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.
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.
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:
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.
Each panelist shared how they leverage different platforms to reach their specific audience:
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.
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:
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.”
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:
When those three collide, you create brand evangelists, not just customers.
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.
Patrick McBride offered a powerful reminder:
“Execution without evaluation is just entertainment.”
Creating content isn’t enough. You have to ask:
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.
Want to get started? Here’s what the experts suggest:
And finally: stop waiting until it’s perfect. Just hit publish.
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.
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