Agency Freedom

 In this first solo episode in the summer Hot Takes and Strong Opinions series, James answers questions from the audience on two topics: Surviving the hard market Required Time Off (RTO) and Work From Home (WFH) 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.

In this episode, James talks with Ryan Mathisen, Co-Founder of GloveBox.To learn more about GloveBox, visit https://gloveboxapp.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: Ryan discusses his family's background in entrepreneurship and insurance. (5:06) Ryan mentions that the number one thing you can do as a new producer, or a producer coming from the captive to the independent channel is to have a really solid mentor. (12:03) Ryan discusses the idea of merging carrier mobile apps with a vertical-style product, which led to the creation of GloveBox. (20:19) Ryan explains that the independent insurance channel faces an unforgiving landscape, with a strong focus on generational businesses and legacy processes and it is essential to have a sense of the business in order to provide solutions that make sense. (30:48) Ryan discusses GloveBox's recent launch of their commercial product, including its features and functionality, and their plans for future development. (37:29) Ryan explains how they prioritize feedback and align it with their roadmap. (44:20) Ryan shares ways to engage with GloveBox, including their new website and social media. (48:47) Key Quotes: “It's so hard to replicate and again, this business is unforgiving. If you don't provide solutions that absolutely make sense, you're not going to win. It's really difficult and that's what I've learned.” - Ryan Mathisen “We really want to give commercial agents tools that they need to be able to prospect, quote, sell, and service business. ” - Ryan Mathisen “If it is a workflow between you and your policyholder, we want to host it. That's what we want. If you're engaging with the policyholder, we want to be the ones to support that. And that's where we live. ” - Ryan Mathisen

In this solo episode, James shares perspective on some of the negative side effects or dangers of being a highly driven, competitive and ambitious person.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.

In this episode, James talks with Adam Boca, Executive Director at NCM Insurance Agency.To learn more about NCM Insurance Agency, visit https://www.ncminsurance.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: Adam discusses his business model, which is very organic and does not involve cold calling or buying leads. (6:27) Adam believes that having mentors in the insurance industry and setting attainable goals is important. (10:59) Adam shares his experience learning compliance and licensing, and how they improve the customer journey by listening to feedback from clients. (18:04) Adam discusses how they build a positive culture in their small office, including rotating lunches and getting together for meals at his house. (24:33) Adam discusses his motivation for working in insurance and what keeps him coming back to it. (28:02) James discusses the American Modern program and how it is a competitive alternative to Haggerty in most places. (33:42) Key Quotes: “Align yourself with some of the best carriers and other agents that can help guide you along the way. I think having mentors in the space is extremely important.” - Adam Boca “We're just very fortunate that it's extremely organic, we don't do the lead generating thing, we don't buy leads, we don't cold call. So we're a very different business model.” - Adam Boca “I'm not motivating myself by money. I mean, I think a lot of people get kind of lost in that. And for me, it's making sure that my customers have the very best in coverage for their particular need, and I know we're doing everything we can to provide that.” - Adam Boca

In this episode, James talks with Zach Mefferd, CEO & Co-Founder of ZipBonds.To learn more about ZipBonds, visit https://zipbonds.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: Zach discusses his methods for disconnecting from professional obligations in order to dedicate quality time to his family, which often includes outings on the lake. (7:52) Zach explains the genesis of Coverage Direct, a company he Co-Founded from the ground up with his business associate, Ryan Swalve, in 2016. (14:09) Zach explains that Zip Bonds' mission is to be a partner for agents who want to compete against larger agencies by providing a surety division that helps close bonds for contractors and probate attorneys. (30:43) Zach mentions the necessity of inquiring about clients' bonding requirements and suggests incorporating this question into the client onboarding or renewal procedures as a means to boost agency revenue. (36:27) Zach discusses the commission structure for agents who use Zip Bonds' platform. (41:20) Key Quotes: “My passion is helping independent agencies solve problems that I had myself. That's the reason why both of our businesses existed.” - Zach Mefferd “The real passion that I had when I got into it came from me being a commercial insurance producer, getting larger and larger opportunities and feeling like I was at a disadvantage because I didn't have a surety division in my agency. And that's the solution we're hoping to provide here for agents.” - Zach Mefferd “The major value prop is we have underwriters in-house. So when something comes in, it is being marketed to multiple carriers on your behalf from an underwriter's perspective.” - Zach Mefferd

In this episode, James talks with Zack Baldwin, Owner of TexPro Insurance.To learn more about TexPro Insurance, visit https://www.texproinsurance.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: Zack shares how his ego played a role in his decision to start his own agency and how he was quickly humbled by the challenges of the industry. (10:30) James discusses Frank Shamrock’s concept of plus, minus, and equal process and how they are important in professional and personal contexts. (18:15) Zack discusses the disruption in the insurance industry and the need for professionals to adapt to the changes. (22:29) James explains the potential risks of taking business calls on a personal cell phone and the importance of capturing all communication in your agency management system. (42:31) Zack mentions that delegation and specialization are essential for success in the insurance industry. (45:36) Key Quotes:“The best thing I've probably done in the last year or two is connect with others around me to say, you know what? We're all in this together, we've all made that same mistake and let's help each other prevent going through that. And that's ultimately kind of what our business is, let's sell you a policy so that we can prevent that, right?” - Zack Baldwin

In this episode, James talks with Torey Maerz, Founder, and CEO of Client Circle.To learn more about Client Circle, visit https://www.clientcircle.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: Torey explains why the company rebranded from Rocket Referrals to Client Circle and outlines its plan to gradually phase out the old name. (9:11) Torey shares the story of how they created the system for handwritten cards and highlights the company's commitment to customization. (17:51) Torey discusses their “Journeys” product, which is goal-based and helps track data. (24:11) Torey explains the process of building pre-built automation and taking client requests for new features and emphasizes the insurance focus of their platform. (34:50) James mentions that while robots are skilled at detecting context and inference, they struggle with understanding subjective things such as sarcasm and humor. (41:05) Torey believes that the insurance industry is slow to adopt new technology due to its risk-averse nature and the difficulty of changing established systems. (46:50) Torey mentions that their focus is on providing value to customers to generate revenue and that they do not accept investments, so all customer revenue is invested back into the company. (53:07) Key Quotes: “The system that you are using with Client Circle now to send cards is one that I invented almost 10 years ago. And now, it's grown to a fact where I have relationships with paper vendors that literally make the paper out of pulp for us, make the envelopes because they're perfectly designed to work with those with our handwriting tech.” - Torey Maerz “Our customers are paying for new features, you know, you're not just paying for the service you have, but you're paying to that will continue to build and add new things on. And so, we look at all of our customers as investors in the company. And that means that we need to constantly provide value. And so everything always comes back to that.” - Torey Maerz

In this episode, James talks with Frank Sentner, Owner of Sentwood Consulting.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: Frank shares about his 47 years in the insurance industry, including how he was able to build a product that is now known as Sagitta and how he started his consulting practice. (3:16) Frank mentions that entrepreneurs are a stimulating group of individuals to be around, and he is delighted to help them by providing insight into the industry, and share some of the mistakes he made along the way, and how to avoid those pitfalls. (8:58) Frank shares that the ACORD InsurTech Innovation Challenge was one of the opportunities that got him started in insurance technology, mentoring, and advising. (11:09) Frank explains that Peter MacDonald has a successful product with Wunderite because he had the most important trait of an entrepreneur: he was persistent and never gave up. (13:13) Frank discusses the process of the emergence of IVANS’ policy downloads from carriers into management systems into retail agencies. (23:28) Frank believes that insurance influences every part of people's personal and professional life, that it keeps us safer, and that it makes the business world more predictable and reliable. (28:56) Frank explains that the biggest difference he's seeing right now in the industry is that more than half of the technology is risk-mitigation technology. (37:16) Frank shares his opinions on Robotic Process Automation and Machine Learning platforms. (42:26) According to Frank, employing technology effectively in the insurance industry is never a technology problem, it's always a business problem. (50:30) Key Quotes: “I find entrepreneurs to be such a stimulating group of people to be around. They are 100% energy, and they've put it all on the line. And anything I can do to help by giving them insight into our industry, and some of the mistakes I've made myself along the way, how to avoid those pitfalls is really something that gives me great, great pleasure.” - Frank Sentner “The insurance industry is constantly innovating within their space, okay? They're constantly adding additional types of coverage, additional endorsements, additional lines of business, you know, and it is not going to stop. I mean, it's only going to get more complex, because the world is getting more complex.” - Frank Sentner “For every technology that our industry employs, getting it deployed successfully has never been a technology problem. Never. It's always a business problem. It's getting the business people to agree what they want to do.” - Frank Sentner

In this episode, James talks with Alexander Dopazo, Commercial Account Manager at Dopazo & Associates Insurance.To learn more about Dopazo & Associates Insurance, visit https://www.dopazoinsurance.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: Alexander explains that diversity can help businesses, communities, and individuals grow, but it is important to approach it from the perspective of helping each other, grow, and reach common goals. (5:08) Alexander shares what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mean. (10:57) Alexander discusses the difference between equity and equality. (20:47) Alexander mentions that checking your bias is important when making decisions as it can lead to a shift in the way that a business works. (23:29) Alexander explains that in order to have a successful conversation, it is important to respect each other’s perspectives and be empathetic to one another. (35:10) According to Alexander, when you are thinking about diversity, equity, inclusion, and how your business runs, you have to start to ask yourself those deep questions about who you're trying to reach, and how you can most effectively reach them in a way that makes them feel like they can see themselves as an employee at your business or see themselves as one of the customers of your business. (48:33) Alexander mentions that we can build a better industry, community, and society by removing the stigma around talking about diversity, inclusion, and equity. (52:15) Key Quotes: “Equality is a conversation of putting everybody on the same level, equity is understanding that we're not all coming from the same level. And that sometimes in order to be able to help them reach the goals that you're trying to get them to, you need to help offset that in one way, shape, or form." - Alexander Dopazo “When you're thinking about diversity, when you're thinking about equity and inclusion, and how your business runs, you really just have to start to ask yourself those deep questions about who you're trying to reach and how you can most effectively reach them in a way that makes them feel like they can see themselves as an employee at your business or see themselves as one of the customers of your business.” - Alexander Dopazo “Equity is about respect for each other. That means that I have to understand your perspective, as much as you have to understand my perspective.” - Alexander Dopazo

In this episode, James talks with Lani Cathey, CEO of XDimensional Technologies.To learn more about XDimensional Technologies, Inc, visit https://xdti.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: Lani discusses the progress of diversity and inclusion in the insurance and technology industries, with a focus on gender diversity and the elimination of fear in women. (2:39) Lani shares her career journey from IBM to consulting work to working with insurance companies and eventually joining Insurity, which later became XDimensional Technologies. (9:11) Lani talks about building a diverse team and having different backgrounds and experiences to create good thought processes. (11:30) Lani explains how XDTI selects partners based on their strengths and attributes, such as a focus on the customer and ease of collaboration. (20:00) Lani mentions the importance of marketing and word of mouth getting out about XDTI and their platform, Nexsure. (25:29) Lani Cathey discusses XDTI's engagement with their user group and how they will continue to use it going forward. (31:49)  Key Quotes: “What I'm trying to have an impact on, is making sure that that changes because in the end, the diversity not only in gender diversity but in culture diversity, orientation diversity, makes us better people, companies and makes better technology.” - Lani Cathey “What I look for in the attributes of a partner is the same philosophical focus on the customer, focus on what you do best and are they easy to work with? I mean, much like you would determine how you work with a vendor, we look for the same attributes as a partner. We aren't necessarily going to have the same culture, but I want to have the same vision in supporting customers. And that's what we move forward with.” - Lani Cathey “One of the reasons why I really am excited about doing this podcast, is we do need to get our word out there because we feel we have a great platform, we do have a strong representation in your size of the agency in our existing customer base. And to your point, what we've invested in as well as simplified implementation and conversions that can support bringing on more agencies like yourself.” - Lani Cathey