The Insura-Preneur Podcast

By Michael JansBusiness Entrepreneurship Marketing

The Insura-Preneur Podcast episodes

July 02 AI for the IA: Six Buckets, Nine Movers, One Window
Three AI moves landed in insurance inside a two-week window: Mount launched May 22 as a new AI-agent liability carrier, Klaimee positioned as the first AI-agent E&O in early May, and Kinro launched June 21 as the first autonomous brokerage — licensed in 30 states, appointed with 15 carriers, in three weeks. The Evident AI Index just clocked agentic AI in insurer use cases moving from 1-in-20 to 1-in-4 in six months. Corgi doubled its valuation to $2.6 billion. Manulife booked $300 million in AI-generated value at year-end 2025, targeting $1 billion-plus by 2027.
Michael Jans calls this the fastest AI-in-insurance week the channel has seen.
This episode is a fast, punchy read on all nine movers — plus the Cake and Arrow agent-side research, the CRC Specialty piece on the ISO CG 40 47 and CG 40 48 coverage gap, and Vitali Yurkevich in Carrier Management on the operator-side reality of AI inside an agency.
Michael sorts the whole slate into six buckets an independent principal can use starting Monday: CONSIDER (for the agency's own operation), SELL (as a product), CARRIER (breaking on the carrier side), AI CARRIER (emerging entrants), CONSUME (read or listen), and WATCH LIST (outside players aimed at the channel).
The one-line thesis, in Michael's own words: AI is presenting a huge threat to your commercial-lines clients, a huge opportunity for you. Who is the authority here? Who is the one who identifies problems and solves them? That is supposed to be you. That is the strength of the independent agency system.
The pun is the episode's reason for being — AI for the IA. Mirror images. Artificial intelligence for the independent insurance agent. And a short window to be the one who names it before the client, the carrier, or the AI does.
The full six-bucket read is the episode.
23 min
June 26State Farm's 19,000-Agent Reset: Three Moves for Independents
Last month, State Farm flew 19,000 sales agents to Allegiant Stadium and the CEO, Jon Farney, told them their contracts were being torn up. Pink performed. Jimmy Fallon ran a sing-along. Then the bombshell. New comp. New benchmarks. A buyout window with a hard September deadline. And underneath all of it, the AI productivity math the carrier ran on its own channel.
Michael Jans calls it the most important U.S. insurance and AI story of 2026 so far. Not because of State Farm. Because of what one captive carrier's move tells the independent agency channel about the next 24 months.
This episode is a sober, peer-to-peer read on what happened, why the math forced it, and what an independent principal owns about it right now. Michael's response runs in three moves: govern the AI install, light AI fires in the front of the house, and right-size the back of the house.
In this episode:
The Las Vegas convention scene that set up the bombshell
The moment the CEO walked on stage and told 19,000 agents their contracts were being rewritten
Why this is the most important U.S. insurance and AI story of 2026
The "captive went first" thesis and what is now sitting on every carrier's desk
The 8 contract changes, line by line
The internal-memo line: "We have a finite window to change"
The State Farm AI stack (Navi, Household Story, Auto FNOL) and the 2028 productivity math
The buyout math: a $700,000 book worth $1.4 to $2.4 million on the open market, with the buyout capped at $300,000
What this signals for carrier appetite, buyers of agencies, and PE
The three moves an independent principal owns right now: governance, front of office, back of office
Why this is not a "new AI tool" story — it is a channel-restructuring story
Sober, not panic: how to lead the agency through this
The full three-move response is the episode.
18 min
June 17The AI Coverage Gap Most Agencies Haven't Seen Coming
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future issue.
It's now an insurance issue.
In this episode, Michael Jans reveals a little-known development that could have major implications for commercial insurance agencies and their clients: new AI-related endorsements and exclusions that are quietly appearing in the marketplace.
You'll discover:
What changed on January 1, 2026
The AI endorsements most agencies haven't reviewed
Why commercial clients may have coverage gaps they don't know about
Potential E&O implications for agencies
How forward-thinking agencies can become trusted advisors on this rapidly emerging risk
Michael also introduces a free resource designed to help agencies stay ahead of AI-related developments and avoid being the last to know.
If you write commercial insurance, this is an episode you cannot afford to ignore.
Free resource: AIBriefingRoom.com
15 min
May 28AI Is No Longer Optional for Independent Agencies
In this episode of AI for IA, Michael Jans breaks down what may become the defining strategic divide in the independent insurance industry:
the difference between agencies that casually “experiment” with AI…
and agencies that systematically build growth, efficiency, governance, and valuation advantage around it.
Michael shares:
Why AI adoption in the industry is still shockingly immature
The hidden risks of “shadow AI” inside agencies
What carriers and regulators are increasingly watching
The 5-level AI Maturity Model for independent agencies
Why the biggest AI opportunity is NOT in the back office
How AI-driven agencies may achieve higher margins, faster growth, and stronger valuation
The emerging concept of the “Self-Operating, Self-Growing Agency”
He also introduces a new AI Readiness Diagnostic designed specifically for independent agency principals who want clarity, confidence, and a practical roadmap for responsible AI implementation. readiness-check.aigrowthacademy.insure
If you’re an agency owner wondering:
“Where do we actually stand with AI?”
…this episode is for you.
17 min
May 06 The Hidden Crisis Inside Insurance Renewals — And How AI May Change the Economics of the Independent Agency
Most agencies think growth problems start with lead generation.
But what if the real bottleneck is hidden inside renewal servicing?
In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Colby Tunick of Refocus AI to explore how AI is beginning to compress renewal workflows from 90 minutes to 15 — and why that shift could fundamentally change staffing, margins, retention, and valuation inside the independent agency channel.
A conversation about AI, operational leverage, and the future economics of the independent insurance agency.
📞 Contact Information
📱 https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-tunick/
🌐 Website: https://www.refocusai.com/
12 min
April 29How AI Is Saving Agencies 4+ Hours a Day (Without Hiring)
Most agencies are using AI the wrong way.
Not as execution… but as assistance.
In this episode, Michael speaks with Isaiah Hall, co-founder of Circle, about a new approach:
AI that can complete insurance workflows end-to-end.
From a single client request, it can:
Access your AMS
Navigate carrier portals
Retrieve documents
Draft the response
All with human review at the final step.
The real question isn’t the tool.
It’s this:
👉 What happens when one employee can do the work of three?
If you’re thinking about growth, staffing, or valuation…
This is a conversation you need to hear.
🔗 Links
https://www.usecircle.com/
12 min
April 16AI Just Put $15B of Insurance Commissions at Risk — Here’s What Agency Owners Must Do Now
This quarter changed everything.
In this solo episode, Michael Jans breaks down the most important AI developments from Q1 2026—and what they mean for independent insurance agencies right now.
This is not theory. This is signal.
A recent report from Bank of America Global Research identified $15 billion in commissions at risk, with AI capable of performing a meaningful portion of work currently handled by 20,000–30,000 agencies.
At the same time:
67% of agencies say they plan to use AI
Only 8% have actually implemented it
Agencies using voice AI are reporting up to 8x ROI in 30 days
The gap is opening.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Where AI is already replacing agency work (and where it won’t)
Why commoditized policies are the most vulnerable
The real opportunity window for agencies that act now
The three forces reshaping the industry: carriers, regulation, and insurtech funding
Why most agencies are exposed from a governance and E&O standpoint
And most importantly…
What you should do next.
🔗 Resources & Links
📊 Q1 2026 AI Intelligence Briefing (full report)
📘 AI Buyer’s Guide (8-step vendor evaluation framework)
🛡️ AI Governance Framework
📞 Want Clarity?
If you're serious about growth, margins, and protecting your agency’s valuation:
👉 Book a free 15-minute AI Clarity Session with Michael
12 min
April 08The Great Divide in Insurance: Cut Your Workload in Half—or Fall Behind
AI is no longer a tool in the insurance industry—it’s becoming the operating system.
In this episode, Michael sits down with Samuel Belanger-Lamoureux, Co-Founder of Cemiar, one of Canada’s fastest-growing insurtech firms, to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface of “AI adoption.”
What emerges is not a conversation about tools—but about a fundamental restructuring of how agencies operate.
Cemiar is one of Canada’s leading insurtech firms, built and led by top engineering talent focused on transforming operational efficiency for insurance agencies.
In this conversation, we explore what happens when automation moves beyond tasks—and begins to take over entire workflows.
One standout example:
👉 Cemiar’s Commercial Lines automation module can reduce the need for human intervention by more than 50% in key workflows—while improving accuracy and reducing operational risk.
But the bigger story is this:
Most agencies still can’t access their own data
Integration—not AI—is the real bottleneck
The winners won’t be tool users… they’ll be system builders
We also discuss Cemiar’s expansion into the U.S. market and their upcoming vendor session at Applied Net this October.
📞 Contact Information
Samuel Belanger-Lamoureux
Co-Founder, Cemiar
📧 [email protected]
📱 514-575-9457
🌐 Website: https://cemiar.com/
12 min
April 03From 15 Minutes to 30 Seconds: How AI Is Rewiring Insurance Agency Operations Right Now
In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Mehdi Lhadj, CEO of Floapi, to explore what AI is actually doing inside insurance agencies today—not theory, not hype, but real operational impact.
We break down how agencies are:
Turning 15-minute workflows into 30-second automations
Reducing operational costs by up to 75%
Automating commercial billing, renewal shopping, and client communications
Increasing compliance while reducing manual errors
This isn’t about experimenting with AI tools.
This is about rewiring how the agency runs.
If you’re an agency principal or operator, this episode will give you a clear look at what’s already possible—and what’s coming next.
Guest Contact Information
Website: https://www.floapi.ca/
Email: [email protected]
12 min
March 24The AI Mistake Almost Every Agency Is Making Right Now
AI is flooding the insurance industry.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Most agencies are using it wrong.
In this episode, Michael Jans speaks with Daniel Yoo, CEO of FinMate AI, about one of the most important strategic decisions facing agency leaders today:
👉 Should you buy AI tools… or build AI into your agency?
You’ll discover:
Why off-the-shelf AI is easy—but limited
When customization becomes a competitive advantage
How leading agencies are beginning to use AI to guide daily decisions
What it actually takes to move beyond experimentation
If you’re serious about growth, efficiency, and long-term valuation, this conversation will help you see AI differently.
🤝 Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/smyoo/
🌐 Learn more about FinMate AI:
www.finmate.ai
✉️ Reach Daniel directly:
[email protected]
10 min