Spot On Insurance

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Natassia Matin is the Founder and CEO of Digital Talent Sherpas, a recruiting firm that helps insurance companies find the right talent for their current and long-term goals. They have a pool of commercial wholesale insurance brokers, account executives, brokerages, and inside brokers. Natassia is also the company’s Talent Sherpa, responsible for streamlining systems focused on talent acquisition.

Natassia joins us to discuss how their company manages to find the right candidate in an industry that’s constantly trying to keep up with the latest in tech and innovation. She shares how she entered the insurance industry and what made her pursue a career in recruitment. She explains the ghosting problem in recruitment and how it worsened in the last decade. Natassia also shares some of the speakers and books that helped elevate her recruiting and networking skills. 

"Recruiting is flawed at two junctures: the recruiter and the feedback." - Natassia Matin

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Natassia was born and what life was like in the Middle East
• What fasting can do for your body
• Campaigning for a job position as a woman
• How Natassia began working in insurance
• The problems in recruiting Natassia has observed in her career
• Why recruiters ghost their candidates
• How AI can help you with recruiting suitable candidates
• Natassia's advice to introverted candidates
• What attracted Natassia to Tony Robbins
• What caused the Great Resignation movement

Key Takeaways:

• 75% of individuals in the insurance industry are over the age of 60.
• Power has shifted from companies to consumers; from employer to candidate.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• Book: Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
• Book: The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program
• Tony Robbins

Connect with Natassia Matin:

• Digital Talent Sherpas
• Digital Talent Sherpas on LinkedIn
• Natassia Matin 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.

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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!

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Luis Pino is the CEO & Founder at Agentero, a company that seeks to empower independent insurance agents with their intelligent and intuitive insurance ecosystem and tools. Luis founded Agentero with the intent of supercharging agents with technology, instead of having it replace them. Before founding Agentero, Luis was part of CoverWallet, a company that allows businesses to obtain commercial insurance quickly. 

Luis joins us to describe Agentero’s purpose and how it can enhance the insurance buying and selling experience. He shares his life growing up in Spain, living across Europe, and how he joined the insurance industry. He discusses his experience as an entrepreneur and shares advice for those who want to start their own business. Luis also explains the importance of understanding data analytics as an agent.

"Technology is here to supercharge agencies, not to replace them." - Luis Pino

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Living all over Europe and Luis' early years in Spain
• How Luis leaped into the insurance world
• Why you don't choose a career in insurance as much as it chooses you
• The experience that helped Luis become a better entrepreneur
• Agentero’s core value and how it develops team culture
• Steps future entrepreneurs can use to succeed in business
• The motivation behind starting Agentero
• The efficiency improvements agencies can expect from Agentero
• Working through the most difficult challenges as an entrepreneur
• Data analytics and its importance in knowing your market as an agent

Key Takeaways:

• Second-time entrepreneurs have an easier time to succeed.
• It's usually insurance that comes up to you – not the other way around.

Connect with Luis Pino:

• Agentero
• Luis Pino 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!

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Judith Pila is an insurance expert, insurance blog writer, and the founder of Insure Africa. Insure Africa is a Nigerian company driving insurance inclusion through literacy, education and awareness across Africa. As the founder, Judith is in charge of leading the company’s strategic plans and their insurtech integration and innovation. Judith is also one of the contributing experts for Insuranceopedia, one of the largest resources for insurance education. 

Judith joins us to discuss the goal of Insure Africa and why she chose a career in insurance. She shares the typical life of a Nigerian child and why being computer literate was a rare attribute. She describes what motivated her to work in insurance and what she learned from being a broker in Canada. She explains why insurance is still a small industry in Africa and what professionals can do to scale the industry. Judith also discusses the importance of quality and empathetic customer service in insurance, where claims can be due to accidents or emergencies.

“It's never been about position but about growth. You have to keep learning. You have to keep growing.” - Judith Pila

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Growing up in a small town in Nigeria and Judith's academic career
• How important learning to use a computer was in Nigeria
• Why Judith wanted to pursue a career in insurance
• Judith's inspiration for getting ahead in life
• Why she was referred to as Speedy Gonzales in her first job
• How the insurance industry in Canada developed since she became a professional
• The motivation behind creating Insure Africa
• Why insurance is still a tiny market in the African continent 
• What Judith believes will improve insurance education in Africa
• Why customer service must be a priority in insurance
• Marketing insurance as a solution without directly saying it
• What's in store for Insure Africa in 2022?
• How Judith got involved in writing for Insuranceopedia

Key Takeaways:

• When dealing with insurance customers, you have to be empathetic.
• As a broker in Canada, you need to be licensed.

Resources Mentioned:

• InsurTech Business Series
• Insuranceopedia
• Ep. 197: Adedamola “Damola” Oloko: Abundant Opportunities in the African Insurance Market

Connect with Judith Pila:

• Insure Africa
• Insure Africa on Instagram
• Insure Africa on Facebook
• Insure Africa on LinkedIn
• Judith Pila 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!

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Jane Wang is the CEO of Optimity, an insurtech company that aims to enrich its clients’ health and wealth knowledge through evidence-based behavioral science and gamification. The Optimity app uses micro-learning quizzes that make learning a fun and engaging experience. With over 17 years of professional experience, Jane is an expert in research and data analysis, particularly in the healthcare and pharmaceuticals industry. 

Jane joins us to discuss what the Optimity app brings to consumers, how they made it exciting to use, and how it promotes the importance of having health insurance. She shares how her mother’s struggle against cancer affected her perspective on health insurance and personal wealth. She discusses the goal of Optimity and how they use gamification to boost client engagement. Jane also describes how their platform teaches users about financial health and what users can expect from Optimity in 2022.

"The richness of data is exactly what carriers need to modernize understanding of their customers and community members." - Jane Wang

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Jane's childhood interests and how they shaped her current career
• Why Jane wanted a career in the pharmaceutical industry
• What inspired Jane to pursue a career in insurance
• How Jane discovered the true value and importance of insurance
• The role of a mortality and morbidity risk specialist
• Optimity's mission and the services they offer
• What users can expect from their platform
• The financial health component of using Optimity
• Engaging customers through gamification
• What customers can expect from Optimity in 2022

Key Takeaways:

• Health insurance should be the first insurance everyone should buy.
• Gamification boosts customer engagement and retainment.

Connect with Jane Wang:

• Optimity
• Optimity for iOS
• Optimity for Android
• Jane Wang 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!

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Timothy Partasevitch is the Chief Growth Officer at SMART IT, a custom software and web development company in Minsk, Belarus. The company provides highly customized services tailored for every client, including application development and product engineering services. Timothy is also an expert in digital marketing, providing strategies and consulting for clients in various industries, including InsurTech. 

Timothy joins us to discuss what SMART IT is, how it was founded, and their services. He shares what growing up in Belarus was like and how studying and graduating in the UK influenced his early career trajectory. He explains what Project Rescue is about and how it can make an otherwise bulky and messy internal system more efficient. Timothy also describes his thoughts on the future of blockchain and the technology he thinks will change how we conduct business forever.

"Innovation's not about technology per se, but the delivery system." - Timothy Partasevitch

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Timothy grew up and what life was like in Belarus
• The experience of moving from Belarus to the UK
• Tim's childhood dreams and why he chose not to pursue them
• Graduating during BREXIT and being an engineer in Belarus
• How being fluent in English helped him find a career as a copywriter in Belarus
• What SMART IT provides to clients
• The marketing strategies and services he offers to clients in InsurTech
• How data is used by SMART IT and the different projects they work on
• What Project Rescue is  and the type of clients that would need it
• Why old banks have "Frankenstein monsters" of a system
• How SMART IT was founded and formed the team of experts it currently has
• Game-changing opportunities available for the insurance industry
• How blockchain will affect the way we conduct business in the future

Key Takeaways:

• The technology that empowers the user will be at the forefront of future industry innovations.
• Blockchain technology is still at its infancy and will likely play a major role in the next big thing, but it won’t be for cryptocurrency.

Connect with Timothy Partasevich:

• SMART IT
• Timothy Partasevitch 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!

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Aaron Mikulsky is the CEO of Love 2 Lead Consulting Services, a business that supports industry leaders in being more effective in their roles while having a more fulfilling career. He is the author of the book L.O.V.E. 2 Lead: A Journey of Self-Reflection, Significance, and Servant Leadership, where he writes about servant leadership and why it’s the only authentic leadership. Aaron also serves as one of the Board of Directors of the HOPE Matters Foundation, a charitable organization based in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Aaron joins us to discuss what a true leader is, what they represent, and how to be more effective at leading. He explains why servant leadership is true leadership and the difference between character and reputation. He explains the three C’s he keeps at the forefront when building a business and what working in different roles has taught him about leadership. He describes the inspiration behind his new book and the lessons readers can expect to learn. Aaron also discusses the big problem in Corporate America today regarding coaches and leadership.

"If you're trying to build your company, you want to focus on the culture." - Aaron Mikulsky

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Aaron's favorite sports in high school
• What Aaron’s teachers did that inspired him to do well in school
• How Aaron entered the insurance industry
• What it's like leading a publicly-traded company
• The three C's Aaron always thinks about when building a business
• Aaron's experience working in different roles that taught him leadership skills
• Aaron's advice for young professionals on getting exposure
• The difference between character and reputation
• How diversity and inclusion factor into leadership culture
• The colossal failure in Corporate America today

Key Takeaways:

• Leaders will be scrutinized whether they’re running a startup or a Fortune 500 company.
• Building culture is integral to achieving a harmonious working atmosphere.
• Leaders should ask to be coached as much as possible if they want to move higher.

Connect with Aaron Mikulsky:

• Love 2 Lead Consulting Services
• Aaron Mikulsky on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]
• Book: L.O.V.E. 2 Lead: A Journey of Self-Reflection, Significance, and Servant Leadership

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!

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SOI252 - Client Retention Starts with Claims Experience

John Bachmann is the Vice President of Client Relations at Norwood Insurance Agency, a full-service independent insurance agency serving individuals, families, and businesses since 1868. John’s role as Vice President is to ensure clients and their respective adjusters are adequately protected and served. He is also the author of the recently published book Successful Adjuster's Playbook: The Secret Skills for Providing the Best Claims Experience, where he writes about everything a new and veteran adjuster should know about their role in the industry.

John joins us to discuss the best practices in client retention - especially from the claims and adjusting perspective. He shares his experience as a sports coach and how it affected his career in insurance and the one claim that made him realize he loved his job. He explains why he believes soft skills should be called hard skills and describes the soft skills that bring the best out of any claims professional. John also discusses how the pandemic shifted the industry’s perspective, especially from the claims point of view.

"The only thing we're selling as insurance professionals is: if something really bad happens, we promise to be there." - John Bachmann

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• John's favorite hobbies and sports teams
• How John started his insurance career and his experience in claims processing
• How his coaching experience affected his career in insurance
• The legacy claim that made him passionate about insurance
• Why soft skills are some of the most complex skills to learn
• Changing the perception that the claims department is a claims center
• The critical skills that differentiate a claims professional
• Mastering the Big 3 skills in insurance
• The impact of COVID-19 on insurance claims

Key Takeaways:

• Having coaching experience can enable you to be competitive in any industry.
• Soft skills are some of the most difficult skills to learn.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Whale Done! By Ken Blanchard

Connect with John Bachmann:

• Norwood Insurance
• Book: Successful Adjuster's Playbook: The Secret Skills for Providing the Best Claims Experience (IA Playbook)
• IA Path
• John Bachmann 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!

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Rahim Rajpar is the CMO & Co-Founder of Plum Life, a company that provides insurance advisors with an innovative platform fitted with tools and other resources to simplify the process of selling insurance. The platform seamlessly integrates everything involved in a transaction, from quoting to application to issue. Plum Life was born in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, capitalizing on the accelerated surge of digital services and online meetings. Rahim is also a thought-leader and speaks on customer engagement and business digital enablement.

Rahim joins us to discuss how Plum Life enhances the customer-advisor experience. We discuss some of his career milestones and the dream that led to the founding of Plum Life. He explains how COVID-19 changed the insurance landscape and what studies currently show on working in a purely online environment. He describes the emotional rollercoaster a customer experiences when looking for and purchasing insurance. Rahim also explains how the Plum Life platform helps insurance advisors with the follow-up process.

"We need advisors spending less time processing business and more time finding new clients for it." - Rahim Rajpar

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Rahim's childhood in Kenya and when they migrated to Canada
• Pursuing a career in financial services during the tech boom
• Some of the early roles in Rahim's insurance career
• How Plum Life started and what they wanted to represent
• What Plum Life is doing to arm advisors with digital resources
• Why Rajim considers advisors as customers
• Tracking the emotional mindset of a customer as they go through the buying journey
• How their platform helps both advisors and customers
• The different tools and resources available on the Plum Life platform - especially for the follow-up process
• The hard work they put into building their platform

Key Takeaways:

• COVID-19 has accelerated the digital leap in insurance
• Technology is all about making processes efficient
• Life insurance, overall, is an amazing business - but it’s going to be a dying business if we don’t adapt.
• Technology can augment the relationship between an advisor and their client.

Connect with Rahim Rajpar:

• Plum Life
• Plum Life on LinkedIn
• Rahim Rajpar 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!

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Henry Daas is a Personal Finance Coach, Realtor, and Serial Entrepreneur. He is the author of the book FQ: Financial Intelligence, where he writes about every aspect of managing your personal finances and shares over 40 years of investing and spending wisdom. As a finance coach, Henry teaches clients to have more confidence in investing, the best practices for wealth management, and how to avoid the common mistakes people make when managing their finances.

Henry joins us today to discuss how business leaders should prepare for their retirement, especially after selling their business. He describes his experience with working in IT, how he immersed himself in Wall Street, and what made him settle for a career in personal finance coaching. He explains some of the best practices regarding risk management, long-term investments, and the five reasons many businesses fail. Henry also shares what readers can expect from his book and why he believes the Fear Of Missing Out is the biggest money trap of all.

"If you're in the insurance business, your business is to manage risk." - Henry Daas

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Growing up in the state of New York and comparing Brooklyn and Manhattan
• How Henry decided what program to pursue in college
• Having the opportunity to work on systems for Wall Street
• Transitioning from IT and programming to the financial industry
• The piece of advice Henry would give to young professionals experiencing an unstable economy
• Henry's advice regarding risks and the stock market
• The common mistakes Henry sees entrepreneurs make
• Managing risks between being an entrepreneur and staying in corporate
• What Henry believes are the five reasons businesses fail
• Why Henry is a fan of buying "fallen" companies
• What inspired Henry to start his consulting business
• Henry's thoughts on cryptomarkets and why he won't trade them
• Real estate investments you should make today
• Why business leaders should learn to obsolete themselves
• Doing your due diligence on your business and your life after you exit
• Making sure you have a legacy left after you sell your business
• The story behind Henry's latest book and what readers can expect
• What Henry believes is the biggest money trap and the "Greater Fool" theory

Key Takeaways:

• Your businesses will run better if you start best practices at a very early age
• It’s wise to take your time and learn how to run a business before you start one.
• If you have to convince people they need your product - you're done.

Connect with Henry Daas:

• Henry Daas official website
• Henry Daas on LinkedIn
• Book: FQ: Financial Intelligence

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 SpotOn

Michael Mensch is the President of Agency Brokerage Consultants, an experienced consulting firm that provides service to those looking to acquire or sell insurance agencies across the United States. Their services include agency market valuations, M&A consulting, and agency sale brokerage. Michael has aided in over 200 M&A transactions and over 1,200 valuations of insurance agencies and brokerages across the United States. He is an active member of the IBBA and M&A Source, a Certified Business Intermediary, and a Certified Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary. 

Brenda Sali is the Senior M&A Advisor at Agency Brokerage Consultants. She has worked full-time with the company since 2018. Before joining Agency Brokerage, Brenda owned and operated the vacation rental property management company, BLSali Enterprises, Inc. and has served in executive leadership roles at a variety of companies. Brenda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Regina and holds a certificate for Business Intermediary from Central Florida Business Brokers.

Michael and Brenda join us today to discuss how hiring a Mergers & Acquisitions advisor can facilitate a smoother transaction when selling your company or entertaining buyers. They share the pros and cons of doing it independently versus hiring an advisor. They explain the processes involved when you put your company on the market and what happens when you receive multiple offers. They also discuss seller confidentiality, how to properly let the staff know the company will be changing owners, and the emotional side of each transaction.

"Confidentiality is imperative when someone is selling their business." - Brenda Sali

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• What drew Michael to the mergers and acquisitions sector in insurance
• Brenda's experience in Canada and why she wanted to be a pharmacist
• The pros and cons of selling a business on your own versus working with a Mergers & Acquisitions expert
• The purpose of the pre-due diligence process in a transaction
• Why Michael's team conducts due diligence of sellers
• The importance of the seller to list the names of potential buyers
• Maintaining seller confidentiality until it's time to sell
• How to tell the employees the company is being sold without ushering panic
• What transactions were like pre-COVID, during COVID, and post-COVID
• Why Brenda is adamant about controlling everything that goes on in a transaction
• Deal fatigue, buyer frustrations, and the pitfalls of keeping the process too long
• Managing the emotional part of selling a company or choosing a buyer
• Why you don't want to negotiate with various buyers throughout the process

Key Takeaways:

• It's better to put your company on the market before you sell it.
• Hiring an M&A expert can fast track the selling of your company while taking the stress away from you.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 50: 6 Steps to Selling Your Agency with Michael Mensch

Connect with Michael Mensch:

• Agency Brokerage Consultants
• Michael Mensch on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (321) 255 1309

Connect with Brenda Sali:

• Brenda Sali 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!