Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the MVP Podcast, we’re "Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence. Danny sits down with Jacob Bolton, Account Executive at AgencyZoom. A fresh young mind in the Indietech world discusses modernizing your Agency - 75% of the workplace will be millennial or gen-z by 2026. Customer/Employee expectations are higher than ever - how do you provide a better experience for both? Episode Highlights: Jacob mentions that adopting technology is crucial for businesses to scale, stay protected, and be successful in today's evolving world. (3:12) Jacob shares his unexpected journey into the industry and how it has become a passion. (5:27) Jacob discusses the importance of curiosity, asking questions to learn, and understanding that every agency is unique and their needs must be considered. (9:54) Jacob explains that it is essential to integrate a CRM into a tech stack and management system to save time and centralize all applications and solutions. (10:52) Jacob mentions that the rapid adoption of tech

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Mernice Oliver, Founder and Executive Director of The National Association for Advancement of Women In Insurance. Mernice is a business coach in the insurance industry who focuses on women and helping them achieve their goals. Episode Highlights: Mernice shares her humble beginnings and how she got to where she is today. (2:06) Mernice shares her opinion on the difference between men and women in the industry. (15:54) Mernice talks about her book What I Wish I Knew on The Other Side of Agency Ownership. (18:49) Mernice shares her insights about being able to get to a point of equality in ourselves. (24:11) Mernice shares what women can do to build up confidence. (27:24) Merince shares her Facebook community page called Insurance Women Rock where people can connect. (32:19) Mernice talks about the leadership organization she has created, the National Association for Advancement of Women In Insurance. (37:38)

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Ebens Jean Co-Founder/CEO at One Way Insurance Group. Ebens talks about the diversity of life, and how building community strengthens our unity.   Episode Highlights: Ebens shares that he just recently switched to an iPhone and the last application he downloaded was YouTube Kids. (3:43) Ebens explains that he loves to win because he gets the feeling of success every time he wins something. (5:30) Ebens discusses that he had to learn a lot of things growing up, making him believe skill over luck has had a greater impact on his success. (7:11) Ebens shares his inspiring background story and how he was able to get to where he is today. (8:07) Ebens shares that he got into the insurance industry because of his work that dealt with B2B sales. (13:01) Ebens shares how he was able to go from personal lines to commercial lines. (17:31) Ebens discusses how the community has been a big part of the success of his business. (22:03)

Definitely, getting the signed Broker of Record is the better approach to winning new clients. But there are times when the BOR is not an option and so the only way to win that client is by quoting. No worries, because in this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht is going to explain to you the three things YOU NEED TO GET from the insured before quoting, and then what to include in your final Proposal in order to strengthen your position to win that new client.  Moreover, at the end of the episode, Charles will explain how to hire him to do a virtual sales motivation summit for your agency, or bring him in for a live, in-person sales training with your producers. Episode Highlights: Charles explains that quoting for insurance policies is a weak move because incumbents have a 92% chance of retaining the business, so agents need to position themselves strategically and not rely solely on quotes. (3:18) Charles discusses three key factors that are crucial in the insuran

Time to look back on the year that was 2022. The guys tackle the impact of some of the most interesting (to them) events in the past year, including: The great return to the office Broker M & A Carrier implementations of Guidewire The hard market Facility Association The impact of inflation on the broker channel Join Tom, Adam, Jeff & Steve for their (censored) take on the last 12 months.

Recorded LIVE from IndieTech 2023! In this episode, James talks with Ryan Westerman, President of AndDone, and Chase Courtney, Director of Technology Sales at Imperial PFS. To learn more about AndDone, visit https://anddone.com/ Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe. Episode Highlights: Chase and Ryan discuss AndDone, a wholly-owned subsidiary and payment solution that exists in the IPFS ecosystem, for the first time on a podcast. (3:59) Ryan explains that AndDone is an API-first enterprise-grade payment solution application that offers a web app for agents to use. It is designed for integration with other solutions such as rate quote buying platforms and AMS systems. (12

In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht interviews one of his sales training clients, Man Phung. Man only started writing commercial accounts about three years ago but has been implementing the things Charles has been teaching, such as Thinking BIGGER, micro-niching down, utilizing the 12-Month Timeline of Services, etc. The result is that he's writing much bigger accounts today. Charles and Man share tips in this episode about what is working and what Man changed in order to be successful. Episode Highlights: Man shares his background story and how he got started in the industry. (6:35) Man shares that their agency has over one hundred commercial accounts both in Indiana and Texas. (8:58) Man talks about the two biggest accounts that they are writing, which are construction and manufacturing. (9:45)  Man explains that he does a little bit of everything as a business owner, from cold calling to social selling to managing a team. (11:49) Man shares

Private equity doesn't always win outright, but it almost never loses. As the independent insurance model continues to face consolidation, how do you compete? Andrew Wynn, Co-Founder at Ascend, joins the show to dive into how you can build an efficient agency model by automating tasks and focusing on relationships. Enjoy the episode! Episode Links: Ellerbrock-Norris: https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/ Ellerbrock-Norris Wealth Strategies: https://www.ellerbrock-norris-ws.com/ Ascend: https://www.useascend.com/ LAUNCH: https://getlaunch.io/ Elliot Bassett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-bassett-aip-cpcu-84499515/ Ryan Brott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-brott-cepa%C2%AE-77a278a/ Andrew Wynn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynnandrewj/ This episode is sponsored by LAUNCH. In the world of insurance, independent agencies fight to survive. Brokers are forced to compete by blocking markets and bid for the lowest price. Worse yet, the industry is fragmented. Agencies find it difficult to collaborate across

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Elyse Archer, CEO & Founder of She Sells. Elyse discusses the roadblocks to selling and how to move through the blockages to achieve great sales numbers.  Episode Highlights: Elyse shares that her passion for her business stems from a challenge she faced early on in her career (1:41) Elyse mentions that the Big Three for women to achieve superhuman selling results are: reprogramming their subconscious mind, shifting their relationship with money, and aligning their masculine and feminine energy. (8:00) Elyse explains that the mind-body connection is powerful in restoring our sense of worthiness and achieving our goals, as we can use our emotions as cues to identify limiting beliefs and rewrite our programming for success. (13:11)  Elyse discusses the impact of limiting beliefs on men and women, and how shifting mindset can lead to greater success and fulfillment. (20:52) Elyse shares the importance of healing and changing su

Are girls really bad at math? If something costs less than $5, it’s practically free, right? If I return something and get a store credit, I make money, correct? LOL Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC, and Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA, discuss one of the latest TikTok trends #girlmath. Erik dispels the myth that girls are worse at math than boys. They discuss how we all tell ourselves stories to justify what we want to buy. Episode Highlights: Erik discusses the myth of "girl math" and disproves the idea that girls are bad at math by pointing out that, according to statistics, women are just as good at math as men. (2:53) Erik mentions that girls lose confidence in math by grade two or three, leading to a lack of interest in math and STEM careers by ages 13 to 17, with only 11% of girls planning to pursue STEM compared to 35% of boys. (5:42)  Xavier explains that paying for a vacation on a credit card may seem like it's free, but it actually costs more due to accruing interest. (8:00) Xavier discusses the tend

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Torey Maerz, Founder and CEO of ClientCircle. Episode Highlights: Torey mentions that AI has evolved and improved significantly, leading to the rebranding of their AI as Circle AI, which has allowed for greater efficiency and better results using new and advanced models. (3:26) Torey explains that automating the customer journey requires defining clear goals for each stage and using specific actions to move customers closer to conversion. (5:40) Torey shares that Circle AI combines their AI product with other large language models like Chat GPT, specifically utilizing the fine-tuning turbo 3.5 model to achieve better results. (7:59)  Torey expresses a desire to integrate with other technologies and encourages listeners to take a second look at their newest offerings. (10:43) Torey believes that agents often shoot themselves in the foot by thinking they know the best way to do something, but data shows that sometimes the simplest

Selling the insurance brokerage in which you’ve put a lifetime of effort is no small step. How do you know that you’ve got the right partner? The right price? The right place for your clients & staff? Good news – the DIPP crew has done a bunch of legwork for you. Our M & A series covers some of the most important questions & brings you the answers, right from the source. In this episode, you’ll hear the answers straight from Gregory Belton, Executive Chairman of HUB Ontario - and recipient of the Order of Canada. We asked Western Financial Group, Navacord, Rogers Insurance (CBN), AJ Gallagher, Westland, Brokerlink and HUB International the following questions: Where did your firm come from and where are you going? Why should a broker sell to you – what value do you bring? What’s your target broker? Does a broker with a strong digital presence get a valuation boost? Do you want former owners to stick around? Do you keep the original name? What’s in it for the acquired employees? What’s in it for carriers

Recorded LIVE from IndieTech 2023! In this episode, James talks with Paul Hawkins, CEO of Hawksoft & Jerry Fox, Vice President of Carrier Relations at HawkSoft. To learn more about HawkSoft, visit https://www.hawksoft.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe. Episode Highlights: Paul discusses how his son's passion for computers led to them to start Hawksoft. (2:26) Jerry shares his role with Hawksoft and how he got involved with it. (5:41)  Paul shares his journey from working in a warehouse to digitizing insurance forms to building a thriving company. (9:25) Paul explains that Hawksoft values relationships and choice, connecting with Insurtechs to provide indepen

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Carrie Cheeks. Carrie Cheeks is a Workers Comp expert with Jencap and she discusses how she got into the industry and how she is connecting with agents to build a better workers comp industry. Episode Highlights: Carrie mentions that she initially had no interest in the insurance industry but was convinced by her Uncle to try it, and after a few years, she realized that it was more than she expected. (1:22) Carrie discusses her journey of leveling up in the industry, transitioning from copy-and-paste work to sales, with a focus on Workers' Compensation. (8:49) Carrie shares her upcoming role as a Corporate Relationship Manager, where she will be working with carriers, agency partnership groups, and aggregators to create mutually beneficial relationships and serve them effectively. (15:51) Carrie believes that the Workers' Comp market is currently chaotic and confusing, with carriers unsure of how to act in the face of low pri

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Scott Knowles, CEO and Co-Founder of Loss Scan. Episode Highlights: Scott shares his background in the industry and the development of a tool called Loss Scan to extract data from loss runs for analysis. (2:31) Scott explains that Loss Scan is a one-click tool that imports and extracts detailed information from loss runs, streamlining data analysis and eliminating manual processes, with future features including claim comparison, customization, and organized data export for client presentations. (5:44) Scott mentions that Loss Scan is an algorithm that aims to solve problems by thinking outside the box and enhancing human capabilities, with potential applications beyond the insurance industry. (10:36) Scott discusses how Loss Scan is revolutionizing the industry by providing quick and easy analysis of loss runs, saving time for carriers and underwriters, and improving the underwriting process. (13:37) Scott believes that underst

Selling the insurance brokerage in which you’ve put a lifetime of effort is no small step. How do you know that you’ve got the right partner? The right price? The right place for your clients & staff? Good news – the DIPP crew has done a bunch of legwork for you. Our M & A series covers some of the most important questions & brings you the answers, right from the source. In this episode, you’ll hear the answers straight from Joe D'Annunzio, President of Brokerlink. We asked Western Financial Group, Navacord, Rogers Insurance (CBN), AJ Gallagher, Westland, Brokerlink and HUB International the following questions: Where did your firm come from and where are you going? Why should a broker sell to you – what value do you bring? What’s your target broker? Does a broker with a strong digital presence get a valuation boost? Do you want former owners to stick around? Do you keep the original name? What’s in it for the acquired employees? What’s in it for carriers? Who wins & who loses? How do you value a brokera

Recorded LIVE from IndieTech 2023! In this episode, James talks with Ryan Mathisen & Sean Mulhern, Co-Founders of GloveBox. To learn more about GloveBox, visit https://gloveboxapp.com/. Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.com Connect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedom Email us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe. Episode Highlights: Ryan mentions that this year GloveBox has successfully developed base features and is now focusing on releasing a desktop version and a metrics dashboard with policyholder analytics. (4:32) Sean discusses his role as handling operations and being responsible for various tasks and processes within the company, including transitioning, executing, and strategizing for new features and go-to-market plans. (7:54) Ryan shares that refl

In this episode of "Talkin' Tech" with Danny Lawrence on the MVP Podcast, Co-Host Danny Lawrence sits down with Andre Wiafe, Senior Account Executive at Insurance Agent App in his first podcast appearance. Andre discusses how offering digital convenience, companies can foster customer loyalty and retention, ultimately leading to a stronger competitive advantage through an improved customer experience. Episode Highlights: Andre mentions that agents can gain a competitive edge by providing a better customer experience through loyalty schemes and digital convenience, which is increasingly essential in the post-COVID world. (2:39) Andre discusses how he was introduced to the world of independent insurance and the benefits of working with an independent insurance agent. (5:20) Andre explains the importance of customer experience and the role of digital convenience in providing a competitive edge for insurance agents. (12:35) Andre mentions that the Insurance Agent App allows custom branding, easy communica

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ashley Mastowski , the agency owner of First Choice Insurance. Ashley and Teresa have a follow up on how she has built her agency through CoVid, having twins, and navigating a hard market. Episode Highlights: Ashley mentions that after working in the captive world for 12 years, she decided to explore other opportunities and started First Choice Insurance, and has successfully been running it for almost four and a half years. (2:58) Ashley shares the challenges she faced in starting a family while growing a business. (5:01) Ashley discusses the importance of treating employees well and hiring the right people for key roles in order to achieve growth and success in an agency. (12:44) Ashley shares her experience with a local agency specializing in commercial insurance, and the push and pull dynamics between her and the agency owner regarding taking on different types of clients and the possibility of merging. (18:04) Ashley e

Business owners often have the majority of their net worth tied up in their business. Does it make sense for them to diversify their wealth to protect their assets and achieve long-term financial security? Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA, talks about why it’s a bad idea to have all your eggs in one pocket and shares his 8 compelling reasons why business owners should diversify their wealth (reason #8 is the most compelling for him). Episode Highlights: Erik announces that the Stuff About Money podcast is now part of the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network. (1:33) Erik discusses the importance of diversification for business owners to protect their assets and create long-term financial security. (3:10) Erik explains that the first reason to diversify our small businesses is risk management, as spreading investments across different assets reduces risk and mitigates losses in market downturns or negative events. (5:06) Erik mentions that the second compelling reason to diversify is the preservation of capital be