Agency Nation Radio - Insurance Marketing, Sales And Technology

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Will Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Independent Agent Magazine at the Big “I” hosts a conversation with workplace communication expert, Jenna Rogers, Founder & CEO of Career Civility, a professional development firm that helps organizations build stronger cultures through better communication. Throughout the episode, Jones picks Rogers’ brain about what it takes to be a great leader, bridging generational gaps and even mastering the art of a clear, effective email. "Listening is a really big skill set that you need to have as a leader," she says. "I always encourage people to listen not to respond, but listen to be challenged." Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet John Bradford, founder & CEO of PetScreening in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bradford is on a mission to make life better for pets. After starting out in the property management world—first managing his own rental units, then expanding to investor portfolios—he saw firsthand how pet ownership impacted housing. That insight led him to launch PetScreening, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that helps streamline offering pet and renters insurance. At the heart of it is the proprietary FIDO Score™, a data-driven tool to assess pets more fairly than outdated breed restrictions. Today, the platform is used by about 1 in 7 rental units in the U.S. “Our goal is to help change hearts and open eyes when it comes to breed restrictions,” Bradford says. “We can’t force anyone to accept every dog, but we can give them the data to make better decisions.” Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadersh

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Cash McMillen, partner and executive vice president of operations at The Cashion Company Insurance in Little Rock, Arkansas, and chairman of the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee, hosts a discussion with two young agents about getting started as a commercial lines independent insurance agent. Deuel Romero, commercial lines agent at Tedford Insurance in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Kate Adams, commercial lines marketing manager at Flood & Peterson in Denver, Colorado, explore why and how to choose a commercial lines niche, how to get up to speed in a new industry segment, and tips for building a strong network. Romero discusses his work with Hispanic business owners and Adams shares insights from her business marketing role and how her commercial lines background helps her connect with clients. "I think people are too afraid of making mistakes," Adams says. "The lessons that we have learned the best, and that have stuck with us, have been from the mistakes that we've

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Courtney Jacobs, owner of Insurance Done Right (IDR) in Biloxi, Mississippi. Since launching her agency seven years ago, Jacobs has navigated the complexities of growing a business along the Gulf Coast—where the unique challenges of flood insurance and storm exposure are a constant concern—while also serving in the Air National Guard and giving back to her community through various organizations. "We have seen a large impact since the flood rates changed a few years ago, which is counting a lot of people out from some of these bigger homes or projects," Jacobs explains. "Because of our extra exposure down here in the lower six counties in Mississippi, we’re definitely feeling the rate increases. The beauty is that I do have the options as an independent broker, which I do appreciate. But it’s tough because some people just can’t afford it." "We do a lot of fundraising for the homeless or for women’s shelters," Jacobs says when asked about her philanthropy ende

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Ashley Engl, chair of Big I New York’s NextGen young agent committee, hosts a conversation with two Generation Z agents: Jackson Doyle, commercial risk adviser at J. Krug in Itasca, Illinois; and Brooke Stout, receptionist and assistant account manager at Chalk & Gibbs Insurance & Real Estate in Morehead City, North Carolina. Together, they discuss how they got their start in the industry, what excites them about its evolution and the valuable lessons they've learned from the mentors who have guided their growth along the way. “I’ve learned the most from doing the job,” Doyle says. “Being thrown into the fire—whether it's all the cold calls, dealing with rejection, meeting with prospects, or going through your routine of delivering a proposal—a lot of the growth over the years has just come from strictly doing the job and learning what works.” This month, Doyle and Stout were featured in Independent Agent magazine's June cover story alongside eight other next

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Brock Elliott, Producer and partner at Elliott Insurance Group in Louisburg, Kansas. Elliott got his start in the industry when he turned 21 and bounced around a couple roles before finally finding his stride as an account executive. Throughout his career, Elliott has played a pivotal role in the Big 'I' community at both the state and national levels—leading as chair of the Young Agents of Kansas (YAK) and the national Young Agents Committee (YAC) where he learned about the annual YAC Give Week and InsurPac and how we can give back to the insurance industry and the greater community. “I challenged another young agent across the state to see who could raise more bandages and more money. The loser had to get a bandage-themed tattoo,” Elliott said recalling a time he lost a bet during a fundraising challenge in support of Noah’s Bandage Project, a charity dedicated to raising money for pediatric cancer and providing fun bandages to children undergoing treatmen

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Will Jones, Big “I” director of communications and editor-in-chief of Independent Agent magazine, is joined by Nancy Germond, Big “I” executive director of risk management and education, and Amanda Juratovic, Big “I” vice president of E&O operations, to discuss one of the independent agency channel’s most-pressing issues: rising errors & omissions claims. With the hard market, remote work dynamics, and evolving client expectations converging, the risk landscape is shifting fast. But what does this mean for your agency—and how can you protect yourself? “What we’re really seeing is that the basics are being overlooked, and that’s what’s leading to E&O claims,” Juratovic said. “It all comes back to the fundamentals. If agents consistently follow the core standards they’ve been trained on, we’d see a significant drop in claims—even in a hard market.” Don’t miss this essential conversation on how to navigate E&O risk in today’s complex environment. Agency N

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Jorge Wetenkamp, agency owner of Desert Crest Insurance in Saint George, Utah. Wetenkamp’s career in insurance was unexpected. After working at In-N-Out Burger and at the DMV, he took a job with AAA Insurance when they started offering DMV services. This opened his eyes to the opportunities for career growth and serving the Hispanic community. In 2021, he started an independent agency and the business has grown “far beyond what I set my goals as three or four years ago,” Wetenkamp says. After hiring his first employee in January 2024, he’s currently onboarding two new agents that will allow him to grow, as well as focus on servicing his existing book. “Now, it’s about buying back my time, so all new leads will go to my new agents,” he says. “At the beginning, you grind nonstop—you work late, do whatever it takes. But once your business is established, you start thinking about balance.” Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Peter Van Aartrijk, executive vice president with insurance branding firm Aartrijk, hosts a discussion with Ryan Towle, vice president of Davis & Towle Insurance Group in Concord, New Hampshire, and Keith J. Mangini, vice president and commercial team leader at InsurBanc in Farmington, Connecticut, on best practices when making an agency acquisition—whether it’s your first purchase or just your most recent acquisition. They discuss the first steps you should take when considering an agency acquisition opportunity and what to do as a buyer to prepare for financing from a lender. Further in the episode, they end with their final thoughts on what to keep in mind after closing on an acquisition. "We talk about multiples all the time. But if it's a multiple of revenue, or if it's a multiple of EBITDA, if it's 3 times revenue or 4 times revenue, what are you willing to pay for? And why might you be willing to pay up a little bit?" Mangini said, referring to intangible

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Michelle O'Connor, president of O'Connor Insurance Associates in Charlotte, North Carolina. When O'Connor and her husband started their insurance agency 25 years ago, they knew from the very beginning that joining the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) was a must. Michelle knew of other successful agents that belonged to the Big “I" and also knew of the association's industry advocacy efforts. While O'Connor's initial involvement with the association was with the state's young agent committee (YAC), she became more involved when she was asked by Kelley Erstine, IIANC's CEO at the time, to become part of a special committee charged with analyzing member benefits. Since then, she has served in numerous committees and is currently the national director for IIANC. “I've always been a super strong advocate of political action committees (PACs) on both the national and state association level,” she says. “Our insurance system in North Carolina i

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Susan Bonner, Big “I” vice president of marketing and communications, chats with Denise Johnson, president and CEO of Big I Oklahoma, and Jill Epstein, CEO of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of California (IIABCal), about their achievements as women in the independent insurance agency channel and how they’re shaping the industry by offering more women-led events and highlighting opportunities for women in insurance. Big “I” Oklahoma recently hosted the EmpowerHER conference, while IIABCal hosted the Independent Women Summit. Both events sought to foster not only professional development but also genuine friendship and connection among women in the independent agency system and the wider insurance industry. “It was just a really comfortable environment,” Epstein said about the Independent Women Summit, which IIABCal hosted in February. “Everyone was super present, super engaged, chatting, happy and making connections. That was my goal, to bring that to women.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Kelly Gonyo, owner and agent of Blue Line Insurance in Lake Placid, New York. Gonyo worked every role in an independent agency—from working the front desk to producing—before starting her own agency at 32 years old with “minimal money in a tiny little office," she says. Today, Blue Line Insurance has four branches and 15 employees, 14 of whom are women. “I'm proud to be a woman in business. I'm aware that I am one of few women in my state that have started a scratch independent agency," she says. “I've learned a lot from other women in the industry, and I've also learned a lot from men in the industry as well." Gonyo serves on the Big I New York board of directors and will become the chair in May. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Inde

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Johanna Holling, volunteer relations program manager at National Invest Program, hosts a conversation about attracting young talent to the insurance industry with Ashley Engl, business development manager at Jencap, and Hal Soden, Jr., principal and risk management advisor at Oliver L.E. Soden Agency Corp. Together, they discuss what Invest is, how they got involved with the program and how it can help attract more talent to the insurance industry. "I think a lot of it is the image that we put out there, and the content that either resides on your company's website or your social media", Engl says. “That's where they're looking for roles. They're trying to get a picture of what this job looks like.” Also, it’s about “educating the general public on careers and insurance,” Engl continues. “If someone is looking to hire people, you want to showcase that they can make a career at your agency or your company, so find ways to communicate that." Over the past year, Inv

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Megan Carroll, president of Stein Insurance in Lindstrom, Minnesota. “I worked as a property & casualty reinsurance broker at Willis Re," explains Megan Carroll. “That was my first 'big kid' job." However, the absence of a succession plan at her family's fourth-generation independent insurance agency and a desire to keep it family-owned drew Carroll into the family business in 2017. “I took a substantial pay cut and started from the ground up at Stein Insurance," she says. “It felt like a huge risk at the time but, looking back now, it was definitely the right move." Since then, Carroll has become a part owner and president of the business, a process in which she has stepped up professionally and grown into a leadership position while learning the ropes of agency management and p&c insurance. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Molly Abboud, Big “I" director of political affairs, hosts a discussion with Charles Symington, Big “I” president & CEO, and Nathan Riedel, Big “I” senior vice president of federal government affairs to discuss the 2024 election results and how they will impact the Big “I” legislative agenda. They examine the key factors behind President Trump’s victory and discuss what to expect during his first 100 days in office. From campaign promises to policy priorities, they assess how Trump’s second term will compare to the first and how independent insurance agents and brokers may be impacted. "President Trump and his team have obviously been in the White House before,” said Symington. “They've been there. They've done that. So I think that they're going to get out of the gate a lot quicker, a lot stronger, a lot more productive, and a lot more effective.” Another topic they tackle is legal system abuse caused by third-party litigation funding and what can be done ab

Insurance has been a part of Jay Fribourg’s life from the very beginning. His insurance career began when he interned at his family’s agency filing and scanning documents. After graduating from college, Fribourg joined the family agency but eventually broke off and started his own agency, Bentley Insurance, named after his 130-pound Great Dane. In 2012, Bentley Insurance was acquired by Pinnacle Insurance Group. However, his experience working in a cybersecurity distributor startup firm led Fribourg to partner with former coworkers and create BlueZone Cyber Solutions, combining expertise in both insurance and cybersecurity. At BlueZone, we have this goal to bring enterprise-level security down to the small business owner. That’s what we’ve been really focused on,” Fribourg says. “Nowadays, the targets are these small businesses that don’t have the protection in place and they could really use a good outsource team. “We put a package together for them and for their insurance agencies,” he adds. “It’s that

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Jennifer Becker, Big “I” Senior Director of Agent Development and Research and Education, is joined by Andy Siegel of Siegel Insurance and chair of the Big “I” council for Best Practices and Katy Stewart of Olis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors and a member of the council for Best Practices to discuss about benefits and data that can be gleaned from the study. The Big “I” Best Practices study is the annual report done in partnership with Reagan Consulting and analyzes the performance of the nation's leading agencies to uncover methods, strategies and procedures. Throughout the episode, the three chat about how these agencies may be using the data to help set goals and make decisions as we enter 2025. Towards the end of the episode, Siegel offers a tip for agencies who are considering or were nominated to become a Best Practices agenct. “The value of the data you get out is priceless. You spend a few hours of time putting all this together, but if you c

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Stephanie Dew, President, Agency Owner of WinStar Insurance Group in Cedar Park, Texas. In 2022, Dew, then 20% owner of WinStar, learned that the other two owners would be retiring. She didn’t want to see the agency absorbed by the large buyers circling overhead and decided she would buy it herself—even if it meant mortgaging her house. “It devastated me to think that these employees who have worked so hard to build up the agency would have to watch it get gobbled up by another agency that I didn’t think would value our clients the way we do,” Dew says. “I went to my family first to make sure my husband and kids were on board. And they knew this was my dream. We had our house pretty much paid off, and I took a loan on it and did everything I needed to make it happen.” WinStar’s defined niches propel its growth, from wineries and water entities to emergency services. The agency has been a Best Practices agency since 2019. Agency Nation Radio is where insur

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we explore technology and its real-world impact on independent agencies. Join host Bobbie Collies, chief insurance officer at Coterie Insurance, as she unpacks how technology is not just about tools and software—it’s about people. Collies is joined by two industry leaders: Chris Cline, executive director of the Big “I” Agents Council for Technology (ACT), and Todd Jackson, Big “I” Chairman and owner and partner at McGowan Insurance Group. Together, they discuss the challenges, opportunities and future of technology in the independent agency system. Cline discusses the evolution of ACT, including an overview of the “Letter to the Industry,” which highlights the pillars critical to technology success: data, connectivity, AI and people. As an agency owner, Jackson brings perspective to listeners who may want to see their agency use more technology, but aren’t sure the best path for leadership buy-in. “Understand that you may be working in an agency that’s owned by someone

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Andrew Ryan, vice president of Hertvik Insurance Group in Medina, Ohio. Despite being unimpressed by the software on offer when he first joined the independent agency channel, Ryan has relished the opportunity to constantly innovate and improve agency technology and processes. Currently, Ryan is embarking on a new project—Engineered Insurance Services (EIS)—which is a joint venture between Hertvik Insurance and Engineered Tax Services, a premier specialty tax firm based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and a product of decades of commitment to driving change. “In our new agency, just as with picking technology, we’re assembling a team with diverse skills and focusing on our strengths,” Ryan says. “This fresh start is thrilling and gives us the opportunity to create something innovative and efficient.” Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—sto