Agency Nation Radio

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Will Jones, Big “I” director of communications and editor-in-chief of Independent Agent magazine, is joined by Nancy Germond, Big “I” executive director of risk management and education, and Amanda Juratovic, Big “I” vice president of E&O operations, to discuss one of the independent agency channel’s most-pressing issues: rising errors & omissions claims. With the hard market, remote work dynamics, and evolving client expectations converging, the risk landscape is shifting fast. But what does this mean for your agency—and how can you protect yourself? “What we’re really seeing is that the basics are being overlooked, and that’s what’s leading to E&O claims,” Juratovic said. “It all comes back to the fundamentals. If agents consistently follow the core standards they’ve been trained on, we’d see a significant drop in claims—even in a hard market.” Don’t miss this essential conversation on how to navigate E&O risk in today’s complex environment. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Jorge Wetenkamp, agency owner of Desert Crest Insurance in Saint George, Utah. Wetenkamp’s career in insurance was unexpected. After working at In-N-Out Burger and at the DMV, he took a job with AAA Insurance when they started offering DMV services. This opened his eyes to the opportunities for career growth and serving the Hispanic community. In 2021, he started an independent agency and the business has grown “far beyond what I set my goals as three or four years ago,” Wetenkamp says. After hiring his first employee in January 2024, he’s currently onboarding two new agents that will allow him to grow, as well as focus on servicing his existing book. “Now, it’s about buying back my time, so all new leads will go to my new agents,” he says. “At the beginning, you grind nonstop—you work late, do whatever it takes. But once your business is established, you start thinking about balance.” Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. This podcast is sponsored by the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association (IMCA). IMCA Ignite 2025 is taking place in Scottsdale, Arizona, June 23-25. Don't miss the only conference where the insurance marketing and communications community comes together to share content-rich, forward-thinking and relevant topics while also networking for lasting connections. Register here: https://rise.imcanet.com/Portal/Portal/Events/Annual_Conference/2025_Annual_Conference/IMCA_Ignite_2025.aspx

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Peter Van Aartrijk, executive vice president with insurance branding firm Aartrijk, hosts a discussion with Ryan Towle, vice president of Davis & Towle Insurance Group in Concord, New Hampshire, and Keith J. Mangini, vice president and commercial team leader at InsurBanc in Farmington, Connecticut, on best practices when making an agency acquisition—whether it’s your first purchase or just your most recent acquisition. They discuss the first steps you should take when considering an agency acquisition opportunity and what to do as a buyer to prepare for financing from a lender. Further in the episode, they end with their final thoughts on what to keep in mind after closing on an acquisition. "We talk about multiples all the time. But if it's a multiple of revenue, or if it's a multiple of EBITDA, if it's 3 times revenue or 4 times revenue, what are you willing to pay for? And why might you be willing to pay up a little bit?" Mangini said, referring to intangible value of an acquisition, such as talent, carrier synergies and more. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Michelle O'Connor, president of O'Connor Insurance Associates in Charlotte, North Carolina. When O'Connor and her husband started their insurance agency 25 years ago, they knew from the very beginning that joining the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) was a must. Michelle knew of other successful agents that belonged to the Big “I" and also knew of the association's industry advocacy efforts. While O'Connor's initial involvement with the association was with the state's young agent committee (YAC), she became more involved when she was asked by Kelley Erstine, IIANC's CEO at the time, to become part of a special committee charged with analyzing member benefits. Since then, she has served in numerous committees and is currently the national director for IIANC. “I've always been a super strong advocate of political action committees (PACs) on both the national and state association level,” she says. “Our insurance system in North Carolina is very unique and that's what started my interest. I realized that if you want change to happen, it has to come from the legislative level.” Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. O'Connor was also featured in the April issue of Independent Agent. Check out her interview here or read the full issue online. https://www.iamagazine.com/magazine/issues/2025/april/declaration-of-independents-michelle-oconnor This podcast is sponsored by the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association (IMCA). IMCA Ignite 2025 is taking place in Scottsdale, Arizona, June 23-25. Don’t miss the only conference where the insurance marketing and communications community comes together to share content-rich, forward-thinking and relevant topics while also networking for lasting connections.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Susan Bonner, Big “I” vice president of marketing and communications, chats with Denise Johnson, president and CEO of Big I Oklahoma, and Jill Epstein, CEO of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of California (IIABCal), about their achievements as women in the independent insurance agency channel and how they’re shaping the industry by offering more women-led events and highlighting opportunities for women in insurance. Big “I” Oklahoma recently hosted the EmpowerHER conference, while IIABCal hosted the Independent Women Summit. Both events sought to foster not only professional development but also genuine friendship and connection among women in the independent agency system and the wider insurance industry. “It was just a really comfortable environment,” Epstein said about the Independent Women Summit, which IIABCal hosted in February. “Everyone was super present, super engaged, chatting, happy and making connections. That was my goal, to bring that to women.” During the episode, Epstein and Johnson also shared strategies for how women can develop leadership skills and learnings from their own experiences, as well as highlighted other Big “I” state associations that are working on similar women-led initiatives. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.  ------------------ Susan Bonner https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiebonnerpugh/ Denise Johnson https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-johnson-2a680312/ Jill Epstein https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-poznick-epstein-b330745/

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Kelly Gonyo, owner and agent of Blue Line Insurance in Lake Placid, New York. Gonyo worked every role in an independent agency—from working the front desk to producing—before starting her own agency at 32 years old with “minimal money in a tiny little office," she says. Today, Blue Line Insurance has four branches and 15 employees, 14 of whom are women. “I'm proud to be a woman in business. I'm aware that I am one of few women in my state that have started a scratch independent agency," she says. “I've learned a lot from other women in the industry, and I've also learned a lot from men in the industry as well." Gonyo serves on the Big I New York board of directors and will become the chair in May. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Gonyo was also featured in the March issue of Independent Agent. Check out her interview here or read the full issue online. ---------- Kelly Gonyo https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-gonyo-9494a221/

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Johanna Holling, volunteer relations program manager at National Invest Program, hosts a conversation about attracting young talent to the insurance industry with Ashley Engl, business development manager at Jencap, and Hal Soden, Jr., principal and risk management advisor at Oliver L.E. Soden Agency Corp. Together, they discuss what Invest is, how they got involved with the program and how it can help attract more talent to the insurance industry. "I think a lot of it is the image that we put out there, and the content that either resides on your company's website or your social media", Engl says. “That's where they're looking for roles. They're trying to get a picture of what this job looks like.” Also, it’s about “educating the general public on careers and insurance,” Engl continues. “If someone is looking to hire people, you want to showcase that they can make a career at your agency or your company, so find ways to communicate that." Over the past year, Invest has collaborated with DECA—a 75-year-old organization dedicated to preparing young leaders for business and entrepreneurial careers. Invest has introduced insurance education to DECA through classroom connections, corporate challenges and insurance volunteers. There are also numerous opportunities to volunteer at Deca events, such as being a judge at a competition, representing Invest at a booth and participating in insurance career panels. To learn more about volunteering, please visit investprogram.org/volunteer. If you are unable to volunteer, but would still like to contribute to the program, you can use the donation button as Invest is a 501C. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Megan Carroll, president of Stein Insurance in Lindstrom, Minnesota. “I worked as a property & casualty reinsurance broker at Willis Re," explains Megan Carroll. “That was my first 'big kid' job." However, the absence of a succession plan at her family's fourth-generation independent insurance agency and a desire to keep it family-owned drew Carroll into the family business in 2017. “I took a substantial pay cut and started from the ground up at Stein Insurance," she says. “It felt like a huge risk at the time but, looking back now, it was definitely the right move." Since then, Carroll has become a part owner and president of the business, a process in which she has stepped up professionally and grown into a leadership position while learning the ropes of agency management and p&c insurance. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. -------------------- Megan Carroll https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-carroll-msc-cpcu-are-24329a32/

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Molly Abboud, Big “I" director of political affairs, hosts a discussion with Charles Symington, Big “I” president & CEO, and Nathan Riedel, Big “I” senior vice president of federal government affairs to discuss the 2024 election results and how they will impact the Big “I” legislative agenda. They examine the key factors behind President Trump’s victory and discuss what to expect during his first 100 days in office. From campaign promises to policy priorities, they assess how Trump’s second term will compare to the first and how independent insurance agents and brokers may be impacted. "President Trump and his team have obviously been in the White House before,” said Symington. “They've been there. They've done that. So I think that they're going to get out of the gate a lot quicker, a lot stronger, a lot more productive, and a lot more effective.” Another topic they tackle is legal system abuse caused by third-party litigation funding and what can be done about it at the state and federal levels. “Our agents are keenly aware that abuse of the legal system adds considerable stress to the insurance industry,” said Riedel. “And it's definitely contributing to the hard market that we find ourselves in right now.” Other topics they discuss include the new Senate Republican leadership, how Congress may respond to wildfires, such as those currently active in Los Angeles, and other natural disasters. Listeners will learn how to get involved with grassroots advocacy for the independent insurance agency system by attending the 2025 Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., scheduled for April 30 to May 2. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

Insurance has been a part of Jay Fribourg’s life from the very beginning. His insurance career began when he interned at his family’s agency filing and scanning documents. After graduating from college, Fribourg joined the family agency but eventually broke off and started his own agency, Bentley Insurance, named after his 130-pound Great Dane. In 2012, Bentley Insurance was acquired by Pinnacle Insurance Group. However, his experience working in a cybersecurity distributor startup firm led Fribourg to partner with former coworkers and create BlueZone Cyber Solutions, combining expertise in both insurance and cybersecurity. At BlueZone, we have this goal to bring enterprise-level security down to the small business owner. That’s what we’ve been really focused on,” Fribourg says. “Nowadays, the targets are these small businesses that don’t have the protection in place and they could really use a good outsource team. “We put a package together for them and for their insurance agencies,” he adds. “It’s that easy button that they can push.” Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Fribourg was also featured in the January issue of Independent Agent. Check out his interview in the link below or read the full issue online. https://www.iamagazine.com/magazine/issues/2025/january/declaration-of-independents-jay-fribourg ------------ Jay Fribourg https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayfribourg/