HiveFive: Real-life stories, the struggles of adulting, and celebrating the small victories in life.

Today on the Person Behind the Professional Keagan is thrilled to talk with Ruth Stroup, “The Insurance Lady” of Oakland, California. Ruth has been in the financial industry for over 20 years and for the past 12 years she has been making a name for herself and her vibrant team in the Bay Area.

Ruth's Five Key Takeaways:

1\. Always be learning

2\. Physically take care of yourself and your loved ones

3\. Most people are underinsured

4\. Do what you love and love what you do

5\. Live your values and have fun while you’re doing it

Today on the Person Behind the Professional we are excited to hear from Allen Drew, a Farmers Insurance agent in Edmond, Oklahoma. Allen started his agency back in 2001 and before that was a teacher and coach. He is a firm believer in using content to create value.

Allen's Five Key Takeaways:

1\. Understand that insurance companies have access to a lot of information

2\. Take advantage of an insurance advisor

3\. No one company is always the best or the cheapest

4\. Understand your insurance is for emergencies

5\. Build an efficient financial plan so that you can use your insurance only for emergencies

On this episode of the Person Behind the Professional, Keagan is excited to hear from serial entrepreneur Justin Goodman! Justin is the president of both Goodman Insurance Services in Irvine, California and Total CSR, and he has a passion for training industry professionals. His agency specializes in the construction industry, and he’s been named one of the top 15 construction insurance brokers in the country.

Justin's 5 Key Takeways:

1. "Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today" – Jordan Peterson

2\. Effort trumps stability 99% of the time.

3\. Finish what you start before you move on to the next thing.

4\. Just because no one’s ever done it before, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

5\. In life, you get what you tolerate.

Today on the Person Behind the Professional Keagan is glad to have on Stan Polk, a Farmer’s Insurance agent in McKinney Texas. Over his 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Stan has held a passion for making sure his clients are educated. He’s even been named as one of the best insurance agencies in Dallas by D Magazine! 

Stan's 5 Key Takeaways

1\. Begin with the end in mind

2\. Educate, Educate, Educate

3\. Always remember to be a professional

4\. Communicate consistently

5\. Look for opportunities to be grateful to serve

On this episode of the person behind the professional, Keagan is excited to sit down with The Beyoncé of Insurance herself, Ashley Fitzsimmons! As an unapologetic millennial insurance agent, Ashley has made a name for herself in the industry while working with her family business Fitzsimmons Insurance Agency in Forest City and winning the National CSR Award through the National Alliance. Ashley has always had a passion for assisting fellow agents and helping their agencies run more efficiently, and in 2019 she’s excited to be transitioning into an agency consulting role through OIA!

**Ashley's Five Key Takeaways:**

**1\. Find your tribe**

**2\. Genuinely care about your clients**

**3\. Don’t spread yourself too thin**

**4\. Embrace not knowing everything**

**5\. You have a voice, so use it**

Keagan and Katherine are excited to welcome insurance nerd, digital doer, and creativity junkie, Amber Wuollet to the Hive Five! Amber is the marketing manager for Explore Information Services, the creative mind behind the Explore Insurance vlog, and co-host of the Insurance Nerdery video series. On this episode, Amber discusses some of the principles and mindsets that have guided her through her professional creative projects.

Amber’s 5 Key Takeaways 

 1\. Know your skills.


 2\. Embrace your skills.


 3\. Be driven, but flexible.


 4\. Avoid being comfortable.


 5\. Take risks.

On this episode of The Person Behind the Professional, Keagan sits down to talk shop with Insurance Claims Leader, John Bachmann! Driven by his passion for helping people help people, John has found his calling as a rockstar in the insurance industry. In this episode, John talks about a few missions that are driving his career including, making the insurance industry a career destination for younger generations, and improving upon the direct relationships between independent agents and insurance company claims staff.

John’s 5 Key Takeaways 


1\. Claims Service is what agents are selling - relationship w/ Claims should be strongest

2\. Listening, Caring & Empathizing


3\. “Claims is the Place to Be”

4.Tell your story

5\. Tell the industry’s story

On this episode of The Hive Five, Katherine Parker has the privilege of sitting down with Peter Huseth, host of the Millennial Highway podcast! Peter is a student at Collin College and recently landed Karan Jerath (from Forbes 30 under 30 list) on his podcast. In this episode, Peter and Katherine discuss some of the many benefits of podcasting, along with some tips on building strong relationships.

This week on the Person Behind the Professional, we are excited to welcome independent insurance agent Billy Van Jura! Billy has a passion for breaking through the status quo and experimenting with new ways of solving insurance problems. On this episode, Keagan chats with Billy about the many changes facing the insurance industry in the next 10-15 years.

In this episode of the Hive Five, we are excited to hear from Katelyn Carter, account executive at business texting network and BriteBee business partner, Zipwhip! Katelyn started out doing sales out on the streets of Philidelphia as she built her career into her current role at Zipwhip. Right now, Katelyn specializes in helping professionals in the insurance industry connect with their clients and prospects through texting.