Vertafore Insurance Podcast

is it time for a Federal License.

Tim Owen, Vice President of Product Management, is passionate about making compliance management as easy as possible. In a world of state-based regulation, this is no easy feat. Today, he shares his vision for the future.

Meet Tim and hear more about:

What DCM stands for
The history of the federal insurance licensing initiative
How Vertafore makes compliance management hands-off
State-based regulation vs federal regulation; pros & cons
Tim's opinion of whether or not the bar for licensing gotten lower?
Get your pen and paper ready this is one you're going to want to take notes on.
Transcript

Get more out of your tech stack.

In Conning’s 2024 MGA survey, the percentage of survey respondents who “strongly agreed” with the statement that “they are worried their firm is not investing enough in technology” has fallen significantly in the past five years from 23% in 2019 to 5% in 2024. Technology consulting firms, like KGM, have played a pivotal role in this shift.

Meet Ravendra and hear more about:

• The top 4 areas where MGAs are investing in technology
• The complexity of end-to-end connectivity for specialty lines
• Why KMG thinks in terms of design-first, not functionality-first
• What the world would look like without insurance forms

This is an episode you will want to bookmark.

E38 Oliva Schmidt

According to a nationwide survey of independent insurance agents, 65% say they feel they are not maximizing their tech stack. Olivia Schmitt, Customer Consulting Manager at Vertafore, shares insights on how she’s helping agents get more out of their tech stack.

Meet Olivia and hear more about:

• Olivia's ieas about cancelling hustle culture
• The difference between implementing and maximizing your tech stack
• The toughest challenges agents face when maximizing their stack
• How to set achievable goals with tech adoption

Hear why Olivia Schmitt makes Monday Magic, download this episode today... 

Why Out-Of-The-Box Anti-virus isnt enough

Brad Ruben is no newcomer to ensuring agency tech stacks are impenetrable. He started Archway Computer in the days of on-Premises, in-house servers.  Running an agency today, it is even more critical to not only protect your client and their businesses, but it is also important to make sure your business is protected.  Join us as we chat with Brad about how times have changed and why agents’ data might not be as secure as they think.

Meet Brad and hear more about:

• Tackling the myth that in-house servers are more secure than the cloud
• Top trends in the IT space
• How to be proactive about protecting against evolving cyber risks
• Why you need to talk to your staff about cyber risks
• Should we be afraid of AI hacks

This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.

How did this agency go from 0-$60 million in just 11 years?

Grace Peabody, President of Peabody Insurance Agency, is an absolute insurance shark. She was recently named one of Flint County’s 40 under 40. After graduating with her MBA in 2013, she hit the business world running, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her agency, Peabody Insurance has also been named as a Best Practices agency. Join us as we chat with Grace and learn more about the best practices she has used to grow her agency and her career in such a short amount of time. 

Meet Grace and hear more about:

• How to cultivate a growth-based culture
• The tips and strategies she shares for qualifying and hiring great talent
• Peabody Insurance the Best Practices agency
• How to guide change as a new leader in your agency
• Why you need to know your numbers in order to be a successful agency in 2024 and beyond.

This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.

The 2024 State of Tech in Insurance Study

Every year for the last 3 years, Catalyit has published an intriguing study analyzing agency digital transformation trends. (They must know agents love to see what other agents are doing.) We review the most surprising insights together. Download the whole study here.  
 
Meet Marit & Casey and hear more about: 

• How this study is produced 
• Which video platform agents love the most
•  How much technology do agents have today 
• Are agencies seeing ROI on their tech investments 
• Why Catalyit recently acquired StakWise 

 

Download this one its a good one to refer back to 

Commercial Submissions™ helped this agency hit $1,000,000.00

Shyla Lankford is a seasoned insurance professional with a career spanning over two decades, Since joining Lipscomb Insurance in 2010, she has become a cornerstone of their commercial insurance and risk management team. Most agents dismiss small business commercial because “It’s too cookie-cutter.” “They’re the price shoppers of the commercial space.” “It’s not profitable enough.” Shyla Langford, Chief Operating Officer of Lipscomb Insurance, heard every reason not to sell into this space...until she found Commercial Submissions…and the rest is history.

Meet Shyla and hear more about:

Why stewarding transitions is so important in a hard market
Using submissions data to drive efficiency
The secret to making small commercial business profitable
Reaching $1million with low-lift…and Commercial Submissions

Get your pen and paper ready this is one you're going to want to take notes on. 

OneCore: The Backend Magic of AgencyOne

When most people hear about the transformation Vertafore is going through – bringing all of our products together into one platform – they typically only think about the front-end changing. They think about new styling, new design, more connectivity, cross-product workflows being less clicks, easier navigation, improved search functionality, etc. But today, in this third installment of the AgencyOne podcasts, we’re diving into the back-end. Today we are going to take a deeper dive into the infrastructure of AgencyOne. Buckle up!

Meet Jace & August and hear more about:

• Exactly what OneCore stand for
• The three pillars of OneCore
• The smashing early success of our new data delivery service
• How we’re centralizing our API ecosystem
• How we’re unifying data and focused on centralizing reporting
• Why we partnered with Amazon Web Services

This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.

The Death Of The Lifestyle Agency

Financial excellence is no longer a nice-to-have in your agency; it’s a need-to-have. These 4 leaders of new business management firm, AgencyPoint, explain why you need to dial your numbers in…and how to do it.  

 

Meet the crew and hear more about: 

• when to consider top-line vs bottom-line growth 
• why your numbers should tell a story…and how to find it 
• the numbers you don’t see on a P&L, but you should know 
• how your agency could operate vs how your agency does operate 
• where to re-allocate to show profitability or invest in growth 
• Email Header: …and the birth of financial excellence… 

Networking, Innovation, and the Evolution of the Insurance Industry

Brett Fulmer, known as “Broker Brett,” is a dynamic insurance and insurtech consultant who excels in policy placement, risk management, and community building. As the Managing Broker at Newport Beach Insurance Center LLC. He seamlessly blends traditional insurance expertise with innovative technology solutions. In this episode, Brett discussed the importance of networking and community-building through initiatives like "Broker Brews" and the insurance running club, highlighting the value of these events in fostering connections and sharing knowledge across the industry. The discussion also touched on how mid-sized insurance agencies can leverage their agility and responsiveness to compete with larger enterprise players, as well as the potential impact of AI and other emerging technologies on the industry. 

Check out this episode and hear more about: 

The importance of networking and community-building through initiatives like "Broker Brews."
The evolution of openness and connectivity in the insurance industry
The challenges and opportunities around APIs, data scraping, and technology integration
The pros and cons of closed versus open technology ecosystems
The potential impact of AI and other emerging technologies on the industry.

This is an episode you will want to bookmark. It is a good one.