The Power Producer's Podcast

Welcome to the

Power Producers
Podcast

This is The Power Producers Podcast where we are refining and redefining the sales game. A place where sales professionals can come to learn from other sales professionals and thought leaders who have mastered their craft. As well as their peers who are still striving for perfection to achieve their “why”. Real sales professionals. Real stories. Real results. Are you ready to feel the power?

Wade Millward – Building a Winning Insurance Agency, Episode #345

November 27, 2024

This engaging episode of Power Producers Podcast features a candid discussion between David Carothers and Wade Millward on the intersection of insurance, operations, and growth strategies in the franchising space. With nearly two decades of industry experience, Wade shares how his unique background in software and insurance led to developing scalable solutions for franchisees and franchisors. The conversation spans various topics, from the challenges of producer development to the importance of automation and relationship-building in scaling a business.

A Producer’s Work Never Ends, Shoptalk Episode #165

November 22, 2024

In this special Thanksgiving edition of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers dives into the holiday season’s challenges and opportunities. He shares strategies for staying proactive, avoiding complacency, and building a strong foundation for 2025. Reflecting on personal and professional growth, David emphasizes gratitude for the communities and partnerships that drive success.

Talk to me Goose with Joe Ems, Episode #344

November 20, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers spoke with Patrick McBride and Joe Ems from Sembley, a company offering innovative technology designed to simplify the commercial insurance quoting process. Joe explained the origins of Sembley, which was created to address common pain points in the industry, such as the tedious nature of filling out renewal forms and collecting client data. A standout feature discussed was Sembley’s user-friendly interface, affordable pricing, and integrations that improve efficiency. By leveraging custom intake forms, property data imports, and integration options with systems like Hawksoft and NowCerts, Sembley aims to streamline workflows for agencies, reduce back-and-forth with clients, and enable seamless data mapping across various forms. This technology allows agencies to focus on client relationships rather than manual tasks, making it particularly valuable for agents looking to enhance both client service and operational efficiency.

Two Tricks for Contractors that Stand the Test of Time, Shoptalk Episode #164

November 15, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers breaks down his top strategies for engaging contractors effectively. Drawing from real-world experience, David shares the key questions and approaches he uses to understand contractors’ needs and build trust. He emphasizes the importance of uncovering pain points related to certificates of insurance and audits, providing actionable insights on how producers can leverage these moments to win new business and strengthen client relationships.

Richard Stamets – Enabling Agencies with AI, Episode #343

November 13, 2024

In this episode of the Power Producers podcast, David Carothers speaks with Richard Stamets, Chief Commercial Officer of BluePond AI, about the transformative role of generative AI in commercial insurance. They discuss BluePond’s AI-driven solution, the Broker Co-Pilot, which has been designed specifically for insurance with functionalities for policy checking, quote comparison, underwriting submission ingestion, and claims ingestion. Richard shares insights into how BluePond’s generative AI technology not only automates and improves accuracy in policy comparison but also assists brokers by identifying selling behaviors and enhancing operational efficiency.

Sometimes We Need a Little Spark, Shoptalk Episode #163

November 8, 2024

In this impactful episode of the Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers brings on guest Raghav Tana to discuss the personal challenges and profound purpose behind Raghav’s initiative, the Little Sparks Project. This nonprofit organization aims to provide financial and emotional support to families of children with complex medical needs, sparked by Raghav’s experiences with his son, who was born with Apert Syndrome. David shares his own journey with his son Ethan, who has special needs, reflecting on the emotional and financial toll of ensuring adequate care. They discuss the importance of advocacy, community support, and how their personal hardships have led to a shared mission of helping others facing similar struggles. The episode highlights the upcoming Little Sparks Project gala in December, emphasizing the importance of donations and community involvement.

Steve Bruder – Differentiation in the Land of Commoditization, Episode #342

November 6, 2024

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Steve Bruder from Foxen to discuss how Foxen integrates renters’ insurance compliance and risk management solutions into property management. The conversation highlights how property managers can use Foxen’s system to ensure compliance with insurance requirements, prevent gaps in coverage, and generate ancillary income through revenue sharing. Steve provides insights into how Foxen’s innovative approach addresses the often-overlooked problem of tenants canceling insurance policies, which can leave property owners vulnerable to costly claims. This episode emphasizes how commercial insurance agents can leverage Foxen’s solutions to differentiate themselves in the habitational real estate space, improve client retention, and enhance the value they offer to clients managing larger property schedules.

David’s Cold Calling Recap, Shoptalk Episode #162

November 1, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers provides a deep dive into effective prospecting tactics for insurance producers, challenging misconceptions about cold calling and outlining a comprehensive approach for sustained success. David highlights his recent experience with a 500-dial cold-calling challenge, underscoring the role of focused preparation and systematized tracking in lead generation success. He discusses the value of in-person marketing drops, HubSpot CRM’s data insights, and the benefits of having a robust client database to streamline follow-ups and boost engagement.

Ray Gage – Start with Stop, Episode #341

October 30, 2024

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Ray Gage, a veteran of the insurance industry who transitioned into mindful business coaching. Ray shares insights from his decades-long career in insurance, including selling his agency and the emotional challenges that followed. The conversation explores the often-overlooked emotional side of agency sales, leadership, and the impact of mindfulness in both personal and professional lives. Ray also discusses his upcoming book “Start with Stop”, which focuses on the power of stopping to reassess and transform one’s approach to business and life. The book offers 16 chapters, each addressing a distinct area of improvement such as leadership, time management, and communication, allowing readers to find practical transformations tailored to their needs.

Stop Selling on Price, Shoptalk Episode #161

October 25, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers discusses the importance of shifting away from selling on price and focusing instead on the total cost of risk (TCOR). Carothers emphasizes that insurance producers must position themselves as trusted advisors by addressing not only insurance premiums but also uninsured losses, compliance costs, safety program investments, and indirect costs such as reputational damage and employee downtime. He offers five critical questions that producers can ask at the point of sale to differentiate themselves from competitors and provide value to their prospects by focusing on long-term risk management and business operations.

Matthew Bryan – Ideal Prospects Lead to the Ideal Life, Episode #340

October 23, 2024

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers speaks with Matthew Bryan, a seasoned insurance professional from Tennessee. The conversation dives into Matthew’s unique journey from a background in broadcasting and finance to owning multiple insurance agencies. The discussion highlights how Matthew leveraged his experiences in banking and real estate to transition into commercial insurance, drawing parallels between commercial banking and insurance.

Displacing The Incumbent with Risk Management Tools, Shoptalk Episode #160

October 18, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Shoptalk, David Carothers interviews Dustin Boss, co-founder of Emerge Apps. Dustin discusses how his experience as a producer led him to develop a suite of technology tools for agents, including OSHA compliance and risk management software. He shares insights into how these tools can help agents offer more than just insurance by focusing on compliance, safety, and risk management. This episode highlights creative ways to approach middle-market clients and the importance of leveraging technology to differentiate from competitors.

Lawson Condell – Enabling Producers with Riskbly, Episode #339

October 16, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Lawson Condell, founder of Riskbly, a platform designed for commercial insurance agents to streamline risk management services. Lawson shares his journey from the Air Force and sales roles at ADP and Oracle to founding Riskbly. He created Riskbly to address inefficiencies in the commercial insurance process by providing agents with a white-labeled, customizable platform for managing policy documents, safety videos, risk management programs, and real-time insights.

Targeted Digital Leads, Shoptalk Episode #159

October 11, 2024

This episode of the Power Producers Shoptalk, is focused on the use of digital marketing tools, specifically pixel tracking, retargeting, and video proposals, to enhance lead generation and sales conversions in the commercial insurance industry. The discussion emphasized the importance of quick follow-up on leads, the role of automation, and the critical need for a well-defined sales process when dealing with cold traffic. David Carothers and Chris Langille highlighted the use of pixels for tracking website visitors, remarketing strategies, and content creation to drive traffic to agency websites. The session also covered how personalized content, like blog posts and video proposals, can significantly boost sales, especially when paired with proper retargeting.

Jim Matuga – Storytelling Meets AI, Episode #338

October 9, 2024

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers interviews Jim Matuga, the founder of Interaction Media and creator of StoryMaker, a SaaS platform that leverages AI to help agencies and producers tell compelling stories that drive sales. They dive into the importance of storytelling, content creation, and how to connect with customers on a deeper level by using generative AI.

Grit and Determination What Sales Producers can Learn from Pete Rose, Shoptalk Episode #158

October 4, 2024

In this Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers reflects on his childhood idol, Pete Rose, and the profound impact Rose’s grit, determination, and relentless hustle had not only on baseball but also on David’s personal and professional life. The episode is bittersweet as David shares the news of Pete Rose’s unexpected passing and then dives into how the lessons Rose embodied on the baseball field can be translated into the world of sales and commercial insurance.

From Courtroom to Cyber Carrier with Michael Phillips, Episode #337

October 2, 2024

In this Power Producers Podcast episode, David Carothers speaks with Michael Phillips, who leads the U.S. cyber underwriting practice at CFC. They discuss the state of the cyber insurance marketplace, the evolving risks businesses face due to cyber threats, and how insurers like CFC are addressing these risks. Michael highlights the importance of understanding the continually changing nature of cybercrime, particularly as it relates to geopolitical tensions and the rise of offensive cyber operations. They delve into the role of insurance in providing not just financial coverage but also emergency response services to businesses of all sizes.

The Delicate Balance for Producers, Shoptalk Episode #157

September 27, 2024

In this episode of Power Producer Shoptalk, David Carothers delves into the critical balance that commercial insurance agents must maintain between fulfilling their “duty to offer” and avoiding the appearance of overselling. David emphasizes the importance of educating clients on this duty, particularly in areas like cyber liability, where underinsurance can leave clients highly exposed.
The discussion highlights the professional responsibility of agents to offer adequate coverage that matches clients’ risks, ensuring they fully understand and sign off on any rejection of recommended limits. He points out that failing to do this not only opens agents up to potential errors and omissions (E&O) claims but also damages their reputation.

A Servant’s Heart of Social Services with Daryl Henry, Episode #336

September 25, 2024

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers speaks with Daryl Henry, a Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Risk Manager from Bitner Henry Insurance Group, a fourth-generation family business. Daryl shares his unique journey into the insurance industry, discussing the influence of his family’s dual legacy in insurance and mission work. He talks about his focus on serving human services organizations, particularly children’s homes and other social services sectors, emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding client needs, and building relationships.

The Power of In-Person, Shoptalk Episode #156

September 20, 2024

In this episode of Power Producers Shop Talk, David Carothers dives deep into the topic of marketing drops and how they remain an effective sales strategy in today’s saturated digital landscape. He emphasizes the importance of in-person marketing drops to cut through the noise, create personalized connections, and distinguish oneself from the competition. David shares key insights on preparation, execution, and follow-up strategies for successful marketing drops. He also offers practical tips for building rapport, researching prospects, and timing interactions based on the industry. The episode also highlights the critical role of the gatekeeper and strategies to ensure a lasting impression on decision-makers.

David Carothers

Kyle Houck

Streamlining Insurance Workflows with Sembly: Enhancing Efficiency, Client Service, and Data Integration for Commercial Agents

December 2, 2024

Commercial insurance agencies face challenges in complex workflows, data management, and client servicing. Agents handle a high volume of client information and must process renewals

Revolutionizing Commercial Insurance: How Generative AI and Collaboration Drive Efficiency and Client Satisfaction – A Conversation with Rich Stamets

November 25, 2024

In recent years, generative AI has taken center stage across many industries, revolutionizing how we handle data, communication, and repetitive tasks. Nowhere is this change

Mastering Mindfulness in Business: Strategies for Agency Owners and Producers to Transform Leadership and Sales – A Conversation with Ray Gage

November 14, 2024

Success in business requires more than just technical expertise and hard work. For insurance agency owners and producers, success relies on mastering leadership’s emotional and