Power Producers Podcast

Top-Tier Presence: Elevating Your Professional Brand with Daniel Wakefield

Wed, 06 May 2026 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers welcomes Daniel Wakefield from Top Tier Headshots to discuss the critical role of high-end visual branding in a digital-first economy. The conversation explores how professional photography serves as a foundation for personal authority, even as AI-generated imagery becomes more prevalent. The Core Message: The goal of a professional headshot isn't just to have a profile picture; it is to project a "future self" that commands authority and builds immediate trust with high-level prospects.

Key Takeaways AI as a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement While AI tools like ChatGPT and image generators are rising, Daniel’s business has actually grown because high-achieving clients want to showcase their real selves, not an avatar approximation. David uses his professional headshots as the "seed" for AI-generated content, allowing for hyper-branded, consistent visuals across all marketing platforms. The Psychology of the "Future Self" A high-quality image acts as a psychological tool; when a professional sees themselves looking powerful and confident on screen, their internal behavior and confidence levels often rise to match that image. The aim is to provide a look at where a professional wants to be in 5–10 years, creating a visual benchmark for their career aspirations. Digital Real Estate & Positioning LinkedIn profiles should be treated as landing pages rather than resumes. Using "action shots"—such as boardroom or speaking images—on banners helps position individuals as in-demand experts, which has directly led to paid speaking engagements for Daniel’s clients. Humanizing the Brand through Community David emphasizes that "humanizing the brand" is the most effective way to attract the right audience and repel the wrong one. Success in sales often requires a support system; David highlights the importance of including spouses in professional communities (like Producers in Paradise) to build a sustainable career foundation.

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The Science of Sorting: Lowering Resistance and Using AI as a Copilot with Josh Braun

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sat down with Josh Braun to explore how sales is evolving in an AI driven world while reinforcing that human connection still wins. They discussed the role of AI in content creation, the importance of authenticity on platforms like LinkedIn, and why the best ideas often come from real conversations rather than manufactured posts. The conversation then shifted into Josh’s core philosophy around detachment, asking better questions, and replacing traditional sales pressure with curiosity. Through practical examples, they broke down how producers can uncover real problems, reduce resistance, and ultimately make sales conversations more natural and effective.

Key points:

AI is a Tool but Authenticity Still Matters

Josh Braun explains that AI generated content is becoming increasingly hard to distinguish from human writing. However, what matters most is whether the message resonates, not who created it. David adds that his best content comes from real conversations, using AI only to refine and structure ideas rather than generate them from scratch.

Better Sales Comes from Curiosity Not Convincing

Traditional sales relies on explaining and persuading, which often creates resistance. Josh emphasizes that asking neutral, thoughtful questions shifts the dynamic. When prospects feel understood instead of pressured, they are more likely to engage and open up about real challenges.

Detach from the Outcome to Reduce Pressure

One of the biggest mindset shifts discussed is moving away from the need to book every meeting. Instead, the goal should be to identify whether a real problem exists. This detachment lowers pressure, changes tone, and makes conversations feel more natural, leading to better outcomes.

Poking the Bear to Reveal Hidden Problems

Josh introduces the concept of “poking the bear,” which involves asking questions that highlight risks or gaps prospects may not have considered. By illuminating potential issues rather than pitching solutions, sellers allow prospects to reach conclusions on their own, which builds trust and credibility.

People Buy Outcomes Not Products

The discussion highlights that buyers are not purchasing products themselves, but what those products represent. Whether it is status, efficiency, or risk reduction, understanding the underlying motivation changes how questions are asked and how conversations are guided.

Mindfulness Improves Sales Conversations

Josh shares that mindfulness and meditation help sales professionals avoid reactive behavior. By creating a pause between what a prospect says and how you respond, you can choose curiosity over defensiveness, leading to stronger relationships and better communication.

Sorting is More Effective Than Selling

Instead of trying to convert every prospect, the focus should be on qualifying quickly. Identifying early whether there is a fit saves time and energy, while also positioning the salesperson as honest and trustworthy rather than pushy.

Human Connection Still Wins in an AI World

Despite the rise of AI and automation, both David and Josh agree that real conversations, thoughtful questions, and genuine engagement are what truly differentiate top performers. Technology can enhance the process, but it cannot replace meaningful human interaction.

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Upping Your Telesales with Lynn Hidy

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers spoke with Lynn Hidy, founder of Up Your Tele Sales, LLC, about the evolution of sales and how inside sales is often undervalued compared to outside sales. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Lynn shared insights from her journey and her new book Mastering Inside Sales Leadership. They discussed key strategies for success in telesales, the importance of emotional intelligence, and how AI can enhance sales processes rather than replace the human touch. Lynn also emphasized how inside sales teams are just as valuable as their outside counterparts, especially when the right tools and strategies are leveraged to engage with clients effectively.

Key points:

Sales Evolution and the Role of Inside Sales

Lynn explains how inside sales have evolved over the years, noting that although it may not have been the initial career goal for many, it has become an essential part of modern sales. Inside sales teams can drive significant revenue by making the sales process more efficient and scalable.

Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales: Skill Set Differences

Inside sales professionals need a different skill set than outside sales reps. Lynn and David discuss the challenges of transitioning from inside to outside sales and why success in one doesn’t automatically translate to success in the other. Emotional intelligence and active listening are key to excelling in either role.

Leveraging AI to Enhance Sales

Lynn discusses the role of AI in the modern sales process, advising salespeople to leverage AI tools to gather insights and make better-informed decisions. While AI can help with data analysis and CRM management, it still requires the human touch to interpret and act on those insights effectively.

The Power of Asking the Right Questions

Lynn emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to truly understand a prospect’s needs. She highlights the value of not assuming anything and using AI as a tool to enhance question-asking, rather than relying solely on preconceived information.

The Future of Sales: Combining Human Skills with Technology

David and Lynn agree that while technology like AI can assist with research and provide valuable insights, it can never replace the need for human connection in sales. Understanding the client’s unique challenges and engaging with them on a personal level will always be crucial for long-term success.

Lynn’s Success Strategies and Leadership in Inside Sales

Throughout the episode, Lynn shared strategies she uses to successfully lead inside sales teams. From providing recognition to understanding the value inside sales brings to the table, she offers practical advice for managing and motivating inside sales teams effectively.

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My Greatest Affliction is My Greatest Super Power

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this solo episode of Shoptalk,

opened up about his single biggest affliction and why he believes it has also become his single biggest superpower. He shared personal stories from childhood, the frustration of being misunderstood, and the challenges of living with an undiagnosed attention issue in a time when people did not talk about ADHD the way they do now.

explained how getting clarity on how his brain works helped him redesign his workday, build systems that support his focus, and turn what once felt like a limitation into a source of output, creativity, and momentum. The episode is a direct message to listeners who feel different, unheard, or hesitant to seek help, with a clear reminder that adversity can be reframed into opportunity.

Key points:

Success Stories Often Hide the Mess Behind Them

challenges the perception that high performers have it all together. He warns that newer producers can set themselves up for disappointment by trying to emulate a polished image instead of understanding the human reality behind it. The core theme is that struggle and success can exist at the same time.

Growing Up Without a Diagnosis Creates Lasting Damage

He described childhood experiences of constant discipline for behavior that was not understood. The examples ranged from impulsivity and blurting things out to restlessness and difficulty focusing on reading or remembering tasks. His point is that what gets labeled as difficult or undisciplined is sometimes a brain wiring issue that needs understanding, not punishment.

A Diagnosis Creates Clarity and the Power to Adapt

explained that once he understood the issue, he could build his day around it instead of fighting it. He shared how medication was not the long term answer for him personally, but awareness was the turning point. The goal became adjusting habits, structure, and expectations to match how his mind actually works.

Organized Chaos Can Be a High Performance System

described how he works across multiple monitors and rotates between tasks to keep his mind stimulated. What looks like distraction from the outside is a deliberate structure that keeps him engaged and productive. He credits the insurance industry for providing constant variety and new problems that align with how he operates.

Many People Are Misunderstood Because They Are Different

He spoke directly about impulsivity, interruptions, distraction, and losing a thought mid sentence. David emphasized he is not sharing this for sympathy, but to normalize the experience and encourage people to seek support and coping tools. The episode frames difference as something that can be managed and even leveraged.

Stop Treating ADHD Like a Joke

He pushed back on casual language that turns mental health into a punchline. David explained why he does not use slides when he speaks and how people often laugh without realizing it is not a joke. He argued that when society trivializes these struggles, it loses access to the creativity and potential of people who could contribute at a high level.

Choosing to Be Yourself is the Real Win

closes with a call to draw a line in the sand and prioritize self care and self understanding. He invites listeners to reach out if they need to vent or want guidance. The final message is about embracing who you are, building systems that work for you, and refusing to shrink into a version of yourself that feels acceptable but untrue.

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Why Total Cost of Risk Is the Missing Link in Marketing and Prospecting - Part 3

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Shoptalk, David Carothers continued his exploration of total cost of risk, focusing on how producers can integrate it into their sales cadence without overhauling existing approaches. He explained that introducing total cost of risk doesn’t mean abandoning transactional sales calls but supplementing them with deeper, long-term risk assessments. David emphasized how asking the right discovery questions and sharing stories of past success can demonstrate value and build trust. This episode also touched on a key shift: moving from being just another vendor to becoming a trusted advisor who proactively identifies risks and delivers solutions.

Key points:

Total Cost of Risk and Sales Cadence

David stresses that integrating total cost of risk into your sales process doesn't mean overhauling everything. It means supplementing your cadence with conversations that consider the full scope of risk, allowing you to prospect year-round instead of focusing only on renewal periods. It’s okay to make transactional calls, but be ready to pivot into more consultative discussions when the opportunity arises.

Building Trust Without Saying "What Makes You Different"

David advocates for asking open-ended questions like, “What claims frustrate you?” or “What unexpected expenses have you encountered?” He explains that the stories you tell, not the “I’m different because…” statements, are what truly set you apart. Sharing specific examples from past experiences builds credibility and positions you as a valuable partner in their business operations.

Creating a Holistic Service Team for Your Clients

David discussed how he rebranded Florida Risk's value proposition with a team approach that brings together wealth management, cybersecurity, and business coaching to protect margins and ensure long-term financial health for clients. He explained how this multidisciplinary team addresses total cost of risk by covering areas outside of traditional insurance, giving clients comprehensive protection.

How Operational Efficiency Translates to Cost Savings

David shared a real-world example of how a service contractor client saved over $100,000 by addressing issues in their experience mod and shifting to a total cost of risk approach. By understanding the client’s operations deeply, David was able to identify inefficiencies and help reduce operational risk, showcasing how comprehensive risk management directly impacts profitability.

Shifting the Mindset from Transactional to Advisory

David emphasized the importance of thinking beyond price and focusing on the value you bring as a trusted advisor. By consistently asking the right questions and identifying hidden risks, producers can differentiate themselves, retain clients longer, and position themselves as integral to the client’s success—not just their insurance provider.

The Power of Proactive Communication

David urges producers to be proactive in communicating with clients, especially when it comes to identifying and mitigating risks that can affect the client’s bottom line. He encourages producers to book time with experts to troubleshoot roadblocks and deepen their understanding of total cost of risk, positioning themselves as go-to advisors.

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How Smart Agencies are Using AI, Automation and Workflow Design with Joe Ems

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomed Joe from Sembley to discuss a range of topics impacting agencies, from personal lines to AI-powered tools. David shared insights on the challenges of building a personal lines division from scratch, how tech investments have streamlined workflows, and the importance of agency owners evaluating their tech stack to maximize efficiency. They dove into the power of custom intake forms, e-signatures, and integrations with systems like Hawksoft. The conversation also emphasized the shift towards automation to save time and resources in an industry that’s increasingly tech-driven.

Key points:

Personal Lines Challenges and Tech Adaptation

David discussed how launching personal lines at Florida Risk has been a learning experience, especially in integrating new technology and adapting workflows. The move forced a deeper look into their tech stack and how it could support scalability and efficiency.

Building Custom Intake Forms for Streamlined Workflows

Joe explained how custom intake forms in Sembley can simplify data gathering, especially with conditional logic, and how it saves agents time by pre-populating accord forms, sub-apps, and client profiles.

Tech-Driven Time Savings and Reducing Manual Work

David emphasized that many agencies waste time on repetitive tasks like data entry and supplementals. He highlighted how tech can free up agents’ time to focus on high-value work, including meaningful client interactions and prospecting.

The Hawksoft Integration and Two-Way Data Flow

Joe shared how Sembley now integrates with Hawksoft, allowing agents to push data directly into their system, significantly cutting down on manual entry and improving data accuracy.

The Importance of Making Strategic Tech Investments

David encouraged agency owners to evaluate their tech stacks with an “abundance mindset” to avoid being left behind. He stressed that technology is an investment in saving time, increasing accuracy, and building stronger client relationships.

The Growing Role of AI and Automation in the Industry

Joe and David discussed how AI and automation tools are revolutionizing the insurance industry, from data gathering to policy renewal, and how adopting these technologies can be a game-changer for agencies looking to stay competitive.

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Why Total Cost of Risk Is the Missing Link in Marketing and Prospecting - Part 2

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Shoptalk, David Carothers discussed the concept of "found money" and the importance of auditing experience mods. By identifying claims that were overstated on NCCI worksheets, producers can get insurers to recalculate and issue refunds for overpaid premiums. David also delved into how agencies can add value by asking better, emotionally-driven questions to prospects, focusing on underlying issues like lost productivity, workers' comp claims, and operational risks. He warned against telemarketing agencies that pitch audit work for a 10% revenue share and emphasized that these tasks should be handled internally for maximum benefit.

Key points:

Found Money and the Power of Mod Audits

David explained how auditing experience mods for discrepancies between reported claims and actual closed claims can uncover "found money" for clients. By having NCCI recalculate the mod, agents can help clients recover overpaid premiums, creating a significant opportunity to build trust and add value.

Watch Out for Outsourced Auditors

David cautioned against agencies that pitch themselves as mod audit specialists and ask for a 10% share of account revenue. These telemarketing agencies often aim to infiltrate your book of business. Instead, he suggests learning how to perform these audits internally, which will benefit both the client and the agency.

The Right Questions Can Drive Change

David emphasized that asking open-ended questions, especially those that tap into emotional responses, is key to uncovering clients' pain points. Asking about frustrations with claims, such as workers’ comp issues, can uncover financial impacts that need to be addressed, which moves the conversation beyond just quoting policies.

Total Cost of Risk Focus Leads to Better Conversations

Instead of focusing solely on premium and coverage, David encouraged producers to address the total cost of risk. Asking questions about financial impacts, downtime, and claims frustrations helps shift the conversation to a more consultative and strategic role, ultimately positioning the producer as a trusted advisor.

Diagnostic Approach to Risk Management

Drawing parallels to the medical profession, David shared that producers should act as diagnosticians for their clients. By asking the right questions and understanding the full scope of the client’s risks, producers can move beyond transactional sales and develop deeper, long-term relationships with clients.

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Workers' Compensation in 2026 with Kevin Ring

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomed Kevin Ring from the Institute of Work Comp Professionals to discuss what he is seeing in workers’ compensation heading into 2026. The conversation covered long term rate trends, signs that the market may be approaching the bottom, growing audit scrutiny, Nevada’s major payroll cap change, AI’s role in policy analysis, and the evolving legislative landscape around marijuana and the gig economy. As always, the discussion blended practical strategy for producers with broader industry outlook and regulatory insight.

Key points:

Workers’ Comp Rates May Be Nearing the Bottom

Kevin explains that while most states are still seeing rate decreases, the pace has slowed. California recently posted a rate increase for the first time in over a decade, which could signal broader market shifts. Slowing wage inflation and continued medical cost pressure suggest that long term downward trends may not continue indefinitely.

Premium Audits Are Becoming More Aggressive

Auditors are digging deeper, especially when reviewing uninsured subcontractors. Instead of relying solely on certificates of insurance, they are checking state coverage verification databases to confirm continuous coverage. This shift increases the importance of proper certificate tracking and creates exposure if subcontractor coverage lapses during the policy term.

Certificate Management Is No Longer a Simple Box Check

The conversation highlights how certificates are only a snapshot in time and may not reflect actual coverage intent. With exclusions for additional insured status and evolving endorsement language, producers must understand what policies truly provide. AI driven policy analysis tools are likely to accelerate compliance reviews and uncover hidden coverage gaps.

Nevada’s Payroll Cap Change Is a Game Changer

Nevada historically capped payroll at thirty six thousand dollars per employee, effectively removing many audit conversations from relevance. Beginning October 1, 2026, that cap will shift to a formula based on state wage data, significantly increasing reportable payroll. This change will create new audit exposure and education opportunities for producers who understand remuneration rules.

Legislation Remains Quiet but Marijuana and Gig Economy Issues Persist

While broad workers’ comp reform activity is limited due to overall system profitability, marijuana policy continues to evolve. Questions around drug free workplace credits, reimbursement for medical marijuana, and federal rescheduling remain unresolved. At the same time, classification disputes involving gig economy workers may eventually reshape how companies structure labor relationships.

Producers Must Know What They Are Selling

David reinforces that as AI tools make policy analysis easier, producers cannot rely on surface level understanding. Reviewing forms and endorsements, requesting specimen copies, and understanding exclusions are critical. The risk of losing an account or facing an errors and omissions claim increases when coverage does not align with client expectations.

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Why Total Cost of Risk Is the Missing Link in Marketing and Prospecting - Part 1

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers went deeper on how producers should introduce total cost of risk and experience mod conversations at the point of sale. He explained why many producers freeze when it is time to bring up total cost of risk, and why others lose the room by leading with technical safety language too early. David shared how his early success came from having strong risk services deliverables behind the sales process, and he emphasized that agencies need those deliverables if they want to sell this approach with confidence. He also broke down a practical prospecting sequence that starts with a short appointment setting call, moves into a fast discovery meeting over Zoom, and then transitions into a value focused on person meeting where the producer earns the right to present work product and ask for engagement.

Key points:

Why Producers Freeze When Total Cost of Risk Comes Up

David says the most common failure point is hesitation. Many producers go into meetings with good intentions but revert to familiar quoting talk once the conversation starts. He argues that total cost of risk should be introduced early, especially when prospects naturally mention premium pain, because it is the cleanest transition into what is driving cost.

Do Not Lead with Technical Safety Talk

The second big mistake is bringing too much heat too soon. David explains that producers overwhelm prospects with jargon like light duty, return to work, and program terms that the prospect does not understand. When you sound overly technical at the appointment setting stage, you also sound expensive, and prospects assume you will add cost instead of solving it.

You Need Deliverables Before You Sell the Strategy

David ties confidence to capability. He shares that his early success was supported by a built-in risk services team that could deliver on what he promised. He warns that many agencies fail to go all in on total cost of risk because they have not built the worksheets, processes, and service deliverables needed to support the conversation after the sale.

Appointment Setting is Not Education

David stresses that the goal of the first call is to book the meeting, not to teach the prospect the full framework. Most decision makers will meet with someone every year anyway, because they believe shopping is normal. Producers lose because they try to sell the entire approach in a short call instead of earning the right to have a deeper conversation.

A Simple Multi Step Meeting Sequence Wins

He outlines a sequence that starts with a short Zoom fact finding call, followed by a longer in person meeting where value and service cadence are explained. After that, the producer does the work product, then returns to present findings and ask the prospect to hire them. This structure reduces friction, keeps the prospect engaged, and shifts the process from quoting to advisory.

Found Money Can Fund the Relationship Before Renewal

David shares a compensation strategy that helps producers avoid doing months of work with no guarantee of getting paid. If a producer can identify mod errors, claims reporting issues, or refund opportunities, the agency can propose a shared savings approach where recovered money is split. This can compensate the agency before the policy is placed and creates a stronger commitment from the prospect.

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Why Middle Market Producers Can No Longer Ignore Captives with Warren Cleveland

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Warren Cleveland from Captive Coalition for a wide ranging conversation on specialization, creativity, and why producers must narrow their focus to survive in the middle market. Building off recent discussions around parametrics and alternative risk strategies, they explain how captives, benefits captives, and disciplined education can prevent producers from losing high value clients. The episode centers on asking better questions, using the right partners, and positioning captives as a long term strategic tool rather than a last minute reaction.

Key points:

Why Specialization Beats Generalization

David and Warren both stress that producers trying to write everything will struggle. They recommend limiting focus to three core classes of business and closely related peripheral industries. Deep operational knowledge creates credibility, sharper discovery, and better risk solutions that generalists simply cannot match.

Creativity Comes From Asking Better Questions

The conversation ties parametrics and captives together through one core idea. Partners can build solutions around clients, but only if producers identify the right risks. That requires curiosity, comfort with asking questions, and a willingness to look beyond traditional coverage conversations.

Phone a Friend Instead of Losing the Account

Warren emphasizes that producers do not need to be captive experts to win. They need to know when to call for help. He shares real examples of agents saving accounts by reaching out early, using talking points, and letting specialists support client conversations before competitors step in.

Captives Reward Performance in a True Meritocracy

David frames captives as one of the purest merit based systems in insurance. Well performing accounts can retain underwriting profit instead of giving it away. He argues there is no excuse for missing captive conversations when clients consistently complain about paying premiums without seeing returns.

Benefits Captives Are the Next Frontier

Warren outlines why benefits captives paired with self funding can outperform traditional approaches. With better data, wellness programs, and accountability, employers can finally align incentives and participate in underwriting profit rather than subsidizing poor performers.

Education Is the Real Differentiator

Captive Coalition positions education as the core offering. From webinars to one on one coaching and ready to use client materials, the goal is to make producers comfortable having the conversation. Warren stresses that missing these discussions often comes from fear and lack of knowledge, not lack of opportunity.

Captives as a Long Term Retention Strategy

Instead of selling captives reactively, both speakers encourage preparing clients years in advance. Building a three to five year roadmap keeps clients engaged, reduces churn, and eliminates surprise competition. Once clients buy into a long term plan, price driven defections become far less likely.

Using Tools You Already Have

David closes by reminding producers that captives are simply another tool. Losing accounts because a tool was never used is more frustrating than losing on price. The message is clear. Learn the tools, use the partners available, and stop leaving opportunities on the table.

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Why Total Cost of Risk Wins in a Softening Market - Part 3

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Shoptalk, David Carothers dug into total cost of risk with a focus on downtime, disruption, and distraction as hidden drivers of long term expense. Using real manufacturing examples, he explained how equipment breakdown, supply chain delays, and even severe workers’ comp injuries can create operational losses far beyond what shows up in loss runs. He also outlined how middle market producers can use a year-round cadence of touch points to control costs, strengthen submissions, and create clear wedges in prospecting. The episode ends with a note that this is part one, with part two continuing next week.

Key points:

Downtime is a Business Threat Not Just a Claim Issue

David explains that equipment breakdown and specialized machinery delays can shut production down for weeks. He shared a story about a printing operation where a simple mistake destroyed equipment and required overseas technicians and parts, resulting in four to six weeks of downtime. The bigger point is that downtime can create losses that linger well beyond the repair window.

Shelf Space and Reputation Loss Can Be Permanent

For manufacturers selling into major retailers, downtime can cost more than sales for a single season. David breaks down how hard it is to earn premium placement and holiday displays, and how quickly retailers replace brands that cannot fulfill orders. Once that shelf space is lost, it is often gone for good, creating a long tail financial hit.

Workers’ Comp Injuries Can Trigger Operational Chaos

A severe injury is not only a claim cost. It can shut down equipment, trigger investigations, delay production, and reduce productivity across the floor. David described an extreme degloving incident tied to bypassed guarding on machinery and highlighted how fear, disruption, and compliance activity stack costs for years.

Total Cost of Risk Changes the Sales Conversation

Instead of reacting to bad loss runs with tactical fixes like consent to rate or a PEO, David pushes producers to quantify all hidden costs. That includes downtime, out of pocket claims, administrative time, and disruption impacts. When clients see total cost, the conversation shifts from price shopping to strategic planning.

This is a Year Round Process Not a Renewal Project

David emphasizes that total cost of risk is not a spreadsheet exercise done once a year. It is a 365 day approach built on consistent accountability and structured touch points. He recommends using a twelve subject cadence to stay in front of accounts, strengthen renewals, and build trust over time.

Risk Management Actions Can Create Underwriting Leverage

He shared a practical example where a manufacturer lost power for over a week after hurricanes. The solution was putting a generator company on retainer so a large unit could be delivered when storms approached. David explains how actions like this protect reputation, reduce downtime, and can be positioned to underwriters for potential credits.

Trusted Advisor Positioning Wins Even at Higher Cost

David compares advisory insurance work to paying for high quality legal or accounting help. Clients may pay more upfront, but the long term savings and control are what matter. He argues that better stories, better frameworks, and measurable risk control results eliminate late stage price objections and create stronger referrals.

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Parametric Insurance Explained with Brian Thompson

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sat down with Brian Thompson from Descartes Underwriting to break down parametric coverage and why it is becoming a serious differentiator for producers. Brian explained parametric as a predefined payout tied to a predefined event, with payment triggered by the event and supported by a loss attestation. They explored how parametric can address gaps traditional insurance does not, especially economic loss, non damage business interruption, and revenue disruption tied to access and supply chain issues. David emphasized that producers do not need to be experts, but they do need to know parametric exists and ask better discovery questions to uncover risks that can be solved with these programs.

Key points:

Parametric 101 and How It Actually Works

Brian Thompson explains that parametric coverage is built around pre negotiated payouts for predefined events. Instead of adjusting the claim, coverage triggers based on the event, and the insured attests they suffered a loss. This structure can allow funds to arrive within days, helping clients recover faster and avoid long delays.

Economic Loss Matters More Than Physical Damage

A major takeaway is that parametric can cover full economic loss, not just physical damage. That includes revenue disruption after a storm, cancellations, loss of access, and increased operating costs. This is where many producers get stuck because they assume insurance only responds to visible property damage.

Real World Use Cases Beyond Property Insurance

They shared examples like a casino location in Macau where coverage was tied to access over a bridge, resulting in a fast payout after a typhoon closed access. Another example involved Mississippi River water levels impacting barge shipments, forcing higher costs through trucking and rail. These scenarios show how parametric can insure risks that usually fall outside standard policies.

How Pricing and Structuring Really Happens

David pushed for clarity on pricing, and Brian explained that rate depends on frequency, severity, and what the client wants to retain versus transfer. The structuring process is iterative, often requiring several quote revisions. Back testing is a key advantage because teams can model how coverage would have performed during past events.

Why Generalists Will Struggle Going Forward

David reinforced that generalist producers will lose because they miss nuanced operational risks. Parametric requires deeper discovery to uncover what truly threatens profitability, liquidity, and continuity. Knowing how to ask the right questions helps producers create wedge opportunities and win accounts.

Education Resources and How Producers Can Get Started

Brian shared that education is a major part of adoption, and Dart runs webinars, publishes a newsletter, and provides case studies and examples. The most important step is sending a what if scenario and using real quotes to understand how the product behaves. Producers can lean on the carrier team as an in house expert until they build confidence.

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Why Total Cost of Risk Wins in a Softening Market - Part 2

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producer Shop Talk, host David Carothers delivers a masterclass on navigating the shift from a hard to a soft market, emphasizing that the time to prepare is now. With reinsurance renewals signaling a softening, David warns that the easy "price shopping" wins of the hard market are disappearing, and producers must pivot to value-based selling to displace incumbents who are now delivering good news (rate decreases).

David also breaks down the Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) conversation, explaining why it is the ultimate differentiator for accounts in the $100k-$250k premium range. He details how to uncover "hidden" costs like active vs. passive retained losses and why many businesses are overpaying by acting as their own insurance company without getting the credit for it.

Key Highlights:

The Market Pivot: Hard to Soft

David explains that while the message remains consistent, the delivery must change as we move from a hard market (where incumbents deliver bad news) to a soft market (where they deliver rate decreases). Producers must "sew their seeds" now by cleaning up accounts and focusing on Total Cost of Risk to lock in clients before the next hard cycle hits.

Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) Explained

For producers intimidated by financial jargon, David simplifies TCOR. It’s not just premium—it’s the sum of insurance costs, retained losses, and risk management expenses. He explains that using the word "cost" instead of "price" or "premium" instantly elevates the conversation and positions you as a strategic partner rather than a vendor.

Active vs. Passive Retained Losses

David dives into the nuance of retained losses. An active retained loss is a conscious decision (e.g., a high deductible or choosing not to buy cyber coverage). A passive retained loss is an unexpected hit (e.g., an uncovered claim due to an exclusion). He shares a story of a contractor paying all claims under $5k out of pocket without getting any deductible credit—a massive opportunity for a savvy producer to step in and structure a proper program.

Overcoming Obstacles with Creativity

David shares a personal example of how he handles Department of Defense (DoD) contractors. Since he lacks the security clearance to inspect classified manufacturing areas, he uses a service called Yellowbird to hire ex-military professionals with active clearances to perform the loss control inspections. This creative problem-solving eliminates a major barrier to entry that stops most competitors in their tracks.

The $100k-$250k Sweet Spot

While TCOR works for larger accounts, David argues that the $100k-$250k premium space is the "fertile ground" where this conversation is most effective. These businesses are often large enough to have complex risks but small enough that they haven't been introduced to sophisticated risk management concepts by their current broker.

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When Growth Breaks You Before it Builds You with Dan Sachkowsky

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers sits down with Dan Sachkowsky, a business growth expert and founder of Big D Coaching. Recorded on location in Florida, this raw and unfiltered conversation traces Dan’s roller-coaster journey from growing up in "the hood" of New Jersey to building and selling three companies for over $30 million—and losing everything in between. They dive deep into the trap of the "hustle culture," why most businesses are unsellable because the owner is the bottleneck, and how to transition from an operator to a true CEO. Whether you run an insurance agency or a service-based business, this episode is a blueprint for scaling without burnout.

Key Highlights:

The Bon Jovi Moment & The Bankruptcy

Dan shares his powerful origin story. At 15, seeing Jon Bon Jovi's house challenged his father's limiting beliefs about wealth. Motivated by books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Dan started his first business at 17 and made $3.8 million by age 24. However, the 2008 crash wiped him out, leading to bankruptcy. He explains how hiring a coach at 25 was the pivot point that allowed him to rebuild even bigger.

Operator vs. Owner: Escaping the Bottleneck

Most business owners think working harder equals more success, but Dan argues this leads to burnout and a business that cannot exist without them. They discuss the necessity of building systems and processes that allow the business to run while the owner steps back to focus on strategy and lifestyle.

Employees vs. Teams

Dan emphasizes a critical mindset shift: You don't have employees; you have a team. He and David discuss why hiring the cheapest labor off Indeed is a recipe for failure. True scaling comes from building a culture where people feel valued and part of a mission, not just a line item on a P&L.

The "Show, Don't Tell" Era

David and Dan discuss the shifting landscape of marketing. A static website with stock photos no longer works. To win in 2026, you must build a personal brand through video and social proof. David reiterates his commitment to "showing" his work by documenting his path to $1M in new revenue, rather than just talking about theory.

Generational Wealth & Mindset

The duo reflects on the differences between their generation's "grind" mentality and the younger generation's approach to leverage and passive income. They discuss how modern entrepreneurs are often involved in multiple ventures, taking smaller cuts of bigger pies to mitigate risk and maximize freedom.

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Why Total Cost of Risk Wins in a Softening Market - Part 1

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producer Shoptalk, host David Carothers kicks off the new year with a deep dive into the shifting dynamics of the reinsurance market and what producers need to do to prepare for a softening market. He emphasizes that the "bad news" hard market—where price shopping is rampant—is giving way to a "good news" soft market, where incumbents are harder to displace. David also outlines his aggressive goal to write $1 million in new business revenue in 2026, promising to "show, not tell" by documenting every step of the process. The core of this episode focuses on the Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) sales conversation: how to have it, why it works best in the $100k-$250k premium space, and why getting a Letter of Engagement before going to market is non-negotiable for serious producers.

Key Highlights:

The Shift from Hard to Soft Market

David discusses the recent reinsurance renewals and the early signs of a softening market. He warns producers that the strategies used during the hard market (competing on price when incumbents deliver bad news) will no longer work. In a soft market, incumbents deliver rate decreases, making it harder to get appointments. Now is the time to "sew your seeds" and pivot your messaging.

The "Show, Don't Tell" 2026 Challenge

David announces his personal goal to write $1 million in new business revenue in 2026. He commits to documenting the entire journey—prospecting, meetings, and closing—in real-time, shifting his content focus back to the trenches of Florida Risk Partners to prove that his methods work in today's environment.

Mastering the Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) Conversation

This episode is a masterclass on the TCOR sales process. David explains why he never goes to market without a signed Letter of Engagement on middle-market accounts. He breaks down the ideal premium sweet spot ($100k-$250k) where this conversation is most effective, noting that accounts in this range are often hearing about TCOR and broker selection for the first time.

Qualifying the Decision Maker

David shares a critical soft-skill tactic for identifying the true decision maker without offending your point of contact. Instead of bluntly asking "Are you the decision maker?", he suggests asking: "Is there anyone else who is typically part of the decision-making process that we should include in our next meeting?" This question preserves relationships while ensuring you aren't wasting time pitching to someone who can't sign the check.

Stop "Quoting and Hoping"

The episode challenges the traditional "quote and hope" strategy of waiting 90 days out to shop a renewal. David argues that this method commoditizes the producer. Instead, he advocates for a consultative approach that secures the client's commitment before doing the work, using a Letter of Engagement to validate the relationship and take control of the market.

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Profiling, Preparation and Persuasion with Don Weber

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers interviews Don Weber of DR Weber Coaching. Don’s background reads like an international spy thriller—from selling diamonds in Antwerp to conducting intelligence operations for the U.S. and French governments. He joins the show to discuss how the skills he learned in those high-stakes environments translate to elite sales performance and corporate training.

They dive into the art of profiling C-Suite executives before a meeting, the psychology of manipulation vs. persuasion, and why Don believes chasing money and power is ultimately unfulfilling. If you want to learn how to read people like an intelligence operative and communicate with absolute confidence, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Highlights:

From Diamonds to Intelligence Operative

Don Weber shares his fascinating journey from being a commercial insurance broker to a diamond trader in Antwerp, which eventually served as his cover for intelligence work. He reveals how a background of "getting into trouble" made him a perfect recruit for government operations that required him to live under assumed identities in dangerous territories.

Profiling the C-Suite

Drawing on his intelligence background, Don explains the importance of building a psychological profile of your prospect before you ever step into the room. He and David discuss how to research a CEO or CFO—looking beyond just company stats to understand their personal motivations, lifestyle (e.g., home value, charitable giving), and risk tolerance to tailor the perfect pitch.

The "Root Cause" of Sales Success

Don and David agree that most salespeople fail because they focus on the product (insurance policies) rather than the root cause of the client's problem. Whether it's a dirty workers' comp mod or a lack of safety culture, identifying and fixing the underlying issue is the key to winning the account and delivering true value.

Communication is the Ultimate Skill

While hard skills are important, Don argues that communication is the ceiling on your potential. He shares how he helps corporate executives polish high-stakes presentations and master the art of engagement, ensuring that their message lands with impact—whether they are speaking to a board of directors or a room full of politicians.

The Empty Cup of Materialism

Having lived a life full of danger, money, and power, Don offers a sobering perspective on success. He warns against the trap of materialism, noting that many of the wealthiest people he knows are also the loneliest. True fulfillment, he argues, comes from helping others and living with purpose, not just accumulating "stuff."

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AI, Authenticity and the Future of Elite Production with Craig Bender

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes back Craig Bender, founder of INSUREU2, INC. What started as a marketing venture has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem for insurance professionals, culminating in the launch of a new AI software designed to provide real-time guidance to producers. David and Craig discuss the noise in the industry regarding "coaches vs. doers," the pitfalls of hiring Virtual Assistants (VAs) without proper systems, and the difference between static chatbots and dynamic AI learning models. David also drops a major announcement about his personal production goals for 2026, pledging to document his journey to writing $1 million in new business revenue to prove that his strategies work in the current market.

Key Topics Discussed:

Insure You 2 AI

Craig reveals his new software solution that sits on a producer's desktop and provides guidance in 0.5 seconds during live calls. Whether it is objection handling, cross-selling opportunities, or immediate quoting eligibility, the AI acts as an expert whisperer (or a "digital David Carothers") on the agent's shoulder.

David’s 2026 "Show, Don't Tell" Challenge

Tired of "keyboard warriors" and coaches who no longer produce, David announces his goal to write $1,000,000 in new business revenue in 2026. He plans to film and document every step of the process—from the cold calls to the closing meetings—celebrating every $100k milestone with a rare Cohiba Spectre cigar.

The Virtual Assistant Dilemma

The duo discusses why many agencies fail with VAs. Craig argues that VAs are often hired without the necessary guardrails or systems. He explains how his new AI solution pairs with VAs to monitor sentiment and compliance in real-time, ensuring they stay within authorized parameters.

Operational vs. Sales AI

David breaks down how he currently uses AI in his agency for operations (Refocus for renewals), content (Synthesia), and knowledge management (Delphi), while Craig contrasts this with his software's focus on live, front-end sales execution and sentiment analysis.

Global Insurance Solutions

Craig discusses taking Insure You 2 international, with operations in London and Asia, aiming to build a tech stack that is universally applicable across the global insurance industry.

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From Imposter Syndrome to Intentional Growth with Heather McKinnon

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers interviews Heather McKinnon, a "Protege" contestant from Horizon Insurance Services in Columbus, Ohio. Heather shares her atypical journey into the insurance world, transitioning from a background in biochemistry and CPG brand management to joining her husband's agency. They discuss the chaotic reality of balancing family life (including holiday stress and broken appliances) with the demands of being a producer, why "solving and serving" is the most effective form of selling, and how new producers can leverage referral networks to build trust before they even walk in the room.

Key Highlights:

The "Atypical" Path to Insurance

Heather describes her background in biochemistry and brand management before being "recruited" by her husband to join the family agency. While she jokingly calls herself atypical, David points out that almost no one plans to go into insurance—most successful producers stumble into it from other careers.

Solving and Serving IS Selling

Heather admits she doesn't like "selling" in the traditional sense but loves solving problems. David validates this, noting that the best producers are often educators and problem solvers who don't need to use high-pressure tactics because they lead with value and solutions.

The Power of Walking Away

David shares a detailed story about a prospect with messy data and four other agents involved. By setting boundaries, demanding transparency (unredacted policies), and being willing to walk away, he flipped the power dynamic and won the account. This serves as a masterclass for new producers on why scarcity creates value.

Time Management Sprints

David breaks down his 50/10 rule for productivity: working with intense focus for 50 minutes (no phone, no email) and then taking a 10-minute break. This simple system eliminates distractions and ensures that no client waits longer than an hour for a response.

Building a Referral Ecosystem

For new producers battling imposter syndrome, David advises building a referral network with B2B salespeople (payroll, IT, etc.) who are calling on the same accounts. By establishing regular accountability meetings and sharing target lists, producers can generate warm leads and bypass the cold-calling grind.

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Becoming the Protege with Rich Bales

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In the tenth installment of the "Becoming the Protégé" series on Power Producers Shop Talk, host David Carothers sits down with Rich Bales of the Avanti Group to discuss his journey from medical device sales to becoming an agency owner and contestant on The Protégé Season 3. Rich shares his entrepreneurial story, detailing why he left a high-stress corporate career to build a business with more freedom and control. They also dive into the realities of starting in personal lines versus commercial, the power of risk management over selling policies, and why Rich believes his background in medical sales gives him a unique edge in targeting healthcare accounts.

Key Highlights:

From Corporate Grind to Agency Ownership

Rich explains his transition from a demanding career in medical device sales to launching his own independent agency. Motivated by a desire for better work-life balance and tax advantages, he left behind the "golden handcuffs" of corporate quotas to build something sustainable for his family.

Starting Where You Want to Finish

David and Rich discuss the common advice given to new producers to start in personal lines. David challenges this notion, arguing that there is zero correlation between selling a $500 auto policy and closing a $25,000 revenue commercial account. Rich agrees, noting that while personal lines provided "at-bats," his goal is to move entirely into the commercial space.

Risk Management vs. Selling Insurance

The duo emphasizes that the most successful producers don't sell insurance—they sell risk management. David shares his strategy of opening meetings by explicitly stating, "This is not an insurance conversation," focusing instead on solving operational problems that naturally lead to the sale.

Leveraging Past Experience

Rich discusses his plan to target the healthcare vertical, utilizing his deep understanding of hospital administration and medical groups from his previous career. He and David explore how private equity is consolidating the space, creating opportunities for agents who can offer sophisticated risk management solutions rather than just transactional policies.

The "Protege" Mindset

When asked why he joined The Protégé, Rich admits he wants to be the "dumbest guy in the room" to maximize his learning. He views the competition not just as a contest, but as a priceless opportunity to steal best practices from top industry leaders and implement them immediately to scale his agency.

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Winning in Catastrophe Exposed Markets with Terry McLean

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers interviews Terrence McLean, Co-Founder and CEO of SageSure. Terry joins the show from Silicon Valley to discuss how SageSure has grown into a powerhouse in the catastrophe-exposed property market. They dive deep into the philosophy of running toward risk when others run away, the critical importance of physical inspections, and why independent agents remain the ultimate experts in distribution.

Key Highlights:

The "Go Left" Philosophy

Terry explains why SageSure enters markets that national carriers flee. While others retrench, SageSure finds fertile ground in difficult territories by understanding the risk better than anyone else and "going left" when the industry goes right.

Boots on the Ground: The Inspection Mandate

Despite advancements in technology, Terry emphasizes that AI and aerial imagery are not yet ready to replace physical inspections. He details why SageSure relies on boots-on-the-ground to verify insurance-to-value (ITV) and condition, ensuring they only write the best risks to protect their capacity.

Carriers Can't Be Everything

Terry argues that insurance carriers cannot be "all things to all people." Their job is to manage capital and margin. He highlights that independent agents are the necessary experts who must navigate the market on behalf of the consumer to find the right fit when a carrier's appetite is full.

The "Parting Gift": Market Stabilization

Terry offers a positive forecast for the future, predicting double-digit price decreases in reinsurance by 2026. This signals that the worst of the hard market is likely behind us, which should eventually lead to primary price stabilization for consumers.

Top Tier Agency Partners

When asked what separates a top-tier partner from the rest, Terry points to relationships and trust. SageSure aims to be a "top 3" carrier for their partners, and in return, they prioritize agents who maintain open communication and consistent volume.

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Becoming the Protege with Aaron Puchbauer

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers sits down with Aaron Puchbauer, a contestant on Season 3 of The Protégé. Aaron’s journey to insurance is unique—he spent 15 years as a healthcare executive before a corporate restructuring led him to pivot into the world of risk management. They discuss how Aaron’s background as a C-Suite buyer gives him a unique advantage in selling to decision-makers, why he sends meeting agendas in advance, and how he utilizes AI to prep for appointments. If you are a new producer looking to differentiate yourself, or a veteran looking to refine your process, Aaron’s "buyer-first" perspective is invaluable.

Key Highlights:

From Healthcare Executive to Insurance Producer

Aaron Puchbauer shares his transition from a 15-year career in hospital administration to becoming an independent insurance agent. He explains how the desire to control his own destiny and provide stability for his family (specifically his son with autism) drove him to an industry where effort equals equity. The Buyer’s Perspective: Winning the Meeting Having spent years on the other side of the table fielding pitches from vendors, Aaron knows exactly what decision-makers hate—and what they respect. He details his strategy of sending a proposed agenda well in advance of the meeting, asking the prospect to strike or add items. This simple step establishes respect for the prospect's time and differentiates him from the "show up and throw up" competition.

Boots on the Ground: Physical Risk Assessment

Aaron and David discuss the necessity of "walking the walk" during a prospect visit. Aaron shares a recent experience inspecting a restaurant where he checked everything from the walk-in coolers to the Ansel system (fire suppression). By physically inspecting the risk, he identified misclassifications and coverage gaps that the incumbent agent missed entirely.

Leveraging AI for Sales Preparation

Aaron reveals how he uses ChatGPT to prepare for sales calls. By prompting the AI to act as the business owner (e.g., a restaurant owner) and asking it to generate likely objections and questions, he walks into meetings prepared for the specific operational concerns of that industry.

The Power of "Walking Away"

David emphasizes a lesson that usually takes new producers years to learn: the ability to spot a "fool's errand." They discuss a specific case where a prospect’s data was so disjointed (impossible liquor sales vs. gross receipts) that it required a hard conversation about whether the account was even insurable, highlighting the importance of underwriting on the front end.

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Turning Homeowners into Referral Engines with Andy Mathisen

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers welcomes back Andy Mathisen, Insurance Sales Manager for Homebot. They dive into how agencies can dominate the personal lines market by shifting from transactional relationships to value-driven engagement.

Andy breaks down how Homebot serves as a "set it and forget it" tool that keeps agents front-and-center with insureds while simultaneously generating leads for loan officers and realtors—flipping the traditional referral food chain on its head.

Key Highlights:

What is Homebot?

Andy explains that Homebot is a monthly home digest sent to insureds with a staggering 76% open rate. Unlike standard newsletters, this digest provides homeowners with real-time data on their home value, loan balance, and purchasing power (equity for refinances, HELOCs, or new purchases).

The "Santa Claus" Effect: Gaining Leverage

Historically, insurance agents are at the bottom of the referral food chain (Realtor > Lender > Agent). Andy details how Homebot changes this dynamic by aggregating a "Team of Professionals" on the client's dashboard. When a homeowner interacts with financial tools on the platform, the insurance agent can pass those leads back to lenders and realtors, creating immense leverage and reciprocity.

Content Strategy: Donuts vs. Data

David and Andy discuss why dropping off donuts at a loan officer's office no longer works. To win in today's market, agents must provide actionable data and tools that help their referral partners grow.

The "Too Busy" Trap

The duo critiques the mindset of agency owners who claim they are "too busy" for new leads. They discuss the necessity of implementing systems, departmentalization, and proper website content strategies (blogs vs. paid ads) to scale consulting capabilities without drowning in work.

Pet Peeves: Pick Up the Phone!

Andy shares his frustration with agencies that rely on complex phone trees or refuse to answer calls, and the growing trend of prospects "ghosting" after good sales calls.

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Becoming the Protege with Pam Seidler

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producer Shop Talk, host David Carothers interviews Pam Seidler, the only female contestant in Season 3 of The Protégé. Pam shares her diverse background, from working in radio and TV to oxygen sales and a stint in the captive insurance world with AAA. Now, she's diving headfirst into commercial insurance, eager to prove that being new to the industry is not a disadvantage but an opportunity to learn without bad habits. David and Pam discuss the importance of mentorship, finding the right agency culture, and why starting directly in the middle market can be more beneficial than cutting teeth on small commercial accounts. Pam also opens up about her niche focus on the pet industry and gathering places (coffee shops, etc.), leveraging her past experiences to build a unique book of business.

Key Highlights:

Breaking into the Industry

Pam shares her winding career path, which included stops at Fox News, tech startups, and medical sales, before a chance encounter on a plane planted the seed for an insurance career. After gaining experience as a captive agent, she made the leap to the independent side, drawn by the freedom and limitless potential of commercial insurance.

The "New Producer" Advantage

David argues that hiring producers with zero insurance experience is often better than hiring veterans with bad habits. Pam embodies this "blank slate" advantage, approaching the competition with a hunger to learn and no preconceived notions about how things should be done. This mindset allows her to absorb coaching and implement new strategies rapidly.

Niche Focus: Pets & Gathering Places

Drawing on her early career aspirations with Petco and PetSmart, Pam discusses her strategy to target the pet industry—from groomers to boarding facilities—as a primary niche. She also plans to focus on "gathering places" like coffee shops, utilizing her natural ability as a connector to build relationships in these community hubs.

Finding the Right Agency Culture

David advises Pam (and listeners) on how to interview an agency. He suggests bold moves like asking to speak with top and bottom producers, as well as current and former clients, to get a true picture of the agency's deliverables and support structure. This transparency is key to finding a long-term home.

The Power of Spousal Support

David shares a personal story about how his wife's unwavering support was the catalyst for launching Florida Risk Partners. He emphasizes that a strong support system at home is crucial for any producer navigating the ups and downs of a sales career, a philosophy he integrates into his Producers in Paradise event.

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From Blue Collar to Blockchain with Dean Bowen

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers interviews Dean Bowen of Patriotic Insurance. Dean represents the next generation of producers, having transitioned from a background in blue-collar labor (roofing, manufacturing) into the insurance industry just over a year ago. They discuss the mental shift required to move from task-based physical labor to the self-motivated world of sales, the pros and cons of "niching down" too early, and Dean's fascinating deep dive into insuring Cryptocurrency Mining and High-Performance Computing (HPC) operations.

Key Highlights:

From Blue Collar to White Collar

Dean shares his journey from patching roofs to writing policies. He explains that the hardest transition wasn't learning the coverage, but shifting his mindset from tangible, task-based work ("move that pile") to the ambiguous, self-directed metrics of insurance sales. However, his background allows him to instantly understand what his contractor clients value most.

The Trap of Niching Too Fast

While specialization is often encouraged, Dean admits he tried to brand himself as a specialist too early in his career. He discusses how this inadvertently discredited him with some prospects for general commercial real estate and why he recommends a more organic approach to finding your niche.

Insuring the Wild West: Crypto & HPC

Dean breaks down the complex world of insuring Bitcoin mining and High-Performance Computing. He details the three main types of clients (Co-host providers, Self-hosted miners, and Hosted miners) and the specific underwriting challenges they face, such as fluctuating currency values making Business Income coverage nearly impossible to place.

Family Business Boundaries

Working with family can be tough, but Dean and his father (the agency principal) have a system. Dean shares his simple but effective rule for maintaining a healthy relationship: Business is conducted on Microsoft Teams, personal life happens via Text.

Advice for New Producers

Dean advises new agents to cut their teeth on Commercial Real Estate. It offers a crash course in building valuation, occupancy codes, and risk assessment that serves as a foundation for more complex risks later on.

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Becoming the Protege with Team Fusco-Mefferd

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In the seventh installment of the "Becoming the Protégé" series on Power Producers Shoptalk, host David Carothers interviews the first set of coaches for The Protégé Season 3: Zach Mefferd, Founder and CEO of ZipBonds, and Mike Fusco, President of Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services. Dressed in costumes (including sunglasses), the trio discusses their coaching strategies, evaluates the current crop of contestants, and strategizes for the upcoming draft. They also dive into the massive opportunity created by industry consolidation, sharing how independent agents can capitalize on the service gaps left when large brokerages acquire local agencies.

Key Highlights:

Coaching Strategies for The Protégé Season 3 Draft

Zach Mefferd and Mike Fusco join David to discuss their approach to coaching Season 3. While they keep their specific draft picks close to the vest, they hint at targeting contestants like Sam, Joe, and Jacob, noting Lloyd as a potential "dark horse." They emphasize that their coaching will focus on building both strengths and weaknesses, treating the competition like a sport to maximize producer performance.

Why Insurance Mentorship is Critical for Producer Success

The group agrees that the real prize of The Protégé isn't just winning, but the "priceless" access to insurance mentorship and industry connections. David highlights the weekly guest mentor calls featuring top industry leaders as an invaluable resource that participants should leverage fully to accelerate their careers, regardless of whether they make it to the end of the competition.

Leveraging Insurance Industry Consolidation to Win New Business

Mike and David discuss the significant opportunity created by rapid M&A activity and insurance industry consolidation. They note that when large brokerages acquire local agencies, service often suffers ("blood in the water"), creating a prime opening for independent agents to prospect dissatisfied clients who feel neglected by the new ownership.

The Strategic Advantage of the Independent Insurance Agency

The coaches proudly identify as "minorities" in the industry—independent agency owners who haven't sold out to private equity. They discuss the strategic advantage of remaining independent and local, especially when competing against national firms that often struggle to maintain the personalized service and community ties that made the acquired agencies successful in the first place.

Season 3 Roadmap: Timeline and Contestant Development

David outlines the timeline for the season, mentioning the upcoming live draft and the start of challenges, likely ramping up after the holidays to respect everyone's family time. He reiterates his commitment to providing candid feedback to help insurance producers grow, treating them like members of his own team.

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Power Producer Base Camp
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ZipBonds
Killing Commercial
Crushing Content
Power Producers Podcast
Policytee
The Dirty 130
The Extra 2 Minutes

Hiring, Developing and Retainins Top Tier Talent with Elana Burr

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers sits down with Elana Burr, Co-Founder and President of Talent Harbor. They tackle one of the insurance industry's biggest headaches: acquiring top-tier sales talent. David shares his own frustrating journey of trying to enter the industry without a "traditional" background, while Elana pulls back the curtain on how recruiters identify the "intangibles" that resumes often miss. If you are an agency owner tired of the revolving door of producers, or a candidate looking to break into the industry, this conversation provides the blueprint for finding the right fit.

Key Highlights:

Beyond the Resume:

Elana and David discuss why industry experience is often overrated. The best hires frequently come from outside the industry, possessing innate traits like drive, competitiveness, and grit rather than just a list of insurance certifications.

The "Good Conversation" Trap:

Salespeople are professional communicators. Elana explains the danger of hiring someone simply because they "sold" you during the interview and how to use behavioral questioning to verify actual performance metrics versus a good story.

The Passive Candidate Strategy:

Why relying on job boards is a losing game. Elana reveals that 90% of their strategy involves hunting "passive candidates"—A-players who are currently winning in their roles and aren't looking for a job until they are approached.

The Sales Manager Paradox:

A common (and fatal) mistake agencies make is promoting their top producer to sales manager. The skill sets are often diametrically opposed, leading to a loss of revenue and a frustrated employee.

Social Media as a Double-Edged Sword:

Employers are looking at your profiles. The duo discusses how social media can be a massive asset for building a personal brand, or a liability that disqualifies a candidate immediately.

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Becoming the Protege with Jacob Brawner

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In the sixth installment of the "Becoming the Protégé" series on Power Producers Shop Talk, host David Carothers speaks with contestant Jacob Brawner of Brawner Insurance, based in Iowa and serving the Midwest. Jacob shares his unconventional path from being a teacher to joining his family's agency, originally focused on crop insurance. The conversation highlights Jacob's educational background as a key asset in his sales process, allowing him to patiently teach clients rather than just sell to them. They also discuss the importance of detaching from the outcome, the value of building a consistent pipeline, and how Jacob plans to leverage the mentorship and networking opportunities within The Protégé to accelerate his agency's growth.

Key Highlights:

From the Classroom to Commercial Insurance

Jacob Brawner explains his transition from teaching to insurance, driven by a desire to continue his father's legacy after his brother purchased the agency. He discusses the steep learning curve of moving from a specialized crop insurance focus to a broader commercial portfolio and how his teaching background gives him a unique advantage in educating clients. Sales as an Educational Process David and Jacob dive into the philosophy that sales is actually education. They agree that taking the time to explain the "why" behind coverages, renewal processes, and loss runs builds trust and leads clients to ask the right questions, ultimately making the sale a natural conclusion rather than a high-pressure pitch.

Detaching from the Outcome & Pipeline Strategy

The conversation emphasizes the power of detaching from the outcome. David shares his mindset that he enters every meeting already in the "worst-case scenario" (not having the account), so there is only upside. They discuss the critical need for a robust pipeline to remove the desperation from sales, allowing producers to walk away from bad fits and focus on long-term relationships.

The Power of Mentorship and Networking

Jacob expresses his excitement for the mentorship aspect of The Protégé, noting that the Friday mentor calls alone are "priceless." He shares how the competition has already accelerated his growth and connected him with industry leaders, reinforcing David's point that the real victory lies in the process and the network built, not just the final prize.

Identifying the Competition in Protege

When asked who he sees as his stiffest competition, Jacob points to Aaron from the Carlyle Agency, citing their reputation as a "big deal" in the region. David offers his own take, noting that while Jacob, Joe, and Sam had the top video submissions, past seasons have shown that grit and execution often outweigh production value. Connect with:

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Transforming Vehicle Warranties with Clinton Houck

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, Kyle Houck, and Clinton Houck explore how technology, customer experience, and new product offerings are reshaping opportunities in the insurance industry.

Clinton, who started his career at State Farm and later moved into the insurtech space, shares how his path led him to Fair, a company reimagining the vehicle warranty space. Historically plagued by poor customer experiences and shady telemarketing tactics, warranties are being reinvented as a trustworthy, transparent, and agency-distributed product.

Key Highlights:

Disrupting Auto Warranties

Clinton Houk explains how Fair eliminates dealership markups and regulation issues to offer independent agents a transparent, partner-focused warranty solution with a superior claims experience.

The "Plus One" Cross-Sell

Learn how to seamlessly integrate warranty discussions into everyday workflows. This strategy offers clients critical financial protection against repair bills while boosting agency revenue and retention.

Closing Commercial Coverage Gaps

David and Clinton highlight a major opportunity: protecting rideshare drivers and commercial fleets, which are often excluded by standard personal warranties, from cash flow shocks.

Plug-and-Play Sales Tech

Clinton details Fair’s agent-friendly technology, from embeddable quoting links and APIs to an in-house sales team that can handle the entire process for your agency.

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Becoming the Protege with Jeff Rountree

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this fifth installment of the "Becoming the Protégé" series on Power Producers Shop Talk, host David Carothers chats with contestant Jeff Rountree, principal of the Roundtree Agency. The conversation is a flavorful blend of business strategy and culinary passion, as Jeff shares his journey from life insurance and corporate training to commercial ownership. They dive into the challenges of navigating an agency after a partner's passing, the importance of specialization in niche markets like health and fitness, restaurants, and contractors, and how Jeff's participation in The Protégé is already reshaping his professional life through networking and mentorship.

Key Highlights:

From Corporate Training to Agency Principal

Jeff Rountree shares his pivot from life insurance to commercial ownership, navigating a partner's passing to focus on niche specialization in markets like restaurants and contractors.

The Protégé: More Than a Competition

Jeff joins Season 3 not just to win, but to leverage top-tier mentorship, expand his network, and accelerate his agency's growth through continuous learning.

Mastering the Technical Side

Jeff emphasizes the need for "brain surgeon" precision in insurance auditing and classifications to differentiate himself from transaction-focused agents.

Crafting the Underwriter Narrative

To prevent non-renewals, Jeff advocates for onsite client visits to build detailed, compelling stories for underwriters rather than simply submitting forms.

Business Acumen with a Culinary Twist

Using stories of cooking Katz's Deli pastrami and Italian pasta, Jeff illustrates how patience, preparation, and attention to detail are the secret ingredients for sales success.

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Ethical Influence and Faith with Brian Ahearn

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck welcome back Brian Ahearn, Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE. They discuss his fifth book, Influence from Above, a business parable that merges Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion with Biblical tenets. The conversation explores modern authorship using AI, the strict definition of ethical influence, and how to maintain relationships in a polarized world.

Key Highlights:

The Genesis of "Influence from Above"

Key Highlights:

Why a 20-Year Veteran Joined the Protégé

Joe Hollier explains that after 17 years primarily in personal lines, he made the full commitment to "kill commercial." He joined The Protégé to 10x his growth, gain new perspectives from top coaches, and be held accountable by industry professionals as he builds his hospitality and hotel niche.

A Call for Industry Diversity & Ciara's Journey

The episode opens with a candid discussion about the disappointing lack of female and minority applicants for Season 3. David and Joe champion the need for more diversity to combat the industry's "pale, male, and stale" image, using Ciara Gravier's personal and professional transformation as a powerful case study for how mentorship can build a "powerhouse" producer.

Lessons from the Hospitality Trenches

Joe shares how his extensive background in restaurants—from cooking school and the kitchen to bartending and management—provided invaluable lessons in human relationships. He explains how the high-stress hospitality world taught him how to read people, handle conflict, and connect with clients on a genuine level, skills that translate directly to sales.

Building a Niche: Service Over Sales

Joe details the challenges of the hotel niche, from price-shoppers in the economy tier to the difficulty of finding decision-makers. He explains his strategic pivot to move beyond being a "quoter" and instead offer a value proposition built on service over sales, improving hospitality culture, risk expertise, and storytelling.

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Joe "Mr. Hotel" Hollier LinkedIn

David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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Reclaiming Purpose in a Distracted World with Tania Khazaal

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck welcome Tania the Herbalist, a former top insurance salesperson turned holistic life advisor. Tania shares her journey from corporate burnout to helping people become the "CEO of their life" by finding purpose and balance across health, career, and relationships. The conversation delves into the scarcity mindset around time and energy, the societal programming that hinders women's confidence in the workplace, the detrimental effects of the "cutoff culture," and the importance of holistic independence from broken systems.

Key Highlights:

Becoming the CEO of Your Life

Tania explains her core philosophy: you can have it all—a fulfilling career, vibrant health, strong relationships, and time for family—without compromise. She discusses tackling the common scarcity mindset around time and energy through practical audits, revealing that prioritizing even small daily actions can lead to significant life improvements.

The Confidence Gap & External Validation

Drawing on her insurance background, Tania addresses why women may feel held back or lack confidence in corporate settings. She argues it stems from deep societal programming emphasizing external validation over internal self-worth, exacerbated by social media, which statistically makes women less likely to speak up or pursue leadership roles.

Escaping the Matrix: Holistic Independence

Tania shares her perspective on achieving true independence by breaking free from reliance on potentially flawed systems (corporate, medical, governmental). This involves pursuing financial freedom, regaining bodily autonomy through holistic health practices (linking to her herbalist roots), and cultivating emotional resilience.

Critiquing the "Cutoff Culture" & Distractions

The conversation explores the modern phenomenon of estrangement (the "cutoff culture") and pervasive societal distractions. Tania traces its roots to person-centered therapy and pop psychology, arguing it hinders conflict resolution skills and distracts people from their purpose and building meaningful connections.

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Becoming the Protege with Sam Louwrens

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this first episode of a special 12-part Power Producer Shop Talk series titled "Becoming the Protégé," host David Carothers introduces the contestants and coaches for The Protégé Season 3. Kicking off the series is Sam Louwrens (Can't shut up Sam on X), whose application video generated significant buzz. David sets the stage, explaining his motivation for reviving The Protégé—to give back, train new talent, and challenge the industry's often inadequate approach to developing producers. Sam shares his creative background, why he decided to jump into the competition, the story behind his unique application video, and the early media attention he's already receiving.

Key Highlights:

Introducing Sam Louwrens: Confidence and Creativity

Sam Louwrens, a young producer specializing in construction from Jefferson Financial and Insurance Services, joins the show. Known for his confidence and creative flair (musician, graphic designer, and keytar player in a punk band), Sam discusses how he uses his artistic skills in his insurance career and the story behind his memorable Protégé application video, filmed with a Goodwill suit and a metal detector prop.

David's "Why" Behind The Protégé

David Carothers shares his deep-seated reasons for bringing back The Protégé. Stemming from his own frustrating entry into the industry 20 years ago, his goal is to provide real-world training, give back, highlight the need for new talent, and prove that his successful sales process is replicable—debunking skepticism about industry coaching programs.

Why Sam Joined: Pushing Comfort Zones & Agency Support

Sam reveals that the discomfort of "building in public" was exactly why he felt compelled to join the competition. He shares how he got immediate buy-in from his agency owner, who even committed to investing in new agency tech (AMS/CRM) to support his participation and growth.

Early Buzz and Building a Base

The conversation touches on the immediate attention Sam received, including interest from Reuters. David emphasizes the importance of building a following ("getting your base") early on, drawing lessons from Season 1 winner Derek Hayden, who dominated the final vote through relentless local promotion.

Making Insurance Sexy: An Impossible Task?

Sam brings up David's stated goal for The Protégé: to "make insurance sexy." They discuss the challenge of changing the public perception of a typically mundane industry and how highlighting the entrepreneurial opportunity and financial success available might be the key, similar to shows like Million Dollar Listing.

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From Confusion to Clarity with Ashley Napier

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck welcome back Ashley Napier of Solomon Strategic Advisors, a key supporter of Producers in Paradise. Ashley, who transitioned from an agency COO to a leadership consultant, shares her insights into the common struggles facing insurance organizations today. The conversation explores the critical need for organizational clarity, the difference between mission and vision, and why many leaders lack the self-awareness and other-awareness required to build high-performing teams. They also discuss the pitfalls of promoting top producers into leadership roles they aren't suited for and the cultural challenges presented by mergers and acquisitions.

Key Highlights:

The Leadership Skill Gap

The Favorite Teacher Framework

Ema Roloff explains her core philosophy, which is rooted in her past as a high school teacher. The framework encourages agents to step out of a boastful, sales-focused mindset and into the role of an educator. By consistently providing value and teaching your audience, you build trust at scale, which has become the foundation of modern sales and marketing.

Overcoming Content Creation Excuses

David and Ema dismantle the two most common excuses for not creating content: “I don’t have time” and “What do I talk about?” They argue it’s an issue of priority, not time, and offer the simple advice to “start” and “don’t stop.” They share practical tips, like recording daily client calls and internal conversations, to generate an endless supply of real-world, valuable content ideas.

Authenticity in the Age of AI

As AI makes it easier to produce generic content, a genuine human voice is more valuable than ever. The conversation stresses that being the same person online as you are in person is the ultimate trust-builder. The goal isn't to appeal to everyone; it's to be yourself and let the right audience find you, which means being okay when people unsubscribe or unfollow.

Vanity Metrics vs. Meaningful Engagement

This segment addresses the common mistake of chasing likes and impressions. Ema and David explain that the goal isn't millions of views, but reaching the right few hundred people. They discuss the power of “dark social”—the vast audience that consumes your content without ever publicly engaging—and emphasize that the true measure of success is the business opportunities your content generates, not its viral potential.

Using AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch

David shares his sophisticated workflow for using AI as an organizational powerhouse, not a content writer. He explains how he uses it to transcribe and summarize community calls, pull key quotes, create blog post outlines, and even structure entire training courses. The key is leveraging technology to accelerate your process while ensuring your human expertise and authentic voice remain the core of the final product.

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The Captive Conversation Part 2

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this second episode of our four-part series on Power Producers Shop Talk, host David Carothers is joined again by Warren Cleveland of Captive Coalition. They dive deep into the three primary mental roadblocks that prevent agents from successfully presenting captive insurance solutions to their clients. The conversation quickly evolves into a powerful critique of flawed commission models, with David making a compelling case for a fee-based compensation structure that aligns an agent's success directly with client savings. They break down common agent fears, provide tactical advice on educating clients, and explain why mastering these concepts is critical to retaining your best accounts.

Key Highlights:

Breaking Down the Three Mental Roadblocks

Warren Cleveland identifies the top fears agents have about captives: not understanding how they work, the fear of losing control of the client relationship, and the excuse of not having time to learn. David and Warren dismantle each roadblock, arguing that these are mindset issues, not legitimate barriers, and that failing to overcome them is a direct path to losing your largest and most valuable clients.

The Compensation Conundrum: Commission vs. Fees

The discussion pivots to the fourth, unstated roadblock: fear of talking about compensation. David explains why the traditional commission model is broken—it often pays agents more when their clients perform worse. He outlines his strategy of using a transparent service fee with a gain-share option, which stabilizes producer income and proves immense value by tying increased pay directly to increased client savings.

A Strategic Path to Captives

The episode provides a clear roadmap for producers. Instead of jumping directly to a captive, agents can gauge a client’s risk tolerance by introducing other loss-sensitive options first, such as a retro program. This approach helps educate the client, forces them to implement better controls, and creates a natural progression toward a captive solution.

Mastering Core Insurance Mechanics

To be a true consultant, an agent must be able to explain how an insurance company makes money. Using a workers' comp carrier's 65% loss ratio as an example, David demonstrates how this knowledge allows an agent to justify premium to clients with poor loss runs and, more importantly, highlight the profit they are giving away for those with excellent loss control.

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Driving Business through Curious Leadership with Jon Bassford

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers joined by Jon Bassford, author of the insightful book, "The Curious Leader," to discuss the transformative power of curiosity in leadership, sales, and personal growth. We explore how an inquisitive mindset fuels innovation, the crucial distinction between a salesperson and a true consultant, and the flaws within the insurance industry's compensation models. The conversation also touches on the parallels between endurance challenges like running marathons and the journey of leadership, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability, building diverse teams, and fostering psychological safety.

Key Highlights:

The Power of the Curious Leader

Jon Bassford shares the core message from his book, explaining how fostering an inquisitive mindset is the engine for genuine innovation. We discuss the importance of educated risk-taking and creating an environment where acknowledging mistakes is seen as a vital part of individual and organizational development, not a failure.

Salesperson vs. Consultant in the Insurance Industry

The conversation shifts to the insurance sector, where we critique flawed compensation models that incentivize policy-pushing over problem-solving. Using real-world examples like the Fisker Auto bankruptcy, we highlight how true value comes from objective audits and a consultative approach that enhances a client's risk profile, drawing a clear line between surface-level sales and deep operational consulting.

Leadership Lessons from Marathons and Writing

We explore the powerful metaphors of running a marathon and writing a book. Jon and I discuss how these challenging, introspective journeys teach profound lessons in vulnerability, perseverance, and self-discovery, mirroring the trials and tribulations faced by any effective leader.

Building Psychologically Safe & Diverse Teams

This segment focuses on common leadership pitfalls and the critical need for psychological safety. Jon Bassford offers compelling insights on how leaders can empower their teams by building diverse groups where every individual feels safe to contribute, challenge ideas, and innovate without fear of reprisal.

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The Curious Leader (Book)

The Captive Conversation Part 1

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Resiliency of Reaction with Alexander Dopazo

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by one of his favorite content creators in the industry, Alexander Dopazo of Dopazo & Associates Insurance. They tackle the challenges of the brutal Florida insurance market, which Alexander describes as a 20-year hard market. The conversation centers on the crucial themes of resiliency and homeowner accountability, exploring why agents must educate clients on proactive mitigation rather than relying on insurance as a maintenance plan. They discuss the tough conversations around aging roofs, the real meaning of Actual Cash Value (ACV), and how agents can use automation to handle mundane tasks, freeing up more time for the essential work of building relationships and providing real value.

Key Highlights:

The Florida Market: A Lesson in Resiliency

Alexander Dopazo explains that while the rest of the country is now feeling the pain of a hard market, South Florida has been operating in this environment for over two decades. He emphasizes that building codes and a focus on resiliency, born from catastrophes like Hurricane Andrew, have created a mindset of proactive property protection that is now essential for agents to teach nationwide.

Insurance vs. Maintenance: The Roof Dilemma

David and Alexander dive into the common conflict over Actual Cash Value (ACV) for aging roofs. They discuss the client misconception that an insurance policy should function as a savings account for a new roof. They argue that carriers are right to push back and that it's the agent's job to set realistic expectations that insurance is for unforeseen events, not predictable wear and tear.

The Agent's True Job: Education and Risk Management

The conversation highlights that the agent's most important role is to be an educator and risk advisor. Alexander shares his philosophy of helping clients make better decisions about risk so they know what to do when a loss occurs. It's about shifting the focus from simply selling a product to building long-term, profitable relationships based on trust and education.

Personal Accountability is Non-Negotiable

Both hosts agree that a lack of personal accountability is a major issue. From homeowners expecting a full roof replacement on a 30-year-old roof to not taking simple preventative measures like changing washing machine hoses, the discussion stresses that the only person who can truly protect a client is the client themselves.

Leveraging Automation to Deepen Relationships

Towards the end, Alexander explains how his agency uses automation not to replace conversations but to enhance them. By automating reminders, signatures, and other low-value tasks, his team frees up valuable time to have meaningful, strategic conversations with clients about their future goals and how to properly prepare for them.

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From Clicks to Calls Part2

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:14:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, in continuation of our conversation inspired by Chris Langille, we dig deeper into strategies that help insurance agencies thrive in a crowded digital landscape. Part 2 focuses on how Google Business Profiles, local SEO, and personal branding can attract high-intent leads and convert them into loyal clients. If you caught Part 1, we covered the basics of why Google Business Profiles are now your most powerful lead-generation tool. Here in Part 2, we go further—exploring actionable steps and real-world examples that you can implement today.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Optimizing Google Business Profiles for Maximum Impact:
- Understand why your profile is often the first impression potential clients see, and how to make it a conversion powerhouse.
- Local SEO that Actually Works:
- Learn why ranking for distant locations is a waste of resources, and how to dominate your local market using smart SEO strategies.
- High-Intent Leads in the AI Era:
- Discover how AI-generated summaries and search filters are changing lead quality, and how to position your agency to capture serious prospects.
- The Human Factor: Personal Branding for Agencies:
- Chris Landry emphasizes that while technology drives visibility, personal connection drives conversions. We share tips for building authentic content and showcasing your team.
- Trust Over Price:
- Learn why clients often choose familiarity and trust over cost, and how personal branding can make your agency the obvious choice.
Connect with:
- David Carothers LinkedIn
- Chris Langille LinkedIn
- Kyle Houck LinkedIn
Visit Websites:
- Power Producer Base Camp
- Advisor Evolved
- Killing Commercial
- Crushing Content
- Power Producers Podcast
- Policytee
- The Dirty 130
- The Extra 2 Minutes

From Fragmented Systems to Intelligent Automation with Jonathan Maloney

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Jonathan Maloney, the founder of InsurStream, to discuss the intersection of insurance and technology. Jonathan, with over 25 years in the industry, shares his insights into the rapidly evolving insure-tech space, specifically the tools he's building to bridge the gap between technology and insurance operations. Jonathan talks about InsurStream's expert marketplace and the development of a bot marketplace, designed to help insurance professionals solve problems efficiently by connecting them with tech experts. The conversation explores the challenges of integrating new technology into traditional insurance practices and how AI and automation are transforming workflows.

Key Highlights:

Expert Marketplace for Insurance Tech

Jonathan explains how InsurStream is creating a platform to connect agents with domain experts who can help build the right tech solutions for their agencies. This marketplace allows for tech to be tailored to the insurance industry's needs, ensuring quality solutions.

AI-Driven Innovation

Jonathan discusses the rapid advancements in AI and how InsurStream is leveraging AI to streamline tech integration. He talks about the modular approach to building technology that allows for easy updates and quicker integrations, addressing the evolving needs of the insurance industry.

Streamlining Insurance Operations with Technology

Jonathan dives into the importance of data structure and how agents can better manage their workflows using AI tools. He highlights how technology can make operations more efficient and enable agents to make smarter, faster decisions with the right tools at their disposal.

Tech Adoption Challenges

David and Jonathan explore the challenges faced by agents when adopting new technologies. They highlight the disconnect between tech-savvy agents and those hesitant to embrace innovation, stressing the need for solutions that simplify and integrate rather than complicate.

The Future of Insurance Tech

Jonathan shares his thoughts on the future of the insurance tech space, including the potential of AI agents to manage tasks, the importance of standardized tech across the industry, and how emerging innovations are reshaping the insurance landscape.

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From Clicks to Calls Part 1

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers is joined by Chris Langille to discuss the evolving role of websites in the age of AI and large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. They explore how agencies can refine their digital strategies while keeping websites relevant in a rapidly changing environment. Chris shares his insights on the current state of digital marketing, emphasizing that while AI is shifting the landscape, websites remain crucial for agency success. David and Chris dive into the importance of content creation, video marketing, and Google Business Profiles, offering practical advice for agency owners to enhance their online presence and stay ahead of the competition.

Key Highlights:

The Role of Websites in the Age of AI

Chris explains that while AI and LLMs are changing how people find businesses, websites will still play a key role in providing valuable data points for AI. Websites remain essential for agency branding and online presence.

AI's Impact on Content Creation

AI is revolutionizing content creation, but Chris stresses that businesses must keep creating high-quality content. Video content, in particular, will become more important in capturing audience trust and authority.

Importance of Video Content

Chris highlights the shift towards video marketing as the most effective way to humanize your brand. Video helps agencies connect with prospects and clients on a deeper level, offering a unique opportunity for differentiation.

Maximizing Google My Business Profiles

Chris discusses how Google Business Profiles are more important than ever for agencies. With increasing traffic from Google Maps and integration with AI searches, optimizing your Google My Business profile can significantly drive website visits and calls.

Google vs. AI in Search

While Google remains the dominant search engine, AI tools like ChatGPT are gaining traction. Chris explains how these technologies will work together, with AI utilizing data from websites to recommend businesses.

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Beyond the Buzzwords with Christopher Luiz

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers welcomes Chris Luiz, CEO of Scout Insurtech, to talk about the intersection of technology and the insurance industry. From MGAs to claims adjusters, Chris sheds light on the latest tech innovations that are helping the insurance ecosystem. They discuss the importance of community building in tech and how the right tech solutions can improve processes and enhance efficiency for agencies and carriers alike.

Chris brings his extensive experience in tech and insurance innovation to the table, sharing insights on how to cut through the noise of the InsurTech space and focus on what truly adds value. This episode is packed with discussions on AI, tech adoption, and how to bridge the gap between agency and carrier technologies to streamline workflows.

Key Highlights:

Tech in Insurance

Chris and David discuss the latest tech innovations available for agents, claims adjusters, MGAs, and carriers. They explore how these technologies can integrate to improve efficiency across the insurance ecosystem.

Community Building Through Tech

Chris emphasizes the power of building a strong community in the tech space and how collaboration and shared knowledge can drive better results for everyone involved.

Adapting to AI

They dive into the growing role of AI, particularly in enhancing insurance processes. From AI-driven email optimization to voice assistants for basic inquiries, AI is making insurance more efficient.

Tech Simplification

Chris explains how the new wave of tech is designed to be low-touch and easy to integrate into existing systems, reducing the burden on agencies looking to innovate without overhauling their entire tech stack.

Building a Paid Community

Chris shares how Scout creates paid membership communities that foster networking and collaboration, creating valuable connections among insurance professionals across various sectors.

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AI Powered Sales Strategy with Lance Dowdell

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined by Lance Dowdell, co-founder of MotiVerse, to discuss how insurance producers can leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance their sales process. Lance shares valuable insights on utilizing AI to generate lead lists, create personalized outreach, and optimize sales strategies. This conversation dives into the growing role of AI in sales and marketing, with practical tips that can help producers thrive in a competitive environment.

David and Lance also discuss how modern salespeople can differentiate themselves by using AI-driven research and tools to understand customer needs better and speak in their language. They provide actionable steps for building lead lists, refining email sequences, and preparing for successful sales calls.

Key Highlights:

AI in Sales: Leveraging ChatGPT for Lead Lists

Lance explains how ChatGPT can generate highly targeted lead lists by learning about your company, its services, and your ideal customer profile, making it easier to find the right prospects.

Crafting Personalized Outreach

Lance and David talk about how ChatGPT can help craft email sequences and subject lines, but also stress the importance of adding your personal touch to avoid sounding robotic.

Optimizing Sales Calls and Agendas

David shares how ChatGPT can help optimize sales call agendas by analyzing past conversations and predicting what topics will resonate with prospects.

Understanding Your Customer’s Needs

Lance emphasizes the importance of truly understanding your customers' problems, rather than simply selling insurance products. They discuss how to use AI to get deeper insights into customer priorities and how to communicate with them effectively.

Standing Out in Sales

David and Lance explore how adopting AI tools can make you stand out from the competition and improve your sales performance by leveraging customer intelligence and predictive analytics.

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Streamlining the Insurance Back Office with Doug ver Mulm

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers chats with Douglas ver Mulm, founder of Turris, a company revolutionizing the back-office operations for MGAs and carriers. Douglas shares insights into how Turris is simplifying the process of working with retail agents by streamlining licensing, compliance, and operational tasks. The conversation dives into how technology can help insurance agencies, wholesalers, and carriers collaborate more effectively, ultimately leading to better distribution and smoother operations.

Key Highlights:

The Problem Turris Solves

Douglas explains how Turris helps carriers and MGAs eliminate friction by automating agent licensing and compliance checks, reducing the hassle of onboarding and document management.

Why Agents Will Continue to Be Essential

Despite the rise of InsureTech, Douglas believes agents will remain crucial, especially in commercial lines. The key is for agents to embrace technology to improve efficiency while maintaining their specialized role in understanding their clients' needs.

Streamlining Operations with Technology

Douglas talks about how Turris aims to automate back-office workflows, from licensing to payments, to save agencies and carriers time and reduce operational costs.

The Future of Insurance Technology

Douglas shares his vision for the future of insurance tech, where agencies can automate processes like payments and commissions, helping improve their cash flow and operational efficiency.

The Importance of Agency Relationships

David and Douglas discuss how building strong relationships with agencies can enhance the insurance experience, highlighting the importance of working together to solve problems and drive innovation.

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Building a Sustainable Commercial Pipeline Episode 3

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers shares valuable insights on content marketing, focusing on the importance of building a blog on your own domain, using SEO tools like Yoast, and effectively leveraging email marketing. David explains how to optimize your content creation process, automate tasks, and scale your marketing efforts. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your strategy, this episode will help you grow your agency and generate leads consistently.

Key Highlights:

Own Your Content

David emphasizes the importance of building your blog on your own domain rather than third-party platforms, ensuring you retain ownership of your content.

Optimizing with Yoast SEO

Yoast is a powerful SEO tool that helps ensure all content is optimized for search engines. David shares how he uses it to make sure everything in Yoast is green for the best results.

Email Marketing for Success

Despite email overload, David encourages agents to build an email list and regularly send out content. Email marketing remains a powerful tool for nurturing leads and driving sales.

Using Automation Tools

David highlights how using tools like HubSpot and virtual assistants (VAs) can streamline content distribution and client communications, saving time and increasing productivity.

Focus on Consistency and Delegation

The key to successful content marketing is consistency. David stresses the importance of creating a content strategy you can stick to and delegating tasks to scale your efforts without burning out.

Scaling Your Content Marketing

To grow your agency, David recommends using AI tools like ChatGPT for research, content creation, and brainstorming, then pushing that content through your website, email lists, and social media channels.

Connect with:

David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Visit Websites:

- Power Producer Base Camp
- Killing Commercial
- Crushing Content
- Power Producers Podcast
- Policytee
- The Dirty 130
- The Extra 2 Minutes

Creating Life Changing Wealth with ESOPs with Brian Baughman

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is
joined by Brian
Baughman, VP of Sales at the Hartwell
Corporation. They delve into the fascinating world of ESOPs
(Employee Stock Ownership Plans) within the insurance industry. Brian shares
valuable insights on how ESOPs work, their benefits, and why this ownership
structure is a game-changer for businesses looking to create long-term wealth
for their employees. They discuss the significance of fostering ownership
culture, the challenges and advantages of implementing ESOPs, and how it
impacts recruiting and retention in today’s competitive job market.

Key Highlights:

What is an ESOP?

Brian
explains the basics of ESOPs and how they offer employees ownership in the
company, ultimately leading to long-term wealth building.

Benefits of an ESOP

The conversation breaks down the primary benefits of ESOPs: ownership legacy,
tax incentives, and how they can be a major factor in recruitment and
retention of top talent in the insurance industry.

ESOPs in the Insurance Industry

Brian
emphasizes how ESOPs are changing the game for insurance agency owners,
offering an alternative to selling to third parties and ensuring employees’
long-term financial security.

Recruitment & Retention with ESOPs

David and Brian
discuss how ESOPs help agencies attract and retain top-tier talent,
particularly in an era of remote work and poaching from larger agencies.

The Challenges of Implementing an ESOP

While ESOPs offer many benefits, Brian highlights the time, financial
investment, and compliance involved in establishing one. He shares his
experiences with clients who have successfully transitioned to ESOPs.

ESOP for Long-Term Stability

Brian
explains why ESOPs offer more stability compared to selling to private equity
firms or competitors, allowing agency owners to protect their legacy and their
employees’ futures.

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Building a Sustainable Commercial Pipeline Episode 2

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers delves into the power of content marketing and strategic lead generation. Sharing insights from his own journey, David emphasizes how building a strong, sustainable pipeline can ensure long-term success in sales, especially in industries like trucking and pressure washing. This episode focuses on how to use ChatGPT for deep research, the value of content marketing, and how it can be leveraged to generate inbound leads, close deals faster, and build authority in niche industries.

David also discusses the importance of narrowing your focus and identifying trends in your industry to stand out from the competition. Using the example of pressure washing businesses, he explains how leveraging blog content, strategic SEO, and utilizing tools like HubSpot can drastically improve lead quality and business growth.

Key Highlights:

Building a Sustainable Lead System

David stresses the importance of creating a critical mass in your lead system to avoid constantly starting over. He explains how doing it right the first time—by diving deep into your niche—ensures long-term success.

The Power of Content Marketing

David challenges the narrative that content marketing is "dead" and discusses how businesses can leverage SEO-friendly blog content to drive inbound leads and establish trust with potential clients.

Using ChatGPT for Deep Industry Research

David shares how using ChatGPT for research has helped him understand industries like pressure washing, leading to the creation of targeted content that attracts high-intent leads.

Inbound Leads and High Buyer Intent

By sharing the success story of pressure washing businesses, David explains how content-driven inbound leads result in higher buyer intent, making them easier to close without the need for aggressive outbound marketing.

Scaling with Niche Markets

David talks about scaling your agency or business by focusing on niche markets like pressure washing, landscape services, and pool cleaning, which can generate a steady stream of clients without heavy outbound prospecting.

SEO Strategies and Lead Generation

David outlines how creating SEO-optimized blog content can improve search rankings and drive inbound leads. He emphasizes the importance of clear, simple titles and strategic keyword use to increase visibility.

Connect with:

David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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Powering Your Workflow with AI with Cary Weston

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined by Cary Weston, a certified marketing coach and founder of CM Weston. Cary discusses how ChatGPT can transform marketing and sales strategies by saving time, increasing efficiency, and enhancing customer interactions. They explore how AI can streamline repetitive tasks and improve communication, both for internal teams and with clients. David and Cary dive into ChatGPT's potential in various business functions, from content creation to proposal writing. Cary shares actionable insights on how using AI tools like ChatGPT can help businesses scale and boost their marketing ROI, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks. They also discuss how AI can aid in understanding customer needs and improving communication by mimicking customer profiles.

Key Highlights:

Leveraging ChatGPT for Marketing & Sales

Cary explains how businesses can use ChatGPT to automate time-consuming tasks, such as creating proposals, writing content, and streamlining communication, improving both efficiency and client relationships.

Transforming Sales Calls with AI

David shares his experience of using ChatGPT to summarize sales calls, generate follow-up actions, and maintain consistent communication with clients, allowing more time for strategic work.

Content Creation at Scale

The conversation shifts to the value of creating content that works 24/7 for your business. Cary emphasizes how ChatGPT can help generate blog posts, LinkedIn newsletters, and even content for webinars quickly and efficiently.

Practical Tips for Using ChatGPT

Cary offers a simple approach for beginners, encouraging listeners to talk to ChatGPT as they would with a helpful intern. By narrowing the focus to specific tasks, businesses can improve workflow without needing to learn complex software.

Improving Communication with Custom AI

Cary introduces the concept of creating a custom GPT that mimics your ideal customer or team, providing valuable feedback and improving marketing strategies based on real customer needs.

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Building a Sustainable Commercial Pipeline Episodes 1

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers discusses the fundamentals of prospecting and building a successful leads list. Drawing from his own experiences and 20 years in the industry, he emphasizes the importance of starting with a strong foundation and avoiding the temptation to rely too heavily on technology and automated lead-building tools. David also highlights how using underwriter insights and geography-specific databases can unlock hidden opportunities in your market. The episode provides actionable tips for producers, including how to leverage public records, county databases, and specific industry niches to build a robust prospecting system. David encourages agents to think beyond the typical marketing tools and instead focus on finding unique, untapped business opportunities by using the data available right at their fingertips.

Key Highlights:

Back to Basics: Building a Leads List

David stresses the importance of demographics and ideal prospect identification when building a leads list, highlighting that the fundamentals haven’t changed in 20 years, no matter how much technology evolves.

Leveraging Underwriters for Niche Markets

David recommends asking underwriters what business classes they’re good at but not receiving many submissions for. This often leads to discovering underutilized niches that can become high-opportunity areas.

Using Local Databases for Prospecting

David shares how he used local county databases to identify manufacturers who were likely to need insurance, providing a competitive advantage. He encourages producers to research local public databases like property appraisers and occupational licenses.

The Importance of a Sustainable Prospecting System

David highlights the benefits of building a long-term leads list, focusing on sustainability rather than quick wins. His system has led to years of continued success, proving the value of investing the time upfront.

Technology vs. Traditional Prospecting

David compares the rise of prospecting software tools like Leo and Buy Edge with traditional methods, warning that while these tools can improve efficiency, the foundation of building a strong prospect list still relies on manual work and research.

Why the Foundation Matters

David shares his personal story of starting from scratch, building a high-value prospecting list through hard work and research, and how this has continued to pay dividends throughout his career.

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Refocusing and Streamlining with Colby Tunick

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers welcomes back Colby Tunick from ReFocus AI. Colby dives deep into the company’s latest innovation that’s transforming the way insurance agencies service policies. Refocus AI, which started with helping agencies predict customer churn, has now transitioned to automating one of the most time-consuming aspects of insurance — quoting policies. Colby shares how their new technology is helping agencies scale efficiently without burning out staff, allowing producers to focus on building relationships and growing their book of business.

Key Highlights:

The Problem of Time-Intensive Service Work

Refocus AI began by addressing the issue of time spent servicing existing policies. Colby discusses how insurance agencies spend a significant portion of their time on renewals, quoting, and policy servicing, which takes away from their ability to acquire new business.

Introducing IntelliAgent: The Virtual Assistant for Insurance Agencies

Refocus AI's new tool, IntelliAgent, acts as a virtual assistant that automates the quoting process. This AI-powered system logs into carrier portals, retrieves rates, and delivers bindable quotes, freeing up agents' time to focus on client relationships.

Scaling without Burning Out

Colby explains how automating the quoting process can help agencies scale without adding significant headcount. It allows agencies to quote on multiple lines with various carriers simultaneously, drastically reducing the time spent on manual quoting tasks.

Changing the Game for Small Commercial and Personal Lines

For small commercial and personal lines business, agencies often struggle with quoting efficiency. Colby shares how technology like IntelliAgent is solving this problem, making it easier for agencies to serve more clients without overwhelming their teams.

Expanding to the ENS Market

Refocus AI’s roadmap includes plans to expand into the ENS market, where underwriters are involved. By automating this process, Refocus AI will further streamline how agencies access bindable rates and service their clients, all while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Addressing Staff Burnout with Technology

Colby shares the personal story of how working excessive hours led to burnout and a serious health condition. This experience fuels Refocus AI’s mission to help agencies reduce unnecessary workload and increase staff retention by allowing employees to focus on high-value tasks.

Future Innovations: Know Your Customer & MGA Marketplace

Colby gives a sneak peek into two new innovations coming soon. The Know Your Customer module will make updating account information faster and more efficient, while the MGA Marketplace will help agencies quickly find coverage for policy exclusions and better options for motor sports, flood, earthquake, and more.

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The Surety Sales Advantage

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers shares an insightful conversation with Ciara Gravier from The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management and Zach Matter from ZipBonds. This episode is a must-listen for anyone involved with contractors, particularly those navigating the world of surety bonds. Ciara and Zach discuss how contractors can face challenges with messy financials and how these issues can impact their ability to qualify for larger projects. They dive into the importance of having tidy books, understanding bond requirements, and using bonds as a way to build strong client relationships. Zach also highlights the essential three C's for bond approval—character, capacity, and capital—and explains how producers can add value by properly presenting these factors to underwriters. This episode is packed with practical strategies for agents to help contractors and clients navigate the complexities of surety bonds while building stronger, more profitable relationships.

Key Highlights:

Understanding Bonds for Contractors

Ciara explains how she used bonds as an educational tool to connect with contractors and help them understand the importance of having clean financials. She also shares how SEO and email marketing strategies can help agents engage contractors on bond topics.

The Three C's of Bond Approval

Zach breaks down the three key factors for bond approval: character, capacity, and capital, and how agents can provide valuable insights to help contractors qualify for bonds.

Expanding the Bond Conversation Beyond Construction

Zach emphasizes that bonds aren't just for construction. From liquor licenses to ERISA bonds for 401(k) plans, many industries require bonds, making it an essential conversation for all agents to have with their clients.

Using Bonds as a Client Relationship Builder

Ciara shares how she leveraged bonds to build relationships with CPAs, contractors, and even business attorneys, turning bonds into a valuable revenue stream and referral source.

Subcontractor Default Insurance vs. Surety Bonds

Zach talks about the growing use of subcontractor default insurance (SDI) and how it can impact the bond process. He explains the additional work involved when a subcontractor cannot qualify for SDI and how to handle it as a producer.

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Where Access Meets Opportunity with Ted Stuckey

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ted Stuckey, President of Local Edge Brokerage, to discuss the evolution of the insurance market, especially for independent agents. Ted shares insights on the challenges agencies face, especially as the market hardens, and how Local Edge offers a valuable solution for agents seeking market access and diversification. They dive into the importance of cultivating strong relationships with wholesalers and the advantages of rolling book business when direct carrier appointments are no longer feasible. Ted also highlights Local Edge's commitment to empowering local agents with the right tools, guidance, and market access to thrive in today’s competitive market, while addressing common struggles agents face, such as losing contracts, acquiring new appointments, and gaining access to hard-to-get markets. This conversation provides practical advice for agencies looking to expand their commercial lines and better manage their carrier relationships.

Key Highlights:

Adapting to a Changing Market

Ted shares how Local Edge is evolving from its Nationwide Brokerage Solutions roots to become a key partner for local agencies, providing access to sub-direct markets, commercial lines, and mid-market solutions.

Diversity of Carrier Access

The conversation covers how Local Edge offers over 400 carriers for agents, ranging from national and regional markets to niche, specialty lines. Ted emphasizes how they help agencies access hard-to-find carriers without the need for direct appointments.

The Value of a Wholesale Partner

Ted discusses how working with a wholesaler like Local Edge can help agencies consolidate their market access and better serve their clients without getting overwhelmed by the volume of appointments needed.

Strategic Use of Wholesale Relationships

Ted highlights the importance of agents using wholesalers strategically, especially for hard-to-place risks or accounts they’re not 100% sure about. He explains how wholesalers provide the flexibility to test markets without taking on too much risk.

Wind-Hail Deductible Buybacks

One of the most sought-after products currently is wind-hail deductible buybacks, which Ted describes as a game changer for agents looking to help their clients reduce exposure to storm damage while maintaining affordability.

Building for the Future

Ted talks about how agents can build their business for long-term success by leveraging relationships with wholesalers and carefully selecting the right admitted and non-admitted markets.

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Don't Forget Where you Came From

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this solo episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers reflects on the journey of success in the insurance industry, sharing personal stories and lessons learned along the way. David delves into the importance of staying grounded and avoiding the trap of arrogance that can come with success. He talks about the subtle ways ego can influence behavior and how staying humble is key to long-term fulfillment, both personally and professionally. With practical advice on maintaining self-awareness, practicing gratitude, and giving credit where it’s due, David encourages listeners to build meaningful relationships and give back to others without seeking recognition.

Key Highlights:

The Trap of Arrogance

David opens up about how easy it is to fall into the trap of arrogance after achieving success. He stresses the importance of staying grounded and aware of how our actions can affect others.

The Role of Humility in Success

David reflects on his own journey from humble beginnings and highlights how staying humble, even in the face of success, is critical to maintaining meaningful relationships and avoiding narcissism.

The Importance of Gratitude

David emphasizes the need to practice gratitude daily. He shares how taking time to thank those who have supported you can strengthen relationships and help you stay focused on what truly matters.

Give Credit and Lift Others Up

David encourages listeners to publicly recognize others for their contributions. He talks about the impact of lifting others up and how it only serves to enhance your own success.

Serving Without Recognition

David advocates for doing kind deeds in private without seeking attention. He explains how acts of service, when done with humility, leave a lasting impact on others.

Building and Nurturing Relationships

Reflecting on his own experiences, David reminds listeners of the importance of maintaining authentic relationships, especially with those who helped you get to where you are today.

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Beyond the Quote Game with Warren Cleveland

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Warren Cleveland, founder of Captive Coalition, to dive into the world of captive insurance. Warren offers a fresh perspective on captives, emphasizing how independent agents can add value by helping their clients save money and increase profitability. With practical insights, they discuss the benefits of captives, the right clients for this model, and how agents can monetize their expertise by advising clients on alternative risk transfer solutions. David and Warren also share personal stories, including their shared love of barbecue, which adds a light-hearted touch to the discussion. The episode sheds light on the educational resources Captive Coalition offers to help agents learn the ropes of captives and how they can take control of their clients' insurance costs in a way that's both profitable and sustainable.

Key Highlights:

Understanding Captives

Warren explains how captive insurance works, breaking down complex terms and providing agents with tools to help their clients understand the benefits of risk-sharing and self-insurance.

The Value of Risk Management

They discuss the importance of risk management and training, especially when it comes to loss history and how it directly impacts the success of a captive program.

The Right Fit for Captives

Not all businesses are suited for captives. Warren outlines the key traits that make a business a good candidate, including a solid risk management track record and a willingness to take on some risk.

Educating Clients and Agents

David and Warren discuss how agents can get ahead by learning the process of captives and using that knowledge to provide more value to clients, ensuring they aren’t left behind when other agents are introducing captives as an option.

Building a Strong Partnership

The episode emphasizes the importance of agent-client relationships and how Captive Coalition works alongside agents to make them heroes in the eyes of their clients by providing valuable, actionable advice.

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Comp Classifications with Kevin Ring

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined by Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals, for a deep dive into workers' compensation classifications. The discussion focuses on the challenges of ensuring that businesses are properly classified, the importance of getting class codes right, and strategies to avoid common mistakes that could lead to costly audits. With firsthand experience from multiple NCCI audits, David shares his insights on how to navigate the complexities of workers’ comp class codes and protect clients from unnecessary errors.

Kevin also covers the most recent changes in the industry, such as NCCI’s update to code 8720 for construction estimators, and explains how businesses need to stay updated on classification changes to avoid issues down the line. This episode is packed with practical advice for agents looking to stay ahead in the workers' comp space.

Key Highlights:

The Importance of Classifications

David and Kevin discuss why workers' compensation class codes are crucial and how an incorrect classification can result in higher premiums and audits. They emphasize the importance of understanding both the business operations and how they should be classified.

Navigating NCCI Audits

David shares his experience with NCCI audits, including the thorough process involved and how misunderstandings about class codes can lead to disputes. He explains why getting the right people involved upfront can prevent these issues.

Changes in Workers' Comp Classifications

Kevin discusses recent changes to class codes, including the addition of construction estimators to code 8720 and the merging of long-haul and short-haul trucking codes. He explains how these changes can impact businesses and how agents need to stay on top of these adjustments.

Understanding Standard Exception Classifications

Kevin explains standard exception classifications (like clerical, outside sales, and drivers) and how they can be applied separately from the governing class code. He also touches on the importance of understanding each code’s detailed criteria to ensure accuracy.

Classifying Businesses in Construction and Manufacturing

Kevin dives into the complexity of classifying businesses in industries like construction and manufacturing, where different activities within the same business can require separate codes. He provides examples of how to apply the right codes depending on the work performed.

The Role of Agents in Accurate Classifications

David and Kevin discuss the role of insurance agents in accurately classifying businesses and ensuring that clients’ operations align with the right class codes. They highlight how thorough knowledge and documentation can prevent issues during audits and save clients money.

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The Most Hated Podcast Episode Ever with Benjamin Dennehy

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Benjamin Dennehy famously known as the UK’s Most Hated Sales Trainer for a brutally honest and wildly entertaining conversation about what’s wrong with the modern sales game. From confronting imposter syndrome to challenging outdated sales scripts, Benjamin shares why most salespeople fail and what it actually takes to dominate. The duo explores the parallels between law and sales, the importance of detachment from outcomes, and why truly great sellers don’t wing it they operate with ruthless precision. Packed with hard truths, tactical tips, and some serious laughs, this is a must-listen for anyone in the sales world who’s tired of the fluff.

Key Points:

Owning the “Most Hated” Title

Benjamin shares how embracing a polarizing brand identity helped him stand out and why being liked is overrated in sales.

Salespeople Are Wingin’ It

The average salesperson lacks structure, accountability, and intentionality. Dennehy argues that sales success comes from rigorous process not charm or “winging it.”

Lawyer Mindset, Sales Success

Sales, like law, is a game of discovering the truth. Dennehy breaks down how to lead meetings like a deposition and make your prospect reveal what matters most.

Questions Build Credibility

It’s not the answers, but the questions that earn trust. Learn how to ask with intention and why the first question is rarely the real one.

Stop Selling to Everyone

David and Benjamin hammer home that elite producers sell on their terms. Sales is not about begging for business — it’s about qualifying the buyer and owning your worth.

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Ownership and Combinability with Kevin Ring

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined again by Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals. The two dive into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of workers' compensation—understanding common majority ownership and how it affects the experience modification factor (mod). This discussion is vital for agents who deal with businesses that own multiple entities or engage in mergers and acquisitions. Kevin explains why agents need to be proactive in gathering ownership details and completing the ERM-14 form accurately to avoid costly errors and ensure proper coverage. David and Kevin explore the challenges agents face when dealing with businesses that have ownership stakes in multiple companies, and the importance of combining those companies on the same experience mod. They also touch on how M&A activity and asset purchases can complicate the mod process and why it's crucial for agents to educate clients on these risks before they make business decisions.

Key Highlights:

Understanding Common Majority Ownership

Kevin explains how the common majority ownership rule affects the experience mod, and why it’s crucial for agents to ensure all companies under shared ownership are combined on the same mod.

The Importance of Ownership Questions

Agents often skip asking clients about ownership in multiple businesses. Kevin emphasizes that these questions are critical not just for workers’ comp but also as a sales tool to deepen the client relationship.

Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions

David and Kevin discuss the complexities of mergers and acquisitions and how acquiring a company impacts the buyer’s experience mod. They explain why agents must ensure clients understand the financial implications of combining experience mods post-acquisition.

Filling Out the ERM-14 Form

Kevin breaks down how to properly fill out the ERM-14 form, highlighting the importance of providing a narrative and accurate details to the Rating Bureau. This process helps agents avoid confusion and ensure proper risk management.

Avoiding the Mod Evasion Trap

David and Kevin talk about how some businesses attempt to evade mod increases by creating new entities or joining PEOs. Kevin stresses that while this may seem like a short-term solution, it doesn’t address the root causes of high experience mods.

Planning for Future Business Transactions

Kevin advises agents to proactively discuss business transactions, such as buying or selling a company, with their clients to avoid unexpected complications in workers’ comp premiums and ensure proper coverage adjustments.

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Putting the Human Touch on Human Services with Dylan Jordan

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers sits down with Dylan Jordan from Amwins to discuss specialized niches within the insurance world, particularly focusing on the human services, healthcare, and life sciences markets. With only two months until Producers in Paradise 2025, the conversation covers a variety of challenges and opportunities in the current hard market, from navigating supplemental applications to understanding the unique risks of sectors like MediSpas and behavioral health.

Dylan shares insights into Amwins’ approach, the importance of micro-niches, and how they continue to provide solutions in challenging markets. They also dive into the latest trends in tort reform, staffing shortages in healthcare, and how producers can effectively position themselves in a competitive market. This episode is packed with practical advice for producers looking to specialize and stay ahead in the evolving insurance landscape.

Key Highlights:

Specializing in Niche Markets

Dylan talks about Amwins’ focus on the human services, healthcare, and life sciences sectors, explaining how their expertise in these areas helps them close deals faster and more effectively than general wholesalers.

Navigating the Hard Market

The discussion touches on the challenges of the current hard market, particularly in healthcare and human services, and how tort reform and statute of limitations changes are influencing the market dynamics.

Understanding Supplemental Applications

Dylan emphasizes the importance of supplemental applications and how data gathering from clients is critical to ensuring comprehensive coverage in niche areas.

Finding Opportunities in Emerging Sectors
David and Dylan explore growing sectors like MediSpas and home healthcare, and how producers can capitalize on these opportunities by identifying gaps in coverage and leveraging specialized markets.

The Role of Technology in Insurance

They discuss the impact of new technologies, such as Assembly, that help agents streamline data collection and improve efficiency, particularly for complex policies.

Strategic Risk Management

Dylan highlights how risk management in sectors like MediSpas and behavioral health requires in-depth knowledge of both underwriting and the nuances of each industry to avoid potential pitfalls and claims.

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Why the Valuation Date is Important with Kevin Ring

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined again by Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of Work Comp Professionals. In this Shop Talk session, they take a deep dive into the crucial topic of the valuation date and its significance in workers’ compensation policies. While last week’s discussion highlighted the importance of leading with workers’ compensation, this episode shifts gears to discuss why understanding the valuation date is vital for businesses. David and Kevin unpack the complexities of the valuation date—what it means, why it matters, and how it can impact a company's experience mod. Kevin shares expert insights into how this date plays a central role in determining a company’s future workers' compensation premiums and why it’s essential to monitor open claims carefully.

Key Highlights:

What is the Valuation Date?

Kevin explains that the valuation date is when insurers submit crucial data to the Rating Bureau, affecting a company's experience mod and future premiums.

Impact of Open Claims

Kevin discusses how open claims, even with high reserves, impact the experience mod just as much as settled claims.

Timing of the Valuation Date

The valuation date occurs 18 months after policy inception. Kevin highlights how policy changes affect this timing.

Managing Claims for the Valuation Date

Kevin emphasizes the importance of tracking open claims early and working with adjusters to ensure accurate reserve updates.

Dividends and Profit Sharing

Understanding the valuation date can impact eligibility for dividend programs and profit sharing, boosting business benefits.

Agent’s Role in Claims

David advises agents to be proactive in managing claims, educate clients, and collaborate with adjusters for better outcomes.

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From Insurtech to Relationships with Brett Fulmer

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes Brett Fulmer, principal of Newport Beach Insurance Center, for a dynamic conversation packed with insights on insurance, career growth, and community building. Brett shares his unique journey in insurance, his passion for innovation, and how he balances multiple roles with energy and focus.

David and Brett discuss everything from navigating the evolving insurance market, the importance of value-added service, to the role of technology and AI in transforming agency workflows. They also dive into the power of the community within the industry, sharing stories of mentorship, peer support, and how brokers can thrive in a competitive environment.

Key Highlights:

Brett’s Insurance Journey

Brett reflects on how a background in office relocation sales unexpectedly led him to insurance, highlighting the transferable skills and the unique “happy accident” that shaped his career path.

The Value of Sales and Service

The conversation covers the delicate balance between sales, relationship building, and genuine value addition, emphasizing why insurance is more than just a commodity.

Building Community and Peer Support

Brett shares how his group, Broker Brews, fosters connection and collaboration among agents, turning networking into meaningful relationships that extend beyond business.

Tech and Innovation in Insurance

Both David and Brett explore the impact of AI and insuretech, discussing practical tools that streamline policy review and compliance while freeing up account managers to focus on client relationships.

Market Trends and Challenges

Insights into Florida’s market conditions, the hard and soft markets, and how producers can position themselves strategically in a shifting landscape.

Work-Life Balance and Family

Brett opens up about balancing his busy career with family life, including preparing for a new addition and working alongside his children in the insurance business.

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Why Agents Should Lead With Comp with Kevin Ring

Fri, 30 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers welcomes back Kevin Ring, lead analyst at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals and one of the nation’s foremost experts on workers’ compensation. Kevin shares valuable insights into why leading with workers’ comp is a smart strategy for insurance agents, offering practical tips that agents can apply immediately to improve their game and better serve clients.

David and Kevin break down complex workers’ compensation topics into digestible, actionable advice — perfect for both new and seasoned producers looking to boost their understanding and results.

Key Highlights:

Why Lead With Workers’ Comp?

Kevin explains how workers’ compensation policies are simpler than most insurance lines, with consistent policy forms across carriers, making it easier for new producers to learn and sell effectively. He emphasizes the ability to clearly demonstrate the impact agents can have by lowering clients’ experience modification factors (mods).

Monetizing Workers’ Comp Success

The pair discuss how agents can show tangible ROI by improving clients’ workers’ comp programs, which can reduce premiums and directly enhance business profitability.

Common Misconceptions About Insurance

David and Kevin address the frustrations clients have when paying premiums without claims, clarifying how insurance works as a risk management tool rather than a savings account or investment.

The Role of Company Culture

Kevin highlights how a positive workplace culture reduces litigation and claims abuse, improving workers’ comp outcomes and client satisfaction.

Data-Driven Prospecting

Leading with workers’ comp allows agents to access valuable public data, such as experience mods, helping them target high-opportunity accounts and personalize outreach.

Takeover Opportunities

Kevin shares how focusing on workers’ comp can open doors to take over accounts incrementally, reducing client resistance to changing agents.

Learning and Skill Development

Agents can develop consultative selling skills in workers’ comp that transfer to other lines of business, moving beyond price-driven sales.

Market Trends and Rate Changes

Kevin notes potential upcoming rate increases, such as in California, signaling a shift after a decade of rate declines and emphasizing the importance of staying informed.

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Resilience Should Be the Foundation of Every Insurance Conversation with Aris Papadopoulos

Wed, 28 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Aris Papadopoulos, Chairman of the Resilience Action Fund and author of Resilientomics. Aris shares his unique perspective on resilience, from his experience as a 9/11 World Trade Center survivor to his passion for building stronger, more resilient homes and communities. Together, David and Aris explore how resilience is critical not just in construction, but in the insurance industry and beyond.

Aris discusses his journey from the construction industry to founding the Resilience Action Fund and how he’s working to educate consumers on the importance of resilience in the built environment. The conversation touches on everything from the impact of poor construction standards to how insurance professionals can incorporate resilience into their strategy. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their understanding of resilient building and the role it plays in property protection.

Key Highlights:

The Resilience Action Fund

Aris discusses the Fund’s mission to educate consumers about building resilient homes and the tools available on his website.

Building Resilient Homes

Aris explains why building to code is not enough and the importance of prioritizing structural resilience over cosmetic upgrades.

Consumer Education

Aris emphasizes the need for consumers to understand resilience and how the Fund is working to raise awareness.

Insurance and Resilience

Aris talks about the role of insurance professionals in educating clients on resilience and incentivizing better building practices.

Challenges in the Building Industry

Aris reflects on the slow pace of change in the construction industry and the resistance to adopting resilient practices.

Technology in Construction

Aris explores how technologies like 3D printing are impacting construction and their role in building more resilient homes.

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Listening to Calls & Role Play

Fri, 23 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this final episode of Power Producers Shoptalk’s remote team series, David Carothers wraps up with the Insurance Futures team by focusing on a critical skill for producers and sales leaders alike: listening to calls and role-playing.

Effective sales and leadership aren’t just about numbers, they’re about developing skills, refining approaches, and building confidence through practice. David, Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker share how call listening and role-play have transformed their teams by creating habits that lead to better sales conversations, more appointments, and stronger client relationships.

Key Highlights:

The Power of Repetition Through Role-Play

Jeremy compares role-play to coaching his young son in basketball—practice and correction lead to mastery. The team agrees that consistent role-playing builds confidence and sharpens skills.

Listening to Calls Reveals the Truth

Michael emphasizes how listening to recorded calls helps identify strengths and weaknesses. It’s essential for coaching and ensuring salespeople deliver the right message and overcome objections effectively.

Consistency and Bite-Size Coaching

The team highlights the value of regular, focused listening sessions—breaking calls into manageable parts—and leveraging AI tools to analyze calls and provide actionable feedback.

Using Role-Plays to Standardize Sales Approaches

David and Jeremy discuss using structured role-play scenarios, often generated with tools like ChatGPT, to train sales reps on objection handling and core messaging, ensuring consistent, high-quality interactions.

Holding Teams Accountable for Growth

The group stresses the importance of accountability through listening and role-play. Teams that embrace this culture grow faster, build better client relationships, and scale more profitably.

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Bridging the Insurance Talent Gap with Tony Canas

Wed, 21 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Tony Canas, Chief Motivational Officer at Insurance Nerds. The conversation takes some unexpected and fun turns, including Tony’s unique background, passion for insurance, and his journey into magic. It’s a lively and engaging discussion that blends business, culture, and personal development in the insurance industry.

David and Tony dive deep into how insurance professionals can cultivate a strong company culture, the importance of understanding various roles within an agency, and how building relationships internally is just as important as externally. From career advice to innovative ways to stand out in the industry, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

Key Highlights:

Building Strong Agency Culture

David and Tony explore the importance of understanding the various roles within an agency, including account managers and producers, and how a lack of understanding can lead to friction. They emphasize how strong internal relationships are key to agency success.

The Role of the Producer

David shares his perspective on the producer’s role in balancing sales and building genuine relationships. He explains why understanding the day-to-day of other roles can improve collaboration and drive success in the agency.

Insurance Nerds & Career Growth

Tony shares his unique journey within the insurance industry, from underwriter to recruiter, and how Insurance Nerds has grown into a valuable resource for insurance professionals. He discusses how the platform helps individuals navigate their careers and make informed decisions about their professional path.

The Magic of Connections

Tony talks about how his passion for magic has intertwined with his insurance career, using it as a tool to stand out at conferences and build stronger connections. It’s a fun and unique approach to networking!

The Need for Diversity in Insurance

The discussion touches on how the insurance industry needs to evolve, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion. David and Tony reflect on the importance of understanding different perspectives and embracing diverse voices within industry.

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Keys to Effective Communication

Fri, 16 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers returns for session five with the Insurance Futures team to tackle one of the most critical elements in managing a successful remote workforce: communication. Following four weeks of deep dives into building remote teams, this episode zeroes in on how effective communication can make or break your virtual agency’s culture and efficiency.

David and his guests Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker discuss the challenges unique to remote communication—like delayed responses, misinterpreted messages, and the absence of face-to-face cues—and share practical strategies to establish clear, consistent, and intentional communication frameworks. They emphasize the importance of having structured communication protocols, standardized abbreviations, and response expectations so that the whole team is aligned and productive, no matter where they’re located.

Key Highlights:

Why Clear Communication Is Essential
David highlights how delayed or unclear communication can cause frustration and impact client service and sales outcomes in a remote setting. Consistent and transparent communication is vital to keep everyone on the same page.

Setting Communication Guidelines and Hierarchy
The team stresses the need to define who to contact for what and by which method—phone call, message, email, or quick acknowledgment—to prevent confusion and wasted time.

Choosing and Sticking to a Communication Platform
Jeremy and Michael explain the importance of picking one primary platform—like Microsoft Teams—and committing to it, even if it’s imperfect, to maintain consistency and avoid team frustration.

Standardizing Language and Status Updates
Using common abbreviations, uniform status indicators (like “BRB” or “Back”), and clear expectations around response times reduces misunderstandings and improves workflow across the virtual team.

Leveraging Playbooks and Resources
The team shares how they’ve created a comprehensive communication playbook and organizational clarity tools that staff can access anytime, ensuring everyone knows how and where to communicate efficiently.

To download the communication playbook and organizational chart worksheet:Click here

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Unlocking the Power of Group Captives with Jason Duby

Wed, 14 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers is joined by Jason Duby, Captive Manager at Garnet Captive, to dive deep into the concept of captives and how they can provide valuable opportunities for businesses, particularly as the market continues to harden. Jason breaks down the intricacies of captive insurance, explaining how they work, who benefits, and what sets Garnet Captive apart from other options in the industry.

David and Jason explore the different types of captives, the benefits of participating in one, and the financial implications for businesses that choose this route. The conversation also touches on the importance of risk management and the steps businesses need to take to set up and benefit from a captive insurance program.

Key Highlights:

What Is a Captive?
Jason explains how businesses can form their own insurance group to manage risk, reduce costs, and potentially recoup unused premiums—highlighting the efficiency of group captives.

Types of Captives
They break down single-parent, group, homogeneous, and protected cell captives, explaining their structures and benefits for different business types.

The Garnet Captive Edge
Jason outlines Garnet’s faster distributions, lower upfront costs, and risk management support that help businesses see quicker returns.

Financial Commitment
They discuss the cost of joining a captive, including collateral and underwriting requirements for businesses with strong risk profiles.

Risk Management & Claims
Captives allow businesses to customize claims handling and implement tailored risk management strategies.

Tips for Producers
David and Jason advise producers on spotting good captive candidates and warning signs like poor loss history or price-focused buyers.

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Job Descriptions - Headaches Now or Headaches Later

Fri, 09 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers continues his series with the team from Insurance Futures, diving into the importance of job descriptions for building a strong culture in remote teams. As remote work becomes more common, having clear job descriptions helps set expectations, boost accountability, and ensure employees understand their roles.

David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker from Heritage, an agency that has mastered the art of job descriptions. Together, they explore how detailed, concise job descriptions tied to core values and KPIs can lead to a more successful and productive remote team.

Key Highlights:

Why Job Descriptions Matter
David starts by acknowledging that job descriptions are often overlooked, but in remote work environments, they’re essential for clarity. Without clear expectations, employees can feel lost or uncertain about their role.

Clarity and Simplicity in Job Descriptions
The team stresses the importance of keeping job descriptions simple and straightforward. They emphasize that clear, concise language helps everyone understand exactly what’s expected, without unnecessary complexity.

Aligning Job Descriptions with Core Values
Jeremy explains that job descriptions should align with the agency’s core values. It’s not just about duties—it’s about ensuring employees know how their role contributes to the larger mission and culture of the agency.

Linking Job Descriptions to KPIs
Caleb discusses how job descriptions should reflect specific KPIs. By defining measurable tasks and goals, job descriptions create clear expectations and accountability for employees’ performance.

Job Descriptions as a Tool for Fit
The team shares how transparent job descriptions help both the agency, and the employee assess if they’re a good fit. By outlining the role clearly from the start, both parties can avoid surprises and ensure alignment with the agency’s needs.

To download the job description template and worksheet: Click Here

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Mastering the Buyer's Journey with Jacob Hicks

Wed, 07 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes Jacob Hicks, a sales coach with an eclectic background in various industries, including retail, real estate, and optical sales. Jacob shares his insights on the evolution of sales and the importance of systems, follow-up, and understanding of your ideal client profile.

David and Jacob explore Jacob's journey from selling suits to coaching salespeople, touching on the principles that drive success in sales across industries. The conversation delves into effective sales strategies, the importance of follow-up, and how mindset plays a crucial role in achieving sales success.

Key Highlights:

Jacob’s Sales Journey: From Suits to Coaching
Jacob discusses his sales experience, starting from selling suits in retail to his work in real estate and the optical industry. He shares the unique lessons he's learned along the way, including his entrepreneurial beginnings selling Osage Oranges and potholders door-to-door.

The Power of Follow-Up
Both David and Jacob agree that follow-up is one of the most crucial yet often overlooked aspects of sales. Jacob emphasizes the importance of having a solid system in place for follow-up, whether automated or personalized, to stay in front of prospects and clients consistently.

Avoiding the Trap of "Just Enough"
Jacob recalls a pivotal moment in his career when a mentor told him that the insurance industry was full of "C players." This insight pushed him to elevate his own standards and always compete against top-tier professionals. He encourages listeners to focus on creating a system for success and sticking to it.

Understanding Your Ideal Client
Jacob and David dive into the concept of an ideal client profile. Jacob talks about how focusing on the right clients can prevent wasted time and energy on deals that are unlikely to succeed. He stresses that saying “no” to distractions and focusing on high-quality prospects is a game-changer.

Sales Mindset and Belief
The duo explores the role of self-belief in sales. Jacob shares how overcoming limiting beliefs can significantly increase one's potential in sales, with a special focus on setting higher goals and pushing past comfort zones to achieve greater success.

Investing in Yourself: The Key to Growth
Jacob discusses how investing in personal growth, whether through coaching, training, or networking, has played a significant role in his success. He encourages listeners to prioritize their own development to reap higher returns and better performance.

The Transition from Inside Sales to Outside Sales
Jacob reflects on his transition from inside sales (selling suits) to outside sales (in the optical industry), highlighting the key differences and skills that apply across both settings, including the importance of showing up, asking the right questions, and building rapport.

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Killing It with KPI's

Fri, 02 May 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers keeps the remote workforce series going with a deep dive into KPIs—why they’re crucial and how they should be tied to core values. David and his team from Insurance Futures discuss how measuring the right activities can lead to success and help remote agencies stay on track.

This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker from Heritage, an insurance agency that’s figured out the formula for success with KPIs in a remote environment. They discuss how focusing on the right activities drives results, and how KPIs can be used to align teams with the company’s core values.

Key Highlights:

The Role of KPIs in Remote Teams

David explains that KPIs are crucial for remote teams to measure success. Without them, employees lack clear direction and benchmarks, which can lead to confusion and inefficiency.

Starting with Core Values

Jeremy and Caleb emphasize that KPIs should be chosen after defining core values and agency goals. This ensures that the KPIs are relevant and measurable, aligning with the overall mission of the agency.

Activity-Based KPIs

The team discusses how they focus on activity-based KPIs, such as calls and marketing drops, instead of just sales outcomes. This helps them monitor daily tasks that contribute to long-term success.

Keeping KPIs Simple & Clear

The team advocates for keeping KPIs simple and clear. They stress that every team member should have a defined KPI tied to the agency’s goals, with no more than 3-5 metrics to focus on.

Aligning KPIs with Core Values

Finally, the team shares how they align KPIs, like "quality conversations," with their core values such as compassion. This ensures that employees not only meet targets but also embody the agency’s culture in their work.

To download the KPI guide and read the blog, visit: How a Single Clear KPI Can Transform Your Remote Agency

In the coming weeks, David and the team will continue discussing key strategies for managing remote teams, focusing on creating accountability, fostering culture, and driving business success. Be sure to tune in for more actionable insights!

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Email Myths, Metrics and Moves with Jay Schwedelson

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers dives into the world of email marketing with Jay Schwedelson, founder of SubjectLine. The discussion focuses on how to refine your email marketing strategy, specifically the art of creating subject lines that boost open rates and increase engagement.

David and Jay explore practical tips and insights on how to optimize your email outreach, avoid common mistakes, and ultimately build a more effective email marketing campaign.

Key Highlights:

Email Marketing Missteps: Common Pitfalls
David and Jay kick things off by discussing why many businesses struggle with email marketing, especially when it comes to automated cold outreach. Jay emphasizes the importance of shifting the mindset from "selling" to "providing value" in email marketing.

The Power of the Subject Line
Jay shares insights on the often-overlooked power of subject lines. He explains that small tweaks, like starting with a number, capitalizing words, or using brackets, can significantly increase open rates. He also debunks myths about spam trigger words and emphasizes the importance of clarity and relevance.

Personalization Beyond the Name
David and Jay discuss the value of using personalization in subject lines. Jay explains that the real magic happens when you personalize based on industry, job function, or company name, making the recipient feel like the email is specifically for them.

The Art of Email Content
The conversation shifts to the structure and content of email bodies. Jay suggests keeping emails concise, with no more than 75 words for new prospects and up to 150 words for existing customers. He also shares best practices for using bullet points, white space, and strong calls to action.

Maximizing Click-Through Rates with Smart CTAs
Jay explains the importance of writing calls to action in first person. He emphasizes how this simple change can increase click-through rates by over 28%, and he gives practical examples of effective CTA phrasing.

FOMO and Timing in Email Campaigns
David and Jay talk about the role of urgency in email marketing. Jay advises using FOMO (fear of missing out) to drive action, like mentioning limited spots for events or expiring offers in the subject line and PS.

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The Importance of Culture & Connection

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers

continues the discussion on building and managing remote teams in the insurance

industry, with a specific focus on culture and connection. In this second

installment with the team from Insurance Futures, David dives into the

importance of team-building activities in a virtual environment.

This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet,

and Caleb Walker from Heritage, an insurance agency that

has perfected the art of remote workforce management. Together, they explore

the best ways to create meaningful connections, build strong cultures, and

engage remote employees to foster long-term success in a virtual setting.

Key Highlights:

The Importance of Intentional Culture Building

David stresses that building a strong culture in a virtual environment isn’t

optional—it’s essential. Without it, a remote team can quickly lose its

cohesion and effectiveness.

Regular Communication: Finding the Right Balance

David shares his approach to daily communication, emphasizing the need for

intentional, face-to-face interactions like virtual huddles to foster

connection and avoid miscommunications.

Maintaining Culture in Virtual Teams

The Heritage team discusses the challenges of keeping culture strong in a

remote environment and the importance of intentionality in virtual

team-building efforts.

Team Meetings: Connecting on a Personal Level

Heritage’s weekly meetings start with sharing personal highlights, allowing

team members to connect beyond just work tasks and strengthen relationships.

Employee Fulfillment and Personal Connection

David reflects on his experiences in leadership and the importance of building

genuine, long-term relationships with employees for a fulfilling work

environment.

Creative Team Building Activities

The team shares fun and engaging virtual activities like charades and "Two

Truths and a Lie," which help employees show their personalities and

connect on a deeper level.

The team offers a downloadable guide with a list of team-building activities

that can be easily implemented to improve remote team culture.

To download the full list of team-building activities and

read the blog, click

here

In the coming weeks, David and the team will continue

exploring more aspects of remote team management. Stay tuned for more

actionable insights.

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How Insurance Agencies Leverage Alternative Risk with Eric Stein

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is

joined by Eric Stein,

the president of Insured Solutions

and author of the newly published book The

Blueprint. Eric brings a wealth of experience in the insurance

industry, especially in alternative workers' compensation and risk management.

Throughout the episode, he shares insights into the complexities of captives

and alternative risk transfer, breaking down the steps agencies should take to

prepare for these advanced insurance structures. From understanding high-deductible

programs to managing collateral and underwriting, Eric emphasizes the

importance of laying a solid foundation before transitioning into self-insured

or captive models. He also delves into the practicalities of running a business

with virtual assistants, outsourcing, and the technological tools that have helped

him with scale operations.

Key Points:

Captives and Alternative Risk Transfer

Eric Stein

explains the transition process from guaranteed cost programs to alternative

risk solutions like captives. He highlights the importance of proper

preparation, risk management strategies, and collateral requirements that

agents need to consider before taking the plunge into captives.

Building Risk Management Programs

Eric discusses how he built a successful alternative risk workers' comp

program, including the creation of custom risk management packages for clients.

He stresses the significance of managing risk effectively before committing to

high deductible or self-insured programs.

Leveraging Offshore Virtual Professionals

Drawing from his experience, Eric shares how he successfully utilized offshore

virtual assistants to scale his business. He talks about the process of

outsourcing back-office work, from telemarketing to CSR tasks, and the

importance of developing solid processes to ensure smooth operations.

Documenting Processes for Virtual Assistants

Eric emphasizes

the necessity of having documented workflows before outsourcing tasks to

virtual professionals. He provides valuable advice on how agencies can

streamline their processes and integrate offshore support effectively, ensuring

they get the most out of their virtual team.

The Power of Automation and Marketing

Eric also touches on how marketing automation has helped him grow his business.

From email marketing to using systems like Salesforce and Pardot, he explains

how automation frees up time for high-value activities, such as client

relationship building and business development.

Exclusive Offer

For the first 10 listeners who email Eric at eric@insuredsolutions.net, he’s

offering a free digital copy of his book The

Blueprint, where he dives deeper into his unconventional journey and

the strategies that led him to success in the insurance industry.

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Everything Ties Back to Core Values

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shop Talk episode, David Carothers kicks

off a six-week series focused on the growing trend of remote workforces in the

insurance industry. Rather than just relying on virtual assistants, David and

his team are diving into the process of building and managing remote teams

within the United States, specifically focused on highly skilled professionals.

This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet,

and Caleb Walker, all

partners at Heritage, an

insurance agency that’s already perfected the remote workforce model. Together,

they share how they’ve scaled their business by embracing remote work and

managing teams across multiple states, breaking down what’s working for them

and what others in the industry can learn from their experience.

Key Highlights:

Building a Remote Workforce

The team discusses how the need to build a remote workforce arose from merging

multiple agencies and expanding across states like Missouri, Washington, Utah,

and Arizona. They share how remote work helped them overcome logistical

hurdles, giving them access to great talent across the country without the

constraints of physical office space.

Core Values: The Foundation of Everything

Jeremy, Michael, and Caleb

dive deep into why core values are critical when building a remote team. They

explain how defining core values early on shapes every decision—hiring, firing,

and everyday interactions. They emphasize that core values are more than just

words on a wall; they must be actively practiced, reinforced, and consistently

tied to everything the team does.

Why Less is More with Core Values

The partners discuss how they kept their core values simple and easy to

remember, and how it’s essential for their remote team to live and breathe

these values daily. They draw on examples from other successful companies like

Ritz-Carlton, whose attention to detail and consistency in core values creates

a replicated experience every time. Michael, Jeremy, and Caleb share the secret

of keeping core values alive within the team, even remotely.

Turning Core Values into Actionable Results

It’s one thing to have core values, but it’s another to live by them. The team

explains how they use weekly meetings, peer recognition, and real-time feedback

to keep the values front and center. From providing feedback on employee

performance to using recognition programs and even offering rewards like gift

cards, they actively reinforce the behaviors they want to see in the team.

Handling Turnover and Maintaining a Strong Culture

David and the team

discuss the role turnover plays when defining and sticking to core values. They

emphasize that turnover can be a positive thing when it means only those who

align with the company’s values remain. Michael, Jeremy, and Caleb share how

they’ve navigated turnover while ensuring their culture remains strong.

Practical Takeaways

At the end of each episode, the team provides downloadable resources, including

worksheets to help define and implement core values within your own agency.

Whether you’re building a new remote team or refining an existing one, these

resources are designed to help you put these principles into action.

To download the resources and read the full blog, visit: Core Values

Resources

In the coming weeks, David and the team will continue to

dive into the aspects of remote team management, focusing on culture,

connection, and team-building activities. Be sure to tune in for more practical

insights and actionable strategies to help you build a winning remote team.

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Unlocking the Future of Insurance Ops - with David LeFevre

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers

welcomes back David LeFevre

from Sales Power to dive into the

transformative role AI is playing in the insurance industry. They explore how

technology, specifically AI, can revolutionize data management, client

experience, and operational efficiency in insurance agencies.

David LeFevre

brings fresh insights into how AI can enhance agency processes by working

smarter with data, streamlining the interaction between agency management

systems and CRM platforms like HubSpot. They discuss the growing potential of

using AI to clean and unify agency data, making it cleaner, more accurate, and

easier to leverage for automation and decision-making.

Key Highlights:

The AI Revolution in Insurance

David unpacks the hype around AI, focusing on its real-world applications for

insurance agencies. From AI’s ability to assist with data-driven

decision-making to streamlining day-to-day operations, they discuss the growing

role of AI in enhancing agency performance.

The Role of Clean Data in AI Success

David LeFevre explains

the importance of good, unified data for AI systems to work effectively. He

shares how AI’s effectiveness is directly tied to data quality and why agencies

need to focus on having clean, well-maintained data for AI to deliver accurate

and valuable results.

HubSpot as a Comprehensive CRM Solution

The conversation shifts to the capabilities of HubSpot as an all-in-one

solution for insurance agencies. David LeFevre highlights how HubSpot,

integrated with agency management systems, is positioning itself as a viable

alternative to traditional AMS platforms. He explains how agencies can leverage

HubSpot to not only manage leads and client information but also streamline

their operational workflow.

PowerSync: Solving the Data Integration Problem

The episode dives deep into PowerSync, a product by Sales Power designed to

sync agency management systems with HubSpot. David and David discuss how

PowerSync solves the data integration problem, allowing agencies to have a

single, accurate source of truth for all client information across systems.

This integration enhances customer experience and provides a more streamlined

workflow.

AI-Driven Customer Service & Account Management

David shares how agencies can use HubSpot’s Service Hub combined with AI to

enhance client experience and improve account management. With features like

unified inboxes, AI assistance, and ticket management, agencies can respond to

customer needs faster, more efficiently, and with less room for human error.

The Importance of Continuous Data Cleanup

One of the challenges discussed in the episode is the need for continuous data

auditing and cleanup. David explains how agencies can use automation tools like

robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline this process and ensure that

data remains clean, even as it flows across multiple systems.

The Future of AI in Insurance

The conversation wraps up with a discussion on where the future of AI is headed

in the insurance industry. From sentiment analysis in customer interactions to

improved data management, David LeFevre emphasizes that AI’s potential is vast,

but agencies must first ensure they have the right infrastructure and clean

data in place to fully capitalize on it.

This episode is a must-listen for insurance agency owners

and leaders looking to integrate AI into their operations and harness the full

potential of clean, actionable data for driving growth and improving client

relationships.

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Cracking the Code on Producer Equity with Colby Allen

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers is

joined by Colby Allen

from Agency Brokerage Consultants

for an in-depth discussion on producer equity. This conversation picks up where

they left off in their previous episode on cracking the code of producer

compensation, diving into the nuances of equity, ownership, and how to properly

structure compensation plans for producers.

Colby

brings his expertise to the table, sharing insights into the challenges and

opportunities surrounding producer equity in the insurance industry. From

understanding the difference between ownership and equity to navigating

non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Colby breaks down the complex world

of producer equity and helps agency owners make smarter, more informed

decisions.

Key Highlights:

Producer Equity vs. Ownership

David and Colby

discuss the difference between true ownership and compensation plans that

resemble equity, clarifying what producers are really signing up for.

Perpetuating the Agency

Colby explains why producer equity should be viewed as a retention tool and how

it helps agencies transition successfully.

Deferred Compensation Plans

The duo talks about deferred compensation programs, or "golden

handcuffs," and how they impact recruitment and retention of talent in the

agency world.

Phantom Equity Explained

Colby breaks down

phantom equity, which mimics stock ownership without giving away actual shares,

and how it benefits producers.

Agency Size & Equity

The conversation touches on how the size of an agency affects the feasibility

of implementing equity programs.

Strategic Planning

Colby advises agency owners to structure their compensation plans carefully and

consult professionals to ensure compliance and avoid financial issues.

Equity for All Employees

David shares his

vision of including non-producers in equity programs, ensuring that long-term

employees are rewarded.

Tax & Compliance Considerations

Colby highlights the importance of adhering to tax and compliance rules when

setting up compensation programs.

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Building Your Book and Your Brand with Madison Baker

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers, David Carothers is joined by Madison Baker, Vice President at Marsh McLennan, to discuss her unique journey in the insurance industry, the power of building a personal brand, and the challenges and advantages of being a female producer in

a traditionally male-dominated field. Madison shares her story of entering the insurance world

through a path that was anything but traditional, finding her passion for risk management and production at an early stage. She talks about the critical role that LinkedIn has played in establishing her as an authority and how she’s used social media to build authentic connections and trust with clients and prospects.

Key Highlights:

Building a Personal Brand in Insurance

Madison emphasizes the

importance of investing in your personal brand. She discusses how standing out

as an individual producer can lead to better opportunities, stronger

relationships, and a more fulfilling career. She encourages producers to be

authentic, educational, and show their personalities on platforms like

LinkedIn, as your name and reputation are what ultimately drive success.

The Challenges of Being a Female Producer

Madison opens up about

the challenges she faced as a female producer in an industry that’s often

considered an “old boys’ club.” She reflects on how societal expectations, such

as the pressure to golf or drink at industry events, didn’t align with her

personal values. Instead, she leveraged her unique approach to

relationship-building, focusing on authenticity and mental clarity to set

herself apart.

Success Through Persistence and the Right Strategy

Madison explains how she went from a property broker to a successful producer

by honing her skills in client-facing roles, solving problems, and offering

value. She reflects on how finding the right client profile and developing

long-term relationships are more important than transactional sales tactics,

stressing that producers need to be patient and strategic in their approach.

The Power of Vulnerability and Authenticity

Throughout the conversation, Madison shares how her journey of giving up

alcohol has impacted her productivity, mental clarity, and confidence. She

discusses the benefits of being vulnerable and transparent with her audience on

LinkedIn, which has not only improved her business but also inspired others to

make healthier lifestyle changes.

Navigating the Industry’s Changing Landscape

As the conversation wraps up, Madison and David discuss the

evolving nature of the insurance industry, how agencies and producers can

better support their people, and the need to focus on quality over quantity

when it comes to producer development. Madison offers insights into how being

an authentic leader and creating space for personal growth can help producers

thrive in this competitive industry.

This episode is packed with valuable insights for anyone

looking to redefine their career in insurance, build a lasting personal brand,

and succeed in the fast-paced world of sales.

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Cracking the Code on Producer Compensation with Colby Allen

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives

into a crucial topic that every agency principal and producer need to hear: Producer

Compensation and Producer Equity. Joining him is Colby Allen, VP of Agency

Consulting and Valuation for Agency

Brokerage Consultants, who brings his expert insight into the complexities

of agency compensation models, including how to attract and retain

top-producing talent through the right mix of pay and equity.

David shares his personal experiences transitioning from the

retail industry into insurance, and how those early struggles shaped his

approach to compensation and agency culture. Colby, on the other hand,

provides an objective perspective based on working with hundreds of independent

agencies, and discusses what truly drives success for producers in today’s

competitive market.

Key Highlights:

Producer Compensation Models

David and Colby

discuss the wide variation in compensation plans across agencies, emphasizing

the need to align producer pay with long-term agency success.

Setting Producers Up for Success

Colby highlights the

importance of systems and support to enable producers to thrive, rather than

just offering a higher commission rate.

The Role of Producers Beyond Sales

David talks about the frustration of producers being given a Rolodex without

adequate training or leadership, while Colby stresses the broader role

producers play in maintaining relationships.

The Impact of Agency Margins

Colby explains how agency margins influence compensation. Agencies with more

resources can offer lower commissions while still helping producers succeed.

Equity as a Retention Tool

Colby discusses how offering equity or ownership can help retain top talent,

with clear agreements in place for buy-sell terms.

The Entrepreneurial Producer Mindset

David and Colby emphasize that good producers want more than a paycheck—they

want the opportunity for growth and ownership.

Connect with:

Colby Allen LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

Visit Websites:

Dreyev Fleet Costs

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David

Carothers sits down with the team from Dreyev,

an innovative solution transforming fleet safety and risk management. The team—Frank Centner, Roberto Sicconi, and Giancarlo

Stanton—shares how Dreyev’s cutting-edge technology can help producers

reduce the total cost of risk for fleet accounts, all while improving safety

and performance.

Dreyev offers a unique

approach to risk management by using AI-driven video analytics and telematics

to monitor and coach drivers in real time. Whether it’s improving the behavior

of fleet drivers or mitigating the risks associated with distracted or drowsy

driving, Dreyev provides a comprehensive solution for any fleet operator.

Key Highlights:

The Need for Safer Fleet Operations

The team discusses the challenges fleet managers face in ensuring their drivers

remain safe and the tools available to better monitor and influence driver

behavior. With Dreyev, fleet owners can track driving behaviors like speeding,

harsh braking, and distracted driving, and provide instant coaching to improve

performance.

The Technology Behind Dreyev

Frank Centner explains his decision to join the Dreyev team, after being impressed by its

ability to improve commercial automobile safety. By combining human-machine

interfaces with AI, Dreyev gives fleet drivers a “co-pilot” to enhance safety,

track risks, and reduce costly incidents in real time.

Solving the Problem, Not Just Selling a Product

David emphasizes how agents and producers need to focus on solving problems

rather than simply selling products. Dreyev offers a tangible solution to a

serious problem within the fleet industry: how to reduce risky behavior on the

road and minimize losses while providing a competitive edge at the point of

sale.

Real-Time Feedback & Driver Scoring

Roberto Sicconi

explains how Dreyev's real-time feedback system improves driver performance and

safety, with scoring systems that track risky behavior and provide positive

reinforcement for safe driving. He highlights how contextual alerts for things

like drowsiness or distracted driving lead to safer outcomes and long-term

improvement.

Fleet Safety and Insurance Premiums

The conversation dives into how the insurance industry is changing and how

adopting proactive risk management strategies can help reduce premiums.

Dreyev’s technology allows fleet owners to prove their commitment to safety,

leading to improved underwriting outcomes and cost savings.

The Cost of Safety

With a price point as low as $17 a month for individual drivers, the team

stresses how Dreyev is an affordable,

effective solution that reduces total cost of risk. For larger fleets, the

solution is scalable, offering real-time monitoring and customizable reports

that can drive down the cost of insurance and improve overall fleet safety.

Behavior-Based Risk Management

David concludes by discussing the importance of behavior-based risk management

and how Dreyev helps monitor, correct, and reward drivers for safe behavior.

With the ability to track progress over time, this system offers fleet owners

and producers a comprehensive, measurable way to reduce risk, improve outcomes,

and build better, safer fleets.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the fleet

management or commercial insurance industry looking for a real solution to

reducing risk, improving driver behavior, and driving down costs.

Connect with:

Giancarlo

Stanton LinkedIn

Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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Charismatic Contract Review with Noelle McCall

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers dives

deep with Noelle

McCall from Contract Risk

Academy to explore the crucial topic of contract review and how insurance

agents can add value by properly reviewing contracts for their clients. Noelle,

with her impressive background in commercial insurance and contract management,

breaks down how producers can avoid common pitfalls in contract review and

offer true consulting to their clients.

Noelle

shares her journey from starting in personal lines to becoming an expert in

contract review, eventually leading the creation of Contract Risk Academy. She

explains how agents can navigate contract language, identify gaps in insurance

coverage, and become the trusted advisor clients need. This episode highlights

the importance of understanding additional insured endorsements, contractual

liability, and the critical nature of reviewing contracts before clients sign

them.

Key Points:

The Role of Contract Review in Risk Management

Noelle discusses how contract review can be a game changer for insurance

agents, helping them go beyond policy placement and providing true consulting

services. This can lead to better client retention and differentiation in a

crowded market.

Common Contract Pitfalls

Noelle

identifies some of the most common mistakes agents make in contract review,

especially when dealing with additional insured endorsements. She provides

invaluable insights on how to properly manage these endorsements to avoid

uninsured losses and potential E&O risks.

The Importance of Being a Trusted Advisor

Instead of simply selling policies, Noelle emphasizes the need for insurance

agents to position themselves as trusted advisors. By understanding contract

language and insurance requirements, agents can help clients avoid coverage

gaps and better manage their risks.

Contract Risk Academy

Noelle explains how Contract Risk Academy is helping agents and brokers learn

how to properly review contracts, offering tools, templates, and live coaching

to ensure they're providing the best value to their clients.

AI and Contract Review

Noelle

talks about the potential for AI in the contract review process, including

tools like Evident ID that help automate the review of insurance certificates

and endorsements. She shares how these technologies can help save time and

reduce the chances of overlooking critical coverage gaps.

This episode is packed with essential insights for insurance

producers who want to elevate their practice and provide real value to their

clients. Whether you're new to contract review or looking to refine your

approach, Noelle’s expertise is a must-listen.

Noelle is offering a $1,000 discount on Contract Risk Academy for a limited

time—check the link for more details:

https://www.contractriskacademy.com/power/

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Leadership Lessons and Midlife Fulfillment with Bernie Borges

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers

welcomes a longtime friend and mentor, Bernie Borges, back to the

show for an insightful conversation on leadership, fulfillment, and creating a

culture of engaged employees. Bernie shares his journey

from marketing expert to developing a leadership framework that focuses on

helping leaders empower their teams to achieve both personal and professional

fulfillment.

David and Bernie dive deep

into the difference between happiness and fulfillment, and why fulfillment, a

deeper, more enduring sense of satisfaction, should be the ultimate goal for

leaders. Bernie explains how his Fulfillment-Centric Leadership Framework

has been designed to help leaders support their teams in reaching their fullest

potential, resulting in more engaged, loyal, and productive employees.

This episode is packed with real-world advice on how leaders

can navigate the modern workforce by focusing on fulfillment, recognizing the

value of personal relationships, and creating a work environment that fosters

achievement at all levels. Bernie also opens up about his experiences

developing this framework, the challenges he’s faced, and the incredible

feedback he’s received from both individuals and organizations looking to make

a positive impact in their workplaces.

Key Points:

Happiness vs. Fulfillment

Bernie explains the

difference between happiness (fleeting emotion) and fulfillment (deep, lasting

achievement), and why leaders should prioritize fulfillment.

The Five Key Life Pillars

Bernie introduces the Five Pillars: health, fitness, career, relationships, and

legacy, and how leaders can use them to guide teams towards fulfillment.

The Fulfillment-Centric Leadership Framework

Bernie outlines a 10-step leadership framework to help leaders assess their own

fulfillment and lead teams with conscious competence.

Addressing Employee Disengagement

With 77% of the workforce disengaged, Bernie advocates for leaders to focus on

personal and professional fulfillment to boost engagement and productivity.

The Power of Leadership That Understands Fulfillment

Bernie shares a story

of how understanding an employee’s needs and offering support led to greater

productivity and career success.

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Somewhere Over the Rainbow with Brennen Grone

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Brennen Grone, EVP of Sales at Rainbow, an InsureTech MGA specializing in restaurant coverage. They dive deep into the world of InsureTech, underwriting flexibility, and how Rainbow is redefining the insurance experience for agents looking to place complex risks. Brennen shares insights into the company's growth, their unique approach to risk selection, and why independent agents should pay attention to emerging tech-driven solutions in commercial insurance.

Key Takeaways:

From Decline to Bind

Brennen shares real-life examples of how Rainbow’s hybrid underwriting approach—leveraging both technology and human expertise—turns complex risks into bound policies. Learn how agents can work with their underwriting team to get tough placements across the finish line.

The Restaurant Insurance Niche

Why did Rainbow double down on restaurant insurance, and what makes them different from other carriers? Brennen explains how they’ve built a streamlined quoting process while providing deeper underwriting flexibility, making them a top choice for agents specializing in hospitality.

Why InsureTech Isn’t Just About Speed

While many InsureTechs focus solely on quick bindable coverage, Rainbow’s model balances automation with human insight, ensuring that risks are properly priced and covered. They discuss why this approach matters in a hard market and how it helps agents win more business.

Building a Differentiation Strategy for Agents

David and Brennen talk about how independent agents can leverage InsureTech solutions to stand out. From unique underwriting models to client education tools, they cover how producers can create a competitive edge that goes beyond price.

Overcoming Brand Objections in Sales

New carrier names can sometimes create friction at the point of sale. Brennen and David discuss strategies to build trust with clients, handle objections, and position carriers like Rainbow as valuable partners—even when the insured has never heard of them before.

The Future of MGA Innovation

Beyond restaurants, what’s next for Rainbow? Brennen shares insights into their expansion plans, including new specialty programs in beauty & wellness, body piercing studios, and more. He also hints at the future of tech-enabled quoting, self-service tools, and expansion into new states.

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The Psychology of Bestsellers with Michael Drew

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Michael Drew, a publishing expert with an astonishing track record—131 consecutive books placed on the New York Times bestseller list. Michael shares the insider strategies he’s developed over decades in the industry, helping authors not only publish their books but also build powerful marketing platforms that drive real influence. Together, they unpack the process of turning ideas into successful books, the importance of audience engagement, and why simply making a bestseller list isn’t enough to sustain long-term success. If you’ve ever thought about writing a book to enhance your authority, grow your business, or share your expertise, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Key Points:

The Reality of Bestseller Lists

Michael explains how New York Times and other bestseller lists work—and why they’re about more than just book sales.

Beyond Writing: The Power of Marketing

A great book isn’t enough. Michael shares because thought leadership, audience engagement, and smart marketing drive long-term success.

Understanding Your Audience

Using Hollywood-style buyer personas, Michael helps authors connect deeply with readers to create lasting impact.

Why Bestseller Status Alone Won’t Cut It

Hitting a bestseller list won’t magically change your business—Michael explains the real strategies that make an impact.

Time vs. Money: Focus on What You Do Best

David and Michael discuss why outsourcing book marketing (or any specialized work) leads to better results and long-term growth.

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From Abacus to AI in Agency Accounting with Crystal Temple Frawley

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives into a topic that every insurance producer cares about—commissions. But instead of breaking it down himself, he brings in the expert who handles it all: Crystal Temple Frawley from The Pemberley Group. Crystal, a seasoned insurance accounting professional, shares her insights on agency bill, commission reconciliation, and the technology that’s reshaping bookkeeping for insurance agencies. She discusses the unique challenges agencies face when managing their books, the common pitfalls of relying on generic bookkeeping services, and the importance of leveraging specialized expertise. The conversation also touches on how advancements in automation and AI are streamlining commission reconciliation, saving agencies time, and ensuring financial accuracy.

Key Points:

Mastering Commission Reconciliation

David and Crystal discuss why commission reconciliation is one of the most critical yet challenging aspects of agency accounting. Crystal explains how audits, tracking, and technology can help agencies ensure they’re getting paid accurately—and on time.

The Role of Technology in Bookkeeping

The insurance industry has long struggled with outdated processes, but Crystal highlights how technology is finally catching up. From automation to AI-driven commission tracking, she shares how modern tools can eliminate inefficiencies and reduce costly errors.

Outsourcing vs. DIY Accounting

Crystal breaks down when an agency should consider outsourcing bookkeeping rather than managing it in-house. She explains why using generic accounting services like QuickBooks Live often leads to costly cleanup work and why specialized expertise is essential for accurate financial management.

The Human Element in Financial Oversight

Despite technological advancements, Crystal emphasizes that human expertise is irreplaceable when it comes to financial oversight. She explains how automated tools can handle data entry, but strategic decision-making and financial analysis still require a hands-on approach from an experienced bookkeeper.

Knowing When It’s Time to Delegate

David and Crystal explore how agency owners often hesitate to outsource financial management, believing they can handle it themselves. Crystal explains the signs that indicate it’s time to delegate bookkeeping—like spending more time reconciling commissions than selling policies.

If you’re an agency owner wondering how to streamline your financial processes, ensure accurate commission reconciliation, and make smarter decisions with your accounting, this episode is packed with valuable insights you won’t want to miss.

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The Inertia of Legacy with Chris Cline

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers kicks off the new year with an insightful conversation featuring Chris Cline, author of The Inertia of Legacy. They dive into the book’s core themes—how individuals and businesses can shape their own legacy by embracing intentional change rather than remaining stuck in routine. Chris shares his unconventional journey from a fine art major to leading distribution for an insurance company, illustrating how creativity and problem-solving can transform traditional industries. The discussion explores the intersection of structure and innovation, the evolving role of independent agencies, and why legacy should be seen as an ongoing process rather than an outcome.

Key Points:

Creativity Meets Strategy

Chris Cline’s transition from graphic design to insurance leadership highlights the value of unconventional perspectives in structured industries. He and David discuss how creative problem-solving within existing frameworks leads to innovation and long-term success.

The Power of Intentional Change

Cline introduces the Inertia of Legacy concept, explaining how individuals and businesses often default to inaction unless external forces push them forward. He emphasizes taking control of one’s direction through intentional action rather than waiting for change to happen.

Independent Agencies & Industry Evolution

Chris reflects on his move to the Big I, where he now works to support independent agencies on a national scale. He discusses the challenges and opportunities agents face as technology reshapes the industry, emphasizing the importance of adaptability.

Content Creation & AI’s Role in Business Growth

David and Chris also touch on AI’s impact on content creation, from writing books to automating sales training. They discuss how AI can enhance efficiency while still requiring a human touch to ensure authenticity and value.

This episode is packed with insights on leadership, legacy, and the future of the insurance industry. Whether you're an agency owner, a business leader, or someone navigating career shifts, there’s something valuable to take away.

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It's More Than a Job with Alan Versteeg

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers, David Carothers sits down with Alan Versteeg from Growth Matters International, bringing in fresh perspectives on sales from outside the insurance industry. Some of the best sales strategies come from those who aren't in the daily grind, and Alan delivers just new ideas, different approaches, and a mindset shift that can elevate any producer’s book of business.

Key Points:

Sales is a Profession, not a Job

Alan shares how his early failures in sales came from treating it as a job rather than a craft. Success came when he started studying sales as a profession, starting with psychology.

Great Salespeople Don’t Always Make Great Leaders

David and Alan discuss the mistake of promoting top sales producers into leadership roles without proper training. Sales leadership requires an entirely different skill set.

Sell Perspectives, Not Just Products

Successful salespeople don’t push products—they shift mindsets. Instead of focusing on price, they educate and guide prospects toward long-term solutions.

Conviction Drives Sales Success

Alan emphasizes that confidence in sales starts with belief in what you sell. When you have conviction in your value, persuasion comes naturally.

The Pipeline Problem

David warns that many producers fail because they don’t consistently prospect. A strong pipeline prevents reliance on hard market conditions for success.

Sales Leadership is the Missing Link

Many sales teams underperform due to weak leadership, not lack of effort. Sales managers should focus on impact, not just numbers.

Final Takeaway:

Sales isn’t about transactions—it’s about trust, conviction, and long-term impact. Treat it like a profession, invest in leadership, and success will follow.

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There's More than Maple Syrup in Vermont with Drew & Alan Kinney

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:37:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers takes a deep dive into the journey of Drew and Alan Kinney, owners of Kinney Insurance, as they share their experience in transforming a family agency into a modern, digitally driven business. From humble beginnings without a website to scaling into a multi-location operation with a strong online presence, the Kinneys discuss the challenges and strategies behind their success.

Key Points:

From Tradition to Innovation

Drew and Alan share how they took over their family agency and modernized it, transitioning from outdated processes to a digital-first approach.

Building a Strong Online Presence

The Kinneys emphasize the importance of consistent branding and digital marketing in scaling their business and attracting clients.

Scaling While Maintaining Culture

Expanding to three locations and 22 employees required structured systems and leadership to maintain efficiency and company culture.

The Power of Succession Planning

They discuss the need for clear roles, leadership development, and long-term planning to ensure sustainable agency growth.

Adapting to Market Challenges

The brothers share strategies for navigating industry shifts, leveraging technology, and improving operational efficiency.

Registration Link for AON Sales Accelerator Series:

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/226f199d-45cc-49ff-9a94-bcb86976d81b@94cfddbc-0627-494a-ad7a-29aea3aea832

Webinar Link:

//www.aonprograms.com/webinar

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Mastering Niche Development Session 3

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives into an overlooked strategy for building credibility and positioning yourself as an expert—getting published. He shares insights on leveraging niche industry publications, self-publishing books, and using content marketing as a powerful tool to generate inbound opportunities. David emphasizes that credibility isn’t about being the most well-known—it’s about being the most trusted, and one of the fastest ways to build trust is by putting valuable knowledge in front of your ideal audience.

Key Points:

Industry Publications as an Untapped Opportunity

Most industry magazines lack content on safety, insurance, and risk management. David explains how offering well-written articles can establish credibility, create new business opportunities, and even lead to ongoing contributor roles.

The Power of Self-Publishing

Publishing a book isn’t as complicated or expensive as people think. David shares how niche professionals can self-publish books for minimal cost, control their audience data, and use them as high-value marketing assets.

Maximizing Content Repurposing

A single webinar, blog series, or podcast can be repackaged into multiple formats—books, emails, short-form videos, and more. David outlines how professionals can leverage this approach to create a steady stream of valuable content.

Building a Captive for Long-Term Gains

For those looking to take niche expertise further, David discusses how captive insurance models allow agencies to retain underwriting profits, offering a smarter way to manage risk while increasing revenue.

Next Episode: Making Trade Shows Work

David previews next week’s topic—how to turn trade shows into high-value lead generators rather than just handing out business cards. He’ll break down strategies to maximize return on time and money spent.

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Farming Insurance Opportunities with Terren Moore

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Terren Moore, founder and owner of MFI Agency, to discuss the unique challenges of closing out the year in a hard market while balancing the distractions of the holiday season. With just a few weeks left in the year, many businesses start slowing down—while top producers are pushing harder than ever. David and Terren dive into what it takes to maintain momentum and close the year strong, while also reflecting on Terren’s journey from Texas Farm Bureau to launching his own agency in 2021.

Key Points:

Navigating the Hard Market & Holiday Slowdown

David and Terren discuss the difficulties of prospecting and closing deals as the year winds down. While many clients shift their focus to holiday planning, top producers stay aggressive, ensuring a strong pipeline going into the next quarter. Terren shares his experience of pushing through the seasonal slowdown and how discipline plays a key role in overcoming market challenges.

Building an Agency with a Long-Term Vision

Terren reflects on his decision to leave a stable salary at Farm Bureau to start MFI Agency in the middle of COVID-19. He highlights the importance of financial independence, learning from experienced agency owners, and making strategic moves to build a business that thrives despite industry challenges.

Farming, Business, and Lessons in Patience

A first-generation farmer, Terren shares how his passion for agriculture led him to create AgriStar, a nonprofit that helps young farmers get started in agriculture. He discusses how the discipline and patience required in farming—planting, nurturing, and waiting for a harvest—closely mirror the process of growing an insurance book of business.

The Power of Niching Down

With agriculture as a massive industry, Terren is working to refine his niche, focusing on farm insurance solutions that go beyond policy sales. He emphasizes the lack of agent education in farm insurance, particularly in areas like workers’ compensation and the H-2A visa program, where proper coverage is essential for compliance and financial security. By leveraging industry knowledge and relationships, he aims to offer real value beyond just price.

Creating a Competitive Edge in Farm Insurance

David and Terren discuss the challenges of underwriting agricultural risks, where many mainstream carriers struggle to provide competitive options. They explore how data, risk assessments, and industry-specific reporting can give farm owners better insights into cost-saving opportunities, making insurance about profitability and sustainability rather than just coverage.

The Power of Community in Business Growth

Terren shares how his involvement in FFA (Future Farmers of America) introduced him to farming and later helped him connect with agricultural clients. He recalls how word-of-mouth referrals have become a driving force in his business, with one client turning into multiple opportunities simply by showing up and offering value.

Final Thoughts: David and Terren wrap up the episode with insights on how discipline, strategic planning, and niche expertise can turn a challenging market into an opportunity. As 2025 approaches, the key to success lies in proactive prospecting, continuous learning, and positioning yourself as an industry authority.

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Mastering Niche Development Session 2

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers dives into the art of tailoring solutions for clients and prospects, emphasizing the importance of operational insights alongside insurance expertise. He breaks down strategies for creating value through differentiation, building industry-specific niches, and leveraging tools and resources to position yourself as a true advisor in your client’s business.

Key Points:

Tailored Solutions Beyond Insurance

Address operational challenges, like safety programs or compliance, to build trust and go beyond just selling policies.

Stand Out in a Hard Market

Differentiate yourself through industry-specific content, personalized marketing, and proactive problem-solving.

Build Credible Niches

Develop 3-5 focused niches aligned with your expertise, using tools like SEO and vanity domains to drive engagement.

Maximize Trade Shows and Content

Leverage trade events and evergreen content like blogs and videos to showcase expertise and attract leads.

Commit to Lifelong Learning

Invest in continuing education and industry knowledge to build trust and position yourself as an advisor.

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Making your Online Brand Top-Tier with Daniel Wakefield

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with photographer and “first impression architect” Daniel Wakefield to discuss how powerful headshots can elevate a producer’s personal brand. Daniel shares the backstory of his transition from high-school science teacher to professional headshot photographer, explaining how his passion for genuine human expression drives him to capture that perfect, confidence-boosting shot. David and Daniel also talk about how stellar imagery can set producers apart on platforms like LinkedIn, foster stronger connections, and open doors to speaking engagements and leadership opportunities.

Key Points:

From Hobby to Business
Daniel reveals how wildlife photography piqued his interest in capturing real human emotions—eventually leading him to study under renowned headshot photographer Peter Hurley. This drive for authenticity now shapes his entire approach to building standout personal brands.
The Power of a Confident Image
David and Daniel emphasize how a headshot that reflects genuine warmth and approachability can spark curiosity, convey professionalism, and differentiate producers from the sea of generic online profiles—particularly on LinkedIn.
Personal Branding and Storytelling
Daniel illustrates how posting truly engaging images on social media fosters deeper connections than mere self-promotion. David underscores the value of contributing to community and highlighting the successes of others to grow one’s own presence and credibility.
Speaking Engagements and Marketing Collateral
Through examples with clients like Ciara Gravier, Daniel highlights how top-tier photos help secure keynote spots, stand out at conferences, and broadcast an executive or producer’s readiness to deliver tangible value.
Going Beyond the Studio
Daniel explains that his services extend well beyond Florida. Traveling nationwide, he recreates studio setups within agencies and corporate offices, ensuring each final image reflects a subject’s best angle—and best professional self.

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Mastering Niche Development Session 1

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers dives deep into the art of building niches for agencies while balancing the benefits of specialization with the versatility of generalist strategies. With actionable advice, he breaks down how agencies can create impactful niches without putting all their eggs in one basket, emphasizing long-term sustainability and strategic growth.

Key Points:

The Importance of Building a Niche

David Carothers advocates for creating three to five complementary niches that align with an agency's expertise and market opportunities. He stresses the importance of becoming a credible authority within these niches while cautioning against over-specialization that could leave agencies vulnerable in volatile markets. Producers should develop expertise that enables them to stand out and deliver tailored solutions for clients.

Balancing Generalist and Specialist Approaches

While niches offer credibility and focused growth, David explains that agencies benefit from maintaining a generalist structure with specialized producers. This hybrid approach ensures agencies can attract a wide audience through broad marketing efforts while offering deep expertise when prospects become clients.

Branding and Credibility

David highlights the power of branding to establish instant credibility with prospects. By using targeted vanity domains and building niche-specific landing pages, agencies can position themselves as experts in specific industries. He shares examples of how a producer’s consistent branding—like Jim DeWitt's Taco Tuesday posts—can build recognition and even inspire niche opportunities, such as insuring Mexican food trucks or restaurants.

Content Strategy and Website Optimization

David underscores the critical role of a well-developed website and evergreen content. He explains how blogs, videos, and dynamic content can enhance SEO, improve engagement, and attract niche-specific leads. Using tools like AI for content outlines or creating video-first strategies, agencies can generate valuable assets to drive traffic and conversions.

Measuring Success

David concludes by stressing the importance of measuring campaign success not through likes or impressions but through actionable metrics like bounce rates, time spent on site, and conversions. He emphasizes that investing time in website development and content creation is a crucial step toward long-term growth and profitability.

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From Claims to Crushing the Production Game with Rocio Luna

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

This episode of Power Producers Podcast featured Rocio Luna, a workers' compensation expert with a claims background, who discussed her journey from claims management to becoming a producer. Rocio shared insights into how her psychology studies and claims experience equipped her with the empathy and problem-solving skills necessary for success in sales.

Key Points:

Transition from Claims to Sales:

Rocio described how her claims background gave her a unique perspective and the tools to address clients’ concerns effectively, particularly in high-risk industries like construction and staffing.

Challenges in Sales:

Rocio shared the hurdles she faced as a young female producer entering a male-dominated industry, including imposter syndrome and the difficulty of establishing a personal brand.

Workers' Compensation Strategies: She emphasized the importance of understanding loss runs, controlling experience modifications, and helping clients make data-driven decisions over emotional ones to reduce total cost of risk.

Building a Personal Brand:

Rocio discussed how leveraging social media, particularly LinkedIn, transformed her approach to client engagement and established her as a thought leader.

Key Advice for New Producers:

Rocio stressed the importance of focusing on clients’ needs, being persistent, and starting each day fresh, regardless of previous setbacks.

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The Only Job I've Had with Andrew Kelly

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Andrew Kelly from AJ Wayne & Associates, Inc, a seasoned wholesaler specializing in professional liability. Together, they dive into the evolving landscape of professional exposures and the critical role wholesalers play in supporting producers and navigating the hardest market many have ever experienced. From Andrew’s inspiring 21-year journey in the industry to actionable advice for retail agents, this conversation offers valuable insights for anyone looking to sharpen their approach to professional liability.

Key Points:

Andrew Kelly’s Journey

Andrew shares his unique path from an admin role to becoming a trusted wholesaler, emphasizing the value of mentorship, persistence, and continuous learning.

The Importance of Complete Submissions

Andrew highlights how detailed, well-prepared submissions can foster better partnerships with wholesalers and lead to more efficient and effective results.

The Role of Education and Designations

Both David and Andrew stress the significance of professional designations like RPLU, CPCU, and others in building expertise and trust in the industry.

Navigating the Hard Market

The discussion explores strategies to thrive in today’s challenging insurance market, from focusing on relationship-building with underwriters to leveraging market conditions to differentiate as a producer.

The Power of Partnerships

Andrew emphasizes that insurance works best as a collaborative effort between agents, wholesalers, and underwriters, underlining the importance of mutual respect and long-term relationship investment.

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My Cyber Sense is Tingling with Ryan Smith

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Ryan Smith, founder of RLS Consulting, to discuss the evolving world of cybersecurity and how insurance professionals can better navigate this complex space. Drawing on Ryan’s extensive experience, they delve into actionable strategies for producers to engage clients on cyber risk, overcome objections, and build meaningful solutions that go beyond the policy.

Key Points:

The Intersection of Cybersecurity and Insurance

Ryan highlights how cybersecurity and cyber liability are complementary solutions addressing the same problem: mitigating and transferring cyber risk. Understanding both perspectives helps producers connect the dots and provide more value to clients.

Education Over Fear

The conversation emphasizes the importance of educating clients about their cyber risks without resorting to fear-based selling. Producers are encouraged to focus on business impacts rather than technical vulnerabilities, fostering a consultative approach.

Assessing Risk and Incident Preparedness

Ryan shares insights on helping clients assess their cyber risks and prepare for incidents. He stresses the importance of asking key questions about incident response plans, compliance requirements, and the company’s readiness for cyber threats.

Shifting Client Mindsets

The discussion tackles common objections, such as overconfidence in IT departments or the belief that “it won’t happen to us.” Ryan suggests producers approach these scenarios with empathy and education, aligning solutions with clients’ business priorities.

Valuable Resources for Producers

Ryan points to trusted industry reports, such as Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report and IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, as tools to support client conversations and reinforce the importance of proactive cyber risk management.

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Selling from the Heart with Larry Levine

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Larry Levine, author of Selling from the Heart and Selling in a Post-Trust World, to discuss authenticity, self-awareness, and the evolving landscape of sales. Larry shares his journey from selling office equipment to becoming a thought leader in building heart-centered sales cultures. Together, they explore the importance of investing in relationships, fostering genuine connections, and the discipline required for consistent success.

Key Points:

Sales Beyond Numbers

Larry emphasizes the value of discovering your authentic self and aligning it with your sales approach to create meaningful client relationships.

The Power of Mentorship

Both David and Larry share personal stories about seeking mentorship early in their careers and how vulnerability and curiosity opened doors to growth.

Heart-Centered Leadership

Larry introduces the concept of heart-centered leadership, highlighting the need for alignment between leadership values and sales team culture.

Daily Discipline and Reflection

Larry discusses his practice of intentional daily routines and journaling to capture wins, learning moments, and areas of improvement, fostering personal and professional growth.

Upcoming Projects

Larry teases his upcoming podcast, Culture from the Heart, which will spotlight CEOs and business leaders who exemplify heart-centered leadership.

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A True Cyber Specialist with Joseph Erle

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Joe Erle from C3 Insurance in San Diego to dive deep into the world of cyber insurance. From navigating ransomware attacks to exploring the evolving threat landscape, the conversation covers practical strategies, trends, and insights to help agencies and businesses stay ahead in a rapidly changing digital world. Joe shares his expertise on the critical role of cyber coverage, emerging AI threats, and the need for proactive planning.

Key Points:

Cyber Insurance in Focus

Joe Erle discusses why cyber insurance is the most critical coverage today, sharing real-life cases and strategies to mitigate risks like ransomware and social engineering.

Emerging Threats and AI

The conversation highlights how hackers are leveraging AI for phishing, voice cloning, and malware, creating new challenges for businesses.

Practical Cyber Solutions

David and Joe explore tools like CyberCube, multi-factor authentication, and incident response plans to strengthen businesses’ defenses.

Industry Trends and Market Insights

Joe sheds light on the soft cyber insurance market and why businesses should seize the opportunity to secure comprehensive coverage now.

A Look Ahead

The episode concludes with a teaser for future discussions, including a deep dive into conspiracy theories surrounding AI and cybersecurity.

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A Conversation we Need to Have with Brenden Corr and Justin Goodman

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers takes a bold step outside the box to discuss an often avoided yet critical topic: Mental Health. Joined by Brenden Corr of The Loss Runs Pros and Justin Goodman of Total CSR, David dives into their passion-driven initiative, Project 55. The conversation highlights the growing openness around personal struggles on platforms like LinkedIn, emphasizing the need for real, vulnerable discussions on topics such as ADHD, alcoholism, anxiety, and depression.

Brenden and Justin share their mission to bring awareness, resources, and actionable support to those struggling in silence, as well as the impact that building a supportive community can have in workplaces and beyond.

Key Points:

Breaking the Silence on Mental Health

David, Brenden, and Justin discuss the importance of addressing mental health openly, sharing personal stories to inspire vulnerability and connection.

Introducing Project 55

Project 55 is a new nonprofit initiative aiming to equip individuals with mental health first responder training, providing tools to identify and support coworkers or loved ones struggling with mental health issues.

Community and Resources

Brenden and Justin highlight their vision for an online community where individuals can access free resources, share experiences, and find guidance without stigma or fear.

The Workplace Impact

The conversation underscores how mental health challenges affect productivity and team dynamics, particularly in high-pressure industries like insurance. Project 55 offers practical solutions to address these challenges at the grassroots level.

How to Get Involved

Listeners are encouraged to visit Project55.org to join the community and stay updated on the comprehensive training program launching in April 2025.

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A Better Agency Provides a Better Client Experience

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this special episode of Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers sits down with Nicholas Ayers from Glovebox to discuss the recent acquisition of Better Agency by Glovebox and what it means for the insurance industry. David shares his insights as an investor and friend, focusing on the impact this partnership will have on both companies, their customers, and the broader market. With reflections on entrepreneurship, growth, and innovation, this episode offers a deep dive into the journey of building something meaningful and adapting to change.

Key Points:

Acquisition Insights

Nicholas Ayers shares his journey with Better Agency, reflecting on its evolution and the sentimental yet optimistic transition into Glovebox’s ecosystem.

The Power of Synergy

David and Nicholas discuss how combining Glovebox and Better Agency creates a stronger, more versatile platform for agencies and their clients.

Technology’s Role in Service

Nicholas emphasizes the shift from “just a mobile app” to a robust client experience platform, redefining service delivery and customer engagement.

Entrepreneurial Growth and Reflection

Both David and Nicholas share personal experiences on the challenges, growth, and mindset shifts required to navigate the entrepreneurial journey.

Future of Client Experience

The conversation teases upcoming features, including CRM capabilities, enhanced client interaction tools, and a seamless integration with carrier systems, set to revolutionize agency operations.

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Data Driven Prospecting with Insurance X-Date

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers welcomes Rob Gifford and Dan Abercrombie from Insurance Xdate. The trio dives into the journey of building an innovative tool for commercial insurance producers, exploring how Insurance Xdate simplifies pipeline management and prospecting. From leveraging data insights to overcoming challenges in a competitive market, Rob and Dan share actionable strategies and lessons from their experiences, making this a must-listen for producers looking to refine their sales game.

Key Points:

Innovative Pipeline Management

Rob and Dan discuss the inspiration behind Insurance Xdate and how it transforms prospecting with its seamless data aggregation and actionable insights.

Building Credibility Through Data

Rob shares how using rate filings and market-specific data gave him a competitive edge early in his career and how that philosophy drives the platform’s design today.

Navigating Hard Markets

The conversation highlights strategies for producers to stay proactive during market shifts, including the importance of consistent prospecting and leveraging tools to maximize efficiency.

Lessons in Collaboration

Rob and Dan reflect on the value of collaboration within the Power Producers and Killing Commercial communities, emphasizing the benefits of shared strategies and tools.

Entrepreneurial Insights

Dan shares his journey of entrepreneurial successes and failures, showcasing how adaptability and innovation can lead to game-changing solutions in the insurance industry.

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Sivan Iram - The New Breed of Wholesaler

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers talks with Sivan Iram from Flow Specialty. They discuss Flow Specialty’s innovative approach to using AI in insurance to enhance wholesale relationships, improve underwriting response times, and reduce operational friction for agents. Flow Specialty combines human expertise with AI-driven tools to speed up quote turnaround and improve accuracy without requiring agents to use portals. Sivan highlights that Flow’s AI is an internal tool supporting brokers rather than replacing them, positioning the company as a "caddy" for agents. Flow’s AI manages various tasks, such as analyzing quotes, market insights, and carrier communications. This combination allows agents to handle complex insurance transactions efficiently and frees up time to focus on larger accounts.

Key Points:

Introduction to Sivan Iram and Flow

David Carothers introduces Sivan Iram from Flow, highlighting producer challenges with traditional wholesalers. Sivan shares his transition from software to innovating traditional industries. Founded three and a half years ago, Flow provides enterprise-level service to mid-market and small commercial spaces, addressing inefficiencies like slow responses and lack of expertise through AI.

Flow's Approach to Wholesale Efficiency

Flow uses algorithmic underwriting and API integrations for faster turnaround. Acting as a "quarterback," Flow manages submissions and automates tasks traditionally done by retailers. Unlike wholesalers, Flow takes full ownership of the process.

User Experience with Flow

Sivan explains Flow’s AI agents offer speed, expertise, and tailored insights for brokers. These agents analyze quotes, compare options, and communicate with carriers, enhancing brokers' work without replacing them.

Addressing AI Concerns

David compares AI to a golf caddy, supporting rather than replacing people. Sivan agrees, noting that Flow reduces portal fatigue while keeping human oversight. Agents appreciate AI's ability to deliver faster, better service without compromising expertise.

Growth and Future of Flow

Flow is growing rapidly, tripling revenue monthly and signing 60+ agencies. With a strong carrier network and investments in technology, Flow balances human expertise with AI-driven insights, providing unmatched market value.

Conclusion and Call to Action

David encourages listeners to try Flow and highlights its potential to transform wholesale markets. Sivan provides contact information and reassures agencies about the ease of working with Flow. Both express excitement for Flow's future.

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Sometimes We Need a Little Spark

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this impactful episode of the Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers brings on guest Raghav Tana to discuss the personal challenges and profound purpose behind Raghav's initiative, the Little Sparks Project. This nonprofit organization aims to provide financial and emotional support to families of children with complex medical needs, sparked by Raghav’s experiences with his son, who was born with Apert Syndrome. David shares his own journey with his son Ethan, who has special needs, reflecting on the emotional and financial toll of ensuring adequate care. They discuss the importance of advocacy, community support, and how their personal hardships have led to a shared mission of helping others facing similar struggles. The episode highlights the upcoming Little Sparks Project gala in December, emphasizing the importance of donations and community involvement.

Key Points

Introduction to the Little Sparks Project

Purpose:

The Little Sparks Project was founded to assist families financially when they have children with medical complexities, alleviating some of the financial strain that comes with hospital stays, surgeries, and extra care for children under 12.

Inspiration:

Raghav shares how his son’s rare condition, Apert Syndrome, motivated him to start the organization. He and his wife realized how fortunate they were to afford the costs associated with his son’s care and wanted to help other families facing similar situations but lacking resources.

The Emotional and Financial Burdens of Special Needs Care

Emotional Toll:

David and Raghav talk openly about their experiences as fathers of children with special needs. They emphasize the importance of having a support system and the mental challenges that come with the “why me” question when navigating these situations.

Financial Costs:

The episode sheds light on the often-hidden financial burdens, from medical bills to daily expenses related to special needs care. For example, Raghav mentions spending over $42,000 in the first 14 months of his son’s life on healthcare-related costs, a financial load many families are unprepared for.

Advocacy and Support Networks

Importance of Advocacy:

David shares how he and his wife advocate for their son in school and medical environments, often facing challenges but ensuring he gets the resources he needs. This proactive approach in advocating for children is critical, and it’s something Little Sparks also aims to support.

Emotional Support:

Both David and Raghav emphasize that asking for help is not a weakness but a necessity. They encourage listeners going through similar situations to seek out emotional and social support, which is crucial for maintaining resilience.

The Little Sparks Gala

Event Details:

The Little Sparks Project is hosting a black-tie gala on December 19 at the State Room in Boston, with limited tickets remaining. The gala is a unique opportunity for supporters in the insurance and wider business community to come together, raise funds, and create awareness for the cause.

Impact and Support:

The gala will have a silent auction and speakers, with all proceeds going toward supporting families in need. Raghav and David encourage listeners who can't attend in person to contribute financially, helping provide resources for families facing similar journeys.

How to Support Little Sparks

For listeners who wish to make a difference, a donation link is available in the show notes, and every contribution, no matter the size, is meaningful. David stresses that financial support can significantly relieve families of financial stress, allowing them to focus on their children's needs without added financial anxiety.

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Wade Millward - Building a Winning Insurance Agency

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

This engaging episode of Power Producers Podcast features a candid discussion between David Carothers and Wade Millward on the intersection of insurance, operations, and growth strategies in the franchising space. With nearly two decades of industry experience, Wade shares how his unique background in software and insurance led to developing scalable solutions for franchisees and franchisors. The conversation spans various topics, from the challenges of producer development to the importance of automation and relationship-building in scaling a business.

Key Points:

Franchising and Insurance Synergy

Wade Millward discusses his journey into franchising and how he developed a solution to streamline insurance compliance for franchisors. By integrating technology and becoming a preferred broker, Wade has successfully scaled his operations.

Producer Accountability and Success

David and Wade delve into the challenges faced by producers, emphasizing the need for structured goals, training, and consistent activity to achieve long-term success.

The Importance of Operations

They highlight the critical role of having standardized processes and operating procedures, likening them to a "franchise manual" that ensures consistency, scalability, and efficiency.

Manual to Automation Workflow

Wade shares insights on starting processes manually to identify inefficiencies before automating tasks, focusing on enhancing human-to-human interactions.

The Role of Relationships in Sales

Both agree that insurance is a byproduct of relationships, and building trust through meaningful interactions is key to standing out in a crowded marketplace.

Advice for Aspiring Producers

Wade and David encourage new producers to identify their unique value propositions, invest in building processes, and stay adaptable in a rapidly evolving industry.

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A Producer's Work Never Ends

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this special Thanksgiving edition of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives into the holiday season's challenges and opportunities. He shares strategies for staying proactive, avoiding complacency, and building a strong foundation for 2025. Reflecting on personal and professional growth, David emphasizes gratitude for the communities and partnerships that drive success.

Key Points:

Proactive Holiday Planning

David stresses using the holiday season to assess goals, build pipelines, and prepare for market changes in 2025.

Avoiding False Security

Producers must avoid relying on temporary revenue increases and refocus on consistent prospecting.

Investing in Relationships

David highlights the "relational bank account" and the importance of nurturing connections during soft markets.

SMART Goal-Setting

Set measurable and actionable goals for 2025 while tracking daily activities to improve sales efficiency.

Gratitude and Growth

David shares his appreciation for the Power Producers community and his approach to fostering team development.

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Talk to me Goose with Joe Ems

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers spoke with Patrick McBride and Joe Ems from Sembley, a company offering innovative technology designed to simplify the commercial insurance quoting process. Joe explained the origins of Sembley, which was created to address common pain points in the industry, such as the tedious nature of filling out renewal forms and collecting client data. A standout feature discussed was Sembley’s user-friendly interface, affordable pricing, and integrations that improve efficiency. By leveraging custom intake forms, property data imports, and integration options with systems like Hawksoft and NowCerts, Sembley aims to streamline workflows for agencies, reduce back-and-forth with clients, and enable seamless data mapping across various forms. This technology allows agencies to focus on client relationships rather than manual tasks, making it particularly valuable for agents looking to enhance both client service and operational efficiency.

Key Highlights:

Introduction:

David Carothers welcomes Patrick McBride as a guest host for this episode and introduces Joe Ems from Sembley, a tech company offering solutions for streamlining the insurance process. David shares initial skepticism about Sembley's low price point but emphasizes the quality and functionality of the product.

Why Sembley?:

Sembley stands out for its ease of use, user-friendly interface, and reasonable pricing. Patrick McBride discusses how his agency faced challenges with data ingestion and renewals using other technologies, which Sembley simplified with its integration capabilities and workflow support.

Key Features of Sembley:

Single Data Entry: Input client data once and map it across multiple forms, saving significant time.
Custom Intakes and Forms: The platform supports tailored intake forms that clients can fill out, streamlining the quoting process.
Client Portal and Automation: Automation and integration with other CRMs (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) help agencies manage client data more efficiently.
Supplemental Applications: Sembley handles various supplementals and continues to add more based on user demand.

User Experience:

Patrick emphasizes the intuitive design, which makes it easy for agents to input data and for clients to fill out forms. Sembley has custom intake forms and a static link feature that allows agents to streamline the data collection process.

Roadmap and Future Integrations:

Joe shared upcoming developments, including integrations with NowCerts and HawkSoft, and improvements to property data retrieval. Sembley is also exploring advanced data mapping and potential AI functionalities to enhance automation.

Insights on Industry Challenges:

The conversation highlights the industry's common struggle with getting clients to complete long applications and forms. Sembley's solution simplifies this process by pre-filling data and allowing for minimal client input on updates or confirmations.

Closing Remarks:

Sembley offers a discount for listeners who book a demo and use the code "power producers." Both David and Patrick praised Sembley’s practical approach, value for smaller agencies, and how it bridges the gap between tech accessibility and affordability.

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Two Tricks for Contractors that Stand the Test of Time

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers breaks down his top strategies for engaging contractors effectively. Drawing from real-world experience, David shares the key questions and approaches he uses to understand contractors’ needs and build trust. He emphasizes the importance of uncovering pain points related to certificates of insurance and audits, providing actionable insights on how producers can leverage these moments to win new business and strengthen client relationships.

Key Points:

Top Questions for Contractors

David recommends asking about the certificate process and past audits to reveal pain points and spark meaningful conversations.

Streamlining Certificates

He shares how using a self-service certificate portal empowers clients and boosts efficiency.

Audit Support

David emphasizes attending audits to reassure clients and gain insights that improve service.

Anticipating Needs

Learning from auditors helps producers identify client needs and adjust strategies.

Proactive Financial Planning

David advises tracking payroll data to prepare clients for audits and potential adjustments.

Managing Surplus Lines

He highlights the importance of realistic revenue projections and swing endorsements to prevent financial issues.

David concludes that these strategies help producers win business and deliver exceptional client service in a hard market.

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Richard Stamets - Enabling Agencies with AI

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers podcast, David Carothers speaks with Richard Stamets, Chief Commercial Officer of BluePond AI, about the transformative role of generative AI in commercial insurance. They discuss BluePond’s AI-driven solution, the Broker Co-Pilot, which has been designed specifically for insurance with functionalities for policy checking, quote comparison, underwriting submission ingestion, and claims ingestion. Richard shares insights into how BluePond’s generative AI technology not only automates and improves accuracy in policy comparison but also assists brokers by identifying selling behaviors and enhancing operational efficiency.

Key Points:

Generative AI Explained:

Large language models (LLMs) like BluePond’s AI go beyond simple data processing, understanding and generating complex insurance language.

Enhanced Productivity:

Automating policy reviews and comparisons means less time on tedious tasks, freeing brokers and CSRs to engage in more valuable work.

Adoption and Change:

While AI adoption has been slow due to industry hesitance, the technology is here to stay, much like the evolution of the internet. Agencies embracing it early will be positioned for long-term success.

Collaboration Over Competition:

New tech fosters collaboration among different firms, creating stronger, comprehensive solutions for brokers.

Connect with:

· David Carothers LinkedIn

· Richard Stamets LinkedIn

· Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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· Power Producer Base Camp

· BluePond AI

· Killing Commercial

· Crushing Content

· Power Producers Podcast

· Policytee

· The Dirty 130

· The Extra 2 Minutes

Sometimes We Need a Little Spark

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

Key Points

Introduction to the Little Sparks Project

Purpose:

Inspiration:

The Emotional and Financial Burdens of Special Needs Care

Emotional Toll:

Financial Costs:

Advocacy and Support Networks

Importance of Advocacy:

Emotional Support:

The Little Sparks Gala

Event Details:

Impact and Support:

How to Support Little Sparks

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Steve Bruder - Differentiation in the Land of Commoditization

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Steve Bruder from Foxen to discuss how Foxen integrates renters’ insurance compliance and risk management solutions into property management. The conversation highlights how property managers can use Foxen’s system to ensure compliance with insurance requirements, prevent gaps in coverage, and generate ancillary income through revenue sharing. Steve provides insights into how Foxen's innovative approach addresses the often-overlooked problem of tenants canceling insurance policies, which can leave property owners vulnerable to costly claims. This episode emphasizes how commercial insurance agents can leverage Foxen’s solutions to differentiate themselves in the habitational real estate space, improve client retention, and enhance the value they offer to clients managing larger property schedules.

Key Points:

Closing Renters Insurance Compliance Gaps

Foxen ensures consistent renters insurance compliance, protecting landlords from uninsured claims—an issue their founders faced firsthand.

Opportunity for P&C Agents

Foxen helps agents differentiate by providing a revenue-sharing model for property managers, making renewals easier and adding value beyond insurance.

Identifying Ideal Prospects

Ideal clients are property managers struggling with insurance compliance or uncovered claims. Foxen manages compliance to save time and reduce risk.

Efficient Claims Process

Foxen’s in-house claims team and digital system streamline the process, handling common issues like water or fire damage caused by tenant negligence.

Standing Out in a Hard Market

With rising premiums, Foxen enables agents to offer unique, risk management solutions instead of just cutting costs, creating a competitive advantage.

Additional Rent Reporting Services

Foxen also offers rent reporting, especially useful in states requiring landlords to report on-time rent payments, adding even more value for clients.

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David's Cold Calling Recap

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers provides a deep dive into effective prospecting tactics for insurance producers, challenging misconceptions about cold calling and outlining a comprehensive approach for sustained success. David highlights his recent experience with a 500-dial cold-calling challenge, underscoring the role of focused preparation and systematized tracking in lead generation success. He discusses the value of in-person marketing drops, HubSpot CRM's data insights, and the benefits of having a robust client database to streamline follow-ups and boost engagement.

Key Points:

Multi-Tool Approach:

David stresses that to excel in sales, producers must go beyond referrals and use diverse methods, like cold calling and in-person marketing, to fully realize potential. Relying on one strategy limits success.

Targeted, Data-Driven Cold Calling:

He calls only high-fit prospects (e.g., service contractors with 25+ vehicles, $5M+ sales) using precise lead scoring through HubSpot, allowing his team to time outreach for when leads are most engaged.

Structured Time and Focus:

Blocking distraction-free intervals (50 minutes for calls, 10 for follow-up) is key to staying productive and responsive without constant interruptions, especially for those with ADHD.

Unique Prospecting Advantage:

David identifies prospects using payroll companies for workers' comp, allowing him to offer benefits (like dividend options) those clients aren’t receiving, giving him a competitive edge.

Tracking and Measuring Success:

Using a CRM, David captures all prospect interactions, creating historical records that improve targeting and help track outreach impact.

Challenge to Cold-Calling Skeptics:

David argues that detractors of cold calling likely aren’t implementing it effectively. With research-backed strategies, he demonstrates cold calling’s value and promises updates on his results to let the numbers prove it.

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Ray Gage - Start with Stop

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Ray Gage, a veteran of the insurance industry who transitioned into mindful business coaching. Ray shares insights from his decades-long career in insurance, including selling his agency and the emotional challenges that followed. The conversation explores the often-overlooked emotional side of agency sales, leadership, and the impact of mindfulness in both personal and professional lives. Ray also discusses his upcoming book "Start with Stop", which focuses on the power of stopping to reassess and transform one’s approach to business and life. The book offers 16 chapters, each addressing a distinct area of improvement such as leadership, time management, and communication, allowing readers to find practical transformations tailored to their needs.

Introduction and Background:

David introduces Ray Gage, a veteran in insurance since 1980, who now focuses on mindful business coaching and is releasing a book titled Start with Stop in December. Ray reflects on his journey, from agency ownership to transitioning into coaching, aiming to guide others with the knowledge he’s gained.

Selling an Agency: Overlooked Challenges:

Ray shares insights from selling his agency, explaining the unexpected emotional challenges that followed. He advises those considering a sale to seek advice from others who’ve gone through it to prepare for the potential impact.

Mindful Business Coaching:

Ray’s coaching emphasizes self-awareness, showing how personal responsibility and mindfulness affect professional and personal growth. He advocates intentionality and self-care to foster a balanced, productive life.

Start with Stop – Rethink Your Routine:

The book is structured with 16 standalone chapters, allowing readers to focus on specific areas like time management or relationships. Ray’s goal is to help others accelerate their growth by breaking out of old patterns and developing sustainable, positive habits.

Breaking Familiar Patterns:

Ray discusses the “familiar zone,” where people stick to uncomfortable routines simply because they’re habitual. He stresses the importance of practicing new habits to achieve personal growth.

Detaching from Outcomes and Finding Purpose:

Ray and David touch on ‘detaching from outcomes’ to reduce stress, allowing people to focus on effort rather than results. Ray also emphasizes the importance of finding one’s purpose, as it provides clarity and motivation for long-term success.

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Stop Selling on Price!

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers discusses the importance of shifting away from selling on price and focusing instead on the total cost of risk (TCOR). Carothers emphasizes that insurance producers must position themselves as trusted advisors by addressing not only insurance premiums but also uninsured losses, compliance costs, safety program investments, and indirect costs such as reputational damage and employee downtime. He offers five critical questions that producers can ask at the point of sale to differentiate themselves from competitors and provide value to their prospects by focusing on long-term risk management and business operations.

David highlights the power of understanding a client’s operations, recounting a personal experience where he helped a resort reduce their high workers' compensation mod by improving operational efficiencies. He stresses the importance of asking the right questions to uncover hidden risks and developing solutions that prevent losses, thus lowering long-term insurance costs. The episode concludes by encouraging producers to adopt a proactive approach, offer value-added services, and leverage their insights to establish deeper client relationships, especially in a hard market.

Key Points

Stop Selling on Price

Producers need to focus on total cost of risk (T-Core) instead of just competing on premiums. This strategy positions you as a trusted advisor and improves long-term risk management for clients.

Value of Power Producer Base Camp

The podcast introduces Power Producer Base Camp, a program for individual producers designed to provide support and coaching, distinct from the larger Killing Commercial platform.

Focus on Comprehensive Risk

Insurance premiums are only part of the overall cost of risk. T-Core includes uninsured losses, compliance costs, safety program investments, and indirect costs like reputational damage. Producers need to highlight the full scope of risks to add value.

Examples and Stories

Real-life examples, like identifying inefficiencies in a resort's housekeeping or missed opportunities in manufacturing, showcase how addressing T-Core improves business performance and mitigates risks.

Critical Questions to Ask:

What are your top operational risks?
How do losses and claims impact your business?
What risk management strategies are in place?
Have you evaluated the long-term costs of choosing lower insurance limits or excluding critical coverages?
Would you allow me to calculate your total cost of risk?

Addressing Objections

Clients may want to reduce insurance costs by adjusting limits or exclusions, but producers should help them understand the risks of doing so and propose solutions like raising deductibles instead.

Long-Term Client Relationships

By focusing on reducing T-Core, producers can establish long-term relationships with clients, creating fewer claims, lower uninsured losses, and more favorable premiums over time.

Differentiation and Execution

Producers must differentiate themselves from competitors by offering proactive solutions, implementing risk management strategies, and ensuring clients see them as trusted advisors.

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Matthew Bryan - Ideal Prospects Lead to the Ideal Life

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers speaks with Matthew Bryan, a seasoned insurance professional from Tennessee. The conversation dives into Matthew’s unique journey from a background in broadcasting and finance to owning multiple insurance agencies. The discussion highlights how Matthew leveraged his experiences in banking and real estate to transition into commercial insurance, drawing parallels between commercial banking and insurance.

This episode is loaded with insights on everything from transitioning clients, finding your ideal prospects, to managing time efficiently as a business owner. Matthew’s personal story and his approach to building a sustainable lifestyle business are both powerful and inspiring.

Key Points:

Matthew's Background

Matthew Bryan shares his journey from growing up in a radio station, working in finance and commercial banking, to eventually owning an insurance agency. His background in banking provided insights into insurance, leading to agency acquisitions and long-term growth.

Building Relationships

Matthew emphasizes the importance of relationship building in Tennessee's competitive insurance market. He leverages conversations with business owners to ask in-depth questions, helping understand their needs and fostering strong client relationships.

Ideal Clients & Niches

The agency focuses on professional clients like lawyers, veterinarians, and chiropractors, targeting both commercial and personal lines. They avoid small, time-consuming accounts and aim to work with clients that align with their business goals.

Client Segmentation

The agency practices client segmentation to improve efficiency. By focusing on tiered clients (bronze to platinum), they aim to prioritize high-value accounts and refer smaller ones to other agents or service centers.

Work-Life Balance

Both Matthew and David highlight the importance of balancing business growth with personal life. Matthew values time with family and builds his business around personal priorities, while David shares how health scares led him to prioritize family time and intentional scheduling.

Collaborating with Competitors

Both emphasize the value of building relationships even with competitors, noting that referral networks can benefit everyone. Losing an account should not be taken personally but rather as part of the business process.

Efficient Time Management

The importance of time management is stressed, with both agreeing on outsourcing tasks that don't align with their hourly rates to free up time for high-value work and personal commitments.

Community Building

They discuss the benefits of networking with other agents and learning from each other's experiences, which helps foster growth, regardless of being competitors.

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Displacing The Incumbent with Risk Management Tools

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers interviews Dustin Boss, co-founder of Emerge Apps. Dustin discusses how his experience as a producer led him to develop a suite of technology tools for agents, including OSHA compliance and risk management software. He shares insights into how these tools can help agents offer more than just insurance by focusing on compliance, safety, and risk management. This episode highlights creative ways to approach middle-market clients and the importance of leveraging technology to differentiate from competitors.

Key Points

Non-Insurance Engagement

Dustin emphasizes leading with value beyond insurance, such as compliance and safety solutions, to build deeper relationships with clients.

Emerge Apps Suite

Dustin's company offers several tools, including OSHA Logs and Automate Safety, that help agents open doors by providing compliance solutions, reducing client risks, and locking in retention.

Innovative Sales Approach

By working outside of traditional insurance renewal cycles and focusing on pain points like OSHA compliance, agents can subtly displace incumbent relationships and gain long-term clients.

Customization and Real-Time Insights

Tools like OSHA Logs allow agents to monitor clients' safety records in real-time, helping to prevent issues before they escalate into claims, which ultimately improves client retention.

Future of Risk Management

Emerge Apps continues to innovate with new products like Light Duty Works, aiming to offer comprehensive solutions for managing workplace safety and reducing claims.

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Lawson Condell - Enabling Producers with Riskbly

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Lawson Condell, founder of Riskbly, a platform designed for commercial insurance agents to streamline risk management services. Lawson shares his journey from the Air Force and sales roles at ADP and Oracle to founding Riskbly. He created Riskbly to address inefficiencies in the commercial insurance process by providing agents with a white-labeled, customizable platform for managing policy documents, safety videos, risk management programs, and real-time insights.

Key Points

Riskbly's Inspiration

Lawson built Riskbly based on his experience in commercial insurance, aiming to simplify risk management and enhance communication between agents and clients through a unified platform.

What Sets Riskbly Apart

Riskbly is fully white-labeled and customizable, allowing agents to provide seamless risk management under their brand. It integrates policy documents, safety training, and HR resources in one platform, avoiding multiple systems.

Real-Time Insights

Agents can monitor clients' progress on risk management tasks in real time, ensuring proactive follow-up and ongoing support throughout the year, not just at renewals.

Tailored Risk Management Programs

Agents can assign specific programs to address client risks, such as safety or compliance issues, and track progress. This ensures clients follow through on risk reduction efforts.

Adoption and Client Engagement

Riskbly uses notifications, mobile access, and training content to drive client engagement. It can also be used as a prospecting tool by offering it to potential clients during the sales process.

Future Plans

Riskbly aims to integrate with other tech solutions and provide underwriters access to real-time client risk management data, potentially leading to better pricing and decisions.

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Targeted Digital Leads

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This episode of the Power Producers Shoptalk, is focused on the use of digital marketing tools, specifically pixel tracking, retargeting, and video proposals, to enhance lead generation and sales conversions in the commercial insurance industry. The discussion emphasized the importance of quick follow-up on leads, the role of automation, and the critical need for a well-defined sales process when dealing with cold traffic. David Carothers and Chris Langille highlighted the use of pixels for tracking website visitors, remarketing strategies, and content creation to drive traffic to agency websites. The session also covered how personalized content, like blog posts and video proposals, can significantly boost sales, especially when paired with proper retargeting.

The call provided examples of retargeting through platforms like Facebook and Google, using video proposals via tools such as QuoteVids, and building custom audiences to drive more relevant traffic to an agency’s services. It also touched on the value of organic content over paid traffic in building long-term customer relationships.

Key Points:

Sales Process Efficiency

Quick follow-up is essential, especially for cold traffic. Agencies need a well-defined process for responding to leads immediately via phone or automation. Speed is key in converting cold leads into sales.

Remarketing with Tracking Pixels

Utilize tracking pixels (Facebook/Google) to retarget website visitors who don't complete a conversion. This helps keep your brand in front of potential clients and reduces overall advertising costs by focusing on people who’ve already shown interest.

Personalized Video Proposals (QuoteVids)

Use tools like QuoteVids to create and send personalized video proposals, allowing prospects to review quotes, download documents, and accept proposals. It improves client engagement and boosts closing rates by providing a more interactive experience.

Content Marketing as a Lead Generator

Long-form blog posts and relevant content attract organic traffic, generate leads, and provide value. Clients who engage with educational content are often higher-quality leads, as they've already built trust with your brand.

Case Studies for Social Proof

Showcasing real client success stories through digital case studies builds credibility. They provide proof of your expertise and effectiveness, encouraging new prospects to trust your services.

Outsource Paid Advertising

Paid ad campaigns require expertise. Agencies should focus on creating organic, value-driven content and leave the complexities of paid advertising, such as Google and Facebook ads, to professionals to maximize return on investment.

Balanced Automation and Personal Touch

Automating certain processes, like follow-ups, is important for efficiency, but maintaining a personal touch is key. Automation should not remove the human element, which is critical for building trust and strong client relationships.

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Jim Matuga - Storytelling Meets AI

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Jim Matuga, the founder of Interaction Media and creator of StoryMaker, a SaaS platform that leverages AI to help agencies and producers tell compelling stories that drive sales. They dive into the importance of storytelling, content creation, and how to connect with customers on a deeper level by using generative AI.

Key Points from the Discussion:

Storytelling as a Sales Tool:

Jim shares how most businesses communicate through features and benefits but miss the mark by not addressing the internal problems of their customers. A compelling story focused on the customer as the hero is what builds trust and connection.

David adds that too many salespeople listen with the intent to respond rather than understand. Empathy, listening, and understanding are key elements that lead to trust and, eventually, sales.

The Power of StoryMaker:

Jim explains how StoryMaker automates the content creation process by utilizing a company's existing content and an AI-driven framework to craft 30-second pitches, emails, blog posts, social media content, and more.

StoryMaker learns your business voice, saving time while keeping the messaging authentic. Jim discusses how he used StoryMaker to create his business’s story arc, and how it has been transformative for clients in various industries.

AI in Marketing and Sales:

Both David and Jim agree that AI, particularly generative AI, is one of the biggest technological transformations since the internet. AI tools like StoryMaker and ChatGPT allow businesses to create personalized, authentic content quickly, which can be tailored to the needs of different audiences.

Efficiency and Accuracy in Content Creation:

Jim highlights how StoryMaker allows non-writers, like insurance agents or other sales professionals, to create high-quality content without needing advanced writing skills. This includes emails, blog posts, and social media content—saving time while producing effective marketing materials.

David shares his experience using AI to simplify complex insurance topics, explaining how ChatGPT helps him create content that resonates with audiences without overwhelming them with technical jargon.

The Importance of Personalization:

David emphasizes that the AI-generated content must match the salesperson's voice to ensure authenticity. Without this alignment, there’s a risk of disconnect between the content and the real person behind it, which can damage the trust built through inbound marketing.

Responding to Emails Using AI:

Jim introduces StoryMaker’s feature of crafting professional email responses, saving users time and ensuring their tone is appropriate, even in contentious situations. David highlights how this helps avoid emotionally charged or poorly worded responses that could hurt relationships.

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Grit and Determination What Sales Producers can Learn from Pete Rose

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers reflects on his childhood idol, Pete Rose, and the profound impact Rose's grit, determination, and relentless hustle had not only on baseball but also on David's personal and professional life. The episode is bittersweet as David shares the news of Pete Rose's unexpected passing and then dives into how the lessons Rose embodied on the baseball field can be translated into the world of sales and commercial insurance.

Key Points:

Hustle is Key:

Rose's relentless effort on the field mirrors the importance of going the extra mile in sales—whether it's making that extra call, writing a personal note, or preparing for every meeting.

Outwork the Competition:

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. In sales, consistent effort will outlast those who rely on natural ability alone.

Consistency Wins:

Success isn’t about one big deal but the steady effort of prospecting, follow-up, and building relationships over time.

Prepare Like a Pro:

Just as Rose prepared for every game, sales producers should thoroughly prepare for meetings and tailor their approach to each client.

Track Progress:

Measure your efforts to ensure growth. Whether in fitness or sales, tracking helps adjust tactics for better results.

Relentless Follow-Up:

Like Rose’s persistence, continuous follow-up and engagement are critical to closing deals.

Be Versatile:

Adaptability is key—tailor your approach to each client and stay informed on industry trends.

Resilience and Grit:

Rose’s career had ups and downs, but his grit kept him going. Sales requires the same resilience to push through challenges and rejection.

Integrity Matters:

Ambition is important, but trust and ethics must never be compromised in sales.

Continuous Learning:

Always strive to improve—learning new skills and staying updated on trends will give you an edge in sales.

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From Courtroom to Cyber Carrier with Michael Phillips

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers speaks with Michael Phillips, who leads the U.S. cyber underwriting practice at CFC. They discuss the state of the cyber insurance marketplace, the evolving risks businesses face due to cyber threats, and how insurers like CFC are addressing these risks. Michael highlights the importance of understanding the continually changing nature of cybercrime, particularly as it relates to geopolitical tensions and the rise of offensive cyber operations. They delve into the role of insurance in providing not just financial coverage but also emergency response services to businesses of all sizes.

Key Points

Cyber Market Evolution:

CFC has remained a leader in the evolving cyber insurance space, focusing on emerging risks and staying consistent even as the market fluctuates.

Sales Enablement:

Agents need better tools to educate clients on cyber risks. CFC provides resources like benchmarking, ransomware calculators, and case studies to help overcome sales objections.

Comprehensive Cyber Coverage:

Agents have a duty to offer sufficient cyber coverage. Failure to do so can have severe consequences for both the client and the agent’s liability.

Cyber Underwriting Challenges:

Cyber threats constantly evolve, requiring thorough underwriting. CFC uses tech like vulnerability scanning to offer accurate coverage.

MSP Partnerships:

Partnering with managed service providers helps bridge the gap between cybersecurity and cyber insurance, benefiting both agents and clients.

Proactive Services:

CFC offers proactive incident response and threat monitoring to help businesses mitigate cyber risks before they escalate.

Overcoming Objections:

Agents should lead with education and real-world examples to help clients understand the true costs of cyber risks and why insurance is essential.

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The Delicate Balance for Producers

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producer Shop Talk, David Carothers delves into the critical balance that commercial insurance agents must maintain between fulfilling their "duty to offer" and avoiding the appearance of overselling. David emphasizes the importance of educating clients on this duty, particularly in areas like cyber liability, where underinsurance can leave clients highly exposed.

The discussion highlights the professional responsibility of agents to offer adequate coverage that matches clients’ risks, ensuring they fully understand and sign off on any rejection of recommended limits. He points out that failing to do this not only opens agents up to potential errors and omissions (E&O) claims but also damages their reputation.

David also touches on the significance of empathy in client relationships, noting that many clients are unaware of the broader factors that influence their premiums, like reinsurance and geography. He advocates for transparent education and tailoring the conversation in a way that clients, who may not speak the language of insurance, can fully grasp.

He concludes by encouraging agents to embrace their role as educators and advisors, leading with empathy and focusing on managing clients' exposures rather than just selling policies. By doing this, agents can improve their close rates and long-term client relationships.

Key Points:

Duty to Offer vs. Overselling:

Agents have a professional obligation to offer appropriate coverage and ensure clients understand their risks. It's crucial to offer proper limits without appearing pushy, especially in areas like cyber liability where under-coverage can leave clients vulnerable.

Transparency and Risk Management:

Educate clients about their risk exposures and offer a range of options, from self-insurance to risk management strategies, so they can make informed decisions.

Encourage clients to take calculated risks, but document their decisions carefully to avoid E&O issues.

Simplifying Complex Concepts:

Using tools like ChatGPT to rephrase complicated insurance terms in simpler language helps clients feel informed and comfortable. Educate clients about market conditions and why their rates might increase.

Empathy and Relationship Building:

Be empathetic and share personal experiences, such as facing similar rate hikes, to humanize the conversation and build trust.

Focus on solving client problems, not just selling insurance products.

Use of Technology:

Tools like video presentations make it easier for clients to understand complex information and share it with others, helping build transparency and trust.

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A Servant's Heart of Social Services with Daryl Henry

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers speaks with Daryl Henry, a Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Risk Manager from Bitner Henry Insurance Group, a fourth-generation family business. Daryl shares his unique journey into the insurance industry, discussing the influence of his family’s dual legacy in insurance and mission work. He talks about his focus on serving human services organizations, particularly children's homes and other social services sectors, emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding client needs, and building relationships.

Daryl also shares the challenge and reward of building expertise in a niche market, discussing his transition from working with small businesses to focusing on human services. He delves into the importance of continuous learning, having read textbooks on human service organizations and learning the specific needs of these vulnerable industries. The episode also highlights the power of storytelling in connecting with clients and how insurance is ultimately a business about people, not just policies.

Key Points:

Finding a Niche:

Daryl focuses on underserved sectors like social services, where there’s less competition but immense opportunity.

Storytelling in Sales:

Building personal connections and telling clients’ stories helps foster trust and long-term relationships. Daryl emphasizes understanding clients’ needs rather than pushing products.

Education & Expertise:

Constant self-education, especially in niche markets, is vital. Daryl recommends reading and researching to better serve clients.

Technology & Simplifying Jargon:

David suggests using tools like ChatGPT to break down complex insurance jargon, making it easier for clients to understand.

Problem-Solving Approach:

Focus on solving clients' problems, not just selling policies. Building a consultative relationship ensures clients trust you beyond insurance.

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The Power of In-Person

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers dives deep into the topic of marketing drops and how they remain an effective sales strategy in today’s saturated digital landscape. He emphasizes the importance of in-person marketing drops to cut through the noise, create personalized connections, and distinguish oneself from the competition. David shares key insights on preparation, execution, and follow-up strategies for successful marketing drops. He also offers practical tips for building rapport, researching prospects, and timing interactions based on the industry. The episode also highlights the critical role of the gatekeeper and strategies to ensure a lasting impression on decision-makers.

Key Points

Personalization is Key:

Tailor marketing materials to the prospect by including their name, company info, and relevant challenges. Deep research, including checking the lobby, shows you care about their business.

Timing Matters:

Visit prospects at the right time. For service contractors, early morning (7–8 a.m.) works best. For restaurants, go in mid-afternoon (1:30–2:00 p.m.) to avoid busy periods.

Gatekeepers are Important:

Build rapport with gatekeepers. They’re often the first decision-makers. Knowing personal details about them can help you get through to the decision-maker.

Ask Open-Ended Questions:

Engage prospects with questions and listen more than you talk. Use phrases like "It sounds like..." to show you’re listening and build trust.

Memorable Marketing Materials:

Leave behind something tangible and unique, like a stainless-steel business card or personalized company gift, to stand out and be remembered.

Follow-Up is Crucial:

Use a structured follow-up strategy (email, call, in-person) to keep prospects engaged. Track and measure your conversion rates and timeline.

Handle Objections Gracefully:

Acknowledge objections with soft labeling like "It sounds like..." to encourage further conversation and address concerns.

Track Your Success:

Use a CRM or spreadsheet to track drops, follow-ups, and conversion rates. Data helps refine your process.

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Paying it Forward with Aron Robertson

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and Aron Robertson discuss their experiences in the insurance industry, with a focus on production and agency growth. Aron shares his journey from selling insurance out of his house to starting multiple agencies and acquiring two more in the next 60 days. He emphasizes the importance of transparency, accountability, and continuous learning. David highlights the significance of setting goals and celebrating milestones, sharing his own experiences with buying a Rolex and a Cartier watch. They also discuss the challenges of networking, the impact of reinsurance on rates, and the importance of being genuine and transparent with clients.

Key Points:

Personal Growth & Transition:

Aron transitioned from the Marine Corps to the insurance industry, facing early struggles but persisted by learning from industry leaders and focusing on self-improvement.

Building Trust & Relationships:

Success came from consistently communicating, being reliable, and transparent with clients. Connecting with decision-makers and building trust helped him win over clients from competitors.

Taking Calculated Risks:

Aron emphasizes the importance of taking risks to grow, including an acquisition strategy that helped expand his agency. He focused on the potential outcomes rather than the fear of failure.

Authenticity Matters:

Aron and David agree that being yourself in client interactions is crucial. Authenticity helps build stronger relationships and makes producers stand out in the market.

Learning & Celebrating Wins:

Tracking progress and celebrating milestones is key to staying motivated and recognizing how far you've come.

Strategic Networking:

Approach networking with clear goals. Focus on key connections and ensure meaningful follow-up to turn introductions into relationships.

Mentorship & Paying It Forward:

Aron encourages reaching out for mentorship and paying it forward by helping others, highlighting the value of guidance from industry veterans.

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Overcoming Call Reluctance

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers addresses the pervasive issue of call reluctance among commercial insurance producers. He explores the psychological, environmental, and personal factors contributing to this hesitation and provides actionable strategies to overcome it. David emphasizes the importance of maintaining confidence, avoiding perfectionism, and adopting a proactive mindset to improve sales performance. He also highlights the role of visualization, self-assessment, and stress management techniques in building resilience and effectiveness in cold calling.

David encourages producers to create supportive work environments and utilize tools like CRMs and call recordings to refine their approach. He stresses the importance of setting realistic goals, following structured routines, and continuously reflecting on and improving their techniques. Throughout the episode, David underscores that addressing call reluctance is crucial for long-term success in the industry.

Key Points:

Call Reluctance Defined: An irrational fear or hesitation to make sales calls, often rooted in psychological, environmental, and personal factors.
Fear of Rejection: Producers often avoid calls due to fear of being told "no." Reframing questions to get a "no" response can empower the prospect and keep the conversation going.
Lack of Confidence: Confidence issues can be perceived by prospects, especially gatekeepers. Sounding self-assured improves chances of getting through.
Perfectionism: Trying to be perfect before making calls leads to procrastination. It's better to act and improve with each call than to over-prepare.
Reflection and Feedback: Regularly review call recordings to analyze performance, and seek feedback from peers or supervisors for improvement.
Stress Management: Managing stress and maintaining work-life balance is key to avoiding burnout and giving your best to clients.
Practical Tips: Use visualization, set specific call goals, schedule dedicated call times, and leverage CRM tools for tracking and improving performance.
Take Action: Address call reluctance by diagnosing the issue, setting goals, and using supportive systems like coaching and role-playing.

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Staying Grounded with Zack Gould

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Zach Gould, a seasoned entrepreneur and insurance professional. The discussion delves into Zach's journey in the insurance industry, highlighting his early days with G&N Insurance, his partnership with Matt Namoli, and the transition after selling their agency. Zach shares insights on personal growth, the importance of personalized outreach in business, and the significance of maintaining authenticity in interactions. The conversation also explores the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the value of being grounded, and the importance of reflection and connection in both personal and professional life.

Key Points:

Personalized Approach:
Zach emphasizes the importance of personal connections, reaching out with genuine, thoughtful messages to 2-5 people daily. This practice has helped him form valuable relationships and opened unexpected doors in business.
Mentorship & Accountability:
Both Zach and David stress the importance of external accountability, mentorship, and receiving unbiased feedback. They believe that external perspectives, whether from mentors or peers, can help entrepreneurs and producers grow beyond their current capabilities.
Family & Business Legacy:
David shares how he integrated his son into the family business, teaching him through experience and hard work, and Zach reflects on the significance of building a legacy that supports family and leaves a lasting impact.
The Power of Communication:
Zach underscores that business leaders need to communicate wins and goals clearly to their team. By doing so, they can discover hidden resources within the organization and unlock further potential for business growth.
Reflection & Staying Grounded:
Both discuss the importance of staying grounded and remembering where you came from, highlighting how reflecting on past experiences helps maintain humility and drive future success.

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The Power of External Accountability

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers delves into the crucial topic of accountability in the commercial insurance industry, focusing on both internal and external aspects. He emphasizes the importance of accountability in shaping a producer's career and ensuring long-term success. David discusses the challenges producers face when relying solely on internal accountability due to organizational politics, biases, and limited perspectives. He advocates for the integration of external accountability through mentors, coaches, and peer groups, which can provide unbiased feedback, broaden perspectives, and foster continuous personal and professional growth.

David also touches on the significance of self-awareness, the development of a growth mindset, and the role of external accountability in enhancing a producer’s confidence and self-assurance. He encourages producers to seek out communities and resources that align with their personal and professional goals, highlighting his own resources at Killing Commercial and Power Producer Base Camp, as well as recommending other industry experts like Charles Specht, Randy Schwantz, and Scott Addis.

Key Points:

Introduction to Accountability:
Accountability is vital for producers and agency staff to ensure they stay on track and achieve long-term success.
Internal accountability can be difficult, especially when team dynamics and internal politics come into play.
External accountability from a mentor, coach, or peer group can provide unbiased feedback and drive personal and professional development.
Internal vs. External Accountability:
Internal Accountability often focuses on short-term results and can be influenced by internal politics or company culture.
External Accountability allows for more objective feedback, free from biases and internal influences, helping producers gain a broader industry perspective.
Impact on Career Development:
Accountability goes beyond meeting targets; it influences decision-making, career trajectory, and the delivery of services to clients.
By holding oneself accountable, producers can ensure they are delivering on promises made to clients, maintaining trust and long-term relationships.
Continuous Improvement & Growth Mindset:
David stresses the importance of continuous learning, including continuing education and professional designations, to stay competitive.
Developing a growth mindset is crucial for producers, allowing them to embrace challenges, persist through setbacks, and continuously seek self-improvement.
Building Confidence Through Accountability:
Regular external accountability can build confidence, enabling producers to make bold decisions and tackle complex client relationships.
This confidence extends not just to client interactions but also to internal negotiations, such as gaining approvals from underwriters or securing internal resources.
The Role of Technology:
Tools like Plaud, an AI recorder, allow producers to record and analyze their meetings, offering valuable insights for self-improvement and content creation.
Community & Support:
David highlights the benefits of joining accountability communities like Power Producer Base Camp or Killing Commercial to gain continuous feedback, access training, and share experiences with peers.

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Crushing the Content Game with Chris Greene

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this engaging episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Chris Greene for a candid conversation on content creation. While many might expect the discussion to center on flood insurance, Chris and David instead delve into the lessons they've learned from their content creation journeys. They share insights on the pitfalls and triumphs they've experienced, offering valuable takeaways for anyone looking to build an online presence.

David also takes the opportunity to promote his family-run business, Crushing Content—a done-for-you content service operated by his sons. The service is designed to enhance your online footprint, increase brand awareness, and drive website traffic, ultimately leading to conversions.

Key Points:

Content Creation Lessons:

Chris and David discuss the importance of learning from mistakes in content creation.

They emphasize the significance of storytelling and targeted messaging in reaching niche audiences.

Crushing Content Promotion:

David highlights Crushing Content, a service run by his sons that focuses on building online footprints, increasing brand awareness, and driving conversions.

The service is fully transparent about offerings and pricing.

Strategic Use of AI Tools:

Chris shares how AI tools like ChatGPT have enhanced his content creation process.

He discusses using AI to optimize SEO, create outlines, and generate content that aligns with his brand voice.

Targeted Content Strategy:

Chris emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience and tailoring content to specific demographics.

He shares examples of creating content for first-time homebuyers in Savannah, Georgia, and how this focused approach increases conversions.

Video and B-Roll Utilization:

The discussion includes the strategic use of video content and B-roll to enhance storytelling.

They highlight how incorporating B-roll effectively can improve engagement in platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

SEO and Platform-Specific Strategies:
The conversation covers the need to understand SEO beyond just Google, including platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
David and Chris stress the importance of tailoring content to the nuances of each platform for maximum impact.

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Levelling the Playing Field

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives deep into the strategies and tools independent insurance agencies can use to level the playing field against their larger national counterparts. He emphasizes the critical importance of conducting baseline risk assessments, leveraging tools like YellowBird for expert evaluations, and utilizing mod software for thorough experience modification factor analysis. David also highlights the game-changing benefits of Zenjuries for managing workers’ comp claims and the value of producer game plans for structured client engagement. With a strategic approach, he suggests budgeting 20% of revenue in the first year for risk management services and advocates for using video submissions to showcase the agency’s capabilities to underwriters. To round out the conversation, David promotes the Power Producer Base Camp as a vital resource for additional support and guidance.

Key Points:

Smart Tools for Competition

David Carothers introduces tools like YellowBird for outsourcing risk assessments, helping independent agencies compete with larger firms by offering expert services.

Investing in Risk Management

David suggests allocating 20% of revenue in the first year to risk management services, essential for delivering on promises and establishing strong client relationships.

Mod Software and Claims Management

He highlights the use of Mod Advisor for experience mod analysis and Zenjuries for efficient workers' comp claims management, both crucial for agency success.

Structured Producer Training

David advocates for producer game plans and structured training programs to ensure consistent and effective client engagement.

Demonstrating Capabilities to Underwriters

He emphasizes the importance of using video submissions to showcase the agency’s capabilities, making a stronger impact on underwriters.

Power Producer Base Camp

David promotes the Power Producer Base Camp, a resource offering business planning, prospecting education, and peer support for producers.

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A Captivating Conversation with Stephen Sedlak

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers chats with Stephen Sedlak, an experienced insurance producer, about the evolving market dynamics in the insurance industry and his niche focus on the pallet manufacturing sector. They discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the hardening market, particularly in the property and casualty segments, and how this has influenced their approach to clients and risk management strategies.

Stephen shares his journey of discovering the underserved pallet manufacturing industry and how he has leveraged this niche to build a successful book of business. They delve into the complexities of working with captives, particularly how Stephen has utilized them for his larger clients to manage risks more effectively. The conversation covers the intricacies of captives, including the financial commitments, risk management benefits, and the role of reinsurance.

Throughout the podcast, both David and Stephen emphasize the importance of finding opportunities in less competitive niches and building expertise in those areas. They also touch on the importance of client education, especially when it comes to understanding the value of risk management in a hard market.

Key Points:

Niching Down for Success

Stephen Sedlak discusses the strategic shift from broad workers' comp engagements to focusing on the niche market of pallet manufacturing. By honing in on this underserved industry, Stephen has been able to position himself as a go-to expert, leveraging his knowledge to secure high-value accounts and establish long-term relationships.

Captives and Risk Management

One of the highlights of the discussion is Stephen's experience with captives. As someone who doesn't typically work in this area, Stephen provides a unique look at how he navigated the process, from selecting the right captive to understanding the risk and reward dynamics involved. His insights are invaluable for producers considering captives as an option for their clients, especially in complex industries like manufacturing.

The Power Producer Base Camp

David and Stephen also touch on the Power Producer Base Camp, a newly revamped resource designed for producers who may not have access to Killing Commercial due to financial or geographic constraints. With deep dives into specific topics and a town hall for real-time advice, this platform offers a supportive community for producers to grow their skills and knowledge.

Market Trends and Strategic Adjustments

The conversation also explores current market trends, particularly the softening of the property market in Florida, contrasted with the tightening GL and auto markets. Stephen and David share their observations and strategies for navigating these shifts, providing practical advice for staying ahead in an unpredictable market.

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Maximizing Your Fourth Quarter Session 3

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers wraps up the three-part series on preparing for the fourth quarter, offering actionable insights that have already generated a wave of positive feedback. The excitement and momentum from this series are feeding directly into the Power Producer Base Camp, a newly revamped version of the old mastermind, now loaded with more value, historical resources, and a structured approach for calls and ongoing training. If you haven’t explored it yet, make sure to visit killingcommercial.com and check it out under the Power Producer Base Camp tab.

Key Points:

Fourth Quarter Prep Essentials

David highlights the importance of tracking progress as we approach the fourth quarter. Whether using a CRM or a simple spreadsheet, measuring your efforts is key to hitting your goals. He also emphasizes early prospecting and client engagement to stay ahead of the curve.

Efficiency Through Automation

David underscores the value of CRMs and automation in managing pipelines and improving efficiency. By automating repetitive tasks, producers can focus on building stronger client relationships and ensuring a smooth renewal process.

Balancing Mindset and Productivity

As the series wraps up, David stresses the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and balancing work with personal life to avoid burnout. Investing in yourself, whether through fitness, family time, or mental well-being, is crucial for sustaining energy and success through the end of the year.

Leveraging Digital Tools

David also highlights the efficiency of using Zoom for client meetings, offering a time-saving, focused alternative to in-person meetings that can be recorded for feedback and training.

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and Marques Ogden discussed the challenges of maintaining a healthy ego while leading an organization, emphasizing the importance of striking a balance between confidence and arrogance. They shared personal experiences of struggling with ego in leadership roles and the significance of discipline, teamwork, and authenticity in achieving success. They also highlighted the importance of self-care, reflection, and visualization in personal and professional growth, and discussed the lack of diversity in their industry and its consequences.

Key Points

Ego Management for Success in Sales

David Carothers interviews Marques Ogden, who rebuilt his life after losing everything in 2013.
Emphasis on managing ego for success.

Ego and Personal Fulfillment vs. Professional Success

David Carothers discusses the balance between career priorities and personal time with loved ones.

Discipline and Teamwork for Growth

Marques Ogden finds fulfillment post-divorce, highlighting the role of discipline in success.
David Carothers attributes his discipline to organized sports.

Leadership and Authenticity

Marques emphasizes discipline and teamwork, citing mentor Jack Del Rio.
Both Marques and David discuss overcoming ego and embracing authenticity.

Authenticity and Reflection on Regrets

David Carothers shares reflections at 50, focusing on authenticity and learning from mistakes.
Marques emphasizes communication and learning from past experiences.

Balance in Personal and Professional Life

Marques and David prioritize active listening, empathy, and self-care to balance work and personal life.

Self-Care and Overcoming Slumps

David Carothers highlights self-care practices for a balanced life and uses past successes to overcome slumps.

Reflection and Intentionality

Marques Ogden reflects on past successes to inform future actions and started a podcast to inspire others.

Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance

Marques discusses the importance of authentic relationships and diversity in the industry.
David Carothers promotes Marques’ podcast and looks forward to further discussions.

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Hard Market Lesson - Never Stop Prospecting

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:54:00 -0000

In this episode of Shoptalk, David Carothers emphasizes the importance of prospecting in the current busy market, highlighting how neglecting it can lead to a lack of organic opportunities in the pipeline. He argues that prospecting should never be abandoned, even when inbound leads are abundant, to ensure agencies are writing the types of policies they want and can control their direct carriers.

Key Points:

Importance of prospecting in insurance sales despite busy periods

· David Carothers thanks sponsors for supporting producers in paradise, highlighting IPFS's leadership.

· David Carothers argues that agencies should prioritize prospecting new business, even when inbound leads are flowing.

· He believes that relying solely on inbound leads can lead to a lack of foundation and pipeline in the future.

Prioritizing inbound vs outbound leads in insurance agencies

· David Carothers argues that relying solely on inbound leads can lead to wasted time and effort.

· He suggests prioritizing prospecting to secure the business agencies want.

· David Carothers describes offshore fishing trip, including bait fishing techniques.

Fishing and the importance of efficient prospecting in the hard market

· David Carothers shares his fishing experience and its relevance to insurance agencies in the hard market.

· He emphasizes the importance of prospecting and hitting KPIs in the industry.

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Freedom From the Phones with GAIL

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by guest Roberto Salinas, the co-founder of GAIL. Roberto discussed the development and purpose of GAIL, a system designed to optimize insurance agencies' phone operations, and the potential of AI in the industry. They emphasized the importance of using technology to improve efficiency and customer experience, highlighting the benefits of AI in capturing unrealized revenue and reducing costs. The speakers also talked about the potential of automated outreach for insurance sales and the need for proper training and understanding of AI technology. Additionally, they discussed the potential of AI-powered voice assistants in transforming the insurance industry, emphasizing their personalized and efficient service to customers.

Key Points:

AI-powered GAIL system for insurance phone calls:

AI-powered GAIL system for insurance phone calls streamlines operations and addresses the issue of 60,000 missed calls, saving time and enabling focus on high ROI tasks. Kyle Houck highlights that GAIL allows decision-makers to concentrate on revenue-bearing activities, reducing administrative work and increasing efficiency.

Improving customer service with AI:

Improving customer service with AI involves addressing the problem of 60,000 missed calls, increasing agency availability outside working hours, and replacing IVR menus while capturing inbound call information. Resistance to new technology among agents is discussed by David Carothers and Roberto Salinas, attributing it to a lack of understanding.

AI adoption in insurance industry:

In AI adoption within the insurance industry, David Carothers asserts that AI will assist rather than replace agents, helping them focus on revenue-generating tasks. Agents' skepticism and fear of AI are common, and tech companies struggle because they often aim to replace rather than enable independent agents. "GAIL" stands for generative AI by Lula, the parent company.

AI-powered virtual receptionist for call management:

Using AI-powered virtual receptionist for call management involves various applications such as call triage, proactive outbound support, and potential voice cloning for famous voices like Morgan Freeman or Snoop Dogg for training. It also addresses issues like slow quoting and aims to improve customer support.

Automating insurance outreach and tasks:

Automating insurance outreach and tasks includes campaigns for life and pet insurance opportunities, a script generator for the GAIL virtual assistant, and simplifying script editing to improve task creation, as noted by Kyle Houck.

AI adoption, cost vs. benefits, prompt engineering:

AI adoption, cost vs. benefits, and prompt engineering are emphasized, highlighting the importance of correct AI usage, affordability, and reflecting on AI evolution and future trends.

Prioritizing customer obsession:

Prioritizing customer obsession involves learning from Seth Godin's "Permission Marketing" and emphasizes early adoption to fill industry needs while focusing on customer obsession.

Personalized voice clones for callers:

Personalized voice clones for callers include the development of voice AI prioritizing legality and quality. Roberto Salinas's direct approach led to gaining customers, along with a promotional offer available for podcast listeners. Frustration with overcharging for recordings is expressed, advising to prospect elsewhere.

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Solving the Hiring Riddle with Heritage

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers joined by three guests Jeromy Huerta, Caleb Walker and Michael Overstreet from Heritage, discussed their strategies for hiring and vetting new team members in the insurance industry, emphasizing the importance of aligning values and culture. They shared their experiences merging virtual agencies, highlighting the challenges of cultural differences and conflicting processes. They also discussed the importance of involving team members in the hiring process, creating a positive first impression for new hires, and personalizing the virtual onboarding experience. Finally, they discussed the use of virtual assistants in insurance agency operations and the benefits of merging VA's and traditional employees in the virtual workplace.

Key points:

· Local Talent in Insurance Agencies:

David Carothers and guests discuss using homegrown talent, emphasizing the importance of cultural alignment and personal experiences shared on their podcast about industry insights.

· Merging Marketing Agencies:

David Carothers and Michael Overstreet explore the challenges and learning experiences from merging agencies virtually, focusing on integrating operations across different states and maintaining core values.

· Core Values and Agency Turnover:

Jeromy Huerta stresses core values centered on winning and improvement. Caleb Walker and Michael Overstreet address high turnover rates during agency mergers and the importance of clear, successful core values.

· Hiring and Firing Practices:

Jeromy Huerta and Michael Overstreet discuss hiring for values and cultural fit rather than just skills, emphasizing personal connections in the hiring process. David Carothers advocates for hiring based on attitudes and shared values.

· Virtual Interviews and Onboarding:

David Carothers underscores the importance of video interviews for assessing candidate fit and shares strategies for making new hires feel valued through personalized onboarding processes.

· Using Remote Employees Over Virtual Assistants:

David Carothers describes the transition from using virtual assistants to full remote employees, focusing on efficiency and growth. He highlights the use of activity-based productivity tracking and the benefits of integrating traditional employees with virtual assistants.

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What we Didn't Know with Moe Latif

Wed, 22 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, Moe Latif, and Kyle Houck discussed the importance of embracing the unknown in sales, particularly when utilizing technology like Vertafore Agencies. They emphasized the need to build trust and provide value in insurance sales and supported the agent community by highlighting the significance of supporting small agencies.

Moe Latif and Kyle Houck emphasized the significance of listening to customer feedback to identify and address business challenges, while David Carothers highlighted the importance of understanding the sales process before implementing software solutions.

They emphasized the importance of building relationships through genuine conversations and asking questions and understanding clients' problems before selling them any product.

Key Points:

Embrace of Uncertainty in Sales and Technology: Highlighting the need to adapt and be open to the unknown, especially when implementing new technologies like Vertafore Agencies to streamline insurance sales processes.
Trust and Value in Insurance Sales: The significance of building trust with clients and providing value beyond just the product was emphasized, underlining the importance of relationship-building in sales.
Support for Small Agencies: The speakers advocated for bolstering the agent community, particularly small agencies, by providing them with the necessary tools and support.
Customer Feedback and Business Challenges: Listening to customer feedback was stressed as essential for identifying and addressing specific challenges within the business, leading to more effective solutions.
Sales Process Understanding Before Software Implementation: David Carothers stressed the importance of having a robust sales process in place before integrating any new software solutions to avoid reliance on "shiny object syndrome".
Streamlining with CRM Systems: The discussion covered the effective use of CRM systems to automate sales processes, allowing agents to focus more on engaging with clients and less on administrative tasks.
Problem Understanding Before Product Selling: A major point made was the importance of understanding a client’s specific problems before attempting to sell them a product, which leads to more targeted and successful sales.

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And Done! with Chase Courtney

Wed, 15 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, Chase Courtney from Imperial PFS and Kyle Houck held a comprehensive discussion on the intersection of technology and the insurance industry, focusing on the evolution of payments and premium financing solutions. They explored the nuances of Cajun culture and its influence on their personal and professional lives. The dialogue covered key challenges in payment processing within the insurance sector, such as commission distribution, premium financing, and compliance with regulatory frameworks. Emphasizing modernization, they also discussed their companies' strategic approaches to integrating payment systems and premium financing, aiming for efficiency and regulatory alignment.

Key Points

Cultural and Industry Connections:

David Carothers, Chase Courtney, and Kyle Houck discussed personal experiences with Cajun culture and its impact on their professional networking within the insurance industry.

Technological Modernization:

The trio emphasized the need for modernizing technology in the insurance sector, specifically around payment processing and premium financing.

Challenges in Payment Processing:

They highlighted issues such as commission distribution, handling premiums, and adhering to federal money transmission laws as major challenges in the industry.

Strategic Company Movements:

David Carothers and Chase Courtney discussed the implementation of seamless product experiences and addressing regulatory challenges through integrated payment and financing solutions.

Expansion and Partnerships:

Chase Courtney elaborated on plans to expand AndDone’s capabilities and market reach through reseller partnerships and further development of their payment’s platform.

Regulatory Compliance and Efficiency:

The speakers, particularly Chase Courtney, emphasized the importance of understanding and navigating the complex regulatory environment while leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Development and Evolution of Imperial PFS:

Chase Courtney discussed the strategic shifts in Imperial PFS from focusing primarily on premium financing to broadening its services into comprehensive payment processing solutions.

Imperial PFS's Technological Infrastructure:

The discussion included details on how Imperial PFS is leveraging its existing technological infrastructure to build a robust payments platform, aiming to integrate agency bill payments and premium finance more effectively.

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The Keyes to Success with Ryan Garzon

Wed, 08 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and Ryan Garzon explore the impact of content marketing and mentorship in the insurance industry. They delve into effective strategies for generating leads and referrals through podcasts and consistent content creation. Both speakers share their experiences and insights on adapting to industry changes, fostering strong relationships with carriers, and emphasizing excellent service. They also discuss the importance of listening to clients, providing valuable insights, building trust, and offering customized insurance solutions. The conversation covers proactive communication and transparency, particularly regarding rate increases to ensure client satisfaction.

Key Points:

Content Marketing and Networking:

Utilizing podcasts for business leads and networking.
Generating leads through consistent content creation.

Professional Growth and Industry Insights:

Ryan Garzon discusses his journey into the insurance industry and the key lessons learned that fueled his success.
David Carothers shares his transition from direct production to leadership, focusing on the necessity of mentorship and delegation.

Sales Strategies and Client Interaction:

Emphasizing the need for listening to clients and understanding their specific needs to provide tailored insurance solutions.
The importance of proactive communication, especially when discussing potential rate increases, to maintain transparency and client trust.

Leveraging Technology:

The innovative use of technology, such as drones, for accurate data gathering and risk assessment in insurance practices.

Educational Investment and Industry Adaptability:

The crucial role of continuous learning and staying updated with industry changes to effectively advise and serve clients.
Discussions around the benefits of detailed insurance training and its impact on professional competence.

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Know Thyself with Ashley Napier

Fri, 03 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This episode of Shoptalk focuses on leadership development in the insurance industry. David Carothers and Ashley Napier discuss key aspects like self-awareness, effective communication, investing in people, and creating a positive work culture. They also explore challenges faced by leaders and offer solutions for navigating a competitive market.

Key Points:

Leadership Development: Self-awareness, continuous learning, mentorship, and effective communication are crucial for success.
Investing in People: Providing training and support empowers employees to become better leaders.
KPIs & Team Alignment: Setting clear goals with measurable KPIs combined with open communication is essential for team success.
Onboarding & Culture: A well-defined onboarding process sets the tone for employee experience and fosters a positive work environment.
Seeking Help: Leaders should embrace seeking professional help or guidance to improve their skills and address challenges.

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Gurley Gold with Josh Gurley

Wed, 01 May 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and Josh Gurley explain the fundamental principles essential for success in the insurance industry. They emphasize the significance of adhering to basic principles, outsourcing tasks, and mastering effective prospecting techniques amidst the challenges of the current market. From maintaining professionalism in sales to balancing work and family life, they offer actionable advice and personal anecdotes to guide listeners towards achieving success while maintaining a fulfilling personal life.

Key points:

Managing Work Comp Claims and Improving Risk Profiles: David Carothers discusses managing work comp claims and improving risk profiles, focusing on strategies to enhance profitability and facilitate clients’ return to work.
Discussion on Basic Principles for Success: David Carothers and Josh Gurley emphasize the importance of sticking to basic principles for success in the insurance industry, highlighting accountability and adherence to fundamental practices.
Impact of COVID-19 on the Insurance Industry: Josh Gurley discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the insurance industry, particularly focusing on technological advancements and merger and acquisition activities.
Prospecting Techniques and Professional Persistence: Josh Gurley shares prospecting techniques, including personalized events and consistent follow-up, emphasizing the importance of building relationships over time for sales success.
Sales Techniques and Prospect Qualification: Josh Gurley describes their sales process as a 4-step method, emphasizing prospect qualification and the importance of consistency and dedication in sales efforts.
Reflections on Personal Relationships and Experiences: Josh Gurley and David Carothers prioritize personal relationships and experiences over business success, highlighting the value of family time and personal well-being.
Prioritizing Family and Well-being Over Business Success: David Carothers and Josh Gurley emphasize balancing work and personal life, prioritizing mental, physical, and spiritual health, and cherishing moments with family.

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Raising the Bar in Wholesaler Relationships with John Barfield

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Barfield, focusing on the critical aspects of the insurance industry.

Here are the key topics they discussed:

Key topics:

Importance of Relationships and Trust: Emphasizing the need for agents to build genuine, long-lasting relationships with underwriters and wholesalers to navigate through tough market conditions effectively.

Complete Submissions for Underwriting: Highlighting the necessity for agents, especially new ones, to provide thorough and complete information in their submissions, such as exposure bases, supplemental applications, premium targets, and loss histories.

Education and Communication: The need for ongoing education of agents about the importance of accurate and complete information in insurance submissions and maintaining transparent communication with underwriters.

Choosing Wholesale Partners: Advising agents to focus on building relationships with a select few trusted wholesalers instead of spreading efforts thin across many, to ensure more reliable and efficient service.

Action Items and Follow-ups:

Educate new agents on the importance of thorough submissions.

Encourage agents to build and maintain relationships throughout the year, not only during transaction periods.

Follow up with agents who attended the Producers in Paradise conference to strengthen new relationships.

Provide contact information for Braishfield for further inquiries into their services and specialties in both admitted and non-admitted solutions.

This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for insurance agents on the importance of building strong professional relationships, providing complete and accurate submissions, and choosing the right partners to work with in the industry.

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The Power Shift of AI with Patrick Cooney

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Patrick Cooney, Co-Founder of Powerbroker AI. Patrick discusses how Powerbroker AI’s latest AI innovations are transforming the insurance industry, and empowers insurance agents and brokers by enhancing their efficiency and accuracy.

Key Topics:

Introduction of Patrick Cooney and Powerbroker AI
Discussion on the impact of AI on insurance
Patrick’s journey from insurance to tech innovator
Key features and benefits of Powerbroker AI
Future prospects of AI in the insurance industry

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Do the Hustle with Aaron Gordon

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Aaron Gordon, Vice President of Gordon Companies Insurance Services, and host of Keep Hustling Podcast. Aaron discusses evolving the hustle from a simple hashtag to a vibrant brand and podcast, and the cultural impact and personal strategies that define success.

Key Topics:

Aaron shares the evolution of the "Keep Hustling" brand and podcast
Discussion on the personal definition of hustle and its varied interpretations
The importance of community support in maintaining and promoting the hustle
Ways to integrate hustle into everyday life without leading to burnout
The role of authenticity and consistent effort in achieving success
Aaron's practical examples of applying hustle in business and personal areas
Future plans for expanding the influence of the Keep Hustling community

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Meet LeO with Scott Angell

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Scott Angell, Senior Vice President of LeO. David and Scott explore the platform's capabilities, its integration with various agency management systems, and the significant time savings and efficiency it brings to the prospecting process.

Key Topics:

Introduction to LeO and its impact on insurance prospecting
Enhancements and developments within LeO's platform
Integrations with agency management systems for streamlined processes
The future roadmap and upcoming features of LeO
Strategies for building effective lead lists using LeO
Importance of mobile numbers in modern prospecting
The role of technology in saving time and increasing efficiency for producers

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AI for Producers 3

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the transformative role of AI in the insurance industry. He delves into how AI-driven tools can automate and enhance client interactions, streamline content creation, and innovate prospecting methods.

Key Topics:

Introduction to AI video creation tool "Synthesia"
Custom avatars and voice cloning for personalization
AI-generated videos for education and marketing
AI strategies for workers' compensation prospecting
Targeted outreach for companies with stop-work orders
Development of a learning management system for content creation

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The Cost of Complacency with Jess Dantice

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Jess Dantice, CEO & Founder of Zenjuries. Jess discusses how we can change the way we handle Worker's Comp, and how Zenjuries is making a big difference in managing claims.

Key Topics:

The continuous delivery of value in Worker's Comp discussions
Insights into Zenjuries, a software for handling Worker's Comp claims
The evolving landscape of Worker's Comp and strategies for agencies
The introduction of employee-centric features in Zenjuries
A detailed discussion on the importance of proactive claim management
Exclusive reveal of new features within Zenjuries

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AI for Producers 2

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses insightful strategies on leveraging Artificial Intelligence to enhance content creation, risk management, and client engagement in the insurance industry.

Key Topics:

The indispensable role of transcription software in content creation
Launching "Carpool Closer" for daily insurance insights
Utilizing AI for transforming recorded content into various formats
Strategies for content marketing and enhancing client engagement
Developing comprehensive producer game plans with AI assistance
Implementing AI-driven solutions for fleet safety and risk management
The significance of creating sticky accounts through AI-enabled educational campaigns

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Travel Defend with Ben Camille

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ben Camille, CEO & Founder of Travel Defend. Ben discusses the nuances of travel insurance, debunks common misconceptions, and explains how Travel Defend redefines travelers' protection.

Key Topics:

Ben Camille’s transition from luxury tour operator to travel insurance innovator
The critical need for proper travel insurance and understanding of policy details
Unpacking the benefits and coverage options of travel insurance
How Travel Defend offers a concierge-like service to navigate travel insurance complexities
The unique challenges and opportunities of scaling a business during COVID-19
The importance of specialized knowledge in selling and managing travel insurance
Real-life case studies highlighting the impact of having Travel Defend on your side

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AI for Producers 1

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers delves into the transformative role of AI in the insurance industry, sharing actionable insights for insurance professionals. From managing email overload to optimizing content creation and enhancing client communications, David’s experiences serve as a roadmap for integrating AI into daily workflows.

Key Topics:

The importance of AI in managing email through apps like Superhuman
The productivity boost from time blocking in daily schedules
Leveraging chat GPT for content creation and client communications
Translating emails for global communication using Superhuman
The value of long-form content and its conversion into short-form pieces for broader engagement
Utilizing Munch for efficient video content creation and optimization
Strategies for effective content marketing and audience engagement

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Empowering Producers through Workers Comp Advocacy with Kevin Ring

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Kevin Ring, Lead Workers' Compensation Analyst at Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin discusses the recent changes made by the NCCI, how these changes impact employers, and how insurance producers can use this knowledge to their advantage.

Key Topics:

NCCI introduces state-specific split points in experience mod calculation
Higher split points are influenced by factors such as attorney involvement, medical costs, and settlement structures
Producers should discuss potential mod adjustments with clients
Emphasize proficiency in workers' compensation processes
State workers' compensation regulations and laws differ; producers should be well-versed in their state's requirements

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Making Cyber Mainstream with Zane Goldthorp

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Zane Goldthorp, Director of Broker Development at ProWriters. Zane discusses cyber insurance's vital role and evolution in today’s digital-first business environment, sharing insights on its challenges, market dynamics, and the importance of proactive cyber risk management.

Key Topics:

Early skepticism and gradual acceptance of cyber insurance
The pivotal role of the big retail breach in 2014 in raising cyber risk awareness
The transition from offering cyber as a tech add-on to a standalone necessity
The increasing complexity and importance of educating agents and clients about cyber risks
Significant changes in underwriting and the emphasis on security controls
The impact of AI and technological advancements on the future of cyber threats
Real-world claim examples underscoring the critical need for robust cyber insurance

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Stirring the Pot - What to Expect from Soup Live 2024

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Michael McCormick, Owner of Insurance Soup, and Taylor Dobbie, CEO of Career Insurance Agents to discuss the upcoming Soup LIVE! 2024 event, May 7th-8th in Arlington, Texas. They explore the event's unique impact on the insurance industry and share insider perspectives on what attendees can look forward to at this year's event.

Key Topics:

The significance and impact of attending Soup LIVE! events
Setting expectations for Soup LIVE! 2024 about what attendees will gain from the event
The unique approach and atmosphere of Soup LIVE! compared to other industry events
Highlighting the importance of genuine, value-driven presentations and networking
Preview of the diverse speaker lineup and the blend of well-known names and emerging talents
Details on the VIP experience and how it enhances the overall event

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Inside the Mind of a Multi-Million Dollar Producer

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Abby O'Brien, Practice Leader of Risk Management at Florida Risk Partners. David and Abby discuss their approach to modernizing sales and leveraging technology at their agency.

Key Topics:

Overview of Killing Commercial’s upcoming Technology and Tactics for Commercial Producers: Commercial Insurance Sales Bootcamp on March 27th highlighting tech stack and workflows
The impact of competitive spirit and teamwork on success
Strategies for leveraging ADHD in a professional setting
Future focus on middle-market production
The role of technology in enhancing client relationships and sales processes
The importance of ethical competitiveness and creativity within industry rules

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Enhancing Your Call Center Experience with Peter Voss

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Peter Voss, CEO of Aigo.ai. Peter shares his deep insights into AI's role in enhancing operational efficiency, the critical balance of AI and human interaction, and offers a glimpse into the future of AI technologies.

Key Topics:

The potential and limitations of generative AI in business applications
The importance of human oversight in AI-generated content and strategies
The role of AI in automating, routine tasks and its impact on industries
The evolution and future of cognitive AI as the next significant leap in technology
Misconceptions about AI's capabilities and the reality of its implementation
Practical applications of AI in improving business operations and customer service
The societal and ethical considerations of integrating AI into everyday life

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The Paskins Sessions 4

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Bob Paskins for a deep dive into the final leg of the sales journey: closing the deal. They unpack the transition from presentation to securing a commitment, offering insights and strategies on overcoming objections and clinching sales.

Key Topics:

Understanding the transition from presentation to close
The significance of handling objections effectively
Techniques for turning objections into opportunities
The importance of asking for the business directly
Strategies for closing at any time during the sales process
Delivering on promises to build strong client relationships
Reflections on past successes and the value of learning from them

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Acing Agency Automations with Tech Marketer

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Nick Berry, Dan Mory, and Patrick McBride, the brains behind TechMarketer. They discuss the world of marketing, automation, and how it intersects with the insurance industry.

Key Topics:

The importance of marketing in sales and why it's a specialized skill
Introduction of TechMarketer's team and their mission to innovate in marketing
The difference between self-proclaimed marketers and genuine expertise
The significance of having strong operational and agency-side knowledge for effective automation
Strategies for automating agency processes to save time and enhance efficiency
The critical role of asking "why" to deeply understand and solve agency problems
Building trust and being a subject matter expert as a cornerstone for successful marketing

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The Paskins Sessions 3

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and Bob Paskins continue their discussion, focusing on the transition from prospect to presentation. They delve into essential strategies and levers to employ during this phase to secure the client's interest and commitment.

Key Topics:

Leveraging three key aspects: program advantages, service benefits, and relationship value
Identifying problems with the client's current coverage or program to highlight areas of improvement
Emphasizing service quality and addressing any past service deficiencies experienced by the client
Exploring the relational aspect by evaluating the effectiveness of previous interactions with the client's current provider
Initiating conversations about costs versus premiums to shift focus away from price and towards overall risk management
The comprehensive value proposition and investment potential of the proposed insurance solution
The importance of understanding the client's needs and presenting tailored solutions to address them effectively

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New York's Leading Lady with Lisa Lounsbury

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Lisa Lounsbury, President & CEO of the Big I New York & Big I Connecticut and Co-Founder and President of Board of Directors at Catalyit. Lisa discusses the transformative impact of mentorship, the necessity of legislative advocacy, and the influence of technology and innovation on the insurance industry.

Key Topics:

Lisa Lounsbury’s deep-rooted family history in the insurance industry
Lisa Lounsbury’s evolution of careers within the insurance sector
The impact of mentorship and leadership in professional growth
The critical role of insurance in community support and development
The significance of advocacy and legislative efforts in the insurance industry
Embracing technology and innovation for future growth
The importance of education and ongoing professional development

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The Paskins Sessions 2

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Bob Paskins as they discuss the process of identifying potential leads to converting them into committed prospects. They break down the journey, offering key strategies for enhancing your sales approach.

Key Topics:

The importance of moving from suspect to prospect in the sales cycle
Utilizing the "Rule of Two Thirds" for effective communication with potential buyers
The significance of listening with the intent to understand, not just to respond
Key strategies for conducting thorough research and preparing targeted questions
Understanding the need for a clear solution to address the client's specific needs
Building a trusting relationship and identifying all decision-makers involved in the process
Navigating the competitive landscape and positioning yourself confidently

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Alaska Trip Recap

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers alongside Daniel Seong, Aron Robertson, and Grayson Carothers, dive into the exhilarating recount of their bucket list trip to Alaska. They discuss the unforgettable adventures, challenges, and camaraderie experienced in the Alaskan wilderness, from deep sea fishing to close encounters with the local wildlife and the profound impact of stepping out of their comfort zones.

Key Topics:

Overview of the Alaskan adventure
The significance of company over destination in making trips memorable
Challenges and comedic moments encountered, including fishing escapades and unexpected wildlife interactions
Insights into personal growth and bonding forged through shared experiences
Reflections on the importance of pursuing bucket list adventures
The impact of the trip on professional and personal perspectives
Plans and aspirations for future adventures together

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The Paskins Sessions 1

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Bob Paskins, a speaker, business consultant, and sales strategist. David and Bob discuss the importance of keeping sales strategies simple and provide listeners with practical tips for enhancing their sales approach.

Key Topics:

The importance of simplifying the sales process
Definition and significance of a lead in the sales pipeline
Effective strategies for setting meetings and engaging prospects
The role of research and preparation in successful sales outreach
Utilizing social proof to enhance credibility and trust
The necessity of employing a variety of outreach methods
Discipline and accountability in sales activities

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Fishing in the Blue Pond with Pranav Pasricha

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Pranav Pasricha, Managing Principal at Bluepond Capital. Pranav discusses Bluepond’s new product called the BrokerCoPilot platform which aims to improve efficiency and accuracy by assisting insurance agents, brokers, and wholesalers with various tasks using AI technology.

Key Topics:

Pranav Pasricha's extensive experience in the insurance industry and his role in developing early digital platforms for brokers and agents.
Discussion on the current challenges faced by insurance agencies, such as the time-consuming process of reviewing and comparing insurance coverages.
The introduction of AI technology in the insurance industry and its potential to automate and improve various processes.
Exploration of Bluepond's BrokerCoPilot platform, which aims to assist agents with tasks like quote comparisons and policy checking.
The importance of combining AI technology with human expertise to ensure accuracy and efficiency in insurance processes.
How Blue Pond's technology can improve the client experience by allowing agents to focus more on interpersonal interactions.
Future developments and the potential impact of Bluepond's technology on the insurance industry.

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Shoptalk with The Most Humble Man in Insurance

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Christian DeLozier, Business Risk & Insurance Advisor at Mike Keith Insurance. They discuss how insurance agencies merge, the role of company size in determining an agency’s worth, and strategies for expanding by partnering with others.

Key Topics:

The concept of mergers and acquisitions and multiple arbitrage in the insurance industry
The impact of agency size on valuation multiples
Strategies for growth through acquisition and the importance of strategic alignment
The role of technology and operations in scaling and efficiency
The process and considerations for funding acquisitions
The significance of culture and relationship-building in successful mergers and acquisitions
Future trends and strategies for insurance agencies looking to grow or transition

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Don't be Broke and Busted with Michael Charles

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Michael Charles, of RSC Credit Freedom Solution. Michael discusses the critical importance of credit in both personal and business contexts and its impact on the insurance industry and overall financial health.

Key Topics:

Michael Charles discusses the significance of understanding and leveraging credit for personal and business advancement
The epidemic of debt in the U.S., particularly among college students, and its long-term impact
The role of credit in the insurance industry and its influence on underwriting decisions
Strategies for responsible credit use and avoiding common pitfalls
Michael Charles shares insights on repairing credit and the importance of accurate credit reports
The impact of credit on various aspects of life, including business growth and personal finance management
Practical tips for using credit cards wisely and maximizing benefits like cashback and points

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The Extra 2 Minutes

Throwback: Plan Backwards

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about how many people are effectively using their business planning, process planning, and most significantly, their behavior planning.

Episode Highlights:

David shares why a lot of people are utilizing business planning. (2:18)
How would David put an effective action plan that's going to produce the results that he’s looking for? (6:24)
David mentions an ideal prospect profile. (8:03)
How many people do you have to present to get 10 orders? (9:20)
Kyle shares prospecting from the way that he has done it in the past. (11:34)
David shares his theory if you're a producer, who's starting in the middle market. (14:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's great if you've got a goal, and it's great if you've done market research, but if you don't show what the behaviors are that are gonna help, that's not a business plan. It’s called a list of goals and some market research.” - David Carothers
“This is obviously the time when everybody's doing resolutions and trying to get everything in line after the first of the year. I think a lot of times if you don't have those action items and the how behind it, it turns into one of those gym resolutions.” - Kyle Houck
“I would tell you to crack out those freshly written business plans, get to work, and figure out what your day looks like. You'll be amazed at how much money you can make if you just get yourself into the routine.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Relationships are More than Rows and Columns with Agency CFO

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Roe Polczynski, Don Polczynski, and Cayla Carrillo of The AgencyCFO™. They discuss effective financial practices for insurance agencies, and strategies for better financial management and growth, valuable for anyone at the helm of an insurance agency.

Key Topics:

The evolution and rebranding of The AgencyCFO™ from its original business name, RD Advisory Group.
The ideal client profile for The AgencyCFO™: Agencies with a revenue range of 2 to 15 million dollars.
The importance of having strategic financial support for growth-oriented agencies.
The role of The AgencyCFO™ in assisting agencies with acquisitions, including pre and post-acquisition financial management.
Addressing common challenges and concerns of agency owners regarding financial management and growth strategies.
The significance of organic growth and its impact on agency valuation.
The innovative "Executive Academy" program, designed to help smaller agencies grow effectively.

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Throwback: Your Prospect's Self-Perception

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about how to overcome a producer in the middle market and the significance of understanding perception.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions the form that he uses every time he conducts an interview. (3:18)
How does David present the forms in a way that they wouldn’t feel hesitant? (4:04)
David shares why being unaware of the information is one of the biggest traps that anyone runs into. (6:30)
David mentions where he would see a big point of contention, and it’s something everybody should be mindful of. (8:10)
What was one of the things that David does for all of his accounts of any size, when it comes to audit? (11:18)
David mentions the huge issue that you have to handle when dealing with safety people and risk managers. (13:32)
David shares the value of perception. (14:34)
What kind of feedback did David receive when he presented that information to the decision-makers? (16:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you do the assessment the correct way, and you average everything out, you can come up with a pretty good game plan for how you have to deliver the message of what you think your performance looks like. Then once you do that, you can craft how you're going to go about it.” - David Carothers
“I've got a CRM that's going to show every single communication that we've had with date, time stamps, recorded phone calls, and everything. If you're gonna play that game, you better pick a better dance partner than me because it's just not gonna work.” - David Carothers
“You have to make sure you understand who your allies are in the company, and who aren't. Because you can end up getting displaced really quickly if you're not careful, and I'm not foolish enough to think that I'm completely immune to that because I'm not. But I'm not gonna go out without a fight.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Moneyball with Billy Van Jura

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Billy Van Jura, Owner of Birchyard. They discuss the need for creativity in the insurance industry, redefining the middle market, and the impact of technology on business expansion and client services.

Key Topics:

The importance of creativity and innovative thinking in the highly regulated insurance industry
Billy Van Jura’s journey from Liberty Mutual to starting Birchyard and his decision-making process in naming the agency
Discussion on the definition and segmentation of the middle market in insurance and its implications
The significance of understanding and catering to different customer segments in the insurance business
Leveraging technology and data to enhance client service and expand business opportunities
Strategies for personal lines marketing and the potential of using direct mail for generating leads
The value of nurturing and training insurance agency staff to capitalize on available opportunities

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Chatting Risk with Abby O'Brien 2

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Abby O'Brien, the Risk Management Practice Leader at Florida Risk Partners. They provide a unique perspective on the dynamic interplay between education and hands-on experience in shaping a successful insurance and risk management career.

Key Topics:

Abby's transition from academic theory to practical application in risk management
The impact of internships and onboarding experiences in understanding the insurance industry
Real-world challenges in risk management compared to classroom expectations
The role of a producer in client meetings and the importance of being prepared
Insights into working with clients on risk management and insurance solutions
The importance of safety protocols and their impact on business operations
Strategies for effective preparation before client meetings in the insurance industry

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Throwback: Have We Told You Lately That We Love You with Kate Bradley-Chernis

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kate Bradley-Chernis, Co-Founder and CEO of Lately. Kate explains how AI can be one of your greatest tools for content creation and marketing.

Episode Highlights:

Kate talks about her music background and her experience being in a radio station. (3:18)
Kate shares that she used to own a marketing agency. (12:28)
Kate shares how a medical condition led her to first use a dictation software and why it was a game changer for her. (17:07)
Kate shares her background and how she started her first company. (24:40)
Kate explains why Lately is working successfully. (29:15)
Kate talks about how to make sure you have the correct content system. (36:41)
Kate shares what she does after leading people to their successful path. (45:06)
Kate shares the most magical questions that are very important. (48:29)
Kate explains the biggest mistakes she sees people make when creating content. (50:49)
Kate talks about her motivation to overcome all the challenges she has faced in the past. (54:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“So the goal is to help you, any brand, any person create more effective social media messaging, that actually gets people to click or reshare in a way that you can, you can track it.” - Kate Bradley-Chernis
“Content that moves people moves mountains, it just does, and are you doing that? If you're not, then you're winking in the dark. That's an old marketing adage. Nobody can see it.” - Kate Bradley-Chernis
“Set yourself up for success and put yourself in the position to do the things you do best and surround yourself with people who can fill in the blanks for you.” - Kate Bradley-Chernis

Resources Mentioned:

Connecting You and Your Clients with the Right Coverage with Dylan Jordan

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Dylan Jordan,

Healthcare Advisor at Connected Risk Solutions. Dylan discusses the complexities and nuances of insurance in the healthcare sector, the unique challenges in medical malpractice insurance, and the strategies for success in this specialized area.

Key Topics:

Dylan Jordan’s journey into the insurance industry
The dynamics of medical and healthcare-related insurance risks
Strategies for dealing with medical malpractice insurance in different states
Challenges in the current market for healthcare and medical insurance
Strategies for effective client relationship management and maximizing client satisfaction in the insurance sector.
The impact of legislation and market changes on insurance policies
Dylan’s approach to building strong relationships with agencies and ensuring client satisfaction

Connect with:

Dylan Jordan Linkedin
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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Chatting Risk with Abby O'Brien 1

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Abby O'Brien, the Risk Management Practice Leader at Florida Risk Partners. They explore the challenges and opportunities in the field, highlighting how effective use of technology and innovative approaches can lead to significant advancements in managing risks in the insurance industry.

Key Topics:

Abby O'Brien's journey from intern to key team member at Florida Risk Partners
Strategic use of technology and platforms in risk management
The role of HR expertise and technological tools in enhancing client services
Implementation strategies for new tech tools in client onboarding
The importance of staying updated and proactive in claims management
Leveraging educational resources from higher learning institutions in the insurance industry

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The Agency Marketing Playbook with Nick Berry

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Nick Berry from Tech Marketer. Nick discusses his insights into evolving marketing strategies, the importance of an online presence in the insurance industry, and offers actionable advice for agencies looking to make a significant impact in the new year.

Key Topics:

Nick Berry's background in InsureTech and BrokerTech, and his journey from sales to marketing.
The current state of online presence for insurance agencies and its importance.
Nick's experiment with insurance quote processes and its implications for consumer experience.
The transition from providing client services to teaching marketing tactics and strategies in the insurance industry.
The significance of community building and leveraging digital platforms in marketing.
Practical tips for improving marketing strategies and tactics, including the use of automation and email marketing.
The role of foundational content in establishing credibility and supporting more engaging, niche content.

Connect with:

Nick Berry Linkedin
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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Throwback: The Dropout Multi-Millionaire with Brian Will

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Brian Will, author of The Dropout Multi-Millionaire: 37 Business Lessons on How to Succeed in Business With No Money, No Education, and No Clue. Brian explains the concept of his book and what readers can take away from the lessons he has learned in his journey to becoming a multi-millionaire.

Episode Highlights:

Brian talks about his book The Dropout Multi-Millionaire: 37 Business Lessons on How to Succeed in Business With No Money, No Education, and No Clue. (2:21)
Brian shares his techniques and methods when writing his book. (5:36)
Brian talks about his journey and how he was able to finish the book. (8:48)
Brian explains the reason why most businesses fail. (15:13)
Brian shares the Chapter 1 preview from his book and the lesson people can learn from it. (19:13)
Brian gives his advice to listeners on how to understand when people say no. (22:54)
Brian answers the question of why people should get a copy of his book. (24:11)
Brian shares how these lessons translated to his current clients. (32:37)
Brain talks about his thoughts about retirement. (38:29)
Brian shares the biggest thing that he has learned throughout his career. (44:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's been an interesting journey through different industries and selling different types of companies. But I found that, if you're good at running a business, you're good at running a business.” - Brian Will
“If your business isn't where it needs to be, there's a reason, and the reason is you. If you don't understand that, then you're not going to be able to move forward.” - Brian Will
“If you are not where you want to be eventually in life, then you're not making the right decisions. And you need to find somebody that can help you do that.” - Brian Will

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Don't Sell Yourself Short!

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the importance of not selling yourself short as a producer and how to get your worth in 2021.

Episode Highlights:

David shares why you need to put a value on your time. (2:45)
David explains the importance of setting expectations when meeting with prospects. (5:47)
What are two traps that producers easily fall into? (9:03)
David challenges listeners to do two things going into 2021. (13:31)
Kyle explains why it’s all about mindset. (15:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Sometimes we're so worried about getting somebody to agree with us, or give us the order, or whatever else that we sell ourselves short.” David Carothers
“Don't sell yourself short. Go in there, like the professional that you are, and establish that your time is equally as valuable, that you're every bit as qualified as you need to be. And then stay in your lane and don't get distracted.” David Carothers
“It's a mindset, you've got to be in that mindset that your time is just as valuable as the people that you're meeting with. And when you do that, it just kind of exudes off of you. You don't even have to do anything specifically. It's just it just naturally, they understand by the way that you carry yourself.” Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

The Fat Boy of the Insurance Industry with Mike Carey

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mike Carey, Owner of Carey Insurance Agency. Mike shares his extensive experience in sales, insurance, and business development.

Join us as we dive into his journey and gain valuable insights from his unique perspective.

Key Topics:

Mike Carey's journey from college to the insurance industry during the 2007-2008 economic downturn.
Insights into the initial challenges of starting and running an independent insurance agency.
The role of technology in insurance and avoiding the pitfalls of chasing after the latest trends.
Strategies for organic growth and the value of acquiring small insurance agencies.
The relationship between insurance industry knowledge and effective decision-making.

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Throwback: Built on the Backs of Safety Geeks with Rob Stansbury

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rob Stansbury, Director of Sales at KPA. Rob talks about everything we need to know about KPA and the tools they’ve designed.

Episode Highlights:

Rob shares his background. (2:27)
Rob mentions what they do at KPA. (5:41)
Rob explains why certificate monitoring could be huge leverage. (11:17)
Rob explains some of the tools they’ve designed. (16:26)
Rob mentions one of the areas that producers are not engaging in. (22:14)
Rob shares one of the unique things about KPA. (36:44)
Rob explains why it’s so important to understand different mindsets at the employer level. (44:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are tools out there that are intended for brokers to use for growth purposes, for marketing purposes. And, we certainly engage in that way with our broker clients. But, at heart, we're an employer too.” - Rob Stansbury
“So in today's market, where you're delivering premiums that are higher than they were the year before... if you can offset that or mitigate that by potentially reducing an existing third party spend, there's another gold star in a corner of the broker for being able to do so.” - Rob Stansbury
“I wish more brokers were out there talking about not just experienced mod work comp, but also, the compliance from a regulatory perspective for these businesses because it's a goldmine.” - Rob Stansbury

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Common Denominator

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about understanding the common denominators of insurance.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that it is essential to understand the common denominator because that is what we don’t necessarily need. (1:59)
David shares that if you want to be successful in the middle market production, you have to be uncommon in a common environment. (2:51)
Kyle shares that creating an agenda requires little effort, none of it is hard. (5:21)
David mentions that the agenda is an easy way to begin the meeting. (5:41)
David shares that another huge factor is understanding what you have in terms of resources in your agency to solve the problems. (6:21)
David shares what happened during his time with the B Atomic Airwaves Podcast. (6:36)
David thinks that everybody needs to understand the significance of technology, this is where most agencies go wrong. (6:50)
David shares that investments can be helpful to operate with the tasks inside an agency, and it’s a huge differentiator. (8:07)
David mentions that he’s been very impressed with Think HR’s 1-800 number that people can call and get advice from the HR. (11:03)
David thinks that one of the areas where HubSpot has helped him is by making sure that their clients are adapting around the automation. (12:28)
David mentions that if you want to be uncommon, you must start changing your perspective and how you look at things. (14:32)
David shares that most of the time we learn from failure and never learn from winning. Valuable lessons can be learned by winning also. (15:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It doesn't start when you walk into the present, it starts with how you go about getting the business to begin with. Whether that be a cold call, marketing drop, or telemarketing, you have to be memorable. People need to want to do business with you because you are shown to be an expert.” - David Carothers
“I think that does a couple of things that empower them. It helps them feel like they're in control and decision-makers. They need that and are used to that. It also gets you on the same table versus going back and forth in a negotiation type of thing.” - Kyle Houck
“Here’s the deal people, you have to look at technology exactly like it is. It's an investment, not an expense. An expense is not something that's going to give you a return, but investment does. Money just doesn't go in and evaporate into the wind” - David Carothers
“I think we just get to that point where we're trying to cross the finish line and once we finally do, then we're able to kind of take our victory lap. I think part of that victory lap definitely needs to be figuring out what led to that victory.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Take your Seat at The Table with Dawn Janes-Bartley

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Dawn Janes -Bartley, President and CEO of Minnesota Insurance Group. Prepare to delve into a conversation filled with unique insights, as Dawn shares her journey from combat counselor to a successful insurance agency owner.

Key Topics:

Dawn Janes Bartley's diverse background
The transition from combat counselor to insurance
The process of serving business experience
Women in Insurance Leadership
Integrating technology and processes in agency management
The impact of company culture on business growth
Addressing gender and diversity gaps in the insurance industry

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Throwback: Elevating Agency Performance Through Partnership with Kelly Donahue-Piro

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kelly Donahue-Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly talks about the things that Agency Performance Partners is doing in agencies across the country.

Episode Highlights:

Kelly shares her background. (2:19)
What's one of the common themes that Kelly sees that she has the ability to fix? (4:53)
Kelly mentions why she generally works with agencies in the younger age bracket. (7:42)
Kelly mentions one factor about having the children come to work. (17:54)
Kelly shares the online process packs that they offer. (19:46)
Kelly mentions why she loves personal lines. (23:42)
Kelly explains why the CSR role is becoming extinct in service. (25:51)
Kelly gives her opinion about overstaffing. (36:48)
Out of all the things that Kelly does, what's her favorite? (38:45)
Kelly shares why they see a huge decrease in re-shopping. (46:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You need to have routine meetings with your team, even if it's just to check in to say hi and see how people are doing. When there's a void of that, it gets really bad. The culture falls apart pretty easily.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro
“You need to clarify your perpetuation plan and be fair to the kids and the kids need to respect what you've built. There has to be a plan of how you're going to give up that power.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro
“I would encourage every agency to really stop and work hard on saying, what are the gaps in our agency? What experience do we want to get? I think so many people get that tunnel vision, you're in your agency so much. Sometimes you don't see some of the gaps out there.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

Resources Mentioned:

What a Difference a Year Makes

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses exciting details about the upcoming content conference, InsureCon Tampa, scheduled for January 16-18, 2025.

David dives into the unique approach of the conference, emphasizing its focus on fresh perspectives and high-level entrepreneurship insights applied to the insurance industry. He highlights the importance of inclusion, the strategic themes of the conference, and the exceptional experience attendees can expect.

Key Topics:

Introduction to InsureCon Tampa, scheduled for January 2025
The vision of having non-insurance speakers for fresh perspectives
Focus on three themes: strategy, technology, and execution
Inclusion and diversity in conference participation
Emphasizing the importance of a holistic experience at the conference
The potential scale and impact of InsureCon Tampa
Personal reflections on conference organization and goals

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75 Years Strong with Ryan Reynolds

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ryan Reynolds, Principal and President of Grimes Insurance. They dive into a candid discussion about the challenges and triumphs of acquiring and modernizing an established insurance agency.

Ryan shares his journey from State Farm to owning a 75-year-old agency, detailing his strategic approach to growth and industry adaptation.

Key Topics:

Challenges of transitioning from a captive agent to an independent agency owner
The process and impact of modernizing an older, established agency
Strategies for scaling and growing an insurance business
Building a team and fostering trust among long-time employees
The importance of understanding and adapting to market conditions
Ryan's approach to client retention and education in a changing insurance landscape
Insights into navigating and managing carrier relationships

Connect with:

Ryan Reynolds Facebook
Ryan Reynolds Instagram
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn

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Win Every Day with Cyrus Jaffery

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Cyrus Jaffery, Founder and CEO of Quotamation. Cyrus discusses his remarkable journey from Afghanistan to becoming a successful insurance agency owner in Nebraska. David and Cyrus delve into the nuances of sales, overcoming adversity, and the impact of technological advancements in the insurance industry.

Key Topics:

The importance of self-belief in sales.
The distinction between good and best-in-class salespeople.
Cyrus Jaffery’s transition from Afghanistan to the USA and its challenges.
The significance of being versatile in professional skills.
The impact of sports and leadership roles in personal development.
Developing a tech solution for efficient insurance quoting.
Building successful joint ventures with credit unions and real estate.

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Go the Extra 2 Minutes

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses what separates good from great in sales.

David shares his insights and personal experiences on creating memorable customer interactions and leaving a lasting impression. From extraordinary customer service stories to unique marketing strategies, this episode is packed with invaluable advice for anyone in sales.

Key Topics:

The essence of memorable sales experiences
Strategies for winning back upset customers
Using humor as a tool in customer service
Innovative marketing techniques in retail
Building lasting client relationships in insurance
Creative client appreciation ideas
The importance of personalization in sales

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Bonds in a Zip with Zach Mefferd

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Zach Mefferd, CEO and Co-founder of Zip Bonds about the latest trends and innovations in the bond market. Learn how these developments are shaping the insurance industry and how agents can adapt to stay ahead and how Zip Bonds is innovating and leading change in this space.

Key Topics:

The shift in the surety bond market and its current state.
The importance of agents focusing on smaller aspects of client risk profiles, especially bonding.
Innovations and updates in Zip Bonds' offerings.
Strategies for agents to leverage surety bonds in growing their business.
The underwriting process and creative solutions in bond issuance.
The role of surety bonds in risk management for various businesses.

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Slaying the McInsurance Game with Patrick McBride

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Patrick McBride, Agency Owner at The McBride Agency. Patrick discusses how he leverages his diverse experiences, from post-military life to mastering tech in insurance to create impactful client relationships and streamline processes in his agency.

Episode Highlights:

Patrick mentions that he had a successful and fulfilling career in the bicycle industry before transitioning to the insurance industry. (3:22)
Patrick shares that being a local agency offers the advantage of appealing to customers who prefer face-to-face interactions and those who prioritize convenience and remote communication. (11:03)
Patrick discusses the importance of collaboration and partnerships in maximizing potential and achieving success by leveraging individual strengths and skills. (21:08)
Patrick explains that to communicate and solve problems in our professional lives effectively, it’s important to trust the people around us and rely on their insights and expertise. (30:58)
Patrick mentions that consistently delivering on promises and maintaining trust with clients is crucial for the success and longevity of an agency, as any failure to fulfill commitments can lead to a loss of integrity and potential client defection. (37:50)
Patrick explains that the key to success as an agency owner or agent lies in being self-aware, understanding the fallacies in our own words and actions, and recognizing that technology and automation alone will not solve our problems or improve our leadership. (43:38)
Patrick believes that the number of agencies does not determine their ranking or quality, and the spread between the top five and number six is a crucial factor in assessing their performance and determining the threshold of excellence. (48:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You’ve got to start on page one, you can't jump in to chapter 2 or chapter 10 and expect that you understand what's going on. Start with the smallest thing possible, whatever that is, if it's a new lead automation, or if it's your onboarding automation, figure out the one thing that can happen, it doesn't have to be perfect to start with, find the things that need to happen every single time.” - Patrick McBride
“Every client that says yes to our agency, doesn't matter the policy doesn't matter the type. If they say yes to our agency for us to represent them in any way, shape, or form, there's a certain level of trust, and they've got that trust right there, we now have to deliver and continue with a consistent level of validation of our effort to that client.” - Patrick McBride

Resources Mentioned:

What is Your Identity

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers invites listeners to ponder a profound question: "What is your identity?". David discusses the importance of defining one's identity beyond work and shares personal insights on balancing professional success with family and personal well-being.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the importance of leaving a mark on the world and the value of true friendship based on trust and reliability. (2:12)
David shares the importance of balancing work and personal life, prioritizing family and relationships, and the realization that success in work does not equate to success in life. (4:16)
David mentions that launching Florida Risk Partners was a defining moment supported by his wife, and he prioritizes spending quality time with his family while giving 100% effort at work. (6:49)
David encourages listeners to reflect on their own identities and take steps toward becoming the person they want to be known as. (8:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think we throw the word friend around a little too loosely these days. I know that we can be friendly with a lot of people. But to me, a friend is something much deeper.” - David Carothers
“I want my identity to be daddy, honey, or a man who put his family first. And everything else came next doesn't necessarily have to be second or last or whatever.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Slowing Down to Speed Up with Michael Weaver

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Michael Weaver and Courtney Weaver of Weaver Sales Academy. Michael and Courtney discuss their journey from launching an insurance agency to creating a training platform that revolutionizes sales tactics in the industry and the importance of transformational relationships over transactional selling.

Episode Highlights:

Courtney discusses their journey of starting a scratch insurance agency and eventually creating a sales academy to bridge the gap between corporate training and practical application. (2:06)
Michael mentions that education is vital to empowering customers and shifting the focus from selling to educating and solving their problems, ultimately making the product or policy sell itself. (9:53)
Michael discusses how slowing down and focusing on building relationships and offering multiple products to each household is the key to success as an insurance professional. (25:46)
Courtney explains that it is important for salespeople to go the extra step and ask for referrals, as there is a lot of unseen word-of-mouth marketing happening that they cannot control. (30:04)
Michael mentions that in today's fast-paced world, taking the time to do something differently and making people feel special can have a lasting impact. (36:18)
Courtney shares that in order to overcome discomfort and improve in any aspect of life, it is necessary to have conversations and ask for what you want, even if it means facing rejection multiple times. (44:31)
Michael mentions that his book "Game Changer: Taking Your Insurance Agency to the Next Level" is available on Amazon and Audible, making it a valuable resource for personalized agents looking to elevate their insurance business. (50:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Sales Academy was born to really to fill that gap between corporate training, and how to actually apply that, and that was in 2018. And now we help over 5000 insurance agents across the country, make more money and have more fun being in this space.” - Courtney Weaver
“Education equates to empowerment. And when you're empowering a customer, you're not selling anything anymore.” - Michael Weaver
“If you just make that individual priority that you're talking to right, then you will leave every single day feeling more fulfilled, and not feeling like a product pusher.” - Michael Weaver

Resources Mentioned:

Michael Weaver LinkedIn
Courtney Weaver LinkedIn
Weaver Sales Academy
Book: Game Changer: Taking Your Insurance Agency to the Next Level
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes

A Well Kept Secret with Van Carlson

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Van Carlson, Founder of SRA. Van discusses his approach to risk mitigation through tax deferral strategies and his unique perspective on creating efficient business plans and navigating the challenges entrepreneurs and business owners face in today's financial landscape.

Episode Highlights:

Van mentions that self-insuring risk and utilizing an 831(B) plan can effectively mitigate risk for business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them revive the risk-reward balance that may have diminished over time. (2:54)
Van explains using pre-tax dollars through 831(B) plan is a more efficient way for business owners to manage and mitigate risks, especially in situations where traditional insurance coverage may be limited or costly. (12:30)
Van emphasizes the importance of mitigating risks and having a well-funded business plan. (22:24)
Van explains that professional liability, contractor default, and warranties are major business risks that can be effectively managed through risk financing tools and tax deferral strategies. (27:00)
Van discusses the importance of utilizing an 831(B) for business owners to maximize tax efficiency and retain customers through preventive service contracts. (31:14)
Van believes that trusted advisors are crucial for reaching busy and sophisticated clients, and compensating them for their relationships is just good business. (34:35)
Van mentions that SRA’s website is designed to educate business owners and advisors about the importance of a pooling mechanism and shared risk to minimize exposure and ensure client satisfaction. (47:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I come from a residual income background, I believe in residual income as the way to survive this world. ” - Van Carlson
“We have a pretty good sales team in place, that will help benefit their clients, we do webinars, we do all the educational things, and that's really what we're doing. Right, educating clients. And you know, I tell people all the time, my best salespeople are people that can educate.” - Van Carlson

Resources Mentioned:

Enough is Enough!!!

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the ethical challenges in the insurance industry, the importance of trust in partnerships, as well as the need for inclusivity of women and minorities.

Resources Mentioned:

The Sales Objections Pocket Guide with Billy Williams

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dr. Billy Williams, President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring, and Author of the Sales Objection Pocket Guide. Dr. Billy Williams discusses his latest game-changer book, the "Sales Objections Pocket Guide", the art of navigating sales objections across various industries, and his unique 5543 formula - a strategic approach to handling objections and rejections.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Billy Williams mentions that he wrote the book “The Sales Objection Pocket Guide” to provide guidance and scripts for individuals, including his team, who lacked the skills to effectively respond to objections and add value in sales conversations. (6:23)
Dr. Billy Williams explains that personalization and attention to detail are crucial in engaging and converting potential customers and following a formula of features, benefits, consequences, and price is essential in establishing value. (14:56)
Dr. Billy Williams shares that by using the CPA formula (common prospect action), salespeople can effectively show their value and create an elevator pitch that grabs attention and leads to further conversation. (27:21)
Dr. Billy Williams mentions that the main problem in prospecting is not knowing what to say, which is why the sales objection Pocket Guide was created to provide practical examples for salespeople to add value to their conversations. (37:44)
Dr. Billy Williams emphasizes the importance of salespeople focusing on selling rather than admin tasks. (48:00)
Dr. Billy Williams discusses the importance of having a systematic approach and following a structured system to effectively handle objections and succeed in various situations. (57:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The nice thing about this pocket guide is that it has spanned industries, you know, we sold 6000 copies the first week, and I probably say maybe 1000 of those was insurance.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Everything I do is a system from the way I play golf, to the way I cook food to the way I exercise, everything for me has to be about a system.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“When we do prospect, we don't know what to say, right? We don't have a clue how to actually add value to our conversations when we're prospecting. So that's why I wrote the sales objection Pocket Guide.” - Dr. Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

You Think This Cyber Application is Long with Abe Gibson & Ryan Dunn

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Abe Gibson, Partner & Cyber Practice Leader, and Ryan Dunn, Partner & Vice President of Cennairus Cyber. Abe and Ryan discuss the challenges faced by small and medium businesses in implementing cyber controls, the latest trends in cyber insurance underwriting, and the critical role of virtual CISOs in enhancing cybersecurity and insurance terms.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses the need for agents to assist with underwriting cyber insurance and the role of a wholesaler in gathering and translating information to the carrier to improve insurability for clients. (13:53)
Abe mentions that the perception that open RDP ports are a significant risk factor for ransomware attacks is misguided, as proper security measures such as MFA, strong passwords, and VPN segmentation can effectively mitigate any potential threats. (20:53)
Ryan mentions that the biggest mistake in the cyber insurance industry is agents rushing to submit insurance applications without taking a proactive approach, which includes analyzing and implementing necessary controls to become more secure and insurable. (33:41)
Ryan mentions that partnering with virtual CISOs can not only help clients adhere to compliance frameworks but also improve their insurability rates. (43:50)
Ryan mentions that it is crucial to seize the current soft market as an opportunity to improve processes, educate clients, and become proactive in cybersecurity, to position oneself as a trusted resource for the future hard market. (49:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There's a lot of moving pieces, but we're about to have a solution that hopefully doesn't cost any money that you can get the same outcome with.” - Abe Gibson
“This is the time to improve your process. Learn some of these damn cybersecurity acronyms. You know, start being proactive with your clients, educate them. And you'll be winning.” - Ryan Dunn

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Why a Learning Management System is Important

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the significance of learning management systems and utilizing them as a tool.

Episode Highlights:

David doesn’t think that a lot of agencies are doing what they’re supposed to do with a management system. (2:15)
David mentions that Think HR can create customized learning tracks for every client. (3:13)
David shares that one of the details he likes most about Think HR is that they do the onboarding for their clients. (5:28)
David mentions one of the biggest issues is that some people are bad at adapting to technology. (5:37)
David thinks that a lot of times people that have agencies that lose business think it is because the new agency has a bunch of fancy tools. (7:37)
David shares that if you have an LMS it helps the culture of your company. It is nice to be able to give people certificates of completion and recognize them for getting through. (8:15)
Kyle thinks that you can pick and choose when and where you want to incorporate learning transcripts. If we're offering it to clients as a value, it gives you a little bit of a leg up on some of the competition that's out there. (9:53)
David mentions that if your state happens to pass legislation that changes something or there's an update, it’s automatically updated inside the handbook in real-time. (10:42)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You get to the point when you have that relationship with your client where they view you as an advisor. They call you about anything and everything including HR stuff. It's huge to have licensed professionals in place you can direct them to.” - Kyle Houck
“You have to be able to make it fit the shape and size of the client and that's what's nice. If you're able to deliver things like this, you can go into the small business and provide it just like you can to the account that's got 500 employees.” - David Carothers
“People view things such as learning management systems and other technological tools as expensive and they're not looking at it through the right lens. It's an investment, not an expense.” - David Carothers
“We spend way more money on stupid stuff. Don't send out the calendars this year and get rid of the refrigerator magnets. Buy a learning management system, do something more constructive with your money that's going to bring value to your clients.” - David Carothers
“Listen, you don't have to use the same tools that we use but I do think everybody needs to understand that this is where things are headed. You have to have tools like this to make your clients’ lives easier.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

More Than Quick Quotes These Days with Philip Charles-Pierre

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Philip Charles-Pierre, CEO of Semsee. Philip discusses his knowledge and insights on the evolving landscape of insurance technology and how Semsee, as a technological hub, is bridging gaps between agents, carriers, and niche markets

Episode Highlights:

Philip discusses the efficiency and convenience of Semsee’s technology platform for smaller agencies, and the value it brings to larger partners by streamlining processes. (4:19)
Philip believes that technology is becoming increasingly important for agents in the insurance industry to navigate the ever-changing market and provide the best options and value to small business owners. (10:38)
Philip mentions that by being the hub and connection between agents and markets, Semsee introduces high-performing agents to specific markets and helps carriers reach low-performing agents. (18:18)
Philip shares Semsee’s plans, including new partnerships, innovative ways of working with carriers, and their goal of becoming the best platform for quoting and binding small commercial insurance. (25:28)
Philip discusses how important it is to treat insurance agents with respect and give them priority as the industry's most important customers. (36:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The data matters a lot, even for carriers and MGAs, the data that we have, and that we can work with them on, even if they don't win the business, they can learn from it.” - Philip Charles-Pierre
“For us, it's about being the hub. And the hub simply means I am the connection. And we are the connection between the agent and their needs and the markets.” - Philip Charles-Pierre
“We want to be the best way for anybody and everybody to quote small commercial insurance, and to send it to the right markets and to bind it. And so we're going to be doing a lot of exciting things on the front end to make it easier for the agent to quote, for the agent to bind, and then for the agent to service.” - Philip Charles-Pierre

Resources Mentioned:

Emerging from the Pack of Competition with Dustin Boss

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dustin Boss, Founder of Emerge Apps. Dustin discusses how Emerge Apps is redefining risk management and compliance in insurance and to aid agents in areas like OSHA record keeping, safety, and compliance.

Episode Highlights:

Dustin shares that he started as an introverted commercial agent but found success by focusing on risk management and developing tools and resources, such as an app for OSHA record keeping, which led to the creation of Emerge Apps. (2:33)
Dustin discusses the importance of Compliance Checker, a platform that helps agents identify and solve gaps in various programs, such as hazard communication and machine guarding policies. (8:06)
Dustin mentions that the user interface of Emerge Apps is designed to be efficient and user-friendly, catering to both experienced computer users and those who may be less tech-savvy. (17:22)
Dustin explains that the key to success in risk management is not just providing a bid or quote, but rather engaging with employers, assisting them, and building a proper risk management process. (25:36)
Dustin discusses the various interconnected products and services offered by Emerge Apps, including OSHA record keeping, automated safety training, and compliance tools, all aimed at improving workplace safety and reporting. (33:31)
Dustin mentions that he is passionate about working with agents who go above and beyond to help employers and build strong relationships, focusing on prevention, compliance, safety, and HR to connect with companies that want to make a difference. (41:06)
Dustin explains that for agents to be effective in their work, they need to have the necessary tools and support to succeed, including proper training, guidance, and engagement with their clients. (47:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We built different checklists to help an agent not only uncover the gaps in whatever program they have, but to be able to solve those gaps as well.” - Dustin Boss
“I'm extremely passionate about partnering with agents, whether they're new, or have been doing it a while, what really drives me is those that are passionate to go help employers that want to get out there that want to be different.” - Dustin Boss

Resources Mentioned:

Remember Where You Came From

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the significance of personal and professional growth in the insurance industry and the value of remembering your roots and being thankful for the lessons learned from both successes and failures.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that it's important to understand our journey and how it can change our lives and families, but success shouldn't make us arrogant or condescending. (1:55)
David shares that keeping a binder of every agent of record letters received over the past 20 years helps him to combat self-doubt and regain clarity by reflecting on past successes and strategies. (4:47)
David emphasizes the importance of staying grounded, being present, and building relationships with people, as it can lead to future opportunities and mutual support. (8:18)
David discusses the importance of humility, gratitude, and learning from both wins and losses to achieve a more optimistic future. (17:30)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's really, really important that we understand the journey that we're on. Because if we take this journey seriously, it doesn't just improve what we earn, it doesn't just improve how we can provide. It literally has the ability to change each and every one of our family trees.” - David Carothers
“We need time to replenish and recharge our bodies and our minds, we need time to plan and research prospects accordingly. We need time to prepare our marketing drop information and personalize it so that it creates an impact.” - David Carothers
“Be thankful for what you have. Be thankful for your wins, but also be thankful for the lessons you've learned through losing. There is no win or lose.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Mining Your Agency with Raution Jaiswal

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Raution Jaiswal, Founder of InsuredMine. Raution discusses how InsuredMine's CRM integrates sales, service, and renewal processes, enhanced with AI to elevate agency operations.

Episode Highlights:

Raution discusses InsuredMine’s journey from being an add-on to an agency management system to becoming an AI CRM platform. (3:58)
Raution emphasizes the importance of curiosity, agility, and listening to customers in the development of their CRM product, which has allowed them to stay ahead of their competition in the digital market. (10:10)
Raution mentions that AI is a powerful tool that can be used for data analysis, content creation, and sales funnel optimization, providing businesses with valuable insights and automation capabilities. (18:16)
Raution shares that InsuredMine meticulously analyzes the buyer's journey before and after using their product, resulting in the development of a competitive e-sign product within just one year. (27:52)
Raution mentions that the insurance industry is undergoing significant changes and technology, particularly a CRM, is crucial for agencies to stay competitive and efficient in sales, service, and renewal processes. (40:09)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are two things which are very core fundamentals to InsuredMine, which are curiosity, and agility. We are curious enough to listen to people at the decibels. Nobody else is listening, and agile enough to be able to react to it and build a first iteration of it.” - Raution Jaiswal

Resources Mentioned:

Keep it Simple with Bob Marsh

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bob Marsh, Keynote Speaker on Sales and Leadership at Bob Marsh and Associates.

Bob discusses the transformative power of simplicity in sales, the significance of understanding the buyer's mindset, and how reducing complexity can lead to greater sales success.

Episode Highlights:

Bob shares his experience selling various items, including golf equipment, during his college years and how this early exposure to sales helped him discover his aptitude for it and learn more about himself. (10:17)
Bob suggests that instead of focusing solely on product knowledge in sales training, teaching fundamental skills such as listening, asking questions, following up, punctuality, professional appearance, and confident communication would be beneficial. (16:15)
Bob discusses how information overload and dwindling attention spans affect selling and customer frustration as the world becomes more complicated. (19:33)
Bob emphasizes the importance of using technology to personalize messaging and stand out in a crowded market by being genuine, conducting research, and tailoring messages to specific individuals. (27:01)
Bob shares that the process of creating and delivering speeches is highly rewarding and he enjoys extracting his knowledge and experiences and communicating them simply and memorably. (40:56)
Bob emphasizes the importance of overcoming self-doubt and internal noise to succeed in sales and how our negative thoughts and fears can hinder our success more than any external factors. (46:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It takes work, and you've got to teach it and learn it and practice it and force yourself and be disciplined to just pay attention.” - Bob Marsh
“As you learn your craft…it can also be financially rewarding because you're figuring out a way to best leverage your skills to help other people. And you know that that has an advantage to it too. So, it's kind of a perfect combination of multiple things.” - Bob Marsh
“If we want to succeed in sales, we've got to understand that and make a little bit more effort and determination to overcome it. And just kind of have to carry ourselves with confidence.” - Bob Marsh

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Including Loss Control

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about establishing client expectations and carrier relationships with loss control. They also discuss why people hate loss of control and how they can fix it.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle thinks that some people probably go in with the wrong mindset on loss control from a carrier. (1:55)
Kyle mentions that he would prefer to know on the front end that there are some concerns rather than being told that everything’s fine. (3:29)
David mentions that if you're a producer out there, you must have a posture and make it look like you know loss control. (4:47)
Kyle shares one of the first loss control visits that he went to by himself for one of his clients that owns a cabinetry shop, and one of the points that he didn’t think about was the ear protection. (5:21)
David shares the two things he’d like to check before going to the underwriter. (8:34)
David mentions that if you want to accurately represent the risk to the underwriters, one of the best actions that you can do is to get loss control out there. (11:24)
David mentions that besides telling underwriters that you're setting the table appropriately and don’t want an adversarial relationship, let them know also that you don't think you know everything. (15:54)
David shares that in addition to his go-to, air compressors are a huge factor for him as well. (16:37)

Tweetable Quotes:

“As a producer, you cannot even begin to imagine the level of credibility you get with a prospect. If you walk in and see things and you bring them up, you appear to already know more than what you know.” - David Carothers
“This episode is sort of morphing into practical things you can do for loss control as a producer, low hanging fruit to look at and comment on. So, it gives you a leg up, but this is the real deal, man.” - David Carothers
“I just think that you don't want to go into that situation with the loss control person just show up for the loss control visit, and not have any idea what you're getting into because that can go downhill very quickly.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Be the First to Tell Them with Kevin Ring

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kevin Ring, Lead Analyst at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin discusses the latest NCCI updates and why understanding these changes is good for insurance agents and their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin mentions that NCCI has valuable resources on the recent changes in Workers' Comp that can be accessed on their website. (5:32)
Kevin discusses the importance of employers and employees knowing what to do in the event of an injury to ensure proper handling and mitigation, especially for businesses with low claim frequency. (12:38)
Kevin believes that insurance companies are increasingly using AI instead of predictive modeling. However, the mod is still important in underwriting and pricing, as it shows how a business compares to others regarding claims and performance. (23:46)
Kevin explains that the changes to the experience mod in the insurance industry are aimed at rebalancing the system and ensuring that businesses pay their fair share. (28:52)
Kevin mentions that access to manuals, such as the NCCI manual, is crucial for accurately classifying clients and having informed conversations with underwriters. (36:15)
Kevin discusses how improving a business' mod can have a positive impact on other aspects of their business, such as productivity and profitability. (48:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

“NCCI has some really strong resources specifically around this change. And one of the things that's most impressive to me, right now around this is if you contrast how NCCI has communicated these changes with how they communicated, the split point change in 2013. It's like a completely different organization.” - Kevin Ring
“There's a tremendous amount of value, in understanding the mod. And then in being able to communicate to business owners the steps that they can take to improve their mod, which will in turn, create a much better-functioning workers comp program, which should, in turn, create a more productive and profitable business.” - Kevin Ring
“One thing that you at an agency can help your clients with is how to avoid losing good people because they get sucked into the worker's comp system, and never come back to work and the easiest way to do that is to keep them from getting hurt in the first place.” - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Enabling Agents to be Their Best with Kabir Syed

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kabir Syed, Founder & CEO of Ennabl. Kabir discusses the transformative role of data in insurance brokerage and how Enanbl is empowering small agencies with simplified, data-driven processes for a smarter approach to the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Kabir shares his experience of leaving a traditional insurance job to start a company called Risk Match, which aims to bridge the gap between brokers, carriers, and risk management. (2:38)
Kabir explains that the insurance industry's problem is not a lack of technology, but rather a lack of process and cultural aptitude for change. (11:45)
Kabir shares the challenges faced by insurance agents and brokers as they try to generate revenue and grow their businesses. (18:13)
Kabir discusses the two key aspects that are changing in the insurance industry; the focus on revenue and commission management for agents and brokers, and the impact of technology on underwriting. (28:55)
Kabir mentions that it's important to focus on niche markets and choose specific industries to target. (32:14)
Kabir shares that Enanbl is expanding its services to include data extraction and enrichment from unstructured sources, such as documents and policies. (40:45)
Kabir mentions that companies should focus on one aspect of their business, whether it be product, service, or technology, and prioritize it before moving on to the next. (44:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The insurance industry doesn't lack technology. It lacks the process and the cultural aptitude to say, I'm happy to make a process change. That is where our first problem is.” - Kabir Syed
“What we are good at is data. Extraction enrichment, and it's so cheap now, we pretty much give it away kind of thing, right? We can buy any amount of data and say, here's everything in your systems, don't even look at leads, we will buy all these leads, not a problem.” - Kabir Syed

Resources Mentioned:

Stick to Your Guns

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the significance of unwavering principles in sales, the essential questions that shape successful client relationships, and a real-life success story that exemplifies the power of a steadfast approach in the competitive world of insurance sales.

Resources Mentioned:

Collaboration Before Competition with Bob Paskins

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bob Paskins, a Corporate Consultant, Sales Coach, and Keynote Speaker. Bob discusses how personal challenges can sculpt resilience and drive in professional settings, how to identify and cultivate successful sales behaviors, and why empathy might just be the secret ingredient to outstanding salesmanship.

Bob also teases his upcoming book, "27 Insights to Catapult Sales," which aims to transform ordinary insurance salespeople into extraordinary ones.

Resources Mentioned:

NCCI State of the Union with Kevin Ring

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Kevin Ring, Lead analyst at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin discusses the major updates from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and the complexities of Workers' Comp.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin explains that the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is updating the experience mod, and talks about the two major changes that are coming. (3:53)
Kevin mentions that the values used on an experience mod are determined by the effective date of the mod and can impact the calculation of claims and the cap. (8:57)
Kevin discusses the use of experience mods in workers' compensation insurance premiums. (26:03)
Kevin suggests that staying dispassionate and accepting changes in the insurance industry, such as lower rates and increased interest in Workers' Comp, is important for success. (37:05)
Kevin discusses the importance of finding accurate and up-to-date information about class codes, claim situations, and state laws. (48:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Just be careful where you get your information from. If you're using the internet, both because it could be out of date and it might not be accurate.” - Kevin Ring
“Certainly happy to chat with anyone about a Worker's Comp question they have and to see if what we do at the institute might be a good fit for the agency that you're trying to grow.” - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Include the Auditor Upfront

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, discuss how to build good client and carrier relationships and the significance of the audit.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that they have been recording a lot of episodes since April. (1:33)
David shares that he checked their podcast on iTunes and it got him thinking, maybe some people listened and they’ve made an impact on their life. (1:53)
David shares one of the aspects that he learned over the course of the last eight months is that nobody knows how to onboard middle market accounts. (2:29)
Kyle mentions that most only think about how to get the deal done, not necessarily what comes after that. (2:43)
David shares some scenarios that he experienced, over the course of his career, that he recommends when working on middle-market accounts. (2:55)
David mentions that as you're having a kickoff meeting, you need to have people there, you need to have loss control people from the carrier, you need to have the underwriter, you need to have claims, and you need to have an audit. (3:26)
David thinks that the audit is one of the tasks that a lot of people never think about. (3:37)
David shares a story about something that happened to one of his accounts, how they resolved it, and hopefully everybody can learn from it. (5:22)
Is there anybody out there that's not familiar with extrusion? (6:27)
David shares that based on his experience, there's always somebody at the carrier who's responsible for the audit. Whether they're physically going out and auditing or not. (11:03)
David mentions that you could learn a lot from participating in the audits. (13:57)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Now listen, if this account is $25,000 in premium, even though we could classify that as the middle-market, that's not really what we're talking about, we're talking about your jumbo one hundred and some thousand in premium plus, you really need to take a different angle in terms of how you do this.” - David Carothers
“If you don't have it coded right, and the auditor feels differently, you're going have a difficult time winning that battle. So I like to bring somebody from audit in unless it's absolutely vanilla right now.” - David Carothers
“If you just sit there and ask a couple of questions to make it look like you know what you're talking about, and do that to participate, you're going to gain credibility like you couldn't imagine with your client, but you're also going to drive positive financial results for them too because you can eliminate a lot of back and forth by just being there when they do it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Connecting Agents with Information with Tolga Tezel

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Tolga Tezel, Founder and CEO at Canopy Connect. Tolga discusses how Canopy Connect directly integrates with 144 insurance carriers, streamlining online access for both personal and commercial lines, and how it enhances the client experience by simplifying data sharing and boosting bind rates.

Resources Mentioned:

Dialin' for Dollars with Kody Houck

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Grayson Carothers chat with Kody Houck about the importance of cold calling and how implementing training, development, and support in this area can make it less of an obstacle for producers.

Episode Highlights:

Kody shares his journey into insurance and reflects on the importance of investing in yourself through coaching, education, and professional designations. (1:06)
Speaker 2 invested in non-insurance specific coaching this year, resulting in a 5x return on investment. (5:15)
Speaker 2 shares their experience of building a personal brand through social media, emphasizing the importance of creating content that is relatable and easy to understand. (7:18)
David Carothers explains how his agency adapted to the pandemic by shifting from cold call marketing to blanket calls, with a focus on building relationships and training new hires. (11:56)
Kody and Dave discuss using personalized scripts to coach new sales reps on how to handle calls with smaller clients, focusing on niche markets and revenue levels. (18:59)
Grayson shares his thoughts on why they choose to invest in themselves at a young age, including the desire to have a bucket list and the importance of mental clarity and recharging. (28:03)
Kody shares that joining and learning from Killing Commerical has allowed him to differentiate himself from his competition (32:05)
Kody discusses the importance of investing in technology and AI in order to get your time back. (40:57)
David explains that the biggest obstacle for producers is call reluctance, and he plans to provide training and development to help them overcome this challenge. (43:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“A lot of people are scared to take that leap. I mean, for me, it was a scary cutting a five figure check for business coaching this year, when I've got to feed my family, I've got rent to pay, trying to grow the agency, etc. But man, it's just been I can't express how much it's contributed to the growth this year.” - Kody Houck
“I joined Killing Commercial last year…So now, you know, year and a half later, investing in the education and things that I have on the insurance side, and spending more time with you. Now, I'll tell you what, it really does just allow you to have another level of conversation and differentiate yourself from 98% of your competition out there.” - Kody Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Including Claims

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about middle market accounts and setting them up. They also discuss why some agencies are not taking the claims adjusters to the point of sale.

Episode Highlights:

David thinks that the only person that’s non-likely to be invited to an appointment to onboard an account is from claims. (5:11)
David mentions that he doesn’t see agencies taking claims people, claims adjusters, and VPS of claims out to the point of sale, but they should. (5:28)
David shares that if you've never written a middle-market account, you need to set expectations with that carrier, specifically with the claims department and your clients to ensure that everybody's on the same page, on what needs to be done. (5:48)
David mentions one of the issues that’s always needed to be addressed on the front end is how the carrier is going to allow the agency to handle indemnity on claims. (6:19)
David explains that if you don't include the full indemnity on the claim, then the mod is not going to accurately reflect the risk. (7:00)
David mentions the second issue he thinks most people don't pay attention to is that they’re focused on getting the deal done and they forget the fact that they're going to have to do a lot of work to onboard and correctly service the account. (8:14)
David shares that the only way to create accountability is using the tools and shifting that culture to where it's one of accountability as opposed to deniability by having all the claims reported to the carrier by location and coded as such. (9:26)
David mentions that the other issue you need to pay attention to about claims is what type of an account these people are going after. (11:02)
Kyle shares that having a conversation on the front end with an adjuster is something that you can set yourself apart from other people. (14:06)
David mentions that he likes to take the loss runs and let the adjuster review the claims and the notes in real-time. (16:01)
Kyle mentions that if you do it right on the front end, you're going to have a much better outcome in the long run. (18:55)
David shares the other issue that agents need to be thinking about is how claims are settled and how the money is allocated. (19:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you're an agent out there, and you want to take it to the next level, you should always request adjusters notes on open claims, and that's going to give you a far greater level of detail than what you're ever going to get by just looking at loss runs.” - David Carothers
“There are times where people think that the insurance company or the adjusters just kind of out to get them, and that’s not the case. They want a healthy account just as much as you want your loss runs to be clean.” - Kyle Houck
“Every single claim has its shape and size. So, you can't put yourself in a position where you just automatically go into indemnity reimbursement mode. At that point, you'd be better off just going ahead, let that ride, and let the carrier take care of the whole thing.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Pastoring Producers with Purpose with Charles Specht

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Charles Specht, the President & CEO of ConstructiveRisk.com. Charles talks about understanding the Broker Of Record letter and booking appointments.

Episode Highlights:

Charles shares why an agency is a sales organization. (8:40)
Does Charles think there’s a huge gap in the industry not providing any sales training? (10:28)
Charles mentions how the pandemic affected the industry. (14:47)
Why does Charles think that BOR’s have a bad reputation? (17:05)
What does an ideal client look like for Charles? (26:45)
Charles shares the two sides of booking appointments. (33:53)
Charles mentions where most insurance agents are focused. (51:51)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When I got into the business 20 years ago there wasn't a Facebook, there wasn't YouTube, there weren’t smartphones, there weren't those things. It’s a different world today and you have to be able to market, brand and script yourself completely different. Really begin to attract the insurance buyer that you're looking for. It's just different, you really have to specialize in certain things.” - Charles Specht
“Without the broker of record letter, the insurance buyer has nothing. They have to wait until renewal to make that switch. It is the insurance buyer’s power. Those agents who don't like it might say, well, you're stealing my work. No, I'm not stealing your work, I'm just going to go ahead and give them the right service that they need.” - Charles Specht
“If somebody is not good at making phone calls, I'm not gonna try and say cold calling is your new thing. It is just not going to work in the long run. So, everybody's different, every agency is different. The services they have are different and their geographic location is different.” - Charles Specht

Resources Mentioned:

Easing the Pain in a Hard Market with Greg Rueter

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Greg Rueter, Founder of R&R Insurance Advisors. Greg discusses their deductible buyback program and how this service is helping agencies make additional revenue in the hard market.

Episode Highlights:

Greg shares his 26-year experience in the financial services industry, now expanding into insurance with a consultative approach. (3:54)
Greg discusses the primary benefits of a supplemental insurance plan, which include deductible reimbursement for various types of vehicles, easy administration and enrollment, and repair reimbursement for mechanical failures. (9:29)
Greg mentions that the conversation during insurance renewal is crucial, with agents presenting options and explaining the benefits of different plans. (12:58)
Greg explains that R&R Insurance Advisors offers a fully managed recovery benefit for identity theft, including notifying the Federal Trade Commission and credit bureaus and guiding individuals through the recovery process. (23:52)
Greg shares that R&R Insurance Advisors have set up individual agencies with their own branded insurance plans, providing all the marketing tools, training, and support needed for success, and it has a simple enrollment process and no startup fees or minimums. (29:06)
Greg emphasizes the simplicity and ease of discussing and selling their product, encouraging agents to have conversations with potential clients and provide information without overthinking it, while also highlighting the flexibility and support provided by R&R Insurance Advisors. (30:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think we've got a product and the process down to make it really easy and help folks generate some additional revenue because right now, our market is tough.” - Greg Rueter
“It's about helping people in this hard market kind of figure out what's going on and see if there's another option to consider that they maybe didn't have access to in the past.” - Greg Rueter

Resources Mentioned:

Empowering Your Team to Provide the Ultimate Client Experience

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers explains why it is crucial for agencies to prioritize providing an outstanding client experience that exceeds expectations.

Episode Highlights:

David emphasizes the importance of client experience and the need for clear communication with service staff. (1:38)
David discusses how important it is for agencies and businesses to prioritize providing an excellent client experience in order to leave a positive impression on clients. (14:04)
David shares his personal experience as a store manager who turned a mistake with a child's birthday cake into an opportunity by going above and beyond to resolve the issue, earning the customer's lasting loyalty. (14:58)
David discusses the importance of taking pride in the ability to make things right and exceed expectations when given the opportunity. (19:25)
David challenges his listeners to prioritize exceptional customer service, strive for excellence, and stand out among competitors. (20:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In our agencies, in our books of business, every single day, we are given opportunity to do something to leave our client with an excellent, excellent taste in their mouth because we gave them a client experience.” - David Carothers
“When you look at out that your service team, think about the people who handle your book of business, if you set the standards, more importantly, if you empower them to do the things they need to do to make the situation right, and I get it, the insurance industry and the grocery industry are two different things. We're regulated, we have rules. But within that framework, what have you done to provide that outstanding, wide experience?” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Leveling the Playing Field for Independent Agents with Michael Zalle

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Michael Zalle, CEO of YellowBird. Michael discusses the innovative strategies and tools that YellowBird provides to aid agents in refining their offerings and increasing profitability.

Episode Highlights:

Michael explains that YellowBird is a company that uses an Uber-like model to connect businesses with professionals in environmental health, safety, and risk management, providing the right expertise in the right location at the right price. (4:17)
Michael mentions that Yellowbird can be used as a platform to remediate issues and add value to customers. (15:50)
Michael believes that in order to build strong relationships with prospects and customers, it is important to have honest conversations, listen to their needs, and offer valuable resources and solutions. (24:30)
Michael discusses how Yellowbird is verticalizing its services to focus on specific industries, such as risk and logistics, and is seeing increased demand for DOT compliance services. (31:53)
Michael shares that Yellowbird’s new communications platform allows brokers to have real-time visibility and communication with professionals and customers during deployments, enhancing customer service and relationship building. (39:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I started Yellowbird with the concept of the right person, right location for the right price. And the ability to do that is where we've become very powerful for our customers where we work with brokers and carriers, we work with end customers as well, to use the right person in the right location with the right background to help you advance your expertise and being their risk partner.” - Michael Zalle
“As a company, Yellowbird is actually verticalizing into industries to make sure that we're offering the right services to the right industry.” - Michael Zalle

Resources Mentioned:

The Ease of a Unified Platform with Chase Courtney

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Chase Courtney, Director of Technology Sales at Imperial PFS. Chase discusses his role at IPFS and how he is leveraging his experience to help the company appeal to a wider audience. Chase also shares about AndDone, the unified digital premium payment platform from IPFS that allows agencies to create a customized user experience.

Resources Mentioned:

The Chase for Rare Air

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the core of effective leadership, likening it to Michael Jordan’s legendary legacy, and how leadership skills are crucial for handling success pressures, improving relationships, and attaining unparalleled achievements in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that great leadership is essential regardless of the situation or the people involved, as it sets high standards and pushes both oneself and others to be the best they can be. (4:10)
David discusses the pressure and expectations that come with success, using Michael Jordan as an example of someone who thrives under pressure and sets high standards as a leader. (6:03)
David shares a story about Michael Jordan's leadership and generosity, including paying fines for his team members and investing in a minor league baseball team. (10:29)
David discusses the importance of having a strong leader or accountability person in our lives. (13:03)
David mentions that in the insurance industry, being willing to go against the norm and investing in yourself can lead to dominating success. (16:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When you're a great leader, it really doesn't matter where you're leading, or who you're leading. I mean, it does because you have to adapt to the different environments, the different people and all of that, but as long as you have that rock solid leadership ability, you're going to be okay, you're going to be successful in whatever it is you do.” - David Carothers
“I don't want everybody thinking I'm this massive Jordan advocate. Who I am is a fan of leadership, a fan of people who hold you accountable, a fan of people who will make you better.” - David Carothers
“If you're above average, or you're willing to do what it takes to be above average, you're going to absolutely dominate.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Staying Nimble in the Hard Market with Andy Jeckells

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Andy Jeckells, Co-CEO at I–RE. Andy discusses how I–RE is changing the game with Repaid - a product that offers clients a risk-and-reward plan for insurance coverage.

Episode Highlights:

Andy explains I–RE's Repaid product helps high-performing mid-market clients turn premiums into profit by giving them control over their insurance coverage and letting them take on limited risk for a limited time. (8:23)
Andy discusses their program called Repaid which offers clients a risk and reward plan for insurance coverage, allowing them to choose their level of risk and receive a refund of premiums paid. (13:32)
Andy mentions that Repaid offers a unique way for producers to differentiate themselves in the homogenous insurance market, by allowing clients to take on their own risk and turn insurance into a profit center, resulting in long-term loyalty and increased lifetime value of high-profile clients. (22:34)
Andy discusses the importance of a hands-on approach to risk management, with a direct impact on insurance premiums. (27:08)
Andy believes that insurance is still a people business where building personal connections and asking in-depth questions leads to better results and identifies the best clients. (32:24)
Andy mentions that the moment of truth in insurance is when people realize they could lose money and have to take risks, especially when it comes to high-risk industries like sawmills, where the environment and workforce management are crucial factors. (35:13)
Andy shares that he is excited about I–RE's upcoming developments in products and professional liability in the healthcare sector and that they are also working on expanding their coverage options to become a one-stop shop for brokers. (43:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think if you are a broker and you put your clients' long-term interests first…if you can give them something that can really help them, they will not only buy from you, they will repay you with their long-term loyalty. And that's what these products’ been designed to do.” - Andy Jeckells
“What our program does for producers is something remarkable. Because we operate in a world where the product, the insurance product, is pretty much homogenous. No one has any differentiation.” - Andy Jeckells

Resources Mentioned:

What are You Really Worth with Legacy Advisors

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mike Almberg and Max Olson, partners at Legacy Advisors. Mike and Max discuss their expertise in optimizing the value of insurance agencies, their advice to owners eyeing the next chapter in their journey, and how Legacy Advisors stands as a beacon of trust, offering clarity, and tangible results for agency owners ready to transition.

Episode Highlights:

Max shares that he comes from the insurance agency world and has experience in buying and selling agencies, but noticed a lack of focus on culture and long-term happiness after the sale, leading to potential regrets and dissatisfaction among colleagues. (2:27)
Mike mentions that they gained valuable knowledge and best practices for selling businesses by working with larger companies and applying those practices to independent insurance agencies. (4:43)
Max explains that despite some fluctuations, now is a great time for agency owners to sell as there are buyers willing to pay sizable multiples, especially for agencies with significant growth and strong back-end processes. (12:40)
Mike discusses the importance of a transition period in mergers and acquisitions and the need for principals to stick around after the sale to ensure employee happiness and client satisfaction, and how buyers incentivize this through an earn-out period. (19:38)
Mike believes that focusing on small improvements in business can lead to significant profit increases when it's time to sell, but it should be done more frequently than just once a year. (26:10)
Max emphasizes the value of attending meetings and gaining insights from experts in the field, particularly in the context of financial management for insurance agencies. (29:38)
Mike mentions that their job is to educate and provide clients with the best options, without pushing them in any specific direction, and their goal is to close transactions and build long-term relationships based on trust and mutual benefit. (40:21)
Max mentions the importance of providing agencies with more information to make better-informed decisions. (44:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our job is to educate and basically just get our clients the best options that we can so they can evaluate them.” - Mike Almberg
“Anything that can be provided into the agency world, where they have a better idea about what happens in or around the time that they go through and themselves so they have more information and can make better-informed decisions, is really helpful.” - Max Olson

Resources Mentioned:

The Ant and the Grasshopper

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers gives listeners a sneak peek into the upcoming Producers in Paradise event, emphasizing its unique offerings this year and unpacks the enduring wisdom of "The Ant and the Grasshopper," spotlighting its relevance to the world of producers.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the story of “The Ant and the Grasshopper” as a way to show how important it is to be ready and focused in a tough market. (2:56)
David explains that the insurance industry is cyclical, just like the changing seasons, and it's crucial to prepare and equip yourself for the upcoming hard market to thrive and succeed. (8:18)
David mentions that underwriters are now looking beyond terms and pricing and focusing on the financial solvency and execution of risk management programs. (10:39)
David explains that focusing on the total cost of risk and educating clients on its impact is more beneficial than solely focusing on price in a hard market. (13:06)
David emphasizes the significance of proactive action and investment in order to thrive in a hard market. (15:38)
David mentions that investing should be approached with a long-term mindset, rather than expecting immediate returns. (16:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When you focus on price in premium, you can't really focus on cost because you're only focusing on one portion of the total cost of risk. But if you've taken the time to educate your clients and educate your prospects on what total cost of risk really means and how it affects them, cost is a much better thing for you to discuss in a hard market. ” - David Carothers
“I challenge you in this hard market, because right now, you can't fix what you didn't do six months ago, or a year ago, but what you can do is you can start taking it seriously. And you can get yourself ready because it's coming again. Start the habits that you don't have today. It all starts with the first time” - David Carothers
“Daily wins, win long-term battles and wars, but you got to start somewhere. So make yourself a commitment that you're going to start today. And most importantly, when you do, be the ant.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Trailer to an Epic Story with Josh Gurley

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Josh Gurley, CIC, CWCA, Vice President of Commercial Insurance at Hunt-Miller Insurance Agency Inc. Josh discusses what the BOR is all about and why the insurance industry is a great business.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions that the BOR is one of the highest forms of flattery that you can get into business. (12:41)
Josh shares how he explains what a BOR is to someone. (13:43)
Josh mentions one of the things he did to prepare for this podcast. (16:03)
Josh shares a story about a man’s insurance work comp that was renewed three months ago. (16:15)
Josh mentions why the BOR has been helpful for people to reach their conclusion. (25:43)
Josh shares what he says to people when he talks about a great amount of property insurance. (42:12)
Josh explains why the insurance industry is a great business. (55:48)
Josh gives pieces of advice to the listeners. (1:05:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think when you do that and lay out those reasons to have people fired, It's just a form of flattery. I think it's something that I have used throughout my career with great success.” - Josh Gurley
“I think just being that transparent person in saying these kinds of things to people and just cleaning up some things are really easy. Using the rules that are available to me like the tax code, it just makes it easier.” - Josh Gurley
“If there's a brand new person that listens to this podcast and you want to go produce a million dollars in revenue, then I would tell you the formula is pretty easy. There's a lot of ancillary and infrastructure stuff that as your agency grows you have to deal with. At the end of the day, it's just about talking to people and sharing your story with them and being a helpful person.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Making Music in the Middle Market with Josh Gurley

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, and co-host Kyle Houck interview Josh Gurley, the vice president of Hunt-Miller Insurance Agency Inc. Josh talks about the importance of transparency, education, and good relationships. Josh also shares how specific behaviors can lead to success.

Episode Highlights:

Where did Josh come from, and how did he get where he’s at now? (2:13)
Josh shares that he has a degree in risk management and insurance. (5:42)
Josh shares how he got into the insurance industry. (5:54)
When Josh started in the industry, his total first-year production was $18,000 in revenue. (16:37)
Josh tells more about how his first-year in the insurance industry was. (18:12)
Josh shares the reason why he lost his insurance industry before. (20:25)
Josh talks about how he became a marketing representative. (25:05)
Josh shares that he has a good relationship with his previous company. (29:51)
What are the changes that Josh did to turn things around? (32:39)
What Josh mostly sees are people that are not good in renewal processes. (35:16)
Josh says that one of the first accounts he called was a bank publicly traded on the NASDAQ. (36:42)
Josh shares one of the biggest success stories of his career. (45:27)
Josh thinks that the biggest mistake that people make is they think that it’s their job to quote people’s insurance. (46:47)
Josh talks about how technology helped them win large accounts just by sending out straight content marketing. (51:29)
Josh explains how they get prospects. (51:48)
Josh uses the word introduction instead of referral in his daily business. (53:29)
Josh shares that they’ve gotten all of their content from soundwave. (1:01:25)
Josh shares his selection process of qualifying people. (1:04:43)

3 Key Points:

Josh just adopted some practices that were different from others. For him, education is important. He never had any issues being a good insurance technician or anything like that.
Josh is passionate about the insurance business, and he thinks it's the best business that anyone could get themselves into.
Josh believes that there are sets of behaviors that make people become successful.

Tweetable Quotes:

“I believe that the only reason that people get out of the insurance business is that they don't sell enough insurance”
“You have to respect yourself, you have to respect what you do. You have to understand that what you do brings value to people's organizations.”
“I think that that transparency is something that is missing a lot in our world.”

Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn- David Carothers
LinkedIn- Kyle Houck
Email- Josh Gurley
Hunt-Miller Insurance Agcy Inc.

Throwback: The Path to Professionalism with Robert Sutter

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Robert Sutter, President of Keystone Insurers Group, and Josh Gurley, Vice-President of HM Advisors, a member of the Keystone Top 20 Program. Robert and Josh talk about the ways in which Keystone is partnering with agencies to provide independent agencies with access to resources, expertise, and relationships to help them be successful long-term.

Episode Highlights:

Robert shares his background and how he got to where he is in the industry. (2:31)
Robert discusses how Keystone started 30 years ago and has grown to 16 states at this current time. (5:26)
Robert explains that their focus at Keystone is to show people three non-insurance ways of handling risk before they ever buy insurance. (13:25)
Robert shares that one of the advantages of the fee basis is the commitment of a contract for three years instead of one. (18:00)
Josh shares a story about one of the people he is coaching who couldn't make the decision. (24:39)
Robert explains and elaborates that one of the things they teach in their top 20 programs is the counterattack. (29:49)
Robert explains that he looks at two types of intentions from producer candidates for Keystone. (34:19)
Robert explains that most producers want to be technically competent about insurance but do not think about what they can afford to lose. (38:46)
Robert adds that their Top 20 program has a whole session regarding centers of influence and how to educate them. (45:57)
Josh explains the exact roadmap they use within the agency, starting with the initial marketing drop. (54:12)
Robert mentions that an online presence has to show that you provide a value that nobody else provides. (59:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I would rather have less money from you for the next 25 years than to have a lot of money from you for a year or two because I sold you things you did not need, and somebody else came in and pointed that out." - Robert Sutter
"Don't tell me they won't buy from you in your county because you don’t go to church with them or you don’t go to rotary with them because you've got to provide a value that guy's not providing. And I think that's just somewhat of an excuse for not prospecting." - Robert Sutter
"That's what we think insurance is, is a risk parachute for people that don't want to jump out of an airplane." - Robert Sutter

Resources Mentioned:

Risky Business with Bill Haber

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bill Haber, Co-Founder of TEKRiSQ. Bill discusses how important it is to prioritize cybersecurity measures and how the TEKRiSQ solution helps insurance agents grow their cyber line of business and make their clients more cyber-resilient.

Episode Highlights:

Bill discusses how important cybersecurity in insurance for independent agents working with small and medium-sized businesses is, and the need to prioritize client protection through proactive measures and understanding unique risks. (8:57)
Bill mentions that having a cybersecurity partner can make your business faster and easier, as they bring credibility, help serve client needs, and provide support when needed. (15:28)
Bill explains that improving cyber risk profile is becoming as necessary as having a good credit report, as businesses increasingly require proper cyber hygiene to do deals and share data securely. (23:58)
Bill mentions that prioritizing fundamental cybersecurity precautions is vital in safeguarding against possible breaches. (30:34)
Bill explains that the key to advising businesses is to provide relevant stories and examples, and while not everyone needs a standalone cyber policy, it's important to make them aware of the potential risks and consequences of not having one. (38:08)
Bill shares that TEKRiSQ is focused on using assessments and machine learning to predict risk and engage clients in discussing cybersecurity, aiming to provide more reliable and accurate recommendations to carriers and eliminate confusion in the industry. (39:47)
Bill mentions that TEKRiSQ is looking to partner with interested agencies that want to grow their cyber business, offering a quick onboarding process and the ability to start working with clients within days, with a focus on efficiency and building trust. (42:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody needs a buddy in cybersecurity, you know? If you have a buddy that can help you in your business, what do they do? They make it faster and easier for you, they know what they're talking about, they bring credibility, they help you serve the client needs, and hopefully, you know, they'll do it on the cheap for some beers, and they'll be around to support the client when they need anything. And that's very much what we do.” - Bill Haber
“We want to start using the data and some machine learning capabilities to look for patterns and prove that these inside-out cyber risks can actually be valuable in predicting risk.” - Bill Haber

Resources Mentioned:

Let's Eat Cake with Adam Bowe

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Adam Bowe, Co-Founder of Cake. Adam discusses Cake, an innovative platform for buying, selling and getting the valuation for your book of business.

Episode Highlights:

Adam discusses the importance of creativity in cold calling and the value of having a unique and memorable company name to attract attention and generate interest (4:15)
Adam explains how his team has simplified onboarding by gathering necessary information, providing a secure deal room, and replicating personal relationship development. (13:17)
Adam suggests that agents should consider buying single surety policies and establishing boutique relationships to receive finder's fees for additional surety business, especially in niche markets like commercial trucking, where they may have better rates, service, and coverage. (21:37)
Adam discusses the importance of quality data and earning sellers' trust in the industry, while also addressing challenges with onboarding and different data formats. (29:28)
Adam explains the importance of understanding the unique needs of independent insurance agents and developing technology specifically tailored to their industry to enhance trust, security, and efficiency in their interactions. (36:49)
Adam shares that his co-founder has expertise in data and algorithms, and their platform aims to match sellers and buyers based on verified transactions and personalized book recommendations, similar to Google's approach to serving both companies and searchers. (44:04)
Adam mentions that the Cake platform is live and users can create an account to access various features such as scheduling time with customer success managers, utilizing the valuation tool, and buying and selling items. (48:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Flexibility is something that agents deserve, right? You guys are entrepreneurs or small business owners, and you should be able to own and operate your business how you want to.” - Adam Bowe
“We want to match sellers with people that are for real. And similarly, for the buyers, we want to bring them slices that make sense for their book, even if it's stuff that they haven't thought of, right?” - Adam Bowe

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: How to Defer Gracefully

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different stages a company goes through in the buyer’s journey and the new business appointments they had.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions his visit to Brunswick, Georgia. (1:26)
David shares a story about the new business appointment he had. (3:07)
What would David’s approach be if the client’s mod was jacked with the renewal coming out? (14:11)
David shares one of the things that the client said to him. (13:34)
David gives a piece of advice. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You have to understand something fellas. When we sell, it's not based on the policies or on the insurance. There are times that I go in a month after renewal, there are times that I go in a month before renewal. It's really whenever I have the ability to engage.” - David Carothers
“I think sometimes I take it for granted how much experience has taught me. I’m not the smartest dude in the world, I can just recognize things because I've been in so many situations over my time, in the industry.” - David Carothers
“The level of patience that you have to have at 50 grand in revenue is completely different than the level of patience you have to have at five or 10. So I am 100% confident that I will write this account. I'm 100% confident that I will do it on their timeline, and I'm also 100% confident that I will be compliant with their request to do it on their timeline.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Adding Value Through Risk Engineering with Mark Suski

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mark Suski, SET, CFPS, and Associate Director at Jensen Hughes. Mark talks about his knowledge and experience in risk engineering, and the hazards of dust.

Episode Highlights:

Mark shares how he got into risk engineering. (2:19)
Mark gives us a brief background of what risk engineering is. (4:39)
Mark mentions other aspects of risk engineering. (6:35)
How did the pandemic affect Mark’s career? (10:01)
Mark explains how some aspects of his job changed, due to COVID.(12:21)
Who are the people that typically reach out to Mark and hire him to go in, and risk engineer? (16:54)
Mark shares the biggest win he’s ever had, as a result of performing the risk engineering study. (28:30)
What’s Mark’s specific specialty? (35:34)
Mark shares the top three things that people should recognize when it comes to equipment safety. (39:43)
Mark shares the dangers of dust. (42:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Safety and protection in human life is always on the top of the list. You know, that's always going to be the first question, the first box that we're going to check is going to be life safety, and protection of people.” - Mark Suski
“When companies look at not only cost-wise, I think it helps bring down costs, but it helps, maintain. And, I think it's only going to get better and refined.” - Mark Suski
“When you think about it, risk engineering kind of does look at everything holistically... Because, A, they wanted to know what happened to my building, my structure and people. And, B, what would happen to my building, my structure, and my manufacturing processes.” - Mark Suski

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Be the Last Agent Standing Volume 6 With Chris Paradiso

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Paradiso, Owner of Paradiso Financial and Insurance Services. Chris talks about refining and redefining the sales game through the new version of his magazine, The Last Agent Standing.

Episode Highlights:

Chirs shares about his magazine, The Last Agent Standing. (2:23)
Chirs talks about raising money for charitable organizations. (3:47)
Chris elaborates on who is featured in the magazine and why. (8:11)
Chirs enumerates the impact of COVID on his business. (9:38)
Chris shares his thoughts about the financial situation of companies during COVID. (11:34)
Chris shares a very powerful mindset to be successful. (17:03)
David announces he will be giving away a copy of The Last Agent Standing Magazine. (20:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In the insurance space, we all have the same pain points and we should not be making the same mistakes.” - Chris Paradiso
“There is no secret sauce that is not in some book, you just have to find the right book and the right magazine and or the right reading tool because if you find it, the ingredients to success are written there you just have to read” - Chris Paradiso
“Don't think like an agent, think like a business owner. You’ve got to win.” - Chris Paradiso

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Working Telemarketing Leads

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about telemarketing and the machine that they’re building inside Florida Risk Partners.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle gives his opinion on the issues in telemarketing. (1:32)
Does David think that it’s more impactful for the people to be in the middle market than a smaller company? (6:48)
David mentions one of the things they are all guilty of. (7:11)
David shares the telemarketing machine that they’re building inside Florida Risk Partners. (13:21)
David shares what to do when doing marketing drops. (18:06)
David mentions where they get their virtual assistants. (19:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think that we get easily frustrated. I think it's too easy to give up and move on to the next thing because we have other things we can do to keep ourselves occupied.” - David Carothers
“If you hit them in between the eyes with that piece of information, like your experience mod is coming up or whatever else, they'll give you the benefit of the doubt and listen. Pepper them with a bullet point, it gives you another 30 seconds to talk.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

On Purpose with Tanya Dalton

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tanya Dalton, Purposeful Productivity Expert and Author of the book: On Purpose: The Busy Woman's Guide to an Extraordinary Life of Meaning and Success. Tanya discusses her expertise in finding purpose in work, enhancing productivity, and prioritizing effectively.

Episode Highlights:

Tanya shares what she has learned from building a successful business including the importance of true productivity and finding what truly matters for a thriving business and personal life. (2:27)
Tanya mentions that the key to productivity is understanding your priorities, making choices, and investing time in the areas that matter most to you, rather than trying to manage time itself. (7:53)
Tanya explains that setting boundaries and prioritizing personal time is crucial for business owners, as it allows them to focus on what truly matters and communicate their values to clients and customers. (14:03)
Tanya discusses the importance of blocking off time in your schedule to protect your boundaries and prioritize your work, rather than leaving a wide-open calendar that allows others to dictate your priorities. (21:06)
Tany shares her experience of writing her book and how it shifted from being about goals to finding meaning and purpose in work to avoid burnout. (34:53)
Tanya mentions that the key to success in any profession is to shift your mindset and understand that you are not just selling a product or service, but rather the emotions and benefits that it provides to your clients. (41:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Let's let go of time management, trying to control time because there is no controlling time. Let's instead choose where we want to focus and then spend more time on that.” - Tanya Dalton
“Goals are not the goal, goals help you live the life you want. But it's really about finding meaning in the work that you're doing.” - Tanya Dalton
“Every single person, no matter who you are, no matter your platform, or if you have a podcast or even social media, every single person on the planet has the ability to impact 80,000 lives, 80,000 people over the course of your lifetime.” - Tanya Dalton

Resources Mentioned:

Tanya Dalton LinkedIn
Website: Tanya Dalton
Book: On Purpose: The Busy Woman's Guide to an Extraordinary Life of Meaning and Success
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes

Throwback: The Path to Professionalism with Robert Sutter

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Highlights:

Robert shares his background and how he got to where he is in the industry. (2:31)
Robert discusses how Keystone started 30 years ago and has grown to 16 states at this current time. (5:26)
Robert explains that their focus at Keystone is to show people three non-insurance ways of handling risk before they ever buy insurance. (13:25)
Robert shares that one of the advantages of the fee basis is the commitment of a contract for three years instead of one. (18:00)
Josh shares a story about one of the people he is coaching who couldn't make the decision. (24:39)
Robert explains and elaborates that one of the things they teach in their top 20 programs is the counterattack. (29:49)
Robert explains that he looks at two types of intentions from producer candidates for Keystone. (34:19)
Robert explains that most producers want to be technically competent about insurance but do not think about what they can afford to lose. (38:46)
Robert adds that their Top 20 program has a whole session regarding centers of influence and how to educate them. (45:57)
Josh explains the exact roadmap they use within the agency, starting with the initial marketing drop. (54:12)
Robert mentions that an online presence has to show that you provide a value that nobody else provides. (59:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I would rather have less money from you for the next 25 years than to have a lot of money from you for a year or two because I sold you things you did not need, and somebody else came in and pointed that out." - Robert Sutter
"Don't tell me they won't buy from you in your county because you don’t go to church with them or you don’t go to rotary with them because you've got to provide a value that guy's not providing. And I think that's just somewhat of an excuse for not prospecting." - Robert Sutter
"That's what we think insurance is, is a risk parachute for people that don't want to jump out of an airplane." - Robert Sutter

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: David's Renewal Prediction

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about projecting the mod and David shares a story about an agency he took.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a story about an account he took from an agency last year. (3:05)
David shares what led Think HR to happen. (6:59)
Does David think that requesting loss runs could help your situation? (8:12)
Is it necessary to have a drug-free program? (10:46)
Kyle shares what he likes about the auto owner. (15:39)
David shares the moral lesson of the story. (16:09)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you're doing things for your clients, make sure they know that you're doing things for them. I need to practice what I preach.” - David Carothers
“I'm not saying you shouldn't have a drug-free program or have some semblance of it. If you're going to try and do it to comply to get the credit on your worker's comp, you're actually going to spend more money to do that.” - David Carothers
“If you understand the way the money flows, just pay the policies off. You're going to actually do better and get a better use of your money than you would by just leaving it in the bank.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Power of Pink with Sandra Gebhardt

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Sandra Gebhardt, an Online Marketing Strategist. Sandra discusses her expertise and strategies in building a brand and marketing effectively on digital platforms.

Episode Highlights:

Sandra shares her personal story of facing challenges such as her husband's brain tumor diagnosis and navigating a non-compete agreement while pregnant with their son. (1:55)
Sandra discusses the importance of having the right mindset in marketing, understanding the true nature of building a brand, and recognizing the impact of controlling the message. (9:20)
David emphasizes the significance of personal branding and authenticity in marketing and the necessity of professional management for digital advertising campaigns. (15:43)
Sandra believes that building a strong organic presence, having a good paid strategy, and implementing a marketing strategy is crucial for building a solid foundation in marketing. (25:59)
Sandra explains that in the online world, we only have one-quarter of a second to capture someone's attention, and it takes an average of 21 brand exposures before someone makes a buying decision. (30:43)
Sandra discusses the 5x5x5 method for digital marketing: send five connection requests, interact on five posts, and send five valuable direct messages every day, while also posting about yourself and your interests to build relationships online. (37:29)
Sandra mentions that she has a website where you can find information about her marketing services, as well as an app available for download with free training on the 5x5x5 methods. (52:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I speak at different events, and I train 95% of my clientele or insurance agents on how to build their own foundational marketing using social media platforms, mainly Facebook and LinkedIn.” - Sandra Gebhardt
“When you build a strong organic presence, when you have a good paid strategy, when you have a marketing strategy, you're building a foundation, and that can't be shook, your ads only get better as the pixels grow, as you learn the process of how to close an internet lead.” - Sandra Gebhardt
“When we're talking about mindset, what do you need to know? There's a huge difference between content creation and building a brand.” - Sandra Gebhardt

Resources Mentioned:

Sandra Gebhardt LinkedIn
Website: Working With Sandra Gebhardt Marketing
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes

Work Comp Experience for Days with Doug Avrin

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Doug Avrin. Doug discusses his expertise in Workers’ Comp and his goal to help lead and develop others.

Episode Highlights:

Doug shares his journey in the insurance industry, starting as a trainee and working his way up to leadership roles. (2:51)
Doug discusses the importance of providing great service and reducing experience mods for customers. (8:40)
Doug explains that supporting injured workers and prioritizing their well-being in the insurance industry prevents long-term negative effects on their lives and overall costs. (17:23)
Doug mentions that the insurance industry needs to do a better job educating people about the value and benefits of risk management and workers' compensation, as many individuals don't understand the importance until they experience it themselves. (28:11)
Doug explains that developing effective responses to objections is crucial in sales, as it allows you to confidently address them and improve your chances of closing deals. (44:27)
Doug shares that loss prevention engineers make recommendations that cost money, but when producers deliver the message, insured individuals are more likely to receive and act on it, leading to safer environments and reduced claims. (49:46)
Doug believes that building trust and long-term relationships in the insurance industry is crucial for success, and it requires being more than just competent, but also helping insureds lower losses and costs, and create a better environment for injured workers. (53:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Frankly, that's kind of where I'm excited to be re-entering this industry is: let me lead some people again, let me develop them. Let me turn them into superstars so that they can crush it in the company that I end up working for will be able to do the same. I think this business is fun. I am competitive as the next guy. But this is how you win. I like to win.” - Doug Avrin
“Let's be good at what we do out there. Let's help these insureds lower their losses, lower their cost, and create a better environment for their injured workers. And when they get injured, let's make sure we take care of them so they don't want to go elsewhere. Save you the cost of turnover.” - Doug Avrin

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Sales Process

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different stages of the sales process.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a story about an agency that he’s working with that has a new producer. (2:44)
David mentions the purpose of having stages of the sales process. (3:38)
David shares the stages of their sales process. (6:56)
Kyle mentions one of the huge factors when it’s lost. (8:32)
David mentions what to do when the policy comes time to renew. (19:34)

Tweetable Quotes:

“ If you look at how it works, I suspect when I go in and talk to them and get them to turn into a prospect, the first meeting is the fact-finding. My only goal from that first meeting is to get them to commit, to give us information and to book the second meeting.” David Carothers
If you're going to close on that first appointment, there's something else behind the scene that you don't know everything about.” - Kyle Houck
“I just think that if people understood how easy it is to sell insurance when you're not selling insurance, everybody wouldn't be doing it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The Dream Team with Gertha Jean

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Grayson Carothers interview Gertha Jean, CEO of One Way Insurance Group (OWIG). Gertha discusses the strategies they have implemented that have resulted in attracting more desirable clientele and the concept and goal of the mobile office.

Episode Highlights:

Gertha shares her journey from working odd jobs to opening her own insurance agency. (3:39)
Gertha mentions that the first few years of starting One Way Insurance Group were tough, with a steep learning curve and many mistakes made, but ultimately it made the agency stronger and more successful. (14:11)
Gertha discusses two strategies they implemented in One Way Insurance Group: educating clients before filing claims and shifting their marketing focus to a specific niche market, resulting in attracting more desired clientele. (20:01)
Gertha explains that the mobile office is designed to make insurance an enjoyable and accessible experience, providing a safe space for conversations and workshops while showcasing the cool side of the industry. (25:42)
Gertha discusses the importance of social media in reaching a wider audience and showcasing the excitement and passion for a particular industry, specifically insurance, to promote representation and inspire others. (31:50)
Gertha believes that the insurance industry needs to adapt and pivot with the changing market, especially with carriers pulling out, in order to stay relevant and not be left behind. (42:03)
Gertha shares her experience of facing discrimination and how she learned to embrace her value and see herself as a qualified professional, regardless of others' biases. (49:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The whole idea behind a mobile office was to make insurance an experience. And also to go ahead and travel to different states, different events, and show people how cool this industry is.” - Gertha Jean
“First things first, representation matters. That's the first things first. And you have to be able to show people that people who look like you are in this industry and are successful.” - Gertha Jean
“In the insurance industry, some of us are so stuck in our ways. We want everything to be the same, but things are changing. And we have to learn to change with it.” - Gertha Jean

Resources Mentioned:

Captivating Risk Transfer with Jarid Beck

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Jarid Beck, Co-Founder of Risk Management Advisors. Jarid discusses his expertise in the captive space, and how agents can introduce captives as a solution to their prospects and clients in the middle market arena.

Episode Highlights:

Jarid mentions that Risk Management Advisors’ specialty is helping individual business owners restructure their insurance coverage through single-parent captives, particularly focusing on workers' compensation, general liability, auto, property, and excess lines of coverage. (7:00)
Jarid explains that setting up a captive insurance company requires a long-term strategy, confidence in losses performing well, and understanding that it may not be cheaper in the first year but can reduce overall costs of risk over time. (11:45)
Jarid discusses the key mistakes to avoid when setting up a captive insurance company are taking on too much too quickly and under capitalization, so it's important to take a phased approach and ensure adequate funding from the start. (20:00)
Jarid mentions that the process of setting up a captive insurance company has become faster and more efficient, with approval times ranging from 5 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the goals and objectives. (29:35)
Jarid mentions that Captives can be used as a cost-saving tool and brokers should be discussing these options with their clients to avoid losing business to competitors. (39:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our primary specialty is single parent captives or pure captives, which is a captive that is really set up to write the insurance or serve the interests of one company or their family of companies.” - Jarid Beck
“The whole point of captive is to optimize premium spend, but it's also to develop partnerships. Everybody's interests are aligned, right? Everybody wants the losses low, the underwriting profits high, and it becomes less about price and more about quality. That's what we strive for with a lot of our clients” - Jarid Beck

Resources Mentioned:

Understanding Middle Market - Part 1

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss the complexities of the middle-market insurance business.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle believes that when determining if a company is middle market, revenue is a more important factor than the number of employees. (2:41)
David mentions that segmentation of the middle market is important, as there are different levels within it and agents need to consider their carrier mix and risk tolerance when prospecting. (6:27)
Kyle discusses the importance of accurately representing your business to your insurance carrier to avoid potential coverage issues. (11:28)
David explains that understanding the risk profile and insurance needs of middle market companies is crucial, as their coverage requirements can be significant and complex, requiring educated decision-making and potentially assuming some of the risks themselves. (12:19)
David discusses the challenges of operating a middle market company versus a small commercial one, using a plumbing company as an example. (14:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I could have 100 employees, but our revenue is low because of our industry. And so I wouldn't consider that middle market. I could have 10 employees, and we could do 5, 10 million in revenue. And I would consider that middle market, you know, so for me it's revenue.” - Kyle Houck
“It's important to know if you're going to go into the middle market, or you want to even look to see what the opportunities are there understanding what the industries are that live in the middle market there, then you've got to overlay that with your carrier mix, because that'll tell you whether or not you even have the ability to write coverage for these people. ” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Gaining A Life Perspective with Jeffrey Seidel

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Jeffrey Seidel, Owner of Northshire Insurance. Jeffrey shares what led him to be the first person in his town to open an independent insurance agency focusing on excellent customer service and how the agency uses technology to stand out.

Episode Highlights:

Jeffrey shares his journey and how he got introduced to the insurance industry. (4:17)
David discusses the challenges of starting his own agency, the importance of work-life balance, and the value of investing time in his children. (13:19)
Jeffrey mentions that he sold everything, including his house, and realized that he needed to focus on personal growth rather than material possessions due to his humble upbringing. (22:38)
Jeffrey shares his commitment to helping others and being present for his son, even if it means making sacrifices in his career and moving to a different location. (26:16)
Jeffrey discusses his journey of overcoming challenges and finding hope in building his insurance agency, inspired by other agents and driven by the desire for a simpler life. (33:22)
Jeffrey explains the value of peer-to-peer mentorship and the importance of attending events to connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. (55:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I explained to some of the clients that the fact that I'm coming in now gives me an advantage because I'm coming in with the technology and all the new learnings…it’s priceless compared to antiquated agencies that are still struggling with using a computer.” - Jeffrey Seidel
“I'm growing, and I'm getting to meet and talk to and develop that rapport with every single one of those clients that I do that, and they're the ones that help grow the agency.” - Jeffrey Seidel

Resources Mentioned:

Claimsetter with Elnor Rozenrot

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Elnor Rozenrot, Founder of ClaimSetter. Elnor discusses the vision behind Claimsetter, and how policyholders, agents/brokers, and contractors can utilize it in their agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Elnor discusses his experience as the founder and CEO of a consumer credit card company and his realization of the inefficiencies in the insurance claims process, leading him to start a new venture called ClaimSetter to provide financing solutions for contractors and streamline the claims process. (2:43)
Elnor explains that ClaimSetter is focused on alleviating pain for contractors, policyholders, adjusters, and carriers by getting everyone on the same page and restoring properties quickly and efficiently. (10:12)
Elnor mentions that ClaimSetter supports its broker partners in assisting their customers with claims, particularly smaller agencies that lack resources. (26:00)
Elnor discusses his experience and approach to financial management, particularly in raising credit facilities and managing funds (43:09)
Elnor shares that their goal is to help bring everyone together to make the claims process smoother and help brokers differentiate themselves and take care of their customers. (46:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody stands to win by getting everyone together on the same page. And everybody's kind of losing today, because we're sort of looking at each other as entities that have different interests.” - Elnor Rozenrot
“We're here to help make the process smoother for everyone. So the entire idea here is that we helped bring everyone together, if you will. And we cut through a lot of the noise by using our own capital. And we're happy to take that risk.” - Elnor Rozenrot

Resources Mentioned:

Selling to Different Generations

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss the different generations of insurance buyers and share how to effectively communicate and sell to each generation.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that generational differences in the insurance industry are often overlooked, but understanding and adapting to the needs of each generation can improve sales. (2:45)
David explains the traits of the Silent Generation (1928-1945): trust in institutions, in-person interactions, risk aversion due to history, and value in low-deductible, cautious insurance. (6:33)
David shares how Baby Boomers (1946-1964) prioritize security and loyalty to insurers but are skeptical of digital tools. (11:53)
David mentions that Generation X (1965-1980) values both digital convenience and personal interaction, emphasizing family-focused insurance. (14:12)
David discusses Millennials (1981-1996) prioritizing digital management, seeking alternatives, valuing experiences, and proactive health measures. (16:25)
David shares about Gen Z's (1997-2012) focus on seamless online experiences, personalized insurance, and ethical companies, crucial in the gig economy. (22:02)
David and Kyle discuss the importance of respecting and valuing the perspectives of older generations, and the need for sales professionals to adapt and stay ahead of changing trends in the industry. (25:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One of the things I think's interesting right now, with being in our industry is just the general number of people that are from different generations, like we're dealing with multiple generations of insurance buyers.” - David Carothers
“All we're doing is fine tuning stuff that's pretty much already been invented. Yes, we're inventing new products. But the majority of those ideas are spawned from something else that already exists. I think that generation invented products to meet a need, and that's a big difference. They’re inventing things to meet a need. We're inventing things for convenience.” - David Carothers
“I think, obviously it's only going to keep changing so people have to get ahead of it and stay in tune with what's going on and not be reactionary as I think this industry has been for basically, its entire existence.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Medicare Answers Now with Amanda Brewton

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Amanda Brewton, Principal Owner of Medicare Answers Now. Amanda shares her insights and expertise in the Medicare field and offers valuable advice on marketing and selling Medicare plans, building relationships, and the need for education and referral-based marketing.

Episode Highlights:

Amanda shares her journey from working in a call center to starting her agency, which focuses on teaching and development for insurance agents. (4:16)
Amanda mentions that Medicare commissions are dictated by CMS, while life insurance commissions can be set by the entity, and Medicare agents are typically paid directly by the carrier. (11:48)
Amanda explains Medicare is a complex system with different parts and options, including Original Medicare, Part D for prescription drugs, and Medicare Supplements or Advantage plans, each with its own benefits and costs. (17:00)
Amanda discusses the different approaches and strategies for selling insurance, particularly in the Medicare market, the importance of finding the right business model and target market, and the need for education and referral-based marketing. (36:55)
Amanda shares that she runs two companies, one focused on Medicare answers and the other on insurance answers for beneficiaries, and she creates digital content for both demographics through various platforms like YouTube, TikTok, blog posts, Facebook, and LinkedIn. (46:08)
Amanda expresses her motivation to change the insurance industry stereotype and ensure people have accurate information and support. (52:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Candidly, I get paid to make other people's lives better. I help the agent achieve their dreams and make their lives and their employees' lives better.” - Amanda Brewton
“There are so many different ways to fundamentally grow your business and go after your target market.” - Amanda Brewton
“I want to change how people view the insurance industry as a whole. I want to have it where I know that grandma has gotten what she's needed.” - Amanda Brewton

Resources Mentioned:

Transforming within an Industry with Monica Adwani

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Monica Adwani, COO at BRZ Insurance. Monica discusses her current role at BRZ Insurance, where she focuses on serving the Hispanic community, she also discusses the importance of leveraging technology in the insurance industry and emphasizes the need for clear goals and communication within your team.

Episode Highlights:

Monica shares how she fell in love with the world of insurance and eventually became an independent agent. (2:47)
Monica mentions that BRZ Insurance is a technology company that sells insurance and focuses on delivering the best customer experience through AI and multilingual support, utilizing their proprietary technology built internally. (14:14)
Monica explains that when looking for a VP, it's important to understand the purpose and expected return on investment, rather than just focusing on tasks and cost, as lacking clarity and goals will likely lead to dissatisfaction and a high failure rate. (22:42)
Monica believes that the key to showing up for your team and achieving efficiency is investing time in training and teaching them how you operate as an agency principal. (30:16)
David shares that Florida is experiencing a hard market, particularly for personal lines insurance, with clients facing significant rate increases at renewal. (35:44)
David mentions that agents must be transparent about rate increases and effectively deliver tough news to clients to thrive in the industry during a hard market. (42:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I am having so much fun because I get to serve my own people in my own language. And there is just so much education that needs to be done for our community. And I'm really, really thriving and very, very happy with serving our Hispanic and Latino community now.” - Monica Adwani
“We are a technology company that happens to sell insurance. We are powered by technology. Everything that we do is based on AI and based on delivering the best customer experience that we can to the client, and we do that by selling insurance.” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Number One Mistake Producers Make

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the number one mistake that producers make.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle mentions the main mistake that producers make. (2:36)
Kyle shares why the mistake that producers make is not dropping the close. (10:56)
David gives his opinion on the main mistake that producers make. (12:42)
David mentions why producers that don’t know how to cut bait in the prospecting phase is the biggest mistake. (13:30)
David shares a story about his deal with a roofing company. (16:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I would say in the insurance world that people talk about coverages that they'd be missing or just different aspects of the forms. Then you have the discussion and the prospect agrees, but then you don't ask for the sale or for that agent of record letter.” - Kyle Houck
“I think that we're under such production pressure. People want the top of that funnel to be so massive that they just put everything in there. I'd rather refine it before putting it in there so I'm not using time and resources on it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

AI for Agents with CJ Hutsenpiller

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview CJ Hutsenpiller, Private Client Advisor at Hutsenpiller Insurance. CJ shares his insights on leveraging chatbots and AI to improve efficiency and profitability for insurance agencies.

Episode Highlights:

CJ describes his agency as a technologically advanced insurance agency in Tennessee that specializes in personal lines and enjoys experimenting with new technology. (4:35)
CJ discusses the challenges of social platforms and the importance of staying authentic, utilizing AI to create scalable content, and focusing on meaningful conversations through chatbots. (11:45)
CJ believes using lead magnets that are not insurance-related to attract potential customers and then following up with insurance-related content later on, can be a practical approach to gaining new clients. (19:33)
CJ explains that the key to effective advertising is tailoring content to specific audiences based on their interests and preferences. (24:58)
CJ shares the benefits of learning from his mom in their family agency. (33:26)
CJ mentions that AI tools, like chatbots, are becoming more prevalent in the industry and can significantly improve efficiency and profitability for agents. (40:31)
CJ shares that the potential of open AI and AI, in general, to revolutionize industries and create cost-effective solutions is a game changer if utilized by agents. (49:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My mom was a freakin rock star in insurance and I was blessed to get to watch her operate for a long time.” - CJ Hutsenpiller
“There's a lot of things that you can do with some of these AI tools that are just mind-boggling that just didn't have the ability to do years ago, and it's just gonna make you be able to be that much more profitable because you can get more work done faster.” - CJ Hutsenpiller
“Open AI, AI in general, is going to be a game changer if agents will use it.” - CJ Hutsenpiller

Resources Mentioned:

Fixing Your Fleet with Foley Services

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Scott Mogensen and Joel Sitak of Foley. Scott and Joel discuss the challenges in the current hard market and share how Foley’s software simplifies the recruiting, screening, and monitoring of drivers in your fleet.

Episode Highlights:

Scott and Joel discuss their career journeys and how they reached their current positions at Foley. (2:58)
Joel mentions that Foley assists motor carriers in developing a digital safety program, integrating tools and data sources for efficient screening, monitoring, and risk reduction. (6:57)
Scott explains that real-time monitoring of driver's licenses allows immediate notification of any changes or issues, enabling proactive action and improved behavior from drivers. (13:23)
Joel discusses how emerging technology and changing laws are forcing employers to update their drug testing policies to address challenges in determining impairment and protect employees using CBD or hemp. (21:07)
Scott explains that solutions like motor vehicle record monitoring, random drug testing, and criminal monitoring are crucial for mitigating risk. (30:52)
Joel shares that as technology advances, safety profiles and driver data have become crucial for managing safety programs. (38:02)
Scott mentions that Foley’s software helps customers hire drivers quickly and monitor risk to lower insurance premiums. (40:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we're helping our customers do is take these isolated processes that are non-standardized, and usually, in a lot of carriers' cases, very paper-based, and bring them into a digital, single platform where they can operate more effectively both in the screening process and have more robust screening programs and also on the monitoring process, and really go one step beyond what the minimum compliance standards would be.” - Scott Mogensen
“Our solutions really help client retention because you're going to keep that client, they're not going to keep shopping around and find different insurance agencies to work with.” - Joel Sitak

Resources Mentioned:

Explaining Total Cost of Risk Part 1

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the concept of the total cost of risk in insurance and its five key components. He also discusses various factors that contribute to the total cost of risk and how to provide the best value to clients.

Unsuited Twos and Sevens with Ron Wadley

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ron Wadley, an Agency Owner and Search Engine Optimization expert. Ron shares his journey to becoming an Agency Owner, and his expertise in SEO and other strategies that have contributed to the success of his agency.

Episode Highlights:

Ron shares that he has a background in actuarial work and healthcare IT, but decided to leave corporate life and opened his own insurance business 10 years ago. (2:55)
Ron mentions that Insurance for Texans is actively shifting its focus from personal to commercial insurance, bringing in experts in smaller commercial and life/health insurance to provide a boutique experience and be a single point of contact for businesses, while eliminating competitors like ADP and paychecks. (11:47)
Ron discusses the importance of hiring the right people for a successful independent agency, focusing on referrals and value-based work culture rather than traditional methods of recruitment. (20:56)
Ron mentions that the learning curve is steep when transitioning from a captive to an independent agent, as you have to learn multiple products, policy forms, and exclusions, but advancements in AI chatbots may help streamline the process in the future. (27:21)
Ron mentions that in order to make sound decisions in sales and hiring processes, it is important to detach from outcomes and focus on evaluating the decision-making process itself. (38:09)
Ron shares that Sprocket Ops offers to share their SEO secrets and insights on a daily basis for those interested. (52:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We can create a very white glove experience for those businesses that want more relationship and still get what they need to get. And so we're doing that by putting these people into the right roles, and having a couple of referral partners who can handle things that we don't touch.” - Ron Wadley
“I'll admit, we don't keep track of days off. If you need a day off, go do it, just get your stuff done. We're not tracking paid time off. But what we are doing is setting you up to be successful giving you the tools to get to where you want to be.” - Ron Wadley

Resources Mentioned:

Master Risk Advisor with David Watson

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with David Watson, CEO of Risk Advisor to discuss the changes and advancements in Risk Advisor technology over the past two years, highlighting the importance of technology in improving efficiency and potentially impacting pricing in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David Watson discusses the importance of evaluating one's schedule and having a supportive partner when starting a new venture, highlighting the need for a strong base structure both in business and at home. (6:15)
David Watson shares his recent business activities, including discovery calls, subscriptions, and referrals, emphasizing the importance of consistent and helpful content on social media platforms for generating leads and sales. (13:20)
David Watson mentions that the key to saving time and increasing agents' efficiency is eliminating duplicate entries and streamlining data collection and integration with various tools such as virtual assistants, CRMs, wholesale brokers, and Agency Management Systems. (26:10)
David Watson discusses the importance of feedback and prioritizing user ideas, including forming an Agent Advisory Council. (31:43)
David Watson explains that exciting upcoming developments in the next year will include new tools and resources to help agency owners hire the right people and increase their closing ratio, ultimately making their agency more profitable. (41:36)
David Watson mentions that Risk Advisors offers a 7-day trial with automated onboarding, including setting up branding, integrations, adding team members, and scheduling an onboarding call for success. (44:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we have been really focusing on this year is doubling down on helping agents have a better conversation, which is going to produce more sales, more cross-sells, and more revenue across the board.” - David Watson
“Our goal is to put out a platform that's going to help you and your agent and your producers that you're looking to hire be more efficient and make more money.” - David Watson

Resources Mentioned:

Inside a New Private Producer Call

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, listen in on a Killing Commercial producers' training call where they discuss the importance of creating and storing training materials, using tools like SharePoint and CRM systems, and the effectiveness of using AI-generated content for social media posts.

Perfectly Prepared Proposals with Joe Ardeeser

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Joe Ardeeser, Founder of Smart Pricing Table. Joe discusses how the Smart Pricing Table software excels in building catalogs, pricing tables, and analytics for a better understanding of prospect interactions.

Episode Highlights:

Joe discusses the decision to sell their business and make their own in-house solution for writing proposals, and four years later, they launched it as Smart Pricing Table. (2:56)
Joe explains that their software excels in building catalogs and analytics on lower-level interactions and focuses on pricing tables and scope of work, allowing for a better understanding of prospects' interactions. (9:00)
Joe shares that their journey led to numerous discoveries including the ability to have someone else create proposals for a catalog, customer impressions, and the importance of optionality. (20:16)
Joe explains that building momentum in proposal creation involves asking new questions and updating your system as it allows for a more straightforward process, resulting in faster proposals and better outcomes. (26:56)
Joe discusses how a great proposal can significantly impact the outcome, making it crucial to critically think about it and make a difference in the process. (34:15)
Joe discusses the Profitable Proposal Blueprint which is a free guide available on the Smart Pricing Table website which includes five secret tips for continuous improvement. (40:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are lots of different solutions on the market, you know, where our software really hits it hard is building that catalog. That's the thing that we do really, really well. And because we're so focused on your pricing table, your scope of work, we also have analytics on lower-level interaction.” - Joe Ardeeser
“I think when we decided to go on the journey, there were so many discoveries. One of them is the fact that when you create a catalog, you can actually have someone else create proposals for you, which is a really, really helpful game changer.” - Joe Ardeeser
“I love the idea of building momentum. So each time you're creating a proposal, you're asking new questions, a lot of questions you've already answered, but you're asking some new questions. And you're always building your system.” - Joe Ardeeser

Resources Mentioned:

Financial Wellness with Vince Shorb

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Vince Shorb, CEO of National Financial Educators Council. Vince discusses the key components of financial literacy and wellness, including knowledge, skills, and the confidence required to effectively apply these elements in real-life situations.

Episode Highlights:

Vince discusses what led him to his mission of educating people about financial wellness (6:45)
Vince explains that financial literacy and wellness require knowledge, skills, and confidence for effective application. (12:39)
Vince mentions that financial coaches often face difficult conversations with couples discussing life goals. (19:49)
Vince believes that financial educators can help individuals navigate complex financial situations, leading to better lives and support for family and friends. (24:53)
Vince explains that education is crucial in building a long-term client, as it helps them understand financial complexities in a layman's way, preventing the loss of clients. (32:41)
David mentions that to overcome objections in a business, it's essential to have a plan and execute it. (38:05)
Vince encourages financial education in the financial service space to help build a brand around financial wellness. (44:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If we really focus and shape our message around education, if we're contributing to the community, so we do a lot of campaigns, we're going to communities, donate resources in the name of individuals, build that relationship from the education standpoint. So they know, hey, this is somebody I can ask questions to.” - Vince Shorb
“I think with you guys taking that role as educating, really explaining things in a clear, concise way, that's a lot what education is. That's building a long-term client that's building somebody that can come back to you and won't be sold by somebody else, you know, somebody else that comes along and educates them.” - Vince Shorb

Resources Mentioned:

Detach from the Outcome

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers discusses the importance of detaching from outcomes, a powerful concept brought up by Josh Braun at Producers in Paradise. David also shares the structure of Producers in Paradise and a few of the lessons learned from the event.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the structure and concept of the Producers In Paradise conference. (2:28)
David shares how the sunset cruise in Key West provided an informal setting for sponsors and attendees to get to know each other. (3:21)
David mentions that Producers in Paradise is an annual event where attendees share their skills and needs, enabling others to identify potential partners. (4:30)
Josh discusses the importance of being detached from the outcome during his presentation at Producers in Paradise. (8:00)
David explains that agents and producers can try to control as much as possible in the sales world but they cannot control the environment. (17:32)
David shares that the most significant lesson he learned at Producers in Paradise was the need to quickly implement impactful nuggets of wisdom, as no one else is responsible for our mindset except ourselves. (21:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The key west event itself is special in that it is not a normal conference. And I think it's important for everybody listening to understand the architecture of that before we get into the lessons learned or the lessons that should be learned.” - David Carothers
“We go out into the sales world and we can prepare as much as we want, we can take all the training we want, we can have the best software, the best tools, just like in fishing, we can have the best tackle, the best electronics, the best boat. But what we can't control is the environment.” - David Carothers
“The biggest lesson that I've learned from Producers in Paradise is that we simply need to implement those things that are nuggets and impactful as quickly as we can hear them. Because no one else is responsible for our mindset other than ourselves.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Mullets, Motherhood and Making it Happen with Kaleigha Cramer

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kaleigha Cramer of 212 Insurance Group. Kaleigha shares her journey to becoming an independent agent and discusses the importance of rest, learning, and finding joy and purpose in your work.

Episode Highlights:

Kaleigha shares how she started in the insurance industry as a CSR and her transition to becoming an agency owner. (3:01)
Kaleigha discusses how she went from being born to teenage parents to owning a successful insurance agency. (10:40)
Kaleigha shares how the idea of "fake it till you make it" matters, along with taking care of yourself and taking breaks. (26:23)
Kaleigha explains how finding joy and purpose in your work is better than trying to push away bad thoughts. (30:52)
Kaleigha mentions her plans to grow their business by offering insurance to places like chicken houses, contractors, trailer parks, and churches. (35:55)
Kaleigha mentions how many farmers don't think about the problems of overspray or overcharging crops. (39:28)
Kaleigha mentions that learning new things can help you get better at any job. (58:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you're a producer, if your agency owner, it's okay to take a hat off, it's okay to rest. It's okay to take a day off if you need it. It will be there when you get back.” - Kaleigha Cramer
“The biggest thing for me is always know when to speak, and always be a learner. Because you need to use your voice when your voice needs to be heard. And you need to learn from everybody, learn anything, even if it's as little as like you're talking about something that you read in a book like you learning everything will help you in anything. ” - Kaleigha Cramer

Resources Mentioned:

The Power of Dark Social with Chris Walker

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Abe Gibson interview Chris Walker, CEO of Refine Labs. Chris discusses how Refine Labs helps companies to execute marketing strategies to start generating revenue, and the importance of digital marketing in today's business landscape.

Episode Highlights:

Chris explains how he recognized the unique marketing approach he had created and decided to start helping companies at scale through Refine Labs. (2:48)
Chris discusses how each platform has a moment in time when it offers the most upside for content marketing. (7:50)
Chris mentions that users' expectations for content consumption and execution will need to rise as AI grows and content availability increases. (15:13)
Chris explains that effectively marketing your product or service requires dividing your target market into two categories: those actively looking to buy and those not. (20:18)
Chris mentions that there are moments of arbitrage and low barriers to entry in crypto, where people can create cheap, high-quality assets. (36:47)
Chris discusses the scale and impact of word-of-mouth marketing in today's digital landscape. (39:05)
Chris shares his insight on the importance of collecting direct feedback from customers to understand what marketing strategies are truly effective. (44:31)
Chris mentions which type of accounts see the most success with growth with Refine Labs. (48:39)
Chris believes that in business, it's crucial to align expectations with actual practice and work to achieve success. (53:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's true that you can put content on any platform, but it's undeniable that each platform has a moment in time, where there's significantly more upside than any other place on the internet.” - Chris Walker
“As AI continues to grow and content availability, free content availability goes up people's bar for the content that they believe, consume, and execute against needs to go way up, or you're going to potentially be taking a lot of bad advice.” - Chris Walker
“We typically find the most success with growth, what most people would consider mid-market segment or enterprise segment companies. So that could be somewhere between 300 employees and above. We work with companies like IBM and Teradata, so it's not like there are companies that are too big or too complex for us. But we also have a ton of success with what will be called single product, single market or platform software.” - Chris Walker

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: STOP TALKING!

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the significance of being prepared on appointments and asking open-ended questions.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions the biggest issue when it comes to appointments. (2:05)
David shares a story about the most recent deposition he was in. (3:59)
David shares the two factors that the producers must do to be successful in the foreseeable future. (10:51)
Kyle shares some of the factors that he has used in the past. (14:13)
David shares one of the calls he was supposed to have. (15:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I'd like to focus a little bit on the open-ended questions because I think that if you're good at that, and you perfect that art, you will close a lot of business that way. If you ask questions the right way, you're going to be able to drive a wedge and allow that prospect to conclude that they're not getting what they're paying for.” - David Carothers
“We're so focused on going out and writing the accounts that have problems that we completely miss the fact that we have best in class resources and a really good platform of value add stuff. Companies that are already doing good and want more, we're attracted to them too.” - David Carothers
“When there are not any accounts that are having issues, you don't think that you need to fix anything. There's stuff that we can provide to them that could drop their mod lower.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Leaving Captivity with James Jenkins

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews James Jenkins, Founder & CEO at RiskWell & Host of the Agency Freedom Podcast. James shares his personal experience leaving a captive agency and the lack of resources available to him at the time, which inspired him to write the book "Leaving Captivity" as a guide for others.

Episode Highlights:

James discusses his struggles due to a lack of resources when considering leaving his captive agency, which prolonged his transition by several months. (2:35)
James shares about his book, Leaving Captivity, and offers information about the extra content available for book readers on his website, including a subscriber wall and a code word for free access. (9:44)
James goes into detail about the topics covered in his book, such as time management and his personal journey leaving a captive agency. (20:00)
James discusses the benefits of the independent channel, highlighting its flexibility and the significance of time value compared to the captive agency environment. (29:19)
James explains the distinction between being an income statement and a balance sheet in an independent agency and how this difference empowers agents to create an asset for themselves and their kin. (37:50)
David announces a free giveaway for "Leaving Captivity". (41:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we do with our time is probably one of the most important things about who we are as people.” - James Jenkins
The message of leaving captivity really simply is just thoughtful and intentional about whatever you do…Highly intelligent people are highly driven, and typically very accomplished in various ways; nobody needs to teach them any of the basic stuff. It's just a good firm reminder to be intentional about everything you do.” - James Jenkins

Resources Mentioned:

Ideal Traits with Kevin Mlynarek

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kevin Mlynarek, Co-Owner of Ideal Traits. Kevin discusses the importance of taking a logical approach to find the right fit for your team, the value of using personality assessments to determine if a candidate is suited for the role, and how Ideal Traits can help insurance agency owners make better hiring decisions.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin shares his firsthand experiences and the insights he has gained about the role of personality assessments in hiring processes. (09:53)
Kevin shares his personal belief about the importance of actively seeking top-notch talent, discussing the time he hired a 20-year-old with no sales experience who ended up buying his agency years later. (18:23)
Kevin encourages the use of virtual assistants, explaining how his team personally benefits from their services. (28:26)
David discusses the critical role of employing the right people, sharing how this strategy can provide agencies with a competitive advantage. (39:30)
Kevin mentions the strategies they employed to grow their agency, which included incorporating more value into their insurance policies and focusing on liability coverage. (44:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Creating great lives, not just for ourselves but for others, is super rewarding.” - Kevin Mlynarek
“You have to be engaged with your people. You’ve got to teach them, train them to roleplay.” - Kevin Mlynarek

Resources Mentioned:

Pivoting Past the Commissions

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers shares his expertise on how to structure fee agreements and recoup costs when auditing accounts and discusses the importance of being transparent about compensation with clients.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the process of auditing accounts including how to split fees with clients and which policies are included in fee agreements. (2:42)
David shares the reason why he prefers to engage with clients a month after their account renewal. (6:32)
David discusses how to handle mistakes found during a mod audit and ways to get paid for correcting them. (9:54)
David explains the importance of investing in relationships with clients and how to budget for third-party loss control services. (16:13)
David discusses the three ways to structure a fee agreement. (17:40)
David suggests pitching the fee structure to potential clients, as it may not be discussed in the middle market. (23:56)
David discusses the importance of transparency in compensation and how to use the risk management action plan to show clients what they are paying for. (25:07)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's really, really important that you understand how these deals get structured. And the best way to do it, in my opinion, is to always have some skin in the game for yourself because that's more attractive to the buyer.” - David Carothers
“When we do a proposal to somebody, we identify exactly what our compensation is going to be. It's completely transparent, especially in the fee basis because we're billing them for it. We're telling them, here's what we do, here's what we're charging you. They don't have a problem paying that bill. That's why the Risk Management Action Plan is so important because I'm sending that thing with an invoice every single time. I want them to see we've earned the money that we're billing them for.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Empowering Agents through our Core Values with Paul & Sean Hawkins

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Paul Hawkins and Sean Hawkins from HawkSoft. Paul and Sean discuss the value of understanding a customer's needs before offering solutions and the importance of building a workplace culture of empathy and collaboration.

Plus, they give a sneak peek into the upcoming release of HawkSoft 6, a cloud-based upgrade to their existing system.

Episode Highlights:

Sean discusses his early interest in programming and how it led to the creation of HawkSoft. (3:39)
Paul and Sean discuss the importance of relationships, which are the foundation of the core values within their company. (11:32)
Sean mentions that showing gratitude can improve relationships and productivity. (16:57)
Paul and Sean discuss HawkSoft's approach to sales and how they prioritize finding the right fit for an agency. (20:20)
Paul shares how they prioritize customer service and support, and how it has helped them grow their business. (30:10)
Paul explains their demo process, which involves asking questions to understand the needs of the agency and then catering the demo to those needs. (36:14)
Sean discusses the upcoming release of HawkSoft 6, which is a cloud-based upgrade to their current Agency Management System with new features, including faster reporting and enhanced task management. (44:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our core values that we ascribe to, that we hire and fire by, and we use to answer all the questions are all about relationships.” - Paul Hawkins
“HawkSoft 6 is just that next iteration. And we didn't want agencies to feel like we are creating a new product that we're going to resell to you guys, because that's not what we're doing. HawkSoft 6 is just an upgrade, it's an upgrade to the new product.” - Sean Hawkins

Resources Mentioned:

The Successful Mind with David Neagle

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview David Neagle, Founder of Life Is Now, and host of The Successful Mind Podcast. David Neagle discusses the importance of having a positive mindset, and the significance of believing in oneself, charging the correct value for services, and being disciplined in sticking to one's business plan.

Episode Highlights:

David Neagle explains what led him to start his business, Life Is Now, which helps others achieve success through a positive attitude and skill development. (9:55)
David Neagle and Kyle discuss the importance of personal contact in sales and how it can profoundly impact results. (17:15)
David Neagle discusses his podcast, The Successful Mind Podcast which is both conversational and informative, and how it helps people with business advice. (29:19)
David Neagle mentions the key mindset shifts that can double revenue without doubling workload, including believing in self-worth and charging the correct value for services. (34:45)
David Neagle believes that knowing your hourly pay and making decisions based on it is important. (38:23)
David Neagle mentions that the average individual often doesn't outearn their families due to a financial setpoint in their head. (41:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The amount of decisions that people make from the idea that they don't really believe that they're worth success to begin with, is extraordinary to me. It’s just absolutely extraordinary. So we'll help them fix that first, and teach them how to make decisions based from the place that they actually believe that they're worth the success that they want.” - David Neagle
“With every business person that we work with, we put them through that exercise of what is their hourly pay worth. Because if they don't know that, they don't know where they're making decisions from as far as what is worth their time from a monetary perspective. And that's a big deal.” - David Neagle
“Sales is one of those things that is needed absolutely everywhere. But it's almost like a necessary evil when you hear about it.” - David Neagle

Resources Mentioned:

Killing Commercial New Producers Call, A Glimpse Behind the Curtain

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss ways to address policy errors before they become a problem and the importance of getting to know your client's needs before trying to sell them anything.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses two possible approaches to rectifying an erroneously drafted policy: one way is to proceed as usual, prepare a quote, and then present the client with the revised figures; the other way is to promptly address and rectify the issue. (1:39)
David explains that it's important to enlighten clients about the total cost of risk, which includes the soft costs related to claims and the transferring of risk to staffing companies. (8:06)
David mentions the importance of thorough lead research and understanding your target demographic for effective insurance business marketing. (12:49)
David explains that to set yourself apart as an agent, it's helpful to ask clients about their decision-making process. (17:35)
David mentions that in transactions where broker selection is key and clients often believe agents are in competition with one another, it's crucial to clearly explain how your business operates and why choosing an agent for marketplace representation is a wise choice. (18:28)
David discusses the value of developing a personal brand and how it can contribute to retaining clients. (24:45)
David shares that increasing productivity often requires slowing down. (27:48)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I want to make sure everybody's very, very clear when you're working on your business plan, and you're starting to put your pipeline together, you know, you only need to do as much research as you need to do that step of the process.” - David Carothers
“This is the question you'd have to ask every time because it's going to open you up to be able to explain your process that other people aren't going to get the opportunity. And it's an easy question but many, many people never ask it when they go into a meeting. And that question is, “How do you make the decision of who you're going to select to represent you in the marketplace?” That's it.” - David Carothers
“I tell my team all the time, you have to slow down in order to speed up. If you're going too fast, you might feel activity, but you're not getting productivity. You have to let the system play and respect the amount of time it takes to do this stuff.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Weeding Out The Competition with Marcus Harris

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Marcus Harris, Insurance Executive at Arnold Insurance. Marcus discusses how they value their producers, clients, and company at Arnold Insurance and shares the importance of different generations in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Marcus shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (7:52)
Marcus talks about his marketing company, which initially started as a video production company because he loved the concept of telling stories through video. (12:04)
Marcus mentions that he initially started the insurance business when his dad offered to help him start an agency in Denver. (19:38)
Marcus explains that part of what Arnold Insurance tries to drive home for their producers is that they need to finish the job to protect their clients, the agency, and themselves. (26:08)
Marcus shares that, for him, working with his family is a blessing and rewarding as everything is an opportunity for them to work together. (28:23)
Marcus discusses his experience with Keystone. (33:34)
Marcus explains that one of the biggest challenges from his perspective of growing an agency is getting bigger clients, and the only way to do that this is to know your stuff. (38:09)
Marcus explains that you are in the right competition when you overcome others by being consistent and gladly competing with the ones that are left. (47:12)
Marcus shares how much he enjoys the rush of getting the Broker of Record. (54:10)
Marcus explains that the insurance industry needs a new generation, and it is always great to welcome people that are trying to build their careers in this industry. (56:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that's what we're trying to drive home with our producers is, hey, you've got to finish the job, you've got to protect us, protect the agency, protect yourself. And then you've also got to take the opportunity to truly educate your client, make sure they know what they have." - Marcus Harris
"Insurance is a massive industry, right? I mean, there are tons of those guys in every corner. Most of those guys you get rid of, by just being consistent. And then the guys that are left, you're glad to be competing against those guys. That means you're in the right place. " - Marcus Harris
"I think you realize that you weed out a ton of your competition by stuff that's very much in your control. And when you get to a certain level, yes, you're going to get beat by guys that can hit the ball better than you like that. Just note, they’ve just got a skill set that is different, right?" - Marcus Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: From Slapshots to Slaying the Commercial Game with Steve Munn

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Steve Munn of MAI Risk Advisors. Steve discusses how they have developed their company culture at MAI Risk Advisors and offers advice for new producers entering the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares about his background growing up in Western Canada. (2:21)
Steve explains he didn’t start in the insurance industry, and the first actual job he had was selling industrial supplies. (10:51)
Steve mentions that one of the biggest surprises for him after entering the insurance industry was the difficulty of the job at first, but as he learned, he just aimed to keep getting better. (16:10)
Steve shares that one thing he learned from playing sports that he applied in the industry was to build a great relationship with his team. (19:22)
Steve mentions that one of the most difficult challenges in terms of office culture is finding the right people. (24:31)
Steve shares that their current business profile at the agency is 80% commercial wich includes niches like real estate developers, churches, construction, nonprofits and private schools. (26:36)
Steve discusses the concept of the Industrial Network Group, a group he established for the manufacturing and industrial sectors. (29:50)
Steve encourages people who are new to the producer role or are just starting out in the industry to invest in themselves and keep learning. (37:54)
Steve explains that we've done our industry a huge disservice by teaching people to shop based on price where everyone is looking only at the bottom line and not at the actual details of what is and isn’t included in the policy. (45:16)
Steve mentions that they are currently working on creating social media marking videos. (49:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I really focus on my relationships with my account managers. I always express gratitude. I always thank them, you know, whether it's a huge deal or a small deal. It's still important. I try and be a good teammate." - Steve Munn
"I love connecting people. I love opening doors for people. It's fun to see other people succeed and you know, eventually, they return the favor, hopefully." - Steve Munn
"I want to be the guy my team relies on, right? And so, getting, doubling and tripling down on educational work really kind of gave me a lot of confidence." - Steve Munn

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Messaging is Crucial

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the significance of messaging, stewardship reports, and how to utilize the risk assessment report.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that he always hears people complaining about losing their business and they feel that they’ve done everything right. (1:41)
David mentions that you must start with the onboarding before doing a stewardship report. (3:47)
David shares that if you structure your client to set their expectations appropriately on what they should expect from you, then you can update them in real-time every month. (3:59)
David mentions that it's normal for a risk manager to go into a business and do a walk through baseline risk assessment. They can capture everything that might be a hazard, needs to be corrected and document any deficiencies in training programs. (5:18)
David shares one of his favorite tricks when he’s doing a baseline risk assessment. (6:03)
David shares that when he does the baseline assessment, he interviews employees and some frontline supervisors. The scores are based on their actual conversations and results to back up his results. (7:39)
David mentions that the findings on the risk assessment report will become the framework for the risk management action plan. (8:26)
David thinks that anytime you give information more often in smaller bits, it becomes digested more easily and more clear of what you’re doing. (11:07)
Kyle shares that it’s significant to set the expectation on the front end and letting them know what's going to happen over the year. (15:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everything that I do in the middle market account hinges from that baseline risk assessment. I'll include the carrier loss control reps because I want them to have their two cents into what needs to go into that document.” - David Carothers
“When I do a risk assessment report, it's a 1 to 10 score. I give them a blank copy and say you don't need to walk around and look, you're here every day. I'm interested in you giving me your 100% anonymous score.” - David Carothers
“If you message appropriately and you tell your clients what it is you're doing for them, you can bet that they will bring you a pie, ” - David Carothers
“If you're telling them the things that you have planned, set out to do over the year, and you follow up with them as those things are going along, then that's the happy medium in my opinion.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Confidently Crushing Life With Paul Epstein

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Paul Epstein, bestselling author, and keynote speaker. Paul discusses the importance of adaptability, resilience, and a positive mindset and the importance of understanding yourself and your purpose.

Episode Highlights:

Paul discusses his experiences in sales leadership and how he learned to play offense in defensive environments. (2:42)
Paul shares his thoughts on overcoming adversity and applying past experiences to current challenges. (11:11)
Paul mentions that his book “The Head Heart Hands Equation” aims to help individuals make better decisions faster and will be available in September 2023. (24:47)
Paul explains that culture transformation involves focusing on the three subsets of people: partners, tourists, and prisoners. (30:58)
Paul discusses how the majority of people haven't done the inner work of understanding themselves and their purpose, but successful people have intentionally put themselves in environments to understand themselves better. (35:22)
Paul explains that achieving success is a never-ending climb and it's important to define what success looks like in our own words. (43:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have done the inner work, to know who I am, to know why I do what I do, to have a vision on where I'm going to position it as a mission so that I don't give up at the first signs of hurdles, obstacles, setbacks, adversity, like this is the fortitude that's needed.” - Paul Epstein
“The number one way to battle through all these very human feelings is unshakable confidence.” - Paul Epstein

Resources Mentioned:

All in the Family with Liz Benz

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Liz Benz, Marketing Director at New Buffalo Insurance Agency. Listen to this inspiring conversation filled with insights on resilience, teamwork, and the pursuit of growth in both personal and professional life.

Episode Highlights:

Liz shares her entry into the insurance field, detailing how her husband, Doug Benz, guided her learning. (14:18)
Liz discusses the significant role of residual income and how an abundance mindset can alter one's perspective. (20:29)
Liz mentions how the benefits of entrepreneurship include flexibility and a harmonious work-life balance, which is especially important when managing tasks such as driving and family care. (31:55)
Liz explains that successful collaboration with a spouse requires recognition of past experiences and alignment with common marriage goals, with a readiness for handling challenges and a focus on the family, future, and children. (40:16)
Liz shares her discovery of Ryan Hanley via social media and the opportunity she and Doug had to meet him personally. (45:49)
Liz believes that maintaining patience and consistency in life contributes to reducing disappointment and enhancing the enjoyment of the present moment. (54:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Working in this industry and working with your spouse… I think one of the advantages for sure, is owning your own business first of all. Second of all is that flexibility.” - Liz Benz
“If you're looking to work with your spouse, or go through it, you have to know what you have been through together already, and what you can, how much you can take.” - Liz Benz
“Tomorrow is another day and you just keep going, you just keep going. And it's 1,000% worth it. So, it's all in the process. All those moments add up to where you are now.” - Liz Benz

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: David's Daily Routine

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the daily routine that makes them the most productive and the most successful. David shares his process in finishing video content.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions the first thing he does every day when he’s doing things the right way. (2:01)
David shares what he likes to read. (8:19)
Kyle mentions what Daniel Seong shared with him. (9:23)
What’s the content of David’s editorial calendar for the entire year? (11:38)
David mentions the first thing he does when he gets in the office. (12:30)
David shares how he gets his video content done. (15:47)
Why is having a VA essential? (17:37)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If I don't have that accountability it doesn’t matter how successful I ever could become, how many deals I close, how much money the agency makes because I won't do that. I'll stop because I need accountability to get that done. Just like I need accountability to make sure that I eat right.” - David Carothers
“One thing is you need to plan for it. When you're walking in the next morning and you didn't get something done last night, you already have stress on you and you already feel behind.” - David Carothers
“You have to plan this stuff out and you have to stay regimen into it. If you don't, it spirals out of control and you really do end up putting yourself in a position where you get nothing done.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Powerful Payment Processing with Toby Hansen

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Toby Hansen, Owner of Toby Hansen Insurance Agency, and co-founder of GSTsoftware. Toby talks about his move from captive to independent agent, what's going on in the world of Insurtech, and how GSTsoftware helps insurance professionals get their business done in the most efficient way possible.

Episode Highlights:

Toby discusses his background. (2:30)
Toby believes that insurance agents sometimes wonder if the carriers have a clear vision. (5:11)
What has Toby learned as a result of his transition from captive to an independent agent? (9:50)
Toby explains the idea of their payment portal and how it helps people. (13:28)
How does Toby get their product into the market? (16:46)
Toby mentions that if you don't have a good tasking system, you won't realize how much your employees are avoiding such issues. (25:09)
David, Kyle, and Toby discuss the significance of accepting all forms of communication. (29:04)
Toby explains the advantages of making the best use of technology. (41:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you don't have a good tasking system, you don't realize how much your staff is avoiding that stuff.” - Toby Hansen
“When you're in the agency world, and you've been the principal, you start to understand that for every person that just doesn't want to pay their bill, there's four of them that you just need you to hold their hand to pay their bill.” - Toby Hansen
“Technology is not in the agency world to replace human interaction in the human experience. It's here to enhance human interaction in the human experience.” David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Diving Deep into Data with Ron Shroyer

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ron Shroyer, Vice President of Sales at Aureus Analytics. Ron discusses what Aureus Analytics is doing, what the Donna platform is and what it does, and how they're using integration to make it a lot simpler to operate an agency intelligently.

Episode Highlights:

Ron shares his interesting background (2:26)
Ron believes that the end client is the most important thing for an insurance producer. (5:12)
Ron explains what makes Ryan Deeds unique. (6:51)
Ron talks about what they’re doing to gather data. (9:00)
Ron mentions that the foundational technology is what they brought over to the US to be able to build the Donna platform. (10:35)
Ron talks about their recent integrations with other platforms. (21:52)
Ron mentions that Glove Box is doing a fantastic job of integrating a lot of useful information into a way for agencies to communicate with clients, especially through an app. (25:55)
Ron expresses his optimism that the industry will reach that all-encompassing solution within the next 5 to 7 years. (41:25)
Ron talks about Donna version 3.0 that was just released. (42:25)
Ron mentions that if you have that core technology and data stored away, and you know what processes you need to follow and apply. (48:32)
Ron believes that there’s enough business for everyone, especially on the agency side. (50:50)
Ron advises everybody to take one step forward at a time, get the momentum built. (52:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“That's really what we want to do at Aureus Analytics with this Donna platform is give the end-users who are working with customers just quick insights, how they can better serve their customers, make sure they're keeping them, but let them know where they should spend their time, what types of products they should position as of today, so they can just delight the customers, grow the business, and retain it.” - Ron Shroyer
“I am very optimistic that the industry over the next five, seven years is going to get to that all-encompassing solution - Ron Shroyer
“The integrations that we're working with and the awesome companies that are out there to integrate with...integrations are first and foremost vital to us being able to scale and we're making tremendous progress right now.” - Ron Shroyer

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: What is a Marketing Drop

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the purpose of marketing drops, why we should value everyone regardless of their position, and why having a good conversation with the gatekeeper is important.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he got 25 to 30 emails asking him whether he is making drops right now, as he said on the podcast. (3:31)
Kyle explains that the whole purpose of the marketing drop is to either verify the information we have on the decision-maker or to determine who the right person is. (5:28)
Kyle discusses the principle of marketing drops. (6:55)
Kyle believes that having a good conversation with the gatekeeper is the first step, which is frequently missed. (9:12)
David mentions that he values everyone, regardless of who he is talking with. (11:21)
David believes that they should do another episode on prepping for the drop, and what happens after the marketing drop. (13:50)
David and Kyle talk about what to look for while doing marketing drops or having a conversation with a gatekeeper in their office. (14:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing that may often be overlooked is having a good conversation with the gatekeeper. Because the gatekeeper is literally the person between you and the decision-maker” - Kyle Houck
“I don't talk any differently to the person that's the receptionist than I do to the person who's going to end up making a decision to buy from me, I'm the same regardless of who I'm interacting with.” - David Carothers
“If you're paying attention to some things that they've got in their office, whether it's just something cool that you see or something that you actually can relate with them on. I think that's huge.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Wunderiting Your Way to More Business with Peter MacDonald

Wed, 31 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite. Peter discusses Wunderite's goals and how the program makes the insurance application process easier, faster, and more efficient.

Episode Highlights:

Peter shares his background. (2:08)
Peter discusses Wunderite’s concept and the need in the insurance industry that their product meets. (6:45)
Peter explains how the insurance industry's tools have changed since World War II. (8:43)
What's been the biggest surprise for Peter in the insurance industry? (11:48)
Peter mentions that Wunderite makes every insurance application look like a top-of-the-stack submission without taking a lot of time from you, your team, or your clients. (18:30)
What has been the most rewarding part of Peter's Wunderite journey? (24:14)
Peter believes that identification is the most important part of risk management. (43:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think one of the most surprising things recently is that the software has to be so easy. People have no patience, you know where compared to when you go on Amazon, you click a button, and you have a lawn mower delivered to your house tomorrow morning...I think our patience as a society is totally gone.” - Peter MacDonald
“We have four values at the company, one is balance, and we very much want to have a balanced culture.” - Peter MacDonald
“We're just getting started. Our mission is that we want to build the best software for independent agencies. I'm extremely loyal to the industry...I just want to have the best tools out there because I felt like there was an opportunity when I was running an agency.” - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Connect and Sell with Chris Beall

Mon, 29 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell. Chris discusses the common pitfalls in cold calling and shares tools to overcome those pitfalls and go from fear to commitment in 27 seconds.

Episode Highlights:

Chris talks about what they do at ConnectAndSell. (7:21)
Christ shares tips about public speaking. (11:01)
Chris talks about how long it should take to gain trust in a cold call. (15:51)
Chris shares how his company can close a sale in 27 seconds. (23:33)
Chris states that it is very important to sell meetings. (32:06)
Chris talks about the hardest part of selling. (35:33)
Chris explains the difference between speaking to someone in person versus on a phone call. (40:23)
Chris shares a way to let people know that your time is valuable. (47:16)
Chris talks about the right way of developing your personal skills. (50:19)
Chirs shares his insight about accountability. (53:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It all comes down to what happens in that human interaction and can you get somebody to go from fear to trust, trust to curiosity, curiosity to commitment? - Chris Beall
“They are taught to go for value. Value is death in the cold-calling.” - Chris Beall
“I decided to be really frustrated and ego-driven every time I missed one and that made me great. No, it doesn't work like that. Humility is how we learn things.” - Chris Beall

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: How Do You Prepare for a Marketing Drop

Fri, 26 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how to prepare for a marketing drop.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle discusses how he tries not to overcomplicate things, which is one of his key points in how he prepares for a market drop. (1:55)
Kyle shares that he looks at social media for owners, CEOs, and people who are typical decision-makers. (4:33)
David explains that, for him, the key has always been to personalize the marketing drop as much as possible. (6:20)
David discusses how ProWriters can easily be used to personalize its user experience and how preparation can be done weeks in advance. (9:11)
Kyle shares that the return to work program is one of the cyber world's positive impacts on a business. (11:05)
David shares that you need to think about who your audience is, learn about your audience, and then determine what the best angle is to go in with based on that limited research that you have. (13:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the places on the website that I think sometimes gets overlooked is the "about us," or the "people." If you can find some of these websites, they have really good ones." - Kyle Houck
"I think the other thing you could do is simply compliment them on their website. Let them know you've been on it. If their website is better than average, tell them so." - David Carothers
I think that you can literally create a marketing drop around any subject, you want to create a marketing drop around, doesn't matter what it is, you know, it's just a matter of taking the time to think it through." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: From Vape to Voip with Jeremy Chen

Wed, 24 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jeremy Chen of Jeremy Chen Sales. Jeremy talks about how he helps companies improve their sales strategies and performance.

Episode Highlights:

Jeremy shares his background story, and how he got to where he is in his professional career. (1:50)
Jeremy explains that when he started getting into sales, he never really had any experience in the field. (6:33)
Jeremy talks about how he got an opportunity and landed a job at a cell phone company. (22:37)
Jeremy shares that his selling secret is always pretending he knows who he is talking to. (28:17)
Jeremy explains that the biggest mistake made by producers or salespeople is their mindset. (33:33)
Jeremy shares that he learned the process and flow of cold calling by just doing it. (39:05)
Jeremy talks about his favorite sales story based on his experience being a salesperson for a vet company. (41:57)
Jeremy explains that people are unaware that they only want to hear other people tell them that they are correct instead of telling them that they are wrong. (47:45)
Jeremy shares that in the sales industry, some people just need the time to think through whatever their argument is. (50:40)
Jeremy explains that he thinks cold calling has been ongoing and active even during the COVID pandemic. (52:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You're asking the questions from a position of, I just want to be told that I was right the entire time, as opposed to actually, I'm doing something wrong." - Jeremy Chen
"I was going broke, I certainly wouldn't depend on digital marketing to bring me my next meal. Right, I would go out and find it." - Jeremy Chen
"Sales and appointment setting is a game of hot potato, and the more you talk, the longer your hands are going to burn. So I don't care what you say, just make it so clear to the point that you can toss that potato back in their lap." - Jeremy Chen

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Open Up the Premier Strategy Box with Mick Hunt

Mon, 22 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mick Hunt, the CEO at Premier Strategy Box. Mick talks about the six pillars that every business should be built around.

Episode Highlights:

Mick mentions that he started in the insurance industry 20 years ago and he was a sales manager for a nationwide agency. (2:37)
Mick shares that when he realized that there was a need for business development and processes, he started the Premiere Strategy Box. (4:05)
Mick mentions that they find out your priorities and then build a program and a plan based on that. They do something completely different for every client. (6:41)
Mick shares that they’re focused on the middle market and none of his producers ever wrote double-digit accounts per year. (14:44)
Mick mentions that when everyone understands profitability, they care a little bit more. When they're tied to that profitability, they care a little bit more as well. (21:06)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We can't work with everyone, right? There have to be some core principles that you have in place, right? I don't want someone that's looking for a 30-day quick fix because that's not what we do. If anybody promises that you should run, right? Like, there's no such thing as a quick fix.” - Mick Hunt
“If you're not willing to make the phone calls, do the follow-ups, or not willing to learn then it's not gonna work. There's nothing that I can say that's gonna make you better. Nothing that my coaches can tell you that's gonna make you better if you don't have that trait. It's not gonna work.” - Mick Hunt
“If you were fresh out of college and you kind of had that mantra about you, you are definitely coming on board. I just look for that sales trait because that's the one thing that I can't teach. I can't teach you how to go get it and that you're going to get told no more than you're going to get told yes, and love it.” - Mick Hunt

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Producer Mindset

Fri, 19 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different impulse factors that can help you close sales.

Episode Highlights:

David talks about season two of The Protege and how interesting it has been to watch which contestants are succeeding, and it may not be the ones that were originally the front-runners. (1:36)
David explains that if you want to have insurance-related knowledge, get the CIC designation. (3:15)
Kyle and David talk about a relatable mindset that Tiger Woods has that can also be applied to sales. (8:19)
Kyle talks about the importance of confidence in sales and believing that you are supposed to be there and that you belong. (13:38)
David talks about the downfall of a sales process that is based on auditing policies rather than bringing value. (16:03)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Half the battle is believing that you're supposed to be there. They took the appointment, as you know, don't talk yourself out of it because you think you don’t belong." - Kyle Houck
"I think many times what happens is we get so caught up in needing to know every single nuance of policy language, exclusions, endorsements, how to talk technically, and all of that." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Ask Fetch with Trace Meek

Wed, 17 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Trace Meek, Founder of Fetch. Trace explains how Fetch helps insurance agents find policy-specific carriers and discusses the launch of a new product called Ask Fetch, which utilizes machine learning to teach AI about insurance underwriting.

Episode Highlights:

Trace explains how Fetch, an underwriting management system, has the capacity to condense 50-60 policy types into a mere 5-6 within a minute's span. (3:50)
Trace mentions how Insurance Daily News is a funnel for more than 100,000 insurance articles and 3,500 podcasts, delivering emails focused on the top 10 articles. (12:41)
Trace shares about "Ask Fetch", a product they developed that leverages AI to provide answers to insurance professionals' queries, based on underwriting guidelines and carrier data. (22:29)
Trace explains a Fetch feature that empowers users to instruct the AI to transform insurance documents into Excel files for more efficient organization and analysis. (29:46)
Trace discusses the beta introduction of Ask Fetch, which lets insurance agents upload documents and ask questions to obtain specific policy details. (35:53)
Trace shares his insight into the impact automation may have on the job market, including the insurance industry. (43:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We built a system that we manage all that data for you…it can reduce anywhere from 50 to 60 policy types, down to just five or six and just 30 to 60 seconds, and really give you that drill down of what carriers would possibly write your risk. So that was it was the short long version.” - Trace Meek
“We have built what's called Ask Fetch, and it's using open API's. You know, I didn't create it myself but we're creating our own machine learning on top of it. And what that is, is we're teaching the prompts like if you're an underwriter, if you're an insurance professional, if you're an HR, we're teaching, when you ask it questions that it knows how to respond to you based on that.” - Trace Meek

Resources Mentioned:

Giving Back with Don Shampine

Mon, 15 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Donald Shampine, President of Michigan Insurance Group. They discuss the importance of knowledge and education in the sales process, the challenges of starting and running an agency, and the benefits of being involved in industry associations.

Episode Highlights:

Don shares his journey of how he entered the insurance industry, established his own agency, and the lessons he learned along the way. (3:05)
Don discusses the significance of having a deep understanding of the insurance industry, the role of continued education and certifications, and the importance of not pretending to know more than you do. (6:18)
Don believes that people learn differently and approach each thing differently, so it's important to understand the policy rather than memorize it. (12:26)
David mentions the value of including staff in financial discussions and decision-making activities to equip them for the practicalities of operating an agency. (19:33)
Don explains that establishing niches and mastering the industry are crucial for success in a competitive market, differentiating you from other agents by asking appropriate questions and establishing expectations with your insured clients. (34:53)
Don discusses his engagement with the Big I, his role as the most recent past President of the Michigan chapter, and his initiatives to energize the annual convention. (43:13)
Don encourages people to actively participate in the industry, gain knowledge from others, and share valuable insights to improve both the agency and the industry as a whole. (56:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If they don't ask all these questions that you already established, the normal questions to ask in the industry, you're setting yourself apart and setting an expectation with your insured, which I think is critical to be successful when the market changes like this.” - Donald Shampine
“I do recognize that I've been fortunate to be in an industry that's allowed me some, you know, some decent success, and I'd like to pay that forward to as many people as possible.” - Donald Shampine

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Be a Problem Solver

Fri, 12 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how important it is to solve problems instead of selling a product because as prospects share information, the higher the chances are of being able to close a sale.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he’s beginning to believe that many agents do not understand how to identify and solve problems their prospects have. (3:37)
David explains how to increase your ability to close a sale by identifying the problems that you could solve for prospects instead of simply selling an insurance product. (9:27)
David mentions that it is important to have an outline to avoid any complications and misunderstandings. (11:56)
David explains that if you’re not getting the support you need from your agency, then you should go work for a different agency. (16:11)
Kyle talks about how agents can lead their prospects down the path of discovery by dictating the line of questioning. (21:34)
Kyle explains that explaining too much about the technical side of things to the prospect can make them feel overwhelmed. (24:07)
David shares one of the mass marketing videos that he finds to be very effective. (25:06)
David and Kyle explain how important it is to always follow up with your prospects, as it is very rare to have a sale on the initial pitch. (28:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you're not getting that kind of support, go work for a different agency. You know, I mean, I hate to say that, but that's number one." - David Carothers
"I think people have a hard time identifying how to figure out the problems. And the thing is, part of the issue is, the only solution has been to sell them insurance right?" - David Carothers
"So many times we talk about it, we beat it to death about how people are worried about selling a product instead of solving a problem." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Raising the Roof with Peter Dunn

Wed, 10 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Peter Dunn, Sr. Vice President, Commercial Division at DHI Commercial Roofing. Peter Dunn discusses DHI Commercial Roofing's proactive approach to roof inspections and maintenance recommendations, as well as its use of technology to monitor weather events, and the importance of understanding insurance policies when it comes to roof damage.

Episode Highlights:

Peter explains how DHI Commercial Roofing serves as a dependable, single-source roofing partner for large corporations, providing honest and accurate assessments of roof conditions following extreme weather events. (2:30)
Peter mentions that DHI Commercial Roofing's client base spans a variety of industries, including multi-family residential properties, banks, medical office buildings, movie theaters, and large industrial enterprises. (12:34)
Peter explains DHI Commercial Roofing's approach of challenging adjusters to guarantee a fair assessment for their clients and ensure no damages are overlooked. (18:15)
Peter discusses the impact of high deductibles on insurance coverage for roofs and other assets, emphasizing the need for insurance agents to educate their clients about these matters. (26:08)
David mentions the importance of proactive communication with clients, particularly when delivering unfavorable news, and the need to set appropriate expectations. (35:24)
Peter shares that DHI Commercial Roofing adds value by providing comprehensive information, thus enabling customers to make more informed decisions from a proactive standpoint. (39:48)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We're a national service provider for big companies across the country that we basically have identified have a need for a trustworthy, reliable single source roofing partner that can give them an honest and accurate opinion on the condition of the rooms after severe weather strikes.” - Peter Dunn
“We use different technologies on the weather monitoring, and a little bit of technology on the actual inspections. But to truly evaluate the condition of a roof, you’ve got to physically get on that roof. You got to physically walk it and get really good eyes on it, to know what their conditions are.” - Peter Dunn
“If you can be a more informative educational resource for your clients, they're going to appreciate that far more than the competition that's chasing them every day. That's the same thing we want to bring to you guys. Help your clients to make a more fully informed decision from a proactive stance. That's where we can come in and help.” - Peter Dunn

Resources Mentioned:

Adapting in an Everchanging Environment with Jacob Simon

Mon, 08 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jacob Simon, Founder & CEO at Adapt API. They discuss the benefits of using Adapt API to streamline processes and automate repetitive tasks and the challenges of automating the exchange of information between carriers and agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Jacob explains that account managers are actually some of their biggest supporters as RPA frees them up to focus on revenue-bearing activities. (6:29)
Jacob shares the biggest piece of pushback he gets, including concerns about carrier coverage and potential job loss due to automation. (15:36)
Jacob discusses the challenges of building technology in insurance due to the lack of standardization and the complexity of API integration. (24:52)
David shares his experience as a commercial producer and his decision to start his own company. (27:19)
David discusses the potential pushback from employees who fear losing their jobs to automation and the benefits of using virtual professionals and how automation can take agencies to the next level. (32:06)
Jacob shares that Adapt API is integrated with other systems such as NowCerts, Hawksoft, and AMS 360. (37:25)
David talks about the importance of being an adopter or adapter of new technology in the insurance industry and highlights the benefits of being at the forefront of new developments. (38:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we've done with Adapt API is, we are automating a lot of these repetitive tasks, these things that are steps one through ten, do the same thing every single day. We do it for you with the software, so that you can focus on the actual relationship driven and insurance side of the business.” - Jacob Simon
“We have something that works for most agents, you're going to be paying just like a usage basis, which ends up being, you know, much, much, much lower than any of those custom build solutions would be.” - Jacob Simon

Resources Mentioned:

Mastermind on the Hard Market Session 2

Fri, 05 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Josh Gurley discuss various topics related to the insurance industry, including the challenges of the hard market and the importance of branding and building strong relationships.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses the challenges of a hard market, including increased rates and longer processing times for applications. (8:38)
David mentions the significance of content marketing, which includes blogging and utilizing articles to attract potential clients. (12:04)
Josh shares his thoughts on renewals emphasizes the importance of treating existing clients like new businesses. (13:34)
David explains the value of building and maintaining relationships in both personal and business settings. He highlights how this can significantly impact one's success. (15:41)
David expresses his belief in the importance of meeting with marketing reps and underwriters, even if it doesn't result in any tangible benefits. (17:29)
David explains the importance of investing in oneself and being part of a group where one can stay updated on the latest happenings in the industry. (24:04)

Tweetable Quote:

“The fact that you're already investing in yourselves and being part of a group where you can hear what other people are doing and see what's happening on the streets puts you ahead of your competition, but you can't stop there. You've got to be intentional and proactive in literally everything you're doing at this point.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Get Better Every Day with Will Shaw

Wed, 03 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Will Shaw, CEO, and co-founder of Better Agency. Will discusses InsurTech, commercial aspects, and how agency owners grow their businesses more effectively with Better Agency.

Episode Highlights:

Will talks about his time as an NFL player. (5:42)
Will responds to the question of how he was able to learn new skills. (9:16)
Will talks about the relationship between insurance carriers and independent agencies. (15:52)
Will talks about how their company overcame obstacles. (20:22)
Will tells David what he thinks will happen in 2022. (27:12)
Will talks about an achievement Better Agency had that he was really proud of. (31:47)
Will is asked by David what he thinks of the industry being involved in the commercial side of things. (35:33)
Will talks more about his company, Better Agency. (38:21)
Will shares Better Agency’s mission. (48:30)
Will announces that he will be in a race for the benefit of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. (50:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Let's build something that has proven processes that agencies can follow.” - Will Shaw
“Our platform, we're gonna help you make money and if it doesn't, then I don't want you on it.” - Will Shaw
“I'm very passionate about what's going on in the industry, what's going on in InsurTech like I follow that stuff extremely closely.” - Will Shaw

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Inspiring a Nation with Dr. Billy R. Williams

Mon, 01 May 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Jason Cass, interview Dr. Billy Williams, CEO of Williams Family Investment Group and President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. They talk about the four types of discipline, the five levels of leadership, and how investment allows you to accomplish more of what you want.

Episode Highlights:

Billy discusses why agents must understand the four types of discipline: self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing or delegation. (4:45)
Billy explains how he goes about recruiting a new workforce. (12:36)
Billy explains how VAs can support the renewal process. (20:36)
Billy discusses S.T.T.T.T.S. (Standards, Time, Task, Tools, Training, and Spot checking), and why it is important for every organization. (34:37)
Billy believes that people need to have a budget for their time. (41:55)
Billy shares that his time is the most valuable resource he has. (44:23)
Billy talks about the five factors that generate revenue in the insurance industry. (45:00)
Billy discusses the five levels of leadership and how they benefit agencies and owners. (49:14)
Billy explains that by ensuring that your team is progressing through their levels of leadership, you will be able to do what you want. (47:51)
Billy suggests hiring a Virtual Assistant if you are starting a small business. (58:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My time is the most valuable resource I have.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Your business should either be your passion or fund your passion.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Every time we talk, I want to leave you with something that is a value, and not just fluff. And I want it to be something you can walk away and do not just something to walk away and no, but something you can walk away and do.” - Dr. Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Mastermind on the Hard Market Session 1

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Josh Gurley discuss the challenges of navigating the hard market in the insurance industry, the importance of understanding reinsurance, and providing accurate information to underwriters.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that it's essential to understand how to converse with clients and prospects about how the hard market comes to exist. (4:37)
David explains the impact of Auto Owners' rate increases on clients and workflow in the agency and the need for producers to be proactive in educating clients about market conditions. (7:37)
David discusses the importance of using pictures and video in submissions to show that risks are being properly addressed and to build confidence with underwriters. (15:34)
David mentions that in his agency, they conduct a baseline risk assessment for every middle market account, and they create a risk management action plan that governs the relationship for the entire year. (20:26)
David discusses the importance of risk management in taking the best risk possible for the underwriter. (22:24)
David explains the importance of a complete submission, including target premium, loss history, and risk profile, to accurately articulate risk and help underwriters write profitable business. (24:51)
Josh believes that auditors are coming to the insurance industry because there are unearned premiums that are sitting out there as a potential asset for them. (31:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's important that we understand how to have the conversation with our clients and prospects about how the hard market comes to exist. Because we have to keep in mind that the people who buy from us hold us responsible for the ultimate outcome of whatever it is that happens.” - David Carothers
“One of the tactics I've always used though, is I like to include as many people from the chosen carrier on the front end and go into a meeting when we're going to talk to them and learn not to close the deal to make sure that everybody's you know, on board with what this risk looks like.” - David Carothers
“I love insurance companies, but we have to remember, you know, where our commission sit on their financials, you know? They don't sit as an asset, they sit as a liability, you know? Contingent commissions, they sit as a liability on their balance sheet, unearned premiums, they sit as an asset, right?” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Solving Serious Cyber Situations with Angel Rojas

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Angel Rojas, CEO of DataCorps Technology Solutions, Inc. Angel discusses what cybersecurity is all about and the five best practices that every business should implement.

Episode Highlights:

Angel shares his background. (2:10)
Angel shares what he sees in the current marketplace. (9:58)
Angel mentions what is a ransomware attack. (10:45)
Angel explains the five best practices that every business should implement. (13:56)
Angel shares a story about a client that got hit by a ransomware event. (17:46)
Angel mentions the five-step process of the Cybersecurity Framework. (20:51)
Angel shares how to think differently about how you do things. (34:42)
Angel shares his experience working with the FBI and the Secret Service. (37:54)
Angel explains why there should be more collaboration within their industry. (48:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The most important thing I do is to help you see around the corners by making sure you're focused on what you do and focused on serving your clients. I focus on helping you see what's around the corners with your technology and also see where I can add value like. Adding value by being on the podcast and helping you share some of the cyber perspectives on insurance.” - Angel Rojas
“Let's take all the sins that we committed last year and let's just accept the fact that we committed them. Then let's just start cleaning up all the mess that's left behind.” - Angel Rojas
“Sometimes you have to dig through the network and find those answers. At the end of the day, the very first thing you need to do is perform that risk assessment and decide that you've got a problem. If you don't know that you don't have the problem, you have the problem. That's just non-negotiable.” - Angel Rojas

Resources Mentioned:

Mindfulness with Josh Braun

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Josh Braun, a Sales Guru, and host of the Inside Selling Podcast. Josh discusses his approach to sales and how mindfulness training can help you lower the zone of resistance people often have with salespeople.

Episode Highlights:

Josh shares that he began his sales career as a kindergarten teacher, selling a love for reading and writing. (3:30)
Josh explains that understanding the nature of things is crucial to achieving harmony with them. (10:37)
Josh mentions that without mindfulness training, people can go their whole life without even realizing they are a slave or puppets to their thoughts, which they don't control. (13:25)
Josh believes that salespeople should not aim to fill others with knowledge, but instead align with their existing motivations. (17:15)
Josh explains that switching statements into very specific questions aimed at getting people to think a little differently about their current solution is a better approach than going into a full lecture. (18:57)
David mentions that in the insurance industry, he prefers to use the term "cost" instead of "premium" as it is a broader term. (23:54)
Josh explains that it is important to remember that if one goes against one's nature too much, it can be a problem. (30:06)
Josh suggests that sales training should concentrate on identifying individuals who are comfortable making phone calls, rather than forcing everyone to do so. (34:44)
Kyle mentions that salespeople frequently forget to slow down and ask questions, resulting in the common error of failing to complete a sale. (44:03)
David explains that the word "no" provides a sense of control to the human brain, which is why experience mod analysis is used to recognize individuals who are overpaying. (50:26)
Josh explains that labeling is a useful method of gathering more information about a running gait test, as it defers the pitch until the end, rather than introducing it at the beginning. (58:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In my world, there's no such thing as objections. Because there's resistance and resistance is part of the nature of sales. But there are no objections.” - Josh Braun
“Understand the harmony of the thing and to be in harmony with it.” - Josh Braun
“I've never been a big fan of using the word price. And in the insurance world, I've never been a big fan of using premiums. I use cost because the cost is a much broader term.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

My Greatest Affliction is My Greatest Super Power

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers reveals that his single biggest affliction also serves as his most powerful superpower, and discusses the importance of self-care and how the pressure to emulate "perfect" role models can set newer producers up for disappointment.

Episode Highlights:

David discusses his childhood experiences with ADHD and how it affected him in school, church, and at home. (2:13)
David shares that he was able to manage multiple tasks between Florida Risk Partners, Killing Commercial, and The Power Producers Podcast by learning to take his affliction and use it as a superpower. (6:47)
David explains the significance of obtaining an ADHD diagnosis, which can assist those who are misunderstood in their personal, professional, and social lives. (9:05)
David believes that embracing a positive outlook can transform challenges into opportunities. (10:55)
David mentions the importance of self-care and focusing on one's mind, body, and spirit to achieve success and become the best version of oneself. (12:11)
David discusses the need to treat individuals with ADHD, OCD, and Tourette's seriously, rather than as subjects of ridicule in society. (15:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I learned how to take my affliction and make it my superpower.” - David Carothers
“I want you to know, you can do this, I want you to know that no matter what that affliction is, if you focus on the positive, you can turn it into your superpower.” - David Carothers
“Take time to take care of yourself, focus on yourself, focus on your mind, focus on your body, focus on your spirit. Because if you can get those three things, working in concert with each other…you're gonna be the best version of yourself you ever thought possible.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Dominating the Commercial Game with Lorin Montgomery

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Lorin Montgomery, Vice President at Corporate Insurance Advisors, LLC. Lorin talks about her journey to moving from the company side to the brokerage side.

Episode Highlights:

Lorin shares her background. (2:26)
Lorin shares a story of how she moved from the company side to the brokerage side. (3:29)
Lorin mentions one of the reasons why she wanted to move from the company side to the brokerage side. (13:10)
Lorin shares what she’s currently doing at Corporate Insurance Advisors, LLC. (17:46)
Lorin explains why producers tend to be expedient. (20:26)
Lorin shares her experience with writing contractors. (28:51)
Lorin mentions that she’s the Director for the National Association of Women In Construction. (34:57)
Lorin gives a piece of advice to new producers. (45:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The workings of retros, large deductibles, lost development, and triangulation gave me a really solid background or backbone for doing what I do now.” - Lorin Montgomery
“You'd be stupid not to acknowledge the fact that you're a woman in a man's occupation, but I just never let it bother me. I just did my thing. I told people what I knew. I helped them understand their insurances and I was very, very successful on the company side. Then, on the brokerage side I did the same thing but I did a lot more networking.” - Lorin Montgomery
“Work hard, work smart and get a really good center of influence where people respect and appreciate what you do.” - Lorin Montgomery

Resources Mentioned:

Dominating Donna with Anurag Shah

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Anurag Sha, CEO & Co-Founder of Aureus Analytics. Anurag discusses the use of AI and machine learning in the insurance industry. They talk about Donna for Agents and discuss the future of AI and machine learning in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Anurag discusses the advancement of AI and machine learning in the insurance industry. (4:05)
David discusses how he plans to use ChatGPT to create a book about return-to-work programs as a marketing leave-behind for his company. (7:54)
Anurag explains that the fear that artificial intelligence will take people's jobs is unnecessary because it is still artificial and requires humans to ask different questions. (10:52)
Anurag shares his engineering and software development background, which includes working with large amounts of data and systems that learn from other systems. (16:52)
Kyle discusses the importance of collecting data from customers in real-time without having to ask them, as this can help them make more informed decisions. (22:52)
Anurag discusses the importance of focusing on what the customer does rather than what they say. (27:04)
Anurag explains how DONNA was developed through testing with agencies. (33:31)
Anurag discusses the three perspectives of sentiment: probability, prediction, and actual opportunity that can be used to develop a program to run life insurance, build a whole line out of it, or grow the business out of it. (39:45)
According to Anurag, machine learning models are constantly learning from both positive and negative outcomes and can be used to measure close rates and improve predictions. (42:27)
David mentions that DONNA's tool helps agencies maximize efficiency and cross-sell opportunities by looking through their existing book and showing them where they have opportunities. (49:07)
Anurag believes that automation is getting better over time because networks and associations are recommending it and carriers are using it. (52:44)
Anurag shares that DONNA's main goal isn't just to sell software, but also to help clients improve how their businesses work. (57:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think people are becoming more and more open to considering options to make their lives easier.” - David Carothers
“Our goal is to help the business and have a focus on the end consumer, the policyholder, right? If the focus is not just on your own business, but also on the customer, that's really where the value is.” - Anurag Shah
“We realize that what we're doing is not selling software, we are basically helping you build a better business.” - Anurag Shah

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: A Botched Submission

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the importance of having driver selection criteria established on the front-end and communicating that to your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David talks about the call that he had with someone where they talked about a contentious meeting all based on having drivers with bad driving record. (2:07)
David talks about how bad driving records are impacting the hiring plans of companies. (4:41)
David discusses the importance of providing a driver selection criteria. (6:49)
David shares that many companies who have bad comp claims are auto-related. (9:13)
David explains that your agencies need to have criteria established and clients should be MVR’s in house. (10:05)
Kyle asks David if there are any restrictions on employees accessing their MVR. (12:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm pretty sure that everybody that is looking for a job in the trades right now has a crappy driving record. That's just my theory because the ones who don't are always getting hired." - David Carothers
"I think that you know, if the client is of decent size, you're totally right, they should have some sort of MVR check capabilities on their end" - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Blue Ocean Strategies with Bharath Bangalore

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bharath Bangalore, Founder of Blue Ocean Strategic Partners. Bharath discusses process efficiency, automation, and the impact of technology on the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Bharath discusses his background in finance and how his experience working at Ritz Carlton and Peninsula Hotels shaped his perspective on company culture. (2:16)
Bharath mentions that automation saved Bradley Flowers time and has the potential for even greater benefits. (4:24)
Bharath discusses how his time at the Ritz-Carlton prepared him to launch his company. (7:27)
Bharath believes that making mistakes is okay as long as they are recovered because it creates a memorable experience that exceeds expectations. (16:42)
Bharath shares that his passion is helping small businesses grow by streamlining their day-to-day processes, focusing on accounting, human resources, and insurance industries, and emphasizing providing equal footing to smaller businesses. (19:05)
Bharath mentions that the insurance industry can improve service levels and client relationships by copying the successful models of companies like Bradley's and using technology to streamline processes and focus on understanding client needs instead of just competing on price. (21:04)
Bharath discusses the challenges of transitioning from working in a larger corporation to being an entrepreneur, including the responsibility of managing a team and ensuring their livelihood. (23:19)
Bharath mentions that their enjoyment comes from using their attention to detail and skill set to help others improve their processes and save time, ultimately leveling the playing field for smaller businesses. (26:15)
Bharath discusses the importance of using technology to reduce spending on automation and increase efficiency in the workforce. (30:27)
Bharath shares that he is focused on improving process efficiency in the insurance industry rather than on InsurTech itself. (32:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's okay to make mistakes, but recover from the mistakes because that they will never forget.” - Bharath Bangalore
“My joy is actually helping small businesses grow, get the efficiencies that larger corporations are taking granted for because they can throw money at it, and then streamline their day-to-day processes.” - Bharath Bangalore
“Use technology to pivot away from process to have to, you know, talk about basically not be a value proposition on price.” - Bharath Bangalore

Resources Mentioned:

How NOT to Kill Your Business with Erika Andresen

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Erika Andresen, Business Continuity Expert at EaaS Consulting. Erika shares her expertise in business continuity planning for disasters and business interruptions. She highlights the importance of preparing for communication loss, and developing a 12-week plan to secure your business. Listen and learn how EaaS Consulting can help you prepare for unexpected disruptions.

Episode Highlights:

Erika shares her background which includes time as a corporate lawyer, a decade in U.S. Army Jag Corps, and a Master’s degree in Emergency Management. (1:01)
Erika discusses her passion for educating and empowering business owners about business continuity and how it can keep their dream alive and enhance the community. (6:38)
Erika shares her sources of referrals for business continuity consulting services, including personal connections and LinkedIn contacts, and the challenges of outreach to business owners. (11:36)
Erika explains that disruptions can come from natural events, but also from single points of failure such as a key piece of machinery going out or a key leader leaving. (18:07)
Erika mentions that the SEC is upgrading its regulations on cybersecurity and material breaches for publicly traded companies, and the expectation is that every company will have some form of cybersecurity in place. (21:16)
Erika discusses the importance of exercising and training a continuity plan, and how having one without using it is worthless. (27:06)
Erika shares the importance of preparing for communication loss during a disaster, the unreliability of assuming cell phone usage, and the need to exercise plans to identify weaknesses. (33:11)
Erika explains that it is important to have a home continuity plan, conducting a home inventory, and storing information in the cloud. (37:18)
Erika discusses a 12-week business continuity plan for those who want to develop a more sophisticated plan, and the importance of dedicating time to it. (42:41)
Erika shares what led her to write a book on business continuity and how it can help others secure their business. (46:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I'm going to impart my fingerprint by educating business owners about how to keep their dream alive because everybody has a mission to serve the community. And their service, their product, whatever it is, enhances the community, makes the community more resilient, makes the community better just to be in.” - Erika Andresen
“Having a business continuity plan or program is an asset. And at a certain point, you have to spend money to make money, you already know that this is spending money to continue to make money.” - Erika Andresen
“I care about making money, but not at the expense of your displeasure at me not being able to deliver a product and my frustration at you not putting in the effort that's required for your dream. It's your dream. It's your business. Invest in it, please.” - Erika Andresen

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Shady Games Contractors Play

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about some of the difficulties they have encountered when working with construction accounts.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle shares that learning centers are the best, and for him, the library is the original learning center. (1:33)
David shares his first new favorite thing, which he finds awesome. (4:48)
David explains how he tried to explain the necessary coverages to his client. (8:37)
David and Kyle agree that contractors hate insurance, but they aren’t sure why. (11:56)
David explains that if you're getting normal renewals without the spike, you need to find out where they took coverage. (13:46)
Kyle shares his story with contractors and saw that it is centered around the subcontractors. (15:46)
David mentions what he would do if they were to be accused of something they are not. (19:33)
Kyle mentions why they do not deal with a particular sector of contractors. (20:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you don't know what your carriers are saying, for homeowners, whether it's your policy or one that you're selling, you better find out whether or not that roof is going to be valued at replacement cost or diminished value." - David Carothers
Let me ask you a question. You ever been injured and go to urgent care? What are the first two questions that you're asked? Was this an auto accident? Was this a work-related injury? Your health plan is more than likely not going to pick up coverage if you willfully filed an exemption and got injured on the job.” - David Carothers
"I would say a lot of the stuff with contractors that we see is centered around the subcontractors and not reporting them." - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Simply Noted with Rick Elmore

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rick Elmore, CEO and Founder of Simply Noted. Rick discusses the benefits of sending handwritten notes, both in terms of building relationships and increasing customer loyalty, and how Simply Noted can help businesses grow authentically.

Episode Highlights:

Rick explains that Simply Noted is a platform that uses handwriting robots to send personalized and customized handwritten thank you notes, birthday cards, and anniversary cards to help companies, agencies, and entrepreneurs build relationships and loyalty. (0:53)
Rick shares how he came up with the concept of Simply Noted, and how he was able to sell $280,000 from his first campaign. (2:15)
Rick believes that handwritten notes are more valuable than ever in today's AI-driven world and can help businesses grow authentically through strong relationships with customers. (6:36)
Rick mentions that he builds strong relationships with his clients to attract and retain them, rather than just competing on price. (9:39)
Rick explains that it's important to have a long-term mindset and obsess about every client's experience to set yourself apart from the competition who often have a "grass is greener" mentality. (16:06)
Rick explains that it's easy to work with their software and they can integrate with Zapier, Integrately, or API. (18:54)
Rick shares that they can create a custom handwriting style for a fee, which takes into account things like the spacing and ligatures in the individual's handwriting. (21:39)
Rick mentions that they can control the viscosity of the ink, which results in a nice smear effect when one touches the ink with their thumb, making it clear that the note was not printed. (25:00)
Rick shares that other industries like home services and politicians are getting creative with using handwritten notes to get signatures and donations. (28:24)
Rick discusses the value of handwritten notes and how Simply Noted brings personal touch into the digital and AI revolution. (33:34)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We help companies, agencies, entrepreneurs, basically anybody in business, help to integrate, automate, and scale building relationships and loyalty within their business. And the way that we do that is with our handwriting robots that we built here in house.” - Rick Elmore
“I focus so hard on establishing the strongest relationships and connections with my best clients because I knew for someone else to come in, it's going to have to be way more than just a better product.” - Rick Elmore
“We've married technology with an old school practice. We're trying to make it as easy as sending an email like if you it really is, I mean if you've really tried it, once you do it once or twice like it really is as easy as sending an email. So we're just trying to, you know, bring that personal touch into the digital and AI revolution. Because it's more, we really believe it's more valuable than ever.” - Rick Elmore

Resources Mentioned:

Slicing and Dicing Loss Data with Scott Knowles

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Scott Knowles, CEO of Loss Scan. Scott discusses the features of Loss Scan, which uses AI to turn loss runs into data, and how it could benefit the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Scott shares his background in the insurance industry, and how they developed an AI system that can extract information from loss runs. (4:01)
Scott explains that the goal of their software is to provide efficiency and convenience to brokers, carriers, and the insurance community. (7:13)
Scott mentions that part of the system that they are developing and building out will actually have the capability of building an API. (14:13)
Scott believes that the success of software solutions depends on the understanding of the needs and mentality of those in the field, particularly producers and underwriters. (19:13)
Scott expresses excitement about the potential impact of their product and how it can make a huge difference and change in the industry. (23:58)
Kyle discusses the importance of effective communication in the workplace. (31:15)
Scott explains that the successful brokers in the insurance industry are those who centralize all their applications and internal processes, creating a consistent process that they use day in and day out. (33:41)
Scott shares that one of his goals is to potentially have his own podcast to talk about nothing but the InsurTech that is available for producers. (35:57)
Scott believes there is a lot of opportunity for innovation, but the problem is that many people don't know how to fulfill the obligation and take it to the next step. (39:22)
Scott discusses the emotional experience of leaving Modgic. (48:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There's just really some really cool phenomenal ways that we're going to address this marketplace and just provide so much efficiency to the brokers to the carriers, and to the community itself. So it's pretty exciting.” - Scott Knowles
“All we're doing right now is we're literally building our UI behind the system itself. Obviously, you know, we have an incredible algorithm that we built and developed.” - Scott Knowles
“One thing that you know, I'm going to focus on, aside from Loss Scan is I really want to create kind of an atmosphere and a community around the technology that drives the insurance industry.” - Scott Knowles

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Dealing with Difficult Clients

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about their experience when dealing with difficult clients.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a story about an account that was referred to them by one of Kyle's referral partners. (6:52)
David mentions what happened to that account. (7:37)
David mentions his response to the client. (10:47)
David shares the number of accounts that he has terminated. (11:52)
David shares what he realized when it comes to payroll. (12:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You outline the options with everybody beforehand in terms of payment explaining why monthly self-audit makes the most sense for 99% of our clients.” - Kyle Houck
“There are good ones out there and we work with some really good ones. They have numbers they have to hit. I like to recruit them because they have to get in front of literally everything so that they can hit their numbers.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The Ever Changing Cyber Environment with Ryan Dunn

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ryan Dunn, Director of Insurance at Trava. Ryan discusses the importance of being proactive with cyber insurance, how to leverage cyber to earn new business, and how Trava is enabling agents to collect internal infrastructure data and provide it to carriers for cyber underwriting.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares that he has been in the industry for eight years and has seen a correlation between worker's comp and cyber, where worker's comp used to be a massive door opener opportunity and now cyber is becoming a major opportunity. (2:19)
Ryan mentions that you don't have to be a cyber insurance expert to make the conversation valuable if you have the data to make it valuable. (4:46)
Ryan explains that delivering the coalition report proactively instead of reactively makes a huge difference. (9:51)
Ryan discusses the need for carriers to access internal data on modern cybersecurity infrastructure, including cloud environments, web apps, and third-party applications, to properly assess risk and prevent significant losses in cyber insurance. (12:54)
Ryan explains that Trava is changing the dynamic of cyber underwriting by creating an agency platform that allows agents to collect internal infrastructure data and pass it off to carriers, rather than having carriers scan clients directly. (15:56)
Ryan explains that their agency platform is a multi-tenant platform that simplifies the process of accessing data for carriers and provides an insurance readiness report to help clients prepare for the renewal period. (17:38)
Ryan mentions that Trava’s product is designed to drive more revenue to the agency. (22:33)
Ryan discusses the trend in cyber insurance towards more in-depth underwriting and how it will impact pricing and coverage for clients. (31:13)
Ryan shares that investing in product solutions to bring more value to clients is key to winning against larger agencies. (39:14)
Ryan believes that changing the mindset from reactive to proactive is essential in the insurance industry, particularly in cyber insurance. (50:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If we give the agents the power to be able to collect the proper information from that internal infrastructure, and then pass it off to the carrier, that's where the W is. So we're working with some larger agencies and some of the very well-known carriers in creating that connection.” - Ryan Dunn
“We are big believers in education…we constantly are training our partner agencies. We do in-person training, we do internal webinar training as well. And we do that on an ongoing basis.” - Ryan Dunn
“We actually recently just changed our pricing like last week, but we wanted to change it so that it could mold with any size agency and grow with the agency, right? At the end of the day, the point of our product is to drive more revenue to the agency.” - Ryan Dunn

Resources Mentioned:

Experience meets Advocacy with Dulce Suarez-Resnick

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dulce Suarez-Resnick, Vice President of Sales at Acentria Insurance. Dulce discusses how Acentria Insurance leverages technology to streamline the insurance process and improve customer experiences.

Episode Highlights:

Dulce shares that she has been in the insurance industry for 37 years, starting at 19 after working as a clerk and discovering her interest in insurance. (3:19)
Dulce mentions that she found her calling in the insurance industry by protecting people's homes and livelihoods. (5:52)
Dulce discusses Hurricane Andrew and the subsequent changes in Florida, especially after the 2004-2005 hurricane seasons, transformed the industry. (9:03)
Dulce mentions that the Building Code is the strongest in the US, but reinsurance is expensive and fraud is a major issue. (12:17)
Dulce discusses the importance of regular maintenance for homeowners to avoid damages that insurance policies do not cover. (16:53)
Dulce discusses the need to stop solicitation practices in Florida's insurance industry to protect consumers. (20:04)
Dulce explains that Acentria Insurance writes citizens' policies only as a last resort for clients who cannot find coverage elsewhere. (26:09)
Dulce mentions that people in southeast Florida have no confidence in Florida-only carriers. (28:15)
Dulce explains that women in the insurance industry were not seen as agency owners or producers until recently, and it took determination and education to become successful. (39:22)
Dulce explains the significance of mentorship and involvement in professional organizations for success in the insurance industry. (50:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I can help people protect themselves in the event and help them rebuild in the event that something bad happens...That whole experience...helping them rebuild their lives, really solidified my position in this industry moving forward.” - Dulce Suarez-Resnick
“Right now the attitudes are different, the world has changed, the insurance world has changed, policies have more restrictions nowadays than they did before. But the one big thing that we can, as Floridians, we can be proud of, unfortunately, it's due to too much practice is that we know how to handle storms.” Dulce Suarez-Resnick
“Now it's a matter of finding people to come into our industry. It’s not whether you're male or female anymore, or you're Hispanic or not. There's a huge shortage in our industry, of people wanting to come into our industry, and we have a lot of people that are retiring, or just leaving the industry because they've had it…but this is what I know, and this is what I love, and I have nowhere else to go but to stay in the insurance industry.” - Dulce Suarez-Resnick

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Wood Sessions 4

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss Clayton's book, The Chronic Cost, and how it can help companies with 50 to 500 employees better understand and save money in the employee benefit buying process.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the book, The Chronic Cost, was written to be concise and understandable for everybody. (3:06)
Clayton shares that the book The Chronic Cost also goes through how you can economically get to a company with 50 employees. (4:32)
Davis mentions that putting something in print that you can hand to people gives you more credibility because not everyone is into the digital age and some people would rather just read a book. (5:34)
Clayton discusses about the great feedback they have received since the book came out and how some clients got in touch with him after not hearing from them for a while. (7:59)
Clayton explains that having the goal of signing up clients for a monthly subscription has a strong connection with having recurring revenue. (11:11)
David explains that people that are looking to write a book have to integrate the traditional and digital print of their books. (13:14)
David shares how people can get a free copy of the book. (14:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We wanted to be concise to the point and make it understandable for anybody, but the book is meant for anybody in the buying process of employee benefits we target in the book." - Clayton Wood
"We're just trying to find another avenue to share our ideas with people because everybody needs to talk in a different way." - Clayton Wood
"I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the digital age that we forget, not everybody's caught up in the digital age is what we are. There are people who would prefer to just get a book and read it." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Round Zero with Andy Phillips

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Andy Phillips, Author of Round Zero: Inside the NFL Draft. Andy discusses the Round Zero book, which focuses on the football draft process and gave him the opportunity to interview various individuals such as agents, coaches, players, and general managers to get a better understanding of what goes on in the months leading up to the NFL draft.

Episode Highlights:

Andy shares about his experience with the NFL draft process which led him to write a book where he interviewed agents, coaches, players, and general managers to understand what really takes place in the months leading up to the draft. (3:11)
Andy explains how he pursued his passion project to write a book featuring 18 people and their stories where he wanted to ensure that those 18 people were happy with the book, but also hoped that readers would enjoy it and learn from it. (12:20)
Andy mentions that he realized two important things while writing his book: he is better with deadlines and schedules, and he is more creative than he thought. (16:15)
Andy shares how Aaron Rodgers, despite being a star quarterback, treated him with respect and kindness even though Andy was the last man on the roster. (24:00)
Andy believes that Aaron Rodgers prioritizes earning respect from his teammates over media attention. (33:32)
According to Andy, offensive linemen and wrestlers have distinct personality traits that can be recognized within a minute of meeting them. (38:56)
Andy believes that persistence, listening, and providing value are key to success in the insurance industry. (44:38)
Andy shares how his extensive studying of the playbook earned him the trust of his team and how putting in enough work and research can lead to job security. (49:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When you're organized and you're thinking and you're driven off of your career, you find yourself even more organized, even more motivated, and even more ready to succeed in the career too.” - Andy Phillips
“Normally, I'm a very black and white thinker, I've never been great in the gray area. You know this, we live in the gray area. And the book actually helped me with that, because every chapter wasn't what I thought it would be. I had to live in the gray a little bit and when things didn't go exactly black or white like I'm used to, that helped me with work, that helped me with life and that's something I think I'd be able to carry a little bit more.” - Andy Phillips
“I find that if you're persistent, and you have an ability to listen and provide a resource and provide value, you can have success in this industry.” - Andy Phillips

Resources Mentioned:

The Science of Comp with Jacob Geyer and Mike Seling

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mike Seling, Vice President of Growth, and Jacob Geyer, Chief Insurance Officer at CompScience. Mike and Jacob discuss how CompScience offers a unique solution to the problem of workplace safety by utilizing computer vision technology and AI to detect potential risks and hazards in real-time.

Episode Highlights:

Jacob and Mike share their background and what led them to CompScience. (1:07)
Jacob mentions that their mission is to use their technology to provide insights so that everybody can get home safely after their work shifts every single day. (4:18)
Mike explains that CompScience provides free technology to pair with Workers’ Compensation policies for employers with existing video cameras, and pays agents commission in either case. (12:54)
Mike mentions that they also offer Risk Reports that help employers benchmark their losses and forecast savings, which can result in upfront credit, better pricing, and a reduction in exposure over time. (19:03)
Mike explains that they prefer to work with clients who have facilities with video cameras already in place or want to install them and that they do not sell or install cameras but offer solutions for contractors that focus on eliminating adoption hurdles and providing efficient services. (22:58)
Mike mentions that although some agents may not see Workers’ Comp as their primary focus, there are agents who are taking a risk management approach and are interested in making workplaces safer for their clients. (29:18)
Mike shares that when working on an account with a retail agent, they insist on doing a demo with the client and want to meet with key decision-makers to walk them through their platform and show them how they do the risk report. (32:23)
Mike explains that they are committed to competing on every account they can by offering competitive pricing and technology to make workplaces safer. (43:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our mission here really, is we want to use our technology and provide insights to people so that everybody can get home safely after their work shifts every single day.” - Jacob Geyer
“We see what people are doing when they think nobody's watching. So we're able to identify hazards better...And then really, at the end of the day, because of the use of video footage, we're shining a spotlight on the existing problem, better identify it, and then, frankly, work with that client to provide solutions.” - Mike Seling
“We're not here to point fingers, we're here to provide solutions, to reduce risk, to have healthier workers and ultimately drive down their mind and lower their total cost of insuring risk.” - Jacob Geyer

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Wood Sessions 3

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss pharmacy benefits and how they work in the P&C world and why P&C agencies should have a conversation with their clients about benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the purpose of this series of episodes is to help P&C brokers and listeners understand that cross-selling may add an extra revenue stream to their business. (3:42)
Clayton defines a pharmacy benefit manager in the industry. (4:22)
Clayton discusses the importance of having a transparent pharmacy benefit manager. (7:30)
Clayton mentions that some healthcare plans have a brilliant marketing strategy, but it is only to make employees pay more. (14:28)
David explains to the listeners why service fees are valuable. (19:13)
Clayton explains that in the P&C world, prescriptions are a problem for small businesses with 50 to 150 employees, and it will be one of their largest percentages of claims. (21:37)
David believes that any P&C agency that does not even discuss benefits with its clients, whether they sell them or not, is allowing someone else to come in and have that conversation. (23:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we're doing here on this four-episode series or more, if we decide to do more, is just to help the P&C brokers, the audience of this podcast, just understand that there is a way to add an extra revenue stream to their business by cross-selling.” - Clayton Wood
“Putting a pharmacy benefit manager that's transparent is really important. Nowadays, there's a special term for them, they're called pass through PBM’s, which means they don't add any spread to the drugs, and they pass on 100% of the rebates.” - Clayton Wood
“Any P&C agency out there right now, that is not even having a conversation with their clients about benefits, whether they sell them or not, is opening up an opportunity for somebody else to come in and have that conversation.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Using The AMS to Drive Processes and Systems with Bogus Handzel

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bogus Handzel, CEO of Handzel & Associates. Bogus discusses the unique systems and processes that his agency has put in place to efficiently manage their workflow and handle a high volume of clients.

Episode Highlights:

Bogus shares that Handzel & Associates' niche is serving the Polish community in Chicago, and it was founded by his father, a Polish immigrant, who started the agency as a way to create a livelihood for himself. (2:22)
Bogus explains that Handzel & Associates has a multilingual team, with 25 individuals fluent in Polish. In addition, one team member speaks both Spanish and English, making everyone on the team multilingual or trilingual. (3:36)
Bogus discusses the need for understanding culture while evaluating non-standard policies, as each policy is unique and cannot be compared equally. (11:01)
Bogus explains that Handzel & Associates outsources backend data processing and automates key renewal touchpoints, using third-party firms to pre-fill missing information and handle the data, leaving team members to concentrate on insurance negotiations. (13:12)
Bogus shares about their past and current agency management systems. (20:00)
Bogus discusses how the insurance industry has changed over time, with carriers now focusing more on direct writing and marketing. (22:50)
Bogus explains the importance of offering different types of learning opportunities, the value of learning from others, and the advantages of sharing personal experiences and best practices. (27:02)
Bogus discusses the challenges of initiating succession planning conversations with younger potential agency owners. (35:04)
Bogus mentions that he only allows his staff to use technology after internally evaluating it for three months and ensuring it improves existing procedures and the renewal process, rather than merely throwing money at a problem. (45:20)
Bogus discusses the significance of collaborating with other agency owners and seeking assistance when required since they are likely to have important knowledge and expertise. (49:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Don't be afraid to collaborate with other agency owners. Ask people questions, there are people that are going to be willing to help you because they've been in that position at one point. So, you got to put your pride aside sometimes and ask for help.” - Bogus Handzel
“I don't let my team see anything unless I've internally tested it for three months. I need to know how it's going to affect everything that goes on in the agency, right? Because my approach to it is, there are so many shiny objects And if it's not improving a current process of mine, it doesn't make sense to add because it's just going to frustrate everybody.” - Bogus Handzel
“I think one of the things is, you have to understand the culture. I wouldn't compare each policy the same way, it's not apples to apples, right?” - Bogus Handzel

Resources Mentioned:

Lead with We with Simon Mainwaring

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Simon Mainwaring, bestselling author of Lead With We & We First and the host of the We First podcast. Simon shares his insights on the importance of having a positive social impact as a business and how businesses can effectively brand and market their impact.

Episode Highlights:

Simon discusses how his experience as the Worldwide Creative Director at Olgivy, working on campaigns with big brands, including Nike and Adidas, shaped his first and second books. (2:55)
Simon explains that the reality of the society we live in requires businesses to have a positive impact, and you have to communicate that story, which is what people will react to. (9:20)
David believes that there's a lot to be learned from the big brands from a marketing standpoint. (15:38)
Simon mentions that to avoid greenwashing, companies should establish a purpose, create a relational dynamic with customers, align their products with customer values, and regularly check in with customers to offer products that meet their changing needs. (17:32)
Simon discusses the importance of building trust and understanding customers’ values and pain points to reverse engineer offerings and products, which leads to increased sales and customer loyalty. (23:12)
Simon explains that in order to build a business by doing good, it is important to communicate in a collaborative way, using language that emphasizes mutual benefit, and to switch between self-directed signals and a collaborative sales process, as outlined in the book "Lead with We". (28:50)
David discusses the importance of ingraining a consistent culture throughout an organization, which should be adopted by everyone from top to bottom and align with the organization’s core values, rather than just being implemented for the sake of increasing sales or profitability. (38:05)
Simon mentions that aligning personal values with professional life can enhance personal well-being and improve business, leading to deeper connections, integrity, and authenticity in sales. (44:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's not just about making money for money's sake, it's also about being sustainable and creating this sort of regenerative future.” - Simon Mainwaring
“It's really about sales and it's really about doing homework on the companies or the customers you're talking to and really understanding where their pain points are. And reverse engineering out of that, you'll get a completely different result, you'll book a lot more business and they'll stay with you a lot longer because they like who you are and how you're showing up in the world.” - Simon Mainwaring
“The book that I just came out with called “Lead with We”, was designed to equip us with the language that will allow you to communicate the right way, and to build your business by doing good.” - Simon Mainwaring

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Wood Sessions 2

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how claims are paid in the industry and how C.B. Wood Financial is helping brokers deliver savings.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that some clients and employees who go to the doctor to get a prescription or have surgery or imaging don't know how much their claim will cost until they get the EOB. (2:31)
Clayton discusses the several factors of how claims are priced. (3:09)
Clayton highly recommends Marshall Allen's book: Never Pay the First Bill because it provides a clear idea of how claims are paid in the industry. (8:27)
Clayton explains C.B. Wood Financial's big win-win solution for its clients, which has been a huge success. (9:40)
David mentions that finding individuals who are specialists in things you don't know about, in areas of coverage that you don't represent every day, will lead to significant changes in your book of business. (13:50)
David explains that he was never interested in bringing benefits into the agency because it moves too quickly (14:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Glad we could help out some of these P&C brokers, learn how to help their plans, their client's plans. And ultimately, if we can show them that there's another strategy out there, they're the hero, you know, that's what we're trying to do make your the P&C broker the hero and deliver a ton of savings” - Clayton Wood
“Find the people that are the expert in the little things that you don't know about in the areas of coverage that you don't represent every single day. And that ultimately is what's going to drive significant change in your book of business.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Processes for Sales Growth with Tim Rohling

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Tim Rohling, Founder & President of Rohling Sales Growth Advisors. They discuss the many aspects of modern sales management and how to be a successful sales manager.

Episode Highlights:

Tim shares how he transitioned from engineering to sales and what he learned along the way. (2:29)
Tim discusses the significance of shifting from an individual contributor mindset to a team coach mindset. (12:10)
Tim mentions the factors he considers when determining whether or not a person will be a successful salesperson. (19:53)
Tim explains that modern sales management includes not just managing a sales team, but also helping in the management of a brand, integrating marketing and human leadership, and establishing a method for creating a sales funnel. (24:52)
Kyle shares how he got started in sales and how it has changed his life. (26:22)
Tim discusses the factors he considers when developing a sales process. (33:02)
Tim recommends that salespeople concentrate on progress rather than perfection because the idea of perfection itself is a myth. (37:41)
Tim encourages management, leadership, producers, and sales representatives to discover ways to learn more about the technology tools at their disposal and to push themselves to learn something new every day, rather than simply taking it for granted. (38:16)
Tim discusses what he loves about the tools available now for producers and sales reps. (41:52)
Tim encourages sales managers to educate themselves and begin to stretch their thoughts in order to be more collaborative. (44:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I bring that analytic mindset, which I think you need now more than ever, not just in sales management leadership, but also as a producer or sales rep. You just need to have that analytical mind to start to analyze your own performance and bring that to the team as well.” - Tim Rohling
“We have things in our mind that have worked in the past for other organizations. But every engagement is different. We need to understand you, because that's really the only differentiator that you have in your business with everything being so competitive, and then develop the process accordingly.” - Tim Rohling
“A final message to sales managers, educate yourselves and start to flex your mind a little bit to be a little more collaborative.” - Tim Rohling

Resources Mentioned:

Our Wobbly Girl with Stacie King

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Stacie King, Digital Marketing Consultant, and Host of This Wobbly Life podcast. Stacie shares her wealth of knowledge on digital marketing strategies for agents and agency owners and discusses how her podcast helps to shine a light on the personal and professional successes of people with disabilities.

Episode Highlights:

Stacie explains that she has two businesses, Stacie King & Company, her professional marketing company, and Wobbly Girl, where she does her podcast to promote people who have disabilities and how they can have great businesses and lives and contribute to society. (8:01)
Stacie discusses how she accepts her condition by using her voice to spread the message that individuals with disabilities are no different than everyone else, they just approach life in a different way. (13:46)
Stacie discusses the organizations and clients she is currently working with, as well as her plans to expand. (18:45)
Stacie mentions AI, content marketing, and employee advocacy as the top three trends she recommends people focus on. (21:13)
Stacie explains the importance of identifying who your audience is and staying in front of them consistently. (24:40)
According to David, the most successful businesses are those that are ready to humanize themselves. (28:02)
David believes that if people's hearts are in the right place, it will show in their marketing message because they will be pulled to where their heart is. (34:58)
According to Stacie, technology makes it easier to develop ideas, and it is ideal if individuals do it with their own voice; they may use AI, but they must not allow it completely replace their personality and message. (43:07)
Stacie gives advice to new agents or new agency principals who are hesitant to engage in any form of digital or content-based marketing. (46:30)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There's a whole life out there that I feel that people just need to accept people no matter who they are. And this in 2023, if we're all about diversity and inclusion, that should be the practice. No matter who you are, and what organization that you belong to, you should make sure that everyone feels accepted and able to be themselves.” - Stacie King
“Even after I stopped working with clients, you know, in the relationship, I really feel like I marry every client that I've ever worked with and we kind of lock arms. And we were cheerleaders and champions for one another.” - Stacie King
“Once you become active, even if it's just social posts, then you can kind of expand and you can start doing video marketing. And you can start doing interviews in your community, talk to your clients, talk to people that you volunteer with, if it's your church, that's important to you start talking to people that you may know from church, that own businesses, doesn't all have to be about you. And if you need help, reach out to other people, whether it be me or others, there are others out in the industry that would be more than happy to give you advice.” - Stacie King

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Wood Sessions 1

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how their company consistently reduces employer healthcare spending by 20-40%, and how they can assist agents not only getting more business but also maintain the accounts they already have by increasing stickiness.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares how C.B. Wood Financial found a niche in the healthcare industry, where companies with 50 to 500 people are large enough that their claims matter but too small to use large company strategies. (3:34)
Clayton explains the 80-20 rule in the healthcare business and how it may help firms cut plan costs while improving benefits. (8:37)
Clayton mentions that just by having enough strategies in their toolbox, businesses may produce huge savings for clients simply by knowing how to do it. (11:38)
Clayton shares that they advise their clients to stay on their existing plan if it offers unbeatable pricing. (17:48)
Clayton discusses how they bring in partners if they have questions they cannot answer themselves. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Just by having enough strategies in your toolbox, you could deliver a significant amount of savings for clients, just by being able to know how to do it.” - Clayton Wood
“We actually don't quote for clients anymore, for prospects anymore. What we've done is we've said, hey, look, send us your monthly bill, we're going to guarantee you a savings rate.” - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Saville Public Entity with Bob and Carson Saville

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bob Saville, and Carson Saville of Saville Public Entity. Bob and Carson share their public sector knowledge and discuss how Saville Public Entity helps local insurance agents write and maintain their public entity accounts.

Episode Highlights:

Bob discusses the beginnings of Saville Public Entity and its path since the 1980s. (2:35)
Carson mentions that he and Bob started Seville Public Entity with no employees, just the two of them cold calling every day. They now insure 35 states and around 350 towns and counties. (4:30)
Bob explains that he now spends the majority of his time consulting with and helping agents. (9:04)
Carson explains that the first thing they discuss in a city is their budget so that they can notify the client if there is anything coming up, such as a huge rate increase. (16:45)
Carson mentions that the average size of a public entity with whom they operate ranges from 500 dollars to 2 million dollars. (21:04)
Bob believes that the more educated an agent is, especially in the public sector, the better partner they are for them since they understand their value. (23:55)
Bob and Carson provide some guidance to agents seeking to make it into a public entity (31:07)
Bob explains that people need to comprehend the evaluation framework and how it will affect the city or the business. (44:54)
Bob explains the importance of identifying the renewal due date and pricing on the front end before processing with the carrier. (46:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think the more educated an agent is, even in the public sector, the better partner they are for us because they realize our value.” - Bob Saville
“Most of our local agents, their biggest value added is that they're local, they know everybody in town, they can relate to the other employees.” - Carson Saville
“You better know when the council is voting on this. And it's not always going before Council, some of your smaller towns and cities might not take a council but at some point, they've got to get this in their budget and the city manager's got to make a decision. So you better have your quotes ready and better have a game plan, or else you'll miss the boat.” - Carson Saville

Resources Mentioned:

The Indietech Experience with Jason Cass

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Cass, Owner of Agency Intelligence and managing partner at The Insurance Alliance. Jason explains the differences between IndieTech and InsurTech and how the technology can help independent insurance agents. Jason also discusses IndieTech 2023 and how it will be an experience for independent insurance agents and technology like none other.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains the difference between IndieTech and InsurTech. (5:02)
Jason discusses what excites him about IndieTech and what inspired him to bring together Indietech companies to create an experience for independent agents. (7:29)
Jason highlights several things they're doing at IndieTech 2023 to benefit both attendees and vendors. (16:07)
David mentions that the technology that integrates with the agency management systems is one of the most important changes he has seen in the last 18 to 24 months. (19:02)
David believes that virtual professional companies are a big part of IndieTech because technology makes it possible. (20:53)
David explains that we are now at a point where insurance agents may utilize artificial intelligence to create a video quote of themselves with their voice speaking to someone in their native language, even if they originally spoke it with someone in English. (27:54)
Jason believes that no matter how great you are, no matter how much you learn a language, people will still butcher it. (33:03)
According to Jason, putting AI within the browser removes the need for APIs and integrations since the AI can accomplish everything the company isn't already set up to do. (37:34)
Jason discusses IndieTech 2023 and the programs scheduled from August 29th to August 31st, which will provide an experience for independent insurance brokers and the technology created for them. (42:29)
Jason discusses how and where to find out more about the IndieTech 2023 conference and how to register. (44:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“90% of the technology that they use is IndieTech. It's not InsurTech. It's a technology that is built specifically for the independent insurance agent, not for the captives, not for the banking industry, for independent insurance agents.” - Jason Cass
“I'm trying to create an experience for the attendee, and for the vendor, so that it kind of puts it all together rather than everybody just walking around wondering what they're doing. So that's a couple of things that we're doing differently.” - Jason Cass
“Let me tell you this, when you put AI inside the browser, listen to this, this is so important to the listeners…you eliminate the need for APIs and integrations because the AI can do whatever the company is not already set up to do.” - Jason Cass

Resources Mentioned:

The Deeds Chat GPT Sessions 3

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ryan Deeds of Ennabl to discuss the limitations of ChatGPT and how they leverage TikTok for personal and business purposes to get their message out and to educate the audience.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan explains that in today's iteration, ChatGPT has a significant limitation in knowing very specific information about “x” person. (2:14)
David discusses how he came up with the idea to upload content on TikTok and what purpose it serves (7:44)
David mentions that one thing he's learned is that you need to be mindful of the language you use since there are a lot of trolls on TikTok. (9:47)
Ryan shares his TikTok content creation and engagement strategy. (11:22)
David mentions that the TikTok content he's been producing is primarily for educational purposes and isn't really profitable for him. (16:20)
David believes that if he wants to perpetuate his agency, he has to meet people on the platform where they are. (17:54)
David discusses that if people create content and distribute it around the Internet, their audience will always find them, and the people who are intended to receive that message will get it. (18:26)
Ryan believes Tiktok is largely a human experience wherein he gets new ideas and experiences true humanity as people share stories that resonate. (23:19)
Ryan explains that execution is key in everything, and if you can't find out how to execute an idea and make it your own, then it's just an idea. (24:42)
David recommends Ryan Deeds to anyone who needs to figure out how they're going to use data in their agency and get it in an organized format. (25:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you create your content and you distribute your content across the internet on as many platforms as you can, your audience is always going to find you. You're going to have trolls, but the people who are supposed to get that message, are going to get that message.” - David Carothers
“TikTok is largely a human experience where I get input of new ideas and feel some true humanity as people share these stories that resonate.” - Ryan Deeds
“Execution is key to everything, right? We can have all the ideas in the world. But if you can't figure out the idea that you personally can execute on and make it your own, that's just an idea.” - Ryan Deeds

Resources Mentioned:

New York State of Mind with Shawn Fitzgerald

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Shawn Fitzgerald, Agency Owner at LAF Advisers. Shawn discusses his cold calling strategy and shares what he has learned since starting his agency from scratch.

Episode Highlights:

Shawn discusses how he and Stephen Turnbull met and how they came up with the idea to launch a podcast about starting a new agency from scratch. (1:53)
Shawn shares his background story from 2008 and how he got into the insurance industry. (4:56)
Shawn mentions that he keeps himself to 10 cold calls each day because when you call on a very targeted list, you begin to gain some decent traction. (8:42)
Shawn estimates that he can make an appointment for every 50 cold calls. (11:27)
David explains that his goal for the end of the year is to outsource everything non-revenue bearing and non-client facing to Savvital's virtual professionals. (16:15)
David shares his strategy for getting smaller businesses with a certain level of revenue to pay attention. (22:34)
David mentions that he wants to empower people throughout the whole agency to be a generalist agency filled with specialists. (28:36)
Shawn believes that sometimes agencies make simple things complicated. (35:20)
David discusses what differentiates the producers of Killing Commercial from other producers. (38:22)
Shawn shares his finest piece of advice for new producers, as well as the importance of new agents being good listeners. (50:19)
David explains that the Killing Commercial was never intended to be seen by the general public; rather, it is a training program for new producers at his agency. (54:43)
David mentions that they started The Power Producers Podcast to be a lead magnet for Killing Commercials. (57:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I'm sticking to my 10 cold calls a day, that I tell everyone about and that I've been having. You would think 10 is not a lot, but when you're calling on a very specific list, you start picking up some good traction. And as long as you stay consistent calling that list, things start to add up and a lot of things start coming down the pipeline. So I've just been enjoying the journey.” - Shawn Fitzgerald
“You got to know what you're going to target...you know, instead of wasting five hours trying to figure out what markets to go to…you could have made 200 cold calls in that time, which could have opened up the door to a more niche specific account that you're trying to go after.” - Shawn Fitzgerald
“Go in with the mindset that you're going to do the right thing. And I think everything else is going to fall into place...don't do something else that you didn't say you're going to do. People already have a bad taste in their mouth about the insurance space and agents so do what you say you're going to do. It's not that complicated.” - Shawn Fitzgerald

Resources Mentioned:

From Agent to Owner with Brad Boldt

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Brad Boldt, President at Ameriguard Insurance Agency & Host of the Agents To Owners Podcast. Brad shares about the importance of shifting your perspective from agency owner to business owner.

Episode Highlights:

Brad discusses his experiences in the insurance industry and how he became an agency owner. (2:50)
Brad shares how he got the opportunity to purchase Ameriguard Insurance Agency. (4:38)
Brad mentions that when he first took over Ameriguard he considered himself an agent that owned an insurance agency, not a business owner. (11:42)
Brad explains that the Agents To Owners Podcast is focused on developing better business owners and doing it on the front end rather than the back end. (16:50)
Brad discusses the most significant realization he had as an agency owner the first time he encountered a major problem. (20:39)
Brad mentions that witnessing a workforce that has developed into a team and cares about each other is the most rewarding thing for him right now. (23:16)
Brad believes that his "get started and figure it out as you go" approach to podcasting and YouTube can be applied to producing. (29:55)
Brad mentions that he does not terminate individuals quickly, instead, he implements a performance plan and gives every chance possible before terminating someone. (34:09)
Brad shares that he's pleasantly surprised at the value that he has been able to gain out of having a virtual professional. (36:01)
Brad explains that he prepares more for virtual professionals than he does for any other new hires because he anticipates it being a challenge. (42:34)
Brad advises anybody thinking about hiring a virtual professional to make a list of seven to ten things they want to accomplish in their lifetime and have it ready because you'll get to them sooner than you think. (43:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The podcast is centered around trying to help develop better business owners and thinking about that on the front end, rather than, you know, on the back end.” - Brad Boldt
“You learn something every day and I am actively working to become a better owner, a better leader, a better business owner every day.” - Brad Boldt
“My process is to get started and figure it out as you go. I did that with the podcast, I did that with YouTube. And I don't think I've really improved a whole lot with YouTube but I do it, and I get some results. And you do figure it out as you go. And you get comfortable with it.” - Brad Boldt

Resources Mentioned:

The Deeds Chat GPT Sessions 2

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ryan Deeds of Ennabl to talk more about ChatGPT, how the technology might impact the insurance industry, and where it is headed in the future.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares his thoughts on where ChatGPT and the integration partners are heading. (2:13)
David shares his concern whenever he sees something that makes things so simple and does not really cost money. (7:43)
Ryan explains that it would be great if ChatGPT cited the source of the material in its articles. (9:27)
David explains why he would want to ask ChatGPT before every appointment to list the political donations of each prospect. (15:01)
Ryan discusses how quickly he thinks the insurance industry will adopt new technology such as ChatGPT. (18:31)
Ryan mentions that every large broker he has spoken with has a team dedicated to figuring out how to take this information-laden technology and provide wide and broad access across the enterprise. (19:41)
David discusses the possibilities of ChatGPT in 3D printers. (20:56)
Ryan mentions that the more people use and interact with technology like ChatGPT, the more they will realize where it fits in their lives. (24:42)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If I had a year with ChatGPT as my co-pilot across the board, that will give me five years on somebody.” - Ryan Deeds
“There is a scary component that's very real to this technology. But you don't want to stick your head in the sand, you want to at least understand it.” - Ryan Deeds

Resources Mentioned:

Meet LeO with Liri Halperin Segal

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Liri Halperin Segal, Founder & CEO at LeO. Liri discusses LeO, the first-ever personal AI sales assistant for insurance agents.

Episode Highlights:

Liri discusses her background and prior ventures as a serial entrepreneur. (2:35)
Liri explains the potential she saw in the insurance market that encouraged her to create a solution that helps producers and other insurance agents. (6:03)
Liri shares that LeO has over 40 million commercial line prospects loaded into its system and provides data points for each prospect. (8:08)
Liri mentions that LeO offers a mobile and desktop version that can assist insurance agents in finding the right prospect. (9:50)
Liri explains what “Referral Lift” is and how it simplifies the process for producers. (13:35)
Liri shares a list of Agency Management Systems that they use and believe will be useful to their clients. (18:37)
Liri explains how they help agency owners save money by assisting them with producer validation. (29:11)
Liri mentions that they developed their software in collaboration with agents and producers to make it much easier for producers and agents to get data and be far better than they are now. (38:07)
Liri shares how LeO strives to keep its pricing as low as possible. (42:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In the last five years, I've been in the insurance business trying to make the life of insurance agents more profitable.” - Liri Halperin Segal
“I saw that there are so many opportunities. And if agents would maximize their potential, they can be in a different place in life.” - Liri Halperin Segal
“I think one of the most important things is to have access to your data…you need to see all of that. And once you can see it, you can be a lot better than what you are today.” - Liri Halperin Segal

Resources Mentioned:

Breakin' Ankles in the Insurance Game with Tamron Manning

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tamron Manning, Agency Owner of Integrity Insurance. Tamron discusses his journey from being an athlete to starting his own insurance agency, as well as the opportunities that arise in the future for Integrity Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Tamron shares about his background playing basketball and how that experience has helped him as he moved into the insurance industry. (2:382)
Tamron mentions that he has been running his business on his own since October 2021 and that he is not currently working with a team. (12:02)
Kyle believes that being a coachable person is a lesson he learned early in his high school basketball career that has stuck with him. (14:06)
David explains why he preferred not to go to appointments by himself when he first started his career and how it has benefited him. (18:18)
Tamron mentions that the biggest eye-opening part of starting his own agency was how detailed the processes needed to be, and shares how various podcasts helped him understand what processes and systems he needed to run his agency. (27:47)
Tamron mentions that he plans to attend commercial training and learn about the commercial side so that he can add commercial lines to his agency in the future. (34:56)
David advises listeners to figure out their hourly rate as early in their careers as possible, as well as what they are willing to work for and what they are not. (40:26)
David believes that if you identify your ideal prospect, construct your marketing systems around that prospect, and are effective at marketing, you should only attract that prospect. (45:01)
Tamron encourages individuals to build things with an end goal in mind. (51:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Luckily, people like David and Bradley and other people, these podcasts that kind of pan out these different ways you can go, it was a big help for me because I was able to understand certain processes and what processes I needed, what systems I could use, that could help me build some stuff out.” - Tamron Manning
“I haven't nailed down a niche in commercial or figured out what I like or any of that stuff. So, I want to do some training and some learning about commercial first, but that's my next step is to add a nice commercial side of the book.” - Tamron Manning
“If you want it to be profitable, don't settle for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, when you have a steak waiting on you at the end of this. Don't do the little things that'll just feed you for just a little bit. Look at the long game man. I did that with basketball, I do it in my business, I do it in my relationships, there's a long play to everything.” - Tamron Manning

Resources Mentioned:

The Deeds Chat GPT Sessions 1

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ryan Deeds of Ennabl to discuss the benefits of ChatGPT, as well as how important it is to understand the limits of this kind of technology.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan mentions having spent 100-150 hours with ChatGPT, in both programming and utilization. (3:07)
David believes that the hype about ChatGPT is similar to that of the early days of the internet. (4:33)
Ryan discusses that people may generate content using ChatGPT, but that this is a secondary or tertiary utilization of the tool for him. (6:28)
Ryan explains that ChatGPT is an unlimited source of learning as long as you understand the limitations and are verifying and validating information. (10:41)
Ryan shares that from the API documentation, after ChatGPT is set to a certain degree of creative sensitivity, it doesn't even realize it's telling you a lie. (13:50)
Ryan encourages individuals to be educated enough to make decisions on where the ChatGPT fits into their lives. (16:52)
Ryan discusses the key components of ChatGPT and why producers should use it as much as they can. (18:31)
Ryan mentions that he fears that someday, ChatGPT will have a paywall or be privatized and he never wants to not have access to this technology. (20:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I don't think that if you are using content marketing to build your personal brand, that anybody or anything other than you should be writing that content and pushing it out.” - David Carothers
“Tools are just those, the better you understand it, the better you understand its limitations, the better you can see where it fits into your life.” - Ryan Deeds
“I'm working with a couple of the large agencies, CEOs, and they are on fire about this from helping validating producers be better faster, to helping their account managers understand all kinds of information all over the place.” Ryan Deeds

Resources Mentioned:

The True Idea Pro with Fred Cary

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Fred Cary, CEO of IdeaPros. Fred discusses how IdeaPros helps entrepreneurs and shares many principles and practices that every business owner can benefit from.

Episode Highlights:

Fred mentions that IdeaPros assists entrepreneurs with everything they need to improve. (3:12)
Fred explains that he gained traction and an audience by understanding the market opportunity, ensuring that it is robust and growing, and finding the hole in what is not being served. (4:45)
Fred mentions that he built IdeaPros on the pillars of sameness, stating that regardless of the type of business you want to start, there are several things you must do. (9:09)
Fred explains that new businesses fail for two reasons: not having capital and creating something that nobody needs. (17:10)
According to Fred, the best approach to convince someone to want to purchase from you is to be the expert and be viewed as the expert so they feel they can trust you. (26:33)
Fred believes that applying the lessons and techniques that IdeaPros is teaching business owners is a genuine opportunity regardless of industry. (44:11)
Fred explains that individuals should make a gut check to see if this is what they want to do because when they can link their passion with their business, they will have a great life. (48:58)
Fred mentions that their website provides a complete indexed table of contents with everything people want to know about entrepreneurship, starting a business, growing a business, marketing, advertising, and raising money, and it's all free. (51:52)
Fred encourages people to persevere, to do things differently, and to align their life's purpose with what they do for a living. (53:38)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The reason I'm here is to help get your audience focused on the fact that no matter what it is that you're trying to do to change your life and to change your living, I can show you how to do it in a way that's going to get you successes that you're probably not even imagining.” - Fred Cary
“The best way to get somebody to want to buy from you is if you are the expert, and you are perceived as the expert because then there's a trust factor involved.” - Fred Cary
“Do something different, stand out in the crowd. If this is not you, find what is you, find your passion. And when you can align your passion with your business, you're going to have a great life.” - Fred Cary

Resources Mentioned:

It's All About Gravity with Elizabeth Culley

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Elizabeth Cully, Owner of GravityCerts. Elizabeth discusses how the GravityCerts website development, quote forms, quote proposal software, and client center help agencies interface with APIs, get more leads, and retain clients.

Episode Highlights:

Elizabeth shares that she has been in the insurance industry for 20 years and was formerly a captive agent with Farmers Insurance. (5:43)
Elizabeth discusses how she started GravityCerts and how she built a successful work environment. (12:18)
Elizabeth explains the different kinds of websites GravityCerts offers in the market, as well as the feature of the online quote forms they developed to reduce duplicate data entry. (16:13)
Elizabeth discusses the feature of the Quote Proposal software they developed and how it simplifies the sales process from beginning to end. (22:17)
Elizabeth discusses their client portal which allows clients to be able to go into their agency, view all of their different policies with different carriers, request policy changes, get auto ID cards, get a copy of a policy, request and download COI’s. (25:34)
Elizabeth discusses the GravityCerts integrations that are now live and others that are in development. (33:37)
Elizabeth mentions that they are trying to achieve and maintain balance with all of their integration partners, as well as to collaborate with other companies that provide open API’s. (37:47)
Elizabeth explains that everyone should be looking for ways to automate their agency and integrate as much as possible in order to ensure that their team is set up to guarantee the business's success and generate more leads. (55:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We’re trying to get and be balanced with all of our integration partners. So we want to have some raters, we want to have some AMS, we want to have some CRM’s. But we don't want to have like everybody out there because not everybody is on the same page with us technology wise. ” - Elizabeth Cully
“We created this portal for the clients to be able to log into our agency, see all their different policies with their different carriers, request policy changes, get their auto ID cards, get a copy of their policy, request COI’s, download COI’s…looks like a full service portal for them after they become a client.” - Elizabeth Cully
“Everybody should be looking for ways to automate their agency, to integrate as much as possible, to make sure that your team is set up so that you guys can be successful and getting leads in.” - Elizabeth Cully

Resources Mentioned:

The Ware Sessions 6

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. They share their opinions on the significance of being mindful of your value and negotiating an appropriate cost for your services based on the level of excellence provided.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal shares that she believes it is difficult for women and some men to speak about money or ask for specific compensation. (3:49)
Crystal mentions that although company culture may not encourage the discussion of salary, there is no law against it and it can bring to light inequities or opportunities to ask for what you are worth. (7:07)
David explains that it is important as a leader to provide feedback to your staff because they want feedback, whether it is positive, bad, or indifferent. (12:34)
Crystal explains why the other factors that go into total compensation are much more important than salary. (19:01)
Crystal discusses why it is important for women to know and demand their value. (23:22)
Crystal mentions that what she believes in and lives by is that her services are more valuable than her competitors because she knows more, cares more, and goes into the intricacies, and there is a lot of value in that. (25:15)
Crystal shares that she is launching a podcast, Get Clear with Crystal, in January 2023, where she will speak to entrepreneurs with inspiring stories to help others realize that there is not one linear path to success and there are a lot of interesting ways that you can come to the right vision for your life and what that looks like. (30:45 )

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you know that other people are making more than you, the way to solve that is to know what you're capable of - communicating that, and giving them an opportunity to rectify it.” - Crystal Ware
“What I've lived by is I know more, I care more, and I make sure to dive into the details and there is a lot of value in that. So yeah, at the end of the day, my services are going to be more.” - Crystal Ware
“For all the agency owners out there that have women producers or are looking to train an account manager to be a producer, I would say that this is somewhere you really want to focus on, is making sure that they feel very confident in what they have to deliver the team behind them. And that they're going to position themselves to getting what they know is their correct value. Because at the end of the day, it can make a difference, especially to them.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

STOP SELLING INSURANCE with Micah Salas and Josh Gurley

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Josh Gurley interview Micah Salas, Senior Vice President of Christensen Group Insurance, and author of The Business Insurance Playbook. Micah discusses his marketing and educational book for business owners and explains what motivated him to join Christensen Group Insurance, a 100% employee owned agency.

Episode Highlights:

Micah discusses the history of Christensen Group Insurance and how it functions as an employee owned agency with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). (3:14)
Josh shares that he was surprised to learn that there are only 11,000 ESOP’s in the country. (6.:54)
Micah talks about his book "The Business Insurance Playbook" which was written with the goal of being a marketing and instructional book for business owners. (12:37)
David considers himself to be a walking mashup of insurance knowledge from a variety of people, and the more people he speaks to who are mutually connected, the more sources of that information he identifies. (20:34)
Micah believes that there is sometimes a stigma associated with discussing insurance costs. (29:17)
Josh mentions that one of the nicest things about the insurance industry is that people can choose their clients. (41:48)
David explains why it's important to have a clear idea of your ideal client. (45:21)
Micah shares that 95% of his content is geared toward the buyer and that this past year was the first time it monetized for him in terms of real revenue. (53:07)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you find yourself in a book that you just don't really love, it's a good opportunity to build back how you want to build it.” - Micah Salas
“It's a hard game out there man. People are fighting tooth and nail for new business...But I know in the long run, that if you stick to your method, it is what's best for the buyer and it's just as important. It's what's best for you and your team.” - Micah Salas
“If you're going to bank on LinkedIn for getting rich or build a million dollar book, you're probably going to be poor and out of a job, but it's an awesome addition to your arsenal for sure.” - Micah Salas

Resources Mentioned:

I Get Knocked Down but I Get Up Again with Ebens Jean

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Ebens Jean, Co-Founder/CIO at One Way Insurance Group. Ebens discusses how he focuses on opportunities for success, as well as how he and his wife wanted One Way Insurance Group to be a force for change and show others that there is opportunity in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Ebens expresses his appreciation for the opportunity to work alongside his wife in the insurance industry. (3:02)
Ebens explains that his family moved to New York City due to a lack of resources in Haiti. (4:19)
David discusses how support from spouses is important in both life and business. (12:34)
Ebens discusses his past experiences from offering employee benefits to working with a security company to becoming a licensed broker. (20:04)
Ebens shares that his wife encouraged him to go to the independent side of insurance since he felt limited on the captive side. (24:13)
Ebens explains that when they first started their agency, they focused mainly on personal lines, but now they focus more on commercial lines, and shares what they do to generate the current commercial activity. (25:31)
David mentions that when he launched his agency, he committed not to hire anybody with insurance experience as a producer because he wanted to give good salespeople a clear way into the industry. (29:44)
Ebens discusses that as a result of the discrimination they experienced, they want to be a change and show others that there is opportunity in the industry. (37:54)
Ebens expresses his appreciation for Ngozi Nnaji and why the insurance sector needs more people and leaders like her. (48:15)
Ebens discusses that they collaborate with Ngozi to help others get more direct appointments and to make insurance more attractive to others. (59:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You know why I didn't quit? Because of my wife. She invests so much in me that I couldn't quit.” - Ebens Jean
“I bought my first property, investment property, because of this opportunity. I bought my first home because of this property. So I want my people to hear that kind of story, man, like, yeah, this thing could change your life…It can, but they have to see it. And we have to make it a little bit easier.” - Ebens Jean
“We have some other stuff that we're working on man, some cool stuff that we're working on…because with insurance we know it like, people call it boring. We want to make this thing sexy and attractive to more people.” - Ebens Jean

Resources Mentioned:

The Ware Sessions 5

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. They discuss why having a clear vision and the right mindset is important, particularly for those in sales roles in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal mentions that the first thing people should concentrate on when they are unhappy is what they want out of life because once people are clear on their vision, the rest will fall into place. (2:28)
According to Crystal, the vision is the image that someone has for their lives, but the mindset is how people get up every day ready to move toward their vision. (7:38)
Crystal explains that we must retrain their minds if our natural condition is to be unhappy and whine about everything. (12:11)
Kyle believes that having a mentor is helpful if you want to pursue something and have a clear goal in mind. (12:20)
Crystal explains the distinction between a vision and a decision, and why the vision is important. (18:15)
David believes that people must reflect in order to stay on track, but it is also part of their attitude to recognize the need for reflection and to go back and do it. (21:04)
Crystal mentions that a person's perspective is ultimately what takes them from being good athletes, to great athletes, and world-class athletes. (23:57)
David explains that when individuals have taken the effort to determine their objective and have a plan for how they want to achieve it, if that attitude is locked in, there's practically nothing that can stop them but themselves. (25:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing people need to focus on when they're thinking about “my life sucks right now” is, “what do I actually want out of my life?”.” - Crystal Ware
“The vision is really the image that you have for your life. Like, you know, I want to live in this kind of house, I want to live in the country…what is the picture you have of your life that's hanging on your wall that you can look at and say, “Wow, I love my life, I'm happy.” That's the vision. The mindset is how you wake up every day ready to achieve and move forward to your vision.” - Crystal Ware
“Your mindset has to keep you moving forward, that what is on the other side is really more important than these really tough, difficult, you know, tumultuous feelings that I'm having inside right now.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

The Real Pro of Loss Runs with Brenden Corr

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Brenden Corr, Senior Director of Business Development at Loss Run Pro. Brenden shares how Loss Run Pro is helping new businesses manage loss run requests and enabling claims teams to build their workflow.

Episode Highlights:

Brenden shares his background and what led him to join Loss Run Pro. (2:25)
Brenden explains that Loss Run Pro offers two different solutions on the market; the first is really designed to help new businesses, and the second is an entire system that enables a claims team to build out their workflow. (3:32)
Brenden mentions that the platform solution offered by Loss Run Pro costs $29/month or $300/year per user, and allows agencies to be far more proactive in an area that is often overlooked. (7:16)
Brenden believes that Loss Run Pro tells the whole story of a business, not only from an operational standpoint but also from a risk management one, as well as how the owners and the employees are behaving. (12:26)
Brenden shares that 68% of their clients get loss runs within three business days, which is far faster than the traditional method. After 10 days, Loss Run Pro has greater than 97% loss run retention rate. (16:28)
Brenden believes that creating a business plan is critical since it is the first step in knowing what is needed and what the expectations of owning a business are. (19:09)
Brenden discusses the importance of attending demos and being kind. (24:24)
Brenden shares Loss Run Pro has big plans for 2023. They've expanded to about 2000 agencies in under two years, which enables them to have key talks with carriers. (25:48)
Brenden believes that utilizing Loss Run Pro helps an agency or producer realize who's genuine about letting them quote their business. (28:30)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Loss Run has two different solutions in the marketplace, the first is really designed to help new businesses. Secondly, we have an entire system that allows a claims team to build out their workflow.” - Brenden Corr
“Loss Run tells the whole story of a company, not only from an operational standpoint, but also the risk management standpoint, and how the owners and or employees are behaving.” - Brenden Corr
“We're not trying to disrupt the whole industry, we do one thing. We don't need a whole lot of integrations, it doesn't need a whole lot of training, you use it, you get loss runs faster, it gives you more opportunities.” - Brenden Corr

Resources Mentioned:

The Art of Telling Stories with John Livesay

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Aaron Gordon interview John Livesay, a keynote speaker, and the author of books “Better Selling Through Storytelling” and “The Sale is in the Tale”. John discusses the significance of having empathy in business, the value of storytelling, and utilizing creativity to come up with ideas that fit.

Episode Highlights:

John shares that he has always been passionate about storytelling and has a history in advertising, and he finds it such an amazing realm of how a story impacts us emotionally. (3:03)
Aaron believes that we must not just communicate the tale of what we are doing, but also be able to explain what insurance is to those who are not very interested in discussing insurance. (5:03)
John explains that he encourages people to write multiple stories for the different avatars they interact with. (10:20)
David discusses the importance of sharing a success story and how it may be helpful to to others. (15:12)
John explains why the first thing he teaches people when telling a tale is to paint a picture, similar to journalists. (18:28)
John advises those who want to become great storytellers to make sure the problem they're describing in the story is one that people care about and to consider the resolution. (25:28)
Aaron believes that the finest speakers he hears, even if they go 20 minutes over, leave listeners remembering more of what they said. (35:27)
John explains some of the mistakes individuals make while trying to convince others to buy. (41:12)
John believes that if individuals master the soft skills of listening, empathy, and storytelling, they will develop an emotional connection that will help them in their sales careers. (46:38)
If you want to learn how to tell a tale, John recommends turning your elevator pitch into an elevator story. (48:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing I teach people when you tell the story is to paint the picture with exposition of who, what, where when, like you're a journalist.” - John Livesay
“If you're going to embrace becoming a better storyteller, the two tips I have for you are, make sure that the problem you're describing in the story is something we care about…And here's the secret sauce, guys, the resolution. What is life like for your client after you've provided them a solution?” - John Livesay
“I have a saying that people seem to remember and like, which is soft skills make you strong…our brains love new ways of looking at something. And the soft skills are listening, empathy, and now storytelling. And if you master all three of those things, you'll have an emotional connection, which will make you strong in your sales career.” - John Livesay

Resources Mentioned:

John Livesay LinkedIn
Book: Better Selling Through Storytelling
Book: The Sale is in the Tale
Aaron Gordon LinkedIn
David Carothers
Kyle Houck
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes

The Ware Sessions 4

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. Crystal shares how she got into agency ownership and the lessons she has learned as an agency owner which others may benefit from.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal shares her story of how he made her way into owning an agency. (3:02)
Crystal mentions that quarterly checkpoints with your employees can be much more effective than longform employee reviews. (7:46)
Crystal explains how they leverage their client base to show the value they bring. (12:30)
Crystal believes that communication is the key to success, whether you're operating a company, dealing with staff, or working with clients. (16:34)
David mentions that the big agencies are using virtual professionals less than the smaller agencies. (19:18)
Crystal explains the value of virtual professionals and why they are an excellent option. (26:40)
Crystal explains that if you have a large number of small accounts, you should scale down your efforts, particularly if you don't have virtual assistants and are paying in USD. (35:22)
Crystal notes that she was aware of the difficulties in getting clients to pay for adequate coverage and pay agency fees, but what has surprised her the most was that no one questioned her once she explained it to them. (39:27)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody is a master of their own schedule to a large part and it's about getting the work done and not about, let me see your face from nine to five.” - Crystal Ware
“If it's a good partnership, it stays. And that comes down to kind of everything in business, whether it's running the business, working with your employees, or talking with your clients, it comes down to communication.” - Crystal Ware
“Everybody needs insurance and somebody needs to insure them, but you need to be compensated for that.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

Cyber Ain't as Easy Anymore with Chris Steffl and Daniel Metcalf

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Chris Steffl, and Daniel Metcalf of CyberFin. Chris and Daniel discuss everything they're doing to make waves in the commercial insurance industry for producers and agencies who want to become better at using cyber to establish relationships and educate their clients on cyber liability.

Episode Highlights:

Chris explains that he is a second-generation insurance professional who has worked for an insurance wholesale company for 20 years. (3:03)
Daniel mentions that he has spent the past 15 years addressing business challenges for technology, and he has assisted in the development of a service on how to ensure that banks and credit unions comply with rules. (3:50)
Daniel explains how they have assisted MSPs and commercial insurance companies. (7:22)
Daniel explains that spoofed authentication, when a cybercriminal impersonates you or our organization to gain their multi-factor authentication credentials.. (13:21)
Daniel discusses Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) which looks for ransomware code malware code on your computer that may be disguised. (23:28)
Daniel explains that cybercriminals are targeting small and medium-sized enterprises because they have realized that they are an easier, more profitable target. (30:23)
Chris explains that each industry has different risks, yet they are all comparable across industries. (37:21)
Chris explains that for the past six months, they have been working on developing a program that would allow agencies and agents to bring their customers in to be educated about cyber liability. (39:31)
David discusses why cyber liability is getting more popular these days. (42:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

“EDR is Endpoint, Detection and Response…What EDR does is it looks for ransomware code, malware code actively working on your computer because it can be masked as something that's supposed to be there.” - Daniel Metcalf
“Multilayer protection is so important and that's the thing we're really trying to get out there on time, because right now, one line of defense can be gotten through, possibly, you've got to have multiple lines of defense to basically stop this.” - Chris Steffl
“One thing we've put in place over the last six months here, is really trying to offer a program that as an agency or an agent to be able to bring their customers in so they can become educated.” - Chris Steffl

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Undiscovered Voices with Sarah Muniz

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Ciara Gravier CIC, CRM, CCIC, PWCA, CPIA interview Sarah Muniz, author of the new book, Undiscovered Voices. Sarah talks about her experiences in the insurance industry and the benefits and value of having women in any industry.

Episode Highlights:

Sarah shares that he fell in love with the insurance industry since 2001. (3:13)
Sarah explains how women, particularly those in the insurance industry, support one another (7:12)
Ciara shares some of the reasons why she got all her designations. (13:14)
Sarah explains that her book is about talent, the benefits of women, and the insurance benefits of women in leadership. (17:29)
Sarah mentions that women lack confidence in their early years because they have to show their abilities many times before they feel confident. (23:13)
Sarah believes that people must always improve both personally and professionally, in order ot keep moving forward. (34:39)
Sarah discusses how long it took her to write her own story of her experiences. (38:13)
Sarah believes that it's going to take men and women working together to make any real change. (51:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Women lack confidence because we have to prove that we can do something a lot of times before we feel confidence.” - Sarah Muniz
“If you're not growing, you're dying. I mean, and that goes for you know, personally and professionally you have to always grow. Otherwise, you're going backward.” - Sarah Muniz
“It's going to take men and women working together to make any real change.” - Sarah Muniz

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Total Cost of Risk – How Is It Used?

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue to discuss the total cost of risk. They talk about how companies utilize the total cost of risk and how they can relay it to their clients and prospects.

Episode Highlights:

David shares his experience when he went to the National Alliance and received his CRM designation. (7:13)
What's the certification process look like? (7:33)
David shares that one of the benefits of using the total cost of risk is that it helps people make informed risk management decisions. (7:58)
David mentions that making informed risk management decisions doesn’t always mean that they are going to be good. (9:19)
David shares a story about the Ford Pinto, where it became a massive hazard because of its design. (9:30)
David mentions that if you know your total cost of risk, you can use it to benchmark your process and have something unquantifiable. (11:42)
David shares that if you know your total cost of risk, you can help in promoting safety and risk management initiatives. (11:54)
David mentions the book entitled Whale Done!, by Ken Blanchard. (15:43)
Kyle thinks that people would respond to rewarding behavior, better than the negative reinforcement of it. (17:29)
David mentions that everybody that is in manufacturing or some kind of a measurable service occupation has a metric for quality. (19:04)
David shares that when you talk to operationally inclined people, they're going to be able to point out not only how they measure quality, but also how they measure productivity. (19:39)
Kyle mentions that the common answer to measuring safety is the number of injuries or frequency of injuries or claims. (20:11)
David mentions that when he calculates the total cost of risk, he shows them how many days they have to operate in an assumed sales volume, and an assumed profit margin to cover that total cost of risk. (21:09)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I’m a big fan of behavioral-based safety incentive plans. I want people to know that we're going to reward them for doing the right things, and it's not expensive, it’s far less expensive to put an incentive program in place when you reward the behaviors you want to see so that people replicate them.” - David Carothers
“You give people attention, and you reward them for the behaviors that you want to see so they will replicate those. But don’t make a big deal about when they're not giving you the right behavior and they're doing the wrong thing, you just simply positively redirect them the way that you want them to go. Because subconsciously, your mind has to replicate those behaviors that get your attention.” - David Carothers
“I think what that shows too is it's not the overly technical stuff. We’re not getting deep in the weeds of insurance stuff. I mean, nothing really, that we've talked about has been even insurance-related other than we talked about the premiums, briefly because it's a portion of the total cost of risk.” - Kyle Houck
“You can tweak it and make it fit whoever you're sitting there in front of. But I think this should help people with that conversation in breaking down what components are actually a part of the total cost of risk and how they're going to impact that individual prospect.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Living Your Bucket List with Tracy Cotton

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tracy Cotton, Executive Client Manager at Starr-Mathews Agency. Tracy discusses why everybody, particularly those in the insurance industry, should be flexible and open to new experiences and how she came up with the concept of trying 50 new things on her 50th birthday.

Episode Highlights:

Tracy discusses her pre-& post-Chattanooga experiences. (4:20)
Tracy discusses her favorite things to do in Chattanooga. (9:45)
Tracy explains how she was offered the opportunity to name her own position, which is Executive Client Manager. (11:17)
David, Kyle, and Tracy discuss how being honest with clients may help to solve certain situations. (22:38)
Tracy believes that personality tests are not the primary basis of the concept of a utility player. (39:31)
Tracy discusses how her paper planner helped her in coming up with the concept of trying 50 new things for her 50th birthday. (41:56)
Tracy believes that being flexible and open to new experiences is important in everything she does, including insurance. (45:18)
Tracy discusses her favorite thing she did with 50 out of 50. (48:21)
Tracy believes that the 50/50 rule helps in the process of determining what you really want to do. (51:26)
Tracy shares her intention to inspire her female insurance industry colleagues to explore new things. (51:59)
Tracy mentions that balancing between planning ahead and being open to opportunities as they arise is similar to what we do in insurance. (52:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I really wanted people to be able to plug-in from the get-go and really start feeling like we're part of, you know, we're part of the risk management or partner and they're their business there.” - Tracy Cotton
“A balance between planning ahead and being open to those opportunities as they come up. And that's not really any different than what it is we do in insurance.” - Tracy Cotton
“There really is no one choice in insurance. I continue to be amazed at the different ways that a career can change and the opportunity that is there.” - Tracy Cotton, CIC, CISR

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: From Captive to Crushing It with Ellie Platt

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ellie Platt. Ellie explains how she manages and values her team, and how they show their dedication to their clients and the community they serve.

Episode Highlights:

Ellie shares her journey and how she got into the insurance industry without having any insurance background. (4:37)
Ellie discusses how her biggest challenge has been acquiring Nationwide books of business. (8:22)
Ellie mentions that bringing people into their process has always been a challenge. (18:27)
Ellie shares that the main activity in their company is account reviews, and it drives everything that they do. (20:46)
Ellie shares that the biggest lesson she has learned with acquisition is to listen to her team and identify high-priority clients. (23:04)
Ellie shares that one of her strengths is building cross-cultural relationships. (28:29)
Ellie explains that it is important to find people to work with locally, even in just a small capacity. (39:50)
Ellie shares how she handled their team culture during COVID and how she consolidated afterward. (46:36)
Ellie discusses her relationship with her son and his interest level in the insurance business. (51:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm just really identifying kinds of high premium clients, and so we are very proactive in reaching out to them." - Ellie Platt
"I think one of my strengths is building cross-cultural relationships, and so that's what I've tried to focus on more than anything, and it transfers." - Ellie Platt
"I don't even think I understood the insurance industry at all, but I just got my own business entrepreneurial bug, like, I can do this for myself, and it's unlimited. And so I did it. I mean, it was a leap of faith." - Ellie Platt

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Total Cost of Risk – What Is It?

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about understanding the total cost of risk and some of its components and why you need to stop thinking of yourself as an insurance salesperson and start thinking of yourself as a risk manager.

Episode Highlights:

What is the total cost of risk? (1:38)
David shares that a lot of people have been talking about the total cost of risk, but there's a huge understanding of what it is. (2:51)
David mentions that insurance premiums are a part of the total cost of risk. (3:39)
David shares that you need to stop thinking about yourself as an insurance salesman or an insurance producer. Rather, start thinking of yourself as a risk manager. (4:45)
Kyle thinks that people get lost in the total cost of risk because it’s broad, and it’s difficult for people to figure out its components. (5:33)
David mentions that there are five parts to the total cost of risk. (6:34)
David shares that insurance premiums are easy to measure hard cost and they’re part of the total cost of risk. (13:52)
David thinks that it’s significant to know that insurance premiums are also the result of how good you can manage the other percent. (13:58)
David mentions that retained losses are information that you have made a conscious decision to retain actively, and actively retained losses are a deductible. (14:11)
David shares that if you don’t involve the carrier, you're not getting a deductible credit on your premium because the insurance company doesn't know, and you don't get the ability to work with their adjusters because, in a deductible situation, the carrier is going to handle all of the adjustment. (16:43)
David thinks that looking at both active and passive losses is vital. (18:43)
David mentions that he has an article that’s coming out in a couple of weeks on, why you want to allocate the cost of risk and the steps associated with allocating the cost of risk. (19:47)
David shares a story about his early years in the insurance industry. (24:06)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody thinks they know what it is. They run around the chatterbox and say, hey man, let me talk to you about the total cost of risk, and at the end of the day, they hand them an insurance proposal.” - David Carothers
“There's got to be measurable things like quantifiable data points that you can use. Otherwise, you just start kind of rambling about the total cost of risk and you're not giving them any specific points or things that are impacting their premium.” - Kyle Houck
“Taking the extra time and the extra steps to not only understand something but be able to articulate that and educate or client or prospect on exactly what it means.” - David Carothers
“I'm not here to teach you how to calculate the total cost of risk to the nth degree of accuracy. I'm here to teach you how you can use it in its most basic premise to drive a wedge and differentiate yourself from the point of sale so you can get a deal closed.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Inspiring a Nation with Dr. Billy R. Williams

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Episode Highlights:

Billy discusses why agents must understand the four types of discipline: self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing or delegation. (4:45)
Billy explains how he goes about recruiting a new workforce. (12:36)
Billy explains how VAs can support the renewal process. (20:36)
Billy discusses S.T.T.T.T.S. (Standards, Time, Task, Tools, Training, and Spot checking), and why it is important for every organization. (34:37)
Billy believes that people need to have a budget for their time. (41:55)
Billy shares that his time is the most valuable resource he has. (44:23)
Billy talks about the five factors that generate revenue in the insurance industry. (45:00)
Billy discusses the five levels of leadership and how they benefit agencies and owners. (49:14)
Billy explains that by ensuring that your team is progressing through their levels of leadership, you will be able to do what you want. (47:51)
Billy suggests hiring a Virtual Assistant if you are starting a small business. (58:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My time is the most valuable resource I have.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Your business should either be your passion or fund your passion.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Every time we talk, I want to leave you with something that is a value, and not just fluff. And I want it to be something you can walk away and do not just something to walk away and no, but something you can walk away and do.” - Dr. Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Forging Ahead in the Digital Landscape with Jeff Teschke

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers with co-host Kyle Houck and guest host Ryan Deeds interview Jeff Teschke, Founder & CEO of Forge3 to talk all the value of maximizing your agency’s website.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff shares about his early life, the school he attended, and what led him to create the insurance agency website platform, Forge3. (4:56)
Jeff elaborates on what agencies might not know about their websites from a technological perspective. (10:15)
Jeff shares that opportunity pages and about us pages are some of the most important pages on the agency's website. (19:32)
Jeff explains that on the about page, agencies should show the human element as much as they can. (21:26)
Jeff explains that agencies that care about the value of the insurance and being well protected are an awesome fit for them. (27:08)
Jeff offers some tips on how to tell if a website was built the right way. (29:03)
Jeff discusses some of the downsides to customizing sites from scratch. (34:06)
Jeff on how websites can help you build pre-relationships with potential clients. (48:34)
Jeff explains that if you have a database on the website that can answer questions, it can be a great benefit to the agency in terms of web ranking in the long run. (54:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You show that you're the expert, and you're the thought leader in this content. And I think that gets past insecurities of being too small for whatever people are looking for." - Jeff Teschke
"In the insurance industry, there's still a massive opportunity to be very different and to really breakthrough by just doing a little bit more than the other guys down the street.” - Jeff Teschke
"I think if you just do things where you can answer questions that clients have and then create that database on the website, our team can start using that content even just to share it with clients or producers can share it manually with prospects." - Jeff Teschke

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Understanding Fee for Service

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the significance of understanding the service fee and why it’s considered as a great tool.

Episode Highlights:

David thinks that it’s significant to understand the difference between the fee for service as an agent and charging broker fees. (2:03)
David mentions that agents in the middle market don’t understand that a service fee is a great tool. (2:37)
Kyle thinks that most of the agent doesn’t know that it’s also an option. (2:46)
David hopes that more than 1% of the listeners could take action on what they talked about because it could change their career. (2:54)
David shares that he learned about service fees from the first agency that he worked at. (3:58)
In terms of service, did David plateau at some point? (4:55)
David shares a story about an international restaurant chain that they represented. (4:59)
David explains why he does service fees. (10:05)
David mentions that in other states, they charge additional broker fees. (11:44)
David shares that another primary example of people who charge fees are agencies who do non-standard auto. (12:13)
David mentions that the issue they run across in Florida when they have that conversation is that they can't charge a fee and take a commission on the same policy. (14:08)
David mentions that it gets a little tricky when it comes to workers’ compensation because the rates are mandated by the state and the commissions are already built-in. (14:44)
How would David determine who’s a good fit for a service fee? (16:32)
Where do David and Kyle need to be if they take a cut on the front end? (16:46)
David thinks that the accounts that are a good fit for the service fee are the ones with $25,000 to 50,000 in agency revenue. (17:11)
David learned that HVAC companies are not good candidates for service fees. (18:00)
David thinks that it’s significant for agents to understand that you can be more creative, with how you're compensated with a fee. (21:09)
David shares that the fundamental philosophy is to get into an account early when you're not going to be able to get commissions. (27:11)
David mentions that once renewal hits, your commissions will be stripped out of the renewal, and you’ll recover the money that you've spent ahead of time paying them a service fee. (28:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There's no reason for you to continue to get paid more and more money just because they're growing when you're not doing more work at the same rate at which they're growing.” - David Carothers
“I'm gonna put some skin in the game, I'm going to show them that I want to invest for the long term, and I'm gonna explain this to them. Point blank, I have no problem covering what my compensation is for the agency when I'm talking with anybody.” - David Carothers
“I think it's important for agents to understand that you can be a lot more creative with, how you're compensated with a fee. So it's no secret that we're going into accounts that have MOD issues. It's no secret that they have claim issues on the other lines of coverage, or whatever else.” - David Carothers
“There’s a whole lot of stuff you can do inside of service fee arrangements that you just don't have flexibility. Again, it gives you the ability to change perception, it gives you the ability to start a conversation that otherwise, you’re not going to have.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Unburden Your Business with Cassidy Arbeli

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Cassidy Arbeli, Business Strategist and Consultant and CEO of The Arbeli Group. Cassidy shares her journey to becoming an independent agent and offers advice to other women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Cassidy gives us her background story and her path from captive to independent. (3:06)
Cassidy shares her perspective on being a female in the insurance industry. (12:52)
Cassidy discusses what she has learned from putting herself out there and collaborating with others in the industry. (18:11)
Cassidy talks about what is happening at her agency. (21:50)
Cassidy shared some of the things she learned from her experience being a captive agent. (23:22)
Cassidy shares why she started her podcast and how it is going today. (28:52)
Cassidy explains how she handles situations that she finds uncomfortable. (32:20)
Cassidy shares her biggest takeaway from Innovation this year. (34:12)
Cassidy mentions that her business now has contacts in all of the hotel malls in their target area. (36:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I also think that there are people who are natural-born leaders, there are people that are going to be more comfortable being in uncomfortable situations." - Cassidy Arbeli
"Sometimes you have to build your own table if you don't feel like you have the invite to the table or you feel like there isn't a table for you." - Cassidy Arbeli
"I urge anyone who is listening, just don't be afraid use your voice. If there's something you want to say, there are ways to say things in a way that invite other people onto your journey and they want to be part of what you're doing." - Cassidy Arbeli

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Conversation with an Insuretech OG with Johnny Yarbrough

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview John Yarbrough, Carrier and MGA/MGU Solutions Specialist at Appulate. John talks about the impact of being transparent with your clients and how their company helps agents with their services.

Episode Highlights:

John shares his background, how he started, and what he does in his current role. (2:04)
John mentions that the best companies are the ones who are forward-thinking and willing to change. (6:00)
John describes how their system works when agents reach out for their services. (13:48)
John shares how they integrate with the agency management system. (17:18)
John shares how an agency can use its platform in many different ways. (25:47)
John mentions the most common questions that he has been asked about their platform. (28:57)
John shares that manual entry is still a big challenge or problem for them. (37:07)
John shares that transparency is the key to being able to let clients make better decisions. (43:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You've got to have a combination of both things, you've got to have experience, but you've also got to be nimble and be willing to change." - John Yarbrough
"What is really cool about competition is it normalizes what's happening. And I think that's something that we haven't seen." - John Yarbrough
"Where our technology really thrives is that online ecosystem, where agents are all interacting with their markets, on our platform." - John Yarbrough

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Sedlak Sessions 4

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak. David, Kyle, and Stephen explain how to use email effectively at your agency from a marketing perspective.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen discusses how his agency uses email. (8:40)
Stephen discusses their campaign strategy for approaching people. (12:34)
David shares one of the best pieces of marketing he has ever seen. (15:22)
Kyle explains how he creates a successful email subject line. (16:38)
Kyle discusses his email signature strategy. (18:19)
David discusses important email marketing strategies. (19:25)
David believes they did an excellent job with their email at Florida Risk. (24:35)
David mentions that the Power Producers Mastermind is for anyone who wants to be a part of a community of high-level producers who have the ability to make their game greater than it is but don't want the full killing commercial experience. (28:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think the subject line is something. People focus so much on the body of the email a lot of times and don't give enough love to the subject and that could be the whole reason that people aren't responding to your email communication at all.” - Kyle Houck
“It's more about getting those dialogues, getting those conversations started with them and opening up to you a little bit more and introducing yourself.” - Stephen Sedlak
“I think that a lot of companies and agencies lose business because the client doesn't understand that the agent can help them, and they tie them to the carrier. And as a result, they think they have to leave the agency or they get mad at both the agency and the carrier and they leave due to a bad claim situation.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Reinventing Healthcare with Clayton Wood

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, CFP®, Managing Partner at C. B. Wood Financial. Clayton shares cold calling strategies that have worked for him and discusses the current landscape of self-funding and healthcare benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares his background, how he started in benefits, and where he is today. (2:44)
Clayton mentions the reason he switched careers and left the corporate world. (7:00)
Clayton shares his process of being able to get the numbers that he wants in terms of cold calling. (12:20)
Clayton mentions that you need to make a difference in your cold-calling, the second you're there. (18:23)
Clayton believes the reason sales, cold calling, and content marketing are tough, is that it is can be demeaning. (25:39)
Clayton shares how he opens the call, how handles it, and how he closes it, he also shares the average time he can save someone. (27:43)
Clayton mentions that people always have to critique and try to change what they're doing to make it most efficient. (32:21)
Clayton discusses the landscape of self-funding right now. (42:43)
Clayton gives three bullet points to determine that who you are speaking with is a good lead. (46:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I couldn't stand being able to or having to make the same money as the person on my left and the right and work 10 times harder and put in more hours and it just drove me nuts." - Clayton Wood
"I think one thing that makes sales and cold calling and content marketing so tough, is it's demeaning." - Clayton Wood
"I always tell myself, sales is a roller coaster, you know, whenever you have your darkest day is when you close the biggest business." - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Trucking Along With Commercial Agents with Wes Becknell

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Wes Becknell, Vice President of Marketing at RockLake Insurance Group. Wes answers the most queried questions in the trucking industry.

Episode Highlights:

Wes shares his background and how he found his way into the insurance and trucking business. (4:24)
Wes explains why their company is different and what they do for their clients. (12:17)
Wes shares that their company goal is to be 1% better every day. (17:47)
Wes mentions that they cater to the new ventures for their clients, but are also open to switching to the standard carrier as a backup plan. (26:52)
Wes elaborates how the MCSS system can pull a lot of information beneficial to the business and its clients. (30:24)
Wes shares that they are ready to visit agents virtually or in the office to show what they can offer. (33:41)
Wes mentions that their rater has the capability to compare three rates at one time. (42:49)
Wes expresses his excitement to be partnering up with David this summer. (44:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There's a book called Atomic Habits. He talked about trying to get 1% better, we try to get 1% better every day. That's our goal." - Wes Becknell
"When you educate your clients, they become a good client, but you also become that trusted resource that they understand that you know what you're doing. You are the expert in this field, and that's why they hired you." - Wes Becknell
"In a space where it takes weeks to get a quote, you can actually get your policy with us within 30 minutes." - Wes Becknell

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Sedlak Sessions 3

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak. David, Kyle, and Stephen discuss strategies for making connections, boosting your credibility, and how to have productive meetings with your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that Christian DeLozier is now officially in Killing Commercial. (1:16)
David talks about his phone conversation with the new member of Power Producer Mastermind. (5:57)
David explains that he struggles to poke holes in smaller accounts since he doesn't know the players as much as he does in the middle market. (8:32)
David mentions that he hasn't done anything based on renewal cycles for a long time. (11:34)
David explains that your skillset must adjust to the account size. (20:06)
Stephen mentions that If you can get clients to talk a little bit more, and you know it's likely to be an area where they have a problem, that appointment will go 10 times better than simply rattling off questions and having them answer them. (22:00)
David believes that one of his talents is that he can go in and collect all of the information he needs from someone simply by talking to them. (22:27)
Kyle mentions that he lays out the things he wants to discuss with a customer before speaking with them. (23:16)
Kyle explains how name-dropping boosts credibility. (25:06)
David explains the significance of making connections with other people, especially while at a networking event. (29:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The very first thing I do is I put the summary of coverages in the premium page in the very front of the binder. It's the first page I talk about because I know for a fact that if I don't hit that first the whole time I'm talking they're either going to be rude and disrespectful and thumbing through my binder looking for it and not listening to me.” - David Carothers
“One of the things I bring to the table is to help you avoid the mistakes that some of my other clients have made because I've been with them as they've grown through that process.” - David Carothers
“If you can start that those questions off to where they're starting to talk a little bit more and because you know that's probably going to be an area where they're going to have an issue that appointment is going to go 10 times better than you just rattling off a bunch of questions and having them answer them.” - Stephen Sedlak

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Growth Simplified with Randy Schwantz

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Randy Schwantz CEO of The Wedge Group and creator of Bignition, the simplified growth system built for independent commercial insurance agencies. Randy discusses the purpose behind Bignition and how it is helping middle-market producers grow agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Randy shares his background story and how he came up with the idea to create his new system. (3:49)
Randy explains his mindset and what made him innovate the technology that he created. (10:09)
Randy shares that his realization to think about his future was his family. (16:08)
Randy shares a chapter in his book about how difficult it is to find and hire new producers, and to have them be successful. (19:45)
Randy explains that what drives our experience drives how we see the world. (27:24)
Randy shares some of the information that they put on their database. (34:53)
Randy gives his insights about what he sees over five years for a big mission. (36:25)
Randy shares his interesting experience when they built the income database part of their system. (40:21)
Randy shares one of the principles he would like everyone to absorb which is being clear about what you want. (43:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's not how much you make, it's how much you save that builds wealth." - Randy Schwantz
"There's a lot of people who are extraordinary salespeople and don't even know they're extraordinary, but they are." - Randy Schwantz
"We in the middle market need to become better marketers, but most firms are not big enough to have a marketing person. So, I feel we need to find a way to make it easier for a producer to become a better marketer." - Randy Schwantz

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: LIVE at Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers went to Vegas for the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference, where he got a chance to jump on a podcast with a few of the best people in the industry, including Keynote Speaker, Alan Stein Jr., Shawn Eagan - Senior Vice President at Imperial PFS, Katherine Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Strate Insurance Group, Andy Phillips, Risk Manager, Motivational Speaker, Josh Gurley of HM advisors, Stephen Sedlak, President at Workcompology, Christian DeLozier, Trusted Business Risk, and Insurance Consultant at Mike Keith Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Alan Stein Jr. shares how the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference for 2022 went for him and explains how he prepares for speaking engagements and how he continues to grow in his craft. (2:11)
Andy Phillips shares what made him decide to come to Vegas aside from the conference and discusses The Playbook Podcast with David. (7:56)
Shawn Egan shares his experience at the conference and discusses premium financing. (18:26)
Katherine Smith shares her insights about having more female participants in the conference. (31:40)
Katherine Smith shares how the new business and talent marketplace are right now, as well as their differences. (39:46)
Katherine Smith explains that applicants can talk a good game all day long, but you have to test their work product before you bring them on board. (50:18)
Josh Gurley shares that this Keystone Conference has made a great difference in people's careers. (54:46)
Stephen Sedlak and Josh Gurley discuss the important role that having a coach can play in your success. (59:55)
Christian DeLozier shares his biggest takeaways from the conference and how he would apply those in reality. (1:07:18)
Josh Gurley talks about delegation. (1:11:42)
Josh Gurley, Christian DeLozier, Stephen Sedlak, and David Carothers agree that there is a greener pasture in the insurance industry. (1:14:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's been my experience that in admission of not knowing something, literally saying the words I don't know, is part of being vulnerable. And I believe vulnerability is the key not only to sales, but to leadership, to parenting, you fill in the blank." - Alan Stein Jr.
"I don't have to hide behind pretending to know everything because I certainly don't. I can share the things with you that I do know and I can be very honest about the things I don't, and we can all get better from it." - Andy Phillips
"If you are looking and you do think that making a move is the best for you don't underestimate your company's ability to counter." - Katherine Smith
"The people that had the mindset that they can do it all themselves, without any help or anything, I think that's an absurd statement." - Stephen Sedlak

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Sedlak Sessions 2

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak, author of: The Work Comp Control Effect: 7 Steps to Increase Profits Through Your Work Comp Program. Stephen discusses the purpose of the book, his writing process and shares a few of the unique ways that he has promoted the book.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen explains how he came up with the idea for his book. (3:59)
Stephen mentions that the goal of creating the book was to boost business and use it as a factor in winning new clients. (6:17)
Stephen discusses what he did to promote his book during COVID. (7:05)
David explains why people should purchase the book: The Work Comp Control Effect from Amazon. (10:31)
According to David, it is important to understand that writing a book is only the first stage; the second step is what you do once you have completed the book. (12:38)
David discusses something he did as a result of his training that he believes everyone should do. (16:34)
David explains the significance of allowing someone to speak about their company and what they need from you. (22:29)
Stephen shares how he has promoted his book. (25:38)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody's got a story. Everybody can connect you with somebody, everybody knows somebody. So everybody's a prospect in my eyes.” - Stephen Sedlak
“I've always been a huge proponent of producers, blogging, and creating content in a microenvironment. And that's an easy thing to do. It trains the producer, it creates a habit, but it also gives them credibility.” - David Carothers
“I think that it's also important to know that actually writing the book is just the first step. The other step is what do you do after the fact.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Confidence Code with Dawnyel Smink

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dawnyel Smink, President of Canyon Lands Insurance. Dawnyel shares strategies that have contributed to her agency’s success in commercial lines, how they are building a network of agencies, and offers her perspective on how the industry has changed for women over the years.

Episode Highlights:

Dawnyel shares her backstory and what led her to the insurance industry. (2:44)
Dawnyel explains what it was like to start up the commercial division of her agency from the ground up. (6:58)
Dawnyel shares that you need to let your client talk, and if you are not sure about the answer let them know. (10:36)
Dawnyel shares that her business analogy is always related to a sports team to get clients. (15:01)
Dawnyel describes what she was seeing 20 years ago for women being part of the industry. (19:20)
Dawnyel shares her perspective of women versus men. (27:40)
Dawnyel explains the advantages and differences between a small agency and a big agency. (34:04)
Dawnyel talks about the network of agencies that she is a part of. (33:26)
Dawnyel shares her favorite golf course that she has played and has even won in 2017. (41:06)
Dawnyel shares a part of their project called Declaration of Independence and what it is about. (43:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I just, they want to be heard, the business owners, they want you to talk less. And honestly, I feel like we talk more trying to prove ourselves, and then we talk them out of wanting to do business with us. " - Dawnyel Smink
"I want to see us dominate and part of growing CLI in the group that we have is that we can start helping impact that change. And I can do it at a level that I feel is sustainable for me." - Dawnyel Smink
"If an agency, if I'm talking with them, and I always say, 'Is your ego in the way or is your ego out of the way, and if their egos are out of the way, I can work with them." - Dawnyel Smink

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Bonds in a Zip with Zach Mefferd

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Ryan Mathisen of GloveBox, interview Zach Mefferd, Co-Founder at ZipBonds. Zach explains the importance of giving your clients access to a bonding capacity and how ZipBonds is working to help agents provide that access in a simple and intuitive way.

Episode Highlights:

Zack discusses different sports events with David and Ryan. (3:47)
Zack shares his background story about what made him decide to pursue this path with ZipBonds. (10:36)
Zack explains how ZipBonds was able to bring in different carriers with the mindset of how they can help them. (16:28)
Zach shares the most important things we should remember about surety bonds. (21:09)
Zack explains what they call the zip score which is integrated into the API, to understand bonding capacity better. (26:22)
Zack shares how he exactly built the things he did as a commercial producer. (32:48)
Zack explains that there are a lot of Virtual Assistants you can hire and help you grow your business. (37:25)
Zack shares that people won't understand the stress of being an entrepreneur unless they do it. (42:16)
Zack shares that he thinks everyone in the industry is or has already been adapting to the new technology. (53:26)
Zach shares their plans and focuses on different connections for ZipBonds this year. (57:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you lead with surety, or find a way to help people get access to a bonding capacity that they didn't have prior or let them at least know that they can be bonded, because a lot of them don't, that's stickier than anything else." - Zach Mefferd
"You don't have to be the most polished, your pitch doesn't have to be elaborate. You just have to put in the work and be consistent." - Zach Mefferd
"I think it's really hard to understand all the stresses of being an entrepreneur, whether it's insurance or anything else without actually doing it." - Zach Mefferd

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Sedlak Sessions 1

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak, the Vice President of Schmale Insurance Agency. Stephen talks about how he gets new business and how his experience with ADP helped prepare him for what he does now.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen shares his background. (3:17)
What is one thing Stephen still uses now that he would not have gotten if he hadn't been with the training? (5:23)
Stephen explains how using humor can help win an appointment. (7:23)
Stephen discusses why he prefers face-to-face interactions more than phone calls. (9:03)
Stephen mentions that cold calling is still one of the primary ways he gets new clients. (17:48)
What is Stephen's favorite icebreaker? (19:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One of my biggest drivers of how I still get new businesses is cold calling and it's been 10 years I've been in the game and cold calling or cold drops, however you want to look at it, is still a big part of how I do it.” - Stephen Sedlak
“If you're going to wait for everything to come to you, you'll go dead, you’ve got to go out and find it and bring it in.” - Stephen Sedlak
“You don't have to be a full on comedian, you just need a kind of icebreaker, to get them to talk with you and relate with you as a person not to somebody coming in there trying to sell them something.” Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

One City World Tour 2023 with Bradley Flowers

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bradley Flowers, Founder of Portal Insurance & Co-Host of The Insurance Guys Podcast. Bradley tells us all about the upcoming One City World Tour, including its purpose, the roster of speakers, and the activities that conference attendees can anticipate.

Episode Highlights:

Bradley notes that they opted to have the event during the week, on January 18th and 19th, so that guests may still enjoy their family day on the weekends. (9:03)
David explains that the most difficult part of organizing a conference is keeping everyone's attention and keeping them interested throughout. (10:44)
Bradley shares some of the challenges of being a speaker and one speaker he thinks is really effective. (17:25)
Bradley mentions that they made a mistake last year by having too many speakers and not leaving enough time for networking, so they're doing the opposite this year. (20:42)
David mentions that CoverWhale has been very effective for his agency. (31:25)
Bradley shares how he advises his team to respond when a client is upset with them. (43:42)
Bradley provides more details about the speakers and vendors who will be at the One City Conference. (46:01)
Bradley talks about how they tried to get Joe Rogan to come to the One City Conference. (48:09)
Bradley explains how they created a solution for agents writing pet insurance, making it easy to write with a competitive commission. (51:51)
Bradley shares that he always seeks to cover families since, historically, families purchase additional lines of insurance. (57:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One mistake we made last year is we had so many speakers that we did not leave enough room for networking. So this year, we're kind of doing the opposite. And we were purposefully having networking times and that sort of thing. We've got some pretty cool ideas and stuff that's gonna give some people who don't come to some serious FOMO. So it'll be a lot of fun.” - Bradley Flowers
“The reason a lot of people want to insure families is because traditionally, typically, families have extra lines of insurance they buy.” - Bradley Flowers
“I tell my team all the time, if somebody's upset with you, don't get offended. Like, don't let them cuss you out. To me, that's like the bar. But you’ve got to let them vent a little bit. Everybody hates insurance. Even me, right?“ - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned:

It's Launch Time with Elliot Bassett

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Elliot Bassett, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Ellerbrock-Norris. Elliot shares how he developed "Launch", a new tool for producers that fills a significant need in the industry and is critical for any producer or agency owner to consider.

Episode Highlights:

Elliot explains that Ellerbrock-Norris is a 116-year-old company in Nebraska that implemented a new kind of sales procedure six or seven years ago. (3:37)
Elliot mentions that those in insurances used to be able to differentiate themselves with a different carrier or a different program but that no longer is the case. (11:25)
Elliot explains that agency owners and producers must focus on the value they provide outside of the insurance product. (17:54)
Elliot shares that asking a better question will lead to an opportunity to add value. (21:12)
Elliot mentions that he sees a lot of firms who want to improve their defined sales process, create more consistency, and know that by doing so, they will be able to differentiate and win more business from their clients. (26:32)
Elliot explains how individuals should think about risk in terms of cyber security, as well as how they should think about onboarding and recruiting procedures. (35:08)
Elliot discusses how to quantify the client's risk and the importance of making it tangible. (47:45)
Elliot mentions that the premium is often viewed as the scorecard by policyholders and shares why it’s important to give them something else to use as a scorecard. (53:01)
Elliot argues that client preparation is an important factor in the sales process that is sometimes disregarded. (58:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's just getting the message out of what we're doing. We feel like we've built something that's pretty cool that solves a pretty big need in the industry that people outside of us have.” - Elliot Bassett
“We need to focus around, what is the value we're bringing outside of the insurance product? Because as we just said, you know, outside of maybe Erie and auto owners, the carrier's not the differentiator anymore, we have to build our value props.” - Elliot Bassett
“I'm always happy to jump on and talk to people about, you know, the sales process in general about Launch. I just love getting this message out. I think it's where the industry is going. I think we all need to be working towards that in our industry and looking forward to any of those discussions we want to have. ” - Elliot Bassett

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Ware Sessions 3

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal discuss their better halves’ successes and motivations, and the importance of being coachable.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal asks David if her wife’s success drives him to compete better. (1:49)
David and Kyle share what they see in their wives that makes them think they are going to be successful in insurance. (6:19)
Kyle shares that coaching and being coachable play a big part in life. (11:03)
David shares about his time coaching sports for 3 seasons. (13:35)
David asks Crystal what led her to believe that she will be successful in insurance and what advice she would share to other women looking to get into the industry. (18:52)
David tells a story about his wife’s marathon experience. (20:06)
Crystal gives her advice to females that have just started in the industry. (23:45)
David states that he believes skills are completely transferable. (25:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Help them come to the conclusion, but don't tell them...that's the way people learn and grow. And that's what we have to do as good mentors, good bosses, good agency owners.” Crystal Ware
“If you can commit and make a plan, it's goal orientation. 100%. Anybody can complete a marathon. You have to be willing to do the work to get there. “ - Crystal Ware
“I want them to make decisions and understand the consequences and rewards that come from decisions.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Building Wealth Through Short Term Rentals with Culin Tate

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Christopher Culin Tate, Real Estate Investor and Author. Culin shares a few of the proven strategies from his book, Host Coach, aimed to help individuals be successful in short-term rental investment.

Episode Highlights:

Culin describes himself as a serial entrepreneur who has owned businesses such as manufacturing and software, but his interest in real estate made him devoted to real estate investing in 2018. (2:39)
Culin shares that he saw an opportunity with Airbnb because of their small cabin, which was originally intended for family, but later allowed their friends to stay, as well as friends of friends that quickly became fully booked. (5:28)
Culin discusses the importance of going the extra mile, thinking like a business person, and thinking like you're in the hospitality industry in order to make your listing perfect. (12:14)
Culin talks aobut not accepting one-night reservations and shares two effective strategies for convincing guests to book for more than one night. (18:29)
Culin explains that having multiple platforms is not recommended as it results in fewer views. (21:24)
Culin advises people interested in investing in real estate to find their way and understand how it will fit their particular passion. (31:48)
Culin encourages listeners to subscribe to a tool called AirDNA, which will assist them in determining whether or not a market is viable. (35:43)
Culin encourages people who are looking to buy a home to find an agent who can help them research things like regulations at the state, county, municipality, or even HOA level information. (41:31)
Culin discusses how he came up with the idea of organizing his 90-minute outline for a presentation that shares real-life stories and processes for finding a property step by step, which became the outline for his book. (43:33)
Culin shares how private and public rental feedback can differ from guests. (48:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The most profitable properties are going to be the ones to get booked the most. And to get booked the most, you’ve got to get shown the most." - Christopher Culin Tate
"Don't chase the hot market. Chase your passion, chase where you would like to go and spend some time." - Christopher Culin Tate
"The tips and tricks that we do to scale our business, it's all in there and we wrote it. Like anybody who has written a book, you don't make millions of dollars selling books, you help people and it gives you a good platform to help more people." - Christopher Culin Tate

Resources Mentioned:

How to be Prominent with Jason Rodriguez

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Rodriguez, CEO and the Owner of Prominent Insurance Service. Jason discusses why he chose a franchise model to expand his agency and how they are providing opportunities for minorities to join the industry in the process.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains that his transportation company is what brought him into the insurance industry. (4:12)
Jason discusses the difficulties he faced when he first started out in the insurance industry, and what he did to build relationships with his clients and earn their business. (9:45)
Jason explains that he had no idea chargeback was such a big deal in the insurance industry at first. (11:47)
Jason shares why he would choose franchising over simply opening new offices in other areas. (18:02)
Jason discusses the factors that make it difficult for minorities to enter the middle market and how he is trying to help increase diversity in that sector. (25:46)
Jason explains that they are currently focused on areas they know they can win but as their firm grows and their resources expand, they will be able to go after larger businesses with more success. (33:40)
Jason discusses what to consider when opening a franchise for a well-known insurance company. (37:45)
Jason mentions that the key to starting a franchise is to be on the same playing field and have the same mindset. (40:25)
Jason expresses his desire to build and create communities, as well as to give the insurance industry more leverage and raise awareness of how good the insurance industry is. (42:06)
Jason advises those interested in entering the insurance industry to find a mentor who is willing to provide accurate information and guide them. (46:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I was a scratch agency, just an entrepreneur with no prior mentorship. And, I know the hurdles I had to go over, what I had to be able to obtain, and get to where I'm at today." - Jason Rodriguez
"When you know you are the minority in America and everybody else is doing business, it's really difficult sometimes to get them to understand, like, hey, we can do the same thing that they can do, just give us a shot, let us perform, and deliver on the promises that we say we're going to deliver." - Jason Rodriguez
"As we grow our firm and get bigger and bigger with resources, then we can probably go after those and have more success. But, right now we’re just gonna concentrate on where we know we can get some wins." - Jason Rodriguez

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Ware Sessions 2

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal discuss their motivations, goals, fears, and challenges in their journey.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal believes that making money as a motive is not a bad thing. (3:15)
David talks about his goal setting and motivation. (3:36)
Crystal explains why she decided to start her own agency with David. (3:35)
David says that from an entrepreneurial perspective, he’s absolutely fearless. (9:15)
David states that he is a competitive person. (13:45)
Crystal talks about her fear when it comes to producing. (15:37)
Crystal gives advice to anybody interested in opening a solely personal line, boutique agency. (20:22)
Crystal discusses the difficulties she has encountered on her path. (21:21)
David explains why he thinks that if you're responsible for a larger team, it's easier. (24:48)
Crystal talks about how difficult it is to hire employees. (26:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I don't think it's wrong to set goals for material things if you're going to reward yourself for doing your job at a very high level.” - David Carothers
“From an entrepreneurial perspective, I am absolutely fearless. I will try anything.” - David Carothers
“Hiring can be a challenge. You’ve always just got to keep your eyes open and be ready when a good person is available.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

Developing the Entrepreneur Within with Sean Castrina

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Sean Castrina, the host of The Ten Minute Entrepreneur podcast and best-selling author and entrepreneur. Sean talks about his writing process and shares valuable insight into becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Episode Highlights:

Sean introduces himself and shares a bit about his background. (1:13)
Sean explains that writing books has allowed him to examine what has worked and failed in his businesses and share that with others. (4:47)
David shares about his online ecosystem that trains commercial insurance producers, as well as the importance of writing a business plan. (10:17)
Sean explains how to conduct interviews and how communication is the key to success. (13:10)
Sean and David discuss that in order to be successful, you need to think in a different way than most people think because millionaires have the same mindset and that is why they achieve success. (17:46)
Sean recalls a speech he gave at a college, where he advised the graduating students to do two things in order to become millionaires later in life. (21:16)
Sean shares his experience of the first time he witnessed obscene wealth. (28:06)
Sean discusses an experience he had in college as a wrestling athlete, the pain he went through, and what he did to overcome it. (29:13)
David mentions that the experience Sean went through is what led to his mentality to be successful as an entrepreneur. (34:09)
Sean and David discuss a book by Chris Voss titled "Never Split the Difference". (36:00)
Sean shares with listeners how they can get a free copy of his book, 8 Unbreakable Business Rules for Business Startup Success. (40:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that the type of person dictates the great degree of the success that any organization will have." - Sean Castrina
"If you can communicate well, like, you know, in entrepreneurship, wow. You know, it changes the game because you're constantly, you know, either selling and or resolving conflict." - Sean Castrina
"I speak at colleges. And I always tell them, listen, every single person in this audience, you know… I can make you a millionaire if you just do two things. Now, I'm not going to make you a millionaire in 10 years, but I can guarantee that I'll make you a millionaire." - Sean Castrina

Resources Mentioned:

Our Greatest Resource with The Team at Mineral

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Nathan Christensen, CEO of Mineral, and Diane Haines, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Mineral. Nathan and Diane talk about how Mineral is using technology, content, and expertise to provide innovative HR and compliance solutions to their partners and clients.

Episode Highlights:

Nathan shares his background and what Mineral is all about. (2:30)
Nathan explains why they decided to rebrand in order to capitalize on their strengths while merging two companies. (7:25)
Nathan explains that the goal for naming the company Mineral was to be an essential ingredient in the success of both their partners and customers. (11:10)
Nathan shares his excitement for their "Mineral Intelligence" product, which provides clients with predictive, personalized insight. (15:24)
Nathan explains compliance has become increasingly important in the industry and technology is starting to catch up and solve it. (19:03)
Diane shares that they chose to focus on safety products to keep their customers, who are small and medium-sized businesses, safe and secure. (26:32)
Diane mentions that they still offer both resources and guidance in HR and compliance but are now integrated with added safety features. (28:57)
Diane explains that having access to an expert can help clients feel more comfortable. (32:51)
Diane mentions some of the focus that they have in the future for HR compliance is centered around local policies and employee engagement. (39:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We are an essential ingredient for both our partner and our customer success. And we are working every day to help them build healthier organizations." - Nathan Christensen
"The more complex this compliance environment gets, that's where we're really going to dig in, you're going to see us really try to get ahead of that for our partners and clients so that they're not caught on the back foot." - Diane Haines
"The next frontier for our company is predictive, personalized insight for clients, a product we call Mineral Intelligence." - Nathan Christensen

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Ware Sessions 1

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal share insight into the power and importance of having more women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David shares insights about earning a great weekend. (1:26)
David discusses how things are when he is not at work. (4:17)
Crystal explains why there are so few women working in the insurance industry. (10:11)
David explores the issue of women and minorities working as producers in the insurance industry. (16:31)
Crystal explains how she overcame adversity to get her dream job. (19:26)
David tells a story about his time at the St. Louis airport. (22:36)
David went into detail about how he chose The Protégé. (24:42)
Crystal responds to the question of who is the best teacher and who is more patient in her household. (28:26)
Female success in the sector is highlighted by David and Crystal. (29:30)
David summarizes the importance of minority and female producers to be part of the industry. (31:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Ladies, just stand up and raise your hand. And don't be afraid to say I'm going to give this a whirl and seek out mentors, seek out people to help shepherd you and say, “This is what I want to do.” Honestly, that's what I've done throughout my career.” - Crystal Ware
“If your perspective is right, and you focus on the content that makes up the person, you know, whether they're male or female is really kind of irrelevant.” - David Carothers
“I want to run a show where those people will feel comfortable to apply because they have the right skill set and the drive to achieve it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

From Slapshots to Slaying the Commercial Game with Steve Munn

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Steve Munn of MAI Risk Advisors. Steve discusses how they have developed their company culture at MAI Risk Advisors and offers advice for new producers entering the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares about his background growing up in Western Canada. (2:21)
Steve explains he didn’t start in the insurance industry, and the first actual job he had was selling industrial supplies. (10:51)
Steve mentions that one of the biggest surprises for him after entering the insurance industry was the difficulty of the job at first, but as he learned, he just aimed to keep getting better. (16:10)
Steve shares that one thing he learned from playing sports that he applied in the industry was to build a great relationship with his team. (19:22)
Steve mentions that one of the most difficult challenges in terms of office culture is finding the right people. (24:31)
Steve shares that their current business profile at the agency is 80% commercial wich includes niches like real estate developers, churches, construction, nonprofits and private schools. (26:36)
Steve discusses the concept of the Industrial Network Group, a group he established for the manufacturing and industrial sectors. (29:50)
Steve encourages people who are new to the producer role or are just starting out in the industry to invest in themselves and keep learning. (37:54)
Steve explains that we've done our industry a huge disservice by teaching people to shop based on price where everyone is looking only at the bottom line and not at the actual details of what is and isn’t included in the policy. (45:16)
Steve mentions that they are currently working on creating social media marking videos. (49:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I really focus on my relationships with my account managers. I always express gratitude. I always thank them, you know, whether it's a huge deal or a small deal. It's still important. I try and be a good teammate." - Steve Munn
"I love connecting people. I love opening doors for people. It's fun to see other people succeed and you know, eventually, they return the favor, hopefully." - Steve Munn
"I want to be the guy my team relies on, right? And so, getting, doubling and tripling down on educational work really kind of gave me a lot of confidence." - Steve Munn

Resources Mentioned:

Living on LinkedIn with Walt Goshert

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Walt Goshert, Insurance LinkedIn Expert and Independent Marketing Consultant. Walt discusses using the power of LinkedIn to build relationships and close sales and why it’s important to shift your mindset from chasing clients to attracting clients.

Episode Highlights:

Walt discusses his transition from being a broker to helping salespeople be more prominent on LinkedIn. (2:45)
Walt mentions that one opportunity you can get from LinkedIn is the ability to build a great relationship and close a sale. (10:31)
Walt explains that it is important to set the stage before asking any expectation questions to a client because otherwise, you would be viewed as a salesperson rather than an advisor. (15:15)
Walt mentions that when it comes to prospecting, the thing that repels people more than anything is seeing the desperation in an agent. (22:42)
Walt mentions that the proper mindset in this business is not to chase clients but to attract them instead. (28:34)
Walt explains that even if CEOs and CFOs are not interacting on LinkedIn, that does not mean that they are not paying attention. (34:56)
Walt shares that one of the sole reasons he invested in Sales Navigator is to know how much the content is resulting in profile visits. (44:45)
Walt mentions that knowing your market, building content by commenting, and doing it consistently are three things salespeople should do on LinkedIn. (50:15)
Walt explains the funnel strategy in creating content for a buyer's journey, and that is awareness, solution, and why they should hire you. (55:59)
Walt shares that he thinks that LinkedIn is becoming more of a factor in the middle market, and it is the perfect time to create content for this market. (59:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

"With LinkedIn, or online, you have the ability to communicate one to many. You're able to leverage what you know, what your authority is, and how you can create value." - Walt Goshert
"It's a case of taking that extra two minutes and doing it, you know, dropping in some comments before you do the connection request, send that after they connect, send that voice note or a video with a welcome message, so you stand out in their inbox as a real person." - Walt Goshert
“I think it kind of diminishes the value of the relationship, you know, it doesn't position you as that authority as that trusted authority, if you're constantly in the chase mode.” - Walt Goshert

Resources Mentioned:

Our Best Cyber Hack

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

It’s Cyber Awareness Month and in this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck share their Number 1 hack for writing Cyber in bulk.

Episode Highlights:

David explains that Managed Services Providers "MSP’s" are one of the areas where we have the ability to generate opportunities right now. (2:11)
Kyle believes that there are a number of MSP’s that assume they know more than everyone else just because they are IT professionals who understand how things operate and how to defend themselves. (3:36)
Kyle shares his observation that several MSPs perform a variety of other things, such as installing security cameras, alarm systems, key fobs, and gate stuff. (6:45)
David explains that KPA is significant because it has a certificate-tracking function, and utilizing a certificate as a lead source is important. (8:28)
David mentions that we simply need to take a breather and look around to find opportunities to write new business. (13:06)
David discusses that the number one hack for writing cyber in bulk is to review the master services agreement for managed services providers or anybody else and inform them that your risk management recommendation is that their clients have Cyber. (14:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“People, if you're not using certificates as a lead source, you are missing the boat.” - David Carothers
“We just got to stop and breathe and look around. If we do, we're going to find every opportunity we can to write new business, and that is it.” - David Carothers
“Review the Master Services Agreement for Managed Services Providers or anybody else. Tell them that your risk management recommendation that their clients have cyber and sit back and let the leads roll in." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

A Keystone Guy from the Keystone State with Tyler Reitz

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tyler Reitz, Vice President of Commercial Lines at Bowman's Insurance Agency. Tyler shares the perspective he gained from working in underwriting and how that has helped him find common ground with underwriters now that he is on the agency side.

Episode Highlights:

Tyler shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (2:44)
Tyler mentions that he has been able to build a relationship with underwriters that helps him in the business. (11:19)
Tyler explains that a lot of agencies are pushing to get the business on the books while missing out on making it attractive to underwriters. (14:43)
Tyler mentions that Bowman's Insurance Agency focuses on a wide variety of programs in municipalities, but the goal this year is to target larger accounts. (22:20)
Tyler describes his experience with an underwriter and advises someone new to the industry to do research and always know what to look for upfront. (25:40)
Tyler recalls a time when he was on the underwriting side of things in a broker record situation with five agents. (30:43)
Tyler shares that he has learned a lot of things since moving from a producer role to a partnership role. (39:27)
Tyler explains that anybody that wants to take over an agency wants to make changes in certain areas from the way things were done and make it better. (45:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think anybody taking over an agency would like to make definite changes in certain areas from the way things were done. I feel like that's the reason why you tried to want to take over an agency because you wanted to improve upon it." - Tyler Reitz
"I'm more of a generalist. Now, do I have some industries that I do very well in? Absolutely, where it's just kind of by association and working on referrals." - Tyler Reitz
"In the past, I was only focused on my book and doing what I needed to do for my clients. Now there's a whole other aspect of, now, you got all the different things of employees, all the administrative that comes with running an agency that takes up a lot of time. There's a lot more moving parts. So, that's the biggest learning curve for me." - Tyler Reitz

Resources Mentioned:

It Feels Like The First Time with Rob Schmidt

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rob Schmidt, Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development at Seltzer Group Partners. Rob discusses what Seltzer Group Partners is and how being a member of Keystone Insurance Group allows them to provide their clients with high-quality solutions and services through its network of reliable business partners.

Episode Highlights:

Rob shares his background and how he got to where he is today. (3:30)
Rob shares a story about a client's employee on a trucking company that had an accident and a denied claim. (6:31)
Rob explains that the Seltzer Group Partners is structured as 60% commercial, 30% personal, and 10% benefits. (13:38)
Rob mentions that some of the challenges they have faced this year are related to software, hardware, and supply chain issues. (17:31)
Rob shares more information about how it works to be a Keystone agency partner. (21:11)
Rob discusses how they have used the Culture Wise platform to establish what they believe in and what they want to do everyday. (25:27)
Rob believes that the process of bringing a newly acquired agency to the company usually starts with the management team going to the new company for meet and greet sessions. (32:00)
Rob explains the challenges of continuing to meet organic growth goals when you are acquiring agencies. (34:10)
Rob mentions that one way of persuading prospects to get involved is to explain the niche programs you have and their benefits and to build relationships. (36:10)
Rob believes that the industry needs more insurance agencies that have great salespeople that also want to succeed. (41:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I always like to educate my customers... And it's amazing that nine times out of ten, they look at you like they've never been told this and they've been in business for decades. You know, you go in and you just explain to them. It's helpful.” - Rob Schmidt
“Keystone agency partners, I like the partnership word of it, because it really is a partnership…Every agency that becomes part of KAP, their situation can all be set different." - Rob Schmidt
“So you know, the agency side will build the relationships, you're trying to get the customers in the door. At carrier side, the good carriers, build those relationships with their agents as well.” - Rob Schmidt

Resources Mentioned:

Be a Problem Solver

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how important it is to solve problems instead of selling a product because as prospects share information, the higher the chances are of being able to close a sale.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he’s beginning to believe that many agents do not understand how to identify and solve problems their prospects have. (3:37)
David explains how to increase your ability to close a sale by identifying the problems that you could solve for prospects instead of simply selling an insurance product. (9:27)
David mentions that it is important to have an outline to avoid any complications and misunderstandings. (11:56)
David explains that if you’re not getting the support you need from your agency, then you should go work for a different agency. (16:11)
Kyle talks about how agents can lead their prospects down the path of discovery by dictating the line of questioning. (21:34)
Kyle explains that explaining too much about the technical side of things to the prospect can make them feel overwhelmed. (24:07)
David shares one of the mass marketing videos that he finds to be very effective. (25:06)
David and Kyle explain how important it is to always follow up with your prospects, as it is very rare to have a sale on the initial pitch. (28:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you're not getting that kind of support, go work for a different agency. You know, I mean, I hate to say that, but that's number one." - David Carothers
"I think people have a hard time identifying how to figure out the problems. And the thing is, part of the issue is, the only solution has been to sell them insurance right?" - David Carothers
"So many times we talk about it, we beat it to death about how people are worried about selling a product instead of solving a problem." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Running Point with Taylor Young

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Taylor Young, Vice President of Personal Lines at Erb and Young Insurance. Taylor talks about the mindset people need to have to succeed and shares what it was like starting his own business at a young age.

Episode Highlights:

Taylor shares his background and what led him to the insurance industry. (2:06)
Taylor shares that he had some insecurities about starting his own business when he was only 23 years old. (4:22)
Taylor explains that one thing that he was able to apply from playing basketball to running a business is to be able to help those around him be better. (13:17)
Taylor mentions that one of the topics they talked about on the Be Extraordinary Podcast was mental toughness. (18:34)
Taylor discusses the importance of having clarity in your mindset. (25:23)
Taylor talks about how great Vince Carter is at being able to recreate himself, and the process he went through to do it. (31:48)
Taylor discusses that he is currently helping the personal lines team create their structure and framework. (32:32)
Taylor shares that one thing that they were able to do based on Killing Commercial was to implement CRM. (35:30)
Taylor explains that money is an indication of progress and represents the hard work you have put in. (43:09)
Taylor advises the listeners to get out there and market because there is great value in being a marketer before a sales professional. (44:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The illusion of choice is thinking that you can get that thing by doing all these other things. The reality is that's not how it works, right? If that's what you want, and you're clear on what you want, then there are certain things that you need to do." - Taylor Young
"I always just see people in our space. I do personal lines and I just believe there's value in being a marketer before a sales professional." - Taylor Young
"The difference between forecasting and looking ahead and saying, Okay, what do my six months, year, look like? Well, that probably depends on what you want. That probably depends on how much you want." - Taylor Young

Resources Mentioned:

Culture Is Everything with Rodney Erb

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rodney Erb of Erb and Young Insurance. Rodney shares about his passion for connecting people, and discusses team development and different strategies for maintaining a great work environment, and company culture.

Episode Highlights:

Rodney shares his background in the insurance industry. (2:54)
Rodney explains that what has been fun for them at Erb and Young Insurance is that they prioritize culture over everything else. (10:47)
Rodney mentions that they handle hiring and recruiting differently because hiring is obtaining someone quickly while recruiting is looking for someone over time. (12:03)
Rodney mentions that they believe that they are a personal development company that happens to sell insurance. (16:08)
Rodney shares the moment he realized that he was not good enough to play golf for a living. (22:02)
Rodney discusses how they want to scale their commercial lines in 2023 using what they have learned from Killing Commercial. (30:49)
Rodney explains that they aim to work in fields such as service, contractors, and trucking after learning a lot about it in 2018. (35:29)
Rodney explains that on their team, their strengths and weaknesses sit right beside each other, and what makes them strong is also what makes them vulnerable. (42:01)
Rodney discusses the process they use to empower employees in their company, and how they start by concentrating on people that are coachable and have a good attitude. (48:19)
Rodney shares his thoughts about the word humility and explains that he is just a student going through the thing called life. (53:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We were team builders. We realized that we had a passion for connecting people and bringing the right people to get the right people in the seats. And that's really what's holding true today. And that's kind of where we're having most of the fun." - Rodney Erb
"Our strengths and weaknesses sit right beside each other. You know, what makes you strong is also what kind of makes you a little vulnerable. What makes you valuable is also what makes you maybe a little bit of a liability." - Rodney Erb
"We believe that the size of the leader is determined by the size of the problem that that person is equipped to handle, correct, or solve." - Rodney Erb

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Ringing the Bell with Mariah Davis

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mariah Davis, President and Owner of Oakview Insurance Services, Inc. Mariah talks about her journey from being a captive agent to an independent insurance agency owner and how she built her agency. She also shares the struggles she faced that made her stronger and better.

Episode Highlights:

How did Mariah get into the insurance business? (2:54)
Mariah mentions that when she was a captive, she didn’t know what profit-sharing was. (5:07)
What is it like for Mariah, working with her father? (5:17)
How long has Mariah been an independent insurance agent? (9:19)
What led Mariah to be an independent insurance agency owner? (9:24)
Mariah thinks that it’s essential to have district managers in the insurance industry. (10:04)
What was Mariah’s biggest challenge during her transition? (13:39)
Mariah mentions that it’s common in the insurance industry to start as a captive, then be independent. (15:25)
Mariah shares that some groups like the Mastermind and IAOA, are vital to getting the independent channel to talk to each other. (20:17)
David thinks that there’s a tipping point where people finally, were raised in a way where collaboration made more sense than it did a long time ago. (20:49)
Has Mariah’s growth been organic over the 10 years? (22:52)
Mariah mentions the Shiny Object Syndrome. (29:15)
Mariah mentions that it’s vital to change your workflow. (30:39)
Mariah shares that in December of 2019 she was diagnosed breast cancer. (35:52)
Mariah mentions that she has her struggles, but the nation is also struggling with the pandemic and the ramifications of it. (42:23)
Kyle shares a story about his newborn baby. (43:41)
How many treatments does Mariah still have to undergo, before she can ring the bell? (47:16)
What makes Mariah’s agency unique? (48:20)
What does Mariah’s strategy look like? (51:54)
Mariah mentions the Susan G. Komen Foundation. (57:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I feel like I know every position in our agency because I’ve had to be every position in our agency at one point or another. That just gives me a better understanding of what our team goes through with their chair.” – Mariah Davis
“I’ve had wonderful support, I have a wonderful spouse, and I have a wonderful support system of friends and the community. And everybody just rallied around me and so I can’t help but be positive. I am such a practical person that it was the only thing I can do. Having doubts being upset, you know, being depressed is just not that productive.” – Mariah Davis
“Everybody has a trial and tribulation. And so either we can pick up and we can keep going. Or we can just fall apart and wallow in it. And I just chose not to do that. And it’s a choice. I’m going to be positive about it. And I’m going to be this and we’re going to continue with life.” – Mariah Davis

Resources Mentioned:

Bound and Determined with Meg McKeen

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Meg McKeen, Founder & Consultant at Adjunct Advisors. Meg talks about her life as a digital nomad, how she created a virtual business, and shares the lessons she learned as a woman in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

Meg explains what a digital nomad is and her current setup for working from anywhere, as she is always on the move. (3:12)
Meg shares that the life of being a digital nomad is not easy, as it opens up different challenges along the way. (7:25)
Meg explains why she decided to start her business virtually and how it benefited her operations when COVID came. (11:33)
Meg shares that the most common issues that her clients bring up are mostly related to the misalignment of talent, timeframes, and goals from the producer back to the organization. (16:29)
Meg mentions that one thing that helped her succeed in business is knowing how to navigate a system that was not built for her. (27:29)
Meg shares that one of the most rewarding things she can do is to walk away from really nice revenue because of a values misalignment. (41:44)
Meg explains that it is important to show producers that it is okay to say no, and to be there to support them when they do. (45:37)
Meg mentions that she supports using discovery meeting calls. (53:37)
Meg advises listeners that if they are not on their way to their goal, it's not too late to change their course. (57:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The problem that I see over and over again is a misalignment of talent, timeframes, and goals from the producer back to the organization." - Meg McKeen
"Instead of trying to figure out how to play a game or navigate a system that wasn't built for you, create an entirely different one. I'm never gonna fix ‘all the problems’ that you've just highlighted in our business... What I can do is introduce some ideas, some concepts, and support for those who want to go about it differently." - Meg McKeen
"The perspective that I've had for 23 years on our business is that it's a business that wasn't built for me. So if I want to be successful in whatever, and I've been on the carrier side, I've been on the agency side, and now I'm out schlepping my own services, I have had to figure out how to navigate a system that wasn't built for me." - Meg McKeen

Resources Mentioned:

Weeding Out The Competition with Marcus Harris

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Marcus Harris, Insurance Executive at Arnold Insurance. Marcus discusses how they value their producers, clients, and company at Arnold Insurance and shares the importance of different generations in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Marcus shares his background and how he got into the insurance industry. (7:52)
Marcus talks about his marketing company, which initially started as a video production company because he loved the concept of telling stories through video. (12:04)
Marcus mentions that he initially started the insurance business when his dad offered to help him start an agency in Denver. (19:38)
Marcus explains that part of what Arnold Insurance tries to drive home for their producers is that they need to finish the job to protect their clients, the agency, and themselves. (26:08)
Marcus shares that, for him, working with his family is a blessing and rewarding as everything is an opportunity for them to work together. (28:23)
Marcus discusses his experience with Keystone. (33:34)
Marcus explains that one of the biggest challenges from his perspective of growing an agency is getting bigger clients, and the only way to do that this is to know your stuff. (38:09)
Marcus explains that you are in the right competition when you overcome others by being consistent and gladly competing with the ones that are left. (47:12)
Marcus shares how much he enjoys the rush of getting the Broker of Record. (54:10)
Marcus explains that the insurance industry needs a new generation, and it is always great to welcome people that are trying to build their careers in this industry. (56:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that's what we're trying to drive home with our producers is, hey, you've got to finish the job, you've got to protect us, protect the agency, protect yourself. And then you've also got to take the opportunity to truly educate your client, make sure they know what they have." - Marcus Harris
"Insurance is a massive industry, right? I mean, there are tons of those guys in every corner. Most of those guys you get rid of, by just being consistent. And then the guys that are left, you're glad to be competing against those guys. That means you're in the right place. " - Marcus Harris
"I think you realize that you weed out a ton of your competition by stuff that's very much in your control. And when you get to a certain level, yes, you're going to get beat by guys that can hit the ball better than you like that. Just note, they’ve just got a skill set that is different, right?" - Marcus Harris

Resources Mentioned:

Big I Oklahoma

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers goes live at the Young Agents Conference in Oklahoma with guests Julie Hamill, Ryan Smith, Bradley Owens, Jase Riggs, Trent Willis, Wes Becknell, Shania Slavick, and Krista Kautz to discuss their experiences at the conference.

Episode Highlights:

Julie Hamill shares that her favorite part of the conference is networking. (2:42)
Brad Owens mentions that he was reawakened by what David Carothers spoke about at the conference and is ready to read the book "The Dirty 130". (3:41)
Jase Riggs, Wes Becknell, and Trent Willis explain that there were a lot of great things that happened at the conference, and the real challenge is being able to apply and implement those things in real life. (10:54)
Trent Willis shares that one of the things that separate successful agency owners is that they take action. (13:46)
Trent Willis and Wes Becknell explain that attending conferences like the Young Agents Conference helps you to get better by knowing what successful people are doing. (19:46)
Shania Slavick mentions that this was one of the most successful events they have attended, especially being able to bring new attendees that are young agents. (25:26)
Krista Kautz shares the heartwarming story of her peers setting up a fundraiser for her stepmother who is battling cancer. (30:22)
David Carothers encourages all the listeners to help out and raise the target goal of the fundraiser which is $25,000. (35:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think this success is really going to be who goes back and implements what they learned, right? That's what we come to conferences and learn. But can we go back and implement it?" - Trent Willis
“We're definitely trying to battle that talent gap. And the students were so engaged and amazed at how cool this industry could be. And then the amount of connections that they're getting for potential employers. Because, anyone knows that whenever you first come out of college, it's hard for some to get a job because you're competing against other resumes with experience.”- Krista Kautz
“I think the thing that sets us apart as successful agency owners is that all of us sitting around right here, we all take action. We take the first step. We're not scared to have this conversation. We don't let fear get in our way.” - Trent Willis

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming the Protege with Sean Kirby

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Sean Kirby, from Performance Group Indiana, and contestant from The Protege season 2. Sean shares his experience on the show and the things he has been able to apply in the real world, and how he got an immunity because of his work product.

Episode Highlights:

Sean shares how he became interested in joining the Protege for season 2, after watching the first season. (3:40)
Sean explains that the relationships he gained with the other contestants on the show were a welcome surprise to him. (5:04)
Sean mentions that he had a great experience going through the challenges and how he has been able to apply them to his business. (7:45)
Sean shares how he was able to come up with the Blue Collar Blueprint, and so far has come to gain appointments from it. (9:15)
Sean explains that one of the challenges he has been faced is being too friendly and not separating the business enough to take things to the next step. (11:17)
David explains that Sean has a great team, and it's only a matter of consistency in being able to see results. (15:15)
David and Sean share some of their experiences with one of the more unique characters on the show. (21:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It made me become a bit more creative than I think I usually am, like, in a marketing sense. I've got some great coaches, so they've helped me fine tune where I fit in the marketplace and how to really build something for the customer." - Sean Kirby
"The persistence behind it, it will all pay off. I'm in the right group right now. One of them's got to hit. That's all I need." - Sean Kirby
"There was nobody that I would say just nailed it every week. The people that made it through are the ones that were the most consistent in their work product, period." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Make it Equitable with John A. Borja

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Borja. John discusses building books of business and shares insight on how to tackle the challenge of attracting to new producers.

Episode Highlights:

John explains that he has been in the business for 15 years as an independent broker and has worked with three different brokers and brokerages, and this is his third time building a book of business from the ground up. (2:30)
John believes that building business books has a lot of appeals, but that the part that is hard and can be discouraging is the part where you have to fix things up. (4:39)
John explains that in California the broker owns the book of business, but principles make it hard to move. (5:54)
David explains that the way that he attracts producers, and the way that he hires producers is he makes them referral partners to his agency first. (12:29)
John explains how you may move the book of business with an agreeable attitude between your principal and yourself. (19:24)
John believes that agencies continue to make it difficult for producers to move on to other organizations, both at the regional and national levels. (22:52)
John explains how crucial it is for producers going forward to know what is negotiable up front. (25:22)
John mentions that he likes The Power Producers Podcast's intro because it is very relevant to the lifestyle of a producer. (27:54)
John discusses his decision to target and work with larger accounts. (32:04)
From a leadership standpoint, John believes it is not difficult to change, particularly if you know it will have a direct influence on your organization's income. (36:53)
John explains how he learned early on that this industry is greater than him, and that there is a lot of information out there; it's simply a question of choosing which one to emulate. (42:57)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have a little bit more knowledge on building books of businesses now at the third try then at the first try.” - John Borja
“I know that agency principals struggle with attracting new producers and I believe building books of businesses have big appeal. But at the same time, the restart or revamp stage is the part that is very, very hard. And it kind of can be discouraging.” - John Borja
“From a leadership perspective, I don't think it's difficult to evolve, especially if you know that it's going to create direct impacts with your revenue to your organization, good or bad.” - John Borja

Resources Mentioned:

The Wood Sessions 4

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss Clayton's book, The Chronic Cost, and how it can help companies with 50 to 500 employees better understand and save money in the employee benefit buying process.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the book, The Chronic Cost, was written to be concise and understandable for everybody. (3:06)
Clayton shares that the book The Chronic Cost also goes through how you can economically get to a company with 50 employees. (4:32)
Davis mentions that putting something in print that you can hand to people gives you more credibility because not everyone is into the digital age and some people would rather just read a book. (5:34)
Clayton discusses about the great feedback they have received since the book came out and how some clients got in touch with him after not hearing from them for a while. (7:59)
Clayton explains that having the goal of signing up clients for a monthly subscription has a strong connection with having recurring revenue. (11:11)
David explains that people that are looking to write a book have to integrate the traditional and digital print of their books. (13:14)
David shares how people can get a free copy of the book. (14:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We wanted to be concise to the point and make it understandable for anybody, but the book is meant for anybody in the buying process of employee benefits we target in the book." - Clayton Wood
"We're just trying to find another avenue to share our ideas with people because everybody needs to talk in a different way." - Clayton Wood
"I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the digital age that we forget, not everybody's caught up in the digital age is what we are. There are people who would prefer to just get a book and read it." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming the Protege with Ryan Smith

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Ryan Smith, a contestant on The Protege. Ryan talks about his experience on the insurance reality show, and shares some of the lessons that he has learned thus far.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan shares his background growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma and what led him to join the insurance industry. (2:48)
Ryan explains that part of his struggle in his submissions to The Protege is talking too much. (10:28)
Ryan shares that his goal is to be a fourth-generation agency owner and take the company to new heights. (12:50)
Ryan explains that having mentors through the independent agent channel has been so valuable for him. (20:39)
Ryan shares how he thinks he would be able to stand out in The Protege challenges. (28:38)
Ryan elaborates on how he is still analyzing how he can be able to be more intentional and focus on the words he is using in a strategic way. (31:15)
David reveals that one of the things he was looking for was to see how many people would contact Josh Gurley. (38:47)
Ryan explains how contestants connect with each other and bond every episode. (43:09)
Ryan shares that the interaction with the coaches and friends that root for him has been the most motivating experience for him. (47:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Ultimately, my goal is to be the fourth generation agency owner, Smith and Sons. And I mean, I'm a part owner already, but I want to take this generation of the business to new places to new heights." - Ryan Smith
"Having mentors, you know, through the independent agent channel, has been so valuable for me talking with people like Beaux Pilgrim, Jason Cass, and Mike Crowley." - Ryan Smith
"Insurance agents are not just old guys sitting around with fishing poles holding the dollar over you and saying, ‘Oh, gotcha’. You know, there's really a lot of excitement and a lot of fun that can be had in this industry." - Ryan Smith

Resources Mentioned:

A New Way to Aggregate with Kenny Urbania

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Kenny Urbania, Chief Executive Officer at The Agency Collective. Kenny discusses The Agency Collective's desire to help not only in the growth of agencies but also in the development of a leader. Kenny also shares the structure they have at The Agency Collective for agents in terms of commissions and bonuses.

Episode Highlights:

Kenny shares his background story and discusses his 24 years of experience in the insurance industry. (2:05)
Kenny explains that The Agency Collective is more of a professional service business or agent co-op where they make a collective effort to put their premiums together in order to get better deals for the agencies and better bonuses for the agents. (6:05)
Kenny shares that in most situations, they do not charge anybody to join them, unless they want to get their premium right away. (12:27)
Kenny mentions that they monitor loss rates because they never want to touch commissions in order to provide agents 100% commission. (16:13)
Kenny shares that The Agency Collective is structured in a manner that they strive to pay agents as much as possible while still being the best partners with carriers. (22:41)
Kenny explains the importance of renegotiating the compensation levels and bonuses for the agents every year. (28:18)
Kenny shares that in addition to personal lines they also have commercial lines, life & financial, and they try to run on all platforms. (30:54)
Kenny shares one of his favorite success stories of a captive agent that broke free and took only 9 months with The Agency Collective to surpass the income he was making after 10 years. (43:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We never want to touch commissions, we want to give the agents 100% of the commissions. We work on contingency and bonuses. And that's one of the reasons why we watch loss ratios." - Kenny Urbania
"The bottom line is it's all about the revenue you can bring to your agency and the profitability and working together with the right person." - Kenny Urbania
"We all sell boxes, some are bigger, some are smaller, I don't care how big the agency is, or how small the agency is, there's nobody that gets treated differently." - Kenny Urbania

Resources Mentioned:

The Wood Sessions 3

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. They discuss pharmacy benefits and how they work in the P&C world and why P&C agencies should have a conversation with their clients about benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that the purpose of this series of episodes is to help P&C brokers and listeners understand that cross-selling may add an extra revenue stream to their business. (3:42)
Clayton defines a pharmacy benefit manager in the industry. (4:22)
Clayton discusses the importance of having a transparent pharmacy benefit manager. (7:30)
Clayton mentions that some health care plans have a brilliant marketing strategy, but it is only to make employees pay more. (14:28)
David explains to the listeners why service fees are valuable. (19:13)
Clayton explains that in the P&C world, prescriptions are a problem for small businesses with 50 to 150 employees, and it will be one of their largest percentages of claims. (21:37)
David believes that any P&C agency that does not even discuss benefits with its clients, whether they sell them or not, is allowing someone else to come in and have that conversation. (23:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What we're doing here on this four-episode series or more, if we decide to do more is just to help the P&C brokers, the audience of this podcast, just understand, that there is a way to add an extra revenue stream to their business by cross-selling.” - Clayton Wood
“Putting a pharmacy benefit manager that's transparent in is really important. Nowadays, there's a special term for them, they're called pass through PBM’s, which means they don't add any spread to the drugs, and they pass on 100% of the rebates.” - Clayton Wood
“Any P&C agency out there right now, that is not even having a conversation with their clients about benefits, whether they sell them or not, is opening up an opportunity for somebody else to come in and have that conversation.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming the Protege with John Lyons

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Lyons from Insurance One. John talks about his experience being on The Protege, and the takeaways that he was able to apply in his agency.

Episode Highlights:

John shares his background in the industry and his niches before joining The Protege. (2:46)
John discusses the benefits of working with mentors who have experience in the subject as opposed to following a book. (7:54)
John shares that educating your clients and prospects is the main priority of our job as agents. (12:42)
John illustrates how everything in our lives affects us and imparts knowledge to us that we might not have otherwise acquired. (17:40)
David explains that his main responsibility is to make everyone he encounters feel wonderful. (19:31)
John shares that the biggest surprise he had from joining the show was that it forced him to execute, moving from the idea phase to the execution phase. (26:35)
John explains that the thing he kept saying to his team was to do the work, since they had decided to sign up for the challenge. (30:53)
John mentions that his activities outside of the curriculum have been quite successful, and he has conferences and specializations that he has created. (35:10)
John encourages listeners to do two things: first, find a way to learn from someone with industry experience right away, and second, learn when to quit. (38:55)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You got to have the wherewithal to understand the stuff that you do, and then take it, twist it, and put it into the peg that I'm doing, right?" - John Lyons
"I think everything that we do, and everything we're a part of in life kind of mimics each other and will always teach us things that you know, we may not have thought." - John Lyons
"Immediately find ways to get education from someone who's been in the business that's been doing it longer than you whether that's a mentor or you find a podcast or you find something where you can get educated very quickly. " - John Lyons

Resources Mentioned:

Hangin with Sir Charles with Charles McDade

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Charles McDade, Agency Owner at McDade Insurance Brokerage Group. Charles discusses the ways in which his brokerage assists their clients in lowering their financial risk and saving money.

Episode Highlights:

Charles explains that he decided to create his own brokerage because he needed a little more independence and the option to put clients in the best possible situation. (3:03)
Charles explains how he used Google review to grow their personal lines. (12:23)
David shares why he thinks you should lead with umbrella when writing personal lines. (18:08)
Charles compares entrepreneurship to waking up in a smoke-filled room every morning and knowing that if just you sit there, you aren’t going to make it, you have to continue to push, move and figure things out. (21:12)
Charles explains that they've only been able to flow and expand by shifting their marketing technique to be either educational or memorable. (22:55)
David discusses how they are hammering the CRM with personal and commercial leads. (28:16)
Charles explains that eliminating humanity from the workplace is a bad idea no matter who you are. (37:22)
Charles believes that they've done over 150k from insurance reels in the previous three weeks. (39:27)
Charles believes many individuals don't realize the potential consequence of bad understanding is important to every conversation. (48:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

“For us, the only way that we've been able to kind of flow and kind of grow this stuff is kind of transitioning marketing style a bit to where we're doing kind of twofold, either educating the client or being highly memorable.” - Charles McDade
“Removing humanity from the workplace is a bad idea, no matter who you are. People don't buy from nameless, faceless robots.” - Charles McDade
“Reels have been a lot more usable. I mean, in the last three weeks, I think we've done about 150,000 on insurance reels now.” - Charles McDade

Resources Mentioned:

The Wood Sessions 2

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how claims are paid in the industry and how C.B. Wood Financial is helping brokers deliver savings.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton explains that some clients and employees who go to the doctor to get a prescription or have surgery or imaging don't know how much their claim will cost until they get the EOB. (2:31)
Clayton discusses the several factors of how claims are priced. (3:09)
Clayton highly recommends Marshall Allen's book: Never Pay the First Bill because it provides a clear idea of how claims are paid in the industry. (8:27)
Clayton explains C.B. Wood Financial's big win-win solution for its clients, which has been a huge success. (9:40)
David mentions that finding individuals who are specialists in things you don't know about, in areas of coverage that you don't represent every day, will lead to significant changes in your book of business. (13:50)
David explains that he was never interested in bringing benefits into the agency because it moves too quickly (14:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Glad we could help out some of these P&C brokers, learn how to help their plans, their client's plans. And ultimately, if we can show them that there's another strategy out there, they're the hero, you know, that's what we're trying to do make your the P&C broker the hero and deliver a ton of savings” - Clayton Wood
“Find the people that are the expert in the little things that you don't know about in the areas of coverage that you don't represent every single day. And that ultimately is what's going to drive significant change in your book of business.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Innovation 2022 – A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock & Roll

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this special episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Dave Jackson, Founder of IAOA. Dave discusses the upcoming IAOA Innovation22 event in Nashville, Tennessee, including what will be different this year, what new guests can expect, and why guests return year after year.

Episode Highlights:

Dave explains that the upcoming IAOA Innovation22 will be a three-day event. (2:47)
Dave discusses the event's theme and agenda. (3:52)
Dave explains how the nomination process for choosing speakers for IAOA Innovation22. (7:09)
Dave mentions that they never have a repetition of topics, and this year's ideas are incredibly broad and diversified. (13:58)
Dave shares that 50% of their guests are repeat attendees because they return and want to see their friends once a year and the event provides a great opportunity to connect. (18:56)
Dave explains that tickets are available until October 5, the day before the event and they are producing name badges on demand, so that everyone will have theirs printed when they arrive. (20:18)
Dave informs listeners that when attendees register, they are able to donate to the scholarship fund, and this year they had enough at a value of $649 to provide 11 scholarships. (23:32)
Dave discusses their future goal of creating a nonprofit scholarship foundation. (24:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We listen to our members from past years and no breakouts so you don't have to pick, you are going to see everybody in one room for two days straight, we give you plenty of breaks, so there's not going to be a problem.” - Dave Jackson
“We have hundreds and hundreds of attendees, and almost every year, it's about 50% first timers, the other 50% are repeaters. So, those first timers jump in, and everyone I mean, everyone you know, tells them, it's going to feel like you're drinking from a firehose, because you're going to be flooded with information and knowledge.” - Dave Jackson
“What we do is we allow attendees to donate to the scholarship fund when they register. This year, we had enough at a 649 value, that was the early bird price, enough to fund 11 scholarships.” - Dave Jackson

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming the Protege with Caryn Seifert

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Caryn Seifert, President of Streamlined Business Insurance. Caryn talks about her experience on The Protege and how she is applying what she is learning in her agency.

Episode Highlights:

Caryn shares that prior to getting into the insurance industry, she was in B2B sales and management in a lot of different capacities. (3:22)
Caryn discusses the turning point that led her to start her own agency. (5:44)
Caryn mentions that making an appointment to get her agency license in Florida was her first big challenge. (12:59)
Caryn shares that the thing she hates the most about phones is it's so hard to get anybody to answer their phone today. (21:19)
Caryn discusses her motivation for joining The Protege and who her coaches are. (22:23)
Caryn discusses her biggest surprise with The Protege and what she loves about it. (27:43)
David discusses what they did differently on this year's Protege that they didn't do last year. (29:57)
Caryn discusses the challenges she faced aside from the The Protege challenges. (33:45)
Caryn mentions what she is learning from the workshops, such as the need to tweak her cold calling scripts. (41:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You can't get better if somebody's just telling you what you want to hear. I prefer brutal, honestly. So like, tell me the truth.” - Caryn Seifert
“I took this serious, I took this like this is part of my job. I mean, yeah, I want the Killing Commercial program. But I'm still going to do my best on every single challenge because I know this is going to help me build the foundation going forward.” - Caryn Seifert
“There are some things you know, as I've been going through the production, like, there are some things like, I'm finding like, I need to tweak and change some things, like my cold calling script after the workshop that you and Mick did the premiere selling one recently. I changed up my cold calling script. So I'm using something different now because of that workshop.” - Caryn Seifert

Resources Mentioned:

The Path to Professionalism with Robert Sutter

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Robert Sutter, President of Keystone Insurers Group, and Josh Gurley, Vice-President of HM Advisors, a member of the Keystone Top 20 Program. Robert and Josh talk about the ways in which Keystone is partnering with agencies to provide independent agencies with access to resources, expertise, and relationships to help them be successful long-term.

Episode Highlights:

Robert shares his background and how he got to where he is in the industry. (2:31)
Robert discusses how Keystone started 30 years ago and has grown to 16 states at this current time. (5:26)
Robert explains that their focus at Keystone is to show people three non-insurance ways of handling risk before they ever buy insurance. (13:25)
Robert shares that one of the advantages of the fee basis is the commitment of a contract for three years instead of one. (18:00)
Josh shares a story about one of the people he is coaching who couldn't make the decision. (24:39)
Robert explains and elaborates that one of the things they teach in their top 20 programs is the counterattack. (29:49)
Robert explains that he looks at two types of intentions from producer candidates for Keystone. (34:19)
Robert explains that most producers want to be technically competent about insurance but do not think about what they can afford to lose. (38:46)
Robert adds that their Top 20 program has a whole session regarding centers of influence and how to educate them. (45:57)
Josh explains the exact roadmap they use within the agency, starting with the initial marketing drop. (54:12)
Robert mentions that an online presence has to show that you provide a value that nobody else provides. (59:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I would rather have less money from you for the next 25 years than to have a lot of money from you for a year or two because I sold you things you did not need, and somebody else came in and pointed that out." - Robert Sutter
"Don't tell me they won't buy from you in your county because you don’t go to church with them or you don’t go to rotary with them because you've got to provide a value that guy's not providing. And I think that's just somewhat of an excuse for not prospecting." - Robert Sutter
"That's what we think insurance is, is a risk parachute for people that don't want to jump out of an airplane." - Robert Sutter

Resources Mentioned:

The Wood Sessions 1

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, Managing Partner at C.B. Wood Financial. Clayton discusses how their company consistently reduces employer healthcare spending by 20-40%, and how they can assist agents not only getting more business but also maintain the accounts they already have by increasing stickiness.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares how C.B. Wood Financial found a niche in the healthcare industry, where companies with 50 to 500 people are large enough that their claims matter but too small to use large company strategies. (3:34)
Clayton explains the 80-20 rule in the health care business and how it may help firms cut plan costs while improving benefits. (8:37)
Clayton mentions that just by having enough strategies in their toolbox, businesses may produce huge savings for clients simply by knowing how to do it. (11:38)
Clayton shares that they advise their clients to stay on their existing plan if it offers unbeatable pricing. (17:48)
Clayton discusses how they bring in partners if they have questions they cannot answer themselves. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Just by having enough strategies in your toolbox, you could deliver a significant amount of savings for clients, just by being able to know how to do it.” - Clayton Wood
“We actually don't quote for clients anymore for prospects anymore. What we've done is we've said, hey, look, send us your monthly bill, we're going to guarantee you a savings rate.” - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming the Protege with Bryan McCall

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bryan Mccall, Agency Owner of Sand Springs Agency and Contender on The Protege Season 2. Bryan discusses why he joined The Protege, and what he has learned so far from the competition.

Episode Highlights:

Bryan explains how he got into commercial insurance. (2:55)
Bryan expresses gratitude to Sean and the other Protege participants for their kindness. (9:44)
Bryan, David, and Kyle talk about the amazing Protege belt that IPFS funded for the winner. (18:36)
David mentions Ric Flair as the second professional athlete he called out on the show. (20:26)
Bryan explains why he joined the Protege. (26:15)
Bryan mentions that joining the Protege is like going outside of your comfort zone because commercial insurance was not in his wheelhouse and was not something that came naturally to him. (31:09)
Bryan discusses the most surprising aspect of The Protege process. (34:54)
Bryan believes that things that come easily never last, and that things that last never come easily. (54:27)
Bryan expresses his desire to become a permanent member of the Killing Commercial group. (57:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I wanted everybody to know how much fun this can be, you know, going through this process, seeing what's out there for commercial. And really, for me, I know that it's gonna seem like a stretch, stepping outside of your comfort zone. Because commercial was not in my wheelhouse. Like I said, I was licensed. But it wasn't something that came naturally to me.” - Bryan Mccall
“Things that come easy, never last things that last never come easy.” - Bryan Mccall
“My ultimate goal is to become a permanent part of your Killing Commercial group… I want to be a part of that and help anybody else. Whether they want to be mentored by me or not.” - Bryan Mccall

Resources Mentioned:

Running the Game with Tom Larsen

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Tom Larsen CEO of Larsen Insurance Agency. Tom discusses the traits of a great mentor and how important it is to have a great mentor to help you grow your business.

Episode Highlights:

Tom introduces himself and shares his background and how he got to where he is today. (3:19)
Tom explains that his business is 1/3 habitational because he got involved in their local RIA group for landlords. (9:47)
Tom shares that he figured out how to stick with the business in about the 4th year of running his agency. (12:24)
Tom discusses that he is currently mentoring someone at the moment and explains that having a mentor makes things easier. (17:30)
Tom shares that baseball has been his passion ever since he was a little kid, and he even joined the little league when he was young. (22:41)
Tom discusses that he believes in great culture in a company, and looks at his staff as his teammates. (28:53)
Tom mentions that new agents are having challenges joining the industry as companies are not creating many opportunities. (32:45)
Tom shares that he started his cluster 8 years ago and has continued to grow it up until now. (37:42)
Tom advises listeners to find a mentor that doesn't mind sharing experiences and will give them time when they need answers. (43:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I look at my staff as teammates. I really believe in my heart, I really believe the culture in an office is everything. And one bad apple can suck a whole bunch. And I truly, truly believe in culture." - Tom Larsen
"I think the insurance companies have clamped down on newbies, and they're not opening their doors much." - Tom Larsen
"Find a mentor. That'd be my number one piece of advice. Find a mentor. It could be somebody that's in a different agency, or maybe somebody that's retired, or, you know, somebody in one of the Facebook groups, whatever, but find a mentor. It could be somebody that doesn't mind sharing the experience that they've been through." - Tom Larsen

Resources Mentioned:

The Deeds Sessions 1

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ryan Deeds of Ennabl. Ryan asks David to go through a typical Ennabl discovery process to illustrate what Ennabl does specifically to enable agencies to make themselves better.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan discusses his experiences working with insurance agencies and Insurtech companies. (3:23)
David discusses having his staff, particularly his account managers, work remotely these days. (9:28)
David explains that the only way he could go out and create middle market accounts was to identify who his ideal prospect was and stick to it. (13:07)
David explains how many accounts he has for his company's revenue. (17:39)
David mentions that he created a series on how to Build Passive Revenue Streams in your Agency. (25:25)
David explains that the majority of their work is in residential service contractors and light manufacturing, such as cabinetry. (31:13)
David shares how many carriers they have and how many of them are core relationships. (33:04)
David explains why your operation should not have more than two or three wholesalers. (37:36)
David explains that the only thing his producers do with Hawksoft is build the policy shell. (42:51)
David discusses his projected growth for Florida Risk. (45:29)
Ryan explains his takeaways from David's experiences, as well as what he wants to learn about in their next conversation. (47:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“As a 20 year old, I never thought in a million years that I would love insurance agencies but that's kind of because I grew up in them and my career was based in them and the people that the people in Independence are just the best and they're just great people great families” - Ryan Deeds
“My agency, still from a technology standpoint, and the ability to handle service work for customers, very much resembles the agency that I started in the dining room in my home, the only way I was able to go out and write middle market accounts was number one, I had to know who my ideal prospect was and not deviate from that.” - David Carothers
“From a servicing perspective, my time is spent at the actual client, it's not spent doing insurance stuff. It's understanding risk management, walking the floor, doing those kinds of things” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The Original Protege a Year Later with Derek Hayden

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Sean Kirby interview Derek Hayden, Winner of The Protege Season 1. Derek talks about his takeaways after the competition and how he has applied them to his career.

Episode Highlights:

Derek shares how he is doing after winning The Protege Season 1, as well as the biggest results for him so far. (4:23)
Derek discusses how he prepares himself in the morning and how he got these steps from the book "Miracle Morning." (10:24)
Derek explains that he does not know what the criteria for teaming up with coaches was during The Protege. (21:18)
Derek shares he has started co-writing a book about transitioning from fully insured group health plans to self funded. (24:33)
Derek explains how everybody on the team invested in themselves by submitting videos and doing their best in the competition. (32:07)
Sean shares that one of the things he has improved since The Protege is his confidence. (39:36)
Derek explains that the thing that separates top-tier producers from the ones who just dabble is taking what they learn and putting it to action. (46:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The thing that I think separates your top tier producers from the ones who just tend to dabble, I think, is that they take what they've learned and put it into action." - Derek Hayden
"If you're considering but you don't know if you're going to submit your entry video, just do it because you don't know what will happen. It could be the best decision in your life or your career. Just do it." - Derek Hayden
"When you turn you start your generalists, you're doing you know smaller Mom and Pop being from a small town Main Street. You get what you got when it comes in front of you. When you start hunting, and you start going after accounts because you know that there's a problem you need to solve the confidence that comes with that you win one, you get another, another, you win one, and then it's just, it's easy." - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

Taking the Bull by the Horns With Stephen Turnbull

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Stephen Turnbull, President of T5 Insurance Services. Stephen, a fifth generation insurance agent in his family, shares what he is learning as a new agency owner.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen shares his background as a fifth generation insurance agent and what led him to start his own agency two and half months ago. (2:42)
Stephen explains that his search for the best software is seen as an investment for his company. (10:02)
Stephen explains that the biggest thing he is excited about is building that culture that he has always wanted for his business. (15:13)
David shares how he prepared and trained his son to be able to understand the reality of the industry he is committing to. (21:20)
Stephen shares that they are currently using Agency Zoom and HawkSoft because of his familiarity with the software. (25:26)
Stephen explains some of the little things that can impact the mindset of your employees to either stay or leave. (31:37)
Stephen shares that if people do their job and do the right thing, they will be successful. (44:16)
David advises Stephen that, as an agency owner, he should document every process he has to be ready for anything. (47:00)
Stephen shares that one of the things he wanted to accomplish was to be on a podcast, and show appreciation to David for the opportunity. (50:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I feel I've done a good job of kind of just growing my brand and the community. You know, I was Steven Turnbull, who worked for Turnbull Insurance, but now I'm Steven Turnbull, who is T5." -Stephen Turnbull
"If you do your job and do the right thing, you're going to be successful. You know, do your job and do the right thing because, at the end of the day, we're solving a problem." - Stephen Turnbull
"As the President of T5, of my own agency, I'm looking at what the best software, you know, what the best system should I be using to build my foundation here." - Stephen Turnbull

Resources Mentioned:

The MacDonald Sessions 4

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue their conversation with Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite for a four-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." In this session, Peter talks about band of pricing.

Episode Highlights:

Peter shares what “band of pricing” is technique and how it can be used to talk about pricing with customers and prospects. (1:56)
Peter explains that price is always going to come up and you can take a proactive risk management approach to discuss it with your clients . (8:59)
David discusses how to be able to know if a client is getting a competitive price. (11:53)
David shares why it is also important to be able to analyze and walk away from an opportunity if needed. (15:44)
Kyle shares the situation where he had a bad prospect, and how he was able to deal with it. (18:31)
Peter and David explain how important it is to pre-qualify clients and prospects, as well as practice recapping what happened during the process of getting a sale. (23:39)
Peter shares that it is important to visualize your success and then analyze it to see what you can do better next time. (26:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think of everything, and I honestly feel like every single problem that our industry has revolved around education." - David Carothers
"I think the best athletes visualize their success and then they watch their footage to see what they could do better next time." - Peter MacDonald
"I think it's helpful to anchor that concept in your customer's mind that there's a band of pricing, and you can be on the high side, you can be on the low side, you can never guarantee you're going to be on the lowest with insurance." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Passion Above All with Ian Koniak

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ian Koniak, Founder & President of Ian Koniak Sales Coaching. Ian talks about habits, time management, and other things that will help make you successful.

Episode Highlights:

Ian shares his background story and how he started his current venture, Ian Koniak Sales Coaching. (2:06)
Ian explains why having no sales experience was one of his biggest challenges when he was starting out. (8:55)
Ian discusses how these challenges he experienced taught him about being resilient. (11:20)
Ian explains that he created a business model called "coaching as a service" that is based on customer retention and customer success. (17:26)
Ian discusses how having a core base helps with both renewals as well as referrals, and the key is to give value to customers. (20:49)
Ian shares that updating your vision enables you to create new directions and avoid burnout. (27:38)
Ian elaborates on two types of revenue-generating activities, the creation of a pipeline and the advancement of the pipeline. (35:27)
Ian claims that most people are spending their time on non-valuable activities instead of revenue-generating activities. (40:45)
Ian shares that if people want to know how much their true rate is, they should look at how many hours they really work on revenue activities. (45:21)
Ian explains that the most successful people in the world, across all industries, are those who are truly committed over a long period of time. (49:09)
Ian discusses that if people want to be successful, they don't need to reinvent the wheel but only follow the basic fundamental principles of success. (54:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

"On the road to mastery, there's going to be a lot of mundane work that, frankly, isn't fun. And we're in this dopamine-craving society where people just want immediate gratification." - Ian Koniak
"I know we're talking about ourselves and being the best you can be. But ultimately, to really succeed at the highest level, you have to make it about other people." - Ian Koniak
“Kobe Bryant went to practice hours before practice started because he wanted to be the absolute best. And until you can get yourself psychologically to a point where you're committed to yourself and your family and everybody else, you're going to be your best. The rest of it really doesn't matter.” - Ian Koniak

Resources Mentioned:

Pipeline Signals with Jamie Shanks

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jamie Shanks, CEO of Pipeline Signals. Jamie talks about CRM lead production and the things you can do to integrate your process.

Episode Highlights :

Jamie shares how 10 years ago he invented a sales category called “social selling”. (2:17)
Jamie explains the concept and the whole process of a situation challenge resolution. (5:23)
Jamie shares what a total addressable market is and how it is related to an ideal CRM situation. (9:00)
Jamie discusses three different integration models: CRM integration, Zapier integration, and CSV file organization. (14:52)
Jamie shares that Pipeline Signals has recently entered the insurance world and are currently pioneering this space called relationship signals. (17:27)
Jamie explains social selling, which is broken into two avenues, reputation management or brand management and account based sales development, both of which are very important. (20:18)
Jamie shares that for individual producers, you have to have the relationship signals. (26:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

"CRM, you know, globally still only has something like a 10% or 20%, penalty penetration rate of businesses over a million dollars around the world. So there is still a vast majority of companies that do not use CRM." - Jamie Shanks
"What I say to people is, specifically in professional services, in insurance, you know, what are you selling? You're not selling a product or solution, you are first selling yourself, you are in the relationship space." - Jamie Shanks
"The fastest way to scale your business is to reverse engineer your happy customers, called the sphere of influence, and identify those that leave your happy customers in a sphere of influence and go to other businesses." - Jamie Shanks

Resources Mentioned:

The MacDonald Sessions 3

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue to interview Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite for a four-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." In this session, Peter shares useful steps that new agents can take when starting to build their book of business.

Episode Highlights:

Peter discusses the importance of cold calling for new agents that are trying to build their book of business. (3:57)
Peter shares that there are certain things people can do when building their book of business for the first time that big companies can't do. (7:58)
Peter explains that part of building a great book of business is having to do things that don't scale. (10:03)
Peter shares that it is best to have a salesperson as an internal advocate, as they will be eager on your behalf. (14:56)
Peter discusses different types of personalities cold-calling agents may encounter. (16:28)
Peter shares the steps to consider and gives an example of what to do in trying to insure tech companies. (18:42)
Peter explains that he is willing to go through a rough period of time because it gives a more positive return in the long run. (22:27)
Peter shares what having a great professional relationship looks like and the benefits of such a relationship. (24:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There are things that you can do if you're building your business for the first time that the big companies, they literally can't like their business model just won't allow for it." - Peter MacDonald
"Salespeople love to win. And, if you got a salesperson as an internal advocate that loves to win, and they're fighting on your behalf, that's awesome." - Peter MacDonald
"I think if you want to build a great business, the advice from Paul Graham, just like the founders of Airbnb, it's like, do things that don't scale. If you want to build a great business, like, that's what you got to do. That's what founders do all the time." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

The Great Debate with Andy Mathisen and Jerry Conrey

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Andy Mathisen from Glovebox and Jerry Conrey, CEO of Conrey Insurance Brokers & Risk Managers. Andy and Jerry share their insights on one of the lively discussions on LinkedIn regarding the classification and operation of agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Jerry and Andy share their insights from a recent LinkedIn discussion about agencies and how they are classified. (2:52)
Jerry shares his background and how he got his own company back in 2002. (8:20)
Andy explains that it is impossible to grow in a culture that is built on wanting to talk to every client. (13:24)
Jerry shares his motivation to achieve and focus on EBITA as well as maximizing the numbers at his agency. (23:58)
Jerry and Andy discuss why they think insurance careers are great. (30:27)
Jerry explains that, at his agency, every producer has an account manager, and people are associated with producers through a team approach. (36:15)
Jerry and Andy discuss people, operations, and how they impact an organization's culture. (41:03)
Jerry explains that you differentiate your agency by defining what differentiates you from everyone else. (46:55)
Andy shares that different companies entail different mentalities, which require different operations, systems, processes, and staff. (49:54)
Jerry shares that there are people in the industry that really share useful information, and you just have to find the right platform in order to be successful. (56:09)
Andy explains the new category that they have in the company called "client experience." (58:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I recognized in this business that you have to build and maintain, if I only focused on sales, too much would be going off at some point in time." -Jerry Conrey
"Who your people are is your culture, and how they communicate and how they work together and how they work within processes is what defines what your culture is." - Jerry Conrey
"Growth is different from retention. In order to grow, you have to retain, obviously, but you have to make sales to keep that growth." - Andy Mathisen

Resources Mentioned:

Jerry Conrey LinkedIn
Andy Mathisen LinkedIn
Conrey Insurance Brokers & Risk Managers
Glovebox
David Carothers
Kyle Houck
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes

RiskRevu with Kurt Thoennessen

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kurt Thoennessen, personal risk advisor at Ericson Insurance Advisors & the founder and CEO of RiskRevu. Kurt talks about how digital forms allow insurance agencies to focus on serving their customers instead of spending time gathering information.

Episode Highlights:

Kurt shares his professional background and how he got into insurance.(2:35)
Kurt shares about family and multifamily offices, what they are and how they work. (7:49)
Kurt explains that they are looking to work with people that value them as advisors, people that are looking to them for advice about insurance. (12:47)
Kurt discusses how he deals with gathering the necessary information from high-net worth clients. (18:56)
Kurt shares that at Ericson they built a particular webpage called the "client diagnostics center" with specific client questionnaires. (26:14)
Kurt explains what led him to start RiskRevu which provides prebuilt digital forms for insurance agencies to gather information from their clients. (29:01)
Kurt shares his experiences being invited to conferences and his insights about the difference between then and now. (32:00)
Kurt discusses the possible expansions that he sees, not only for RiskRevu but for the industry as well. (36:04)
Kurt explains that he is most passionate about and focused on sharing with agents that there is a better way to gather information. (40:27)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We're looking to build those relationships, offer quality advice, and do the research so that we're giving accurate answers. But we'll work with anybody who wants to work with an advisor." - Kurt Thoennessen
"Data gathering happens when a client's buying a new home, it happens when they're changing their mortgage, it happens when they're, you know, changing the usage of a car or a boat, or whatever the case is." - Kurt Thoennessen
“Right now, what I'm really passionate about and really focused on is just sharing with other agents that this is a better way to gather information. You can do it with your clients; they will be OK with it. In fact, many of them will like it." - Kurt Thoennessen

Resources Mentioned:

The MacDonald Sessions 2

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue to interview Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite for part two of the four-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." In this session, Peter shares how to discuss broker selection with your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David explains that they always educate every single one of their clients regarding broker selection. (4:01)
Peter shares what broker selection means and explains how it works by using Amazon as an example. (7:53)
David shares that some clients do not understand their reputation in the insurance marketplace. (9:56)
Peter explains how he would explain broker selection to his clients in a way that they would be able to understand. (12:42)
Peter explains situations where clients may find themselves in an inaccurate comparison. (14:55)
Peter explains that when people are competing for your business, there needs to be a strategy behind how you're approaching the marketplace. (17:34)
Peter shares what will put the broker in the strongest position to do the best representation for clients and prospects. (20:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

"At the end of the day, nobody has a college course, nobody has a high school class that says how to procure business insurance for your company. It just doesn't exist, right? Our industry is who taught people how to buy insurance." - David Carothers
"What can you do to sharpen your pencil that's going to put the broker in the strongest position to do the best representation for the clients and prospects you're working with." - Peter MacDonald
"There might be markets that you know, you don't have the ability to quote, and so you have to recognize that as well." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

"We All Need Reliable Partners" with Tina Meyer and Kat Billingsley

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kat Billingsley and Tina Meyer of Reliable Premium Management. Kat and Tina talk through the process of calculating, collecting, and remitting premium payments based on payroll recorded each pay period. They offer a Pay-As-You-Go Work Comp Solution to their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Kat shares that she most enjoys talking to people and problem solving which she is able to in her role with Reliable Premium Management. (2:43)
Tina shares her background and what led her to Reliable Premium Management. (7:24)
Kat explains what Reliable Premium Management is and the advantage of having human involvement in the process. (10:33)
Tina shares about their new website that they will be launching that is going to be convenient for carriers and agents. (16:00)
Kat explains how they are making a difference in the industry with the services they offer. (21:11)
Tina shares how carriers leave a lot of exposure on their workers' comp when they do it through the payroll reporting option. (28:24)
Tina explains that one of their services is the assistance of multi-entity policies. (34:47)
Kat shares how she was able to find value from their pre and post-audit assistance services. (39:27)
Tina and Kat explain the process of how they take on an account and look forward to the audit. (40:48)
Kat and Tina share the benefits of having the audit service that they offer and add that it can be provided as a standalone. (45:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We are that extra arm of service for you as the agent to be able to provide that customized solution that pays as you go solution for your clients." - Kat Billingsley
"When we provide an audit explanation, and we always copy the agent on that, we want the agent to know exactly why there was a discrepancy if there was one." - Tina Meyer
"Because we were founded by an agent, with the intention of serving other agents, it really kind of fits all of those needs without stepping on anybody's toes." - Tina Meyer

Resources Mentioned:

Negotiate Like a CEO with Jotham Stein

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jotham S. Stein, Principal of the Law Offices of Jotham S. Stein P.C. and author of Negotiate Like A CEO. Jotham shares how his book can help people learn the true meaning of negotiating like a CEO and how important employment agreements are.

Episode Highlights:

Jotham shares his educational and professional background that led to where he is today. (2:14)
Jotham explains what it means to negotiate like a CEO. (3:27)
Jotham shares that, unfortunately, some of the worst fights are not only between college buddies but family fights. (9:37)
Jotham explains some of the worst-case scenarios he has encountered in an entrepreneurial situation. (14:27)
Jotham shares that his book is very useful for people who are inventing new things and want to create a company around what they have invented. (17:31)
Jotham discusses ways to promise people things that would not require extra time. (25:03)
Jotham explains that equity disputes come from people not having enough equity when they helped build a better book of business. (31:47)
David mentions that you can either have an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset and that too many people at the top have a scarcity mindset. (33:41)
Jotham explains that phantom equity is used to give someone equity without giving them any shares at all. (36:30)
Jotham elaborates on the importance of in-person visits, compared to zoom and telephone calls. (41:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the worst case scenarios, let's say, is the entrepreneur situation. Let's say, they take an outside investor into their company, and they build their company, and then they get forced out before their metaphorical baby." - Jotham S. Stein
“If you have people that are inventing things that want to create a company around what they invented, and they're taking in investors, you better read my book.” - Jotham S. Stein
“You either have an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset. And too many people who sit in my chair have a scarcity mindset.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The MacDonald Sessions 1

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Peter MacDonald, Co-Founder & CEO of Wunderite for Part 1 of a four-part series called "The MacDonald Sessions." They discuss the gap analysis and the reasons why it plays such an important role for producers.

Episode Highlights:

David shares why he likes interviewing people who were once agents turned InsurTech guys, because they don't forget what they did as agents. (2:25)
Peter explains why it is never beneficial to do free work for people who are never going to buy from you. (5:29)
Peter breaks down how he used to do a gap analysis with winning the account and Broker of Record. (9:18)
David shares that you should know everything that the person you're meeting with is tied to, both as an entity and as an individual. (13:05)
Peter shares that his most extensive account ever closed as a result of uncovering something missing from the umbrella was $200k. (16:37)
Peter shares how he uncovered and talked about savings and overspending with his clients. (21:13)
Peter talks about ordinances or laws requiring people to do something to their homes that they do not want to. (26:36)
Peter shares how he would communicate with his clients without overwhelming them with too much information. (30:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"What we're trying to do here in this gap analysis is not necessarily fix all the problems at once, right? Because you're probably not going to be able to do that, but it's just about all the things you can start to create pain about." - Peter MacDonald
"You're trying to create a cumulative effect of all this stuff that you can point to, like, why are there so many mistakes? The number one place to start is named insured." - Peter MacDonald
"What I don't want you to hear if you're listening to this is to do free work for people who are never going to buy from you. Like, that's what you don't want to do. You don't want to be stuck in a spot where you're like a net, analyzing people's risks." - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

Getting Innovative with Workers' Comp with Carrie Cheeks

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carrie Cheeks, Southeast Territory Manager at Risk Innovations. Carrie shares how Risk Innovations assists agents in providing their insureds with workers' compensation coverage.

Episode Highlights:

Carrie shares her background and mentions that this is her first corporate job since college. (3:59)
Carrie describes what Risk Innovations is all about and what her role is in the company. (5:18)
Carrie explains that they serve various types of agencies and can write a $300 policy to a $10 million policy. (7:17)
Carrie shares that they have a huge number of submissions they get in an accord app. (13:17)
Carrie explains that 95% of their markets prefer weekly or monthly self reporting. (16:19)
Carrie shares that they have access to about 10 programs across the country that are not exclusive, but the footprint is exclusive. (19:42)
Carrie explains that the benefit of working with a specialist is that they know how to sell the risk. (23:53)
Carrie shares that they were acquired in 2018 by JenCap and anyone that is contracted with them is automatically contracted with JenCap. (25:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We have access to probably 10 programs across the country. And while they're not exclusive, their footprint on them is exclusive." - Carrie Cheeks
"We don't need something that's the same class code over and over again. We can get carriers to get after it. You know, the more generalist it gets, obviously, the smaller our carrier list becomes." - Carrie Cheeks
"There are so many options throughout the country for different segments, people who specialize in different lines that we can send accounts to." - Carrie Cheeks

Resources Mentioned:

Smoking All the Competition with John Mason

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Mason, President of Chenango Brokers. John talks about what a good wholesaler looks like to an agency and how Chenango Brokers provides independent and semi-captive insurance agents with quality competitive products from financially sound admitted markets.

Episode Highlights:

John discusses the commercial line comparative rate that Chenango Brokers have developed for agents to use that will give them access to a multitude of admitted carriers. (1:50)
John talks about having a system that asks questions and inputs the answers on a support form that brings back eligible quotes. (6:00)
John shares his background and the history of how he started Chenango Brokers. (11:58)
John explains that volatility is one of the things that makes their commercial package policy so valuable. (18:38)
John shares that they offer personal lines and a real-time life portal application that agents can utilize. (25:23)
John explains that picture-perfect submissions are the ones where applications are properly completed. (27:55)
John describes the key difference between a fleet and a non-fleet in a commercial auto program. (29:53)
John advises listeners to understand and study a few industries and also to understand what good communication is. (36:59)
John reminds young agents to listen to people who have been in the industry for so long and are successful. (38:51)
John recalls his former competitor, who had helped him make connections. (41:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Most people assume if you're a wholesaler, that you're just running a business. And you know, as a wholesaler, one of the things we also look at is the quality of the submissions that come in." - John Mason
"I have an old Italian friend who lives about a mile away, and he always says to me, ‘Giovanni, no matter what you take in, it's what you put in your pocket that counts’, and he's right on the money with that." - John Mason
"A great producer takes the time to understand the industry that he's trying to work in." - John Mason

Resources Mentioned:

The Wallace Sessions Part 6

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck chat with Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey recaps the highlights from the previous sessions that could change the outcome of your business.

Episode Highlights:

Carey shares a recap of what has been talked about in the previous sessions that could change the outcome of your business. (2:55)
Carey explains that agency owners need to know their company's strengths and weaknesses. (5:54)
Carey explains that most of the attractive agencies are ones with sophisticated processes, technology, and great talent. (8:30)
Carey shares the things to consider if you are planning to buy an agency. (10:39)
Carey mentions that oftentimes, people regret their decisions because they only think about growing by acquisition. (13:33)
David explains that if you don't take the steps to execute, it really isn't going to happen. (15:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you don't know your own agency, and what your strengths and weaknesses are on your own valuation, it's tough to make that list of what you're looking for." -Carey Wallace
"Not every buyer, or not every seller, wants to sell for the highest price. There are plenty of sellers that want to make sure that their customers get the same experience they've been accustomed to, and they are looking for a buyer that can provide that was great." -Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Crushing the Game in America's Heartland with Ashley Napier

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ashley Napier, Chief Operating Officer at 3000 Insurance Group. Ashley shares what she enjoys about being in an employee-facing role in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Ashley discusses her background and what led her to 3000 Insurance Group. (3:35)
Ashley explains that her favorite aspect of coaching is the structure that enables her to sit with people and understand their problems or challenges. (7:25)
Ashley shares her experience of being in the healthcare industry and what she thinks are the challenges as well as the great experiences that came from it. (12:14)
Ashley shares that she prefers operations more than production in her line of work today. (18:45)
Ashley discusses how she conducts interviews and why she admits that it was terrible in the beginning. (20:36)
Ashley shares that she takes the interview process to uncover real character and skills applicants have. (26:01)
Ashley explains that it can be a challenge to balance both the production and operational sides of things. (31:07)
Ashley advises newcomers to the industry to always get a mentor. (35:27)
Ashley explains the importance of making space and creating opportunities for minorities in the insurance industry. (47:34)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I have a structure that I follow in coaching, and I am able to really sit with people and understand the things that are troubling them, the tasks or processes that are getting in their way, but more so than that, I'm able to just like to learn about them." - Ashley Napier
"The best advice I can give anybody new in the insurance industry is getting a mentor, get one for insurance, get one for personal growth, get one for professional growth, get a mentor, learn from the best, learn how to be better, don't waste time." - Ashley Napier
“We have to make space to invite these people in, we have to make space them. So, if we're not getting those applicants, how are we going to do that? How are we going to women? How are you advocating for the minorities?" - Ashley Napier

Resources Mentioned:

Every Agency Needs an Agency CFO with the RD Advisory Team

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers is joined by Cayla Carrillo, Don Polczynski, and Roe Polczynski of RD Advisory Group to talk about how their AgencyCFO service provides financial, growth, and organizational expertise to independent insurance agencies of all sizes.

Episode Highlights:

Roe, Don, and Kayla share their background and how they got into the financial industry. (2:47)
Roe explains the difference between a CFO and a CPA. (10:23)
Don shares five things every agency owner should understand about finances. (11:33)
Cayla explains that they always tell their clients that the finance fundamentals are the same regardless of the agency size. (14:24)
Cayla shares that the one role that does not understand how they are compensated is mostly the producers. (18:37)
Don explains that for the vast majority of agencies, sales management is the weakest point. (24:53)
Don and Roe discuss the importance of producers talking in revenue and not locking in premium. (29:46)
Roe advises agency owners to look into how they are going to retain their employees now that they are halfway through the year. (35:28)
Cayla and Don explain why, aside from the revenue growth rate, it is also important to monitor the retention rate. (40:30)
Roe shares that, as CFO, it is their fiduciary responsibility to help agency owners maximize whatever they can. (47:21)
Roe offers agency owners a free program they can provide to their clients. (52:00)
Cayla explains that if financial noise is your number one problem, they can fix it. (56:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"When you consider yourself to be incorporated and a business within the agency, you truly, I think, learn to develop yourself and think about your own profitability." -Cayla Carrillo
"As CFOs we have decided it is our fiduciary responsibility to help our agency owners maximize whatever they can." - Roe Polczynski
"We are here to talk. We never charge. We don't do quick sales. You call us if you have a quick question. We're gonna help you. This is a program to enhance your business not to scare you or to take away from you." - Roe Polczynski

Resources Mentioned:

The Wallace Sessions Part 5

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck continue their conversation with Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey explains the importance of having a perpetuation plan.

Episode Highlights:

Carey explains that if you have employees, renewable income, and processes in your agency, you need to have a perpetuation plan. (2:35)
Carey explains that the reason why agency owners don't have a perpetuation plan is because of fear and lack of time. (3:56)
Carey elaborates on the importance of having a disaster plan in place and how it should be set up as an agency owner. (10:12)
Carey shares that a perpetuation plan is in place to protect the agency to continue into perpetuity. (13:04)
Carey explains that having problems discussed even before they occur is the only way to prepare for them. (15:45)
Carey advises agency owners on what to do if they don't have someone internally to buy their agency. (18:28)
Carey shares that agency owners must truly understand and know what they own, to protect it. (22:25)
Carey explains that everything about a perpetuation plan is about getting protected, just like how business owners protect their clients. (27:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

"A perpetuation plan is in plan to protect the agency to continue into perpetuity. So, you have to think about it, how am I protecting this business and all the people that own the business collectively. And the best time to think about doing that is when things are good." -Carey Wallace
"If you don't have someone internally to buy your agency, but you have relationships in this industry with other agency owners that you trust. Approach, one of them to be the ones that could come in and run your agency to sell it externally." -Carey Wallace
"We're all business owners. And this is about getting you protected, just like you help your clients get protected. And, it's about trust and relationships." -Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Living in the Lap of Luxury with Aaron Levine

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Aaron Levine from Luxury Insurance Group. Aaron shares what Luxury Insurance Group is all about and how they are utilizing technology to provide that white glove service to their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Aaron shares his background experience and how he got into the Luxury Insurance Group. (2:40)
Aaron explains that their tech stack needs some work, but a good tech stack is like the white glove service that they are providing. (10:24)
Aaron explains that asking prospects how their buying process goes is essential to enhancing inbound opportunities. (17:39)
Aaron shares that they are 50-50 on personal and commercial lines and write a lot of high net worth, personal lines, property, and hospitality accounts. (22:00)
Aaron talks about winning deductibles on commercial property in New Jersey. (24:57)
David discusses that most of the agencies out there are more about themselves in terms of the selling process. (30:43)
Aaron shares that his favorite thing to do is to learn about the process. (32:27)
Aaron discusses his producers and what they are currently working on, especially in terms of their marketing drops. (35:00)
Aaron shares how they utilize their CRM in terms of marketing and branding. (39:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The data is public. There are no secrets, and we're not all about keeping secrets. We're going to keep it all open and honest." - Aaron Levine
"Almost every agency out there, for the most part, is very selfish in the selling process. It's all about them. It's very rarely about the prospect." - David Carothers
"A win is continuing the conversation, getting that next meeting, whether it's in person, or via Zoom with me on the phone. That to me is a win." - Aaron Levine

Resources Mentioned:

Go Big!

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Shawn Fitzgerald, Craig Bender, Scott Hobson, Mike Crowley, Doug Benz, Roe Polczynski, Cayla Carrillo in New York at the Go Big event for the Big I of New York.

Episode Highlights:

Shawn shares he has enjoyed meeting many people that he had only met digitally in person at the Go Big event. (4:23)
Shawn explains that one thing he learned at this event is that one of the areas where he definitely needs to step it up is the blogging space. (8:05)
Craig shares that he got into the insurance industry with the influence of his mom, who was also in the industry. (10:34)
Craig mentions that his favorite part about being part of the insurance industry is building relationships. (13:07)
Scott explains that lobbying the public is more like storytelling and advocacy. (17:19)
Mike shares his experiences and takeaway from the Go Big event, which their team found to be very informative. (27:31)
Doug explains that he enjoys learning about the cutting-edge stuff that is out there and about clean data at the event. (34:43)
Cayla and David talk about what a great person James Jenkins is. (39:14)
Cayla shares that as a sales organization, you have to know the numbers and metrics in order to grow. (45:01)
Cayla mentions that it is essential to build relationships and trust with customers to be able to customize for them. (51:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I mean, you learned so much. So many different things, seeing what different companies offer, and really seeing how you can expand your own agency from just coming to an event like this." - Shawn Fitzgerald
“Every independent agent, every Big I member, is and can be a very powerful lobbyist for the industry that we love so much, and for our customers." - Craig Bender
"We became friends. They know us. The comfort level is through the roof. We never sell on the first call, because we don't know them. How can we customize for them?" - Cayla Carrillo

Resources Mentioned:

The Wallace Sessions Part 4

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey shares how technology affects the value of your agency.

Episode Highlights:

Carrie explains that technology in your agency is either a profit center or a cost center, depending on how you utilize it. (6:49)
David shares that it is not just important to introduce new technology but you also have to know how to utilize it. (8:19)
Carrie explains the importance of encouraging agents to start with the problem and not the solution when determining the technology they might need. (13:59)
David thinks that people don't use technology because once they have done things the same way for a long time, they lose the feeling that they need it. (18:01)
Carrie shares that the number one reason people don't invest in technology is that they were burned by it at some point. (20:30)
Carrie shares that consumers are changing and technology allow us to be able to change with them. (21:25)
Carrie explains that technology plays a huge part in transitions, attracting talent, and maximizing the value and success of your agency. (23:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think we can all agree that technology in your agency is either a profit center or a cost center. And the reality is if you're not utilizing it, it is a cost center all day long."- Carey Wallace
"It's just a fact, we are changing, consumers are changing, and technology allows us to be able to change with them." - Carey Wallace
"I fear that for many people out there. They don't use technology, not because they're necessarily scared of it or anything else. They just have done things the same way so many times that they don't even feel like they need it. " - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Taking the Agency Bill out of Your Agency with Davie Holt

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Davie Holt, a National Sales Practice Leader. Davie shares how IPFS is refining and redefining the way that premium payments and financing are done.

Episode Highlights:

Davie explains why IPFS has always been on the front edge of technology. (12:55)
Davie explains that IPFS's strategy has always been to acquire and buy premium finance companies that couldn’t make it and have a strong track record of keeping those employees. (17:19)
Davie explains willful or ignorant misrepresentations of the policy is one of the most common pitfalls they encounter. (22:00)
Davie elaborates on how pushbacks are less likely to happen when people give customers a more narrow path to do business with them. (28:15)
Davie shares that when he started with IPFS, he was surprised to learn that, unlike IPFS that funds the markets on behalf of the agent, many bank-owned companies fund the agents directly. (33:54)
Davie shares that at IPFS, their goal is to properly train on how to sell and offer premium. (39:52)
Davie shares how IPFS works to build relationships with their clients by assigning them two dedicated people to them, an account executive and an advocate for your agency. (47:19)
Davie shares that he finds the insurance industry a great place to make a living. (53:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The history of IPFS has always been to acquire and buy premium finance companies that couldn't make it. And actually, we have an incredible track record of keeping those employees. So we're not slash and burn." - Davie Holt
"We knew that with as many people as possible on coverage, training, standards, and document marketing, we were never going to make experts out of insurance agents on premium finance." - Davie Holt
"Our business was built off the backs of agents as everybody listens and so we owe that to you. We owe that to trying to continue to innovate and make your process easier." - Davie Holt

Resources Mentioned:

Kentucky's More than Horses and Bourbon

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers comes to you live from the Big I of Kentucky event in Ohio with several guests, including John Ison, Tara Purvis, Adam Sheridan and Adam Murphy.

Episode Highlights:

John Ison shares that he is from West Liberty, Kentucky and has a two location agency. (2:39)
John Ison shares how their agency is utilizing technology now and the difference it makes. (5:46)
John Ison talks about how beneficial, especially for renewals, video conferencing is as well as Zoom meetings. (10:34)
Tara Purvis discusses how the event and the industry are blessed with a lot of female participation. (15:57)
Tara Purvis shares that the big guys in the industry are getting involved in educating and advocating for other people that are new in the industry. (20:57)
Adam Sheridan shares his position as the producer, and what his niches are. (26:43)
Adam Sheridan explains that the onboarding process for new clients is one thing he learned from the event that he will be applying to their company. (30:37)
Adam Murphy shares his background story and his experience in the industry. (37:08)
Adam Murphy shares that the biggest lesson he has learned is respect for entrepreneurship and the effort involved in turning a dream into a reality. (39:50)
Adam Murphy talks about how best practice is being able to implement a process. (49:43)
Adam Murphy reminds everyone not to be afraid to learn from others and to respect their elders. (56:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There are free resources to get information about clients to find ideal clients. You just have to figure that out." - John Ison
"I think the biggest lesson I've learned is respect for entrepreneurship. Like what it really takes the grind to take something from a dream and turn it into a reality." - Adam Murphy
"I think the thing I would say about entering a multigenerational agency is, you know, don't be afraid to learn from others, respect your elders, and everybody's got something to offer." - Adam Murphy

Resources Mentioned:

The Wallace Sessions Part 3

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey continues the conversation about how you can increase your agency valuation.

Episode Highlights:

David shares the time when he had a real accident in his life and how it was related to his weekend. (6:43)
Carey explains that when people read headlines, they have to understand what it is about and how it applies to their agency. (12:21)
Carey shares why a $2 million agency should place 80% of their book with their top six carriers. (16:31)
Carey talks about how concentration is a big factor in your agency, and how it will help your agency if agency owners have niches. (18:09)
Carey explains how it would be harder to anticipate things if people minimized their books of business. (23:36)
Carey reminds listeners that concentration is a key tool in relation to growing your book of business. (24:14)
Carey suggests talking about risk factors and ways people can themselves be an acquirer. (26:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You need to make your agency able to operate without you. That's counterintuitive to what someone is comfortable with." - Carey Wallace
“With concentration, you have to think about it and a lot of people don't look at their book of business through that lens." - Carey Wallace
"If they are aware that that's something that's in place, that there's an agreement, it's less likely they'll walk away with your book of business, and you at least have recourse to protect that." - Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Breaking the Mould with Dillon Reed

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dillon Reed of Wunderite. Dillon talks about how to change the status quo in people's day-to-day businesses and help them advance into the next generation of the insurance business.

Episode Highlights:

Dillon shares his background story and how he made his way into sales. (5:01)
Dillon explains that his firsthand experience of having InsurTech is what attracted him to it. (10:10)
Dillon talks about the intercom on their website and how sometimes people confuse them with InsurTech that you can buy insurance from. (16:00)
Dillon shares that his favorite part about what he does is being able to talk to different people across the nation. (21:08)
Dillon shares how people tend to forget that, as a software company, they also run into evaluating other software tools. (26:05)
Dillon explains that an in-depth overview of their day-to-day basis of service is to digitize the last frontiers of the insurance industry. (32:20)
Dillon explains that their company will continue to build in the direction of what they hear feedback from their customers on. (40:58)
David talks about the event that they have put together that would be in Key West. (41:52)
Dillon shares that knowing what people need to do is so important as it creates clarity around what they are doing. (48:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We're just going to continue to build in the direction that we hear feedback from our customers on and from our prospective customers." - Dillon Reed
"I think insurance is the financial lubrication for the economy. It's one of the largest industries in the world. If you look around, everything's insured, from your phone to your desk, to your car, to your life, to your potential income in the future." - Dillon Reed
"Knowing what you need to hit or need to do is so important. And it creates clarity around what you're doing." - Dillon Reed

Resources Mentioned:

Insurance Soup Live

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers chats with Kaleigha Cramer, Kai Smith, and Eddie Chen about their experiences at the Insurance Soup Live Conference.

Episode Highlights:

Kaleigha and Kai share what made them decide to come to Arlington for the Insurance Soup Live Conference. (2:22)
Kaleigha explains that her favorite things about the Insurance Soup Live Conference are getting to network with everybody, meeting new people, and making new friends. (4:47)
Kai explains that this conference had completely different crowd than what she is used to, which she really enjoyed. (6:31)
Kai shares that the blend of captive and independent agents at the conference at the conference was unique and showed that they can all learn from one another. (8:01)
Kai advises people to do what is best for them, whether that be an independent or a captive agent. (11:37)
Kaleigha talks about the importance of investing in ourselves as independent agents. (13:11)
Eddie shares his background story and what he has found most interesting at the conference. (16:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody here has been incredible. So much knowledge. There has been tons of things I've learned.” - Kaleigha Cramer
"Developing those friendships and just meeting people for the first time has been incredible, people who have taught you so much over the past several years." - Kai Smith
"Family-owned and operated businesses are what we are really proud of and anything we can do to help out in the excess and surplus lines and anything premium financing, we'd love to take care of your business." - Eddie Chen

Resources Mentioned:

The Wallace Sessions Part 2

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey continues the conversation about how to determine the value of your agency through benchmarks.

Episode Highlights:

Carey explains that one of the things to look at when finding your agency's value are benchmarks, and measuring your performance compared to benchmarks. (1:30)
Carey shares that it's impossible to make an investment in your business without being able to measure the return. (5:26)
Carey explains that if you don't have technology in place, you're not going to be able to answer questions and will end up selling at a discount. (9:46)
David mentions that there is a lot of innovation and a lot of technology out in the industry but isn't ready yet. (11:36)
David shares a story of a guy he talked to and explains the difference between HubSpot and HawkSoft. (14:51)
Carey explains the difference between someone who buys technology and utilizes it and someone who doesn't. (17:47)
Carey shares that the next thing that needs to be talked about are the factors that determine the multiple inside an agency. (19:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I will tell you, you just took us back to someone who buys technology and doesn't utilize it. That is an expense. Someone who buys technology and utilizes it measures the success. That is an investment." - Carey Wallace
"The next thing we need to talk about is that magical multiple that we all talk about. What are the factors that determine the multiple inside an agency?" - Carey Wallace
"I think there is a lot of innovation and a lot of technology. I also think there's a lot of innovation in technology that tactically probably isn't ready to be agency facing yet." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The Power of a Mentor with Eric Rich

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Eric Rich of Mentor Insurance. Eric talks about the incredible potential in the insurance industry as well as some of the things we need to consider in order to be successful.

Episode Highlights:

Eric shares his background story and how he ended up in the insurance industry. (3:47)
Eric explains that the biggest lesson he learned was being able to understand the sense of his grit. (8:50)
Eric talks about his goal of being able to share his job opportunity with others and let them know that there is a lot of potential in this industry. (14:24)
Eric recalls the moment he saw the value that people create and problems being solved for clients in the industry. (20:57)
David shares that Cole’s Directory is something that continues to be useful today. (25:17)
Eric talks about always telling his agents that a good agent is not afraid to share bad news with their clients. (32:33)
Eric shares that the biggest mistake that he is seeing in newer producers is the lack of persistence. (40:41)
Eric advises the listeners to find a friend in sales but in a different industry. (43:25)
Eric explains why we, as an industry and as producers, do a poor job of explaining to our clients what we do. (52:52)
Eric discusses that to be successful, you have to have patience and persistence in the industry. (1:00:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I never knew that I could even be in this position or have this type of success. I never knew this job was out there. I tell all my young producers, just the greatest kept secret in the world. It's the greatest case, the greatest job in the world." - Eric Rich
"I always tell my agents that a good agent is not afraid to share bad news with their client. And I say, get it out in the open as soon as possible." - Eric Rich
“I'm a big person on persistency. I always say that's the number one thing you have to have in this business. You've got to be persistent." - Eric Rich

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Harvesting Success Out of Struggles with Vonda Copeland

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Vonda Copeland, CPIA, CWCU, VP of Operations at Copeland Insurance Agency, and Custom Harvest Insurance, LTD. Vonda talks about the obstacles she faced in succeeding her goals in life, what they have been accomplishing in their agency, how they utilize technology, and how they manage their producers.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Vonda Copeland. (1:24)
Vonda shares her background and her career in the insurance industry. (3:59)
Vonda mentions that she is currently doing a lot of work with foster kids. (7:00)
Vonda shares a story about her parents. (9:31)
David mentions that he would instead teach his kids the right way to guide themselves through a properly calibrated moral compass than a full wallet. (18:14)
Vonda shares how her offices look like. (18:49)
Vonda says that they started as a community-based operation. (20:34)
What was the process that they used to determine what they want to automate and leverage technology? (22:36)
Along the lines of technology, does Vonda and her team use a CRM? (26:09)
Vonda mentions that they are currently using Agency Zoom, and they are gradually building a better pipeline system. (26:13)
Kyle mentions that not all producers are early adopters. (28:25)
David shares that he’s not advocating the agencies moving to everything fully automated, but sometimes agencies miss out on business because they don't make it easy for people to do business. (34:04)
Vonda says that automation exposes your weaknesses. (35:46)
Vonda mentions that she created her technology stack list. (35:56)
Vonda shares that she’s always continually looking for something that will integrate, and if it does not integrate, she refuses to make her people do double entry. (37:47)
Vonda explains why she loves using Podium. (38:26)
Vonda mentions that they started using the beta testing of Podium’s video chat. (41:57)
Vonda shares her feedback with AMS 360. (44:38)
Vonda shares a story about the conversation she had yesterday with a couple of people in her smaller Hangout group. (51:53)
David talks about his biggest fear. (54:37)
Do Vonda and her team have it set up on individual policies, or is it a program that they administer as the captive? (59:14)
Vonda shares that the work comp program is a program that they have put together with a new carrier. (1:00:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It took a while of trying different things. But when you do that, you're not afraid of change. When you go through that...you're not afraid to try something and suck at it because it's like, “Okay, try something else.” And I think that definitely changes my approach to how I work in the office.” - Vonda Copeland
“You have to really be careful where you're going to allow that automation into where you feel comfortable to where it's not going to do more harm than good.” - Vonda Copeland
“Gratitude is the name of the game.” - Vonda Copeland

Resources Mentioned:

The Wallace Sessions Part 1

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Carey Wallace of Agency Focus. Carey talks about the importance of EBITA and how to determine the true value of your agency.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that Florida trucking insurance is doing great in the industry right now. (4:08)
Carey shares her financial background and how she started in the industry. (7:09)
Carey explains that carriers and agency owners must think in terms of revenue, as it is the key to driving the business. (9:11)
Carey shares that they have helped build a program that is targeted at looking at all parts of being an owner. (13:28)
Carey shares the numbers people need to focus on to determine their agency's value. (15:25)
David mentions that most people think that if a problem comes in, they can just sell their way out. (17:30)
Carey talks about looking into past revenue before making an investment in a company. (19:28)
Carey discusses the importance of EBITA and explains that you have to think in EBITA, in order to make a good, sound business decision. (21:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I see myself as being a business partner to agents that want to transition, want to grow, and want to maximize the value of their asset and run it like a business." - Carey Wallace
"If you're going to make an investment, the revenue is one data point. But what's the predictability that that agency is going to continue to produce that way? What's their retention rate? Are they growing? There are so many things to ask." - Carey Wallace
"It's not your top line revenue, it's the profit inside that agency. That's the number that gets multiplied by a factor in order to determine the value of your agency." - Carey Wallace

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Protecting What Matters in Life with Greg Zahn

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Greg Zahn, AVP of Multiline and Digital Strategies at Highland Capital Brokerage. Greg talks about his career in the insurance industry and the significance of life insurance. He also discusses the benefits of understanding the disability policy in life insurance, and the value of digital tools in creating systems that are more accessible.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Greg Zahn. (1:29)
Greg shares his background in the insurance business. (2:02)
Greg says that most of what they do at Highland will make sense as to why he works on a digital footprint, and what he does for PNC and benefits organizations. (2:21)
Greg shares the goal of their company. (3:01)
Did Greg work initially in life insurance after college? (4:42)
Greg says that his experiences led him to understand many aspects of life insurance. (5:52)
Greg shares that one of the key elements of life insurance is a disability. (12:41)
Greg mentions that term insurance is a great and easy solution to get the death benefit done. (13:43)
What is the significance of disability? (15:45)
Greg shares that there are plenty of options about disability to where a business can have a disability policy for their customer, or their employee. (16:57)
Greg mentions that life insurance has a significant aspect when it comes to cash value inside the permanent policies. (17:53)
Greg shares that when it comes to death and disability, facts and figures are helpful, and sometimes they like stories of where things have gone wrong, but at the end of the day, helping them understand that a minor cost compared to a major issue is vital. (24:02)
Greg thinks that having a network is a big factor. (28:05)
David says that most financial planning companies out there are beholden to their products, and they are not regularly the best thing for the situation. (29:54)
Greg shares the beauty of brokerage. (31:05)
Greg mentions that Easy Life is an electronic application system and a client-facing tool. (34:54)
David mentions that they have the Easy Life widget on their Florida Risk Partner website. (37:13)
What are the biggest obstacles that Greg has come into when trying to engage with firms like them? (42:38)
Greg explains the methodology with Highland Capital Brokerage. (44:20)
Greg mentions that they have a new digital tool coming out that is more educational. (47:13)
Greg says that Highland Capital Brokerage has support systems that can help those transactional opportunities and don't bury you in opportunities that are not cost-effective for you to work on, but at the same time making sure that you're visible. (47:50)
David says that the thing he likes about digital more than anything else is the analytics that he gets from it. (48:45)
Greg thinks that being digital, being aware, being connected, and the data in understanding how to read it is vast. (50:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The ability to help individuals find the right solution for their family and their needs, and work with insurance professionals that may not traditionally do life insurance is an awesome thing to do every day.” - Greg Zahn
“If you don't have a good partner that you can trust that's going to deliver the right solutions to your customers, then don't go into it just to chase money, do it for the right reasons.” - Greg Zahn
“Google is not the most helpful thing for good objective research, but customers do it. So make sure you understand, really work around the value, and anyone that's bringing a soul product, and not the market is not really truly bringing value to your customer solutions.” - Greg Zahn

Resources Mentioned:

David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes
Greg Zahn LinkedIn
Highland Capital Brokerage

Throwback: Scaling Through Super Content with Bradley Flowers

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bradley Flowers, Founder of Portal Insurance and Co-Host of The Insurance Guys Podcast. Bradley discusses content creation, where you should spend your ad dollars, and how to build your brand and market your business.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Bradley Flowers. (1:24)
Bradley shares how he met David. (2:25)
Bradley shares his story and his work background. (3:29)
Bradley shares how he got into the insurance industry. (4:55)
Bradley talks about working at a state farm agent to learn P&C. (6:38)
Bradley talks about The Insurance Guys Podcast. (7:26)
Bradley says that they use the podcast as a vehicle to get to know people like Ryan Hanley. (7:56)
Bradley shares how he started the Portal Insurance. (8:13)
David shares how he invites his guest to join him in the podcast. (9:45)
David talks about the email that he received from Josh Gurley. (10:01)
Where would Bradley advise producers or agencies to start over building their brand? (17:27)
Bradley talks about the video studio he built at the back of his office. (19:27)
Bradley shares his own process of creating content. (24:31)
Bradley believes that people should create the content they’re most passionate about. (30:55)
Bradley shares what happened to Mitch Gibson after following his advice. (36:13)
Bradley just started a local podcast. (37:07)
Bradley says that podcasts can become the epicenter of all of your marketing where everything is derived from. (40:05)
Bradley shares the keys to their success. (43:08)
David says that wegotyourpodcast.com as an easy, out of the box way to get your podcast produced. (45:44)
What has been the biggest challenge of Bradley? (48:08)
Bradley talks about the first content he created. (59:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One thing that I love to do is I just love connecting with people.” - Bradley Flowers
“I'm a big believer in hiring against your weaknesses.” - Bradley Flowers
“The key is not reaching a bunch of people. The key is finding the right ones” - Bradley Flowers

Resources Mentioned :

A Botched Submission

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the importance of having driver selection criteria established on the front-end and communicating that to your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David talks about the call that he had with someone where they talked about a contentious meeting all based on having drivers with bad driving record. (2:07)
David talks about how bad driving records are impacting the hiring plans of companies. (4:41)
David discusses the importance of providing a driver selection criteria. (6:49)
David shares that many companies who have bad comp claims are auto-related. (9:13)
David explains that your agencies need to have criteria established and clients should be MVR’s in house. (10:05)
Kyle asks David if there are any restrictions on employees accessing their MVR. (12:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm pretty sure that everybody that is looking for a job in the trades right now has a crappy driving record. That's just my theory because the ones who don't are always getting hired." - David Carothers
"I think that you know, if the client is of decent size, you're totally right, they should have some sort of MVR check capabilities on their end" - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Riches are in the Niches with Bob Klinger

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In today’s throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interviews Bob Klinger, President and CEO of Klinger Insurance Group located in Germantown, Maryland. Bob discusses his military background, what brought him into the insurance industry, marketing strategy, his staff, and giving back.

Episode Highlights:

How did Bob Klinger get into the insurance industry? (2:49)
Why did Bob Klinger decide to start a dry cleaning business? (5:37)
Bob explains the importance of working in various roles to understand the pieces and parts of what made their operations tick. (8:36)
Why does Bob take his staff on field trips? (13:23)
Bob shares how his Ranger mentality impacted his managing style and how he has evolved. (15:26)
Everyone that holds a desk at Klinger Insurance Group has to hit numbers, daily/weekly goals, and incentives. (17:26)
Hiring and probationary periods. (18:24)
Prioritizing your daily routines. (26:41)
Using your CRM and tracking outbound calls. (28:46)
Why is it important to execute a defined process? (30:58)
Marketing, advertising, and giving back to the community. (39:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think that if anything gives me chills, it’s giving back. You know, I grew up pretty easy, I grew up pretty poor, and so being in this industry has given me a blessing and a standard of living to give back.” - Bob Klinger
“No matter who you are, you have to execute the process that has been defined, that has been proven to be successful to perfection.” - David Carothers
“I just realize that not everybody's going to think like you; in some cases, that's good.” - Bob Klinger

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Beards and Buffett with Jason Kilgo

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Kilgo, Founder of KilGO Insurance. Jason talks about how they treat their clients, providing the best rate with a good policy, and making sure their clients are satisfied. Jason also shares how his team has been working remotely even before the quarantine and how he manages Zoom meetings with clients.

Episode Highlights:

Jason explains where he came from, and how he got into where he’s at today. (17:03)
Jason shares how he met Warren Buffet. (19:47)
Jason shares one thing he learned at the shareholder meeting. (24:04)
Jason shares why he chose the insurance business. (24:41)
Jason says that he got a big ego and a lot of ambition personality in his early 20’s. (26:17)
Jason shares what makes him do mortgages. (27:19)
Jason shares why he decided to get back into insurance. (29:26)
Does Jason ask everyone if they’re delighted at the end of the call? (30:15)
Jason says that mortgages really gave him flexibility and entrepreneurship. (33:25)
Jason talks about his strategy. (34:02)
Jason says that if you call his company, you can expect the best rate with good policy coverage. (35:28)
How often does Jason normally work from home? (43:21)
What are the things that Jason looks for when he’s at meeting with loan officers in terms of partnering? (44:28)
Jason thinks that having a survey is important. (55:03)
Jason shares how they treat their clients. (56:53)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If I'm going to sell something, I want to sell something that's a need. I don't want to sell a want.” - Jason Kilgo
“The number one thing for a culture of what people want out of a job is they want freedom.” - Jason Kilgo
“I think we're good, but we could be better” - Jason Kilgo
“I feel like every job has been a great stepping stone to where I am now.” - Jason Kilgo

Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn- David Carothers
LinkedIn- Kyle Houck
LinkedIn- Jason Kilgo
KilGO Insurance

Fleet Safety for Sales III

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about fleet safety and how beneficial it is for sales. They also discuss mirroring and labeling prospects.

Episode Highlights:

David explains why he would always try and use the carrier for fleet safety. (3:33)
David explains that when he was a start-up in the tech perspective, he was only using a laptop and Microsoft Office. (7:17)
David talks about investing in training programs and email automation when starting up. (9:24)
Kyle explains that the nice thing about using KPA or Mineral is that the reports are pushed out to the employees and it helps with monitoring and accountability. (11:05)
David shares about a call that he had with someone in a Killing Commercial. (12:16)
David explains about mirroring and labeling somebody as a prospect and what you should sound like. (16:35)
David explains that agents see KPA or Mineral as a way to get business and not as a way to keep it. (17:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think that the thing that's really nice about using KPA or Mineral or really, you know, other ones that are out there is that it pushes it out to the employees, quarterly or monthly." - Kyle Houck
"When you're mirroring and labelling somebody as a prospect, you always want to say, it sounds like, it feels like, it seems like. Not, I'm hearing, I'm feeling or whatever. Because the second you put “I” into the conversation, it becomes selfish and about you and not about them." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Treating Technology as a Team Member with Scott Beene

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Scott Beene, the CEO of Diversicom Corporation. Scott Beene talks about his unique views of Managed Services and why you should invest in Managed Service Provider. Scott also shares that he participated in four different groups and why building trust and relationships with clients is important.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces guest Scott Beene. (1:43)
Scott Beene shares his background story. (2:33)
Scott Beene shares his experience working with the second world’s largest distributor of technology. (7:13)
Scott Beene talks about the win-win profitable relationship. (11:28)
Scott Beene was kind of naive when he started because he was an engineer. (12:35)
Scott Beene talks about what the cybersecurity threat has done with the industry. (14:06)
Scott Beene says that when he started, the term “Managed Service” doesn’t exist yet. (15:47)
When Scott Beene got engaged with a prospect, how does he determine if he’s gonna work with them or not? (18:25)
Scott Beene discusses the two questions he asks a prospect. (19:56)
What's the biggest obstacle that Scott Beene runs into when he is dealing with prospects? (24:59)
Scott Beene shares that they literally treat the technology in the client’s business as a virtual employee. (28:15)
Scott Beene has worked with four professional groups. (33:45)
Scott Beene shares the hardest part about running an IT company. (35:55)
Scott Beene talks about the reaction of prospects about the job description. (43:00)
Scott Beene talks about his favorite author. (55:06)
Why does Scott Beene ask for a job description from clients? (49:57)
What is the daily routine of Scott Beene? (53:07)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I have a goal to get to a point to where I only look at my email three days at three times a day”- Scott Beene
“Most of my peers laughed at me, thought I would never gonna make it. And today, over half of IT companies are running their business using this model called Managed Services”- Scott Beene
“I’m trying my best not to start my week before it's finished”- Scott Beene

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Local Traffic Cop with Chris Langille

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Langille, Founder of Advisor Evolved. Chris talks about website development, the importance of SEO and pay-per-click, knowing the entire process from top to bottom in doing niche marketing, and the importance of having a VA in the organization.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces guest Chris Langille. (1:24)
What does Chris Langille do with traffic generation? (4:14)
Chris Langille talks about how often things change in business throughout the course of a year or two. (7:25)
Chris Langille shares his unique background story. (11:47)
Chris Langille got to the point where he was running the agency by himself. (14:31)
Chris Langille talks about website marketing. (17:05)
What is the mistake that most people make with marketing? (22:32)
There are certain things that you shouldn't waste your time on and there are certain things that you should spend time and money on. (22:52)
Why is insurance a very competitive industry? (26:54)
What is Chris’ biggest obstacle when he engages with agencies that he runs into? (28:24)
Chris Langille talks about how they started doing search ads for trucking. (38:08)
Chris Langille shares that they are on the process of buying data from google. (42:25)
What would be Chris Langille’s advice to somebody who wants to revamp their marketing efforts? (54:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Don't think about the cost as an expense. think about it as,’If I can outspend my competitors, I'm gonna win.’” – Chris Langille
“You got to have the right mindset with it. You can't put your website in the marketing expense column anymore. It's the cost of doing business, it’s like your electric bill.” – Chris Langille
“We have to educate the person first and then they become a client and that's sort of always been our approach.” – Chris Langille

Resources Mentioned:

Fleet Safety for Sales II

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about driver selection criteria and how important it is. They also discuss how being a bit more forceful with clients can help them to understand that you want what is right for them.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that it is sometimes okay to be more forceful with your clients because it can help them to understand that you are only willing to provide the best. (1:52)
Kyle explains that there are people that are stuck in the perspective of being at low risk, and the means of having insurance is not important. (4:42)
David shares why companies need to have a formal safety program in place. (8:11)
David talks about himself being a hall pass monitor when it comes to interstate driving for his clients. (11:22)
Kyle mentions that it's hard to get contractors to do the things that you need them to if they don't feel like it has any impact on them. (13:05)
Kyle explains that it may be more effective to use the incentive method to keep drivers on track. (14:21)
David shares that it is also important to have a defined keyword, progressive disciplinary policy. (15:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the things that I didn't bring up is that sometimes you've got to be a little bit more forceful with your client. Sometimes you want what's right for them more than they want what's right for them because they just don't get it." - David Carothers
"If people aren't following your program and the stuff that you've put in place, I think that it's better to use the incentive method to get them on track." - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Walk Softly and Carry a Big Selfie Stick with Gabe Oh

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Gabriel Oh, Principal at Western Pacific Insurance Group. Gabe talks about how he got into the business of insurance, his passion to support small local businesses, and shares his advice on how business owners can start doing something for their communities.

Episode Highlights:

How did Gabe Oh get into the insurance industry? (6:00)
What was Gabe’s deciding factor in doing insurance? (7:47)
Gabe never did this for the money, it wasn't a money play. (10:44)
For Gabe Oh, it’s always about what you can do best for the client (11:07)
Gabe just changed his time, from seven to seven (14:15)
Gabe loves what he does for the community and industry. (14:47)
How did Gabe Oh get the idea of doing the walk video with local people? (15:09)
Gabe shares how he tries to support local businesses. (22:31)
How easy has it been for Gabe Oh to adapt to everything that's going on right now? (25:47)
This is an awful time for a lot of people but there's going to be good that comes out of this (29:05)
How did Gabe Oh prepare himself for the new normal? (29:51)
Gabe Oh gave his advice to business starters. (46:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Be genuinely kind to people. Don't be an arrogant punk, you don't know what they're going through.”- Gabe Oh
“We operate here based on what the right thing to do is for this community because this community has given so much back to our agency” - Gabe Oh
“I started this from scratch. I didn't get a loan from my dad. I grinded to get this thing up and running and I think that kind of holds me down a little bit and keeps me humble” - Gabe Oh
“When I go to hire people, we hire people that have good values and morals and that's kind of helped us move forward” - Gabe Oh

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Auto Shop Whisperer with Chris Cotton

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In today’s throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interview Chris Cotton, owner of AutoFix SOS. Chris travels around between states in a mobile home with his family coaching auto shop owners to help them run their business. This podcast discusses how business coaches can get struggling businesses to make a profit, and goes into the details that auto repair shops need to succeed in the current market, such as digital inspections.

Episode Highlights:

Chris talks about how he and his family changed their life course as they started AutoFix. (2:15)
What does Chris Cotton’s daily routine look like? (5:26)
How did Chris originally get into auto repair? (8:45)
What led Chris to leave his shop and do road coaching and consulting? (16:15)
How does Chris determine who he wants to work with? (18:35)
How does Chris go about giving people advice on how to fix their business? (21:55)
Provide unemotional guiding and accountability, and focus on educating them about the things they don’t know. (22:35)
Embrace technology and make sure your social media is up to date. (22:35)
People want you to guarantee results. (26:10)
How does Chris hold people accountable for following the process? (27:20)
The process is like math, and if you follow the proven process you will get the right answer. (28:10)
When Chris is building a relationship, he tries to leave people in thought so that if they don’t follow through they will feel responsible for that. (32:25)
Chris considers experiences to be bad when people do not follow through with the plan or stop taking phone calls. (34:55)
Focus on learning from your successes as well as your mistakes. (38:50)
Chris’greatest success story, what did he learn from it, and how is he replicating it in other shops. (40:15)
How does Chris help shops navigate social media? (44:15)
Facebook is (essentially) free, take the time to make 2 posts a day, and make a video for your page. (44:45)
The future of the auto repair is in Facebook ads, as far as cost-per-click and return on investment. (45:38)
Digital inspections for cars can help bring shops up to current standards and gives people visuals for their car’s repairs without requiring any phone calls. (50:50)
Digital files also help protect your business because there is minimal risk of losing information and provides accountability. (53:55)
What percentage of shops are actually using digital inspections? (55:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There’s not anybody who’s really too small to work with.” -Chris Cotton
“If during the coaching process, I say something that hurts our feelings or motivates you to want to do better, that's where the real change happens.” -Chris Cotton
“As long as you’re with me I’ll be with you ‘till the end.” -Chris Cotton
“I think so many of us deal with the old cliche of failing forward and learning from your mistakes and learning from your losses and everything else that you don’t take the time to learn from things that you win at.” -David Carothers
“You are way more successful if you have a visual or if you can show somebody versus trying to paint a picture over the phone.” -Chris Cotton

Resources Mentioned:

Fleet Safety for Sales I

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck address the importance of establishing driver selection criteria upfront and communicating it to your client.

Episode Highlights:

David believes that everyone searching for work in the trades right now has a bad driving record since those who don't are always employed. (4:14)
David explains that the dissatisfaction comes from the agents' failure to properly prepare their clients for what they must do on their end. (7:25)
David mentions that anyone who needs a driver selection criteria template can write him an email, and he will provide a copy. (7:45)
According to David, many persons who have poor comp claims are auto-related. (8:50)
David shares that he's dealing with customers that run background checks for a living and are innocent, but a lawyer is fishing because of one of their PEO clients. (9:51)
David explains the need for establishing driver selection criteria in advance and communicating the criteria to your client. (13:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Two things need to happen…You need to have the criteria established. But number two, you really should be having your clients run the MVR’s in-house, they need to be the ones doing this.” - David Carothers
“You need to have the driver selection criteria established on the front end and communicate that to your client.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Using CRM and Automation to Reel in The Big Fish with David LeFevre

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interview David Lefevre, who works in the marketing department of Florida Risk Partners and Salespwr.com. David talks about how to use CRMs to ensure your salespeople have the tools they need to be successful, and the importance of knowing and being able to talk about your customers.

Episode Highlights:

You are not an insurance agency until you close a deal and you have to do policy administration. Until that point, you are a sales organization. (8:55)
The difference between a B2B sales organization and an inbound sales organization. (10:08)
David discusses his daily routine and how he breaks down his days. (10:50)
David’s backstory and how he got to where he is now. (13:45)
Using mapping to show customers and leads in a certain radius or boundary. (20:56)
There are different types of people who are good at different things, let people play to their strengths. (22:30)
What’s the biggest mistake David has seen that the sales organizations make? (24:40)
It really comes down to managing your team and having realistic expectations, so the biggest mistake is having unrealistic expectations. (24:55)
What’s one thing David Lefevre sees that successful organizations have in common? (26:00)
Giving your salespeople the support they need to be successful. (26:36)
David Lefevre’s explanation of the strategy around content. (28:50)
You can determine your future customer’s needs based on your current customer’s needs. (30:50)
Know your customer, and be able to talk about them the same way you can talk about yourself. (32:30)
What’s the biggest obstacle David dealt with in implementing automation and CRM in companies he works with? (36:17)
The idea of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is centralized contacts and management of information, where everything that’s being done is not lost. (38:10)
The CRM helps ensure you are giving your salespeople the tools they need to succeed. (39:55)
Install a CRM to help prevent information from leaking out. (41:55)
What is David’s advice for someone who is getting started with using a CRM? (46:00)
Stick to the basics and don’t do something that makes you segment out your clients. (46:37)
David Carothers is doubling down on evergreen content instead of coronavirus content. (49:55)
Use email as a tool to build relationships. (56:15)
David Lefevre clarifies the difference between advertising and marketing. (57:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The high production agencies realize that they are sales organizations.” -David Carothers
“Mapping is an essential part of all business today in the United States.” -David Lefevre
“Success breeds on success so give your salespeople winning opportunities.” -David Lefevre
“People need to think of their customer just as they do trying to talk about themselves.” -David Lefevre
“When I think of marketing, I am trying to create awareness for my company...Advertising is giving money to somebody else to get my information in front of you, regardless of when you’re ready to buy.” -David Lefevre
“I think advertising is shouting.” -David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Remember Why You Started with Ciara Gravier

Mon, 30 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ciara Gravier, CIC, PWCA, CPIA, Founder, and CEO of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management. Ciara talks about her knowledge and expertise in the insurance industry and how COVID-19 has affected her business.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Ciara Gravier. (1:24)
Ciara shares that they started their company in January 2019. They hired their first producer in November and three telemarketers before the pandemic happened. (3:58)
Ciara mentions that she started her agency on paper about a year and a half ago, but they have been hitting it hard since January. (13:52)
Ciara thinks that the hardest part when the COVID-19 happened, was that it was the same time when they were trying to reinvent themselves. (14:48)
Ciara mentions that they have commercial experience but not in the middle market. (15:38)
Ciara thinks that the insurance industry is still very heavily male-dominated, but she surrounded herself with a lot of men that believe in her, probably more than she does. (16:52)
Ciara shares a story about a prospect that was referred to her by a good referral partner. (18:04)
Ciara mentions that the carrier appointments have been a big challenge for them, especially in South Florida. (30:14)
Ciara explains that apart from COVID-19, focusing on their content and videos has also been a challenge for them. (40:51)
Ciara shares that her father always tells her to remember the big picture and not to get caught up in the little things. (45:36)
Ciara shares her advice for the listeners, that you have to be patient with the process, find a mentor, find a skilled agent and follow them, and try to spend time with them and learn from them. (55:37)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You have to get your designation. Because having those letters behind your name is going to help you with adversity, you're going to face being young and being a woman, some people just don't take the advice seriously.” - Ciara Gravier
“I think honestly, some women might feel like they belong in the desk processing certificates. No, not at all. Any woman can do this job in the agency and run the show. It's not limited to just picking up the phone.” - Ciara Gravier
“I understand being an underwriter, the people that feed you the most and feed you the best are the ones that get your first attention. So it has been very difficult to find an underwriter that we can bond with, that responds to us quickly.” - Ciara Gravier
“I just want to be able to take care of my family, I don't need to have a million houses. I just want the flexibility, this job, and owning an agency does give you flexibility in your life.” - Ciara Gravier
“I think that I don't see myself working anywhere else but insurance, and I also think it's something I can do until I retire...I want to live a good life, a comfortable life, and take care of my family.” - Ciara Gravier

Resources Mentioned:

Keeping Up With the Joneses Part 2

Fri, 27 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about two more key impulse factors to help you close sales: fear of loss and a sense of urgency.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle introduces two additional impulse factors that can help you close sales: fear of loss and a sense of urgency, which he mentions go hand in hand with what they represent from the potential customer’s perspective. (1:26)
David explains that Mineral is a good tool to help prospects understand the fear of loss. (2:40)
Kyle shares that a sense of urgency is a way of letting prospects know that you are not going to take a lot of their time. (6:04)
David shares that in a cold-calling situation, an icebreaker can simply make it or break it. (8:13)
Kyle talks about having a sense of urgency for ourselves and not only for our clients. (9:47)
Kyle and David did a cold calling roleplay to give an example of how to pitch with all four key impulses. (12:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you're paying for it and not giving it to people, how are you using that to generate new business?" - David Carothers
"When you're cold calling, you've got to get their attention right out of the box. You can't just go in and say, I'd like to talk to you about your insurance and risk management program." - David Carothers
“I would walk in, I would ice break, use some Jones effect and some indifference. And I would add some sense of urgency at the very end of it and say, ‘I'm just looking to introduce myself, you know, real quick to the person.’ So that real quick part, that's the sense of urgency.” Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Leading with LinkedIn Content with Micah Salas

Wed, 25 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Micah Salas, Advisor of Risk Management & Business Insurance at Marsh & McLennan Agency. Micah talks about cold calling, getting prospects from LinkedIn and creating a content production strategy.

Episode Highlights:

Micah shares his background story, and how he got into the insurance industry. (2:53)
Micah explains that there are a lot of people with a lot of different experiences across the country that you can use as resources. (6:57)
Micah says that Marsh & McLennan Agency allows them to be entrepreneurial. (7:43)
Micah shares that they’re pushing hard to get all of their producers using Salesforce consistently to have those processes in place. (10:03)
Is there a specific market segment that Micah goes after? (10:37)
Micah says that everyone, especially in construction, buys workers’ comp because in order to get to the client’s job site you need to show a certificate. (18:13)
Micah talks about Texas Mutual's dividend program in Texas. (20:08)
Micah shares that he made contact with a large company with more than 2000 road contractor employees, a billion dollars in revenue. (28:20)
Micah talks about his ROI. (29:56)
Micah says that he regularly puts out content on his LinkedIn account. (32:49)
What is Micah’s content production strategy? (38:07)
Micah shares that he has zero interest in quoting or bidding but they have a different approach. (38:58)
Does Micah read a lot of books? (39:29)
Micah shares his starting point and how he refines that to have the highest hit ratio. (45:37)
What advice can Micah give to anyone who is starting out in the insurance industry as a producer? (59:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Don't listen to fake news that cold calling is dead.” - Micah Salas
“From an insurance agency standpoint, or agent producer, I would spend 30 minutes a day to an hour connecting with people, following people, seeing what's going on and posting relevant content. But if you're expecting it to get rich on it, it's not going to happen.” - Micah Salas
“I stay pretty tight to what I know I do well, just because I know going into those meetings, I can speak with confidence and then I know we can deliver as well.” - Micah Salas

Resources Mentioned:

A Whale of an Opportunity with Dan Abrahamsen

Mon, 23 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host James Jenkins interview Dan Abrahamsen, Co-Founder of Cover Whale. Dan talks about how dedicated Cover Whale is to assisting their trucking clients and carrier partners in risk management and how Cover Whale uses data and advanced technology to enhance the safety of our roadways.

Episode Highlights:

Dan shares that he started his career in the industry on the P&C carrier side, specifically with the trucking and transportation industry, before co-founding Cover Whale. (2:27)
Dan discusses how Cover Whale utilizes an AI-powered dash camera to help coach and advocate for their insureds. (9:41)
Dan believes that Tesla's insurance program is focused on the long term and shouldn’t necessarily be written off but doesn’t offer the same value as other InsurTech solutions. (23:03)
Dan shares that their model is to provide one quote back per submission with eight different carrier partners, as of today. (28:40)
Dan explains that the first part of their process is to give clients a nearly instant indication rate, to help get the conversation started. (34:17)
Dan shares that they offer a competitive payment term from their financial partners. (41:26)
Dan talks about being more traditionally focused on agencies with a transportation portfolio to help clients with comprehensive risk management solutions. (47:27)
Dan explains that the 3 things they think trucking operators should have are liability, comp and collision, and cargo. (50:21)
Dan explains how important it is to give agents information to enable them to answer the most complex questions. (55:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think most truckers, they want to hear what you can do for them, and you have a very short window to make that clear. So, our first step in the process is we will give you a fast and loose rate based on your geographic area, number of vehicles, and we will give you that indication rate right away right on the portal " - Dan Abrahamsen
"I think like with anything in life or in insurance, what starts as super complex and foreign can quickly kind of peel back to something more manageable, you can get your hands around it." - Dan Abrahamsen
"You never want to be giving off-the-cuff guidance, if you're not entirely sure yourself. I do think that the educational component, we're committed to it, we're here to kind of push some of this forward." - Dan Abrahamsen

Resources Mentioned:

Keeping Up With the Joneses

Fri, 20 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the Jones effect and indifference, two of the four key impulse factors that can help to close sales.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle talks about impulse factors and when and how he first learned about using this strategy to close sales. (1:49)
Kyle explains that the Jones effect is referencing somebody else that you have sold to, to give you credibility and put the customer at ease. (2:52)
David explains that using the Jones effect to show that you know or service their competition makes you useful to them and makes them want to meet with you. (7:00)
Kyle explains that indifference has to do with your body language and your tone. (8:05)
David shares that controlled intensity is one of the gifts that many people lack in any sales capacity. (11:44)
Kyle talks about how he mirrors the client as a way of preparing for the actual sales pitch. (12:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think the Jones effect part of it is crucial in establishing some credibility and relaxing the prospect." - Kyle Houck
"So indifference is easy too. I'm naturally pretty indifferent. But it has to do with your body language and your tone." - Kyle Houck
“If people feel like you're useful to them to give them information about their competition, they're gonna be willing to meet with you almost every time.” David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

A Nifty Conversation with Joe Hollier

Wed, 18 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Ryan Deeds interviews Joe Hollier, Nifty Rewards Co-Founder. Joe explains what the Metaverse is, how we can benefit from it, and what we need to expect in the future.

Episode Highlights:

Joe shares his background story and the what led him to Nifty Rewards. (2:21)
Joe explains what the Metaverse is, and its advantages and disadvantages. (6:35)
Joe shares that what they do with Nifty is build an agent-facing community and teach agents on a unique platform. (11:07)
Joe talks about a new idea that they are currently building that will be called NFP, or Non-Fungible Promotion. (14:15)
Joe talks about how Spatial has improved and that you can create your own space. (19:29)
Joe differentiates, that Web1 is the prodigy of AOL, Web2 allows us to engage, and Web3 is the virtual experience. (21:57)
Joe explains that the problem that we are facing now is that technology is innovating too fast. (27:21)
Joe talks about the importance of having knowledge about the Metaverse and being able to imagine what can be done in terms of adaptation. (36:29)
Joe explains that the more we talk about the Metaverse and its technology, the more it will become a naturally growing conversation. (39:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"What we're doing with nifty is building an agent-facing community, you know, what we're doing is teaching agents in a different unique kind of platform, what digital engagement looks like, what it looks like to put your brand out there in a Metaverse." - Joe Hollier
"Everything you do, everything we do in life, there's going to be this digital connection. And we're going to be living in this environment, not just looking at it on a screen. So that's really going to be what Web3 is all about." - Joe Hollier
"I think the grand dream or the grand fantasy of a Metaverse is you have all these virtual worlds that exist. And your little avatar can hop from one to the other, and engage with whatever's going on in those particular virtual worlds or ecosystems. It's not there yet, what we have right now is a bunch of individual virtual worlds." - Joe Hollier

Resources Mentioned:

From Vape to Voip with Jeremy Chen

Mon, 16 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jeremy Chen of Jeremy Chen Sales. Jeremy talks about how he helps companies improve their sales strategies and performance.

Episode Highlights:

Jeremy shares his background story, and how he got to where he is in his professional career. (1:50)
Jeremy explains that when he started getting into sales, he never really had any experience in the field. (6:33)
Jeremy talks about how he got an opportunity and landed a job at a cell phone company. (22:37)
Jeremy shares that his selling secret is always pretending he knows who he is talking to. (28:17)
Jeremy explains that the biggest mistake made by producers or salespeople is their mindset. (33:33)
Jeremy shares that he learned the process and flow of cold calling by just doing it. (39:05)
Jeremy talks about his favorite sales story based on his experience being a salesperson for a vet company. (41:57)
Jeremy explains that people are unaware that they only want to hear other people tell them that they are correct instead of telling them that they are wrong. (47:45)
Jeremy shares that in the sales industry, some people just need the time to think through whatever their argument is. (50:40)
Jeremy explains that he thinks cold calling has been ongoing and active even during the COVID pandemic. (52:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You're asking the questions from a position of, I just want to be told that I was right the entire time, as opposed to actually, I'm doing something wrong." - Jeremy Chen
"I was going broke, I certainly wouldn't depend on digital marketing to bring me my next meal. Right, I would go out and find it." - Jeremy Chen
"Sales and appointment setting is a game of hot potato, and the more you talk, the longer your hands are going to burn. So I don't care what you say, just make it so clear to the point that you can toss that potato back in their lap." - Jeremy Chen

Resources Mentioned:

The Producer Mindset

Fri, 13 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different impulse factors that can help you close sales.

Episode Highlights:

David talks about season two of The Protege and how interesting it has been to watch which contestants are succeeding, and it may not be the ones that were originally the front-runners. (1:36)
David explains that if you want to have insurance-related knowledge, get the CIC designation. (3:15)
Kyle and David talk about a relatable mindset that Tiger Woods has that can also be applied to sales. (8:19)
Kyle talks about the importance of confidence in sales and believing that you are supposed to be there and that you belong. (13:38)
David talks about the downfall of a sales process that is based on auditing policies rather than bringing value. (16:03)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Half the battle is believing that you're supposed to be there. They took the appointment, as you know, don't talk yourself out of it because you think you don’t belong." - Kyle Houck
"I think many times what happens is we get so caught up in needing to know every single nuance of policy language, exclusions, endorsements, how to talk technically, and all of that." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

An Interview with the Headmaster with Jim Schubert

Wed, 11 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jim Schubert, CEO of Southern States Insurance, and Podcast Host and "Headmaster" at Agents Growth Academy. Jim talks about the qualities that make an effective producer and how he is giving back to this great industry.

Episode Highlights:

Jim shares his background story, and what led him to be part of the insurance industry. (3:12)
Jim shares a fun story about how he showed appreciation to his employees during the pandemic. (12:50)
Jim explains that the best producers in his organization and the best producers in the industry are the educators. (19:09)
Jim talks about the things that he learned and the perspective that he gained while on a recent retreat. (23:10)
Jim shares that he has made valuable connections within the last five months since he started the podcast. (30:26)
Jim explains that the best producers are the people that can tell really great stories. (33:02)
Jim talks about gratitude as one of the most important things that people don't think about often. (41:08)
Jim shares that the joy and the benefit he got out of doing his podcast is the deeper connection with other people. (45:16)
Jim shares how they came up with "Insure the Cure" and have raised over half a million dollars. (47:38)
Jim explains that when you are passionate about your goal, people naturally follow and are drawn to it. (54:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I was kind of in the same mindset of like, you know, I don't want to ever seem like I'm, you know, taking, I want to be able to give." - Jim Schubert
"The best producers that we have in our organization and the best producers that I've seen in our industry are the educators." - Jim Schubert
"I basically spent the last six years just getting the agency to a place where I felt like it was mine. And it was being run with the culture that I envisioned and with the people that I wanted around me." - Jim Schubert

Resources Mentioned:

Yes! With Joel Stevenson

Mon, 09 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Joel Stevenson, CEO of Yesware. Joel talks about sales and technology and how Yesware is changing the face of technology for salespeople.

Episode Highlights:

Joel shares his background and what he does in the software for salespeople industry. (4:04)
Joel shares his experience with CRMs and the tools that led him to a software company for salespeople. (7:38)
Joel explains that their services are highly recommended for entrepreneurs, salespeople, and people from the company that is transactional. (12:30)
Joel shares some of the marketing tools and software they use. (14:17)
Joel talks about the biggest win they have heard from a client from using Yesware. (18:46)
Joel shares that most of their clients today come from tech sales, and they are currently doing business with Flywire and Monday.com. (22:30)
Joel talks about the integration that they have with Salesforce, which is currently being integrated for a better customer experience. (24:41)
Joel elaborates on the notable changes in the software industry before and compared to today when everything is easier and cheaper to get. (35:05)
Joel talks about the integration they are currently building for Yesware. (38:37)
Joel explains that not using a tool like Yesware gives you an information disadvantage over your competitors. (48:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The founding sort of philosophy of Yesware was like, Let's build technology, actually, for salespeople, and not for the manager." - Joel Stevenson
"It's about the conversations and the questions that you're asking people, the things that really, really matter in sales." - Joel Stevenson
"As soon as people think that they're being spoken to by a machine, or it's just automation, and there's no human behind it, you're done." - Joel Stevenson

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Gurley Sessions 6

Fri, 06 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They chat about why it’s important to recognize the benefits of having a niche and how to develop one.

Episode Highlights:

Josh clarifies the difference between having a niche and having an ideal prospect. (2:36)
Josh recalls the first account they worked on and how they progressed from there. (8:10)
What advice does Josh have for those who are just starting out in a certain niche? (10:45)
Josh mentions that within the first two years of their agency’s existence, it was voted affiliate member of the year. (11:04)
Josh says that trade shows were their number one way of getting new business up until COVID. (16:58)
Josh recounts one of Andrew’s most memorable accomplishments from a few years ago. (21:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I’ve gotten more business off of just giving away free information to people than you could ever believe.” – Josh Gurley
“If you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time, you don’t have to have your account managers do different things. It’s not brand new, you’re not having to figure out who the markets are.” – Josh Gurley
“If you take what we’ve done in the niche, and that’s not all that we do, right? I mean, that’s probably 30% to 40% of what we do. But if you take what has been done in the niche, and you take the business that has been written out of there, it’s well over a million dollars in five years.” – Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Marketing to the Letter of the Law with Jonathan Rosenfeld

Wed, 04 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jonathan Rosenfeld, Personal Injury Attorney and Owner of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers. Jonathan discusses how Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers helps their clients navigate personal injury cases.

Episode Highlights:

Jonathan talks about his background and gives a brief introduction of what his profession as a Personal Injury Attorney is all about. (3:00)
Jonathan shares that in every industry and profession, you just have to get out and be consistent in doing what you desire. (10:47)
Jonathan shares that he is shocked by the number of people reaching out to him regarding their not being able to get their checks. (17:35)
Jonathan explains that a mass tort is really any situation where there's a large group of people who've been impacted by a similar event or incident. (22:59)
Jonathan shares some scenarios where he thinks simple cases should have been resolved. (30:22)
Jonathan talks about the company needing to be responsible and go down to its insurance obligations. (35:40)
Jonathan explains that people, when pushed to their patience, wind up getting an attorney to file cases against their employers. (38:31)
Jonathan elaborates on the difference between completely manufacturing an incident and manufacturing an injury and maybe exacerbating the injury. (49:16)
Jonathan shares some sample cases that can be considered an exception to the rule. (55:02)

Tweetable Quotes:

"They're not out there to squeeze blood out of a rock, you know. They're out there to try to pay their bills and really try to get really what's reasonably entitled to under the law." - Jonathan Rosenfeld
"There's a difference between, you know, completely manufacturing an incident and manufacturing an injury and maybe exacerbating the injury." - Jonathan Rosenfeld
"If anyone's got a legal question, you know, God forbid, someone's injured, reach out, call me. If I can't help you, I can find someone who can." - Jonathan Rosenfeld

Resources Mentioned:

The Spaghetti Code with Colby Tunick

Mon, 02 May 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Colby Tunick, CEO of ReFocus AI. Colby discusses how The ReFocus AI platform is a game-changer and how they are able to help in the insurance business.

Episode Highlights:

Colby talks about his background, where he started, and how he was able to get to where he is today. (2:56)
Colby explains that ReFocus AI exists to flag the clients that are most likely to leave at the regular expiration date of their contract. (7:02)
Colby elaborates on the reasons why he decided to focus on retention instead of copying what everybody else does. (13:48)
Colby shares that they currently cater to both carriers and brokers in the small-to-middle market. (18:15)
Colby shares that what sets them apart from other competitors is that they work closely with adopters to understand their data. (24:07)
Colby explains that the older and more established agency management systems are not easy to partner with. (28:45)
Colby shares that they always think about how they can offer their service with the least amount of effort for the end-users by eliminating portals and APIs. (36:03)
Colby shares that the interesting thing about insurance is that the people who hold the data, the influence, and the ability to sell are independent agents. (41:02)
Colby explains what an API stands for and what it is for from a technological aspect. (44:55)
Colby shares a concept that deals with software called "technical debt". (48:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think it just goes to show that when you have innovation and you're growing quickly, what they're looking for is how they can reduce the number of systems they're using." - Colby Tunick
"The interesting thing for us is that we actually work with just as many mutual carriers as we do independent agents." - Colby Tunick
"If we can make our team more efficient by recapturing an hour or two right now, we're setting ourselves up to nail it when the market becomes a lot more competitive, and we know everyone's going to be struggling with retention, that's where we want to be." - Colby Tunick

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Gurley Sessions 5

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss how to drive wedges and how to get along symbiotically with payroll companies.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that payroll companies are a huge source of income in their agency. (1:45)
Kyle shares what he sees on policies that are done through payroll companies. (3:34)
Josh shares that he thinks payroll companies don’t pay attention to credit because they’re not in the business of workers’ compensation. (11:04)
David mentions that how you work with payroll companies is important because they can be a very good referral source. (19:05)
David explains why payroll companies are not competing for workers’ comp (20:48)
Kyle shares that there have been a number of times in the past where he worked with payroll reps that referred a decent amount of business. (22:45)
Josh shares that they hired a VA at their office for personal lines, and how it is working out. (27:22)
David mentions that there will be a big announcement in the next episode. (29:27)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The thing is, every carrier, they have that one special tier, that secret thing that they don't tell anybody about, that they pull out every now and again...and so whenever they tell you, ‘hey, we're at our best deal’, usually, they have that kind of one extra gear that they can put the account into” - Josh Gurley
“We have a responsibility to our clients, that is undeniable. But we also have a responsibility to our carriers. I mean, we're responsible for bringing them good risk, we're responsible for hitting our loss ratios with them, and also our production goals.” - David Carothers
“If you have a clean account, and they have 0% credit, and the carriers file for 40%, then the question is why are you not getting any credit? And you could be getting up to 40%. But I think a lot of times, that's what you get with the payroll companies is they don't know” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

The Waymaker with Stuart Leo

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Stuart Leo Founder & CEO of Waymaker.io. Stuart discusses the importance of software in the industry, and the key points in our history that can be used as a tool in today's software and strategic process.

Episode Highlights:

Stuart shares his background story and what Waymaker.io is all about. (2:07)
Stuart explains how they were able to build up the company from the concept of military strategy. (4:49)
Stuart talks about how small-to-medium-sized enterprises would benefit from the system. (12:08)
Stuart explains three common problems that every organization will go through, starting with companies spinning their wheels. (14:01)
Stuart elaborates on why people need software and the seven questions that they have on their website. (17:42)
Stuart shares that the biggest challenge that he has encountered was the challenge of people learning new skills. (22:12)
Stuart explains that their goal as a company is to be the Siri and the Alexa of your business. (28:17)
Stuart shares some lessons from US history that can be turned into a great software and strategy process. (30:05)
Stuart explains that coaches and consultants love them because they get a methodology they can take to their clients. (36:58)
Stuart talks about their company's pricing for partners and business users and their inclusions. (40:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Everybody thinks that I've got to hustle. Actually, no, you've got to focus. You've actually got to do one or two or three things remarkably well, and then you gotta let go of everything else. " - Stuart Leo
"Look at the percentage of time you spend working out how to win, and the percentage of time you spend trying to win, and if you just rebalance that one thing alone, you will achieve massive transformation." - Stuart Leo
I think there are some lessons to learn from history, that we're going to turn into some cool software and some cool strategy processes, put them in our playbooks, and get them back out there and flip and win the game." - Stuart Leo

Resources Mentioned:

Connecting an Industry with Jamie Peers

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Ryan Hanley interview Jamie Peers, VP of Sales and Alliances at Synatic. Jamie discusses how Synatic provides a full integration solution that delivers value at a fast speed, and also how Synatic minimizes data integration, automation, and analytics time and cost by up to 80% by combining simple tools with enterprise-grade functionality.

Episode Highlights:

Jamie shares his background story and explains what Synetic is all about.
Jamie explains that the "Miller Lite" is a machine that can learn to decide on data. (7:00)
Jamie explains that an API is a way for people to programmatically interact with the system and get data in and out. (9:36)
Jamie provides a few examples of the solutions that Synatic has delivered. (18:21)
Jamie shares that "Ivan's" has a huge amount of critical mass and it is a big challenge to compete with them. (27:53)
Jamie explains that creating new AMS and EMS platforms is possible, but there is the same issue of having another data point. (32:33)
Jamie shares that what they are doing is to show the market that data and integrations do not need to be expensive. (39:59)
Jamies shares that the industry is running behind other industries, just from a data maturity point of view. (46:30)
Jamie shares why it is difficult to deal with and get data out of claims. (55:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We need to make systems work together better, and it's plausible, so let's go and do it. And it's why we're focusing on the insurance industry because we see that momentum change." - Jamie Peers
"So, we take an API that speaks English and make it speak to another API that speaks French, and that is effectively what Synatic does. An API is a way for people to programmatically interact with the system and get data in and out." - Jamie Peers
"My opinion on Ivan's is that they've got a huge amount of critical mass. And that is very telling. So to even conceptualize competing with Ivan's is just such a monstrous thing." - Jamie Peers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Gurley Sessions 4

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss the five-tool player to utilize in the market space.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions why some people hate the audit. (3:37)
David explains why he attends every single audit of his clients. (4:11)
Josh shares why the audit is one of the best wedges out there. (5:54)
David mentions that he wrote an e-book on how to prepare for an audit. (7:47)
Josh gives a one-liner about setting up property insurance. (9:45)
Josh mentions one of the things they talk about when somebody has a blanket property policy. (10:07)
Josh shares one of the things he learned early on in his career that has been significant. (12:11)
Josh mentions the specific question to ask when talking about property. (16:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are so many different things that you can help with at the time of the audit. I don't think that marketing automation drip for the “bee's knees” and “end all be all” but it is certainly their support for the ground troops.” - Josh Gurley
“You're going through a minefield and if you step on a mine which is a claim, do you want the insurance company to show up with a pen and a check, or do you want them to show up with a forensic accountant? That's really the crux of the issue when it comes to property insurance.” - Josh Gurley
“I think with property you can really just drive that wedge by saying, what would you expect to happen versus what is actually going to happen.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Insurance Soup Live with Michael McCormick and Taylor Dobbie

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Michael McCormick and Taylor Dobbie, of Insurance Soup to discuss their Career Insurance Agent program which helps agents build their own independent agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Taylor and Michael share the background story of Insurance Soup and how it all started with the idea of an agent community. (2:57)
Taylor explains that Career Insurance Agents help agents open independent insurance agencies. (12:54)
Michael talks about how great Taylor is at being able to help agents understand and identify challenges and situations when opening an independent agency. (15:05)
Taylor shares that the most common theme that they run into is a production and product line. (21:59)
Taylor explains that being busy and being productive are two totally different things. (30:49)
Taylor talks about their digital learning center, which is now called Collective Agency Council. (34:10)
Michael discusses the reasons why they changed the name of their digital learning center from Career Agent Concepts to Collective Agency Council. (38:44)
Taylor explains that a common roadblock that they see from agents is their ego, and it stops them from continuing to evolve. (46:35)
Michael elaborates that the way to get to the next level is to constantly and consistently learn. (47:54)
Taylor and Michael share that they have finally been able to set up a conference this coming May 5th and 6th. (50:37)
Michael shares that the reason they decided to have a bigger conference is to have a huge focus on keeping everyone together. (57:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

Losses are lessons. And if they're not, then they're really losses. Acknowledging and understanding that is obviously huge." - Michael McCormick
"A big part of the reason that we're in, you know, these positions is because of the fact that we are constantly, always learning." - Michael McCormick
"When you surround yourself with people that are looking to grow and have the same mindset, what you take away from those conversations and those relationships that you build while you're there is worth the price of admission. - Taylor Dobbie

Resources Mentioned:

A Conversation with a Beauty Queen with Crystal Fox

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Crystal Fox, Director of the Beauty Queen Insurance Program at The Smith Sawyer Smith Agency. Crystal talks about how she came up with the idea to create the Beauty Queen Insurance Program and where she sees it headed.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal shares her background, how she started, and how she ended up where she is today. (5:07)
Crystal elaborates on how hard it was to come up with a name for the beauty insurance industry. (21:59)
Crystal shares that she makes sure that her clients fully understand what they are signing up for when she offers the insurance to them. (28:21)
Crystal explains that for the next couple of years, they are planning to have a policy in every state and create brand recognition. (31:11)
Crystal shares that marketing has been the biggest hurdle for her in her beauty insurance program. (32:22)
Crystal shares that some of her claims that might come up are for permanent makeup and microblading. (37:22)
Crystal talks about her group on LinkedIn, where she can get leads. (43:23)
Crystal shares that her focus is to be able to be in all 50 states and just keep the company growing. (44:09)
Crystal explains that she currently wants to do business as a one-woman band, and be quiet and stealthy. (47:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I said yes to the universe and said, I know it'll put me where I need to be when I need to be there. And I'm open to new opportunities, trying new things, I will show up." - Crystal Fox
"I don't want to say I'm proud of myself, but you know, I'll take all the wins and I don't want to get too big for my britches, but I also want to make sure that I celebrate my successes when I secure them." - Crystal Fox
"So we're in 14 states. I'd love to be in all 50 by the end of the year, but maybe it'll take a couple of years." - Crystal Fox

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Gurley Sessions 3

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss what a wedge is all about and how you frame it.

Episode Highlights:

David shares one of the wedges that he always looks for about worker's comp. (5:38)
David shares one of the things he wants to make sure that they cover as they bring up different wedges that they can utilize at the point of sale. (8:42)
Josh shares his thoughts on worker's comp in Florida. (9:11)
Josh explains the difference between a net reporting of claims and a gross reporting of claims. (11:19)
David shares why you need to communicate at a sixth-grade level when talking to your prospect and clients. (15:57)
How does Josh frame his wedges? (16:44)
Josh mentions one of the things they work on with their clients. (17:18)
Kyle mentions one of the programs they utilize that’s a bit in line with the workers’ comp. (20:42)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's all about formulating a plan around the rules that are available. So, when you have a lot of states that have the experience writing, there's a ton of stuff out there” - Josh Gurley
“You can run a report and see what your mod would have been, had those deductibles been applied. A lot of times it can make a significant impact on somebody’s premium.” - Josh Gurley
“Doing your job is kind of like getting married. Once you ask somebody to get married to you, you should already know the answer before you're going to ask. The way that I like to frame it is just when I see that I've already run it through the software.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Of the People, By the People and For the People with Jess Dantice

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jess Dantice, CEO & Founder of Zenjuries. Jess talks about the factors that have Zenjuries in hyper-growth mode and how the Zenjuries app makes it easier, faster and more cost effective for businesses to win at workers’ comp.

Episode Highlights:

Jess talks about the factors that pushed them into hyper-growth mode over the past two months. (5:21)
Jess explains how they figured out the missing ingredient outside of their technology. (9:06)
Jess mentions that every business agency that operates today has a bandwidth issue. (12:03)
Jess discusses how they deal with the lag time issue in workers' compensation. (22:36)
Jess mentions that they would like to assist 100 commercial insurance providers by the end of this year, but there are certain requirements. (31:17)
Jess discusses why he believes they are not for everyone or every agency. (34:08)
Jess mentions how much he appreciates the fact that they have simplified their product to an app where he can get reports as soon as they happen. (39:43)
Jess explains that if you're going to change the game, you need actual information and real-time communication with all of your carriers, which is what they provide. (50:43)
Jess highlights the most important takeaways from this episode. (51:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I want to know that the guy I'm betting on is going to give everything he's got and so that's kind of what happened was Zenjuries to get us here to this moment.” - Jess Dantice
“If you want to grow, you have to create capacity to service the growth you want, right? And that means you have to spend money up front. And usually a lot of it usually costs about 50 grand, just to hire a good person, that's just one person. And that creates some capacity for you to grow. Otherwise, you really can't grow.” - Jess Dantice
“We are licensed mostly with carriers and providers, and we want to keep doing that. However, we've always had a heart for the agents, I'm a recovering agent, I will always want to support a certain amount of agents.” - Jess Dantice

Resources Mentioned:

Sustain Your Game with Alan Stein Jr.

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Alan Stein Jr., a best-selling author, coach, and speaker. Alan talks about what we can learn from the mindset of athletes, the importance of having a clear vision, and why consistency is vital to success.

Episode Highlights:

Alan shares that he spent most of his career in basketball at the youth and high school levels. (3:07)
Alan explains that unseen hours are times an athlete spends intentionally when no one else is watching. (9:45)
Alan shares examples of a situation when people who did little things consistently yielded big results. (15:08)
Alan discusses how, for him, the perfect mindset means the ability to focus, not get distracted by the past, and not get anxious about the future. (19:02)
Alan shares how this perfect mindset can be applied in the insurance business. (21:55)
Alan explains that when we focus on the things we have control over, we greatly increase the chance of getting the outcomes we want. (24:15)
Alan shares that every organization, company, or individual needs to get a crystal clear vision of what success looks like to them. (29:15)
Alan shares that as a leader, the decisions we make should only be to either accept something or correct it. (42:52)
Alan explains that in any relationship, the sooner you can qualify someone as not the right fit, the better it is for both parties. (49:10)
Alan talks about his first book, titled "Raise Your Game," and his new book called "Sustain Your Game." (51:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

"The earliest coaching maxim I learned, which certainly applies to every area of life, is that little things done consistently, yield big results." - Alan Stein
We need to focus on the things we have control over. And when we do that, we greatly increase the chance of getting the outcomes we want" - Alan Stein
"If you do your due diligence, you figure out and identify the pain point that the prospective client or customer has, and you have a solution that you can customize that matches that, you greatly increase the chance of the client choosing to purchase." - Alan Stein

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Gurley Sessions 2

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss what are one-liners that producers utilize and the main action that PEOS does.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions one of the best things that happened to him through the pandemic. (3:26)
Josh shares his favorite one-liner. (4:16)
Josh shares one of David’s favorite one-liners of his. (4:55)
David shares the type of one-liners he likes to use. (5:34)
Josh shares a story from one of the largest accounts in their agency. (16:46)
David mentions the number one thing that PEOS does. (20:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think everybody's got to have a good one-liner and you have to be able and willing to share it with people. People like to joke around that you don't have to be all business and serious all the time. It's good to break stuff up with a laugh.” - Josh Gurley
“One of my favorite things to say to people is, that sounds like the quote, hope and hope method to me. They go out and get a quote. They ask you if they can give you a quote and they hope that their quote is cheaper. I hope they get the business and I hope to god that the other guy did it right because all they're doing is copying and pasting what the other person did.” - Josh Gurley
“If you change this product in any way, then we need to know that you have insurance. We want to be additionally insured on your policy because we want to put some space between whatever the event happens in us.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Lifetime Cashflow with Rod Khleif

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Rod Khleif, Director of Lifetime CashFlow Academy. Rob shares how built passive income through multifamily real estate investment and how he helping others do the same.

Episode Highlights:

Rod shares his background story, his humble beginnings, and how he ended up where he is now. (2:54)
Rod shares a story of meeting someone who taught him the importance of mindset and psychology. (5:33)
Rod explains that you have to pick an hour when you have a lot of energy when you think about your goals in life. (09:29)
Rod discusses how you need to put a time limit on each goal that you think and plan for. (11:46)
Rod explains why your goals should be specific and measurable at all times. (14:20)
Rod explains that everything you want in life starts with a foundation of gratitude. (20:12)
Rod elaborates that it's never about the goals, but who you become to achieve those goals. (24:30)
Rod shares that they are currently running a boot camp for people that want to learn how to invest passively in multifamily real estate. (30:09)
Rod discusses what types of disposable capital people should start with to take on the real estate business. (35:10)
Rod explains that the great thing about commercial real estate is that people can build value. (37:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What you want to do is pick an hour when you have a lot of energy, so make sure you're well hydrated. You don't do it right after a meal and just sit down and write down everything you could ever possibly want in life." - Rod Khleif
"It's never about the goals, but you've got to have them to create that burning desire. But it's about who you become in your pursuit of those goals. Happiness doesn't come from goals, happiness comes from progress and growth." - Rod Khleif
"Everything you want in life starts from a foundation of gratitude. How you manifest this stuff, you do it through gratitude." - Rod Khleif

Resources Mentioned:

Running a Real Estate Empire with Chris Craddock

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Justin Sloan interview Chris Craddock, CEO of The Redux Group, and host of the Uncommon Real Estate Podcast. Chris discusses all things real estate investment, scaling your business, leadership, and everything in between.

Episode Highlights:

Chris discusses his background and how he got into the real estate market. (2:42)
Chris explains that the idea of figuring it out is important for being able to accept that the business has its ups and downs. (8:16)
Chris shares that one of the challenges the real estate industry is facing now is market inflation. (13:38)
Chris explains that the best place to put your money is in real estate if you can do home rentals and Airbnb. (16:30)
Chris discusses why you should invest your money in real estate rather than keep it in the bank. (20:37)
Chris shares that real estate is such a successful industry because they know how to find the best deals for their clients. (26:44)
Chris shares some of the books that he recommends for business owners to read if they want to work on their business and not in it. (27:49)
Chris shares what he discussed on his podcast called "Uncommon Real Estate Podcast". (35:55)
Chris discusses the types of surprise expenses he has seen in the past and how he was able to handle those surprise expenses. (38:43)
Chris shares that, as a life coach, he has helped a lot of people to be the best version of themselves. (43:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

"'I've heard Tony Robbins say just so many times, that we never fail from lack of resources. It's always a lack of resourcefulness. " - Chris Craddock
"If you want to get into investing, you either need to know how to go directly to the seller, or you need to find somebody that does know how to go directly to the seller." - Chris Craddock
"If they’ve never been burned before, then they're somebody that just hasn't been in it long enough." - Chris Craddock

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Gurley Sessions 1

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss commercial insurance sales and the biggest mistakes that people make in their business.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions the main mistake that most producers make. (2:45)
Josh shares why getting your competition fired is the most significant action that most producers fail to do. (3:29)
David mentions how he prepares for a new business meeting. (12:42)
Josh shares that if the producer talks more than the client, the producer will fail. (16:06)
Josh mentions what he would tell his clients when having a conversation with them. (16:44)
David shares why a relationship builds over time and a relationship is not built to get the business. (18:01)
David explains the reason why some people don’t confidently and immediately discuss their own company. (23:44)
Josh shares what he does to get the competition fired. (25:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We spend so much of our time trying to get hired. We talk about all the benefits and how great we are. We fail to do what I think is the very most important thing which is getting your competition fired.” - Josh Gurley
“I want a company that's looking to grow. Not want to hang here for a few years, and then maybe we'll push the needle. No, I want people who push the needle every day because I push the needle every day.” - David Carothers
“Don't ever present to anybody that can't make the decision. Nobody can present better than you can. If you're not talking to the gatekeeper and the gatekeepers get all the information, then you go present it to the gatekeeper and you don't get the deal, don't be surprised.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Building an Agency with a Marketing Plan with Aimey Bryan

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Aimey Bryan owner of Bryan Insurance Agency and Agency Marketing Pro. Aimey discusses the benefits and importance of digital marketing, content creation, and having a learning mindset in business.

Episode Highlights:

Aimey shares how she got into the insurance industry. (2:38)
Aimey discusses how she began to write for both personal and commercial markets. (7:28)
Aimey mentions that they've become really good at writing for contractors. (10:15)
Aimey explains the differences between their services at their Upstate and Long Island offices. (11:24)
Aimey explains how she balances time between doing work and interacting with third parties, while also ensuring that the agency does not suffer as a result. (15:15)
Aimey discusses the differences of how she has handled her two agencies before and after COVID. (18:37)
Aimey believes that you can teach anybody insurance, but not empathy, communicating to people, or taking care of people. (26:38)
Aimey discusses the benefits of using an automated response system or a chatbot. (30:27)
Aimey gives advice to anyone wishing to become more involved in their agency's digital marketing. (42:56)
Aimey mentions that she has virtual assistants that assist her with the digital aspect of her business. (45:07)
Aimey gives advice to the younger females who aren't sure what they want to do. (47:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I helped agents and other small businesses kind of like realizing that there's a way that you can put your personality for your agency out there.” - Aimey Bryan
“My advice for agents if you want to do digital is to not be afraid just to jump in and try it. You're not going to mess something up.” - Aimey Bryan
“If you're constantly learning and always have a learning mentality, you're going to be fine. And you're going to grow and you're going to do what you need to do in this business and you'll be successful.” - Aimey Bryan

Resources Mentioned:

Undiscovered Voices with Sarah Muniz

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Highlights:

Sarah shares that he fell in love with the insurance industry since 2001. (3:13)
Sarah explains how women, particularly those in the insurance industry, support one another (7:12)
Ciara shares some of the reasons why she got all her designations. (13:14)
Sarah explains that her book is about talent, the benefits of women, and the insurance benefits of women in leadership. (17:29)
Sarah mentions that women lack confidence in their early years because they have to show their abilities many times before they feel confident. (23:13)
Sarah believes that people must always improve both personally and professionally, in order ot keep moving forward. (34:39)
Sarah discusses how long it took her to write her own story of her experiences. (38:13)
Sarah believes that it's going to take men and women working together to make any real change. (51:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Women lack confidence because we have to prove that we can do something a lot of times before we feel confidence.” - Sarah Muniz
“If you're not growing, you're dying. I mean, and that goes for you know, personally and professionally you have to always grow. Otherwise, you're going backward.” - Sarah Muniz
“It's going to take men and women working together to make any real change.” - Sarah Muniz

Resources Mentioned:

How Do You Prepare for a Marketing Drop

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss how to prepare for a marketing drop.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle discusses how he tries not to overcomplicate things, which is one of his key points in how he prepares for a market drop. (1:55)
Kyle shares that he looks at social media for owners, CEOs, and people who are typical decision-makers. (4:33)
David explains that, for him, the key has always been to personalize the marketing drop as much as possible. (6:20)
David discusses how ProWriters can easily be used to personalize its user experience and how preparation can be done weeks in advance. (9:11)
Kyle shares that the return to work program is one of the cyber world's positive impacts on a business. (11:05)
David shares that you need to think about who your audience is, learn about your audience, and then determine what the best angle is to go in with based on that limited research that you have. (13:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

"One of the places on the website that I think sometimes gets overlooked is the "about us," or the "people." If you can find some of these websites, they have really good ones." - Kyle Houck
"I think the other thing you could do is simply compliment them on their website. Let them know you've been on it. If their website is better than average, tell them so." - David Carothers
I think that you can literally create a marketing drop around any subject, you want to create a marketing drop around, doesn't matter what it is, you know, it's just a matter of taking the time to think it through." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Living Your Bucket List with Tracy Cotton

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Tracy Cotton, Executive Client Manager at Starr-Mathews Agency. Tracy discusses why everybody, particularly those in the insurance industry, should be flexible and open to new experiences and how she came up with the concept of trying 50 new things on her 50th birthday.

Episode Highlights:

Tracy discusses her pre-& post-Chattanooga experiences. (4:20)
Tracy discusses her favorite things to do in Chattanooga. (9:45)
Tracy explains how she was offered the opportunity to name her own position, which is Executive Client Manager. (11:17)
David, Kyle, and Tracy discuss how being honest with clients may help to solve certain situations. (22:38)
Tracy believes that personality tests are not the primary basis of the concept of a utility player. (39:31)
Tracy discusses how her paper planner helped her in coming up with the concept of trying 50 new things for her 50th birthday. (41:56)
Tracy believes that being flexible and open to new experiences is important in everything she does, including insurance. (45:18)
Tracy discusses her favorite thing she did with 50 out of 50. (48:21)
Tracy believes that the 50/50 rule helps in the process of determining what you really want to do. (51:26)
Tracy shares her intention to inspire her female insurance industry colleagues to explore new things. (51:59)
Tracy mentions that balancing between planning ahead and being open to opportunities as they arise is similar to what we do in insurance. (52:52)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I really wanted people to be able to plug-in from the get-go and really start feeling like we're part of, you know, we're part of the risk management or partner and they're their business there.” - Tracy Cotton
“A balance between planning ahead and being open to those opportunities as they come up. And that's not really any different than what it is we do in insurance.” - Tracy Cotton
“There really is no one choice in insurance. I continue to be amazed at the different ways that a career can change and the opportunity that is there.” - Tracy Cotton, CIC, CISR

Resources Mentioned:

From Captive to Crushing It with Ellie Platt

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ellie Platt. Ellie explains how she manages and values her team, and how they show their dedication to their clients and the community they serve.

Episode Highlights:

Ellie shares her journey and how she got into the insurance industry without having any insurance background. (4:37)
Ellie discusses how her biggest challenge has been acquiring Nationwide books of business. (8:22)
Ellie mentions that bringing people into their process has always been a challenge. (18:27)
Ellie shares that the main activity in their company is account reviews, and it drives everything that they do. (20:46)
Ellie shares that the biggest lesson she has learned with acquisition is to listen to her team and identify high-priority clients. (23:04)
Ellie shares that one of her strengths is building cross-cultural relationships. (28:29)
Ellie explains that it is important to find people to work with locally, even in just a small capacity. (39:50)
Ellie shares how she handled their team culture during COVID and how she consolidated afterward. (46:36)
Ellie discusses her relationship with her son and his interest level in the insurance business. (51:20)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm just really identifying kinds of high premium clients, and so we are very proactive in reaching out to them." - Ellie Platt
"I think one of my strengths is building cross-cultural relationships, and so that's what I've tried to focus on more than anything, and it transfers." - Ellie Platt
"I don't even think I understood the insurance industry at all, but I just got my own business entrepreneurial bug, like, I can do this for myself, and it's unlimited. And so I did it. I mean, it was a leap of faith." - Ellie Platt

Resources Mentioned:

What is a Marketing Drop

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the purpose of marketing drops, why we should value everyone regardless of their position, and why having a good conversation with the gatekeeper is important.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that he got 25 to 30 emails asking him whether he is making drops right now, as he said on the podcast. (3:31)
Kyle explains that the whole purpose of the marketing drop is to either verify the information we have on the decision-maker or to determine who the right person is. (5:28)
Kyle discusses the principle of marketing drops. (6:55)
Kyle believes that having a good conversation with the gatekeeper is the first step, which is frequently missed. (9:12)
David mentions that he values everyone, regardless of who he is talking with. (11:21)
David believes that they should do another episode on prepping for the drop, and what happens after the marketing drop. (13:50)
David and Kyle talk about what to look for while doing marketing drops or having a conversation with a gatekeeper in their office. (14:13)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing that may often be overlooked is having a good conversation with the gatekeeper. Because the gatekeeper is literally the person between you and the decision-maker” - Kyle Houck
“I don't talk any differently to the person that's the receptionist than I do to the person who's going to end up making a decision to buy from me, I'm the same regardless of who I'm interacting with.” - David Carothers
“If you're paying attention to some things that they've got in their office, whether it's just something cool that you see or something that you actually can relate with them on. I think that's huge.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Inspiring a Nation with Dr. Billy R. Williams

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Jason Cass, interview Dr. Billy Williams, CEO of Williams Family Investment Group and President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring. They talk about the four types of discipline, the five levels of leadership, and how investment allows you to accomplish more of what you want.

Episode Highlights:

Billy discusses why agents must understand the four types of discipline: self-discipline, accountability, automation and technology, and outsourcing or delegation. (4:45)
Billy explains how he goes about recruiting a new workforce. (12:36)
Billy explains how VAs can support the renewal process. (20:36)
Billy discusses S.T.T.T.T.S. (Standards, Time, Task, Tools, Training, and Spot checking), and why it is important for every organization. (34:37)
Billy believes that people need to have a budget for their time. (41:55)
Billy shares that his time is the most valuable resource he has. (44:23)
Billy talks about the five factors that generate revenue in the insurance industry. (45:00)
Billy discusses the five levels of leadership and how they benefit agencies and owners. (49:14)
Billy explains that by ensuring that your team is progressing through their levels of leadership, you will be able to do what you want. (47:51)
Billy suggests hiring a Virtual Assistant if you are starting a small business. (58:16)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My time is the most valuable resource I have.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Your business should either be your passion or fund your passion.” - Dr. Billy Williams
“Every time we talk, I want to leave you with something that is a value, and not just fluff. And I want it to be something you can walk away and do not just something to walk away and no, but something you can walk away and do.” - Dr. Billy Williams

Resources Mentioned:

Forging Ahead in the Digital Landscape with Jeff Teschke

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers with co-host Kyle Houck and guest host Ryan Deeds interview Jeff Teschke, Founder & CEO of Forge3 to talk all the value of maximizing your agency’s website.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff shares about his early life, the school he attended, and what led him to create the insurance agency website platform, Forge3. (4:56)
Jeff elaborates on what agencies might not know about their websites from a technological perspective. (10:15)
Jeff shares that opportunity pages and about us pages are some of the most important pages on the agency's website. (19:32)
Jeff explains that on the about page, agencies should show the human element as much as they can. (21:26)
Jeff explains that agencies that care about the value of the insurance and being well protected are an awesome fit for them. (27:08)
Jeff offers some tips on how to tell if a website was built the right way. (29:03)
Jeff discusses some of the downsides to customizing sites from scratch. (34:06)
Jeff on how websites can help you build pre-relationships with potential clients. (48:34)
Jeff explains that if you have a database on the website that can answer questions, it can be a great benefit to the agency in terms of web ranking in the long run. (54:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You show that you're the expert, and you're the thought leader in this content. And I think that gets past insecurities of being too small for whatever people are looking for." - Jeff Teschke
"In the insurance industry, there's still a massive opportunity to be very different and to really breakthrough by just doing a little bit more than the other guys down the street.” - Jeff Teschke
"I think if you just do things where you can answer questions that clients have and then create that database on the website, our team can start using that content even just to share it with clients or producers can share it manually with prospects." - Jeff Teschke

Resources Mentioned:

Building a Digital Education Center

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Chris Greene, The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris discusses the Flood Education Center's mission and highlights the importance of customer/client feedback and the key elements to consider while developing content.

Episode Highlights:

Chris discusses why he chose to launch the Flood Education Center on the 10th anniversary of his mother's passing. (3:00)
Chris mentions that the Flood Education Center has been in the works for four years before he launched it. (5:11)
Chris explains how he determines the appropriate video duration and how much he can provide to someone before it becomes too much? (11:16)
When developing content, Chris explains why it is critical to focus on what our consumers do. (15:07)
Chris explains what a universal customer experience is and why it is important to them. (20:46)
Chris mentions having the Learning Center on HubSpot with all of the data in there, makes it really easy. (23:14)
Chris explains why HubSpot Academy is amazing. (29:23)
Chris explains why all of their videos are between two and two and a half minutes long. (34:20)
Chris discusses how dedicated they are to ensuring that the Learning Center fulfills its purpose. (36:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When people give you feedback, don't get an ego and say, you know, whatever, or, you know, I'm better than that, really listen to it, so that you can continue to improve it.” - Chris Greene
“We do some content that we personally want to do, yes. But we really try to focus on what our customers want.” - Chris Greene
“If you can't find what you're looking for, if it doesn't have it, make sure to fill out a contact us form in the notes put, ‘Hey, I'm looking for this if your learner center doesn't have this’, and we will go and actually create that content, just for you.” - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Unburden Your Business with Cassidy Arbeli

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Cassidy Arbeli, Business Strategist and Consultant and CEO of The Arbeli Group. Cassidy shares her journey to becoming an independent agent and offers advice to other women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Cassidy gives us her background story and her path from captive to independent. (3:06)
Cassidy shares her perspective on being a female in the insurance industry. (12:52)
Cassidy discusses what she has learned from putting herself out there and collaborating with others in the industry. (18:11)
Cassidy talks about what is happening at her agency. (21:50)
Cassidy shared some of the things she learned from her experience being a captive agent. (23:22)
Cassidy shares why she started her podcast and how it is going today. (28:52)
Cassidy explains how she handles situations that she finds uncomfortable. (32:20)
Cassidy shares her biggest takeaway from Innovation this year. (34:12)
Cassidy mentions that her business now has contacts in all of the hotel malls in their target area. (36:36)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I also think that there are people who are natural-born leaders, there are people that are going to be more comfortable being in uncomfortable situations." - Cassidy Arbeli
"Sometimes you have to build your own table if you don't feel like you have the invite to the table or you feel like there isn't a table for you." - Cassidy Arbeli
"I urge anyone who is listening, just don't be afraid use your voice. If there's something you want to say, there are ways to say things in a way that invite other people onto your journey and they want to be part of what you're doing." - Cassidy Arbeli

Resources Mentioned:

Conversation with an Insuretech OG with Johnny Yarbrough

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview John Yarbrough Carrier and MGA/MGU Solutions Specialist at Appulate. John talks about the impact of being transparent with your clients and how their company helps agents with their services.

Episode Highlights:

John shares his background, how he started, and what he does in his current role. (2:04)
John mentions that the best companies are the ones who are forward-thinking and willing to change. (6:00)
John describes how their system works when agents reach out for their services. (13:48)
John shares how they integrate with the agency management system. (17:18)
John shares how an agency can use its platform in many different ways. (25:47)
John mentions the most common questions that he has been asked about their platform. (28:57)
John shares that manual entry is still a big challenge or problem for them. (37:07)
John shares that transparency is the key to being able to let clients make better decisions. (43:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You've got to have a combination of both things, you've got to have experience, but you've also got to be nimble and be willing to change." - John Yarbrough
"What is really cool about competition is it normalizes what's happening. And I think that's something that we haven't seen." - John Yarbrough
"Where our technology really thrives is that online ecosystem, where agents are all interacting with their markets, on our platform." - John Yarbrough

Resources Mentioned:

Shady Games Contractors Play

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about some of the difficulties they have encountered when working with construction accounts.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle shares that learning centers are the best, and for him, the library is the original learning center. (1:33)
David shares his first new favorite thing, which he finds awesome. (4:48)
David explains how he tried to explain the necessary coverages to his client. (8:37)
David and Kyle agree that contractors hate insurance, but they aren’t sure why. (11:56)
David explains that if you're getting normal renewals without the spike, you need to find out where they took coverage. (13:46)
Kyle shares his story with contractors and saw that it is centered around the subcontractors. (15:46)
David mentions what he would do if they were to be accused of something they are not. (19:33)
Kyle mentions why they do not deal with a particular sector of contractors. (20:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you don't know what your carriers are saying, for homeowners, whether it's your policy or one that you're selling, you better find out whether or not that roof is going to be valued at replacement cost or diminished value." - David Carothers
Let me ask you a question. You ever been injured and go to urgent care? What are the first two questions that you're asked? Was this an auto accident? Was this a work-related injury? Your health plan is more than likely not going to pick up coverage if you willfully filed an exemption and got injured on the job.” - David Carothers
"I would say a lot of the stuff with contractors that we see is centered around the subcontractors and not reporting them." - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Reinventing Healthcare with Clayton Wood

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, CFP®, Managing Partner at C. B. Wood Financial. Clayton shares cold calling strategies that have worked for him and discusses the current landscape of self-funding and healthcare benefits.

Episode Highlights:

Clayton shares his background, how he started in benefits, and where he is today. (2:44)
Clayton mentions the reason he switched careers and left the corporate world. (7:00)
Clayton shares his process of being able to get the numbers that he wants in terms of cold calling. (12:20)
Clayton mentions that you need to make a difference in your cold-calling, the second you're there. (18:23)
Clayton believes the reason sales, cold calling, and content marketing are tough, is that it is can be demeaning. (25:39)
Clayton shares how he opens the call, how handles it, and how he closes it, he also shares the average time he can save someone. (27:43)
Clayton mentions that people always have to critique and try to change what they're doing to make it most efficient. (32:21)
Clayton discusses the landscape of self-funding right now. (42:43)
Clayton gives three bullet points to determine that who you are speaking with is a good lead. (46:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I couldn't stand being able to or having to make the same money as the person on my left and the right and work 10 times harder and put in more hours and it just drove me nuts." - Clayton Wood
"I think one thing that makes sales and cold calling and content marketing so tough, is it's demeaning." - Clayton Wood
"I always tell myself, sales is a roller coaster, you know, whenever you have your darkest day is when you close the biggest business." - Clayton Wood

Resources Mentioned:

Trucking Along With Commercial Agents with Wes Becknell

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Wes Becknell, Vice President of Marketing at RockLake Insurance Group. Wes answers the most queried questions in the trucking industry.

Episode Highlights:

Wes shares his background and how he found his way into the insurance and trucking business. (4:24)
Wes explains why their company is different and what they do for their clients. (12:17)
Wes shares that their company goal is to be 1% better every day. (17:47)
Wes mentions that they cater to the new ventures for their clients, but are also open to switching to the standard carrier as a backup plan. (26:52)
Wes elaborates how the MCSS system can pull a lot of information beneficial to the business and its clients. (30:24)
Wes shares that they are ready to visit agents virtually or in the office to show what they can offer. (33:41)
Wes mentions that their rater has the capability to compare three rates at one time. (42:49)
Wes expresses his excitement to be partnering up with David this summer. (44:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"There's a book called Atomic Habits. He talked about trying to get 1% better, we try to get 1% better every day. That's our goal." - Wes Becknell
"When you educate your clients, they become a good client, but you also become that trusted resource that they understand that you know what you're doing. You are the expert in this field, and that's why they hired you." - Wes Becknell
"In a space where it takes weeks to get a quote, you can actually get your policy with us within 30 minutes." - Wes Becknell

Resources Mentioned:

Make it a Financial Discussion

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about how to use a financial discussion with your client or your prospect to make your point and drive the wedge.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a place where you can learn and collaborate with other agents in the Power Producers Mastermind. (1:16)
David recalls an experience with a plumbing contractor. (04:58)
David explains that if you can assume a revenue threshold, and assume a profit margin on a company, it can create opportunities for conversation. (11:27)
David shares that most high mod companies would pay for the total cost risk. (13:42)
David and Kyle share their experiences in math and calculus back in the day. (14:21)
David explains that operational discussion or working operations with your client and not focusing on the insurance is what separates you from the others. (16:17)
David shares how he was able to help a hotel business to be able to have better efficiency. (19:23)
David explains that the right clients and prospects find interested people interesting. (22:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you can go in and assume a revenue threshold, and assume a profit margin on a company, that opens the door for you to have some pretty interesting conversations." - David Carothers
"In most cases, if you go into a company that's a high mod company, you're going to find that they're working three or four months a year just to pay for the total cost of risk." - David Carothers
"The right clients and prospects find interested people interesting, period. It's a proven fact if you're interested in them, they're going to be interested in you and what you're doing." - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Growth Simplified with Randy Schwantz

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Randy Schwantz CEO of The Wedge Group and creator of Bignition, the simplified growth system built for independent commercial insurance agencies. Randy discusses the purpose behind Bignition and how it is helping middle-market producers grow agencies.

Episode Highlights:

Randy shares his background story and how he came up with the idea to create his new system. (3:49)
Randy explains his mindset and what made him innovate the technology that he created. (10:09)
Randy shares that his realization to think about his future was his family. (16:08)
Randy shares a chapter in his book about how difficult it is to find and hire new producers, and to have them be successful. (19:45)
Randy explains that what drives our experience drives how we see the world. (27:24)
Randy shares some of the information that they put on their database. (34:53)
Randy gives his insights about what he sees over five years for a big mission. (36:25)
Randy shares his interesting experience when they built the income database part of their system. (40:21)
Randy shares one of the principles he would like everyone to absorb which is being clear about what you want. (43:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's not how much you make, it's how much you save that builds wealth." - Randy Schwantz
"There's a lot of people who are extraordinary salespeople and don't even know they're extraordinary, but they are." - Randy Schwantz
"We in the middle market need to become better marketers, but most firms are not big enough to have a marketing person. So, I feel we need to find a way to make it easier for a producer to become a better marketer." - Randy Schwantz

Resources Mentioned:

LIVE at Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers went to Vegas for the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference, where he got a chance to jump on a podcast with a few of the best people in the industry, including Keynote Speaker, Alan Stein Jr., Shawn Eagan - Senior Vice President at Imperial PFS, Katherine Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Strate Insurance Group, Andy Phillips, Risk Manager, Motivational Speaker, Josh Gurley of HM advisors, Stephen Sedlak, President at Workcompology, Christian DeLozier, Trusted Business Risk, and Insurance Consultant at Mike Keith Insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Alan Stein Jr. shares how the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference for 2022 went for him and explains how he prepares for speaking engagements and how he continues to grow in his craft. (2:11)
Andy Phillips shares what made him decide to come to Vegas aside from the conference and discusses The Playbook Podcast with David. (7:56)
Shawn Egan shares his experience at the conference and discusses premium financing. (18:26)
Katherine Smith shares her insights about having more female participants in the conference. (31:40)
Katherine Smith shares how the new business and talent marketplace are right now, as well as their differences. (39:46)
Katherine Smith explains that applicants can talk a good game all day long, but you have to test their work product before you bring them on board. (50:18)
Josh Gurley shares that this Keystone Conference has made a great difference in people's careers. (54:46)
Stephen Sedlak and Josh Gurley discuss the important role that having a coach can play in your success. (59:55)
Christian DeLozier shares his biggest takeaways from the conference and how he would apply those in reality. (1:07:18)
Josh Gurley talks about delegation. (1:11:42)
Josh Gurley, Christian DeLozier, Stephen Sedlak, and David Carothers agree that there is a greener pasture in the insurance industry. (1:14:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's been my experience, that in admission of not knowing something, literally saying the words I don't know, is part of being vulnerable. And I believe vulnerability is the key not only to sales, but to leadership, to parenting, you fill in the blank." - Alan Stein Jr.
"I don't have to hide behind pretending to know everything because I certainly don't. I can share the things with you that I do know and I can be very honest about the things I don't, and we can all get better from it." - Andy Phillips
"If you are looking and you do think that making a move is the best for you don't underestimate your company's ability to counter." - Katherine Smith
"The people that had the mindset that they can do it all themselves, without any help or anything, I think that's an absurd statement." - Stephen Sedlak

Resources Mentioned:

The Ring Sessions Volume 6

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, Todd Thams, Founder of Mod Adviser, Direct Work Comp and President of Thams Agency, and Kevin Ring of the Institute of WorkComp Professional talk all about learning to read and understand mod worksheets.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin explains that it's very easy to give a bad rap to mod worksheets because we don't understand them. (2:15)
Todd shares the first thing he would be check in a mod worksheet. (4:51)
Kevin shares the most important thing to know when getting through an injury code. (6:33)
Todd discusses that the conversations in the mod worksheet dissection don't seem to resonate if they don't have any Workers’ Comp claims. (9:35)
Kevin explains that there is a threshold that varies depending on your market area and what state you are in. (12:21)
Kevin shares the information that we need to look for on mod worksheets. (18:12)
Todd explains that we need to be professionals and do the right thing in situations even if it does not meet our best interests. (21:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You can't let the sweet smell of the premium overwhelm the stench of the account."- Kevin Ring
"There’s no mod worksheet that was explicitly designed for a human to read and understand it. It was really all down to the computers. But...once you kind of understand what the inputs are, It's not that hard to get your head around what's happening." Kevin Ring
"At the end of the day, doing the right thing will serve you farther in this industry than trying to make a few quick bucks the wrong way." Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

The Confidence Code with Dawnyel Smink

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dawnyel Smink, President of Canyon Lands Insurance. Dawnyel shares strategies that have contributed to her agency’s success in commercial lines, how they are building a network of agencies, and offers her perspective on how the industry has changed for women over the years.

Episode Highlights:

Dawnyel shares her backstory and what led her to the insurance industry. (2:44)
Dawnyel explains what it was like to start up the commercial division of her agency from the ground up. (6:58)
Dawnyel shares that you need to let your client talk, and if you are not sure about the answer let them know. (10:36)
Dawnyel shares that her business analogy is always related to a sports team to get clients. (15:01)
Dawnyel describes what she was seeing 20 years ago for women being part of the industry. (19:20)
Dawnyel shares her perspective of women versus men. (27:40)
Dawnyel explains the advantages and differences between a small agency and a big agency. (34:04)
Dawnyel talks about the network of agencies that she is a part of. (33:26)
Dawnyel shares her favorite golf course that she has played and has even won in 2017. (41:06)
Dawnyel shares a part of their project called Declaration of Independence and what it is about. (43:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I just, they want to be heard, the business owners, they want you to talk less. And honestly, I feel like we talk more trying to prove ourselves, and then we talk them out of wanting to do business with us. " - Dawnyel Smink
"I want to see us dominate and part of growing CLI in the group that we have is that we can start helping impact that change. And I can do it at a level that I feel is sustainable for me." - Dawnyel Smink
"If an agency, if I'm talking with them, and I always say, 'Is your ego in the way or is your ego out of the way, and if their egos are out of the way, I can work with them." - Dawnyel Smink

Resources Mentioned:

Bonds in a Zip with Zach Mefferd

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Ryan Mathisen of GloveBox, interview Zach Mefferd, Co-Founder at ZipBonds. Zach explains the importance of giving your clients access to a bonding capacity and how ZipBonds is working to help agents provide that access in a simple and intuitive way.

Episode Highlights:

Zack discusses different sports events with David and Ryan. (3:47)
Zack shares his background story about what made him decide to pursue this path with ZipBonds. (10:36)
Zack explains how ZipBonds was able to bring in different carriers with the mindset of how they can help them. (16:28)
Zach shares the most important things we should remember about surety bonds. (21:09)
Zack explains what they call the zip score which is integrated into the API, to understand bonding capacity better. (26:22)
Zack shares how he exactly built the things he did as a commercial producer. (32:48)
Zack explains that there are a lot of Virtual Assistants you can hire and help you grow your business. (37:25)
Zack shares that people won't understand the stress of being an entrepreneur unless they do it. (42:16)
Zack shares that he thinks everyone in the industry is or has already been adapting to the new technology. (53:26)
Zach shares their plans and focuses on different connections for ZipBonds this year. (57:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If you lead with surety, or find a way to help people get access to a bonding capacity that they didn't have prior or let them at least know that they can be bonded, because a lot of them don't, that's stickier than anything else." - Zach Mefferd
"You don't have to be the most polished, your pitch doesn't have to be elaborate. You just have to put in the work and be consistent." - Zach Mefferd
"I think it's really hard to understand all the stresses of being an entrepreneur, whether it's insurance or anything else without actually doing it." - Zach Mefferd

Resources Mentioned:

The Ring Sessions Volume 5

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers together with Todd Thams, the Founder of Mod Adviser, Direct Work Comp and President of Thams Agency, and Kevin Ring of Institute of WorkComp Professional, discuss audits and certificates of insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Todd shares his background and experience in the audit industry. (5:22)
Kevin tells us that there is a tremendous amount of low-hanging fruit on the premium audit nowadays. (9:14)
Kevin shares the importance of having certificates of insurance in a company. (12:11)
Kevin tells us that all clients are not created equal and we have to accept that. (18:21)
Todd shares that he never finds any mistakes on his audits and NCCI worksheets. (20:49)
Todd tells us that we need to focus on what we want to become. (28:43)
Todd shares that he refers off to things he does not know and makes sure that the experts handle them. (30:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

"It's no more difficult to become a premium auditor than it is to become an agent." - Kevin Ring
"All clients are not created equal. And it's something that we deal with, and we talk a lot about in our training is that what we teach is, at the highest level of how this can be done." - Kevin Ring
"Find what you like to do. Focus on that. become the expert in that. Stay in your lane." - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned:

Taking Claims Advocacy to a Different Stratosphere with Steve Williams and AJ Peterson

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Steve Williams and AJ Peterson of Workers’ Compensation Company of America. Steve and AJ talk in-depth about the complexities of Workers’ Comp claims.

Episode Highlights:

Steve shares his background story and career path in workers’ compensation. (3:04)
Steve explains the products their company offers, and their benefits. (5:04)
Steve tells us that 31 years ago, they pioneered the agency claim advocacy system. (9:00)
AJ shares how he got involved with Steve in the Workers’ Comp business. (13:11)
Steve and AJ share their ideal candidate to work with. (14:31)
AJ shares the biggest thing he learned since he has been in his role. (18:28)
AJ tells us that he is interested in working with all business owners and agent brokers. (27:07)
Steve shares the mix of what they currently do in their company. (29:56)
Steve shares all the soft costs he brings into his presentations. (37:07)
Steve explains that what they do is to eliminate indemnity costs, not decrease indemnity costs. (38:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Where we put our attention on is the impact that claims cost, the direct impact that claims have on premiums, and workers’ compensation is the only line of insurance where that happens." - Steve Williams
"Workers’ compensation is very complex. And because of the complexity of the workers compensation system, the potential for errors and data is really high." - Steve Williams
"I think that was the biggest thing that caught me off guard was that employers are getting beat up pretty bad when it comes to workers’ compensation costs versus somebody that that is dealing with their auto insurance, it's not nearly as bad. You can't even compare the two, to be honest." - AJ Peterson

Resources Mentioned:

Steve Williams LinkedIn
AJ Peterson LinkedIn
Workers’ Compensation Company of America
David Carothers
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes

A Masterclass in High-Quality Video Production with Howie Zales

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Howie Zales, President of HJZ Productions. Howie talks about being a professional camera operator for network level sports and entertainment events and his recent shift into broadcast-quality live streams and remote recording productions.

Episode Highlights:

Howie shares his background as a camera operator for network level sports and entertainment events. (2:08)
Howie shares some of his experiences on the sidelines. (3:12)
Howie explains how he positions himself when taking pictures in a sports event. (9:47)
Howie explains how everything shut down in sporting and entertainment world during COVID. (13:45)
Howie shares how he does his live streaming, and how it took over network television. (18:02)
Howie shares the must-haves when starting in the live stream video industry. (25:46)
Howie tells us the common mistakes he sees in a video broadcast show. (27:52)
Howie gives advice to people that would like to start their internet channel. (29:47)
Howie shares about his books and courses that are now available. (40:44)
Howie tells us how cameras operate in live coverage of a sports game. (43:33)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Our business was unique in the sense that everything was shut down. So we had people willing to work obviously, right. But there were no sports. There was no entertainment. All the buildings in the arenas were shut down." - Howie Zales
“I live stream my podcast weekly from my house using professional software. And we have a content delivery network, or CDN where all of our shows live. And we actually create and house content for clients and direct these players to their web experience.” - Howie Zales
"The use of live stream to get content out there is totally taking over how people are getting their content out there. Because you can't rely on, you know, the social media platforms to distribute your content, because the algorithms constantly change." - Howie Zales

Resources Mentioned:

The Ring Sessions Volume 4

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host, Todd Thams sit down with Kevin Ring. Kevin talks about the common challenges agency and business owners are facing with misclassification.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin explains that most businesses are misclassified. (3:29)
Kevin talks about the four distinct types of operations. (8:37)
Kevin tells us about the common questions he gets regarding furniture store classification codes. (12:08)
Kevin shares his view that the older generation has been better at training people compared to today's generation. (19:55)
Kevin shares a story that illustrates the importance of both agents and clients understanding how businesses are classified.. (24:05)
Kevin shares manuals that can be found in the NCCI mini library. (29:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I think it illustrates the importance of not only you the agent understanding how a business is classified, but also your client understanding how they are classified and how important it is." - Kevin Ring
"We all agree that we want to speak our client's language as much as possible and not spit a whole bunch of insurance words at them." - Kevin Ring
"If you have accounts in multiple states, you cannot make the mistake of assuming everything's the same everywhere, because that'll bite you for sure." - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Go Yellowbird! with Michael Zalle

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Michael Zalle Founder & CEO at YellowBird. Michael discusses how YellowBird is helping agents help their clients with environment safety and risk management.

Episode Highlights:

Michael shares his background story and what has led him to start YellowBird. (3:39)
Michael tells us some of the challenges insurance agencies are facing in regards to EHS & OSHA. (12:25)
Michael shares the most popular thing people are using the app for right now. (15:00)
Michael explains what the user experience is like for their app. (16:46)
Michael talks about the cost for their services. (19:46)
Michael explains that the general loss area is the area that they are good at. (29:39)
Michael shares the biggest challenge their company is facing so far. (32:00)
Michael shares the most important thing that they stand for. (41:41)
Michael explains that YellowBird can be used for one or two tasks, or on an ongoing basis. (43:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

"We are here as an on demand resources. Not just for loss control assessments, but also on ongoing services in the long game." - Michael Zalle
"We have literally indexed, we built the technology around making sure that we have the right professional for the need." - Michael Zalle
"If anybody is coming across situations where they have to stretch resources, or have no resources at all, and they're like, where do I go to help my help my client, we're a pretty good place to start." - Michael Zalle

Resources Mentioned:

The Real MVP with Mitch Gibson

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Mitch Gibson, Risk Advisor at HRM Insurance Services and host of The MVP Podcast. Mitch talks about his growth as a young agent and discusses the importance of surrounding yourself with right people.

Episode Highlights:

Mitch introduces himself and shares a bit of his background story. (17:57)
Mitch shares how an accident led him to the insurance world. (25:20)
Mitch explains that he is young, but he has matured by surrounding himself with people that make him better. (28:48)
Mitch explains that adding value to your customers will lead to great business. (37:11)
Mitch shares that he feels more confident now to handle the middle market. (48:42)
Mitch explains what he has learned from his mistakes. (52:47)
Mitch shares that there is a lot of benefits to continuous education. (59:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

"I'm becoming the person that I want to be and you know, surround myself around the people that I want to surround myself with which in return is making me a better human being.” - Mitch Gibson
"I finally just got like my life back down you know, the path that I wanted to go after everything that I've been through." - Mitch Gibson
"Take it as a learning opportunity to go through these processes and strategies and learn from the best people you know the best in the industry doing it in real-time." - Mitch Gibson

Resources Mentioned:

The Ring Sessions Volume 3

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck together with Kevin Ring discuss ownership changes and how they affect the Workers’ Compensation program for a company.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin explains that the rules he is about to discuss are National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) specific. (2:52)
A flower shop is very different from an explosive shop, as Kyle points out. Why are they identical? (5:17)
Kevin discusses the most common misperception he hears about ownership changes. (17:52)
David believes that one of the most frustrating aspects for agents is the time it takes to receive information from NCCI. (20:10)
Kevin discusses the NCCI experience rating plan regulation 3-F, which is titled evasion of experience rating modification. (24:27)
David believes that it will be intriguing to see what machine learning does in this sector over the next five or six years. (28:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I tell people all the time, this is not a gray area. It is required by the rules that if entities share common majority ownership that they be combined. And NCCI has rules about what happens if they aren't appropriately combined.” - Kevin Ring
“If I own a flower shop, and I own a dynamite manufacturing facility, and both of those are based in NCCI states, they are going to share an experience mod. It does not matter that they're on two different policies. And it doesn't have to be just a single person. It can be, you know, a collection of people.” - Kevin Ring
“You've got a business, their experience mods are a dumpster fire. And so they ask, ‘Well, can I just start another company and move everything over there and start over with 1.0?’ And the answer is no.” - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

CRM Made EZ with Patrick Zerarka

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Patrick Zerarka, founder of EzyTise. Patrick discusses how EzyTise is making waves in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Patrick talks about his background. (2:14)
What prompted Patrick to conclude that the insurance industry needed EzyTise? (3:07)
Patrick explains how Ezytise can automate based on a prospect or consumer’s behavior. (5:39)
Patrick discusses their onboarding procedure and how it benefits their client. (7:51)
Patrick discusses who is a good fit for their product. (11:19)
Patrick explains that most clients customize their templates based on their unique selling propositions. (14:22)
Patrick believes that people will be concerned about what will happen to technology in the next five years. (18:27)
Patrick believes that brand recognition has been their most difficult challenge in competing in the market. (24:24)
Patrick explains how to secure an EzyTise demo. (25:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our system is easy, but it's also intuitive. And you can really customize it. And that's where we really come in and do a really good job.” - Patrick Zerarka
“The best profile that we see success is they're comfortable with technology, they understand what technology is going to do for them. And they're willing to take it to the next level, like the Insurtech approach.” - Patrick Zerarka
“When you introduce such a technology, the easier to adopt is to just keep it simple, one step at a time and grow from there.” - Patrick Zerarka

Resources Mentioned:

Empowering Brokers to Serve Their Clients Needs with Brent King and Jennifer Guzman

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview EmPower HR's Brent King and Jennifer Guzman to discuss their company's mission and values. They talk about what PEO is and how their service adds value to their clients' businesses.

Episode Highlights:

Jennifer explains to listeners what a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is. (6:00)
Brent discusses what they do at EmPower HR and how they provide value to their clients. (8:02)
Is Brent of the opinion that a PEO's mindset has altered significantly since its inception? (11:52)
Jennifer explains that they aspire to be a sincere partner and an extension of the team by creating trust and a deep honest connection with those they serve. (16:07)
Jennifer states that their target market ranges from 10 to 100 employees. (18:43)
Jennifer asks David and Kyle about their observations of P&C brokers who are hesitant to move their clients to a PEO. (28:49)
Brent believes that insurance broker agencies are hesitant to engage a PEO since they are frequently poached. (30:37)
Jennifer explains that they are searching for a partner who is similar to their target market and can see the benefit of outsourcing. (34:22)
Brent explains that it is their goal to constantly put the client in the best possible position. (38:07)
Brent and Jennifer explain that they focus on what counts, cultivate honest connections, and are relentlessly accountable for results. (43:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's really becoming, especially here at EmPower HR, becoming an extension of our clients teams, or the people that we serve, to really provide a full, integrated solution as it pertains to people related needs.” Jennifer Guzman
“We really look for the value added partnerships. And much like insurance agencies, you protect them, you protect their companies and risk, we do the same thing.” - Brent King
“We're absolutely not limited to P&C shops. As an organization, we refer to ourselves as broker agnostic. So we are actually a PEO. But we do allow ASO, so we have an ASO service model as well as an HRO service model.” - Jennifer Guzman

Resources Mentioned:

The Ring Sessions Volume 2

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kevin Ring from the Institute of WorkComp Professional. Kevin discusses Workers’ Compensation and loss runs.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin answers David’s question about why loss runs have not been standardized. (4:37)
Kevin finds that the least useful information on the loss run is often the employee's class code. (6:32)
Kevin shares that the process of getting loss runs from carriers has not changed in 25 years. (12:39)
Kevin recalls one situation where regardless of the severity of the injury the lag time for the claim was more than 30 days. (19:33)
Kevin talks about the importance of looking at injury reporting and other issues before trying to build a recovery at work program. (21:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"If people are ditching out of work for two weeks before they even tell you that they're hurt, then you're probably not going to get the biggest bang for your buck on building a recovery at work program until you fix that injury reporting issue. So, you’ve got to find all the different things and then you can start to identify what you are going to attack first." - Kevin Ring
"If a company's loss runs don't have the information that you want or need, stop asking for a loss run, and ask them for a loss information report and tell them the specific information that you want." - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

Always Take the Extra 2 Minutes with Mike Crowley

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mike Crowley, Vice President of Crowley Insurance Agency. Mike discusses what they observed and learned during the pandemic, and how they are utilizing technology to improve the service they provide for their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Mike explains how much COVID changed and impacted his company. (3:50)
Mike mentions that he has seen people change but they did not change their guidelines. (10:27)
Mike believes that flexibility is the key to catering to multi-generation clients. (15:30)
Mike shares the traits of a great independent agent. (18:52)
Mike shares how he integrates the technology into his sales team. (26:09)
Mike talks about the great benefits of having the extra two minutes mindset. (32:25)
Mike mentions the importance of building people up from the bottom rather than chasing that person at the top. (40:12)
Mike talks about his life as a parent and how he gives time and connects with his kids. (51:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

"In everything you do, if you take an extra two minutes to do anything, it has become the answer to solve probably all your problems." - Mike Crowley
"If you don't have a process for everything, it falls back on you. if you don't have somebody responsible, it falls back to you." - Mike Crowley
"Stop chasing these things, these people out there and start holding yourself, your team and your agency to that same level, building people up from the bottom not chasing the person at the top.” - Mike Crowley

Resources Mentioned:

The Future is Bright for Rogue Risk 2.0 with Ryan Hanley

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Ryan Hanley. Ryan takes us back to when he first started Rogue Risk and talks to us about how he was able to overcome early challenges. Ryan also gives us updates on what Rouge Risk 2.0 is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan talks about his experience in the middle market. (10:23)
Ryan explains how the Producer Accelerator Program that Rogue Risk has started. (12:37)
Ryan explains how this program leads to real ownership for Producers. (16:39)
Ryan shares what he thinks is the problem in the insurance industry. (23:05)
Ryan tells us that nowadays people have more power and the ability to shop for job opportunities using the internet. (31:29)
Ryan shares some of the technological advancements they are planning to do for the business. (39:40)
Ryan tells us that the future of the industry is one system, but no one's been able to do it. (47:32)
Ryan shares some of the things David mentioned to him that positively impacted him. (52:27)
Ryan explains that he has never been focused and mentally cleared until the start of Agency Nation. (56:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

"You just treat your people well, you just be known as a company that treats people well. And you will get the best and the brightest." - Ryan Hanley
"Today, there's so much access to information, there's so much connectivity, that what, for better or for worse, the non-owner class of worker now has a little more power, and they have the ability to shop a little bit for their job." - Ryan Hanley
"Be a monster, be an absolute monster, and then learn how to control it. Yeah, absolutely. And when you think about that, what it gives you is the ability to be the best version of yourself." - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

The Ring Sessions Volume 1

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kevin Ring, COO & Lead Workers’ Compensation Analyst at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin shares how the Institute of WorkComp Professionals helps to train, certify, and mentor independent agents in a Workers’ Comp process that helps them write more business and get better results for their clients.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin shares that he is the Lead worker's comp analyst with the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. (2:50)
Kevin mentions that the firm was founded in October of 2001. (3:21)
Kevin believes that mentorship is what differentiates what they do. (3:40)
Kevin explains that he began retaining all of the mod worksheets that he evaluated ten years ago. (8:36)
Kevin mentions that Workers' Compensation is the second-largest check they make for insurance, behind health insurance. (10:55)
Kevin believes that if a company has the right strategy, methods, and an agent to support them, it can dominate a large portion of the market. (11:55)
Kevin thinks that the first thing we were all taught about selling was that the potential client must understand what's in it for them. (18:08)
Kevin explains that lowering their payments provides them with more income to perform what they do. (19:39)
Kevin thinks that the output of a piece of software may equip them with any level of knowledge. (23:43)
Kevin agrees that it is necessary to have an employer who is willing to execute the job. (16:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Every single time you have an injury or every year in your program, it's not that everything's gonna go perfectly, but when it doesn't, you can generally identify why it doesn't go well.” - Kevin Ring
“It's a problem that we have, that people have allowed themselves, either intentionally or unintentionally, to believe that the output of a piece of software provides them any degree of expertise,” - Kevin Ring
“There's just so many opportunities for them to reduce what they're paying, which ultimately gives them more capital to do what it is they're in the business of doing rather than just giving the insurance company more money.” - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

The Power of Proper Digital Advertising with Brandon Bateman

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Brandon Bateman, founder of Bateman Collective. Brandon talks about the digital marketing industry and how Bateman Collective is helping clients get results.

Episode Highlights:

Brandon shares his background and more about Bateman Collective. (4:48)
Brandon shares all the things that digital marketing services can provide to clients. (12:00)
Brandon talks about trust and some issues that they are facing as a digital marketing company. (21:36)
Brandon shares his thoughts about providing what is best for the customer from a digital marketing perspective. (24:54)
Brandon tells us that he is a direct response advertiser, and what that means. (28:06)
Brandon shares how they deal with Google search ads and their architecture. (33:44)
Brandon shares a high-level ninja hack for digital marketing. (40:32)
Brandon shares his thoughts on what the future of digital marketing holds. (49:03)
Brandon shares his advice to people that are starting up in digital marketing. (52:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Marketing that doesn't work is the most expensive marketing, marketing that works, even if it's expensive, is so much cheaper to the business, because it's an actual investment." - Brandon Bateman
"There's a lot to be said for a company that does what's best for their customers, not what their customers want" - Brandon Bateman
"I think there's a lot of merit to just surround yourself with those people that are just one step ahead of you." - Brandon Bateman

Resources Mentioned:

You Dropped a Bomb Bomb on Me with Darin Dawson

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Darin Dawson, President & Co-Founder of BombBomb. Darrin talks about the video tools that their company offers and how they are beneficial to the new age of marketing and sales.

Episode Highlights:

Darin shares a bit of his background and how BombBomb came to be. (2:12)
Darin tells us about how video can help you scale your business. (7:33)
Darin shares the challenges and advantages of the services they offer to their customers. (13:31)
Darin explains how the numbers changed when they started using animation with their services. (20:32)
Darin explains that it is very important to believe your business and relationships matter. (28:14)
Darin gives his advice to people that are not comfortable using video. (31:26)
Darin talks about the books that they have published. (39:51)
Darin explains that automation saves time, and there are a lot more benefits to look into. (46:13)
Darin tells us that visibility trumps ability and so business owners need to increase their visibility. (48:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

"Feeling comes from humans, we get feelings from humans, we don't get feelings from paperwork." - Darin Dawson
"So visibility trumps ability, right? You can be better than them, but if they don't know about you, it just doesn't really matter." - Darin Dawson
"They see your face, they see your authenticity. All these things are human connection, things that only humans do. And so, how are you giving that to your customers? " - Darin Dawson

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Sales Process

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the different stages of the sales process.

Episode Highlights:

David shares a story about an agency that he’s working with that has a new producer. (2:44)
David mentions the purpose of having stages of the sales process. (3:38)
David shares the stages of their sales process. (6:56)
Kyle mentions one of the huge factors when it’s lost. (8:32)
David mentions what to do when the policy comes time to renew. (19:34)

Tweetable Quotes:

“ If you look at how it works, I suspect when I go in and talk to them and get them to turn into a prospect, the first meeting is the fact-finding. My only goal from that first meeting is to get them to commit, to give us information and to book the second meeting.” David Carothers
If you're going to close on that first appointment, there's something else behind the scene that you don't know everything about.” - Kyle Houck
“I just think that if people understood how easy it is to sell insurance when you're not selling insurance, everybody wouldn't be doing it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Growing Organically Using Video with Michael Overstreet

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Michael Overstreet, owner of Safe Street Insurance. Michael talks about how he uses video marketing to grow his agency, his relationships with his clients, and how he is slowly branching out into commercial lines.

Episode Highlights:

Michael shares the story of how he got into the insurance industry. (3:12)
Michael says that he started an independent agency for personal lines, and he’s now doing commercial lines. (3:34)
Michael says he’s planning to get a drone soon. (12:43)
Michael shares that the video came in when he got into a point where he couldn’t grow at the scale he desired. (17:57)
Where does Michael get his referrals from? (18:09)
Michael gives the best service by responding quickly and genuinely cares for his clients. (19:05)
How much paid advertising does Michael do? (22:44)
Michael says that the video can establish you as the authority, and people will try you right away. (27:26)
Michael explains how determined what was driving his website traffic (28:40)
Michael shares how he’s using the video to branch out into commercial lines. (35:57)
Michael explains why he has to be kind on his video content. (37:27)
Michael explains how tropical plants can grow in Arizona. (41:36)
Michael says that he’s been using EZLynx from the beginning. (48:54)
Michael explains why he chooses to use Openly as a carrier. (57:02)
Michael shares what they’ve realized with the YouTube training they had. (59:51)
Michael says he loves Better Agency because they’re willing to listen to agents, make changes, and adjust accordingly. (1:01:05)
What has been Michael’s biggest success using the Better agency? (1:01:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“My main source of referrals and what I prefer, are my existing clients.” - Michael Overstreet
“I just give the best possible service I can by responding quickly and genuinely caring about my clients.” - Michael Overstreet
“Every agent is looking for that secret sauce.” - Michael Overstreet

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: From Pastor to Producing Pitmaster with Jason Denniston

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Denniston, Medicare specialist, Life and Health Insurance Agent, and Owner of Denniston Insurance. From being a pastor to an insurance agent, Jason talks about how he got into the insurance business and the principles that contributed to the success of building his agency.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Jason Denniston. (1:24)
What is Jason’s backstory that influenced him to start an agency? (2:23)
Jason shares that he spent 18 years in full-time pastoral ministry. (3:02)
What was Jason’s main goal when he was in the church? (5:50)
Jason shares that he had the privilege to be the pastor of ministerial development. (6:51)
David thinks that most people don't understand how to appreciate their true potential because they don't take enough initiative to develop themselves. (19:21)
In Jason’s opinion, it takes five principles or five skills to start an insurance agency. (25:13)
Jason shares why his transition to insurance was weird. (27:02)
David mentions that sales, marketing, and product knowledge are highly significant. (35:37)
Jason explains the value of regulation and its process. (38:06)
Does Jason deal with hacks? (40:54)
Jason’s priority is to be the most outstanding Medicare advisor that he can be. (43:39)
David says that agents are probably among the most vulnerable group of people to shiny object syndrome. (44:09)
What do David and Jason do as an insurance agent? (45:06)
Jason explains what The Indie Barbecue group is all about. (44:47)
Jason shares what he’s very fortunate about in his career. (51:09)
What are the states that Jason is licensed in? (53:36)
Jason tells a funny story about obtaining some of those states. (53:48)
Jason shares that he’s currently building an educational training platform for senior citizens. (56:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I realized that the thing I do best is to help other people be better. My gift is helping teams do better and helping other people do what they do better.” - Jason Denniston
“Seeing the best in people and understanding that everybody has something...Everybody has a gift and a skill to give.” - Jason Denniston
“Everybody wants to be successful, everybody wants to know that what they're doing matters, and that they're really fulfilling what I would consider their purpose in life.” - Jason Denniston

Resources Mentioned :

Throwback: CRM 6

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They discuss how to utilize your CRM for service functions in the agency.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre mentions that HubSpot comes with a generic CRM. (1:40)
David Carothers mentions what he likes about the way the service piece is done. (3:12)
David Lefevre shares some of the ways to utilize CRM from a service aspect. (6:51)
David Lefevre mentions why it’s significant to have a certificate of insurance. (7:32)
David Lefevre shares how to utilize chatbots. (9:30)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We want to drive client experience. We want people to realize that we do business differently.” - David Carothers
“You just got to think it through completely before you make that switch. If you think it through and it makes sense to do it, act on the endeavor to persevere and make it happen.” - David Lefevre
“I'm more than willing to spend a few minutes just throwing out ideas and sharing what I think might be a good route to go.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Cookin up Comp Deals in America's Heartland with Todd Thams

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Todd Thams, Founder of Direct Work Comp and President at Thams Agency. Todd talks about the significance of the workers’ compensation and the benefits of applying technology as a tool in reshaping operations.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Todd Thams. (1:30)
David says that Todd’s barbeque and products are legendary. (5:21)
Todd shares his background in the insurance business. (6:12)
Todd mentions that he’s the third-generation owner of their insurance agency. (7:41)
Todd states that the fast-food industry is entirely overlooked. (8:41)
How did Todd manage the agency professionally during COVID? (12:20)
Todd explains why the packers and processors are making money right now. (13:36)
How did Todd decide to pick workers’ comp as a new business? (15:32)
Todd talks about the account that they picked up last year and his meeting with the CEO. (20:08)
Todd says that most underwriters are charged with growing their book of business every year. (29:24)
Todd says that you have to take care of the people you have to take care of the clients. (29:54)
David talks about a phone call from someone that posted in IAOA. (31:38)
David explains the difference between the retail and insurance industries. (39:24)
What has Todd done to try and generate new business revenue in his downtime? (41:12)
Todd thinks that COVID is going to be the great separator for insurance agents. (52:16)
Todd talks about automation technology. (58:52)
Todd says that he loves the education David brings to the industry. (1:02:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

If we're gonna market you, we're gonna take you on as a new client, we're going to go to market for you the first year. And outside of that, we don't intend to remarket you every year, maybe three or five. But we're going to keep you with the exact same carrier not only to build loyalty but to build longetivity” Todd Thams
“I liked workers’ compensation, where I could help people just simply reduce costs.” - Todd Thams
“Life is too short to work with people you don't want to work with.” - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned :

Throwback: Workers Comp Stylin' and LinkedIn Profilin' with Walt Goshert

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Walt Goshert, Insurance LinkedIn Expert and Independent Marketing Consultant. Walt discusses the value of understanding workers’ compensation and the benefits of using LinkedIn as a platform for building strategic relationships.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Walt Goshert. (1:25)
Walt shares his background in the insurance business. (2:31)
Walt says that he finds the insurance somewhat easy to understand, but at the same time boring as well. (4:45)
Walt likes to create a process of making a person trust you to be their advisor. (4:57)
Walt says that insurance has developed into a higher marketing type of discipline. (5:22)
What are we doing in our interactions and relationships with people to allow us to be perceived as respected, trusted advisors? (9:50)
Walt says that the producers should have the initiative to step up, initiate the relationship, and create the perception of value. (10:35)
David shares that a lot of agents are not willing to go the extra mile to invest in learning and understanding something that will make them successful in the future. (12:27)
David mentions that they view insurance as a commoditized shuffling of paperwork. (23:10)
David says the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that indirect costs of any claim across the general industry are anywhere between two and 20 times the direct cost. (23:49)
Walt says that one of the criteria of being a great producer is you need to be curious and fascinated about businesses. (32:47)
Walt says that video communication is a neat way to do business and also time-efficient for you and the client. (48:21)
David shares that we need to change the way we think to deliver the message to people the way they wish to receive it, not how we perceive they need to hear it from us. (49:50)
What are the three tips that Walt would give to a LinkedIn newbie? (55:15)
What are the three things anybody can do to set themselves on the right course (55:23)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You can't force someone to make a change, they have to internalize making that change for their own benefit.” - Walt Goshert
“We do business with people, we don't do business with businesses.” - Walt Goshert
“You really need to plant your flag in a target market.” - Walt Goshert
“Everyone needs to have a prospecting habit and a prospecting process that you religiously follow each and every day.” - Walt Goshert

Resources Mentioned :

Throwback: CRM 5

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 10:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They discuss how any CRM begins to take action through marketing automation, workflows, and sequences.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre shares what marketing automation is. (5:01)
David Carothers mentions who Christian Delozier is. (6:41)
David Lefevre shares how to take advantage of the data that you have in your CRM. (8:09)
David Lefevre explains what happens if you don't have a plan or process on how to communicate. (11:16)
David Carothers mentions the most significant process in CRM. (12:25)
What are some of the easy CRM processes that people can do to implement marketing? (19:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you've segmented your audience and planned how you want to communicate with the people in your database, whether they're clients, prospects, leads, whether they filled out a form or not, whether they live in Cincinnati, or they live in Tampa, Florida, you can automate communication to say what you want, when you want.” - David Lefevre
“If you don't have a process or have a plan, you're not going to find it comfortable. You’ll use pieces here but you got to build up to it.” - David Lefevre
“Those people on the other end of your communication are able to do things in their own time, without having to have you on the phone or have you in front of them where you've got to connect in order for things to happen.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Brewing up Big Developments with Bobby Schmidt

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Bobby Schmidt, Director of Digital and Product Marketing at Zywave. Bobby discusses the cloud-based portfolio of solutions and how they are continually working to strengthen the technology platform.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Bobby Schmidt. (1:29)
Bobby shares his work background. (2:06)
David mentions that Zywave is an excellent tool and he uses it at Florida Risk Partners. (5:04)
Bobby says that two of their flagship products are the Broker Briefcase and ModMaster. (6:48)
Bobby shares that they wanted to invest substantially in R&D and obtain a thought- out acquisition strategy to become a central partner. (9:00)
Bobby says the Broker Briefcase has the ability to boost sales and marketing. (9:19)
Are data points done on an individual account by account basis or by industry segment? (13:01)
Kyle says the Zywave was introduced to him by when they first met to discuss his onboarding. (15:05)
Does the level of data that we get through using the Broker Briefcase campaigns lag compared to what we can get from HubSpot? (24:01)
Bobby says they use a marketing automation system in their marketing team. (26:51)
Does Bobby foresee anything on the horizon where we’re able to use Zapier integrations? (27:24)
What’s on the horizon for Zywave right now? (31:25)
Bobby says that leveraging data from miEdge makes prospecting smarter and easier. (32:25)
Bobby talks about the MyWave to Client Cloud portal. (37:06)
Bobby says that Zywave’s advanced learning management system is applicable to P&C. (37:50)
Bobby believes that they can meet the needs of any agency because they have different suite options that are certain solutions packaged together at different levels. (39:48)

Tweetable Quotes:

“A full-service insurance agency, that's absolutely something Zywave does provide.” - Bobby Schmidt.
“The possibilities really are endless, and how to fuel the other technology that we've already built are currently in the works.” - Bobby Schmidt
“Your system of truth is your source of truth.” - Bobby Schmidt

Resources Mentioned :

Throwback: Riding the Acquisition Trail with Greg Hogan

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Greg Hogan, CIC, CRM, President of Curabba Agency in New York. Greg talks about how he got into the insurance industry, the nuts and bolts of purchasing an agency, and what has contributed to his agency’s success. Greg also shares how his agency has been managing during the COVID-19 situation.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Greg Hogan. (1:24)
How easy was it for Greg to transition to working remotely? (2:39)
David shares that technology works better when working remotely than working in the office. (3:17)
Has Greg had any technology issues since working on remote? (3:25)
Greg says EZLynx is a very meticulous website for quoting. (9:02)
David uses Swift as his benchmark when he runs everything through the quote rush. (10:13)
Greg uses PL Rater and all of their company uses it. (10:16)
David asks, what's going to happen when the chargebacks start hitting? (16:37)
Greg says that personal lines are the driver of the renewal stream income. (19:55)
Greg says the revenue growth spike could also be a revenue dive when you lose one of the accounts. (21:54)
Greg shares what it was like when he acquired an agency vs. acquiring a book of business (23:15)
Greg talks about his agency career. (23:51)
Why did Greg buy the whole agency instead of the assets or the book? (26:32)
Greg mentions what his old mentor said to him. (27:09)
Greg shares that he digitized the whole agency and retrain his employees in using the database. (32:09)
How is Better Agency working for Greg’s agency? (38:14)
David mentions that we live in an instant society where everybody wants everything instantly. (40:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You have stuff and you just don't know all the features and uses of it.” - Greg Hogan
“When you buy an agency, you're buying things that have been done wrong.” - Greg Hogan
“If you buy garbage data, you're going to have garbage data until you clean it.” - Greg Hogan

Resources Mentioned :

Throwback: CRM 4

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They continue to discuss all about CRM and why the workers’ comp expiration date is significant.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre shares what makes CRM work for the business itself. (1:44)
David Lefevre mentions one of the things they did in HubSpot. (5:44)
How much is too much, for David Lefevre? (8:02)
David Lefevre shares why the workers’ comp expiration date is one of the most significant pieces of data. (10:50)
David Lefevre explains why you need to capture and utilize what's critical to your business. (12:57)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What really makes a CRM work is how you look at the information and the views that you have. It's all about lists, views, and being able to ask yourself a question with one click of a button and get an answer.” - David Lefevre
“You want to be able to create that product and performance improvement by just being able to click things. Views are the way you do that.” - David Lefevre
“You don't want to overwhelm yourself with so much detail that you get lost. It's nice to have information at your fingertips. You always have to judge whether it's a one-off, whether it's nice to have, or whether it's integral to your business process.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Going Rogue with Ryan Hanley

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ryan Hanley, the founder of Rogue Risk. Ryan shares what he has learned since starting his agency from scratch including the importance of believing your value proposition, investing in yourself and listening, and learning from others.

Episode Highlights:

David introduces Ryan Hanley. (1:24)
Ryan considers himself as an agency owner in name only at this point. (2:57)
Ryan mentions that he uses QQ Catalyst and Agency Zoom. (7:05)
David explains that the internet has created a competitive environment. (8:30)
David says that automation is a buzzword. (9:02)
David mentions that there is nothing more basic than direct mail. (11:10)
What were the obstacles that Ryan faced? (11:27)
What exactly is Ryan trying to figure out? (15:36)
David says that people get frustrated with telemarketing or calling to set appointments, and they give up. (18:19)
David shares why you don't have to be the smartest person in this industry to succeed. (21:54)
Ryan shares what has learned a lot in seven weeks of selling insurance. (27:26)
How many carriers are forcing webinars daily? (28:28)
Ryan says that you will learn a ton by calling your carrier to ask questions. (28:48)
David shares that he wants to create a community rather than a training program. (34:02)
Ryan says that he has so much respect for IAOA. (35:06)
Kyle talks about marketing drops. (38:57)

Tweetable Quotes

“You do not just go out and people come running up to you for insurance.” - Ryan Hanley
“You learn more from the ones that you lose than the ones that you win.” - Ryan Hanley
“Once I start to really believe my value proposition that I am coming in to help you, it gets so much easier. Because now if you don't want to do business with me, that's fine. But I know I'm helping you. ” - Ryan Hanley

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Sometimes You Gotta be a Renegade with Mike McDonough

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, and co-host Kyle Houck interview Mike McDonough, the leader of Worker’s Comp Renegade and director of McDonough Insurance Services. Mike talks about how he shifted his career from being in the food industry into the insurance services, the Worker’s Comp Renegade being a strategic partner, and the impact that the Worker’s Comp creates in an employer’s life.

Episode Highlights:

Mike shares his background story and the key to his success. (5:52)
Mike explains how he handles different personalities when management changes. (7:57)
Mike attributes his success with Farmers to his training at State Farm. (10:29)
Mike shares how they evolved through the insurance business and industry. (11:32)
Mike realized that controlling Worker’s Comp makes an impact on an employer’s life. (12:07)
Mike explains how they help employers, primarily by setting up a proactive program and working with them throughout the claims procedure. (18:46)
What's the biggest obstacle Mike faces when trying to engage with an employer that has an issue? (19:15)
Mike shares that there are employers that will consider a deductible, and there are employers that will look at a self-insured program. (25:34)
Mike states that when you're self-insured, you're involved in the whole claims process, and you're hiring a TPA that's in alignment with your company. (26:23)
Mike explains why their litigation rate is below 15% because of the triage. (40:57)
Mike shares the advantage of having a bilingual on his team. (42:51)
Mike believes that brokers can really do a good job and help employers to improve their bottom line. (1:02:18)
Mike says if you don't understand worker's comp, contact people that do know workers comp, and are willing to mentor you. (1:02:54)
Mike states that if you're going to write a worker's comp, do yourself and your clients a favor, and learn as much as you can about it because that's the only way you're going to benefit them. (1:04:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I'm just a firm believer that if you do the right thing, the money will come”. - Mike McDonough
“They make mistakes. We all make mistakes, but the bottom line is that you need to have accountability”. - Mike McDonough
“The worker’s comp is a huge profit center for these PEOs.” - Mike McDonough

Resources Mentioned :

Throwback: CRM 3

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They continue to discuss what CRM is all about and what kind of customizations an agency principal is looking for.

Episode Highlights:

David Carothers shares what an agency principal must look at when it comes to CRM systems. (4:25)
David Lefevre mentions the new name of Infusionsoft. (7:40)
David Lefevre explains what all of the CRMs have in common. (8:01)
David Lefevre shares why you must do account based selling. (9:59)
David Carothers shares where he sees most people fall short. (14:08)
David Carothers mentions one of the most basic things to do when you're in a meeting. (16:23)
David Lefevre mentions a tool that’s utilized in Salesforce. (22:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you want to make your business fit their technology then that's great. Realize there may be things that you do that you're going to have to change simply because their system is not set up to work the way that you work.” - David Lefevre
“Trying to make sure that you capture as many people as you can in that decision making circle. Gathering that information making sure that you have those names, contacts, and emails because you may not always be able to get in and talk to the CFO.” - David Lefevre
“You need to be looking at it as, how am I saving money in terms of hours and labor. Am I able to improve the sales that I make? Instead of closing five new clients last month, am I able to add a client every month on average and basically pay for the software and then some? That's how you can look at how you're paying for it.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Planning, Preparing and Patience with Jennifer Klages

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jennifer Klages, owner of My Choice Insurance Group PLLC. Jennifer shares how she became an agency owner, the challenges she faced, and how her passion and resilience have helped her become the great agency owner she is today.

Episode Highlights:

How Jennifer joined the insurance world (03:04)
Jennifer’s experience at Allstate insurance (05:45)
What inspired Jennifer to start her agency? (13:54)
How many carriers does Jennifer work with currently? (17:42)
Ethan’s story and how it inspires David and lessons we can learn from Ethan (22:19)
What systems does Jennifer use in her agency to help keep up with everything in her agency? (35:09)
What stands out in how Jennifer operates her agency? (38:58)
Has COVID affected Jennifer’s business? (39:52)
What’s Jennifer building in her garage? (47:12)
Where does one acquire the skill set to build a trailer from the ground? (47:27)
Jennifer’s advice to anybody who is looking to become an insurance agency owner (51:21)
Apart from insurance, what is Jennifer’s other passion? (55:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

“For me, if I want something and I get a, no, it doesn’t mean never. It just means no right now.”-Jennifer
“Every challenge creates an opportunity if you are paying attention.”- Jennifer
“Your success is a reflection of how successful you are.”

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Flooding the Internet with Content with Chris Greene

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Greene, President of The Flood Insurance Guru. Chris talks about the importance of flood insurance, the difference between Private Flood Insurance and the NFIP, and the three things that helped him build a national brand for his company.

Episode Highlights:

Chris Shares his background story and his secret for success. (2:00)
Chris says that he grew up with a severe learning disability. (8:17)
Chris explains the flood policies his company provides? (8:41)
Chris explains the automation process when someone requests a quote on his website. (13:41)
Chris shares that the whole point of NFIP is to make sure the customer has something. (14:40)
Chris shares why it’s important to make the agent look like a rockstar. (15:13)
How many agencies does Chris work with right now? (15:20)
Chris explains the difference between the National Flood Insurance Program and Private Flood Insurance Companies (15:51)
Chris explains why the rates are changing based on proximity to the water. (18:50)
Chris shares the reason why he plans to buy a camper. (20:58)
When did Chris decide to get ridiculous with content? (25:28)
Is Chris doing the same content for his blogs and videos? (26:02)
Chris shares why Ryan Hanley is one of his biggest mentors. (28:00)
What did Chris learn from Marcus Sheridan? (32:20)
Chris shares that he gets a list of every single flood map update across the country. (40:08)
Does Chris think the government can keep NFIP in place? (44:23)
What's the most important thing people need to know about flood insurance? (45:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think I'm a spitting image of overcoming an objection. I'm a big advocate for kids with learning disabilities.” - Chris Greene
“Always remember you’re a marketer first. You're an insurance agent second.” - Chris Greene
“Our whole job is to make that agent look like the rockstar to the client so that they have a client for life, which means, we have a client for life.” - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: CRM 2

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They continue to discuss the basics of CRM and how to bring a CRM to your insurance agency.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre shares the first thing to do when bringing a CRM to your insurance agency. (1:42)
David Lefevre explains why it’s significant to have companies and contacts if you're doing commercial lines. (2:29)
David Carothers shares why his VA has been helpful in his agency. (5:19)
David Lefevre shares one of the things they did when they put the companies in. (6:53)
David Carothers mentions what he didn’t realize about HubSpot. (8:49)
David Lefevre shares why a lot of people misunderstood marketing automation and CRM. (10:42)
David Lefevre gives the steps in bringing a CRM to your company. (17:27)
David Carothers shares why people must determine what lines of coverage they’re going to represent everybody. (22:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing is knowing what your business is doing and whether you need to sell commercial lines with companies and contacts, or whether you can get away with personal lines and just work with a CRM that doesn't do companies.” - David Lefevre
“This is a great computer that you can do a lot with. Obviously you want it to work with the CRM and be able to maintain all the information you need about your prospects, leads, and clients.” - David Lefevre
“Always lead by example because agents see owners or lead producers who are running a team. If you're not doing what you're asking your people to do, it's really discouraging. They may go in and look at a company or a contact and they're gonna see that you're not doing what you are asking them to do.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Inside the Insurance Mosh Pit with Ricky Hayter

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ricky Hayter, owner of ANR Insurance Group. Ricky shares the challenges he faced when starting his own company, and why researching is so important in insurance. Ricky also explains how ANR Insurance Group focuses on superior client experience.

Episode Highlights

Ricky shares his background story and the secret of his success. (8:24)
Ricky shares how started with State Farm. (10:46)
Ricky spent a week researching what an insurance agent does in general. (11:55)
What was Ricky’s biggest takeaway from working at State Farm? (14:11)
Ricky explains how he learned how to change his mind on the independent side. (19:22)
Ricky shares his background in light industrial work. (22:46)
What has been the biggest obstacle for Ricky making that change from personal lines? (23:21)
How many people would Ricky get back if he just started laughing for no reason? (39:33)
Ricky explains why he loves insurance and helping people out. (23:23)
Ricky says that he’s excited to start working with people that take or appreciate his advice. (27:14)
Ricky talks about when he spent a year doing nothing but cold calling leads day in and day out to build a personal lines book. (34:44)
Ricky shares how he built a decent base of his personal lines book. (42:21)
What is Ricky’s reading list? (49:53)
David and Kyle share their favorite sales book. (56:41)
What is Ricky’s favorite thing about being an independent insurance agent? (59:17)
Ricky explains how he got really good at overcoming objections. (35:10)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You have to do four things to be more successful than your peers in the insurance industry or any industry. Be on time, return phone calls and emails in a proper timeframe, do what you say you’re going to do, and if you don’t know the answer, don’t make one up.” - David Carothers
“I'm excited to start working with people that do take my advice or appreciate my advice and want to hear it.” - Ricky Hayter
“For agents that are younger starting out, there’s no right way. The right way is, what gets you paid and what makes you happy.” - Ricky Hayter

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: The Riches are in the Niches with Bob Klinger

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interviews Bob Klinger, President and CEO of Klinger Insurance Group located in Germantown, Maryland. Bob discusses his military background, what brought him into the insurance industry, marketing strategy, his staff, and giving back.

Episode Highlights:

How did Bob Klinger get into the insurance industry? (2:49)
Why did Bob Klinger decide to start a dry cleaning business? (5:37)
Bob explains the importance of working in various roles to understand the pieces and parts of what made their operations tick. (8:36)
Why does Bob take his staff on field trips? (13:23)
Bob shares how his Ranger mentality impacted his managing style and how he has evolved. (15:26)
Everyone that holds a desk at Klinger Insurance Group has to hit numbers, daily/weekly goals, and incentives. (17:26)
Hiring and probationary periods. (18:24)
Prioritizing your daily routines. (26:41)
Using your CRM and tracking outbound calls. (28:46)
Why is it important to execute a defined process? (30:58)
Marketing, advertising, and giving back to the community. (39:01)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think that if anything gives me chills, it’s giving back. You know, I grew up pretty easy, I grew up pretty poor, and so being in this industry has given me a blessing and a standard of living to give back.” - Bob Klinger
“No matter who you are, you have to execute the process that has been defined, that has been proven to be successful to perfection.” - David Carothers
“I just realize that not everybody's going to think like you; in some cases, that's good.” - Bob Klinger

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: CRM 1

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this throwback episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They discuss what CRM is all about and why people should utilize it.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre explains what a CRM is. (3:59)
David Carothers shares how CRM has changed. (5:31)
David Lefevre shares why marketing is one aspect of communication. (6:38)
David Lefevre mentions what they’re doing at Florida Risk. (7:43)
David Carothers mentions the problem with AMS and CRM. (8:54)
David Carothers shares which CRM people should use. (11:27)
David Lefevre shares why people should utilize CRM. (16:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The more clients you have, the more you're going to forget. We all know that customer service is king. Meaning, staying on top of your customers and knowing ahead of time what their needs are.” - David Lefevre
“Marketing is one aspect of communication. Agency management systems are designed around doing business for an agency. They're not intended to be marketing communication tools.” - David Lefevre
“If you don't put good information in, you can't get good information out of it. The whole reason you have this is to get good information out.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Let's Go! with Brandon Smith

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and James Jenkins are together with Brandon Smith, Public Speaker and EVP of Development & Strategy at Glidewell. They talk about the release of his 2022 Producer Development Planner and how his Producer Development Program is helping producers to find balance and live with intention.

Episode Highlights:

Brandon shares his motivation for creating his planner. (3:41)
Brandon talks about the importance of calendar and time management. (7:03)
Brandon explains that his whole 2-year journey was to simplify his life. (15:43)
Brandon talks about the producers’ perspective in the business. (18:28)
Brandon explains how his personal planner is different from the rest. (22:35)
Brandon shares how his planner would help agency principals provide more opportunities for positive action. (28:29)
Brandon explains why people deserve what they tolerate with behavior. (32:09)
Brandon shares the first step to roll out in the right direction. (34:07)
Brandon explains the importance of balance. (37:29)

Tweetable Quotes:

“How are you budgeting your time? If we really believe that time is money, how are we going to spend it?” - Brandon Smith
“If you tolerate average, if you tolerate status quo, if you tolerate just winging your schedule, winging your day just waking up and be like, oh, we'll see what happens today. You deserve the results.” - Brandon Smith
“If we don't know what balance is, we live life out of balance. But balance is so key to figure out because we balance our checkbook, we balance our tires, we balance our portfolio. You fall over if things are unbalanced. And so we've got to be better at balancing our time. And again, the only way to do that, intentional living.” - Brandon Smith

Resources Mentioned:

The Peaks and Valleys of Insurance with Cameron Pechia

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Cameron Pechia, Managing Partner of Valley Trucking Insurance. Cameron talks about his podcast, Get A Load Of This, how his team sets appointments, and his 75 hard challenge journey.

Episode Highlights:

David shares his experience on his hospital appointment. (3:55)
Cameron shows his appreciation for what David has been doing for the industry. (10:35)
Cameron talks about his podcast, Get A Load Of This podcast that is geared toward the trucking industry. (15:15)
Cameron talks about how having discipline makes everything easy. (16:57)
Cameron gives updates on what he is currently working on. (19:33)
Cameron talks about what his producers do to get appointments. (22:19)
Cameron shares his insight about block scheduling and what it is. (25:42)
Cameron mentions bringing in a VA appointment setter. (30:14)
Cameron shares how he blocks off things that are a priority. (39:28)
Cameron talks about being the head of the household in an organization. (48:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Our producers, they are also responsible for outbound marketing, content creation, they've got a database that they work religiously, because we've got it narrowed down to our target, where they're doing cold calls, constant drip contacts, email campaigns, voicemail drops, they're doing engagement via LinkedIn.” - Cameron Pechia
“I created a podcast, Get a Load of This trucking podcast, and all it is bringing value to the trucking industry or professionals and bringing resources, technology, vendors, carriers, you know, all kinds of stuff into the mix in the conversation to just add value.” - Cameron Pechia
“I got all this stuff that I do and I make time, wake up earlier, stay up a little bit later, go at lunch, do what it takes in order to accomplish that.” - Cameron Pechia

Resources Mentioned:

Shoptalk EP #72

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about the risks and benefits of writing Cyber.

Episode Highlights:

David and Kyle talk about the dos and don'ts for writing Cyber. (2:12)
David and Kyle share insight into the increase in premiums. (4:25)
Davis shares what he likes about what ProWriters has done. (10:25)
Kyle tells David his experience in Masterclass. (14:34)
David and Kyle talk about grills. (16:27)
David and Kyle talk about Chris Voss. (18:35)
David and Kyle share some Football insights. (21:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If my premium is a well run managed services provider who has all of the proper protocols in place, every ounce of security, like literally everything I need is going to double then I have to believe a good chunk of my competition is going out of business” - David Carothers
“I have to wonder how many agents are listening to this right now that write cyber and feel good about it and they can't tell you with absolute certainty which of their clients have reimbursement forms and which have pay on behalf of? I'm willing to bet the overwhelming majority don't know. That's a big deal, man. ” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Have We Told You Lately That We Love You with Kate Bradley-Chernis

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kate Bradley-Chernis, Co-Founder and CEO of Lately. Kate explains how AI can be one of your greatest tools for content creation and marketing.

Episode Highlights:

Kate talks about her music background and her experience being in a radio station. (3:18)
Kate shares that she used to own a marketing agency. (12:28)
Kate shares how a medical condition led her to first use a dictation software and why it was a game changer for her. (17:07)
Kate shares her background and how she started her first company. (24:40)
Kate explains why Lately is working successfully. (29:15)
Kate talks about how to make sure you have the correct content system. (36:41)
Kate shares what she does after leading people to their successful path. (45:06)
Kate shares the most magical questions that are very important. (48:29)
Katre explains the biggest mistakes she sees people make when creating content. (50:49)
Kates talks about her motivation to overcome all the challenges she has faced in the past. (54:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“So the goal is to help you, any brand, any person create more effective social media messaging, that actually gets people to click or reshare in a way that you can, you can track it.” - Kate Bradley-Chernis
“Content that moves people moves mountains, it just does, and are you doing that? If you're not, then you're winking in the dark. That's an old marketing adage. Nobody can see it.” - Kate Bradley-Chernis
“Set yourself up for success and put yourself in the position to do the things you do best and surround yourself with people who can fill in the blanks for you.” - Kate Bradley-Chernis

Resources Mentioned:

The Dropout Multi-Millionaire with Brian Will

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Brian Will, author of The Dropout Multi-Millionaire: 37 Business Lessons on How to Succeed in Business With No Money, No Education, and No Clue. Brian explains the concept of his book and what readers can take away from the lessons he has learned in his journey to becoming a multi-millionaire.

Episode Highlights:

Brian talks about his book The Dropout Multi-Millionaire: 37 Business Lessons on How to Succeed in Business With No Money, No Education, and No Clue. (2:21)
Brian shares his techniques and methods when writing his book. (5:36)
Brian talks about his journey and how he was able to finish the book. (8:48)
Brian explains the reason why most businesses fail. (15:13)
Brian shares the Chapter 1 preview from his book and the lesson people can learn from it. (19:13)
Brian gives his advice to listeners on how to understand when people say no. (22:54)
Brian answers the question of why people should get a copy of his book. (24:11)
Brian shares how these lessons translated to his current clients. (32:37)
Brain talks about his thoughts about retirement. (38:29)
Brian shares the biggest thing that he has learned throughout his career. (44:40)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's been an interesting journey through different industries and selling different types of companies. But I found that, if you're good at running a business, you're good at running a business.” - Brian Will
“If your business isn't where it needs to be, there's a reason, and the reason is you. If you don't understand that, then you're not going to be able to move forward.” - Brian Will
“If you are not where you want to be eventually in life, then you're not making the right decisions. And you need to find somebody that can help you do that.” - Brian Will

Resources Mentioned:

The Execution is What is Lacking

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck talk about their budding relationship with KPA and how it is providing them with the tools and factual data they need to make their case with underwriters.

Episode Highlights:

David and Kyle explain how KPA is helping them. (3:09)
David talks about his difficult plumbing account situation. (4:00)
Kyle explains how KPA is helping them with benchmarking and total compensation reports. (6:43)
David discusses how they used KPA to help with their non-renewal. (8:35)
David shares the outcome of what happened with his client. (12:38)
Kyle and David share the importance of having factual data when selling. (13:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If we were to go back right now and rewind that and look at how many of those plumbers we now represent, it's pretty crazy.” - David Carothers
“You don't even have to sell too hard when you've got all that factual data to back it up.” - Kyle Houck
“I think that we stop, we stop at the sale and we don't realize we still have to sell the company.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Connect and Sell with Chris Beall

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell. Chris discusses the common pitfalls in cold calling and shares tools to overcome those pitfalls and go from fear to commitment in 27 seconds.

Episode Highlights:

Chris talks about what they do at ConnectAndSell. (7:21)
Christ shares tips about public speaking. (11:01)
Chris talks about how long it should take to gain trust in a cold call. (15:51)
Chris shares how his company can close a sale in 27 seconds. (23:33)
Chris states that it is very important to sell meetings. (32:06)
Chris talks about the hardest part of selling. (35:33)
Chris explains the difference between speaking to someone in person versus on a phone call. (40:23)
Chris shares a way to let people know that your time is valuable. (47:16)
Chris talks about the right way of developing your personal skills. (50:19)
Chirs shares his insight about accountability. (53:50)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It all comes down to what happens in that human interaction and can you get somebody to go from fear to trust, trust to curiosity, curiosity to commitment? - Chris Beall
“They are taught to go for value. Value is death in the cold-calling.” - Chris Beall
“I decided to be really frustrated and ego-driven every time I missed one and that made me great. No, it doesn't work like that. Humility is how we learn things.” - Chris Beall

Resources Mentioned:

Finally Some Air Time with Sean Kirby

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Sean Kirby from Performance Group Indiana. Sean discusses their agency’s move into the tax and accounting space, how they are training and recruiting staff, and the lessons they are learning along the way.

Episode Highlights:

Sean shares his background story. (3:12)
Sean explains that financial planning is typically designed for individuals. (4:27)
Sean talks about the growth of Performance Group Indiana. (8:40)
Sean says that in the last few years, they've started to hire young people that want to grow businesses. (14:07)
Sean mentions that they recently hired an outside sales producer. (31:01)
Sean explains that as you earn more clients, you will gain more knowledge. (34:18)
Sean believes that they gained a lot of credibility during COVID. (37:10)
Sean talks about the moment they learned to do things electronically. (39:10)
Sean believes that if employees are properly trained and there is a solid scalable work process in place, it lends itself to good prospects for both reps and clients. (43:28)
Sean discusses the advantages of having a tax accounting side. (48:59)
Sean mentions that a lot of people are so entrenched in their agency that they are unable to think outside the box. (52:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In the last couple years, we've started to hire more and more people, young people, that want to grow entities.” - Sean Kirby
“Everything kind of happened one step at a time. And then as you gain more clients, you gain more knowledge from it.” - Sean Kirby
“We're trying to find new ways to grow our business and we have lots of different options, which is the best part.” - Sean Kirby

Resources Mentioned:

The Ware Sessions 3

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal discuss their better halves’ successes and motivations, and the importance of being coachable.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal asks David if her wife’s success drives him to compete better. (1:49)
David and Kyle share what they see in their wives that makes them think they are going to be successful in insurance. (6:19)
Kyle shares that coaching and being coachable play a big part in life. (11:03)
David shares about his time coaching sports for 3 seasons. (13:35)
David asks Crystal what led her to believe that she will be successful in insurance and what advice she would share to other women looking to get into the industry. (18:52)
David tells a story about his wife’s marathon experience. (20:06)
Crystal gives her advice to females that have just started in the industry. (23:45)
David states that he believes skills are completely transferable. (25:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Help them come to the conclusion, but don't tell them...that's the way people learn and grow. And that's what we have to do as good mentors, good bosses, good agency owners.” Crystal Ware
“If you can commit and make a plan, it's goal orientation. 100%. Anybody can complete a marathon. You have to be willing to do the work to get there. “ - Crystal Ware
“I want them to make decisions and understand the consequences and rewards that come from decisions.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Why is Influence a Secret? - with Brian Ahearn

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Brian Ahearn, an Author, and Chief influence Officer at Influence People. Brian answers 3 significant questions about the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Brian talks about how he started in the insurance industry. (3:09)
Brian shares how he was able to keep pushing for his success. (6:36)
David asks Brian, what is one thing that producers need to stop doing. (9:35)
Brain shares what producers should start doing. (17:32)
Brian answers what producer’s behavior he thinks should continue. (24:00)
Brian shares the most rewarding aspect of his career. (28:18)
Brian shares how he can be contacted and followed. (36:30)
Brian tells how he makes deals with his clients and prospects. (46:18)
Brian shares about what a mirroring mindset is, and how it is useful. (49:00)
Brian talks about the difference between teaching and manipulation. (52:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It should never be about me getting you to like me, it should always be about me doing everything I can to like you.” - Brian Ahearn
“Most of us learn what we learn from reputable places. And then we fail to cite those sources, when the truth is if we cite them will be even more credible.” - Brian Ahearn
“My goal with this is professional success and personal happiness. If I can give them tools, that when they go home, and they have conversations with their spouse, or kids or neighbors and they get along better, there's more peace and happiness...that’s a really good why.” - Brian Ahearn

Resources Mentioned:

Powerful Payment Processing with Toby Hansen

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Toby Hansen, Owner of Toby Hansen Insurance Agency, and co-founder of GSTsoftware. Toby talks about his move from captive to independent agent, what's going on in the world of Insurtech, and how GSTsoftware helps insurance professionals get their business done in the most efficient way possible.

Episode Highlights:

Toby discusses his background. (2:30)
Toby believes that insurance agents sometimes wonder if the carriers have a clear vision. (5:11)
What has Toby learned as a result of his transition from captive to an independent agent? (9:50)
Toby explains the idea of their payment portal and how it helps people. (13:28)
How does Toby get their product into the market? (16:46)
Toby mentions that if you don't have a good tasking system, you won't realize how much your employees are avoiding such issues. (25:09)
David, Kyle, and Toby discuss the significance of accepting all forms of communication. (29:04)
Toby explains the advantages of making the best use of technology. (41:44)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you don't have a good tasking system, you don't realize how much your staff is avoiding that stuff.” - Toby Hansen
“When you're in the agency world, and you've been the principal, you start to understand that for every person that just doesn't want to pay their bill, there's four of them that you just need you to hold their hand to pay their bill.” - Toby Hansen
“Technology is not in the agency world to replace human interaction in the human experience. It's here to enhance human interaction in the human experience.” David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The Ware Sessions 2

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal discuss their motivations, goals, fears, and challenges in their journey.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal believes that making money as a motive is not a bad thing. (3:15)
David talks about his goal setting and motivation. (3:36)
Crystal explains why she decided to start her own agency with David. (3:35)
David says that from an entrepreneurial perspective, he’s absolutely fearless. (9:15)
David states that he is a competitive person. (13:45)
Crystal talks about her fear when it comes to producing. (15:37)
Crystal gives advice to anybody interested in opening a solely personal line, boutique agency. (20:22)
Crystal discusses the difficulties she has encountered on her path. (21:21)
David explains why he thinks that if you're responsible for a larger team, it's easier. (24:48)
Crystal talks about how difficult it is to hire employees. (26:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I don't think it's wrong to set goals for material things if you're going to reward yourself for doing your job at a very high level.” - David Carothers
“From an entrepreneurial perspective, I am absolutely fearless. I will try anything.” - David Carothers
“Hiring can be a challenge. You’ve always just got to keep your eyes open and be ready when a good person is available.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

Be the Last Agent Standing Volume 6 With Chris Paradiso

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Paradiso, Owner of Paradiso Financial and Insurance Services. Chris talks about refining and redefining the sales game through the new version of his magazine, The Last Agent Standing.

Episode Highlights:

Chirs shares about his magazine, The Last Agent Standing. (2:23)
Chirs talks about raising money for charitable organizations. (3:47)
Chris elaborates on who is featured in the magazine and why. (8:11)
Chirs enumerates the impact of COVID on his business. (9:38)
Chris shares his thoughts about the financial situation of companies during COVID. (11:34)
Chris shares a very powerful mindset to be successful. (17:03)
David announces he will be giving away a copy of The Last Agent Standing Magazine. (20:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In the insurance space, we all have the same pain points and we should not be making the same mistakes.” - Chris Paradiso
“There is no secret sauce that is not in some book, you just have to find the right book and the right magazine and or the right reading tool because if you find it, the ingredients to success are written there you just have to read” - Chris Paradiso
“Don't think like an agent, think like a business owner. You’ve got to win.” - Chris Paradiso

Resources Mentioned:

Get Better Every Day with Will Shaw

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Will Shaw, CEO, and co-founder of Better Agency. Will discusses InsurTech, commercial aspects, and how agency owners grow their businesses more effectively with Better Agency.

Episode Highlights:

Will talks about his time as an NFL player. (5:42)
Will responds to the question of how he was able to learn new skills. (9:16)
Will talks about the relationship between insurance carriers and independent agencies. (15:52)
Will talks about how their company overcame obstacles. (20:22)
Will tells David what he thinks will happen in 2022. (27:12)
Will talks about an achievement Better Agency had that he was really proud of. (31:47)
Will is asked by David what he thinks of the industry being involved in the commercial side of things. (35:33)
Will talks more about his company, Better Agency. (38:21)
Will shares Better Agency’s mission. (48:30)
Will announces that he will be in a race for the benefit of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. (50:59)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Let's build something that has proven processes that agencies can follow.” - Will Shaw
“Our platform, we're gonna help you make money and if it doesn't, then I don't want you on it.” - Will Shaw
“I'm very passionate about what's going on in the industry, what's going on in InsurTech like I follow that stuff extremely closely.” - Will Shaw

Resources Mentioned:

The Ware Sessions 1

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Crystal Ware. David, Kyle, and Crystal share insight into the power and importance of having more women in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

David shares insights about earning a great weekend. (1:26)
David discusses how things are when he is not at work. (4:17)
Crystal explains why there are so few women working in the insurance industry. (10:11)
David explores the issue of women and minorities working as producers in the insurance industry. (16:31)
Crystal explains how she overcame adversity to get her dream job. (19:26)
David tells a story about his time at the St. Louis airport. (22:36)
David went into detail about how he chose The Protégé. (24:42)
Crystal responds to the question of who is the best teacher and who is more patient in her household. (28:26)
Female success in the sector is highlighted by David and Crystal. (29:30)
David summarizes the importance of minority and female producers to be part of the industry. (31:54)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Ladies, just stand up and raise your hand. And don't be afraid to say I'm going to give this a whirl and seek out mentors, seek out people to help shepherd you and say, “This is what I want to do.” Honestly, that's what I've done throughout my career.” - Crystal Ware
“If your perspective is right, and you focus on the content that makes up the person, you know, whether they're male or female is really kind of irrelevant.” - David Carothers
“I want to run a show where those people will feel comfortable to apply because they have the right skill set and the drive to achieve it.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Helping Adjusters Succeed with John Bachmann

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews John Bachmann. John talks about his journey as a claim adjuster, and his new book, The Successful Adjuster’s Playbook.

Episode Highlights:

John shares that he's been working on his book for around 5-7 years now. (2:33)
John discusses his past and how he came to be in the position he is in now. (3:36)
John expresses his surprise that there aren't more claims people who make the switch to sales. (5:48)
John shares what he struggles with when was consulting with agencies. (11:16)
What are the things that frustrate John about dealing with the retail agents and agencies? (19:10)
John shares the topic of his book. (26:54)
What's John’s favorite part of the book he wrote? (34:57)
John mentions that there's so much more that an adjuster can do within their current role if they just expand their mindset. (40:25)
From a claim adjuster’s perspective, what's a piece of advice John can give to the producer? (51:46)
John says that his book, The Successful Adjuster’s Playbook, is accessible in a variety of formats. (53:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you're not able to treat somebody, like a person, a family member, a friend...it's just going to be a transaction. And we might as well just let artificial intelligence and machine learning handle all the claims.” - John Bachmann
“Nevermind adjusting, nevermind insurance, nevermind business. It's your life relationship. If that's your foundation, you'll have good relationships.” - John Bachmann
“There's so much more that an adjuster can do within their current role if they just expand their mindset.” - John Bachmann

Resources Mentioned:

Breakin' Necks and Cashin' Checks with Christian DeLozier

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest co-host Derek Hayden interview Christian DeLozier, Proactive Business Risk & Insurance Consultant at Mike Keith Insurance. Christian discusses how he got started and how he was able to make his niches successful.

Episode Highlights:

Christian shares his background story. (5:12)
David and Christian mention that they train their new producers to focus on the client with whom they want to work. (11:40)
Christian shares his thoughts about niches. (22:36)
David believes that he has around 276 domains at this stage and spends around $5,000 per year on domains to hold. (25:08)
What does Mike Keith Insurance focus on? (42:53)
Christian talks about their work in the nonprofit and public entities sector. (46:42)
Christian discusses the tools and strategies he utilized to lead Workers’ Comp. (48:23)
Christian shares what David has taught him. (51:10)
Christian discusses three challenges that every business owner faces. (58:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Doing the right thing is always the right thing.” - Christian DeLozier
“So human nature, you know, we all want that little dopamine rush. And when we do something that we feel like it's productive, we make a sale, even if it's a small sale, we get that dopamine rush.” - Christian DeLozier
“If we always keep our client's needs ahead of our own, they will always take care of us.” - Christian DeLozier

Resources Mentioned:

The Sedlak Sessions 4

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Highlights:

Stephen discusses how his agency uses email. (8:40)
Stephen discusses their campaign strategy for approaching people. (12:34)
David shares one of the best pieces of marketing he has ever seen. (15:22)
Kyle explains how he creates a successful email subject line. (16:38)
Kyle discusses his email signature strategy. (18:19)
David discusses important email marketing strategies. (19:25)
David believes they did an excellent job with their email at Florida Risk. (24:35)
David mentions that the Power Producers Mastermind is for anyone who wants to be a part of a community of high-level producers who have the ability to make their game greater than it is but don't want the full killing commercial experience. (28:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think the subject line is something. People focus so much on the body of the email a lot of times and don't give enough love to the subject and that could be the whole reason that people aren't responding to your email communication at all.” - Kyle Houck
“It's more about getting those dialogues, getting those conversations started with them and opening up to you a little bit more and introducing yourself.” - Stephen Sedlak
“I think that a lot of companies and agencies lose business because the client doesn't understand that the agent can help them, and they tie them to the carrier. And as a result, they think they have to leave the agency or they get mad at both the agency and the carrier and they leave due to a bad claim situation.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

If It’s FEE It’s for Me With Andrew Martin

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Andrew Martin, Founder & President of Atlas Financial Strategies. Andrew discusses his transition from life insurance to financial planning, why he decided to become a fee-based advisor, and how he provides value for his clients.

Episode Highlights:

Andrew shares his background. (2:50)
Andrew believes that the property-casualty insurance sector is very transactional, focused on providing quotes, and not so much on educating clients. (5:20)
Andrew explains why he believes individuals are still used to working with advisors on a transactional basis. (9:44)
Andrew mentions that their most difficult challenge is getting the information they require from clients in a timely manner and getting them to follow through on certain commitments. (14:25)
Andrew explains how they came up with hiking the fee. (17:32)
Andrew mentions the importance of educating people on the products and their benefits. (24:36)
How did Andrew decide to switch from life insurance to financial planning? (26:24)
Andrew mentions that it took him some time to get used to the process and how he charges. (31:18)
Andrew believes that one of the most difficult challenges he has faced is the learning process. (32:29)
Andrew mentions that being in front of clients and directing the planning is the most valuable use of his time. (36:10)
Andrew mentions that there are many agents or advisors who are afraid to charge a fee. (48:58)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Before I made that transition into fee-based and charging for our time and advice, I lost what would have been, several good clients, because I didn't charge because the people with money want to pay their advisor or the person they're working with for their time and advice to feel like they're getting that unbiased advice.” - Andrew Martin
“I've always wanted to be a trusted advisor for my clients and be well rounded, and holistic, and help them with everything as much as I can to provide as much value as possible.” - Andrew Martin
“It was a tough transition and making the transition into fee-based, took me a while to kind of settle, and we're still trying to perfect things, as I hope we always do. But it's been one of the best business decisions I've ever made, it really has opened things up, it really has positioned me.” - Andrew Martin

Resources Mentioned:

Scaling Through Systems and Automation With Katherine Ternes

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kat Ternes, Vice President of Revenue at AgencyZoom. Kat discusses the value of automation in helping teams be more consistent and effective.

Episode Highlights:

Kat shares her background. (10:23)
Kat discusses the concept of AgencyZoom, the marketplace goals, and who they are looking to cater to. (18:53)
Kat discusses their sales and retention module, and how the automation would work around the policies. (20:21)
Kat explains that they use automation instead of just campaigns, which makes them more versatile. (23:48)
Kat mentions that AgencyZoom uses Hubspot and Salesforce (25:54)
Kat explains that automation is meant to make a team more consistent and hence more productive, as well as to allow them more time in their day to spend with the clients. (29:30)
Kat explains the difference between CSAT and NPS. (38:24)
Kat mentions that AgencyZoom has a full pinback module in their product. (41:38)
Kat shares what she thinks will happen in the automation. (42:44)
Kat shares how they celebrate a new sale. (45:01)
Kat mentions that AgencyZoom has created an internship cohort that spans the entire state of Ohio. (48:00)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We're using automation instead of just campaigns. So that helps a lot for us to be a little bit more versatile.” - Katherine Ternes
“Automation is meant to make your team more consistent and thus more effective and to give them more time in their day back to spending it with your customers.” - Katherine Ternes
“If we don't track service, we're not close to doing the whole picture to be able to run our agencies as a business.” - Katherine Ternes

Resources Mentioned:

The Sedlak Sessions 3

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak. David, Kyle, and Stephen discuss strategies for making connections, boosting your credibility, and how to have productive meetings with your clients.

Episode Highlights:

David shares that Christian DeLozier is now officially in Killing Commercial. (1:16)
David talks about his phone conversation with the new member of Power Producer Mastermind. (5:57)
David explains that he struggles to poke holes in smaller accounts since he doesn't know the players as much as he does in the middle market. (8:32)
David mentions that he hasn't done anything based on renewal cycles for a long time. (11:34)
David explains that your skillset must adjust to the account size. (20:06)
Stephen mentions that If you can get clients to talk a little bit more, and you know it's likely to be an area where they have a problem, that appointment will go 10 times better than simply rattling off questions and having them answer them. (22:00)
David believes that one of his talents is that he can go in and collect all of the information he needs from someone simply by talking to them. (22:27)
Kyle mentions that he lays out the things he wants to discuss with a customer before speaking with them. (23:16)
Kyle explains how name-dropping boosts credibility. (25:06)
David explains the significance of making connections with other people, especially while at a networking event. (29:41)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The very first thing I do is I put the summary of coverages in the premium page in the very front of the binder. It's the first page I talk about because I know for a fact that if I don't hit that first the whole time I'm talking they're either going to be rude and disrespectful and thumbing through my binder looking for it and not listening to me.” - David Carothers
“One of the things I bring to the table is to help you avoid the mistakes that some of my other clients have made because I've been with them as they've grown through that process.” - David Carothers
“If you can start that those questions off to where they're starting to talk a little bit more and because you know that's probably going to be an area where they're going to have an issue that appointment is going to go 10 times better than you just rattling off a bunch of questions and having them answer them.” - Stephen Sedlak

Resources Mentioned:

Be Wise With Your Stak with Casey Nelson

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Casey Nelson, Founder & CEO at StakWise. Casey discusses the significance of data automation and how StakWise can help agencies in leveraging the most out of their tools and platforms.

Episode Highlights:

Casey shares his background. (3:11)
What should an agency have ready when calling Casey for assistance in integrating automation? (6:12)
What was the most valuable thing Casey was able to take from his past experiences into what he's doing now? (12:15)
Casey mentions renewals and retention as examples of low-hanging fruit. (14:21)
Casey explains the importance of utilizing deep links. (15:46)
Casey explains what deep links are. (16:44)
Casey talks about URL genius. (19:09)
Casey explains what a pixel is and why it is important. (20:33)
Casey mentions that StakWise isn't limited to insurance. (27:34)
Casey believes that those who are breaking ground on many platforms and are ready to take risks in order to communicate through different ways are the ones who will win. (38:48)
Casey discusses how a CRM and other tools decisions are so specific to what an agency does or who an agency is. (46:15)
Casey mentions that his role is to come into agencies and teach them how to use the resources they have to their full capacity. (48:09)
Casey mentions that he's interested in understanding Zoho, so the individuals that use Zoho may soon be a potential client StakWise. (54:15)

Tweetable Quotes:

“This is like the most exciting thing I've ever been a part of, at least to see the changes and be able to provide feedback to some of those vendors.” - Casey Nelson
“It just amazes me that people will spend the money on leads, but not invest the time to be able to put themselves in a position to win those leads.” - Casey Nelson
“My goal is really to take stuff off of your plate, so that we can automate everything that can be automated, we can help you with your contact rate. We can even help you know your numbers...These are all things that I did at the last agency I was with. They're things that I’ve become passionate about, especially the technology and the problem solving.” - Casey Nelson

Resources Mentioned:

Wunderiting Your Way to More Business with Peter MacDonald

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Peter MacDonald, Co-founder & CEO at Wunderite. Peter discusses Wunderite's goals and how the program makes the insurance application process easier, faster, and more efficient.

Episode Highlights:

Peter shares his background. (2:08)
Peter discusses Wunderite’s concept and the need in the insurance industry that their product meets. (6:45)
Peter explains how the insurance industry's tools have changed since World War II. (8:43)
What's been the biggest surprise for Peter in the insurance industry? (11:48)
Peter mentions that Wunderite makes every insurance application look like a top-of-the-stack submission without taking a lot of time from you, your team, or your clients. (18:30)
What has been the most rewarding part of Peter's Wunderite journey? (24:14)
Peter believes that identification is the most important part of risk management. (43:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think one of the most surprising things recently is that the software has to be so easy. People have no patience, you know where compared to when you go on Amazon, you click a button, and you have a lawn mower delivered to your house tomorrow morning...I think our patience as a society is totally gone.” - Peter MacDonald
“We have four values at the company, one is balance, and we very much want to have a balanced culture.” - Peter MacDonald
“We're just getting started. Our mission is that we want to build the best software for independent agencies. I'm extremely loyal to the industry...I just want to have the best tools out there because I felt like there was an opportunity when I was running an agency.” - Peter MacDonald

Resources Mentioned:

The Sedlak Sessions 2

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak, author of: The Work Comp Control Effect: 7 Steps to Increase Profits Through Your Work Comp Program. Stephen discusses the purpose of the book, his writing process and shares a few of the unique ways that he has promoted the book.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen explains how he came up with the idea for his book. (3:59)
Stephen mentions that the goal of creating the book was to boost business and use it as a factor in winning new clients. (6:17)
Stephen discusses what he did to promote his book during COVID. (7:05)
David explains why people should purchase the book: The Work Comp Control Effect from Amazon. (10:31)
According to David, it is important to understand that writing a book is only the first stage; the second step is what you do once you have completed the book. (12:38)
David discusses something he did as a result of his training that he believes everyone should do. (16:34)
David explains the significance of allowing someone to speak about their company and what they need from you. (22:29)
Stephen shares how he has promoted his book. (25:38)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Everybody's got a story. Everybody can connect you with somebody, everybody knows somebody. So everybody's a prospect in my eyes.” - Stephen Sedlak
“I've always been a huge proponent of producers, blogging, and creating content in a microenvironment. And that's an easy thing to do. It trains the producer, it creates a habit, but it also gives them credibility.” - David Carothers
“I think that it's also important to know that actually writing the book is just the first step. The other step is what do you do after the fact.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Training Top Performing Teams with Justin Goodman

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Justin Goodman, President of Total CSR. Justin discusses the changes they've seen, what's new in the business, and how agencies are succeeding by utilizing the Total CSR platform.

Episode Highlights:

Justin shares his background. (2:22)
What challenges did Justin encounter throughout the company's transition? (11:22)
Justin mentions that they invested around a half-million dollars about nine months ago to rebuild and improve their platform. (14:41)
Justin explains how they offer their platform and pricing to both small and large businesses. (18:46)
Justin explains that understanding that each agency had its own process led them to realize that they needed to empower their clients to easily build their own courses. (24:25)
Justin explains how they present their platform to new agencies that join. (26:07)
Justin mentions that one of the industry's major difficulties is the lack of choices for assessing personality and cognitive aptitude, which are generally done on a transactional basis and are pricey. (28:15)
What has been the most rewarding factor of Justin's journey in establishing Total CSR? (32:28)
What does Justin expect to see in the insurance industry? (38:08)
Justin explains that one of the things they want to know while completing their assessments is if these clients will be active learners and driven enough to be successful within the agency's main tasks. (48:46)
Justin shares his goal of becoming the world's largest insurance talent magnet. (49:43)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In our system, we assess for personality profile tied to the specific role in the agency. We also test for aptitude tied in a specific role, we test for emotional IQ, which again is critical in what we do, and computer literacy.” - Justin Goodman
“By taking that feedback, by being bigger, by investing, ultimately, we got on their radar, but we had no guarantees that we’re going to drive response in them, other than the initial feedback they provided to us. And so I had to have enough confidence to say, if I build it, they will become interested and it will open more doors for us.” - Justin Goodman
“What we've allowed is all the interactivity in our system. They can build simple drag and drop way of building courses, but they can upload their specific videos on how to do th process.” - Justin Goodman

Resources Mentioned:

Diving Deep into Data with Ron Shroyer

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ron Shroyer, Vice President of Sales at Aureus Analytics. Ron discusses what Aureus Analytics is doing, what the Donna platform is and what it does, and how they're using integration to make it a lot simpler to operate an agency intelligently.

Episode Highlights:

Ron shares his interesting background (2:26)
Ron believes that the end client is the most important thing for an insurance producer. (5:12)
Ron explains what makes Ryan Deeds unique. (6:51)
Ron talks about what they’re doing to gather data. (9:00)
Ron mentions that the foundational technology is what they brought over to the US to be able to build the Donna platform. (10:35)
Ron talks about their recent integrations with other platforms. (21:52)
Ron mentions that Glove Box is doing a fantastic job of integrating a lot of useful information into a way for agencies to communicate with clients, especially through an app. (25:55)
Ron expresses his optimism that the industry will reach that all-encompassing solution within the next 5 to 7 years. (41:25)
Ron talks about Donna version 3.0 that was just released. (42:25)
Ron mentions that if you have that core technology and data stored away, and you know what processes you need to follow and apply. (48:32)
Ron believes that there’s enough business for everyone, especially on the agency side. (50:50)
Ron advises everybody to take one step forward at a time, get the momentum built. (52:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“That's really what we want to do at Aureus Analytics with this Donna platform is give the end-users who are working with customers just quick insights, how they can better serve their customers, make sure they're keeping them, but let them know where they should spend their time, what types of products they should position as of today, so they can just delight the customers, grow the business, and retain it.” - Ron Shroyer
“I am very optimistic that the industry over the next five, seven years is going to get to that all-encompassing solution - Ron Shroyer
“The integrations that we're working with and the awesome companies that are out there to integrate with...integrations are first and foremost vital to us being able to scale and we're making tremendous progress right now.” - Ron Shroyer

Resources Mentioned:

The Sedlak Sessions 1

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Stephen Sedlak, the Vice President of Schmale Insurance Agency. Stephen talks about how he gets new business and how his experience with ADP helped prepare him for what he does now.

Episode Highlights:

Stephen shares his background. (3:17)
What is one thing Stephen still uses now that he would not have gotten if he hadn't been with the training? (5:23)
Stephen explains how using humor can help win an appointment. (7:23)
Stephen discusses why he prefers face-to-face interactions more than phone calls. (9:03)
Stephen mentions that cold calling is still one of the primary ways he gets new clients. (17:48)
What is Stephen's favorite icebreaker? (19:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One of my biggest drivers of how I still get new businesses is cold calling and it's been 10 years I've been in the game and cold calling or cold drops, however you want to look at it, is still a big part of how I do it.” - Stephen Sedlak
“If you're going to wait for everything to come to you, you'll go dead, you’ve got to go out and find it and bring it in.” - Stephen Sedlak
“You don't have to be a full on comedian, you just need a kind of icebreaker, to get them to talk with you and relate with you as a person not to somebody coming in there trying to sell them something.” Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Ask Questions Like a Lawyer

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Crystal Ware, Chief Risk Strategist at Empower Benefits & Insurance Group. Crystal discusses how she transitioned from being an attorney to becoming an insurance producer and how they are helping their clients by simplifying the insurance process.

Episode Highlights:

Crystal shares her background story. (2:29)
How does Crystal's background in risk management help her with what she's doing now? (5:03)
Crystal explains why people should let their clients talk in advance. (7:26)
Crystal mentions that she constantly reminds people that her law background has been a huge benefit to her, but that doesn't mean that others need a law background to do what they're doing. (10:24)
How did Crystal and her team establish and continue to grow the agency in an area where energy is likely the top revenue generator in Texas? (14:01)
Crystal emphasizes the need for ensuring that frequent OSHA reporting and safety precautions are followed. (19:11)
Crystal mentions that their team is always intertwined with all new prospects right out of the gate. (25:58)
Crystal mentions that people must be comfortable having conversations and sharing things that the client may not want to hear. (35:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We need our clients to talk to us in advance. Because sometimes they run into these weird, unusual contractual scenarios and without working with the right person with the technical expertise, and talking to them in advance, you're going to find yourself in a really challenging position.” - Crystal Ware
“I always tell people, my law background has been a huge advantage to me. But it does not mean you need a law background to do what we're doing.” - Crystal Ware
“We have to be comfortable having a conversation. Saying that thing that maybe the client doesn't want to hear…And I actually lead with that all the time.” - Crystal Ware

Resources Mentioned:

Changing the Future of the Commercial Game with Raghav Tanna

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Raghav Tanna, co-founder & CEO of Tarmika. Raghav discusses the importance of utilizing technology, and how Tarmika has built a system that allows agencies to quote commercial business more efficiently.

Episode Highlights:

Raghav shares his background. (2:55)
Raghav discusses Tarmika and how they differ from their competition. (5:25)
Raghav explains why they will never change the way they approach agencies. (12:09)
Raghav talks about why carriers don’t have API in the United States of America. (12:38)
Is there any significance to the name Tarmika? (19:33)
Raghav explains why individuals lose agency and what they can do to avoid it. (24:58)
Raghav says he's always keeping an eye on the expansion of equity firms, such as private equity firms because they're becoming heavily engaged in insurance right now. (30:58)
How would Raghav cover a pandemic? (35:54)
Raghav thinks that we are five years behind in terms of understanding what Cyber is and that it should be covered in terrorism coverage. (38:30)
Raghav believes that execution is lacking, not only in the insurance industry but across the board with most people. (46:06)

Tweetable Quotes:

“At our core, we're a commercialized writing platform. We've built functionality and uniqueness within our system that allows agencies to quote commercial business a little bit more efficiently and faster...we have agencies in the top 100, we have the five out of six largest aggregators in the country. So, we've really focused on making the lives of agencies easier.” - Raghav Tanna
“I was never going to change the way that we approached agencies because I understood agencies and I knew what they wanted at their core, and it wasn't to sell their business to someone else.” - Raghav Tanna
“I'm not the guy that tells people that they can't do something.” - Raghav Tanna

Resources Mentioned:

The Gurley Sessions 6

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 12:33:19 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They chat about why it's important to recognize the benefits of having a niche and how to develop one.

Episode Highlights:

Josh clarifies the difference between having a niche and having an ideal prospect. (2:36)
Josh recalls the first account they worked on and how they progressed from there. (8:10)
What advice does Josh have for those who are just starting out in a certain niche? (10:45)
Josh mentions that within the first two years of their agency's existence, it was voted affiliate member of the year. (11:04)
Josh says that trade shows were their number one way of getting new business up until COVID. (16:58)
Josh recounts one of Andrew's most memorable accomplishments from a few years ago. (21:35)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I've gotten more business off of just giving away free information to people than you could ever believe.” - Josh Gurley
“If you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time, you don't have to have your account managers do different things. It's not brand new, you're not having to figure out who the markets are.” - Josh Gurley
“If you take what we've done in the niche, and that's not all that we do, right? I mean, that's probably 30% to 40% of what we do. But if you take what has been done in the niche, and you take the business that has been written out of there, it’s well over a million dollars in five years.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

A Mi Manera with Guillermo Vera

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Guillermo Vera, Risk Advisor at The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management. Guillermo discusses how they approach potential clients, how they are functioning during COVID, and the importance of branding.

Episode Highlights:

Guillermo shares his background story. (6:00)
Guillermo explains how they are operating during COVID. (15:11)
Guillermo discusses their technique of making a personalized video for their prospects. (17:43)
On top of their daily workloads, Guillermo says his team aimed to complete 15 calls and 15 videos per day. (22:34)
What does the future hold for Guillermo and his team? Is the video strategy still going to be pursued? (29:09)
David shares his admiration for bunkeryourrisk.com's marketing and branding and encourages listeners to visit the website. (30:20)
Guillermo explains how he ensures that their approach is still effective and that the company continues to grow. (32:10)
Guillermo shares that they are still working to improve their video quality. (34:39)
One of the most important aspects of branding, according to Guillermo, is to be there in people's faces and to be out there all of the time. (35:41)
How much of Guillermo's previous experience with Med Devices has he been able to use in his current work? (38:43)
Guillermo discusses another triumph for his squad. (42:01)
David announced that he’ll be publishing his new book called “Dirty 130”. (44:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One of the more important things about brands, besides just looking good, is being present in people's faces and constantly being out there.” - Guillermo Vera
“Don't be scared to start, just tweak along the way you'll be fine.” - Guillermo Vera
“I think one of the most important things is to really surround yourself with people who are willing to answer the questions and don't just brush you off.” - Guillermo Vera

Resources Mentioned:

Killing Commercial in Chattanooga with Kyle Stephens

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kyle Stephens, Client Executive at RSS Insurance. Kyle talks about the lessons he has learned from his past experiences, which have brought him to where he is now in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle shares his background. (2:15)
What was Kyle responsible for at ADP? (5:18)
Kyle talks about how ADP helped him prepare for his experience in the insurance industry. (9:46)
Kyle mentions that investing a lot of time made him the President of his group. (15:24)
What's the difference between Kyle's productivity presently compared to when he was still with ADP? (27:05)
Kyle discusses his current agency and how it operates. (31:14)
What has surprised Kyle the most since joining the insurance industry? (34:18)
What has been the most rewarding experience for Kyle? (36:15)
How does Kyle inform a client about a discrepancy with business income? (37:56)
Kyle discusses the conference about human services that he'll be attending in October. (58:04)

Tweetable Quotes:

“One of my goals for today was if I meet with a client, I need a 24 hour turnaround time of getting either the prospect information to our team, or if it’s changed or whatever it may be, so I can just get it out of my mind.” - Kyle Stephens
“If I don't know the steps, or if I don't look at it, if it seems tough, I'm gonna get on Facebook, or I'm gonna go research something instead of submitting this or doing this... So it's more of just getting into it, doing something.” - Kyle Stephens
“For me, that's just been the focus, getting things done and time management, because at the end of the day, if you don't have enough time, you're not going to be able to do anything.” - Kyle Stephens

Resources Mentioned:

The Gurley Sessions 5

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss how to drive wedges and how to get along symbiotically with payroll companies.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions that payroll companies are a huge source of income in their agency. (1:45)
Kyle shares what he sees on policies that are done through payroll companies. (3:34)
Josh shares that he thinks payroll companies don’t pay attention to credit because they’re not in the business of workers’ compensation. (11:04)
David mentions that how you work with payroll companies is important because they can be a very good referral source. (19:05)
David explains why payroll companies are not competing for workers’ comp (20:48)
Kyle shares that there have been a number of times in the past where he worked with payroll reps that referred a decent amount of business. (22:45)
Josh shares that they hired a VA at their office for personal lines, and how it is working out. (27:22)
David mentions that there will be a big announcement in the next episode. (29:27)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The thing is, every carrier, they have that one special tier, that secret thing that they don't tell anybody about, that they pull out every now and again...and so whenever they tell you, ‘hey, we're at our best deal’, usually, they have that kind of one extra gear that they can put the account into” - Josh Gurley
“We have a responsibility to our clients, that is undeniable. But we also have a responsibility to our carriers. I mean, we're responsible for bringing them good risk, we're responsible for hitting our loss ratios with them, and also our production goals.” - David Carothers
“If you have a clean account, and they have 0% credit, and the carriers file for 40%, then the question is why are you not getting any credit? And you could be getting up to 40%. But I think a lot of times, that's what you get with the payroll companies is they don't know” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Flood Insurance 2.0 with Chris Greene

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chris Greene, President of The Flood Insurance Guru, an agency that provides flood education and insurance nationwide. Chris discusses how the private insurance industry has evolved, his biggest challenges, and what the future holds.

Episode Highlights:

Chris details his busy schedule over the next few weeks. (2:19)
Chris discusses what’s currently affecting the flood insurance market. (5:50)
What’s something that agents give Chris pushback on? (12:10)
Chris mentions a blog and podcast he just released about hurricane relief. (13:58)
What’s a feature of Hubspot that Chris really loves? (17:47)
Chris discusses how new app roll outs will help him track who’s engaging with his content. (19:45)
How has the private flood market evolved over the last couple of years? (22:15)
What are some enhancements private flood offers that FEMA doesn’t? (23:09)
Chris explains what a flood risk score is, and why it’s important. (25:15)
Chris chats about an acquisition he just completed. (28:28)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Flood zones are no longer really going to determine flood routes, they're only going to determine the requirements. You're going to have the cost to rebuild, frequency of flooding, type of flooding, distance to water...These types of things are all going to impact rates.” - Chris Greene
“You can either take famous data, or you can take an elevation certificate. Well, if it's me, I'm taking the elevation certificate all day long, because at the end of the day, someone actually put their eyes on that property.” - Chris Greene
“Most private companies do have a waiting period that ranges between seven days and 15 days, while FEMA still has that 30 day wait period and they're not changing that.” - Chris Greene

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Making Music in the Middle Market with Josh Gurley

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers, and co-host Kyle Houck interview Josh Gurley, the vice president of Hunt-Miller Insurance Agency Inc. Josh talks about the importance of transparency, education, behaviors, and good relationships. Josh also shares how specific behaviors can lead to success.

Episode Highlights:

Where did Josh come from, and how did he get where he’s at now? (2:13)
Josh shares that he has a degree in risk management and insurance. (5:42)
Josh shares how he got into the insurance industry. (5:54)
When Josh started in the industry, his total first-year production was $18,000 in revenue. (16:37)
Josh tells more about how his first-year in the insurance industry was. (18:12)
Josh shares the reason why he lost his insurance industry before. (20:25)
Josh talks about how he became a marketing representative. (25:05)
Josh shares that he has a good relationship with his previous company. (29:51)
What are the changes that Josh did to turn things around? (32:39)
What Josh mostly sees are people that are not good in renewal processes. (35:16)
Josh says that one of the first accounts he called was a bank publicly traded on the NASDAQ. (36:42)
Josh shares one of the biggest success stories of his career. (45:27)
Josh thinks that the biggest mistake that people make is they think that it’s their job to quote people’s insurance. (46:47)
Josh talks about how technology helped them win large accounts just by sending out straight content marketing. (51:29)
Josh explains how they get prospects. (51:48)
Josh uses the word introduction instead of referral in his daily business. (53:29)
Josh shares that they’ve gotten all of their content from soundwave. (1:01:25)
Josh shares his selection process of qualifying people. (1:04:43)

3 Key Points:

Josh just adopted some practices that were different from others. For him, education is important. He never had any issues being a good insurance technician or anything like that.
Josh is passionate about the insurance business, and he thinks it’s the best business that anyone could get themselves into.
Josh believes that there are sets of behaviors that make people become successful.

Tweetable Quotes:

“I believe that the only reason that people get out of the insurance business is that they don’t sell enough insurance”
“You have to respect yourself, you have to respect what you do. You have to understand that what you do brings value to people’s organizations.”
“I think that that transparency is something that is missing a lot in our world.”

Resources Mentioned:

The Gurley Sessions 4

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss the five-tool player to utilize in the market space.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions why some people hate the audit. (3:37)
David explains why he attends every single audit of his clients. (4:11)
Josh shares why the audit is one of the best wedges out there. (5:54)
David mentions that he wrote an e-book on how to prepare for an audit. (7:47)
Josh gives a one-liner about setting up property insurance. (9:45)
Josh mentions one of the things they talk about when somebody has a blanket property policy. (10:07)
Josh shares one of the things he learned early on in his career that has been significant. (12:11)
Josh mentions the specific question to ask when talking about property. (16:25)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are so many different things that you can help with at the time of the audit. I don't think that marketing automation drip for the “bee's knees” and “end all be all” but it is certainly their support for the ground troops.” - Josh Gurley
“You're going through a minefield and if you step on a mine which is a claim, do you want the insurance company to show up with a pen and a check, or do you want them to show up with a forensic accountant? That's really the crux of the issue when it comes to property insurance.” - Josh Gurley
“I think with property you can really just drive that wedge by saying, what would you expect to happen versus what is actually going to happen.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming The Protégé with Jason Webb

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast: The Protege, David Carothers interviews Jason Webb, Owner of Minnesota Risk Partners & Host of Minnesota Made Podcast. Jason talks about his experience from the competition and the feedback from his mentors.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares his thoughts about Protege. (2:34)
Josh and Bradley explain why they picked Jason to be part of their team. (3:51)
What were Jason’s thoughts on the first challenge? (7:11)
Jason shares how he felt about the branding challenge. (8:27)
Jason mentions the pandemic compliance review that he’s offering. (9:28)
What has been Jason’s favorite part of the experience? (11:29)
Josh shares the three yeses that people have to get. (12:40)
Jason shares his podcast, called, Minnesota Made Podcast. (25:17)

Key Quotes:

“When I saw the mention of the Protege, I'm like, well, this sounds exactly like what I should do. And, it helped me motivate myself to get off my butt and actually start executing some things.” - Jason Webb
“By blacking out the premium or withholding this information, you're taking my negotiating power with the underwriter away. What's going to happen is she or he is not going to work as hard on the account, because we're batting blind. You're effectively accomplishing the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish.” - Jason Webb
“The name Minnesota Made podcast, it's focusing on highlighting our interviews with local business leaders in the community...Anybody in Minnesota, athletes, anybody that's done something significant that people want to hear about. I give them the chance to tell their story.” - Jason Webb

Resources Mentioned:

The Industry is Under Siege with Rachel Robison

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rachel Robison, MBA, Chief Executive Officer at Siege Technology Solutions, Inc. Rachel talks about how their product can make a difference in an agency and why they chose Zoho.

Episode Highlights:

Rachel shares her background. (3:52)
Rachel shares some of the biggest challenges with the current tech stack. (4:48)
Rachel mentions the solution they were looking for. (10:38)
Rachel shares a lot of what agents have fallen into when it comes to technology. (18:08)
What are the features that Rachel is most excited about? (19:42)
Rachel mentions why they worked hard on making their certificates better. (20:43)
Rachel explains why they chose Zoho. (21:36)
Rachel shares a couple bits of information about their product. (27:49)
Rachel gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (30:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think agencies are realizing they need a true CRM system to run their business in today's digital age. These new systems are coming out being built on top of the CRM systems.” - Rachel Robison
“When you've got an old system that you're trying to build on top of, you can sort of make a Ferrari body on an old Chevy motor but it's still gonna run like a Chevy.” - Rachel Robison
“Trying to find your voice and find a way out there so people know you exist is a good way for them to know what options are available to them. Lots of people don't even know what's available to them. They say it's like a light bulb when they see it.” - Rachel Robison

Resources Mentioned:

The Gurley Sessions 3

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss what a wedge is all about and how you frame it.

Episode Highlights:

David shares one of the wedges that he always looks for about worker's comp. (5:38)
David shares one of the things he wants to make sure that they cover as they bring up different wedges that they can utilize at the point of sale. (8:42)
Josh shares his thoughts on worker's comp in Florida. (9:11)
Josh explains the difference between a net reporting of claims and a gross reporting of claims. (11:19)
David shares why you need to communicate at a sixth-grade level when talking to your prospect and clients. (15:57)
How does Josh frame his wedges? (16:44)
Josh mentions one of the things they work on with their clients. (17:18)
Kyle mentions one of the programs they utilize that’s a bit in line with the workers’ comp. (20:42)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's all about formulating a plan around the rules that are available. So, when you have a lot of states that have the experience writing, there's a ton of stuff out there” - Josh Gurley
“You can run a report and see what your mod would have been, had those deductibles been applied. A lot of times it can make a significant impact on somebody’s premium.” - Josh Gurley
“Doing your job is kind of like getting married. Once you ask somebody to get married to you, you should already know the answer before you're going to ask. The way that I like to frame it is just when I see that I've already run it through the software.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming The Protégé with Ryan Keating

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast: The Protege, David Carothers interviews Ryan Keating, CIC, Vice President of Keating Agency Insurance. They’re joined by Protege coaches Ryan Hanley and Ricky Hayter to discuss Ryan Keating’s journey in joining the reality show, and why coaches Ryan Hanley and Ricky Hater chose him.

Episode Highlights:

What was Ryan Keating’s initial reaction when he saw that they were going to have a reality show for insurance production? (3:37)
Ryan Keating shares why he wanted to be part of Killing Commercial. (4:35)
Ryan Keating shares why the value proposition was the hardest piece to put together. (6:58)
Ricky Hater explains why he picked Ryan Keating. (8:12)
Ryan Hanley explains what stood out for him about Ryan Keating. (8:52)
What's the biggest surprise that Ryan Keating experienced, going through the competition? (19:34)
What has been Ryan Keating’s biggest takeaway from the show? (29:35)

Key Quotes:

“In the branding (challenge), I kind of thought I was going to bring up the whole challenge sheet I put together, but it worked well... And, then, getting COVID obviously wasn't fun, in the middle of it... but, the timing worked out well for that.” - Ryan Keating
“So, I picked Keating first, because in the very beginning...and, I don't remember what the posts were...But, he was posting and he was getting a big following about it. At the time, with that following, we thought he was an asset.” - Ricky Hayter
“I'd say part of why I also wanted to get involved with this is... the younger generation of where insurance is going. Iowa is definitely a great place to see the sharing side of things.” - Ryan Keating

Resources Mentioned:

Dominating the Commercial Game with Lorin Montgomery

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Lorin Montgomery, Vice President at Corporate Insurance Advisors, LLC. Lorin talks about her journey to moving from the company side to the brokerage side.

Episode Highlights:

Lorin shares her background. (2:26)
Lorin shares a story of how she moved from the company side to the brokerage side. (3:29)
Lorin mentions one of the reasons why she wanted to move from the company side to the brokerage side. (13:10)
Lorin shares what she’s currently doing at Corporate Insurance Advisors, LLC. (17:46)
Lorin explains why producers tend to be expedient. (20:26)
Lorin shares her experience with writing contractors. (28:51)
Lorin mentions that she’s the Director for the National Association of Women In Construction. (34:57)
Lorin gives a piece of advice to new producers. (45:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The workings of retros, large deductibles, lost development, and triangulation gave me a really solid background or backbone for doing what I do now.” - Lorin Montgomery
“You'd be stupid not to acknowledge the fact that you're a woman in a man's occupation, but I just never let it bother me. I just did my thing. I told people what I knew. I helped them understand their insurances and I was very, very successful on the company side. Then, on the brokerage side I did the same thing but I did a lot more networking.” - Lorin Montgomery
“Work hard, work smart and get a really good center of influence where people respect and appreciate what you do.” - Lorin Montgomery

Resources Mentioned:

The Gurley Sessions 2

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss what are one-liners that producers utilize and the main action that PEOS does.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions one of the best things that happened to him through the pandemic. (3:26)
Josh shares his favorite one-liner. (4:16)
Josh shares one of David’s favorite one-liners of his. (4:55)
David shares the type of one-liners he likes to use. (5:34)
Josh shares a story from one of the largest accounts in their agency. (16:46)
David mentions the number one thing that PEOS does. (20:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think everybody's got to have a good one-liner and you have to be able and willing to share it with people. People like to joke around that you don't have to be all business and serious all the time. It's good to break stuff up with a laugh.” - Josh Gurley
“One of my favorite things to say to people is, that sounds like the quote, hope and hope method to me. They go out and get a quote. They ask you if they can give you a quote and they hope that their quote is cheaper. I hope they get the business and I hope to god that the other guy did it right because all they're doing is copying and pasting what the other person did.” - Josh Gurley
“If you change this product in any way, then we need to know that you have insurance. We want to be additionally insured on your policy because we want to put some space between whatever the event happens in us.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming The Protégé with Justin Sloan

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast The Protege, David Carothers interviews Justin Sloan, Owner of BSP Insurance. Justin talks about his approach in the insurance industry and why he wants to be part of the Killing Commercial.

Episode Highlights:

Justin shares his background. (2:48)
Who was Justin using to write his cyber with? (4:35)
Justin mentions why people hate real estate flippers. (6:31)
Justin chats about the framework and systems he has in place. (8:48)
What has been the most challenging experience in Justin’s career? (11:20)
Justin shares why he wants to be part of Killing Commercial. (16:09)
Justin gives a message to the listeners. (25:12)
Justin mentions the biggest takeaway from what David said to him. (29:44)

Key Quotes:

“I really wanted to challenge myself with this and take it to the finish line, and put my best effort in because at the end of the day, you can't learn at all unless you become uncomfortable.” - Justin Sloan
“When I saw you put the competition out there, I knew I wanted to be a part of it because it kind of held me accountable, and I love accountability.” - Justin Sloan
“The fact that I even had that opportunity was only because of this program. That was something that I would have just walked away from, it looked a little complicated. The class of business was a little tricky. But, the fact that I was able to compete on that shows that this program is working.” - Justin Sloan

Resources Mentioned:

Get Savvy with Savvital

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Monica Adwani, CPIA, and Sarah Thompson of Savvital. Monica and Sarah talk about the types of virtual professionals they bring to the table and what Savvital is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Why do Monica and Sarah think that the VA space is already crowded? (7:14)
Monica explains why they call the VA’s virtual professionals. (10:04)
Monica mentions the type of skill sets that their virtual professionals have to offer. (14:12)
Monica shares what you need to have for you and your agency to grow. (18:29)
Sarah shares some of the technologies that their virtual professionals utilize. (21:31)
What have been the biggest challenges for Sarah and Monica? (26:42)
Monica mentions one of the biggest mistakes that some of their competitors don’t do. (34:37)
Sarah explains what Savvital is all about. (42:51)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We are bringing professionals to the table. It’s not just another person that you can replace. If tomorrow they're gone, they're gone. We want to make sure that they are embedded into your culture 100% all the time and be a virtual professional for your business for a long time.” - Monica Adwani
“When you have a virtual professional working for you, it's very similar to having a live employee in your office.” - Sarah Thompson
“The vital piece comes from the shortage of people we're having in our industry. I think for any insurance company out there to pivot in the next 15 years, these are going to be a vital piece of that growth.” - Monica Adwani

Resources Mentioned:

The Gurley Sessions 1

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, host David Carothers is joined by Josh Gurley. They discuss commercial insurance sales and the biggest mistakes that people make in their business.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions the main mistake that most producers make. (2:45)
Josh shares why getting your competition fired is the most significant action that most producers fail to do. (3:29)
David mentions how he prepares for a new business meeting. (12:42)
Josh shares that if the producer talks more than the client, the producer will fail. (16:06)
Josh mentions what he would tell his clients when having a conversation with them. (16:44)
David shares why a relationship builds over time and a relationship is not built to get the business. (18:01)
David explains the reason why some people don’t confidently and immediately discuss their own company. (23:44)
Josh shares what he does to get the competition fired. (25:17)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We spend so much of our time trying to get hired. We talk about all the benefits and how great we are. We fail to do what I think is the very most important thing which is getting your competition fired.” - Josh Gurley
“I want a company that's looking to grow. Not want to hang here for a few years, and then maybe we'll push the needle. No, I want people who push the needle every day because I push the needle every day.” - David Carothers
“Don't ever present to anybody that can't make the decision. Nobody can present better than you can. If you're not talking to the gatekeeper and the gatekeepers get all the information, then you go present it to the gatekeeper and you don't get the deal, don't be surprised.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming The Protégé with Derek Hayden

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:48:18 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast: The Protege, David Carothers interviews Derek Hayden, CIC, Benefits and Risk Consultant at Dansig Insurance Risk Advisors. Derek talks about how he used the advantage of being in a small town as his leverage in the competition and how he was able to get through the challenges.

Episode Highlights:

Derek shares his background. (3:41)
Derek mentions the reason why he joined the Protege. (3:57)
Derek shares what his reaction was when he heard about the Protege. (7:24)
When did Derek realize that being a small town was not the issue that others have perceived it to be? (9:46)
Derek shares what he does when he’s outside of Shelbyville and when he’s outside the county. (14:12)
What's the biggest thing that surprised Derek about the Protege? (22:51)
Derek shares why he adjusted how he approached the challenges. (23:23)
Derek gives his takeaway from joining the Protege. (28:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The basics of why I got into the protege is I'm at a point in my career where I know I've got what it takes but I wanted to take it to the next level.” - Derek Hayden
“I knew that getting into the door of those accounts, I was gonna have to do something different. Get outside of my comfort zone to win some of those accounts.” - Derek Hayden
“I changed my focus right before I started the protege. I was changing my focus from quoting as much as I could, to being laser-focused on that middle-market account.” - Derek Hayden

Resources Mentioned:

Staying Indie with Chad Eddy

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Chad Eddy, CEO of Indium. Chad talks about his career at Indium and what they’re looking for in a partnership.

Episode Highlights:

Chad shares his career background and what Indium is all about. (3:23)
Chad mentions the purpose of being part of the Insurance Alliance Network. (8:10)
Chad explains what they’re looking for in an agency partner. (10:09)
Chad shares what they’re looking for in a partnership. (20:18)
What were some of the challenges that Chad faced from making changes in the company? (27:46)
Chad shares some of the technologies they have at Indium. (34:09)
Chad shares some of the training resources that they’re doing. (37:12)
Chad gives a piece of advice to the listeners. (50:32)

Tweetable Quotes:

“As the leader of Indium, we've had a chance to kind of reinvent what we do internally. We’ve invested in new technology, brought on new people and built a brand new culture. We really focused on service and our agents and doing the right thing every day.” - Chad Eddy
“Everybody needs a little bit of a different mix of what we can bring to bear and that changes over time too. We know today may be a no, but tomorrow is a yes. We want to make sure we're there for them for the long haul on their journey as much as ours.” - Chad Eddy
“We want agents to stand on their own two feet from a profitability standpoint. If we treat all of our agents that way and work with them that way, we're going to grow profitably as a network tenfold. That's what our carriers expect of us.” - Chad Eddy

Resources Mentioned:

Post COVID Marketing Drops

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss the three things that you need to have when doing marketing drops and why there has been more cyber exposure nowadays.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions why he’s anxious about some of the things that they were doing that are different. (2:50)
Kyle shares a story about researching on the front end for several companies that he was going to drop on. (3:27)
David gives the three things that have to happen in the actual collateral. (4:19)
Kyle shares why there has been more cyber exposure for companies. (5:49)
David mentions one of the things he knew after 20 years of working in the industry. (7:51)
David gives a couple of facts about utilizing Guard on the workers’ comp. (11:08)
Kyle mentions what he was doing before the pandemic happened. (16:06)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I don't care if the person's there or not, that's not why I'm doing the drop. If they're there and I can talk to them, that's a bonus. I'm just trying to get the correct info and introduce myself.” - Kyle Houck
“I think that if you have those three things in there, you have three talking points. We talked about the gatekeeper deal just to keep the conversation going. You have three talking points and I think there's a pretty good chance that you can get to the right person. - David Carothers
“I think at the end of the day, all we need to worry about is what we're doing for these drops. Educate yourself. Go in there with questions prepared and you're gonna ultimately be successful.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Becoming The Protégé with Brady Neal

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast: The Protege, David Carothers interviews Brady Neal, President of CORROSOURCE. Brady talks about how he built his career in the insurance industry and the reason why he wanted to join Killing Commercial.

Episode Highlights:

Brady shares his background. (2:19)
Brady gives us some highlights on his career in law enforcement. (3:46)
Brady shares the lessons he’s learned in his career. (4:59)
Brady shares an unforgettable moment, being an investigator. (6:57)
Brady explains why he wanted to join Killing Commercial. (13:59)
Brady shares how law enforcement helped grow his confidence. (21:28)
What has been the biggest surprise for Brady through this process? (23:30)
Brady shares his biggest takeaway at this moment. (24:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You are who you are, and don't try to hide anything about who you are. Just tell your story, be authentic. I think that's gonna make you better in the end versus trying to create a story.” - Brady Neal
“What's caught me off guard is, I need to develop that relationship with the underwriter almost bigger than the relationship I have with a potential prospect.” - Brady Neal
“I needed that accountability to drive me and it has produced this accountability in me to take steps that I know I never would have taken unless I was challenged to do that.” - Brady Neal

Resources Mentioned:

You Gotta Sweat Every Day with Scott Howell

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Scott Howell, CLCS, Agency Owner of iProtect Insurance & Financial Services, and Co-Host of The Insurance Guys Podcast. Scott announces the big news he has for the listeners and talks about his approach in the insurance industry.

Episode Highlights:

Scott mentions the breaking news he has for the listeners. (3:31)
Scott mentions the first thing he did when the VP of sales for the southeastern region had his assistant send him a letter. (12:48)
Scott shares what he used to tell Bradley when he first opened his independent agency. (14:18)
Scott shares what David said to him when he came on today’s podcast. (26:57)
Scott mentions one of the endearing things why people often listen to his podcast. (29:50)
What did Scott use to do before? (30:22)
Scott shares what's been the most rewarding thing for him. (37:01)
Scott mentions the only area that he excelled in since he was 16 years old. (49:36)
Scott gives a piece of advice to anybody that's in the insurance industry and a member of the Killing Commercial. (54:39)

Tweetable Quotes:

“It's been good, I've enjoyed it in a lot of ways. It was a lot more work than I anticipated and I don't think I would have gotten through it without having the people, my staff, and the team members that I have. It has been an up at dawn pride, swallowing siege every day.” - Scott Howell
“I'm very proud of the decisions and the people that we've hired and the direction of the agency. I think overall, I would say that's probably my proudest thing from last year.” - Scott Howell
“I feel so much better about myself on the drive home if in my mind. I know I did one thing today because if you do that every day for the whole year, you're gonna be a lot better at the end of the year than you were at the beginning.” - Scott Howell

Resources Mentioned:

Breaking Down the Gatekeeper

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss why a gatekeeper is one of the most significant people and why being indifferent is key.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle shares why it’s significant to quickly relate to a gatekeeper. (5:27)
Kyle mentions the crucial factors about gatekeepers. (5:50)
David mentions one thing he’s done in the past to a gatekeeper. (7:23)
Kyle explains why being indifferent is key. (10:16)
David shares a story about a man who works at Xeno Office Solution. (15:14)
David explains what is mirroring. (18:12)
David mentions why producers should record their calls. (24:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“A lot of times when we're doing the jobs, we're trying to get that information from the gatekeeper. We've got to win them over and get them to like us in order to get that information.” - Kyle Houck
“You've got to be indifferent when you're having these conversations, especially when you're trying to get the information from the gatekeeper in regards to who you're supposed to speak with. - Kyle Houck
“I know it's true that the longer you can keep the conversation going, the better the chances you have of getting what you want done.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

The Trailer to an Epic Story with Josh Gurley

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Josh Gurley, CIC, CWCA, Vice President of Commercial Insurance at Hunt-Miller Insurance Agency Inc. Josh discusses what the BOR is all about and why the insurance industry is a great business.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions that the BOR is one of the highest forms of flattery that you can get into business. (12:41)
Josh shares how he explains what a BOR is to someone. (13:43)
Josh mentions one of the things he did to prepare for this podcast. (16:03)
Josh shares a story about a man’s insurance work comp that was renewed three months ago. (16:15)
Josh mentions why the BOR has been helpful for people to reach their conclusion. (25:43)
Josh shares what he says to people when he talks about a great amount of property insurance. (42:12)
Josh explains why the insurance industry is a great business. (55:48)
Josh gives pieces of advice to the listeners. (1:05:47)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think when you do that and lay out those reasons to have people fired, It's just a form of flattery. I think it's something that I have used throughout my career with great success.” - Josh Gurley
“I think just being that transparent person in saying these kinds of things to people and just cleaning up some things are really easy. Using the rules that are available to me like the tax code, it just makes it easier.” - Josh Gurley
“If there's a brand new person that listens to this podcast and you want to go produce a million dollars in revenue, then I would tell you the formula is pretty easy. There's a lot of ancillary and infrastructure stuff that as your agency grows you have to deal with. At the end of the day, it's just about talking to people and sharing your story with them and being a helpful person.” - Josh Gurley

Resources Mentioned:

The Master of Mods with Todd Thams

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Todd Thams, Founder of Mod Advisor, Direct Work Comp, and President of Thams Agency. Todd talks about how the Mod Advisor was born and gives a couple of advice to those who are new to Mod Advisor.

Episode Highlights:

Todd mentions how he came up with the idea to create the Mod Advisor. (5:42)
Todd mentions one of his biggest frustrations from building Mod Advisor. (14:33)
What are some tips and tricks that Todd would like to give to those who are new to the Mod Advisor? (26:53)
Todd mentions the demo he recorded when he first started Mod Advisor. (33:32)
Todd shares the slip and fall workbook they built. (37:03)
Todd shares why insurance shouldn't be this hard for the majority of businesses out there. (48:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“ When somebody tells you you can't do something or it's not possible, I'm going to prove you wrong. Number one, I'm going to show you what can be done and I'm going to show you how I can do it.” - Todd Thams
“The best way to get better is when you compete with somebody who you perceive to be your equal. Then you went against them because you really had to sharpen your pencil and bring out all your tools to win against a formidable opponent.” - Todd Thams
“I think we need to change the dynamic of work comp a little bit anyway and not make it a four-letter word but, actually make it a positive experience. If we can actually help agents, help businesses, help their employees reduce claims, and provide a better experience in that process, I think it's a win for the entire industry.” - Todd Thams

Resources Mentioned:

Telemarketing Tweaks

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss something that everybody should do when things get a little stereotyped and that is telemarketing tweaks.

Episode Highlights:

Kyle mentions his takeaways from listening to Marvin’s calls. (4:48)
Kyle shares the first piece of feedback. (6:53)
Kyle mentions one of the things he learned in one of his first sales jobs when he was doing the office supplies. (8:02)
Kyle shares why he would always use perfect or great whenever he would get an objection. (9:02)
Kyle mentions what he thinks a lot of people don't do in overcoming the objection part. (11:31)
Kyle explains why he wanted Marvin to utilize the feel, felt, found. (13:44)
Kyle mentions that the next step is to get Marvin qualifying businesses. (15:22)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The fact of the matter is that every once in a while you have to reinvent yourself a little bit to get back on track. I'd ask you to reach out to them and talk to them, give them a little framework to operate out of.” - David Carothers
“I think that if we make a few tweaks here and there that we can get better, you're doing something right. You're setting appointments, but we want to make sure they're the right appointments. We want to make sure that we can up that amount or volume that you're making more effectively.” - Kyle Houck
“The first thing that you need to do is whenever they give you an objection, say a power word. Something that's going to basically start you off on your rebuttal, but it’s not like a doubt word.” - Kyle Houck

Resources Mentioned:

Suits for Soldiers with Rob Bowen

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rob Bowen Jr., Founder, and CEO of Patriotic Insurance Group. Rob talks about his transition from being in the military to the insurance industry and how the Suits for Soldiers program began.

Episode Highlights:

Rob mentions why you can’t build a niche in the captive world. (8:13)
Rob shares the huge advantage they have as an independent. (8:47)
Was Rob’s excess surplus due to the market up in their area? (14:54)
Rob explains what a scaffolding law is. (15:20)
Rob shares the biggest challenge he has experienced going into the independent channel. (22:02)
Rob mentions the most rewarding thing he experienced. (25:11)
Rob explains how his transition went from being in the military to being in the insurance industry. (31:38)
Rob shares how the Suits for Soldiers program started. (43:05)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I had a pretty good-sized book of excess surplus commercial business. We went independent in November and it had been rolling ever since trying to figure out this whole independent side. I've been talking to everyone I can and having people guide me through it but, it's been interesting. I love what I do and I think this industry has a lot of potential.” - Rob Bowen Jr.
“Every day is an adventure, you never know what's gonna happen every day. We're a pretty small agency and right now I'm still the head cook and chief bottle washer. The goal is to pull out of that as quickly as possible and have my team run it.” - Rob Bowen Jr.
“Veterans are coachable, trainable, they all went through boot camp. They might not have the exact skill set the civilian world is looking for but I'll hire a veteran any day because I know I can train him or her. Honestly, in today's world, they also know how to show up on time, that’s a hard thing for a lot of people.” - Rob Bowen Jr.

Resources Mentioned:

This One Time at Brand Camp with Jason Verlinde

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jason Verlinde, President of Verlinde Insurance Agency. Jason talks about his approach in the insurance industry and his take on social media marketing.

Episode Highlights:

Jason shares how he got into the insurance industry. (5:00)
Jason mentions how his career progressed after working at a power conditioning equipment manufacturer. (6:36)
Jason shares why training of account managers is a difficult task for smaller agencies. (18:03)
Jason explains how his career transitioned into the insurance world. (22:36)
How did Jason end up working with his father? (23:20)
Jason mentions the main reason he looks up to his father. (24:05)
Jason discusses regional carriers versus national carriers. (26:41)
Jason gives his take on social media marketing. (35:06)
Jason shares a story about the person he met at Brand Camp. (41:08)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you’re trying to build that relationship and give them those value-added services upfront and say, ‘Okay, sign here.’ Well, we're not really doing that, because, for the most part, we’re starting with the markets that we have.” - Jason Verlinde
“Auto owners, the trips are great. We love the company we've been. We can track our history with auto owners all the way back to the 30’s through several different ownership situations here at the office.” - Jason Verlinde
“What I've started to do is try to take 10-15 minutes to scroll through that every day, and comment on things as the business. So, especially if you have one that has a lot of activity with other people commenting, you can get in there and you know, local people that see.” - Jason Verlinde

Resources Mentioned:

The Worst Questions to Ask

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck discuss what are some of the worst questions that producers ask at the point of sale.

Episode Highlights:

David mentions one of the absolute worst things that any salesperson can do. (1:55)
David shares a story about a lady who loves to take meetings just to take meetings. (4:40)
Kyle mentions that asking what keeps them up at night about their business is a good question. (6:44)
Kyle mentions why some people go in with the wrong mentality and wrong mindset. (10:13)
David gives us another worst question which is, what's your premium? (11:06)
David shares a story about a large national brokerage house. (17:06)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you just walk in there and ask for the pain points so you can sell them something, that's lame and weak.” - Kyle Houck
“When you're asking the questions such as, what are the things that keep you awake at night, you're listening to be able to give them a solution to that problem as opposed to selling them the product.” - David Carothers
“If there are deficiencies, it's just another wedge that I can drive. The wedge that I drove was the fact that I don't need to do business the way that everybody always does business.” - David Carothers

Resources Mentioned:

Prepping Producers for Positive Experiences with David Watson

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview David Watson, Partner & Director of Sales at Mappus Insurance Agency, Inc. David talks about his idea of the risk advisor process and how it became a game-changer for their agency.

Episode Highlights:

David gives a short background of Mappus Insurance Agency. (3:49)
David shares how he transitioned from being in a captive world. (5:13)
David shares his career at Mappus Insurance Agency. (11:50)
David explains where his idea of risk advisor came from. (18:17)
David shares how it's been since the risk advisor process started. (21:09)
David mentions the changes that happened when they applied the process. (23:58)
What has been the biggest challenge for David going through that process? (25:27)
David shares the type of agency he’s looking for. (37:58)
David explains the PDFs they were working on. (49:49)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We were ahead of the curve from day one. There was still so much room for improvement to really make that process so much more streamlined.” - David Watson
“This has changed the game for us and changed the game for myself. Maybe this is something that can change the game for independent agencies everywhere.” - David Watson
“I have a long Trello board of ideas that are gonna be great things for agencies and users. We need to focus on those core products to get started with, and then go from there.” - David Watson

Resources Mentioned:

Whacking Employers' Healthcare Costs with Highlight Health

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Colin Kassekert and Josh Spivak, of Solvo Health. Josh and Colin talk about their expertise in the health insurance industry and what Highlight Health is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions the Highlight Health product they created. (3:19)
Josh shares the problem with the health insurance industry. (10:24)
Josh explains what Highlight Health is all about. (13:26)
Josh mentions the type of coverage they have in Solvo Health. (19:01)
Colin shares his role in the company. (23:09)
Colin mentions the main factor that he wants to focus on. (24:50)
Colin shares the challenges they have on the PNC side. (29:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When we insert ourselves in with a broker partner and we insert ourselves in with an employer, we look for where we want to solve a problem. That's how great businesses are created.” - Josh Spivak
“I think that if you actually put the right packages in place, then you'll be able to attract and retain employees.” - Colin Kassekert
“When you look at the context of our platform, it's not for everybody. There's a lot of money to be made for everybody on this side of the table and there's a lot of value to be given for folks on the other side.” - Josh Spivak

Resources Mentioned:

CRM 6

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They discuss how to utilize your CRM for service functions in the agency.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre mentions that HubSpot comes with a generic CRM. (1:40)
David Carothers mentions what he likes about the way the service piece is done. (3:12)
David Lefevre shares some of the ways to utilize CRM from a service aspect. (6:51)
David Lefevre mentions why it’s significant to have a certificate of insurance. (7:32)
David Lefevre shares how to utilize chatbots. (9:30)

Tweetable Quotes:

“We want to drive client experience. We want people to realize that we do business differently.” - David Carothers
“You just got to think it through completely before you make that switch. If you think it through and it makes sense to do it, act on the endeavor to persevere and make it happen.” - David Lefevre
“I'm more than willing to spend a few minutes just throwing out ideas and sharing what I think might be a good route to go.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Doing Things the "New" Way in Buffalo with Doug Benz

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Doug Benz, President of New Buffalo Insurance Agency, Inc. Doug talks about his journey in the business after joining Killing Commercial and the processes he has developed for the agency.

Episode Highlights:

Doug shares his background. (5:54)
Doug shares his success story of joining Killing Commercial. (11:48)
What’s the number one exposure businesses are facing right now? (16:40)
Doug mentions the factors involved if you want to charge a higher premium. (20:55)
What does Doug attribute his success and growth to? (29:02)
What's something that Doug has been frustrated by in the process? (29:47)
Doug shares that his wife is also working in the agency. (34:43)
Doug explains why learning how to deal with people plays a significant role in their industry. (43:20)
Doug mentions what he would love to see in the agency. (45:51)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Talking about the total cost of risk and doing mod analysis, and claims analysis, and other things just bring so much value to the client. That's been the coolest thing of this whole thing is that I feel like we've transformed in the service we provide, because we're doing so much for the client than maybe we were before.” - Doug Benz
“There is so much that can be done and there's so much technology now that we're all using, we can kind of share and bring that value to our clients. So, there's never been a better time to really help people out and offer that value-add.” - Doug Benz
“We're succeeding. We're growing our business and we're doing really well. But, it's not just a trick to sell more. It's a value-add that you're bringing to the client in a way that very few other people are doing, and it's what the client deserves.” - Doug Benz

Resources Mentioned:

Whacking Employers' Healthcare Costs with Highlight Health

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Highlights:

Josh mentions the Highlight Health product they created. (3:19)
Josh shares the problem with the health insurance industry. (10:24)
Josh explains what Highlight Health is all about. (13:26)
Josh mentions the type of coverage they have in Solvo Health. (19:01)
Colin shares his role in the company. (23:09)
Colin mentions the main factor that he wants to focus on. (24:50)
Colin shares the challenges they have on the PNC side. (29:19)

Tweetable Quotes:

“When we insert ourselves in with a broker partner and we insert ourselves in with an employer, we look for where we want to solve a problem. That's how great businesses are created.” - Josh Spivak
“I think that if you actually put the right packages in place, then you'll be able to attract and retain employees.” - Colin Kassekert
“When you look at the context of our platform, it's not for everybody. There's a lot of money to be made for everybody on this side of the table and there's a lot of value to be given for folks on the other side.” - Josh Spivak

Resources Mentioned:

CRM 5

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They discuss how any CRM begins to take action through marketing automation, workflows, and sequences.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre shares what marketing automation is. (5:01)
David Carothers mentions who Christian Delozier is. (6:41)
David Lefevre shares how to take advantage of the data that you have in your CRM. (8:09)
David Lefevre explains what happens if you don't have a plan or process on how to communicate. (11:16)
David Carothers mentions the most significant process in CRM. (12:25)
What are some of the easy CRM processes that people can do to implement marketing? (19:24)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you've segmented your audience and planned how you want to communicate with the people in your database, whether they're clients, prospects, leads, whether they filled out a form or not, whether they live in Cincinnati, or they live in Tampa, Florida, you can automate communication to say what you want, when you want.” - David Lefevre
“If you don't have a process or have a plan, you're not going to find it comfortable. You’ll use pieces here but you got to build up to it.” - David Lefevre
“Those people on the other end of your communication are able to do things in their own time, without having to have you on the phone or have you in front of them where you've got to connect in order for things to happen.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Solving Serious Cyber Situations with Angel Rojas

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Angel Rojas, CEO of DataCorps Technology Solutions, Inc. Angel discusses what cybersecurity is all about and the five best practices that every business should implement.

Episode Highlights:

Angel shares his background. (2:10)
Angel shares what he sees in the current marketplace. (9:58)
Angel mentions what is a ransomware attack. (10:45)
Angel explains the five best practices that every business should implement. (13:56)
Angel shares a story about a client that got hit by a ransomware event. (17:46)
Angel mentions the five-step process of the Cybersecurity Framework. (20:51)
Angel shares how to think differently about how you do things. (34:42)
Angel shares his experience working with the FBI and the Secret Service. (37:54)
Angel explains why there should be more collaboration within their industry. (48:14)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The most important thing I do is to help you see around the corners by making sure you're focused on what you do and focused on serving your clients. I focus on helping you see what's around the corners with your technology and also see where I can add value like. Adding value by being on the podcast and helping you share some of the cyber perspectives on insurance.” - Angel Rojas
“Let's take all the sins that we committed last year and let's just accept the fact that we committed them. Then let's just start cleaning up all the mess that's left behind.” - Angel Rojas
“Sometimes you have to dig through the network and find those answers. At the end of the day, the very first thing you need to do is perform that risk assessment and decide that you've got a problem. If you don't know that you don't have the problem, you have the problem. That's just non-negotiable.” - Angel Rojas

Resources Mentioned:

Built on the Backs of Safety Geeks with Rob Stansbury

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Rob Stansbury, Director of Sales at KPA. Rob talks about everything we need to know about KPA and the tools they’ve designed.

Episode Highlights:

Rob shares his background. (2:27)
Rob mentions what they do at KPA. (5:41)
Rob explains why certificate monitoring could be huge leverage. (11:17)
Rob explains some of the tools they’ve designed. (16:26)
Rob mentions one of the areas that producers are not engaging in. (22:14)
Rob shares one of the unique things about KPA. (36:44)
Rob explains why it’s so important to understand different mindsets at the employer level. (44:18)

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are tools out there that are intended for brokers to use for growth purposes, for marketing purposes. And, we certainly engage in that way with our broker clients. But, at heart, we're an employer too.” - Rob Stansbury
“So in today's market, where you're delivering premiums that are higher than they were the year before... if you can offset that or mitigate that by potentially reducing an existing third party spend, there's another gold star in a corner of the broker for being able to do so.” - Rob Stansbury
“I wish more brokers were out there talking about not just experienced mod work comp, but also, the compliance from a regulatory perspective for these businesses because it's a goldmine.” - Rob Stansbury

Resources Mentioned:

CRM 4

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They continue to discuss all about CRM and why the workers’ comp expiration date is significant.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre shares what makes CRM work for the business itself. (1:44)
David Lefevre mentions one of the things they did in HubSpot. (5:44)
How much is too much, for David Lefevre? (8:02)
David Lefevre shares why the workers’ comp expiration date is one of the most significant pieces of data. (10:50)
David Lefevre explains why you need to capture and utilize what's critical to your business. (12:57)

Tweetable Quotes:

“What really makes a CRM work is how you look at the information and the views that you have. It's all about lists, views, and being able to ask yourself a question with one click of a button and get an answer.” - David Lefevre
“You want to be able to create that product and performance improvement by just being able to click things. Views are the way you do that.” - David Lefevre
“You don't want to overwhelm yourself with so much detail that you get lost. It's nice to have information at your fingertips. You always have to judge whether it's a one-off, whether it's nice to have, or whether it's integral to your business process.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

Pregnant with Information about Zenjuries with Jess Dantice

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jess Dantice, CEO and Founder of Zenjuries. Jess talks about the benefits of utilizing the software he created and why workers’ comp is an incredible insurance product.

Episode Highlights:

Jess shares his background. (2:11)
Jess mentions the program he created called Minesweeper. (8:33)
Jess shares the most expensive and the most dimly viewed policy by a policyholder. (9:41)
Jess shares the relevance of creating a work comp claim product software. (13:25)
How did the agencies benefit from the software that Jess created? (17:51)
Jess shares why insurance is a sales organization with a service obligation. (34:42)
Jess mentions one of the biggest problems of workers comp. (37:12)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Me being in the insurance industry is really, really cool in lots of ways and you meet a lot of cool people. I was always commercial and had a heavy hand in the contractors’ side of things. You end up learning a lot by being in this industry.” - Jess Dantice
“If you really truly want a better outcome, you have to do something different. There's only so much white-knuckling you can do to have an impact on anyone's claim by yourself..” - Jess Dantice
“There's a lot of dynamics that go into workers comp and you have to engage that ground zero. You can't just hand it off to an adjuster and think it's gonna go well and they're just gonna pay the bills. That's what happens in the traditional world but that's not how you're going to move the needle.” - Jess Dantice

Resources Mentioned:

The Human Work Comp Encyclopedia with Kevin Ring

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kevin Ring, CWCA, MWCA, lead analyst with the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. Kevin talks about all things workers' compensation and the significance of having a process.

Episode Highlights:

Kevin shares his background. (2:15)
Kevin shares one of his favorite stories in the insurance industry. (5:41)
Kevin mentions one of the psychological benefits of the sales process. (11:12)
How much of a direct correlation does Kevin look at when it comes to benefits versus comp? (15:02)
Kevin shares the other factors about benefits. (18:40)
Kevin explains why finding a good doctor is very critical. (27:10)
Kevin mentions the significance of having a process. (46:11)

Tweetable Quotes:

“In a perfect world, you take the comp first before you take the rest of the account. You can show the results with comp that you can create in a way that is dramatically different from any other type of insurance.” - Kevin Ring
“Insurance buyers and insurance agents have been trained that your comp, is comp, is comp and there's nothing to do about it. This leads to a tremendous opportunity for agents who understand how worker's compensation works to go in and if you can get the whole thing it's fantastic.” - Kevin Ring
“We're big believers in the idea that you're communicating this upfront. It helps take some of the fear out of the workers’ comp system while also making it very clear that workers comp is not there to be taken advantage of.” - Kevin Ring

Resources Mentioned:

CRM 3

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They continue to discuss what CRM is all about and what kind of customizations an agency principal is looking for.

Episode Highlights:

David Carothers shares what an agency principal must look at when it comes to CRM systems. (4:25)
David Lefevre mentions the new name of Infusionsoft. (7:40)
David Lefevre explains what all of the CRMs have in common. (8:01)
David Lefevre shares why you must do account based selling. (9:59)
David Carothers shares where he sees most people fall short. (14:08)
David Carothers mentions one of the most basic things to do when you're in a meeting. (16:23)
David Lefevre mentions a tool that’s utilized in Salesforce. (22:45)

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you want to make your business fit their technology then that's great. Realize there may be things that you do that you're going to have to change simply because their system is not set up to work the way that you work.” - David Lefevre
“Trying to make sure that you capture as many people as you can in that decision making circle. Gathering that information making sure that you have those names, contacts, and emails because you may not always be able to get in and talk to the CFO.” - David Lefevre
“You need to be looking at it as, how am I saving money in terms of hours and labor. Am I able to improve the sales that I make? Instead of closing five new clients last month, am I able to add a client every month on average and basically pay for the software and then some? That's how you can look at how you're paying for it.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

What Life's All About with Jim Effner

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Jim Effner, President and CEO of P2P Group, Inc. Jim discusses what drove him to start P2P and what PNC is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Jim shares his career background. (2:03)
What led Jim to start P2P? (3:53)
Jim shares why he doesn’t want to convince anybody to attend one of his workshops. (7:55)
Jim explains the format of his workshops and how it has developed over the years. (11:18)
Jim mentions why PNC agents don’t sell life insurance. (15:32)
Jim shares his thoughts on why PNC agents don’t get involved in life insurance sales. (23:26)
Jim gives significant information about PNC customers. (26:23)
Jim mentions one of the pain points for the PNC agent. (32:27)
What's the easy way for PNC agents to begin a conversation with a client? (34:51)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I make sure that when I do say yes, it's almost like a habit. I'm doing what I love doing and I couldn't do what I do today without what I did in the past. I have zero regrets but I'm in a good spot right now.” - Jim Effner
“The people that show up to our workshops are people that come with an open mind that are willing to invest both their money and their time. They desire to grow. They have a desire to get better. They have a desire to maximize the potential that they know is out there.” - Jim Effner
“When I open up every workshop, I'm very crystal clear with them to say that every single one of them has the same barrier. The same barrier they have is their fear and the inherent fear that they have is the fear of what other people think of them.” - Jim Effner

Resources Mentioned:

Elevating Agency Performance Through Partnership with Kelly Donahue-Piro

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Kelly Donahue-Piro, President at Agency Performance Partners. Kelly talks about the things that Agency Performance Partners is doing in agencies across the country.

Episode Highlights:

Kelly shares her background. (2:19)
What's one of the common themes that Kelly sees that she has the ability to fix? (4:53)
Kelly mentions why she generally works with agencies in the younger age bracket. (7:42)
Kelly mentions one factor about having the children come to work. (17:54)
Kelly shares the online process packs that they offer. (19:46)
Kelly mentions why she loves personal lines. (23:42)
Kelly explains why the CSR role is becoming extinct in service. (25:51)
Kelly gives her opinion about overstaffing. (36:48)
Out of all the things that Kelly does, what's her favorite? (38:45)
Kelly shares why they see a huge decrease in re-shopping. (46:56)

Tweetable Quotes:

“You need to have routine meetings with your team, even if it's just to check in to say hi and see how people are doing. When there's a void of that, it gets really bad. The culture falls apart pretty easily.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro
“You need to clarify your perpetuation plan and be fair to the kids and the kids need to respect what you've built. There has to be a plan of how you're going to give up that power.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro
“I would encourage every agency to really stop and work hard on saying, what are the gaps in our agency? What experience do we want to get? I think so many people get that tunnel vision, you're in your agency so much. Sometimes you don't see some of the gaps out there.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

Resources Mentioned:

CRM 2

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They continue to discuss the basics of CRM and how to bring a CRM to your insurance agency.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre shares the first thing to do when bringing a CRM to your insurance agency. (1:42)
David Lefevre explains why it’s significant to have companies and contacts if you're doing commercial lines. (2:29)
David Carothers shares why his VA has been helpful in his agency. (5:19)
David Lefevre shares one of the things they did when they put the companies in. (6:53)
David Carothers mentions what he didn’t realize about HubSpot. (8:49)
David Lefevre shares why a lot of people misunderstood marketing automation and CRM. (10:42)
David Lefevre gives the steps in bringing a CRM to your company. (17:27)
David Carothers shares why people must determine what lines of coverage they’re going to represent everybody. (22:46)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The first thing is knowing what your business is doing and whether you need to sell commercial lines with companies and contacts, or whether you can get away with personal lines and just work with a CRM that doesn't do companies.” - David Lefevre
“This is a great computer that you can do a lot with. Obviously you want it to work with the CRM and be able to maintain all the information you need about your prospects, leads, and clients.” - David Lefevre
“Always lead by example because agents see owners or lead producers who are running a team. If you're not doing what you're asking your people to do, it's really discouraging. They may go in and look at a company or a contact and they're gonna see that you're not doing what you are asking them to do.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

The Ease and Value of ProWriters with Brian Thornton

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Brian Thorton, President of ProWriters. Brian talks about the huge issues in their industry and some misinformation about cyber insurance.

Episode Highlights:

Brian shares his background. (2:19)
Brian mentions one of the big issues in their industry. (10:13)
Brian mentions one of the most critical pieces of the coverage. (12:29)
Brian shares the guiding principle about what they did with the platform. (17:57)
What are the push backs they get from their agents? (25:02)
Brian shares why construction companies are a target for cyber. (34:19)
What’s the main thing that people need to keep in mind when they're shopping for cyber insurance? (38:31)

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think the underwriters are certainly doing a better job of looking for MSPs and saying that quick decline. This is adding another challenge to the market.” - Brian Thorton
“Even if the data comes in and it does an auto quote and everything looks fine, we still have someone go out, look at it and review it for accuracy.” - Brian Thorton
“If we have to spend a lot of time talking about individual risks with newer brokers that we've brought on, we just view that as kind of an investment in the relationship and in training them.” - Brian Thorton

Resources Mentioned:

Enabling Agencies Through Data, Dashboards, and Dissection with Ryan Deeds

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Ryan Deeds, Product Owner of Ennabl. Ryan talks about the significance of data in agencies and what Ennabl is all about.

Episode Highlights:

Ryan mentions his previous job at Assurex. (2:48)
What data does Ryan think is significant? (6:06)
Ryan mentions why insurance data is interesting. (6:50)
Ryan shares how data becomes a problem. (11:40)
Ryan mentions why larger agencies look at technology as an investment. (22:57)
Ryan shares the primary goal of a CRM. (26:49)
Ryan shares what Ennabl is all about. (41:37)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Growth is massively complicated because growth is not what we generally would think it would be. There are five different elements to growth in an agency and they're hard to distill out from the data.” - Ryan Deeds
“If you're a 60-year-old person waiting for the highest multiple ever on exit, you're not going to reinvest the amount you need to to make that technology effective over the next five years. Sit on your stuff and wait till you exit and get out. Don't frustrate yourself trying to be something that you're not.” - Ryan Deeds
“As an implementer of technology, my biggest pain point is just having individuals not understand that dynamic. Training is not a one-time thing, you're not going to brand software by sitting somebody down.” - Ryan Deeds

Resources Mentioned:

CRM 1

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck are joined by David Lefevre, Owner of SalesPWR. They discuss what CRM is all about and why people should utilize it.

Episode Highlights:

David Lefevre explains what a CRM is. (3:59)
David Carothers shares how CRM has changed. (5:31)
David Lefevre shares why marketing is one aspect of communication. (6:38)
David Lefevre mentions what they’re doing at Florida Risk. (7:43)
David Carothers mentions the problem with AMS and CRM. (8:54)
David Carothers shares which CRM people should use. (11:27)
David Lefevre shares why people should utilize CRM. (16:26)

Tweetable Quotes:

“The more clients you have, the more you're going to forget. We all know that customer service is king. Meaning, staying on top of your customers and knowing ahead of time what their needs are.” - David Lefevre
“Marketing is one aspect of communication. Agency management systems are designed around doing business for an agency. They're not intended to be marketing communication tools.” - David Lefevre
“If you don't put good information in, you can't get good information out of it. The whole reason you have this is to get good information out.” - David Lefevre

Resources Mentioned:

From Marine to Managing an Agency with Aron Robertson

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Aron Robertson, Owner of The Robertson Insurance Group. Aron talks about his journey in the insurance industry and the lessons he learned in the Marine Corps.

Episode Highlights:

Aron shares his background. (1:55)
Aron shares the biggest lesson he learned from being a door-to-door salesman. (5:42)
Aron mentions what Aflac has shown him. (11:49)
Aron explains what Work Opportunity Tax Credits are. (18:37)
Aron shares his experience with “no solicitation” signs. (23:58)
Aron shares a story about his life being surrounded by Marines in his family. (31:03)
Aron mentions the lessons he learned in the Marine Corps. (34:32)
What’s the biggest challenge that Aron faced when he opened his agency? (35:54)
Aron mentions the lesson he learned from claims. (43:56)
What does Aron’s tech stack look like in their agency? (45:21)

Tweetable Quotes:

“Never in my life would I ever conceive that I've ever made six figures in my life. I realized pretty quickly that I am the commodity, not the product. The relationship I build with my clients is what they're trying to buy. It's not the product.” - Aron Robertson
“I'm very thankful for the Aflac knowledge that I got, I don't regret one day I spent with them. I just decided I had to kind of reinvent myself and my agency to solve more problems.” - Aron Robertson
“I think the hardest thing is learning things that I need to do now, I need to do soon, and I need to get done eventually. Eventually is profitable in 10 years, the now is profitable. I got to do that now to create a good foundation for my agency to be successful long term.” - Aron Robertson

Resources Mentioned:

Throwback: Special Episode: Military Community Engagement Through Education with Bryan Bergjans

Mon, 31 May 2021 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Bryan Bergjans, National Director of Military & Veteran Lending at Caliber Home Loans. Bryan talks about what Caliber is doing for military personnel and veterans during COVID-19 and how Caliber works to bridge the home loan education gap with community outreach. Bryan also discusses why it is important to think outside the box, expand your commitment, and message through organizations that are outside your industry.

Episode Highlights:

Bryan shares what Caliber Home Loans is all about. (3:15)
Bryan shares that Caliber started military and veteran lending 4 years ago. (4:23)
Tells why it is important for us to think outside the box, expand our commitment, and message through organizations. (6:34)
Bryan shares his interesting history with the military. (9:11)
Bryan thinks that the reality of VA borrowers and clients were kind of aligned with FHA. (9:40)
Bryan says that credit scores, credit profiles, and financial management are extremely important. (10:37)
How did Bryan match up those numbers of customers a decade ago? (12:04)
What is Bryan’s role specifically in Caliber? (12:40)
Bryan talks about the big Veterans Day they do for the reservist every end of the year. (14:01)
Bryan talks about the goal of his team. (14:37)
What does Caliber do to help their current customers? (16:13)
Bryan talks about why banks are in a bad situation. (25:52)
What are the two things that Bryan can think of that everybody should know right now, and the best way for the locals to get hold of the people from Caliber to get whatever help they can give? (27:39)
Bryan says that if you’re impacted by COVID, then you have to reach out to your servicer if you think that you’re not going to be able to make your payment. (27:54)

3 Key Points:

Bryan’s team does partner up with active-duty military components, and our caliber locations together doing community stuff, and some of our marketplaces.
Caliber focuses to ensure that all the customers that are having problems and impacted by COVID are able to stay in their houses.
Bryan says that they have built their business strategy around the education of their clients, loan consultants, underwriters, processors, and business partners – calling it community engagement through education.

Tweetable Quotes

“Make sure you’re making good financial decisions, make sure you’re not putting yourself in a bad position financially.” – Bryan Bergjans
“If you’ve never said thank you to one of the vets that work here, it’s hard to go out into the marketplace, and say we’re open for business for military, and veterans.” – Bryan Bergjans
“Call and talk to somebody first, before you decide to pull the trigger on something.” – Bryan Bergjans
“There’s always a consequence to every decision you make.” – Bryan Bergjans

Resources Mentioned: