What do you do when your business launches straight into a crisis?

In this episode of Small Strides Big Business, Dave McFadden shares how he and his wife Cindy turned a devastating start — hurricanes, a shrinking captive carrier, and two years of losses — into a 20-year success story as independent agency owners.

Instead of quitting, they pivoted.

They left the captive model, went independent, eliminated their brick-and-mortar office, and built a thriving virtual insurance agency powered by relationships, referrals, and exceptional customer service.

In this episode, Dave breaks down:

✔️ Why going independent was the turning point

✔️ How eliminating office overhead increased flexibility and profit

✔️ The #1 “kiss of death” mistake insurance agents make

✔️ Why personal touch beats automation and AI (for now)

✔️ How proactive client education reduces churn and builds 10+ year relationships

✔️ Why explaining coverage matters more than offering the lowest price

From $9K to $1K: AI Is Transforming Healthcare Costs | Frajman

Medical bills are one of the leading causes of financial stress—and often, they’re wrong.

In this episode of Small Strides Big Business, Krystal Small sits down with Assaf Frajman, a physician-turned-entrepreneur and Co-Founder of OctiHealth, to explore how AI is transforming the way medical bills are reviewed, reduced, and understood.

After witnessing a $9,000 medical bill corrected to just $1,000, Assaf set out to solve a problem impacting millions. Today, his company helps reduce healthcare costs by an average of 61%—not just for individuals, but for entire organizations.

They also dive into Assaf’s personal journey from medical school to tech, and what it really takes to pivot into a new career path.

What does it really take to build a successful insurance agency from scratch — in a new country — while serving an underserved community?

In this episode of Small Strides Big Business, we sit down with Lidia Rodriguez, Co-CEO of Rewarding Insurance Agency in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

From knocking on doors in freezing temperatures to building a referral-driven agency rooted in trust, Lidia shares how personal tragedy shaped her mission to protect Hispanic families through final expense and life insurance education.

This episode is about:

Lidia and her husband Miguel are not just selling policies — they are changing financial futures through education, transparency, and cultural understanding.

If you're:

This episode is for you.

Success isn’t built overnight — it’s built in the quiet moments no one sees.

In this episode of Small Strides, Big Business, Krystal sits down with Dillon Taylor, Founder & CEO of Ascent Financial Solutions, to talk about what entrepreneurship really looks like behind the scenes.

From spending nearly a decade in construction to building a thriving financial brokerage, Dillon shares the mindset shifts, leadership lessons, and service-first philosophy that shaped his journey.

This conversation goes beyond insurance and finance — it’s about identity, discipline, long-term vision, and building something that actually lasts.

In this episode of the Small Strides Big Business podcast, host Krystal Small and Tiffany Peak interview Charley Tinsley, managing partner of TIG Thomas Insurance Group. Charley shares his journey from a family farming operation to building one of the largest Medicare agencies in the country, with over 1000 FA and P&C agents (Medicare agents and Employer Benefits agents). He emphasizes the importance of loyalty, education, and service in business, and discusses how technology has played a crucial role in managing growth and improving efficiency. Charley also offers valuable advice for new agents and those looking to scale their businesses, highlighting the significance of building strong relationships and finding a center of influence in the industry.

In this eye-opening episode of Small Strides, Big Business, hosts Crystal Small and Tiffany Peak sit down with Ted Reardon—a 40+ year insurance veteran, owner of Reardon Insurance (founded in 1920 by his great-grandfather), and managing partner of Virtual Agent Consultants.

Ted shares how he transformed his traditional brick-and-mortar agency into a fully virtual, service-center-driven model—eliminating payroll headaches, slashing overhead, and freeing up time to focus on what really matters: clients and growth.

💡 You’ll learn:

✅ Why hiring qualified staff is nearly impossible—and the bold solution Ted implemented

✅ How shifting client service to carrier service centers increased retention to 93%+

✅ The exact moment he “pulled the trigger” in November 2020—and why it was the best business decision of his life

✅ How operating costs dropped from $2,000/month to just $325

✅ His 4 non-negotiable tips for new agents entering the insurance industry

✅ Why Google reviews and modern tech are non-optional in today’s market

Whether you're an insurance agent, agency owner, or entrepreneur looking to streamline operations and future-proof your business, Ted’s story proves that sometimes, the bravest move is stepping off the ledge—and trusting the net will appear.

What if the key to massive business growth wasn’t selling more… but selling less? In this episode of Small Strides Big Business, we sit down with Jeff Arnold — entrepreneur, founder of two highly successful insurance companies, and acquirer of 40+ agencies — to unpack the mindset shifts that transformed his career. Jeff didn’t start in insurance with a grand vision. In fact, he calls himself a “failed actor.” But through mentorship, discipline, and strategic thinking, he went from self-employed salesperson to true business builder. This conversation is packed with practical insights on delegation, recurring revenue, leadership, and leveraging AI the right way.

Welcome to Small Stride BIG Business Podcast — a podcast where we talk about the ups and downs, what has worked, and what has been great learning experiences, and talks about the trends over the past decade, and what is to come in the world of insurance.

New episodes coming soon. Make sure to follow/subscribe so you don’t miss the launch!