Most health insurance brokers rely on reactive cost-containment strategies. They wait for a catastrophic claim to hit and then scramble to manage it through cheaper drug sourcing or traditional case management. But looking in the rearview mirror won't solve the reality of 20% stop-loss increases. To win in a brutal renewal market, brokers must shift from managing claims after the fact to avoiding them entirely.

My guest, Ryan Chapman, VP of Sales at HealthCare Strategies, joins me to share the predictive care playbook. We discuss how AI algorithms can identify emerging health risks, like missed screenings and trending A1C levels, years before a member ever reaches the hospital. We break down how to position predictive intervention to self-funded employers, the strategy behind running low-risk pilot programs, and why stop-loss carriers are actively rewarding this proactive approach. This is the blueprint for delivering long-term savings and proving your value before you ever win the Agent of Record.

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CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

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Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

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Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

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At 41 years old, Mark Holland had won the game. He sold his agency, BenCom, and was in the Cayman Islands planning a life of philanthropy and leisure. Then, the check didn't clear. The buyers defaulted, destroyed the company, and Mark went from retired to restarting from scratch overnight.

But the story doesn't end there. After building a second agency, Benefit Help, to nearly $2 million in revenue, he was hit with a 36-month storm of client acquisitions and COVID shutdowns that wiped out 90% of his business.

In this episode, Mark, now the CEO of CoVerica, joins me to share the raw truth about resilience. We discuss how he navigated losing everything - twice - without losing his faith, why he refuses to sacrifice his family for profit anymore, and how he turned his biggest professional failures into the leadership philosophy that runs a 40-year-old powerhouse agency today.

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KEY MOMENTS

(0:00) I Retired at 41... Then Lost Everything | The Mark Holland Story 

(1:26) The Exit That Wasn't: From Cayman Islands to Crisis 

(2:49) Starting Over at 41: Dealing with Fear and Ego 

(5:41) Faith in the Fire: Why Setbacks Are Divine Setups 

(8:13) The Mistake of the First Exit: Chasing the Finish Line vs. Enjoying the Journey 

(11:25) The Second Collapse: Losing 90% of Revenue in 36 Months 

(16:00) The LinkedIn Message That Saved His Career 

(21:23) Why a P&C Agency Hired a Benefits CEO (Hiring Your Weakness) 

(30:17) Leading Gen Z: Purpose Over Paychecks 

(36:03) The Future Producer: Why You Must Master Marketing & Tech 

(39:48) Mark’s Morning Routine: Coffee, Scripture, and 4 AM Starts

CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

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Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

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“How am I going to get any credibility?" This is the question that paralyzes most new producers. But waiting for "gray hair" to build authority is a waste of time. You don't need decades of experience to close deals; you simply need to know more than the person sitting across from you.

My guest, Brenden Mostoller, owner of Benefits by Brenden, started selling Medicare at 19 years old. He walked into rooms with seniors three times his age and convinced them to trust him with their healthcare. In this episode, we break down how to overcome age bias, why holding an insurance license is all the permission you need to be an expert, and how to transition from local community networking to a dominant online presence. Whether you are 20 or 50, this is how you build the confidence to sell before you feel ready.

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CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

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Most agencies are stuck in the trap of "placing insurance" - chasing quotes, competing on price, and hoping for a renewal. But the agencies that are actually scaling have stopped selling products and started selling strategy. If you want to escape commoditization, you must make the shift from insurance broker to true risk advisor.

My guest, Andy Bassett, CEO of Ellerbrock-Norris, joins me to explain exactly how they successfully made this transition. Andy reveals how they digitized this process with their own software, "Launch," why marketing has become their most powerful recruiting tool, and how to automate the mundane to focus on the meaningful.

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KEY MOMENTS

(0:00) From "Placing Insurance" to True Risk Advisory | with Andy Bassett 

(2:15) The Origin Story: From Pre-Med to Shag Carpet Walls 

(5:14) "Protect Your Purpose": Aligning Business, Life, and Future 

(8:44) The ENCORE Framework: How to Operationalize Risk Management 

(15:29) Why Your Marketing is Your Best Recruiter 

(27:30) The "Trojan Horse" Strategy: Charging for Advice Before the Sale 

(31:26) Digitizing the Client Experience with "Launch" 

(35:58) AI in Insurance: Automating Policy Audits to Focus on Strategy 

(43:13) Andy’s Routine: 5 AM Cold Plunges and "Die With Zero"

CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

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Most advisors ignore the post-65 retirees sitting on their clients' health plans. They assume it's just a cost of doing business or that the employer wants to keep them on the same plan as active employees. But by failing to "carve out" this population, you are missing one of the biggest cost-containment strategies available, especially for self-funded groups.

My guest, Ken Peterson, Regional Vice President at Benistar, joins me to demystify group retiree medical benefits. Ken explains why municipalities, unions, and family-owned businesses are prime candidates for this strategy, how moving retirees to a Group Medicare Advantage or Supplement plan can drastically lower the average age (and risk) of your active pool, and the specific questions you need to ask to uncover this opportunity. This is the guide to finding the hidden savings in your book of business.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) The "Low Hanging Fruit" of Benefits: Post-65 Retiree Plans 

(00:04:33) Who Needs This? Municipalities, Unions, and Family Businesses 

(00:06:38) The Shift to Group Medicare Advantage: Cost Savings & "Bells and Whistles" 

(00:11:23) Size Doesn't Matter: Solutions from 2 Retirees to 2,000 

(00:12:50) The Carve-Out Strategy: How to Lower Your Active Group's Risk 

(00:16:40) The Future of Retiree Benefits: A Return to Med Supp? 

(00:21:56) Why Benistar is the "Broker's Broker" for Retiree Solutions

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CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

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The insurance industry is still in love with the 1990s. We glorify the "grind" of cold calling and spamming inboxes, ignoring the reality that the modern buyer has moved on. Today’s C-Suite executives aren't sitting by their phones waiting for a quote; they are curating their feeds looking for thought leadership. If you are still relying solely on "smile and dial," you are fighting a losing battle.

My guest, Jack Grovenstein, Partner at Palmer & Cay, joins me to discuss how his agency is evolving its playbook to drive massive organic growth - hitting 27% last year alone. We break down the math behind the "15% Rule" for doubling your business, why branding is the new prospecting, and how to stop selling insurance policies and start selling bottom-line impact. This is a wake-up call for any producer still operating like it’s 2005.

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KEY MOMENTS

(0:00) "Your Sales Tactics Are Outdated" with Jack Grovenstein

(1:20) The Palmer & Cay Story: From Bank Acquisition to Private Powerhouse 

(8:40) Organic Growth Over M&A: The 15% Rule to Double Your Agency 

(14:30) Why "Smile and Dial" is Dying (And What Replaces It) 

(22:15) The New Prospecting: Using Content to Capture the C-Suite 

(27:00) Hiring for Grit: What to Look for in Modern Producers 

(34:50) AI in Insurance: Automating the Mundane to Focus on the Meaningful 

(40:10) The $600k Case Study: How to Sell Directly to the P&L

CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

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The construction industry has digitized, but the insurance industry hasn't kept up. Most carriers still price risk based on outdated proxies, ignoring the massive amount of real-time safety and operational data available through tools like Procore and Samsara. This disconnect means safer, tech-forward contractors are subsidizing the premiums of their higher-risk competitors.

My guest, Danil Kolesnikov, Founding Engineer at Shepherd, joins me to discuss how they are using technology to fix insurance pricing. We dive into Shepherd’s thesis that contractors who use software to manage their jobsites are inherently better risks and should be priced accordingly. Danil explains the engineering behind their proprietary underwriting platform, how the "Shepherd Savings" program turns software usage into premium credits, and why accurate, data-driven pricing is the only way to build a sustainable book in high-hazard industries.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Using Technology To Better Price Insurance Risk 

(00:02:15) The Thesis: Why Tech Adoption Indicates Lower Risk 

(00:04:20) Build vs. Buy: Engineering a Proprietary Underwriting Platform 

(00:07:45) Efficiency in Pricing: The Value of the "Speed to No" 

(00:13:15) Navigating Complex Markets: Pricing Risk in CA and NY 

(00:16:40) Shepherd Savings: Converting Data into Premium Reductions 

(00:20:10) Scaling the Book: Using AI to Enhance Underwriting Precision

▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Call

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CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

http://completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

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Every insurance agent has a graveyard of "dead" leads; prospects you called once, got sent to voicemail, and never touched again. You think they are worthless, but you are actually sitting on a goldmine. The data shows that for every 1,000 old leads gathering dust in your CRM, there is roughly $270,000 in commissions waiting to be claimed.

My guest, Michael McMillan, President of Financialize, joins me to prove why you need to stop chasing new leads and start reviving the old ones. In this episode, we break down the "Lead Revival" framework that turns cold data into six-figure revenue. Michael explains why most producers fail at follow-up (laziness), how to balance automation with the necessary "human touch" to wake up dormant prospects, and the specific math behind mining your existing database. Stop leaving money on the table.

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KEY MOMENTS

(00:00:00) Your "Dead" Leads Are Worth $270,000 (Stop Ignoring Them) 

(00:02:03) The Discipline to Change: Michael’s 200lb Weight Loss Journey 

(00:08:18) Shared vs. Exclusive: Why You Are Buying the Wrong Leads 

(00:14:02) Automation Fails Without the "Human Touch" 

(00:21:22) The Math: Why 1,000 Old Leads = $270k in Revenue 

(00:26:46) You Can't Revive Leads if Your Brand Sucks 

(00:37:51) Sales Leadership: Stop Letting Rookies "Figure It Out" 

(00:41:14) The 13-Year-Old Entrepreneur: A Lesson in Modern Hustle 

(00:45:27) Michael’s Routine: Why the Morning Starts in the Word

CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

http://completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/

Most agencies treat employee benefits as a secondary revenue stream - a product to be sold rather than a risk to be managed. They silo their commercial and benefits teams, leaving the client with a disjointed strategy that fails to address their second-largest line item after payroll.

My guest, Kevin Handzlik, Director of Employee Benefits at Ellerbrock-Norris, joins me to flip the script. Coming from an actuarial background at Milliman, Kevin brings a data-driven perspective to the brokerage world. In this episode, we break down why pharmacy costs have skyrocketed to 40% of claims spend, how to apply commercial risk management principles to health plans, and why self-funding is a vehicle, not a product. This is the blueprint for breaking down agency silos and protecting your client's purpose.

Chapters:

(0:00) From Actuarial Consulting to Agency Leadership: Kevin Handzlik’s Story 

(5:16) Stop Selling Health Insurance, Start Solving Business Problems 

(9:09) The 40% Problem: Why Pharmacy Costs Are Skyrocketing 

(13:44) Applying Risk Management Principles to Employee Benefits 

(17:28) Overcoming the Fear of Self-Funding: Education vs. Sales 

(21:52) Breaking Down Silos: Why Commercial and Benefits Must Work Together 

(25:20) Stop Pitching Solutions: The Power of Asking Better Questions

▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Call

http://completegameu.com/aga

CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

http://completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/

Losing a big account hurts. Your natural instinct is to get defensive, blame price, and block the other broker on LinkedIn. But what if the secret to your future growth lies in picking up the phone and congratulating the person who just beat you?

My guest, Ruth Manka, Executive Director of Intersure, advocates for a radical strategy called "coopetition." In this episode, she explains why the most successful independent agencies are sharing their secrets with rivals rather than guarding them. We discuss why you should debrief with the competitor who stole your business to learn where you failed, how to stay independent in an M&A-obsessed world, and why an abundance mindset is the ultimate competitive advantage. This is the argument for turning your enemies into your best teachers.

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KEY MOMENTS

(0:00) Why You Should Call the Competitor Who Just Stole Your Client 

(4:17) Community vs. Networking: Why Most Groups Fail 

(7:30) The "Coopetition" Strategy: Sharing Secrets to Win 

(14:30) The Call: How to Debrief a Loss with Your Rival 

(15:28) Staying Independent in a World of Mergers 

(24:10) AI is Your Thought Partner, Not Your Replacement 

(30:52) The Abundance Mindset: Why the Good Guys Win 

(37:04) Ruth’s Routine: Light Therapy and the "Reverse 80/20 Rule"

CONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

📲 Schedule a free discovery call:

http://completegameu.com/aga

Subscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 

Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg

💬 Join the Complete Game text community:

Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462

Connect with Andy Neary on social media: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/