As the commercial insurance industry continues to evolve, independent agencies face mounting pressure from large brokerages that have the financial horsepower and digital infrastructure to lure away top talent. While these larger players are building centralized hubs of operations, smaller and mid-sized agencies must take a different route to compete: building agile, high-performing remote insurance teams grounded in clear core values and culture.
In this post, we’ll unpack how one agency successfully built a national, fully remote team of domestic professionals—and how they used culture, values, and leadership alignment to make it thrive. If you’re struggling to retain employees, improve engagement, or bring consistency to your agency operations, this one’s for you.
The days of needing brick-and-mortar offices in every state you write business are over. More and more agencies are leaning into a remote-first insurance agency model—not just outsourcing to offshore VAs, but hiring high-caliber, U.S.-based talent that works from home.
Why? Because the talent war is real.
National and international brokerages are increasingly offering better pay, perks, and prestige to pull top performers out of smaller shops. Many agencies in “God’s Country”—rural or secondary markets—simply don’t have the resources to compete using traditional hiring strategies. But by embracing a remote workforce strategy and investing in the right people, systems, and processes, smaller agencies can punch above their weight.
Want to build a resilient agency? Start by expanding your hiring pool beyond your zip code. Look for people who align with your values—and give them the flexibility and infrastructure to thrive.
A big takeaway from the Heritage agency story is the value of partnership and aligned leadership. Three producers—Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker—came together from different corners of the country to form a unified agency. Their decision to merge agencies and go remote was born from friendship, mutual respect, and the understanding that complementary strengths would lead to collective success.
One of their first realizations? Ego had no place in the operation.
They weren’t focused on who got credit. They were focused on winning. And the success of their remote model came down to one simple belief: shared values lead to shared vision.
If you’re looking to grow through partnership or expansion, don’t just ask, “Can we scale together?” Ask, “Do we believe in the same things—and are we willing to build everything on that foundation?”
You can’t build a strong culture without strong core values—especially when your team is spread across multiple time zones and states. Core values act as your agency’s operating system. They inform hiring, performance evaluations, vendor selection, coaching conversations, and even which technologies you implement.
The Heritage team learned quickly that without clearly defined core values, there was chaos. Once they nailed their values, everything else fell into place. Their tip? Keep it simple and actionable.
Forget the corporate jargon and abstract ideals. Choose a few strong words or phrases that matter deeply to your leadership team. Then, live those out loud—every day.
One of their core values is “Compete”—a value that speaks volumes without needing explanation. When someone clocks in, they know exactly what’s expected. They’re showing up to win.
Having a list of core values isn’t enough. You’ve got to operationalize them.
That means:
At Heritage, every month is dedicated to a specific value. They use TED Talks, real-life stories, and team discussions to bring each one to life. It’s not fluff—it’s constant reinforcement.
Want to keep your values top of mind? Start with weekly value spotlights. Highlight someone on your team who embodied a value and share why. This isn’t just management recognizing team members—peer-to-peer recognition is even more powerful.
One of the biggest fears agency owners have when introducing core values is alienating current employees. But let’s flip the script: if someone doesn’t align with your values, do you really want them on your team?
At Heritage, the introduction of core values quickly weeded out misaligned employees. Within weeks, three team members self-selected out of the agency—not because of conflict, but because they didn’t resonate with the new direction.
And that was a good thing.
A value-driven culture naturally attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones. Turnover tied to values alignment isn’t a failure—it’s a refinement. Don’t fear it. Embrace it.
One of the biggest challenges for remote insurance agency leaders is maintaining accountability and coaching performance from a distance. But the Heritage model proves it’s absolutely possible—if your values lead the conversation.
Rather than relying solely on metrics or gut feelings, use core values as the baseline for every coaching discussion.
Listen to recorded calls. Give feedback tied directly to values like “Compete” or “Own It.” Praise what’s working and coach what isn’t—always through the lens of your agency’s values.
And most importantly, hire people who are hungry for feedback. One of the Heritage team members was highlighted for loving criticism—not because she was failing, but because she wanted to be better. That mindset creates a ripple effect across the entire team.
If you want to build culture in a remote insurance agency, you have to be intentional—and one of the best tools in your arsenal is peer recognition.
People love being acknowledged by their peers. It’s authentic. It’s affirming. And it reinforces the right behaviors.
At Heritage, team members are invited to call out colleagues who embody specific core values during weekly meetings. A simple shout-out and a $25 gift card go a long way in building morale. But the real win is the culture it creates: a place where everyone’s watching for excellence, and celebrating it.
David also shared how Target used “Great Team Cards” to create this kind of culture—recognizing both values and performance in front of peers. Think about what your version of the Great Team Card could be.
Let’s not forget—core values aren’t just for team members. They’re also a leadership accountability tool.
Great leaders don’t just preach values—they live them. And that means being open to feedback when you fall short. At Heritage, even the agency partners hold each other accountable. If someone’s decisions or words don’t align with a core value, the others speak up.
And that’s the magic of clarity.
When your team knows the playbook, they’re empowered to speak up—upward, sideways, and downward. The more consistently you apply your values, the stronger your culture becomes.
If you’re ready to create or refine your agency’s values, don’t reinvent the wheel. Start with a simple two-step process.
Download a Core Values Discovery Worksheet to clarify what matters most to you and your leadership team.
Use a Core Values Integration Plan to build rituals and reinforcement strategies into your weekly workflow.
These tools are available at InsuranceFutures.com (or wherever you’re directing traffic), and they’re designed to help you move from theory to action.
Remember, values aren’t a “set it and forget it” exercise. They’re a living, breathing part of your business—and when used right, they become your competitive advantag
As remote work becomes more common, culture becomes the ultimate differentiator in the insurance space.
Yes, technology matters. Yes, processes matter. But if your people don’t know what your agency stands for—or how to show up every day in alignment with those standards—you’ll struggle to retain talent and deliver consistent client experiences.
The truth is, your core values are the best tool you have for scaling excellence. When they’re clear, actionable, and consistently reinforced, they create a rhythm inside your agency. They become the lens through which every decision is made—from hiring to technology to leadership development.
Want a high-performing remote team? Start with values. Build with consistency. Lead with culture.
Next up in this series:
We’re diving into virtual team building and connection rituals that drive engagement. Think Zoom team-building ideas, digital recognition systems, and the rituals that glue a team together—even when they’re miles apart.
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