Uncaptive Agency: The Future of Insurance

Welcome to Episode 35 of Uncaptive Agent. In this episode, I’m joined by Alicia Calhoun. She’s with XPT Specialties. Alicia has worked in insurance since 1999. Initially starting as an account manager, she now provides specialty insurance in different professional areas, including oil and gas. Alicia and I take the time during this podcast to talk about what it takes for specialized brokers to grow in the future. Some of the great takeaways from our conversation include: Whether technology use evens out the playing field during the labor shortage Can and should a specialty insurance broker’s office or work be automated? If so, are there certain instances when it would be better to not introduce automation into the workplace? How mindset and business models must evolve for the future so specialized insurance agents continue to grow forward. It was a wonderful conversation!

Welcome to Episode 34 of Uncaptive Agent. This episode is special because instead of having an independent agent or broker on with me to present you with cutting edge information, I’m joined by Brian Fritton, the CEO of Havoc Shield. Havoc Shield specializes in cybersecurity. And not just that – they assist businesses in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and insurance, ensuring that their data is protected. So, why is this important to you as an agent? Because of the increase of cybersecurity incidents overall and the fact that you’ll be selling more cybersecurity policies. Brian is also a serial (and successful!) entrepreneur with venture capital experience, so he has a lot of great advice that he brings to our conversation. So what are some of the highlights you’ll get from listening to our conversation? Tips on how you can minimize the risk of your agency becoming a victim of cyber crime Thought points on whether you create liability for yourself if you don’t protect the data of others, such as third-party vendor data (remember the Target hack? We talk about it!) Funding ideas for small businesses  Getting organized so that you can sustain growth as time progresses  A crowdfunding experience Brian had in one of his business models and how it worked out Don’t miss this great conversation and learn how you can get into contact with Brian or his business, Havoc Shield.

EP 33 | The future of the independent agency with Dana Dattola

EP 32 | People, Capital and Moving Forward with Craig Poulton

CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: UncaptiveAgency.com VIEW THE BLOG: TonyCaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: TonyCaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: TonyCaldwell.net/contact 

CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: UncaptiveAgency.com VIEW THE BLOG: TonyCaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: TonyCaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: TonyCaldwell.net/contact 

EP 29 | A Deep Dive Into Agency Development feat. Mandy Reed

EP 28 | The Importance of Teamwork with Bob Christian

EP 27 | The Future of Insurance Distribution with Ted Paris

EP 26 | Innovation and Technology in Insurance with Angela Noble

EP 25 | Providing Premium Service to Your Clients with Denise Johnson

Join me as I discuss the power of giving back selflessly to your community with Nicholas Ayers, Chief Marketing Officer at Better Agency. Nicholas believes in the abundance mindset, and how sharing with peers can only make everyone stronger. In 2013, he pioneered Insurance Agency Owners Alliance (IAOA), an advocacy group for independent insurance agency owners. IAOA is built on three pillars: selflessness, innovation, and collaboration. They want to selflessly share, innovate, advocate and collaborate together to create the best agencies that they possibly can. Better Agency was created to simplify the daily work of insurance agents and support them in areas they are not naturally strong in. Better Agency combines automation and integrations to create workflows, pipelines, and campaigns that remove the technological friction and allow agents and brokers to do what they do best. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact

Join me as I discuss managing technology adoption in a people business with Kerri Roberts, Chief Operating Officer for TIG Advisors, focusing on Operations, Sales, Human Resources and Marketing. The increasing speed of business makes technology a must for agencies that want to not just survive, but grow. But insurtech requires an investment, and also an enthusiastic, committed adoption from the entire team, for it to give the expected results. Our guest Kerri Roberts has some hard truths for smaller agencies, and a refreshing take-no-prisoners approach to team members who refuse to embrace change and adopt technology. Given her meteoric rise and outstanding results in the insurance field, she is definitely worth listening to. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact SHOW LESS

Join me as I discuss how client relations and retention are a game changer for agency growth with Michael Jans, insurance pro and founder of the Next Level Organic Growth Program. Michael Jans has been a force in marketing and consulting to the independent insurance agency force for the last 25 or 30 years, and he is still coming up with fresh ideas to stay ahead of the market. He talks with me about his approach to organic growth based on a good inbound sales funnel and a strong focus on retention and building customer loyalty. Times change, the industry changes, and we cannot keep doing things they way we always have - join us to hear actionable strategies to generate organic growth for your independent insurance agency. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact

Join me as I discuss how personal branding plus technology equal insurance success with Meg McKeen, Founder and Chief Confidence Builder of Adjunct Advisors. This week’s guest is one of the Hot 100 for 2021 for Insurance Business America Magazine, and also a podcaster herself, and she was extremely candid in her talk with me. We discussed her career history and how she ended up getting her Hot 100 recognition, along with the importance of aligning your values and skills with your work. The insurance industry is facing a talent crisis, and as a coach and insurance agent herself, Meg has a lot of valuable insights on how to find your niche and make it profitable while staying true to your values. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact

Join me as I discuss how to make an insurance agency grow exponentially with Kyle Beggs, CEO and owner of RCI Insurance Group. Kyle was named one of 42 Young Guns in insurance by the Business Insurance America Magazine due to the really aggressive growth in his career, and we will be talking about his best practices. The insurance industry is evolving fast, but there are still several constants. “Young Gun” Kyle Beggs credits his explosive success to a mix of the new with the timeless: technology and people. Listen as he explains why it’s not enough to have an Agency Management System and a CRM - accountability and good use are paramount to getting results. Hiring is usually a problem for insurance agency owners, but Kyle does not have issues finding and onboarding great new talent. He tells us his hiring strategies and training tips for attracting and retaining great insurance talent. If you seek aggressive growth for your independent insurance agency, this discussion will bring you lots of insight. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact SHOW LESS

The insurance industry has a real imbalance: while 80% of licensed agents are women, only one percent of those women are owners of agencies. Majda Baltic is not only an agency owner at 31, she is also the Emerging Leader of 2020 Award with Majdas Touch Insurance, Inc., the first 100% Virtual, 100% Green, and 100% Remote Insurance agency. As you can imagine, Majda is a disruptor at heart and a very passionate and intelligent leader with lots to say. We talked about many topics including the immigrant experience, Gary V, running a fully virtual agency and the advantages of very specialized micro agencies. Join me as I discuss disrupting insurance with digital solutions with Majda Baltic, owner of Majdas Touch Insurance and winner of the Emerging Leader of 2020 Award. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact

Personalized comparative rating really changed the independent agency industry 15 years ago, and the need for smart technical solutions is greater than ever. Tarmika is an industry leading commercial comparative multi-rating insurance software, and this week we are honored to have its CEO as our guest.  One of the angles that set Tarmika apart from the myriad technical solutions for insurance in the market is that they make every decision in terms of what is best and most helpful for the agency. The next frontier may be to also find a way to do what’s best for insurance carriers, helping reduce friction and costs in all sides of the industry. Join me as I discuss the technological revolution in the insurance industry with Raghav Tanna, CEO of Tarmika. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact

A large percentage of insurance agents and agency owners are near retirement age, and the industry needs new blood. However, the training and education available are not preparing young people correctly for the actual, complex job of selling insurance: filling ACORD forms, dealing with underwriters and carriers. Recent surveys show that it costs $100,000 dollars a year to train a commercial producer, and there is a 90% failure rate. Understanding the role and creating better training options is key to the future of the industry, and Jeff’s book. Insurance Genius is a big step in the right direction. Join me as I discuss how insurance producers are so much more than sales people, but we need to train them better, with Jeff McIntosh, commercial insurance producer extraordinaire with Energy Insurance and author of Insurance Genius. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact SHOW LESS

Many commercial insurance agencies struggled to survive 2020, but Powers Insurance grew its commercial insurance book of business by 40% during one of the hardest years we have seen. How did they do it? Being web-forward and ahead of the curve with technology was a major factor, hiring wisely and coaching producers strategically was another. The balance between growth and profit is always a delicate negotiation, but our guest has many good tips and actionable advice for growing a commercial insurance agency even during a crisis. Join me as I discuss Technology, people, and the insurance agency of the future with Tim Davis, Director of Operations for Valley Insurance Agents Alliance and Director of Operations for Powers Insurance. CHECK OUT MORE EPISODES: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/uncaptiv... VIEW THE BLOG: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/blog TONY’S BOOKS: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/books TALK TO TONY: https://www.tonycaldwell.net/contact SHOW LESS