Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Mike Creamer. Mike is an Executive Underwriter and the 2021 winner of the Small Business Underwriter of the Year award from Chubb. Episode Highlights: Mike shares his journey to becoming the Small Business Underwriter of Chubb. (9:25) Mike elaborates on the practice of underwriting, how they analyze business, and what constitutes good judgement in terms of underwriting. (14:58) Mike explains some unique traits that he would consider using to determine if an account is a great one. (22:48) Mike shares that the “Internet of Things” is one of the current trends that may have a positive or negative impact on the industry. (27:18) Mike explains how underwriters and commercial insurance as a whole have been affected by COVID. (29:55) Mike shares that not having a correct understanding of what your prospect should be insured with is one thing he sees as a common mistake of retail agents. (32:02) Mike discusses a couple of points about how the

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Sarah Muniz Insurance Nerds Book Author. Sarah has a new book titled "Undiscovered Voices" where she talks about women in the insurance industry, the discrimination, but really highlights what men and women can do to grow and bring on/empower more women into leadership. Episode Highlights: Sarah shares the idea, the inspiration, and the importance behind the creation of her book titled "Undiscovered Voices". (2:00) Sarah mentions that it took her four years to figure herself out and where she wanted to be on her career path. (6:45) Sarah shares her story of how she pitched her book for women in insurance. (8:40) Sarah explains how interesting it is to do research about confidence level and where we fall on that spectrum. (12:44) Sarah discusses that if women receive the right training and right support system in the industry, women are more likely to go for it compared to men. (17:35) Sarah shares that soft skills are the

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson is joined by 4th Generation Insurance Agent, Ryan Smith from Smith and Sons Insurance Agency. The Protege Season 2 Contestant took time to discuss his path from studying Risk Management in college to helping young agents in Oklahoma and why this industry is the best-hidden gem out there.  Ryan also talks about why young agents need to have a " Board of Mentors'' rather than just having one "Mentor." Don't be afraid to ask others for help and always try to make a difference each day. Episode Highlights: Ryan shares about his life outside of the insurance agency. (2:22) Ryan discusses his journey studying Risk Management. (9:44) Ryan explains why he decided to join the Protege. (18:47) Ryan mentions that he is the current Vice-Chair for the Big I of Oklahoma's Young Agents. (29:53) Ryan mentions the Big I of Oklahoma's Invest program, which helps young people learn about insurance not just as a topic, but as a profession. (32:45) Ryan discusses the Bi

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Nyasha Gutsa, CEO at Billy. Jason and Nyasha discuss: Nyasha’s journey from Zimbabwe to the United States and how it all started with a penpal. Nyasha’s experience in private aviation as a pilot.  The inspiration behind Billy, the end-to-end insurance platform for construction. Nyasha’s thoughts on what’s ahead for Billy and for the industry as a whole. Key Quotes: "I think the analogy to that is, sometimes the things that, you know, seem laughable might be the biggest opportunities ever." - Nyasha Gutsa "I was really lucky that I came to this country to learn how to fly in, you know, the United States remains the cheapest place, in my opinion, to learn how to fly and many countries, you know, ship their pilots to learn how to fly here." - Nyasha Gutsa "That's what we're really trying to do, which is just remove those insurance headaches, so the contractors can just focus on what they do best, and make insurance work for them ins

In the third and final episode of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone concludes his discussion with the co-author of the book Best Version Possible, Brent Kelly. They discuss chapters 9-11 of BVP and learn how to define your PODs, what accountability and leadership look like, and answer the question Why Not You? To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP. Episode Highlights: Brent explains the distinction between a unique selling concept and a unique sales strategy. (3:56) Brent answers the three questions that are asked in the Law of Compensation. (10:49) Brent shares a story from their Elite Sales Mastery program called the Elite 50 (25:45) Brent outlines some of the open-ended questions an agent should ask clients to get them to start a new file with your firm. (28:29) Brent discusses the foundation of the pyramid of success and its objective of inspiring individuals. (38:51)

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht discusses THREE things you absolutely need to get from your prospect if you decide to offer quotes, instead of being awarded a signed Broker of Record Letter on the current policies. Doing these three things will significantly strengthen your position to win, while not doing them is a dagger of death. Episode Highlights: Charles mentions why constructive risk exists. (2:55) What issues does Charles face, when working with insurance agents? (5:44) Charles explains why he needs to invest more in stocks. (8:03) Charles shares the three things you need to do to better position yourself. (12:37) Charles mentions why being micromanaged is very important. (16:24) Charles explains why it’s unethical to go through a quoting process with multiple agents. (20:51) Charles shares why precision is important to guarantee a business relationship. (23:09) Charles mentions what happens when you can't get those three thi

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Tyler Asher, President of IA Distribution for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance. Tyler oversees billions of dollars in written premium and is a critically important player in the IA insurance game. Episode Highlights: Tyler discusses his role as the President of Independent Distribution for Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance. (6:31) Tyler explains how he got to where he is today. (7:12) Tyler explains what Liberty Safeco's unique strategic advantage is. (9:00) Tyler mentions that the IA system is still lagging behind some of the major direct writers and consumer digital use which is a gap that they are actively working to fill by ensuring that agents have the technologies they need to succeed. (17:43) Tyler mentions that, from a character aspect, they are constantly trying to associate with agencies that have a handful of key characteristics. (22:57) Tyler shares his thoughts on what comes next for Liberty and how it will react to the 

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Casey Hege. Casey is helping agents to get online forms to send to clients to streamline the quote submission process. Episode Highlights: Casey discusses her background, how she got into insurance, and where she is now. (1:33) Casey shares her experience of influencing the vision of her entire team and promoting a different mentality. (8:27) Casey discusses the first prototype they created for SALT. (11:01) Casey explains that we are all unique and that they are still trying to figure out the independent channel. (15:56) Casey mentions that the best clients they have right now are the community agents. (17:31) Casey shares tips and strategies for influencing an agent's mindset for the better. (19:59) Casey mentions that they recently received an endorsement from the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. (24:22) Casey discusses the four commercial lines niches that they have. (27:07) Casey tells us how we can contac

In the second episode of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone has the honor of sitting down with the co-author of the book Best Version Possible, Roger Sitkins. They discuss chapters 5-8 of BVP and learn about overcoming team members' objections, how to narrow it down to one thing, how to turn your team members into a high-performing team, and making sure your FIC pipeline is overflowing. To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP. Episode Highlights: Roger mentions a few of his favorite books. (1:40) Roger shares that nurture was a stronger contributor to the person he is today. (3:12) Roger talks about the importance of workplace culture and getting buy-in from your team. (4:56) Roger shares that the Sitkins Group has three steps to help tackle seven different initiatives all at once. (10:46) Roger talks about the four important parts of an agency's improvement cycle. (15:21)

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews David Meerman Scott, the best-selling author of 12 books, including Fanocracy. David discusses how we can harness our passion and make it the finest asset for our business. David also shares how to turn fans into customers and customers into fans. Episode Highlights: David mentions that he is an iPhone user and still has the box of his first iPhone. (3:45) David shares the story of the surfboard and the Apollo rocket in his background. (7:19) David discusses why he prefers winning over losing, and why he believes skill is what has led him to where he is now. (10:52) David shares his background and the experiences that led him to where he is today. (11:54) David discusses how he came up with the idea for his book, Fanocracy. (16:45) David demonstrates how a business owner can gain fans for what they do rather than for themselves.. (24:03) David explains how he was able to meet and chat with several great personalities. (29:56

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Erik Sjolie, the agency principal of Sky Insurance Brokers in Sacramento, CA. Episode Highlights: James encourages listeners to join the Live Coaching Calls every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. CST. (2:27) Erik discusses his background and what led to his decision to leave the corporate world. (17:15) Erik believes that failing is the best trainer in the world. (19:58) Erik discusses the thought process behind making the shift from Life & Health to Personal & Commercial. (22:34) Erik shares what he went through when made the jump to being independent. (27:51) Erik offers advice to anyone establishing their own agency. (36:48) Erik explains how he resists the desire to specialize. (41:37) Erik discusses the importance of company culture, which is often overlooked when starting a business. (54:59) Erik advises anyone beginning a company to read Phil Knight's book Shoe Dog and pay attention to the overtones of perseverance. (1:02:31) Key Q

After a 3-week hiatus, The Ryan Hanley Show is back, with a deep breakdown of the trends and ideas impacting the digital distribution of insurance products in 2022. This is Part II of a two-part series. Don't miss this one... Episode Highlights: Ryan discusses the Reuter’s report, “Insurance Distribution: 7 Key Trends for 2022” (3:06) Ryan talks about trend number 1, M&A activity, and explains that increased M&A doesn't necessarily lead to increased distribution. (5:18) Ryan explains that acquiring the right agency or set of agencies can be an enormous way to increase your distribution. (8:20) Ryan discusses trend number 2, the resilience of intermediaries, and what's in their books. (10:17) Ryan explains trend number 3 which is ecosystems openness, and the drive to circularity. (13:33) Ryan mentions that the innovation train is waiting for no one and innovation is already happening.(18:15) Ryan explains why embedded insurance, trend number 6, is something that we brokers should be most scared

QUESTION: Are you 12X? Professional insurance agents aren't throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. Super producers are in the right mindset, they have a plan, and they go for the jugular. They ask for the business, they demand attention, they require the insured's permission, they get awarded a signed Broker of Record Letters, and they build a $1,000,000 or more Book of Business. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain how to become 12X. Episode Highlights: Charles explains what 12x is all about, where it is used, and how important it is. (2:10) Charles says there is no reason not to be able to prospect greatness. (05:20) Charles explains that productivity is an aspect of being successful in almost anything we do. (9:18) Charles discusses the importance of knowing your numbers. (10:58) Charles shares that he always loves hearing stories about Brokers of Record. (12:57) Charles explains that in the insurance industry, permission is

After a 3-week hiatus, The Ryan Hanley Show is back, with a deep breakdown of the trends and ideas impacting the digital distribution of insurance products in 2022. This is Part I of a two-part series. Don't miss this one. Episode Highlights: Ryan explains why he took a 3-week hiatus from recording. (0:30) Ryan talks about what has been happening over at Rogue Risk. (1:34) Ryan discusses the recent McKinsey report that says that the value in the insurance industry is rapidly shifting to brokers. (09:38) Ryan explains that branding and marketing can’t create the same level of connection without any human touch. (18:21) Ryan mentions that there's always another carrier that can write the business. (22:23) Ryan shares the power, capabilities, and advantages of brokers. (25:15) Ryan mentions that there's a huge opportunity for brokers to launch their paper. (27:35) Ryan shares that the human optimized model is what they were trying to do at Rouge. (30:39) Ryan shares that utilizing a mentor or

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Jennifer Standish, owner of Prospecting Works. Jennifer has a company that helps people with cold calling success. Episode Highlights: Jennifer shares how her passion for cold calling began. (2:24) Jennifer mentions what she loves about cold calling and helping people confront their call. (3:30) Does Jennifer think that women are better at cold calling than men? (4:50) Jennifer shares how she works directly with people to help them overcome their fears in cold calling. (7:10) Jennifer mentions her appreciation for commercial insurance. (9:51) What’s the process when someone wants to start with cold calling? (12:14) Jennifer lists some of the programs they offer at Prospecting Works. (22:28) Jennifer shares a success story about someone she has helped. (28:35) Jennifer mentions why she thinks that women could have a tremendous opportunity in cold calling. (35:30) Does Jennifer think that texting has change

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with nationally touring comedian, Executive Producer, CEO & Founder of My Breakup Registry, Podcast Host of The Future Role Model, and Glovebox Guru, Natasha Pearl Hansen to discuss why she decided to join the Glovebox team and why building partnerships is so important in everything we do in this industry. You can check Natasha out on all social media platforms or check out her new Amazon Comedy Special, " I Was Supposed To Get Married Today" on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. Episode Highlights: Natasha shares how COVID impacted her career and the comedy industry as a whole. (2:49) Natasha talks about her work as a stand up comedian. (8:37) Natasha shares why she decided to partner with Glovebox. (11:15)  Natasha discusses how she established her personal brand. (17:14)  Natasha provides her insights and anticipation to where GloveBox is headed in the future. (34:01) Natasha shares new benefits and features that are currently available wi

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Alyssa Bouchard VP, of Industry Engagement at Gamma Iota Sigma, and Zane Smith, Gamma Iota Sigma Chapter President. Zane and Alyssa talk about how Gamma lota Sigma encourages college students to pursue careers in insurance.  Episode Highlights: Zane and Alyssa share that they are both iPhone users. (2:21) Zane and Alyssa share the last application they recently downloaded. (5:28) Zane shares that he hates to lose, but Alyssa, on the other hand, loves to win. (7:24) Zane and Alyssa share that skill, over luck, has been a bigger factor in both their lives. (10:26) Zane and Alyssa share their background story, how they started, and how they met. (11:23) Alyssa explains that Gamma Iota Sigma is a student professional organization, a collegiate fraternity, that is completely focused on the risk management and insurance industry. (17:13) Alyssa discusses why she is excited about what is happening in the insurance industry. (23:49)

In the first episode of Book 5 of the Explain This Book To Me Podcast, Josh Lipstone begins his discussion with the co-author of the book Best Version Possible, Brent Kelly. They discuss chapters 1-4 of BVP and learn about how much money an agency owner can leave on the table when they go to sell, the seven deadly traps to avoid, how to gain clarity as an agency owner, and becoming your best version possible. To purchase the book please visit this link, Sitkins Book, and to watch the documentary about the book please visit this link, Sitkins VIP. Episode Highlights: Brent shares that he likes both books and e-books, and his favorite book is 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell. (2:20) Brent shares that both nature and nurture made him the person he is today. (3:30) Brent explains the quote at the beginning of his book and what it meant to him. (5:03) Brent shares the tale of two owners and the path that each chose. (7:20) Brent shares a reference to a chapter he wrote in the book regarding

If you aren't giving your customer service team a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, hosted by Katlyn Eggar, find out which Top 5 indicators you can score to drive client success. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares the first mistake that makes your customer service department vulnerable. (0:34) Katlyn explains why accountability is all about visibility because without seeing the right data, customers can feel unsatisfied. (05:51) Katlyn mentions that we should write down the when, why, and how many. (8:08) Katlyn shares why not scoring for performance on your customer service team could also make your agency vulnerable. (11:11) Katlyn shares five targets that touch on what you don't want to miss for your agency scoreboard. (14:03) Katlyn suggests that not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, could lead to the danger of extending trust wi

Do you lack the Motivation to prospect for new business? Most insurance agents say they have a difficult time maintaining Motivation. However, I think the real culprit is something different and that it's because producers lack Confidence that they, therefore, lack the Motivation to prospect. But -- if the truth is known -- our host Charles Specht feels that something else is the real reason you lack Confidence and therefore lack Motivation and therefore lack results. And, in this episode, he'll explain what it is and how you can get it! Episode Highlights: Charles asks the question of which comes first, is it the motivation or is it the confidence? (1:28) Charles shares that he wants people in the industry to have both motivation and confidence. (4:01) Charles shares that you need to have a lifetime goal and a destination so that plans can be made to make it to that destination. (8:29) Charles mentions that Confidence comes from the plan, and motivation is the fruit. (11:20) Charles shares that whe