Build the operating system that runs your agency without you in it. Sales workflows, service processes, onboarding, documentation - the unsexy work that compounds.
66 episodes from Craig Pretzinger & Jason Feltman, hosts of The Insurance Dudes Podcast
06/09/2026 · 8 min read
Insurance agencies are racing to deploy AI, with 70% now running it in live operations, but one in five is simultaneously cutting training budgets. The agencies that close the gap between technology deployment and people readiness are the ones that will pull ahead in 2026.
06/02/2026 · 11 min read
Most insurance agencies hire the same way they did a decade ago and wonder why results do not change. A structured five-step system, from outcome-based role definition through a deliberate 90-day ramp, cuts time-to-hire and doubles retention. The process is the problem, not the people.
05/26/2026 · 9 min read
Best Practices independent agencies hit 10.7% organic growth and 26.1% EBITDA margins in 2025. Here is what those numbers mean for your agency, why the gap is operational rather than luck, and which specific benchmarks to measure against right now.
05/23/2026 · 9 min read
Producer systems turn a P&C agency from owner-dependent to scalable: a written role scorecard, daily activity tracking, a structured onboarding ramp, and weekly accountability conversations. The Insurance Dudes documented these systems across 800+ episodes. Here is how to build them.
05/10/2026 · 6 min read
When a carrier nonrenews homeowners business in your state, you have 30 days to keep the client. Triage the book by renewal date and risk class, run a structured rewrite cadence to surviving markets, and communicate proactively so clients hear about coverage from you, not their lender.
04/21/2026 · 8 min read
Kirk Chester scales GRIT Insurance by going deep on six blue-collar niches instead of writing everything that walks in. The playbook runs on three levers: pick a vertical identity, systematize the mundane, and deploy AI in real workflows now, not after another evaluation cycle.
08/29/2022 · 4 min read
Build real insurance agency leverage with four levers: documented systems, producers trained to a written standard, a lead system that runs without you, and automation that reclaims hours every week. Owner-dependent agencies have a job. Leveraged agencies have a business.
03/23/2022 · 5 min read
Keith Zabrocki sustains agency growth with compounding lead sources, a three-touch retention system, documented service standards, and authority-based delegation. The biggest mistake he made was waiting too long to build systems instead of carrying everything personally.
03/21/2022 · 5 min read
Keith Zabrocki grew his agency by treating it as an enterprise, not a high-income sales job. The decisions that drove it: a clear vision, deep carrier relationships over wide ones, and team capability as the real ceiling on growth.
02/23/2022 · 5 min read
Tom Birks broke through the owner-as-bottleneck ceiling by documenting decision trees for difficult situations, building a quality review process for client communications, and investing in commercial lines capability before personal lines revenue justified it. He also hired ahead of demand. Each move unlocked the next growth tier.
01/26/2022 · 5 min read
Mike Monaghan protects morning hours for outreach, batches admin work in the afternoon, logs every contact and follow-up task in real time, runs sequenced follow-ups that build on prior calls, and systematizes referral asks plus early cross-sell triggers tied to client life events.
01/12/2022 · 6 min read
Justin Brock runs multiple lead channels, tracks close rate and persistency by agent, and uses a simple test for keeping or releasing people: would you hire this person today? The agencies that scale fix personnel and lead concentration before they become emergencies.
12/24/2021 · 4 min read
Step 2 of the Six Step Success framework: build documented systems for onboarding, service, renewals, and lead follow-up. Systems break the owner-bandwidth ceiling and let the agency deliver consistent results without the owner inside every transaction.
12/01/2021 · 5 min read
A documented sales process drives consistency and conversion by fixing structural errors in ordinary client conversations. Standardize stages (qualification, discovery, presentation, objections, close, follow-up). Let individual style fill the structure. Document every conversation so cold leads stay continuable.
10/30/2021 · 6 min read
Documented agency processes drive profitability through four mechanisms: lower error cost, faster onboarding, scalable service quality, and recovered owner time. Start with the highest-frequency transactions (quoting, binding, renewals, claims), write the steps, have someone else test them, then iterate on a quarterly review cadence.
10/21/2021 · 6 min read
Stop trusting your gut on big agency calls. Use the EGRIP framework: name your Emotions, clarify Goals, separate Reality from assumption, Integrate dissenting perspectives, and run a Planning pre-mortem. Build it into hiring, financial, and carrier decisions before you commit.
10/07/2021 · 6 min read
Delegation sticks when the owner debriefs instead of intervening, makes performance metrics visible, and builds redundancy across the team. Kirk Baker also flags the hard call: when a team member won't take ownership, the long-term cost of keeping them is bigger than the transition out.
09/20/2021 · 5 min read
Stop the backslide by tracking behavior metrics (call volume, contact rate, quote conversion, referral asks) on a weekly dashboard with thresholds that trigger defined responses. Complacency softens the behaviors that produced growth, one small concession at a time. Recover sequentially: one behavior at full intensity for 30 days.
08/27/2021 · 5 min read
Split testing replaces opinion with evidence. Test one variable at a time across enough volume to matter (200+ calls or contacts), write the hypothesis first, and measure honestly. Highest leverage areas: email subject lines, call scripts, landing pages, and follow-up sequences.
08/26/2021 · 5 min read
Convert internet leads with a 30-day, multi-channel follow-up sequence (phone, text, email) instead of a 5-day three-call drop, personalize the outreach to the original coverage need, and run a thoughtful re-engagement to dormant leads from the past 6 months before buying new volume.