williamjones

Will Canterbury is an entrepreneur in the truest sense. From running a lawn care business to pursuing a music career to selling furniture, Canterbury has done it all.

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

Who really owns that data once it’s stored in a vendor’s system? What happens if an agency decides to switch platforms? And can agents freely connect their data across tools to build the client experience they want, or are they locked into whatever their vendor dictates?

Implementing AI isn’t as simple as plug and play. It takes time to determine what AI can and should do for the agency—and which tools are the right ones for the job.

Vertical AI marries the power of AI with deep insurance expertise and insurance-specific data.

It’s not just about workflow speed—it’s about perception. A quick response signals professionalism, urgency and care.

Marianne Policastro-Wik is leading her agency, a 2025 Best Practices Agency, through thoughtful “modernization,” paying careful attention to embracing technology without losing the human touch.

The leaders who excel in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) will be those who lean harder into the human touch when it matters most.

Trying to use AI on top of disorganized, outdated or unreliable data doesn’t create efficiencies, it creates more work. However, AI isn’t the problem. The problem is that you skipped a step.

There are hundreds of clever ways that independent agency professionals across the country are investing the regained time. Across them all, one thing is clear: The extra hour is always time well spent.