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. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. May 21

    The Psychology Blocking Producer Performance with Connie Kadansky

    Agency leaders often focus on activity, accountability, and results, but what if the real issue is happening beneath the surface? In this episode of the Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly sits down with sales call reluctance expert and master certified coach Connie Kadansky to unpack the psychology that silently holds producers back from prospecting, asking better questions, and confidently growing business. Connie shares why even highly motivated producers struggle with hesitation, how agency leaders unintentionally “contaminate” sales culture, and why awareness is the first step toward breakthrough performance. Together, Brent and Connie explore the hidden assumptions producers live with, the importance of coaching and development, and how the right assessment tools can dramatically accelerate growth. You'll hear: What sales call reluctance really isWhy producers devalue themselvesThe dangerous assumptions holding salespeople backHow leaders unintentionally shape sales cultureThe role of assessments in producer developmentTraits of highly successful producersWhy awareness creates better actionConnie’s powerful philosophy: “Make everything an experiment”If you want to help your producers gain confidence, improve prospecting consistency, and unlock higher performance, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately. Connect with Connie Kadansky on LinkedIn, or her website https://exceptionalsales.com.

  7. May 15

    Average Is Full: The New Standard for Elite Agencies

    Most insurance agencies are doing pretty good. But according to Roger Sitkins, that’s exactly the danger. In this episode of The Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly and Roger Sitkins unpack the idea that “average is full” and why agencies that settle for average growth, average accountability, and average performance limit their long-term potential. Roger introduces the 15-30-300 framework for elite agencies and discusses: Why revenue per employee may be the most important KPI in your agencyThe hidden cost of overstaffing and inefficiencyWhy “good results” can actually become a trapHow elite agencies create stronger culture and accountabilityThe importance of intentional growth and differentiationWhy maximizing your current team matters more than simply adding peopleIf you’re looking to build a more intentional, profitable, and scalable agency, this episode will challenge the way you think about growth, leadership, and what it truly means to become elite. To access free tools for agencies, visit sitkins.com/podcast

  8. May 8

    Control the Controllables: How Elite Agencies Create Predictable Performance

    On this episode of the Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly dives into one of the most important leadership disciplines for agency growth: controlling the controllables. Too many agency leaders get consumed by external chaos like staffing challenges, market disruption, carrier pressure, and economic uncertainty. While those realities absolutely impact your agency, elite organizations separate themselves by focusing on the internal systems, standards, and behaviors that create predictable performance over time. Get practical leadership insights around: Team development and accountabilityProducer productivity and green zone activityClient segmentation and capacity managementOrganizational alignmentLeadership energy and emotional consistencyYou’ll also hear why many agencies don’t actually have a talent problem - they have a development problem - and how hidden subsidy models quietly drain profitability, efficiency, and growth. If you want to build a stronger, more scalable agency, this episode will challenge your thinking and give you practical ideas you can apply immediately. Listen now and take the Agency Performance Scorecard at https://www.sitkins.com/getmyscore to identify operational drag, accountability gaps, and opportunities to improve agency performance.

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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
    319
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Brent Kelly--The Agent Leader Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Agent Leader Podcast

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