Agency Nation Radio Agency Nation - Insurance Marketing and Technology Strategists

Grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a conversation among friends on this edition of Agency Nation Radio podcast. Mike McBride your new Big “I” chairman and president of Mason-McBride, Will Lemanski owner of Meiers Lombardini Lemanski Insurance and Lisa Lemanski, agency operation manager of Meiers Lombardini Lemanski Insurance explore the importance of actively engaging in a supportive business community.
Tune in as these insurance professionals, all hailing from Michigan, share their origin stories, their unwavering commitment to improving the industry, and their deep appreciation for the sense of community within the Big "I." Discover what truly sets the insurance industry apart: the connections, mentorship, and friendships that thrive within it.
Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit https://www.iamagazine.com/podcasts.

Guests:
Will Lemanski, Agency Owner, Meiers Lombardini Lemanski Insurance
Lisa Lemanski, Insurance Agent Operations Manager, Meiers Lombardini Lemanski Insurance
Big “I” chairman, Mike McBride, president of Mason-McBride in Troy, Michigan

IA Advantage Presented by TrustedChoice.com
Chip and team announce major product news, revealing more options and greater control over prospecting for individual producers.

In this episode of Declaration of Independence on Agency Nation Radio Podcast, Osiris Maldonado, the co-founder of Pronto Insurance located in Schaumburg, Illinois sits down with Will Jones, Independent Agent magazine editor-in-chief. Osiris shares her journey from car sales into agency ownership and how educating her staff and the community creates a ripple effect of loyalty and success.
“I always thought, if I ever had an agency, I would do things differently,” says Osiris. “A lot of agencies focus on selling a policy to be profitable, not on educating the Hispanic community.”
Today, Pronto Insurance is focusing on expanding into new states, entering new lines of insurance, and training licensed agents. As the majority of Pronto’s clients and staff are Hispanic, Osiris is making it her mission to educate her community about insurance, and provide a stable, rewarding career to her staff. Find out how she expanded her team, writing over $4.5 million in personal lines premium in 2022.
Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit https://www.iamagazine.com/podcasts

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:
This episode is brought to you by AM Best, a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. The AM Best Mobile App lets users monitor Best's Credit Ratings, look up information on specific insurers, and keep up with AM Best's insurance industry research and news headlines—all at no cost. Learn about the new, enhanced version of the app at www.ambest.com/mobileapp.
MEET OUR GUEST:
Independent Agent magazine: https://www.iamagazine.com/magazine/issues/2023/september/declaration-of-independents-osiris-maldonado
Pronto Insurance Services: https://www.prontoinsuranceservices.com/

On this edition of Agency Nation Radio Podcast guest host Nancy Germond, ARM, AIC, ITP, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, executive director, risk management and education sits down with Karen O’Connor Corrigan, CIC, CIRMS, president, and owner of O’Connor Insurance located in St. Louis Missouri and one of the foremost experts on community associations. Together they provide an update on the state of the multifamily housing market. The Foundation for Community Association Research Factbook reported that 52.9% of U.S. housing was built prior to 1979 leading to aging roofs, failing plumbing, and more.
"The habitational market has long been claim-ridden. High frequency, high severity, you know, the insurance covers accidents that are typically confined to one home, but now imagine it's spreading to your neighbors,” says Karen.
Additionally, the two discuss the complexities of the hard market on both property and liability insurance.
Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit https://www.iamagazine.com/podcasts.

Meet Our Guests:
Nancy Germond, ARM, AIC, ITP, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Executive Director. Risk Management and Education
https://www.linkedin.com/in/insurancewriter/
Karen O’Connor Corrigan, CIC, CIRMS
President, Owner, O’Connor Insurance, Missouri
https://www.oconnor-ins.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-o-connor-corrigan-6184569/
Additional Resources:
https://www.independentagent.com/vu/Agency-Management/Sales/Other/GermondHardSoftInsuranceMarket.aspx
Webinar: https://youtu.be/2hj7zgDaLHw
https://www.independentagent.com/resources/SiteAssets/Aluminum%20Wiring%20Explanation.pdf
https://www.independentagent.com/resources/SiteAssets/Big%20i%20Habitational%20Hot%20Mess%20by%20KOC.pdf
https://www.independentagent.com/resources/SiteAssets/CAI%20National%20Survey.pdf

Join us for Declaration of Independents on Agency Nation Radio, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of the insurance industry. On this episode, we meet Jason Rodriguez, the managing partner at Prominent Insurance in Wilmington, Delaware.
From his entrepreneurial journey growing up in Brooklyn to serving on the board of the Delaware Association of Insurance Agents & Brokers, Rodriguez is on a mission to make insurance not just a profession, but a passionate pursuit and opportunity for others. Gain insights into his franchise expansion plans, with a goal of 20 franchises every year.

This episode is hopsted by AnneMarie Spears, news editor at Independent Agent magazine.
Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From main street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit https://www.iamagazine.com/podcasts.

Read the Declaration of Independence: Declaration of Independents: Jason RodriguezDeclaration of Independents: Jason Rodriguez (iamagazine.com)
Meet our guest: Jason Rodriguez, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-rodriguez-06740028/

There’s no doubt insurance marketplace is harder to navigate, with economic pressures and increased natural disasters leading to rising premiums. How do you best support your clients, agency staff and successfully navigate the hard market? Tune into this episode of Agency Nation Radio Podcast, hosted by Kelley Donahue-Pirro, owner of Agency Performance Partners, who sits down with two experienced agency presidents, Michelle O’Connor of O’Connor Insurance in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Matt Simon, CIC, CPCU or CoverLink Insurance in Columbus, Ohio. They talk about how to navigate market conditions, what they have done, and the advice for other agents—especially those who haven’t experienced a hard market.

It’s time to get back to basics. Hear strategies to help you evaluate your client outreach and double down on your communications. Find out how you can zero-in on internal processes to support your team and remind them that now, more than ever, independent agents bring value to their clients and the community. Hopefully this talk and the Hard Market Toolkit created by Trusted Choice will help make navigating today’s insurance environment a little easier.

Get a copy of the Hard Market Toolkit by Trusted Choice.

https://lp.independentagent.com/hardmarket

Host Kelly Donahue-Pirro, Owner at Agency Performance Partners
: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydonahuepiro/
Michelle O’Connor, President O’Connor Insurance – Charlotte, NC
: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellenagelioconnor/
Matt Simon, CIC, CPCU, President CoverLink, Columbus, Ohio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewtsimon/