for confidence and success.
Wesley Pergament, SolaWesley is CEO and Co-Founder of Sola Insurance based in Atlanta, GA. Wesley comes from a tech background and jumped into the insurance industry at a flood insurance startup where he was tasked with working on the data side with private and FEMA flood maps. Realizing this data was telling us exactly where the damage is, Wesley and the Sola team became obsessed with how data can be used to automatically trigger an insurance claim payout. Sola is starting with supplemental tornado coverage for homeowners and small businesses but plans to expand into every type of natural disaster to help people cover their deductible and immediate expenses. Sola has already been approved in 14 states as the first ever admitted personal lines parametric product, is fully reinsured through Lloyd’s of London and has partnered with dozens of agencies and aggregators.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Key Takeaways:
- Customer feedback is a growth tool – Handling negative reviews with a positive approach strengthens relationships.
- Cultural fit matters – Many employees leave due to misalignment with company culture rather than job dissatisfaction.
- Talent is everywhere – Hiring based on traits, not just experience, can uncover high-potential candidates.
- The industry must evolve – Adapting to new expectations and investing in education will attract the next generation.
Monica Adwani is a dynamic leader whose career has been defined by breaking barriers and championing diversity.Monicais a passionate advocate for creating opportunities and fostering inclusivity, particularly for women and Latinos in the business world. As the CEO of Breezy Seguros, she leads a company dedicated to providing accessible and comprehensive insurance solutions tailored specifically for the Latino community in the United States.
Born in Puerto Rico,Monicaearned degrees in Information Management and Medical Coding from the InterAmerican University. Her desire for continuous learning brought her to Massachusetts, where she obtained a Business Management degree from Fisher College in Boston.
Monica's exceptional leadership has earned her multiple accolades, including Young Agent of the Year in 2019, LatinX Amplifier in 2021, one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Massachusetts in 2022, and the Top 100 Latino Influencer award in 2023. Additionally, Breezy Seguros was recognized as one of America's Top 250 Latino Companies in 2024.
Monicais deeply committed to the Latino community and is working tirelessly to reach the goal of insuring more than 5 million Latinos across the United States through Breezy Seguros. Her dedication drives her efforts to empower and protect Latino families, entrepreneurs, and businesses, ensuring their success and security for future generations.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Curtis Goldsborough is the President of National Insurance Inspection Services, an evolving technology and field service provider for P&C underwriting, based in Fresno, CA. He cut his teeth in insurance as an agency owner with Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan, where he became acutely aware of the friction and pain points associated with underwriting inspections. In 2013, he joined National Insurance Inspection Services on a quest to forge a better path forward for personal lines underwriting. Curtis was instrumental in the development and launch of the NIIS self-inspection app and workflow, which is now in production environments with over 18 carriers and MGAs around the country, including three of the top ten P&C carriers in the United States. In his not-so-spare time, Curtis produces insurance video content on LinkedIn under the moniker of LO$$ RATIO, with a goal to engage, educate, entertain and inspire insurance professionals around the world.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Judy Hughes
With over a decade of experience in the insurance industry, Judy has been a licensed Property and Casualty agent since 2010 and a licensed Life and Health agent since 2011. Currently, she serves as a Personal Lines Account Manager at Anderson and Green Insurance Agency, where she has been for the past five years. In this role, Judy recently expanded her expertise to assist Medicare customers with their prescription plans.
In addition to her work at Anderson and Green, Judy also holds a position as a Customer Service Representative at Cravens Insurance Agency, where she specialize in Medicare Supplements where her commitment to providing exceptional service and guidance allows Judy to help clients navigate their insurance needs effectively.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Regent James M. Benham was appointed to the Texas Southern University (TSU) Board of Regents by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in October of 2020 and was reappointed for a second term in 2023. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Texas Southern University Board of Regents and is Chairman of the Administration and Finance Committee.
Regent Benham is the CEO of JBKnowledge, a 280-employee global insurance software company he co-founded in 2001, with offices and staff in 4 countries. He served for five years as an Adjunct Professor of Construction Science at Texas A&M University and still volunteers as a mentor and advisor for student groups. Regent Benham served the City of College Station as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner from 2011 to 2012 and was elected to two terms on the College Station City Council from 2012 to 2018 where he also served as Mayor Pro Tem. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He lives in College Station and is an avid airplane pilot and musician. Regent Benham received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 2001 and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems in 2002, both from Texas A&M University.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Insurance vs History is a podcast that examines the intersection of insurance and history. Meredith Brasher is a 20-year veteran of the insurance industry, specializing in General Liability, Umbrella and Excess insurance products, wording development, and education. She also has extensive experience in the development and management of MGA programs, as well as auditing for MGA programs and Casualty books of business.
She has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in history, as well as her AU, ASLI and CPCU designations in insurance. She currently works as an insurance consultant, historian, and, sometimes, as a professional actor.
www.insurancevshistory.com
Linked in: friend/follow me at Meredith Brasher
Dive deeper into the fascinating history of insurance and discover how it has shaped the world we live in today. Explore A Tedious Brief History of Insurance—a captivating publication that uncovers pivotal moments, groundbreaking innovations, and the enduring impact of insurance through the ages. Perfect for industry professionals, history enthusiasts, or anyone curious about the roots of risk management.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
In this special conference episode, the Awkward Insurance Podcast hits the road to ITC Vegas, where technology meets insurance in surprising ways.Join host Dustyne Bryant as she dives into the industry's pressing challenges around talent recruitment, uncovers inspiring career journeys, and explores the ever-evolving insurance landscape. From motivational stories to insights on how AI will reshape industry roles, this episode offers an insider’s view of the conversations driving the future of insurance. Tune in for a lively mix of professional insights, unexpected encounters, and a few quirky detours straight from the ITC floor! Plus, don’t miss our Man on the Street coverage from the BrokerTech Ventures Happiest Hour during ITC Vegas!Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professionaldevelopment, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides apractical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participantsand their clients for confidence and success.
Key Takeaways:
- Diverse Sessions: A comprehensive agenda covering compliance, risk management, and cybersecurity awareness.
- Leadership Vision: Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Alan McClain’s forward-looking view on industry challenges and opportunities.
- Next-Gen Engagement: UCA student Connor Black shares perspectives on attracting young professionals to the field.
- Reinsurance Insights: Lee Covington delves into the evolution of reinsurance and its impact on the industry.
- Cybersecurity Focus: FBI Agent Tanja Sablatura stresses the importance of cybersecurity in today’s risk landscape.
- Generational Shift: Over 30% of attendees have 20+ years in the field, emphasizing the need for mentorship and knowledge transfer.
- Purpose-Driven Work: Encouraging professionals to find meaning and purpose in their roles, fostering a legacy for future leaders.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Level up your industry language by visiting www.riskeducation.org/insurtech to learn about a brand new self-paced course developed with BrokerTech Ventures: Introduction To Insurance for Insurtech Professionals.
Douglas Ver Mulm is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Turris, a financial infrastructure platform for the insurance industry. Prior to this, Douglas was the Co-Founder & CEO at Stable Insurance, focusing on distribution and analytics for insurance in the shared/on-demand economy. With a background in law and economics/finance, Douglas has also served as a Volunteer Executive Director at InsurTech Association and as a Lead Mentor at Founders Network.
Garrett Droege, CIC, CPCU, CLCS, CBIA, CWCA, CRIS serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Innovation and Digital Risk Practice Leader at IMA Financial. His role oversees IMA’s national focus in the technology, and digital risk verticals (collectively called the Advanced Industries Specialty). He also co-manages IMA Labs, IMA’s insurtech innovation, investment, and strategy with BrokerTech Ventures. Additionally, he is part of the founding team of IMA’s web3Labs initiative and helped IMA become the first broker to build an insurance and risk management facility in the metaverse and issue the industry’s first “proof of coverage” via blockchain/NFT. He serves on the Crypto.Chicks NFT Advisory Board and consults with several other NFT projects.
Prior to his current role, he served as CEO/Executive Director of TechAssure Association, Inc., an international consortium of insurance agents/brokers specializing in technology-related risks. Garrett’s expertise includes Errors & Omissions, Cyber, and Technology Risk Management. Additionally, he is a brokerage technology specialist – focused on InsurTech, AMS/BMS/CRM platforms, data mining, and client journey tech stack development.
Garrett has designed complex insurance and risk management programs for some of the most sophisticated and diverse tech businesses in the country. These include firms in info tech, medical technology, telecommunications, new media and all types of digital risk and blockchain.
Garrett is an alumnus of University of North Carolina at Wilmington and The Hartford School of Insurance. He was named to the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty list and Insurance Business America’s Young Guns of Insurance list. Garrett is routinely featured in national publications and media productions, including NPR’s All Things Considered.
He holds the esteemed Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) industry designations, among others. He has been a featured keynote speaker for numerous organizations, including: Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Public Radio, CIO Magazine, Society of CPCU, Insurance Innovators, FinTech Association of Hong Kong, Net Diligence, Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), North Carolina Technology Association, Texas Blockchain Council and many more.
Droege has been named three times to the Hot 100 List – a group of the top 100 insurance professionals that have “moved the industry forward” over the past 12 months. Garrett also serves as an advisor and mentor to several technology startup companies and has extensive relationships with global accelerator programs and investors. He is a frequent guest on business podcasts including: “The Insurance Guys”, Lowenstein Sandler’s “Don’t Take No For An Answer,” “InsurTech Geek Podcast,” “Beyond Insurance,” “A.I. Wisdom,” “The Insurance Coffeehouse,”
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Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Mark Olson is a seasoned communications professional with extensive experience in strategic communications, spanning agency and in-house leadership roles. As the Director of Corporate Communications at Hippo, he specializes in developing corporate narratives, preparing spokespeople, and providing counsel on reputational issues. Mark has a proven track record in enhancing brand reputation and driving strategic initiatives. He holds an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Thomas Raabe has been in real estate development and sales for the last 11 years. He was a project manager for Ohio University prior to becoming a licensed salesperson in 2016. He has been helping people buy and sell homes for the last 8 years. He is the broker and co-owner of Westwood Real Estate Co. located in Columbus, OH. Westwood Real Estate prides themselves in being trusted advisors and creating lasting relationships with the people they work with.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Allison Albrecht is a National Sales Director for Clearspeed - with a focus on the financial services market. Prior to joining Clearspeed, Allison spent over a decade in various roles within the insurance industry - largely on the carrier side. Allison is proud to be from and reside in Columbus, Ohio - home to an eager and innovative insurance landscape, and of course - the Buckeyes!
Nate Curtis is a National Sales Director for Clearspeed, a technology company that enables risk assessment through voice analytics. Prior to Clearspeed, he spent a decade working in various product development and innovation roles at Liberty Mutual Insurance. Nate began his professional career as an officer in the U.S. Navy after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Clearspeed focuses on risk assessment and clearance through innovation in AI-driven voice-based technology.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Alan McClain was appointed as Arkansas’s 24th Insurance Commissioner by former Governor Asa Hutchinson in April 2020, and continues to serve as Commissioner under Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Prior to his appointment, McClain served for five years as Commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS)—a sister agency of the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) under the state Department of Commerce.
Commissioner McClain began his career in state government in 1992 at AID, spending eight years in its Public Employee Claims Division. Prior to joining AID, he served as a Claims Manager for self-insured workers’ compensation plans at the Little Rock offices of Sedgwick James Insurance.
McClain served thirteen years with the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission (AWCC), where he spent almost nine years as its Chief Executive Officer. While at the AWCC, he also served as the regulator for companies and groups seeking to self-insure workers’ compensation risks. In 2013 McClain left the AWCC to join the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he worked alongside numerous state workers’ compensation agencies as they utilized the work of WCRI in making data-driven policy decisions.
McClain served as President of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation between 2019-20, as well as President of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards & Commissions (IAIABC) in 2011, where he was named Co-Chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)/IAIABC Joint Working Group. During his time as Commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, Governor Hutchinson also appointed McClain to serve on the Arkansas Workforce Development Board, and the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.
In addition to membership on a number of other NAIC task forces and working groups, McClain currently serves as Chair of the NAIC Property and Casualty (C) Committee, as well as Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Task Force, a subgroup of the Property and Casualty (C) Committee. He also serves on the Financial Standards and Accreditation (F) Committee, which reviews insurance department ability to analyze company solvency.
McClain is a native Arkansan. He holds an undergraduate degree from Hendrix College in Conway, as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
We want to hear from you!
Share your favorite Season 5 episode in our Facebook Group and join the conversation with fellow listeners. Whether it’s a memorable interview, a hilarious moment, or a valuable insight, let us know what resonated with you the most! Your feedback helps us create even more content you’ll love.
Join the Discussion!
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Bridge Insurtech with Insurance Fundamentals! Demo our upcoming Introduction to Insurance for Insurtech Professionals course!
Our guests (in order) are:
- Kristopher Lundberg, CEO of Insurance Tech Insights, discusses the value of independent agents engaging with tech start-ups.
- Jacob Galecki, Managing Principal of Galecki Search Associates, highlights the disconnect between Insurtech developers and the insurance industry.
- Valkyrie Holmes, founder of Faura, explores the future of risk management through data utilization.
- Scott Harrison, Co-founder of the American Insurtech Council, addresses regulatory challenges as technology evolves.
- Joseph Zaarour, co-founder of iSolvRisk, envisions a gamified approach to risk management education, making professional development more engaging.
- Laurissa Berk from the University of Connecticut shares how UCON is preparing students to shape the future of insurance technology.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Get ready for Insurtech Insights, USA 2025, by registering today!
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Follow Awkward Insurance on Facebook!
Colleen O'Hara is an accomplished executive leader whose two decades in the insurance industry have transformed the way businesses achieve growth and engagement. Beginning her journey on the front lines of the retail agency world, Colleen has carved a niche for herself by applying her unique insights to foster deep engagement, adoption, and, most importantly, advocacy within the insurance distribution channel.
At Fideles Advisors, Colleen has been instrumental in leveraging her unparalleled grasp of insurance industry nuances to deliver strategies that drive value and set a new standard for what it means to be truly engaged in the business of insurance. Her approach, characterized by a rigorous alignment of business goals with operational processes and marketing strategies, has consistently produced measurable and scalable growth.
Colleen’s commitment to data-driven and strategic marketing has yielded remarkable results, including a dramatic restructuring of marketing teams that led to a significant revenue spike and positioning a top 100 broker brand at the forefront of the insurance industry.
Under her leadership, Colleen's strategic initiatives in brand management, value creation, and organic growth have not just reshaped businesses but have also set them on a path of sustained success.
Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.
Finalist Collegiate Teams:
- Appalachian State University | USA
- Durban University of Technology | South Africa
- Institute of Insurance and Risk Management (IIRM) Hyderabad | India (First Place Finalist)
- Illinois State University | USA (Second Place Finalist)
- Milpark Education | South Africa
- Peking University | China (Third Place Finalist)
- St. Mary’s University | USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison | USA
Special mention, Corporate Grant Sponsor: FM Global https://newsroom.fmglobal.com/releases/releases-20240424
To Discover More about the 2025 Spencer-RIMS Risk Management Challenge visit: https://www.spencered.org/2025-risk-management-challenge
To Learn More about Spencer Education Foundation: https://www.spencered.org/
In this episode (In order):
- Jerrie Price, H.I.R.E.D Project Coordinator at Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Inc. (Special Guest)
- Colton Johnson, James Green & Associates (Arkansas) (YIP Board Member)
- Victor Werley, Pinnacle Advisors (Speaker)
- Casey Nelson, StakWise Data Automation (Speaker)
- Matthew Gleason, UA CIC, Gleason Insurance, LLC (First Time/New Professional Attendee Insight)
- Ben Burleson, CIC, Progressive Insurance (Company Representative Attendee Insight)
- Mary Katherine Henderson, CIC, Cross Pointe Insurance Advisors, LLC (PIA AR YIP Board President Insight)
Insurtech Insights USA 2024 | Javits Centre, New York | June 5-6
Use discount code AWKWARDNYC to get 50% off individual registration at https://www.insurtechinsights.com/america/register/
Susan Etter: With a journey that began at PPIB in 2010, Susan has ascended to the role of President. Known for her astute creative vision and underwriting detail, she possesses the ability to discern opportunities often overlooked by others in the industry. Collaborating closely with our London carriers, Susans specializes in curating some of the most distinctive and successful insurance programs.
PPIB: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ppib-insurance/
Mark your calendars! The next Coaching Cohort is on the horizon, running from April 22 to June 10. Eight weeks that could reshape your spirit and skills in insurance sales.
Learn more about the coaching program:https://www.scic.com/dynamics-producer-coaching/
Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, Brian Thompson is a seasoned insurance professional with over 15 years in the industry across various roles including Reinsurance and agency ownership. Currently serving as the Business Development Manager for North America at Descartes Underwriting, he is instrumental in expanding the company's presence in the US market through a client-centric focus on solving challenging placement problems with innovative solutions.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn to navigate and strengthen your connections with marketing representatives.
- Discover actionable strategies to boost your or your agency's process efficiency.
- Mike's insights on the questions and requests that can make a significant impact.
Terrie Strain, CIC is an experienced seasoned underwriter. She has 25 plus years’ experience in commercial underwriting. All 25 plus years have been in the Excess and Surplus lines as an underwriter. She is currently an underwriter at Med James, Inc. She is always up for a challenge in underwriting a risk and specializing in all arenas connected to commercial lines.
Co-owner and Cofounder of Insurance Soup, the Collective Agency Council, Career Insurance Agents, Tacobot, Agency Elephant, The Insurance Content Project, Soup LIVE. Staunch Agent advocate. Industry and insuretech investor.
www.facebook.com/groups/insurancesoup
www.theinsurancesoup.com
www.souplive2024.com
- Richard McCathron, CIC, CPCU – President & CEO of Hippo, has served as a member of the Board of Directors since February 2017. Prior to Hippo, Mr. McCathron held senior executive positions at various insurance companies including First Connect Insurance as its President & CEO from October 2012 to February 2017, Superior Access Insurance as its President & CEO from June 2007 to October 2010 and Mercury Insurance Group as its Regional Vice President from April 2004 to June 2007. Mr. McCathron is both a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter and a Certified Insurance Counselor and sits on the board of directors of Spinnaker Insurance Company, First Connect Insurance, The National Alliance of Insurance Education and Research, and Players Health. He is an advisor to several insurtech companies and holds a BS in finance from Oregon State University.
Jacob Galecki is the Founder and Managing Principal of Galecki Search Associates, a professional and executive recruiting firm specializing in technical and analytical insurance talent.
Michael Koscielny, MBA, CPCU, CIC, is founder and chief executive officer of Born2Lead, LLC. He has more than 40 years of experience creating effective teams and innovative processes for underwriting and pricing. He serves as the Director of Field Marketing for The University of Olivet since July of 2023. He is an Instructor for The National Alliance and The Institutes. Koscielny has held many roles in the 27 years as a volunteer for The Institutes CPCU Society, including as president of the CPCU Society Leadership Council in 2017 and of the Underwriting Executives Council. He lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, Deborah, and dogs, Wiley, and Teddy. He has written numerous articles and given many presentations. He published his first book, Born2Lead: Lessons in Leadership in 2023.
Born2Lead, LLC
Chris Greene is the President and Owner of The Flood Insurance Guru. He is married to Stephani Greene, and they have one daughter Lydia Greene. He graduated with a master’s degree in emergency management with a focus in hazard mitigation from Jacksonville State University in 2007. He started his insurance career in 2009 and launched The Flood Insurance guru in 2018. The Flood Insurance Guru is a flood education company that spends its time educating people on flood risks, flood mitigation, and flood insurance. Chris recently launched one of the world’s largest flood learning centers after producing more than 5000 pieces of flood education content.
Laurie Dawson – Dawson and Associates, Inc.Laurie Dawson is the principal of Treaster, Dawson and Associates, Inc., a Full-Service Group Insurance Consulting and Employee Benefits Brokerage Firm.With more than 30 years of experience in employee benefits and human resource administration, Laurie provides a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
She and her staff strive to provide concierge-level service, empowering their clients to be savvy healthcare consumers.
For more tips and insights, check out Laurie’s mini-blog at https://www.treasterdawson.com/news-updates
Adam Rimmer first saw the potential of parametric insurance while working at RMS, the world’s largest catastrophe modeling firm. Whilst there, he and co-founder Ian Bartholomew structured and modeled triggers on over $2bn of parametric insurance products and catastrophe bonds to protect governments and large corporations in the US and around the world. They are now using those same principles on a scalable platform. The result is FloodFlash, the first sensor-based parametric flood solution set to provide affordable cover to the businesses, corporations, and communities that need it most.
We'd love to hear from you too! Share with us your favorite episode from this remarkable season over on our Awkward Insurance Facebook Group. Let's continue this dynamic conversation together! 🗣️💬
- Beth Benhart - Senior Director of Instructional Design - Beth began her career in secondary education and made the switch to the corporate world after earning her Master’s in Educational Technology from Michigan State University. She has spent the last six years of her career developing training programs for insurance and risk management professionals. Beth has experience with all facets of learning and development including corporate training, learning management system (LMS) administration and instructional design. She is passionate about leveraging innovative eLearning strategies and tools to create on-demand training experiences for adult learners.
- Jay Williams, CIC, CRM, CRIS, MLIS, AIP, AAI, ACSR- Head of Faculty & Academic Development - Jay is the Head of Faculty & Academic Development for The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research. In his role, he is responsible for all faculty and Educational Consultants, as well as overseeing curriculum development by our Academic Directors. He also oversees curricula for our Agency Operations, Agency Management, and Insurance Company Operations programs. He is an Educational Consultant and a member of our National Faculty, teaching CISR, CIC, Ruble Graduate Seminars, and PROFocus events.
Interested in Shaping the Future of Risk Management & Insurance Education?Become a Faculty Member!
Elevate your risk management and finance expertise with the Risk Management Essentials publication. Published by the National Alliance Research Academy, this comprehensive resource offers practical insights and technical know-how to propel your career forward. Invest in your success today and order your copy now.
Chelsea Adler is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) currently working as an actuary at Root Inc., an InsurTech start-up based in Columbus, OH. Prior to joining Root in October 2019, she spent 5 years working as an actuary at State Farm. Chelsea specializes in evaluating risk and developing rating plans for personal auto and home insurance.
Chelsea is passionate about changing the narrative around insurance and spreading awareness of the actuarial profession. To support aspiring actuaries and encourage them on their professional journeys, she launched a blog at InspiringActuaries.com.
Website:InspiringActuaries.com
Instagram:https://instagram.com/inspiring_actuaries?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@inspiring_actuaries?
Learn more about HO4 by enrolling in the CISR Insuring Personal Residential Property Course
In this episode, we hear from David Carothers from Florida Risk Partners and the Power Producer Podcast, Garrett Droege from IMA Financial Group, Rick McCathron from Hippo, Aviad Pinkovezky from Hippo/First Connect, Denise Garth from Majesco, Wesley Pergament from Sola Insurance, Jeff Shi from Insurtech Group, and Adam Wacker.
Hear from Bobbie Collies, CIC from Coterie Insurance, Anna Kupik and Jacob Galecki from Galecki Search Associates, Adam Rimmer from Floodflash, Susan Winkler from CT IFS, Kevin Abramson from Cover Whale, Brent Williams from Benekiva, Katie Wade from Dunraven Strategies, and Aaron Gordon from Gordon Companies.
Listen to even more exclusive Insurtech interviews in our Day 2 coverage of the 2023 Insurtech Insights Conference!
- Sydney Hoffmans - iTrust Insurance Group - Sydney Hoffmans is an Arkansas native and second-generation insurance agent. With over a decade of insurance experience, she has worked in various roles at small and large captive and independent agencies, as well as commercial insurance carriers. In 2017, she joined her family’s independent agency, iTrust Insurance Group, as an insurance advisor. Sydney serves as Secretary for the Young Insurance Professionals of Arkansas and was recognized as the Young Insurance Professional of Excellence at the 76th Annual Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) of Arkansas Convention. Sydney is also a youth softball coach and a dedicated community member. She lives with her partner and four fur children in Little Rock, AR.
Seth Marana, CIC, TRA, CRM- Member Experience Manager - Ohio Insurance Agents Association Optimist, self-proclaimed IA hype-man, and insurance nerd, Seth Marana fell into the insurance industry and has been running full steam ahead to make his dent within the independent agency channel.
Having served as both a Personal and Commercial Lines agent for nearly 6 years and while earning his CIC, CRM, and TRA designations, he gained real-life experience and knowledge to serve in his new role as the Member Experience Manager with the Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA).
In 2022, Seth transitioned to the OIA to serve the broader agents’ community by coaching and mentoring agents, while equipping them with the tools for everyday agency life.
Aside from insurance nerding, Seth's main passion is business experience and coaching others about it. He helps others elevate their existing model and understanding of how to delight their clients or customers in fresh and meaningful ways. This helps strengthen relationships, increases client satisfaction, grows referability, and makes doing business a lot of fun!
- Taylor Garcia, CIC: Taylor quickly fell in love with the insurance industry after starting work at his in-law's agency in 2015. Coming from a creative background, creating videos, marketing, and social media content has worked really well in his career as a producer. Taylor has earned the CIC designation and is currently the VP of Jackson and Jackson Insurance in San Dimas, CA.
Need advice on professional development for your job role? Download a FREE Account Manager, Producer, Underwriter, or Risk Manager Learning Path, and review a curated learning journey specific to your job role! Learn More!
GARRETT DROEGE, CIC, CPCU, CLCS, CBIA, CWCA, CRIS
Garrett Droege serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Innovation and Digital Risk Practice Leader at IMA Financial. His role oversees IMA’s national focus in the technology, and digital risk verticals (collectively called the Advanced Industries Specialty). He also co-manages IMA Labs, IMA’s insurtech innovation, investment, and strategy with BrokerTech Ventures. Additionally, he is part of the founding team of IMA’s web3Labs initiative and helped IMA become the first broker to build an insurance and risk management facility in the metaverse and issue the industry’s first “proof of coverage” via blockchain/NFT. He serves on the Crypto.Chicks NFT Advisory Board and consults with several other NFT projects.
Prior to his current role, he served as CEO/Executive Director of TechAssure Association, Inc., an international consortium of insurance agents/brokers specializing in technology-related risks. Garrett’s expertise includes Errors & Omissions, Cyber, and Technology Risk Management. Additionally, he is a brokerage technology specialist – focused on InsurTech, AMS/BMS/CRM platforms, data mining, and client journey tech stack development.
Garrett has designed complex insurance and risk management programs for some of the most sophisticated and diverse tech businesses in the country. These include firms in info tech, medical technology, telecommunications, new media and all types of digital risk and blockchain.
Garrett is an alumnus of University of North Carolina at Wilmington and The Hartford School of Insurance. He was named to the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty list and Insurance Business America’s Young Guns of Insurance list. Garrett is routinely featured in national publications and media productions, including NPR’s All Things Considered.
He holds the esteemed Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) industry designations, among others. He has been a featured keynote speaker for numerous organizations, including: Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Public Radio, CIO Magazine, Society of CPCU, Insurance Innovators, FinTech Association of Hong Kong, Net Diligence, Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), North Carolina Technology Association, Texas Blockchain Council and many more.
Droege has been named three times to the Hot 100 List – a group of the top 100 insurance professionals that have “moved the industry forward” over the past 12 months. Garrett also serves as an advisor and mentor to several technology startup companies and has extensive relationships with global accelerator programs and investors. He is a frequent guest on business podcasts including: “The Insurance Guys”, Lowenstein Sandler’s “Don’t Take No For An Answer,” “InsurTech Geek Podcast,” “Beyond Insurance,” “A.I. Wisdom,” “The Insurance Coffeehouse,” and more.
Ms. Liljenberg, entered the insurance business in 2004 as she started her first agency from ground zero, growing the business to over $6 million in revenue in less than 12 years.
Ms. Liljenberg holds a BA in Journalism/Public Relations and a MA in Political Science/Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a Professional Financial Representative holding both Series 6 and Series 63 licenses, she is an Expert Witness in the Insurance field, a Texas Public Adjuster, Property & Casualty Agent, Life & Health Agent, and a Texas Real Estate Broker.
She is well-known in the insurance and real estate industries for her responsiveness, knowledge, and professionalism in handling situations in both industries. Her 36 years of contractual knowledge is extensive and is strengthened by her years as a Commodity Electricity trader during Deregulation in 2001.
Taking an Ethics course is a great way to protect yourself from E&O and the court system.
Taylor quickly fell in love with the insurance industry after starting work at his in-laws agency in 2015. Coming from a creative background, creating videos, marketing and social media content has worked really well in his career as a producer. Taylor has earned the CIC designation and is currently the VP of Jackson and Jackson Insurance in San Dimas, CA.
The Dynamics Series is renowned with agencies, companies, and carriers for its career-elevating sales techniques, sales management strategies, and motivational power.
- Carey Wallace: Carey works with agencies all across the country to understand their value and leverage it to position themselves for growth and plan for the future.
Realize your full producing potential with our Dynamics Producer Coaching program. Learn more: https://www.scic.com/dynamics-producer-coaching/
In this episode, hosts Dustyne Bryant & Ashley Fitzsimmons hang out with Jordan Burns, CEO of Beyond Insurance Group in Michigan to discuss his fast-paced journey into the insurance industry. Jordan explains how he found the courage and confidence to go from P&C producer to agency owner in two short years by leveraging connections, community, and membership with the Big I Michigan to become successful. Together we can achieve anything!
Elisa Stampf
CEO/Co-Founder of Insure Equality
Elisa “fell” into insurance over a decade ago. She spent most of her time on the carrier side with regional and national carriers; she was an underwriter for commercial lines and a marketing rep for the Chicagoland area. Throughout her insurance career, Elisa was a sales leader, a trainer, and an advocate for giving campaigns within her companies. She earned six designations and an MBA and has an insatiable appetite for learning and growing. After a brief visit to the agency side, her exit propelled her to co-found a community that pushes everyone forward and welcomes everyone in: Insure Equality.
Awkward Insurance will be back in January but in the meantime be sure to check out our previous episodes, Join the Facebook Community, and check out all of our other insurance & risk management content!
Voices in the episode in order of appearance:
- Josh Paskewicz, Talent Acquisition Manager at Hylant
- Allison Garcia, Talent Acquisition Leader at Hylant
- Kevin Ray, Vice President of Learning & Development at Erie Insurance Group
- Meaghen Paterson, District Sales Manager at Erie Insurance Group
- Will Kegg, Insurance & Risk Management Student at University of Cincinnati, GIS Chapter President
- Benjamin J. Kegg, Information Technology Student at University of Cincinnati, Executive GIS Member
- Mary Jo Zimmer, User Experience Manager at Erie Insurance Group
- Lee’a Thigpen, Information Technology Supervisor & IT Intern Program Lead at Erie Insurance Group
Learn More!
- https://www.gammaiotasigma.org/
- https://www.gammaiotasigma.org/sustaining-partners
Speakers In this Episode In Order:
- Marguerite Tortorello, Managing Director of Insurance Careers Movement and President of Tortorello Communications Company
- Kyle Steele, PL Product Management Supervisor at COUNTRY Financial®
- Scott Fleming, MBA, CPCU, Multiline Claims Manager at Erie Insurance Group
- Y’llon Harron, Small Business Underwriter Leader at Westfield
- Nonya McNiel, CIC, CPIA, District Sales Manager at Erie Insurance Group
- Leah Robinson, CIC, CRM, AINS, CAWC is a Commercial Lines Agent at the My Member Insurance Agency in Saginaw, MI. Considering herself a generalist, Leah enjoys working with clients ranging from cannabis cultivators to contractors, and everything in between. Leah has been on the Big I Michigan Young Agents Committee since 2018 and is currently the Past-Chair until August 31, 2023. In September 2022 Leah was named Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America’s National Young Agent of the Year. Leah first became a student of the insurance industry in the fall of 2012 as a senior in high school taking dual enrollment classes with Olivet College. She later graduated Summa Cum Laude from Olivet College in 2016 with her bachelor’s degree, dual majoring in Insurance & Risk Management and Financial Planning.
My Member Insurance: https://www.mymemberinsurance.com
Speakers In this episode (in order):
- Dustyne Bryant, CIC, CISR, Personal Lines Academic Director at The National Alliance For Insurance Education & Research
- Mac Leberman, Media Producer for The National Alliance For Insurance Education & Research
- Leah Robinson, AINS, CAWC, CIC, CRM Producer at My Member Insurance Agency; Former Chairperson of Michigan Young Agents Association
- Paul Martin, CPCU Director of Academy Content at The National Alliance For Insurance Education & Research
- Tom Humphreys, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CIC Director of Risk Management and Insurance Center at Olivet College
- Ethan Gross, CEO of Globe Midwest Adjusters International
- Alec Richmond, CIC, Account Executive at The Richmond Agency; current Chairperson for Michigan Young Agents Association
- Joanna Dresden, CISR Elite, Hartland Insurance Agency
- Caryn Bedford, SPHR, CPC, Chief Learning and Talend Officer at Big I Michigan
- Cathy Baldwin, CIC, Director of Marking and Communication at J.M. Wilson
- Jordan Burns, Owner/CEO of Beyond Insurance Group
Do you want to continue upskilling? Check out our Insurance Bootcamp Series!
- Tabitha Richardson is the National Learning & Development Manager for Business Insurance at Marsh & McLennan Agency. As an L&D Manager, Tabitha is responsible for supporting national initiatives through colleague and carrier/vendor training with a focus on the Business Insurance division. She helps to develop and instruct continuous training on key risk management and technology solutions including introductory, intermediate, and advanced topics throughout the enterprise.
She started her insurance career as a Liability & Personal Injury Protection Adjuster. Tabitha’s commercial experience includes working in non-profit institutions, entertainment, healthcare staffing, and construction industries on the middle market to large size accounts.
Tabitha recently earned a Master of Science in Risk & Insurance from Butler University. She also holds a B.A. in Psychology from The University of North Texas in Denton Texas. Tabitha has the CIC, CRM, CRIS, CISR & ACSR designations as well as several insurance licenses.
Tabitha is very involved in various insurance associations and strongly supports advancing her local school system; she has been instrumental in promoting the Invest Program where she partnered with local high schools and insurance associations to encourage future careers in the insurance profession. She currently serves as an Advisory Board Member at H. Grady Spruce High School in Dallas. - Noelle Codispoti has been deeply committed to the diversification of the insurance industry talent pipeline, bringing the Global Dive In Festival to North America in 2016 at the GIS Annual Conference and pioneering ground-breaking initiatives like the GammaSAID Council, a student-led group fostering understanding and solutions around DEI. Prior to joining The National Alliance, Codispoti spent 10 years at the helm of Gamma Iota Sigma. There, she conceived and led a successful growth strategy resulting in a 400+% increase in student membership and double the active chapters. An accomplished leader in the early talent space, Codispoti will develop and implement the national growth strategy and comprehensive program supports to ensure student success. In pursuing key goals of expanding program reach and engaging an under-represented demographic to bolster a richly diverse talent pipeline, particular focus will be placed on the student experience to improve delivery; and developing meaningful partnerships to further support students with early industry networks and career opportunities.
- Joe Hollier- As 16-year, independent insurance agent veteran, Joe Hollier has learned and seen firsthand the importance of building a community around your business and your brand. Although much of his insurance career has been based in P&C sales and risk management, he has for the last five years strategized on building a new kind of value-driven community for agents. An ecosystem that would celebrate the engagement and provide unique peer and client experiences that do not currently exist in the industry. Unwilling to let this dream go, in 2021 Joe found two like-minded partners and moved forward with launching NIFTY. Coupled with significant advances in virtual reality platforms and web3 technology, NIFTY has been able to quickly establish itself as a community platform that helps insurance agents transition from web2 to web3, or more simply stated - from today's internet to tomorrow's internet. Joe is married to his amazing wife Jenae and has four children: Vivienne 18, Joe 11, Emy Bea 5 and Harry 2. They currently reside in Mandeville, LA, just north of Greater New Orleans.
- Heath Shearon- A 2nd Generation insurance Professional, with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry in sales and marketing. Heath’s experience is incredibly versatile. He has been an agency owner, marketing rep, producer, and podcast host. Heath has a love and passion for the insurance industry and for people and for helping agents and the like to find their voice, their unique value proposition, to find their own brand, to be the best professional that they can be, and to be successful.
Insurance Town Podcast
Nifty
- Tracy Leigh Cotton, CIC, CISR, CPIW- An insurance enthusiast for over 27 years, Tracy thrives on steering her career to new horizons through education and an open mind. She's been an underwriter, account manager, producer, team leader, consultant, marketer, and trainer. Her newest role is one that taps into all those former experiences as a tool kit to create better results for the middle market commercial clients she serves. Outside of work she enjoys pursuing adventures that build her faith, check off her perpetual bucket list, and support the local community where she lives in Chattanooga TN.
- Ashley Fitzsimmons, CISR- Director of Professional Development, Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc. Known as the Beyonce of Insurance, Ashley has grown up in insurance. She has real-life experience on the agency side – for nearly the last decade. She has had to overcome the same daily struggles and has personally researched and implemented many tools and programs to help her family agency run more efficiently. Nine years spent as the fourth generation in a family agency located near Scranton, PA, obtaining her CISR designation, multiple speaking engagements across the country as well as being nominated for the 2018 National CSR of the year has given her the knowledge and experience to help other agents thrive instead of just survive.
Legacy Insurance Partners
- Jonnie Anderson loves spending her days helping to protect people against the unknown. She brings her experience and insurance background together to help families get the coverage they need for their home and autos. She began her career as an independent insurance agent and has now started her own legacy as one of the owners of Legacy Insurance Partners. When Jonnie is not getting competitive rates for her clients, she is cooking, decorating, or being mommy to her two little boys.
- Olivia Hein Wouldn’t it be great if you understood the ins and outs of your home, auto, and life insurance coverage? As co-owner of Legacy Insurance Partners Olivia is passionate about helping her clients fully understand their insurance coverage. With the best policy for them and their families and adequate coverage, she provides peace of mind should anything happen. A Midwestern girl at heart, Olivia loves life here in the Rockies! When she’s not educating and helping her clients, you can find her spending time with friends, enjoying the Colorado outdoors, or planning her next destination trip!
- Natasha Pearl Hansenis a comedian as well as a tech and branding nerd. Her love of technology, partnerships and helping other business owners, led her to join the team at GloveBox a year ago where she works to help agents use new technology to fuel and grow their businesses.
Kim Beach
A relentless marketer, Kim has worked in various sales and marketing occupations for over 30 years. The large majority of her career was spent in the television industry and, more recently, the insurance industry. She started Village Insurance in 2018 (from scratch) and currently supports more than 300 clients. Village Insurance is where her passion for empowering women in the insurance buying process all began.
Kim launched InsureWomen on March 8, 2021 (International Women’s Day) to fill a need for female insurance buyers who did not feel comfortable with the insurance buying process. The mission of InsureWomen is to empower women in the insurance buying process to feel confident, educated, and treated with the respect and attention they deserve. She is also creating a network of female agents across the country who have a passion for serving these female buyers. She launched the InsureWomen “Founding Member” Campaign on March 8, 2022 and currently has 50 members.
Locally, Kim provides leadership to several groups including the Mariemont Area Chamber of Commerce, Mariemont Preservation Foundation and Route 50 LINK. She recently ran for and won the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man/Woman of the Year for Greater Cincinnati (2020).
As a competitive athlete, Kim has participated in three marathons and three triathlons. She also enjoys teaching Spinning and riding outside. As a major fan of rhyming, she is also a published poet in “Voices of Michigan”, Volumes II and III, with “The Maidens Voyage” and “The Mother Ship”. Kim also captains a virtual sailboat, The Chit Chat, on a summer voyage to Mackinac Island each year with a crew of women.
It's story time! In this episode host, Dustyne Bryant invites, fellow colleague Paula Price to extract tales of the good 'ole days from two figures without whom The National Alliance For Insurance Education & Research would not be where it is today. Enjoy industry folklore, tales from the past, and hopes for the future as Dr. William T. Hold, CIC, CPCU Co-Founder of The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, and Bob J. Rogers, Life & Health Academic Director reminisce over their insurance industry journeys.
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Do you or someone you know need mental health support? SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
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Better protect the families you serve by learning the ins and outs of Personal Residential Insurance–CISR Insuring Personal Residential Property
Amy MacDonald has worked for Nationwide Insurance almost 20 years and moved over to the pet team 6+ years ago. Being able to tie her personal passion of pets and professional career of insurance has been a dream. The peace of mind that insurance brings when things go wrong is why she loves her job.
Nationwide Pet Insurance
https://www.facebook.com/NationwidePet/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nationwidepet
https://www.youtube.com/NationwidePet
TED A. KINNEY, CIC, CPCU, ARM, CPIA, AAI, AU, AINS, CRIS, AAM
Ted Kinney is the owner/President of Kinney Training and Consulting, LLC, which specializes in providing quality insurance training programs to agencies and companies throughout the United States.
Ted also serves as the Director of Education and Technical Affairs for the Alabama Independent Insurance Agents in Birmingham, Alabama. In this position, he is responsible for developing agent education programs and providing technical assistance to association members.
Ted has been in the insurance business since his graduation from the Ohio State University in 1973. During his career, he has worked as an underwriter, field sales manager, department supervisor, marketing specialist, trainer, and insurance agent. From 1994 to 2003, Ted was the Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development for PIA of Ohio & Indiana.
He is a member of the national faculty of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, the American Insurance Marketing Society (CPIA), and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s “ask the expert” service. In addition, Ted is a member of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors and the National Academy of Producer Insurance Studies.
Katlyn Eggar
Katlyn is the Director of Education at Quantum Assurance, a national insurance agency with main hubs in Texas and Virginia. She has owned both captive and independent startup agencies and now gets to help other insurance professionals and agency owners launch their insurance careers.
The Age of Independence Podcast
Quantum Assurance
Learn more about how The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is empowering the next generation of RMI professionals with the CISR High School Program!
Looking to get into insurance? Check our newly revised Intro to Insurance and other introductory courses to help you decide to make the leap.
Jeff Shi launched his insurance career as a top-performing captive agent at Allstate. Along the way, he found the grass really was greener on the independent side. He co-founded Quantum Assurance International and is the CEO of Quotehound - both companies envisioned as a new compass for guiding agencies to digital growth. As Chief Vision Officer and CEO, he helped pioneer features like immediate vesting and the digital entrepreneur model that helps agents build over the next 3 years what took agents of the past 20. In their spare time, Jeff and his Jiu-Jitsu-warrior wife Priscilla parent their toddler cuties Zoe & Cloe and pursue their foodie passions with all things noodles & dumplings.
Sarah Muniz has been in the insurance industry for over twenty years working on the agency side as a Customer Service Representative, producer, and with an aggregator and insurtech. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and two children.
In the face of lacking industry training, earning anyone of our designations demonstrates dedication to professional excellence. Promotability and advancement will follow. Learn more about RMI Job Roles and Download a FREE Learning Path!
Ryan and Andy Mathisen are the co-founders of GloveBox. Formerly agency owners of a large independent agency in Denver, CO and sold that agency to start an insurtech company.
The National Alliance is constantly evolving and adapting to the changing world around us.
Learn more about recent efforts to change Insurance Education for a new generation.
Monica Adwani, CPIA
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to Massachusetts in 2007. I graduated with multiple degrees in Information Management, Medical Coding, and Business Management from the InterAmerican University of P.R. and then Fisher College, Boston.
My education and curious mind were the catalysts that opened the doors to the Insurance Industry. By supporting a group of researchers, consultants, trainers, and experts in the areas of Commercial Transportation, Ergonomics, Innovation, and Human Factors; I fell in love with insurance and knew very early this was going to be my forever career. The opportunity to work with this group of Doctors, Researchers and Field Experts allowed me to learn, build confidence, polish my language skills, creating the environment and experience for me to find something I could be and feel passionate about. So, unlike most people, I didn't start in Sales, Service, or Management. I was just a medical nerd with a passion for Organizational Phycology.
Now, fifteen years later I have experienced many realms of the Industry from Fortune 500 to Independently Own Agencies. I am passionate about Sales, Service, Claims, and especially Operational Excellence. I have a keen eye for behaviors, process, accountability, and efficiency. I hope that my skills and expertise can help many entrepreneurs out there reach new heights by learning new and more efficient ways of leading, learning, and operating their businesses.
TranscendwithM Podcast
Want to learn more about Long Term Care Insurance?
The CISR Life & Health Essentials and CIC Life & Health courses expand on the important topic.
Kelly Augspurger, CLTC®
Kelly is the Co-founder of Steadfast Insurance, alongside her husband, Adam. They’re an independent insurance agency in Westerville, OH. Kelly is a Certified Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance Specialist working nationwide to help clients and financial advisors plan ahead for LTC. Her goal is to reduce the physical, mental, emotional, and financial consequences of a LTC situation. She’s able to do this by having “planning for care conversations” and through LTC insurance. Kelly is passionate about planning for care because life is unexpected and she’s personally experienced multiple situations in her family where loved ones needed care and no one had a plan or insurance ... it was devastating! She LOVES helping families and businesses put meaningful protection in place to protect the people and possessions most important to them.
Kelly was recently named a HOT 100 insurance professional by Insurance Business. She’s an instructor for the CLTC program teaching advisors how to talk to their clients about LTC. She’s on the board of the Central Ohio Elder Care Planning Council, founded the Senior Resource Group, and is on Westerville Chamber’s Women in Business Committee.
Outside of work, Kelly and Adam have 2 active kids, ages 11 and 9, and a big doodle named Eddie. They enjoy playing tennis, renovating their historic home, participating in church and community activities, and enjoying the outdoors.
Kieran J. O’Rourke, CPCU, CRM, CIC
Kieran has over 30 years of commercial underwriting, product, and program development experience in the insurance industry. Kieran’s career experience spans P&C underwriting, MGA underwriting for alternative energy products and alternative market product development, oversight of research and product development, and directing regional commercial insurance sales for a Fortune 500 carrier. Kieran is a talented and respected leader. His disciplined underwriting approach and business fundamentals consistently yield sustainable growth and profits relative to proprietary program development. At Cannasure, Kieran manages the firm’s Program division and guides the company’s development of future cannabis and hemp programs. Kieran’s expertise keeps him busy and is well sought after by leading media outlets and speaks at insurance and cannabis industry events. Kieran has a unique perspective and thought-leadership of underwriting relative to the emerging trends and risk transfer solutions in the cannabis and hemp arena. A graduate of The University of Akron, Kieran holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, as well as the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designations. Now retired from his civic duties, Kieran held elected office for over 20 years as a Trustee on the Village of Seville’s (Ohio) utility board.
Bradley Flowers- Bradley is a nationally recognized insurance agency owner and business enthusiast. He runs the day-to-day operations at Portal Insurance in Mobile, Alabama, a scratch independent agency he founded and is building on the back of social media, personal branding, content, and technology. In 2019, Portal Insurance was named the "Agency for the Future'' by Safeco Insurance for the Southeast United States. In 2020, Portal Insurance became the subject of the YouTube series "Making the Donuts'' which shows the everyday behind-the-scenes of the agency. Bradley is the co-host of the “Insurance Guys Podcast” one of the most listened to podcasts in the insurance industry which is featured on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and iHeart Radio. Through his podcast, Bradley has interviewed hundreds of influential individuals including Gary Vaynerchuk, Dave Meltzer, and Jesse Cole.
https://onecityworldtour.com/
https://instagram.com/bradleyflowers__?utm_medium=copy_link
https://www.theinsuranceguyspodcast.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/BradleyFlowers/videos
David R. Carothers, CIC, CRM, is the Principal of Florida Risk Partners, LLC, Catalyst Funding Solutions, LLC, The Founder of Killing Commercial Insurance Training, Host of The Power Producers Podcast, and Creator/Producer of The Protégé. David is also the international best-selling author of The Extra 2 Minutes: How spending an extra 2 minutes on nearly anything in your sales career will take you from good to best in class! He also has a new book, The Dirty 130 hitting shelves in January 2022. David is also the managing member of Game Changers Marketing, LLC the entity that handles the distribution of advertising and marketing across all media channels in his portfolio.
David has degrees in Management and Marketing from Birmingham Southern College. He has spent nearly two decades in the Insurance and Risk Management space. David started his career with a multi-million dollar commercial risk management firm, where he was repeatedly recognized for exemplary achievement.
In 2016, David followed his entrepreneurial spirit and launched Florida Risk Partners, an insurance and risk management firm focusing on middle-market commercial accounts. Florida Risk Partners has multiple office locations in the five counties surrounding the Tampa Bay region.
Because of his success at Florida Risk Partners, David often gets tapped to be a keynote speaker and breakout session presenter at industry conferences and associations, speaking on sales, prospecting, marketing, appointment setting, and closing accounts.
While David is busy, it is important to note that his priority is his family. David and his wife Andrea live in Valrico, FL, with their children Grayson, Landon, Ethan, Caroline, and their faithful Golden Retrievers, Tanner, and Tucker.
Download a Learning Path to Get Started On Your Own RMI Journey!
- Meg McKeen, CIC: A believer that there is a story within every story, Meg's career journey took a sharp left turn in 2017 when she exchanged her corporate j-o-b for a year of self-discovery. The following year, she launched Adjunct Advisors LLC with the simple belief that the people that buy, and those that sell, insurance deserve a better experience. Meg now leverages more than 20 years of industry experience and studies in the social sciences to change the way we interact with insurance. Her journey is not unique - but her ability to make insurance - and entrepreneurship - approachable and relatable, with humility, humor, and heart, is a gift.
Learn More about neon from b atomic! and Listen to Olivia's Podcast: Liv Louder!
- Oliva Schmitt, CIC, CISR brings her insurance agency experience and vast industry knowledge, strong leadership track record, and small business expertise to the b atomic team. Olivia started her insurance career in 2004 when she joined TRICOR Insurance as a customer service representative. In 2013 she was selected to lead the company’s development of a division geared towards small business growth. The role allowed Olivia to hone her skills by creating a strategic development plan for the department, overseeing operations, and hiring a team— experiences she continually draws on today. Olivia also hosts the “Liv Louder” podcast where she highlights women in insurance and leadership with the goal of creating space for others to share their struggles and insight, seek advice, encouragement, and growth opportunities in their careers. Olivia Schmitt is a proud mom of three children who keep her busy! Olivia enjoys downtime with her kids, quiet evenings with a good movie, cooking delicious food, and playing and singing along to great music way too loud (according to her kids)!
Start your own career path with a custom Account Manager, Producer, Risk Manager, or Underwriter Learning Path!
- Natalie Russel, CIC joined the Central Region Team as a Senior Territory Manager for Northwestern Arkansas. Natalie is a familiar face to many of us as she had an 8-year tenure as a Senior Territory Manager before leaving to own and operate an independent agency in Hot Springs, AR. Natalie resides in Hot Springs with her husband, Andy, and are proud parents to twins, Cazzie and Josie, and son, Van, and the lovable Boxer, Moonpie. She has always been around the industry having started working as a teen in her family’s agency. Outside of work, Natalie loves traveling, working out, and attending kids’ sporting events.
Do you have an Awkward Insurance story? Email us at podcasts@scic.com and you may be featured in an episode!
Dustyne Bryant, CIC, CISR, MBA:
Dustyne Bryant, is the Personal Lines Academic Director at The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, is a self-professed and colleague–backed wholehearted Personal Lines Insurance geek. Supported by multiple degrees and designations over the course of a decade and rising, her thirst for knowledge is never-ending and ever-growing. Her passion for educating others in Personal Insurance is even greater. She is an advocate of permanency for children in foster care and relishes all the joys of being a soccer mom, minus the minivan.
Cat Ferris, CIC, CRM, CPCU, CLCS, AU:
Cat Ferris, is the Commercial Lines Academic Director at the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research. In her twenty years of experience within the industry, Cat has focused most of her career in commercial underwriting, and independent agency training. Based out of Gainesville, Florida her hobbies include bodybuilding, gardening, and spoiling her dogs more than her kids.
Send us topics that you want to hear discussed in future episodes, and stay tuned for Season 2!
- Cat Ferris, CIC, CRM, CPCU, CLCS, AU is the Commercial Lines Academic Director with the National Alliance. In her twenty years of experience within the industry, Cat has focused most of her career in commercial underwriting, and independent agency training. Based out of Gainesville, Florida her hobbies include bodybuilding, gardening, and spoiling her dogs more than her kids.
- Mac Leberman is the Podcast Producer for The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research and oversees the conception, creation, and production of Awkward Insurance, Nat Alliance NOW, and Risk & Reward podcast series’.
Need more tips on how to handle tough convos with clients?Check out episode #2, I’m Your Agent. Let’s Talk about Sex.
Aaron Gordon, CAPI, CCIC, is a second-generation insurance professional working to merge his parent’s “boutique-style” insurance agency with modern insurance technology for the first time. He’s finding success everywhere he turns but has found recently that the hiring pool of available qualified insurance professionals is quite murky. Aaron discusses the difficulty he has had with hiring while Dustyne explores whether the CISR High School Program and University Associate Programs offered by The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, might be the solution to this growing industry struggle.
We want to hear from you! Send us your questions, comments, and praises to podcasts@scic.com!
About our guests:
- Cat Ferris, CIC, CRM, CPCU, CLCS, AU- is the Commercial Lines Academic Director with the National Alliance. In her twenty years of experience within the industry, Cat has focused most of her career in commercial underwriting, and independent agency training. Based out of Gainesville, Florida her hobbies include bodybuilding, gardening, and spoiling her dogs more than her kids.
- Paul Martin, CPCU- is the Director of Academic Content and Academic Director Team Lead for the National Alliance for Insurance Education &Research. Paul works with Alliance faculty, agents, and other industry professionals to deliver high-quality insurance content and education. During his career, Paul worked as an adjuster, underwriter, special agent, company manager, and independent agent. Paul has been an insurance educator in Texas for over twenty years.
- Sarah Warhaftig, CRM, JD- is the Academic Director of Risk Management programs for The National Alliance where she is responsible for the Certified Risk Manager, the Certified School Risk Manager, and the Certified Personal Risk Manager designation programs.
- Jay Williams, CIC, CRM, CRIS, MLIS, AIP, AAI, ACSR- started his insurance career in 1979. He spent 21 years in the agency business, 9 years at the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, and 7 years on the insurance company side of the industry. Jay was the interim CEO for Applied Client Network and CEO of a construction risk wholesale operation. Prior to coming to The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, he was an insurance educator, a consultant to agencies, companies, and industry partners, and an expert witness for both technical insurance and agent E&O cases. In addition to being an Educational Consultant, Jay is a member of the National Faculty, teaching CISR, CIC, Ruble Graduate Seminars, and PROFocus topics across the country.
Tracy Cotton has been an underwriter, CSR, consultant, producer, marketer, and instructor in her 25+ year career in insurance. Now she is putting it all to work in a new role as Executive Client Manager for Starr-Mathews Agency in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She didn’t create this job but feels as if it were created just for her. She gets to work closely with middle market to large commercial clients to offer a more concierge level of service than either a typical CSR or producer can balance. Every day is different and she loves getting to help onboard new clients and grease the wheels for more value-added renewal reviews. She enjoys connecting with industry peers and is a founding member of the #5amclubins on Twitter. When she isn’t evaluating work comp audits and creating service plans, her passion is to get outdoors with her dog, Jasper. Although she still loves the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she lived for many years, she is currently digging finding places to hike, backpack, and paddle in southeastern Tennessee.
Tune in to hear their discussion about confidence, embarrassment, the struggle to be taken seriously in the workplace, and how to take control of you own education.
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About Our Guest:
Cat Ferris, CIC, CRM, CPCU, CLCS, AUis the Commercial Lines Academic Director with the National Alliance. In her twenty years of experience within the industry, Cat has focused most of her career in commercial underwriting, and independent agency training. Based out of Gainesville, Florida her hobbies include bodybuilding, gardening, and spoiling her dogs more than her kids.
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Tracy Cotton, CIC, CISR has been an underwriter, CSR, consultant, producer, marketer, and instructor in her more than 25-year career in insurance. Now she is putting it all to work in a new role as Executive Client Manager for Starr-Mathews Agency in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While she didn’t create this job, she feels as if it were created just for her. She gets to work closely with middle-market to large commercial clients to offer a more concierge level of service than either a typical CSR or producer can balance. Every day is different and she loves getting to help onboard new clients and grease the wheels for more value-added renewal reviews. She enjoys connecting with industry peers and is a founding member of the #5amclubins on Twitter. When she isn’t evaluating work comp audits and creating service plans, her passion is to get outdoors with her dog, Jasper. Although she still loves the mountains of western North Carolina, where she lived for many years, she currently enjoys finding places to hike, backpack, and paddle in southeastern TN.
Ashley Fitzsimmons, CISR, serves as the Director of Professional Development for the Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc., Ashley has grown up in insurance and has nearly a decade of real-life experience on the agency side. She has had to overcome the same daily struggles and has personally researched and implemented many tools and programs to help her family agency run more efficiently. Her nine years spent as the fourth generation in a family agency located near Scranton, Pennsylvania, obtaining her CISR designation, holding multiple speaking engagements across the country, and being nominated for the 2018 National CSR of the year have given her the knowledge and experience to help other agents thrive instead of just survive.
Reuben Hall has been in the insurance industry for more than five years with experience on the agency side as well as on the carrier side. For the last three years, Reuben as worked at Oswald Companies in Cleveland, Ohio as an Associate Client Manager in the Specialty Risk industry. He is also a member of Oswald’s Young Professionals Leadership Council, which recruits young talent to the insurance industry and participates in various volunteer opportunities in the community. Reuben is the 2020 CSR of the year for Ohio.
In this episode of Awkward Insurance host, Dustyne Bryant, speaks with 2020 Outstanding CSR of the Year, Judy Vaughn, about the misinformation that insurance professionals battle daily. Account managers and agents often receive emotionally charged calls or urgent messages from clients about something they read on social media, heard on the news, or talked with their neighbor about. Misinformation is as contagious as a cold. What should be done when misinformed clients rely on us for a cure for what ails them?
Trust is hard to come by in the insurance industry. Maintaining client trust is an uphill battle made especially difficulty by the millions of unchecked online sources available for “researching” their insurance symptoms. How do we keep clients from getting sucked into diagnosing their insurance aliments? Tune in to learn how you can help them overcome their fears and reinforce their trust in you.
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Dustyne’s Final Thoughts: Working with Wes has been one of the highlights of my career. I learned so much about the practice of communication while working with him. The honesty and openness between the two of us were always on point. I never feared letting him know if something was wrong with one of his accounts because I knew he’d jump in to help. Often, we are successful not because of what we have done for ourselves, but because of the ways others have supported us. Together we rise when we support each other.
In this Episode of Awkward Insurance, guest and Team Lead for Claims at Penn National Insurance, Nikki Wyatt, joins host Dustyne Bryant, MBA, CIC, CISR, to discuss one corner of the gig economy: Transportation Network Companies (TNC). Nikki shares with us her intimate knowledge of TNC coverage and exposures from a claims perspective. Listen in as they share both their personal and professional experiences with Transportation Networks and Rides Shares, such as Uber and Lyft. Customer Service Reps and Account Managers can learn a thing or two from podcast. Tune in!
To learn more about TNC Exposures register for the CISR Insuring Personal Autocourse or the CIC Personal Lines course!
For account managers, communicating their needs and expectations to carriers can be frustrating. Carriers have specific ideas on what preferred business looks like, but what comes across the desk may not always fit the mold. What clients are looking for, may not match what a carrier is offering. Carrier marketing representatives, territory managers, and the likes are there to bridge the gap between insurance companies and agency professionals.
Listen closely to pick up golden nuggets about how both agency professionals and carrier marketing representatives can squeeze the most out of their meetings together. Cultivating these relationships will add value for the client and to the agency as these relationships help build profitable books of business.
Heath Shearon
Insurance Town
So, why is this so awkward?
No one likes hard conversations. Especially ones about breaking up with your insurance provider. When cancellation requests come across your desk, you may ask yourself “why didn’t they call?” Maybe, there was no hint. They just up and went with somebody else. Why is it so hard for some clients to let us know they aren’t happy? Are they embarrassed? What other conversations are they hesitant to have?
Before you start doubting yourself, understand that this is sometimes what people do. They talk to their friends, or they search on Google, or sometimes they are just misinformed. If a customer is too embarrassed to ask you about something, they may get some bad advice from a neighbor.
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Wildfires happen every year but have been astonishingly frequent recently. This past September, one of the most destructive wildfires to date was started by a gender reveal party in California. This particular wildfire has destroyed over 10,000 acres, displaced over 21,000 people, and resulted in the death of a firefighter. How can insurance help situations like these?
Insurance professionals helping folks with this kind of trouble must ensure that they understand the coverage they're selling. Many insurance companies have started segmenting endorsements to help tailor coverage as much as possible. Are you sure you’ve got the right replacement costs for your clients? Do you just skim through replacement cost estimators?
We all know there's not one policy that's covers everything. So when writing the right limits for your client, remember it's not just for the claim, it's also for retention and relationships. But most importantly, it’s for peace of mind, the whole reason they're buying the coverage from you in the first place.
Tune into this lively discussion to learn how you can provide better coverage and support for you clients and agency.
About our Host: Dustyne Bryant, CIC, CISR, MBA
Dustyne Bryant, Personal Lines Academic Director at The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, is a self-professed and colleague–backed wholehearted Personal Lines Insurance geek. Supported by multiple degrees and designations over the course of a decade and rising, her thirst for knowledge is never ending and ever growing. Her passion for educating others in Personal Insurance, is even greater. She is an advocate of permanency for children in foster care and relishes all the joys of being a soccer mom, minus the minivan. Learn More!