Episodes
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Luke Berry Breaks Down His Biggest Year Yet (7 Clients, $1.1M)
In this episode, Luke Berry is back after closing out 2026 with nearly $1.2 million in new revenue, topping the Max Revenue leaderboard. Trey digs into how he did it, from ditching big events in favor of duck hunts and fishing trips to building real friendships with prospects years before a deal...
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I Was Wong About Referrals with Micah Salas (Plus, Listener Q&A)
In this episode, Micah admits his lackluster past with referrals. That’s what makes this year so surprising. One cold call back in 2020 has turned into a chain of half-a-dozen referral opportunities in the last 30 days, including a $12K deal closed in under a week, a $13K account where he cut the...
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Chubb’s CEO Warns of “Extremely Naive” Capacity Flooding the Market
In this episode, Brandon breaks down why Chubb’s Evan Greenberg and other carrier execs are sounding the alarm on naive capacity flooding the market, and what producers should look for before putting that paper on their book. He also weighs in on the Chubb vs. Marsh fight over AI exclusions and…
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He Nearly 3X’d His Book in 3.5 Years Using This One Strategy with Trevor Elliott
In this episode, Trey and Micah sit down with Trevor Elliott, a property specialist at Hub, who originally spent a decade as the hometown generalist before niching into property and going all in on “negotiation strategy”. He’ll explain what it is and how to deploy it yourself so you can escape th...
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The Numbers Behind Micah's $354K Year (Full Breakdown)
In this episode, Micah gives a behind the scenes look at his 2026. Every meeting set, every win, every loss, and where his $354K in new revenue actually came from. Micah breaks down revenue from cold calling vs. drop-ins vs. referrals, how his BORs compared to his quoted deals, and how a single...
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WSIA Marketplace 2026 Recap: What Went Down in San Diego
In this episode, Brandon shares insights from WSIA regarding the E&S market, recent AI regulation, and the latest story making the rounds about Corgi (ALLEGEDLY) Resources & Links: 💼 Find Your Next Agency: https://www.palladiumpoint.com/max 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate:...
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He Built a $3.5M Book, Lost It All, and Now He’s Coming Back with Derek Laczniak
In this episode, Trey sits down with Derek Lazniak a $3.5M producer out of Wisconsin. He made partner at 28, built deep niches in manufacturing, metal stamping and cyber, then substance abuse and a string of bad decisions led to his arrest and three months in jail, and he lost it all. Trey sits...
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Meet Micah’s New AI Secret Weapon, Josh Guth
In this episode, Micah and Trey sit down with AI consultant Josh Guth, the guy who set up Micah's new workflow and is now building him a smarter, AI-powered prospecting and networking engine. Micah walks through how he uses it every Monday to plan his week and keep renewals from slipping through...
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The Aon and Macy’s $13M Commission Story, Explained
In this episode, Brandon Schuh digs into the Aon and Macy’s story, alleging $13.2 million in commission on roughly $35 million in ancillary benefits premium. He also talks through Corgi’s new sports vertical, Golden. Finally, they look at how WithCoverage is positioning itself against…
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How To Differentiate, Prospect, and Win with Group Captives with Andrew Gisriel
In this episode, Trey talks with Top Producer Andrew Gisriel about how he went from spraying and praying quotes to leading his agency's captive practice. Andrew explains how he uses XDate to start prospecting 30 days after renewal, how long a captive sale really takes, and how vision boards,...
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How To 2x or 3x Your Book in 3 Simple Steps with Jen E. Miller
In this episode, Trey and Micah reconnect with Jen E. Miller, their former national sales trainer at a previous mega broker. Jen breaks down her 3-step framework for massive book growth, the few numbers that move your book the most, and why the best producer coaching is customized not...
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Is This Applied Systems' Epic Fail Moment?
In this episode Brandon Schuh breaks down Applied Systems' new AI Conductor and their CEO's message to a room full of add-on vendors that homegrown AI tools are a dead end, and Brandon explains why he thinks this moment marks Applied's peak. Then Brandon breaks down NVIDIA's push to make GPUs an...
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He Left a $1.2M Book & Started Over (Here's The 5 Hardest Lessons He Learned) with Micah Salas
In this episode of the Max Revenue Show, Trey jams with Micah Salas to celebrate his 5-year anniversary of leaving a mega-broker to rebuild his book. Micah reflects on his journey of growing his revenue back past the $1.2M mark from scratch and breaks down the 5 biggest mindset shifts…
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How Smart Producers Turn Chaos Into Opportunity with Geoff Christian
In this episode, Micah and Trey sit down with Geoff Christian, a multi-million dollar EB Producer with Gallagher who has been building EB captives for two decades. Geoff breaks down why the benefits market is more chaotic than he's seen in 27 years, and why that chaos is creating real opportunity...
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Is Meta's Muse The Death of Personal Lines Agents? with Brandon Schuh
In this episode Brandon Schuh breaks down the Big I's rosy new agency study, then dives into Meta's new AI assistant, Muse, which can shop insurance on your behalf and sent Allstate and Goosehead stock tumbling. Resources & Links: 💼 Find Your Next Agency: https://www.palladiumpoint.com/max 📈…
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How To Find, Wedge, and Win Deals with Cyber with Abe Gibson
In this episode, Trey sits down with Abe Gibson of Burns & Wilcox, a finalist for Rising Star in Cyber Insurance, for a deep dive on all things cyber. Abe explains why pricing keeps dropping even as claims climb, and why that soft market is a big opening for hungry producers. They get into why…
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How To Write $200k a Year With In-Person Summits with Jeramie Holt
In this episode Micah and Trey talk with Jeramie Holt to learn how he ditched cold calling for good by building in-person summits that write almost $200K a year in new business, plus his exact playbook for venue, agenda, and the follow-up that turns "good food and great info" into won deals....
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The Truth About Single Parent Captives with Brandon Schuh
In this episode, Brandon Schuh breaks down the insurance industry's biggest insurance news including Marsh's big push for single parent captives for data centers and why SPC's are actually a big nothingburger.Resources & Links: 💼 Find Your Next Agency: https://www.palladiumpoint.com/max 📈 Free...
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Why Principles (Not Price) Are The Key To Winning with Micah Salas
In this episode, Micah breaks down why principles beat price every time, and why complacency, not the other agent, is your biggest competitor. Resources & Links: 💼 Find Your Next Agency: https://www.palladiumpoint.com/max 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate:...
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The Young Gun Writing $300K+ a Year by Breaking All the Rules | Interview with Matt Sturgeon
In this episode, Trey and Micah chat with Matt Sturgeon who breaks down how he built a $1.7M book doing the opposite of what the experts say. He shares how a scrappy networking group of like-minded peers became his biggest growth lever, why he still says yes to the small accounts everyone tells…
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$7.7 Billion and a 10% Chance of Extinction with Brandon Schuh
In this episode, Brandon breaks down the insurance industry's biggest insurance news including reports that Michael Dell's family office is taking the Baldwin Group private in a $7.7B deal, and last week's AI extinction-risk headlines.
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7 Counterintuitive Secrets to Writing More Business with Micah Salas
In this episode, Micah breaks down "surrender to win," the idea that letting go of pride, ego, and the need to control outcomes actually leads to better results. He talks through the areas where producers fight hardest when they should surrender the most: cold calling and prospecting, chasing...
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How Elite Producers Guide Buyers Through Tough Decisions with Guffy Wright
In this episode, Trey and Micah welcome back two-time guest Guffy Wright to unpack his new book, Attach High, and the idea of attaching to a client's best interest while detaching from your own commission. Guffy breaks down his V3 framework for removing friction from high-stakes decisions…
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Lockton Named in Kawhi Leonard Scandal with Brandon Schuh
In this episode, Brandon Schuh break down insurance's biggest headlines: Aon's $17B acquisition of USI and what it means for producers and competing agencies, the Lockton/Kawhi Leonard salary-cap controversy and its potential fallout, and a deep dive into Corgi's unorthodox risk retention and...
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What To Look For When You're Looking To Change Agencies | Pat Corrigan with Palladium Point
In this episode, Trey and Micah welcome Pat Corrigan of Palladium Point, Max Revenue Show's new preferred recruiting partner, to talk through what producers should actually look for when considering a move to a new agency. Sparked by the breaking Aon-USI news, they dig into Pat's "career…
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BREAKING: Aon to Buy USI for $17B!!!
Brandon gives you his hot take on all things Aon and USI acquisition.
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Gate's Prediction, Zuck's Homerun, and Tort Reform's Whiff
In this episode, Brandon and Trey cover Bill Gates' new essay on AI and the future of work, the collapse of Meta's blockbuster social media harm settlement, and fresh data on nuclear verdicts (plus a new state ban that looks promising).
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What's Going On in Habitational? E&S vs. Admitted, Wind Buy Downs, and Builder's Risk with Brian Crisp (Element 22)
In this episode, Trey and Micah sit down with Brian Crisp of Element 22 to talk all things habitational — why E&S is beating admitted markets right now, and what's going on with builder's risk and wind buy downs. ..... Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate:...
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The AI Broker War Is Here — Are You Ready?
In this episode, Trey and Micah break down how producers can future-proof themselves and beat the tech bros at their own game. They dig into a real call Micah had with a prospect who left his traditional broker for an AI broker, why he said he did it, and how to prevent the same happening to you....
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The D&O Exclusion Every Producer Should Be On The Lookout For
Trey and Brandon break down a New Jersey ruling that's putting the D&O "capacity exclusion" back in the spotlight — what happens when a board member accused of wrongdoing sits on multiple boards, and why insurers can deny coverage if the alleged conduct ties back to a different company. They also...
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He Built His Own Program and Now He's Taking It Nationwide
In this episode, Trey Shields sits down with David Cooper, who built his own risk purchase group (RPG) focused on public entity transit programs after entering insurance at 44. They also get into his journey through Larry Linne"s IncitePerformance Group and Million Dollar Challenge, hitting $2M+…
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Meta's $1.4 Trillion Day in Court Just Started, and Insurance is Watching
Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate: https://www.insurancexdate.com/maxrevenue 🔗 Work with Element22: Email submissions to: [email protected] Or call Brian at 843-296-3376 📬Sign up for The Max Revenue Letter: https://maxrevenuegroup.com/subscribe 📘...
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How To Hold Your Ground When Asked To Quote (Without Pissing Off The Insured)
In this episode, Micah explains how producers can avoid being backed into a corner to quote by aggressive and closed-minded insureds without starting a fight or caving to their request. ..... Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate: https://www.insurancexdate.com/maxrevenue 🔗...
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How To Qualify Prospects Like a Top Producer with David Foster
In this episode, Trey sits down with David Foster, producer and principal of Three Arbor Insurance in Birmingham, AL, to break down the exact qualifying process his team uses to protect their time and win more of the deals worth winning. ..... Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance...
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AI Models Are Escaping Their Sandboxes (Here's Why That Matters To Your Insureds)
An OpenAI model broke out of its sandbox, hacked Hugging Face using a zero-day nobody had ever documented, and executed 17,000 autonomous actions in under two days, before OpenAI even knew it happened. Then Anthropic disclosed three similar incidents. Then Meta. In this Monday Brief, Trey sits…
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What Every Producer Needs to Know About Compensation, Valuation, and Perpetuation with Colby Allen
In this episode, Micah and Trey sit down with Colby Allen, an M&A advisor, valuation and exit planning consultant. Colby deep dives on the current state of compensation, valuations, and perpetuation, but from the producer side of things. They talk post-acquisition golden handcuffs, how lift-outs...
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PART II: How To Write $1,000,000 a Year (Yes, Revenue) | Larry Linne
In this episode, Micah and Trey pick up where they left off last time with industry expert Larry Linne. Larry shares how top insurance producers can 2x, 3x, and even 4x their current book of business. Grab your seat to Larry's Elite Producer Training, October 28–29, in Denver, CO, at The Gaylord...
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The AI Arms Race Heats Up!
In this episode, Brandon breaks down what the Willis Towers Watson vs. Brown & Brown AI spending war really means underneath the headlines. Also on the show: 👉 Corgi under the microscope: tech-forward insurtech or risk retention group with a wig? 👉 Man vs. machine underwriting: the case for…
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How to Build Your Network and Master Your Energy with J Foster
In this episode, Trey and Micah sit down with J Foster, a 20-year veteran and Top Producer, to unpack the real debate between networking and cold outbound, and how to actually build a 30-year career instead of just surviving the first three. Jay also opens up about his executive coaching journey,...
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Noob Producer BORs $75k in his First Week? (Plus, Micah's Producer Playbook is now FREE!)
In this episode, Micah Salas breaks down a wild story of a brand-new producer with zero insurance experience who landed two BORs last week, totaling $75K in revenue (Yes, we can confirm it's true). That kicks off a bigger debate: does cold calling actually scale, or is networking the real…
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Brown & Brown Says They've Gone All-In on AI: Groundbreaking Or Nothing Burger?
In this episode, Brandon Schuh and Trey Shields break down the latest news and trends in the world of insurance, including the headline-making AI integration at Brown and Brown, McKenzie's latest insurance industry analysis, and the recent state of P&C insurance rates. They explore how technology...
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How Brent Built a One-Man Agency Doing $400K a Year in Firearms Niche
In this episode Trey and Micah talk with Brent Gilliland, Agency Principal at Clandestine Insurance Agency. Brent shares how he went from getting fired after his first year, to six years later, he's running a one-man agency clipping along at $400K in revenue, built entirely around a niche nobody...
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The Monday Brief with Brandon Schuh | July 20th, 2026
In this episode, Trey Shields kicks off a new Monday segment with Brandon Schuh, breaking down the biggest stories in insurance so producers can stay ahead without drowning in their inbox.
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How AI Helped This Producer Hit $800K in 7 Months (On Pace for $1.2M+) | Luke Berry
In this episode Trey sits down with Luke Berry, Max Revenue's resident Employee Benefits expert, to break down how he's on pace for his best year ever — $800K in revenue through six months, projected to hit $1.1–1.3M by year end. Luke gets specific about what's actually driving the growth: giving...
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Cold Calling Isn’t Dead - It’s the Most Efficient Way to Grow with Clayton Wood
In this episode Clayton Wood, CEO of Pinnacle Benefit Partners, breaks down his simple yet powerful cold-calling strategy that helped him scale his book from zero to seven figures. If you’ve ever thought cold outreach is dead or felt too intimidated to pick up the phone, this episode is for you....
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State of the P&C Market Mid Year 2026 with Brandon Schuh
In this episode Micah and Trey talk with Mega Producer and Insurance Nerd, Brandon Schuh. Brandon explains where the market is, why it is where it is, and maybe even more importantly, where it's going. Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate: https://www.insurancexdate.com/maxrevenue…
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80% of Insureds Aren't Interested, Here's How to Move Them
In this episode, Micah breaks down his curiosity-based approach to moving those "I'm happy with my agent" prospects without resorting to pressure or manipulation. Topics covered: Why the "low-hanging fruit" 10-20% isn't where the real money is How to tell if a prospect is truly loyal or just...
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Top 10 Lessons We Learned From Interviewing Top Producers
Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate: https://www.insurancexdate.com/maxrevenue 🔗 Work with Element22: Email submissions to: [email protected] Or call Brian at 843-296-3376 📬Sign up for The Max Revenue Letter: https://maxrevenuegroup.com/subscribe
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QUICKY: 3 Proven Talk Tracks to Win More BORs
Resources & Links: 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate: https://www.insurancexdate.com/maxrevenue 🔗 Work with Element22: Email submissions to: [email protected] Or call Brian at 843-296-3376 📬Sign up for The Max Revenue Letter: https://maxrevenuegroup.com/subscribe
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The Social Selling Playbook for Insurance Producers with Sims Tillirson
........ Resources & Links: 📕 Sims' Social Selling Playbook: https://www.maxrevenuegroup.com/products/social-selling-playbook 📈 Free Trial of Insurance Xdate: https://www.insurancexdate.com/maxrevenue 🔗 Work with Element22: Email submissions to: [email protected] Or call Brian…
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