Where Access Meets Opportunity with Ted Stuckey, Episode #375

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers sits down with Ted Stuckey, President of Local Edge Brokerage, to discuss the evolution of the insurance market, especially for independent agents. Ted shares insights on the challenges agencies face, especially as the market hardens, and how Local Edge offers a valuable solution for agents seeking market access and diversification. They dive into the importance of cultivating strong relationships with wholesalers and the advantages of rolling book business when direct carrier appointments are no longer feasible. Ted also highlights Local Edge’s commitment to empowering local agents with the right tools, guidance, and market access to thrive in today’s competitive market, while addressing common struggles agents face, such as losing contracts, acquiring new appointments, and gaining access to hard-to-get markets. This conversation provides practical advice for agencies looking to expand their commercial lines and better manage their carrier relationships.

Key Highlights:

Adapting to a Changing Market

Ted shares how Local Edge is evolving from its Nationwide Brokerage Solutions roots to become a key partner for local agencies, providing access to sub-direct markets, commercial lines, and mid-market solutions.

Diversity of Carrier Access

The conversation covers how Local Edge offers over 400 carriers for agents, ranging from national and regional markets to niche, specialty lines. Ted emphasizes how they help agencies access hard-to-find carriers without the need for direct appointments.

The Value of a Wholesale Partner

Ted discusses how working with a wholesaler like Local Edge can help agencies consolidate their market access and better serve their clients without getting overwhelmed by the volume of appointments needed.

Strategic Use of Wholesale Relationships

Ted highlights the importance of agents using wholesalers strategically, especially for hard-to-place risks or accounts they’re not 100% sure about. He explains how wholesalers provide the flexibility to test markets without taking on too much risk.

Wind-Hail Deductible Buybacks

One of the most sought-after products currently is wind-hail deductible buybacks, which Ted describes as a game changer for agents looking to help their clients reduce exposure to storm damage while maintaining affordability.

Building for the Future

Ted talks about how agents can build their business for long-term success by leveraging relationships with wholesalers and carefully selecting the right admitted and non-admitted markets.

Connect with:

Visit Websites:

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

Kyle Houck

Remote

Building High-Performing Remote Insurance Teams: Core Values, Hiring, Onboarding & KPI Strategies

The insurance industry is undergoing a profound transformation as middle-market agencies recognize the benefits and challenges of embracing a fully remote workforce. No longer viewed as a temporary workaround, remote models offer the potential to tap into nationwide and offshore talent pools, reduce overhead, and increase flexibility in an increasingly digital world. Yet, flipping the switch to virtual operations can expose gaps in documentation, dilute corporate culture, and strain traditional oversight mechanisms. In this post, we’ll explore the four pillars essential to building a high-performing remote insurance team—core values, hiring practices, onboarding processes, and KPI strategies—while also delving into best practices for managing domestic versus offshore employees, ensuring data security, leveraging productivity tools, and fostering trust and autonomy.

Read More »
Captive

Captive Insurance Strategies for Middle Market Success: Empowering Independent Agents with Risk Control and Profitability

In today’s hard commercial insurance market, middle market business owners are more open than ever to solutions that give them greater control over their insurance costs. While guaranteed cost programs remain the default option, they often lack the flexibility and long-term savings that high-performing businesses crave. That’s where captive insurance comes in—a powerful but often misunderstood tool that enables clients to turn insurance from a sunk cost into a strategic asset.

Read More »
Financing

Streamlining Agency Billing and Premium Financing: Leveraging FedNow, 3-D Secure, and Integrated AMS for Faster Funding

Middle-market insurance agencies have long wrestled with the legacy “buy-bill-collect” model, in which carriers invoice agencies, agencies collect premiums from clients, and only then remit payment to carriers. This antiquated workflow creates operational friction, delayed cash flow, and elevated chargeback risks—all of which can erode profitability and client satisfaction. Today, however, powerful innovations in digital payments and agency management systems are enabling a modern “bill-collect-buy” paradigm that dramatically accelerates fund availability, minimizes disputes, and unlocks new revenue streams through premium financing.

Read More »
Sales

Why Most Salespeople Fail: Mastering the Mindset, Process, and Power Dynamics of Professional Selling

The truth about professional sales isn’t flashy, and it certainly isn’t about charisma. If you think selling is about having the “gift of gab,” winging it on calls, or leaning on your likability to win deals, you’re doing it wrong—and that’s why you’re struggling. In this post, we’re breaking down lessons from a brutally honest conversation with Benjamin Dennehy, the UK’s Most Hated Sales Trainer®, about why so many producers in commercial insurance and other industries fall short—and what the top performers do differently.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
Market

Mastering Complex Risks in a Hard Market

The commercial insurance landscape is evolving—fast. As the market hardens across many lines, producers are learning that generalist approaches no longer cut it. Wholesale partners who specialize, who truly live and breathe their niche, are not just valuable—they’re essential.

That’s where professionals like Dylan Jordan and his team at Amwins come in. With a laser focus on medical malpractice, human services, and life sciences, they’ve become go-to problem solvers for agents navigating the most difficult-to-place risks. If you’re a retail agent walking away from complex accounts—or worse, mishandling them—it might be time to rethink your strategy.

Read More »
Killing Commercial Login