In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Will Shaw, CEO, and co-founder of Better Agency. They discuss entrepreneurship, InsurTech, and what Will has learned from assisting agency owners in growing their businesses. Will is an all-time guy in our industry...this is a conversation you don't want to miss. Episode Highlights: Will talks about a five-year play with InsurTech. (7:54) Ryan states that building your network is always important. (10:57) Will explains why they chose to bootstrap Better Agency. (17:29) Will shares his insights about independent insurance agencies. (24:19) Will claims that every client should be covered by every policy. (34:06) Will discusses what his duties were when Better Agency first began. (41:44) Will elaborates on the advantages of having an independent agency. (46:42) Ryan and Will discuss their love for the Buffalo Bills. (53:27) Will explains what it means to have a "ride or die" mentality. (57:23) Key Quotes: “The things I'm working on today are the things people are going to see in three or four months.” - Will Shaw “I hire people that are better than me in every way.” - Will Shaw “If you try to have your hand in everything you're just never going to get out of your business.” - Ryan Hanley Resources Mentioned: Will Shaw Linkedin Better Agency Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Agency Intelligence

RHS 121 - Will Shaw on How to Build Technology for Independent Agents

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens discusses goal setting and accountability for her own goals in 2021, how she is ending 2022, and how we should see goal-setting as we move forward in the new business world that we live in. Episode Highlights: Teresa mentions that she made an episode last year about her goals for 2021. (2:06) Teresa discusses her main goal for the past year. (3:40) Teresa believes that she has met about 50% of her 2021 goals. (6:13) Teresa mentions that just because something didn't work doesn’t mean we failed. (8:13)  Teresa shares what she has learned this year with her team. (8:55) Teresa discusses another huge success for her and her team. (11:04) Teresa mentions that she encourages everyone to say "what do we want to learn for the year moving forward?" rather than "what are our goals?" (12:28) Teresa explains why she’s not going to micromanage her team. (16:22) Teresa mentions team building with different locations as one of her goals. (21:05) Teresa expresses her gratitude for the fact that, while they did not meet all of their goals this year, they did meet the majority of them. (23:36) Teresa believes she is blessed by the community, her team, and her book of business. (31:54)  Teresa explains the concept of monday.com and how it helps her. (33:03) Teresa expresses heartfelt love and appreciation for the insurance industry. (37:26) Key Quotes: “I want to be really honest because I think as women, we need to feel like we have each other's backs. And I think we can't do that unless we are authentic.” - Teresa Kitchens “I'm honored that even though we didn't achieve our goals this year, we achieved most of them.” - Teresa Kitchens “If we can approach things with love, and a calm approach of loving every moment and saying, ‘Where can I improve?’ and being open to that growth, maybe even with that person, if that person is willing to stay in community with you, then we are successful.” - Teresa Kitchens Resources Mentioned: Contact Teresa Kitchens Sterling Insurance Group

Power Women In Insurance: Did You Achieve Your Goals in 2021? Let’s Take a Better Look at Goal Setting and Level up Together

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Aaron Gordon, Vice President of Gordon Companies Insurance Services. Aaron discusses the advantages and challenges of running a family business. Episode Highlights: Is Aaron an iPhone or Android user? (5:50) Does Aaron love to win or hate to lose? (6:17) What does Aaron attribute to his success, skill or luck? (8:06) Aaron shares his background story. (11:04) Aaron mentions that not everyone is meant to be a business owner. (17:23) Aaron talks about the importance of caring in the insurance industry. (22:49) Aaron explains why his parents are his best asset to the clients. (28:34) Aaron discusses his marketing strategy. (32:14) Aaron explains what he believes is the best aspect of the insurance industry. (36:55) What is Aaron currently watching? (39:15) Key Quotes: “Most of our business is coming from one of those two things, either referral sources that have given up on the agencies that they used to, because they sold, or people who have given up on those agencies.” - Aaron Gordon “I think also what I found, especially on the agency side, and this might be a good segue is when we win we usually win because of what we're good at.” - Aaron Gordon “The beauty of this industry is that you had somebody who cared. All you’ve got to do to be successful is care.” - Aaron Gordon Resources Mentioned: Aaron Gordon LinkedIn Gordon Companies Insurance Services Reach out to Jason Cass Agency Intelligence

I Know How Hard My Parents Worked To Build This

Many insurance agents do a poor job of clearly explaining to their prospects and clients about what the insurance program covers or excludes.  In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how you can transition prospects into loyal, paying clients by being ultra-transparent and educational. Episode Highlights: Charles mentions that many insurance agencies do not have a formalized proposal. (2:05) Charles explains why you will lose clients and prospects if you confuse them. (4:47) Charles discusses a different way of meeting with prospects in order to win their business. (7:30) According to Charles, if you can explain how you'll be able to produce a better positive outcome, clients and prospects will be much more inclined to desire to do business with you. (12:58) Charles explains that you can win more clients by being more transparent and advocating for education. (15:36) Charles gives an example of how you could do a much better job of making your prospect or insured feel more comfortable with you. (17:16) Charles explains that prospects want to know that they purchased insurance from the right broker and that they have coverage with the finest provider at the lowest possible cost. (22:25) Charles makes a special offer to those who want to join the Permission Group Mastermind. (25:47) Charles discusses what's going on with Permission Group Mastermind. (26:37) Key Quotes: “The lack of education, the lack of understanding that the insurance buyer has about the entire insurance process is not your friend, it's your enemy.” - Charles Specht “This whole idea of how you can win more clients is by being more transparent, by being much more of an advocate for education, helping them actually see what they have what they don't have, rather than doing what lots of agents tend to do is they win a new client, and then they ghost that client.” - Charles Specht “I do believe that when you go into the mastermind, you're going to be in a much stronger position to actually win” - Charles Specht Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Charles Specht Permission Group Mastermind Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc. a

Millionaire Insurance Producer: Win More Clients by Being Transparent and Educational

In this episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks about the insurance carrier relationship, MGAs, wholesale brokers, and how to navigate and steward your carrier and program relationships. Visit the Agency Freedom website to join the email list, sign up to be a potential guest on the show, and never miss an episode: Connect with us on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group.

Agency Freedom: E24: How To Build Your Perfect Carrier Toolbox

Most of your competitors out there are throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. They slap together a "bare bones submission" and blanket the marketplace. Those agents do not experience great results and they tend to have smaller Books of Business. In this episode of the Millionaire Insurance Producer podcast, host Charles Specht explains how (and why) to win more clients by overcoming mediocrity and being the more professional insurance advisor, compared to your competition.  Episode Highlights: Charles tells the story of how he first got into the insurance business. (5:02) Charles discusses the concept of the inferior submission. (7:03) Charles explains the importance of having the entire process written before meeting with a prospect or current client. (11:15) Charles explains why blocking the market is not in the best interest of insurance. (13:20)  Charles believes that to be better than a “block the markets” broker, brokers must be able to explain to the insured why they are better. (20:48) Charles explains why many workers' compensation insurance underwriters will not or cannot quote a prospect who does not offer health benefits to their employees. (23:16) Charles mentions that bare-bones submissions rarely receive quotes from underwriters. (25:31) Charles explains the importance of educating the prospect on how a bare-bones submission actually harms them. (28:29) Charles mentions that if brokers follow the process he highlights, they will receive significantly more broker record letters than they have in the past. (31:47) Key Quotes: “Put together a submission that will knock the socks off of your underwriter. A bare bones submission handcuffs the underwriter to not be able to work with another agent, maybe even agents that they would choose to work with. ” - Charles Specht “The insurance industry is not set up for your success. The insurance industry is set up for your failure. It is not set up in a way that is going to help you in the trust process with your prospects.” - Charles Specht “We need to educate the prospect on how a bare bones submission actually hurts them, how it hinders them, we need to explain to the insured that we are not going to be doing that on their behalf.” - Charles Specht Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Charles Specht Permission Network Insurance Agency, Inc.

Millionaire Insurance Producer: How to Be Better Than a "Block the Markets" Broker

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Aimey Bryan, Principal owner at Bryan Insurance Agency. Teresa and Aimey talk about how Aimey got her agency appointments, how she markets her agency, and more. Episode Highlights: How did Aimey get her start in the insurance industry? (2:51) Aimey mentions that when she opened her main office, she was in a unique situation. (11:16) Aimey discusses her carrier selection process. (13:00) Has Aimey encountered any difficulties in going it solo as opposed to working with a larger buying network? (13:59) Aimey explains how they got started in their original niche. (18:29) Aimey shares how other agencies, including her own, are combining old and new school insurance practices in order to truly reach out and build their business. (23:05) Aimey discusses the importance of marketing a product or a business. (32:57) Key Quotes: “I think having a open lines of communication with your marketing rep and with the underwriters and really learning the guidelines and quoting them as much as you can to figure out what fits is really how you start off successful with any carrier that you take on.” - Aimey Bryan “I think there's ways that you have to figure out how to make that connection, whether it's through social media, whether it's sending a thank you card, still, I feel like a handwritten thank you card goes a long way.” - Aimey Bryan “If you can say I'm going to do one thing to market my agency a day, just one thing, whether that's like a post or whether it's calling, you know, five new prospects or something like that, if you can do one thing a day to push the needle forward at the end of the year, you're going to be that much further ahead.” - Aimey Bryan Resources Mentioned: Aimey Bryan LinkedIn Bryan Insurance Agency Contact Teresa Kitchens Sterling Insurance Group

Power Women In Insurance: The Power of Tenacity In Building An Insurance Business From Scratch With Aimey Bryan

In this episode of Agency Intelligence podcast, host Jason Cass interviews Monica Adwani, co-founder of Savvital. Monica discusses what's great about the insurance industry, the power of women in the insurance industry, and how women are contributing to the industry's success. Episode Highlights: Is Monica an iPhone or Android user? (2:34) What was the most recent app Monica downloaded? (2:44) Does Monica love to win or hate to lose? (4:32) What attributes to Monica’s success, skill, or luck? (5:02) Monica shares her background story. (6:34) Monica shares about her family background. (12:04) Is Monica of the opinion that the insurance industry is the best industry ever created? (21:29) Jason believes that if there are no women in the insurance industry, men would be unable to do what these account managers can. (28:17) Monica mentions that the nurturing factor that people are born with is one of the things that makes us more vulnerable. (29:42) Monica discusses women's roles in the insurance industry. (30:47) Monica believes that women are doing an excellent job of improving the image of the insurance industry. (32:10) Monica expresses her delight at seeing men and women working together to improve the insurance industry. (36:51) Monica discusses the Savvital concept, which she co-founded with Troy Thompson. (37:48) Monica explains why they decided to start their own agency. (42:09) Key Quotes: “I do think that our industry has a lot of involvement, not just in the economy…most people don't know that our industry has investments and naturally has a hand in many, many other industries out there.” - Monica Adwani  “I think it's amazing that we are definitely promoting our insurance industry to more women, I think they definitely need to give it a chance because they can be really, really successful.” - Monica Adwani “We don't have a piece of technology we're going after, we want to help people just like we want to help customers with insurance, we want to help agents with their businesses. And I think that differentiates a lot because we know how hard it is to grow an agency and the pain points. ” - Monica Adwani Resources Mentioned: Monica Adwani LinkedIn Savvital Reach out to Jason Cass Agency Intelligence

Why Is This The Greatest Industry God Ever Created?

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

Age of Indiependence: Our Greatest Weapon is Our Story - Recruiting and Team Building with Brett Young

In this special on-location episode of Agency Freedom Podcast, James talks shop with Ryan Hanley, Mitch Gibson, and David Carothers. A variety of topics are chopped up and a lively, entertaining conversation ensues. Join the Agency Freedom Podcast Facebook Group To sign up for Agency Freedom Podcast's email list, please visit Agency Freedom Podcast Email podcast@riskwell.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.

Agency Freedom: E23: Great Things Happen When Four Podcast Hosts Get Together

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Erik Garcia, CFP®, owner of Garcia Insurance Services and Garcia Financial Group. Ryan & Erik discuss what it means to set goals and actually make those goals a reality. Erik is one of the most thoughtful insurance professionals in the game. You are going to love this episode. Episode Highlights: Ryan and Erik discuss an insurance podcaster chat group. (12:20) Erik shares about his Brainshare experience in September. (14:12) Erik explains why agency owners and employees must be 100% expendable. (20:45 ) Erik adds that as a business owner, his value for his agency is as a visionary and strategist. (23:15) Erik discusses the importance of business owners determining what they are working towards and what their end game is. (26:32) Erik mentions that business owners must be concerned for their staff. (28:46) Erik discusses why business owners should evaluate their role in the business. (31:26) Erik explains why perception is reality. (41:50) Erik explains that as a business owner, he must ensure that his clients are aware of his availability. (43:04) Erik talks about the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. (47:08) Erik discusses building relationships and creating shared experiences with others. (51:53) Erik shares how he met David Carothers and creates a shared experience. (55:06) Erik explains how important it is for business leaders to create experiences with their staff. (1:02:55) Key Quotes: “We make money two ways as business owners, one by doing work earning a wage the same way any staff member would. And the other way is by ownership, we should compensate ourselves in terms of our wages. similarly to what we would pay someone to do the job.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® “We have to be genuine, authentic people. We can't create these false realities for people.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® “If there's someone you want to become a client, look for those opportunities to create shared experiences with them. Don't talk about insurance.” - Erik Garcia, CFP® Resources Mentioned: Erik Garcia, CFP® Garcia Financial Group  Garcia Insurance Services  Plan Wisely Plan Wisely: Agent End Game Reach out to Ryan Hanley

RHS 119 - Erik Garcia on How to Determine Your End Game

In this throwback episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa sits down with her inner circle and discusses imposter syndrome. They discuss how they see themselves, how others see them, and how it has impacted their careers. Episode Highlights: Teresa explains what imposter syndrome is. (3:21) Beth mentions one of her first breakthroughs. (9:11) Ashley shares the experience of having professional peers see her in a different light. (9:42) Kai gives her thoughts on the word “imposter”. (10:29) Beth gives insight on how imposter syndrome has affected her. (17:34) Ashley explains why sometimes they don't give themselves enough credit. (19:56) Kai shares why social media plays a huge role in their industry. (22:33) What are some things that help Lisa tackle the feeling of imposter syndrome? (27:33) Lisa explains how body language helps her with confidence. (32:25) Key Quotes: “I feel like the kid that’s sitting on the bus seat by ourselves, with no friends until I met you lovely ladies, until I got into IAOA. I think it has just been awesome because I feel like I found my tribe. I found you guys. I feel totally accepted and validated in what I do, and I'm just grateful to you all, for that.” - Kai Smith “Instinctively, I need to trust that I have instincts of things that are genuine. And if they don't work out, it's not for lack of trying or effort, it’s just they didn't work out one way or another.” - Lisa Hengel “If we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and to listen to what others are saying about us, and people are still sticking around, they still want to talk to us afterward, they still think we're doing a good job... That's when it's like, okay, this is past just the surfacey stuff. Maybe I am actually worthy of their time, worthy of their attention.” - Lisa Hengel Resources Mentioned: Ashley Mastowski LinkedIn First Choice Insurance Group Beth DeLaForest LinkedIn Aspire Insurance Group Inc Kai Smith LinkedIn Station 5 Insurance Lisa Hengel LinkedIn Willow Wood Insurance Contact Teresa Kitchens Sterling Insurance Group

Throwback: Imposter Syndrome and How It Impacts Your Insurance Career

Agency intelligence podcast, is your top insurance podcast with three unique series that let you hear from and learn from both agency owners and industry influencers. The Agent's Influence series, hosted by Jason Cass, is your weekly guide to the latest and greatest thought leaders the industry has to offer. The Agency Intelligence series, hosted by Jason Cass, covers real data from real agents in real agencies. The Insurance in Your Words series, hosted by Joey Giangola, hears from the agents living and breathing insurance every day.

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Agency Intelligence

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