Sometimes an insurance niche finds you. Other times, you pave your way based on your passion. On today’s edition of Agency Nation Radio Podcast host Toni Jones, Senior Vice President of Transportation Marketing, at Palomar Insurance Corporation, talks with three independent agents about curating a niche business. Our guests include Ryan Teubner, Producer with Rich & Cartmill, Crystal Fox, Founder and Creator of Beauty Queen Insurance and Lydia Ramos, Account Manager, and Regional Brand Coordinator McGriff highlight how personal passion and industry knowledge play a critical role in definin ..read more

On this edition of Agency Nation Radio, we hear from Kevin Ownby, owner of Ownby Insurance Services, Inc. from Sevierville, Tennessee. Ownby has been a Big “I" member for as long as he's been an independent agent. However, it wasn't until the Affordable Care Act was proposed and ultimately passed into law that he became more aware of the importance of the association's government advocacy on a state and national level.  “If we’re not advocating for what we do as an industry and educating legislators we don’t have a seat at the table,” says Ownby. “And if we don’t have a seat at the table that ..read more

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 Ins ..read more

On this episode of Agency nation Radio, Sarah Cooke, director of personal lines at WalkerHughes Insurance in Indianapolis, Indiana, shares how the agency took technology into their own hands to overcome challenges in the hard market. Named as the Outstanding Large Agency in the 2023 Liberty Mutual and Safeco Agent for the Future Awards, WalkerHughes began developing “Violet,” a proprietary software that acts as the agency’s personal lines management system, in 2016. “We have so many pressures now, especially with the kind of market that we’re in, and we want our employees to be able to functio ..read more

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 ..read more

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Will Jones, editor-in-chief of Independent Agent magazine, is joined by an expert panel to discuss the intricacies and challenges of hiring at independent insurance agencies, as well as some much-needed winning solutions. As the insurance industry marks Insurance Careers Month, Claudia St. John, president of The Workplace Advisors, an HR consulting and training firm; Nolan Duda, partner and client experience manager at IdealTraits, a recruiting platform built for independent agencies; and Katherine Strate Smith, president and CEO of Strate Insurance in M ..read more

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Jarrard “Rod” Powell Sr., agency principal at Encore Insurance Group Chesterfield, Virginia, shares his unique experience in insurance. Powell grew up cutting records and touring as an R&B artist, but by the time he reached his 30s, he was looking for a more stable career. After breaking into insurance through claims and benefits, Powell realized that “insurance was not only something that I could do, but something that I would enjoy,” he says. “And lo and behold, it went from something on the side to a passion to, ultimately, a purpose.” In 2022, Po ..read more

The Big “I” Young Agents partnered with Trusted Choice to deliver information on the importance of mentorship as part of a special hard market bonus series on Agency Nation Radio. Guests Krista Kautz, Producer at Berrong Insurance, and Stewart Berrong, Owner of Berrong Insurance, were interviewed by Cash McMillen, National Young Agents Committee member, on their partnership as mentor and mentee. The conversation provides best practices for finding a mentor, approaching the relationship, and the learning from seasoned industry professionals. Kautz, when reflecting on asking Berrong to be her me ..read more

In this episode of Agency Nation Radio, host Nancy Germond, Big “I” executive director, of risk management and education, explores the evolving landscape of middle market insurance in 2024. Featuring an in-depth interview with Sandra Little, CEO of CEO, SKL Risk Consultants, Pheonix, Arizona the episode offers insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by middle market clients. They talk about renewals, regulations, and emerging technologies and give their predictions on the hard market. Listen in for practical advice on building a niche, and relationships. Agency Nation Radio is whe ..read more

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Jonathan Lugo, producer at FirmSecured powered by Veritas Risk Management in Johnson City, Tennessee, shares his remarkable journey from intern to specializing in real estate insurance. Discover how he carved out a niche within an established agency, bringing entrepreneurial spirit and expertise to a specialized market. He discusses the importance of understanding client needs, the art of specialization, and balancing quality with competitive pricing in today's insurance landscape. “Veritas is allowing me to do this—starting my own brand within the agenc ..read more