Behind the Shield - Shelter Insurance

Shelter has been refining its drone program since 2019. While the criteria for using drones is still very specific, it's made certain inspections safer and more efficient. The artificial intelligence gained from these drones is also leading Shelter into a new era of how inspections can be conducted.

The Training Department trains thousands of employees each year. But how are they keeping up with today's ever evolving business standards and practices. Two trainers join the podcast to talk about the department's more focused direction of the employee training and what opportunities are out there for you to grow as an employee and team member.

The Shelter Foundation is Shelter's way of giving back to the community in the form of scholarships and/or money to organizations. Guest host Ben Fowler talks with Foundation leaders to understand the details of the organization and why it continues to be an integral part of operations.

Volunteering at Shelter has always been a big component of the company. Our guest host dives in to find the reason why it's so important to Shelter and what the role of the Shelter Cares Committee has in finding those opportunities.

The Behind the Shield podcast is changing slightly, but still bringing you great stories from Shelter Insurance.

With Douglas Jones officially retired from Shelter Insurance, we take one last look at his time being the voice and face of the podcast. We listen to his best advice, best responses and even look at some of his funniest bloopers.

The Conference of Champions is an incentive trip for agents. Through sales and other metrics, the top producing agents each year get to go on an extravagant trip. VP of Marketing Frank Thompson talks about what it takes to get on the trip and how the trip isn't just about fun, it has a major business aspect to it. He also talks about the history of the trip of how the locations have evolved from going to St. Louis to now traveling to some of the most exotic locations in the world.

Before Shelter CEO Matt Moore retires, he sits down on the podcast one last time to talk about his career. He discusses his legacy at Shelter and talks about the legacies of past company presidents. He also dives into how some of those presidents shaped the company to create what we know today.

For Shelter's 75th Anniversary, the company once again sponsored a home build with Habitat for Humanity. The relationship between organizations has gone on for multiple decades and isn't stopping anytime soon. This episode talks about some major past projects, why the history of this partnership is important and how these projects actually help families in the community. Habitat and Shelter leaders also talk about what to expect with a home build and what it's like during the construction phase.

In order to help our customers, we need to be sound and secure on all aspects internally. The Law Department is a big part of making sure that happens. David VanDyke sits down to talk about how their work has changed over the years and what that means for the Law Department in protecting Shelter.

Everyone at Shelter is different in the best possible way. For Customer Services Representative Paul Burley, he's an elite wheelchair softball athlete. He plays with national and elite professional softball teams. He joins the podcast to talk about his upcoming trip to the Wheelchair Softball World Series and what it's like to be playing on the biggest stage in the sport.

Listen to even more stories and in-depth conversation with Shelter's Todd Gardner and Chad Stevens about how they handled the costliest tornado in the history of Shelter Insurance. 10 years ago, a tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri. Todd and Chad were there hours after the tornado hit the town and remained closely involved all the way through the rebuild. They reflect on sights and images they will never forget and talk about the experiences they had during those tough times. They also talk about how that storm also led to new ways of doing business that are now standard at Shelter.

It's been 10 years since the costliest tornado in the history of Shelter Insurance devastated Joplin, Missouri. Springfield Branch employees Todd Gardner and Chad Stevens were there hours after the tornado hit the town and remained closely involved all the way through the rebuild. They reflect on sights and images they will never forget and talk about the experiences they had during those tough times. They also talk about how that storm also led to new ways of doing business that are now standard at Shelter.

Almost everyone at Shelter has heard of Reinsurance, but do you really know what it does and who is part of it? Kelly Hanes and Ben Graf sit down on the podcast to break down what Reinsurance is, does, and who the people are that make it up. They also talk about some of their favorite stories while dealing with customers.

Communities of Practice may not be a term you're too familiar with, but it is one of the most effective and efficient ways of teamwork. At Shelter, CoP are bringing departments together to become efficient and on the cutting edge of their type of work. This form of collaboration ultimately saves time, money, and keeps everyone engaged in what they do everyday.

Do you think you speak well in front of an audience and come off as a leader? Even if your answer is yes, Toastmasters can make you even better. President Don Martindale talks about what Toastmasters is and how it can increase your chances of advancing your career. It is open to all agents, employees and retirees. The focus is on growing your skills and replacing doubt with confidence.

Arkansas RUS Darin Anderson joins the podcast to talk about how he's risen to find himself officiating track meets being shown on ESPN. He talks about where his love for track began and how he hopes to find himself as an official at the starting line of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Darin tells us while his track and Shelter worlds don't collide often, there have been cases where he's relied on experience in one to solve an issue in the other.

Technology is advancing faster than ever and the entire business world is trying to find ways to implement it to make products safer and more efficient. One of the up-and-coming forms is Blockchain Technology. Troy breaks down what it is, discusses things like cryptocurrency and smart contracts, and how this could be implemented at Shelter in the future.

The podcast's "Golden" episode talks about the Affiliate Agent program. Deidra Bryant, one of the most successful Affiliate Agents of all time, sits down and talks about why she loves being an affiliate agent. She tells us what she does and how affiliates can make an agency hit the next tier of production.

This episode was completely developed by you! Listeners sent in their gardening questions to the Shelter Insurance Superintendent of Grounds, Katrina Monnig. She gives tips and best practices of making your yard or plants look as nice as Shelter Gardens.

The newest area of Shelter is focused on Digital Strategy. The Behind the Shield podcast sits down with Associate Vice President of Digital Strategy, Matt Schwartz, to talk about what he's tasked at looking at and developing to make Shelter be even more successful in the future. Through things like identifying how our customers want to be contacted (like texting and e-sign), to billing, and taking everyday operations and improving them with technology, Schwartz is creating the blueprint to take Shelter deep into a new realm of business and win.

Daniel Boone Agency Manager Lance Kauffman talks about some intimate and special experiences that led him to Shelter Insurance and shaped how he approaches managing. These events and interactions were shaped by a few executives. After these conversations, he knew he was at the perfect company and a company he wanted to be at. One focused on caring, relationships, and valuing what everybody brings to the table.

Oklahoma agent Randall Baker talks with Brad and Douglas on the podcast about how he worked through the Cherokee Nation Work Experience Program to get one of his staff members, Royce Soap, working in his office. Randall and Royce openly talk about how this experience has created new opportunities for the office and Royce. They also discuss how working with work experience programs, like this, does not just help out an office, but it can change the course of someone's life for the better. You can see the picture of the calendar here: https://spotlight.shelterinsurance.com//ShelterPDFs.nsf/(PDFDOCAttach)/Calendar%20picture.jpg/$FILE/Calendar%20picture.jpg

Des Moines, Iowa, agent Joe Yamen talks with the podcast to explain how he "turned it around" after having a conversation with himself one day. He's gone on to become one of the top agents at Shelter. He dives into subjects like why his staff is key for him, how he keeps his staff happy, how he's become one of the top sellers of life insurance. But he also tells us he's not all about business because being involved in the community is just as important to him.

Shelter prides itself on being active in the communities it serves. It strives to not just be in the community, but help make it even better than it already is. Reinsurance Manager Chris Horn has taken that mantra and run with it. He finds himself volunteering his time on boards and organizations all across the Columbia, Mo area. He's exemplifying what it means to be part of Shelter Insurance.

In this uncut episode, our conversation goes even deeper with Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety President and CEO Roy Wright and Shelter EVP Rockne Corbin. The trends, the stories, and the experience is something you won't want to miss.

Shelter is a proud partner with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). EVP Rockne Corbin and IBHS President and CEO Roy Wright talk with the podcast to explain the trends agents and employees should be on the lookout for and how Shelter is using its knowledge and expertise to pave the way for homes to be safer. Link for SEC video described in podcast: https://vimeo.com/257936561/6a8a6a7c72

Oklahoma City agent Aaron Ruiz joins the podcast to talk about what's made him a five-time Oklahoma Agent of the Year. His aggressive goals and policy quoting has put him in an elite and prestigious category of Shelter agents. While he's an agent, his style of operations are applicable to all of the Shelter workforce.

Randa Rawlins, the newest president of Shelter Insurance, joins the podcast to talk about her visions for her tenure, what she wants to accomplish, and her thoughts on being the first woman holding this position.

We like to keep podcasts around 15 minutes, but this conversation had so much amazing information to not share. This is the uncut version of the conversation we had with Shelter Executive Vice President Dan Clapp and IIHS President David Harkey. Dan Clapp is the chairman of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety for 2021. Clapp and IIHS President David Harkey join the podcast to talk about what the IIHS is, how Shelter is utilizing the data from the Institute, and trends that will have effects on the insurance industry.

Shelter Executive Vice President Dan Clapp is the chairman of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety for 2021. Clapp and IIHS President David Harkey join the podcast to talk about what the IIHS is, how Shelter is utilizing the data from the Institute, and trends that will have effects on the insurance industry.

With the ability to move with speed and flexibility like never before, Shelter is implementing the Shelter Cloud Center of Excellence to find ways to utilize cloud based products with precision. What this means for the Shelter workforce is that it's going to help you do your job and get products to you faster. The group managing the Shelter Cloud Center of Excellence joins the podcast to give us the basics and what it means for you now and in the future.

Alexandria, Louisiana agent Ray Schrock talks about what he's done to make him one of the most successful agents at Shelter Insurance. He talks about business practices and what his "secret sauce" is to being successful.

Shelter Insurance is unlike many companies because it views each person as a valuable contributor rather than just an employee. This company wants to celebrate its employees and the accomplishments of each. The current platform used to nominate and highlight employees is outdated and run its course. With the work and feedback from employees, Shelter has developed a new appreciation platform to match exactly what employees want. Paul LaRose and Stacye Smith have overseen the entire project and stop by the podcast to give the details about what it is and how employees are going to love it.

It's not uncommon for there to be multi-generations of families working for Shelter. It's an amazing company with great benefits. However, there's something else attractive about Shelter. One family talks about what that is and why they're on their third generation of Shelter workers. This family ranges from employees to agents to retirees. You'll be amazed at how many members of their family is or has worked at Shelter.

If 2020 has taught us anything about Shelter, it's that even in a year with losses, Shelter is as strong as ever. There are many reasons for that and one of the largest is that we are a mutual company. Shelter Reinsurance employee Lisa Gardi has presented on the benefits of being a mutual company at several conferences and talks on the podcast about what it means to be a mutual company and the benefits it brings to not just business, but to its workforce too.

Shelter's workforce is diverse with expertise, experience, and background. Every agent and employee has a unique story about how they got to Shelter and Jeff Jacke from the Topeka Branch is no different. He talks about how his life and career has been shaped by him being a Division 1 college athlete. He still uses the things he learned then to excel in his career today.

Terri Stambaugh with the Life Company gives details on the development of its new system. This system will set Life up for the future by making agents and employees more efficient and have the ability for real-time information. It's definitely considered a game-changer.

Barbara Trachsel joins the podcast to talk about her idea about what an internal social media network could do for employees and agents at Shelter. She breaks down personal stories how at a previous job the internal network helped people in a tough situation and also how it helped create even more of a community feel to the company. She knows that could be the same for Shelter.

A group of recently hired Shelter Insurance workers talk about their great ideas to keep the top talent coming to the company by changing the hiring process. These ideas led them to being chosen as winners of a contest focused on improving the future of Shelter. You can see their video submission to the contest here: https://youtu.be/D3vYIoWTmbA

We've all seen the School House Rock about how a bill becomes law. But what's happening behind the scene to persuade lawmakers to debate, favor, and pass that bill? That's where Shelter's Vice President of Government Relations comes into the picture. Brian Waller joins the podcast to talk about what he does, how he handles 21 different state legislatures and talks about how he determines what issues he addresses. You'll also be surprised at what it takes to get a bill passed.

The entire Shelter Insurance Travel Department joins the podcast to shine light on how what they do is mission critical to helping get people in position to put the world back together after devastating storms. They also give expert tips for when to book your trips.

Sharita Sims talks on the podcast about being the furthest branch away from the home office and how they're able to maintain a home office typ of environment by doing super creative employee engagement events. We also hear an amazing story about how Shelter adjusters make a difference in people lives and how happy insureds are after dealing with our employees.

As the unpredictable days of COVID-19 continue, agents are starting to notice new trends with customers. Columbia, Missouri agent Mitch Theede joins the podcast to talk about what some of those trends are and what he and other agents are doing to keep up.

The podcast sits down with one of the few areas of Shelter that have their hand in almost every department in the company, the Graphics team. Stacey Taylor and Teresa Flippin talk about everything they do and how it has Shelter on the forefront of something that could revolutionize the department.

For the silver edition episode, we take a look at some things like conversations that stuck out, the pickle debate, and what's to come.

Shelter Board of Directors member Baker Kurrus talks with us about what it's like being on the board and how they approach Shelter business.

Former company photographer and journalist joins the podcast to talk about why Shelter became independent of MFA and change from MFA Insurance to Shelter Insurance.

Rick McVeigh, Director of General Services and fountain historian, joins the podcast to talk about the history of the iconic fountain in front of the home office building. You can watch a 1966 film about the planning and construction of the original fountain here: https://vimeo.com/442048433

Having children and parents working together at Shelter isn't an uncommon thing. The mother-daughter combo of Cheree and Cherish Walton sit down to talk about what it's like having your child work in the same company and what it was like growing up around Shelter.

The Behind the Shield podcast talks about one of the with the most iconic spots, not just on Shelter's Home Office campus, but in Columbia and Mid-Missouri, Shelter Gardens. Superintendent of Grounds, Katrina Monnig, talks about what it takes to keep everything looking incredible. You can see the original video that talks about the planning and construction of the Gardens here: https://vimeo.com/437946663