Vertafore Insurance Podcast

Becoming an expert social seller, with Brett Allen

This week we have social extraordinaire Brett Allen, owner and creator of BOSS Social. He has intensely focused on how to utilize social media in insurance without compromising relationships, expectations, or agency identity. Brett sees social selling as an opportunity to create better trust and relationships with customers.  

Brett lays out five social hacks he’s found to be most effective, including content creation, how to drive LinkedIn traffic, and gathering more leads.  

Brett is full of information on this topic, and he is sharing three bonus items with VIP listeners here. We hope you enjoy this episode and are inspired to implement these social sales hacks into your sales strategy.  

100th Episode Reflections

We’ve made it to 100 episodes! Today Rick takes a look back on the last couple of years and all we’ve learned together. Namely: this industry still is, and always will be, about relationships. Since the beginning, we’ve all been proud to be in this industry and amazed at all the wonderful people we’ve connected with.  

Listen in as we share some of our greatest hits from the last 100 episodes, including what we’ve validated, what we’ve learned, and what we’re thankful for. And, most importantly, thank you to our listeners for tuning in each week, contributing, and allowing this podcast to happen.  

We’ll see you for the next 100! 

Creating a job you love, with Tim Wilson-Humphries

Today on the show we have Tim Wilson-Humphries, an independent agent who specializes in health, life, and Medicare.  

We’ve heard a lot of “how I got here” stories on the podcast, but Tim chose the insurance industry for a reason we haven’t heard yet: PTO. Tim and Rick discuss the challenges of starting out as an independent agent as well as the positives that eventually come, how to find an ideal demographic, and the importance of adaptability.  

Tim taught us all something about finding a niche and creating a job you love, and we hope it will teach you something as well.  

Ask Rick: Sales, MGAs, and hiring young talent

We’re back with an Ask Rick session! Today I’m talking about the importance of good listening, MGA/MGU market trends, and attracting young talent. 

I think you’ll get a lot out of today’s episode from years of Rick’s industry knowledge. Remember that you can submit your own questions to podcast@vertafore.com. 

Plus, it's time for Accelerate, powered by NetVU! Find out about this multi-month conference and register today. 

Dreaming up the future, with SIAA CEO Matt Masiello

In this episode, we welcome special guest Matt Masiello. Matt is the author of Insurance Agency 4.0 and is the current CEO of SIAA. As he puts it, “The future for the independent agency is bright.”  

Matt has looked at what the future holds for the independent agency from all angles: commercial lines vs. personal lines, generational changes, upcoming threats, opportunities, and yes, of course, technology. Matt and Rick agree that no two agencies are the same, and therefore the future looks different for everyone. So, rather than giving specifics on what to “do,” Matt focuses on a path to follow.  

This episode is packed with Matt’s knowledge and wisdom, and there’s a lot for listeners to take with them.

It's time for Accelerate, powered by NetVU! Find out about this multi-month conference and register today.

InsuRant: Getting all the way engaged

In this episode, Rick is talking about getting engaged in the insurance industry—and not just a little bit engaged, but full, all-in engagement with networks, peers, and user groups. All-in engagement is a great way to improve professionally and personally, and it’s a sure way to take your career to the next level. 

Rick spells out the three pillars of engagement and the top three engagement hacks for industry professionals across the ecosystem. This episode is great for all our listeners, from the carrier space to the agency space at all levels of the organization.  

Talking generational change, with Crystal Ware

This week we welcome guest Crystal Ware, Chief Risk Strategist at Empower Benefits & Insurance Group. Crystal is passionate about solving a huge problem in insurance: the talent gap that has emerged as more insurance professionals retire without enough younger people to replace them.  

Rick and Crystal discuss how to attract the best and brightest talent via office environment, culture shift, and technology. Plus, Crystal shares the questions she thinks are missing in most interviews that would help make better hiring matches from both sides of the table.  

We think this is a great episode to listen to, as all of us in insurance are quickly approaching a huge shift in industry demographics.  

Getting political, with Wyatt Stewart and Big “I”

In this episode the Vertafore Insurance Podcast welcomes Wyatt Stewart with the Big “I”. Rick and Wyatt discuss the 2021 Big “I” Legislative Conference plus the importance of being politically active in the insurance industry. Wyatt gives listeners a glimpse of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to advocate for the independent agent on Capitol Hill. 

No matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, this episode details legislative matters up for consideration in the near future that will affect the insurance industry at large. While the conference itself ends on April 16, the matters at hand will continue and it’s crucial that insurance professionals understand how politics affect the success of their business. 

The independent agent’s continued success, with Michael Freilich

This week on the podcast we have Michael Freilich, CTO of Renaissance Alliance. Michael started in the industry twenty years ago and explains that even when he started there was a narrative that “the independent agent is going away.” Like many of us, he recognized this wasn’t true—but what he saw was true is that the independent agency is always evolving.  

Throughout his career, he’s facilitated that evolution and studied ways to ease the process. Rick and Michael chat about his four big pillars for the independent agent: scale, skill, scope, and access to capital. Michael explains how he sees the independent agent being a data company in the future and how the leaders of an agency create the culture around change.  

March Madness 2021

This month we hit the one-year anniversary of our world turning upside down, and basketball is back. Rather than the normal industry news and knowledge we typically cover in this podcast, this week we are pausing and reflecting.  

From last March to this March, we’ve adapted and changed. We’ve learned to be our own tech support, take a zoom meeting in the only quiet corner in the house, and collaborate remotely. Despite all the hardships and challenges we faced, we’ve come a long way as an industry and as people. Listen in as Rick discusses some of the silver linings of the past year and what he is most excited for right now: basketball and a slow return to something close to normal.