Agency Intelligence

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Heather McBroom. Heather is the CEO of Precision Services. She uses InsuredMine to help agencies streamline processes and take the headache out of setting up their agency for success. Episode Highlights: Heather shares that she and her mother have been in the industry since 1997. (1:32) Heather explains that insurance is something you need to pay attention to in order to be profitable. (5:03) Heather shares how she decided to create a one-note platform to be able to organize everything according to the needs of the business. (7:37) Heather explains that they have saved a lot of time by creating an automation that is in her voice and own brand. (10:37) Heather shares that she created a robust training program for her VAs that are in the Philippines that turned out very well. (12:53) Heather elaborates on being very selective about who she works with as part of her being strategic. (16:22) Heather shares that with the help

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jason Cutter, CEO & Founder of Cutter Consulting Group. He explains how they assist businesses in dealing with the problems that affect business-to-consumer (B2C) sales teams. Episode Highlights: Jason Cass believes that the majority of people named "Jason" are now between the ages of 37 and 47. (1:35) Jason Cutter mentions that he uses Android. (10:28) Jason Cutter explains that he loves winning just because he is good at something, but he doesn't mind losing if he isn't excellent and someone else is. (11:36) Jason Cutter believes that embracing his strengths and skills is the key to his success. (12:59) Jason Cutter discusses his background prior to becoming a consultant and how he got into the consulting industry. (13:48) Jason Cutter explains he's an operational man first and a sales guy second, which means he's learned how to be really good at sales, but his brain thinks operationally and in terms of systems. (19:49) Ja

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with David Carothers about his second book which releases on September 8th, 2022. Episode Highlights: David mentions that he explains the meaning and motivation for the title of his book, The Dirty 130. (2:03) David believes that if he has a skill that distinguishes him from others, it is the ability to create a community around the content. (4:39) David mentions that one of the topics discussed in his book is how to optimize any images you use on your site or in your blog articles for SEO. (6:48) David explains that The Extra Two Minutes is about his sales-producing activity, whereas The Dirty 130 proceeds on a different path. (10:13) David discusses how the other context around The Dirty 130 relates to the same things that they do in their agency, such as telemarketing and marketing drop. (14:31) David discusses the workbook concept for The Dirty 130. (17:08) David mentions that history is the best teacher of what we may expect in the futu

There are one-owner shops, small agencies, medium-sized agencies, large alphabet houses, and everything else in between. The question is: Which one can you make more money at as a producer?  In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht walks you through the pros and cons of each, tells you which type/size agency he would work at today if he was planning to pick one to work at, and an option for you if you're considering making a switch. Episode Highlights: Charles mentions that he learned more at a large agency than at any other agency he has worked for. (4:41) Charles explains why, after learning so much at a bigger agency, he would never work for one again. (6:48) Charles discusses that, after 20 years of business, he already knows what to do if he is approached by an agency for consultation or assistance with their operations. (7:34) Charles mentions that all of the producers he knows that have to have some form of servicing role for whatever they do in their e

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jeff Roy, Founder and President of Excalibur Insurance and one of the most innovative independent insurance agency owners in the world, joins the podcast for a conversation on digital virtual assistants, also known as robotic process automation. This is a conversation you don't want to miss. Episode Highlights: Ryan discusses Rogue Risk’s decision to switch to Nexure and change its agency management system. (10:34) Jeff mentions that during an interview with Taylor Rhodes for the Digital Insurance Plan podcast, he confirmed that Tarmika will be discontinued in 2025. (12:14) Ryan expresses his confusion as to why it is tough to create a CRM from an agency management system. (13:58) Ryan mentions that he really likes what Better Agency is doing and thinks that they've made a lot of progress to being a player in the industry. (18:03) Jeff explains that after seeing Applied Epic's demo, he became interested in the new feature that can run an AMS through the brow

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Ossiea Lake. Ossiea Lake is a realtor and an insurance agent at Assured Connections Insurance that focuses her business on serving the community first. Episode Highlights: Ossiea explains that she has been in sales for nearly 20 years, beginning as a real estate agent before going on to insurance. (1:43) Ossiea shares what sparked her interest in the insurance industry. (2:53) According to Ossiea, Assured Connection Insurance started first by selling auto insurance and has grown from there. (9:17) Ossiea explains how she met the person who opened the door for her to numbers to the carriers. (10:57) Ossiea believes that real estate and insurance are strongly tied. (14:30) Ossiea explains why she switched from branding real estate and insurance to branding her identity. (17:03) Ossiea discusses how making connections and actively listening can help solve business problems. (21:57) Ossiea mentions that she is still learni

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jake Jines, Risk Advisor at The Insurance Alliance. Jake shares what led him to enter the insurance industry and what his goals are as a young producer. Episode Highlights: Jake shares that he is an iPhone user, and as a young producer, he loves to win. (3:08) Jake explains why skill has been a bigger factor in his life and where he is today. (4:32) Jason shares how he met Jake and how he was recruited to work at The Insurance Alliance. (5:06) Jake shares his backstory, from being at school to landing a job and being granted an opportunity in the industry. (7:13)  Jake explains why, despite having very little knowledge about the industry, he took the opportunity to be part of it. (10:06) Jake shares that he is currently trying to figure out a niche that would genuinely work for him and that he could bring value to (14:01) Jake recalls the days when he worked at Abstract during COVID and how it was related to bringing up gr

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Steven Mohr, newly minted VP of Growth at Better Agency. After a three-year stop at Lightspeed Voice, Steven is already having an impact on the current and future customers of Better Agency. Episode Highlights: Steven shares what led him to the InsurTech industry. (6:17) Steven mentions that he had been an agent before meeting Brad Fuller and joining Lightspeed Voice. (09:27) Steven explains how he made the decision to jump back into AMS and CRM by joining Better Agency. (14:40)  Steven shares that Better Agency is always open to feedback and is focused on how they can make things better for their clients. (21:07) Steven mentions that the mission that they are currently focused on is automating agency operations while maintaining the agency's relevance. (25:32) Steven shares that there are a lot of innovations they are currently lining up, one of which is the Accord forms. (31:03) Steven discusses the challenge of being on the road and a

A weak mindset is often what most of your competitors possess. But what about you? Do you have a robust and competitive mindset when it comes to sales? Are you afraid to ask for the signed Broker of Record Letter? Are you nervous about telling the insured what you require from them in order to move forward?  In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the seven things insurance producers need to have in order to possess a Millionaire Producer Mindset. Episode Highlights: Charles shares that he is developing his own producer school that will be launching very soon, which will go from A to Z on the entire sales process. (2:07) Charles explains that the first thing to having a Millionaire Producer Mindset is to understand that sales are both a sprint and a marathon. (3:58) Charles shares that prospecting is your primary daily function, and there really isn't a way in which to set appointments without prospecting. (8:27) Charles explains that insurance agen

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Jeremy Powers, owner of Powers Insurance Experts, joins the show to share his story and the tips and tricks that have elevated his agency over the last 2 years.  This is an episode you do not want to miss if you are stuck in the middle of what you should be doing as a young producer. Jeremy has a passion that is unmatched, and the things he is doing for his community led to putting the business on the books. Be the Jeremy Powers of your community! The little things make a difference. Episode Highlights: Jeremy shares his background and how he got to where he is today in business. (4:16) Jeremy discusses the two things he does to encourage his team inside the agency as well as the producers and agents outside of his agency. (10:39) Jeremy shares that one way that he finds work-life balance is by being able to have his daughters interact in the fun stuff that they do for the company. (17:41) Jeremy shares that the biggest thing that helped him to get to where he is

At our August Mastermind meeting of Champions, we had the one and only Benjamin Dennehy, the UK’s Most Hated Sales Trainer on to talk about prospecting and sales. It was so good that we had to turn it into a podcast. We hope you enjoy!

Could you write $250k of new business commission in the next twelve months? I think you can ... And here's how! There are three main things you need to do in order to successfully write a quarter of a million dollars in commission this next year. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht breaks down the step-by-step process of how you can do this and how you can get every agent at your agency to do the same thing as well. Episode Highlights: Charles explains that the reason why he loves prospecting is that this activity results in having money in his pocket. (3:47) Charles elaborates on how he fell into writing for subcontractors and other types of accounts. (5:02) Charles explains why he decided that the first policy to write for an account was going to be $20,000 of commission or more because he was only writing for small accounts. (9:35) Charles shares that the thing that is stopping you from writing $250,000 of the new commission is the blockage that you h

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Marit Peters, Executive Director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, otherwise known as the Big I of Texas. Episode Highlights: Marit explains that one of the reasons she works for the industry is because she thinks of independent agents as being so gracious in their communities. (4:54) Marit shares the fundamentals of running a successful agency, including the importance of identifying those on your team that are dragging it down, and getting your metrics right. (12:00) Marit explains why it is important to look back on historical trends in order to be able to determine the things that did not work out. (15:52) Marit shares about the leadership book that she and her employees read called "The Dichotomy of Leadership." (23:07) Marit mentions that their goal at the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas is to make sure that the independent agency channel is healthy. (27:35) Marit explains how COVID has helped them become better at

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Nikki Ostrander. Nikki is the owner of a family agency with a deep understanding of what it takes to make the business a win/win proposition for everyone. Episode Highlights: Nikki discusses her background and what led her to start her agency with her mother. (3:03) Nikki shares that she honors her mother by continuing, building, and growing her mother's reputation and legacy. (7:26) Nikki discusses some of the challenges of being a business owner, mother, and wife. (12:22) Nikki shares that she hired her best friend and it was one of the best decisions that she made. (15:11) Nikki explains how she and her husband handle situations that may appear unfavorable when working together. (20:36) Nikki discusses a practice she's been using to handle emotions before speaking. (23:24) Nikki explains how she and her husband manage to balance family and business boundaries as a team. (30:32) Nikki mentions that with the support o

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Paul Baccaro, CEO & Founder of Social Jazz. Paul talks about how Social Jazz helps you create high-quality social media content for your agency. Episode Highlights: Paul shares that he is a solid iPhone user. He hates to lose, and he believes that passion got him to where he is today. (2:00) Paul discusses his background and how he got into product development. (3:29) Paul explains that Social Jazz was born out of the realization that content is one of the most common problems people are trying to solve. (5:39) According to Paul, a company's social media and website serve as its digital storefront. (9:02) Paul explains that most people are checking your digital storefront, and just because they are not hitting the like button does not mean they are not interacting. (10:52) Paul shares that the future of Social Jazz is all about maintaining high-quality content that engages consumers and answers their questions. (12:51) Paul

In this episode of the Digital Insurance Pint Podcast, the gang talks to Marilyn Horrick, Co-Chair of WICC Ontario, about her work with the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade, the benefits for brokers of getting involved in charitable ventures, and her love of grumpy people. Resources: Tom Reid Jeff Roy Steve Earle Adam Mitchell Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks with Joshua Goodman, Director of Business Development for the Kansas Big I. Episode Highlights: Josh shares his background and what led him to his position at the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents (KAIA). (4:22) Josh explains that the reason he decided to leave State Farm was because he would not have been able to take over his father's book of business when that time came. (8:38) Josh shares how he started his own agency from scratch in 2010. (13:42) Josh shares how they explain to a client that your agency is no longer the best fit for their needs. (18:21) Josh explains that there is an art to communicating with your referral partners to get the types of referrals that you are looking for. (23:48) Josh shares the factors that led to his decision to sell the agency. (24:41)  Josh explains automation is one of the biggest differences in how things used to be done and how they are done now. (34:41) Josh shares that there is always this

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Erin Kaiser and discusses mental health and how to keep a positive attitude.  Episode Highlights: Erin explains what it was like for her and her business during the height of COVID. (2:06) Erin shares her experience as a captive agent working for State Farm who later started her own business. (8:44) Teresa shares about being in business for 20 years, and how her divorce impacted her kids. (14:50) Erin shares some of the common pitfalls of being an agency owner in terms of mental health and well being (21:05). Erin shares some of the things that happen to her when she goes into a depressive state. (31:57) Erin explains that even though her business is successful, she has made the decision to sell her business because it is the ultimate best choice for her. (38:42) Erin shares more about the personal reasons that led her to the decision to sell her business. (42:28) Erin explains why she does not believe in the word bala

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass chats with Kevin Ring, Lead Workers' Compensation Analyst at Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin in a wealth of knowledge on all things Workers’ Comp.  Episode Highlights: Jason shares that Workers' Compensation is a very interesting line of business. (0:27) Kevin explains that there is no line of insurance where the insured has more control over what they pay without changing the check the insurance company is going to write when you suffer a disaster than Workers’ Compensation. (4:42) Kevin discusses that the fundamental concept of Workers’ Compensation was already passed in Wisconsin in 1911. (7:42) Kevin explains that the number one reason why audits wind up incorrect is that employers don't know how to keep the records the auditor needs. (13:59) Kevin shares that most of the time when clients get a return premium, agents don't see it as an opportunity. (17:05) Kevin explains what medical indemnities are, medical claims only,

Yes, indeed, your clients get solicited by other insurance agents all the time. During this policy renewal year, they are more likely to meet with those agents (your competitors!) to see if there are alternative options available to them to cut costs. Why? Because inflation, a lack of workers, and a hardening insurance market are forcing them to look at options in order to do nothing more than stay in business.  In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains the THREE things you can do to ensure your clients renew with you rather than one of your competitors. Episode Highlights: Charles shares that the reality is that clients have almost no plan to leave you and yet they still talk to other agents. (2:11) Charles explains that it is becoming difficult for insurance buyers and business owners to make a profit and stay in business. (4:41)  Charles elaborates on the industry's current situation and what people need to be careful of at this time. (7:31) Charle