Independent agent Steve Shoultz started Priority Risk Management from scratch 13 years ago—and he tries to cross-sell commercial auto whenever he can. “It’s much more difficult to find a qualified driver now because the economy is good and there’s high em
Independent agent Matt Evans didn’t set out to become an expert in flood insurance. But when his hometown in Iowa flooded, he didn’t have a choice.
Independent agent Rick Brownell Jr. joined his family’s agency 12 years ago and predicts that directors & officers insurance is “only going to become more important. A lot of responsibilities are being placed on boards to make more decisions.”
Before moving into insurance, Jeffrey W. Howard was an accountant. “In the public accounting world, you find a lot of issues with a company, but because of your required independence, you’re not allowed to consult and help fix that. That really irked me,
After starting her insurance career as a receptionist, Annie Johnson quickly moved up the ranks as a CSR and later joined The Hanover as a direct sales agent—until she and her husband decided they wanted to move back to Alaska and open an agency in their
Independent agent Mike Davis is a third-generation insurance agent. When Georgia passed a tax credit incentive for film and television production in the late 2000s, “we saw a huge opportunity,” he says.
Independent agent Shelli Lucus-Kennedy comes from a family of developers. “I speak builder,” she says—and that has helped her carve out a significant niche in the construction industry over the course of her 40-year insurance career.
Independent agent Robert Holmes is a meteorologist by education—and that unique background gives him a leg up when it comes to providing rain and event cancellation insurance for fairs, festivals and concerts.
Many smaller restaurants only serve a little bit of wine or beer—and therefore don’t think they need liquor liability insurance. But “that doesn’t exclude you from having a claim,” says independent agent Melinda Langworthy. “I still recommend getting the
To succeed in the most competitive insurance market, independent agent Mike Crowley de-emphasizes price “from the point of sale all the way through the process.”