Age of Indiependence www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com en 2021 Previous captive agent Katlyn Eggar and her indie rockstar guests help you crack the code to high volume new business growth. You can compete in the modern market without losing the heart and soul of your agency. Tune in to give your entrepreneurial spirit an extra boost and find that sometimes, the grass really is greener! https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/ac8b9f6a-97c0-11eb-81f3-dbc64b31beb1/image/Age_Of_Indiependence_with_AI_logo_Cover_Art.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Age of Indiependence www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com no episodic Katlyn Eggar Previous captive agent Katlyn Eggar and her indie rockstar guests help you crack the code to high volume new business growth. You can compete in the modern market without losing the heart and soul of your agency. Tune in to give your entrepreneurial spirit an extra boost and find that sometimes, the grass really is greener! Previous captive agent Katlyn Eggar and her indie rockstar guests help you crack the code to high volume new business growth. You can compete in the modern market without losing the heart and soul of your agency. Tune in to give your entrepreneurial spirit an extra boost and find that sometimes, the grass really is greener!

]]> Agency Intelligence Podcast Network support@agency-intelligence.com "Sorry" Is Not Enough https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ Our creative energy kicks in when there is a problem to be solved! Don't miss this energizing convo on Age of Indiependence podcast with Quantum Assurance International’s Director of Education, Amanda Mapp. It turns out clients want us to solve real problems, and over-apologizing keeps us from seeing the best outcomes. This is an episode you don't want to miss! Episode Highlights: Amanda believes that fear of judgment or rejection keeps us from taking risks because we don't see risk as something that will benefit us regardless of the outcome. (8:56) Amanda agrees with Katlyn that if we can educate our children to have a mentality change, it will be tremendous for their risk tolerance and desire to take more risks. (11:38) Amanda discusses why the price is the most painful aspect of a policy. (15:41) Amanda discusses what factors influence her satisfaction. (18:47) Amanda believes that in the insurance industry, we must be extra creative in order to solve challenges (25:44) Amanda explains that regardless of where we were raised geographically, how we sound in general, not just like the things we say, can affect how the call will flow, and that the person on the other end of the line will impact how that discussion goes. (27:10) Amanda emphasizes the importance of associates understanding that they too, are consumers. (29:53) Amanda explains that, instead of sharing a story, we may ask some questions to learn more about the client's situation, which also builds connection and ultimately works towards the goal of addressing an issue. (32:14) Amanda explains that switching the roles of customer and associate is one method to encourage people to understand how something sounds. (33:38) Amanda discusses why it is important to practice dealing with situations in stressful scenarios. (36:24) Amanda mentions TikTok as a wonderful way to learn that has a lot of very excellent knowledge since there are so many extremely educated and really talented individuals on there sharing their experiences and spreading a lot of information (38:12) Key Quotes: “Being a success is subjective but somebody being satisfied is internal.” - Amanda Mapp “In insurance, we have to get extra creative with solving problems. Because we don't have a one size fits all solution for people, at least it shouldn't be that way. So, we have to think outside the box and think how do we, adjust coverages or look at different carrier options to make sure that a customer's problem is actually being solved at the end of the day.” - Amanda Mapp “I think there's a disconnect sometimes where our associates don't always realize that they're also consumers. So they put themselves in only the suit, you know, in the worker position, right? And they don't think about themselves as the consumer.” - Amanda Mapp Resources Mentioned: Amanda Mapp Linkedin Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 20 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar Our creative energy kicks in when there is a problem to be solved! Don't miss this energizing convo on Age of Indiependence podcast with Quantum Assurance International’s Director of Education, Amanda Mapp. It turns out clients want us to solve real problems, and over-apologizing keeps us from seeing the best outcomes. This is an episode you don't want to miss! Episode Highlights: Amanda believes that fear of judgment or rejection keeps us from taking risks because we don't see risk as something that will benefit us regardless of the outcome. (8:56) Amanda agrees with Katlyn that if we can educate our children to have a mentality change, it will be tremendous for their risk tolerance and desire to take more risks. (11:38) Amanda discusses why the price is the most painful aspect of a policy. (15:41) Amanda discusses what factors influence her satisfaction. (18:47) Amanda believes that in the insurance industry, we must be extra creative in order to solve challenges (25:44) Amanda explains that regardless of where we were raised geographically, how we sound in general, not just like the things we say, can affect how the call will flow, and that the person on the other end of the line will impact how that discussion goes. (27:10) Amanda emphasizes the importance of associates understanding that they too, are consumers. (29:53) Amanda explains that, instead of sharing a story, we may ask some questions to learn more about the client's situation, which also builds connection and ultimately works towards the goal of addressing an issue. (32:14) Amanda explains that switching the roles of customer and associate is one method to encourage people to understand how something sounds. (33:38) Amanda discusses why it is important to practice dealing with situations in stressful scenarios. (36:24) Amanda mentions TikTok as a wonderful way to learn that has a lot of very excellent knowledge since there are so many extremely educated and really talented individuals on there sharing their experiences and spreading a lot of information (38:12) Key Quotes: “Being a success is subjective but somebody being satisfied is internal.” - Amanda Mapp “In insurance, we have to get extra creative with solving problems. Because we don't have a one size fits all solution for people, at least it shouldn't be that way. So, we have to think outside the box and think how do we, adjust coverages or look at different carrier options to make sure that a customer's problem is actually being solved at the end of the day.” - Amanda Mapp “I think there's a disconnect sometimes where our associates don't always realize that they're also consumers. So they put themselves in only the suit, you know, in the worker position, right? And they don't think about themselves as the consumer.” - Amanda Mapp Resources Mentioned: Amanda Mapp Linkedin Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Our creative energy kicks in when there is a problem to be solved! Don't miss this energizing convo on Age of Indiependence podcast with Quantum Assurance International’s Director of Education, Amanda Mapp. It turns out clients want us to solve real problems, and over-apologizing keeps us from seeing the best outcomes. This is an episode you don't want to miss!


Episode Highlights:

  • Amanda believes that fear of judgment or rejection keeps us from taking risks because we don't see risk as something that will benefit us regardless of the outcome. (8:56)
  • Amanda agrees with Katlyn that if we can educate our children to have a mentality change, it will be tremendous for their risk tolerance and desire to take more risks. (11:38)
  • Amanda discusses why the price is the most painful aspect of a policy. (15:41)
  • Amanda discusses what factors influence her satisfaction. (18:47)
  • Amanda believes that in the insurance industry, we must be extra creative in order to solve challenges (25:44)
  • Amanda explains that regardless of where we were raised geographically, how we sound in general, not just like the things we say, can affect how the call will flow, and that the person on the other end of the line will impact how that discussion goes. (27:10)
  • Amanda emphasizes the importance of associates understanding that they too, are consumers. (29:53)
  • Amanda explains that, instead of sharing a story, we may ask some questions to learn more about the client's situation, which also builds connection and ultimately works towards the goal of addressing an issue. (32:14)
  • Amanda explains that switching the roles of customer and associate is one method to encourage people to understand how something sounds. (33:38)
  • Amanda discusses why it is important to practice dealing with situations in stressful scenarios. (36:24)
  • Amanda mentions TikTok as a wonderful way to learn that has a lot of very excellent knowledge since there are so many extremely educated and really talented individuals on there sharing their experiences and spreading a lot of information (38:12)


Key Quotes:

  • “Being a success is subjective but somebody being satisfied is internal.” - Amanda Mapp
  • “In insurance, we have to get extra creative with solving problems. Because we don't have a one size fits all solution for people, at least it shouldn't be that way. So, we have to think outside the box and think how do we, adjust coverages or look at different carrier options to make sure that a customer's problem is actually being solved at the end of the day.” - Amanda Mapp
  • “I think there's a disconnect sometimes where our associates don't always realize that they're also consumers. So they put themselves in only the suit, you know, in the worker position, right? And they don't think about themselves as the consumer.” - Amanda Mapp


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2514 Keeping Good Changes from Going Wrong https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Haig Ardzivian, VP of Operational Innovation at Quantum. Haig shares how your agency can grow with intentionality. When it comes to change, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Get the cliff notes on Lean Six Sigma and hear how to find a "NorthStar" that keeps your team on a strategic path while you grow. Episode Highlights: Haig shares his background story and how he crossed paths with Quantum and eventually became the operational innovation VP. (2:48) Haig explains that the whole concept of Lean Six Sigma is how you look at a process, the various steps of the process, and analyzing potential failure points. (6:11) Haig shares that in an agency, people management is an advantage, especially if the agency has effective leadership. (11:37) Haig shares his advice to agency owners which is not to expect their people to know how to bundle. (16:08) Haig explains that it is very important to talk to your people and get their take on things and review them. (17:37) Haig talks about the importance of being able to be disciplined enough to not change all the time. (21:29) Haig explains that it's important as a leader to see the difference between when something is a preference and when it's better. (26:18) Haig shares that if you are looking to scale your company's progress, always think about the funnel strategy. (31:01) Haig talks about what happens when you lose credibility with your brand, and scale too fast. (32:07) Haig explains that it is very important to understand what your primary goal is and make sure you are always focused on it. (36:58) Haig shares that you have to check your effectiveness and that when you do, you will be able to see where you can create the most impact for your company. (43:06) Key Quotes: "I think the owner, from a cultural perspective, has a much bigger impact on a smaller agency, because they're always around. And they can lead through people seeing how they handle certain situations. And I think that's very impactful in an agency." - Haig Ardzivian "Another thing about change management, you know, going off of your thoughts on, like, entrepreneurial spirit, let's move fast, and let's get things done, is that you have to be disciplined enough to not change all the time." - Haig Ardzivian "Whatever you're great at, and whatever your passion is, maximize that as much as you can. Because that's fun for you, you're good at that. But when you're looking to scale, you have to think about your funnel, more than anything else." - Haig Ardzivian Resources Mentioned: Haig Ardzivian Linkedin Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 23 May 2022 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Haig Ardzivian, VP of Operational Innovation at Quantum. Haig shares how your agency can grow with intentionality. When it comes to change, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Get the cliff notes on Lean Six Sigma and hear how to find a "NorthStar" that keeps your team on a strategic path while you grow. Episode Highlights: Haig shares his background story and how he crossed paths with Quantum and eventually became the operational innovation VP. (2:48) Haig explains that the whole concept of Lean Six Sigma is how you look at a process, the various steps of the process, and analyzing potential failure points. (6:11) Haig shares that in an agency, people management is an advantage, especially if the agency has effective leadership. (11:37) Haig shares his advice to agency owners which is not to expect their people to know how to bundle. (16:08) Haig explains that it is very important to talk to your people and get their take on things and review them. (17:37) Haig talks about the importance of being able to be disciplined enough to not change all the time. (21:29) Haig explains that it's important as a leader to see the difference between when something is a preference and when it's better. (26:18) Haig shares that if you are looking to scale your company's progress, always think about the funnel strategy. (31:01) Haig talks about what happens when you lose credibility with your brand, and scale too fast. (32:07) Haig explains that it is very important to understand what your primary goal is and make sure you are always focused on it. (36:58) Haig shares that you have to check your effectiveness and that when you do, you will be able to see where you can create the most impact for your company. (43:06) Key Quotes: "I think the owner, from a cultural perspective, has a much bigger impact on a smaller agency, because they're always around. And they can lead through people seeing how they handle certain situations. And I think that's very impactful in an agency." - Haig Ardzivian "Another thing about change management, you know, going off of your thoughts on, like, entrepreneurial spirit, let's move fast, and let's get things done, is that you have to be disciplined enough to not change all the time." - Haig Ardzivian "Whatever you're great at, and whatever your passion is, maximize that as much as you can. Because that's fun for you, you're good at that. But when you're looking to scale, you have to think about your funnel, more than anything else." - Haig Ardzivian Resources Mentioned: Haig Ardzivian Linkedin Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Haig Ardzivian, VP of Operational Innovation at Quantum. Haig shares how your agency can grow with intentionality. When it comes to change, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Get the cliff notes on Lean Six Sigma and hear how to find a "NorthStar" that keeps your team on a strategic path while you grow.


Episode Highlights:

  • Haig shares his background story and how he crossed paths with Quantum and eventually became the operational innovation VP. (2:48)
  • Haig explains that the whole concept of Lean Six Sigma is how you look at a process, the various steps of the process, and analyzing potential failure points. (6:11)
  • Haig shares that in an agency, people management is an advantage, especially if the agency has effective leadership. (11:37)
  • Haig shares his advice to agency owners which is not to expect their people to know how to bundle. (16:08)
  • Haig explains that it is very important to talk to your people and get their take on things and review them. (17:37)
  • Haig talks about the importance of being able to be disciplined enough to not change all the time. (21:29)
  • Haig explains that it's important as a leader to see the difference between when something is a preference and when it's better. (26:18)
  • Haig shares that if you are looking to scale your company's progress, always think about the funnel strategy. (31:01)
  • Haig talks about what happens when you lose credibility with your brand, and scale too fast. (32:07)
  • Haig explains that it is very important to understand what your primary goal is and make sure you are always focused on it. (36:58)
  • Haig shares that you have to check your effectiveness and that when you do, you will be able to see where you can create the most impact for your company. (43:06)


Key Quotes:

  • "I think the owner, from a cultural perspective, has a much bigger impact on a smaller agency, because they're always around. And they can lead through people seeing how they handle certain situations. And I think that's very impactful in an agency." - Haig Ardzivian
  • "Another thing about change management, you know, going off of your thoughts on, like, entrepreneurial spirit, let's move fast, and let's get things done, is that you have to be disciplined enough to not change all the time." - Haig Ardzivian
  • "Whatever you're great at, and whatever your passion is, maximize that as much as you can. Because that's fun for you, you're good at that. But when you're looking to scale, you have to think about your funnel, more than anything else." - Haig Ardzivian


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2992 Scoring for Client Success https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ If you aren't giving your customer service team a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, hosted by Katlyn Eggar, find out which Top 5 indicators you can score to drive client success. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares the first mistake that makes your customer service department vulnerable. (0:34) Katlyn explains why accountability is all about visibility because without seeing the right data, customers can feel unsatisfied. (05:51) Katlyn mentions that we should write down the when, why, and how many. (8:08) Katlyn shares why not scoring for performance on your customer service team could also make your agency vulnerable. (11:11) Katlyn shares five targets that touch on what you don't want to miss for your agency scoreboard. (14:03) Katlyn suggests that not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, could lead to the danger of extending trust without clarity. (17:25) Katlyn shares that the fifth metric will help you know when you need to provide more coaching to your team. (19:30) Key Quotes: "If you're not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. Anytime you extend trust, pause to make sure you're extending clarity" - Katlyn Eggar "We shouldn't assume that the coverages the client chose when they first purchased a policy are the coverages they still need today." - Katlyn Eggar "If you're trying to improve your agency's retention, it starts with your team and your people and just knows that there are quantifiable things you could use as indicators to figure out how well your service team is doing." - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar If you aren't giving your customer service team a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, hosted by Katlyn Eggar, find out which Top 5 indicators you can score to drive client success. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares the first mistake that makes your customer service department vulnerable. (0:34) Katlyn explains why accountability is all about visibility because without seeing the right data, customers can feel unsatisfied. (05:51) Katlyn mentions that we should write down the when, why, and how many. (8:08) Katlyn shares why not scoring for performance on your customer service team could also make your agency vulnerable. (11:11) Katlyn shares five targets that touch on what you don't want to miss for your agency scoreboard. (14:03) Katlyn suggests that not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, could lead to the danger of extending trust without clarity. (17:25) Katlyn shares that the fifth metric will help you know when you need to provide more coaching to your team. (19:30) Key Quotes: "If you're not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. Anytime you extend trust, pause to make sure you're extending clarity" - Katlyn Eggar "We shouldn't assume that the coverages the client chose when they first purchased a policy are the coverages they still need today." - Katlyn Eggar "If you're trying to improve your agency's retention, it starts with your team and your people and just knows that there are quantifiable things you could use as indicators to figure out how well your service team is doing." - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International If you aren't giving your customer service team a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, hosted by Katlyn Eggar, find out which Top 5 indicators you can score to drive client success.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn shares the first mistake that makes your customer service department vulnerable. (0:34)
  • Katlyn explains why accountability is all about visibility because without seeing the right data, customers can feel unsatisfied. (05:51)
  • Katlyn mentions that we should write down the when, why, and how many. (8:08)
  • Katlyn shares why not scoring for performance on your customer service team could also make your agency vulnerable. (11:11)
  • Katlyn shares five targets that touch on what you don't want to miss for your agency scoreboard. (14:03)
  • Katlyn suggests that not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, could lead to the danger of extending trust without clarity. (17:25)
  • Katlyn shares that the fifth metric will help you know when you need to provide more coaching to your team. (19:30)


Key Quotes:

  • "If you're not giving your team members a score or a quantifiable measure of their performance, you could be in danger of extending trust without clarity. Anytime you extend trust, pause to make sure you're extending clarity" - Katlyn Eggar
  • "We shouldn't assume that the coverages the client chose when they first purchased a policy are the coverages they still need today." - Katlyn Eggar
  • "If you're trying to improve your agency's retention, it starts with your team and your people and just knows that there are quantifiable things you could use as indicators to figure out how well your service team is doing." - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 1493 Increase Your Influence Through the Power of Persuasion https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of Age of Indiependence Podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Brian Ahearn, Author, Coach, and Chief Influence Officer at Influence People. Science tells us that the methods you use impact your ability to influence and persuade. In "Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents", Brian Ahearn shares how you can increase your impact in your agency.  Episode Highlights: Brian tells us that he does set goals but he did not set a New Year's resolution. (6:23) Brian shares some highlights of the books that he has published. (9:23) Brian recalls the moment he realized that his passion was persuasion, influence, and helping people grow. (12:05) Brian tells us that there are scientific ways to be a more effective influencer. (17:20) Brian explains that 95% of our decision-making comes from a subconscious level. (23:09) Brian explains how a sales coach can persuade people new to the insurance industry to be persuasive. (25:10) Brian gives his advice to everyone in the industry to make sure they don't miss out on the tool of compare and contrast. (30:51) Brian points out how important it is to know other people's personality types. (39:30) Brian says that the motivation of wanting to control schedules and income can help people in sales be successful. (46:44) Brian explains the importance of the principle of liking. (47:58) Key Quotes: "Pave the way to success, make your goals public, take some active steps, whatever your goal is, it has to be voluntary, it has to be yours, it can't be thrust upon you." - Brian Ahearn "It's not that it's unimportant to understand your personality, but it's always more important to understand the person that you're interacting with." - Brian Ahearn "Focus on the principle of liking, which says that it's easier for people to say yes to you if they know you, and they like you. But don't spend your time trying to get people to like you." - Brian Ahearn Resources Mentioned: Brian Ahearn Linkedin Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents Influence People Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 17 Jan 2022 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of Age of Indiependence Podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Brian Ahearn, Author, Coach, and Chief Influence Officer at Influence People. Science tells us that the methods you use impact your ability to influence and persuade. In "Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents", Brian Ahearn shares how you can increase your impact in your agency.  Episode Highlights: Brian tells us that he does set goals but he did not set a New Year's resolution. (6:23) Brian shares some highlights of the books that he has published. (9:23) Brian recalls the moment he realized that his passion was persuasion, influence, and helping people grow. (12:05) Brian tells us that there are scientific ways to be a more effective influencer. (17:20) Brian explains that 95% of our decision-making comes from a subconscious level. (23:09) Brian explains how a sales coach can persuade people new to the insurance industry to be persuasive. (25:10) Brian gives his advice to everyone in the industry to make sure they don't miss out on the tool of compare and contrast. (30:51) Brian points out how important it is to know other people's personality types. (39:30) Brian says that the motivation of wanting to control schedules and income can help people in sales be successful. (46:44) Brian explains the importance of the principle of liking. (47:58) Key Quotes: "Pave the way to success, make your goals public, take some active steps, whatever your goal is, it has to be voluntary, it has to be yours, it can't be thrust upon you." - Brian Ahearn "It's not that it's unimportant to understand your personality, but it's always more important to understand the person that you're interacting with." - Brian Ahearn "Focus on the principle of liking, which says that it's easier for people to say yes to you if they know you, and they like you. But don't spend your time trying to get people to like you." - Brian Ahearn Resources Mentioned: Brian Ahearn Linkedin Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents Influence People Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of Age of Indiependence Podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Brian Ahearn, Author, Coach, and Chief Influence Officer at Influence People. Science tells us that the methods you use impact your ability to influence and persuade. In "Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents", Brian Ahearn shares how you can increase your impact in your agency. 


Episode Highlights:

  • Brian tells us that he does set goals but he did not set a New Year's resolution. (6:23)
  • Brian shares some highlights of the books that he has published. (9:23)
  • Brian recalls the moment he realized that his passion was persuasion, influence, and helping people grow. (12:05)
  • Brian tells us that there are scientific ways to be a more effective influencer. (17:20)
  • Brian explains that 95% of our decision-making comes from a subconscious level. (23:09)
  • Brian explains how a sales coach can persuade people new to the insurance industry to be persuasive. (25:10)
  • Brian gives his advice to everyone in the industry to make sure they don't miss out on the tool of compare and contrast. (30:51)
  • Brian points out how important it is to know other people's personality types. (39:30)
  • Brian says that the motivation of wanting to control schedules and income can help people in sales be successful. (46:44)
  • Brian explains the importance of the principle of liking. (47:58)


Key Quotes:

  • "Pave the way to success, make your goals public, take some active steps, whatever your goal is, it has to be voluntary, it has to be yours, it can't be thrust upon you." - Brian Ahearn
  • "It's not that it's unimportant to understand your personality, but it's always more important to understand the person that you're interacting with." - Brian Ahearn
  • "Focus on the principle of liking, which says that it's easier for people to say yes to you if they know you, and they like you. But don't spend your time trying to get people to like you." - Brian Ahearn


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3206 Our Greatest Weapon is Our Story - Recruiting and Team Building with Brett Young https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brett Young, CEO at Erb and Young. Brett discusses how his team has grown over the years, why they are always recruiting, and what steps they take to find the next winning team member.  Episode Highlights: Brett discusses his agency, Erb and Young. (1:46) Brett talks about what it's like to work on his team. (6:18) Brett talks about a time when their business model wasn't making progress. (9:44) How has Brett had to adapt their team culture to support growth? (11:48) Brett mentions that as businesses grow and add team members, they become more specialized in their work. (14:25) Brett explains why they are continuously hiring. (16:45) Brett explains their recruitment strategy. (18:37) Brett mentions that he is a team builder at heart. (20:25) Brett explains that they defined their ecosystem five years ago, over the course of their ten-year lifetime. (21:50) Brett describes what they're searching for in a candidate during the recruitment process. (25:15) Brett believes that the insurance industry is highly unique in that it provides people with an almost unlimited amount of not only income but also autonomy. (32:29) Brett explains why it is important to sell the agency's goal. (33:55) Brett discusses some of the things that interviewers should stop doing. (35:21) What advice does Brett have for someone who is interviewing for a new job? (37:30) Key Quotes:  “As you grow and as you add team members, you just become more specialized in what you do.” - Brett Young “Content has been a massive strategy in regards to showing the heart of who we are.” - Brett Young “It's important to sell the dream to make sure that people know that this is a long term deal and it's worth it. Because there are going to be tough days, there are going to be tough situations, there are other jobs you can go out and get a quick fix. And this is just not one of them.” - Brett Young Resources Mentioned: Brett Young Linkedin Erb and Young Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 11 Oct 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brett Young, CEO at Erb and Young. Brett discusses how his team has grown over the years, why they are always recruiting, and what steps they take to find the next winning team member.  Episode Highlights: Brett discusses his agency, Erb and Young. (1:46) Brett talks about what it's like to work on his team. (6:18) Brett talks about a time when their business model wasn't making progress. (9:44) How has Brett had to adapt their team culture to support growth? (11:48) Brett mentions that as businesses grow and add team members, they become more specialized in their work. (14:25) Brett explains why they are continuously hiring. (16:45) Brett explains their recruitment strategy. (18:37) Brett mentions that he is a team builder at heart. (20:25) Brett explains that they defined their ecosystem five years ago, over the course of their ten-year lifetime. (21:50) Brett describes what they're searching for in a candidate during the recruitment process. (25:15) Brett believes that the insurance industry is highly unique in that it provides people with an almost unlimited amount of not only income but also autonomy. (32:29) Brett explains why it is important to sell the agency's goal. (33:55) Brett discusses some of the things that interviewers should stop doing. (35:21) What advice does Brett have for someone who is interviewing for a new job? (37:30) Key Quotes:  “As you grow and as you add team members, you just become more specialized in what you do.” - Brett Young “Content has been a massive strategy in regards to showing the heart of who we are.” - Brett Young “It's important to sell the dream to make sure that people know that this is a long term deal and it's worth it. Because there are going to be tough days, there are going to be tough situations, there are other jobs you can go out and get a quick fix. And this is just not one of them.” - Brett Young Resources Mentioned: Brett Young Linkedin Erb and Young Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brett Young, CEO at Erb and Young. Brett discusses how his team has grown over the years, why they are always recruiting, and what steps they take to find the next winning team member. 


Episode Highlights:

  • Brett discusses his agency, Erb and Young. (1:46)
  • Brett talks about what it's like to work on his team. (6:18)
  • Brett talks about a time when their business model wasn't making progress. (9:44)
  • How has Brett had to adapt their team culture to support growth? (11:48)
  • Brett mentions that as businesses grow and add team members, they become more specialized in their work. (14:25)
  • Brett explains why they are continuously hiring. (16:45)
  • Brett explains their recruitment strategy. (18:37)
  • Brett mentions that he is a team builder at heart. (20:25)
  • Brett explains that they defined their ecosystem five years ago, over the course of their ten-year lifetime. (21:50)
  • Brett describes what they're searching for in a candidate during the recruitment process. (25:15)
  • Brett believes that the insurance industry is highly unique in that it provides people with an almost unlimited amount of not only income but also autonomy. (32:29)
  • Brett explains why it is important to sell the agency's goal. (33:55)
  • Brett discusses some of the things that interviewers should stop doing. (35:21)
  • What advice does Brett have for someone who is interviewing for a new job? (37:30)


Key Quotes: 

  • “As you grow and as you add team members, you just become more specialized in what you do.” - Brett Young
  • “Content has been a massive strategy in regards to showing the heart of who we are.” - Brett Young
  • “It's important to sell the dream to make sure that people know that this is a long term deal and it's worth it. Because there are going to be tough days, there are going to be tough situations, there are other jobs you can go out and get a quick fix. And this is just not one of them.” - Brett Young


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2613 What's your DISC Personality Type? https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ Communicating with others well directly impacts your outcomes. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, Education Manager at Quantum Assurance. Amanda talks about the DISC personality types, how to better understand people with different personality types from yours, and how to deal with personality differences! Episode Highlights: Amanda talks about the Leadership Academy at Quantum Assurance. (5:10) Amanda discusses why she wants to bring the DISC personality traits to people's attention. (5:57) Amanda discusses the DISC personality type classifications. (13:33) Amanda discusses the personality of someone with the D "Director" personality type. (17:25) Amanda explains that, while there is a formula that may work for many conversations, there will always be something that needs to be adjusted depending on the customer. (22:31) Amanda shares why she has a soft spot for those with the I personality type. (24:03) What are some of the things that would drain an I if they happened often in an insurance agency? (26:46) Is it common to find an I in a sales role? (29:23) Amanda discusses why the S personality is known as the "feeler" personality. (30:13) Amanda discusses personality type C. (37:27) What advice does Amanda have for those who want to improve their communication skills at work or at home? (45:41) Key Quotes: “We have to realize that while there's a formula that might generally work for a lot of our conversations, there's always going to be something that we have to adjust depending on the customer that we have.” - Amanda Mapp “If we can get our strong folks in one category to focus on that one thing, we're going to see better production from them.” - Amanda Mapp “I love anything that talks about personality because sometimes it's like horoscopes, sometimes it's so dead-on and sometimes people are like, that's not me. But I just want to be like, yes, it is, you just don't want to see it.” - Amanda Mapp Resources Mentioned: Amanda Mapp - Linkedin Quantum Assurance Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 20 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar Communicating with others well directly impacts your outcomes. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, Education Manager at Quantum Assurance. Amanda talks about the DISC personality types, how to better understand people with different personality types from yours, and how to deal with personality differences! Episode Highlights: Amanda talks about the Leadership Academy at Quantum Assurance. (5:10) Amanda discusses why she wants to bring the DISC personality traits to people's attention. (5:57) Amanda discusses the DISC personality type classifications. (13:33) Amanda discusses the personality of someone with the D "Director" personality type. (17:25) Amanda explains that, while there is a formula that may work for many conversations, there will always be something that needs to be adjusted depending on the customer. (22:31) Amanda shares why she has a soft spot for those with the I personality type. (24:03) What are some of the things that would drain an I if they happened often in an insurance agency? (26:46) Is it common to find an I in a sales role? (29:23) Amanda discusses why the S personality is known as the "feeler" personality. (30:13) Amanda discusses personality type C. (37:27) What advice does Amanda have for those who want to improve their communication skills at work or at home? (45:41) Key Quotes: “We have to realize that while there's a formula that might generally work for a lot of our conversations, there's always going to be something that we have to adjust depending on the customer that we have.” - Amanda Mapp “If we can get our strong folks in one category to focus on that one thing, we're going to see better production from them.” - Amanda Mapp “I love anything that talks about personality because sometimes it's like horoscopes, sometimes it's so dead-on and sometimes people are like, that's not me. But I just want to be like, yes, it is, you just don't want to see it.” - Amanda Mapp Resources Mentioned: Amanda Mapp - Linkedin Quantum Assurance Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Communicating with others well directly impacts your outcomes. In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, Education Manager at Quantum Assurance. Amanda talks about the DISC personality types, how to better understand people with different personality types from yours, and how to deal with personality differences!


Episode Highlights:

  • Amanda talks about the Leadership Academy at Quantum Assurance. (5:10)
  • Amanda discusses why she wants to bring the DISC personality traits to people's attention. (5:57)
  • Amanda discusses the DISC personality type classifications. (13:33)
  • Amanda discusses the personality of someone with the D "Director" personality type. (17:25)
  • Amanda explains that, while there is a formula that may work for many conversations, there will always be something that needs to be adjusted depending on the customer. (22:31)
  • Amanda shares why she has a soft spot for those with the I personality type. (24:03)
  • What are some of the things that would drain an I if they happened often in an insurance agency? (26:46)
  • Is it common to find an I in a sales role? (29:23)
  • Amanda discusses why the S personality is known as the "feeler" personality. (30:13)
  • Amanda discusses personality type C. (37:27)
  • What advice does Amanda have for those who want to improve their communication skills at work or at home? (45:41)


Key Quotes:

  • “We have to realize that while there's a formula that might generally work for a lot of our conversations, there's always going to be something that we have to adjust depending on the customer that we have.” - Amanda Mapp
  • “If we can get our strong folks in one category to focus on that one thing, we're going to see better production from them.” - Amanda Mapp
  • “I love anything that talks about personality because sometimes it's like horoscopes, sometimes it's so dead-on and sometimes people are like, that's not me. But I just want to be like, yes, it is, you just don't want to see it.” - Amanda Mapp


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3120 Recruiting Problems and Solutions with Kat Ternes https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kat Ternes, Vice President of Revenue at AgencyZoom. Recruiting comes with a bunch of challenges! Hear what hurdles Kat had to overcome to build her team, and how this can help you find top talent for your agency.  Episode Highlights: Kat shares how she was first introduced to AgencyZoom. (3:17) Kat discusses some of the challenges she has faced when it comes to recruiting. (5:54) Kat talks about the team culture and core values of AgencyZoom. (7:47) Kat shares how they established their seven core values together with the team. (12:53) Kat explains how their team members are rated on a one-to-five scale. (19:46) How would Kat Ternes describe what it’s like working in the startup world? (22:14) Kat shares how she's building her own candidate pool. (28:33) Kat discusses how she organizes her schedule. (34:36) Kat explains why great, successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. (39:15) Kat emphasizes the need of recognizing that the job market and the employee market are currently globalized. (41:36) Key Quotes: “Great successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. They're making good money. They're happy. They have freedom in their lifestyle because they're at 120% quota. Their boss doesn't care if they don't come in on Fridays.” - Kat Ternes “Thinking about it through that lens, that I'm not an insurance agent recruiting, I am a small business owner who has a sincere impact on my community and I am truly trying to help your career and grow. It is the lens that we should look through more.” - Kat Ternes “I am not here to say that recruiting is easy. What is easy, and most of us already have as a skill, though, is networking.” - Kat Ternes Resources Mentioned: Kat Ternes Linkedin AgencyZoom Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 13 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kat Ternes, Vice President of Revenue at AgencyZoom. Recruiting comes with a bunch of challenges! Hear what hurdles Kat had to overcome to build her team, and how this can help you find top talent for your agency.  Episode Highlights: Kat shares how she was first introduced to AgencyZoom. (3:17) Kat discusses some of the challenges she has faced when it comes to recruiting. (5:54) Kat talks about the team culture and core values of AgencyZoom. (7:47) Kat shares how they established their seven core values together with the team. (12:53) Kat explains how their team members are rated on a one-to-five scale. (19:46) How would Kat Ternes describe what it’s like working in the startup world? (22:14) Kat shares how she's building her own candidate pool. (28:33) Kat discusses how she organizes her schedule. (34:36) Kat explains why great, successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. (39:15) Kat emphasizes the need of recognizing that the job market and the employee market are currently globalized. (41:36) Key Quotes: “Great successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. They're making good money. They're happy. They have freedom in their lifestyle because they're at 120% quota. Their boss doesn't care if they don't come in on Fridays.” - Kat Ternes “Thinking about it through that lens, that I'm not an insurance agent recruiting, I am a small business owner who has a sincere impact on my community and I am truly trying to help your career and grow. It is the lens that we should look through more.” - Kat Ternes “I am not here to say that recruiting is easy. What is easy, and most of us already have as a skill, though, is networking.” - Kat Ternes Resources Mentioned: Kat Ternes Linkedin AgencyZoom Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kat Ternes, Vice President of Revenue at AgencyZoom. Recruiting comes with a bunch of challenges! Hear what hurdles Kat had to overcome to build her team, and how this can help you find top talent for your agency. 


Episode Highlights:

  • Kat shares how she was first introduced to AgencyZoom. (3:17)
  • Kat discusses some of the challenges she has faced when it comes to recruiting. (5:54)
  • Kat talks about the team culture and core values of AgencyZoom. (7:47)
  • Kat shares how they established their seven core values together with the team. (12:53)
  • Kat explains how their team members are rated on a one-to-five scale. (19:46)
  • How would Kat Ternes describe what it’s like working in the startup world? (22:14)
  • Kat shares how she's building her own candidate pool. (28:33)
  • Kat discusses how she organizes her schedule. (34:36)
  • Kat explains why great, successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. (39:15)
  • Kat emphasizes the need of recognizing that the job market and the employee market are currently globalized. (41:36)


Key Quotes:

  • “Great successful salespeople don't normally leave their jobs. They're making good money. They're happy. They have freedom in their lifestyle because they're at 120% quota. Their boss doesn't care if they don't come in on Fridays.” - Kat Ternes
  • “Thinking about it through that lens, that I'm not an insurance agent recruiting, I am a small business owner who has a sincere impact on my community and I am truly trying to help your career and grow. It is the lens that we should look through more.” - Kat Ternes
  • “I am not here to say that recruiting is easy. What is easy, and most of us already have as a skill, though, is networking.” - Kat Ternes



Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3075 Summer Recap and Spoiler Alerts! https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar catches you up to speed on highlights from this summer and shares her recent episode cliff notes, favorite quotes, and spoiler alerts! Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares how she’s spent the summer vacation with her family. (1:55) Katlyn shares a couple of highlights about her podcast episode with Ryan Frank. (11:23) Katlyn mentions what she and Cassidy Arbeli discussed. (13:51) Katlyn shares her interview with Justin Marks. (15:23) Katlyn recaps some key takeaways from her podcast interview with Ethan Barhydt. (17:38) Katlyn explains why her podcast episode with Ethan, was by far, one of her favorites. (19:08) Katlyn mentions an important element in making a long-lasting positive impact on a person’s life. (22:56) Katlyn shares her episode with Peter van Aartrijk. (23:43) Katlyn mentions Jeff Kirchick’s book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (26:23) Key Quotes: “We're focusing on branding the client relationship, and where the biggest opportunities are to solve problems for them. Now, you've created that consultative approach within your agency, and anyone can start there.” - Katlyn Eggar “It's totally possible for your sales team to get on the phone and quote and close a new policy without even mentioning the name of your agency. And so, I just wanted to leave you with that little tidbit today, because it's such a great reminder to all of us about how every conversation is a branding moment for our agencies.” - Katlyn Eggar “At the end of the day, the bottom line for me is don't just look at the numbers, you've got to listen to the calls, you've got to get inside of the call, not just look at the outcome, and that will point you in the right direction so that you can start figuring out how to coach those behaviors.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 06 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar catches you up to speed on highlights from this summer and shares her recent episode cliff notes, favorite quotes, and spoiler alerts! Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares how she’s spent the summer vacation with her family. (1:55) Katlyn shares a couple of highlights about her podcast episode with Ryan Frank. (11:23) Katlyn mentions what she and Cassidy Arbeli discussed. (13:51) Katlyn shares her interview with Justin Marks. (15:23) Katlyn recaps some key takeaways from her podcast interview with Ethan Barhydt. (17:38) Katlyn explains why her podcast episode with Ethan, was by far, one of her favorites. (19:08) Katlyn mentions an important element in making a long-lasting positive impact on a person’s life. (22:56) Katlyn shares her episode with Peter van Aartrijk. (23:43) Katlyn mentions Jeff Kirchick’s book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (26:23) Key Quotes: “We're focusing on branding the client relationship, and where the biggest opportunities are to solve problems for them. Now, you've created that consultative approach within your agency, and anyone can start there.” - Katlyn Eggar “It's totally possible for your sales team to get on the phone and quote and close a new policy without even mentioning the name of your agency. And so, I just wanted to leave you with that little tidbit today, because it's such a great reminder to all of us about how every conversation is a branding moment for our agencies.” - Katlyn Eggar “At the end of the day, the bottom line for me is don't just look at the numbers, you've got to listen to the calls, you've got to get inside of the call, not just look at the outcome, and that will point you in the right direction so that you can start figuring out how to coach those behaviors.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar catches you up to speed on highlights from this summer and shares her recent episode cliff notes, favorite quotes, and spoiler alerts!


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn shares how she’s spent the summer vacation with her family. (1:55)
  • Katlyn shares a couple of highlights about her podcast episode with Ryan Frank. (11:23)
  • Katlyn mentions what she and Cassidy Arbeli discussed. (13:51)
  • Katlyn shares her interview with Justin Marks. (15:23)
  • Katlyn recaps some key takeaways from her podcast interview with Ethan Barhydt. (17:38)
  • Katlyn explains why her podcast episode with Ethan, was by far, one of her favorites. (19:08)
  • Katlyn mentions an important element in making a long-lasting positive impact on a person’s life. (22:56)
  • Katlyn shares her episode with Peter van Aartrijk. (23:43)
  • Katlyn mentions Jeff Kirchick’s book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (26:23)


Key Quotes:

  • “We're focusing on branding the client relationship, and where the biggest opportunities are to solve problems for them. Now, you've created that consultative approach within your agency, and anyone can start there.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “It's totally possible for your sales team to get on the phone and quote and close a new policy without even mentioning the name of your agency. And so, I just wanted to leave you with that little tidbit today, because it's such a great reminder to all of us about how every conversation is a branding moment for our agencies.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “At the end of the day, the bottom line for me is don't just look at the numbers, you've got to listen to the calls, you've got to get inside of the call, not just look at the outcome, and that will point you in the right direction so that you can start figuring out how to coach those behaviors.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2036 Throwback: Enjoying your Business Again with Grant Botma In this throwback episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future. Episode Highlights: Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40) Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17)  How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12) Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17) Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23) Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33) How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22) How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09) The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53) What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45) What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44) Key Quotes: “I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma “I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma “I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Grant Botma LinkedIn Culture Course Stewardship Advertisers: Agency VA We Got Your Podcast Mon, 23 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this throwback episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future. Episode Highlights: Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40) Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17)  How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12) Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17) Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23) Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33) How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22) How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09) The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53) What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45) What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44) Key Quotes: “I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma “I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma “I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Grant Botma LinkedIn Culture Course Stewardship Advertisers: Agency VA We Got Your Podcast In this throwback episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future.


Episode Highlights:

  • Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40)
  • Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17) 
  • How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12)
  • Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17)
  • Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23)
  • Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33)
  • How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22)
  • How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09)
  • The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53)
  • What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45)
  • What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44)


Key Quotes:

  • “I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma
  • “I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma
  • “I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma


Resources Mentioned:


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]]> 3012 Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Kirchick, Strategic Sales Director at Cresta. Whether you realize it or not, every day you are selling something. Jeff Kirchick explains how the timeless skills of salesmanship impact your everyday conversations, why the customer is not always right, and how to detach yourself from the outcome. Episode Highlights: Jeff gives some background and insight on Cresta. (5:20) Does Jeff think that sales is a science or an art? (6:59) Jeff shares why it’s important to give people a framework from where they can operate. (9:25) Jeff mentions why people should treat the customer the way they would treat their best friend or family member. (12:20) Jeff gives some details about his book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (18:47) Jeff explains why children have the capability to be better and more authentic salespeople. (25:09) Jeff mentions why a good leader asks open-ended questions. (32:00) Jeff shares one of his favorite chapters from his book. (34:58) Jeff mentions one of the reasons why he wrote the book. (42:26) Jeff how Cresta works and why it’s such a valuable tool. (46:59) Key Quotes: “It was kind of a logical fit for me to come to Cresta, which is both within contact center and AI. Their philosophy is not using AI to replace people, but rather, to use AI to upskill people. In other words, to learn the behaviors of the top-performing agents or sales agents.” - Jeff Kirchick “Give them a framework that they can operate within. Because, you know that you need to exist within that framework to succeed, but, make it loose enough that the individual can still act in a way that is their authentic self.” - Jeff Kirchick “This book is for salespeople, but, it's also for everyone. The reason for that is because I think everyone is a salesperson in some way.” - Jeff Kirchick Resources Mentioned: Jeff Kirchick Linkedin Cresta Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 09 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Kirchick, Strategic Sales Director at Cresta. Whether you realize it or not, every day you are selling something. Jeff Kirchick explains how the timeless skills of salesmanship impact your everyday conversations, why the customer is not always right, and how to detach yourself from the outcome. Episode Highlights: Jeff gives some background and insight on Cresta. (5:20) Does Jeff think that sales is a science or an art? (6:59) Jeff shares why it’s important to give people a framework from where they can operate. (9:25) Jeff mentions why people should treat the customer the way they would treat their best friend or family member. (12:20) Jeff gives some details about his book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (18:47) Jeff explains why children have the capability to be better and more authentic salespeople. (25:09) Jeff mentions why a good leader asks open-ended questions. (32:00) Jeff shares one of his favorite chapters from his book. (34:58) Jeff mentions one of the reasons why he wrote the book. (42:26) Jeff how Cresta works and why it’s such a valuable tool. (46:59) Key Quotes: “It was kind of a logical fit for me to come to Cresta, which is both within contact center and AI. Their philosophy is not using AI to replace people, but rather, to use AI to upskill people. In other words, to learn the behaviors of the top-performing agents or sales agents.” - Jeff Kirchick “Give them a framework that they can operate within. Because, you know that you need to exist within that framework to succeed, but, make it loose enough that the individual can still act in a way that is their authentic self.” - Jeff Kirchick “This book is for salespeople, but, it's also for everyone. The reason for that is because I think everyone is a salesperson in some way.” - Jeff Kirchick Resources Mentioned: Jeff Kirchick Linkedin Cresta Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Kirchick, Strategic Sales Director at Cresta. Whether you realize it or not, every day you are selling something. Jeff Kirchick explains how the timeless skills of salesmanship impact your everyday conversations, why the customer is not always right, and how to detach yourself from the outcome.


Episode Highlights:

  • Jeff gives some background and insight on Cresta. (5:20)
  • Does Jeff think that sales is a science or an art? (6:59)
  • Jeff shares why it’s important to give people a framework from where they can operate. (9:25)
  • Jeff mentions why people should treat the customer the way they would treat their best friend or family member. (12:20)
  • Jeff gives some details about his book entitled, Authentic Selling: How to Use the Principles of Sales in Everyday Life. (18:47)
  • Jeff explains why children have the capability to be better and more authentic salespeople. (25:09)
  • Jeff mentions why a good leader asks open-ended questions. (32:00)
  • Jeff shares one of his favorite chapters from his book. (34:58)
  • Jeff mentions one of the reasons why he wrote the book. (42:26)
  • Jeff how Cresta works and why it’s such a valuable tool. (46:59)


Key Quotes:

  • “It was kind of a logical fit for me to come to Cresta, which is both within contact center and AI. Their philosophy is not using AI to replace people, but rather, to use AI to upskill people. In other words, to learn the behaviors of the top-performing agents or sales agents.” - Jeff Kirchick
  • “Give them a framework that they can operate within. Because, you know that you need to exist within that framework to succeed, but, make it loose enough that the individual can still act in a way that is their authentic self.” - Jeff Kirchick
  • “This book is for salespeople, but, it's also for everyone. The reason for that is because I think everyone is a salesperson in some way.” - Jeff Kirchick


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3114 Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Peter van Aartrijk, CEO of Aartrijk and author of "The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand". Your brand story is already within you. Learn how to tell human stories that build your company culture and brand. Episode Highlights: Peter shares his background. (3:18) Peter explains how he applied his background in journalism to the insurance industry. (5:30) Peter gives a short background about his podcast, called On Point. (8:32) Peter shares his book entitled, The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand. (9:57) Peter explains why independent agency owners should invest in branding. (13:54) Peter shares the first steps that an insurance agency owner should take when establishing a brand. (17:18) What are the symptoms of poor branding strategies that Peter has seen? (22:10) Peter explains the four quadrants of work. (26:51) Peter shares a story about the core values that were on the website of a regional PNC carrier. (29:41) Peter shares why the insurance industry is an opportunity for young people and all kinds of people. (36:01) Key Quotes: “We've gotten to the point now where we've made it really simple, but, you've got to start with the strategy. You've got to start before you get into anything else in marketing, or expressing your brand, you have to start with the brand story. And, that's what we'd like to do.” - Peter van Aartrijk “I think you've got to have a really good story that everybody buys into enthusiastically and shares. Because, if you don't, and leave it to chance, people are gonna freelance and make up their own stuff. And as the company gets bigger and bigger, you start to see the wheels coming off from a cultural standpoint and from ultimately, a customer standpoint.” - Peter van Aartrijk “The beauty of being an independent agent is that you are working in the best country on the planet, you can do whatever you want, it's your farm. That's the beauty of business ownership.” - Peter van Aartrijk Resources Mentioned: Peter van Aartrijk LinkedIn Aartrijk The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand On Point podcast Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 02 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Peter van Aartrijk, CEO of Aartrijk and author of "The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand". Your brand story is already within you. Learn how to tell human stories that build your company culture and brand. Episode Highlights: Peter shares his background. (3:18) Peter explains how he applied his background in journalism to the insurance industry. (5:30) Peter gives a short background about his podcast, called On Point. (8:32) Peter shares his book entitled, The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand. (9:57) Peter explains why independent agency owners should invest in branding. (13:54) Peter shares the first steps that an insurance agency owner should take when establishing a brand. (17:18) What are the symptoms of poor branding strategies that Peter has seen? (22:10) Peter explains the four quadrants of work. (26:51) Peter shares a story about the core values that were on the website of a regional PNC carrier. (29:41) Peter shares why the insurance industry is an opportunity for young people and all kinds of people. (36:01) Key Quotes: “We've gotten to the point now where we've made it really simple, but, you've got to start with the strategy. You've got to start before you get into anything else in marketing, or expressing your brand, you have to start with the brand story. And, that's what we'd like to do.” - Peter van Aartrijk “I think you've got to have a really good story that everybody buys into enthusiastically and shares. Because, if you don't, and leave it to chance, people are gonna freelance and make up their own stuff. And as the company gets bigger and bigger, you start to see the wheels coming off from a cultural standpoint and from ultimately, a customer standpoint.” - Peter van Aartrijk “The beauty of being an independent agent is that you are working in the best country on the planet, you can do whatever you want, it's your farm. That's the beauty of business ownership.” - Peter van Aartrijk Resources Mentioned: Peter van Aartrijk LinkedIn Aartrijk The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand On Point podcast Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Peter van Aartrijk, CEO of Aartrijk and author of "The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand". Your brand story is already within you. Learn how to tell human stories that build your company culture and brand.


Episode Highlights:

  • Peter shares his background. (3:18)
  • Peter explains how he applied his background in journalism to the insurance industry. (5:30)
  • Peter gives a short background about his podcast, called On Point. (8:32)
  • Peter shares his book entitled, The Powers: 10 Factors for Building an Exponentially More Powerful Brand. (9:57)
  • Peter explains why independent agency owners should invest in branding. (13:54)
  • Peter shares the first steps that an insurance agency owner should take when establishing a brand. (17:18)
  • What are the symptoms of poor branding strategies that Peter has seen? (22:10)
  • Peter explains the four quadrants of work. (26:51)
  • Peter shares a story about the core values that were on the website of a regional PNC carrier. (29:41)
  • Peter shares why the insurance industry is an opportunity for young people and all kinds of people. (36:01)


Key Quotes:

  • “We've gotten to the point now where we've made it really simple, but, you've got to start with the strategy. You've got to start before you get into anything else in marketing, or expressing your brand, you have to start with the brand story. And, that's what we'd like to do.” - Peter van Aartrijk
  • “I think you've got to have a really good story that everybody buys into enthusiastically and shares. Because, if you don't, and leave it to chance, people are gonna freelance and make up their own stuff. And as the company gets bigger and bigger, you start to see the wheels coming off from a cultural standpoint and from ultimately, a customer standpoint.” - Peter van Aartrijk
  • “The beauty of being an independent agent is that you are working in the best country on the planet, you can do whatever you want, it's your farm. That's the beauty of business ownership.” - Peter van Aartrijk


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2397 Sales Coaching Powered by Speech Analytics and Conversational Intelligence https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ethan Barhydt, CEO of VoiceOps. Katlyn and Ethan find out which sales behaviors are most difficult to drive inside an insurance agency and how coaching enablement can increase your results. Episode Highlights:  Katlyn shares what coaching looks like for the average agency. (7:02) How does Katlyn identify if the person is coachable? (15:35) Katlyn shares one of her experiences about something she’s tried that didn't work out well. (17:41) Katlyn mentions what they have started doing at Quantum when someone comes on board. (25:23) Should people invest their time and energy in coaching? (27:07) Katlyn mentions the first thing you can do to increase your sales numbers. (27:43) Ethan explains more about speech analytics and the technology of coaching. (30:18) Ethan shares some of the problems he experienced with speech analytics. (32:20) Katlyn shares one of the things that she loves about VoiceOps. (36:28) What are behaviors that matter most to Katlyn? (40:18) Ethan mentions one thing he’s found interesting about call centers and teams. (46:52) Katlyn gives us the takeaway from today’s episode. (50:52) Key Quotes: “Coaching is a thing that you obsess over, and you think about all the time because you understand when you're on the floor of a call center or sales team, you see the impact that coaching makes.” - Ethan Barhydt “My sense is that as a company grows, especially when it's growing fast, like quantum has, you start to see the benefits of more structure and structure becomes quite important as you're trying to drive consistency across a big organization.” - Ethan Barhydt “Accountability is all about visibility. If you don't have your eyes on exactly what's going on, it's going to be really hard to hold your associate accountable to those behaviors that will drive the results.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Ethan Barhydt LinkedIn VoiceOps Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 26 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ethan Barhydt, CEO of VoiceOps. Katlyn and Ethan find out which sales behaviors are most difficult to drive inside an insurance agency and how coaching enablement can increase your results. Episode Highlights:  Katlyn shares what coaching looks like for the average agency. (7:02) How does Katlyn identify if the person is coachable? (15:35) Katlyn shares one of her experiences about something she’s tried that didn't work out well. (17:41) Katlyn mentions what they have started doing at Quantum when someone comes on board. (25:23) Should people invest their time and energy in coaching? (27:07) Katlyn mentions the first thing you can do to increase your sales numbers. (27:43) Ethan explains more about speech analytics and the technology of coaching. (30:18) Ethan shares some of the problems he experienced with speech analytics. (32:20) Katlyn shares one of the things that she loves about VoiceOps. (36:28) What are behaviors that matter most to Katlyn? (40:18) Ethan mentions one thing he’s found interesting about call centers and teams. (46:52) Katlyn gives us the takeaway from today’s episode. (50:52) Key Quotes: “Coaching is a thing that you obsess over, and you think about all the time because you understand when you're on the floor of a call center or sales team, you see the impact that coaching makes.” - Ethan Barhydt “My sense is that as a company grows, especially when it's growing fast, like quantum has, you start to see the benefits of more structure and structure becomes quite important as you're trying to drive consistency across a big organization.” - Ethan Barhydt “Accountability is all about visibility. If you don't have your eyes on exactly what's going on, it's going to be really hard to hold your associate accountable to those behaviors that will drive the results.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Ethan Barhydt LinkedIn VoiceOps Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ethan Barhydt, CEO of VoiceOps. Katlyn and Ethan find out which sales behaviors are most difficult to drive inside an insurance agency and how coaching enablement can increase your results.


Episode Highlights: 

  • Katlyn shares what coaching looks like for the average agency. (7:02)
  • How does Katlyn identify if the person is coachable? (15:35)
  • Katlyn shares one of her experiences about something she’s tried that didn't work out well. (17:41)
  • Katlyn mentions what they have started doing at Quantum when someone comes on board. (25:23)
  • Should people invest their time and energy in coaching? (27:07)
  • Katlyn mentions the first thing you can do to increase your sales numbers. (27:43)
  • Ethan explains more about speech analytics and the technology of coaching. (30:18)
  • Ethan shares some of the problems he experienced with speech analytics. (32:20)
  • Katlyn shares one of the things that she loves about VoiceOps. (36:28)
  • What are behaviors that matter most to Katlyn? (40:18)
  • Ethan mentions one thing he’s found interesting about call centers and teams. (46:52)
  • Katlyn gives us the takeaway from today’s episode. (50:52)


Key Quotes:

  • “Coaching is a thing that you obsess over, and you think about all the time because you understand when you're on the floor of a call center or sales team, you see the impact that coaching makes.” - Ethan Barhydt
  • “My sense is that as a company grows, especially when it's growing fast, like quantum has, you start to see the benefits of more structure and structure becomes quite important as you're trying to drive consistency across a big organization.” - Ethan Barhydt
  • “Accountability is all about visibility. If you don't have your eyes on exactly what's going on, it's going to be really hard to hold your associate accountable to those behaviors that will drive the results.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3440 Internet Leads: Creating Quality Relationships in the Digital Space https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Marks, Co-Founder and President of Quotehound. Justin discusses how leads can provide a consistent flow of predictable opportunities, but your agency might not be ready just yet. Find out what to have in place first so you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize your investment.  Episode Highlights:  Justin explains his background in the digital marketing space. (1:40)  Justin details the daily conversations he has about data analytics and algorithms. (5:00)  What kind of agencies does Justin primarily work with? (5:58)  Justin talks about the consumer experience and importance of lead management. (10:46)  How does Justin handle serving clients in different niches? (13:10)  What are some common pitfalls when it comes to leads? (15:50)  Justin shares his advice on how to create successful sales processes. (20:19)  Justin discusses what your focus should be during the follow up processes. (26:52)  How do you build a great team culture? (37:02) Justin explains why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to new business. (41:38) Key Quotes: “I think it's important to put yourself in the consumer experience as well. When they're going online, they're going to a website, and they're giving all this information about them. One of the important things I like to share with agency owners is... when you do get that person on the phone, be friendly.” - Justin Marks  “I think some of the other things that are very important is picking a CRM that your team has full belief in. There are more CRMs out there than I have fingers and toes and my opinion on CRM is...it's very simple. Find a CRM that your team uses. It creates efficiency, and has great follow up processes.” - Justin Marks  “If you're able to write two policies versus one, you know the economics are going to be greater. So, it allows you then to take that money, reinvest into more marketing to ensure that you keep that engine running, and to ensure that you're growing the right type of clients that are good for the business, and good for the consumers as well.” - Justin Marks Resources Mentioned: Justin Marks LinkedIn Quotehound Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 19 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Marks, Co-Founder and President of Quotehound. Justin discusses how leads can provide a consistent flow of predictable opportunities, but your agency might not be ready just yet. Find out what to have in place first so you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize your investment.  Episode Highlights:  Justin explains his background in the digital marketing space. (1:40)  Justin details the daily conversations he has about data analytics and algorithms. (5:00)  What kind of agencies does Justin primarily work with? (5:58)  Justin talks about the consumer experience and importance of lead management. (10:46)  How does Justin handle serving clients in different niches? (13:10)  What are some common pitfalls when it comes to leads? (15:50)  Justin shares his advice on how to create successful sales processes. (20:19)  Justin discusses what your focus should be during the follow up processes. (26:52)  How do you build a great team culture? (37:02) Justin explains why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to new business. (41:38) Key Quotes: “I think it's important to put yourself in the consumer experience as well. When they're going online, they're going to a website, and they're giving all this information about them. One of the important things I like to share with agency owners is... when you do get that person on the phone, be friendly.” - Justin Marks  “I think some of the other things that are very important is picking a CRM that your team has full belief in. There are more CRMs out there than I have fingers and toes and my opinion on CRM is...it's very simple. Find a CRM that your team uses. It creates efficiency, and has great follow up processes.” - Justin Marks  “If you're able to write two policies versus one, you know the economics are going to be greater. So, it allows you then to take that money, reinvest into more marketing to ensure that you keep that engine running, and to ensure that you're growing the right type of clients that are good for the business, and good for the consumers as well.” - Justin Marks Resources Mentioned: Justin Marks LinkedIn Quotehound Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Marks, Co-Founder and President of Quotehound. Justin discusses how leads can provide a consistent flow of predictable opportunities, but your agency might not be ready just yet. Find out what to have in place first so you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize your investment. 


Episode Highlights:

  •  Justin explains his background in the digital marketing space. (1:40)
  •  Justin details the daily conversations he has about data analytics and algorithms. (5:00)
  •  What kind of agencies does Justin primarily work with? (5:58)
  •  Justin talks about the consumer experience and importance of lead management. (10:46)
  •  How does Justin handle serving clients in different niches? (13:10)
  •  What are some common pitfalls when it comes to leads? (15:50)
  •  Justin shares his advice on how to create successful sales processes. (20:19)
  •  Justin discusses what your focus should be during the follow up processes. (26:52)
  •  How do you build a great team culture? (37:02)
  • Justin explains why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to new business. (41:38)



Key Quotes:

  • “I think it's important to put yourself in the consumer experience as well. When they're going online, they're going to a website, and they're giving all this information about them. One of the important things I like to share with agency owners is... when you do get that person on the phone, be friendly.” - Justin Marks
  •  “I think some of the other things that are very important is picking a CRM that your team has full belief in. There are more CRMs out there than I have fingers and toes and my opinion on CRM is...it's very simple. Find a CRM that your team uses. It creates efficiency, and has great follow up processes.” - Justin Marks
  •  “If you're able to write two policies versus one, you know the economics are going to be greater. So, it allows you then to take that money, reinvest into more marketing to ensure that you keep that engine running, and to ensure that you're growing the right type of clients that are good for the business, and good for the consumers as well.” - Justin Marks


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3143 Unburden Your Business with Cassidy Arbeli https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Cassidy Arbeli, podcast host of Unburden Your Business. Cassidy chats about agency life, entrepreneurship, and how agents can invest in themselves through ongoing education. Learn how to understand your money and where to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.  Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Cassidy Arbeli. (1:27) Cassidy shares her experience working remotely with her team. (5:33) Katlyn shares the programs that they offer at Quantum Assurance International. (11:49) Cassidy mentions why learning and understanding money is vital. (13:50) Cassidy gives a short background of her program called, Agency By Design. (14:52) Katlyn shares why she loves being a woman in the insurance industry. (18:09) Cassidy shares a story about her popular mom blog. (21:01) Cassidy mentions why she likes the idea of residual income. (22:11) Cassidy shares her Facebook group called Female Insurance Agency Owners. (27:50) Key Quotes: “It's totally 2021 now to start relationships and friendships, and conversations and collaborations with people through the internet, and it's not weird anymore. I think just showing people that you can hop on and just get to know somebody this way is something normal now.” - Cassidy Arbeli “Whether you're in insurance or you're in a different industry, this is your business. This is your baby. You get to decide how it affects your life, what it does for you, and how you show up for it.” - Cassidy Arbeli “I think I've been successful in everything else that I have chosen to do. And, how I can show up for other people and show them this formula and say...Hey, you know, this is what you need to do for your business. We're going to do it together. I’ll help you figure out how it needs to look for you.” - Cassidy Arbeli Resources Mentioned: Cassidy Arbeli LinkedIn Unburden Your Business Female Insurance Agency Owners Facebook page Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 28 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Cassidy Arbeli, podcast host of Unburden Your Business. Cassidy chats about agency life, entrepreneurship, and how agents can invest in themselves through ongoing education. Learn how to understand your money and where to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.  Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Cassidy Arbeli. (1:27) Cassidy shares her experience working remotely with her team. (5:33) Katlyn shares the programs that they offer at Quantum Assurance International. (11:49) Cassidy mentions why learning and understanding money is vital. (13:50) Cassidy gives a short background of her program called, Agency By Design. (14:52) Katlyn shares why she loves being a woman in the insurance industry. (18:09) Cassidy shares a story about her popular mom blog. (21:01) Cassidy mentions why she likes the idea of residual income. (22:11) Cassidy shares her Facebook group called Female Insurance Agency Owners. (27:50) Key Quotes: “It's totally 2021 now to start relationships and friendships, and conversations and collaborations with people through the internet, and it's not weird anymore. I think just showing people that you can hop on and just get to know somebody this way is something normal now.” - Cassidy Arbeli “Whether you're in insurance or you're in a different industry, this is your business. This is your baby. You get to decide how it affects your life, what it does for you, and how you show up for it.” - Cassidy Arbeli “I think I've been successful in everything else that I have chosen to do. And, how I can show up for other people and show them this formula and say...Hey, you know, this is what you need to do for your business. We're going to do it together. I’ll help you figure out how it needs to look for you.” - Cassidy Arbeli Resources Mentioned: Cassidy Arbeli LinkedIn Unburden Your Business Female Insurance Agency Owners Facebook page Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Cassidy Arbeli, podcast host of Unburden Your Business. Cassidy chats about agency life, entrepreneurship, and how agents can invest in themselves through ongoing education. Learn how to understand your money and where to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs. 


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Cassidy Arbeli. (1:27)
  • Cassidy shares her experience working remotely with her team. (5:33)
  • Katlyn shares the programs that they offer at Quantum Assurance International. (11:49)
  • Cassidy mentions why learning and understanding money is vital. (13:50)
  • Cassidy gives a short background of her program called, Agency By Design. (14:52)
  • Katlyn shares why she loves being a woman in the insurance industry. (18:09)
  • Cassidy shares a story about her popular mom blog. (21:01)
  • Cassidy mentions why she likes the idea of residual income. (22:11)
  • Cassidy shares her Facebook group called Female Insurance Agency Owners. (27:50)


Key Quotes:

  • “It's totally 2021 now to start relationships and friendships, and conversations and collaborations with people through the internet, and it's not weird anymore. I think just showing people that you can hop on and just get to know somebody this way is something normal now.” - Cassidy Arbeli
  • “Whether you're in insurance or you're in a different industry, this is your business. This is your baby. You get to decide how it affects your life, what it does for you, and how you show up for it.” - Cassidy Arbeli
  • “I think I've been successful in everything else that I have chosen to do. And, how I can show up for other people and show them this formula and say...Hey, you know, this is what you need to do for your business. We're going to do it together. I’ll help you figure out how it needs to look for you.” - Cassidy Arbeli


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 1833 Becoming Mr. Insurance https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ryan Frank, pastor, publisher, and entrepreneur. Ryan documents his journey to opening his first insurance agency. Hear as he shares which leadership principles and team-building skills have helped him see success. Episode Highlights: Ryan shares his background in ministry and being a pastor. (6:32) Ryan shares what Kidz Matter is all about and his online school, Kidmin Academy. (8:40) Ryan explains the mission and the purpose behind Kidmin Academy. (11:19) Ryan mentions that he’s a big believer in finding good people, empowering them, and letting them go. (15:49) Ryan shares his number one tip in delivering a successful conference that people will come back to. (20:59) What made Ryan decide to build an agency? (30:30) Ryan shares some of the things that he’s been doing to network with other agents. (37:16) Ryan shares why the best leaders are the growing leaders. (40:31) Ryan mentions the significance of systems and structures. (44:12) Ryan explains why you’ve got to run your business as if it’s twice its size.  (47:05) Key Quotes: “I always seem to be kind of wired, where…. I loved pastoring people, I loved ministering to people, but I also had this entrepreneurial spirit in me.” - Ryan Frank “Let's learn from that failure and just move on. The more I empower my team, the more I find that our organization grows, and the more margin or capacity I have for more.” - Ryan Frank “The best leaders are growing leaders, and the best way to grow is by spending some time with people and growing your network with people. So, that's been huge for me.” - Ryan Frank Resources Mentioned: Ryan Frank LinkedIn Ryan Frank Website Frank Insurance Management Kidz Matter Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 21 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ryan Frank, pastor, publisher, and entrepreneur. Ryan documents his journey to opening his first insurance agency. Hear as he shares which leadership principles and team-building skills have helped him see success. Episode Highlights: Ryan shares his background in ministry and being a pastor. (6:32) Ryan shares what Kidz Matter is all about and his online school, Kidmin Academy. (8:40) Ryan explains the mission and the purpose behind Kidmin Academy. (11:19) Ryan mentions that he’s a big believer in finding good people, empowering them, and letting them go. (15:49) Ryan shares his number one tip in delivering a successful conference that people will come back to. (20:59) What made Ryan decide to build an agency? (30:30) Ryan shares some of the things that he’s been doing to network with other agents. (37:16) Ryan shares why the best leaders are the growing leaders. (40:31) Ryan mentions the significance of systems and structures. (44:12) Ryan explains why you’ve got to run your business as if it’s twice its size.  (47:05) Key Quotes: “I always seem to be kind of wired, where…. I loved pastoring people, I loved ministering to people, but I also had this entrepreneurial spirit in me.” - Ryan Frank “Let's learn from that failure and just move on. The more I empower my team, the more I find that our organization grows, and the more margin or capacity I have for more.” - Ryan Frank “The best leaders are growing leaders, and the best way to grow is by spending some time with people and growing your network with people. So, that's been huge for me.” - Ryan Frank Resources Mentioned: Ryan Frank LinkedIn Ryan Frank Website Frank Insurance Management Kidz Matter Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ryan Frank, pastor, publisher, and entrepreneur. Ryan documents his journey to opening his first insurance agency. Hear as he shares which leadership principles and team-building skills have helped him see success.


Episode Highlights:

  • Ryan shares his background in ministry and being a pastor. (6:32)
  • Ryan shares what Kidz Matter is all about and his online school, Kidmin Academy. (8:40)
  • Ryan explains the mission and the purpose behind Kidmin Academy. (11:19)
  • Ryan mentions that he’s a big believer in finding good people, empowering them, and letting them go. (15:49)
  • Ryan shares his number one tip in delivering a successful conference that people will come back to. (20:59)
  • What made Ryan decide to build an agency? (30:30)
  • Ryan shares some of the things that he’s been doing to network with other agents. (37:16)
  • Ryan shares why the best leaders are the growing leaders. (40:31)
  • Ryan mentions the significance of systems and structures. (44:12)
  • Ryan explains why you’ve got to run your business as if it’s twice its size.  (47:05)


Key Quotes:

  • “I always seem to be kind of wired, where…. I loved pastoring people, I loved ministering to people, but I also had this entrepreneurial spirit in me.” - Ryan Frank
  • “Let's learn from that failure and just move on. The more I empower my team, the more I find that our organization grows, and the more margin or capacity I have for more.” - Ryan Frank
  • “The best leaders are growing leaders, and the best way to grow is by spending some time with people and growing your network with people. So, that's been huge for me.” - Ryan Frank


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3308 After Hours: Katlyn and Justin Catch Up on Current Events, Tesla, Insurance, and Everything In Between https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Late-night ramblings uncover Justin's superpowers, what Katlyn thinks of the biz dev messages in her inbox, and how we really feel about Tesla. Catch the bonus episode we threw in just for you, of our pre-episode promo on Facebook live with lots of great content directly following current events, leadership development, and insurance training tips. Thanks for hanging out with us- Cheers! Episode Highlights: Justin chats about their Virginia office. (6:15) Katlyn discusses her class in their Allen office. (8:20) Katlyn shares what she likes about reading the biz dev messages. (11:57) Justin mentions why he signed up for two cyber trucks. (14:18) Katlyn mentions their new course called ‘Managing Your Brand’. (18:48) Justin shares why he’s always excited about one-on-one meetings. (23:21) Justin shares their future plans for the agency. (25:16) Justin mentions one of the reasons why the fireside chat is important. (36:05) Justin shares one of his greatest fears. (42:43) Key Quotes: “I actually like reading the biz dev messages, because I like looking for good ideas, and, like, connecting with someone out of the blue is always one of those mysterious life skills that you want to be able to have.” - Katlyn Eggar “I do love the idea of people talking about insurance, like, you know, people should be talking about insurance.” - Justin Eggar  “Sometimes we all get so busy that you can end up neglecting people... I have, by accident. And, so I try to be purposeful with bouncing back and forth.” - Justin Eggar Resources Mentioned: Justin Eggar LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 14 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Late-night ramblings uncover Justin's superpowers, what Katlyn thinks of the biz dev messages in her inbox, and how we really feel about Tesla. Catch the bonus episode we threw in just for you, of our pre-episode promo on Facebook live with lots of great content directly following current events, leadership development, and insurance training tips. Thanks for hanging out with us- Cheers! Episode Highlights: Justin chats about their Virginia office. (6:15) Katlyn discusses her class in their Allen office. (8:20) Katlyn shares what she likes about reading the biz dev messages. (11:57) Justin mentions why he signed up for two cyber trucks. (14:18) Katlyn mentions their new course called ‘Managing Your Brand’. (18:48) Justin shares why he’s always excited about one-on-one meetings. (23:21) Justin shares their future plans for the agency. (25:16) Justin mentions one of the reasons why the fireside chat is important. (36:05) Justin shares one of his greatest fears. (42:43) Key Quotes: “I actually like reading the biz dev messages, because I like looking for good ideas, and, like, connecting with someone out of the blue is always one of those mysterious life skills that you want to be able to have.” - Katlyn Eggar “I do love the idea of people talking about insurance, like, you know, people should be talking about insurance.” - Justin Eggar  “Sometimes we all get so busy that you can end up neglecting people... I have, by accident. And, so I try to be purposeful with bouncing back and forth.” - Justin Eggar Resources Mentioned: Justin Eggar LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Late-night ramblings uncover Justin's superpowers, what Katlyn thinks of the biz dev messages in her inbox, and how we really feel about Tesla. Catch the bonus episode we threw in just for you, of our pre-episode promo on Facebook live with lots of great content directly following current events, leadership development, and insurance training tips. Thanks for hanging out with us- Cheers!


Episode Highlights:

  • Justin chats about their Virginia office. (6:15)
  • Katlyn discusses her class in their Allen office. (8:20)
  • Katlyn shares what she likes about reading the biz dev messages. (11:57)
  • Justin mentions why he signed up for two cyber trucks. (14:18)
  • Katlyn mentions their new course called ‘Managing Your Brand’. (18:48)
  • Justin shares why he’s always excited about one-on-one meetings. (23:21)
  • Justin shares their future plans for the agency. (25:16)
  • Justin mentions one of the reasons why the fireside chat is important. (36:05)
  • Justin shares one of his greatest fears. (42:43)


Key Quotes:

  • “I actually like reading the biz dev messages, because I like looking for good ideas, and, like, connecting with someone out of the blue is always one of those mysterious life skills that you want to be able to have.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “I do love the idea of people talking about insurance, like, you know, people should be talking about insurance.” - Justin Eggar 
  • “Sometimes we all get so busy that you can end up neglecting people... I have, by accident. And, so I try to be purposeful with bouncing back and forth.” - Justin Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 4491 Process Mapping: Your Plan for Influencing Intentional Results https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to plan your most intentional results yet and how to use a documented process to achieve the big wins that are most important to you this year. You'll learn how to map your processes by deciding WHO is going to do WHAT, WHEN, and HOW you want them to do it. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares the most important responsibility within an agency, as a business owner. (3:00) What is process mapping? (3:52) Katlyn mentions why the topic of process mapping is vital. (6:16) Katlyn breaks down what it will cost you to put this into practice. (7:27) Why should business owners create new processes for their agency? (9:14) Katlyn gives us the first step to mapping processes. (11:11) Katlyn shares the six types of process ideas. (12:18) Katlyn shares how to create the process using the method she created. (18:56) Key Quotes: “Getting these processes in place first means that you'll have far more success with your VAs and your new technology, than agents who just haven't defined their process yet.” - Katlyn Eggar “Whatever your goals are, know that you are doing one of the best things you can do as an agency owner, by carving out time to create new processes for your agency. It's one of the best ways to invest your time.” - Katlyn Eggar “You're a leader. You have the potential to influence your entire team to be more intentional with their efforts and moving in the same direction. And, by investing in your processes, you've added value to your team and fuel to your plan to achieve great things this year.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to plan your most intentional results yet and how to use a documented process to achieve the big wins that are most important to you this year. You'll learn how to map your processes by deciding WHO is going to do WHAT, WHEN, and HOW you want them to do it. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares the most important responsibility within an agency, as a business owner. (3:00) What is process mapping? (3:52) Katlyn mentions why the topic of process mapping is vital. (6:16) Katlyn breaks down what it will cost you to put this into practice. (7:27) Why should business owners create new processes for their agency? (9:14) Katlyn gives us the first step to mapping processes. (11:11) Katlyn shares the six types of process ideas. (12:18) Katlyn shares how to create the process using the method she created. (18:56) Key Quotes: “Getting these processes in place first means that you'll have far more success with your VAs and your new technology, than agents who just haven't defined their process yet.” - Katlyn Eggar “Whatever your goals are, know that you are doing one of the best things you can do as an agency owner, by carving out time to create new processes for your agency. It's one of the best ways to invest your time.” - Katlyn Eggar “You're a leader. You have the potential to influence your entire team to be more intentional with their efforts and moving in the same direction. And, by investing in your processes, you've added value to your team and fuel to your plan to achieve great things this year.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to plan your most intentional results yet and how to use a documented process to achieve the big wins that are most important to you this year. You'll learn how to map your processes by deciding WHO is going to do WHAT, WHEN, and HOW you want them to do it.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn shares the most important responsibility within an agency, as a business owner. (3:00)
  • What is process mapping? (3:52)
  • Katlyn mentions why the topic of process mapping is vital. (6:16)
  • Katlyn breaks down what it will cost you to put this into practice. (7:27)
  • Why should business owners create new processes for their agency? (9:14)
  • Katlyn gives us the first step to mapping processes. (11:11)
  • Katlyn shares the six types of process ideas. (12:18)
  • Katlyn shares how to create the process using the method she created. (18:56)


Key Quotes:

  • “Getting these processes in place first means that you'll have far more success with your VAs and your new technology, than agents who just haven't defined their process yet.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “Whatever your goals are, know that you are doing one of the best things you can do as an agency owner, by carving out time to create new processes for your agency. It's one of the best ways to invest your time.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “You're a leader. You have the potential to influence your entire team to be more intentional with their efforts and moving in the same direction. And, by investing in your processes, you've added value to your team and fuel to your plan to achieve great things this year.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 1942 Where Do Your Top Performers Really Fit on Your S.W.O.T Analysis? https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to protect the strongest asset in your agency by eliminating threats that shake up your top performer's confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with an unclear vision. Episode Highlights: Katlyn mentions why some people are putting extra workloads on their top performers. (5:13) What is a top performer? (6:12) Katlyn shares why protecting the top performers, doesn't mean they’re not developing the underperformers. (7:21) Katlyn shares what it feels like to be a top performer. (8:38) What is the first threat to a top performer? (9:52) Katlyn shares a story of how she once lost a top performer. (10:02) Katlyn explains the second threat to a top performer. (13:26) Katlyn mentions the disc assessment they have at Quantum. (17:08)    Key Quotes: “We have to understand that losing a top performer could be one of the largest threats to our agency. And our SWOT should include all the things that threaten to shake our top performer’s confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with too vague an idea of where to go from here.” - Katlyn Eggar “Top performers can feel like the agency is counting on them. They take pride in their work, but that means they have to make sacrifices. Maybe sometimes you even wondered if it was worth it.” - Katlyn Eggar “A successful person who is burned out can feel like a failure. And, a high achiever who feels like a failure at your agency will eventually find a place where they feel like they're on top of the world.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 24 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to protect the strongest asset in your agency by eliminating threats that shake up your top performer's confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with an unclear vision. Episode Highlights: Katlyn mentions why some people are putting extra workloads on their top performers. (5:13) What is a top performer? (6:12) Katlyn shares why protecting the top performers, doesn't mean they’re not developing the underperformers. (7:21) Katlyn shares what it feels like to be a top performer. (8:38) What is the first threat to a top performer? (9:52) Katlyn shares a story of how she once lost a top performer. (10:02) Katlyn explains the second threat to a top performer. (13:26) Katlyn mentions the disc assessment they have at Quantum. (17:08)    Key Quotes: “We have to understand that losing a top performer could be one of the largest threats to our agency. And our SWOT should include all the things that threaten to shake our top performer’s confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with too vague an idea of where to go from here.” - Katlyn Eggar “Top performers can feel like the agency is counting on them. They take pride in their work, but that means they have to make sacrifices. Maybe sometimes you even wondered if it was worth it.” - Katlyn Eggar “A successful person who is burned out can feel like a failure. And, a high achiever who feels like a failure at your agency will eventually find a place where they feel like they're on top of the world.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses how to protect the strongest asset in your agency by eliminating threats that shake up your top performer's confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with an unclear vision.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn mentions why some people are putting extra workloads on their top performers. (5:13)
  • What is a top performer? (6:12)
  • Katlyn shares why protecting the top performers, doesn't mean they’re not developing the underperformers. (7:21)
  • Katlyn shares what it feels like to be a top performer. (8:38)
  • What is the first threat to a top performer? (9:52)
  • Katlyn shares a story of how she once lost a top performer. (10:02)
  • Katlyn explains the second threat to a top performer. (13:26)
  • Katlyn mentions the disc assessment they have at Quantum. (17:08)

  

Key Quotes:

  • “We have to understand that losing a top performer could be one of the largest threats to our agency. And our SWOT should include all the things that threaten to shake our top performer’s confidence, stretch them too thin, or leave them with too vague an idea of where to go from here.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “Top performers can feel like the agency is counting on them. They take pride in their work, but that means they have to make sacrifices. Maybe sometimes you even wondered if it was worth it.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “A successful person who is burned out can feel like a failure. And, a high achiever who feels like a failure at your agency will eventually find a place where they feel like they're on top of the world.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 1380 We're Still Human... And Work Shouldn't Suck https://theinsurancepodcastnetwork.com/age-of-indiependence/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brad Shorkend, co-CEO of Still Human. Brad unlocks how to activate and energize humans, and shows the role EQ will play in the insurance world as technology continues to advance. Episode Highlights: Has Brad lived in South Africa his whole life? (3:44) Brad shares how his travels have been part of his research on human behavior. (8:55) Brad explains what Still Human is all about. (11:19) Brad shares his studies on human consciousness. (19:33) Brad shares what’s missing when it comes to communication. (32:50) Brad mentions the significance of verbal communication. (34:35) What makes work suck for Brad? (39:44) Brad shares how changing our interaction with clients can make an impact. (52:18) Key Quotes: “I think what people don't understand is culture is always being created, either because of us or in spite of us. And, what people also don't understand with culture, you get culture in the context of the way people do things a certain way in a certain environment, which is clearly visible.” - Brad Shorkend “I use the word ‘obsessed’ deliberately. They obsess about getting certain things, right? Because, they understand that if you get the human being into its most optimal state, performance is at a higher level.” - Brad Shorkend “Make sure that the communication matters both ways. Be in optimum delivery mode, be an optimum receiving mode, check for clarity. It saves so much time, energy, and frustration at a time where we're lacking.” - Brad Shorkend Resources Mentioned: Brad Shorkend LinkedIn Still Human Book: We Are Still Human: And Work Shouldn't Suck The Nanodegree - Use the coupon code AIROCKS for a 10% discount at checkout. Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 17 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brad Shorkend, co-CEO of Still Human. Brad unlocks how to activate and energize humans, and shows the role EQ will play in the insurance world as technology continues to advance. Episode Highlights: Has Brad lived in South Africa his whole life? (3:44) Brad shares how his travels have been part of his research on human behavior. (8:55) Brad explains what Still Human is all about. (11:19) Brad shares his studies on human consciousness. (19:33) Brad shares what’s missing when it comes to communication. (32:50) Brad mentions the significance of verbal communication. (34:35) What makes work suck for Brad? (39:44) Brad shares how changing our interaction with clients can make an impact. (52:18) Key Quotes: “I think what people don't understand is culture is always being created, either because of us or in spite of us. And, what people also don't understand with culture, you get culture in the context of the way people do things a certain way in a certain environment, which is clearly visible.” - Brad Shorkend “I use the word ‘obsessed’ deliberately. They obsess about getting certain things, right? Because, they understand that if you get the human being into its most optimal state, performance is at a higher level.” - Brad Shorkend “Make sure that the communication matters both ways. Be in optimum delivery mode, be an optimum receiving mode, check for clarity. It saves so much time, energy, and frustration at a time where we're lacking.” - Brad Shorkend Resources Mentioned: Brad Shorkend LinkedIn Still Human Book: We Are Still Human: And Work Shouldn't Suck The Nanodegree - Use the coupon code AIROCKS for a 10% discount at checkout. Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brad Shorkend, co-CEO of Still Human. Brad unlocks how to activate and energize humans, and shows the role EQ will play in the insurance world as technology continues to advance.


Episode Highlights:

  • Has Brad lived in South Africa his whole life? (3:44)
  • Brad shares how his travels have been part of his research on human behavior. (8:55)
  • Brad explains what Still Human is all about. (11:19)
  • Brad shares his studies on human consciousness. (19:33)
  • Brad shares what’s missing when it comes to communication. (32:50)
  • Brad mentions the significance of verbal communication. (34:35)
  • What makes work suck for Brad? (39:44)
  • Brad shares how changing our interaction with clients can make an impact. (52:18)


Key Quotes:

  • “I think what people don't understand is culture is always being created, either because of us or in spite of us. And, what people also don't understand with culture, you get culture in the context of the way people do things a certain way in a certain environment, which is clearly visible.” - Brad Shorkend
  • “I use the word ‘obsessed’ deliberately. They obsess about getting certain things, right? Because, they understand that if you get the human being into its most optimal state, performance is at a higher level.” - Brad Shorkend
  • “Make sure that the communication matters both ways. Be in optimum delivery mode, be an optimum receiving mode, check for clarity. It saves so much time, energy, and frustration at a time where we're lacking.” - Brad Shorkend


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3522 Here for Good- Legacy Agent Transitions from Captive to Independent In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Emily Gerber Poe, Owner of Gerber Insurance & Financial Services, and Founder/Owner at Medical Claims Helper, Inc. Emily's visionary leadership style has led her multi-location agency to flourish in the independent world. Hear how she is successfully mastering agency acquisition, diversifying her portfolio, and recruiting from outside of the industry. Episode Highlights: Emily gives a short background of her agency. (3:02) Emily mentions the lesson she’s learned from her father. (7:41) What were some of the thoughts going through Emily’s mind when she purchased the agency? (9:40) Does Emily think that it's harder to be a captive agent or an independent agent? (17:10) Emily mentions how many locations she has. (26:33) Emily shares how she’s able to manage all three locations. (27:16) How can we have a better learning experience in the insurance industry? (32:14) Emily mentions what stood out to her about the agency manager she hired. (38:54) Does Emily like to use the enneagram as her favorite personality assessment? (40:21) Key Quotes: “Not every day is fantastic. It's not rainbows and unicorns over here every day. But, I think part of what I was able to see from dad was that he was a hard worker. And, so was grandpa and they loved people. At the end of the day, they slept really good at night, because they were doing the right things for the right reasons.” - Emily Gerber Poe “I was so much younger than the majority of the agents that were going to have to go through this transition. And, I also love change. So, change doesn't scare me. I actually thrive in change.” - Emily Gerber Poe “I'm never gonna sink this ship. This is my plan A through Z. I don't have an alternative or an ulterior plan. So, any decisions that I make I just ask that you trust me, that I've researched it enough that I know what I'm doing, and also I didn't choose to go independent. This was forced on me, and I'm grateful for it now.” - Emily Gerber Poe Resources Mentioned: Emily Gerber Poe LinkedIn Gerber Insurance & Financial Services Medical Claims Helper, Inc. Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 10 May 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Emily Gerber Poe, Owner of Gerber Insurance & Financial Services, and Founder/Owner at Medical Claims Helper, Inc. Emily's visionary leadership style has led her multi-location agency to flourish in the independent world. Hear how she is successfully mastering agency acquisition, diversifying her portfolio, and recruiting from outside of the industry. Episode Highlights: Emily gives a short background of her agency. (3:02) Emily mentions the lesson she’s learned from her father. (7:41) What were some of the thoughts going through Emily’s mind when she purchased the agency? (9:40) Does Emily think that it's harder to be a captive agent or an independent agent? (17:10) Emily mentions how many locations she has. (26:33) Emily shares how she’s able to manage all three locations. (27:16) How can we have a better learning experience in the insurance industry? (32:14) Emily mentions what stood out to her about the agency manager she hired. (38:54) Does Emily like to use the enneagram as her favorite personality assessment? (40:21) Key Quotes: “Not every day is fantastic. It's not rainbows and unicorns over here every day. But, I think part of what I was able to see from dad was that he was a hard worker. And, so was grandpa and they loved people. At the end of the day, they slept really good at night, because they were doing the right things for the right reasons.” - Emily Gerber Poe “I was so much younger than the majority of the agents that were going to have to go through this transition. And, I also love change. So, change doesn't scare me. I actually thrive in change.” - Emily Gerber Poe “I'm never gonna sink this ship. This is my plan A through Z. I don't have an alternative or an ulterior plan. So, any decisions that I make I just ask that you trust me, that I've researched it enough that I know what I'm doing, and also I didn't choose to go independent. This was forced on me, and I'm grateful for it now.” - Emily Gerber Poe Resources Mentioned: Emily Gerber Poe LinkedIn Gerber Insurance & Financial Services Medical Claims Helper, Inc. Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Emily Gerber Poe, Owner of Gerber Insurance & Financial Services, and Founder/Owner at Medical Claims Helper, Inc. Emily's visionary leadership style has led her multi-location agency to flourish in the independent world. Hear how she is successfully mastering agency acquisition, diversifying her portfolio, and recruiting from outside of the industry.


Episode Highlights:

  • Emily gives a short background of her agency. (3:02)
  • Emily mentions the lesson she’s learned from her father. (7:41)
  • What were some of the thoughts going through Emily’s mind when she purchased the agency? (9:40)
  • Does Emily think that it's harder to be a captive agent or an independent agent? (17:10)
  • Emily mentions how many locations she has. (26:33)
  • Emily shares how she’s able to manage all three locations. (27:16)
  • How can we have a better learning experience in the insurance industry? (32:14)
  • Emily mentions what stood out to her about the agency manager she hired. (38:54)
  • Does Emily like to use the enneagram as her favorite personality assessment? (40:21)


Key Quotes:

  • “Not every day is fantastic. It's not rainbows and unicorns over here every day. But, I think part of what I was able to see from dad was that he was a hard worker. And, so was grandpa and they loved people. At the end of the day, they slept really good at night, because they were doing the right things for the right reasons.” - Emily Gerber Poe
  • “I was so much younger than the majority of the agents that were going to have to go through this transition. And, I also love change. So, change doesn't scare me. I actually thrive in change.” - Emily Gerber Poe
  • “I'm never gonna sink this ship. This is my plan A through Z. I don't have an alternative or an ulterior plan. So, any decisions that I make I just ask that you trust me, that I've researched it enough that I know what I'm doing, and also I didn't choose to go independent. This was forced on me, and I'm grateful for it now.” - Emily Gerber Poe


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3280 Show Your Ink and Live Hard with Dr. Todd Dewett https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/show-your-ink-and-live-hard-with-dr-todd-dewett/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews three-time TedX speaker, best-selling author, and leadership guru Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. Dr. Dewett shares with us how to lead authentically, inspire a creative work environment, and why we shouldn't be afraid to show our ink. Episode Highlights: Dr. Todd Dewett shares some of the books he authored. (4:47) Where does Dr. Todd Dewett get his stories? (5:48) Dr. Todd Dewett shares how he takes note of his ideas. (7:47) Dr. Todd Dewett mentions his TedX experience and his upcoming TedX talk. (8:25) Dr. Todd Dewett explains how he gets people to reframe their thoughts and learn. (11:33) Dr. Todd Dewett explains what business owners do to make sure that the culture they've created encourages innovation. (18:29) Dr. Todd Dewett explains the variables he’s seen in team cultures. . (22:50) Dr. Todd Dewett shares what the status bubble is all about. (27:25) Dr. Todd Dewett shares how a leader should address risks. (32:13) How should a person who's very risk-tolerant talk to a group of people who are more risk-averse? (34:37) Key Quotes: “All I do is look at what happens and find useful ways. I say to myself, every time something happens, I bet, I know how to spin that and help people because others have been through that thing, too.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD “I'd like to try and educate people to number one, stand up, speak up, advocate for good quality change in their life, not just at work, and to have their eyes open when they do so because it is rough waters sometimes, and you got to be ready to navigate them.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD “If you value innovation, you're going to have to have tough conversations and get past your own perceptual biases, and make it a much, much bigger conversation where others have just as much or more say, than you, that's just a requirement for real innovation.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD Resources Mentioned: Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. LinkedIn Dr. Dewett Website  Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International Mon, 26 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews three-time TedX speaker, best-selling author, and leadership guru Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. Dr. Dewett shares with us how to lead authentically, inspire a creative work environment, and why we shouldn't be afraid to show our ink. Episode Highlights: Dr. Todd Dewett shares some of the books he authored. (4:47) Where does Dr. Todd Dewett get his stories? (5:48) Dr. Todd Dewett shares how he takes note of his ideas. (7:47) Dr. Todd Dewett mentions his TedX experience and his upcoming TedX talk. (8:25) Dr. Todd Dewett explains how he gets people to reframe their thoughts and learn. (11:33) Dr. Todd Dewett explains what business owners do to make sure that the culture they've created encourages innovation. (18:29) Dr. Todd Dewett explains the variables he’s seen in team cultures. . (22:50) Dr. Todd Dewett shares what the status bubble is all about. (27:25) Dr. Todd Dewett shares how a leader should address risks. (32:13) How should a person who's very risk-tolerant talk to a group of people who are more risk-averse? (34:37) Key Quotes: “All I do is look at what happens and find useful ways. I say to myself, every time something happens, I bet, I know how to spin that and help people because others have been through that thing, too.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD “I'd like to try and educate people to number one, stand up, speak up, advocate for good quality change in their life, not just at work, and to have their eyes open when they do so because it is rough waters sometimes, and you got to be ready to navigate them.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD “If you value innovation, you're going to have to have tough conversations and get past your own perceptual biases, and make it a much, much bigger conversation where others have just as much or more say, than you, that's just a requirement for real innovation.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD Resources Mentioned: Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. LinkedIn Dr. Dewett Website  Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews three-time TedX speaker, best-selling author, and leadership guru Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD. Dr. Dewett shares with us how to lead authentically, inspire a creative work environment, and why we shouldn't be afraid to show our ink.


Episode Highlights:

  • Dr. Todd Dewett shares some of the books he authored. (4:47)
  • Where does Dr. Todd Dewett get his stories? (5:48)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett shares how he takes note of his ideas. (7:47)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett mentions his TedX experience and his upcoming TedX talk. (8:25)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett explains how he gets people to reframe their thoughts and learn. (11:33)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett explains what business owners do to make sure that the culture they've created encourages innovation. (18:29)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett explains the variables he’s seen in team cultures. . (22:50)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett shares what the status bubble is all about. (27:25)
  • Dr. Todd Dewett shares how a leader should address risks. (32:13)
  • How should a person who's very risk-tolerant talk to a group of people who are more risk-averse? (34:37)


Key Quotes:

  • “All I do is look at what happens and find useful ways. I say to myself, every time something happens, I bet, I know how to spin that and help people because others have been through that thing, too.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD
  • “I'd like to try and educate people to number one, stand up, speak up, advocate for good quality change in their life, not just at work, and to have their eyes open when they do so because it is rough waters sometimes, and you got to be ready to navigate them.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD
  • “If you value innovation, you're going to have to have tough conversations and get past your own perceptual biases, and make it a much, much bigger conversation where others have just as much or more say, than you, that's just a requirement for real innovation.” - Dr. Todd Dewett, PhD


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2679 Upping Your Game with Teresa Kitchens https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/upping-your-game-with-teresa-kitchens/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Teresa Kitchens, agency owner of Sterling Insurance Group and podcast host. Teresa shares how she's upping her game with CRM skills, new recruits, and celebrating her competition. Episode Highlights: Teresa shares why she started the Power Women in Insurance podcast. (1:44) Teresa gives a short background about the company. (3:04) Teresa shares her experience at the Innovation Conference. (4:52) Teresa mentions the impact of social media on the insurance industry. (13:16) Teresa mentions the significance of being genuine. (17:02) Teresa shares the first Better Agency webinar she attended. (17:42) What was Teresa’s favorite part from the conference? (23:35) Teresa mentions some of the guests from her podcast. (32:32) Teresa shares how her life in the insurance industry has been. (36:17) Teresa shares the culture they have in the agency. (42:47) Key Quotes: “I love being a part of that voice in the industry, and hopefully encouraging other women to find their voice and be leaders, and get out there and build their own space within the insurance industry.” - Teresa Kitchens “I think it's just such a fun industry right now to be in...To watch it grow and change and evolve, and the people's personalities to come out in their own agencies. I think that's fabulous.” - Teresa Kitchens “If we are against each other, we have less of an opportunity to truly survive this whole tech boom, or whatever we want to call it in the insurance industry. With all the tech companies coming on, and to be able to kind of take over the insurance space...e need to band together to be able to create a community, and a voice that makes people proud to be an insurance agent, and to be able to allow this profession to go on, and provide for our children moving forward and everything else.” - Teresa Kitchens Resources Mentioned: Teresa Kitchens LinkedIn Sterling Insurance Group Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mon, 19 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Teresa Kitchens, agency owner of Sterling Insurance Group and podcast host. Teresa shares how she's upping her game with CRM skills, new recruits, and celebrating her competition. Episode Highlights: Teresa shares why she started the Power Women in Insurance podcast. (1:44) Teresa gives a short background about the company. (3:04) Teresa shares her experience at the Innovation Conference. (4:52) Teresa mentions the impact of social media on the insurance industry. (13:16) Teresa mentions the significance of being genuine. (17:02) Teresa shares the first Better Agency webinar she attended. (17:42) What was Teresa’s favorite part from the conference? (23:35) Teresa mentions some of the guests from her podcast. (32:32) Teresa shares how her life in the insurance industry has been. (36:17) Teresa shares the culture they have in the agency. (42:47) Key Quotes: “I love being a part of that voice in the industry, and hopefully encouraging other women to find their voice and be leaders, and get out there and build their own space within the insurance industry.” - Teresa Kitchens “I think it's just such a fun industry right now to be in...To watch it grow and change and evolve, and the people's personalities to come out in their own agencies. I think that's fabulous.” - Teresa Kitchens “If we are against each other, we have less of an opportunity to truly survive this whole tech boom, or whatever we want to call it in the insurance industry. With all the tech companies coming on, and to be able to kind of take over the insurance space...e need to band together to be able to create a community, and a voice that makes people proud to be an insurance agent, and to be able to allow this profession to go on, and provide for our children moving forward and everything else.” - Teresa Kitchens Resources Mentioned: Teresa Kitchens LinkedIn Sterling Insurance Group Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Teresa Kitchens, agency owner of Sterling Insurance Group and podcast host. Teresa shares how she's upping her game with CRM skills, new recruits, and celebrating her competition.


Episode Highlights:

  • Teresa shares why she started the Power Women in Insurance podcast. (1:44)
  • Teresa gives a short background about the company. (3:04)
  • Teresa shares her experience at the Innovation Conference. (4:52)
  • Teresa mentions the impact of social media on the insurance industry. (13:16)
  • Teresa mentions the significance of being genuine. (17:02)
  • Teresa shares the first Better Agency webinar she attended. (17:42)
  • What was Teresa’s favorite part from the conference? (23:35)
  • Teresa mentions some of the guests from her podcast. (32:32)
  • Teresa shares how her life in the insurance industry has been. (36:17)
  • Teresa shares the culture they have in the agency. (42:47)


Key Quotes:

  • “I love being a part of that voice in the industry, and hopefully encouraging other women to find their voice and be leaders, and get out there and build their own space within the insurance industry.” - Teresa Kitchens
  • “I think it's just such a fun industry right now to be in...To watch it grow and change and evolve, and the people's personalities to come out in their own agencies. I think that's fabulous.” - Teresa Kitchens
  • “If we are against each other, we have less of an opportunity to truly survive this whole tech boom, or whatever we want to call it in the insurance industry. With all the tech companies coming on, and to be able to kind of take over the insurance space...e need to band together to be able to create a community, and a voice that makes people proud to be an insurance agent, and to be able to allow this profession to go on, and provide for our children moving forward and everything else.” - Teresa Kitchens


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3287 Are you a Coach or the Spectator? https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/are-you-a-coach-or-the-spectator/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses what scripts are all about. You can watch the scoreboard from the stands, or you can get in there and call the plays. Scripts allow you to run organized plays. Learn who should use scripts, the symptoms that you might need a better script, and the first 3 scripts you should write. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares what scripts enable us to do. (1:00) Katlyn mentions who should utilize scripts. (2:17) How do you know if your agency’s scripts need to be updated? (2:46) What’s the first step to overcoming your team’s objections? (4:59) Katlyn mentions the first objection. (5:37) Katlyn walks us through the second objection. (8:20) Katlyn explains the third objection. (8:58) What is a call calibration? (9:56) Katlyn gives the first three scripts to utilize. (13:42) Key Quotes: “Your clients and your business are too important to be lackadaisical. So, let's do ourselves a favor and figure out how to make everything we do consistent and repeatable.” - Katlyn Eggar “People love doing things that they're good at. So, let's help them be really good at sales. It's our job to make it as easy as possible for our sales team to be able to hit the ground running, and be experts at what they come to work to do every single day.” - Katlyn Eggar “Carving out a little bit of time per week where you're able to review calls together as a group, and also in one on one settings, gives people that extra edge that they need, that extra coaching that they need, to be ready for game time.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mon, 12 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses what scripts are all about. You can watch the scoreboard from the stands, or you can get in there and call the plays. Scripts allow you to run organized plays. Learn who should use scripts, the symptoms that you might need a better script, and the first 3 scripts you should write. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares what scripts enable us to do. (1:00) Katlyn mentions who should utilize scripts. (2:17) How do you know if your agency’s scripts need to be updated? (2:46) What’s the first step to overcoming your team’s objections? (4:59) Katlyn mentions the first objection. (5:37) Katlyn walks us through the second objection. (8:20) Katlyn explains the third objection. (8:58) What is a call calibration? (9:56) Katlyn gives the first three scripts to utilize. (13:42) Key Quotes: “Your clients and your business are too important to be lackadaisical. So, let's do ourselves a favor and figure out how to make everything we do consistent and repeatable.” - Katlyn Eggar “People love doing things that they're good at. So, let's help them be really good at sales. It's our job to make it as easy as possible for our sales team to be able to hit the ground running, and be experts at what they come to work to do every single day.” - Katlyn Eggar “Carving out a little bit of time per week where you're able to review calls together as a group, and also in one on one settings, gives people that extra edge that they need, that extra coaching that they need, to be ready for game time.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses what scripts are all about. You can watch the scoreboard from the stands, or you can get in there and call the plays. Scripts allow you to run organized plays. Learn who should use scripts, the symptoms that you might need a better script, and the first 3 scripts you should write.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn shares what scripts enable us to do. (1:00)
  • Katlyn mentions who should utilize scripts. (2:17)
  • How do you know if your agency’s scripts need to be updated? (2:46)
  • What’s the first step to overcoming your team’s objections? (4:59)
  • Katlyn mentions the first objection. (5:37)
  • Katlyn walks us through the second objection. (8:20)
  • Katlyn explains the third objection. (8:58)
  • What is a call calibration? (9:56)
  • Katlyn gives the first three scripts to utilize. (13:42)


Key Quotes:

  • “Your clients and your business are too important to be lackadaisical. So, let's do ourselves a favor and figure out how to make everything we do consistent and repeatable.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “People love doing things that they're good at. So, let's help them be really good at sales. It's our job to make it as easy as possible for our sales team to be able to hit the ground running, and be experts at what they come to work to do every single day.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “Carving out a little bit of time per week where you're able to review calls together as a group, and also in one on one settings, gives people that extra edge that they need, that extra coaching that they need, to be ready for game time.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 1265 Better Decisions Through Brain Science https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/better-decisions-through-brain-science/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Graeme Newell, CSP, President of 602 Communications. Graeme is a professional speaker and behavioral finance researcher. He uses brain science to help us make better financial decisions. Our brain is hardwired to incorrectly forecast the future and to freeze up when we're feeling fear. Learn whether you can trust your gut and what this means for your clients when they are purchasing insurance. Episode Highlights: Graeme shares how he got started in brain science research. (4:04) How does decision making work inside of our brain? (6:36) Graeme emphasizes that maintaining safety is what insurance is all about. (10:54) What does Graeme encourage people to do when it comes to huge decisions? (14:58) Graeme shares how the fear effect can impact sales goals. (16:35) Graeme talks about the significance of establishing a great relationship with the client. (18:50) What are some of the biggest mistakes that Graeme has seen? (20:35) Graeme talks about the biggest element that's going to torpedo someone’s investment strategy. (23:40) What is a confirmation bias? (32:43) Graeme gives advice on how to become better at decision-making. (35:08) Key Quotes: “It's incredibly important to understand that we're going to make decisions instinctually. We think we're making them rationally. But, the brain science bears this out... nothing could be further from the truth.” - Graeme Newell, CSP “I think you’ve got to realize...For all of us in the insurance industry, the moment you even bring these things up, adrenaline happens. Just mention the word ‘death’ or ‘disaster’ or ‘car wreck’, and boom. It's over for the day. You've got to make sure that you give people time and energy to contemplate these decisions, because that's when the decisions stick.” - Graeme Newell, CSP “What our brain has a tendency to do, is to think that how it is now, is how it has always been in the past… and how it always will be in the future. This worked well during evolutionary times, bringing us to the present moment when there was danger or opportunity.” - Graeme Newell, CSP Resources Mentioned: Graeme Newell, CSP LinkedIn 602 Communications Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mon, 29 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Graeme Newell, CSP, President of 602 Communications. Graeme is a professional speaker and behavioral finance researcher. He uses brain science to help us make better financial decisions. Our brain is hardwired to incorrectly forecast the future and to freeze up when we're feeling fear. Learn whether you can trust your gut and what this means for your clients when they are purchasing insurance. Episode Highlights: Graeme shares how he got started in brain science research. (4:04) How does decision making work inside of our brain? (6:36) Graeme emphasizes that maintaining safety is what insurance is all about. (10:54) What does Graeme encourage people to do when it comes to huge decisions? (14:58) Graeme shares how the fear effect can impact sales goals. (16:35) Graeme talks about the significance of establishing a great relationship with the client. (18:50) What are some of the biggest mistakes that Graeme has seen? (20:35) Graeme talks about the biggest element that's going to torpedo someone’s investment strategy. (23:40) What is a confirmation bias? (32:43) Graeme gives advice on how to become better at decision-making. (35:08) Key Quotes: “It's incredibly important to understand that we're going to make decisions instinctually. We think we're making them rationally. But, the brain science bears this out... nothing could be further from the truth.” - Graeme Newell, CSP “I think you’ve got to realize...For all of us in the insurance industry, the moment you even bring these things up, adrenaline happens. Just mention the word ‘death’ or ‘disaster’ or ‘car wreck’, and boom. It's over for the day. You've got to make sure that you give people time and energy to contemplate these decisions, because that's when the decisions stick.” - Graeme Newell, CSP “What our brain has a tendency to do, is to think that how it is now, is how it has always been in the past… and how it always will be in the future. This worked well during evolutionary times, bringing us to the present moment when there was danger or opportunity.” - Graeme Newell, CSP Resources Mentioned: Graeme Newell, CSP LinkedIn 602 Communications Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Graeme Newell, CSP, President of 602 Communications. Graeme is a professional speaker and behavioral finance researcher. He uses brain science to help us make better financial decisions. Our brain is hardwired to incorrectly forecast the future and to freeze up when we're feeling fear. Learn whether you can trust your gut and what this means for your clients when they are purchasing insurance.


Episode Highlights:

  • Graeme shares how he got started in brain science research. (4:04)
  • How does decision making work inside of our brain? (6:36)
  • Graeme emphasizes that maintaining safety is what insurance is all about. (10:54)
  • What does Graeme encourage people to do when it comes to huge decisions? (14:58)
  • Graeme shares how the fear effect can impact sales goals. (16:35)
  • Graeme talks about the significance of establishing a great relationship with the client. (18:50)
  • What are some of the biggest mistakes that Graeme has seen? (20:35)
  • Graeme talks about the biggest element that's going to torpedo someone’s investment strategy. (23:40)
  • What is a confirmation bias? (32:43)
  • Graeme gives advice on how to become better at decision-making. (35:08)


Key Quotes:

  • “It's incredibly important to understand that we're going to make decisions instinctually. We think we're making them rationally. But, the brain science bears this out... nothing could be further from the truth.” - Graeme Newell, CSP
  • “I think you’ve got to realize...For all of us in the insurance industry, the moment you even bring these things up, adrenaline happens. Just mention the word ‘death’ or ‘disaster’ or ‘car wreck’, and boom. It's over for the day. You've got to make sure that you give people time and energy to contemplate these decisions, because that's when the decisions stick.” - Graeme Newell, CSP
  • “What our brain has a tendency to do, is to think that how it is now, is how it has always been in the past… and how it always will be in the future. This worked well during evolutionary times, bringing us to the present moment when there was danger or opportunity.” - Graeme Newell, CSP


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2786 In the Zone: Sales Onboarding, Voice Analytics, and Serving With a Purpose https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/in-the-zone-sales-onboarding-voice-analytics-and-serving-with-a-purpose/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses all things content. When she’s not podcasting, she’s in the content creation zone! Hear what she has tackled lately in sales onboarding, machine learning, and strategic client care. Episode Highlights: Katlyn gives a little background on Quantum Assurance International. (4:53) Katlyn talks about her role as Director of Education. (6:08) Katlyn shares some of the projects that she’s been working on. (8:40) Why is Katlyn so passionate about sales? (8:57) Katlyn shares what it was like working with the education team at Quantum. (9:48) Katlyn gives insight on two things that need to be done differently.(10:49) Katlyn discusses what to do if your sales managers are stretched too thin. (13:58) What’s the best way to introduce yourself to a new prospect? (17:25) Key Quotes: “Podcasting is something that I do as an opportunity to meet new people, and to be an active, positive contributor in the independent agency space.” - Katlyn Eggar “I'm just really glad that my career landed me in this space, where I get to use my strength in being a process-oriented person, being a strategic person, and someone who loves sales. To be able to turn that into resources and content that are helping people build insurance careers, that at the end of the day, will change their lives for the better.” - Katlyn Eggar “If you're good at sales, you'll be able to evaluate your marketing campaigns more effectively. If you're really great at sales, you're going to have an even stronger retention program. You'll be able to create that team culture where the people that you're bringing on and investing in can get up and running, learn new skills, be effective and really buy into what your agency's doing.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses all things content. When she’s not podcasting, she’s in the content creation zone! Hear what she has tackled lately in sales onboarding, machine learning, and strategic client care. Episode Highlights: Katlyn gives a little background on Quantum Assurance International. (4:53) Katlyn talks about her role as Director of Education. (6:08) Katlyn shares some of the projects that she’s been working on. (8:40) Why is Katlyn so passionate about sales? (8:57) Katlyn shares what it was like working with the education team at Quantum. (9:48) Katlyn gives insight on two things that need to be done differently.(10:49) Katlyn discusses what to do if your sales managers are stretched too thin. (13:58) What’s the best way to introduce yourself to a new prospect? (17:25) Key Quotes: “Podcasting is something that I do as an opportunity to meet new people, and to be an active, positive contributor in the independent agency space.” - Katlyn Eggar “I'm just really glad that my career landed me in this space, where I get to use my strength in being a process-oriented person, being a strategic person, and someone who loves sales. To be able to turn that into resources and content that are helping people build insurance careers, that at the end of the day, will change their lives for the better.” - Katlyn Eggar “If you're good at sales, you'll be able to evaluate your marketing campaigns more effectively. If you're really great at sales, you're going to have an even stronger retention program. You'll be able to create that team culture where the people that you're bringing on and investing in can get up and running, learn new skills, be effective and really buy into what your agency's doing.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Quantum Assurance International Reach out to Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar discusses all things content. When she’s not podcasting, she’s in the content creation zone! Hear what she has tackled lately in sales onboarding, machine learning, and strategic client care.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn gives a little background on Quantum Assurance International. (4:53)
  • Katlyn talks about her role as Director of Education. (6:08)
  • Katlyn shares some of the projects that she’s been working on. (8:40)
  • Why is Katlyn so passionate about sales? (8:57)
  • Katlyn shares what it was like working with the education team at Quantum. (9:48)
  • Katlyn gives insight on two things that need to be done differently.(10:49)
  • Katlyn discusses what to do if your sales managers are stretched too thin. (13:58)
  • What’s the best way to introduce yourself to a new prospect? (17:25)


Key Quotes:

  • “Podcasting is something that I do as an opportunity to meet new people, and to be an active, positive contributor in the independent agency space.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “I'm just really glad that my career landed me in this space, where I get to use my strength in being a process-oriented person, being a strategic person, and someone who loves sales. To be able to turn that into resources and content that are helping people build insurance careers, that at the end of the day, will change their lives for the better.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “If you're good at sales, you'll be able to evaluate your marketing campaigns more effectively. If you're really great at sales, you're going to have an even stronger retention program. You'll be able to create that team culture where the people that you're bringing on and investing in can get up and running, learn new skills, be effective and really buy into what your agency's doing.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 1660 Betting on IA's Instead of Going Direct to Consumer https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/betting-on-ias-instead-of-going-direct-to-consumer/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ty Harris, the CEO & Co-Founder of Openly. Ty shares how his insurtech is creating beautifully simple insurance products that are right for the client. Hear why he rejected the Direct-to-Consumer model and how their 8-second-bindable-quote empowers agents, instead of replacing them. Episode Highlights: Ty gives us a little background on his company. (6:25) What motivated Ty to start Openly? (8:09) Ty breaks down the components of their product. (10:54) How does Ty set his clients up for success? (24:22) How does Openly help solve pain points? (29:44) What does the future look like for risk evaluation? (33:04) Ty talks about the team culture at Openly. (37:19) Ty explains his interview process. (38:37) Key Quotes: “When we launch other products down the road, we are dedicated to the simplicity, openness and transparency of the product, as we continue to expand.” - Ty Harris “What we're hoping to do is to free up time for the agent to counsel the customer, to give them advice on the coverage they need… and to reassure them about their coverage choices.” - Ty Harris “I actually see teamwork as an offshoot of integrity, where you're saying...It is my duty to do the best thing for the whole company, as opposed to the best thing for my area of the company.” -Ty Harris Resources Mentioned: Ty Harris LinkedIn Openly Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mon, 15 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ty Harris, the CEO & Co-Founder of Openly. Ty shares how his insurtech is creating beautifully simple insurance products that are right for the client. Hear why he rejected the Direct-to-Consumer model and how their 8-second-bindable-quote empowers agents, instead of replacing them. Episode Highlights: Ty gives us a little background on his company. (6:25) What motivated Ty to start Openly? (8:09) Ty breaks down the components of their product. (10:54) How does Ty set his clients up for success? (24:22) How does Openly help solve pain points? (29:44) What does the future look like for risk evaluation? (33:04) Ty talks about the team culture at Openly. (37:19) Ty explains his interview process. (38:37) Key Quotes: “When we launch other products down the road, we are dedicated to the simplicity, openness and transparency of the product, as we continue to expand.” - Ty Harris “What we're hoping to do is to free up time for the agent to counsel the customer, to give them advice on the coverage they need… and to reassure them about their coverage choices.” - Ty Harris “I actually see teamwork as an offshoot of integrity, where you're saying...It is my duty to do the best thing for the whole company, as opposed to the best thing for my area of the company.” -Ty Harris Resources Mentioned: Ty Harris LinkedIn Openly Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Ty Harris, the CEO & Co-Founder of Openly. Ty shares how his insurtech is creating beautifully simple insurance products that are right for the client. Hear why he rejected the Direct-to-Consumer model and how their 8-second-bindable-quote empowers agents, instead of replacing them.


Episode Highlights:

  • Ty gives us a little background on his company. (6:25)
  • What motivated Ty to start Openly? (8:09)
  • Ty breaks down the components of their product. (10:54)
  • How does Ty set his clients up for success? (24:22)
  • How does Openly help solve pain points? (29:44)
  • What does the future look like for risk evaluation? (33:04)
  • Ty talks about the team culture at Openly. (37:19)
  • Ty explains his interview process. (38:37)


Key Quotes:

  • “When we launch other products down the road, we are dedicated to the simplicity, openness and transparency of the product, as we continue to expand.” - Ty Harris
  • “What we're hoping to do is to free up time for the agent to counsel the customer, to give them advice on the coverage they need… and to reassure them about their coverage choices.” - Ty Harris
  • “I actually see teamwork as an offshoot of integrity, where you're saying...It is my duty to do the best thing for the whole company, as opposed to the best thing for my area of the company.” -Ty Harris


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 2953 Inside a Scratch Agency- Fast Forward 21 Years https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/inside-a-scratch-agency--fast-forward-21-years/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Patty Lares, the CEO of AA Lares Insurance Services. Patty shares how she built her agency from scratch and how they are still seeing success 21 years later. Learn how to layer on new team members strategically, 3 things to know about marketing, and why we want to help people find an insurance career by design and not by accident. Episode Highlights: Patty gives a little background about her team and her agency. (5:17) How has Patty’s agency grown over the past 20 years? (7:02) Patty shares how she’s developed her business using the power of threes. (9:46) Patty gives insight on her social media branding strategies. (11:32) Patty shares how in-office promotions have boosted team morale. (14:10) How does Patty streamline roles within her agency? (16:17) How does Patty’s customer service team feel about cross-sales, upsells, and rounding out accounts? (25:26) What is Patty’s advice for those considering careers in the insurance industry? (43:47) Key Quotes: “What I’ve seen from my entire team over and over is…‘When are we doing the next promotion? What are we going to do?’ You’re getting them involved and getting them excited to learn to give back. It doesn’t mean it’s just money. You can give back with your knowledge. You can give back by supporting other organizations within your community. - Patty Lares “If any agent out there has not taken that step of stepping into more social media or just automation, and learning more of the new technology that's out there....You know, it brings so much opportunity for growth.” - Patty Lares As a leader of an organization, you must constantly be speaking about it. But more than that, showing them the value and focusing on the value. What’s the value for the client? Because it’s not about me, it’s about you. If you’re constantly speaking that way and showing up that way… we can say all we want and tell our team to do certain things. But, if we’re not showing up that way, they’re not going to do it either. - Patty Lares Resources Mentioned: Patty Lares LinkedIn AA Lares Insurance Services Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mon, 08 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Patty Lares, the CEO of AA Lares Insurance Services. Patty shares how she built her agency from scratch and how they are still seeing success 21 years later. Learn how to layer on new team members strategically, 3 things to know about marketing, and why we want to help people find an insurance career by design and not by accident. Episode Highlights: Patty gives a little background about her team and her agency. (5:17) How has Patty’s agency grown over the past 20 years? (7:02) Patty shares how she’s developed her business using the power of threes. (9:46) Patty gives insight on her social media branding strategies. (11:32) Patty shares how in-office promotions have boosted team morale. (14:10) How does Patty streamline roles within her agency? (16:17) How does Patty’s customer service team feel about cross-sales, upsells, and rounding out accounts? (25:26) What is Patty’s advice for those considering careers in the insurance industry? (43:47) Key Quotes: “What I’ve seen from my entire team over and over is…‘When are we doing the next promotion? What are we going to do?’ You’re getting them involved and getting them excited to learn to give back. It doesn’t mean it’s just money. You can give back with your knowledge. You can give back by supporting other organizations within your community. - Patty Lares “If any agent out there has not taken that step of stepping into more social media or just automation, and learning more of the new technology that's out there....You know, it brings so much opportunity for growth.” - Patty Lares As a leader of an organization, you must constantly be speaking about it. But more than that, showing them the value and focusing on the value. What’s the value for the client? Because it’s not about me, it’s about you. If you’re constantly speaking that way and showing up that way… we can say all we want and tell our team to do certain things. But, if we’re not showing up that way, they’re not going to do it either. - Patty Lares Resources Mentioned: Patty Lares LinkedIn AA Lares Insurance Services Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Patty Lares, the CEO of AA Lares Insurance Services. Patty shares how she built her agency from scratch and how they are still seeing success 21 years later. Learn how to layer on new team members strategically, 3 things to know about marketing, and why we want to help people find an insurance career by design and not by accident.


Episode Highlights:

  • Patty gives a little background about her team and her agency. (5:17)
  • How has Patty’s agency grown over the past 20 years? (7:02)
  • Patty shares how she’s developed her business using the power of threes. (9:46)
  • Patty gives insight on her social media branding strategies. (11:32)
  • Patty shares how in-office promotions have boosted team morale. (14:10)
  • How does Patty streamline roles within her agency? (16:17)
  • How does Patty’s customer service team feel about cross-sales, upsells, and rounding out accounts? (25:26)
  • What is Patty’s advice for those considering careers in the insurance industry? (43:47)


Key Quotes:

  • “What I’ve seen from my entire team over and over is…‘When are we doing the next promotion? What are we going to do?’ You’re getting them involved and getting them excited to learn to give back. It doesn’t mean it’s just money. You can give back with your knowledge. You can give back by supporting other organizations within your community. - Patty Lares
  • “If any agent out there has not taken that step of stepping into more social media or just automation, and learning more of the new technology that's out there....You know, it brings so much opportunity for growth.” - Patty Lares
  • As a leader of an organization, you must constantly be speaking about it. But more than that, showing them the value and focusing on the value. What’s the value for the client? Because it’s not about me, it’s about you. If you’re constantly speaking that way and showing up that way… we can say all we want and tell our team to do certain things. But, if we’re not showing up that way, they’re not going to do it either. - Patty Lares


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3038 What Your Team Thinks About Cyber https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/what-your-team-thinks-about-cyber/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Bobby Touran, the CEO of Pathpoint. Bobby breaks down startup culture, how his team is solving big problems in the commercial insurance world, and what your team is really thinking when it comes to cyber insurance. Episode Highlights: Bobby shares his background. (2:08) What are some of the things that Bobby does for fun when he’s not working? (4:47) Bobby gives a little background about Pathpoint. (8:58) Bobby shares what he learned from the commercial insurance industry. (10:57) Bobby mentions one of the inefficient segments of commercial insurance. (13:46) Bobby shares why history is a good indicator for the insurance industry. (18:50) Bobby shares what to do if you want to quote cyber on every account. (26:05) Bobby mentions why the key user of their solution is the CSR. (36:01) Bobby mentions the main goal of every insurance agency. (52:24) Key Quotes: “What we do as a company is we enable a faster, more efficient way to place small commercial ENS business today. I say today because our vision and our roadmap is very much focused on improving all sizes of ENS risk that come into the market.” - Bobby Touran “Agents are working so hard. They're working so many different angles. Nowadays, everyone's working from their house with everything else going on in their lives. Ease of Doing Business is so incredibly important.” - Bobby Touran “One of the things that I really believe is that great software is always a facilitator. If the software is truly good, what it's doing is it's making something easier.” - Bobby Touran Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Bobby Touran LinkedIn Pathpoint Mon, 22 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Bobby Touran, the CEO of Pathpoint. Bobby breaks down startup culture, how his team is solving big problems in the commercial insurance world, and what your team is really thinking when it comes to cyber insurance. Episode Highlights: Bobby shares his background. (2:08) What are some of the things that Bobby does for fun when he’s not working? (4:47) Bobby gives a little background about Pathpoint. (8:58) Bobby shares what he learned from the commercial insurance industry. (10:57) Bobby mentions one of the inefficient segments of commercial insurance. (13:46) Bobby shares why history is a good indicator for the insurance industry. (18:50) Bobby shares what to do if you want to quote cyber on every account. (26:05) Bobby mentions why the key user of their solution is the CSR. (36:01) Bobby mentions the main goal of every insurance agency. (52:24) Key Quotes: “What we do as a company is we enable a faster, more efficient way to place small commercial ENS business today. I say today because our vision and our roadmap is very much focused on improving all sizes of ENS risk that come into the market.” - Bobby Touran “Agents are working so hard. They're working so many different angles. Nowadays, everyone's working from their house with everything else going on in their lives. Ease of Doing Business is so incredibly important.” - Bobby Touran “One of the things that I really believe is that great software is always a facilitator. If the software is truly good, what it's doing is it's making something easier.” - Bobby Touran Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Bobby Touran LinkedIn Pathpoint In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Bobby Touran, the CEO of Pathpoint. Bobby breaks down startup culture, how his team is solving big problems in the commercial insurance world, and what your team is really thinking when it comes to cyber insurance.


Episode Highlights:

  • Bobby shares his background. (2:08)
  • What are some of the things that Bobby does for fun when he’s not working? (4:47)
  • Bobby gives a little background about Pathpoint. (8:58)
  • Bobby shares what he learned from the commercial insurance industry. (10:57)
  • Bobby mentions one of the inefficient segments of commercial insurance. (13:46)
  • Bobby shares why history is a good indicator for the insurance industry. (18:50)
  • Bobby shares what to do if you want to quote cyber on every account. (26:05)
  • Bobby mentions why the key user of their solution is the CSR. (36:01)
  • Bobby mentions the main goal of every insurance agency. (52:24)


Key Quotes:

  • “What we do as a company is we enable a faster, more efficient way to place small commercial ENS business today. I say today because our vision and our roadmap is very much focused on improving all sizes of ENS risk that come into the market.” - Bobby Touran
  • “Agents are working so hard. They're working so many different angles. Nowadays, everyone's working from their house with everything else going on in their lives. Ease of Doing Business is so incredibly important.” - Bobby Touran
  • “One of the things that I really believe is that great software is always a facilitator. If the software is truly good, what it's doing is it's making something easier.” - Bobby Touran


Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3645 Taking the Mystery Out of Training Your New Employees, Part 1 https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/taking-the-mystery-out-of-training-your-new-employees-part-1/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, MBA, the Education Manager at Quantum Assurance International. Amanda discusses what we've learned about training new employees, how we feel about video content, and what keeps your new sales professionals in the game. Episode Highlights: What does Amanda’s daily life look like? (5:59) Amanda mentions why she loves the training and development that are going digital lately. (6:44) Katlyn begins the pop quiz questions for Amanda. (7:22) What was it like for Amanda before she branched over into the instructional design aspect of insurance? (10:01) Amanda mentions the huge part about the leadership development program. (10:09) Amanda shares her onboarding experience. (12:14) What were some of Amanda’s favorite projects that she worked on? (15:22) Amanda mentions why education and leadership correlates. (23:23) Amanda shares one of the benefits of videos. (32:46) Amanda mentions one of the common pitfalls in training and development. (39:05) Key Quote: “When I think about that very first role on the phones and the nerves that I felt talking to clients and knowing that I had this huge responsibility. It was heavy, but it's a good kind of heavy. It can have such a reward, high risk- high reward.” - Amanda Mapp “What we do in training is so important because confidence comes from competence and feeling like you know what it is that you're there to do.” - Amanda Mapp “In the insurance industry, there's always going to be different experiences that come on your line or situations that come on your line that you've not dealt with before. You go back to that first level of learning where you say I have to put all my attention and focus into it. I can't text and drive on this one, I have to just focus on this one thing that I'm dealing with. The more that you do it, the more feedback that you have.” - Amanda Mapp Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Amanda Mapp, MBA Quantum Assurance International Mon, 15 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, MBA, the Education Manager at Quantum Assurance International. Amanda discusses what we've learned about training new employees, how we feel about video content, and what keeps your new sales professionals in the game. Episode Highlights: What does Amanda’s daily life look like? (5:59) Amanda mentions why she loves the training and development that are going digital lately. (6:44) Katlyn begins the pop quiz questions for Amanda. (7:22) What was it like for Amanda before she branched over into the instructional design aspect of insurance? (10:01) Amanda mentions the huge part about the leadership development program. (10:09) Amanda shares her onboarding experience. (12:14) What were some of Amanda’s favorite projects that she worked on? (15:22) Amanda mentions why education and leadership correlates. (23:23) Amanda shares one of the benefits of videos. (32:46) Amanda mentions one of the common pitfalls in training and development. (39:05) Key Quote: “When I think about that very first role on the phones and the nerves that I felt talking to clients and knowing that I had this huge responsibility. It was heavy, but it's a good kind of heavy. It can have such a reward, high risk- high reward.” - Amanda Mapp “What we do in training is so important because confidence comes from competence and feeling like you know what it is that you're there to do.” - Amanda Mapp “In the insurance industry, there's always going to be different experiences that come on your line or situations that come on your line that you've not dealt with before. You go back to that first level of learning where you say I have to put all my attention and focus into it. I can't text and drive on this one, I have to just focus on this one thing that I'm dealing with. The more that you do it, the more feedback that you have.” - Amanda Mapp Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Amanda Mapp, MBA Quantum Assurance International In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Amanda Mapp, MBA, the Education Manager at Quantum Assurance International. Amanda discusses what we've learned about training new employees, how we feel about video content, and what keeps your new sales professionals in the game.


Episode Highlights:

  • What does Amanda’s daily life look like? (5:59)
  • Amanda mentions why she loves the training and development that are going digital lately. (6:44)
  • Katlyn begins the pop quiz questions for Amanda. (7:22)
  • What was it like for Amanda before she branched over into the instructional design aspect of insurance? (10:01)
  • Amanda mentions the huge part about the leadership development program. (10:09)
  • Amanda shares her onboarding experience. (12:14)
  • What were some of Amanda’s favorite projects that she worked on? (15:22)
  • Amanda mentions why education and leadership correlates. (23:23)
  • Amanda shares one of the benefits of videos. (32:46)
  • Amanda mentions one of the common pitfalls in training and development. (39:05)

Key Quote:

  • “When I think about that very first role on the phones and the nerves that I felt talking to clients and knowing that I had this huge responsibility. It was heavy, but it's a good kind of heavy. It can have such a reward, high risk- high reward.” - Amanda Mapp
  • “What we do in training is so important because confidence comes from competence and feeling like you know what it is that you're there to do.” - Amanda Mapp
  • “In the insurance industry, there's always going to be different experiences that come on your line or situations that come on your line that you've not dealt with before. You go back to that first level of learning where you say I have to put all my attention and focus into it. I can't text and drive on this one, I have to just focus on this one thing that I'm dealing with. The more that you do it, the more feedback that you have.” - Amanda Mapp

Resources Mentioned:

]]> 3430 100% Rabbit Trails. 97% Positive. https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/100-rabbit-trails-97-positive/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Heath Shearon, Sales Consultant and host of Insurance Town podcast. The Mayor joins us for an unscripted update on what's new in the insurance world and what we can learn from the rise of reality shows in the insurance world. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares her first episode with Jason Cass on Agency Intelligence and how she met him. (6:54) Katlyn mentions the great aspect of having a podcast. (11:03) Heath shares how he was named “The Mayor” and how Insurance Town Podcast was created. (12:47) Heath mentions what he learned early on in his career. (14:18) Katlyn shares why agents are more connected these days. (26:40) Katlyn mentions the latest trends in creating better content. (35:28) Heath shares what he loves about LinkedIn. (44:22) Key Quotes: “I think it drives that even further in the big fish, small pond thing. I think podcasting is becoming its own thing to where you could be a big fish in that smaller pond.” - Heath Shearon “I think as you peel back the curtain it makes us more relatable and it all goes back to the relationship. I think that's prevalent and it's needed in every facet of the industry no matter what buzzword pops up. It all goes back to the relationship.” - Heath Shearon “So, I think that the less of a gap that there is between how you interact on LinkedIn and how you would interact at an actual cocktail party, the better off that you're going to be along the way.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Heath Shearon LinkedIn Encompass Insurance Insurance Town Podcast Advertisers: ePayPolicy We Got Your Podcast Mon, 08 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Heath Shearon, Sales Consultant and host of Insurance Town podcast. The Mayor joins us for an unscripted update on what's new in the insurance world and what we can learn from the rise of reality shows in the insurance world. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares her first episode with Jason Cass on Agency Intelligence and how she met him. (6:54) Katlyn mentions the great aspect of having a podcast. (11:03) Heath shares how he was named “The Mayor” and how Insurance Town Podcast was created. (12:47) Heath mentions what he learned early on in his career. (14:18) Katlyn shares why agents are more connected these days. (26:40) Katlyn mentions the latest trends in creating better content. (35:28) Heath shares what he loves about LinkedIn. (44:22) Key Quotes: “I think it drives that even further in the big fish, small pond thing. I think podcasting is becoming its own thing to where you could be a big fish in that smaller pond.” - Heath Shearon “I think as you peel back the curtain it makes us more relatable and it all goes back to the relationship. I think that's prevalent and it's needed in every facet of the industry no matter what buzzword pops up. It all goes back to the relationship.” - Heath Shearon “So, I think that the less of a gap that there is between how you interact on LinkedIn and how you would interact at an actual cocktail party, the better off that you're going to be along the way.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Heath Shearon LinkedIn Encompass Insurance Insurance Town Podcast Advertisers: ePayPolicy We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Heath Shearon, Sales Consultant and host of Insurance Town podcast. The Mayor joins us for an unscripted update on what's new in the insurance world and what we can learn from the rise of reality shows in the insurance world.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn shares her first episode with Jason Cass on Agency Intelligence and how she met him. (6:54)
  • Katlyn mentions the great aspect of having a podcast. (11:03)
  • Heath shares how he was named “The Mayor” and how Insurance Town Podcast was created. (12:47)
  • Heath mentions what he learned early on in his career. (14:18)
  • Katlyn shares why agents are more connected these days. (26:40)
  • Katlyn mentions the latest trends in creating better content. (35:28)
  • Heath shares what he loves about LinkedIn. (44:22)


Key Quotes:

  • “I think it drives that even further in the big fish, small pond thing. I think podcasting is becoming its own thing to where you could be a big fish in that smaller pond.” - Heath Shearon
  • “I think as you peel back the curtain it makes us more relatable and it all goes back to the relationship. I think that's prevalent and it's needed in every facet of the industry no matter what buzzword pops up. It all goes back to the relationship.” - Heath Shearon
  • “So, I think that the less of a gap that there is between how you interact on LinkedIn and how you would interact at an actual cocktail party, the better off that you're going to be along the way.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 3428 Cracking the Code to High Volume New Business https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/cracking-the-code-to-high-volume-new-business/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar shares the Top 5 Things she learned about sales and how sales are the key that unlocks everything in your business. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares her interview with Dr. Billy Williams. (2:19) What’s Katlyn’s commitment to her listeners? (4:41) Katlyn mentions why Ryan Hanley’s podcast episode inspired her to do a podcast. (6:10) Katlyn shares her background. (7:29) Katlyn gives a high-level overview of Quantum Assurance International. (18:20) Katlyn mentions what the sales conversation looks like in their industry. (28:04) Katlyn mentions one of the things that stood out to her. (35:45) Katlyn shares the fifth lesson she learned that has been valuable for her. (44:22) Key Quotes: “One of the ways I can better help agents is by getting the message out that you can grow and thrive even in this competitive market. You can win the high volume game without losing the heart and soul of your agency.” - Katlyn Eggar “The power of social media is so important right now. Just staying connected and getting to know each other better during this time.” - Katlyn Eggar “At Quantum, we believe that we can break through plateaus by being problem solvers working together and equipping agency owners with systems and the tool belt needed to succeed.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance Advertisers: Imperial Premium Finance Specialists We Got Your Podcast Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar shares the Top 5 Things she learned about sales and how sales are the key that unlocks everything in your business. Episode Highlights: Katlyn shares her interview with Dr. Billy Williams. (2:19) What’s Katlyn’s commitment to her listeners? (4:41) Katlyn mentions why Ryan Hanley’s podcast episode inspired her to do a podcast. (6:10) Katlyn shares her background. (7:29) Katlyn gives a high-level overview of Quantum Assurance International. (18:20) Katlyn mentions what the sales conversation looks like in their industry. (28:04) Katlyn mentions one of the things that stood out to her. (35:45) Katlyn shares the fifth lesson she learned that has been valuable for her. (44:22) Key Quotes: “One of the ways I can better help agents is by getting the message out that you can grow and thrive even in this competitive market. You can win the high volume game without losing the heart and soul of your agency.” - Katlyn Eggar “The power of social media is so important right now. Just staying connected and getting to know each other better during this time.” - Katlyn Eggar “At Quantum, we believe that we can break through plateaus by being problem solvers working together and equipping agency owners with systems and the tool belt needed to succeed.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Quantum Assurance Advertisers: Imperial Premium Finance Specialists We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar shares the Top 5 Things she learned about sales and how sales are the key that unlocks everything in your business.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn shares her interview with Dr. Billy Williams. (2:19)
  • What’s Katlyn’s commitment to her listeners? (4:41)
  • Katlyn mentions why Ryan Hanley’s podcast episode inspired her to do a podcast. (6:10)
  • Katlyn shares her background. (7:29)
  • Katlyn gives a high-level overview of Quantum Assurance International. (18:20)
  • Katlyn mentions what the sales conversation looks like in their industry. (28:04)
  • Katlyn mentions one of the things that stood out to her. (35:45)
  • Katlyn shares the fifth lesson she learned that has been valuable for her. (44:22)


Key Quotes:

  • “One of the ways I can better help agents is by getting the message out that you can grow and thrive even in this competitive market. You can win the high volume game without losing the heart and soul of your agency.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “The power of social media is so important right now. Just staying connected and getting to know each other better during this time.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “At Quantum, we believe that we can break through plateaus by being problem solvers working together and equipping agency owners with systems and the tool belt needed to succeed.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 3169 Better Branding with Nicholas Ayers, No Pun Intended https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/better-branding-with-nicholas-ayers-no-pun-intended/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Nicholas Ayers, the Chief Marketing Officer at Better Agency and the Founder of ThriveSure Insurance Solutions. Nicholas talks about the companies he’s built, understanding the creative aspects of video and marketing, and the significance of data. Episode Highlights: Nicholas shares a little background about his companies and the work that he’s currently building and growing. (3:20) Was Nicholas always into marketing? (6:23) Nicholas shares how Better Agency started. (9:07) Nicholas gives a couple of pointers for agency owners that are doing direct mail. (11:56) Nicholas mentions why he thinks that insurance agents must find a dedicated marketer. (22:41) Nicholas shares what an agency owner might look like in the years to come. (32:26) Is it possible for an agency to have an active marketing campaign and not have CRM technology in place? (33:36) What’s the difference between an agency management system and a CRM? (37:51) Nicholas mentions why he’s a huge advocate for the independent agency channel. (52:24) Key Quotes: “CRM is just a tool, it doesn't do you any good if you don't use it. Just like the hammers and screwdrivers in my garage, it doesn’t do me any good if I don't use them. But you need to have a strategy, you need to have a path that has set markers, set metrics, so that you know you're doing the right things if you're going to accomplish the goal that you have.” - Nicholas Ayers “I think provocation is a very good thing, every successful brand does it to a level. I think if you want to be vanilla, it's a great way to be forgotten, and just realize that this is who we are, this is what we stand for. These are the customers we want to go after.” - Nicholas Ayers “When you're having fun doing what you're doing, and it centers around a core mission, a core purpose, and your brand is internal, not external, it’s internal, it's coming from inside. Because you believe in it and it's hard to not have a good time, you don't get tired when you're winning the fight.” - Nicholas Ayers Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Nicholas Ayers LinkedIn Better Agency ThriveSure Insurance Solutions Advertisers: ePayPolicy We Got Your Podcast Mon, 18 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Nicholas Ayers, the Chief Marketing Officer at Better Agency and the Founder of ThriveSure Insurance Solutions. Nicholas talks about the companies he’s built, understanding the creative aspects of video and marketing, and the significance of data. Episode Highlights: Nicholas shares a little background about his companies and the work that he’s currently building and growing. (3:20) Was Nicholas always into marketing? (6:23) Nicholas shares how Better Agency started. (9:07) Nicholas gives a couple of pointers for agency owners that are doing direct mail. (11:56) Nicholas mentions why he thinks that insurance agents must find a dedicated marketer. (22:41) Nicholas shares what an agency owner might look like in the years to come. (32:26) Is it possible for an agency to have an active marketing campaign and not have CRM technology in place? (33:36) What’s the difference between an agency management system and a CRM? (37:51) Nicholas mentions why he’s a huge advocate for the independent agency channel. (52:24) Key Quotes: “CRM is just a tool, it doesn't do you any good if you don't use it. Just like the hammers and screwdrivers in my garage, it doesn’t do me any good if I don't use them. But you need to have a strategy, you need to have a path that has set markers, set metrics, so that you know you're doing the right things if you're going to accomplish the goal that you have.” - Nicholas Ayers “I think provocation is a very good thing, every successful brand does it to a level. I think if you want to be vanilla, it's a great way to be forgotten, and just realize that this is who we are, this is what we stand for. These are the customers we want to go after.” - Nicholas Ayers “When you're having fun doing what you're doing, and it centers around a core mission, a core purpose, and your brand is internal, not external, it’s internal, it's coming from inside. Because you believe in it and it's hard to not have a good time, you don't get tired when you're winning the fight.” - Nicholas Ayers Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Nicholas Ayers LinkedIn Better Agency ThriveSure Insurance Solutions Advertisers: ePayPolicy We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Nicholas Ayers, the Chief Marketing Officer at Better Agency and the Founder of ThriveSure Insurance Solutions. Nicholas talks about the companies he’s built, understanding the creative aspects of video and marketing, and the significance of data.


Episode Highlights:

  • Nicholas shares a little background about his companies and the work that he’s currently building and growing. (3:20)
  • Was Nicholas always into marketing? (6:23)
  • Nicholas shares how Better Agency started. (9:07)
  • Nicholas gives a couple of pointers for agency owners that are doing direct mail. (11:56)
  • Nicholas mentions why he thinks that insurance agents must find a dedicated marketer. (22:41)
  • Nicholas shares what an agency owner might look like in the years to come. (32:26)
  • Is it possible for an agency to have an active marketing campaign and not have CRM technology in place? (33:36)
  • What’s the difference between an agency management system and a CRM? (37:51)
  • Nicholas mentions why he’s a huge advocate for the independent agency channel. (52:24)


Key Quotes:

  • “CRM is just a tool, it doesn't do you any good if you don't use it. Just like the hammers and screwdrivers in my garage, it doesn’t do me any good if I don't use them. But you need to have a strategy, you need to have a path that has set markers, set metrics, so that you know you're doing the right things if you're going to accomplish the goal that you have.” - Nicholas Ayers
  • “I think provocation is a very good thing, every successful brand does it to a level. I think if you want to be vanilla, it's a great way to be forgotten, and just realize that this is who we are, this is what we stand for. These are the customers we want to go after.” - Nicholas Ayers
  • “When you're having fun doing what you're doing, and it centers around a core mission, a core purpose, and your brand is internal, not external, it’s internal, it's coming from inside. Because you believe in it and it's hard to not have a good time, you don't get tired when you're winning the fight.” - Nicholas Ayers


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 3462 Enjoying your Business Again with Grant Botma https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/enjoying-your-business-again-with-grant-botma/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future. Episode Highlights: Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40) Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17)  How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12) Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17) Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23) Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33) How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22) How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09) The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53) What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45) What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44) Key Quotes: “I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma “I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma “I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Grant Botma LinkedIn Culture Course Stewardship Advertisers: Agency VA We Got Your Podcast Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future. Episode Highlights: Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40) Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17)  How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12) Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17) Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23) Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33) How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22) How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09) The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53) What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45) What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44) Key Quotes: “I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma “I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma “I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Grant Botma LinkedIn Culture Course Stewardship Advertisers: Agency VA We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Grant Botma, the Founder of Culture Course and Stewardship. Grant talks about his mission and purpose and shares the four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future.


Episode Highlights:

  • Grant gives a little background about himself. (3:40)
  • Why Grant describes himself as a compassionate capitalist. (5:17) 
  • How Grant’s kids have become a champion of what their family's building. (9:12)
  • Why Grant named his company Stewardship and what makes them different. (11:17)
  • Grant shares one of the important things he talked about in his book. (13:23)
  • Why Grant thinks that working is beautiful. (13:33)
  • How he gives his employees freedom. (16:22)
  • How long does it take for Grant to create certain changes within a company? (23:09)
  • The four questions to ask when evaluating the past and creating goals for the future (36:53)
  • What three areas should you focus on to grow your business? (41:45)
  • What’s the best way to connect with Grant? (47:44)


Key Quotes:

  • “I teach my children that in the heart of every compassionate capitalist society is this, you find the needs, and then you fill them. If there's a genuine need that somebody has out there, you do anything and everything that you can to fill it, to serve them, to love them to care for them.” - Grant Botma
  • “I'm the same person, whether I'm here in this podcast, whether I'm at the office, whether I'm at home, it's a whole lot easier to live my life that way. And my kids see that and I try to do my best to model it for them. And it's fun to have that type of mission or approach in life because your family supports you in ways that make a huge, huge impact.” - Grant Botma
  • “I think work is beautiful. I've actually believed that we were designed and created to work. And it's one of the reasons why we enjoy thinking about work or even doing work from time to time, right? It's a lot of fun at times.” - Grant Botma


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 2912 How 1,000 Pieces of Bite-Size Content Can Create a Tidal Wave of Clients for Your Agency https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/how-1000-pieces-of-bite-size-content-can-create-a-tidal-wave-of-clients-for-your-agency/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Chris Greene, President at The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris talks about the significance of having flood insurance and the impact of utilizing video as a platform to teach people about flood. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Chris Greene. (00:51) Chris mentions that Louisiana had the most hurricane landfalls ever recorded. (1:37) Chris shares that in 2019, they went to several parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, and Nebraska, meeting with flood victims, helping them mitigate issues, and provided them an appropriate rate, based on the actions they're willing to take. (6:01) Chris mentions that Arizona is one of the most frequently flooded areas because of the monsoon season. (6:44) Chris shares that wildfires create one of the biggest flood exposures because it takes FEMA a few years to change a flood map and to do a flood insurance study. (8:04) Chris shares that they use technology with Google or GIS and other platforms that could help them understand their flood risk. (8:46) Chris mentions that when he was in college he volunteered for the hazmat team. (10:13) Chris mentions that he started in the insurance industry in 2009, and worked at Liberty for six months. (10:45) Chris shares that three years ago, he took a video course from Nick Ayers called Major Live Video and it taught him more about videos. (14:05) Chris explains the reason why he created the video journey of 365 flood education videos. (15:07) Chris shares that this December, he’s about to hit 700 videos in 700 days and his goal is to reach 1,000 videos in 1,000 days. (15:33) Chris shares that they use YouTube as their video platform and have a playlist for insurance agents, realtors, lenders, and more. They’re also building out a knowledgebase article system on their website. (18:53) Chris mentions that he has Virtual Assistants that are working on his videos and makes the process easier. (21:12) Chris shares what Vidyard is all about. (29:54) Chris shares that he grew up with learning disabilities. Therefore, having a passion for education has always been the core focus of their company. (40:25) Key Quotes: “It’s not all about selling all these policies. For me, it's about diving in deep and finding a solution. Honestly, that to me, is the biggest one, I just enjoy that.” - Chris Greene “What people don't realize is a piece of content doesn't have to be a blog that doesn't have to be a video. What I tell people is that an image can say more than 1,000 words, a lot of times.” - Chris Greene “Our whole goal is to be an extension of your team. Our whole goal is at the end of the day to make your agency look like a rock star, like a commercial agent of the day to Hey, you completely saved me on this deal and made me look good to the client. So, all of a sudden, they've got a customer for life. That's kind of our goal.” - Chris Greene Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Chris Greene LinkedIn The Flood Insurance Guru Advertisers: Lightspeed Voice We Got Your Podcast Mon, 04 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Chris Greene, President at The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris talks about the significance of having flood insurance and the impact of utilizing video as a platform to teach people about flood. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Chris Greene. (00:51) Chris mentions that Louisiana had the most hurricane landfalls ever recorded. (1:37) Chris shares that in 2019, they went to several parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, and Nebraska, meeting with flood victims, helping them mitigate issues, and provided them an appropriate rate, based on the actions they're willing to take. (6:01) Chris mentions that Arizona is one of the most frequently flooded areas because of the monsoon season. (6:44) Chris shares that wildfires create one of the biggest flood exposures because it takes FEMA a few years to change a flood map and to do a flood insurance study. (8:04) Chris shares that they use technology with Google or GIS and other platforms that could help them understand their flood risk. (8:46) Chris mentions that when he was in college he volunteered for the hazmat team. (10:13) Chris mentions that he started in the insurance industry in 2009, and worked at Liberty for six months. (10:45) Chris shares that three years ago, he took a video course from Nick Ayers called Major Live Video and it taught him more about videos. (14:05) Chris explains the reason why he created the video journey of 365 flood education videos. (15:07) Chris shares that this December, he’s about to hit 700 videos in 700 days and his goal is to reach 1,000 videos in 1,000 days. (15:33) Chris shares that they use YouTube as their video platform and have a playlist for insurance agents, realtors, lenders, and more. They’re also building out a knowledgebase article system on their website. (18:53) Chris mentions that he has Virtual Assistants that are working on his videos and makes the process easier. (21:12) Chris shares what Vidyard is all about. (29:54) Chris shares that he grew up with learning disabilities. Therefore, having a passion for education has always been the core focus of their company. (40:25) Key Quotes: “It’s not all about selling all these policies. For me, it's about diving in deep and finding a solution. Honestly, that to me, is the biggest one, I just enjoy that.” - Chris Greene “What people don't realize is a piece of content doesn't have to be a blog that doesn't have to be a video. What I tell people is that an image can say more than 1,000 words, a lot of times.” - Chris Greene “Our whole goal is to be an extension of your team. Our whole goal is at the end of the day to make your agency look like a rock star, like a commercial agent of the day to Hey, you completely saved me on this deal and made me look good to the client. So, all of a sudden, they've got a customer for life. That's kind of our goal.” - Chris Greene Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Chris Greene LinkedIn The Flood Insurance Guru Advertisers: Lightspeed Voice We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Chris Greene, President at The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris talks about the significance of having flood insurance and the impact of utilizing video as a platform to teach people about flood.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Chris Greene. (00:51)
  • Chris mentions that Louisiana had the most hurricane landfalls ever recorded. (1:37)
  • Chris shares that in 2019, they went to several parts of Oklahoma, Iowa, and Nebraska, meeting with flood victims, helping them mitigate issues, and provided them an appropriate rate, based on the actions they're willing to take. (6:01)
  • Chris mentions that Arizona is one of the most frequently flooded areas because of the monsoon season. (6:44)
  • Chris shares that wildfires create one of the biggest flood exposures because it takes FEMA a few years to change a flood map and to do a flood insurance study. (8:04)
  • Chris shares that they use technology with Google or GIS and other platforms that could help them understand their flood risk. (8:46)
  • Chris mentions that when he was in college he volunteered for the hazmat team. (10:13)
  • Chris mentions that he started in the insurance industry in 2009, and worked at Liberty for six months. (10:45)
  • Chris shares that three years ago, he took a video course from Nick Ayers called Major Live Video and it taught him more about videos. (14:05)
  • Chris explains the reason why he created the video journey of 365 flood education videos. (15:07)
  • Chris shares that this December, he’s about to hit 700 videos in 700 days and his goal is to reach 1,000 videos in 1,000 days. (15:33)
  • Chris shares that they use YouTube as their video platform and have a playlist for insurance agents, realtors, lenders, and more. They’re also building out a knowledgebase article system on their website. (18:53)
  • Chris mentions that he has Virtual Assistants that are working on his videos and makes the process easier. (21:12)
  • Chris shares what Vidyard is all about. (29:54)
  • Chris shares that he grew up with learning disabilities. Therefore, having a passion for education has always been the core focus of their company. (40:25)


Key Quotes:

  • “It’s not all about selling all these policies. For me, it's about diving in deep and finding a solution. Honestly, that to me, is the biggest one, I just enjoy that.” - Chris Greene
  • “What people don't realize is a piece of content doesn't have to be a blog that doesn't have to be a video. What I tell people is that an image can say more than 1,000 words, a lot of times.” - Chris Greene
  • “Our whole goal is to be an extension of your team. Our whole goal is at the end of the day to make your agency look like a rock star, like a commercial agent of the day to Hey, you completely saved me on this deal and made me look good to the client. So, all of a sudden, they've got a customer for life. That's kind of our goal.” - Chris Greene


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 2604 The Agency That Should Have Failed https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/happy-new-year-from-the-eggars/ In this episode of Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Justin talks about his experience working with his spouse, the struggle and success in building their agency, and how the pandemic made an impact on their agency and their family as well. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces her husband, Justin Eggar. (1:28) Justin thinks that the pandemic has expanded their understanding of the possibilities of working from home. (4:07) Katlyn mentions that 9 years ago they opened their first scratch agency in Geneva, Illinois. (8:09) Justin mentions that their first agency was located in a building that was built in 1920 and it used to be a candy store. (4:36) Just shares that over the ensuing years, they grew from one agency and then a couple of years later they opened their second agency. (10:49) Justin thinks that part of their success is that they lean on each other. (11:35) Katlyn mentions that they have been using internet leads as a primary marketing source since 2011. (14:06) Justin mentions that they have been working together since 2011. (12:13) Justin shares that captive carriers have a mindset where they put arbitrary goals because they want to have elements that are hard to chase. (17:25) Justin shares the reason why they had more than a 90% retention on internet leads as they were building their organization. They learned to do it the right way and ensured that their frontline salespeople were doing it the right way as well. (23:50) Justin mentions that agents must not look at what's bringing in the most revenue in your agency. Rather, look at what's bringing the most profit into your agency and see where you can replace yourself. (24:09) Justin shares that they started in a place where they were small hometown agents and over the years they continued to refine and grow. Since then, it allowed them to continue to scale through those plateaus over the years to where Quantum is today. (30:24) Katlyn mentions that when an insurance agency owner succeeds, it creates a ripple effect. (37:39) Justin mentions that Katlyn did a course on process mapping for agencies that the Quantum agents have. (48:29) Key Quotes: “I know that people believe they can work with their spouse but it's all about separating job duties, having respect for each other, and having a common purpose. If you can align in a couple of those things, certainly anything's possible. I got lucky we have a great working relationship. We have a really fun time together.” - Justin Eggar “You can't trust a carrier to have your best intention when it comes to the goals they're putting on the board. You need to have your own goals as a business owner.” - Justin Eggar “Legally, we're an insurance organization, but the heart of what we are is to create an incredible agency solution welcoming agents into the next 10 to 20 years and provide a good home for them.” - Justin Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Justin Eggar LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. We Got Your Podcast Mon, 28 Dec 2020 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Justin talks about his experience working with his spouse, the struggle and success in building their agency, and how the pandemic made an impact on their agency and their family as well. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces her husband, Justin Eggar. (1:28) Justin thinks that the pandemic has expanded their understanding of the possibilities of working from home. (4:07) Katlyn mentions that 9 years ago they opened their first scratch agency in Geneva, Illinois. (8:09) Justin mentions that their first agency was located in a building that was built in 1920 and it used to be a candy store. (4:36) Just shares that over the ensuing years, they grew from one agency and then a couple of years later they opened their second agency. (10:49) Justin thinks that part of their success is that they lean on each other. (11:35) Katlyn mentions that they have been using internet leads as a primary marketing source since 2011. (14:06) Justin mentions that they have been working together since 2011. (12:13) Justin shares that captive carriers have a mindset where they put arbitrary goals because they want to have elements that are hard to chase. (17:25) Justin shares the reason why they had more than a 90% retention on internet leads as they were building their organization. They learned to do it the right way and ensured that their frontline salespeople were doing it the right way as well. (23:50) Justin mentions that agents must not look at what's bringing in the most revenue in your agency. Rather, look at what's bringing the most profit into your agency and see where you can replace yourself. (24:09) Justin shares that they started in a place where they were small hometown agents and over the years they continued to refine and grow. Since then, it allowed them to continue to scale through those plateaus over the years to where Quantum is today. (30:24) Katlyn mentions that when an insurance agency owner succeeds, it creates a ripple effect. (37:39) Justin mentions that Katlyn did a course on process mapping for agencies that the Quantum agents have. (48:29) Key Quotes: “I know that people believe they can work with their spouse but it's all about separating job duties, having respect for each other, and having a common purpose. If you can align in a couple of those things, certainly anything's possible. I got lucky we have a great working relationship. We have a really fun time together.” - Justin Eggar “You can't trust a carrier to have your best intention when it comes to the goals they're putting on the board. You need to have your own goals as a business owner.” - Justin Eggar “Legally, we're an insurance organization, but the heart of what we are is to create an incredible agency solution welcoming agents into the next 10 to 20 years and provide a good home for them.” - Justin Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Justin Eggar LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. We Got Your Podcast In this episode of Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Justin Eggar, the CEO & Co-Founder of Quantum Assurance International. Justin talks about his experience working with his spouse, the struggle and success in building their agency, and how the pandemic made an impact on their agency and their family as well.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces her husband, Justin Eggar. (1:28)
  • Justin thinks that the pandemic has expanded their understanding of the possibilities of working from home. (4:07)
  • Katlyn mentions that 9 years ago they opened their first scratch agency in Geneva, Illinois. (8:09)
  • Justin mentions that their first agency was located in a building that was built in 1920 and it used to be a candy store. (4:36)
  • Just shares that over the ensuing years, they grew from one agency and then a couple of years later they opened their second agency. (10:49)
  • Justin thinks that part of their success is that they lean on each other. (11:35)
  • Katlyn mentions that they have been using internet leads as a primary marketing source since 2011. (14:06)
  • Justin mentions that they have been working together since 2011. (12:13)
  • Justin shares that captive carriers have a mindset where they put arbitrary goals because they want to have elements that are hard to chase. (17:25)
  • Justin shares the reason why they had more than a 90% retention on internet leads as they were building their organization. They learned to do it the right way and ensured that their frontline salespeople were doing it the right way as well. (23:50)
  • Justin mentions that agents must not look at what's bringing in the most revenue in your agency. Rather, look at what's bringing the most profit into your agency and see where you can replace yourself. (24:09)
  • Justin shares that they started in a place where they were small hometown agents and over the years they continued to refine and grow. Since then, it allowed them to continue to scale through those plateaus over the years to where Quantum is today. (30:24)
  • Katlyn mentions that when an insurance agency owner succeeds, it creates a ripple effect. (37:39)
  • Justin mentions that Katlyn did a course on process mapping for agencies that the Quantum agents have. (48:29)


Key Quotes:

  • “I know that people believe they can work with their spouse but it's all about separating job duties, having respect for each other, and having a common purpose. If you can align in a couple of those things, certainly anything's possible. I got lucky we have a great working relationship. We have a really fun time together.” - Justin Eggar
  • “You can't trust a carrier to have your best intention when it comes to the goals they're putting on the board. You need to have your own goals as a business owner.” - Justin Eggar
  • “Legally, we're an insurance organization, but the heart of what we are is to create an incredible agency solution welcoming agents into the next 10 to 20 years and provide a good home for them.” - Justin Eggar


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

  • AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free.
  • We Got Your Podcast
]]> 2973 Creating Warriors with Continuous Coaching Culture https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/creating-warriors-with-continuous-coaching-culture/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Mallory Leonard, Principal at ExecHQ. Mallory talks about the significance of having a good coaching culture that’s beneficial in growing your business.  Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Mallory Leonard. (1:03) Mallory mentions that she was living in San Diego for 10 years when she had her agency at Allstate agency and eventually sold the agency in 2019. (1:53) Mallory shares that she started as a Sales Producer for an agency and grew a book business on the broker side, at the same time. (4:55) Mallory shares that if you treat your agency like a retail location, you're going to get retail employees. Therefore, she treated her employees like professionals. (6:30) Mallory mentions that you have to make sure that you're putting people in place who have the right leadership skills. But if they don’t, help them and cultivate them to be a good leader. (8:29) Mallory thinks that setting strategic goals with your employees is helpful for the growth of the operation. (10:13) Mallory mentions that written expectation of what you want from them, on a production level or a productivity level is a huge factor. But if they’re not hitting the right actions, figure out what was the obstacle. (14:01) Mallory shares that collaborating with your employees and finding out what would make them love being in your office is vital. (19:48) Mallory shares that if you have a disciplinary situation and they’re used to having a conversation with you, it becomes a bit easier. Because they're used to having that relationship and that ability to communicate with you. (24:59) Mallory thinks that what you need to look at is their ability to sell and be able to recognize if that person is in the right role. (26:56) Mallory explains how her goal sheet could be a helpful tool. (27:50) Mallory shares that if you have the right organization and the right employee, join them in the meetings and work as a team in that way, you create a mentorship between your employees. (37:59) Mallory thinks that the biggest mistake people make as a leader is assuming that they know what's best for everyone. (41:02) Key Quotes: “I swore off insurance. I have never even worked in insurance again. But I was young and I even didn't realize that it wasn't insurance that I didn't like, it was the culture and the breakdown of the office. And I always said, I would never let my employees feel the way I felt in that organization ever again.” - Mallory Leonard “Giving them an understanding of what they are there for, right? So, they're not just there to sell insurance, they're not just there to service your policies, they're there to see these growth paths, and they need to own it just as much as you do.” - Mallory Leonard “You can't expect your middle producers to be your best producer, there's always going to be someone in the middle ground, and you can push them to get there. So, I'd rather have two producers that did average than, one high-end producer because if I lose them, I'm screwed.” - Mallory Leonard “I think the biggest thing to remember is that our human nature is that we thrive on structure, right? We thrive on process and accountability. So, this is your time to give them that structure, that process, and that accountability that they're not getting anywhere in their life right now.” - Mallory Leonard Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mallory Leonard - LinkedIn ExecHQ Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. We Got Your Podcast Mon, 21 Dec 2020 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Mallory Leonard, Principal at ExecHQ. Mallory talks about the significance of having a good coaching culture that’s beneficial in growing your business.  Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Mallory Leonard. (1:03) Mallory mentions that she was living in San Diego for 10 years when she had her agency at Allstate agency and eventually sold the agency in 2019. (1:53) Mallory shares that she started as a Sales Producer for an agency and grew a book business on the broker side, at the same time. (4:55) Mallory shares that if you treat your agency like a retail location, you're going to get retail employees. Therefore, she treated her employees like professionals. (6:30) Mallory mentions that you have to make sure that you're putting people in place who have the right leadership skills. But if they don’t, help them and cultivate them to be a good leader. (8:29) Mallory thinks that setting strategic goals with your employees is helpful for the growth of the operation. (10:13) Mallory mentions that written expectation of what you want from them, on a production level or a productivity level is a huge factor. But if they’re not hitting the right actions, figure out what was the obstacle. (14:01) Mallory shares that collaborating with your employees and finding out what would make them love being in your office is vital. (19:48) Mallory shares that if you have a disciplinary situation and they’re used to having a conversation with you, it becomes a bit easier. Because they're used to having that relationship and that ability to communicate with you. (24:59) Mallory thinks that what you need to look at is their ability to sell and be able to recognize if that person is in the right role. (26:56) Mallory explains how her goal sheet could be a helpful tool. (27:50) Mallory shares that if you have the right organization and the right employee, join them in the meetings and work as a team in that way, you create a mentorship between your employees. (37:59) Mallory thinks that the biggest mistake people make as a leader is assuming that they know what's best for everyone. (41:02) Key Quotes: “I swore off insurance. I have never even worked in insurance again. But I was young and I even didn't realize that it wasn't insurance that I didn't like, it was the culture and the breakdown of the office. And I always said, I would never let my employees feel the way I felt in that organization ever again.” - Mallory Leonard “Giving them an understanding of what they are there for, right? So, they're not just there to sell insurance, they're not just there to service your policies, they're there to see these growth paths, and they need to own it just as much as you do.” - Mallory Leonard “You can't expect your middle producers to be your best producer, there's always going to be someone in the middle ground, and you can push them to get there. So, I'd rather have two producers that did average than, one high-end producer because if I lose them, I'm screwed.” - Mallory Leonard “I think the biggest thing to remember is that our human nature is that we thrive on structure, right? We thrive on process and accountability. So, this is your time to give them that structure, that process, and that accountability that they're not getting anywhere in their life right now.” - Mallory Leonard Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Mallory Leonard - LinkedIn ExecHQ Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Mallory Leonard, Principal at ExecHQ. Mallory talks about the significance of having a good coaching culture that’s beneficial in growing your business. 


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Mallory Leonard. (1:03)
  • Mallory mentions that she was living in San Diego for 10 years when she had her agency at Allstate agency and eventually sold the agency in 2019. (1:53)
  • Mallory shares that she started as a Sales Producer for an agency and grew a book business on the broker side, at the same time. (4:55)
  • Mallory shares that if you treat your agency like a retail location, you're going to get retail employees. Therefore, she treated her employees like professionals. (6:30)
  • Mallory mentions that you have to make sure that you're putting people in place who have the right leadership skills. But if they don’t, help them and cultivate them to be a good leader. (8:29)
  • Mallory thinks that setting strategic goals with your employees is helpful for the growth of the operation. (10:13)
  • Mallory mentions that written expectation of what you want from them, on a production level or a productivity level is a huge factor. But if they’re not hitting the right actions, figure out what was the obstacle. (14:01)
  • Mallory shares that collaborating with your employees and finding out what would make them love being in your office is vital. (19:48)
  • Mallory shares that if you have a disciplinary situation and they’re used to having a conversation with you, it becomes a bit easier. Because they're used to having that relationship and that ability to communicate with you. (24:59)
  • Mallory thinks that what you need to look at is their ability to sell and be able to recognize if that person is in the right role. (26:56)
  • Mallory explains how her goal sheet could be a helpful tool. (27:50)
  • Mallory shares that if you have the right organization and the right employee, join them in the meetings and work as a team in that way, you create a mentorship between your employees. (37:59)
  • Mallory thinks that the biggest mistake people make as a leader is assuming that they know what's best for everyone. (41:02)


Key Quotes:

  • “I swore off insurance. I have never even worked in insurance again. But I was young and I even didn't realize that it wasn't insurance that I didn't like, it was the culture and the breakdown of the office. And I always said, I would never let my employees feel the way I felt in that organization ever again.” - Mallory Leonard
  • “Giving them an understanding of what they are there for, right? So, they're not just there to sell insurance, they're not just there to service your policies, they're there to see these growth paths, and they need to own it just as much as you do.” - Mallory Leonard
  • “You can't expect your middle producers to be your best producer, there's always going to be someone in the middle ground, and you can push them to get there. So, I'd rather have two producers that did average than, one high-end producer because if I lose them, I'm screwed.” - Mallory Leonard
  • “I think the biggest thing to remember is that our human nature is that we thrive on structure, right? We thrive on process and accountability. So, this is your time to give them that structure, that process, and that accountability that they're not getting anywhere in their life right now.” - Mallory Leonard


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

  • AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free.
  • We Got Your Podcast
]]> 2712 Tribute to Tony Hsieh and the Mark He Left on Our Agencies https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/tribute-to-tony-hsieh-and-the-mark-he-left-on-our-agencies/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Shi, the Chief Visionary Officer at Quantum Assurance International, and Zack Gould, the Managing director at G&N Insurance. They pay tribute to the CEO and founder of Zappos, Tony Hseih, and share how Tony made an impact on them and left a legacy. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Jeff Shi and Zack Gould. (1:43) Zack shares that he started G&N from scratch with Matt in 2010, and they both spent a couple of years at Liberty Mutual. (2:37) Zack mentions that they ran the company for 10 years and recently exited the company and sold it to another insurance agency, but currently run the agency. (2:47) Jeff mentions that he’s a huge fan of Tony Hsieh’s books and a lot of agents from his captive career came to him because he has built a different model of scaling. (3:43) Jeff shares that Tony makes other people's dreams come true and has done it twice. (5:01) Zack thinks that a lot of entrepreneurs who started had an immense amount of pressure that they have a lot to figure out early. (6:42) Zack mentions one of the big takeaways that he took from Tony's early story when they were first building Zappos, is to never outsource your core competency. (7:13) Jeff thinks that the biggest challenge of being a CEO and leadership role is the cash flow and cash reserve, people, and lead sales and marketing. (10:13) Jeff mentions that Tony does an amazing job when he does interviews to make sure that whoever is interviewing, fits their culture. (11:32) Zack mentions that customer service is the backbone of the company, and he wished that he did that. (18:11) Jeff suggests that visiting the Zappos office is a must and worth the visit. (33:03) Zack shares that when they sold their company to the current parent company, they didn't agree with their core values and made the decision not to carry their core values over to their company. (43:21) Zack mentions that Tony believed in people colliding with other people, and the conversations that they would have and what would come from those conversations. (44:49) Zack shares that as insurance agents, if we can focus our energy on customers and not focus our energy on our competitors, it would be a much more beautiful place to work. (53:35) Key Quotes: “You set up a beer or coffee just to say, let's just break bread. Let's chat and what have you. Tony did that so regularly. And that's such a great message for entrepreneurs to put the jacket and suit down. And just to grab a coffee and grab a beer and meet eye to eye with your team.” - Zack Gould “I love the whole core value thing. This is what we build. This is what we're proud of and let us continue to build the thing that we are proud about to build that legacy.” - Jeff Shi “I want to be known as a guy who cared. I tell people on their first day, you can ask anybody at G&N and I say the same thing 10 years from now. I do not care if you're working at G&N. I hope you are, but that's your decision and that's our decision. Together, you do not have a lifetime contract here. What I do hope is 10 years from now, if I see you, we can grab a beer because we're on those kinds of terms.” - Zack Gould “One of the legacies I want to leave behind is to show people the school doesn't define you, your job doesn't define you, college doesn't define you. Being a good person, leaving a memory for other people, and being loved by everyone will define you, and happiness defines you.” - Jeff Shi Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Jeff Shi LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Zack Gould LinkedIn G&N Insurance Tony Hsieh LinkedIn Zappos Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. Insurance Daily News Mon, 14 Dec 2020 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Shi, the Chief Visionary Officer at Quantum Assurance International, and Zack Gould, the Managing director at G&N Insurance. They pay tribute to the CEO and founder of Zappos, Tony Hseih, and share how Tony made an impact on them and left a legacy. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Jeff Shi and Zack Gould. (1:43) Zack shares that he started G&N from scratch with Matt in 2010, and they both spent a couple of years at Liberty Mutual. (2:37) Zack mentions that they ran the company for 10 years and recently exited the company and sold it to another insurance agency, but currently run the agency. (2:47) Jeff mentions that he’s a huge fan of Tony Hsieh’s books and a lot of agents from his captive career came to him because he has built a different model of scaling. (3:43) Jeff shares that Tony makes other people's dreams come true and has done it twice. (5:01) Zack thinks that a lot of entrepreneurs who started had an immense amount of pressure that they have a lot to figure out early. (6:42) Zack mentions one of the big takeaways that he took from Tony's early story when they were first building Zappos, is to never outsource your core competency. (7:13) Jeff thinks that the biggest challenge of being a CEO and leadership role is the cash flow and cash reserve, people, and lead sales and marketing. (10:13) Jeff mentions that Tony does an amazing job when he does interviews to make sure that whoever is interviewing, fits their culture. (11:32) Zack mentions that customer service is the backbone of the company, and he wished that he did that. (18:11) Jeff suggests that visiting the Zappos office is a must and worth the visit. (33:03) Zack shares that when they sold their company to the current parent company, they didn't agree with their core values and made the decision not to carry their core values over to their company. (43:21) Zack mentions that Tony believed in people colliding with other people, and the conversations that they would have and what would come from those conversations. (44:49) Zack shares that as insurance agents, if we can focus our energy on customers and not focus our energy on our competitors, it would be a much more beautiful place to work. (53:35) Key Quotes: “You set up a beer or coffee just to say, let's just break bread. Let's chat and what have you. Tony did that so regularly. And that's such a great message for entrepreneurs to put the jacket and suit down. And just to grab a coffee and grab a beer and meet eye to eye with your team.” - Zack Gould “I love the whole core value thing. This is what we build. This is what we're proud of and let us continue to build the thing that we are proud about to build that legacy.” - Jeff Shi “I want to be known as a guy who cared. I tell people on their first day, you can ask anybody at G&N and I say the same thing 10 years from now. I do not care if you're working at G&N. I hope you are, but that's your decision and that's our decision. Together, you do not have a lifetime contract here. What I do hope is 10 years from now, if I see you, we can grab a beer because we're on those kinds of terms.” - Zack Gould “One of the legacies I want to leave behind is to show people the school doesn't define you, your job doesn't define you, college doesn't define you. Being a good person, leaving a memory for other people, and being loved by everyone will define you, and happiness defines you.” - Jeff Shi Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Jeff Shi LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Zack Gould LinkedIn G&N Insurance Tony Hsieh LinkedIn Zappos Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. Insurance Daily News In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Jeff Shi, the Chief Visionary Officer at Quantum Assurance International, and Zack Gould, the Managing director at G&N Insurance. They pay tribute to the CEO and founder of Zappos, Tony Hseih, and share how Tony made an impact on them and left a legacy.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Jeff Shi and Zack Gould. (1:43)
  • Zack shares that he started G&N from scratch with Matt in 2010, and they both spent a couple of years at Liberty Mutual. (2:37)
  • Zack mentions that they ran the company for 10 years and recently exited the company and sold it to another insurance agency, but currently run the agency. (2:47)
  • Jeff mentions that he’s a huge fan of Tony Hsieh’s books and a lot of agents from his captive career came to him because he has built a different model of scaling. (3:43)
  • Jeff shares that Tony makes other people's dreams come true and has done it twice. (5:01)
  • Zack thinks that a lot of entrepreneurs who started had an immense amount of pressure that they have a lot to figure out early. (6:42)
  • Zack mentions one of the big takeaways that he took from Tony's early story when they were first building Zappos, is to never outsource your core competency. (7:13)
  • Jeff thinks that the biggest challenge of being a CEO and leadership role is the cash flow and cash reserve, people, and lead sales and marketing. (10:13)
  • Jeff mentions that Tony does an amazing job when he does interviews to make sure that whoever is interviewing, fits their culture. (11:32)
  • Zack mentions that customer service is the backbone of the company, and he wished that he did that. (18:11)
  • Jeff suggests that visiting the Zappos office is a must and worth the visit. (33:03)
  • Zack shares that when they sold their company to the current parent company, they didn't agree with their core values and made the decision not to carry their core values over to their company. (43:21)
  • Zack mentions that Tony believed in people colliding with other people, and the conversations that they would have and what would come from those conversations. (44:49)
  • Zack shares that as insurance agents, if we can focus our energy on customers and not focus our energy on our competitors, it would be a much more beautiful place to work. (53:35)


Key Quotes:

  • “You set up a beer or coffee just to say, let's just break bread. Let's chat and what have you. Tony did that so regularly. And that's such a great message for entrepreneurs to put the jacket and suit down. And just to grab a coffee and grab a beer and meet eye to eye with your team.” - Zack Gould
  • “I love the whole core value thing. This is what we build. This is what we're proud of and let us continue to build the thing that we are proud about to build that legacy.” - Jeff Shi
  • “I want to be known as a guy who cared. I tell people on their first day, you can ask anybody at G&N and I say the same thing 10 years from now. I do not care if you're working at G&N. I hope you are, but that's your decision and that's our decision. Together, you do not have a lifetime contract here. What I do hope is 10 years from now, if I see you, we can grab a beer because we're on those kinds of terms.” - Zack Gould
  • “One of the legacies I want to leave behind is to show people the school doesn't define you, your job doesn't define you, college doesn't define you. Being a good person, leaving a memory for other people, and being loved by everyone will define you, and happiness defines you.” - Jeff Shi


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 3608 CPR for your Agency Heartbeat https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/cpr-for-your-agency-heartbeat/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brandon Smith, the Managing Partner at Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group. Brandon talks about how to build better relationships with clients, his goals, and the benefits of the Producer Development Program. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Brandon Smith. (1:09) Brandon shares that their agency started as an independent life insurance agency 40 years ago and he’s been in the insurance industry for 17 years. (3:59) Brandon shares that he used his background in communications and marketing to help him grow his knowledge in the industry. (5:32) Brandon mentions that he’s responsible for the profitability of the agency, the systems, and strategies and the marketing and high-level thinking. (5:58) Brandon shares that since COVID, they’ve found different ways of doing business, they have shifted their business model to working remotely, and 50% of their employees will not be working in the office permanently. (7:16) Brandon mentions that they also have a department that ensures churches and nonprofits, and they have insured 1,000 churches in the state of Montana. (8:38) Brandon mentions that their heartbeat is their people and the importance of helping them in the financial crisis that they’re facing. (13:58) Brandon shares that the work that they’re currently doing is lowering their revenues and compensation, and trying to retain a client who is purely shopping based on price. But if they sell on price, they’re going to lose them on price. (22:42) Brandon thinks that closing a deal has become more challenging with remote work due to the lack of building a relationship with the client. (29:48) Brandon mentions that the most significant part of sales is the transition from the proposal to the close. (31:05) Brandon shares that his passion is to challenge people and producers in the insurance industry, whether it's a vendor, carrier, or agent to be the best version of themselves, to encourage them to keep doing what they're doing, and focus on what really matters. (39:23) Brandon shares how the Producer Development Program started and what it’s all about. (43:39) Key Quotes: “Our mission, our goal is to end the financial crisis in families. We are seeing a financial crisis across this country, and our goal is never to sell another policy. Our goal is to have a conversation with people and to love them through finances, and provide solutions approaching with empathy.” - Brandon Smith Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Brandon Smith LinkedIn Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group Producer Development Program Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. We Got Your Podcast Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:50:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brandon Smith, the Managing Partner at Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group. Brandon talks about how to build better relationships with clients, his goals, and the benefits of the Producer Development Program. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Brandon Smith. (1:09) Brandon shares that their agency started as an independent life insurance agency 40 years ago and he’s been in the insurance industry for 17 years. (3:59) Brandon shares that he used his background in communications and marketing to help him grow his knowledge in the industry. (5:32) Brandon mentions that he’s responsible for the profitability of the agency, the systems, and strategies and the marketing and high-level thinking. (5:58) Brandon shares that since COVID, they’ve found different ways of doing business, they have shifted their business model to working remotely, and 50% of their employees will not be working in the office permanently. (7:16) Brandon mentions that they also have a department that ensures churches and nonprofits, and they have insured 1,000 churches in the state of Montana. (8:38) Brandon mentions that their heartbeat is their people and the importance of helping them in the financial crisis that they’re facing. (13:58) Brandon shares that the work that they’re currently doing is lowering their revenues and compensation, and trying to retain a client who is purely shopping based on price. But if they sell on price, they’re going to lose them on price. (22:42) Brandon thinks that closing a deal has become more challenging with remote work due to the lack of building a relationship with the client. (29:48) Brandon mentions that the most significant part of sales is the transition from the proposal to the close. (31:05) Brandon shares that his passion is to challenge people and producers in the insurance industry, whether it's a vendor, carrier, or agent to be the best version of themselves, to encourage them to keep doing what they're doing, and focus on what really matters. (39:23) Brandon shares how the Producer Development Program started and what it’s all about. (43:39) Key Quotes: “Our mission, our goal is to end the financial crisis in families. We are seeing a financial crisis across this country, and our goal is never to sell another policy. Our goal is to have a conversation with people and to love them through finances, and provide solutions approaching with empathy.” - Brandon Smith Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Brandon Smith LinkedIn Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group Producer Development Program Advertisers: AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free. We Got Your Podcast In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Brandon Smith, the Managing Partner at Glidewell Investments & Insurance Group. Brandon talks about how to build better relationships with clients, his goals, and the benefits of the Producer Development Program.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Brandon Smith. (1:09)
  • Brandon shares that their agency started as an independent life insurance agency 40 years ago and he’s been in the insurance industry for 17 years. (3:59)
  • Brandon shares that he used his background in communications and marketing to help him grow his knowledge in the industry. (5:32)
  • Brandon mentions that he’s responsible for the profitability of the agency, the systems, and strategies and the marketing and high-level thinking. (5:58)
  • Brandon shares that since COVID, they’ve found different ways of doing business, they have shifted their business model to working remotely, and 50% of their employees will not be working in the office permanently. (7:16)
  • Brandon mentions that they also have a department that ensures churches and nonprofits, and they have insured 1,000 churches in the state of Montana. (8:38)
  • Brandon mentions that their heartbeat is their people and the importance of helping them in the financial crisis that they’re facing. (13:58)
  • Brandon shares that the work that they’re currently doing is lowering their revenues and compensation, and trying to retain a client who is purely shopping based on price. But if they sell on price, they’re going to lose them on price. (22:42)
  • Brandon thinks that closing a deal has become more challenging with remote work due to the lack of building a relationship with the client. (29:48)
  • Brandon mentions that the most significant part of sales is the transition from the proposal to the close. (31:05)
  • Brandon shares that his passion is to challenge people and producers in the insurance industry, whether it's a vendor, carrier, or agent to be the best version of themselves, to encourage them to keep doing what they're doing, and focus on what really matters. (39:23)
  • Brandon shares how the Producer Development Program started and what it’s all about. (43:39)


Key Quotes:

  • “Our mission, our goal is to end the financial crisis in families. We are seeing a financial crisis across this country, and our goal is never to sell another policy. Our goal is to have a conversation with people and to love them through finances, and provide solutions approaching with empathy.” - Brandon Smith


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

  • AI Mastermind- Sign up for AI Mastermind from December 20th to December 31st. Use the code LOYALLISTENER and get your first month for free.
  • We Got Your Podcast
]]> 3450 no Agency Intervention- Tough Love from Dr. Billy Williams https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/age-of-indiependence-agency-intervention--tough-love-from-dr-billy-williams/ In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Dr. Billy Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the Williams Family Investment Group, and the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Dr. Billy talks about how to successfully grow your agency and the three emotions that stop agencies from growing, the four types of discipline, and the significance of understanding the S4TS model. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Dr. Billy Williams. (1:19) Billy shares that he’s a retired army, and 21 years after serving in the military, he took a Ph.D. in finance. (2:18) Billy mentions what made him leave Allstate after 4 years, was because they were not allowed inside to open an agency, and they were only selling outside. (04:07) Billy shares that he opened his first independent agency in April 2008, and today, they have more than 160 agencies under the Williams Family Investment Group, $1.2 billion in premium, and more than 2,000 members at Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (05:06) Billy mentions that when you’re getting ready to grow, they have a mentor that you can attend and they are not part of your ownership, but they will teach you how to grow. But if you decide to grow bigger and you want a team of people to help you in growing bigger, take a look at investing. (11:34) Billy mentions the main issue that stops agencies from growing is unmanaged emotions. (12:50) Billy shares the three types of unmanaged emotions and those are mental, physical, and purely emotional. (13:04) Billy mentions that ego is what we do, arrogance is what we refuse to do, and our insecurities are based on our history. (14:05) Billy shares the four types of discipline and those are self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing. (16:23) Billy explains the S4TS model that they teach and live by, at Williams Family Investment Group and Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (20:13) Billy shares that there are only 14 tasks, every week in an agency. (24:47) Billy mentions that you shouldn’t implement a process in your agency unless you've placed the tools and automation in place before, bringing it to your people. (26:56) Billy shares that he finished his Ph.D. in 2002. Therefore, it took him 20 years to become Dr. Williams. (34:57) Billy mentions that KPIs are not results. Because KPIs produce results. (36:21) Billy shares that as an insurance agency owner, they only have three jobs. It’s hiring, training, and accountability. (40:32) Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Billy Williams, Ph.D. LinkedIn Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring Williams Family Investment Group Advertisers: Podium ePayPolicy Mon, 30 Nov 2020 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Dr. Billy Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the Williams Family Investment Group, and the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Dr. Billy talks about how to successfully grow your agency and the three emotions that stop agencies from growing, the four types of discipline, and the significance of understanding the S4TS model. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Dr. Billy Williams. (1:19) Billy shares that he’s a retired army, and 21 years after serving in the military, he took a Ph.D. in finance. (2:18) Billy mentions what made him leave Allstate after 4 years, was because they were not allowed inside to open an agency, and they were only selling outside. (04:07) Billy shares that he opened his first independent agency in April 2008, and today, they have more than 160 agencies under the Williams Family Investment Group, $1.2 billion in premium, and more than 2,000 members at Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (05:06) Billy mentions that when you’re getting ready to grow, they have a mentor that you can attend and they are not part of your ownership, but they will teach you how to grow. But if you decide to grow bigger and you want a team of people to help you in growing bigger, take a look at investing. (11:34) Billy mentions the main issue that stops agencies from growing is unmanaged emotions. (12:50) Billy shares the three types of unmanaged emotions and those are mental, physical, and purely emotional. (13:04) Billy mentions that ego is what we do, arrogance is what we refuse to do, and our insecurities are based on our history. (14:05) Billy shares the four types of discipline and those are self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing. (16:23) Billy explains the S4TS model that they teach and live by, at Williams Family Investment Group and Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (20:13) Billy shares that there are only 14 tasks, every week in an agency. (24:47) Billy mentions that you shouldn’t implement a process in your agency unless you've placed the tools and automation in place before, bringing it to your people. (26:56) Billy shares that he finished his Ph.D. in 2002. Therefore, it took him 20 years to become Dr. Williams. (34:57) Billy mentions that KPIs are not results. Because KPIs produce results. (36:21) Billy shares that as an insurance agency owner, they only have three jobs. It’s hiring, training, and accountability. (40:32) Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Katlyn Eggar Billy Williams, Ph.D. LinkedIn Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring Williams Family Investment Group Advertisers: Podium ePayPolicy In this episode of the Age of Indiependence podcast, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Dr. Billy Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the Williams Family Investment Group, and the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. Dr. Billy talks about how to successfully grow your agency and the three emotions that stop agencies from growing, the four types of discipline, and the significance of understanding the S4TS model.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Dr. Billy Williams. (1:19)
  • Billy shares that he’s a retired army, and 21 years after serving in the military, he took a Ph.D. in finance. (2:18)
  • Billy mentions what made him leave Allstate after 4 years, was because they were not allowed inside to open an agency, and they were only selling outside. (04:07)
  • Billy shares that he opened his first independent agency in April 2008, and today, they have more than 160 agencies under the Williams Family Investment Group, $1.2 billion in premium, and more than 2,000 members at Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (05:06)
  • Billy mentions that when you’re getting ready to grow, they have a mentor that you can attend and they are not part of your ownership, but they will teach you how to grow. But if you decide to grow bigger and you want a team of people to help you in growing bigger, take a look at investing. (11:34)
  • Billy mentions the main issue that stops agencies from growing is unmanaged emotions. (12:50)
  • Billy shares the three types of unmanaged emotions and those are mental, physical, and purely emotional. (13:04)
  • Billy mentions that ego is what we do, arrogance is what we refuse to do, and our insecurities are based on our history. (14:05)
  • Billy shares the four types of discipline and those are self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing. (16:23)
  • Billy explains the S4TS model that they teach and live by, at Williams Family Investment Group and Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. (20:13)
  • Billy shares that there are only 14 tasks, every week in an agency. (24:47)
  • Billy mentions that you shouldn’t implement a process in your agency unless you've placed the tools and automation in place before, bringing it to your people. (26:56)
  • Billy shares that he finished his Ph.D. in 2002. Therefore, it took him 20 years to become Dr. Williams. (34:57)
  • Billy mentions that KPIs are not results. Because KPIs produce results. (36:21)
  • Billy shares that as an insurance agency owner, they only have three jobs. It’s hiring, training, and accountability. (40:32)


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 2945 no Jason Cass & Katlyn Eggar: Welcome To The Show https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/jason-cass--katlyn-eggar-welcome-to-the-show/ In this final episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Jason Cass, giving insights about her interviews and experiences with the rock stars of the insurance industry. Katlyn also discusses how the Age of Indiependence became a huge part of her journey and where that journey is headed. Episode Highlights: Katlyn thinks that one of the greatest factors about guest hosting a podcast is the opportunity to interview such amazing guests and be joined by rock stars in the industry. (2:11) Jason shares one of the reasons why they made Agency Intelligence is because people wanted him to take the interview a bit further than he did on Agents Influence. (3:10) Jason mentions that they will be working with Kelly Donahue-Piro and her company, Agency Performance Partners, at The Insurance Alliance, starting in January 2021. (4:11) Katlyn discusses the podcast episode with Kelly Donahue-Piro entitled, What Your Team Isn’t Telling You Through Big Changes. (4:53) Katlyn mentions that in January 2021, they want to use that opportunity to turn over a new leaf. (6:329) Katlyn shares that the Konmari method is about decluttering, getting rid of the noise, and keeping the things that you love. (8:30) Jason discusses the podcast episode with Alejandro Velez entitled, Competing with the Goliaths. (10:14) Katlyn shares that some call centers do effective tasks. Therefore, the challenge is to not let our disdain, for the things that they're doing poorly hold us back from being able to pull the curtain back. (11:17) Katlyn thinks that efficiency is more significant than speed. (11:49) Katlyn mentions one of the huge challenges they had as local insurance agents was to achieve economies of scale. (13:44) Katlyn shares that the Age of Indiependence has been valuable for her because she started as a captive agent, and it was a big milestone for her, transitioning from the captive world to being an independent agent. (23:15) Key Quotes: “My goal with these episodes has been, to bring a perspective that is new and fresh, but it's something that an agency of any size could walk away with some tangible takeaways, some new ideas, and some things that you can put into practice, every once in a while.” - Katlyn Eggar “At the end of the day, we're going to create more opportunity for people in our communities that need the best job in the world which we have waiting for them in our offices, and it's going to change our lifestyle because we're going to go from just slogging it out every day trying to get out of doing things the same way, to being the coaches, the leaders, and the world changers that we want to be.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Jason Cass Jason Cass LinkedIn Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Advertisers: Podium Veruna Tue, 24 Nov 2020 10:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this final episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Jason Cass, giving insights about her interviews and experiences with the rock stars of the insurance industry. Katlyn also discusses how the Age of Indiependence became a huge part of her journey and where that journey is headed. Episode Highlights: Katlyn thinks that one of the greatest factors about guest hosting a podcast is the opportunity to interview such amazing guests and be joined by rock stars in the industry. (2:11) Jason shares one of the reasons why they made Agency Intelligence is because people wanted him to take the interview a bit further than he did on Agents Influence. (3:10) Jason mentions that they will be working with Kelly Donahue-Piro and her company, Agency Performance Partners, at The Insurance Alliance, starting in January 2021. (4:11) Katlyn discusses the podcast episode with Kelly Donahue-Piro entitled, What Your Team Isn’t Telling You Through Big Changes. (4:53) Katlyn mentions that in January 2021, they want to use that opportunity to turn over a new leaf. (6:329) Katlyn shares that the Konmari method is about decluttering, getting rid of the noise, and keeping the things that you love. (8:30) Jason discusses the podcast episode with Alejandro Velez entitled, Competing with the Goliaths. (10:14) Katlyn shares that some call centers do effective tasks. Therefore, the challenge is to not let our disdain, for the things that they're doing poorly hold us back from being able to pull the curtain back. (11:17) Katlyn thinks that efficiency is more significant than speed. (11:49) Katlyn mentions one of the huge challenges they had as local insurance agents was to achieve economies of scale. (13:44) Katlyn shares that the Age of Indiependence has been valuable for her because she started as a captive agent, and it was a big milestone for her, transitioning from the captive world to being an independent agent. (23:15) Key Quotes: “My goal with these episodes has been, to bring a perspective that is new and fresh, but it's something that an agency of any size could walk away with some tangible takeaways, some new ideas, and some things that you can put into practice, every once in a while.” - Katlyn Eggar “At the end of the day, we're going to create more opportunity for people in our communities that need the best job in the world which we have waiting for them in our offices, and it's going to change our lifestyle because we're going to go from just slogging it out every day trying to get out of doing things the same way, to being the coaches, the leaders, and the world changers that we want to be.” - Katlyn Eggar Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Reach out to Jason Cass Jason Cass LinkedIn Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Advertisers: Podium Veruna In this final episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar is joined by Jason Cass, giving insights about her interviews and experiences with the rock stars of the insurance industry. Katlyn also discusses how the Age of Indiependence became a huge part of her journey and where that journey is headed.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn thinks that one of the greatest factors about guest hosting a podcast is the opportunity to interview such amazing guests and be joined by rock stars in the industry. (2:11)
  • Jason shares one of the reasons why they made Agency Intelligence is because people wanted him to take the interview a bit further than he did on Agents Influence. (3:10)
  • Jason mentions that they will be working with Kelly Donahue-Piro and her company, Agency Performance Partners, at The Insurance Alliance, starting in January 2021. (4:11)
  • Katlyn discusses the podcast episode with Kelly Donahue-Piro entitled, What Your Team Isn’t Telling You Through Big Changes. (4:53)
  • Katlyn mentions that in January 2021, they want to use that opportunity to turn over a new leaf. (6:329)
  • Katlyn shares that the Konmari method is about decluttering, getting rid of the noise, and keeping the things that you love. (8:30)
  • Jason discusses the podcast episode with Alejandro Velez entitled, Competing with the Goliaths. (10:14)
  • Katlyn shares that some call centers do effective tasks. Therefore, the challenge is to not let our disdain, for the things that they're doing poorly hold us back from being able to pull the curtain back. (11:17)
  • Katlyn thinks that efficiency is more significant than speed. (11:49)
  • Katlyn mentions one of the huge challenges they had as local insurance agents was to achieve economies of scale. (13:44)
  • Katlyn shares that the Age of Indiependence has been valuable for her because she started as a captive agent, and it was a big milestone for her, transitioning from the captive world to being an independent agent. (23:15)


Key Quotes:

  • “My goal with these episodes has been, to bring a perspective that is new and fresh, but it's something that an agency of any size could walk away with some tangible takeaways, some new ideas, and some things that you can put into practice, every once in a while.” - Katlyn Eggar
  • “At the end of the day, we're going to create more opportunity for people in our communities that need the best job in the world which we have waiting for them in our offices, and it's going to change our lifestyle because we're going to go from just slogging it out every day trying to get out of doing things the same way, to being the coaches, the leaders, and the world changers that we want to be.” - Katlyn Eggar


Resources Mentioned:

Advertisers:

]]> 2171 no What Big Changes Today can Mean for Your Agency Valuation Tomorrow https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/what-big-changes-today-can-mean-for-your-agency-valuation-tomorrow/ In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Carey Wallace, the CEO of Intell Agents. Carey talks about understanding the functions of utilizing data in our agency valuation and the measurements and methods that impact the value of your agency. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Carey Wallace. (1:53) Carey mentions that she’s been in the insurance industry for over 12 years and her background is in finance. (8:33) Carey shares that they built a consulting, valuation, perpetuation planning services, and data analytics team in order to leverage the data and start to help agents understand what's inside their agency and what they can learn from each other. (10:41) Carey mentions that at present, 50% of the agency owners are at or near retirement. (13:15) Carey shares that Intell Agents started around two years ago in Ohio, and they have over 20,000 agencies in their ecosystem. (14:11) Carey mentions that the main priority in their industry is hiring. (15:37) Katlyn shares that one of the big culture shocks for captive agents, when they go independent, is working with multiple carriers that pay different amounts based on the line of business. (19:25) Katlyn mentions that a pilot program is a method that your agency can adopt, to begin a new change. (23:01) Carey shares that the consistency in the revenue, and the future revenue that is going to be generated and maintained, will impact the value of your agency. (24:56) Carey mentions that the reason why private equity is so interested in their industry is because of their consistency in the renewal income. (26:46) Carey mentions that it’s significant to get familiar with what the benchmarks are to understand your agency. (33:03) Carey shares that she firmly believes, that the current technology inside the independent insurance agents is widely underused. (33:11) Carey thinks that the pandemic has created a gap between those that have already leveraged technology and data, and those that are not. (36:12) Katlyn thinks that in the present independent world, we’re seeing a shift towards a greater demand, to have systems and processes in your agency to drive organic growth. (39:55) Carey mentions that predictive benchmarks such as productivity, are elements that you should be aware of, to know exactly what's happening and make shifts in order to change the outcome. (53:20) Key Quotes: “I am not an insurance agent. I've never sold a policy in my life. I've probably never planned to sell a policy in my life, but I love insurance because I love small businesses. I love helping small business owners win.” - Carey Wallace “As an industry, we are inundated with all these different solutions, but there is no roadmap to tell you how to get there, and in my mind, data in what you're trying to do in your agency is the starting point to drive you to the things that would make the most sense.” - Carey Wallace Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Carey Wallace LinkedIn Intell Agents Advertisers: Podium Agency Va Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:50:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Carey Wallace, the CEO of Intell Agents. Carey talks about understanding the functions of utilizing data in our agency valuation and the measurements and methods that impact the value of your agency. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Carey Wallace. (1:53) Carey mentions that she’s been in the insurance industry for over 12 years and her background is in finance. (8:33) Carey shares that they built a consulting, valuation, perpetuation planning services, and data analytics team in order to leverage the data and start to help agents understand what's inside their agency and what they can learn from each other. (10:41) Carey mentions that at present, 50% of the agency owners are at or near retirement. (13:15) Carey shares that Intell Agents started around two years ago in Ohio, and they have over 20,000 agencies in their ecosystem. (14:11) Carey mentions that the main priority in their industry is hiring. (15:37) Katlyn shares that one of the big culture shocks for captive agents, when they go independent, is working with multiple carriers that pay different amounts based on the line of business. (19:25) Katlyn mentions that a pilot program is a method that your agency can adopt, to begin a new change. (23:01) Carey shares that the consistency in the revenue, and the future revenue that is going to be generated and maintained, will impact the value of your agency. (24:56) Carey mentions that the reason why private equity is so interested in their industry is because of their consistency in the renewal income. (26:46) Carey mentions that it’s significant to get familiar with what the benchmarks are to understand your agency. (33:03) Carey shares that she firmly believes, that the current technology inside the independent insurance agents is widely underused. (33:11) Carey thinks that the pandemic has created a gap between those that have already leveraged technology and data, and those that are not. (36:12) Katlyn thinks that in the present independent world, we’re seeing a shift towards a greater demand, to have systems and processes in your agency to drive organic growth. (39:55) Carey mentions that predictive benchmarks such as productivity, are elements that you should be aware of, to know exactly what's happening and make shifts in order to change the outcome. (53:20) Key Quotes: “I am not an insurance agent. I've never sold a policy in my life. I've probably never planned to sell a policy in my life, but I love insurance because I love small businesses. I love helping small business owners win.” - Carey Wallace “As an industry, we are inundated with all these different solutions, but there is no roadmap to tell you how to get there, and in my mind, data in what you're trying to do in your agency is the starting point to drive you to the things that would make the most sense.” - Carey Wallace Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Carey Wallace LinkedIn Intell Agents Advertisers: Podium Agency Va In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Independence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Carey Wallace, the CEO of Intell Agents. Carey talks about understanding the functions of utilizing data in our agency valuation and the measurements and methods that impact the value of your agency.


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Carey Wallace. (1:53)
  • Carey mentions that she’s been in the insurance industry for over 12 years and her background is in finance. (8:33)
  • Carey shares that they built a consulting, valuation, perpetuation planning services, and data analytics team in order to leverage the data and start to help agents understand what's inside their agency and what they can learn from each other. (10:41)
  • Carey mentions that at present, 50% of the agency owners are at or near retirement. (13:15)
  • Carey shares that Intell Agents started around two years ago in Ohio, and they have over 20,000 agencies in their ecosystem. (14:11)
  • Carey mentions that the main priority in their industry is hiring. (15:37)
  • Katlyn shares that one of the big culture shocks for captive agents, when they go independent, is working with multiple carriers that pay different amounts based on the line of business. (19:25)
  • Katlyn mentions that a pilot program is a method that your agency can adopt, to begin a new change. (23:01)
  • Carey shares that the consistency in the revenue, and the future revenue that is going to be generated and maintained, will impact the value of your agency. (24:56)
  • Carey mentions that the reason why private equity is so interested in their industry is because of their consistency in the renewal income. (26:46)
  • Carey mentions that it’s significant to get familiar with what the benchmarks are to understand your agency. (33:03)
  • Carey shares that she firmly believes, that the current technology inside the independent insurance agents is widely underused. (33:11)
  • Carey thinks that the pandemic has created a gap between those that have already leveraged technology and data, and those that are not. (36:12)
  • Katlyn thinks that in the present independent world, we’re seeing a shift towards a greater demand, to have systems and processes in your agency to drive organic growth. (39:55)
  • Carey mentions that predictive benchmarks such as productivity, are elements that you should be aware of, to know exactly what's happening and make shifts in order to change the outcome. (53:20)


Key Quotes:

  • “I am not an insurance agent. I've never sold a policy in my life. I've probably never planned to sell a policy in my life, but I love insurance because I love small businesses. I love helping small business owners win.” - Carey Wallace
  • “As an industry, we are inundated with all these different solutions, but there is no roadmap to tell you how to get there, and in my mind, data in what you're trying to do in your agency is the starting point to drive you to the things that would make the most sense.” - Carey Wallace


Resources Mentioned:


Advertisers:

]]> 3462 no Competing with the Goliaths https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/competing-with-the-goliaths/ In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Alejandro Velez, Director Of Strategic Alliances at Quantum Assurance International. Alejandro talks about what agencies can learn from call centers and what call centers should be learning from agencies.  Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Alejandro Velez. (0:58) Alejandro mentions that he’s a giant insurance nerd. (2:40) Alejandro mentions that the way he got into insurance was very happenstance, and when he worked at a call center insurance company, he went to the claim side. (8:38) Alejandro thinks that there’s a certain level of criticalness to the understanding of insurance. Because when you're purchasing insurance, what you're literally purchasing is the claims experience and claims protection should the need arise. (9:22) Alejandro mentions that insurance takes a bad day and prevents a bad life. (12:14) Alejandro shares that when he was in claims, he was defending the arbitrations coming in from the other insurance companies that were suing their insurance. (12:45) Alejandro shares that when you’re in a traditional call center setting, you’re talking about your average handling times and what percentage of the time you were available to take calls. Therefore, the focus is always going to be speed. (16:29) Katlyn shares that one of the best tools in her tool belt is the quality of consultation and the connection, the conversation with her client, the time and care that she’s spending with her client, and keeping those aspects as a part of the heart and soul of her agency. (19:27) Alejandro mentions that in his 15 years of being an insurance nerd, he hasn’t figured out a way to make a solid recommendation without knowing what it is you're protecting. (25:22) Alejandro mentions that quote live is where the customer calls in and they get the quote before ending the call. (26:45) Alejandro shares that you must not lose the opportunity to build rapport and connect to the customer. (30:19) Katlyn shares that there's such a focus on referrals and marketing in the local community that sometimes, an online presence can accidentally get left by the wayside. (35:37) Alejandro thinks that nowadays, having an online presence offers a level of validity and credibility. (36:26) Key Quotes: “I do enjoy reading or listening to books. But really, my heart goes into the insurance world. I am constantly reading insurance journals. I am heavily interested in what's happening in the industry as a whole.” - Alejandro Velez “Everyone wants to make an impact, everyone wants to help others and unfortunately, the insurance industry gets a little bit of a bad rap when it comes to that. Because no one really wants to deal with insurance. But when you need your insurance, you need your insurance.” - Alejandro Velez Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence We Got Your Podcast Reach out to Jason Cass Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Alejandro Velez LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Advertisers: Veruna Tarmika Tue, 10 Nov 2020 09:50:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Alejandro Velez, Director Of Strategic Alliances at Quantum Assurance International. Alejandro talks about what agencies can learn from call centers and what call centers should be learning from agencies.  Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Alejandro Velez. (0:58) Alejandro mentions that he’s a giant insurance nerd. (2:40) Alejandro mentions that the way he got into insurance was very happenstance, and when he worked at a call center insurance company, he went to the claim side. (8:38) Alejandro thinks that there’s a certain level of criticalness to the understanding of insurance. Because when you're purchasing insurance, what you're literally purchasing is the claims experience and claims protection should the need arise. (9:22) Alejandro mentions that insurance takes a bad day and prevents a bad life. (12:14) Alejandro shares that when he was in claims, he was defending the arbitrations coming in from the other insurance companies that were suing their insurance. (12:45) Alejandro shares that when you’re in a traditional call center setting, you’re talking about your average handling times and what percentage of the time you were available to take calls. Therefore, the focus is always going to be speed. (16:29) Katlyn shares that one of the best tools in her tool belt is the quality of consultation and the connection, the conversation with her client, the time and care that she’s spending with her client, and keeping those aspects as a part of the heart and soul of her agency. (19:27) Alejandro mentions that in his 15 years of being an insurance nerd, he hasn’t figured out a way to make a solid recommendation without knowing what it is you're protecting. (25:22) Alejandro mentions that quote live is where the customer calls in and they get the quote before ending the call. (26:45) Alejandro shares that you must not lose the opportunity to build rapport and connect to the customer. (30:19) Katlyn shares that there's such a focus on referrals and marketing in the local community that sometimes, an online presence can accidentally get left by the wayside. (35:37) Alejandro thinks that nowadays, having an online presence offers a level of validity and credibility. (36:26) Key Quotes: “I do enjoy reading or listening to books. But really, my heart goes into the insurance world. I am constantly reading insurance journals. I am heavily interested in what's happening in the industry as a whole.” - Alejandro Velez “Everyone wants to make an impact, everyone wants to help others and unfortunately, the insurance industry gets a little bit of a bad rap when it comes to that. Because no one really wants to deal with insurance. But when you need your insurance, you need your insurance.” - Alejandro Velez Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence We Got Your Podcast Reach out to Jason Cass Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Alejandro Velez LinkedIn Quantum Assurance International Advertisers: Veruna Tarmika In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Alejandro Velez, Director Of Strategic Alliances at Quantum Assurance International. Alejandro talks about what agencies can learn from call centers and what call centers should be learning from agencies. 


Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Alejandro Velez. (0:58)
  • Alejandro mentions that he’s a giant insurance nerd. (2:40)
  • Alejandro mentions that the way he got into insurance was very happenstance, and when he worked at a call center insurance company, he went to the claim side. (8:38)
  • Alejandro thinks that there’s a certain level of criticalness to the understanding of insurance. Because when you're purchasing insurance, what you're literally purchasing is the claims experience and claims protection should the need arise. (9:22)
  • Alejandro mentions that insurance takes a bad day and prevents a bad life. (12:14)
  • Alejandro shares that when he was in claims, he was defending the arbitrations coming in from the other insurance companies that were suing their insurance. (12:45)
  • Alejandro shares that when you’re in a traditional call center setting, you’re talking about your average handling times and what percentage of the time you were available to take calls. Therefore, the focus is always going to be speed. (16:29)
  • Katlyn shares that one of the best tools in her tool belt is the quality of consultation and the connection, the conversation with her client, the time and care that she’s spending with her client, and keeping those aspects as a part of the heart and soul of her agency. (19:27)
  • Alejandro mentions that in his 15 years of being an insurance nerd, he hasn’t figured out a way to make a solid recommendation without knowing what it is you're protecting. (25:22)
  • Alejandro mentions that quote live is where the customer calls in and they get the quote before ending the call. (26:45)
  • Alejandro shares that you must not lose the opportunity to build rapport and connect to the customer. (30:19)
  • Katlyn shares that there's such a focus on referrals and marketing in the local community that sometimes, an online presence can accidentally get left by the wayside. (35:37)
  • Alejandro thinks that nowadays, having an online presence offers a level of validity and credibility. (36:26)

Key Quotes:

  • “I do enjoy reading or listening to books. But really, my heart goes into the insurance world. I am constantly reading insurance journals. I am heavily interested in what's happening in the industry as a whole.” - Alejandro Velez
  • “Everyone wants to make an impact, everyone wants to help others and unfortunately, the insurance industry gets a little bit of a bad rap when it comes to that. Because no one really wants to deal with insurance. But when you need your insurance, you need your insurance.” - Alejandro Velez

Resources Mentioned:

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]]> 2519 no What Your Team Isn't Telling You Through Big Changes https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/what-your-team-isnt-telling-you-through-big-changes/ In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kelly Donahue - Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly talks about the key challenges agencies face, how you should invest in your team, and why it’s helpful to have an outside perspective to help your agency transform. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Kelly Donahue - Piro. (1:39) Kelly shares that she has worked with over 1,000 independent agencies within the US and Canada. (2:34) Where did Kelly get the passion for helping agency owners? (3:24) Kelly mentions that the insurance industry is the most stable business on the planet. (6:10) Kelly thinks that as people go through significant changes, it’s vital to keep in mind three elements. (9:46) When it comes to common threads, what are some of the mindset changes in agencies that Kelly and her agencies have partnered together to tackle? (13:59) Kelly explains that a company’s biggest investment every month is payroll. (15:08) Kelly shares that nowadays, it’s beneficial to invest in your team to have strong time management skills because you're going to hit in all different directions, and most of it is disorganized. (16:39) Katlyn believes that clients deserve options, and being in a role where you can provide professional advice and make sure that their family's taken care of is wonderful. (20:28) As independent insurance agents, how does Agency Performance Partners work with clients to make sure that they're best protected, without price becoming the focus of everything that they do? (21:02) Kelly explains the three key challenges that she sees in the frontline team. (21:17) Kelly mentions that you have to find something significant to your target market and grab it. (24:29) Kelly shares that agency owners have ideas in their heads of what producers are supposed to be doing and what an account manager is supposed to be doing. But at the desk level, the work coming in hasn't changed. (34:13) Key Quotes: “A lot of times small things make a big difference, but sometimes it's difficult decisions whether it's putting people in different seats on the bus, installing a process, and retraining people into better ways of doing things.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro “I think sometimes when you're inside of an agency, it's very cloudy. You need someone from the outside saying, hey, these are the couple steps we can do and we'll get there together. So I love what I do. I wake up every morning excited to do what I do and I think that in a lot of ways, it's the biggest blessing you've ever had.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro “You have to look at the numbers and have trust and faith in them. That’s the biggest challenge we see if you look at a report and you don't have faith in it, your staff won't have faith in it, and it just becomes a paperweight.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence We Got Your Podcast Reach out to Jason Cass Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Kelly Donahue - Piro LinkedIn Agency Performance Partners Advertisers: ePayPolicy Agency VA Tue, 03 Nov 2020 09:50:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kelly Donahue - Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly talks about the key challenges agencies face, how you should invest in your team, and why it’s helpful to have an outside perspective to help your agency transform. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Kelly Donahue - Piro. (1:39) Kelly shares that she has worked with over 1,000 independent agencies within the US and Canada. (2:34) Where did Kelly get the passion for helping agency owners? (3:24) Kelly mentions that the insurance industry is the most stable business on the planet. (6:10) Kelly thinks that as people go through significant changes, it’s vital to keep in mind three elements. (9:46) When it comes to common threads, what are some of the mindset changes in agencies that Kelly and her agencies have partnered together to tackle? (13:59) Kelly explains that a company’s biggest investment every month is payroll. (15:08) Kelly shares that nowadays, it’s beneficial to invest in your team to have strong time management skills because you're going to hit in all different directions, and most of it is disorganized. (16:39) Katlyn believes that clients deserve options, and being in a role where you can provide professional advice and make sure that their family's taken care of is wonderful. (20:28) As independent insurance agents, how does Agency Performance Partners work with clients to make sure that they're best protected, without price becoming the focus of everything that they do? (21:02) Kelly explains the three key challenges that she sees in the frontline team. (21:17) Kelly mentions that you have to find something significant to your target market and grab it. (24:29) Kelly shares that agency owners have ideas in their heads of what producers are supposed to be doing and what an account manager is supposed to be doing. But at the desk level, the work coming in hasn't changed. (34:13) Key Quotes: “A lot of times small things make a big difference, but sometimes it's difficult decisions whether it's putting people in different seats on the bus, installing a process, and retraining people into better ways of doing things.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro “I think sometimes when you're inside of an agency, it's very cloudy. You need someone from the outside saying, hey, these are the couple steps we can do and we'll get there together. So I love what I do. I wake up every morning excited to do what I do and I think that in a lot of ways, it's the biggest blessing you've ever had.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro “You have to look at the numbers and have trust and faith in them. That’s the biggest challenge we see if you look at a report and you don't have faith in it, your staff won't have faith in it, and it just becomes a paperweight.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence We Got Your Podcast Reach out to Jason Cass Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn Kelly Donahue - Piro LinkedIn Agency Performance Partners Advertisers: ePayPolicy Agency VA In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Kelly Donahue - Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly talks about the key challenges agencies face, how you should invest in your team, and why it’s helpful to have an outside perspective to help your agency transform.

Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Kelly Donahue - Piro. (1:39)
  • Kelly shares that she has worked with over 1,000 independent agencies within the US and Canada. (2:34)
  • Where did Kelly get the passion for helping agency owners? (3:24)
  • Kelly mentions that the insurance industry is the most stable business on the planet. (6:10)
  • Kelly thinks that as people go through significant changes, it’s vital to keep in mind three elements. (9:46)
  • When it comes to common threads, what are some of the mindset changes in agencies that Kelly and her agencies have partnered together to tackle? (13:59)
  • Kelly explains that a company’s biggest investment every month is payroll. (15:08)
  • Kelly shares that nowadays, it’s beneficial to invest in your team to have strong time management skills because you're going to hit in all different directions, and most of it is disorganized. (16:39)
  • Katlyn believes that clients deserve options, and being in a role where you can provide professional advice and make sure that their family's taken care of is wonderful. (20:28)
  • As independent insurance agents, how does Agency Performance Partners work with clients to make sure that they're best protected, without price becoming the focus of everything that they do? (21:02)
  • Kelly explains the three key challenges that she sees in the frontline team. (21:17)
  • Kelly mentions that you have to find something significant to your target market and grab it. (24:29)
  • Kelly shares that agency owners have ideas in their heads of what producers are supposed to be doing and what an account manager is supposed to be doing. But at the desk level, the work coming in hasn't changed. (34:13)

Key Quotes:

  • “A lot of times small things make a big difference, but sometimes it's difficult decisions whether it's putting people in different seats on the bus, installing a process, and retraining people into better ways of doing things.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro
  • “I think sometimes when you're inside of an agency, it's very cloudy. You need someone from the outside saying, hey, these are the couple steps we can do and we'll get there together. So I love what I do. I wake up every morning excited to do what I do and I think that in a lot of ways, it's the biggest blessing you've ever had.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro
  • “You have to look at the numbers and have trust and faith in them. That’s the biggest challenge we see if you look at a report and you don't have faith in it, your staff won't have faith in it, and it just becomes a paperweight.” - Kelly Donahue - Piro

Resources Mentioned:

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]]> 2743 no Are You a Sales Organization or a Service Organization? https://www.insuranceagencyintelligence.com/podcast/age-of-indiependence-are-you-a-sales-organization-or-a-service-organization/ In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Tolga Demirel, the Co-Founder of Agency Zoom. Tolga talks about the power that a highly trained and highly motivated team can have in an agency, and the significance of technology to an agency. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Tolga Demirel. (1:21) Tolga shares that he started his insurance career in late October 2011. (3:35) Where did Tolga get the idea for Agency Zoom? (5:12) Tolga shares that they are where they are today, because of their cultural adaptation. (8:36) What are some of the differences that Tolga has seen in the struggles that agency owners are facing? (11:05) Tolga mentions that the biggest change that he has seen is an increased appetite for technology. (12:54) Katlyn shares that in the insurance world, the agency owner is viewed by the carrier as a distribution point or distribution channel. (17:14) For the agency owner, what are some key elements that they need to be able to get visibility on before they can hold their team accountable for big changes? (18:52) Katlyn thinks that accountability is a challenge within organizations in every department and a huge challenge for the leaders. (22:49) How would Tolga reinvest the time, talent, energy, and resources into transforming the agency into a sales organization? (27:37) Tolga shares that you should be creative in how to keep your people motivated, fairly compensate them, and let them grow together with your agency. (29:49) Katlyn thinks that team culture and being all about people still exists in an agency that has a sales organization mindset. (32:21) Tolga believes that when you make your customers happy, you become happy. (36:46) Tolga shares that you should view automation in a way that it can help your agency on both sides, and sales enablement is an area where there's a tremendous need in the independent space. (38:18) Tolga mentions that proactive engagement is going to win the future. (38:59) Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence We Got Your Podcast Reach out to Jason Cass LinkedIn- Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn- Tolga Demirel Agency Zoom Advertisers: Imperial Premium Finance Specialists ePayPolicy Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:00:00 -0000 full Katlyn Eggar In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Tolga Demirel, the Co-Founder of Agency Zoom. Tolga talks about the power that a highly trained and highly motivated team can have in an agency, and the significance of technology to an agency. Episode Highlights: Katlyn introduces Tolga Demirel. (1:21) Tolga shares that he started his insurance career in late October 2011. (3:35) Where did Tolga get the idea for Agency Zoom? (5:12) Tolga shares that they are where they are today, because of their cultural adaptation. (8:36) What are some of the differences that Tolga has seen in the struggles that agency owners are facing? (11:05) Tolga mentions that the biggest change that he has seen is an increased appetite for technology. (12:54) Katlyn shares that in the insurance world, the agency owner is viewed by the carrier as a distribution point or distribution channel. (17:14) For the agency owner, what are some key elements that they need to be able to get visibility on before they can hold their team accountable for big changes? (18:52) Katlyn thinks that accountability is a challenge within organizations in every department and a huge challenge for the leaders. (22:49) How would Tolga reinvest the time, talent, energy, and resources into transforming the agency into a sales organization? (27:37) Tolga shares that you should be creative in how to keep your people motivated, fairly compensate them, and let them grow together with your agency. (29:49) Katlyn thinks that team culture and being all about people still exists in an agency that has a sales organization mindset. (32:21) Tolga believes that when you make your customers happy, you become happy. (36:46) Tolga shares that you should view automation in a way that it can help your agency on both sides, and sales enablement is an area where there's a tremendous need in the independent space. (38:18) Tolga mentions that proactive engagement is going to win the future. (38:59) Resources Mentioned: Agency Intelligence We Got Your Podcast Reach out to Jason Cass LinkedIn- Katlyn Eggar LinkedIn- Tolga Demirel Agency Zoom Advertisers: Imperial Premium Finance Specialists ePayPolicy In this episode of the Agency Intelligence podcast miniseries, Age of Indiependence, host Katlyn Eggar interviews Tolga Demirel, the Co-Founder of Agency Zoom. Tolga talks about the power that a highly trained and highly motivated team can have in an agency, and the significance of technology to an agency.

Episode Highlights:

  • Katlyn introduces Tolga Demirel. (1:21)
  • Tolga shares that he started his insurance career in late October 2011. (3:35)
  • Where did Tolga get the idea for Agency Zoom? (5:12)
  • Tolga shares that they are where they are today, because of their cultural adaptation. (8:36)
  • What are some of the differences that Tolga has seen in the struggles that agency owners are facing? (11:05)
  • Tolga mentions that the biggest change that he has seen is an increased appetite for technology. (12:54)
  • Katlyn shares that in the insurance world, the agency owner is viewed by the carrier as a distribution point or distribution channel. (17:14)
  • For the agency owner, what are some key elements that they need to be able to get visibility on before they can hold their team accountable for big changes? (18:52)
  • Katlyn thinks that accountability is a challenge within organizations in every department and a huge challenge for the leaders. (22:49)
  • How would Tolga reinvest the time, talent, energy, and resources into transforming the agency into a sales organization? (27:37)
  • Tolga shares that you should be creative in how to keep your people motivated, fairly compensate them, and let them grow together with your agency. (29:49)
  • Katlyn thinks that team culture and being all about people still exists in an agency that has a sales organization mindset. (32:21)
  • Tolga believes that when you make your customers happy, you become happy. (36:46)
  • Tolga shares that you should view automation in a way that it can help your agency on both sides, and sales enablement is an area where there's a tremendous need in the independent space. (38:18)
  • Tolga mentions that proactive engagement is going to win the future. (38:59)

Resources Mentioned:

Advertisers:

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