In this solo episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers reflects on the journey of success in the insurance industry, sharing personal stories and lessons learned along the way. David delves into the importance of staying grounded and avoiding the trap of arrogance that can come with success. He talks about the subtle ways ego can influence behavior and how staying humble is key to long-term fulfillment, both personally and professionally. With practical advice on maintaining self-a...
Jun 27, 2025•23 min
In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Warren Cleveland, founder of Captive Coalition, to dive into the world of captive insurance. Warren offers a fresh perspective on captives, emphasizing how independent agents can add value by helping their clients save money and increase profitability. With practical insights, they discuss the benefits of captives, the right clients for this model, and how agents can monetize their expertise by advising clients on alter...
Jun 25, 2025•58 min
In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined by Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals, for a deep dive into workers' compensation classifications. The discussion focuses on the challenges of ensuring that businesses are properly classified, the importance of getting class codes right, and strategies to avoid common mistakes that could lead to costly audits. With firsthand experience from multiple NCCI audits, David shares his insights on how t...
Jun 20, 2025•33 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Benjamin Dennehy famously known as the UK’s Most Hated Sales Trainer for a brutally honest and wildly entertaining conversation about what’s wrong with the modern sales game. From confronting imposter syndrome to challenging outdated sales scripts, Benjamin shares why most salespeople fail and what it actually takes to dominate. The duo explores the parallels between law and sales, the importance of detachment from outcomes...
Jun 18, 2025•50 min
In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined again by Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals. The two dive into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of workers' compensation—understanding common majority ownership and how it affects the experience modification factor (mod). This discussion is vital for agents who deal with businesses that own multiple entities or engage in mergers and acquisitions. Kevin explains why agents need to be proacti...
Jun 13, 2025•26 min
In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers sits down with Dylan Jordan from Amwins to discuss specialized niches within the insurance world, particularly focusing on the human services, healthcare, and life sciences markets. With only two months until Producers in Paradise 2025, the conversation covers a variety of challenges and opportunities in the current hard market, from navigating supplemental applications to understanding the unique risks of sectors like MediSpas and behavio...
Jun 11, 2025•54 min
In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined again by Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals. In this Shop Talk session, they take a deep dive into the crucial topic of the valuation date and its significance in workers’ compensation policies. While last week’s discussion highlighted the importance of leading with workers’ compensation, this episode shifts gears to discuss why understanding the valuation date is vital for businesses. David and ...
Jun 06, 2025•33 min
In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes Brett Fulmer, principal of Newport Beach Insurance Center, for a dynamic conversation packed with insights on insurance, career growth, and community building. Brett shares his unique journey in insurance, his passion for innovation, and how he balances multiple roles with energy and focus. David and Brett discuss everything from navigating the evolving insurance market, the importance of value-added service, to the role of...
Jun 04, 2025•41 min
In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers welcomes back Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals and one of the nation’s foremost experts on workers’ compensation. Kevin shares valuable insights into why leading with workers’ comp is a smart strategy for insurance agents, offering practical tips that agents can apply immediately to improve their game and better serve clients. David and Kevin break down complex workers’ compensation topics into digest...
May 30, 2025•24 min
In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Aris Papadopoulos, Chairman of the Resilience Action Fund and author of Resilientomics. Aris shares his unique perspective on resilience, from his experience as a 9/11 World Trade Center survivor to his passion for building stronger, more resilient homes and communities. Together, David and Aris explore how resilience is critical not just in construction, but in the insurance industry and beyond. Aris discusses his jo...
May 28, 2025•49 min
In this final episode of Power Producers Shoptalk’s remote team series, David Carothers wraps up with the Insurance Futures team by focusing on a critical skill for producers and sales leaders alike: listening to calls and role-playing. Effective sales and leadership aren’t just about numbers, they’re about developing skills, refining approaches, and building confidence through practice. David, Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker share how call listening and role-play have transf...
May 23, 2025•22 min
In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Tony Canas, Chief Motivational Officer at Insurance Nerds. The conversation takes some unexpected and fun turns, including Tony’s unique background, passion for insurance, and his journey into magic. It’s a lively and engaging discussion that blends business, culture, and personal development in the insurance industry. David and Tony dive deep into how insurance professionals can cultivate a strong company culture, th...
May 21, 2025•51 min
In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers returns for session five with the Insurance Futures team to tackle one of the most critical elements in managing a successful remote workforce: communication. Following four weeks of deep dives into building remote teams, this episode zeroes in on how effective communication can make or break your virtual agency’s culture and efficiency. David and his guests Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker discuss the challenges unique...
May 16, 2025•18 min
In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined by Jason Duby, Captive Manager at Garnet Captive, to dive deep into the concept of captives and how they can provide valuable opportunities for businesses, particularly as the market continues to harden. Jason breaks down the intricacies of captive insurance, explaining how they work, who benefits, and what sets Garnet Captive apart from other options in the industry. David and Jason explore the different types of captives, the b...
May 14, 2025•39 min
In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers continues his series with the team from Insurance Futures, diving into the importance of job descriptions for building a strong culture in remote teams. As remote work becomes more common, having clear job descriptions helps set expectations, boost accountability, and ensure employees understand their roles. David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker from Heritage, an agency that has mastered the art of job des...
May 09, 2025•18 min
In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes Jacob Hicks, a sales coach with an eclectic background in various industries, including retail, real estate, and optical sales. Jacob shares his insights on the evolution of sales and the importance of systems, follow-up, and understanding of your ideal client profile. David and Jacob explore Jacob's journey from selling suits to coaching salespeople, touching on the principles that drive success in sales across industries....
May 07, 2025•45 min
In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers keeps the remote workforce series going with a deep dive into KPIs—why they’re crucial and how they should be tied to core values. David and his team from Insurance Futures discuss how measuring the right activities can lead to success and help remote agencies stay on track. This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker from Heritage, an insurance agency that’s figured out the formula for success with K...
May 02, 2025•16 min
In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers dives into the world of email marketing with Jay Schwedelson, founder of SubjectLine. The discussion focuses on how to refine your email marketing strategy, specifically the art of creating subject lines that boost open rates and increase engagement. David and Jay explore practical tips and insights on how to optimize your email outreach, avoid common mistakes, and ultimately build a more effective email marketing campaign. Key Highlights:...
Apr 30, 2025•49 min
In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers continues the discussion on building and managing remote teams in the insurance industry, with a specific focus on culture and connection. In this second installment with the team from Insurance Futures, David dives into the importance of team-building activities in a virtual environment. This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker from Heritage, an insurance agency that has perfected the art of remot...
Apr 25, 2025•18 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Eric Stein, the president of Insured Solutions and author of the newly published book The Blueprint. Eric brings a wealth of experience in the insurance industry, especially in alternative workers' compensation and risk management. Throughout the episode, he shares insights into the complexities of captives and alternative risk transfer, breaking down the steps agencies should take to prepare for these advanced insurance st...
Apr 23, 2025•44 min
In this Power Producers Shop Talk episode, David Carothers kicks off a six-week series focused on the growing trend of remote workforces in the insurance industry. Rather than just relying on virtual assistants, David and his team are diving into the process of building and managing remote teams within the United States, specifically focused on highly skilled professionals. This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker, all partners at Heritage, an insurance a...
Apr 18, 2025•27 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes back David LeFevre from Sales Power to dive into the transformative role AI is playing in the insurance industry. They explore how technology, specifically AI, can revolutionize data management, client experience, and operational efficiency in insurance agencies. David LeFevre brings fresh insights into how AI can enhance agency processes by working smarter with data, streamlining the interaction between agency management syste...
Apr 16, 2025•51 min
In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers is joined by Colby Allen from Agency Brokerage Consultants for an in-depth discussion on producer equity. This conversation picks up where they left off in their previous episode on cracking the code of producer compensation, diving into the nuances of equity, ownership, and how to properly structure compensation plans for producers. Colby brings his expertise to the table, sharing insights into the challenges and opportunities surroun...
Apr 11, 2025•48 min
In this episode of Power Producers, David Carothers is joined by Madison Baker, Vice President at Marsh McLennan, to discuss her unique journey in the insurance industry, the power of building a personal brand, and the challenges and advantages of being a female producer in a traditionally male-dominated field. Madison shares her story of entering the insurance world through a path that was anything but traditional, finding her passion for risk management and production at an early stage. She ta...
Apr 09, 2025•56 min
In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives into a crucial topic that every agency principal and producer need to hear: Producer Compensation and Producer Equity. Joining him is Colby Allen, VP of Agency Consulting and Valuation for Agency Brokerage Consultants, who brings his expert insight into the complexities of agency compensation models, including how to attract and retain top-producing talent through the right mix of pay and equity. David shares his personal experie...
Apr 04, 2025•43 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with the team from Dreyev, an innovative solution transforming fleet safety and risk management. The team—Frank Centner, Roberto Sicconi, and Giancarlo Stanton—shares how Dreyev’s cutting-edge technology can help producers reduce the total cost of risk for fleet accounts, all while improving safety and performance. Dreyev offers a unique approach to risk management by using AI-driven video analytics and telematics to monitor a...
Apr 02, 2025•50 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers dives deep with Noelle McCall from Contract Risk Academy to explore the crucial topic of contract review and how insurance agents can add value by properly reviewing contracts for their clients. Noelle, with her impressive background in commercial insurance and contract management, breaks down how producers can avoid common pitfalls in contract review and offer true consulting to their clients. Noelle shares her journey from starting in...
Mar 26, 2025•46 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes a longtime friend and mentor, Bernie Borges, back to the show for an insightful conversation on leadership, fulfillment, and creating a culture of engaged employees. Bernie shares his journey from marketing expert to developing a leadership framework that focuses on helping leaders empower their teams to achieve both personal and professional fulfillment. David and Bernie dive deep into the difference between happiness and fulf...
Mar 19, 2025•53 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Brennen Grone, EVP of Sales at Rainbow, an InsureTech MGA specializing in restaurant coverage. They dive deep into the world of InsureTech, underwriting flexibility, and how Rainbow is redefining the insurance experience for agents looking to place complex risks. Brennen shares insights into the company's growth, their unique approach to risk selection, and why independent agents should pay attention to emerging tech-driv...
Mar 12, 2025•57 min
In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Michael Drew, a publishing expert with an astonishing track record—131 consecutive books placed on the New York Times bestseller list. Michael shares the insider strategies he’s developed over decades in the industry, helping authors not only publish their books but also build powerful marketing platforms that drive real influence. Together, they unpack the process of turning ideas into successful books, the importance of...
Mar 05, 2025•48 min
