Can you share how you first became involved in the insurance industry?
I initially entered the insurance industry through the claims side of the business. After graduating from college, I began my career in banking but soon found an opportunity as a claims representative trainee with State Farm. I spent several years there before transitioning to claim management with Allstate, where I worked for about 17 years.
During my time with Allstate, I also took on agency management responsibilities, overseeing a geographic area in Portland. Eventually, I came across an advertisement for Smart Choice in an insurance magazine. At that time, Smart Choice had no presence on the West Coast outside of California. I reached out to inquire about their plans for Oregon.
After a series of discussions and an interview in North Carolina, I was offered a position with Smart Choice about 16 or 17 years ago.
What influenced your decision to choose Smart Choice? Did you consider any other aggregators or networks during that process?
I came from a captive insurance background and was always intrigued by the independent side of the industry. I was drawn to the flexibility Smart Choice offers and the ability to provide clients with multiple solutions.
I didn’t explore other aggregators or networks because I was so impressed with Smart Choice’s dedicated home office team and their agent-focused, positive approach. I was captivated by the culture and decided to join. It’s been a great experience ever since.
Given your success with Smart Choice, is there a particular principle or ‘golden rule’ that you believe has contributed to your achievements?
I’d say the key to success is being self-motivated and maintaining a big-picture perspective. While it's important to pay attention to details, staying focused on the overall strategy and what’s best for the broader scenario is crucial.
What advice do you have for agents who are just starting out?
Focus on growing your business and developing a clear organizational structure. Aim to delegate responsibilities so you can specialize in higher-level tasks, making it easier to handle turnover. Create detailed job descriptions and make the most of technology.
Utilize social media, consider developing a mobile app for your agency, and add customer portals to your website to improve client access and reduce your service workload. As your agency expands, consider implementing service centers to allow your staff to concentrate on revenue-generating activities rather than administrative tasks.
Look for ways to maximize your revenue by becoming an industry expert and staying current with market trends. Many agents are still unclear about why personal lines are currently restricted, so it’s important to stay informed and adapt.
Consider focusing on commercial lines if you're not already doing so. If commercial insurance is new to you, Smart Choice's resources can be very helpful.
Additionally, explore the E&S (Excess and Surplus) market, as it’s becoming increasingly important and offers significant opportunities. Keeping up with these areas will help you seize new business prospects.
Has Smart Choice helped you tackle any challenges you’ve faced in the states you oversee?
Absolutely. Being part of a network like Smart Choice gives us a significant advantage. There’s real power in numbers.
For instance, at the national level, we’ve been able to negotiate better deals and secure benefits that individual agents might not access on their own. The strength of our brand also helps when dealing with carriers.
When agents face challenges that might otherwise lead to termination or restrictions, we can often find alternative solutions to help them through tough spots.
Additionally, Smart Choice improves our access to markets through initiatives like Smart Start and Express Markets, and it helps us keep agents in their current appointments.
What does the future hold for you? What plans do you have moving forward?
Looking ahead, my goal is to keep growing and exploring new opportunities. I plan to add more agency partnerships and strengthen our relationships with carriers. I’ll continue to leverage the successful programs we have and expand our team.
Right now, we have a team of four, which is a significant increase from when I managed everything on my own. As our operations grow, we’ll likely add more specialists and possibly new team members.
also see agency visits as a crucial part of our strategy, especially as we expand our presence across three states. This might eventually require a full-time person dedicated to managing these visits.