Big ‘I’ Installs Greg Sandrock as New Chair
Illinois’ Greg Sandrock leads the national association for 2026-27 term.
Leadership
Why SOPs are the Foundation for Smarter, Safer and More Scalable Operations
Without clear, documented standard operating procedures (SOPs), discrepancies can hold an agency back in an era where nimbleness and scalability matter more than ever.
Big ‘I’ and Reagan Consulting Release 2026 Best Practices Study Update
Best Practices agencies continue to deliver excellent profitability above pre-pandemic historical averages, even as organic growth slowed due to a softening property & casualty market.
Declaration of Independents: Doris Zampella
Relationships have always been at the heart of Doris Zampella’s approach to insurance. As president of EAB Insurance Group, she has built her agency around personalized service and community ties.
What the Heroics Tax Is Costing Your Agency
The heroics tax is the compounding cost an organization pays when it relies on individual effort to compensate for broken or absent systems. Here’s how to stop paying it.
3 Succession Planning Mistakes Agency Owners Can’t Afford to Make
Whether out of fear or the false belief that there’s always more time, most agency owners make the same three mistakes in succession planning.
A Seat at the Table and What We Do With It
On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Jill Roth, executive vice president of Ahart Frinzi and Smith hosts a conversation with Louise “BeBe” Canter, former Big “I” president, senior vice president at USI Insurance Services, and a Woodworth Memorial Award Winner, and Angela Ripely, current Big ‘I’ chair and president of VW Brown Insurance.
Setting a New Standard for Women in Insurance with Marissa Winkelman
On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Marissa Winkelman, managing partner of Webb + Winkelman in Grove, Oklahoma. Winkelman entered the insurance industry in 2012 as a receptionist at Webb Insurance and quickly realized the role wasn’t the right fit. After transitioning to a back-office position, she focused on learning the business and working her way up. By 2023, Winkelman became a…
7 Unwritten Rules for Running an Independent Insurance Agency
Every agency has its own “unwritten rules”: those lessons, bits of wisdom or do’s and don’ts that may not show up in trainings or be written down anywhere but make all the difference in running a successful business
2026 Is the Year of the COO
The COO works in partnership with peers to set the vision and direction, but also ensures the vision becomes a reality by aligning people, processes and performance.
