Agency Intelligence: The Insurance Podcast Network

Agency Intelligence
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The Agency Intelligence Podcast Network is the top insurance podcast network with many unique series that let you hear from both insurance agency owners and insurance industry influencers. Learn from real insurance agents in real insurance agencies, get the latest and greatest that thought leaders in the insurance industry have to offer, and more!

  1. Michael Cruz: The Virtual Employee Playbook

    Jul 7

    Michael Cruz: The Virtual Employee Playbook

    What does it actually look like when an independent agent builds a fully staffed, four-day-workweek agency that outpaces the captives? Jason Cass sits down with Michael Cruz, COO of Virtual Intelligence and ERIE agent based in Maryland outside Washington DC, to unpack how virtual employees, smart staffing, and operational flexibility are reshaping what an independent agency can be. Key Topics: Michael's agency: started from scratch in 2015 through ERIE's Scratch Agency program, now running 7 virtual employees How VEs handle calls, quoting, changes, and admin so licensed staff stay in licensed work Using VEs as claims liaisons to reduce dropped balls and improve the client experience Why missing a claims call sends clients straight to the carrier and costs you the relationship Why overseas talent often brings higher qualifications than entry-level domestic hires How Virtual Intelligence screens for C1/C2 English proficiency and why it matters Michael's 32-hour, four-day workweek: what drove it, how it forced cross-training, and why it stuck Why independents can compete on culture and flexibility where captives and big brokers cannot Thinking long-term in a turbulent industry and why insurance still checks all the right boxes Reach out to: Michael Cruz Jason Cass Visit Website: Virtual Intelligence Agency Intelligence Produced by PodSquad.fm

    33 min
  2. Rough Notes Front Cover, July 2026: Angela Trimble & Janet Payne, TrustPoint Insurance

    Jul 1

    Rough Notes Front Cover, July 2026: Angela Trimble & Janet Payne, TrustPoint Insurance

    In this episode of Front Cover: A Rough Notes Podcast on the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network, Jason Cass sits down with Angela Trimble & Janet Payne, Co-owners of TrustPoint Insurance the agency featured on the July 2026 front cover of Rough Notes Magazine.  Key Topics: How Angela and Janet went from college roommates to agency co-owners 17 years later Agency overview: three locations, 22 staff, and lines spanning commercial, farm, ag, crop, life, Medicare, and real estate Writing municipalities, school districts, and rural water districts as a niche commercial specialty How complementary strengths, Angela in HR and innovation, Janet in analytics and coverage expertise, make their partnership work Janet's background in grain elevators and farm insurance and what it takes to earn farmer trust Why technology is non-negotiable: VoIP, AI, bots, virtual employees, and mobile apps all in play Using custom-built bots to automate tasks that don't require a licensed agent A decade-plus of virtual employee experience and why agentic bots are the future agency workforce Why structured intake forms are the foundation for AI-ready agency operations How digital documentation and intake forms have improved claims handling and efficiency Walk-in clients vs. mobile app clients and which ones are more loyal Carrier frustrations: the challenge of losing direct underwriter access in an email-first Reach out to: Angela Trimble Janet Payne Jason Cass Visit Website: TrustPoint Insurance Rough Notes Magazine Produced by PodSquad.fm

    32 min
  3. Stuff About Money: Motivation Won’t Build Wealth. Habits Will

    Jul 1

    Stuff About Money: Motivation Won’t Build Wealth. Habits Will

    Most people believe financial transformation starts with motivation. ⁠Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™⁠ and ⁠Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT⁠ argue the opposite: motivation fades, but habits compound. In this episode, they explain why relying on bursts of inspiration or willpower almost always leads to inconsistency — especially when it comes to money. Using stories from fitness, personal finance, and everyday life, they break down how systems and routines quietly shape long-term outcomes. From automating savings and debt payments to separating spending accounts and reducing decision fatigue, listeners learn practical ways to create financial habits that work even when emotions and motivation disappear. This episode reinforces one of the core themes of the series: long-term financial success is behavioral more than intellectual. Episode Highlights: Erik explains why motivation is a poor long-term financial strategy. (04:41) Matt shares that habits and systems are the real answer to lasting financial change. (05:49) Erik connects accountability and environment-building to showing up consistently, using his gym experience as an example. (08:27) Automating savings removes the need to make the same decision repeatedly. (09:14) Dollar cost averaging is explained and how automated investing helps combat emotional reactions to market swings. (10:42) Automating debt payments eliminates willpower battles when tempting expenses arise. (12:48) A one-week waiting rule is shared as a practical way to curb stress-driven impulse shopping. (13:52) Erik walks through his budgeting system of separating fixed expenses from variable spending into different accounts. (15:31) Matt reflects on how good financial systems become boring in the best way, eliminating repeated emotional decision-making. (17:26) Erik recommends keeping savings at a different bank to create friction and reduce the urge to raid savings impulsively. (19:00) Building systems tailored to your own tendencies works better than following generic budgeting advice. (20:01) Matt closes by reinforcing that willpower has limits and lasting financial progress comes from habits and systems. (21:09) Key Quotes: “Motivation deals with willpower, and generally speaking, we have willpower to do things in bursts, but anything that takes energy is really, really, really hard to sustain.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ “You need habits. You need patterns. You will not rise to the level of your financial intentions. You will fall to the level of your financial systems.” - Dr. Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT “It really helps to have a disinterested third party to help you think. We have blind spots, and oftentimes we don't know what we need to do.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ Resources Mentioned: ⁠Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT⁠ ⁠Dr. Matt Morris & Associates⁠ ⁠Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™⁠ ⁠Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC⁠ ⁠Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors⁠

    25 min
  4. Stuff About Money: Emotions Are Signals, Not Instructions

    Jun 17

    Stuff About Money: Emotions Are Signals, Not Instructions

    Money is emotional — and in this episode, ⁠Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™⁠ and ⁠Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT⁠ explore why emotions have such a powerful influence on financial behavior. From market volatility and economic uncertainty to comparison, insecurity, and fear of failure, people rarely make purely rational financial decisions. Instead, emotions often drive reactions that conflict with long-term goals. Dr. Matt introduces a powerful framework: emotions are signals, not commands. Fear, anxiety, and stress may reveal that something matters deeply, but they should not automatically dictate behavior. Erik shares real examples from his work as a financial planner, explaining how emotional reactions during market downturns or financial stress can sabotage otherwise solid plans. The episode offers practical tools for slowing down emotional reactions, identifying what feelings are trying to communicate, and responding with intention rather than panic. Episode Highlights: Dr. Matt explains that emotions drive thoughts and behaviors, making it essential to pay attention to the feelings behind financial actions. (03:03) Dr. Matt clarifies that people tend to treat emotions as facts rather than signals worth examining. (04:44) Dr. Matt shares that emotions are good data points but not directives. (06:05) Erik recalls choosing to validate clients' fear during a market crisis rather than dismissing it with "don't panic." (07:52) Dr. Matt recounts calling Erik during a market drop and how Erik's grounding in market history helped calm his fear. (09:00) Erik discusses how social media and financial content creators trigger emotional responses that push people toward decisions inconsistent with their values. (10:48) Dr. Matt explains that financial fear often points to a deeper concern such as "Will I have enough?" rather than surface-level market activity. (14:24) Erik emphasizes that emotions have legitimacy and decisions should align with what matters most rather than being hijacked by emotion. (15:31) Dr. Matt recommends using an emotions wheel to name feelings precisely, which slows reactive thinking. (17:07) Erik believes that talking through high-stakes emotional moments with a professional, whether a therapist or financial planner, is especially valuable. (19:01) Key Quotes: “Emotions are good data but they're not directives. They're not marching orders.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT “Let's make sure that we make a good decision that's consistent with the things that are most important to you.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ “We think about feelings as being signals that something is really important to you. And then we want to be able to connect that to the thing that's really important.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT Resources Mentioned: ⁠Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT⁠ ⁠Matt Morris & Associates⁠ ⁠Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™⁠ ⁠Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC⁠ ⁠Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors⁠

    22 min
  5. Athena Page On What Is Really Driving Producers Out The Door

    Jun 16

    Athena Page On What Is Really Driving Producers Out The Door

    What's really behind the growing wave of producers walking out the door? Jason Cass sits down with Athena Page, Head of Sales at Virtual Intelligence, to unpack the real reasons good producers leave agencies and what owners can do to stop the cycle before it starts. Key Topics: Why producers leave: overwhelm, admin burnout, and doing multiple jobs at once Career path and culture rank above money as reasons employees stay Over 60% of a producer's day lost to non-licensed tasks No CSR backup forcing producers into service work with no time to sell Why producers walk when they can't own their book of business Jason's story of leaving an agency that offered no path to ownership The five things owners want from licensed staff and why service work blocks them The call no producer wants to take and how virtual employees change that Two similar $2M agencies, opposite outcomes, and the role of work routing The math of retaining a producer versus replacing one Reach out to: Athena Page Jason Cass Visit Website: Virtual Intelligence Agency Intelligence Produced by PodSquad.fm

    32 min
  6. Insurance Shoptalk: AI vs. AI The New Battle Against Insurance Claim Fraud

    Jun 10

    Insurance Shoptalk: AI vs. AI The New Battle Against Insurance Claim Fraud

    In this episode of Insurance Shoptalk, Eric Stein sits down with David Prejeant, Vice President of Client Relations at Alacrity Solutions, to discuss one of the fastest-growing challenges facing the insurance industry: AI-powered fraud. With more than two decades of experience in claims operations, property adjusting, catastrophe response, and commercial claims management, David shares firsthand insights into how artificial intelligence is changing the way insurers, MGAs, MGUs, carriers, and claims professionals evaluate risk and investigate claims. The conversation explores how AI can be used to create convincing but fraudulent documentation, including weather reports, business interruption records, loss histories, and other claim-related materials. Eric and David discuss the growing need for new fraud detection strategies, enhanced adjuster training, and AI-powered verification tools that can help insurers identify inconsistencies before fraudulent claims are paid. They also examine how organizations can use AI responsibly to improve claims handling, streamline data analysis, connect fragmented systems, and provide better information to underwriters and clients. If you're interested in claims management, insurance fraud prevention, underwriting, AI-powered analytics, risk management, or the future of insurance operations, this episode offers valuable insights into both the opportunities and risks that AI brings to the industry. #InsuranceShopTalk #InsuranceFraud #ArtificialIntelligence #ClaimsManagement #Insurtech #Underwriting #RiskManagement #PropertyClaims #CommercialInsurance #ClaimsTechnology

    49 min
  7. Why Gen Z Could Be Your Agency's Secret Weapon

    Jun 9

    Why Gen Z Could Be Your Agency's Secret Weapon

    The agencies that figure out Gen Z first will have a serious edge. As part of the Virtual Intelligence series, Jason Cass sits down with Juan Rueda, Managing Director at Virtual Intelligence, to break down what it actually takes to lead, train, and retain a Gen Z workforce. Key Topics: Why Gen Z's tech fluency and questioning mindset are underused agency assets How Juan built a virtual employee training program without being a licensed agent Agency Training Institute: training people to get licensed and do the job Why Gen Z thrives with ownership, fast feedback, and clear standards Owning an outcome vs. completing a checklist and why it matters Why job hopping usually reflects a broken system, not a broken generation Structured training programs as the key to retaining young hires How rising costs and eroded company loyalty reshaped Gen Z's work expectations Five reasons insurance is an ideal career for young people Juan's closing challenge: stop assuming Gen Z is the problem Reach out to: Juan Rueda Jason Cass Visit Website: Virtual Intelligence Agency Intelligence Produced by PodSquad.fm

    28 min
  8. Stuff About Money: Mindset: Your Financial Beliefs Driving Your Financial Decisions

    Jun 3

    Stuff About Money: Mindset: Your Financial Beliefs Driving Your Financial Decisions

    In the opening episode of The Psychology of Money series, Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ and Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT explore one of the most overlooked drivers of financial success: mindset. Long before people learn how to invest, budget, or build wealth, they develop internal “money scripts” — subconscious beliefs shaped by childhood experiences, family dynamics, culture, and personal history. Together, Erik and Matt unpack how these invisible beliefs influence everything from spending habits and lifestyle expectations to fear, scarcity, ambition, and financial anxiety. Through relatable stories, humor, and real-world examples, they explain why wealth-building is often less about intelligence and more about the mental filters through which we interpret money. The episode challenges listeners to begin identifying the stories they carry about money — and whether those stories are helping or hurting their future. Episode Highlights: Erik explains how mindset functions as a constant background filter for the way people think about and approach money. (03:00) Dr. Matt discusses how scarcity mindset surfaces in couples when partners feel they will never have enough or get ahead. (08:50) Building awareness and changing behavior are the keys to rewiring a money mindset. (14:40) Erik shares how the most valuable client conversations focus on mindset and behavior rather than technical financial advice. (16:50) Dr. Matt shares a starting point for exploring money scripts by reflecting on what a family communicated about money. (18:20) Key Quotes: "Building wealth, having financial success has as much to do with behavior, with managing emotions, all that psychology stuff than it does with the technical stuff about money" - Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ "There's a script running in the background. We don't just act rationally with money. We are acting out a story about our beliefs about money." - Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT "We're using mindset and script synonymously, so take time to understand your money scripts. They probably came from your family of origin, so take some time. If you have a spouse, take some time to understand theirs also." - Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT Resources Mentioned: Dr. Matt Morris, LMFT Matt Morris & Associates Erik Garcia, CFP®, ChFC®, BFA™ Xavier Angel, CFP®, ChFC, CLTC Plan Wisely Wealth Advisors

    24 min
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4.7
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

The Agency Intelligence Podcast Network is the top insurance podcast network with many unique series that let you hear from both insurance agency owners and insurance industry influencers. Learn from real insurance agents in real insurance agencies, get the latest and greatest that thought leaders in the insurance industry have to offer, and more!

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