williamjones

When Michelle O’Connor and her husband started their insurance agency 25 years ago, they knew from the very beginning that joining the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina was a must.

Gonyo worked every role in an independent agency—from the front desk to producing—before starting her own agency at 32 years old with “minimal money in a tiny little office,” she says. Today, Blue Line Insurance has four branches and 15 employees, 14 of whom are women.

In response to the hard market, the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee (YAC) and Trusted Choice® created the Young Agents Tactical Series. This podcast and short video series equipped emerging leaders with knowledge and resources to help better serve clients during a challenging time.

Our industry has been witnessing intense consolidation for at least the last decade, but we have never seen this type of activity at the top of the market. Will these mega deals usher in a new era of deal-making?

Agents who are considering taking the leap into agency ownership—or those who are already agency owners and are looking to up their game—should cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.

With the changing landscape in the personal lines market due to the hard market, personal lines agents may be thinking about diversifying their revenue.

Gonyo has worked every role in an independent agency—from working the front desk to producing—before starting her own agency at 32 years old with “minimal money in a tiny little office,” she says. Today, Blue Line Insurance has four branches and 15 employees, 14 of whom are women.

A desire to keep her family’s fourth-generation agency family-owned drew Megan Carroll into the business. 2/12/2025 5:00:00 AM

How independent agents can add value through comprehensive consultation and risk mitigation.

When Beth DeLaForest, president and owner of Aspire Insurance Group in Hudson, Wisconsin, launched the agency in 2014, she knew she had the chance to set an intentional culture—one that was different from those she’d previously experienced. DeLaForest’s insurance journey started when she moved out at 18 and needed to pay rent while in college…