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In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley sits down with Billy Van Jura. "Billy Van Jura is an unabashed slayer/supporter of innovation, agency model advocate and is intolerable of weak stuff. He has multiple length sticks to poke into the Hornet's nest." Bill Van Jura founded Birchyard LLC and is one of the most prophetic and antagonistic voices in the independent insurance industry. He's also among the most thought-provoking people I've ever met, and I relish every time we chat. Don't miss this episode…  Episode Highlights: Billy and Ryan discuss content production quality. (4:42) Billy mentions that people should take the time to search for existing information before asking questions. (10:33) Ryan shares how COVID forced him to solve problems that he never had to solve before. (13:12) Ryan and Billy discuss Propeller Bonds and how it is a value add to the industry. (26:23) Billy mentions that he has met with basic insurance agents in New York who have been in business for 35 to 65 years, but are barely known and don't have a Google profile or a website. (46:55) Billy explains why he believes that the sooner we kill the romance of the independent agent, the better. (51:40) Billy discusses the potential of a large aggregator that could develop their own carrier if they were successful in developing an MGA program. (59:22) Key Quotes: “I believe the sooner we kill the romance of the independent agent, the better. You distribute insurance, get past anybody giving a s*it about you being local, because it's not important.” - Billy Van Jura “Where I get stuck is when the what happens next? Iroquois or any of these big aggregators, the sooner they really develop an MGA program, the sooner they really develop their own carrier, the more interesting it gets.” - Billy Van Jura Resources Mentioned: Billy Van Jura LinkedIn Birchyard LLC Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk Finding Peak

Jason Cass is the Managing Partner of The Insurance Alliance, Founder of Agency Intelligence, and Managing Partner of Virtual Intelligence.  In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jason explains his newest project, IndieTech 2023 IndieTech 2023 is the first of its kind, Independent Agent Insurtech Conference. You do NOT want to miss this conversation... Episode Highlights: Ryan believes that valuing both the traditional and innovative aspects of the insurance industry is essential, but it's hard to find individuals who can excel in both.  (5:27) Jason mentions being caught between the analog generation and the digital generation. (8:20) Ryan discusses the importance of self-awareness in leadership and personal growth, and how understanding oneself, learning from mistakes, and not being too hard on oneself can positively impact professional development. (18:42) Jason shares that he is realizing the importance of time as he is getting older and has decided to cut unnecessary things and focus on delegation, learning from mentors like Billy Williams and Miles Merwin and asking the right questions as a leader to manage his agency and mentor his team effectively. (20:31) Jason explains that investing in top talent is worth it, even if it means writing a six-figure check. (26:36) Jason discusses how he got the idea to create a tech showcase, IndieTech 2023, that will give independent insurance agents a unique experience. (36:29) Jason mentions that IndieTech 2023 includes educational paths in the morning and afternoon, and will also feature vendor booths with two large demo stages where attendees can learn about and demo products. (39:47) Jason explains that IndieTech 2023, is designed for young agents to learn about new technology in the independent insurance industry and features keynote speakers, CEOs from various insurance companies, and a technology incubator program to fund tech innovations for the industry. (42:43) Jason shares how he manages his bipolar disorder with medication and therapy and believes that mental illness can be seen as a strength in today's society. (57:33) Jason discusses how and where to find out more about the IndieTech 2023 conference and how to register. (1:07:20) Key Quotes: “I tried to figure out how I could create the customer journey so that as somebody walks through the exhibit, they walk through the customer journey, and they experience a technology that they would use at that point in time.” - Jason Cass “I think that that part of being open to understanding who you are and what you do is not giving yourself too hard a hard time when you make those mistakes, but just trying to learn from them.” - Ryan Hanley “I tell every vendor to IndieTech that I'm on, I'm doing this for you. And I tell it to every one of them. I don't have a dog in the fight. I don't have a tech company...we need a place where you can go.” - Jason Cass Resources Mentioned: Jason Cass LinkedIn IndieTech 2023 Agency Intelligence Virtual Intelligence The Insurance Alliance Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk Finding Peak

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley sits down with Tim Hardcastle. Tim Hardcastle is CEO and co-founder of INSTANDA, a digital insurance solution for the innovative insurance professional. This is one of my favorite conversations on this podcast in a long time… The INSTANDA platform enables carriers and MGAs to create, build and implement complex insurance products in weeks or months. Capitalize on opportunities and be first to market while lowering overall TCO. Seamlessly integrate with your ecosystem and technology environment.  Tim and Ryan dive deep into their entrepreneurial journeys as well. This is an episode you don't want to miss… Episode Highlights: Tim discusses what motivated him to launch INSTANDA. (3:35) Tim believes that a risk perspective is important in business and that every successful entrepreneur must have the belief, passion, and drive to do whatever it takes to get the business going. (8:12) Tim mentions that they launched INSTANDA in 2016 and that they are currently in 13 countries, with 80 clients, and a large workforce in the United States. (11:19) Tim discusses what makes a real policy management system different from the old agency management system that many people are still utilizing. (26:04)  Tim explains that INSTANDA provides end-to-end service, including quotes, bind, service payment, and renewal, as well as simple claims. (30:25) Tim believes INSTANDA to be one of the few companies that innovated with agility, adaptability, speed to market, and no code narrative. (31:45) Tim discusses his observations on the insurance industry and the challenges it faces. (36:22) Tim mentions that their vision is to work with every Progressive insurer in the UK and US core markets. (37:52) Ryan discusses the distinction between growth agencies and lifestyle agencies, as well as how they leverage technology. (41:18) Tim believes that they are not the solution for everything and everyone right now, but they feel they can grow and give value to any progressive company. (46:24) Tim mentions that McKinsey Global Institute conducted a survey on insurtech and financial services and discovered that for every $1 of new revenue generated by new products, it is worth double the enterprise value of an existing core product. (49:15) Key Quotes: “Every successful founder has to have their belief, their passion, their drive, to take the steps necessary to do everything it takes to get the business going.” - Tim Hardcastle “To be successful, you have to be fueled by a purpose in why you’re doing it, that belief, and that comes from different places, I have it, you have it…but it's about the essence of human endeavor. And I love being in the industry, because you meet so many people that are motivated and excited by jumping that chasm, whether it's small or large.” - Tim Hardcastle “We love really difficult challenges because as you've seen, the technology is flexible you can genuinely mold it, meld it to your needs.” - Tim Hardcastle Resources Mentioned: Tim Hardcastle LinkedIn INSTANDA Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk Finding Peak

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley sits down with Josip Rupena. Josip Rupena is the founder and CEO of Milo. Milo is reimagining how global and crypto consumers access credit and financial services in a borderless world. They have built the first digital home lending solution to buy U.S. real estate or cash out their equity. This is an incredible conversation you don't want to miss... Episode Highlights: Josip shares about his background in financial services and asset management and what led him to start Milo. (5:57) Josip mentions that he hopes that the current market, in which mortgage volumes are decreasing due to high rates and a lack of inventory, inspires agencies to become more innovative, including discovering other means of insuring income and other factors. (8:18) Josip explains that they've done over $130 million in mortgages and haven't had a single person who hasn't made payments. (13:36) Josip shares what a crypto mortgage is and how it works. (17:29) Josip discusses the loan application and payment procedure. (22:18) Josip mentions that they also release USDC stablecoin for just 40% of the loan amount because it is tied one-to-one to the dollar. (23:31) Josip discusses some of the regulatory issues they faced as a lender, as well as their advantages. (28:35) Josip explains why they chose Coinbase over the other platforms. (30:46) Josip mentions that things are changing with crypto and that it is maturing as an asset class, in addition to the consumers who invest in it. (42:49) Josip hopes that more companies will enter the market at some time so that they can all come up with new ideas and grow quicker since the client will benefit. (45:29) Josip believes that Crypto Mortage is the first mortgage product that can really help a consumer preserve and potentially expand their net worth over time. (47:31) Key Quotes: “We want to make sure that we minimize the risk of who we do business with, that we're compliant. Because ultimately, when we give someone a loan…it's a long term asset. It's not a two month speculative asset, right? People are thinking about this in terms of like, it impacts their life. So we have to take that responsibility very, very seriously.” - Josip Rupena “I hope at some point that there are more companies that come into the space so that we can all ideate and evolve faster. Because ultimately, the one who's going to benefit is going to be the customer, right?, with more companies like ours.” - Josip Rupena “What's unique about this product is it's really the first mortgage product that can really help a customer preserve their net worth and possibly grow it over time. ” - Josip Rupena Resources Mentioned: Josip Rupena LinkedIn Milo Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk Finding Peak

This podcast episode is a live recording of my keynote presentation at the One City World Tour event by Bradley Flowers and Scott Howell of Insurance Guys Podcast and the team over at Glovebox. In this keynote, we detail, with stories, the concept behind "How to Close 89% of Inbound Leads". You do not want to miss this... Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk Finding Peak One City World Tour

In this episode, we break down the exact process Ryan Hanley uses at Rogue Risk to close 89% of inbound insurance leads. Yes, that's right. This process, executed properly, results in enormous conversation rates for inbound leads. Listen and learn for yourself... Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk Finding Peak SIAA

Today we're joined by Mark McClure and Kim Read of Tivly, formerly CommercialInsurance.net, Tivly is a leading provider of new customers and services to the insurance industry. Tivly works with insurance agents, brokers and carriers looking to connect with specific types of businesses who are actively searching for insurance coverage. In this episode, we dig into Mark and Kim's experience with commercial insurance leads to better understand how independent insurance agents can grow their business using inbound leads. This is an episode you don't want to miss...

In this throwback episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Gordon Coyle, founder, and president of The Coyle Group. Gordon is a risk management and insurance services firm specializing in liability products. He joins the podcast and explains how he's using video to create inbound leads in specialty liability insurance. This is an episode you do not want to miss... Episode Highlights: Gordon shares his background story with Ryan. (13:00) Gordon explains that his natural curiosity and motivation from Ryan led him to take it to the next level in the technological aspect of the business. (18:31) Gordon talks about consistency and discipline being the keys to everything that you do. (21:07) Gordon shares how he was able to assist someone who had seen his videos and asked for his help. (26:23) Gordon shares that he gets his leads from people that are searching for answers on insurance on YouTube. (33:51) Gordon explains that one of the hardest things for him to do is to repurpose content. (40:31) Gordon shares that every sales job is all about getting noticed, and the best way to do that is through social media. (45:22)  Gordon shares that there are a lot of producers that have stood out and become successful through the use of social media. (48:14) Gordon talks about the difference between paid and organic marketing in social media. (54:23) Gordon advises people to think about the sales process and the closing ratios when talking about inbound and non-inbound businesses. (57:40) Key Quotes: "Consistency and discipline, I think, are key not only for marketing but a lot of things in whatever you do." - Gordon Coyle "Every sales job is all about getting noticed, right? You have to kind of build interest you have to have you have to get your foot in the door, your toe in the door. And, you know, how do you do that? How do you get noticed? And I think that there's a lot of good opportunity to do that with content." - Gordon Coyle "The consistency around video creates an aura of expertise, knowledge, whatever it may be, you become a very believable character." - Gordon Coyle Resources Mentioned: Gordon Coyle LinkedIn The Coyle Group The Coyle Group - YouTube Reach out to Ryan Hanley

You MUST answer only one question in 2023 to maximize your success. Are you building a lifestyle or growth agency? There is no right or wrong answer. The only mistake is not taking the question seriously. In this special episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, we break down why this question is so important and how your answer creates a filter for all decisions you make about your agency. Don't miss this one...

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, we're joined by Helen and Dave Edwards, founders of Sonder Studios and authors of Make Better Decisions: How to Improve Your Decision-Making in the Digital Age, an essential guide to practicing the cognitive skills needed for making better decisions in the age of data, algorithms, and AI. Do not miss this incredible deep dive into the next generation of artificial intelligence and the insurance industry… Episode Highlights: Dave shares that Sonder Studios has been operating since 2019, and it began with the purpose of truly opening people's minds to the depth of humanity in this digital age. (4:24) Helen explains that data has value once people or machines understand it since humans think in 1-4 dimensions, but machines can think in infinite dimensions. (10:29) Dave discusses that for the value of data to be translated to people, we humans must first understand what it means. (13:37) Helen explains how to determine when to ask the correct questions when presenting people with a single data item that they disagree with. (18:21) Helen explains that they wrote Make Better Decisions because decision making with data is very nuanced and one of the first things to look at is how our feelings are processing information. (28:09) Helen believes it's important to be able to calibrate your accuracy depending on how well you understand something. (37:37) Dave mentions that one of the nudges in their book is about recognizing who the humans are in the data and understanding what the data representation is. (43:25) Dave explains that success has several layers, and that's where people get stuck because they don't know what they're asking of the data or which experience to depend on. (48:14) Dave mentions that they named the book Make Better Decisions since there isn't one optimizable solution, heuristic, procedure, or six-step process to make a smart decision, but instead it’s a practice. (1:00:074) Key Quotes: “We sort of started Sonder studio with the mission of really wanting to open people's minds of the richness of humans, while we're in this digital age, you know, that it's not us being supplanted? It is actually where's the beauty? And where are the wonderful parts of being human? And how do we help people understand that?” - Dave Edwards “It's a good idea to have a good understanding of the state of your own knowledge. And that being able to calibrate your accuracy with how well you understand something, is actually a pretty good thing. ” - Helen Edwards “Our premise in our book and our premise around decision making is that there isn't one optimizable answer, there isn't one heuristic to follow, there isn't one process to follow, there isn't a six-step process to make a good decision. We believe this is truly a practice, which is why we have 50 nudges that help you get better, that's why we call it Make Better Decisions. ” - Dave Edwards Resources Mentioned: Helen Edwards LinkedIn Dave Edwards LinkedIn Sonder Studios  Book: Make Better Decisions: How to Improve Your Decision-Making in the Digital Age Finding Peak Reach out to Ryan Hanley

"Seek out pain, fall in love with suffering." - David Goggins In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, we break why seeing comfort, even if it's comfort in being uncomfortable, is the worst course of action to reach success. "Discomfort is your friend." - Joe Rogan Big shout out to Chris Paradiso for the inspiration on this one, don't miss it… Resources Mentioned:  Finding Peak Whether you’re thinking about starting a new independent agency or looking to grow your existing agency, SIAA is the solution. They aren’t simply the largest agency network in the country, they’re the best - because they make a real commitment to their members’ success. SIAA member agencies are independent, but never alone. Visit siaa.com to learn more.

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley interviews Tanner Hackett, CEO, and founder of Counterpart, a management liability InsurTech reinventing the Commercial Insurance industry using the most robust data sets and cutting-edge technology, with the support and guidance of some of the most respected insurance, investment, and brokerage institutions in the world. This is an absolutely tremendous conversation you don't want to miss... Episode Highlights: Tanner discusses his journey in the insurance industry, beginning with his entrepreneurial tech background. (7:16) Tanner mentions that Counterpart is committed to assisting individuals in growing and understanding their exposures. (15:13) Tanner discusses how Counterpart differs from the other 10 markets that can provide a competitive service. (17:50) Tanner explains why he decided to go from wholesale to retail. (19:17) Tanner discusses why he calls his team risk engineers rather than underwriters and what the difference is. (23:05) Tanner shares that the reason he gets out of bed every day is to support entrepreneurs who are taking risks and doing things differently. (29:15) Tanner discusses the importance of team consistency and having a clear vision. (36:19) Tanner mentions that it's difficult to be a leader in the insurance industry these days and move the industry forward because many are so entrenched in their current workflows. (46:01) Tanner explains small business risks and how Counterpart's products solve them. (55:03) Ryan believes that the advantage of data is not just marketing, it’s also communications. (1:03:00) Tanner explains they're here to educate the market about the potential for management liability. (1:04:57) Key Quotes: “It's really tough to be a leader these days in the insurance space and move the industry forward because people are so entrenched in their current workflows, current processes.” - Tanner Hackett “We want to be advocates for these small businesses. We want to take this off their plate because we talked about how hard it is to be a small business already, and be educating these businesses about what their exposures are, how they're researching, and how our product responds to those risks.” - Tanner Hackett “We're here to educate the market about the potential for Management Liability. Again, it's not where it is today, but what it should be for them in terms of the service that we can provide, and the quality product we can provide for the small business owners. And we need to do this through partnerships.” - Tanner Hackett Resources Mentioned: Tanner Hackett LinkedIn Counterpart Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jackson and Jamieson Fregeau, Co-founders of Quandri.io, join the podcast for a deep dive into digital workers (aka Bots). Digital workers make automating the repetitive work of insurance easy, so your people can focus on what’s important. This is an episode you don't want to miss…

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Chris Cline, executive director of ACT, the Agents Council for Technology, for a conversation on the overcomplication of insurance. They explain why hard times demand a determined focus on simple, repeatable tasks that produce results. Don't miss this episode… Episode Highlights: Ryan shares that he is relaunching his newsletter, Finding Peak, which is focused on becoming the best version of yourself that you could possibly be. (2:17) Chris mentions that everything in the world is now on a single device, and it's not so much about being on the phone as it is about what is done there. (13:39) Ryan explains how Antifragile by Nicolas Nassim Taleb made him think about how he positions himself in the world, the skills he wants to acquire, and how he wants to set up his business and career so he can sustain himself personally and professionally. (21:15) Chris talks about the evolutionary way the brain works and how that impacts all aspects of our lives. (27:18) Chris discusses why he thinks people in the industry make things too complicated. (31:56) Chris explains that commercialized, competitive rating is one of the industry's hottest topics right now. (39:33) Chris believes that there is no such thing as the best tech stack unless it precisely matches the agency's business strategy. (47:50) Chris explains mid-funnel technology and why it is so successful right now. (56:24) Ryan believes that the winners and losers will be separated by true leadership moving forward. (1:05:52) Chirs mentions the importance of remaining steadfast around what you're trying to get accomplished, and truly giving your teams what they need to be successful through that. (1:16:50) Key Quotes: “Our brains are processing what's in front of us differently based on the experiences we've had. But you know, you and I can be in the same room and see very different things. But the core fundamental things I think we would see, it's just how do you let that stuff that sits in the margins, the complex stuff, the subconscious level stuff, minimize the interpretation.” - Chris Cline “You've got a relentless focus on processes first, making sure you got the right people in the right roles, doing the right things, and then use technology to bring that stuff to life.” - Chris Cline “Whenever things get funky, leadership wins. Being able to set a clear vision. Remain steadfast to it, be a clear and active champion around what you're trying to get accomplished. And truly give your teams what they need to be successful through that is integral.” - Chris Cline Resources Mentioned: Chris Cline LinkedIn Agents Council for Technology Reach out to Ryan Hanley

Like other industry disruptions preceding it, the InsurTech movement was widely viewed as a threat to the existence of the independent agency channel.  Thus far, the independent agent has proven to be an invaluable component in meeting client needs and expectations. Still, technology advances are the ecosystem in which they must operate – together with their carrier and digital partners. In this panel, leaders representing the three components of this dynamic, IA’s, carriers, and tech, share their thoughts on how to make the customer journey a smoother one and why collaboration is a win-win for all parties. Don't miss this conversation... Episode Highlights: Ryan introduces his guests: Amy Zupon, CEO of Vertafore, Tyler Asher, President of IA Distribution for Liberty Mutual, and Matt Masiello, CEO of SAA. Amy Zupon mentions that the increasing amount of M&A in the industry is catching her attention right now. (8:50) Amy Zupon explains that there is a huge amount of money invested in the space right now, and she sees this trend continuing. (11:07) Matt Masiello shares that we are currently seeing a lot of exclusive business channels being converted to independent agency channels. (13:25) Tyler Asher explains that in the next few years, what he sees is better quality service and continuous growth in market share. (15:55) Matt Masiello believes that small businesses need to be a part of other organizations to remain small and independent. (22:27) Amy Zupon explains that as a software company, they believe in an open platform, and they belong to groups where they participate with tech companies that are similar to them. (27:12) Amy Zupon explains that the Orange Partner Program's concept is to be open and to establish relationships because the partnership is about trust and communication. (33:06) Matt Masiello mentions that partnership has two bookends, first, you have to like your partner, and second, you have to have the same goal as them. (37:40) Tyler Asher shares that the agents, carriers, technology providers, and vendors still have a lot of work to do when it comes to integration. (45:24) Tyler Asher explains that retention is materially higher when customers engage in online digital capabilities for service. (54:24) Matt Masiello shares that the two things independent agencies can do to scale their business are lead generation and digitization. (57:47) Key Quotes: "We did start that Orange Partner Program with the philosophy of being open and building on relationships and collaborating with others to build things." - Amy Zupon "To really grow, it means taking a look at the digital resources that are out there and getting them into your agency, which includes building a digital brand, whether you're in a geographic market, or a digital market." - Matt Masiello "I think right now, the biggest gap is making sure that we're serving customers in the way they need to be served today." - Tyler Asher Resources Mentioned: Amy Zupon LinkedIn Matt Masiello LinkedIn Tyler Asher LinkedIn Vertafore SIAA Liberty Mutual Insurance Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this special episode, Ryan breaks down how in a "Human-Optimized" Agency of the Future, efficiency isn't the answer to exponential growth. Efficiency may be part of the solution, but it's not the whole solution, and a lack of understanding of this concept is where many insurtech startups go wrong. This is an episode you don't want to miss... Episode Highlights: Ryan believes that the Rouge model is proven to be productive, efficient, and replicable by anyone with the vision and guts to do so. (2:35) Ryan mentions that they are currently hiring at Rouge. Some of the positions they are looking for are aspiring chief revenue officers and producers. (6:11) Ryan explains that the positions available are not for traditional people but more for people that like to build relationships and have an open mind to a slightly different approach. (10:25) Ryan discusses how he got a great deal with a car dealership, and the moment he realized that the sales agent was just trying to sell something he had access to in his inventory. (15:30) Ryan shares that the Carvana experience with his car trade-in was much better, but recalls two things he had hiccups with, which were the verification and the lien. (20:36) Ryan explains that the car dealership experience he had was one example of a complete validation of the human-optimized model for the agency of the future. (27:08) Ryan mentions that an important part of a human-optimized model is the step-up process from self-service to automated, made by an inside force of licensed professionals and outsourced VAs. (31:48) Ryan explains that humans are still the most important part of the business, but if we push our customers directly to humans, we are limiting our ability to be efficient. (33:25) Ryan shares that the future of the insurance industry is still going to stand out in the future as long as the human-optimized model is utilized. (36:24) Key Quotes: "If your traditional local, independent agency still dictates the way business will be done, I don't believe that you have a future in the industry. You can maintain it for sure, but you're not growing." - Ryan Hanley "I also saw a lot of people that still believe that humans are not the answer. Humans are still an incredibly vital part of our business, still the most important part of our business. However, if we push all our customers directly to our humans, always the way we want it to be done, we are limiting our ability to be efficient." - Ryan Hanley "This is where I think the business is going. This is where I think our industry is going. I'm so bullish on the independent insurance industry. I just feel like this move to a human optimized model is the best way." - Ryan Hanley Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Ryan Hanley Rogue Risk SIAA

This episode is a replay of a live webinar Ryan  did for David Carothers and the Killing Commercial community, breaking down the step-by-step method he's used over the last decade to drive consistent inbound leads into his agency using video marketing. This is a hyper-tactical episode, so sharpen your pencil and get ready to learn ALL the secrets of inbound video marketing. Don't miss this episode... Episode Highlights: Ryan explains that he repeated the 100 days, 100 videos commitment in 2020, using the same technique he used in 2018. (8:24) Ryan discusses how he searches for and creates his list of topics, which he then turns into a headline for videos that provide solutions. (11:31) According to Ryan, if the video has good audio and clean visuals, consumers will pay attention to it; but, if the video has a busy background, their attention will begin to dry up. (15:30) Ryan mentions the advantages of using the sun as the video's lighting setup and having crisp, clean audio. (19:07) Ryan shares that he doesn't use his costly camera equipment, but rather the cinematic mode on his iPhone, which performs the job very effectively. (22:47) Ryan believes that it is important to have a simple, clean, and repeatable video setup. (25:17) Ryan explains how he grabs his video from his iPhone and why his video templates are remarkably similar. (29:27) Ryan discusses the video formula he uses: beginning hook, middle build, and ending payoff. (31:26) Ryan mentions where he publishes his videos and why he distributes them where he does. (42:12) Ryan explains how referrals and people who contact you as a result of your video are not the same thing and should be handled differently. (46:08) Ryan describes what he does and how he handles phone calls from people in the internet space. (50:15) Key Quotes: “We use video every day in everything we do not just to do video to get some attention. We do it to drive business” - Ryan Hanley “Your consumers don't care. They absolutely, positively, without a doubt, do not give a crap about what equipment you use. Here's what they care about. They care that you are clear that they can see you and they care that they can hear you. And then after those two things, nothing else matters.” - Ryan Hanley “Doesn't matter how big the account is, solve the problem. Go back and round out the account.” - Ryan Hanley Resources Mentioned: David Carothers LinkedIn Killing Commercial SIAA Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Ryan Hanley is joined by Jason Cass for an absolute blitz of conversation on insurance, insurtech, and everything and anything else we could discuss in a 60-minute podcast. You will be educated, and you will certainly be entertained. You are welcome, insurance industry... Episode Highlights: Ryan mentions that he will be purchasing David Carothers' book The Dirty 130 for his team since the book when combined with the workbook, is an extremely exciting program for producers (3:07) Jason explains that everything he and Ryan talked about before about what will happen in the insurance industry is already happening. (5:22) Ryan believes that there are brilliant individuals flying about all over and that if you have the opportunity to give them lifestyle work rather than a traditional job, you can get fantastic people all across the country. (7:22) Jason acknowledges that SAA provided him with the contract that got him the appointments, and he was able to accomplish it even though he was in his basement. (11:21) Ryan and Jason discuss the clichéd Boomer attitude and why it has to go. (16:47) Ryan mentions that it surprises people when he tells them that the average age of his team at Rouge Risk is 37 because most people expect them to be in their 20s. (21:19) Jason discusses how Jake Jines became an employee of The Insurance Alliance and the $572,000 deal that Jake and Gavin just closed on their own. (39:21) Ryan believes that data will play a significant role in the future of the industry, but that it may be both positive and negative. (42:14) Jason explains how it is all about the client's behavior. It's about the agent and how they're going to use AI technology and data to meet that individual in a different way. (44:36) Jason believes that there will come a time when data sharing between agencies will be as simple as a FanDuel. (49:06) Ryan believes that how we develop culture and workstyle in our organizations is almost as important as any other decision we make since it is how brilliant people are attracted. (1:04:06) Key Quotes: “I also predicted after Dan Burris that AI would invent art that's never been invented before. And just if you look at the Colorado festival that happened like two or three days ago, the guy who won with the artwork, it was completely AI-generated.” - Jason Cass “There are talented people flying all over the place. And if you have the ability to offer them lifestyle employment versus the classic, I'm going to bang on you and you should thank God that you have a paycheck style employment, you can get amazing people throughout the country.” - Ryan Hanley “It's about that behavior of what's happening with the client. It's about the agent and how they're going to use that AI technology, that data to be able to meet that person in a different type of way, what those ways that are going to analyze that. That's where I think we're going to say, I mean, we just had data, but we didn't have anything.” - Jason Cass Resources Mentioned: Jason Cass LinkedIn Agency Intelligence Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Tanya Andolsen, President of Argosy Risk Specialists, joins the podcast for a deep dive into environmental insurance. We talk about what exactly environmental insurance is, why it's essential, and ultimately how independent insurance agents sell more of it.  This is an episode you insurance nerds don't want to miss. Episode Highlights: Tanya discusses her background and how she got started in the insurance industry 27 years ago. (4:19) Tanya explains the concept of being in the environmental insurance industry and the processes they follow. (9:54) Tanya shares how everything can be related to our environment and how this can be explained to clients and contractors. (16:35) Tanya explains that if there is a pollution exclusion on a claim, the chance is that it is going to be denied. (19:01) Tanya shares the example of waste disposal as one environmental issue that could present an exposure for business owners if they are not properly protected. (23:35) Tanya explains that environmental insurance helps clients with the things they cannot control. (30:46) Tanya mentions that the process for environmental insurance is similar to other wholesale brokers that have an environmental division, and most policies are placed. (35:26) Tanya explains that it is very important to have access to resources that will help clients understand their coverage. (38:56) Key Quotes: "What environmental insurance does is it helps you with the things that you can't control; the people that are coming by your property, your neighbors, you know, those class action lawsuits, things like that." - Tanya Andolsen "A large percentage of what I see are developers, real estate investment trusts, and the reason they're buying it is that they've got the investors and lenders, and they want to make sure that they're covered and that there's protection there in the event of an environmental issue." - Tanya Andolsen "Unfortunately, our society is becoming more and more litigious, and, you know, those are the things that insurance is there to help you with, to help your bottom line, or protect you because the chances are you don't have this coffer of money set aside to defend yourself from an environmental claim." - Tanya Andolsen Resources Mentioned: Tanya Andolsen LinkedIn Argosy Risk Specialists Reach out to Ryan Hanley

In this episode of The Ryan Hanley Show, Jeff Roy, Founder and President of Excalibur Insurance and one of the most innovative independent insurance agency owners in the world, joins the podcast for a conversation on digital virtual assistants, also known as robotic process automation. This is a conversation you don't want to miss. Episode Highlights: Ryan discusses Rogue Risk’s decision to switch to Nexure and change its agency management system. (10:34) Jeff mentions that during an interview with Taylor Rhodes for the Digital Insurance Plan podcast, he confirmed that Tarmika will be discontinued in 2025. (12:14) Ryan expresses his confusion as to why it is tough to create a CRM from an agency management system. (13:58) Ryan mentions that he really likes what Better Agency is doing and thinks that they've made a lot of progress to being a player in the industry. (18:03) Jeff explains that after seeing Applied Epic's demo, he became interested in the new feature that can run an AMS through the browser. (20:22) Ryan believes that understanding where the company goes without rating multiple carriers is the way to place business faster with the appropriate carrier. (24:33) Jeff explains that you need some AI and machine learning to be able to direct you to the proper company because companies are changing their prices and moving so quickly. (26:54) Jeff explains what it means to have a properly trained bot. (34:50) Jeff explains the difference between Robotic Process Automation and a Digital Virtual Assistant. (38:24) Jeff explains how robots function when assigned significant responsibilities. (40:34) Jeff mentions that their bot is safe with two-factor authentication and that it cannot be hacked in the same manner that their staff can. (44:43) Jeff mentions that if anyone is interested in learning more about robotic process automation, he will be giving a 30-minute lecture on how robots can make an agency more human. (50:42) Key Quotes: “You need some AI and machine learning to be able to direct you with the right company. Because companies are changing their rates and changing things.” - Jeff Roy “Why would you want to use a bot? Really, you want to replace anything that humans are doing that they don’t need to do with technology. And a bot, once it's trained, can do it reliable every time.” - Jeff Roy “The bot is secure double factor authentication, you know, there's no way of getting it hacked in any different than our staff. So that's why it was important that we had the double factor authentication to get in, because I don't want to log into anything without that.” - Jeff Roy Resources Mentioned: Jeff Roy LinkedIn Excalibur Insurance Reach out to Ryan Hanley