You might not realize it, but it's pretty important to be aware of how many hats you wear in your agency.  If you're not, it becomes that much harder to eventually get someone else to wear it.  Then you find yourself stuck in an endless, lopsided cycle of work-life balance that leads nowhere.  Maybe all it takes is to remove one or two hats a little sooner than you think.  Michael Cruz, Ower of Foresight Insurance, talks about how he made sure to find help before he needed it.  ..read more

It's easy to worry about all the ways things might not work out. It's even easier to let those fears completely control all your major decisions. However, sometimes, if you just let go you might find a whole new level of freedom. You might find that freedom creating empowerment and ownership for everyone in your agency. Beth DeLaForest, Owner of Aspire Insurance Group, talks about how she constantly tries to free her agency from traditional insurance norms.  ..read more

What would it look like if your entire agency was just a little more focused on one thing? It's often discussed but rarely done with complete dedication and execution. Could that focus be repeated over and over again to any and all producers who wanted to participate? It's possible the entire staff could be reshaped and structured to support this new deep dive approach to sell insurance.  Chris Beardslee, Executive Vice President at Allied Insurance Managers, talks about how serious his agency finding specalties.      ..read more

Sometimes, it really is hard to see the forest through the trees. That couldn't be more true when evaluating your own insurance career and agency. However, there's often a strong reluctance to introduce an outside perspective. Regardless of how you achieve a higher level of awareness, there are a few key areas you should look at. Miles Merwin, President and Founder of Advisors Insurance Agency, talks about the evolution his agency has gone through to maximize its potential ..read more

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times.  Insurance gets easier when you can speak the language better than the next guy.  But did you ever think that fluency was more important than insurance knowledge and experience? Well, that's where things get interesting, and you might be surprised at how important talking the talk is with truckers.  Jeffrey Gordon, President at The Bayou Agency, talks about why the insurance is the insurance and how he's taking his transportation clients to the next level.  ..read more

What would you do if your first interaction with the industry was less than welcoming? It certainly wouldn't do much to increase your chances of sticking around and figuring things out.  But, if you can push past that initial discomfort, there's plenty of room to explore and grow across the industry.  Certainly, after all that, finding your place and calling it your own with comfort doesn't seem all that difficult.  Patience Noah, Owner of Patience Noah Insurance, talks about how she did just that and rebelled her way to a fulfilling career.     ..read more

No matter what, there's a good chance it was far from your first choice.  However, it probably remains pretty high on the list of decisions you've made that had the greatest impact.  The reality is far fewer people know this potential life-altering decision is even available.  Then the real question is, how do we make sure more people have a chance to make it?  Jarrad "Rod" Powell, Principal at Encore Insurance Group, talks about his journey to the industry and why he thinks everyone needs to consider having a license.  ..read more

It's hard to start an insurance agency from scratch, but it could be easier with a bit of help.  Then the challenge becomes finding someone who is willing and able to take the leap with you. It's not always easy to put yourself out there to find that person, but there are a few key things to look for.  Ultimately, it comes down to complementary skills and not letting your feelings get in the way.  Richard Brown, Partner at Centennial Insurance Group, talks about how was able to close the deal with his partner and keep things successful.  ..read more

There are a lot of ways to be good at selling insurance.  There aren't many that are focused on high-quality onboarding spanning the entire first year of a policy.  That might sound excessive and possibly unheard of, but magical things happen the more comfortable people get with your business.  It's easy to get someone to trust you once, and the second, third and fourth times are easier to earn with that solid foundation.  Patrick McBride, Founder and Agency Owner at The McBride Agency talks about his secret sauce creating that process.  ..read more

It's easy for a conversation about insurance to go off the rails.  There aren't many opportunities to talk about it and even fewer people who understand it.  That's why it's all too common to find yourself on the wrong end of an insurance therapy session with a new client. It's in that exact moment you need to take control of the conversation and let them know who's in charge.  Niki Henley, Owner of Extra Mile Insurance Solutions, talks about how quickly she sets ground rules and commands respect.   ..read more