Tag: UPP Life

Episode 152: Softballs of Money with Tracy Henry and Rachel McClurg

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Join me today with two special guests, Tracy Henry and Rachel McClurg, from the Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers.  Whether you are an established agency or just getting started PiiB can help you succeed. PiiB will help you leverage your positioning with the carriers in a way that I don’t think anybody else can.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • The two most important things that agencies consistently say that PiiB brings is carrier access and enhanced revenue
  • Affiliates are 100% independent and use them when they are needed.
  • The PiiB team all interview potential employees to ensure they all mesh and build that culture of success
  • There is value in agencies being able to try different carriers out and see if they are competitive if they do fit in their agency.
  • Success comes from those direct relationships with the carriers
  • PiiB provides opportunities for networking and building those relationships with each other and with carriers.
  • There is assistance available in the merger and acquisition space between affiliates as well

 

About our Guests:

Tracy Henry graduated from UH Hilo, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics with a specialization in Education and is a Senior Sales Rep at PIIB.  She has spent the majority of her professional career at PIIB and has, over the last 10 years, helped established agencies increase their revenue and diversify & grow their book, and supported individuals in establishing their independent agencies and partnering with PIIB.

The agencies that Tracy has assisted in getting their operations up and running have been both captive/exclusive agents transitioning to independence and seasoned independent producers who go out on their own.  Tracy is passionate about encouraging any agents considering opening their own operation to not waste another minute as she believes that with a partner like PIIB, the opportunities for an independent insurance agency’s success are endless.

 

Rachel McClurg’s life in insurance began in 2004, when she was a Junior at Sacramento State University, majoring in Communications. Upon graduation in 2005, Rachel was promoted to a Sales and Marketing Role at Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers. Here she gained an immense amount of knowledge from her boss and mentor, Larry Manning. In 2011, Rachel decided to spread her wings and accepted a Sales Manager position with Markel FirstComp. Markel provided new experiences and growth, but she found herself back home at PIIB when her husband was to be relocated to Southern California for a fantastic career opportunity. All together Rachel has spent over 18 years at PIIB and has helped it grow from 15 affiliate agencies to over 240 affiliate agencies and close to $900M in premium. She appreciates the relationships she’s developed with both affiliate and carrier partners, and looks forward to what the future holds and developing new relationships. The culture at PIIB truly is that of a family, and she feels lucky to be part of such a dynamic team.

 

https://www.piib.com/

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 151: C + F + D =

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When you access that extra capacity within you and realize that it has always been with you, that is when you realize that you have been making up excuses in your mind.   Recently I have been realizing how little of our capacity we have been accessing and so I want to take you through a formula to help you become more.

Key Takeaways:

  • Most people maybe use 15 to 20% of their total capacity in their mind alone
  • What we put into our mind means everything as far as results in our business and our life
  • You’ve got to implement consistency into your life, into your habits into your daily regimen, whatever that looks like, no excuses.
  • Stay focused. Follow one course until success or you will be left behind.
  • You must discipline yourself so no one else needs to.
  • Now that you have the key components of the equation what does it equal?

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 150: You Have a Duty and a Responsibility to Find More

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What does a four-mile run every four hours for 48 hours have to do with managing an insurance company? More than you think.

Join me today in a roundtable discussion with Patty Lares, Bill Butler, and Chris Paradiso as we discuss completing the Goggins Challenge.  We not only share our experiences of this adventure, but we also talk about the mindset and values that this event has highlighted in ourselves and within each other.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Life is a head game
  • Live a mission-driven life
  • Don’t be the racehorse chasing the carrot. You will never catch forever trying to prove yourself to yourself.
  • Don’t surround yourself with people that speak to your desire for comfort
  • Most wars are won or lost in our head and remember you are not alone in the foxhole
  • Failure is all about repetition
  • Do not let anyone cap your potential

 

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 149: Attracting Your Dream Clients

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The goal of every agency is to write plans for your ideal dream client, no matter what your niche is.  In this episode, I am going to help you gain the insight and clarity to define what your dream client looks like and how you can reach them.

Highlights:

  • The Art of Disqualification and what that means for you
  • Who are your dream clients and how do you attract them? It starts with the 3 M’s of marketing
  • The first M is Marketplace. What are your demographics, psychographic, and geographics?
  • Uncover the Return of Investment of finding your dream client
  • A look into creating a shortlist of your personal and business dream client and creating a “client avatar”
  • The second M is Message. Discover the 5 trigger words of copy.
  • Learn how to uncover the conversation that needs to happen.
  • The third M is Media. Reaching 100% of the marketplace requires using 100% of the ways available.
  • It takes 20 – 50 touches to engage and get to the point of conversion with a cold prospect.

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 148: The Truth about First P Candidates (Encore)

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Employee recruitment can be a frustrating process. In this episode, I am going to take you through the musts of the interview process.  Whether you are an experienced interviewer or just starting out, this episode will help you define what you need to do and get the right person for the right job.

Highlights:

  • Discover the progression of an excellent PR person within UPP
  • The #1 skillset of being a great interviewer
  • The importance of the phone screen process
  • Interviewee personal rating scales
  • Utilizing the team interview approach for better evaluation of potential employees
  • Red flag areas and what to look for
  • Job shadowing as an interview technique
  • A look at the reference process, obtaining personal and professional references

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 147: The 120 Second Rule with Bradley Flowers and Scott Howell

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Fellow podcasters and insurance gurus, Scott Howell and Bradley Flowers have joined me in this week’s episode.   Scott and Bradley both have a strong understanding of what it means to run an insurance business and today they are going to impart some of the lessons learned and some strategies that will either reinforce what you are doing or drive you to action.

Highlights:

  • The meaning of the buffalo behind Bradley and how it inspires him to deal with obstacles head-on.
  • Scott shares his philosophy on not giving your problems oxygen and the 120 rule for delivering bad news.
  • A look at what Scott and Bradley are currently doing to keep their mindset in the right place; Audible University and working towards CIC designation.
  • The importance of getting everything in your business together to be prepared for opportunities (and challenges) when they present themselves.
  • The decisions you make today, will they be of benefit to you 10 years down the road?
  • Determining your hourly cost to decide if some tasks are better delegated
  • There is too much information out there to claim that you are not sure how to do something. That is no longer an excuse.
  • Bradley and Scott share their greatest lessons learned and their future vision for their podcast and for their agencies.

About My Guests:

Scott Howell
@nationwidescott

Agency Owner of Scott Howell & Associates, Inc – Nationwide Insurance. My purpose is selling insurance and our agency specializes in Business and Financial Services. Currently, our rates for multi-family and single family investors in Alabama cannot be beaten. Call me today and experience our award winning customer service.

Bradley Flowers
@Bradleyflowers7

Bradley is an independent insurance agency owner and agent at Portal Insurance in Saraland, Alabama and the surrounding communities; he is an expert and student of the insurance game, co-founder of the Mobile Young Entrepreneurs group, and a thought leader in marketing and social media. Bradley is the #1 Insurance personality on Snapchat per Wall Street Journal. He is driven to provide outstanding customer service as well as insurance products that fit his client’s needs and budget. Bradley’s hobby is business, and he loves saying “YES” to his customers.

 

The Insurance Guys is a podcast made and dedicated to agents by agents. Scott Howell and Bradley Flowers discuss all aspects of becoming an insurance agent and give real life examples of their experiences in all aspects of hiring, sales and the day-to-day reality of running your own successful insurance agency.

The Insurance Guys Podcast

www.theinsuranceguyspodcast.com

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 146: Helping YOU Write Lots of High Net-Worth Business with Bob Klee

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Have you been wanting to break into the high net-worth space but not sure where to start or your there but not sure if all your bases are covered?

Bob Klee, Kelly Klee Insurance, has extensive experience in high net-worth insurance coverage and is here to offer you his knowledge as well as let you know about what they have to offer agents on a brokerage basis.  Tune in for great information that you are not going to want to miss.

Highlights:

  • Bob’s insurance journey that led him to the creation of Kelly Klee Insurance
  • What do agents need to be thinking about in the high net-worth market?
  • Working as a wholesaler insurance agent
  • Understanding the needs of the customer “If they can afford a million-dollar house, they need more than a million-dollar umbrella”.
  • It is all about the “why”
  • A look into the assistance and training they provide their agents, as well as the expertise that the agents can rely on
  • An interesting story about coverage from an art space and loaning million-dollar paintings
  • Why efficiency is so vitally important and how Kelly Klee will help reinforce you as the agent to the customer
  • Using NDAs to help build trust with clients
  • Developing the software to score leads in a quick and effective manner and utilizing their app for 24 hours service

Resources Mentioned

Sign up for virtual training at http://uppfaststart.com

Become Unstoppable: http://beunstoppablebootcamp.com

About My Guest:

Bob Klee is the President of Kelly Klee Private Insurance, the digital insurance broker for successful Americans. Bob’s career in the insurance industry began in 1986 when he obtained his license to offer motorcycle insurance to clients at his California dealership, T&O Yamaha and Honda. After selling the dealership in 1997, he opened his own Farmers Insurance agency in California. Bob then owned two different Allstate Insurance agencies in Kentucky (1998) and Tennessee (2001). In 2004, Bob co-founded insurance marketing firm Hometown Quotes and now serves as a Board Member. Bob co-founded Kelly Klee Private Insurance in 2014. Bob earned a BS in Business Finance from California State University and holds a certificate in Financial Planning from Belmont University.

Bob holds the following insurance designations in the high net-worth space: Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) and Chartered Private Risk and Insurance Advisor (CPRIA). Less than 0.5% of all agents hold both designations.

https://www.kellyklee.com/blog/kelly-klee-successfully-partnering-with-independent-agents

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 145: Digital Mastery from the Agency Trenches with Matt “Matty” Lutes

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You know that your online presence is essential in today’s business market and today we are excited to bring you Matt Lutes from the Dickerson Agency.  He is here to share with you some of the important strategies that you need to be implementing in order to attract the clients that you are ready to have.  From website design and blogs to social media and targeted ads, there is something here for you to add to your marketing repertoire.

Highlights:

  • Digital marketing is an ever-changing market so it is good to stay on top of the current marketing strategies
  • Google Search is the way most people find your business so it is important to have that good first impression. Make sure that your information is up to date on there to bring in your organic traffic.
  • Discover the importance of pictures on your website (and not just stock photos) but you also need to keep the page informative not just pretty.
  • Utilizing videos to invite and engage, but how long is too long?
  • Turn your blog into your social media posts, aimed at the audience of that media platform
  • The importance of responding to your google reviews and the proper way to interact with negative reviews.
  • Learn about keyword stuffing. Is it to your benefit?
  • Do not stress that you have not been posting however start now. Even one blog a month will help with your visibility.
  • Need blog topics? Look to Google to help you and don’t forget what you do for your community. It does not always have to be solely about insurance but about your insurance company.
  • Discover when you should get into the Facebook and Google ad game.

 

Resources Mentioned

Sign up for virtual training at http://uppfaststart.com

Become Unstoppable: http://beunstoppablebootcamp.com

About My Guest:

Matt “Matty” Lutes joined the Dickerson Agency team in 2017. Originally from Arkansas, Matt has lived all over the country, from Missouri to Alabama, New York to California, Louisiana to Georgia. He eventually settled back down in Atlanta in 2008. A recent graduate of GA Tech’s Digital Marketing certification program, with a background in event planning & fundraising, as well as restaurant management, Matt brings his unique perspectives as an insurance outsider to the arena.

Matt currently manages the daily operations, digital marketing, social media and website for the Dickerson Agency, as well as advertising and promotional materials.

Fun Facts:

  • Matt has several tattoos, all of which have been for various charity organizations.
  • Remembers way too many song lyrics and random “useless” facts.
  • Is Belinda Carlisle’s #1 Fan

Http://www.dickersonagency.com

 

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 144: YOUR Numbers Don’t Lie with Aaron C. Stocks

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You have heard me say many times that your numbers don’t lie and for the first time ever I am bringing you the guy that will demonstrate just how important that statement is.

This week I am excited to introduce you to Aaron C. Stocks.  Aaron is the founder and President of Professional Financial Solutions and his company focuses on accounting with the independent insurance market.  Listen as we discuss all things financial from your start-up accounting to knowing your bottom line and even hiring practices.   This is the episode to listen to whether you are just starting your agency or a seasoned professional.

Highlights:

  • Aaron’s foray into the accounting field and even his tenacity to keep learning and improving
  • An exploration of trust accounting
  • Developing the norm of reviewing monthly financial statements and how they should be the standard for every company even though they are not
  • The three major issues that agencies are faced with when it comes to accounting
  • The ROI on getting your financial accounting together at the beginning and especially even for seasoned agencies that may have multiple locations
  • The impact of acquisitions and financial accounting that goes along with that
  • Aaron explains why his company moved to the Always Be Hiring methodology for recruitment and the strategies he uses for hiring.
  • Adding international staff to the mix and the benefits that it has proven

 

Resources Mentioned
Sign up for virtual training at http://uppfaststart.com

Become Unstoppable: http://beunstoppablebootcamp.com

About My Guest:

Aaron C. Stocks is a founder and current president of Professional Financial Solutions. Aaron has over ten years of diversified experience with concentrations in financial controllerships, management advisory, cost accounting, growth strategy, bookkeeping technology, insolvency, reorganization, financial projections, and operational management.

https://www.pfsaccounting.com

[email protected]

909-294-7372

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

Episode 143: New Team Member Reveals All with Anita Hernandez

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You have all heard me talk many times about the importance of your team, hiring the right people, and having everybody working towards the common vision of the agency.  And you may also wonder if I actually walk the talk. If you have, then you will want to stay tuned.

I am excited to introduce you to one of our newest members of the UPP team, Anita Hernandez.  Anita was excited to come on and share the lessons that she has learned on her journey through the interview, the onboarding process, and her training within the UPP organization.

Highlights:

  • How an introduction from a vendor lead to a connection that led to an unexpected opportunity
  • The interview left Anita feeling that she was being listened to and engaged in the process
  • Anita’s impression of going through the process of interviews and profile for personality and fit and how it helped her understand her own self
  • The question that made Anita realize how important it was to her as an employer
  • How the energy of UPP spoke to her as a person and from a business perspective
  • The support and strength she feels to create something worthwhile at UPP
  • Feeling supported to access resources to help her grow and develop her skills further
  • Anita shares her experience of the working interview process.
  • The importance in finding what really motivates you in your position within the position you are in

 

Resources Mentioned
Sign up for virtual training at http://uppfaststart.com

Become Unstoppable: http://beunstoppablebootcamp.com

About My Guest:

Anita Hernandez is the newest UPP team member!

Her successful experience as Co-Founder of Nita Media LLC, where she specializes in Marketing and Video Production, has prepared her well for this role.

A strong believer in the power of positive thinking in the workplace (and life!), Anita is always mentally creating content and has a tight grip on capturing the essence of pure moments. Find Anita enjoying a good Netflix binge, on the volleyball court, or catching a plane while traveling the world.

 

Until next time, get out there and make a difference, be unstoppable, and leave no regrets!

 

Mike Stromsoe
The Unstoppable Profit Producer
Call 800-770-9984
Email [email protected]

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