It just means you have more time to make sure you eventually do. It's also possible your job could get a lot easier if you delegate that initial ownership to someone else. Of course, that's likely a risky proposition you might be unwilling to take. If you are, then it might be time to get serious about helping your employees get better at what they're doing. That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about how he wants to start segmenting his staff.

If you have then you know how powerful it can be to see something done first. Then you know exactly what to do to get started and how to follow the path to success. Of course, this path will not only show you where to go it will have people to help along the way. That's when you'll have a chance to figure out exactly what your strengths are and how to take advantage of them. That's what I talk to Brian Blakely, of Stonebridge Insurance, about how he's been following that community all along.

It's easy to dismiss the idea of constantly capturing your expertise for future distribution. However, if you can find the dedication, you'll create a process that produces endless authentic interactions. If applied and distributed properly should allow you the opportunity to reach people far beyond your previous or traditional methods. Because it's far more efficient to capture what is already happening than trying to recreate it from scratch. That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about as he struggles with the concept potentially diminishing creativity.

There's definitely an argument to be made for constantly trying to stabilize every big change you make. If you don't, you could end up moving on to the next thing before your first big change was strong enough to stand on its own. But make no mistake about it, finding that first shift is hard to do and should be the only thing you're focused on if it hasn't happened yet. Because when it does, the changes will feel like they are coming fast and possibly furious but will still take longer than you think. That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about how far he's come in such little time.

Starts by committing to something on a level that most would consider too risky or downright impossible. However, that's what it takes most of the time to get people's attention and motivate them to participate in real-world activities. Event marketing has far more to offer than free pens and stress balls to really show people what your agency is all about. Sometimes all it takes is looking around to see what's possible right next door. That's what I talk to Shannon Strobel, of Shermann Insurance, about the untapped potential that sharing a parking lot.

It definitely should if you can figure out a way to make sure everyone has a chance to see it before they talk to you. That might seem like the craziest homework assignment you've ever heard of, but it's certainly one of the most effective ways to scale your information. Think about all the time you would save if you stopped having the same conversation over and over again. Even if you were able to cut those conversations in half you'd take your family flexibility to a whole new level. That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about how he's looking to hack time.

Might start with a conversation about expectations and how far your agency is willing to go to match them. Outside of that, there are a ton of challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining good young insurance talent. Even when you do find someone interested in the industry, there's a good chance their initial expectations are misaligned with reality. If that happens you certainly won't have to worry about them leaving for a bigger better company. That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about as he reflects on a few times his new producers didn't work out.

If you're committed to playing the long game sometimes you need to wait a few years before something will work. It's possible that in those early days it barely scratches the surface of generating any useful business. However, if you're able to stay the course and keep your head above water the whole time, things could take off in a big way. That becomes substantially easier if you're able to find a place that doesn't make you feel crazy for wanting to try something different. That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby and Merrill Insurance, about the confidence she's found to build her long term process.

Because at the end of the day that might be the only thing you need for people to find you. Until you start creating playlists on your YouTube channel it's hard to see what your real focus has been. At that point, the numbers don't lie and there's no hiding from your real video marketing passion. The only question you need to ask then is if it's something you should continue doing. That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance Agency, about the videos he's made the most.

That depends on what's included in the total package. If it's not a highly useful set of tools that's when things get questionable. Because simply paying for the possibility of future updates is a tough ask. It's even harder when you realize going with a local option rarely offers the latest and greatest. That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about his overall approach.

It doesn't matter how many you have, every single one represents a massive achievement. That's hard to fully appreciate on a small scale when the weight of each one feels too light to notice. However, when you approach your agency with the mentality of a master builder, you'll probably know where everything needs to go. The problems start when you refuse to think beyond what you can do (or sell) by yourself. That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about the assembly he's looking forward to.

It certainly improves your chances the more intentional you are about the people close to your agency. Because it's great to be able to toss a wide insurance net, but it's also just as effective to shoot one that's specific. No matter how long you've been in the insurance game, it's always interesting to talk about the best place your business could go. Not to mention what could happen if you expand your mind and consider creating more serious partnerships with complementary people. That's what I talk to Brian Blakely, of Stonebridge Insurance, about how he went about his agency is currently set up.

Things get really interesting when you realize you had it the whole time. It was just up to you to do something about it in a consistent and effective way. That can start by simply putting existing components together in a unique way to create something new. It's during that assembly process that you'll discover a new idea people can't stop talking about. That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about how he creating things in his agency.

Because you should spend most of your time and effort on other things. Things like crafting a compelling message that makes people take action on what you want. That is something that can easily happen when you're able to create pages for their specific needs. It also helps if you can ask for the information you need to decide how serious they are and do something about it. That's what I talk to James Castle, of Castle Insurance, about the changes his agency is making.

You're able to start a conversation based on something much more than just insurance. If approached with enough dedication, it has the potential to resonate for an extended period of time. The biggest challenge beyond that dedication will be your proficiency to execute it effectively. Because it has to come from a pretty deep place of authenticity to actually work. That's what I talk to John Stuart, of Bill Quickel's Insurance Plus Agencies, about the revolution they're starting.

If not, you could miss a solid opportunity to put your competition out of business. Regardless of how aggressive you get, there's something to be said for knowing your numbers. It's this information that makes sure you're making the most of every policy you sell. It's also the best way to know if and when you're wasting your time on that new policy. That's what I talk Alex Dopazo, of Dapozo Insurance, about how his agency knows theirs.

Might need to become something you do no matter what for it to really take hold in your agency. The most interesting part about the whole thing is it will only be the start of the one-off pieces of content you create. That means you should get comfortable with the idea because it's an easy way to do something people don't expect. If you really want to go all in on the idea, it might have be a skill you hire for out of the gate. That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson insurance, about the dramatic steps he's taking. The Truth About Video Proposals (Part I) The Truth About Video Proposals (Part II) The Truth About Video Proposals (Part III)

If it does, then you make it a lot easier for people who want to do business with you. Because no matter what, they will Google your agency and will find what you've decided to provide them. It's also important to have the right mindset and understand the reality of your current situation. There's no way you'll instantly start generating hundreds of leads a month (without paying), instead it will slowly build over time. That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby & Merrill Insurance, about how she's trying to focus their impress to get the process started.

It all depends on where you want to go and how long of a trip you're willing to take to get there? There's nothing wrong with living in that wheelhouse, in fact, most agents have a hard time staying long enough. It's important to talk about what you know really well, but there are no rules about what you need to know before you talk about something else. It's starting as simple as you can and taking everyone on the journey with you. That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance Agency, about how he found the exit he was looking for.

That opportunity comes in the form of allowing clients to self-serve as much of the insurance experience as they want. Those experiences could be as simple as ID card requests, or simply getting started with the quoting process. The biggest challenge usually comes in deciding what parts of the process will be mandatory. Because there's an infinite see of time waiting to be saved when you stop doing everything for them. That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinatus Insurance, about the process he wants for his clients.