Terrific Tactics: What Works in Regional Insurance Markets

You've been asking how to grow your agency. But the question that actually unlocks the answer is one you haven't asked yet.

In this episode, Craig and Jason sit down with Toby Hedges for a conversation that cuts right to what matters. No rehearsed talking points — just an experienced agent sharing what they've learned the hard way, including the mistakes that cost them the most money and time.

The Problem Nobody Talks About

The pattern we see across hundreds of agency conversations is surprisingly consistent: the agents who break through aren't smarter, more experienced, or better connected. They're the ones who stopped doing everything and started doing the right things.

Toby Hedges: "How? by uncovering the secrets to creating a predictable, consistent and profitable agency Sales Machine."

That's the kind of thing you hear and immediately think about your own agency. It's uncomfortable because it's specific — and specific is where change starts.

What This Changes

For agents running a book between $800K and $2M, this is where things shift. You're past survival mode but haven't cracked the scalability code. The answer isn't more effort. It's different infrastructure — and this episode maps it out.

The agents who act on this don't wait for the perfect moment. They pick one thing, implement it imperfectly, measure the result, and adjust. That cycle — action, measurement, adjustment — is the real competitive advantage in this business.

This connects to what we've covered in [INTERNAL: insurance-dudes-podcast-guide] . Same fundamentals, different angle. Stack them and the compound effect is real.

Craig: "I am Jason Feldman. We are agents. We are insurance. Right now while it's fresh in your mind, check out live dot tele dudes.com."

Your Move This Week

Here's where this stops being a podcast episode and starts being a business decision:

1. Block 30 minutes this week to listen to the full episode. Not while multitasking. Sit down, take notes, and commit to implementing one thing before Friday. This isn't someday-maybe territory. Block the time this week and get it done. The agents who implement within 48 hours of hearing an idea outperform the ones who bookmark it by a factor you wouldn't believe.

2. Write down the one thing in your agency that bothers you most. The thing you keep meaning to fix. This week, fix it — or schedule the first step toward fixing it. This isn't someday-maybe territory. Block the time this week and get it done. The agents who implement within 48 hours of hearing an idea outperform the ones who bookmark it by a factor you wouldn't believe.

3. Find one idea from this episode and test it for 30 days. Track the result. No judgment until day 30. Most agents quit at day 5 and call the strategy a failure. This isn't someday-maybe territory. Block the time this week and get it done. The agents who implement within 48 hours of hearing an idea outperform the ones who bookmark it by a factor you wouldn't believe.

Hear The Full Episode

There's a lot more where this came from. Craig and Jason go deep with Toby Hedges in the full conversation — including war stories that didn't make it into this post and the specific frameworks that changed how Toby Hedges runs their agency. Worth every minute of your commute.

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🎙️ Listen to the full episode: The Terrific Toby Hedges Totally Tipsy In Mississippi PART 1 Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

The Insurance Dudes — Separating the real from the BS in insurance sales since 2019.