Podcasts about agency nation

On this special Women's History Month edition of Agency Nation, host Avery Moore, President ECI Insurance in Edmonton, Oklahoma, and a member the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee, leads a discussion with remarkable leaders who've carved their own paths in the independent agency system. Joining the conversation are Michelle Middleton, president of Berkley Mid-Atlantic Insurance Group; Patience Noah, Principal/Owner of Patience Noah Insurance in Framingham, Massachusetts; and Jamie Bowden, personal lines agency growth coach at Agents United and chair of Utah Insurance Agents' Women in Insurance Committee. Together, they share their origin stories, challenges and the lessons learned along the way. From starting agencies right out of college to navigating leadership roles in established companies, these women reveal the grit and grace it takes to succeed in a male-dominated industry. Dive into candid conversations about the complexities of agency ownership, the importance of mentorship, and the unfiltered realities of work-life balance. Hear firsthand how these leaders embrace vulnerability, face their fears and find empowerment in taking bold, sometimes uncomfortable steps toward growth. "Success is easy—it's the fear of failure that gets really hard," says Middleton. “It keeps you from trying. And that's where we've got to be able to feel more confident to just jump off and know that you're going to work really hard.” “And if we start to fail, you're going to pivot and change something, embodying a lot of courage to do something different,” she adds. Whether you're a seasoned professional or aspiring to step into leadership, tune in for insights, inspiration and a sense of community for women aiming to make their mark in the insurance industry and beyond. 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 Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit https://www.iamagazine.com/podcasts.

Members of the Big “I” National Young Agents Committee partners with Trusted Choice to share information about the hard market as part of a special bonus series on Agency Nation radio. Guests Adam Risman, Commercial Risk Advisor at Risman Insurance, and Haley Meisner, SVP of Independent Agency Distribution Strategy at Liberty Mutual, went behind the microphone to talk about the importance of relationships between agencies and carriers. This discussion, moderated by Cassandra Koegel, a member of the National Young Agents Committee, focused on how the hard market has impacted agents and carries across the country. This conversation provided some perspective from the agent-side and carrier-side with today's current landscape in the marketplace. Discussion centered around changes with submissions, communications with pre-submissions, changes from carrier requirements, and adaptions that have been made to submissions to meet carrier requirements. “Agents rely on carriers for placement. They are the supplier, at the end of the day, the underwriting paper. So, it's so important that we realize that reliance on one another and we're partnering together and get out of this successfully. Communication is one thing, but what is in that communication? Education is key right now,” Meisner said. During this session, Risman and Meisner both shared their approaches to handling conversations on different sides of the industry. Risman said, “You have to be in constant contact with your carriers, with your marketing reps, with everyone on that side. I think it's just so important to have that mutual understanding and be able to make it a seamless process, but without over-communicating, without learning and educating ourselves on both sides, it just won't happen.” 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 Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. -------------------------------------------------------------- Cassandra Koegel https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-koegel-cisr-ains-ailp-mlis-b2329390/ Adam Risman https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-risman-clcs-ba218172/ Haley Meisner https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-smith-meisner-41535080/

Ever had a lightbulb moment that shifted how you approach your business? That's what we're unpacking today, the seismic shift inbound marketing can create for insurance agencies.✅ Join the Insurance Growth Masterclass: https://masterclass.insure✅ For daily insights and ideas on peak performance: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_hanley/✅ Hire me to speak at your next event: https://ryanhanley.com/speaking** More about this episode **I bring my journey to the table, sharing my days at the Murray Group to my current insights as Chief Marketing Officer at TrustandChoice.com and Agency Nation. We dissect the rise of 'closers', the unsung heroes in converting inbound leads, and why their existence marks a pivotal turn from aggressive selling to strategic closing. Embrace the nuances of this transformative role and discover how answering client questions can lead to a trust so deep that it practically sells your policies for you.Real-life stories are the heart of this session, like the one about Virginia from Clifton Park, whose inquiry became an eye-opening testament to the power of content marketing. And let's not forget the contractor whose life was changed by a workers' compensation video.These narratives cement that addressing specific needs can spark organic growth and solidify lasting client relationships. As we wrap up, I sincerely thank our community and urge you all to lean into the Inbound methodologies.For those who dare to adapt, the next decade promises many opportunities. So, tune in, join the conversation, and let's chart the course to a thriving future in the insurance space.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever had a lightbulb moment that shifted how you approach your business? That's what we're unpacking today, the seismic shift inbound marketing can create for insurance agencies. ✅ Join the Insurance Growth Masterclass: https://masterclass.insure ✅ For daily insights and ideas on peak performance: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_hanley/ ✅ Hire me to speak at your next event: https://ryanhanley.com/speaking ** More about this episode ** I bring my journey to the table, sharing my days at the Murray Group to my current insights as Chief Marketing Officer at TrustandChoice.com and Agency Nation. We dissect the rise of 'closers', the unsung heroes in converting inbound leads, and why their existence marks a pivotal turn from aggressive selling to strategic closing. Embrace the nuances of this transformative role and discover how answering client questions can lead to a trust so deep that it practically sells your policies for you. Real-life stories are the heart of this session, like the one about Virginia from Clifton Park, whose inquiry became an eye-opening testament to the power of content marketing. And let's not forget the contractor whose life was changed by a workers' compensation video. These narratives cement that addressing specific needs can spark organic growth and solidify lasting client relationships. As we wrap up, I sincerely thank our community and urge you all to lean into the Inbound methodologies. For those who dare to adapt, the next decade promises many opportunities. So, tune in, join the conversation, and let's chart the course to a thriving future in the insurance space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Agency Nation radio podcast, the Big “I” Young Agents and Trusted Choice are teaming up to bring you the first episode in a special hard market bonus series. Guests Cash McMillen, National Young Agents Committee member and Vice President at the Cashion Company, and Patricia Clawson, CEO of Clawson Insurance and member of the Florida Young Agents Council, talk about renewals in the current marketplace. In their conversation, moderated by Taylor Hendrickson, Director of the Young Agents Council at the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, and member of the Big “I” National Young Agents Committee, McMillen and Clawson discuss some of the challenges they have faced in their agencies with renewals due to the hard market. They dive into how they have managed rate increases and created renewal timelines. They also focus conversation on some of the challenges with property valuations and remarketing accounts. Clawson, when talking about how to communicate rate increases to customers said, “We want proactive, intentional communication throughout the year, not just when the renewal offer has been issued. So, we don't want the first time our client has heard from us all year to be when we are presenting them with a renewal offer. So, what we've been trying to do is utilize these opportunities for proactive communication to educate our insurers on how we got here in the first place.” This session provides helpful information on how to handle renewal conversations – with customers, carriers, and state insurance departments – and resources to do so. As part of this bonus series, the Young Agents recommend the Trusted Choice Hard Market Toolkit as a valuable resource that includes a remarketing checklist, renewal preparation forms, and other materials that can help with these conversations. 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 Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Download the Trusted Choice Hard Market Toolkit https://lp.independentagent.com/hardmarket Meet the Guests Taylor Hendrickson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-hendrickson-6433b136/ https://www.faia.com/yac Cash McMillen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cash-mcmillen-cic-a6a17532/ www.cashionco.com; https://www.bigiarkansas.com/Education Patricia Clawson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-clawson-hamilton-b2b61956?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app www.clawsoninsurance.com

This is not your typical “On Point” episode. Veteran podcaster Joey Giangola with RPS and formerly with Agency Nation drops in to interview yours truly about his chosen … Read More » The post Joey G Turns the Tables on Peter vA appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

This is not your typical “On Point” episode. Veteran podcaster Joey Giangola with RPS and formerly with Agency Nation drops in to interview yours truly about his chosen … Read More » The post Joey G Turns the Tables on Peter vA appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

John Bachmann, vice president of client relations, Norwood Insurance, Groveland, Massachusetts, sits down with Olivia Overman, Big “I” content editor on this edition of Agency Nation Radio's Declaration of Independents to talk about building relationships. Not just with clients, but with carrier representatives and claims teams. Establishing these relationships helps agents better understand policies and how to best support clients. “Insurance is a people business and I love developing those relationships. I worked in the claims field for the first 17 years of my insurance career and some of the worst conversations I've ever had have been telling people they don't have coverage. Now, I can prevent those conversations from happening,” says John. John is known as a claims leader, author of “Successful Adjuster's Playbook: The Secret Skills for Providing the Best Claim Experience” and a self-professed insurance nerd. He started consulting and speaking in different venues all over the country, mostly with an audience of independent agents, but it was the coronavirus pandemic that put everything into perspective for John—that's when he joined Norwood Insurance Agency. 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 Agency Nation radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbachmann/ https://www.norwoodinsurance.com/

A conversation with agency owner Jana Foster and Progressive's Karen Bailo Creating an organizational culture where employee perspectives are valued, and staff feels part of something bigger fosters an environment where individuals and the organization flourish. Jana Foster owner of Nevada Insurance Agency Company and chair of the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee sits down with Karen Bailo, commercial lines president, Progressive to talk organizational culture, inclusion, and the importance communication and supporting the personal development of staff. Karen is what Progressive calls a “lifer. ” She's been in the business for more than 32 years, starting as a service representative, moving onto many analytical roles and eventually leading the independent agency channel. Now, Karen leads the fast-growing commercial business as commercial lines president. “People are it for us, we know that our people are our most powerful asset as a company. Without our customer service teams and claims organization, all of our sales organizations, without our agents--we wouldn't have a business. Progressive creates an environment where people feel valued and engaged and part of something special, ” says Karen. On this edition of Agency Nation Radio, hear Karen's insurance origin story and glean insights from Progressive's tested practices to help you create an inclusive, growth-minded agency culture. 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 Agency Nation radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Have a story to tell? Contact Susan Bonner, AVP marketing and communications. mailto:susan.bonner@iiaba.net Learn more about Karen and Progressive at Progressive.com LinkedIn: Jana Foster https://www.linkedin.com/in/jana-schellin-foster-969667b1/ Karen Bailo https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-bailo-a162138/

Host Kevin Brandt hosts this one with guests: Chaundra Monday – Product Manager, Progressive Chris Ziance – Business Leader of Government Affairs, Progressive Robert Gordon – Sr. Vice President of Policy, Research & International, American Property Casualty Insurance Association Risk-based pricing. It's a method used by insurers to set policy prices. But what rating variables are used and is risk-based pricing really the best tool to predict future losses? It's a hot topic in insurance, but what does it really mean for the industry…and consumers? Our team of industry experts walks host Kevin Brandt through the whys and how it all works and explains where agents fit into the model and how it impacts them too. Join Chris Ziance, business leader of government affairs with Progressive Insurance; Chaundra Monday, project manager with Progressive; and Robert Gordon, senior vice president of policy, research, and international with the American Property & Casualty Insurance Association for this informative and interesting discussion. And before you click to get started, Agency Nation wants to share some fun facts about our guests!  When they aren't talking actuarial science, this group has eclectic hobbies and stories of their own. Chris has run 39 marathons or ultramarathons in 33 states!  Chaundra is a huge fan of comedic true crime podcasts. And Robert has a long history on Capitol Hill. The first legislation he worked on as a committee counsel in the US House of Representatives was an insurance anti-redlining bill back in the early 1990s. You won't want to miss all their insights!  

Insurance Industry Can Lead on DEI Solutions   Do you recall the early days of the insurance industry's response with EPLI, D&O, and other emerging risks and coverages? Well, we are witnessing a vast new risk area with diversity and inclusion insurance. The industry can play a huge role as both an employer and risk taker. Moreover, there is a new standard (ISO 30415) that offers a measured way to assess and reduce risk and price coverage. The angles are everywhere; cyber risk, for example, increases rapidly with unhappy workers. Our guest James Felton Keith is at the very nexus of these developments, using his insurance expertise to make a difference. James joins Agency Nation radio with host Peter van Aartrijk to walk us through these developments and the strategic opportunity for agents, brokers and carriers in a new field, which goes well beyond the HR department!

Watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EDn5Mn31_e0  Agency Nation Facebook Group moderator Olivia Schmitt interviews Dr. Billy Williams, president of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring and the senior instructor of the renowned “Fix My Insurance Agency” Best Practices Process Implementation Workshop. Key Points during the interview 3:17 – What an Insurance policy really provides is 3 buckets of money to an insurance client 9:00 - Why he uses 5th graders and senior citizens to help understand how to communicate with insurance agents 11:00 - What an insurance agent can do to control emotional decisions 19:00 - How to structure a good meeting and training session 27:32 - The 3 elements that establish the culture of an insurance agency 35:00 - What an agency leader should do right after watching or listening to this interview 55:00 - How Google testimonials can keep a customer on the books 3 times longer And much, much more!  

This is one of those moments you just have to put your head down and do something a lot longer than you think. Because one thing is for sure, it's not for a lack of ideas or suggestions, rather focus and execution. It's easy to suggest, it's easy to listen, it's easy to consume and it's certainly easy to get distracted. There aren't special (see better) ideas waiting around the next corner, there are just different ones. That's why I wanted to start one of your last Monday's of 2018 off with a little reminder of what you already have. P.S. If I followed this advice I'd tell you not to subscribe to the Agency Nation newsletter, but there's always an exception to the rule.

Starts with telling a story very few people hear to help understand insurance. The underwriting process is arguably the most important part of insurance no one knows about. Having the ability to look deeper at the whole story could dramatically change the current process. Because currently, very few people are able or willing to tell it. That's what I talk to Amber Wuollet, of Explore Insurance, about as she shares her experience starting the conversation. P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter starts plenty of these conversations.

It's easy to dismiss and even easier to want to control, but given the proper freedom can be effective. That's really the default reaction most people have when it comes to allowing personal brands to develop inside an agency. Those concerns are usually masked in the form of Facebook pages and separate websites. However, if properly supported and coordinated your agency can take advantage of the most relevant prospecting real estate. That's a question I answer today as we look at "a problem" one agency is having deciding what to with agent's and their Facebook pages. P.S. Have you joined the Agency Nation newsletter yet? (Personal Brands Encouraged)

Sometimes the best insurance conversations happen over lunch and cover every major topic in the industry. You never know what pleasant surprises you'll find when you start shaking the way you do things up. That's exactly what the Westfield team discovered when they embarked on a dramatic transformation of their campus. Teams are working more efficiently and closely together than ever as they transition to an "office-less" environment. In addition to that, they are also pushing the envelope when it comes to uncovering new and innovative technology in the industry. These are just a few of the topics we casual discuss with Westfield CEO Ed Largent, Chief Distribution Officer Craig Welsh, and Distribution Specialist Leader Chris Cline over lunch at the Westfield Country Club. P.S. Join the Agency Nation newsletter for the all the extra insurance goodness.

How to Form Business Habits that Get the Results You Want! It starts with identifying the trigger for your desired action. You also need to have a pretty good idea of what you want your desired outcome to be. Once you've got that figured out, then you have to decide if there's enough craving for the desired result to motivate you and your team or is there a fear of repercussion that will keep everyone focused on the desired result? When you really get down to it, good business habits end up becoming well-established processes. On this Podcast, Joey G from Agency Nation interviews Dr. Billy Williams about creating effective business habits.

Flood Insurance could be the hidden insurance treasure your agency has been looking for. Very few agents sell it and a lot of the right people need it. Even if you want nothing to do with selling a flood policy, there are plenty of other specializations you can find. It's leaning in, not pushing away the specific knowledge required to be at the top of your game. Sydney Roe sat down with Chris Greene, of Flood Insurance Guru, to figure out what he was doing to keep flood business flowing. P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter has value no one else does.

The traditional answer is a lot less than you might actually think. In a producer-driven world, most of the time they are forced to carry a heavy load in the agency. That load can sometimes include everything from start to finish involved with a policy. Of course, there are plenty of producers that have dominated their market doing everything. However, in a more specialized world, that producers might be better off being one of four people involved in the process. That's what I sat down with Toni Jones, of Palomar Insurance, to count how many people they have in on the action. P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter is waiting to help you sell more policies.

It's challenging to break out of traditional agency dynamics and create an insurance rockstar mindset. There are very few agencies that feel like they are the cool kids of the industries and can aggressively do things differently. However, embracing the power and freedom that's possible when you face your creative fear is staggering. That creativity allows you to start relationships in the place people are looking for them the most. That's what I talk to Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group, about how his agency approaches their opportunity. P.S. Unlock your creative potential by joining the Agency Nation newsletter.

Is never easy to handle but always exciting to see what happens on the other side. As you probably already heard, Ryan Hanley is moving on from Agency Nation to pursue other opportunities. So we did one of the things we do best here at Agency Nation and turned the microphones on to talk about it. Today I was joined by Sydney Roe and Chip Bacciocco to discuss the future of Agency Nation as Sydney and I prepare to take this amazing community in an exciting new direction. P.S. A lot of the future happens here.

That's generally the level of appreciation you receive when the relationship starts in the right place. Every insurance agent has started a conversation with "I know you're busy, but I just need a moment of your time." What if you could completely turn the tables and have a prospect say to you, "Thank you, I know you're busy, but could I have a minute of your time? I need your help with my insurance problem." What a magical insurance world that would be to live in to be appreciated that much for who you are and what you do. That's exactly what can happen if you #DoTheWork and allow everyone on-demand access to your insurance brain. This is the first 20 minutes of a recent presentation I gave to the Alabama Young Agents to help them hear thank you more often. P.S. There's plenty more amazing nuggets like this inside the Agency Nation newsletter, subscribe here.

The answers is probably already sitting in your agency, you're just not paying enough attention to it. Not to mention it might take a lot longer than you want or need it to. Regardless of what you might think, there's not much difference between an average high-net-worth account and a plain old personal lines account. The only difference is your mindset you have about which one you can get. That's what I talked to Kurt Thoennessen, of Ericson Insurance Advisors, about how he does and the cool new tool he developed to make life easier. Connect with Kurt Here: LinkedIn RiskRevu P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter is the place to be, but you already knew that.

Sometimes it's good to know if you're keeping up with the best of the best. But, just because you are now doesn't mean it's going to stay that way forever. Because there comes a time during every agency's growth where the potential is challenged. It's how that potential is handled and transitioned that has a good chance to separate you from the pack. That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callahan and Rice Insurance, about as he questions the longevity of his growth. P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter can certainly extend the growth you're looking for.

It's real easy to talk yourself into thinking you talk too much about insurance. The truth is, it's what you do best and it's really hard to give people too many facts about it. However, one thing that usually goes dramatically overlooked is your ability to tell an emotional story all the way to the sale. It's always dangerous to play with emotions, but highly rewarding if executed properly. That's what I talked to Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about as she starts to questions her factual approach. P.S. Things get a little emotion from time to time on the Agency Nation newsletter, you should come hug it out with us.

Because if they do, they're not really sure what they'll get. That uncertainty is what needs eliminated for any progress to be made. More work has to be done, language changed and expectations elevated (get it). Once they are it becomes a lot more exciting to see what happens next. In order to get there, a detailed process needs to be established from the beginning. They only question is if you're able put all the pieces in the right place. Original Extended Version: No One Wants to Request a Quote P.S. We talk about a lot of those details inside the Agency Nation newsletter.

When you run a lean, mean scratch digital agency like Erin Nutting, you have no choice. It's by embracing the advanced systems (and automation) at every turn that will make your life easier. It's everything from managements systems to the process behind video proposals. If these tools are deployed at the right time in your agency insurance gets a lot cooler. Connect with Erin here: Integrity Insurance Services LinkedIn P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter isn't a bad place to start either.

If it's not great there's a really good chance your new customers will never want to do business with you again. Joey Coleman took the stage at Elevate 2018 to show everyone just how powerful that short amount of time can be for your business. Your only chance is to be obsessed with your agencies on-boarding process to constantly reaffirm their decision. The less you do the more fear and anxiety you allow to creep in and take control of the next buying decision they have to make. Check out Joey's Book: Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days Connect With Joey here: joeycoleman.com LinkedIn P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter can make at least half of those 100 days better. 

You might have no clue just how easy it is to make sure that never happens. All you have to be willing to do is say something (anything) about them before they do about you. That shouldn't be that hard because it's certainly an idea that 99 percent of businesses are uncomfortable with. However, once you realize just how powerful it is and how little you have to say, there's a good chance you accept it. That's what I talked to Sean Halpin, of MJH Insurance, about as he tries to iron out the wrinkles in his competition grabbing strategy. P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter will help you stay far away from your competition, you should try it.

There comes a point in every agency where the things you have to do prevent you from doing what needs to be done. It's this disproportionate balance of activities that usually leads to burnout and despair. Let's be honest, there's a reason you made it this far in this industry and rarely does it have anything to do with those nagging tasks. Now you're faced with the challenge of making sure they get done consistently every month but still leave you time to do what you want. That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about as he contemplates the work he might not have to do anymore. P.S. There's plenty of efficiency and growth happening inside the Agency Nation newsletter, come see for yourself.

Our superpower is that we give a sh*t. It's cool to care about making this industry and the people that operate in it better. If we don't, then we're not giving ourselves the best chance to survive the constant attacks on how we help people protect what matters. It's this caring and protection that makes the industry special and the one thing that will always be extremely difficult to replace. It's the individual examples of caring inside the industry that need to be highlighted to motivate everyone to do their best work. This is the message Ryan Hanley shared from the stage in front of over 650 people to kick of Elevate 2018. P.S. There's a lot of caring happening inside the Agency Nation newsletter, you should join.

It's hard to bring value that rarely has a chance to return. Even if you believe in "giving without the expectation of reciprocation" at some point someone has to give if back. Sometimes, if you're stretched too thin, you won't be able to put them in the right place. That's what a talk to Jared Bellmund, of Carolina Living Insurance, about as he tries to see what fits. P.S. Did you know the Agency Nation newsletter fits everytime, Join right here. 

It's easy to get caught up with what you think an agency your size should be doing. When in reality, there's very few limits you can/should put on it from a marketing position. You'll never be able to identify the growth opportunities you currently have. That's what I talk to Landon Bentham, of Callaghan and Rice Insurance got things moving just enough. P.S. There's plenty of growth happening on the Agency Nation newsletter.

This is why a handful of agents showed up to Elevate 18 and what they hope will happen because they did. I corned nine agents from across the country (and Canada) to figure out what needs to happen to grow. It doesn't matter if it's video marketing or finding accountability, if you're in the right room it shouldn't matter. I talked with so new and old insurance friends to find out who they are and why they came to Elevate 18. P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter Elevates all your skills.

Some insurance products are harder to sell than others.  Is it your job to convince someone they want and need this coverage, or is that a realization they have to come to on their own? It's hard to say because being in the convincing business isn't a whole lot of fun. Instead, insurance magic happens when someone has an understanding and appreciation for the thing you're selling and needs expert guidance finding it. That's just one of the few things I talk to Christopher Cook, of Alliance Insurance Services, about during his recent visit to Cleveland. P.S. There should be no convincing needed to join the Agency Nation newsletter because you're already on it, right?

You have a much better chance for a consistent message to get delivered. It's in this message that helps your agency figure who their talking to and where their going to do it. However it becomes a more challenging task if your brand has to take a back seat to something else. Giving it the power and freedom to will automatically set you apart. That's what I talk about with Peter van Aartrijk as he delivers a mini state of the union on your brand. Grab a copy of Peter's new book.  P.S. The Agency Nation news letter is certainly boss worthy.

At some point you're going to need to figure out what someone needs to hear from you to get their attention. It doesn't matter if you're new to content creation or have been doing it for years, everyone runs out of ideas. But that can't slow you down, momentum is the only thing that will bring them back. It's even better anytime the idea making is built into the content creation process. That makes it so much easier to ensure you'll always have something to talk about when you need it. That's what to talk Avery Moore, of ECI Insurance, about as she tries to figure out the best way to pull them to the surface. P.S. We can't even count all the ideas on the Agency Nation newsletter.

Joseph D'Souza is making sure Artificial Intelligence understands the things you shouldn't be doing. We've been fending off the InsurTech hype for years, sifting through pretty comparative raters and unwanted interfaces. The hope in tolerating this hype is that something will finally find a way to change the game for good. Out of all the InsurTech hopefuls out there trying, ProNavigator is one of the few companies willing to be just as practical as they are revolutionary with the problems they'er solving. If you think processing car change requests is the type of "human value" people want in their customer experience, that might not work out well in the long run. Joseph and the whole ProNavigator team are just getting started because their AI never stops learning and making your job easier. Connect With Pat and Encompass here: ProNavigator Joseph D'Souza on LinkedIn P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter has a reputation for making your job easier, promise.

It might be overused and hard to imagine if you've never experienced it at a high level, but it all come down to leadership. That's the only thing capable of driving any lasting evolution inside a company. Especially one as ridge and by the book as an insurance company. Until that's solved, it's hard for anything else to consistently move in the right direction. That's exactly what Pat Macellaro, President of Encompass Insurance, wants to accomplish for the company. He's looking to do that by building a foundation for growth. He's building that foundation by having the right people, putting them in position to succeed and controlling their overall rate stability. Those are just a handful of things Ryan talks with him about as they walk down the path of where the carrier is today and where they want to be in the future. Connect With Pat: Encompass LinkedIn P.S. There's lots of growth happening inside the Agency Nation newsletter.

For so long traditional insurance agencies were made up of the same type of people that did the same type of things. Everything is up for grabs now, not just the way you interact and attract your customers, but the people that will help you do it. Who are where these people are can become complete game changers for the way an agency operates. Gone are the days of everyone having to file into one building to That's what I wanted to talk to Andy Priesman, of Greenway Insurance, about to figure out what he was doing to make it happen. P.S. Most of the best people are on the Agency Nation newsletter, just click here to join them.

Most of the time, it's going to be much longer than we think. However, that shouldn't stop us from identifying the vulnerabilities a niche or segment of the industry faces. That forces you to drill down into a type of business and understand what might make it standout over others. If you can figure out what that thing is you'll be able to exploit it's rarity to find more like it and hold off the computers even longer. That's what I talked to Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance Group, to see if one of his new accounts might be the key. P.S. If you join the Agency Nation newsletter you'll definitely be the first to know when the computers get here.

Believe it or not, the average American spends two hours a day looking at social media on their smart phone. The number one job of your marketing is to get attention when it matters most? Winning those moments that matter will constantly give your agency the push to get over that hill. Luckily you don't have to do it alone because trying to understand the world of mobile advertising isn't something that every agency needs. Ryan sat down with Gregory Bailey, CEO and Founder of Denim, about exactly how timely his message deliveries are. Connect With Gregory: Denim LinkedIn P.S. The Agency Nation newsletter delivers more moments that matter than anyone else.

If you're not, the good news is it's never too late to do something about it. Not only is it about how you're getting it, but who's showing up as a result. You dramatically increase the enjoyment of your insurance life if those people genuinely want to buy what you're selling. Because, let's be honest, we've all had more than a few clients who never valued their insurance policy. That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dapazo & Associates, about how he found happiness. P.S. Jumping on the Agency Nation newsletter would be the happiest thing you did for your inbox in a long time.

The industry faces a lot of challenges, how we treat each other shouldn't be one of them. We both really want the same thing to happen, which makes it amazing we've been at odds as much as we have. Honestly, it's not that bad, but there's certainly plenty of work to be done across the board to turn down those stereotypes. If we can we might be able to hear what the generation who needs to embrace it wants. That's what I rounded up the entire InsNerds team of Nick Lamparelli, Tony Canas and Carly Burnham, to talk about how everyone can get a long. P.S. The first thing everyone should do is get on the Agency Nation newsletter.

It's really hard to stop everything and make sure the things you thought were important still are. That's exactly what we're doing today as we approach the half way point of 2018. Right before the start of the year I asked two super awesome (maybe even rock star) agents what sat atop their goal this for 2018. Now it's time to cash that check and see if there's enough left to justify the rest of the year. I wrangled up Rob McCarthy, of GRBM Insurance and Woody Brown, of The Rhoads Group to see how the years going so far. P.S. Jumping on the Agency Nation newsletter is something that can happen anytime and the of the year will thank you for.

If it's not getting done fast enough, there's nothing wrong with going out there and taking it. Your agency will ultimately depend on the speed of adoption and ease of integration the industry may or may not provide. If that's an uncomfortable feeling and a position your agency doesn't want to be in, then it might be time to force the issue. That's what Ryan sat down to talk with Jeff Roy, of Excalibur Insurance in Canada, to find out just exactly how envelops he's pushing. Connect With Jeff: LinkedIn Excalibur Insurance P.S. Try the Agency Nation newsletter, it will certainly grow on you.

It's certainly not an easy thing to do, especially if you're running your own one person scratch agency. Your path to insurance success is going to look completely different from everyone else you know. But the one thing that will be the same no matter what you do is your ability to consistently do the work. If that doesn't happen, you'll never find the success your looking for within the industry. That's what I called my friend Melissa Schreur, of InsureTheHeroes.com, to talk about finding hers. P.S. Missing out on the Agency Nation newsletter is like missing free ice cream.

It triggers a ripple effect far beyond just your immediate pain. Either they don't know, or they don't care. I'm not sure which one is worse. But that's the feeling you get when you realize your one of your insurance companies is only looking out for themselves. It's certainly an experience your clients should never be apart of, however are still very much at risk. That's what I talk to Nancy Nicklow, at Huff Insurance, about her unfortunate underwriting snafu. P.S. Signing up for the Agency Nation newsletter could be the best decision you'll ever make. #FriendsForLife

It's certainly a possibility you shouldn't underestimate. The faster and easier things get the hard it becomes for you to add value. Of course, there's plenty there, but you have to be looking in the right places to find it. Otherwise you'll be left by yourself having a conversation no one is willing or interested to have. That's what I talked with Justin Fowler, Founder of Ninja Rater, about his fear of going direct. P.S. If you want a way to suppress that fear on a weakly basis, get on the Agency Nation newsletter and save yourself a panic attack.

There's just a few question you need to answer before you jump head first into a new commercial niche. The first one is figuring out if you speak their language well enough to sell insurance the way they understand. The next one is if the average annual premium will generate enough commission to make sure you keep the lights on. Finally, you've got to have enough insurance companies who actually want to take the business you bring to them. These are the questions Ryan Anderson, of Alliance Insurance Group, is asking himself about his new niche. P.S. If you really want to know what's going with insurance, Agency Nation and life in general our newsletter can help.