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 agencies Why ag...
Apr 14, 2021•54 min•Ep. 200
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 channels...
Apr 07, 2021•45 min•Ep. 199
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 valua...
Mar 31, 2021•39 min•Ep. 198
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 data he...
Mar 24, 2021•46 min•Ep. 197
Kevin Callahan took Allstate public, was CEO of Allianz, Partner at Accenture, and Head of Global Sales at Marsh. In other words, Kevin knows P&C insurance. Now, as CEO of Renaissance Alliance, he is dedicated to helping agents get to the next level with tools, technology, strategy, and resources. In this discussion, Kevin shares his perspective on: Why agents are the most important part of the P&C value-chain The key drivers of organic growth in the modern insurance landscape How indepe...
Mar 17, 2021•59 min•Ep. 196
When you think “insurance” plus “technology,” Jay Weintraub just might be the first person you think of. As Co-Founder and CEO of InsureTech Connect, Jay hosts what might be the largest insurance conference in the world—and nothing says “change” to the industry like the intersection of insurance and technology. In this conversation, Jay and Michael discuss: How the insurtech roadmap is affecting agencies today What agency principals must do now to get digital before it’s too late Jay’s advice on...
Mar 10, 2021•39 min•Ep. 195
Nick Andrews, Marketing Project Manager, Liberty Mutual Insurance Having helped develop marketing plans for countless agencies across the nation, average agency growth isn’t good enough for Nick Andrews. In this discussion packed with practical information, Michael and Nick tackle the question of how to scale today’s insurance agencies. In this conversation, Nick shares his perspective on: The common traits of fast-growing agencies The tools helping agencies increase revenue and earn customer lo...
Mar 03, 2021•33 min•Ep. 194
For nearly 30 years Randy Schwantz has been guiding insurance agencies to the next level of growth through The Wedge Group. When COVID hit, producers across the world panicked as their traditional channels of communication were slammed shut. In spite of these challenges, many producers had their best year ever. In this practical discussion, Randy reveals: How successful producers are shooting ahead during the pandemic The future of commercial lines lead generation How agency principals can help ...
Feb 24, 2021•40 min•Ep. 193
Binding commercial insurance policies have always required a little more work. Our guest, Adam Kiefer, Co-Founder, and CEO of Talage, set out to build a software platform that enables independent insurance agents to easily sell and bind commercial insurance policies online. Thanks to changing attitudes from major carriers and new insurtech advancements, agents are empowered to serve commercial lines consumers better than ever. In this conversation, Adam reveals: How changing consumer expectation...
Feb 17, 2021•36 min•Ep. 192
Patti Newcomer, CMO, FMG Suite, Agency Revolution Keeping up with the fast-paced world of marketing and technology is a full-time job, and for our guest, it is . After a stellar career as Vice President of Marketing at Intuit, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Capital One, and Section Head at Procter & Gamble, Patti Newcomer shares her insights from her new position as Chief Marketing Officer at FMG Suite, the parent company of Agency Revolution. In this practical and forward-thinking dis...
Feb 10, 2021•44 min•Ep. 191
Today’s insurance consumers spend more time in the digital world than ever before. If we want to reach them, sell to them, and nurture them, we can’t ignore the numerous ways digital marketing will help. The fast pace of change and sea of choices often confuses and paralyzes a lot of agents. Our guest, Seth Greene, lays out a clear path, including: How to generate more referrals Where to get the best results for your advertising dollar How to build a marketing funnel that will drive traffic to y...
Feb 03, 2021•30 min•Ep. 190
Best-selling author of The Bezos Letters, Steve Anderson, has been one of the independent insurance channel’s top technology thought leaders for over 25 years. In this discussion, he shares advice to help agents make better technology and productivity decisions for their agencies. Listen to this episode for Steve’s insight about: The forces accelerating the adoption of insurtech How agents must respond to changes in consumer behavior over the last year The critical issues agents must consider as...
Jan 27, 2021•48 min•Ep. 189
Rhett VanScoter, Owner, VanScoter Insurance Agency 15 years ago Rhett VanScoter took a step back from the accounting world to start his own independent insurance agency from scratch. Like all startup agencies, he quickly realized the value of every single customer. Fast forward to today, VanScoter Insurance Agency boosted its retention rate by five points in a single year and now holds among the highest NPS® scores in any industry. Year after year, the customer loyalty his agency has earned cons...
Jan 20, 2021•36 min•Ep. 188
Jason Carter, Owner, Music & Video Producer, Wavelength Studio As the demand for video marketing grows, Jason Carter reveals small tweaks that remove the roadblocks between your agency and great video marketing. Jason is the founder of Wavelength Studio and has produced thousands of hours of Michael Jans’ insurance marketing trainings, boot camps, interviews, and promotional videos. In this discussion, Jason reveals: Simple advice to clear your hang-ups and camera anxiety for great video Tip...
Jan 13, 2021•53 min•Ep. 187
Kevin Chow, Manager, SEO & Paid Media, A Cloud Guru Getting results with SEO, PPC, and social media doesn’t need to be a mystery. Our guest, Kevin Chow, has been a digital marketing expert for nearly as long as digital marketing itself has existed. Even better, Kevin has worked with hundreds of insurance agencies since his time at Agency Revolution a decade ago. In this jam-packed podcast, Kevin shares: The single most important way to boost search traffic now How to prepare for Google’s big...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 186
Jordan Goodman, Co-Founder, CFO, Total CSR, Inc, CEO, Goodman Insurance Services, Inc. When Jordan Goodman and his brother took the reins of their third generation insurance agency, they noticed a troubling trend: high turnover. With 25% of the industry expected to retire in the next four years, it became clear this was an industry-wide problem. How do you train new workers – especially if they have no industry experience? Jordan and his brother set out to create a solution and built Total CSR ,...
Dec 16, 2020•49 min•Ep. 185
Jordan Leavitt, Digital Marketing Team Lead, Agency Revolution More traffic means more business, but how does an insurance agent make that happen? Our guest, Jordan Leavitt, clears away the confusion and delivers straight answers and easy solutions. Jordan worked directly for the renowned Neil Patel and now serves as the Digital Marketing Team Lead here at Agency Revolution. Listen now for practical answers to your biggest digital marketing questions, including: PPC Advertising: how it works and...
Dec 09, 2020•56 min•Ep. 184
Brett Allen, Founder, Social Selling Guide, BOSS Social As the former Director of Social Selling at The Hartford and social media expert for Safeco’s Bricks & Clicks program, Brett is a pioneer of social media strategies for growth-driven agencies. Now, as Founder and Social Selling Guide at BOSS Social, Brett has designed a step-by-step system any agency can follow. You’ll discover powerful and practical advice in this podcast that will boost your lead generation and client engagement, incl...
Dec 02, 2020•57 min•Ep. 183
Dennis Chookaszian, Adjunct Professor, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Former Chair & CEO, CNA Insurance With 25 years at CNA Insurance and years consulting and guiding businesses to success, Dennis Chookaszian may have a clearer view of the insurance industry and where it’s going than anyone. In this important discussion, Dennis delivers a masterclass on insurance strategy every agency leader should take note of. Listen for insights about: How to take advantage of forces bey...
Nov 18, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 182
Kenny Urbania, President, CEO, Agency Collective, The Agency Cluster Gary Hines, Executive Vice President, COO, Agency Collective, The Agency Cluster In one fell swoop, 1,800 captive Nationwide agencies were unleashed to the independent world this summer. How will this affect the independent channel? How will these agencies handle the transition? Our guests, Kenny Urbania and Gary Hines are in the thick of it, learning answers to important questions. They opened up The Agency Collective to help ...
Nov 11, 2020•50 min•Ep. 181
Justin Lair, Senior Enterprise Development Manager, Agency Revolution Few people engage as many people in the insurance industry as this episode’s guest, Justin Lair, Senior Enterprise Development Manager at Agency Revolution. Justin has heard it all—but what’s most fascinating is how dramatically these conversations have changed over the years. In this eye-opening discussion, Justin shares insights on: How COVID forced thousands of agents to pick up the pace of change Why the conversation has c...
Nov 04, 2020•42 min•Ep. 180
Co-Founder, Agency Revolution, Principal, Michael Jans Advisory The path to success for today’s insurance agent is far different than it used to be. The pace of change is demanding that agents adapt faster. Our host, Michael Jans, takes the microphone to share powerful insights on the new skills agencies need to master in today’s insurance landscape. Listen to this episode to learn: Simple methods to meet the changing demands of modern consumers What fast-growth agencies are doing to get maximum...
Oct 28, 2020•59 min•Ep. 179
Madelyn Flannagan, Vice President, Agent Development, Education, and Research, IIABA Madelyn Flannagan lives, breathes, analyzes, and guides the independent agents in America’s workforce. How are agents doing now? Who is thriving and who is not? How has the pandemic affected the independent agent channel? How will that change the future of agent operations? Madelyn dives into her research and observations to share insights on: What successful agents in 2020 are doing differently The business cha...
Oct 21, 2020•48 min•Ep. 178
Mica Cooper, CEO, President, InsureCrypt Few things strike at the heart of day-to-day agency operations like standards—the manner in which data is transferred from one place to another. Industry pundits declare that legacy standards are hurting the independent agency channel, even more than the direct, digital, and captive channels. Mica Cooper—Founder and CEO of InsureCrypt , former System Architect at Vertafore and former Senior Architect at Hotels.com—is one industry leader who takes this ser...
Oct 14, 2020•44 min•Ep. 177
Jeremiah Desmarais, Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Insurance Marketing Expert It’s hard to keep up. What once worked loses efficacy. New things pop up left and right. How do you know what to do, and what to ignore? What will grow your agency? What will waste your time? In this episode, we get practical with one of the industry’s most respected marketers. Jeremiah Desmarais is the former VP of Marketing for Applied Systems and a long-time marketing consultant to agents and financial adviso...
Oct 07, 2020•52 min•Ep. 176
Jay Bregman, Founder, CEO, Thimble By 2021 over half of small and medium businesses will be owned by millennials. By 2027 the majority of the US workforce will work as freelancers. Is your agency ready to serve them? Jay Bregman saw three things about the “new economy” that tend to make traditional insurance agencies frightened: It’s moving. It’s fast. It’s different. As Founder & CEO of Thimble—an insurtech with substantial backing—Jay reveals: How his company can craft policies as short as...
Sep 30, 2020•36 min•Ep. 175
Robert Cialdini, President, Influence at Work, New York Times Best-Selling Author Our host, Michael Jans, describes this week’s guest’s best-seller Influence: The New Psychology of Modern Persuasion as “the most important book in my marketing library.” President of Influence at Work, Dr. Cialdini is hailed by marketers, academics, industry leaders, and media around the world. Listen to this discussion for Robert’s keen insight that every producer, principal, and marketer in the insurance industr...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 174
Ryan Deeds, Vice President, Technology and Data, Assurex Global Ryan Deeds, VP of Technology and Data at Assurex Global has been digging deep into one of the largest goldmines of data in the insurance world: agency data. Listen to this fast-paced discussion to learn how he’s helping Assurex’s agency partners leverage this data for consistent revenue growth: Four data points every agency can use to fuel reliable growth How to find your best growth strategy by analyzing your segmentation Why insur...
Sep 16, 2020•52 min•Ep. 173
Peter Picetti, Senior Vice President, Heffernan Insurance Brokers Climate change is often treated as a problem that won’t impact most of us until much further down the road. According to our guest, Peter Picetti, SVP of Heffernan Insurance Brokers—one of the largest independent agencies in the nation—this couldn’t be further from the truth. In this timely conversation, this 30 year veteran of the insurance industry explains why climate change keeps him up at night, and why agents should prepare ...
Sep 09, 2020•44 min•Ep. 172
Chief Customer Officer, TrueMotion Telematics isn’t the newest technology, but advancements in adjacent technology—GPS accuracy, machine learning, and smartphones—has made telematics an effective tool to increase customer satisfaction, and boost retention. David Morse is the Chief Customer Officer at TrueMotion, the leading smartphone-only driving data platform. In this fascinating discussion, David reveals: How your agency can leverage telematics How telematics can help you be there for your cu...
Sep 02, 2020•52 min•Ep. 171
