Insurance Banter with Burand & Borup

Chris and Paul are joined by Skylar Romines to discuss: What prompted her to make the move from brokerage to owner's representative The current challenges Skylar sees in the insurance market landscape How she thinks the industry can best serve people going forward Skylar is the Founder of ATW Advisors, an independent risk advisory and owner's insurance rep firm.  You can find out more he...

Chris and Paul had a great discussion with Russ Banham.  The conversation was wide ranging and VERY interesting. Where else will you find a conversation touching on Meatballs (the movie), Hank Greenberg from AIG, the importance of a mentor, and Russia? Who knew insurance could be involved with spy-craft, popular culture, Broadway, the Pulitzer Prize, climate change, and a bill you'll be getti...

Mark Robinson from Michelman & Robinson, LLP joins Chris and Paul again to take a deep dive into Carrier / Agency Agreements.   How do you know the agreement your about to sign will help your business in the long term?   What are the limitations it places on the authority of both parties?   As an agency, the value of your business is closely tied to the expirations (or X-Dates) of your clients...

What is holding you back as a salesperson and how you can overcome the roadblock(s) and experience greater success? Chris and Paul are joined by Connie Kadansky to explore this topic in greater detail. If you'd like to contact Connie, she can be reached at: connie@exceptionalsales.com www.exceptionalsales.com (602) 380-5431

Chris and Paul are happy to be joined by Greg Lang from Reinsurance and Insurance Network (RAIN), LLC (http://rainllc.com) to continue the conversation around Captive Insurance.   Greg is an instructor for an upcoming course presented by the International Center for Captive Insurance Education (https://iccie.org/course-catalog/reinsurance-and-other-risk-transfer-mechanisms). This discussion focuse...

Fred Fisher returns to discuss absolute exclusions.  Have a copy of your E&O policy ready if you are an insurance agent as you listen to this one!  You may want to negotiate new terms and conditions!  Do absolute exclusions negate the traditional maxims of insurance like: Reasonable expectation Contracts of adhesion Coverage should be broad and exclusions narrow A very insightful discussion th...

Chris and Paul are excited to be joined by Fred Fisher to discuss how Independent Agencies can compete with the "Big Boys". The three topics they explore:  Why is this a problem for Independents?  What is the Difference in the approach  How can independents compete? If you want to compete with the "Big Boys"...this is the episode for you!  

Chris and Paul welcome back Mike Strakhov to discuss how the hard market has impacted agency financing.  You can reach Mike at  mikestrakhov@westfield-bank.com

Chris and Paul are joined by Mark Angelucci, SVP and Head of the Specialty Lines division at Utica National.  Mark shares trends, insights, and loss control tips on how agencies can avoid E&O claims...plus, he tells some great stories.  

Chris and Paul are joined by Frank Noyes from Noyes Insurance Consulting.  The conversation focuses on how an agency can create an insurance program.  They discuss carrier/agency rapport, the value of creditable data, and common expectations around what success looks like, If you'd like to follow up with Frank, he can be reached at (804) 205-0548 and at www.noyesinsuranceconsulting.com. 

Chris, Paul, and Connie from Exceptional Sales discuss the root causes of sales call reluctance and the need for a more strategic and research-based approach to sales. They also highlight the limitations of automated digital tools and the importance of developing strong professional relationships for referrals and support. Lastly, they emphasized the importance of effective communication, particul...

Anurag Shah from Aureus Analytics joins Chris and Paul to discuss the proper usage of AI.  What role to ethics play, how is accountability measured but most of all they focus on how it is a tool to be used by humans, and NOT a substitute for humans.   Highlights include a discussion around automation vs. analytics vs. AI. They touch on the regulatory environment, or lack thereof.   Finally, Chris...

Bob Ford joins Chris and Paul to continue the conversation around behavioral styles.  In this episode they explore how to improve agency management thorough awareness of different behavioral styles among staff members.  

Chris and Paul are joined by Jason Bogart from Deep Customer Connections to chat about: What portions of the DCC Index are most correlated with growth Expense considerations when evaluating growth strategies  What problems underwriting inconsistency creates 

Chris and Paul are joined by Greg Lang from RAIN, LLC.  They discuss how reinsurance impacts captives, MGA's, program managers, and the alternative risk transfer market.  They review the changes in this segment of the industry and explore what is to come and how an agent can take advantage of the innovations.    

Chris and Paul are joined by Piers Dormeyer from EagleView to discuss how carriers and agents can address economic headwinds (along with an aging workforce) to operate more efficiently in this challenging marketplace.  

Chris and Paul talk about agency appraisals and the ethics involved in valuing an agency.  While the M&A market has slowed, there are still a significant number of transactions.  What should you be on the lookout for when valuing your agency?   Plus, this is Episode 50!  Quite a milestone.  

Anurag from Aureus Analytics joins Chris and Paul for a follow up discussion on AI.  The conversation dives into how to grow your agency using AI.  The discuss the difference between the 'neat to have' and what can really drive improvement in your organization.  

Chris and Paul chat about the current state of the industry and what may be causing all the craziness we are experiencing 

Chris and Paul are joined by Anurag Shah of Aureus Analytics, where they discuss: AI Implementation and Its Potential Benefits   AI: Myths vs. Reality   AI's Potential in Insurance Industry 

It seems like the insurance industry is undergoing a dramatic shift in distribution, with a new MGA popping up almost every day. Mark Robinson joins Chris and Paul to talk about what a Managing General Agent is, what to look for in contracts, and some things to think about if you are considering starting or doing business with a MGA.

Bob returns to talk in more depth about how producers can increase their hit ratio by understanding the behavioral styles of their clients and prospects.  We discuss what to look for and how to identify the best approach to use in the first two minutes of a conversation.  

Chris and Paul are joined by Greg Williams, Senior Director of Analytics at AM Best. This episode focuses on the increased role of the Delegated Underwriting / Managing General Agent and the headwinds and tailwinds the industry is currently facing.  Greg covers recent market dynamics that led AM Best to begin assessing the strength of MGA’s – including increased interest in demonstrating transpare...

Chris and Paul are joined by Chris Williams who recently sold his agency and 'eased' into retirement.  Chris W. shares his story, tells listeners what he did right and what he would do differently with the benefit of hindsight.  It is a perspective you don't normally have when thinking about a sale or the transition to retirement.  

Chris and Paul discuss some plausible reasons for the current hard market...and it has nothing to do with reinsurance availability or pricing!