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?

Power Producers Podcast

Unburden Your Business with Cassidy Arbeli, Episode #167

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Cassidy Arbeli, Business Strategist and Consultant and CEO of The Arbeli Group. Cassidy shares her journey to becoming an independent agent and offers advice to other women in the insurance industry.

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Reinventing Healthcare with Clayton Wood, Episode #165

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Clayton Wood, CFP®, Managing Partner at C. B. Wood Financial. Clayton shares cold calling strategies that have worked for him and discusses the current landscape of self funding and healthcare benefits.

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Growth Simplified with Randy Schwantz, Episode #163

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Randy Schwantz CEO of The Wedge Group and creator of Bignition, the simplified growth system built for independent commercial insurance agencies. Randy discusses the purpose behind Bignition and how it is helping middle-market producers grow agencies.

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LIVE at Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference, Episode #162

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers went to Vegas for the Keystone Emerging Leaders Conference, where he got a chance to jump on a podcast with a few of the best people in the industry, including Keynote Speaker, Alan Stein Jr., Shawn Eagan – Senior Vice President at Imperial PFS, Katherine Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Strate Insurance Group, Andy Phillips, Risk Manager, Motivational Speaker, Josh Gurley of HM advisors, Stephen Sedlak, President at Workcompology, Christian DeLozier, Trusted Business Risk, and Insurance Consultant at Mike Keith Insurance.

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The Confidence Code with Dawnyel Smink, Episode #161

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Dawnyel Smink, President of Canyon Lands Insurance. Dawnyel shares strategies that have contributed to her agency’s success in commercial lines, how they are building a network of agencies, and offers her perspective on how the industry has changed for women over the years.

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Bonds in a Zip with Zach Mefferd, Episode #160

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and guest host Ryan Mathisen of GloveBox, interview Zach Mefferd, Co-Founder at ZipBonds. Zach explains the importance of giving your clients access to a bonding capacity and how ZipBonds is working to help agents provide that access in a simple and intuitive way.

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Go Yellowbird! with Michael Zalle, Episode #157

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview Michael Zalle Founder & CEO at YellowBird. Michael discusses how YellowBird is helping agents help their clients with environment safety and risk management.

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The Real MVP with Mitch Gibson, Episode #156

In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck sit down with Mitch Gibson, Risk Advisor at HRM Insurance Services and host of The MVP Podcast. Mitch talks about his growth as a young agent and discusses the importance of surrounding yourself with right people.

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The Power Producers Podcast where we are refining and redefining the sales game.

Kyle Houck

Risk

From Policies to Profitability: How Strategic Risk Consulting Can Transform Middle Market Insurance Production – A Conversation with Doug Benz

Middle market producers often believe that bigger accounts come from quoting better, faster, or cheaper. But in reality, the leap from writing $5,000 policies to closing $1.2 million in premium starts with a different mindset. It starts with consulting over quoting. That’s exactly the story that unfolded at Producers in Paradise when Doug Benz shared how he landed the largest account of his career—not by selling insurance, but by solving problems no one else could.

This post breaks down the step-by-step strategy Doug and his mentor David Carothers used to win a high-stakes, complex account through total cost of risk analysis, claims data visibility, and certificate compliance solutions. If you’re a commercial producer trying to break into the middle market, this blueprint is for you.

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Risk

From InsurTech to Relationship-Driven Risk Management: Lessons for Modern Insurance Producers – A Conversation with Brett Fulmer

In a constantly evolving insurance landscape, commercial producers are being forced to adapt—quickly. Between InsurTech advancements, shifting market conditions, and increasing client expectations, producers must learn how to balance innovation with deep relationship-building and technical risk expertise. On a recent episode of the Power Producers Podcast, industry veteran David Carothers sat down with Brett Fulmer, principal at Newport Beach Insurance Center, to talk about navigating these dynamics with authenticity and strategy. What followed was a roadmap for producers who want to succeed in today’s middle market.

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Insurance

How Successful Insurance Producers Can Stay Grounded, Build Respect, and Avoid the Arrogance Trap

In the commercial insurance industry, success can come fast—especially for driven producers who are focused on the middle market. The money starts coming in, the book grows, and you find yourself standing in rooms where you once only dreamed of being. But with that success comes a subtle trap—one that’s caught more than a few top producers off guard: arrogance.

It’s not always loud or obvious. Sometimes, it’s the silent erosion of empathy. Other times, it’s the misplaced belief that your way is the only way. In this post, I want to explore how insurance producers can stay grounded even as their careers take off, how they can build respect by honoring where they came from, and how to avoid becoming the very kind of producer people whisper about after conferences for all the wrong reasons.

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