Claim Your Digital Real Estate: How Top Producers Build Personal Brands That Drive Revenue

In an industry where most buyers are tired of hearing the same sales pitch and every agent claims to offer “great service,” your personal brand may be the single most powerful differentiator you have. But building a strong brand in commercial insurance isn’t about going viral or chasing likes—it’s about intentionality, visibility, and trust.

At Producers in Paradise 2025, five insurance leaders took the stage to share exactly how they’ve built brands that drive real conversations and real revenue: Patrick McBride, David Carothers, Ciara Gravier, Daniel Wakefield, and Aaron Levine.

This post synthesizes their most powerful lessons on branding, audience building, content strategy, and the mindset it takes to stand out in today’s insurance landscape.

Why Personal Branding Is a Must-Have in Commercial Insurance

Moderator Patrick McBride kicked off the conversation with a bold reminder: “You’re selling every day—whether it’s in a meeting, a Facebook post, or a selfie. The question is, are you selling the right version of yourself?”

The truth? Your prospects are Googling you before you ever get a chance to pitch. And when they do, they aren’t looking for how many designations you have. They’re looking to answer one question:

Can I trust this person?

As Ciara Gravier put it, “We’re not making first impressions in person anymore. People look you up online before they ever meet you. Every post you make either deposits trust or withdraws it.”

Your brand isn’t optional. It’s your modern-day business card. It’s also your digital real estate—and if you’re not claiming it, someone else is.

Define Your Brand Before You Promote It

A common mistake producers make? Jumping into content without defining what they stand for or who they’re trying to reach.

Aaron Levine shared how he separates his content by platform:

Instagram = business with a splash of personal life
Facebook = family, food, kids, real life
LinkedIn = referral relationships and authority

Ciara shared that she uses strict boundaries: no politics, no personal drama, and no off-brand activity. “My social platforms are 100% business. I’ve drawn clear lines to keep it professional and build trust.”

And David Carothers summed it up perfectly:

“Be unapologetically yourself. The worst thing you can do is build a content persona that doesn’t match who shows up at the point of sale.”

Define your brand pillars early: what you believe, who you serve, and what makes you different.

The Platform Playbook: Pick One and Own It

Each panelist shared how they leverage different platforms to reach their specific audience:

LinkedIn was the common denominator for most panelists. It’s where referral partners live, where executives scroll, and where content gets shared with purpose.
Instagram is Aaron’s home base—“That’s where our business and personal life blend, and we show up everywhere intentionally.”
Facebook works for those who write small businesses, contractors, and community clients. As Patrick McBride said, “My audience isn’t on LinkedIn—they’re swinging hammers. Facebook is where I speak their language.”
TikTok and YouTube are gaining traction for quick-hit educational videos and thought leadership clips.

Pro Tip from David: Use a QR code at speaking engagements to drive traffic to your platform of choice. It’s one of the most underutilized tricks in growing your audience live and online.

Content Strategy: What to Post, How to Post, and When to Post It

Feeling stuck on what to post? You’re not alone. Every panelist acknowledged that content creation feels intimidating at first. But the secret? Just start—and keep it simple.

Aaron Levine recommends:

2–3 posts per week per platform
Mix off-the-cuff with batched content
Record content during meetings, walks, or events—then repurpose

Ciara shared a recent shift in her strategy: “I hosted a bond webinar and realized the wrong audience showed up—it was all insurance agents. That’s when I realized I had to audit my audience and speak to my referral partners instead.”

She pivoted and now produces content for the people who influence her ideal client, like CPAs, lenders, and attorneys. “I’m not just trying to educate clients. I’m making others look like heroes to their clients, and that’s what keeps referrals coming.”

The Power of Storytelling and Elevating Others

Daniel Wakefield, known for his transformational headshots, dropped one of the most powerful insights of the session:

“We’re not in the insurance business—we’re in the transformation business. Whether it’s a headshot or an insurance program, people want to feel better, safer, and more confident because they worked with you.”

Daniel’s philosophy is simple: take an experience most people dread (like getting a headshot or buying insurance) and make it memorable and empowering. That’s the hook.

He also emphasized the “hype tornado” effect:

Great product or service
Great experience
Strong social proof

When those three collide, you create brand evangelists, not just customers.

Empower Your Producers to Build Their Own Brand

A hot topic in the session? Whether agencies should let producers build personal brands. The answer from the entire panel was a resounding YES.

David Carothers put it bluntly:

“If you don’t let your people scratch that entrepreneurial itch inside your agency, they’re going to leave to scratch it somewhere else.”

He shared examples of producers getting more inbound leads from personal Facebook content than their agency pages ever will. The takeaway? Stop trying to own your people’s brand—enable it.

Evaluate, Adjust, and Execute

Patrick McBride offered a powerful reminder:

“Execution without evaluation is just entertainment.”

Creating content isn’t enough. You have to ask:

Is this resonating?
Are the right people engaging?
Do I need to pivot platforms or messaging?

Both Ciara and Aaron shared examples of real-time shifts they made based on poor webinar performance, unexpected engagement patterns, and referral results. The lesson? Your strategy is never static.

Tactical Takeaways from the Panel

Want to get started? Here’s what the experts suggest:

Record everything: Zooms, calls, coaching—mine your daily work for content.
Invest in a headshot: First impressions matter. Own the visual.
Batch your posts: Block time weekly or monthly. Schedule with tools like Buffer or Later.
Audit your audience: Are your followers decision-makers or peers? Adjust accordingly.
Engage back: Don’t post and ghost. Comment, share, and build your community.

And finally: stop waiting until it’s perfect. Just hit publish.

Final Thoughts: Be Strategic, Be Social, Be Seen

Branding isn’t about ego. It’s about access.

It’s not about who shouts the loudest—it’s about who connects the most consistently.

As David said, “There are no boundaries online. Your brand can travel places you don’t.”

As Aaron reinforced, “It’s not about creating more work—it’s about amplifying the work you’re already doing.”

And as Patrick closed: “You’re either executing or you’re entertaining yourself. Choose wisely.”

So pick your platform. Define your voice. Engage your audience. And claim your digital real estate before someone else does.

From Cold Calls to Carpool Closers: How Insurance Producers Can Build Trust with Educational Content

October 7, 2025 No Comments

In the modern commercial insurance landscape, trust is no longer built solely through in-person meetings, networking events, or polished brochures. It’s earned digitally—often before a prospect ever takes your call. As sales dynamics shift and competition tightens, the producers who will thrive are those who understand one thing: educational content is the new handshake.

How to Build Referral Networks That Drive Revenue and Recruit Elite Producers in Commercial Insurance

October 7, 2025 No Comments

Most commercial insurance producers think of referral networks as an afterthought—something that might generate a lead or two if they attend enough events, shake enough hands, or stay active in their BNI chapter. But the producers who consistently dominate the middle market think differently. They treat referral networks like revenue engines, built with the same discipline as a sales pipeline, and they use those relationships not only to generate appointments but to recruit the next generation of elite producers.

How Curious Leadership and Operational Audits Drive Middle Market Business Growth

October 1, 2025 No Comments

In a rapidly changing business landscape, the difference between thriving and merely surviving often boils down to one core attribute: curiosity. But curiosity alone isn’t enough. When paired with operational audits, strong leadership, and a growth mindset, it becomes a powerful tool for transformation—especially in the middle market. In this post, we explore how curious leadership and deep operational insights can revolutionize how insurance producers approach sales, consult with clients, and build long-term partnerships rooted in value.

How to Win Middle Market Accounts with Workers’ Compensation Strategy and Year-End Client Engagement

October 1, 2025 No Comments

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to use Workers’ Comp as your entry point, how to dissect the experience mod, how to turn loss runs into strategy, and how to capitalize on the year-end season to build stronger client relationships and fill your pipeline with warm referrals.

From Fragmented Systems to Intelligent Automation: How AI and Expert Marketplaces Are Revolutionizing Insurance Operations – A Conversation with Jonathan Maloney

September 23, 2025 No Comments

The insurance industry is at a pivotal moment. As artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), and API-driven tools continue to accelerate, the conversation has shifted from “should we adopt tech?” to “how can we implement the right tech without breaking our operations?”

Why Most Producers Don’t Fail From Lack of Sales Skill

September 16, 2025 No Comments

Let’s set the record straight: most commercial insurance producers don’t fail because they can’t sell. They fail because they don’t plan. They lack process. They don’t follow up consistently—or when they do, it’s weak and generic.

In today’s competitive environment, trust is not built through hard closes. It’s built through consistency. Being present when the incumbent fails. Being available when the buyer is finally ready. Being prepared with insight when everyone else is just pushing a quote.