Vertafore Insurance Podcast

Meet the most interesting man in insurance with Rob Galbraith

On this week's episode, Rick is joined by Rob Galbraith, the most interesting man in insurance and Director of Innovation at AF Group. Rick and Rob talk all things insurance and the client digital experience. This episode is full of great insights - you won't want to miss this one!

InsuRant: We're #InItTogether

It is time yet again for one of Rick’s InsuRants! This week Rick talks about how grateful he feels to be part of such a tight-knit industry. And don’t just take it from Rick, #VIPodcast producer Dylan Braun chimes in with what he has seen in the industry the past couple of months. We’re all #InItTogether, and Rick highlights how connected the insurance industry is in this challenging time.

Psychology, meet insurance

 If today's episode gives you flashbacks to your college Psych 1010 class... well, that's a good thing, according to our guest Dorothy L. Andrews, Principal & Chief Behavioral Data Scientist at Actuarial and Analytics Consortium. You may never have thought much about it, but behavior and psychology play a significant role in our industry - from a customer's sense of risk awareness to an underwriter's algorithms - the human mind is at work everywhere. In this episode, Dorothy sheds some light on:

• How insurance products impact real people, including through their biases (12:56)
• The three most basic psychological needs of our audience that we can work to fulfill (18:18)
• When insurance companies should be building bonds with their (future) consumers (19:30)
• The most important skill that actuaries are going to have to have for the future (25:20)
• How you can connect in a physical way through technology (30:50).

Build, buy, or partner with Gilad Shai

Join us for a conversation with Gilad Shai, founder of BOUND API - an InsurTech startup with a mission to provide agents with digital distribution channels across the web. As the founder of a startup, Gilad is intimately familiar with mergers and acquisitions within the InsurTech space from both sides of the table. In this episode, Gilad and Rick discuss:

• The three waves of the InsurTech revolution 
• The dilemma every startup has to face 
• Gilad's prediction for how technology will change the role of the agent 
• And, just for fun, the one English phrase Gilad can't say 

Experiments aren't just for science, with ePayPolicy

This week Rick is excited to bring back another repeat guest, Todd Sorrel and first-time guest Seth Nagle from ePayPolicy! Seth and Todd have some great insights and perspectives on what you can be doing tight now with the additional time on our hands. 

This week, Rick and the ePay team leave you with some important questions you should be asking of yourself and your business:

• What can you do to improve processes and workflows?
• Is there another way to use your existing tech stack?
• Are there people in my community that I can reach out to?

Ultimately, get out of your comfort zone - now is the perfect time to make the changes you've always wanted to. Go get your business, change the way you do business, and experiment!

How to succeed during a worldwide pandemic with Ron Berg

This week on the Vertafore Insurance Podcast, we have our first repeat guest, Ron Berg, Executive Director of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT). Ron has over a decade of experience working remotely, and he is sharing his knowledge with ACT members and the VIP audience to help navigate this time of change and uncertainty.

Rick and Ron leave you with these things that you can do to be successful right now:

• Contingency planning
• Remote working best practices
• Regulations to be aware of
• Taking cyber security into account

InsuRant: Six ingredients for leading a remote workforce

This week on Rick’s InsuRant we wanted to follow up on our previous rant about COVID-19 featuring Laura Nettles. Today Rick talks about our new normal, the human side of a worldwide pandemic, and how our industry is affected. Rick leaves you with the six ingredients to leading a remote workforce, and as a bonus we have three things you need to be doing in your day-to-day life right now according to Rick’s wife, Maghan.

Change is the only constant with Mike Becker

Is the pace of change making you dizzy? We've said it before, and we'll say it again: the only way to survive is to embrace change and evolve. This week, Mike Becker, EVP and CEO of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) joins us to talk about his own philosophy around the changes that are shaking up our industry every day. In this episode, Mike covers: 

• His recipe for surviving and adapting to change 
• What you should consider as you take those first steps into new territory 
• The importance of understanding your client base (and how to show them you do) 

Agency growing pains (not starring Kirk Cameron)

Every business, large or small, wants to grow - it's only natural. But growing isn't always easy! If your agency is succeeding, you might find yourself struggling with some growing pains as you try to navigate the path from a single person shop to a mega-broker and everywhere in between. In this week's InsuRant, Rick brings his experience as an agency owner and longtime industry veteran to the table to provide some solid advice for agencies of all sizes (and growing!)

Embrace your niche with Ted and Arleen Taveras

This week we have two guests: Husband and wife, business partners, and podcasting duo Ted and Arleen Taveras. Ted and Arleen are the founders of Insurance Licensing Services of America, better known as ILSA, and also run the SpotOn Insurance podcast. This week, Ted and Arleen share their unique story and perspective to inspire you in your own career and life.

Some of the key moments you won't want to miss include:

• The most important thing you can do, period (11:20)
• Turning a niche from a limitation into an asset (26:00)
• Why prioritizing your culture is vital and how to do it (34:14)