The Insura-Preneur Podcast

In this rapid-fire 7-minute briefing, we break down the six industry trends reshaping the independent insurance agency landscape. You’ll discover why nearly 75% of Q3 insurtech funding went to AI-centric firms, what the softening market means for your organic growth strategy, and how smart agencies are using bolt-on technology to deepen client relationships. We also dig into an overlooked profit l...

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with South Florida agency owner Matt Livings, who grew his agency from absolutely nothing to more than 5,700 households—in one of the toughest, most volatile markets in the country. Matt reveals the simple but powerful systems he’s used for two decades, including: His 24,000-postcards-a-month direct mail engine The niche strategy that built his affluent book...

Independent agencies survived the internet. They adapted to websites, email marketing, and social media. But AI is different. It changes the structure of work, speed of response, and expectations of clients—and it’s moving exponentially faster than any prior wave of technology. In this episode, agency owner & industry thought leader, Chris Paradiso explains: Why AI is a fundamentally different...

In this fast, insight-packed 7-minute briefing, Michael Jans breaks down six forces reshaping the independent insurance agency world right now — from AI acceleration to PE consolidation, social inflation, compliance pressure, ENS growth, and the widening growth gap between digital agencies and everyone else. In this episode you’ll discover: ✅ Why InsurTech funding surged in October and what it me...

Artificial Intelligence isn’t another wave—it’s a tsunami. In this episode, Michael Jans breaks down how AI will separate the winners from the walking dead in the independent agency world. From the Niche Master who dominates their vertical… to the Complexity Specialist who thrives on sophisticated risks… to the Platform Powerhouse scaling like Geico on steroids—Michael reveals the six types of age...

🎙️ How AI Agents Are Revolutionizing Insurance with Terry Walby of Open Dialog In this episode, Michael sits down with Terry Walby, co-founder and CEO of Open Dialog, to explore how AI agents are transforming the insurance industry—far beyond the limitations of chatbots. Terry breaks down the real-world impact of AI agents on improving quote conversions, reducing friction in online policy applicat...

The independent agency channel is changing fast—and the firms that see the shifts early will take the lead. In this episode, Michael Jans breaks down six critical developments reshaping growth, profitability, risk, client expectations, and agency valuation in the next 6–18 months. You’ll hear what the data actually says about AI adoption, why cyber insurance growth is both a financial and ethical...

There’s a trillion-dollar wave of capital chasing AI in insurance. The question is — will your agency ride it or get rolled by it? In this episode, Michael Jans lays out the 5-Step AI Playbook for Insurance Agencies: Know – What’s real and what’s noise Grow – Where AI actually drives revenue Integrate – How to blend humans + automation Buy – Smart investment decisions in tech Scale – Building a sy...

AI is accelerating faster than any technology in history — doubling in power every four to seven months. What does that mean for the independent insurance agency system? Michael Jans sits down with Marc Lanzkowsky, founder of Lanzko AI and 30-year veteran of the insurance world — attorney, carrier exec, and IT innovator — to explore how AI is reshaping compliance, claims, and operations. You’ll he...

When you’ve spent decades inside the independent agency system, you know the pain of underwriting chaos — juggling dozens of carriers, appetites, and rules that never seem to match up. That frustration drove Trace Meek, a third-generation agency owner, to build something extraordinary: Ask Fetch — an AI-powered underwriting and quoting platform that cuts hours of manual work down to under 90 secon...

Once a week, Michael Jans — founder of the Society of Insura-Preneurs and one of the most trusted voices in insurance marketing — drops into your world for seven focused minutes of high-impact insight. Each episode packs six real-time bulletins on the forces shaping our industry: carrier performance, underwriting trends, tech disruption, and what it all means for your agency’s growth. From profit...

The buyer’s journey isn’t a funnel anymore — it’s chaos. Google calls it the Messy Middle… and they’ve got the data to prove it. In this episode, Michael Jans breaks down Google’s landmark behavioral-science study Decoding Decisions — and shows independent insurance agencies how to use the six psychological biases that actually drive buying behavior: ✅ Social Proof ✅ Authority ✅ Scarcity ✅ Pow...

In this 10-minute episode, Michael Jans sits down with tech pioneer Frank Sentner, who’s been building technology for the insurance industry since 1976 — long before most agents knew what a modem was. Together they trace the path from the first digital ACORD forms to modern-day AI. You’ll hear: Why “Bad Data. Bad AI.” is the new truth every agency must face Real-world examples of AI that augment p...

Insurance agency owners don’t have time for fluff — so here’s your seven-minute intelligence briefing from the trenches. This week, Michael Jans fires off six rapid-fire insights you need to know: 🚗 Tesla gets busted (and proves agents are still the smart money 😉) 📉 Commercial lines soften — but not all markets 🤝 Networks gain power — and access is everything 🤖 57% of InsurTech deals now flow...

Every week, a new AI company shows up promising to revolutionize your agency. Most will vanish before your next renewal cycle. The problem isn’t too few tools — it’s that most agency owners don’t have a system for buying them. In this episode, Michael Jans lays out his 8-Point AI Buyer’s Filter — the same framework he uses to separate the brilliant from the bogus. You’ll learn how to evaluate: Rea...

In just seven minutes, Michael Jans cuts through the noise and delivers six powerful bullets every insurance agency owner needs to know right now: slowing premium growth, looming soft market conditions, new AI tools (and red flags), carrier adoption pitfalls, and the single biggest missed play in the industry. If you’ve been wondering how to separate hype from opportunity, this briefing is your sh...

Most agencies underestimate the single biggest lever for growth: revenue per customer. In this episode, Michael Jans reveals why just a $200 bump in average revenue per client compounds into millions of dollars in income, higher retention, richer EBITDA, and premium valuation. You’ll discover: The 5 strategies every agency must execute to raise revenue per client. How multi-policy households can q...

Every week, Michael Jans cuts through the noise to deliver six signals that matter for independent agency owners. In this 7-minute briefing: Why slowing premium hikes point to an impending soft market 📉 M&A trends: fewer deals, bigger valuations 💰 California’s wildfire model shift — and what it could mean for the nation 🌲🔥 AI’s overlooked growth power (hint: it’s not cost-cutting) 🤖 Cyber...

In this episode, Michael Jans unpacks Robert Cialdini’s timeless Influence and reveals how the 7 principles of persuasion shape every decision your prospects make. From reciprocity to scarcity (and the surprising “eighth” principle of unity), you’ll hear research, stories, and field-tested applications you can put to work immediately in your agency. Discover why some agencies grow in leaps while o...

Insurance News Brief with Michael Jans In less than 7 minutes, Michael Jans delivers the week’s must-know news for serious Insura-Preneurs. Underwriting profit triples in 2025. UnitedHealthcare slashes Medicare agent commissions. Global cat losses surge to $80B. AI governance shifts from optional to mandated (24 states onboard). Liability costs continue their relentless climb. M&A activity hea...

AI is the fastest-adopted technology in history—and it’s splitting the insurance industry in two. Some agencies are systematizing AI to drive growth, while others are dabbling and drifting into danger. In this episode, Michael Jans sounds the alarm on 10 red flags that put your agency at risk—from the “expensive hobby” trap to the compliance catastrophe—and shows how to avoid them. You’ll discover...

Insurance News Brief with Michael Jans A fast, 7-minute roundup of the biggest stories shaping the insurance industry — delivered straight to independent agency leaders who want to stay sharp without wasting time. In this week’s brief: 📈 Health benefit costs set to climb 6–7% by 2026 💰 Valuations holding nearly 20% above the 10-year average 🤖 1 in 3 agencies already using AI — with principals l...

Every agency owner says they want growth. Few actually ritualize it. In this episode, Michael Jans pulls back the curtain on the simple but powerful “Growth Ritual” that keeps agencies on track month after month. You’ll discover: Why your P&L is a lagging indicator—and what you should track instead. The Rule of 50 (and why it’s the ticket into premium valuation lanes). How to use the Four Trib...

When you peel back the layers of most “successful” agencies, you find mediocrity hiding behind luck and inertia. Not here. In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with longtime Mastermind member Frank Karkowsky to reveal the real drivers of a Rule of 50 agency—where growth, margins, and valuation stack up in the top tier of the industry. Here’s what you’ll discover: The deliberate decision to move...

In this episode, Michael Jans reveals the most overlooked growth lever for independent insurance agencies — and why agencies that master this one move consistently grow faster, make more per client, and sell for 15–30% higher multiples. You’ll discover: Why niching down accelerates revenue, retention, and profitability The math behind a 60%+ income difference between two markets Michael’s Bullseye...