Agency Intelligence

Anyone can just show up and -- sadly -- that's all most producers do. The real question to answer should be: What am I accomplishing when I actually do show up and do the work? In other words, are you achieving the results you really want for yourself, or are you doing just enough to get by? Are you merely hitting your "safe goals" or are you doing so much work you're making those old goals look like child's play? That's what host Charles Specht talks about in today's throwback episode as he dives deep into the topic of "Showing Up Big to Put Up Big." Episode Highlights: Charles opens the episode by explaining that we all need to show up. (1:20) Charles states that there is a difference between being able to produce and being able to talk about what is in the policy. (5:09) Charles asks the listeners how many hours they put into the insurance business. (7:38) Charles explains that prospecting is a numbers game and selling insurance is a relationship game. (14:00) Charles states that if you are not s

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews CJ Hutsenpiller. CJ Hutsenpiller is a true insurance entrepreneur, running his family agency while also being co-owner of The Collective Agency Council and owner of Tacobot, a chatbot agency that specializes in lead generation and client experience chatbots for the insurance industry. I loved this conversation with CJ and I know you will too... Episode Highlights: CJ shares about a successful marketing strategy for their insurance agency, which involves displaying historical images of their town on the website. (8:28) CJ discusses the use of virtual employees and bots, such as chatbots and robotic process automation bots, to enhance their agency's efficiency. (16:57) CJ explains their straightforward hiring process, consisting of an interview followed by a group interview with the entire team. (22:45) CJ mentions that traditional agents struggle with paying their employees competitively and tend to treat them as mere numbers. (34:53)

Attract and Keep Good People. In today's competitive job market, finding and retaining top talent is a challenge for any organization. However, it is not impossible, and we are here to share insights and strategies to help you attract and keep the best people for your team. Join us as we dive into the world of recruitment and explore the many ways in which you can create a work environment that is both attractive and fulfilling for your employees. We will discuss the importance of building a strong company culture, offering competitive compensation packages, providing opportunities for growth and development, and fostering an environment of open communication and collaboration.

In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson sits down with Margeaux Giles, CEO of IRYS Insurtech, to talk about the struggles she went through while owning her own agency that lead her to create IRYS.  Episode Highlights: Margeaux answers the five rapid-fire questions, including her favorite color, favorite flavor of ice cream, and where she would like to go on vacation. (2:18) Margeaux shares her journey from being a CSR to becoming the CEO and Co-Founder of IRYS Insurtech, including her experience in the insurance industry and the struggles she faced while building a new product. (8:15) Margeaux discusses the emergence of insurance innovators moving into the tech space, bringing true knowledge and experience to the industry. (16:14) Margeaux mentions how enterprise agencies are losing good agents due to their lack of technology adoption and how they are now scrambling to catch up. (28:04) Margeaux discusses how the IRYS Insurtech focuses on representing complex relationships between people, p

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Jeremy Goodrich, Owner of Shine Insurance Agency. Episode Highlights: Jeremy mentions that he and his wife established Shine Insurance Agency in 2013, aiming to transform people's perception of insurance. (1:36) Jeremy advises new agency owners to start writing down their processes from the beginning to create efficient systems. (6:48) Jeremy discusses his experience in discovering a commercial real estate niche and his strategy for managing clients' risks. (9:00) Jeremy mentions that the fundamental elements of building a business are the three E's: Education, Experience, and an Entourage. (11:24) Jeremy explains the concept of charging additional fees for app access, noting that it would only be successful if the value offered by the agency justified the cost. (23:31) Jeremy shares insights on the significance of transforming an agency into a passive income source, and provides examples of his accomplishments in this area

“She blinded me with science!” And hit me with technology In this episode, we dig into the unintended consequences of technology implementations. Was the broker thrown out with the bathwater when insurance companies got rid of their legacy systems and went with Guidewire? Did carriers solicit broker input on tools & processes to remove friction? Did carriers receive “good” feedback from brokers? Is paperless catching on? update on road to paperless – our spin. Is there such a thing as a “good” broker portal? Resources: Tom Reid Jeff Roy Steve Earle Adam Mitchell Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode, James talks with Lani Cathey, CEO of XDimensional Technologies. To learn more about XDimensional Technologies, Inc, visit https://xdti.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: Lani discusses the progress of diversity and inclusion in the insurance and technology industries, with a focus on gender diversity and the elimination of fear in women. (2:39) Lani shares her career journey from IBM to consulting work to working with insurance companies and eventually joining Insurity, which later became XDimensional Technologies. (9:11) Lani talks about building a diverse team and having different backgrounds and experiences to create good

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Michael Eagan. Michael Eagan founded The Independence Hub, which seeks to make insurance the preferred industry for neurodivergent talent.  Insurance Hub aims to offer the insurance industry connections to best practices and talent through industry educational and neurodivergent recruiting events. Don't miss this episode... Episode Highlights: Michael shares his experience with ADHD and how he started a remote work center for neurodivergent people. (7:37) Michael mentions that ADHD brains continue to develop throughout life, while neurotypical brains stop developing. (16:11) Michael believes that a manager needs to be trained and aware of neurodiversity and the leader needs to be mentored and have tools to translate the awareness into the business world. (24:45) Michael explains how neurodivergent people have unique skill sets that are often overlooked in the standard hiring process. (37:55) Michael discusses the challenges of disc

In this episode, we dive into the third rule of business: know your numbers. Understanding your financials is a critical component of success in any business. This rule is often overlooked, but it's essential to stay on top of your income, expenses, profit margins, and other key metrics to ensure that your business is profitable and sustainable.

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Michelle Mosher, Agency Principal at Southshore Insurance Professionals. Michelle and Teresa talk about surviving a hard market and being a resource for your clients. Episode Highlights: Michelle discusses the insolvency of six companies in Florida the previous year and its effect on policyholders. (2:27) Michelle explains the application of a depreciation schedule for roofs, contrasting it with full replacement costs, and its connection to auto insurance. (10:26) Michelle and Teresa discuss the challenges of educating clients on insurance issues, including the misconception that insurance is "free money." (18:44) Michelle mentions that they receive a significant amount of business through Facebook neighborhood groups, where individuals seek insurance recommendations and mention their names. (30:56) Michelle shares her thoughts on the mental strain resulting from making decisions on behalf of clients all day, expressing her

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Adam Blumencranz, Partner at Distributed Ventures. Episode Highlights: Adam shares his daily routine as a venture investor, including spending time talking to new insurtech companies, advising current portfolio companies, and staying up to date with the latest developments in the insurance industry. (5:19) Adam discusses the potential of Chat GPT and generative AI in the insurance industry, including the use cases and entry points for this technology. (10:27) Adam and Jason discuss the value of relationships in the insurance industry and how they can provide more detailed conversations compared to non-strategic funds. (15:08) Adam explains the different stages of venture investing, from friends and family to series A and beyond. (25:20) Adam defines a unicorn as a company with a valuation of a billion dollars and discusses the challenges of achieving this status in the insurance industry. (27:48) Adam offers to help independen

In this episode, James talks with Oliver Connor, Board Member of NetVU. To learn more about NetVU, visit https://www.netvu.org/web. 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: Oliver explains the unique dynamic between Vertafore and NetVU, and how the Accelerate conference is a collaboration between the two organizations to ensure their members get the best experience possible. (6:13) Oliver discusses the year-long planning process for the Accelerate 2024 conference. (8:58) Oliver explains the relationship between Vertafore and NetVU, and how being part of the NetVU family means being part of a larger community of users. (17:53) Oliver shares how NetVU i

Prospecting for new business isn't usually "fun" and making cold calls is often even less exciting. In fact, many insurance agents don't cold call at all. And, those who do either don't leave voice messages whatsoever or they leave messages that are terrible and get zero results, meaning no one ever calls them back. In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht will explain not only why you SHOULD leave voice messages when you do cold calling but he gives you at least three real and usable scripts of what your voice message should be. Episode Highlights: Charles opens the episode by saying that he does not think too many people like prospecting. (1:20) Charles explains that you should have a good message when prospecting. (5:14) Charles explains why he recommends leaving a voice message but also why it should be the last-ditch effort. (8:57) Charles provides tips and samples of how to speak with gatekeepers. (9:34) Charles provides samples of what he t

Come on, people now Smile on your brother Everybody get together Running a small business – like a brokerage – is tough. You don’t have all the resources, information, or access that you need. Luckily, Canadian brokers have provincial associations and a national association to rely on. Resources: Tom Reid Jeff Roy Steve Earle Adam Mitchell Digital Insurance Pint Podcast

In this episode, James talks with Mark Breading, Partner at ReSource Pro. To learn more about ReSource Pro, visit https://www.resourcepro.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: Mark mentions that what's really powerful about ReSource Pro and the direction they've chosen is the ability to work with retail agencies, MGAs, wholesalers, carriers, and program administrators. (1:51) Mark explains that the core business process management that ReSource Pro provides is helping in the development of strategy and making plans and when clients reach the execution phase, they can assist in making things real and maintaining long-term relationships with a varie

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Monica Parker.  Monica brings to the table a vast knowledge of navigating and communicating organizational change. An international speaker and presenter, she is a regular contributor to several platforms, including The Guardian and Thrive Global, and has also appeared on CNN and BBC Worldwide as an authority on organizational culture, change management, and inclusion. Monica is the author of The Power of Wonder; The Extraordinary Emotion That Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, and Lead. This episode is going to blow your mind... Episode Highlights: Monica shares practical ways to find wonder, including taking a wonder walk, trying new things, and creating a wonder mindset through slow thought and gratitude practice (7:37) Monica mentions that authenticity directly enhances and is enhanced by wonder and is linked to humility, which boosts job satisfaction, engagement, motivation, and performance. (19:19) Monica discusses incentivizing

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Dawnyel Smink, President of Canyon Lands Insurance and Founder of Women In Insurance Sharing Empowerment (WIISE). They discuss mentoring done right and how to build the courage to be our very best. Episode Highlights: Dawnyel discusses her passion for empowering women in the insurance industry and how she started the Women In Insurance Sharing Empowerment (WIISE). (2:28) Dawnyel shares her strategy of making it easy to show appreciation and make a difference in people's lives by using cards with positive messages. (13:01) Dawnyel discusses various ways she shows appreciation to her team, clients, and agencies, including giving scholarships and challenges, and emphasizes the importance of knowing the love language of one's team. (18:42) Dawnyel explains how she helps people manage their personal and professional life by asking questions and giving them a planner. (34:36) Dawnyel encourages people not to take rejection person

The Second Rule of Business: Make Money

In this episode of Agents Influence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Kimi Donahue, Agency Success Manager at Openly. Episode Highlights: Kimi discusses her podcast, Metal Health, which focuses on mental health and heavy metal music. (0:34) Kimi mentions that she is an Agency Success Manager for Openly as well as a heavy metal musician. (3:45) Kimi discusses her transition from Agency Owner to Openly. (6:14) Kimi explains that Openly is an insurance tech company founded by insurance professionals who understand the needs of the insurance industry. (8:50) Kimi shares her experience running her "Everything Insurance" agency and the importance of finding a niche. (10:32) Kimi discusses the significance of setting expectations and providing feedback in a business partnership, and the challenges of implementing it. (17:48) Kimi believes that having hard conversations in both personal and professional relationships is essential. (20:19) Kimi discusses the advantages of role-playing and providing e

It's your fault. It's all your fault. Don't blame me and don't blame anyone else. You're building what you want to build so look in the mirror and own it. The size of your Book of Business is your own business but if you don't like what you're building then STOP AND BUILD SOMETHING ELSE.  In this throwback episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, Charles Specht will tell you what you need to do to stop thinking small, how to start thinking BIGGER, and what you need to change in order to achieve the new business revenue growth you want. Episode Highlights: Charles opens the episode by sharing with his listeners why he is angry. (1:39) Charles shares his experience with the two agents that he has encountered. (2:55) Charles mentions that sometimes you just have to take a step back and ask yourself, “What are you building?” (8:53) Charles talks about advising an agent to increase the size of the account that they ate prospecting. (12:36) Charles explains that he wants people to realize th