Spot On Insurance

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Matt Essick is the Chief Marketing Officer at Ensight, a tech company that offers SaaS-based sales acceleration solutions that allow the selling of annuities and insurance to be more profitable, more straightforward, and visually appealing. As CMO, Matt’s responsibilities include overseeing its planning, development, and execution of strategies that drive value towards their customers and business partners. Matt also specializes in working in complex sectors such as digital health, financial services, and BioTech. 

Matt joins us to explain what Ensight is, its services, and what sets them apart from the competition. He shares what it was like being in the middle of the 2008 crash and the lessons he learned from the experience. He discusses what inspired him to join the insurance industry and what made him continue his career in insurance. He discusses how industries can further improve their marketing to attract the average consumer and youth into becoming interested in and pursuing a career in insurance. Matt also explains some of Ensight’s products, what they do, and how they can boost sales.

"As society changes, insurance changes, and that's what's so refreshing." - Matt Essick

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Seeing the tech space crash in 2008 and Matt's mindset while experiencing it
• What Matt learned after the tech industry recovered
• How Matt entered the insurance industry
• Why insurance is essentially a risk sector
• Taking advantage of digitization to make insurance more youth-friendly
• The products Matt offers to clients and what they do
• What Matt calls the ‘Millennial Financial Services Model’
• The most mind-blowing technology Matt has seen in recent years

Key Takeaways:

• Being digital and on the cloud will become the new normal in any industry.
• Millennials and Gen-Xers now make up most of the workforce.
• Insurance needs to appeal to the youth more than it does today.

Connect with Matt Essick:

• Ensight
• Matt Essick 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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Brad Ruben is the President of Archway Computer, an IT service provider that explicitly markets to insurance agencies. They offer services that streamline and automate your agency’s everyday tasks and provide solutions against cybersecurity threats. Brad has over 30 years of experience in insurance computer technology and has developed a new approach to preventive maintenance called Managed Services. 

Brad joins us today to discuss how his passion for computer programming began and the role of IT in various mergers & acquisitions transactions. He describes the common pitfalls of agencies regarding cybersecurity and why he views passwords as an archaic means of protection. He explains what Managed Services is and how it’s different from a simple preventive maintenance program. Brad also discusses the services they offer and what their free IT assessment displays for the clients.

"Managed Services is about preventing problems from happening before they happen." - Brad Ruben

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Brad's early days and why he's lucky his best friend's father wasn't a doctor
• Brad's passion for computers and programming and how it started
• Brad's role in mergers & acquisitions and some of its challenges
• The services Brad renders to clients
• Defining the terms ‘Patch Tuesday’ and ‘Exploit Wednesday’
• Managed services and how they benefit insurance agencies
• The common cyber vulnerabilities of agencies
• Why Brad looks forward to the day we no longer use passwords
• The advantage of storing your programs and data in the cloud
• Can using Archway services increase computer costs?
• What Archway Computer’s IT assessment service shows their clients

Key Takeaways:

• Cybercrime is a huge issue, six times greater than all the drug cartels in the world.
• One of the biggest attack vectors today is Office 365.

Connect with Brad Ruben:

• Archway Computer
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: (805) 469-4510
• Brad Ruben 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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Deborah “Deb” Smallwood is the Founder and Senior Partner at Strategy Meets Action (SMA), a ReSourcePro company. SMA is a strategic advisory business that provides consultation services, market research, and solutions to help clients make informed decisions about their companies. She is recognized as an industry thought leader and advisor to insurers on digital transformation strategies. Before founding SMA, Deb was the Chief Transformation Officer at Insurance Company of the West.

Deb joins us to discuss how the pandemic exposed every industry's digital weaknesses and the investments companies should make for 2022. She describes how the Great Resignation affects various industries and how we can improve the way insurance jobs are marketed to young people. She explains her role as Senior Partner at ReSourcePro and her exit strategy before they sold SMA. Deb also shares advice to professionals who are doubting their capabilities as talents in the industry.

"If you have clarity about where you're going and what's important to your customers and operations, you put a new lens to prioritize." - Deb Smallwood

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• What it was like growing up in New Hampshire
• The leadership qualities Deb cultivated in school
• Being a female leader in a male-dominated industry
• The growing opportunities in insurance
• What made Deb leave corporate and pursue entrepreneurship
• How the industry changed and stayed the same since she became an entrepreneur
• Texting and how it innovated the way claims are made
• What Deb observed with various businesses when the pandemic began last March
• How the industry is dealing with the Great Resignation
• Making the insurance industry an attractive employment destination to students
• Crucial 2022 investments strategies insurance companies should take now
• Deb's role as Senior Partner at ReSourcePro
• Having an exit strategy as an entrepreneur
• What the average SMA client looks like and the conversations Deb has with them
• Deb's advice to professionals in insurance

Key Takeaways:

• Everyone, regardless of their role, has to understand some level of technology.
• The pandemic exposed how non-digital we really were.
• Texting is transforming customer relationships and claims with claims adjusters.

Connect with Deb Smallwood:

• Strategy Meets Action
• Strategy Meets Action on LinkedIn
• Deb Smallwood  on LinkedIn
• Email: dsmallwood@strategymeetsaction
• Phone: (603) 770-9090

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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Rob Stansbury is the Director of Sales at KPA, a company that provides solutions that help identify, fix, and reduce workplace safety and compliance issues. His responsibilities as Director include helping insurance brokers grow and retain their insured base by addressing workplace risks, lowering number of incidents, and reducing costs. His extensive experience allowed Rob to specialize in regulatory compliance across many industries. 

Rob joins us to discuss workplace safety, the new technologies available, and the cost of acquiring a new client. He discusses his childhood, the education he earned, and why he pursued a career in insurance. He explains the importance of communicating workplace safety and the key takeaways many businesses have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. He describes why smaller agencies should differentiate rather than keep up with more prominent companies. Rob also shares how KPA started, its humble beginnings, and the services they currently offer.

"Everyone needs to grow - we get it - but retention is paramount." - Rob Stansbury

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Growing up near Philadelphia, moving to New York, and how Rob’s career initially began
• Why Rob joined the insurance industry
• The business lessons we've learned from COVID-19
• How the employment landscape has changed in the last few years
• How insurance companies can better communicate the importance of workplace safety
• New safety technologies Rob has seen being deployed in the field
• The average cost to acquire a new client in the insurance industry
• Technology currently available and why they're not always utilized
• How smaller agencies can differentiate themselves from the bigger competition
• How KPA began, its history, and the services it offers today

Key Takeaways:

• It's 9-10 times more expensive for a broker to acquire a new client than it is to retain.
• The landscape has undeniably changed both at the employer level and the broker & carrier level.

Connect with Rob Stansbury:

• KPA
• Rob Stansbury on LinkedIn
• Email:
• Phone:

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

Jim Schubert is the CEO of Southern States Insurance, an independent insurance agency serving those in the Georgia and Florida region. He is the creator of Agents Growth Academy and host of the Agents Growth Academy podcast. The Agents Growth Academy is an online resource designed to help agents and agency owners take their growth to the next level. Jim is also an avid photographer specializing in landscape photography. He runs Schubert Photography, where he provides tools, articles, and videos on taking and editing photos, and which gear to buy.

Jim joins us to discuss his entrepreneurial spirit and why he started Agents Growth Academy. He shares his experience as a teacher and what led him to join the insurance industry. He explains the complexities behind acquisitions and culture, the five critical components of every organization, and the significance of upholding your company’s core values at all times. Jim also discusses the Entrepreneurial Operating System, what it’s about, and how he implements it in his agency.

"When you make acquisitions, you’re bringing on different cultures." - Jim Schubert

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Jim grew up and why he wanted to be a teacher
• Jim's first days as a professional teacher and why he left the industry
• Why Jim chose to pursue a career in insurance
• How his father influenced Jim's career decisions
• Jim's initial responsibilities in his father's agency
• Why acquisitions can be tricky when it comes to work culture
• Jim's thoughts on the book Traction by Gino Wickman
• The five key components of every single organization
• What Jim believes is the problem with organizational charts
• What the Entrepreneurial Operating System is about
• How you can uphold accountability in your agency
• Hiring, retaining, and firing people based on core values
• What establishing core values has done for Jim's agency
• The changes Jim enacted since he led the company
• What agents and agency owners can expect to receive from Jim's AGA program

Key Takeaways:

• You cannot grow to a level you want to grow with just some mediocre organization put in place.
• Defining core values can help you make more informed decisions more often.
• Everyone should be focused on positively reinforcing one another.

Resources Mentioned:

• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
• Radical Candor
• Billy Potter
• Entrepreneurial Operating System

Connect with Jim Schubert:

• Southern States Insurance
• Schubert Photography
• Agents Growth Academy
• Agents Growth Academy Podcast
• Jim Schubert 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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Tim Metzner is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Coterie, a company that promises to help insurance agents quote and issue policies in minutes. They have a tech-based approach to business insurance that utilizes data-driven automation which helps provide accurate and affordable coverage without the hassle. Tim has over 20 years of experience working with various startups, wearing the shoes of a director, vice president, as well as a startup investor. 

Tim joins us to discuss how entrepreneurship can be a force for good and why he believes we will coexist with technology instead of technology replacing humanity. He explains the problem in small commercial insurance and how Coterie solves this issue. He highlights ways an agent might use the platform and the type of data it can automate. Tim also shares the importance of building a strong team culture and the value of listening to your front office teams to improve your business.

"Technology can enable us to be more efficient, more effective, and have more time in other areas of our lives." - Tim Metzner

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Why Tim didn't like working in the corporate world
• How entrepreneurship can be a force for good
• Tim's views on co-existing with technology
• The problems Tim believes are an issue in the commercial insurance space
• Why we sold ILSA to ResourcePro
• Why small commercial insurance can be a complex industry
• Tim's sources of data and how an agent can use them
• The culture Tim created at Differential and Coterie
• Listening to your team members to improve your business systems

Key Takeaways:

• You can make your own path in this technological world.
• Listening to your frontline is vital to a business.

Connect with Tim Metzner:

• Coterie Insurance
• Tim Metzner on LinkedIn
• Tim Meztner on Twitter
• 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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Bill Conners is the CEO of ForMotiv, a company that provides tools capable of delivering real-time user intent scoring by analyzing a customer’s digital behavior when they engage with online applications and forms. As CEO, Bill specializes in sales, market research, marketing strategy, and sales processes. Woody Klemmer is ForMotiv's Head of Growth and is responsible for being on top of the company’s growth strategies. 

Bill and Woody join us to share how ForMotiv can give companies an edge with data gathered from a user’s ‘digital body language.’ They discuss how most communication is non-verbal and how their tool works in understanding a user's motive and intent. They explain the need for understanding digital human behavior in today’s faceless digital interactions. They also describe the different approaches they take when working with foreign countries and their regulatory requirements.

"90% of the human language is body language." - Bill Conners

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Woody's entrepreneurial spirit and how he would describe Bill's sports talent 
• Why Bill started a career in insurance
• The body language they analyze with real-time machine learning
• Reading a person's ‘digital body language’ when applying for insurance
• How critical is it to capture the customer intent in today's digital industry?
• Regulatory requirements in the US compared to other countries they work with globally

Key Takeaways:

• People respect what you inspect.
• Only 2% of life insurance policies are online. There’s a long way to go as far as direct-to consumer and digital distribution goes.

Connect with Bill Conners:

• ForMotiv
• Bill Conners on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Woody Klemmer:

• Woody Klemmer 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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Sanjeev Kumar Chaudhry is the Founder & CEO of Gigaforce, a company that provides a SaaS-based platform focused on expediting subrogation, salvage processing, and recovery for insurance. Sanjeev has over 30 years of entrepreneurial and advising/mentoring experience in the tech industry. Kevin May is the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for providing innovative solutions to existing processes. Prior to joining the Gigaforce leadership team, Kevin served as the VP of Product Innovation - Subrogation at Verisk Claims, the President of Amali Solutions Group, and the CEO of Recclaim Software Solutions and Acclaim Resource Partners respectively.

Sanjeev and Kevin join us to discuss what a distributed ledger platform is (DLT) and how blockchain technology can revitalize the way the industry transacts with clients. Sanjeev shares what it was like to grow up in India, the time he moved to the US, and how he became a serial entrepreneur. Kevin describes his extensive experience in subrogation and what made him focus on such a niche industry. They explain how much automation a DLT can provide a business and what happens when DLT is applied to a company that already runs a complex AI-platform. They also discuss how Gigaforce helps its clients and what we can expect from them in the future.

"Distributed Ledger Technology is going to be what the internet is to us today." - Kevin May

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where we met Kevin and how long it's been since we last saw each other
• Who Sanjeev is, his life in India, and how his career in the US began
• How ‘niche’ subrogation is in the insurance industry
• Kevin's longtime experience in subrogation and why he never left this type of work
• What Sanjeev thinks of blockchain
• What a distributed ledger is and how cryptocurrency plays into it
• Why we should understand what subrogation means
• Kevin's thoughts on how blockchain changes the way we communicate
• How DLT can improve the efficiency of a business with an AI system
• How safe DLT is when it comes to data security
• What companies need to do to determine if DLT is worth the investment
• What Gigaforce does and how they significantly impact their clients' businesses
• What the future looks like for Gigaforce

Key Takeaways:

• Distributed Ledger platforms can automate 70% of a subrogation claim.

Connect with Sanjeev Kumar Chaudhry:

• Sanjeev Kumar on LinkedIn
• Phone: (408) 314-2210
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Kevin May:

• Gigaforce
• Kevin May 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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Stephen Bennett is the Co-Founder of The Demex Group, a company that has built an ecosystem that integrates cash flow modeling and weather data to protect businesses from long-term risks brought about by climate change. Stephen has over 25 years of experience in the private and public sectors, working with companies such as The Weather Channel and UC San Diego/Scripps. He describes himself as a meteorologist who applies his knowledge to optimize business practices. 

Stephen joins us to discuss how climate change is a risk for various businesses and how The DEMEX Group can help protect these businesses. He shares how his passion for meteorology developed and highlights the multiple organizations and companies he’s worked with over his 25 year career. He describes the effects of recent climate-change disruptions and the hardest rainfall he has ever seen. Stephen also explains how the insurance company is a critical part of building financial climate resilience.

"The business community as a whole is coming to understand that climate change is going to affect businesses in some way, shape, or form." - Stephen Bennett

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Stephen's passion for weather observation started
• How weather information is applied in business decision making
• Discussing previous storms, the disruptions they caused, and how we can prepare for them in the future
• The hardest rain Stephen's ever seen
• What EarthRisk is and the technology it used to analyze weather-driven trading opportunities
• Why the insurance sector became a massive part of building financial climate resilience
• What DEMEX is and their goals in educating about climate change
• The uses of DEMEX for the brokerage community
• What Stephen sees as effective investment strategies in the future based on climate change

Key Takeaways:

• Climate change is changing the way businesses look at long-term investments.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Inc. Tank: Weather Forecasting to Offset Financial Risk: Steve Bennett
• Balance of Power: UN's Stark Climate Warning (Radio)
• Impact of climate change and extreme weather events on global economy
• Climate Change Is Happening: Breaking Down the New UN Report

Connect with Stephen Bennett:

• The DEMEX Group
• Stephen Bennett 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 SpotOn

Colby Tunick is the CEO and Founder of ReFocus AI, an enterprise sales platform for insurance professionals powered by artificial intelligence. ReFocus AI provides solutions that boost sales by using machine learning to analyze and understand data better than any human. Before founding ReFocus AI, Colby was also the Training Coordinator at the California Earthquake Authority and a Consultant and Grant Writer at DME Business Solutions. 

Colby joins us to discuss what machine learning is all about and how ReFocus AI can help businesses better understand the data they collect. He shares his passion for learning languages and how he became interested in tech. He explains why the industry cannot utilize the data they have and how machine learning can streamline that process. Colby also describes why data isn’t a liability, explains why machine learning may not be for every insurance company, and shares tips in reducing the risks of cybersecurity breaches.

"We’re not at a Renaissance where companies are wizening up to the fact that the data they are holding is an asset; that it’s valuable." - Colby Tunick

Today on Spot On Insurance:

• Where Colby's passion for tech and software stemmed from
• Colby's love of different languages
• How Colby joined the insurance industry and the opportunities that paved his way
• Why the insurance industry is underutilizing consumer data
• Why Colby initially wanted to become a politician in his youth
• How Colby uses sushi as an analogy for sales
• The three key sales questions ReFocus AI answers
• Machine learning and what the future of sales will look like
• Educating owners and executives that data isn't a liability
• Does artificial intelligence always provide value?
• Assessing the qualities of a machine learning engineer
• What we should be cautious about regarding AI
• How businesses can prevent ransomware from happening
• The security benefits of building a culture where it's alright to make mistakes
• Colby's advice to those who are struggling to find success in the industry

Key Takeaways:

• 80% of data within an agency management system is up to date.
• Ultimately, machine learning is not a silver bullet.

Resources Mentioned:

• Ep. 229: Magnify The Fine Print in Your Cyber Policy

Connect with Colby Tunick:

• ReFocus AI
• Colby Tunick on LinkedIn
• Phone: (619) 396-7800

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!