Michael Jans, Co-Founder, Agency Revolution, Principal, Michael Jans Advisory   In recent years we’ve seen a dizzying pace of change, a steady stream of new tech, and constant changes in consumer behavior. Against a backdrop like this, how should an agency grow in 2022?   Our podcast host, Michael Jans, dives into that very question and delivers 7 predictions for insurance marketing, including:    What fast-growth agencies are doing differently than average agencies How will the...

Jim Kouzes, WSJ Best-Selling Author, The Leadership Challenge Whether you’re recruiting talent or guiding your agency to new strategies, your business demands the clarity, vision, and direction of a strong leader. In this conversation, Jim Kouzes delivers straight talk to agency principals. Jim is the author of The Leadership Challenge, a WSJ Best-Seller and Fast Company’s Best Business Book of the year. Jim was declared one of the twelve best educators in the U.S.    In this eye-opening...

Nobody is a fan of the insurance application process, especially not your busy customers. Peter MacDonald, Cofounder, and CEO of Wunderite sees a better way to do things—where technology handles the heavy lifting to make life simpler for agents and customers alike.    In this robust discussion, Peter and Michael discuss:   How agencies can recruit and retain talent in a competitive job market What agents are doing now to simplify the application process Understanding the key...

Mike Mathisen, CEO, Owner, Colorado Insurance "I bought a small, $1.5 million premium book. We had an 85% retention rate. Now, we're pushing $100 million in premium with a 93% retention." Mike Mathisen, President, Colorado Insurance, made a few key, strategic decisions in the year 2000. 21 years and almost $99 million in new premium later, Mike looks back and shares key insights to the secrets of super-high Organic Growth:   The method Mike uses to keep his team focused on key growth...

Luis Pino, CEO, Founder, Agentero Many insurance agents push back on new technologies in fear of losing the human touch. Luis Pino, CEO & Founder of Agentero and former Analyst at McKinsey & Co., believes the right use of tech will do just the opposite, freeing you up for more human touches and supporting you where expertise is most needed.    Luis shares insights on the fast-moving world of agency distribution and technology:    How to use new tech to enhance the agent’s role...

Marc Petersen, President, American Advantage - Petersen Group How did Marc Petersen, President of American Advantage - Petersen Group, pull off such fantastic growth results? Most agencies do it by “hiring more producers,” but for this agency, the secret to success was a robust communication strategy.  In this revealing podcast discussion, Marc openly shares his strategy for rapid and reliable growth: Why building the right content for your audience changes everything Marc’s strategy for...

Agents who are serious about the growth of their agency need to know what the future looks like. And if anyone has a crystal ball, it would be Susanne Chishti. Editor of The Insurtech Book, CEO of FINTECH Circle, and Investment Week’s “Social Media Influencer of the Year,” Susanne is a leading insurtech investor, and winner of too many awards to list here.  In this robust conversation, Susanne shares her perspective on: What insurtech will likely look like in the near and midterm future...

The internet gave everyone a megaphone. Every business is a communications business, and the airwaves are full of noise, clamor, and confusion. How can your agency stand out from the crowd? To be the one your market listens to, respects, and follows? Michael Jans shares his journey for finding the answer with thought leadership marketing. Listen now to hear Michael share: The 4 building blocks of thought leadership marketing A step-by-step method to earn the attention that becomes...

Commercial lines producers know the desk can be chaos—making it harder to provide clients with a great experience without getting overworked. Erik Mitisek, CEO of Highwing believes he’s solving that problem with a multi-carrier and multi-line platform that slashes time and cuts out the confusion.  In this conversation, Erik shares his perspective on what today’s agency must know and do:  Why “the biggest currency is speed” and how agencies can move faster than their competitors with the...

Lucas Jans, VP, Product, Agency Revolution   Technology has been changing everything from consumer behavior to carrier strategy to agency operations. Lucas Jans, VP of Product at Agency Revolution, has been building tech solutions for insurance agencies for more than 20 years. With one of the industry’s largest tech teams, he oversees a constant stream of updates, product innovations, and new technologies with the goal of making tech useful and easy for agents to use.    In this...

Steve Lekas, Co-Founder, CEO, Branch Insurance   Branch Insurance has convinced some of the top investors that it’s cracked the code on “instant insurance” for independent agencies—and it’s convincing more and more consumers of the same. How? By asking fewer underwriting questions. Name and address don’t just get you a quote, it gets you one click from binding insurance.    In this episode, Branch Insurance Co-Founder and CEO shares insights and secrets on:   How public data is...

Whitney Norcup, COO, Columbia Insurance & Wealth Management   Whitney Norcup, COO of Columbia Insurance & Wealth Management tells the “before and after” story of her company. How they went from a small, stagnant agency trying to figure out the modern insurance landscape to a fast-growth agency with deeper customer relationships and a bright new future. When Whitney joined her family-run agency, she brought experience from outside the industry with her and was able to see different...

You might think your customer only wants the lowest price—but that isn’t the case for independent insurance agencies. Selling on price kills profits and brings bad customers. But when today’s customer hears about saving money on insurance all day long, how do you avoid selling on price?   On this episode we have one of the nation’s top pricing experts, Reed Holden, Founder and Coach at Holden Advisors and author of Pricing with Confidence: Ten Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table. With...

Jeff Hogue, Director - Insurance, Agent Sales, QuoteWizard    When the loan giant, Lending Tree, entered the insurance industry by acquiring QuoteWizard, they gained powerful data about how people shop for insurance. Last month, they received 1,000,000 online quotes, 50,000 inbound phone calls, and thousands of conversations with insurance agents.    Jeff Hogue, Director of Insurance and Agent Sales at QuoteWizard shares his unique perspective on:   The turbulence in the captive...

Anurag Shah, CEO, Co-Founder, Aureus Analytics   Anurag Shah, CEO and Co-Founder of Aureus Analytics has been studying how customers feel about their insurance providers. First with carriers around the globe, and most recently with independent insurance agencies. After processing management systems and interaction data across more than 60 million policyholders, Anurag has crafted a way to measure customer loyalty en masse and down to the individual level.    In this eye-opening podcast,...

Tom Super, Head of P&C Insurance, J.D. Power   Tom Super, Head of P&C Insurance at J.D. Power, returns to the podcast with the latest research and insights on the modern insurance consumer. The pandemic pushed already changing consumer expectations farther and faster than ever. Don’t let your agency fall behind the curve.    In this important discussion, Tom shares research on:   How the pandemic changed insurance shopping, and what’s different after one year Market...

Brad Ruben, President, Archway Computer   You may be surprised by some of the advice delivered by insurance technology and cybersecurity expert Brad Ruben, President of Archway Computer—but you may be more surprised by some of his predictions. Brad delivers practical advice every insurance agency principal and IT support person should listen to immediately.    Listen to this episode to learn:   Real examples of agencies that were struck by ransomware, and which actions would have protected...

When Zenefits ran into one of the largest compliance crises in the industry, they turned to Niji Sabharwal. He learned two important lessons. One—in his own words—brokers aren’t going anywhere. Two, they really need help with compliance. So a new insurtech was born. Rapid traction in the marketplace, $36 million in Series A funding, and 61 employees later, Niji, as CEO of AgentSync, sees a new wave of insurtech heading our direction.   Niji and podcast host Michael discuss:   Why agents and...

Jeffery Arnold, President, Rightsure Insurance Group In this podcast, President of Rightsure Insurance Group, Jeffery Arnold delivers practical advice based on real-world experience for a robust conversation that will open your eyes to modern insurance marketing.    Jeff and podcast host Michael discuss:   The three most important technologies to add to your agency How the role of agency leadership has changed in recent years How to be enabled and forward-thinking about tech without being...

In some niches, premiums are on the rise. Today’s agency principals and producers need a plan. For this discussion, podcast host Michael Jans turned to someone who spends his time in the midst of this turbulence. Former CEO of Bigfoot Insurance—one of the fastest growing MGA’s in the U.S.—and now a Managing Director for One80 Intermediaries, Martin Burlingame describes today’s insurance pricing as the perfect storm.    In this podcast, Martin pulls back the curtain on:    How the last four...

Scott Knowles, CEO, Modgic Scott Knowles, CEO of Modgic, works with commercial lines producers every day. His warning may be familiar—step up to the modern age of insurance—but his advice is practical and proven in the real world of commercial lines sales.    In this fast-paced podcast, Scott shares his insights on:   What “super-producers” do differently than most commercial lines producers How to get your prospects to focus on the long term when they think of your agency The simple method...

Tony Caldwell, Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO, One Agents Alliance   Why is Tony Caldwell’s new book, The UnCaptive Agent, a #1 Amazon new release and bestseller? Because it reveals his practical approach to success in the independent agency system. Tony moves over $500 million in premium and oversees 185 agencies in his network, OAA, and runs the largest master agency in SIAA.    In this conversation, Tony and podcast host Michael discuss:   The declining role of geography for independent...

Matt Masiello, CEO, Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance With $9.5 billion in premium, almost 5,000 agents in his network across 48 states, CEO of SIAA, Matt Masiello has a unique perspective on the independent agent. Matt might negotiate a multi-million dollar contract with a national carrier in the morning and advise a from-scratch mom-and-pop agency in the afternoon.    In this podcast, Matt shares his perspective on:   The shifting market share between the captive, direct, and independent...

As private equity firms flood the market, agency valuations are rising higher and higher. How can today’s agency principal take advantage of these conditions?   In this practical and informative podcast, Michael Mensch discusses how to navigate the turbulent and fast-moving acquisition market, and how agency principals can boost their valuation for the biggest payoff. Michael Mensch, President of Agency Brokerage Consultants, has assisted in over 200 M&A transactions and over 1000 agency...

Agents have dreamed of rich customer data for years. Alan Ringvald, CEO of Relativity6, is making that dream a reality. When you combine that data with artificial intelligence and automation, you protect customers better, keep them longer, and create deeper relationships.    In this discussion, Alan and podcast host Michael discuss:   How blending internal and external data reveals easily missed insights The critical aspects of the customer relationship agency management systems miss How good...