Great conversation this week with Jeremy Goodrich. Jeremy started Shine Insurance Agency with his wife nearly 10 years ago. They focus on Commercial Real Estate Investors. In this episode, we discuss his niche, culture of their insurance agency, what its like to work with your spouse and his program to supporting and advising independent insurance agents to help boost to the next level. Jeremy Goodrich Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reiinsuranceguy/ https://www.shineinsurance.com/ https:/...
Mar 06, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Great to connect with Luis Leal! Without a doubt one of the coolest insurance agents in the country. I learned a lot about Luis and his agency Leal Insurance Services. It's clear Luis is a value based insurance agency that does what's best for his clients. His marketing by Memes are creative, engaging and grab attention. Which is what marketing should be. Luis & I discuss his marketing program, core market, some challenges with hiring and his plans to improve in 2023. https://www.lealinsuran...
Feb 27, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In my opinion, Indium nailed their hire of the new CEO. This was a fun episode discussing the challenges ahead for not only Indium the company but the challenges of the independent agency force. We discuss challenges of leadership, developing a team, meeting the very high expectations of peers, friends, board members, a network of agents. Kat may not be the owner, but she is the leader this company which she is taken over in less than ideal circumstances. So many parallels to many of us a busine...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Carey Wallace, founder of Agency Focus adds so much value to the Independent Agency Channel. She solves a that so many of us desperately need. The growth of her business is proof of that. Agency Focus provides Agency Valuation, Financial Consulting, expert advice on Mergers & Acquisitions and CFO Services. In our podcast, we discuss what Insurance Agencies should be focusing on, what is an investment vs. an expense, common financial mistakes that insurance professionals make and so much more...
Feb 13, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 24
It's hard not to be a huge fan of Teresa Kitchens. She is one of the easiest people to talk to. In this episode on the ATO Podcast we talk about what Teresa learned from her most recent acquisition. There is always something to learn about an acquisition. Her plans for future acquisitions. We discuss building a strong insurance team, being a leader, struggles and making progress. I always have a great conversation with Teresa. This was a fun episode. Enjoy!
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 23
Great Episode with Jason Rodriguez of Prominent Insurance Services out of Philadelphia, PA. Jason is changing the Game!! After fine tuning Prominent Insurance Services, Jason has created franchise opportunities for people across the country. Jason is specifically targeting minorities to expose this underrepresented group to the amazing world of Insurance Agency Ownership. Jason Rodriguez has designed a playbook for new agency owners to succeed in this business. In this podcast, we discuss how Ja...
Jan 30, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Dawnyel Smink is an inspiration! Leader of Canyon Lands Insurance, Leader of CLI Select Agencies, Leader of Women In Insurance Sharing Empowerment, member of a number of Advisory Councils, Advocate for Women, Mother and an avid Golfer. In this episode Dawnyel shares her path to growing to 200 Partner Agencies, some challenges as a young business owner, what it was like to be a woman in male dominated field and much more! This is a must listen for everyone in the insurance business!! Dawnyel Link...
Jan 23, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Great Talk this week with Elisha Cavanaugh, President of Sound Pacific Insurance in Tacoma, Washington. Elisha started Sound Pacific in 2012. A self described insurance nerd, Elisha is always investing in her growth and development. She has recently taken on a leadership position on Safeco Advisory Council. It is always a joy to speak with my friend about the insurance space and this podcast was no different. We talked about trying to level up our agencies, adding staff to our team, battling our...
Jan 16, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Melissa Stallings is one of the most fun agency owners that you will encounter. Melissa runs an all women agency in Douglasville, GA. Melissa has grown Stallings Insurance Agency into a team of Rock Stars. They work hard and play hard. I first noticed Stallings from their entertaining social media videos and their consistent charitable contributions to the community. Melissa and I had a great conversation covering a variety of topics from how she started, how she gained market access very early,...
Jan 09, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Beth and I cover a lot of ground from her insurance career. Beth's professional development is impressive. This growth does not happen overnight. It's a process. Beth posted recently on social media about Failing Forward. Some decisions or investments don't work out. You learn and move on. Beth has made great progress because she has taken action and moved forward. She has grown a large team and developed as a leader on her terms. We discuss a recent her recent acquisition and the challenges of ...
Dec 26, 2022•46 min
Jessica Fukuchi has held most every position in the insurance industry retail space. From Captive Agent, Sales Rep to Agency Owner. Jessica has built her agency with a very intentional niche. Along the way she has built and trained her team to work in this high value customer arena. She's made it look easy, but like all of us, there are challenges along the way with the growth of a business. We had a honest, candid conversation with our mistakes, technology and HR issues. We were also able to sh...
Dec 19, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Linda Fisher describes herself as a passionate CEO. I can confirm that she most definitely is. Linda is President of Cardinal Insurance Group, which she started in 2004. In this conversation, we discuss why Cardinal Insurance Group has such a high retention, her keys to growth, insurance marketing and writing new business. Linda stays involved in a number of organizations and groups and has been recognized many times for her leadership and selflessness. It was a pleasure spending some time with ...
Dec 12, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Mike Crowley has been leading is Family Insurance Agency for a number of years. Now he is a few months away from officially taking over as President of the Agency. We discuss the challenges of being a part of a family agency, his extensive marketing program, creating a sales driven team culture and his ever changing role within the agency. This was a great discussion. If you are not following Mike Crowley, you should be. Enjoy this conversation.
Dec 05, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Tamron Manning of started Integrity Insurance Group as a Scratch Agency just over a year ago. We discussed some lessons learned, challenges with finding markets to work with and his vision for his future success. Tamron is a winner and is driven and understands this is a process. It's so exciting to me to see a young business owner grow both professionally and personally. This process doesn't happen over night. It happens by showing up everyday, putting the work in, and being a student of the ga...
Nov 28, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 13
J.C. Wogomon of Catalyst Insurance Group started his agency from Scratch just a few years ago. J.C. doesn't just talk about giving back to his community, he has made it a part of the fabric of his business. Catalyst reinvests into his community with a percentage of the profits. We discuss the growth strategy of his business, the process to grow the right way, leveraging technology to enhance the process and customer experience and much more. If you are in the insurance business, you will want to...
Nov 21, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Mike Sharp with Sharp Insurance Agency is just fun. It was a pleasure to sit down with Mike to discuss the progress of his scratch agency. Mike has seen huge growth from a written insurance business standpoint and an agency growth standpoint. We discussed some of the challenges of starting a scratch agency, the wins that he has had, the difficulties in the beginning and why he wanted to start an independent insurance agency. agencyzoom.com hawksoft.com advisorevolved.com Brad Boldt, bboldt@ameri...
Nov 14, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This episode it I had a great conversation with this thriving scratch agent Shawn Fitzgerald with LAF Advisors. We discuss his first 3 years in business, what led to his decision to start his own business after producing in another agency after a number of years, his marketing efforts, target market, working on his personal and professional development and the challenges of being a new agency owner. This is a great episode for insurance agents of all generations. Enjoy!!...
Nov 07, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 10
I love this story! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Raution Jaiswal. Raution is the Co-Founder, CEO of InsuredMine. InsuredMine is a CRM designed for Insurance Agencies to connect and improve the insurance customer journey. Raution recognized a problem with the Insurance Industry with the way that information and documentation we delivered. He created a solution where he saw a problem. The best part is Raution had no experience with the Insurance Business. Impressive! https://www.insuredm...
Oct 31, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
This week I meet with Stephen Turnbull. Stephens story is similar to so many within the insurance space. He is the 5th generation of insurance agents in his family. Stephen worked in his family insurance agency since 2016 and in May of 2022 decided to start his own agency. This is exactly what we are targeting on the Agents to Owners Podcast. We discuss the challenges of being a scratch agent; growing, networking, obtaining contracts, getting by financially, working on the agency before you need...
Oct 24, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 8
This week I sit down with longtime colleague and friend Troy Thompson. Troy runs two businesses; Pinnacle Insurance of MN and Savvital Virtual Professionals. Combine that with being a parent to two active children and life can be overwhelming. We discuss the beginning stages, the challenges of growing as an insurance agent owner and managing expectations of those around you. We also discuss what we would do differently if we were to start over. https://www.pinnacleinsuranceofmn.com/ https://savv...
Oct 17, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Part 2 with Monica Adwani. We discuss delegating, resources you can access, leadership, creating time as a business owner. Monicaadwani.com Linkedin: Monica Adwani agencyzoom.com insuredmine.com savittal.com Email: bboldt@ameri-guard.com Linkedin: Brad Boldt #businessowner #entrepreneur #operations #insurance
Oct 03, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This week I connect with Monica Adwani. Monica is a leader in the insurance business in so many areas. She is a consultant, podcaster, business owner, operations expert to name a few. This week we focus on her operations expertise to help our agencies with their growth and process. #insurance #businessowner #processes #insuranceagency #insuranceagent #growth #scratchagent
Sep 26, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 5
If you are thinking of starting with a Virtual Assistant, this is the episode for you. Virtual Assistants are a very hot topic within the insurance space. Is it worth it? How do I use? Who has the best VA's? In this episode, I'll discuss 3 ways that you can succeed with your VA. I will also discuss how having a VA helps the rest of your team be more productive, efficient and happy. Let's GO!! Contact me at: bboldt@ameri-guard.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-boldt https://savvital....
Sep 12, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Ashley Mastowski started First Choice Insurance as Scratch Agency in 2019. She is crushing it. It didn't come easy. As any new Insurance Agency Owner discovers, it is now on your shoulders to find the Tech you need, hire staff as you grow and establish your own process of operating. https://firstchoiceinsurancegroup.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymastowski/ https://betteragency.io/
Sep 05, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 5
You need technology in your new insurance agency. Where do you start? In this episode, I touch on the Tech products that you must have. I touch on the products and cost that we use in our agency. You start with what you can afford and add on when you can. I can be reached by email at: bboldt@ameri-guard.com Message me on LinkedIn AgencyZoom: agencyzoom.com Hawksoft: hawksoft.com Lightspeed Voice: lightspeedvoice.com...
Aug 29, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode, I discuss what the pro's & con's of starting out as a new insurance producer. Offer some tips to grow your insurance business. What tools you will need to be successful. My goal is to help insurance agents that aspire to become agency owners. There is no playbook when you take over as agency owner. It looks easy. It is not. There is a large training gap in this industry for those hoping to become an owner someday. My mission is to help bridge that gap. Enjoy!...
Aug 22, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome! This is Podcast #1 of the Ameriguard Insurance Agency Podcast. In this episode, I discuss my journey from starting in the insurance business in 1999 to the present. This is the cliff notes version. I covered my short time with Farmers Insurance. Why I left. How long it took to get back up to my previous income level. When I bought out my insurance agency, how much our agency has grown in 11 years and what I am doing now. I hope you enjoy!
Aug 15, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1
