The Insura-Preneur Podcast

Every independent agency is using AI. Every agency has contracts with vendors, with carriers, with technology providers. Almost none of those contracts account for what the AI is actually doing. That is the gap this episode exists to name. Cal Durland, Executive Director of AUGIE (the Associations & User Groups Information Exchange) and holder of the CPCU, and Donna LaGoy, Chief Enterprise Platforms Officer at Highstreet Insurance Partners, sit down to talk about what AI means for independent agencies. Not the product demos. The exposures nobody put in a contract yet. Donna is the one who walks through the concrete risks. Her first warning: the agency that buys a consumer ChatGPT account, drops two client declarations pages into it, and asks it to compare coverage. Her words: "You're exposing your client's data out in the deep, dark web." The fix: buy at enterprise level so data stays inside your environment. Her second warning - and the one nobody thinks about - involves the carrier portal. If an AI agent acts on your behalf in a carrier system, does the carrier know? Is it contractually permitted? Her follow-up is the part that lands: "What's gonna happen to your appointment with that carrier if you violated and you didn't realize it?" She maps the build-versus-buy decision without picking a side: weigh budget, time, and how fast the technology is moving. Build and it may be obsolete next month. Buy and it costs more but someone else keeps it current. Vet several vendors. Take the free demo. Get referrals. Cal puts the fear in context. The industry heard the same warnings with download and with real-time. Her line: "We have a proven history of that." AUGIE - which anyone in the industry can join at augiegroup.org - is producing a checklist out of conversations like this one. For agents who are serious about protecting their clients AND their own E&O from AI exposure: visit AIBriefingRoom.com

A three-question insurance application sounds like it cuts the agent out. If a carrier can quote 18 million homes from public data alone, what room is left for you? Bill Martin, President and CEO of Plymouth Rock Home Assurance Corporation, argues the opposite. "The tech is not a direct writer tool," he says. "It is actually better in the hands of an agent." Plymouth Rock Home Assurance pre-rated every address across six states from tax assessor records, online listings, community data and weather, then correlated it against every loss database they could find. Three-question application. Name, address, date of birth. Three coverage options. Good, better, best. Then a buy screen he calls "the binding moment." Plymouth Rock does not ask about trampolines, dogs or roof age. Every bind is followed by an inspection. The risk is judged as a whole.  Agents take a policy over through what he calls Home Policy Marketplace, then cross-sell, review and advise. Separately, the people who quote and do not buy become leads for agents. On the effort behind the simplicity, early in the conversation: "If you want to make your customer and agent's life easier, you have to work harder." And asked at the end what he would tell an agency principal about the AI economy: "Don't believe 99% of what you read" about AI failing or being evil, and "seize these tools and use them to get ahead." Plymouth Rock's ChatGPT plugin is reached through ChatGPT itself. There is no separate download.

Almost every AI vendor in the agency space works the back of the house: service, operations, automation. GridPull works the front. It is built for the producer asking the three questions that decide a commercial lines pipeline: who to call, when to call them, and what to say. Martin Mashalov, co-founder of GridPull, joins Michael to walk through how the tool answers them. It builds a targeted prospect list by territory and lines of business, then enriches it — pulling renewal dates and coverage signals from publicly available records. Its Super Enrich feature goes further: it names the actual decision-maker at the business - the person who decides whether to buy, not the switchboard - then hands the producer a ready-to-use sales script, a drafted outbound email, discovery questions, likely objections, and the detail on the business itself. Research that used to be drudgery, he says, is "just there for you in 30 seconds." The differentiator his users name: GridPull matches prospects to the agency's own appetite - the lines it quotes, the industries it serves, the carriers it has - rather than handing over a lead nobody at the agency can actually quote. And he talks about what is next: reading geography for exposure — weather and natural-disaster risk in a region as a reason to pitch property coverage — and for property developers, architectural detail on the specific building. A newer feature works the existing book: cross-sell gaps, under-serviced policies, lines the client does not have yet. Actively in development. Martin comes to insurance from applied math and an AR app for real estate, and he is based in New York City. Full disclosure from Michael on air: GridPull is a relatively new company, bootstrapping at this point. That honesty is part of the point. Links gridpull.com — a demo is available there [email protected]

AI has jumped the shark. It is not a future technology conversation anymore. It is an acting agent, making real decisions, sometimes decisions nobody authorized. Michael Jans lays out the evidence from Q3 2026 and what it means for your agency right now. Inside the episode: → A submissions vendor processing unstructured business at 87% accuracy → A Canadian insurer issuing real-time life insurance decisions up to $5M with no teleinterview and no medical evidence → An OpenAI containment incident where models took actions their own handlers never authorized → AGI Holdings' $70M raise to buy independent agencies and rebuild them on a native AI stack → 1Fort, Parametric MGA, and Vertafore's six-tool AI rollout → The NAIC AI Model Bulletin, now live in 20+ jurisdictions → The 3-Question Vendor Test: Threat, Default, Audit Michael also shares how one AI Growth Academy member added $125,000 in income from direct mail using the Sales Letter Studio. If you write commercial lines and you are not asking your vendors these three questions yet, this episode changes that today. Stay ahead of what is coming next: AIBriefingRoom.com

AI vendors are sending bots into carrier portals right now — using the same shared login credentials your team has always used to sign in. The carriers are the ones on the hook for whatever those bots touch, and it's already showing up as regulatory risk: New York alone has fined insurers millions of dollars over cybersecurity failures under its Part 500 rules. In this episode of AI for the IA, Michael sits down with Alvito Vaz, Executive Director of ID Federation and a 30-plus-year veteran of insurance technology, to unpack how the industry got here and what actually fixes it. Alvito's point is blunt: this isn't a new problem, it's an old one wearing a new face. Agencies have shared credentials with colleagues for years. Now those same credentials are being handed to a hundred bots at once — and carriers have no reliable way to tell a bot from a person, or a controlled bot from an unsupervised one. ID Federation's answer is SignOn Once, a standards-based trust framework that lets an agent authenticate once into their agency management system and pass a secure token on to carrier partners — no repeat logins, no repeat MFA prompts. It's already live with two of the industry's major AMS partners, Vertafore and Applied Systems. The piece still missing is carrier adoption — the third leg of what Alvito calls the channel's three-legged stool: carriers, agents, and technology providers. That's the ask of this episode: agents can go to idfederation.org and use the "Engage Your Carriers" action to push their own carrier partners toward adoption. It's a five-minute step that moves a real industry-wide fix forward.

This week, underwriting took a visible step from AI-assisted toward AI-decided, and Michael Jans breaks down four vendor moves that all point the same direction. Sixfold's AI Underwriter describes itself as "a new kind of colleague that arrives with underwriting expertise, learns each carrier's appetite, never forgets a decision, and knows the best action on every submission" — built as human-in-the-loop with configurable autonomy, not a fully autonomous decision-maker. Applied Systems announced submission-less commercial renewals with Travelers as its first anchor carrier, powered by Cytora, Applied's agentic AI platform, delivering renewal quotes directly inside Applied Epic before remarketing even starts. Duck Creek completed its acquisition of Send Technology Solutions on July 7, creating what the company calls the industry's only agentic underwriting-to-core platform. And hyperexponential launched hyperoperator, its new agentic underwriting workbench that takes broker submissions from email to quote inside carrier systems. Michael also flags SortSpoke, which helps carriers and MGAs scale from roughly 10 to 50 submissions per underwriter per day, and GYDE, which raised $60 million to build what it calls "the first AI-native brokerage for ambitious agency owners." On the regulatory side, Colorado's SB 26-189 takes effect January 1, 2027, naming insurance among the "consequential decision" categories that trigger pre-use notice and post-adverse-outcome disclosure requirements — a sign that underwriting-specific AI rules are arriving state by state. Michael closes with a tease of his three-step framework for agency principals: leadership and governance first, then AI in the front of the house for the full ACOR (attract, convert, optimize, retain), then AI in the back of the house for efficiency. Want to see the framework installed in your agency? https://aigrowthacademy.insure/

Fourteen AI-in-insurance signals landed in the past 60 days, and Michael Jans reads them as two doorways an independent-agency principal can walk through this week. Colorado's AI compliance window just closed for insurers, with carriers now in active documentation mode and 11 more states watching via the NAIC 12-state pilot. ISO CG 40 47 and CG 40 48 endorsements have been carving AI-related bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury out of standard CGL since January. Willis just documented silent AI exposure across GL, Tech E&O, cyber, EPLI, and D&O — coverage lines whose policies contain no AI language. CFC responded in late June with affirmative AI coverage across seven product lines. That is the governance doorway — a real conversation to have with commercial clients this quarter. The operations doorway opened at the same time. Vertafore Velocity AI and ReferenceConnect AI are live inside AMS360, answering producer questions across 75-plus publishers and 1 million-plus verified documents up to 80 percent faster. Applied Recon is running at 140-plus agencies, with early adopters reporting 8-plus hours saved per week per finance team. SIAA endorsed Momentum AMP across all 5,200-plus member agencies writing $18 billion-plus in premium. Bevaya launched its InsurGPT-powered agent platform for carriers, brokers, and TPAs. Producerflow launched its Partner Portal on June 3 for 50-state producer compliance. Quandri's inaugural P&C Index — 125,000-plus paired renewals across nearly 50 US brokerages — clocked the median homeowner renewal increase falling from roughly 13 percent to roughly 6 percent. Pace closed $46 million Series B co-led by Thrive Capital and Sequoia Capital to deploy autonomous carrier operations. ZVOX launched insurance-focused AI lead routing on June 10. And roughly 95 percent of Q1 2026 InsurTech funding ($1.63 billion, per Gallagher Re) flowed to AI-focused firms. Michael's closing frame, in his own words: this is not the time to think about AI as a tool. It's time to think about AI as a system. Leadership and governance. Front of the house — attraction, conversion, retention. Back of the house — efficiency that also delivers superior customer experience. An agency that operates itself and grows itself. The full read is the episode.

Three AI moves landed in insurance inside a two-week window: Mount launched May 22 as a new AI-agent liability carrier, Klaimee positioned as the first AI-agent E&O in early May, and Kinro launched June 21 as the first autonomous brokerage — licensed in 30 states, appointed with 15 carriers, in three weeks. The Evident AI Index just clocked agentic AI in insurer use cases moving from 1-in-20 to 1-in-4 in six months. Corgi doubled its valuation to $2.6 billion. Manulife booked $300 million in AI-generated value at year-end 2025, targeting $1 billion-plus by 2027. Michael Jans calls this the fastest AI-in-insurance week the channel has seen. This episode is a fast, punchy read on all nine movers — plus the Cake and Arrow agent-side research, the CRC Specialty piece on the ISO CG 40 47 and CG 40 48 coverage gap, and Vitali Yurkevich in Carrier Management on the operator-side reality of AI inside an agency. Michael sorts the whole slate into six buckets an independent principal can use starting Monday: CONSIDER (for the agency's own operation), SELL (as a product), CARRIER (breaking on the carrier side), AI CARRIER (emerging entrants), CONSUME (read or listen), and WATCH LIST (outside players aimed at the channel). The one-line thesis, in Michael's own words: AI is presenting a huge threat to your commercial-lines clients, a huge opportunity for you. Who is the authority here? Who is the one who identifies problems and solves them? That is supposed to be you. That is the strength of the independent agency system. The pun is the episode's reason for being — AI for the IA. Mirror images. Artificial intelligence for the independent insurance agent. And a short window to be the one who names it before the client, the carrier, or the AI does. The full six-bucket read is the episode.

Last month, State Farm flew 19,000 sales agents to Allegiant Stadium and the CEO, Jon Farney, told them their contracts were being torn up. Pink performed. Jimmy Fallon ran a sing-along. Then the bombshell. New comp. New benchmarks. A buyout window with a hard September deadline. And underneath all of it, the AI productivity math the carrier ran on its own channel. Michael Jans calls it the most important U.S. insurance and AI story of 2026 so far. Not because of State Farm. Because of what one captive carrier's move tells the independent agency channel about the next 24 months. This episode is a sober, peer-to-peer read on what happened, why the math forced it, and what an independent principal owns about it right now. Michael's response runs in three moves: govern the AI install, light AI fires in the front of the house, and right-size the back of the house. In this episode: The Las Vegas convention scene that set up the bombshell The moment the CEO walked on stage and told 19,000 agents their contracts were being rewritten Why this is the most important U.S. insurance and AI story of 2026 The "captive went first" thesis and what is now sitting on every carrier's desk The 8 contract changes, line by line The internal-memo line: "We have a finite window to change" The State Farm AI stack (Navi, Household Story, Auto FNOL) and the 2028 productivity math The buyout math: a $700,000 book worth $1.4 to $2.4 million on the open market, with the buyout capped at $300,000 What this signals for carrier appetite, buyers of agencies, and PE The three moves an independent principal owns right now: governance, front of office, back of office Why this is not a "new AI tool" story — it is a channel-restructuring story Sober, not panic: how to lead the agency through this The full three-move response is the episode.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future issue. It's now an insurance issue. In this episode, Michael Jans reveals a little-known development that could have major implications for commercial insurance agencies and their clients: new AI-related endorsements and exclusions that are quietly appearing in the marketplace. You'll discover: What changed on January 1, 2026 The AI endorsements most agencies haven't reviewed Why commercial clients may have coverage gaps they don't know about Potential E&O implications for agencies How forward-thinking agencies can become trusted advisors on this rapidly emerging risk Michael also introduces a free resource designed to help agencies stay ahead of AI-related developments and avoid being the last to know. If you write commercial insurance, this is an episode you cannot afford to ignore. Free resource: AIBriefingRoom.com

In this episode of AI for IA, Michael Jans breaks down what may become the defining strategic divide in the independent insurance industry: the difference between agencies that casually “experiment” with AI… and agencies that systematically build growth, efficiency, governance, and valuation advantage around it. Michael shares: Why AI adoption in the industry is still shockingly immature The hidden risks of “shadow AI” inside agencies What carriers and regulators are increasingly watching The 5-level AI Maturity Model for independent agencies Why the biggest AI opportunity is NOT in the back office How AI-driven agencies may achieve higher margins, faster growth, and stronger valuation The emerging concept of the “Self-Operating, Self-Growing Agency” He also introduces a new AI Readiness Diagnostic designed specifically for independent agency principals who want clarity, confidence, and a practical roadmap for responsible AI implementation. readiness-check.aigrowthacademy.insure If you’re an agency owner wondering: “Where do we actually stand with AI?” …this episode is for you.

Most agencies think growth problems start with lead generation. But what if the real bottleneck is hidden inside renewal servicing? In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Colby Tunick of Refocus AI to explore how AI is beginning to compress renewal workflows from 90 minutes to 15 — and why that shift could fundamentally change staffing, margins, retention, and valuation inside the independent agency channel. A conversation about AI, operational leverage, and the future economics of the independent insurance agency. 📞 Contact Information 📱 https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-tunick/ 🌐 Website: https://www.refocusai.com/

Most agencies are using AI the wrong way. Not as execution… but as assistance. In this episode, Michael speaks with Isaiah Hall, co-founder of Circle, about a new approach: AI that can complete insurance workflows end-to-end. From a single client request, it can: Access your AMS Navigate carrier portals Retrieve documents Draft the response All with human review at the final step. The real question isn’t the tool. It’s this: 👉 What happens when one employee can do the work of three? If you’re thinking about growth, staffing, or valuation… This is a conversation you need to hear. 🔗 Links https://www.usecircle.com/

This quarter changed everything. In this solo episode, Michael Jans breaks down the most important AI developments from Q1 2026—and what they mean for independent insurance agencies right now. This is not theory. This is signal. A recent report from Bank of America Global Research identified $15 billion in commissions at risk, with AI capable of performing a meaningful portion of work currently handled by 20,000–30,000 agencies. At the same time: 67% of agencies say they plan to use AI Only 8% have actually implemented it Agencies using voice AI are reporting up to 8x ROI in 30 days The gap is opening. In this episode, you’ll discover: Where AI is already replacing agency work (and where it won’t) Why commoditized policies are the most vulnerable The real opportunity window for agencies that act now The three forces reshaping the industry: carriers, regulation, and insurtech funding Why most agencies are exposed from a governance and E&O standpoint And most importantly… What you should do next. 🔗 Resources & Links 📊 Q1 2026 AI Intelligence Briefing (full report) 📘 AI Buyer’s Guide (8-step vendor evaluation framework) 🛡️ AI Governance Framework  📞 Want Clarity? If you're serious about growth, margins, and protecting your agency’s valuation: 👉 Book a free 15-minute AI Clarity Session with Michael

AI is no longer a tool in the insurance industry—it’s becoming the operating system. In this episode, Michael sits down with Samuel Belanger-Lamoureux, Co-Founder of Cemiar, one of Canada’s fastest-growing insurtech firms, to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface of “AI adoption.” What emerges is not a conversation about tools—but about a fundamental restructuring of how agencies operate. Cemiar is one of Canada’s leading insurtech firms, built and led by top engineering talent focused on transforming operational efficiency for insurance agencies. In this conversation, we explore what happens when automation moves beyond tasks—and begins to take over entire workflows. One standout example: 👉 Cemiar’s Commercial Lines automation module can reduce the need for human intervention by more than 50% in key workflows—while improving accuracy and reducing operational risk. But the bigger story is this: Most agencies still can’t access their own data Integration—not AI—is the real bottleneck The winners won’t be tool users… they’ll be system builders We also discuss Cemiar’s expansion into the U.S. market and their upcoming vendor session at Applied Net this October. 📞 Contact Information Samuel Belanger-Lamoureux Co-Founder, Cemiar 📧 [email protected] 📱 514-575-9457 🌐 Website: https://cemiar.com/

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Mehdi Lhadj, CEO of Floapi, to explore what AI is actually doing inside insurance agencies today—not theory, not hype, but real operational impact. We break down how agencies are: Turning 15-minute workflows into 30-second automations Reducing operational costs by up to 75% Automating commercial billing, renewal shopping, and client communications Increasing compliance while reducing manual errors This isn’t about experimenting with AI tools. This is about rewiring how the agency runs. If you’re an agency principal or operator, this episode will give you a clear look at what’s already possible—and what’s coming next. Guest Contact Information Website: https://www.floapi.ca/ Email: [email protected]

AI is flooding the insurance industry. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most agencies are using it wrong. In this episode, Michael Jans speaks with Daniel Yoo, CEO of FinMate AI, about one of the most important strategic decisions facing agency leaders today: 👉 Should you buy AI tools… or build AI into your agency? You’ll discover: Why off-the-shelf AI is easy—but limited When customization becomes a competitive advantage How leading agencies are beginning to use AI to guide daily decisions What it actually takes to move beyond experimentation If you’re serious about growth, efficiency, and long-term valuation, this conversation will help you see AI differently. 🤝 Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smyoo/ 🌐 Learn more about FinMate AI: www.finmate.ai ✉️ Reach Daniel directly: [email protected]

AI is no longer optional in the insurance agency world. But neither is risk. In this solo episode, Michael Jans steps away from vendor interviews to deliver a critical message every agency principal needs to hear—right now. Because while one side of the industry is shouting “Do it or die,” another is warning “Don’t touch it.” And the truth? They’re both right. They’re just talking about completely different things. In this episode, Michael introduces a clear, practical framework to guide every AI decision inside your agency: The 3 Zones of AI Use (and where most agencies get into trouble) Why E&O carriers are beginning to pay attention—and what that means for your next renewal The difference between safe, scalable AI and high-risk automation Why “AI did it” is not a defense—it’s a liability The simple rule: AI prepares. You decide. You own the outcome. You’ll also walk away with specific next steps to protect your agency while still moving forward with confidence. This is not a hype episode. And it’s not a fear-based warning. It’s a line in the sand. 👉 Book a 15-Minute AI Clarity Session with Michael: https://bit.ly/4rHNZiu

Most insurance agencies don’t have a technology problem. They have a trust problem. In this episode, Michael sits down with Steve Pieroway, author of the 2026 InsurTech Trust Index, to unpack one of the most important (and overlooked) dynamics in the industry today: 👉 Agents trust the technology… 👉 But they don’t trust the vendors selling it And that gap is costing agencies time, money, and momentum. Inside this conversation, you’ll discover: Why 67% of agents believe InsurTech ROI is overstated The hidden divide between buyers vs. users (and why it changes everything) Why the traditional SaaS marketing playbook is breaking down The real reason onboarding fails (the “Rolex in 143 pieces” problem) How AI is about to make buying decisions harder—not easier What agency owners must do now to avoid falling behind If you’re evaluating AI, InsurTech, or simply trying to make smarter decisions in a rapidly changing landscape… This episode will change how you think about technology—permanently. 🔗 Connect with Steve & Access the Report Want to go deeper or explore the data behind this conversation? 📊 Download the full InsurTech Trust Index (Broker Edition): https://benevolentmarketing.com/2026-broker-insurtech-trust-index/ 🤝 Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepieroway/ 🌐 Learn more about Benevolent Marketing: https://benevolentmarketing.com/ ✉️ Reach Steve directly: [email protected] ⚡ A Quick Note If you’re currently evaluating AI or being approached by multiple vendors… This conversation may save you months of frustration—and costly mistakes.

AI could drive 3X productivity gains in white-collar industries within 12–18 months. That includes insurance. Ben Horowitz — co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz — is signaling a structural shift, not incremental change. Here’s the real issue for independent agencies: If productivity triples… Will you convert that capacity into growth? Or will it eventually convert into pressure — on payroll, margins, and valuation? In this 10-minute episode, I break down: The 3X projection Why productivity ≠ growth The valuation implications The leadership fork in the road facing principals This isn’t AI hype. It’s a strategic moment. If you care about growth, competitive position, and long-term valuation, this episode is for you.

LinkedIn is no longer optional for commercial insurance agencies. But most agents are using it tactically — not strategically. In this episode, I sit down with Anthony Blatner to break down: Why LinkedIn is the dominant platform for commercial lines The right sequence: organic → direct messaging → paid ads Why text-only posts often outperform polished marketing graphics How LinkedIn newsletters quietly compound authority Why video is rising — and how to approach it intelligently But here’s the deeper issue: LinkedIn isn’t just about posting content. It’s about positioning. When used correctly, LinkedIn becomes: – A trust engine – A distribution channel – A thought leadership platform – And, ultimately, a valuation lever If you’re a commercial agency principal serious about growth, authority, and long-term enterprise value — this episode will clarify what actually matters.

What do a pair of socks, a red envelope, and artificial intelligence have in common? In this refreshingly candid episode, Michael Jans returns from vacation with bold clarity and delivers a straight-shooting message to independent agency leaders: AI is here. And if you don’t have a strategy, you’re already behind. From stories that date back to Agency Revolution’s early days to real-time warnings about cold outreach without credibility, Michael breaks down the 7 essential questions every insurance agency must answer before plugging AI into their business. If you want to scale smarter, sell better, and lead with intention in 2026, don’t miss this one.

Last week, something happened in insurance that many independent agencies will underestimate. Insurance quoting functionality appeared inside ChatGPT. Within one trading session, major publicly traded brokerages saw billions in market capitalization erased — not because earnings changed, but because the interface moved. This episode is not about AI writing emails or summarizing coverage forms. It is about distribution risk. In this briefing, Michael Jans breaks down: Why public brokerage stocks reacted immediately What it means when AI enters the discovery and quoting layer The rise of agentic AI and structural operational leverage The Applied vs. AI-native litigation as a signal of deeper platform tension And the strategic question every independent agency principal must confront When the front door moves, valuations reset. The agencies that win will be those who recognize the shift early and align strategy, culture, and technology accordingly. If you’re an independent insurance agency leader, this episode is required listening.

AI isn’t coming — it’s already transforming insurance brokerages from the inside out. In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Canadian insurance veteran and IBAC advisor Tom Reid, who shares what he’s uncovered after mapping 45 core brokerage workflows... and discovering AI can revolutionize 44 of them. 🔍 You’ll hear: – How quoting time dropped from 30 minutes to just 5 – Why 80% of agency phone calls are non-revenue-generating – What Canadian brokerages are testing right now – How AI could soon replace SEO as the primary way clients find you This is the strategic reality check every independent agent and broker needs. 🎧 Listen now — and future-proof your agency.

Agency 2030: How AI Will Reshape Everything 🎙️ with Michael Jans & Chris Tamm (AI Strategist + Former Agency Principal) What happens when AI goes beyond blog posts and into the beating heart of your insurance agency? In this eye-opening episode, Michael sits down with Chris—a 7x founder, agency veteran, and global AI implementation strategist—to unpack what really lies ahead for independent agencies. 🔥 Inside this episode: The 3 levels of transformation: Individual, Team, Organization Why waiting until 2028 is a dangerous trap What Microsoft’s CEO just predicted about SaaS (and why it matters) Real-world agency use cases—beyond ChatGPT How to double revenue per employee without increasing headcount The cold, hard fate of agencies that don’t evolve This isn’t hype. This is your wake-up call. 👉 Whether you’re AI-curious or already automating, this conversation will change how you lead.

Homeowners insurance is no longer “inflation + a little.” In many states it’s become volatile, uneven, and emotionally exhausting for consumers—and operationally painful for agents trying to retain clients through renewal shocks. In this episode, Michael sits down with Dylan DiMarchi, CEO of Eventual (the company behind Premium Lock), to unpack a simple but potentially disruptive idea: multi-year premium predictability. “Insurance pricing actually was more volatile than any other period in human history.” In this conversation, we cover: The real-world problem: why homeowners are burned out on surprise renewals How Premium Lock works (a supplementary product that reimburses amounts above a pre-set threshold) Why agents are using it not just for retention—but as point-of-sale differentiation Market insight: what Dylan’s data suggests about where premium growth could trend next If you’re an independent agent—or an agency leader thinking strategically about differentiation and retention—this one will give you new angles (and a product category to watch).

How do you turn a tiny, rural, PC-10 agency into a multi-niche growth machine that closes six-figure accounts without traditional producers? In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Cheri Martinen, Managing Partner of Bancorp Insurance, to unpack how her family’s small Oregon agency has grown 6–7x while being surrounded by national forest on three sides. You’ll hear how Cheri’s parents: Started by cross-selling their existing book Stumbled into their first contractor niche Then built out a portfolio of highly profitable specialties—from wildland firefighters to special water districts and Medicare Today, Bancorp operates in 20+ states, runs a marketing-driven model, and closes big commercial accounts from inbound demand—no door-knocking producers. Cheri also breaks down her modern marketing stack: Consistent blogging and SEO YouTube shorts and multi-platform social Hulu ads and geo-targeting around senior centers Email + voicemail + direct mail campaigns Automated renewal and cross-sell workflows supported by in-house staff and VAs And we wrap with Cheri’s angle on AI and visibility: “At this point, we’re getting leads from ChatGPT. So if you’re not getting leads from ChatGPT, you don’t have enough content out there yet.” In this episode, you’ll learn: How a rural “middle of nowhere” agency made geography irrelevant with smart niche strategy The contractor campaign that turned a hard-market disruption into a growth surge How Bancorp built and scaled niches in wildland firefighters and water districts What a marketing-driven growth model looks like when you close six-figure accounts without a traditional producer force Real examples of integrated campaigns (email, voicemail, streaming, geo-targeting) that keep the pipeline full How Cheri thinks about AI, content, and why agencies must “test the waters before it’s too late” If you’re an independent agency owner wondering how to grow faster, niche deeper, and use modern marketing (and AI) to win big accounts, this conversation is a practical blueprint.

In this episode, Michael pulls back the curtain on what AI actually did in 2025—far away from the hype, and deep in the real numbers. While most of the insurance world is still “thinking about AI,” other industries are already cashing in: A global fintech using AI to replace the work of ~700 people in 35 languages A major carrier cutting claim cycle times by weeks and slashing complaints by 65% A wealth management giant adding tens of billions in new assets with AI-assisted advisors Streaming, retail, and coffee brands using AI to quietly reduce churn and boost revenue This isn’t a thought experiment. It’s an alarm clock. Then Michael brings it home: what this means for independent agencies, why the “wait and see” crowd is already behind, and how to start using AI intelligently—without turning it into an expensive hobby. You’ll hear: Concrete examples of AI driving profit and efficiency in 2025 The hidden risk of treating AI as a “future project” How to think about AI in the context of your growth, margins, and valuation A first look at Michael’s suite of 12 custom GPTs designed specifically for independent insurance agencies If you’re serious about growth—and serious about not getting left behind—this is your wake-up call. 👉 Want details on the AI tools Michael mentions in the episode? Email him at [email protected] with “AI” in the subject line.

Still retyping the same client data into five different carrier portals? In this episode of The AI for IA Podcast, Michael talks with Carl, founder of Gaya, the browser-based tool built specifically for insurance agencies. Gaya sits on top of the systems you already use and turns painful, repetitive data entry into a few clicks. Instead of spending 10–15 minutes keying information into each carrier portal, agencies using Gaya often get it down to 4–5 minutes per carrier — without a single API integration. With Gaya, agencies can: Extract data from PDFs, images, AMS systems, and carrier portals Paste that data directly into carrier portals, browser-based AMS platforms, or new forms Handle remarketing surges and multi-carrier quoting with the same headcount Carl and Michael also unpack the bigger picture of AI in insurance distribution: Why so many agencies fall into “shiny object syndrome” with AI tools What separates novelty from real operational impact Why today’s AI is about capacity and leverage, not job replacement How “process eats technology for breakfast” — and what to streamline before adopting AI If you want your team quoting faster, remarketing more, and spending less time on repetitive data entry, this conversation shows what’s possible right now — using the systems you already have. 👉 Learn more about Gaya here: www.gaya.ai

Most P&C agencies want stronger retention, deeper client loyalty, and higher revenue per client — but overlook the one conversation that delivers all three. In this episode, Michael Jans talks with Trae White, multi-acquisition P&C agency principal whose agency was recognized as Top 10 nationally in life insurance performance, to break down the simple culture and system behind his success. Trae reveals how he built a life-insurance pipeline inside a P&C agency, why he believes discussing life coverage is a moral obligation, and how these deeper conversations create durable, long-term relationships that strengthen the entire book. You’ll learn the culture cues that get teams comfortable, the scripts his staff uses daily, and why the 1:15 benchmark is the perfect starting point for agencies that want measurable gains without changing their business model. In this episode: • How deeper protection conversations drive retention • The pipeline Trae built for new & existing clients • Why clients with life stay longer, engage more, and refer more • How small policies create big loyalty • The culture shift behind Trae’s national recognition A powerful message for P&C principals ready to unlock the retention and revenue lift hiding in their own book.

Featuring Dale Steinke, Director at Agent for the Future Advisors, Liberty Mutual Insurance AI isn’t coming to independent agencies—it’s already inside them. In this fast, high-signal conversation, Michael Jans sits down with longtime industry friend Dale Steinke of Liberty to break down what agency owners are really feeling about AI today: the excitement, the confusion, the overwhelm, and the massive opportunity hiding in plain sight. Dale shares what he sees across hundreds of agencies: why most principals underestimate how much AI their teams are already using, the tools that are quietly reshaping daily operations, and how top agencies are using AI to eliminate drudge work, sharpen renewal reviews, supercharge staff, and build client experiences that simply weren’t possible a few years ago. You’ll also hear: Why there’s never been a better time to start—or scale—an independent agency How a 7-person agency is using two developers and AI tools to build a next-level customer experience Why leaders must adopt AI themselves and create a clear AI governance policy What agencies should do first to prepare for the next wave of change Insightful, practical, and direct—this 10-minute “vitamin shot” delivers exactly what independent agencies need to know now.

In this rapid-fire 7-minute briefing, we break down the six industry trends reshaping the independent insurance agency landscape. You’ll discover why nearly 75% of Q3 insurtech funding went to AI-centric firms, what the softening market means for your organic growth strategy, and how smart agencies are using bolt-on technology to deepen client relationships. We also dig into an overlooked profit lever that recovers 1–3% of annual revenue, the surge in niche MGA/MGU valuations, and the surprising line of business slipping while everything else climbs. If you want to lead your agency through a shifting market — not react to it — this is your essential weekly intelligence hit.

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with South Florida agency owner Matt Livings, who grew his agency from absolutely nothing to more than 5,700 households—in one of the toughest, most volatile markets in the country. Matt reveals the simple but powerful systems he’s used for two decades, including: His 24,000-postcards-a-month direct mail engine The niche strategy that built his affluent book (hint: boats) Why he stopped selling policies 15 years ago—and grew faster How hurricane claims turned him into a local hero The referral playbook that keeps the pipeline full Carrier contingency tactics that added an extra 10% to his income If you want to see how real, organic, sustainable agency growth is built—especially in hard markets—this is the episode.

Independent agencies survived the internet. They adapted to websites, email marketing, and social media. But AI is different. It changes the structure of work, speed of response, and expectations of clients—and it’s moving exponentially faster than any prior wave of technology. In this episode, agency owner & industry thought leader, Chris Paradiso explains: Why AI is a fundamentally different kind of disruption How agencies can leverage AI to move faster than carriers Real examples of AI in daily agency operations: sentiment scoring, policy gap analysis, coverage review, client communication, and multilingual training Why some roles will shift—and why relationships still matter The emerging divide between agencies that adapt and those that fall behind Chris shares how his agency has implemented AI from frontline workflows to training systems—and what agency owners must do now to remain competitive. Key Message: Do not sit on the sidelines. The agencies that act now will lead the market. The others will be forced out of it.

In this fast, insight-packed 7-minute briefing, Michael Jans breaks down six forces reshaping the independent insurance agency world right now — from AI acceleration to PE consolidation, social inflation, compliance pressure, ENS growth, and the widening growth gap between digital agencies and everyone else. In this episode you’ll discover: ✅ Why InsurTech funding surged in October and what it means for Main Street agencies ✅ How private equity now controls 72% of all M&A — and what that means for valuation ✅ The new wave of social inflation driving casualty costs through the roof ✅ Why 21 states now have comprehensive data privacy laws (and the NAIC Model 668 push for 2026) ✅ How ENS/surplus lines hit $130B and why the trend isn’t slowing ✅ The stat every agency owner should memorize: 👉 Agencies adopting advanced digital tools are growing 70% faster than their peers If you’ve ever wished you had a “7-minute dashboard” for the industry… this is it. Want to explore how the fastest-growing agencies are using AI to scale? Grab a 15-minute call with Michael [Click here].

Artificial Intelligence isn’t another wave—it’s a tsunami. In this episode, Michael Jans breaks down how AI will separate the winners from the walking dead in the independent agency world. From the Niche Master who dominates their vertical… to the Complexity Specialist who thrives on sophisticated risks… to the Platform Powerhouse scaling like Geico on steroids—Michael reveals the six types of agencies that will define the next decade. You’ll learn: ✅ Why strategy means “thriving in the world as it is” ✅ What separates the green zone agencies from the red zone wreckage ✅ Why 2030 isn’t the starting gun—it’s game over ✅ How to engineer growth and efficiency through AI Subscribe, listen, and get your agency ready for the AI age.

🎙️ How AI Agents Are Revolutionizing Insurance with Terry Walby of Open Dialog In this episode, Michael sits down with Terry Walby, co-founder and CEO of Open Dialog, to explore how AI agents are transforming the insurance industry—far beyond the limitations of chatbots. Terry breaks down the real-world impact of AI agents on improving quote conversions, reducing friction in online policy applications, and even predicting buyer behavior. With Open Dialog’s footprint now extending from the UK to the U.S. (and soon, Canada), this conversation is a must-listen for insurance leaders looking to stay ahead. 💡 Learn: What makes an AI agent actually different from a chatbot How behavioral psychology and real-time interaction boost conversions The compliance edge AI agents offer in regulated environments 🔗 Dive deeper at www.opendialog.ai

The independent agency channel is changing fast—and the firms that see the shifts early will take the lead. In this episode, Michael Jans breaks down six critical developments reshaping growth, profitability, risk, client expectations, and agency valuation in the next 6–18 months. You’ll hear what the data actually says about AI adoption, why cyber insurance growth is both a financial and ethical imperative, how top agencies are driving organic growth even in tough markets, and the new frontier of AI-driven claims fraud. If you’re an agency principal, marketing leader, or someone responsible for strategic planning—this is your briefing.

There’s a trillion-dollar wave of capital chasing AI in insurance. The question is — will your agency ride it or get rolled by it? In this episode, Michael Jans lays out the 5-Step AI Playbook for Insurance Agencies: Know – What’s real and what’s noise Grow – Where AI actually drives revenue Integrate – How to blend humans + automation Buy – Smart investment decisions in tech Scale – Building a system that compounds Straight talk. No hype. Just a clear path from overwhelm to opportunity. Subscribe, listen, and get your agency ready for the AI age.

AI is accelerating faster than any technology in history — doubling in power every four to seven months. What does that mean for the independent insurance agency system? Michael Jans sits down with Marc Lanzkowsky, founder of Lanzko AI and 30-year veteran of the insurance world — attorney, carrier exec, and IT innovator — to explore how AI is reshaping compliance, claims, and operations. You’ll hear: The biggest AI compliance traps agencies are walking into right now Why “free” AI tools might expose your client data to model training What smart agencies are doing to integrate AI safely and intelligently Why AI won’t replace the human element — but will multiply your impact How custom GPTs and prompt libraries are becoming an agency’s secret weapon A fast, thought-provoking conversation — one that might just reshape how you lead your agency through the next 36 months of transformation. 🎙️ Hosted by Michael Jans Follow for new episodes of AI for the IA — where independent agencies learn how to think, act, and grow with intelligence.

When you’ve spent decades inside the independent agency system, you know the pain of underwriting chaos — juggling dozens of carriers, appetites, and rules that never seem to match up. That frustration drove Trace Meek, a third-generation agency owner, to build something extraordinary: Ask Fetch — an AI-powered underwriting and quoting platform that cuts hours of manual work down to under 90 seconds. In this episode, Trace shares: How he turned a daily headache into a nationwide insurtech. The “21x MIT Rule” that proves speed wins every time. Why 400,000 industry veterans leaving the business will make AI essential for survival. What the next 36 months look like for independent agencies who adopt (or ignore) AI. Listen in — this one’s not theory. It’s the future unfolding, one frustrated agent at a time. 🎙️ Hosted by Michael Jans, Founder of The Society of Insura-Preneurs.

Once a week, Michael Jans — founder of the Society of Insura-Preneurs and one of the most trusted voices in insurance marketing — drops into your world for seven focused minutes of high-impact insight. Each episode packs six real-time bulletins on the forces shaping our industry: carrier performance, underwriting trends, tech disruption, and what it all means for your agency’s growth. From profit margins to AI breakthroughs, you’ll get the data, context, and strategic edge to stay informed, stay sharp, and stay ahead. 🎙️ Subscribe now and make seven minutes the most profitable part of your week.

The buyer’s journey isn’t a funnel anymore — it’s chaos. Google calls it the Messy Middle… and they’ve got the data to prove it. In this episode, Michael Jans breaks down Google’s landmark behavioral-science study Decoding Decisions — and shows independent insurance agencies how to use the six psychological biases that actually drive buying behavior: ✅ Social Proof ✅ Authority ✅ Scarcity ✅ Power of Now ✅ Power of Free ✅ Category Heuristics You’ll learn how to stack these triggers, eliminate friction, and meet buyers where they loop — on LinkedIn, email, podcasts, and beyond. Plus, Michael connects the dots between the Messy Middle and the coming AI revolution that will reshape how agencies attract, convert, and retain clients. 🎯 Funnels are linear. The customer journey isn’t. 🎧 Listen now and get the science behind your next big growth leap.

In this 10-minute episode, Michael Jans sits down with tech pioneer Frank Sentner, who’s been building technology for the insurance industry since 1976 — long before most agents knew what a modem was. Together they trace the path from the first digital ACORD forms to modern-day AI. You’ll hear: Why “Bad Data. Bad AI.” is the new truth every agency must face Real-world examples of AI that augment people — not replace them The single smartest question to ask before buying any AI tool If you’ve ever wondered how to separate the gold from the garbage in today’s AI hype, this is your short course in sanity. 🎧 Listen now — it might save you from your next bad software decision.

Insurance agency owners don’t have time for fluff — so here’s your seven-minute intelligence briefing from the trenches. This week, Michael Jans fires off six rapid-fire insights you need to know: 🚗 Tesla gets busted (and proves agents are still the smart money 😉) 📉 Commercial lines soften — but not all markets 🤝 Networks gain power — and access is everything 🤖 57% of InsurTech deals now flow to AI-first firms 💰 Carrier investments quietly become the new margin shield ⚡ AI doubles every 4–7 months — and you cannot afford to sit this one out When tech moves this fast, the winners are the ones who act fast and think smart. 🎁 Want the free AI Buyer’s Guide (v2) before it drops publicly? Email Michael at [email protected] and say “Send me the Guide.”

Every week, a new AI company shows up promising to revolutionize your agency. Most will vanish before your next renewal cycle. The problem isn’t too few tools — it’s that most agency owners don’t have a system for buying them. In this episode, Michael Jans lays out his 8-Point AI Buyer’s Filter — the same framework he uses to separate the brilliant from the bogus. You’ll learn how to evaluate: Real business fit (not hype) Whether the tech uses the right kind of AI The team’s domain knowledge and credibility Data security and financial stability Onboarding, support, and roadmap transparency If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by AI noise or pressured by slick sales decks, this episode is your BS detector. 🎧 Listen in — and learn to buy AI like a strategist.

In just seven minutes, Michael Jans cuts through the noise and delivers six powerful bullets every insurance agency owner needs to know right now: slowing premium growth, looming soft market conditions, new AI tools (and red flags), carrier adoption pitfalls, and the single biggest missed play in the industry. If you’ve been wondering how to separate hype from opportunity, this briefing is your shortcut. Get the signal without the noise—then decide how you’ll lead your agency into growth while others stumble.

Most agencies underestimate the single biggest lever for growth: revenue per customer. In this episode, Michael Jans reveals why just a $200 bump in average revenue per client compounds into millions of dollars in income, higher retention, richer EBITDA, and premium valuation. You’ll discover: The 5 strategies every agency must execute to raise revenue per client. How multi-policy households can quadruple retention rates. Why “Defensive AI” only saves pennies… while “Offensive AI” creates exponential growth. Plus, Michael shares free resources — including the Client Optimizer Tool and the AI Divide Report — to help you move from wondering and waiting to leading and winning. 👉 Listen now and make sure you’re on the right side of the AI Divide.

Every week, Michael Jans cuts through the noise to deliver six signals that matter for independent agency owners. In this 7-minute briefing: Why slowing premium hikes point to an impending soft market 📉 M&A trends: fewer deals, bigger valuations 💰 California’s wildfire model shift — and what it could mean for the nation 🌲🔥 AI’s overlooked growth power (hint: it’s not cost-cutting) 🤖 Cyber coverage: new capacity, low penetration, big opportunity 🔐 Record profitability… but is it real? 📊 Plus: who got bought this week, and why niches always win. 👉 Subscribe for your weekly dose of growth intelligence — fast, focused, and built for Insura-Preneurs.

In this episode, Michael Jans unpacks Robert Cialdini’s timeless Influence and reveals how the 7 principles of persuasion shape every decision your prospects make. From reciprocity to scarcity (and the surprising “eighth” principle of unity), you’ll hear research, stories, and field-tested applications you can put to work immediately in your agency. Discover why some agencies grow in leaps while others drop money on the way to the bank — and how to stop leaving half your growth behind. Plus: a behind-the-scenes look at Michael’s own career breakthroughs and the simple tactics you can steal today.