In this Power Producers Shop Talk episode, David Carothers kicks off a six-week series focused on the growing trend of remote workforces in the insurance industry. Rather than just relying on virtual assistants, David and his team are diving into the process of building and managing remote teams within the United States, specifically focused on highly skilled professionals.
This week, David is joined by Jeremy Huerta, Michael Overstreet, and Caleb Walker, all partners at Heritage, an insurance agency that’s already perfected the remote workforce model. Together, they share how they’ve scaled their business by embracing remote work and managing teams across multiple states, breaking down what’s working for them and what others in the industry can learn from their experience.
The team discusses how the need to build a remote workforce arose from merging multiple agencies and expanding across states like Missouri, Washington, Utah, and Arizona. They share how remote work helped them overcome logistical hurdles, giving them access to great talent across the country without the constraints of physical office space.
Jeremy, Michael, and Caleb dive deep into why core values are critical when building a remote team. They explain how defining core values early on shapes every decision—hiring, firing, and everyday interactions. They emphasize that core values are more than just words on a wall; they must be actively practiced, reinforced, and consistently tied to everything the team does.
The partners discuss how they kept their core values simple and easy to remember, and how it’s essential for their remote team to live and breathe these values daily. They draw on examples from other successful companies like Ritz-Carlton, whose attention to detail and consistency in core values creates a replicated experience every time. Michael, Jeremy, and Caleb share the secret of keeping core values alive within the team, even remotely.
It’s one thing to have core values, but it’s another to live by them. The team explains how they use weekly meetings, peer recognition, and real-time feedback to keep the values front and center. From providing feedback on employee performance to using recognition programs and even offering rewards like gift cards, they actively reinforce the behaviors they want to see in the team.
David and the team discuss the role turnover plays when defining and sticking to core values. They emphasize that turnover can be a positive thing when it means only those who align with the company’s values remain. Michael, Jeremy, and Caleb share how they’ve navigated turnover while ensuring their culture remains strong.
At the end of each episode, the team provides downloadable resources, including worksheets to help define and implement core values within your own agency. Whether you’re building a new remote team or refining an existing one, these resources are designed to help you put these principles into action.
To download the resources and read the full blog, visit: Core Values Resources
In the coming weeks, David and the team will continue to dive into the aspects of remote team management, focusing on culture, connection, and team-building activities. Be sure to tune in for more practical insights and actionable strategies to help you build a winning remote team.
In the ever-evolving world of commercial insurance, marketing has become a critical lever for growth. Yet most agencies still struggle to understand what’s actually working. From websites that generate leads with no attribution to CRM systems that silo vital data, insurance agencies are often flying blind.
If you’re a commercial insurance producer trying to grow in the middle market, you’re probably aware that the old-school prospecting methods—cold calling hundreds of businesses, dropping off trinkets, hoping someone is “coming up on renewal”—are no longer enough. In today’s competitive environment, success isn’t about how many people you reach. It’s about reaching the right people at the right time with the right message.
Too many agents stop learning once they’ve earned their license. The bare minimum—meeting continuing education requirements—is not enough in today’s climate. Producers often resort to online forums, asking where they can complete CE hours “as quickly as possible.” This mindset directly impacts their ability to communicate complex subjects like reinsurance or risk modeling to clients in an understandable way. As a result, they struggle to retain accounts and close new business in an increasingly competitive market.
The problem? Too many producers are pitching too soon, to the wrong people, with nothing more than a quote to offer. This article walks through how to close more business by positioning yourself as a trusted advisor, selling Total Cost of Risk (TCOR) outcomes, and using a structured approach to differentiate at every stage of the sales process.
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.
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.
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