Agency Freedom

To kick off 2023 right, James is launching a new series of episodes highlighting other podcast hosts in the insurance industry.For this episode, James welcomes Bradley Flowers and Scott Howell, co-hosts of the Insurance Guys Podcast.To sign up for their One City World Tour in Austin, TX on January 18-19, 2023 visit www.onecityworldtour.com and use the promo code "agencyfreedom" at sign up.To reach Bradley and Scott directly, email bradley@portalinsurance.com or scott@iprotectinsurance.com.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Bradley discusses The Insurance Guys Podcast, how it got started, and what the podcast's hook is. (6:04) Bradley believes that people should create content around their passions, and that podcasting is a great way to do it. (9:51) Scott and Bradley explain that consistency is the key to having more than 300 episodes and that skipping an episode for a week is a good litmus test to see how many people are waiting for that show to drop. (13:29) Bradley mentions that he and Scott often batch record, putting them months ahead of schedule. (16:41) Scott explains that his sole focus is to provide outstanding material every Wednesday at 6:00 a.m. (27:23) According to James, many absolute rockstars are hidden in plain sight, and Vonda Copeland, who has 9 offices with over 50 employees, is one of them. (30:26) Bradley explains that, from a content viewpoint, it is becoming easier for non-content producers to generate content, therefore if you want to be an elite content generator, you must elevate your game. (50:14) Scott shares that One City World Tour is bringing in speakers from all over the country to offer real, tactical, “go back to your office and implement this type of” material. (58:21) James commends the people of Florida for passing special session legislation that limits the assignment of benefits. (1:03:51) Key Quotes: “Back when we started, we were the only show that the podcast wasn't a funnel to get you into some sort of coaching or training or something of that nature. The podcast is the product. So, therefore, we can leave it all out on the field, per se.” - Bradley Flowers “I always wanted the opportunity to start something where we could help other agents get better every single week.” - Scott Howell  “If you want to be an elite content creator, you've got to step your game up.” - Bradley Flowers

In this solo episode, James shares ideas and concerns that you should be aware of before launching a podcast of your own.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: James explains that there are two types of podcasts: those that are focused on the industry, and those that are focused on the local community. (2:26) James explains that starting a podcast is fun if you have the right personality. (5:45) James mentions that podcasting is a great way to meet interesting and successful individuals. (7:08) James explains that female hosts have a wide-open lane in the podcasting business. (10:46) James discusses the importance of developing a niche for one's podcast. (11:55) James believes that the pre-launch checklist and the first 50 episodes can really be a large bucket of things that you must accomplish if you want to have a great podcast. (16:24) James explains that before you do anything else, you must determine who your target audience is and be as specific as possible. (22:23) James discusses the importance of having a concept and a unique approach for the podcast. (25:13) James discusses that if your audio is bad, your content will fail to connect with your audience. (26:16) James discusses the significance of hiring help for podcast editing, production, and distribution across all major podcast platforms, and recommends Fiverr and Podsquad.fm. (28:17) James explains that whatever your timetable is for when you record and when you release your episodes, make it the same every week, bi-weekly, or monthly since you need to batch as many episodes as possible. (30:00) James explains why it is good to form a community of other podcasters. (37:14) James discusses the significance of determining your mission and end game. (40:55) Key Quotes: “Depending on your focus, the podcast can be very good for business especially for doing a local one, if you're doing one for your niche.” - James Jenkins “If you're going to do a podcast, you really need to figure out how in the world are you going to be different? How are you going to be unique? How are you going to add some kind of flavor, some kind of spice to the zeitgeist.” - James Jenkins “Being mindful of your audio and your video is a very good way to gain more traction faster. Your content has to be great but if your audio sounds terrible, your content is going to have a hard time connecting with your audience. ” - James Jenkins

In this solo episode, James shares some important lessons learned from losing two accounts that total more than $50,000 in annual revenue.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: James shares the story of how he lost two large accounts for his agency. (2:20) James discusses the backstory of the hotel account they had at Riskwell as well as the issues they had with the account. (4:17) James mentions that one of the issues they faced after writing all of the regulations was that they didn't ask all of the proper questions during discovery. (11:18) James explains that you get what you allow; if you allow bad behavior from an insured, they will continue to act that way since they don't care about you. (15:34) James explains that the second account they lost was a roofing company that they had for three years. (20:46) James discusses how they lost the roofing account and the important lessons they learned from the experience. (23:17) James discusses the importance of staying in contact with your VIP clients and being informed of internal changes. (25:51) James mentions that there is a big difference between a loss and a failure, and as long as you are successfully learning from a loss, it doesn't become a failure. (28:03) James reveals that in 2023, the Agency Freedom podcast will have a podcaster series of episodes, with guests from throughout the industry who have their own podcasts. (28:47) Key Quotes: “My success at Riskwell, and our growth that is way above average, does not mean that we are immune in any way to making ridiculous blunders and lapses in judgment.” - James Jenkins “Having these conversations once a quarter, biannually, whatever it happens to be…if you're asking the questions about the staff, and the strategy, and the direction, the operations, then you're going to get more insight than if you're just staying in insurance land.” - James Jenkins “As long as you are successfully learning from a loss, it doesn't become a failure.” - James Jenkins

In this episode, James talks with Mike Richardson and Erin Richardson, Co-Owners of Richardson Insurance.To learn more about Richardson Insurance, visit https://www.insurewithrichardson.com/.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Mike shares that he is the fourth generation in their family agency and after reviving the agency, they consider themselves a 90-year-old startup. (3:30) Erin shares that she just celebrated her 20th year in the insurance industry, and that before joining Mike at the agency, she worked on the carrier side in claims and underwriting. (4:07) Mike shares his difficulties in moving from the stone age of genuine file cabinets to the current day. (8:57) Erin and Mike explain the vibe and culture of their agency, where everything is lead-driven, they work in teams and don't have outside producers. (11:04) Mike shares that they are heavily involved with real estate agents and mortgage brokers, like many personal lines agencies, and in the customer experience for their partners and customers in terms of finding prospects. (12:07) Mike mentions that it took them a long time to figure out how engaged they want to be in all transactions. (18:03) Mike shares that they just switched away from Active Campaign to Automate 365 since it is directly linked to NowCerts. (20:49) Mike and Erin discuss how they differentiate themselves in a competitive market and how they ensure their staff is confident in the product they're providing. (25:48) Erin shares that she has been President of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce for a few years and has come to know many of the companies and individuals in town through that role. (27:45) Mike explains that their overall goal is to humanize insurance and make the insurance side of things more efficient so that they can focus on relationships. (30:12) Mike and Erin discuss what type of advice they would offer themselves if they were just starting out. (45:12) Key Quotes: “We believe in team and doing things together. We don't have individual agents that are handling things, and we don't actually have any outside producers. Everything's done by inbound leads.” - Mike Richardson “We have gotten our team’s buy-in too and we're very open and candid with them about what our mission is, and who our ideal clients are. And, we’ve funneled down in our office, the types of insurance and the types of clients that we're going to write. And so it makes their jobs a lot easier.” - Erin Richardson “We just tried to do things to stand out and be different. So, if everyone's doing a happy hour, we're going the other way. We're trying to find something different to do that, that these people want to get out and do.” - Mike Richardson

In this episode, James talks with Tony Caldwell, CEO of One Agents Alliance.To learn more about One Agents Alliance, visit https://www.oneagentsalliance.net/Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Tony shares how he started his own business when he was ten and went into the insurance business after completing his political career. (2:45) Tony explains that future successful independent agents will have a much deeper and richer understanding of their clients and customers. (9:13) Tony mentions that independent agencies should stop thinking of themselves as a service organization and start thinking of themselves as sales organization that takes care of the service needs of their clients and customers. (14:25) Tony explains that agents must recognize and understand that they cannot serve everyone and cannot compete with algorithms to stay ahead of the competition. (19:45) Tony mentions that Covid enabled people to be more comfortable in having face-to-face conversations using technology and that things will get easier in the future as technology advances. (25:49) Tony discusses how having a telepresence robot aided him and allowed him to work from anywhere in the world while remaining in the office remotely. (31:29) Tony believes that those who experiment, fail, learn from their mistakes, and never give up are the ones that will be successful in the future. (41:27) Tony believes that one of the keys to success is to envision your future, make a decision, set a goal, and believe that the universe will align to provide you with what you seek. (46:20) Tony advises business people to stay focused on assisting clients and customers to do better in the future than they have in the past. (52:59)  Key Quotes: "What we really are focused on is helping develop people taking their skill sets, whatever those may be, and helping them to build a successful agency, successful businesses with their unique skill sets, along with all of the tools and techniques and opportunities that we can bring to the table from a larger both regional and national organization." - Tony Caldwell  "I think that technology is bringing back the opportunity to take the drudgery out of some of the work that we do, giving us free time to spend more time building relationships. And so, I think the future of independent agents is very bright, but I think it's different." - Tony Caldwell  "Agents have to begin to think both more broadly from a geographical perspective, but also more narrowly, from the standpoint of becoming real experts in something and focusing on that rather than trying to be all things to all people. And I think that's the recipe for success in the future." - Tony Caldwell

In this episode, James talks with Vonda Copeland, Operations Specialist at Copeland Insurance Agency.To learn more about Copeland Insurance Agency, visit https://www.copelandins.com/Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Vonda discusses how she got into the insurance industry and mentions that everyone seems to have a strange story about how they got into the industry. (3:10) Vonda shares what it is like working in an agency with her husband and mentions that despite having both strong personalities, they are able to figure out things and meet in the middle. (15:27) Vonda explains that a checklist is important to make sure that important details are not missed and better understand missed opportunities. (20:09) Vonda emphasizes the significance of running credit reports and offers some examples of what might go wrong with your quotes if you do not pay attention to them. (28:11) Vonda shares how they use automation effectively in their agency and where it should not be used. (33:56) Vonda explains that Copeland Insurance Agency caters to different types of markets including custom harvesters, people in the fire field, and main street businesses. (38:14) Vonda mentions that she will not be starting a podcast anytime soon because she is currently redoing their tech stack. (42:48) Vonda discusses the benefits of using Agency Zoom, including its ease of use. (46:57) Vonda mentions that Copeland Insurance has some really great personal lines tools right now, and ModAdvisor has been a huge improvement for them. (52:03) Key Quotes: "I'm kind of like the technology nerd. I love trying out new things. If anybody ever wants to beta test a program, I'm all in. - Vonda Copeland  "I'm also really a stickler on, you do the do’s and don’t do the don'ts. And if you don't do the do's or do the don'ts, then you know, that's when the disciplinary teacher comes out." - Vonda Copeland

In this episode, James talks with Don Polczynski, President and Partner of RD Advisory Group, and Roe Polczynski, Founding Partner of RD Advisory Group.To learn more about RD Advisory Group, visit https://rdadvisorygroup.com/.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: James explains that the goal of this episode is to provide context and practical insight into the topic of strategic planning and annual reviews. (2:30) Roe discusses how they would advise someone to begin getting their minds around the strategic planning and review process. (4:16) Roe and Don discuss the first stage in the process of developing a strategic plan. (9:18) Roe shares that Agency CFO utlizes the Big I Best Practices Study to benchmark their agencies against their peers. (19:09) Don discusses what an agency owner should do if they have never created a financial plan to determine where travel expenditures, employee benefits expenses, and dues and subscriptions go. (20:15) According to Roe, producer compensation should be done right from the start since it is difficult to adjust producer compensation after it has started. (29:15) Don shares that the annual Big I Best Practices Study recommends paying producers 33% of what they produce. Don shares that he believes that the insurance industry's greatest weakness is prospect pipeline management. (34:48) James recaps the importance of knowing your numbers, categorizing the money that you are spending, making wise selections with your tech stack, and getting a handle on your funnel. (47:39) James shares that the Agency CFO program has been fantastic for his agency. (53:46) Key Quotes: “If you put yourself on the market, whatever market value is, you should pay yourself out. Plus, at the end of the day, at the end of the year, your agency should show a 25% profit margin.” - Don Polczynski “Here's another pro tip - producer compensation. You’ve got to get that right from the onset. I am not about absolutes. This is one of those absolute moments. It is impossible to change producer comp after the fact.” - Roe Polczynski “What do we not excel at as an industry? Prospect pipeline management.” - Don Polczynski Resources mentioned: Big I Best Practices Study

In this episode, James talks with Jason Kilgo, the founder of KilGO Insurance. To learn more about KilGO Insurance, visit https://kilgoinsurance.com/.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Jason shares his background and how he started KilGO Insurance. (3:33) Jason shares that he doesn't regret anything because all the jumps he's made have made him a better agency owner. (5:53) Jason mentions that Geico does extremely well when it comes to the training processes for coaches and supervisors and he tries to replicate that in his agency. (6:17) Jason discusses the difference between selling on price versus selling on value. (10:19) Jason mentions that his sales process involves leading with umbrella and he had to sell his team on the concept by providing the data to back it up. (31:20) Jason explains that most of the objections he gets to umbrella insurance policies are from the people who live check to check and don't have the money for it but need it most. (32:34) Jason explains that crazy and tragic things do happen and emphasizes the importance of having insurance. (38:17) Jason explains that an agency should figure out how to step out of the crowd and find out what makes them different from the rest. (40:21) Jason shares how they compete in the marketplace with channel partners like realtors and loan officers and those selling on price. (45:00) Jason explains that he doesn't mind getting a 1-star review because this is the way people will know that they are real. (52:26) Jason explains that he loves to talk with other agency owners and discuss how their sales process works. (1:00:00) Key Quotes: "We've got to make sure people have an umbrella policy. And I know, we're not going to be 100% close on that. But we need to make sure people understand if they don't get it, why they're not getting it? What are they missing by not having that policy?" - Jason Kilgo “Our mission is helping people live life confidently through insurance." - Jason Kilgo "I think right now, you’ve got to reach, you’ve got to dig in. And don't give up, don't get down. Don't think the world is coming to an end like a lot of people are thinking about." - Jason Kilgo

In this episode, James talks with Davie Holt, National Sales Practice Leader of Imperial PFS. To learn more about Imperial PFS, visit https://www.ipfs.com/.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints, or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Davie shares a bit about his background and what led him to IPFS. (5:30) Davie mentions that the goal for agents is to get to a point where the outbound effort turns to inbound. (10:46) Davie explains that he didn't realize how great IPFS was until he became a part of it. (16:35) Davie shares the elements that make IPFS feel like a family business. (18:18) Davie explains that great leadership is your internal people who work for you and your clients that have also become great business partners. (22:53) Davie explains that IPFS has wrestled with what approach will do well in terms of naming and branding. (29:13) Davie shares the solution they came up with to solve payment problems for their customers. (31:57) Davie mentions that he doesn't mind talking about differences between their company and their competitors. (37:57) Davie shares why IPFS has always been the technology leader in the insurance premium finance space. (45:39) Key Quotes: "You have to find that balance between maintaining reputation, maintaining excellence, and also staying relevant. And, you can't ever lose what got you there. You can't ever lose the hunger. You can't ever lose the drive." - Davie Holt "I have never ever gotten business or protected business that we've had, by saying just negative things about a person that worked for another company, or a company itself. But I also don't shy away from talking about the differences between our company and our competitors, either." - Davie Holt “We all, that are insurance professionals, licensed non-licensed vendors, carriers, whatever, we all have an obligation to try to make this industry better." - Davie Holt

In this episode, James talks with Mike Stromsoe, Founder and Lead Coach of The Unstoppable Profit Producers.To learn more about The Unstoppable Profit Producers, visit https://unstoppableprofitproducer.com/.Visit our website to join our email list, get the scoop on our LIVE coaching calls and never miss an episode: https://www.agencyfreedom.comConnect with Agency Freedom Podcast on Facebook at the Agency Freedom Podcast group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyfreedomEmail us at podcast@agencyfreedom.com with ideas, questions, complaints or your favorite grilling recipe.Episode Highlights: Mike shares his background story and what led him to create The Unstoppable Profit Producers. (3:45) Mike discusses the need for leadership, leadership training, and other types of training in independent insurance agencies. (6:41) Mike mentions that if somebody is interested in investing in strong leadership skills, he could recommend the Hero's Journey Leadership Program, which he believes is a game changer. (9:44) Mike explains that feeding the mind with the right things is important because what we choose to put into our minds can make or break us. (14:23) Mike explains the idea of the Be Unstoppable Bootcamp 2022 event and how much they believe in what they're doing. (18:54) Mike believes that feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable is crucial because nothing grows in the comfort zone. (21:19) Mike mentions that he is well aware that finding excellent people is difficult in today's society, which is why they've developed systems focused on people, processes, and promotion to assist individuals in finding those excellent people. (23:45) Mike explains why core values are important for any business. (33:10) Mike reminds the listeners that people will always miss 100% of the shots that they do take. (54:11) Key Quotes: “My encouragement if you're a leader in today's business world, insurance agency, industry, or otherwise, become a better leader and find a way to get into a program, invest in yourself to become a better leader.” - Mike Stromsoe “In the comfort zone, nothing grows…because everything's comfortable. You’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable.” - Mike Stromsoe “Culture eats strategy and everything else for breakfast and if you get a weak link or something goes sour within the orchard, if you will, unfortunately, sometimes you need to cut it.” - Mike Stromsoe