Spot On Insurance

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for SpotOn

Mick Hunt is the CEO of Premier Strategy Box, a strategy service provider that provides turn-key solutions for agencies wanting growth, management, and better profitability. He has over 18 years of experience and has successfully provided marketing expertise for various financial and insurance institutions. As CEO, Mick specializes in business development & networking, lead generation & digital platforms, CRMs, databases, agency management systems, and data analytics.

Mick joins us to discuss how leaders should treat their businesses, and how much time and money they should put into strategizing. He explains how having a competitive mindset sets companies up for success. He discusses different marketing strategies and why email campaigns are still good lead sources. Mick also shares the importance of establishing a good and well-executed customer onboarding experience and why it’s critical to deliver pain statements to attract clients.

"You're not in the insurance business; you're in the business of your niche markets." - Mick Hunt

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Mick grew up, his favorite sports, and his educational experience
• Why Mick wanted to work in insurance
• How much Mick knew about insurance before he joined the industry
• How a competitive mindset enables business success
• The challenges Mick faced when he started an agency
• Why Mick believes producers aren't in the insurance business
• What Premiere Strategy Box is about and the services they offer
• The best place to start your marketing campaign
• The importance of developing producers in your organization
• What the new customer onboarding experience is all about
• Learning to deliver pain statements to attract clients

Key Takeaways:

• If your salespeople aren't competitive, they're not going to make it.
• Agencies are just doing marketing, but have nothing to do with who their ideal client is.
• People don’t go out shopping for insurance; they buy it when they need to.
• Having a mindset of being the best opens the path for success.

Resources Mentioned:

• Patrick Bet-David Interview with Kobe Bryant
• Ep. 103: How an Insurance Pro Prepares for the Next Market Crash

Connect with Mick Hunt:

• Premiere Strategy Box
• Mick Hunt on LinkedIn
• Email:[email protected]

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

Ryan Sachtjen is the Co-Founder and CEO of ThreeFlow, a company that’s described to be the first Benefits Placement System exclusively designed for employer benefits brokers & carriers. Ryan founded ThreeFlow to help eliminate administrative complexities that dominate the buying, selling, and managing of insurance products and services. Their goal is to streamline workflows between employer clients, brokers, and carriers. Before founding ThreeFlow, Ryan served as the Senior Stop Loss Specialist at Sun Life Financial, one of the largest insurance companies in the world. 

Ryan joins us to discuss what ThreeFlow mission and the problems he wishes to solve in the insurance industry. He shares his experience in the corporate world, working with one of the largest insurance companies and explains the importance of intentionality when you want to launch a new product in any industry. Ryan discusses how ThreeFlow benefited from the pandemic, their growth rate, and how many people work with them now compared to two years ago. Ryan also shares his thoughts on where he believes legacy carriers are currently heading in regards to growth strategies.

“Efficiency unlocks growth, growth unlocks workflows, and all those workflows unlocks intelligence.” - Ryan Sachtjen

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Ryan grew up, his childhood, and how he found his path to insurance
• Ryan's passion for fishing and the best way to fish for musky
• What Ryan observed about the employer benefits space
• Transitioning from the corporate world to building a tech startup
• The frustrations Ryan experienced while being part of a large company
• What ThreeFlow is and the products they offer
• Being intentional in the products and services your company provides
• How the pandemic accelerated their business growth
• What Ryan observed with transition rates between carriers in the last two years
• Ryan's thoughts on where legacy carriers are headed in terms of growth strategies

Key Takeaways:

• Growing and learning is key.
• Big companies are stable and allow for growth, but they can be rigid on how fast you can grow.

Connect with Ryan Sachtjen:

• ThreeFlow
• Ryan Sachtjen on LinkedIn

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

Michael Zalle is the CEO & Founder of YellowBird, a tech platform that helps businesses fill their environmental, safety, and health roles. They pride themselves on making it easy to sign up as a professional or business owner. Michael has extensive tech experience in the safety, health, and environmental markets. He’s a serial entrepreneur who built and successfully exited multiple companies over the last 25 years. Being a disabled person himself, Michael is also a Certified (8a) Disability Owned Business Enterprise Founder.

Michael joins us to discuss what YellowBird is and the recruitment services they offer. He shares how he made his way into the insurance industry and how he didn’t let his disability get in the way of his dreams. He explains how YellowBird thrived during COVID-19, how they make sure their clients comply with OSHA, and the one hiring mistake that forced them to change their system. Michael also shares his thoughts on diversity and being a platform that acts on the problems detected by hundreds of insurance software.

"We’re not a staffing company. We have talent-on-demand."- Michael Zalle

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• The physical challenges that allowed Michael to develop in particular ways
• Not treating his disability as a burden
• Michael's thoughts on diversity in the workplace
• What drew Michael to the insurance industry
• The challenges YellowBird solves
• How YellowBird ensures clients comply with OSHA
• Where the name YellowBird came from
• What it's like to be a disability-owned organization
• How they got some tailwind during COVID-19
• The most challenging event their organization experienced

Key Takeaways:

• Safety doesn't sleep, so don’t hire people who might disappear when you need them the most.

Resources Mentioned:

• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

Connect with Michael Zalle:

• YellowBird
• YellowBird on Twitter
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

Chris Senkbile is the Founder & CEO of Project Ferro, a commercial policyholder platform founded by brokers for brokers. They offer various products and solutions for brokerages, providers, and policyholders with the goal of improving renewal speeds by up to 75%. Chris began his insurance career in 2014 and has been named as one of the Insurance Business America’s Rising Stars in 2020. He is also the VP and Risk Consultant with UNICO Group, an insurance brokerage in Nebraska.

Chris joins us to describe how Project Ferro got started and the problem they want to solve in insurance. He explains how Project Ferro can speed up renewals and help clients be more efficient in processing data. He discusses what it was like to start Project Ferro in the middle of the pandemic and where they expect to see themselves in five years. Chris also shares the number one challenge for brokerages and what sets Project Ferro apart from their competition.

"The more we focus on creating solutions for the policyholder to engage with insurance, the more they get efficient in terms of processing information." - Chris Senkbile

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Chris' life as a country boy driving tractors
• Why Chris is fond of being active, playing sports, and manual labor
• How basketball paved the way for Chris to join insurance
• The origin story of Project Ferro's name
• What clients praise their company for
• The number one challenge for brokerages
• What sets Project Ferro apart from the competition
• Having a bootstrap mindset as a company
• Being selected in the Future Fellows Program
• Where Chris expects Project Ferro to be in five years

Key Takeaways:

• The true value of a business is client retention.
• A lot of processes in insurance are repetitive.
• You have to identify what needs to be fixed in your chosen industry.
• Clients care about the value you bring, not the amount of paper you push in the brokerage.

Resources Mentioned:

• ITC Vegas 2022
• Ferro Leads The Charge In Insurtech Innovation

Connect with Chris Senkbile:

• Project Ferro
• UNICO Group
• Project Ferro on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

Jamie Peers is the VP of Business Development and Partnerships at Synatic, a platform that offers ETL and powerful data integration. They work by modernizing and optimizing your company’s data management structure to keep you ahead of the competition. In his role, Jamie excels in improving business efficiency and is responsible for strategic partnerships. He has over 20 years of experience in the SaaS industry, works closely with sales and marketing teams, and is in charge of process implementation.

Jamie joins us to discuss how Synatic revitalizes the way a business approaches its data, particularly its unused data. He shares what it was like to grow up in South Africa during the apartheid era and  how the business atmosphere shifted after the era ended. He explains how Synatic works for data integration and describes what it takes to properly solve a company’s data needs. He shares the common pain points their clients experience and what happens when they get a contract started. Jamie also explains how their company creates order out of the data of chaos and the nature of incremental growth as human beings.

"Pick the thing that's creating the most chaos and you fix it." - Jamie Peers

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• What it's like growing up in South Africa during the era of apartheid
• The business atmosphere in South Africa post-apartheid
• Working with aggregated and integrated data
• The complexities involved in solving your data needs
• Pain points their clients experience and the onboarding process
• How their software evolved with the requirements of their customers
• Creating order out of the data of chaos
• The nature of incremental growth as a human

Key Takeaways

• There are a lot of data security software and companies out there, so it’s important you know what works best for your needs.
• Insurance agencies need more than small integration packages.
• You need to go on a journey to solve your data needs.

Resources Mentioned:

• ITC Vegas

Connect with Jamie Peers:

• Synatic
• Jamie Peers on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

William Gammon is the Principal Owner and Founder of Gammon & Associates. He helps serious business owners grow their list of clients, improve sales, and generate more revenue and profits quickly and efficiently. William is recognized for helping his clients exponentially grow their bottom line within 12 months without working more hours. With over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, William has honed his craft for building businesses and growing their leaders. He specializes in sales, marketing strategy, and individual and group coaching.

William joins us to discuss the three cornerstones of a successful business. He shares how he discovered the benefits of coaching while playing chess against a grandmaster and discusses the best way for a company to stay afloat, especially during financial disruptions like COVID-19 or the Russia-Ukraine war. He explains the best way leaders can kickstart their marketing strategies and the importance of being transparent about risks, rewards, and business results. William also shares his wisdom on why more success often equates to more giving back.

"One of the things losing teaches you is how to win." - William Gammon

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• William's childhood and the moment his father asked him to move across the globe
• How William learned the importance of coaching from chess players
• William's chess skills and highlights
• How William got started in business coaching
• What William believes are the three cornerstones of a successful business
• The best way to turn clients into friends
• Being transparent about risks, rewards, and business results
• Why you should change your strategy with the times
• How business leaders should kickstart their marketing
• William's advice to those who are unsure about where they are professionally

Key Takeaways:

• If you're not getting enough leads, you're not fishing in the right pond.
• Sometimes we don't see what's coming, but when it's here, we need to recognize it and be open to creating ways to do what's right.
• The biggest building block in any business is underpromising and overdelivering.

Connect with William Gammon:

• Gammon & Associates
• William Gammon on LinkedIn

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

Jeff Radke is the Co-Founder and CEO of Accelerant, an insurance carrier that works exclusively with MGAs and Program Administrators. The company differentiates itself with what they refer to as aggressive transparency in each step of the process. Jeff has over 30 years of experience working in the insurance and reinsurance spaces and has held various C-suite positions across five international markets. Before co-founding Accelerant, he worked with Argo Group International Holdings for over ten years, holding the position of Group Head of Strategic Initiatives for the last two.

Jeff joins us to describe what makes Accelerant unique from other carriers and what having aggressive transparency means. He shares what he learned as an intern at Guy Carpenter and how those lessons and experiences led him to where he is today. He explains Accelerant’s focus market and why they specifically cater to niche needs. Jeff also discusses his thoughts on data, the future of insurtech, and why their ideal member is a man named Stan.

"Portfolios lose their way. They don't stay on the straight and narrow without a lot of effort." - Jeff Radke

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Jeff's childhood, his favorite hobbies, and how he found a career in insurance
• What Jeff learned from interning at Guy Carpenter
• Why Jeff liked working in the reinsurance industry
• The niche businesses they serve
• What Accelerant is  and why they specialize in niche categories
• How technology paved the way for their existing business model
• Where the name "Accelerant" came from
• What Jeff believes will be the future of insurtech
• Why insurance is more expensive than it needs to be
• Jeff's thoughts on the underutilization of data
• Who their ideal member is and why it's named Stan

Key Takeaways:

• It's not okay for the data to be buried and rendered unusable.
• Lack of data transparency indirectly makes insurance expensive.

Connect with Jeff Radke:

• Accelerant
• Phone: (210) 452 0249

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

Ty Harris is the CEO & Co-Founder of Openly, an insurance company that provides premium homeowners insurance products. They have a unique, cutting-edge platform for independent agents that allows them to obtain a quote in just 15 seconds. Before starting Openly, Ty was part of Liberty Mutual Insurance for over 12 years, with eight years as Vice President of various departments. At Liberty, he led multiple pricing, product, innovation, and underwriting programs. He is also a fully-credentialed actuary.

Ty joins us to describe how Openly distinguishes itself from competitors and how its system can produce quotes in 15 seconds. He shares his thoughts on flights, his passion for debates, and why he founded Openly. He explains the difficulties of finding your first investor and how it gets more accessible. He discusses how COVID-19 has shifted various industries to adopt hybrid working conditions and its effects on commercial spaces. Ty also explains why they built their platform for agents even though both consumers and agents can use it.

"I want to minimize the number of times a human being has to go out and see a claim and disturb the customer as part of it." - Ty Harris

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Ty's thoughts on the current price of flights
• Ty's passion for debates and how he raises his kids
• When Ty gravitated toward being an entrepreneur
• The reason Ty started Openly
• Ty's career before he founded Openly
• What was lacking in the homeowner's market?
• Openly's remote-first approach to work
• How they managed their funding when they were starting the company
• How commercial spaces are being turned into residential units
• The future of dog insurance and claims
• The agent experience on the Openly platform
• Why they are agent-centric as a company

Key Takeaways:

• If you're not careful, you can end up with coverage that doesn't cover certain exposures.
• Finding the first investor is always the hardest in starting a company.

Connect with Ty Harris:

• Openly
• Ty Harris on LinkedIn

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

James Benham is an entrepreneur, technologist, pilot, speaker, CEO, and podcast host. He is the Co-Founder of TerraClaim, a company that offers the latest cross-industry data analytics and benchmarking solutions. He also co-founded SmartCompliance, a tracking software that streamlines everyday processes by insurance professionals and is the host of The Insuretech Geek podcast, a show dedicated to the latest insurance technology news and innovations. 

James joins us to describe business management best practices, especially regarding short and long-term goals. He shares what it was like growing up in Louisiana with Luddite parents, where his passion for programming started, and how it ultimately led to pursuing an insurance career. He discusses the future of claims management and how AI can streamline the various processes involved. James also describes the emotional rollercoaster of selling a business and shares his best advice on how to handle it.

"You have to have a system that's prepared to handle a lot of unstructured data and structured data, and give you easy access to it." - James Benham

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• What it was like growing up in Louisiana and being raised by Luddite parents
• How James found his passion for programming
• Pursuing a career in the insurance industry
• Why James always wanted to play the guitar
• Identifying when it’s the right time to sell a business
• Why you become wiser after a recession
• What James learned from his first start-up
• The type of challenges James’ team helps their clients solve
• The future of claims management
• Improving existing claims technology and data analytics
• What "Building Mad Scientists" is all about
• Why no one actually has ‘spare time’
• James' advice for effective business management

Key Takeaways:

• Every claims adjuster out there applies discretion to everything they do.
• You have to focus on the problems your company needs to address, not the next shiny object.
• It tests your mettle when you're starting a business, especially when you’re barely breaking even.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneurs’ Organization
• MCAI Speaker Series - James Benham "Building Mad Scientists: Disrupt your Company with Technological Innovation"

Connect with James Benham:

• James Benham Official Website
• JBKnowledge
• TerraClaim
• SmartCompliance
• The Insuretech Geek Podcast
• James Benham on Twitter
• James Benham on LinkedIn
• James Benham on Facebook

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!

Apple Podcasts Rate and Review for Spot On Insurance

William Herkelrath is the Managing Director for Chainlink Labs, a fintech company that provides blockchain-based oracle solutions. They aim to help usher in a future where every contract is fair, transparent, and efficient. William has over 28 years of experience in sales, business development, and commercialization. His role as Managing Director revolves around product development, analytics, market planning and positioning, and team management. 

William joins us today to discuss how blockchain will affect how every industry does transactions in the next few years. He shares how the renewable energy industry will capitalize on blockchain technology. He explains how Chainlink’s blockchain-based solutions work and the clients they can help. He describes how cryptocurrency enables more efficient logistics solutions than we have today. William also divulges what still excites him about blockchain.

"Blockchain is being used in private forms, but it's also being used in public forms like insurance policies." - William Herkelrath

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• How William's childhood revolved around tech
• Why William didn't want to pursue a career in tech and his current profession
• What working overseas taught William
• What Chainlink Labs is all about
• How blockchain will help streamline the insurance industry
• How farmers can benefit from Chainlink's services
• The uses of blockchain for logistics and supply chains
• What excites William about the blockchain
• How crypto can be a revolutionary concept in developing countries
• The future of solar energy insurance
• How William sees the future of blockchain and carbon insurance policies

Key Takeaways:

• Blockchain can become a genuine source of truth in any transaction.
• Sooner or later, every company will have to publicize their carbon footprint.

Resources Mentioned:

• NFTree

Connect with William Herkelrath:

• Chainlink Labs
• William Herkelrath on Twitter
• William Herkelrath on LinkedIn

This episode was brought to you by…..

Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com.

Connect, Learn, Share

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!