The Insura-Preneur Podcast

Kitty Ambers - CEO of Network of Vertafore Users

Kitty Ambers, CEO of Network of Vertafore Users Paints Clear Picture of the Future for Successful Agents

Are you ready for 2019? If you’re hoping to make this your best year ever, you don’t want to miss Michael’s conversation with Kitty Ambers. Kitty has been providing independent agents with guidance and leadership through her many positions and professional roles for over 25 years. She is the Executive Director of the Instar Users’ Group, CEO of NetVU, CIC Faculty member… the list of her qualifications goes on and on. Like many of our best guests, Kitty also cares about the agency channel. (It’s been in her blood for three generations). In this interview, she shares her insights into our fast-changing industry like:

• The three critical roles of the agency principal of the future: Strategic Leader, Relationship Manager, Team Leader…and, how that’s different today from how it’s ever been! (As Kitty says: With today’s media, ‘It’s like being on stage all the time!’)
• Why it’s not just the change but the speed of change that scares so many agents – and Kitty’s remedy for staying on top!
• How the nature of the Independent Insurance Agency is forcing agents to re-think their ‘business blueprint’… and how your deepest expertise drives growth.

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the industry’s most respected thought leaders. Listen today and get ideas you’ll want to put into your 2019 business plan!

Dan Faggella – Founder & CEO of Emerj

Why this leading expert on Artificial Intelligence is urging insurance agents to 'lean upmarket'

Whether you realize it or not, Artificial intelligence is part of your everyday life. It’s even become part of normal operations in the insurance industry. But, for as much as AI has permeated our lives, this is just the beginning.

Our podcast guest, Dan Faggella, predicts big changes ahead. As the AI consultant to the UN, INTERPOL, The World Bank, global pharmaceutical and insurance companies, Dan Faggella has a clear-eyed view on the promise (and potential pitfalls) of artificial intelligence in the insurance industry. In this podcast you will learn:

• How artificial intelligence will likely affect the purchase of insurance (and how agents select their markets) in the very near future.
• Why insurance agents must pay attention to the rise of AI in other industries because, as Dan says, ‘Those very waves will hit you.’
• The four places in the insurance value chain most likely to be transformed by AI (including customer relations).
• The strategic imperative that agents must wake up to quickly (and how that may change your entire book of business for the better)!

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the world’s top artificial intelligence experts. Listen today and be better prepared for tomorrow.

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster?  Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures.

Jay Weintraub – Co-founder & CEO of Insuretech Connect

CEO of Insuretech Connect: ‘Service and support is never a commodity!’

Why did 6000 insurance professionals swarm Las Vegas a few weeks ago? Because Insuretech Connect had their third conference. (Yes, you read that right. 3 years. 6000 people.) In the middle of it all is this week’s podcast guest, the Co-Founder and CEO of the conference, Jay Weintraub.

Anyone who plans to be in this industry (more than a few months!) must keep their finger on the pulse of this game-changing mash-up of technology and insurance. Hear what this industry giant shares about:

• The ‘safest harbors’ for the retail agent in the future of the industry.
• How to exploit insuretechs for your own growth.
• The challenges and disruptions insuretech is most likely to cause for retail agents in the near future.

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the insurance industry’s most respected ‘match-makers’ and transformers. This is an important conversation!

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster? Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures. 

Jeff Roy – President & CEO of Excalibur Insurance Group

Jeff Roy, Award Winning Broker: ‘The ones at the top aren’t in the insurance business first. They’re in the experience business first.’

How can you know what’s really working today in insurance marketing? One way is to listen to agents and brokers whose marketing is doing just that: working.

Jeff Roy, President & CEO of the Excalibur Insurance Group in Canada delivers a plateful of ‘real beef’ in this podcast conversation with Michael Jans. You’ll discover why he was awarded Aviva Canada’s first Broker’s Hackathon, a contest designed to encourage groundbreaking ideas on how technology can enhance the industry:

• Be prepared to take notes when Jeff describes the different technologies he uses to communicate with his customers and marketplace. (And ‘take note’ when he explains that ‘technology is not’).
• Get Jeff’s take on the agency of today… and which ones are not prepared for the industry of tomorrow.
• See how Jeff’s agency connects with customers at the deepest possible levels… with content the customer actually wants!

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the industry industry’s most respected insurance brokers. Listen today and get ideas you’ll put into practice tomorrow!

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster?  Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures.

Bruce Dickhoff – President & CEO of the North American Software Associates

Long-time insurance software executive warns, ‘pay attention to the changes. Know what’s happening!’

Bruce Dickhoff was a coder, crashing through barriers of ‘old school’ insurance agencies 32 years ago. And, he never stopped. As CEO of North American Software Associates – commonly known as NASA – Bruce has been delivering solutions to insurance agencies for decades. (Little known secret: The Home Shopping Network had an insurance agency – once upon a time – and Bruce provided their agency management system.) In this interview with Michael, Bruce shares his insights on:

• What the future may look like for today’s agents… including their use of software solutions, ‘getting modern’, and emerging competition.
• The mindset shift agents must make about technology. (Not-too-subtle hint: make it your friend, not your enemy!)
• Why and how agents must become ‘lifelong learners’ to survive in a turbulent, fast-moving marketplace.

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the industry industry’s most respected providers of agency management systems – and a long-time industry observer and thought leader.

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster? Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures. 

Mike Reddy – President of the Benefits Division, and Senior Vice President of Field Operations at Keystone Insurers Group

Why agents must change their ways... or their days will be numbered.

Almost a third of a century ‘in the biz’ – and still on the cutting edge. Long-time benefit wizard, Mike Reddy, serves as President, Employee Benefits Division at the Keystone Insurance Group, as well as SVP of Field Operations. From this unusually powerful perch, Mike shares his observations of an industry in transition:

• The ‘different’ behaviors that separate the winners from the losers. (In his role as SVP of Field Operations at Keystone, Mike gets the ‘birds-eye’ on hundreds of agencies. As he said, ‘There will be clear disruption. And, clear winners and clear losers.’ He shared what he thinks will determine which way agencies will go.)
• The future of benefits in the P&C agency. (Whether you have a full-fledged benefit division – or you write it when you can – Mike shares his crystal ball with the industry right here.)
• Strategy vs. tactics (and planning vs. chaos!). Mike shares his insight on what happens to agencies when they really plan…and thoughts on how to go about it… the right way.

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the industry industry’s most respected benefit and planning leaders – and one of the industry’s tireless advocates for the independent agent. Listen today and get ideas you’ll put into practice tomorrow!

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster? Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures. 

Dave Ellis – Founder of Ellis Marketing

Facebook magic! How to get a steady stream of hot leads with Facebook… Now that the rules have changed for everyone!

Dave Ellis is one of the Top Facebook Advertising Experts in the nation. You’ll soon see why, as he unravels the mysteries of how huge internet marketers make millions – starting with one simple (but perfect!) Facebook ad.

If you're an agency principal who knows you’re responsible for revenue, and you want to make certain your agency has the most effective, high volume marketing engine possible... then you need to listen to this discussion.

If you're an agency marketer who wants to deliver real results, and not just more clever postings about ‘auto safety’ or your ‘super-fun’ Halloween party... then you need to listen to this discussion.

Dave takes time from his jammed client calendar to reveal:

• Why (and how) your Facebook ad must be part of a ‘system’ – not just a one-shot ad. (Dave tears apart his 4-part system to show how you can ‘engineer’ the right emotions to get the best prospects—and only the best ones—to move through your funnel!)
• One little surprise tweak that Dave used to get a 400%(!) bump to his advertising results.
• The big changes in the social advertising platforms you must know about: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram – and where they fit into your marketing plan.

Don't let your agency get stuck making the marketing moves of yesterday. Listen to this conversation with one of the online advertising industry’s most respected experts today and get ideas you’ll put into practice tomorrow!

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster? Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures.

Greg Williams – CEO & President of Acrisure

The change is VAST but SLOW enough that a lot of agents won’t notice.

As President & CEO of Acrisure, Greg Williams operates the 9^th largest agency in the US – and at an eye-popping 80% growth rate, I’m sure he’ll quickly exceed the $1.5 billion in revenue Acrisure can boast today.

But, being large hasn’t made Greg complacent. As you listen to Greg’s insightful comments about the future of the industry, you’ll see why. He plays very close attention to the changes and pressures on the industry – and is committed to meeting those pressures strategically.

• How agents absolutely must distinguish themselves in what many consider to be an increasingly commoditized insurance world (and, why agents who ‘hide their head in the sand’ will be hurt by not acting).
• How insurtech is going to continue to change consumer behavior – and what agents must do to respond. (Pay close attention to Greg’s comments on the ‘compression of the industry value chain.’)
• What the near and mid-term future looks like for the independent agent – and what to pay attention to now.

Please don’t miss this conversation with one of the insurance industry’s most respected leaders and game-changers. This is an important conversation!

Note from Michael: I often talk and write about the ‘big trends & forces’ that are changing the world that agents live and work in. Today’s podcast gives me the chance to ‘interview one of those forces’ – or at least, to interview one of the industry leaders that’s driving one of the forces we all must pay attention to.

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster? Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures.

Lucas Jans – Vice President of Product at Agency Revolution

Leading insurance technology genius reveals secrets on how agents can get more done and totally transform agencies

Have you been concerned that your agency isn’t keeping up with today’s pace of change? If the answer is ‘YES!,’ you’ll love the ‘Speed Secrets’ of our podcast guest, Lucas Jans. In almost 20 years of designing and delivering technology solutions for insurance agencies, he’s built game-changing solutions that have completely transformed the way agents communicate with and market to their marketplace.

Rather than focus on the software part of his contribution, we explored ways that insurance agencies can adapt some of the rapid-change strategies that software developers have perfected in their fast-changing environment:

• How agencies can apply ‘rapid-execution’ strategies – like ‘sprints’ and ‘lean’ – to exceed today’s rapid pace of change (and how agency principals can quickly create the ‘agency of their dreams!’)
• Simple, proven ways that agencies can attract better talent (and keep talent they already have) using the same strategies that software companies use to attract, manage, and motivate remote workers
• New changes in software that make it easy for agencies to deepen and strengthen their customer relationships to boost policies per customer, retention, and create deeply felt client loyalty

If you’ve ever been frustrated about how much effort and time it takes to make change in your agency, please, do NOT miss this conversation with one of the industry’s most active transformers!

Zack Gould & Matt Naimoli – Co-founders of G&N Insurance

From Scratch Agency to 10,000+ Clients – Masterclass in Modern Marketing, Bonus Edition!

A few weeks ago, we announced a 3-Part ‘Masterclass in Modern Insurance Marketing.’ But, it’s not. Now, it’s a 4-Part Series. After I recorded this interview, I just had to add to this series. As I’ve mentioned, I felt strongly that it was time to swoop down from our 30,000' view of ‘big trends and forces’ and focus on what’s working today. Practical, tactical tips you can put to work this week.

This interview is a delightful mix of high energy, good humor and real world, street-smart insurance marketing. Zack Gould & Matt Naimoli are the co-founders and principals of G&N Insurance in Massachusetts. In this conversation, they reveal:

• The Customer Acquisition System they used to go from a clean-slate, zero-revenue, scratch agency to over 10,000 clients… in eight years. (Hint: start with strategy… then – and only then – move to tactics!)
• Did anyone say TACTICS? Zack and Matt roll out the step-by-steps of what they do, when they do it – and what makes it different than other agencies. (Remember the word ‘system’ as you listen to this part.)
• Solutions to the Social Media Mystery. What they do. What they don’t. (Be prepared to take notes!)

Personal or commercial lines… this interview may cause you to re-think what you do every day. The way you run your agency. And, just how high your goals could be!

Please don’t miss this conversation with two of the insurance industry’s game changers. This is a conversation that will stay on your mind for weeks!

What are other agents & brokers doing to thrive? What are the biggest trends affecting the retail insurance agent & broker? What are the most important strategies and tactics you need to grow faster? Find out here in the Connected Insurance Podcast, where Michael Jans discusses the biggest issues affecting the independent insurance agent and broker with the industries leading figures.