Agency Intelligence

FAFSA? EFC? SAI? What does all this mean? College planning is complicated and overwhelming for both the student and the parent. There should be an easy button to plan for college.  In this episode of the Stuff About Money podcast, Erik Garcia, CFP®, has a candid discussion with John Hupalo (4-time guest on the show) on navigating the FASFA maze. From demystifying FASFA responsibilities to understanding asset impacts on aid eligibility, get expert insights into college planning essentials. They discuss strategies to pay for college using needs-based methods as well as merit-based methods. This is a must-listen if you have a student in the 8th grade all the way to college age. Episode Highlights: John mentions that there is still work to be done in expanding and improving the prepaid college savings program. (2:16) John discusses how having a conversation about college affordability and financial fit early on in a student's high school years is crucial to making informed decisions and potentially reducing

One of the biggest reasons insurance agents don't achieve success as a producer is due to the QUANTITY of accounts on their prospect list. But the biggest reason overall is no doubt the QUALITY of the accounts on their prospect list.  In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will teach you how to increase the QUALITY of the accounts you are prospecting in order to close more deals and make more money! Episode Highlights: Charles explains that most insurance brokers are inexperienced and have a large number of accounts to call. (3:57) According to Charles, insurance brokers might have 1000 different prospects on their database. However, if none of them are truly qualified to the point that they are likely to conduct business with you, calling them to set up appointments would be the largest waste of your time. (4:35) Charles discusses the three most important things that insurance agents should have in terms of their database quantity. (9:21) Accordin

In this episode, the guys talk to CJ Nolan, President of Munn Insurance – Canadian broker of the year. We learn about the origin story of Munn insurance and how they became broker of the year. We also talk about Munn’s investment in technology, staffing and their biggest challenges. We also dig into what needs to be done to accelerate connectivity, how broker consolidation is affecting the industry, how happy CJ is with his carriers and what he sees as requiring fixing in the industry. Join us for a chat with CJ – one of the truly good guys in the industry. Resources: Tom Reid Jeff Roy Steve Earle Adam Mitchell Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode, James talks with Alex Toler, Director of Business Development at SimparaHR. To learn more about SimparaHR visit https://www.simparahr.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: Alex shares his journey from being an aspiring baseball player to underwriting homes, navigating the insurance industry, and finding success in middle-market employee benefits. (4:06) Alex shares how his passion for health insurance was reignited after witnessing Adam's work and the level of care his clients received. (19:07) Alex explains that their goal at SimparaHR is to help employers and employees make smart healthcare cost decisions and lower costs throu

How do you go from sales to consulting? What's the difference? Chase Courtney, a "recovering CPA" and the Director of Technology Sales at Imperial PFS, joins us to discuss how to apply your foundation of knowledge to help sell a particular product. Enjoy the episode! Episode Links: Ellerbrock-Norris: https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/ Ellerbrock-Norris Wealth Strategies: https://www.ellerbrock-norris-ws.com/ IPFS: https://www.ipfs.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/ Chase Courtney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-courtney-cpa-5a0a2276/ 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 division on the same client. Millions of dollars in pot

In this episode of 10 Rules of Business, recorded live from IndieTech 2023, Sean Kirby is joined by Michael Nelson of EZ Lynx. Michael gives a glimpse into the next big things for EZ Lynx, including AI enhancements, integrated solutions, and the commitment to make every agent's life easier and more productive.

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Andrew Chermark, Founder of Ensure Analytics. Episode Highlights: Andrew shares his experience in the telematics industry, starting with cellular one and Nextel, and how he got into the industry through tracking devices. (3:37) Andrew mentions that utilizing scorecards and clean driving data can help brokers provide value to their clients and improve their chances of securing insurance coverage in the current hard market. (6:14) Andrew discusses how using smartphone apps like E-driving can provide positive reinforcement and improve driving behavior. (11:09) Andrew explains how utilizing telematics and driver behavior data is crucial for insurance brokers to effectively manage risk and provide better policies for their clients. (12:46) Andrew mentions that brokers need to encourage their clients to share their data and utilize technology to improve driver safety and reduce accidents and claims. (19:02) Key Quotes: “There's a

Listen to the latest solo episode from host, James Jenkins. 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.

In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, recorded live from IndieTech 2023, host Jason Cass sits down with Reid Holzworth, CEO of Ivans Insurance Solutions. From tackling initial challenges to connecting with 120 carriers in just one year, Reid shares the transformative journey of Ivans under his leadership. Resources Mentioned: Reid Holzworth LinkedIn Ivans Insurance Solutions Reach out to Jason Cass Agency Intelligence

In this episode of the Stuff About Money podcast, Erik Garcia, CFP®, BFA, and Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC, hear from Alexander Bigbie of Flyte as he shares his story of running small programs to help individuals in vulnerable communities with their financial literacy. Be prepared to be inspired. Episode Highlights: Alexander explains that establishing credit at a young age and learning how to effectively manage credit cards can have long-term benefits and help avoid future financial mistakes. (3:13) Alexander discusses his journey in creating Flyte, which aims to provide financial wellness programming and support to small business owners, particularly focusing on black women-owned businesses from low and moderate-income households. (9:11) Alexander mentions that Flyte partners with local banks to provide virtual sessions on personal and business finance, covering topics such as building credit, cyber security, P&L and balance sheets, and separating personal and business finances. (14:09) Alexander

In this episode, James talks with Nikki Ostrander, Owner of Vault Insurance & Risk Management. To learn more about Vault Insurance & Risk Management. visit https://www.vaultinsure.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: Nikki shares that her mom who was in the insurance industry inspired her to become an agent which led her to start her agency and bring on her best friend and husband to build their dream. (3:49) Nikki shares her experience of finding a unique commission structure that works for her and her agency, highlighting the importance of individualized approaches in the industry. (8:36) Nikki believes that treating people right, doing the

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Elizabeth Culley, Owner of GravityCerts. Teresa and Elizabeth discuss GravityCerts and how agencies can achieve better-streamlined processes with their systems. Episode Highlights: Elizabeth discusses the flexibility and options available in running an independent agency and how she created GravityCerts from scratch, developing the necessary tools and systems for success. (3:48) Elizabeth shares the challenges GravityCerts faced as a new agency as it experienced rapid growth and struggled to keep up with the influx of new business. (8:35) Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of prioritizing quality service and customer loyalty over rapid growth in their insurance agency. (16:54) Elizabeth mentions that the Client Center is an online client service portal that provides 24/7 access to services and information, currently integrated with NowCerts and Agency Zoom. (21:26) Elizabeth discusses the need for agencies to adapt to chang

In this episode of 10 Rules of Business, recorded live from IndieTech 2023, Jake Jines talks with Sean Kirby about the transformative role of Virtual Employees (VEs) in the insurance industry. Discover how VEs handle renewals and daily tasks, epitomizing efficiency in today's digital age.

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Steve Mohr, Founder of Insurance Industry Index. Episode Highlights: Steve discusses his “Insurance Industry Index” platform, an all-in-one source for insurance professionals that covers technology, coaching, podcasts, jobs, and events (5:46) Steve mentions that his initial goal was to help the independent agency channel, but he has also realized that service providers in the industry need just as much help, especially with hiring and training new staff. (9:17) Steve shares that the Insurance Industry Index’s website is evolving to offer a more advanced search feature, allowing users to find service providers that integrate with specific technologies, making it easier to target the right options. (11:17) Steve expresses his excitement about the opportunity to bring together different vendors and create a unified effort, despite the challenges and busy schedules of those involved. (16:57) Steve explains that navigating the challe

Please visit https://www.riskwell.com/cyber-insurance-for-insurance-agents/ to learn more about this critical exposure. We have multiple programs available to help you get the right coverage placed for your agency in 1-2 business days or less. If you want to talk further, please email commercial@riskwell.com.

Setting appointments with new prospects is hard. But it's also one of the most important things a producer needs to improve at in order to win new clients. "Scripting" (what you say or write to your prospects) is the difference maker for all of it. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht outlines what is potentially the best prospecting script in the entire insurance industry, as well as how you can personally edit it to make it your own. Episode Highlights: One of the most difficult challenges, according to Charles, is getting over the point of hesitancy. (2:37) Charles explains that the insurance industry's best prospecting script is the one that works for your unique prospect. (3:40) Charles mentions that anything you provide your prospect in return for an hour of their time must be meaningful and simply understood. (5:55) Prospecting, according to Charles, is not easy, is not pleasant, and is challenging. However, if you want to establish a mill

In this episode, James talks with Colby Allen, Consultant and Financial Analyst at AgencyFocus. To learn more about AgencyFocus, visit https://agency-focus.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: Colby shares his background in the insurance industry, from a non-traditional path and working his way up through various positions in finance, operations, M&A, and analytics. (6:25) Colby discusses the importance of having conversations with carrier representatives and that aligning with their distribution strategies is often overlooked by independent agents in the insurance space. (13:11) Colby explains the concept of "managing up" and how taking the i

Reid Holzworth, CEO of IVANS Insurance Solutions, has been an instrumental player in the insurtech space, from building one of the premier agency management systems to now leading IVANS. He joins Elliot Bassett and Ryan Brott to talk connectivity. How do you better connect your technology? How does that better connect you to carriers? To clients? To your service team? Enjoy the episode! Episode Links: Ellerbrock-Norris: https://www.ellerbrock-norris.com/ Ellerbrock-Norris Wealth Strategies: https://www.ellerbrock-norris-ws.com/ IVANS: http://www.ivansinsurance.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/ Reid Holzworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidholzworth 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

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Susan Wathen Johnston, President of Countryside Insurance Agency. Susan discusses how to build resilience and how to approach each day with Tenacity. Episode Highlights: Susan shares her early involvement in insurance, spending time at age 6 in her father's agency and getting her license at 18 to work part-time. (2:32) Susan mentions that the availability of online groups and communities allows us to easily access information and get quick responses to our questions, making us fortunate in the digital age. (9:47) Susan explains that the ability to be a leader is partly innate and cannot be taught, so leaders need to protect their team and establish processes to filter out those who may not be a good fit for the organization's health and success. (14:46) Susan discusses the importance of self-care and maintaining a positive mindset to avoid bringing others down. (18:06) Susan shares that she finds time blocking helpful for ma

In this live episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass, and guest host Mitch Gibson interview Jeff Roy, CEO of Excalibur Insurance Group, and Davie Holt, President of Virtual Intelligence. Resources Mentioned: Jeff Roy LinkedIn Mitch Gibson LinkedIn Excalibur Insurance Group Virtual Intelligence Reach out to Jason Cass Agency Intelligence