Bradley shares his beginnings in the insurance industry before starting his own agency, Portal Insurance. (6:14)

Bradley discusses his experience in implementing innovative social media strategies in the insurance industry and realizing that the only competition that matters is with oneself. (11:36)

Bradley shares how he met Scott Howell, how The Insurance Guys Podcast started, and how it gained traction. (18:08)

Bradley mentions that podcasting requires technical knowledge, good audio skills, entertaining and informative content, and dedication to building an audience. (22:54)

Bradley discusses how building relationships and focusing on connection can lead to unexpected opportunities, like getting a prominent speaker for free and landing a podcast guest. (28:09)

Bradley explains that Top Dog Pet Insurance is a startup that aims to make it easy for agents to buy and sell pet insurance with a user-friendly platform and higher commissions than other carriers, while also offering personalized options for customers who truly care about their pets. (39:16)

Bradley mentions that his presentation at the IAOA conference will outline a step-by-step process of transitioning from a culture that prioritizes agency owners to one that prioritizes agency employees. (44:28)

“The reason we interviewed independent agents is they were the ones most willing to share. You know, there's not a culture of sharing on the captive side of the industry.” - Bradley Flowers 

“My intention was to build a relationship it was not to get somebody on my podcast. And I think that it's a good analogy for real life as well.” - Bradley Flowers 

“Our goal is to build a big national agent. That's why we made that Portal, and not Bradley Flowers Insurance or Mobile Bay insurance or something like that. And, our mission is sort of to redefine the way insurance agencies are operated in every sense of the word.” - Bradley Flowers 

Bradley Flowers LinkedIn

Portal Insurance

The Insurance Guys Podcast

Youtube Series/Blog: Making the Donuts

Top Dog Pet Insurance

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

James shares that he chose the insurance industry due to its potential for residual revenue and the ability to build a profitable book of business. (7:03)

James discusses his decision to become an insurance producer and why he chose to work with Farmers Insurance despite facing challenges and disadvantages. (13:30)

James explains the importance of branding and standing out in a competitive market. (18:08)

James mentions that his decision to leave Farmers Insurance began when he started going after his CIC designation. (28:25)

James shares that the Agency Freedom podcast started as a way to help people transition from captive to independent insurance agencies, but has evolved to cover various aspects of overcoming different types of captivity and providing entertaining content to keep listeners engaged. (37:33)

James discusses the concept of his book "Leaving Captivity" which is a comprehensive blueprint designed to provide aspiring independent insurance agency owners with all the necessary knowledge and foundation to launch their own agency successfully. (47:40)

James mentions that he will be discussing the importance of growth and building processes for strategic planning and achieving goals along with practical tips on implementing structure and workflows at the IAOA conference. (52:30)

“2023 James would advise 2012 James, “Go be a producer at a really high-quality shop for a couple of years and then find your way after that. Learn the ropes, learn sales and marketing from someone who's already successful”. It took a number of years to really find my feet.” - James Jenkins, CPCU, CIC, CRM

“The book Leaving Captivity is a blueprint, it's 13 chapters covering 15 concept areas, and is designed to be rather conclusive. You read the book, you're good. You have the basic foundation of everything you need to go out and launch an agency. And that was kind of the whole reason for writing it.” - James Jenkins, CPCU, CIC, CRM

James Jenkins, CPCU, CIC, CRM  LinkedIn

RiskWell

Agency Freedom Podcast

Book: Leaving Captivity

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Jeff shares that he has been in the insurance industry since 1989, implementing technology like computer systems and rating systems in the early days of the internet. (7:04)

Jeff mentions that he initially planned to pursue a career in the medical field but switched to insurance due to an interest in technology and the people in the industry. (13:18)

Jeff shares how Excalibur Insurance Group started, and how it grew into a successful group with 30 employees and five locations, generating hundreds of organic leads per month. (17:01)

Jeff believes that continuous learning and staying ahead of industry trends to succeed in a rapidly changing environment is important. (24:52)

Jeff discusses Excalibur Insurance Group’s success in driving organic traffic through SEO and blogging, converting visitors into leads, and the importance of having a sales process and technology to convert leads into clients. (26:28)

Jeff mentions that they are testing other advertising methods like radio and social media to see if they generate more digital leads. (36:38)

Jeff shares that to succeed as a scratch agency, it is important to focus on creating a client base, building a good website with personality, setting goals, networking with centers of influence, blocking time for critical tasks, and finding an accountability partner. (38:56)

Jeff discusses the objective of the Digital Insurance Pint odcast which is to educate brokers and companies and vendors on the issues that affect doing business. (51:10)

Jeff explains that 101 Weston Labs is focused on creating and sharing technology to help agents be more successful. (54:49)

“Generating leads is not enough. You need a sales process to take those leads, respond quickly, you know, run through a script, you know, find their pain points, and provide a price and solution and get that converted into a client. And then, using technology, onboarding them, get them into being a raving fan.” - Jeff Roy

“We always have to be nimble, learning, hungry, we can't sit in our laurels and hope but great things will happen.” - Jeff Roy.

Jeff Roy LinkedIn

Excalibur Insurance Group

Digital Insurance Pint podcast

101 Weston Labs

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Susan shares that she and her husband took over the agency in 2000 and expanded it, leveraging their expertise in real estate and construction. (2:30)

Susan explains how her long-standing working relationship with her husband and division of roles within the agency has contributed to their success. (8:36)

Susan believes that maintaining a personal relationship with clients and being active in the community is crucial for insurance agents to inspire confidence and navigate challenging times. (30:13)

Susan shares that she is heavily involved in her community, serving on multiple nonprofit boards and actively giving back through various initiatives. (34:18)

Susan mentions that she’s excited about the opportunity to discuss community at IAOA and its importance from different angles. (45:22)

“I believe in giving back to my community. I believe that it's a community I grew up in, and it's the community that really has given me everything.” - Susan Shaw 

“I'm not involved in anything that doesn't truly target my heart.” -Susan Shaw 

Susan Shaw LinkedIn

Shaw Insurance Agency

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Chuck shares his experience of starting as an independent agent, starting from scratch, and building his agency through face-to-face marketing and prospecting. (3:56)

Chuck explains that independent agents offer choice, knowledge, and personal relationships, making them a better option than exclusive agents, but they can improve by showing more personality, getting involved in the community, and demonstrating their care for clients to increase market share. (17:57)

Chuck discusses the importance of retention in the insurance industry and how it can significantly impact revenue. (32:57)

Chuck mentions that his book: The Remarkable Insurance Agency, covers the importance of proactive and personalized outbound communication to engage clients and build relationships. (41:59)

Chuck explains the importance of not criticizing and instead focusing on taking action to improve your agency's market share by implementing basic strategies like staff bios, regular communications, and social media presence, while also tracking and evaluating the effectiveness of these efforts. (47:13)

“I am hugely bullish on the future of the independent agent channel…They offer choice, they offer great knowledge, they offer wonderful advice, and they’re local which means I can have a relationship with them.” - Chuck Blondino

Chuck Blondino LinkedIn

Book: The Remarkable Insurance Agency

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Kelly shares her degree in Relationship Marketing from Bentley University, where she studied the emerging field of using customer data for personalized marketing strategies, which has since become outdated. (6:40)

Kelly discusses her experience working for a company that transitioned from mortgages to insurance, pioneering CRM tools and digital marketing strategies in the early days of the internet, eventually leading to her role in client services and training for agencies. (16:27)

Kelly mentions that Agency Performance Partners offers consulting services with a team of coaches, providing structure, processes, and training for agencies to improve their operations and achieve growth. (27:27)

Kelly believes that agencies should have new business guidelines, train their team on setting expectations, focus on the quoting process instead of the sales process, and conduct renewal reviews to proactively contact clients. (34:59)

Kelly discusses the importance of balancing resources between acquiring new customers and managing existing ones in business. (40:29)

Kelly mentions that in a market with short-staffed and technologically outdated competition, it's crucial to realize that being part of the elite and providing excellent service can help crush the competition and retain clients who value good service and want to feel heard. (51:00)

“The agencies that built trust before this market, and you build trust by being proactive, you build trust by educating, you build trust by doing the right thing, will prevail and grow dramatically during this market.” - Kelly Donahue-Piro

Kelly Donahue-Piro LinkedIn

Agency Performance Partners

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Tracey shares about her journey in the insurance industry and recounts her early experiences in industry. (11:34)

Tracey mentions the core focus of Blackwell Insurance: a 98% personal business that handles leads, service, banking, commissions, and social media, excluding commercial insurance writing. (22:39)

Tracey discusses the importance of supporting employees' authenticity and investing in their development. (25:47)

Tracey underlines the benefits of servant leadership, featuring generous time off, paid holidays, and a 401K plan. (28:20)

Tracey emphasizes the importance of attracting diverse employees for business growth and community strength. (32:32)

Tracey give a sneak peek of the topics she will tackle on the IAOA stage in October. (42:43)

Tracey mentions her open and inspirational personal social media presence, which lets her share positive content without concern for others' judgments. (46:42)

“I'm at a stage of my life, I only do what makes me happy. And I don't worry about what other people think. And I'm going to share the good stuff because we need to do that in this world right now. And how do we bring people together, versus how do we have this division that's out there?” - Tracey Blackwell

“I'm 100% authentically me…it's just me I don't care what people think because if they really get to know me, that's a whole another ball of wax, right? Because they need to understand my heart. And I have good intentions. And if we have differences, let's sit down. Let's have a beer, let's talk and maybe you can understand and appreciate the differences instead of just attack.” - Tracey Blackwell

Tracey Blackwell LinkedIn

Blackwell Insurance Group

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Greg shares his experience from his first day working as a programmer in the insurance industry at an insurance company's home office during the late 80’s. (5:04)

Greg mentions that Curraba Agency operates from two locations, and recently he expanded the business by acquiring a third agency, Reineke Agency, which primarily caters to a predominantly Hispanic clientele. (12:31)

Greg discusses the critical role of industry associations, emphasizing their contribution to advocacy and regulatory support, and how they add value to independent agents. (19:09)

Greg explains the hurdles they encounter when initiating new business during the hard market, especially with carriers implementing stricter measures and underwriting rules becoming more limiting. (28:48)

Greg shares about the benefits of IAOA, including the daily interactions, the ability to gauge nationwide industry trends, and the benefit of collective knowledge sharing. (43:40)

Dave provides details on the unique structure of the IAOA's annual gathering, Innovation 23, where peer-to-peer presentations form the core format of the event. (48:30)

“Educate your customer, they don't know what they don't know. They don't know what they need to buy, explain to them why they need to buy, what they need to buy. Explain it to them. ” - Greg Hogan

“None of us can know it all at all, and none of us do know it all. But collectively, I think we know more. And that's where it's (IAOA) a huge benefit, because it's just a big giant marketplace, so to speak, where we all can exchange ideas and ask questions.” - Greg Hogan

Greg Hogan LinkedIn

Curraba Agency

Reineke Agency

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Daniel discusses his experience in the Marines and how it taught him leadership, structure, and the importance of no excuses. He also shares how it helps him in achieving his sales goals. (7:02)

Daniel shares the importance of hard work and dedication in starting a business. (17:09)

Daniel explains how Great Park Insurance segments its employees based on their roles and responsibilities, with some employees focusing solely on sales or service, while others do both. (37:05)

Daniel shares how Great Park Insurance creates content using just an iPhone, the importance of social media, and how it is here to stay. (45:45)

Daniel gives a sneak peek into his presentation at the IAOA conference, which will cover his agency's journey from zero to success, the importance of intentionality, and becoming the highest-rated insurance agency in the country on Yelp. (48:16)

“Anytime you start a business or anytime you start something new, you’ve got to kill yourself. You got to give it your all for the first five years…I was completely focused. I never looked left, I never looked right. I mean, I had people depending on me, so every time I came home, that was enough motivation when those kids would look at me.” - Daniel Seong

“When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you perform good.” - Daniel Seong

“I lead with my failures. I flunked first grade, I filed bankruptcy, welfare, food stamps, I mean, I've been through it all. But when I share that with people, you see this guard just coming down and say, “Damn Daniel, I'm just going through that right now”…so they just relate to you.” - Daniel Seong

Daniel Seong LinkedIn

Great Park Insurance 

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA

Taylor discusses the evolution of roles within the company and the importance of having a clear chain of command as the business grows. (22:29)

Rod explains the challenges of working in partnerships and how they have managed to work harmoniously. (26:23)

Brett discusses the growth of Erb and Young Insurance, from four employees to forty, and the importance of consistent growth and building a team. (30:35)

Taylor shares their strategy for growth, including organic growth and acquisitions, and how their core principles and philosophies have contributed to their success. (37:19)

Rod discusses the challenges of the current insurance market in Florida and the importance of having a positive attitude and adapting to the changes. (42:54)

Brett mentions that Erb and Young's stakeholders include team members, referral sources, and marketing efforts.  (46:00)

Rod shares that their team adopts a relationship management philosophy, focusing on servicing and handling customer needs without fearing to cross-sell. (55:47)

“I continue to remain proud of the fact that we let each other realize what each other's gifts are and stay in that space. And, you know, we've been able to benefit from it. And, I think the growth and the compounding effect of that have really worked in our favor with regard to how we built this thing.” - Rod Erb

“In our ecosystem, the stakeholders are, number one, it's team members. First and foremost, we're a culture-centric company. But number two is referral sources.” - Brett Young 

Brett Young LinkedIn

Taylor Young LinkedIn

Rod Erb LinkedIn

Erb and Young Insurance

Reach out to Dave Jackson

Independent Agency Owners Alliance | IAOA