The Agent Leader Podcast

Brent Kelly--The Agent Leader Podcast

The podcast for independent insurance agency leaders and their teams to learn practical strategies and behaviors to become their best version possible. Hosted by Sitkins Group President, Brent Kelly, The Agent Leader Podcast provides agencies with leadership, sales, and self-development methods that actually get results. With our focus on a total-team approach to improving independent insurance agencies, we dive into sales, service, and leadership teams. Leadership is not a title. Leadership is influence. Become a better leader and gain influence with your clients, team, and community.

  1. 2d ago

    What Does the Best Version Possible of Your Agency Look Like?

    Exceptional insurance agencies don't become exceptional by accident. They become exceptional by consistently practicing the right disciplines. In this episode of The Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly explores a question that Roger Sitkins first posed years ago: What does the best version possible of an insurance agency actually look like? After years of coaching hundreds of agencies, Brent has come to believe that the answer isn't simply a list of characteristics or best practices. It's a framework built around four disciplines: Clarify - Create awareness around where you are, where you're going, and what's standing in your way.Align - Build common language, expectations, standards, and culture so your team is moving in the same direction.Focus - Stop trying to fix everything at once and concentrate your time, energy, and resources on what creates the greatest leverage.Optimize - Commit to continuous improvement through a consistent rhythm of reviewing, measuring, adjusting, and repeating.Brent also explains why growth often exposes organizational weaknesses, why many agencies don't actually have a producer or sales problem, and why organizational excellence may be the "one thing" that makes everything else easier. This episode kicks off a deeper conversation around each of these four disciplines and what they can mean for your agency. The question isn't whether your agency can improve. The question is: Are you intentionally building toward your Best Version Possible? Learn more and book a conversation with our coaches, at Sitkins.com or order a copy of the Best Version Possible book. 00:00 - What Does the Best Version Possible Agency Look Like?02:00 - From a Philosophy to a Framework05:00 - Why Agency Growth Creates Complexity08:00 - Discipline #1: Clarify13:00 - Discipline #2: Align17:00 - Discipline #3: Focus22:00 - Discipline #4: Optimize27:00 - Why Consistency Beats Intensity30:00 - Which Discipline Is Your Biggest Opportunity?33:00 - Building Toward Your Best Version Possible

  2. Aug 6

    AI + Human Connection: The New Advantage for Agencies

    AI is changing the insurance industry, but the biggest opportunity isn't replacing people, it's helping people become better. In this episode of The Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly sits down with Eric Witges, CEO of FSB Insurance Agency, to discuss how his agency is using AI to improve preparation, sales conversations, leadership, team alignment, and client relationships. But this episode goes beyond technology. Brent and Eric explore why AI should enhance, not replace, the human side of insurance, along with: How preparation creates confidenceWhy better questions uncover better opportunitiesWhy communication and empathy remain the greatest competitive advantages for today's agency leaders. If you're looking for practical ways to leverage AI while strengthening the relationships that drive your agency's success, this conversation is packed with insights you can put into practice right away. Learn more about our tools that help your agency become its Best Version Possible, at www.sitkins.com.

  3. Jul 30

    How Leaders Create Capacity, Not Just Results

    Most agency leaders think their biggest growth challenges are external. Recruiting. Market conditions. Competition. Carrier relationships. But what if the biggest limitation is actually your leadership capacity? In this episode, Brent Kelly explains why great leaders don't simply create results, they create capacity. You'll learn how expanding your own leadership and developing others allows your agency to scale without creating bottlenecks. In this episode, you'll discover: The difference between internal and external leadership capacityWhy leaders unintentionally become the biggest constraint to growthWarning signs your agency has become dependent on youFour ways to intentionally expand leadership capacity across your organizationReflection questions every agency leader should askIf you're ready to build a stronger leadership team and create sustainable growth, this episode is for you. Take the Agency Performance Diagnostic: https://www.sitkins.com/getmyscore

  4. Jul 16

    Your Agency Doesn't Have a Growth Problem (It Has an Alignment Problem)

    What if the biggest thing holding your agency back isn't talent, effort, or opportunity? What if it's alignment? In this episode of The Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly challenges one of the most common assumptions in the insurance industry: that growth problems are solved by hiring more producers, increasing activity, or finding more clients. While those things have their place, they're rarely the root cause of stalled growth. Instead, Brent explains why misalignment quietly creates a hidden "performance tax" that's draining productivity, profitability, and momentum across your agency. You'll learn: Why adding more producers often multiplies existing problems instead of solving them.The difference between being busy and making meaningful progress.How alignment creates leverage across leadership, sales, service, and operations.Why the highest-performing agencies focus on fundamentals instead of chasing the next shiny strategy.The leadership habits that drive sustainable growth, stronger profits, and a healthier agency culture. If your agency feels like it's working harder than ever but still not achieving the results you know are possible, this episode will help you identify what's really standing in the way, and how to fix it. Resources mentioned: 📊 Take the Agency Performance Assessment: https://www.sitkins.com/getmyscore 📘 Read Best Version Possible by Roger Sitkins and Brent Kelly: https://www.sitkins.com/bvp

  5. Jul 9

    Your Team Is Borrowing Confidence From You

    Confidence isn’t something leaders have, it’s something they create. In this episode of The Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly shares why confidence is one of the most contagious forces inside an insurance agency, and how your team is taking its cues from you every single day. Brent breaks down how elite agencies build confidence through clarity, consistency, and accountability. You’ll learn: Why great producers don’t automatically become great leadersHow leadership creates confidence during uncertaintyThe three habits that build confidence across your agencyWhy elite agencies develop leadership systems instead of relying on personalitiesHow stronger leadership leads to stronger culture, accountability, and growth If you’re an independent insurance agency owner or leader looking to create a more aligned, confident, and high-performing team, this episode is for you. Take the Agency Performance Assessment at www.sitkins.com/getmyscore

  6. Jun 26

    What Are You Tolerating That Your Future Agency Can't Afford?

    Most agency leaders don't wake up and decide to become average. Instead, average happens slowly, through tolerated behaviors, avoided conversations, weakened standards, and leadership drift. In this episode, Brent Kelly explains why the biggest threat to agency growth isn't usually talent, competition, or market conditions. It's the gradual acceptance of mediocrity. You'll learn: Why average clients drain agency capacityThe cost of tolerating underperformanceHow weak systems create chaosWhy leaders avoid necessary conversationsThe role standards play in agency culture and performanceQuestions every agency leader should be asking right nowIf you're serious about building a more profitable, aligned, and intentional agency, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, accountability, and standards. Ready to take your agency above average? Take the free Sitkins Agency Performance Diagnostic

  7. Jun 18

    Beyond Outsourcing: Building High-Performing Teams with Virtual Assistants

    Most agency owners know they need help, but hiring the right people feels harder than ever. In this episode, Brent sits down with Valerie Bowden, founder of CRDLE, to discuss why African virtual assistants are becoming one of the biggest untapped opportunities for growing businesses. Valerie shares how companies are finding highly educated, experienced professionals while creating meaningful careers and improving business performance. The conversation goes beyond outsourcing. Brent and Valerie explore how agency owners can reclaim their time, delegate strategically, build better systems, and leverage AI to create documented processes that scale. If you've been wondering whether it's time to bring on additional support, or how to do it successfully, this episode provides a practical roadmap. In this episode, you'll learn: Why African talent is becoming a competitive advantageThe biggest misconception about virtual assistantsHow to identify what work you should delegate firstWhy documenting your processes matters more than everHow AI can help create SOPs and accelerate onboardingThe investment mindset required for successful delegationHow strong onboarding leads to long-term business growthIf you're ready to create capacity with a virtual assistant, visit the CRDLE website at https://crdle.com/ or connect with Valerie Bowden on LinkedIn.

  8. Jun 3

    Context Creates Results

    Why do some agencies thrive in difficult markets while others struggle under the same conditions? In this solo episode, Brent Kelly explores one of the most powerful leadership concepts agency leaders often overlook: context. The way you interpret market conditions, staffing challenges, and opportunities for growth directly impacts the decisions you make, the behaviors you reinforce, and ultimately the results your agency achieves. Brent breaks down how elite agencies approach hard markets, soft markets, staffing concerns, and professional development differently than average agencies. You'll learn why leadership isn't about reacting to circumstances, it's about creating the right perspective. Key Takeaways: Why context drives behavior and behavior drives resultsHow elite agencies respond differently to hard and soft marketsThe leadership mistake many agencies make when it comes to staffingWhy preparation and practice separate top performers from average performersQuestions every agency leader should ask themselves about the culture they're creatingIf you're ready to create better results, take our free assessment at www.sitkins.com/getmyscore to uncover the biggest opportunities in your agency.

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4.7
out of 5
54 Ratings

About

The podcast for independent insurance agency leaders and their teams to learn practical strategies and behaviors to become their best version possible. Hosted by Sitkins Group President, Brent Kelly, The Agent Leader Podcast provides agencies with leadership, sales, and self-development methods that actually get results. With our focus on a total-team approach to improving independent insurance agencies, we dive into sales, service, and leadership teams. Leadership is not a title. Leadership is influence. Become a better leader and gain influence with your clients, team, and community.

Information

  • Creator
    Brent Kelly--The Agent Leader Podcast
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    322
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Brent Kelly--The Agent Leader Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Agent Leader Podcast

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