HR and Staffing

Independent Agent magazine speaks with an agent from each revenue category about their experiences with the Best Practices Study and how their business operates.

Jamie Behymer, director of diversity, inclusion and young agents at the Big “I,” leads initiatives that empower emerging leaders and help independent insurance agencies become more inclusive.

Employee burnout takes a toll on health, productivity and ultimately an agency’s bottom line.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Peter van Aartrijk, executive vice president at Aartrijk is joined by Lee Gaudette, president of Gaudette Insurance, and his son, Peter Gaudette, commercial insurance advisor at Gaudette Insurance, and Keith Mangini, Vice President and Commercial Team Leader at InsurBanc.

Angela Ripley, president of VW Brown Insurance in Columbia, Maryland, brings two decades of agency leadership, eight acquisitions and a passion for mentorship and inclusion to the role of Big “I” chair.

Just because the economy is unpredictable doesn’t mean it’s time to pull up the drawbridge and hide. Making smart moves to drive growth, both organic and inorganic, can keep a business thriving.

“It takes a lot of work to do this job,” says young agent Yuliya Karpov. “This profession provides an opportunity to find harmony, to learn about yourself and what you need, then reflect and adjust accordingly.”

“Everyone says insurance is relationship-based and sometimes that can just be a throwaway statement,” says young agent Kate Adams. “But when you’re up against a deadline, it’s six o’clock at night and you’re not going to get paid if you don’t get something done by 8 am the next day, you need relationships and connections.”

“I see more people my age coming into the industry,” says young agent Ander Urdaneta, “and with new faces comes new ideas—and with new ideas, the industry is just going to keep growing.”