Industry Insights

In today’s world, agency owners can no longer afford to operate as lone wolves. The number and complexity of products available, along with higher expectations from clients for convenience and superior service, creates many challenges for solo practitioners. To address these challenges and ensure consistent, unrivaled service to clients, many carri...

Jack Jameson

Having squeaked through my insurance exams, I knew that I wasn’t going to excel in my new career as a Farmer’s agent on smarts alone. But I was determined that no one was going to outwork me. What I lacked in giftedness, I was going to make up for in sheer doggedness.

I started by sticking to my Frito-Lay hours—the hours I worked whe...

Troy Korsgaden

It used to be that all you needed to succeed as an agency owner were strong sales skills. Finance, leadership and business management skills were nice to have, but you could get by without them. Those were simpler times.

The advent of the internet transformed this industry and shifted control to the consumer. People have access to ...

Krystal Parker

If culture eats strategy for breakfast, why are we still hungry?

If strategy were enough, then why are 86% of companies on the Fortune 500 in 1955 no longer in existence today?

If that didn’t get your attention, maybe this will: 52% of the Fortune 500 companies from the year 2000 are now extinct.

That’s not a typo. In less than t...

Vince Kudla

Appointment setting is an essential component of any business strategy because it aids in the generation of new leads and revenue growth, as well as improving customer retention, relationship building and growth potential. Creating a consistent cadence of customer meetings is one of the most valuable, yet underutilized retention manage...

Debra Grommons

When I became a corporate trainer many years ago, I used to joke that I enjoyed training because I liked telling people what to do. I admit that may have been at least partially true at the time. Fortunately, I learned early on that “telling isn’t training,” and I changed my professional focus from training to learning. Training emp...

Jeff Williams

March 1, 2020 was the beginning of a decade of disruption for the automotive industry.

First was the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only did the pandemic shut down retail facilities and drive shoppers online, but it also massively affected supply chains. Not the least of which was the production of microchips, along with other key manufactu...

Bradley Flowers

In the nostalgic old-school days, insurance transactions were a social affair. People would stop by the insurance office to pay their bill, chat with their agent, enjoy a cup of coffee and casually waste about 30 to 45 minutes of their time, as well as their agent's. While this traditional model of insurance agencies still exists i...

Tina Paulus-Krause

How intentional are you about your growth?

I ask this question to leaders and teams daily. Too often, leaders of teams and businesses do not have an intentional growth plan. For themselves, for their teams and even for their small businesses.

Most often I get a weird look followed by, “What do you mean?”

I ask, “Are you gro...

Tanja Samalya

In our quest to excel in every aspect of life, we often find ourselves overwhelmed. We strive to be the perfect employee, the ideal parent raising well-rounded children and the envy of others with our seemingly perfect social lives showcased on social media. However, this constant pursuit of what we believe we "should" do to achieve ...