How To Thrive While Building A Scratch Agency With Niki Henley

In this episode of Power Women In Insurance, Teresa Kitchens sits down with Niki Henley, Owner of Extra Mile Insurance Solutions.  Niki started her agency in 2019 and was a guest in 2020. Today, we followed up with her progress and talked about what has helped her build her agency most successfully. Episode Highlights: Niki shares that she opened her own agency in 2019, and faced challenges in the first year, including the impact of COVID-19, but ultimately learned valuable lessons and adopted new technologies and strategies that put them ahead in the market. (2:04) Niki discusses the importance of seeking advice and guidance from trusted mentors and industry experts before making decisions or implementing new tools in order to avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure success. (7:43) Niki mentions that she is not a big gift person and has struggled with showing appreciation to her team, but has made efforts to improve by valuing their input and being transparent about goals and the bigger picture. (16:27) Niki explains that implementing automation and streamlined processes has allowed for better collaboration and efficiency within the team, making it easier to onboard new staff and ensuring continuity in case of absences or emergencies. (24:11)  Niki shares that she learned that planning for the next five years is setting oneself up for failure due to unpredictable events, so she focuses on making realistic plans for one year at a time and taking advantage of opportunities in the current market. (29:34) Niki advises beginners in the market to seek out mentors who have already achieved what they want to do, get their advice and feedback, and don't try to figure it all out on their own. (40:03) Key Quotes: “This may be surprising to some people but it's not actually technology or a tool. It was a mentor that changed the game for me.” - Niki Henley “Get with mentors for people that you know, have already done it, seek them out, they're out there.” - Niki Henley Resources Mentioned: Niki Henley LinkedIn Extra Mile Insurance Solutions. Contact Teresa Kitchens Sterling Insurance Group