The Insura-Preneur Podcast

Anson Ross Thompson – Co-owner of The Thompson Group, and Owner of The Loft Publishing Company

Building a Growth Agency That Supports the Lifestyle of Your Dreams

What’s more important than insurance? Well, LIFE. And, this podcast guest has figured out how to build an agency that grows like a machine – year after year – and supports the lifestyle of his dreams. You may recognize Anson from a recent cover of Rough Notes where he’s pictured in the agency’s tye-died VW bus. Discover:

• How he set up a branch agency 1200 miles from home – and gets both of them to operate almost automatically. (Hint: he’s been based in Indiana for more than 20 years…but fell in love with Colorado. A story you’ve got to hear!)
• How he adds FUN to the insurance experience – and why that’s been so important to his consistent growth. (And, why it makes it sooooo easy to stand out from the ‘vanilla’ crowd of insurance agents.)
• Why he put naked pictures of his mom and dad on a billboard next to the road (and, what they thought about it!).

If you’re in the mood for an upbeat and optimistic take on what insurance is today – from a daily practitioner – don’t miss this conversation with Anson Ross Thompson, CIC, CRM.

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.

Ely Kaplansky – President & CEO of Kaplansky Insurance Agencies, and Chairman of the MAIA

From Zero to $80 Million in Sales...

Why do some agents thrive when others do not? You’re about to get an answer every agent should pay attention to. Why? Because Ely Kaplansky has earned the right to every agent’s attention.

This industry leader delivers a master class on agency growth. He started a scratch agency. Now he’s got 75 employees generating $80 million in sales. Ely holds nothing back as he shares:

• The game-changing decision he made as a very young insurance agent – and how that transformed his life forever. (Most agents play at this. Ely simply did it – and never looked back.)
• Those parts of the business Ely attends to in order to maximize this year’s (This helps explain why Ely is in the top 5% of Best Practices EBIDTA.)
• How he embraces the challenges every agent faces today – new technologies (hint: he’s a user!), changes in consumer behavior, the rise of the millennials and more.

This is a ‘do-not-miss’ conversation with one of the industry’s top performing agency owners. Every agent who’s serious about growth and serious about today’s insurance climate must make this conversation a top priority.

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.

Robert Hartwig – Director of the Center for Risk and Uncertainty Management, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina, Past President of the Insurance Information Institute

Robert P. Hartwig, Ph.D., CPCU: The Big Picture on Insurance – What You Need to Know

Dan Kennedy used to say, ‘School’s never out for the pro.’ Well, school is about to start. And our teacher is one of the most respected observers the insurance industry has ever known. If you want to know how to ‘boost your agency Instagram followers by next Tuesday,’ this isn’t the podcast episode for you

But, if you want to know – and you should – the current state of the industry, the forces that are driving it, where it’s going and how to respond strategically, drop everything and listen.

Many consider Dr. Hartwig to be the voice of the industry to the public. You may have heard or seen him on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox, PBS and the BBC. Or, perhaps you’ve seen him quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, CFO, Fortune, Forbes, The Economist and many others throughout the world.

There’s a reason the world has called on Dr. Hartwig to explain insurance. Few understand it as deeply as he does. Take this rare opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s most esteemed masters.

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.

Manny Barbosa – Senior Digital Marketing Trainer at Safeco Insurance

Manny Barbosa: What Agents Are Doing to Thrive Today

Manny Barbosa. Deep in the ‘real world’ of insurance marketing. Manny is a Senior Digital Marketing Trainer with Safeco Insurance – and he knows what’s working in agencies throughout the US. Don’t miss this warp-speed training that Manny gives on the state of insurance marketing. Social media. The most effective digital strategies. Content creation. Manny delivers!

• What’s that critiical first step in marketing that almost guarantees you’re going in the right direction (and, if you miss it, absolutely guarantees that you’ll fail!)?
• FACT: Safeco’s 2018 Growth Survey reveals that 56% of agents have a marketer on staff…how does your agency stack up?
• After working with and researching thousands of agencies, Manny shares some of the biggest mistakes agencies make today – and how to avoid them.

Agents throughout the US know Manny. Many have attended his trainings or heard him speak. If you have about 40 minutes, you’ll get a rapid-fire and practical education on how to get your agency to the next level.

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.

Michael DeLaGrange – Founder & President of Insurance Lounge

Is this the insurance agency of the future? (It’s already here.)

Everyone knows insurance agencies are changing. Or need to.

Here’s an agent who’s re-thinking the entire ‘agency idea’. Yes, it has a digital side to it. But, it’s also bricks ‘n mortar. That said, I think if you walked by it, two things would happen. 1) It would catch your eye, and 2) you’d go, ‘Wow, that’s an insurance agency?!’ (Then you’d walk inside to check it out.)

Like a lot of insurance agents, Michael DeLaGrange took over the family agency. He ran it. Got bored. Then, reinvented it. In this can’t-miss podcast episode, the founder of Insurance Lounge reveals:

• How he thinks insurance agencies need to be re-engineered and re-designed to attract today’s consumer.
• What he did to raise seed funding for this already profitable agency – to take it nationwide. (Does $2,000,000 get your attention?)
• The little things he did to dramatically change the ‘look and feel’ of his agency (things that you very well may want to put on your to-do list)

You may or may not agree with everything this forward thinking ‘insura-preneur’ does. But, you’ll probably agree with his premise: that agencies need to change to keep up with today’s consumer. Don’t miss this conversation – as Michael and Michael hold up a mirror to the agency system… and ask you to take a hard look.

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.

Joseph Talmadge – Senior Vice President of Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Here's why agents must pay attention to blockchain

BLOCKCHAIN?! Is there no end to what we need to learn about?! Joe Talmadge – commercial lines producer and SVP at the highly esteemed Heffernan Insurance – delivers a wake-up call on the global emergence of blockchain as an industry transformer:

• Blockchain fundamentals…what you should know about it as an insurance professional. (By the end of this conversation, you probably won’t be a blockchain expert…but, you’ll be able to have intelligent conversations about it, be able to talk to carriers about it – and have the confidence that you’ve got your eye on the ball.)
• What you should know about how blockchain will transform insurance (and, how it’s already turning some industries upside-down). Learn how it will streamline product selection, customer relations, underwriting, claims analysis and industry efficiencies.
• Why this technology is radically different than other solutions – and what that means to real jobs and functions in the insurance industry.

A note from Michael Jans: If you’re hankering for one of Michael’s ‘practical-tactical’ interviews (like ‘how to boost your email open rate by 30%), this interview won’t scratch that itch. But…if you’re going to be in the industry for the next three years (and you’re intellectually curious about what that future looks like), you’ll want to hear Joe’s crystal-clear explanation of blockchain. One day – soon – you’ll be part of that chain. Now is the time to learn!

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.

Steve Beard – Vice President of Customer Experience at The Zebra

Insurance agents need to start acting like it's 2020... now!

If you Google 'auto insurance quotes', you just might find something like this:

'Compare car insurance from 204 auto insurance providers in under 60 seconds & save up to 50%. Find the cheapest car insurance rates in your area today!'

That's the promise of The Zebra, which proclaims: 'The Zebra is the nation's leading insurance search engine.'

As consumer behavior changes and new technologies emerge, new companies pop-up in the competitive landscape. Some want to disrupt. Some want to innovate. Some are friendly to agents. Others are not.

The Zebra is a provider that every agent or broker should be aware of. They work with direct, captive, and independent carriers – and they work with agents too.

Steve Beard, VP of Sales Operations, and longtime insurance industry veteran, shares his vision for The Zebra, and how they view the independent insurance agent & broker.

A note from Michael Jans: This is a discussion that every agent in the auto insurance market needs to hear. The Zebra is one of many companies emerging as a result of rapid advances in digital technology, and they have even secured Series B funding. Furthermore, they have an understanding of online consumer behavior that the independent channel is still playing catch-up on, and Steve shares valuable insight about in this 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.

Nicholas Ayers – Co-founder of i80 Insurance Solutions and Co-founder of the Insurance Agency Owners Alliance

Simple but powerful ways EVERY agent can and should use video to generate leads, boost retention!

No doubt, you’ve seen the explosion of video on your smartphone, computer – coming at you from platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. You may not have thought ‘how can I use video to grow my agency?’ But, you will be when you hear this conversation with Nicholas Ayers. Good news: he also gives answers. Detailed answers:

• The easiest way to get started delivering video to your marketplace. (It’s virtually no-cost. You probably already have the equipment…and you can set it up in less than a minute.)
• Why video is so important to your customers (think: ‘emotion’ and ‘connection) and the 3 simple kinds of video (so easy you can do most of this without any more training than what Nicholas provides in this podcast!)
• BONUS: precisely how Nicholas gets his customers to do more of the work AND enjoy doing it! (This should save you tens of thousands of dollars!)

Note from Michael: I’ve interviewed some very, very smart Thought Leaders and industry influencers lately. And, they’ve shared some very important ‘big ideas’ and ‘big trends.’ This time, I was fortunate to interview a very, very smart insurance agent…and we kept this conversation at the practical-tactical level. For those of you who want to know just ‘how it’s done’ in the real-world of running an agency, this is a conversation you’ll love. Nick was extremely generous with his wisdom and experience (he shares why at the end of the podcast). Nick qualifies as a Thought Leader in his own right. Leading from the field where agents work day in and day out.

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.

Hugh Terry – Founder of The Digital Insurer

Founder of The Digital Insurer Sheds Light on the Future of Insurance, All Things Digital – and the Modern Agent

Hugh Terry is the founder of The Digital Insurer. 20,000 subscribers around the world. 5,000 attendees at the annual conference. More than 200 booths. If you were wondering if digital is really changing insurance – wonder no more! Hugh pulls the curtains back on a new world of insurance. A world that the modern agent must learn about…and learn to live in!

• Disruption or transformation? Why agents need to be vigilant today more than ever. (And, which insurtech innovations are most likely to help…and which ones most likely to hurt!)
• The unbelievable last place finish that consumers give the insurance industry (lower than banks and airlines!) – and, how agents can jump ahead and stand out from the crowd.
• What the Modern Consumer really wants from the insurance industry (and why some demographics are so much more willing to work with agents than others!)
• Keep an eye on insurance in Asia?! Yes – why innovation is stampeding forward in the Asian markets (and, what that signals for changes to come in North America.) Some of those innovations will boggle your mind!

Note from Michael: With Hugh dialing in from his home base in Singapore (before breakfast for Hugh; time for dinner for me), we take the sight-seeing plane up 30,000 feet. A true global view on our industry. No, you won’t get tips on how to get more Facebook engagement or boost today’s closing rate. But, you will get a clear-eyed view on the future of insurance – and, how that’s about to be very, very different than today. If you’re going to be in the insurance world for a few years, do not miss this conversation. Hugh is knowledgeable, insightful – and cares about how insurance takes care of its customers. Please join us!

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.

Matt Harris – Managing Director at Bain Capital Ventures

Here's the man funding the future of the insurance industry

Why would you want to listen to a conversation with a venture capitalist? In this case, because this man is helping to shape the future of the industry you work in. Matt Harris is the Managing Director of Bain Capital Ventures – perhaps the leading investor in game-changing insurance technologies (including previous podcast guests). In this no-holds-barred conversation, Matt shares:

• Insight on the future of insurtech – and how radically it may change the life of our consumers, and of course, insurance agents and brokers.
• Poignant comments on how agents must change their behavior to succeed in the coming years.
• How the industry will change as millennials take over more and more of the economy – and what we have to do to satisfy them.

Note from Michael: As the saying goes, ‘follow the money.’ And, when I did, I found Matt Harris. When investments are very, very big, you have to pay very, very close attention. You have to pay attention to the future. To what’s working. To what’s not. And, Matt does pay attention. I’m sure you’ll find him, just as I did: intelligent, engaging, forthright – and visionary. If you plan to be in the industry for more than a year or two, please listen. 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.