Leading with compassion, intentionality, and mindfulness

Speaker 50s - 51.34s

So as many of you guys know, I'm a second generation insurance professional. And throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to serve on the agency side and the carrier side. But you know, the conversation's always been the same. It's been about the customer life cycle. It's been about the hard market, the soft market. It's been about what's next in the industry.And we're going to tackle all of those subjects as we get into season three of the podcast. We're taking the podcast to a whole new level here. Welcome to the VIP podcast, season three. Let's go. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the VIP podcast. I'm pumped you're here.I'm pumped you and I are here in the studio for a couple of days. It's so much fun to actually do this live with you instead of being zoomed.

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I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but one foot away from you in a really uncomfortable chair in a warm office. Exactly.

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It's in the middle of Denver, Colorado GPE. It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect.

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It is.

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And then, hey, if you guys hear a third voice,

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actually a fifth voice, we got a lot of people on this podcast today. We got the orange mic sessions going on here. Chad PERSON over here, our producer is going to be on the mics too a little bit. You might just hear me laughing at you guys. Check that out. That voice is buttery smooth.

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Okay. Also, I feel like you need to give a quick intro to the one and only Chad Skinner PERSON.

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Man. I mean, Chad PERSON Skinner is. He's not just Chad. No, he's not just Chad. He is Chad.

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He's Chad. He's Chad. He's got 11 Emmy Awards. And he used to do some, you know,

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some work on Denver television stations, work with the Broncos ORG. He's done some shorts and some,

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he's just done a lot of cool stuff. So guys, if you hear this buttery smooth voice from the side it's chad and he's flattery all flattery right and he's so humble he wants to stay off camera and all that otherwise you know uh we'd all look bad so if you guys

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hear this voice it's chad and you may see him on camera a little bit in the future so we just want

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to introduce him to you a little bit there but there i really want to introduce my guests right now

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we this is probably the most podcast I've been a part of,

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or most people on a podcast I've been a part of since I've been here.

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So we've got two guests today, including Chad PERSON on the side.

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So there's five of us on here.

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Am I right? Is my math right?

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Is it math right. Awesome.

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So the math is math. All right. So we've got Kenneth Williamson from Portal Insurance ORG, and he is director of operations, former producer there, been with Bradley, probably babysitting Bradley for a long time now since year two, I imagine. And so I'm glad to.

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And hopefully, hopefully you guys are watching this on YouTube ORG. If you're not, go to YouTube, subscribe, check us out the Orange Channel, Channel Orange ORG.

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But Kenneth PERSON has this amazing hair.

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Like we've been talking about it for at least 15 minutes for a podcast.

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It's so good, dude. Sid PERSON and I, you know, we think we have hair game, but we don't. Sess when you look at Kenneth PERSON.

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No, that's why I wore a hat because I knew Kenneth PERSON was...

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I'll have to take a picture of it while it's down for you later.

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And I guarantee you can rock a mean man bun. I guarantee it.

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Oh, yeah, that's what I got. That's what mean man bun. I guarantee it. Oh, yeah. That's what I got.

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That's side profile.

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Wow. Next level, guys.

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That's next level. You're right.

Speaker 5193.62s - 220.34s

Now, you just heard the voice you probably heard for a long time now. Guys, this guy's a legend. Scott Howell of the Insurance Guys podcast and the owner of i protect insurance been around you know i'm a date you a little bit been around a long time on the captive side the independent side he's a good friend of ours he's a good friend of the show probably a good friend of yours and we're going to dive in a little bit of more of that but boys welcome to the show welcome to the podcast

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thank you so much man yeah thank you so much for having us today. I'm excited and proud

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to be here. And anytime I get to visit with you two, whether on a Zoom PRODUCT or podcast or in person,

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it's always a lot of fun to catch up. I love both of you and I'm, you know, I wish nothing but

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the best for both of you. Oh, gosh. Golly. It's already started like waterworks if I just start going here.

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Man, I appreciate it.

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Can we, before you get into it, Scott PERSON, I have to ask, where are you, dude?

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What is this?

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That's not a Zoom PRODUCT back.

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And if you tell me that's a Zoom PRODUCT background, I'm going to be pissed.

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That's the concept.

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That is beautiful. No, this is my dining room.

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So where I'm sitting. Yeah.

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You're putting Chip and Joanna Keynes PERSON to shit.

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Right.

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To show you, to show you that I'm truly in rural Alabama GPE.

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There it is.

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There it is. Yep.

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Convinced.

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I have a deer in my dining room.

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Oh, is that what that is.

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What's his name?

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Did you name it?

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This is a stained glass window that we bought

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that came out of a Baptist NORP church in Birmingham

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that was being torn out that we used as our

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dining room window.

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I don't know if you can see it or not.

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That is beautiful.

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Yeah, our house is very, very eclectic.

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I think both of you've met my wife.

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She's got style.

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It's a cross between pottery Barn and living in a barn.

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That's amazing.

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That is amazing.

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Yeah, I recognized it from the TikToks and some of the videos. Again, I'm a big fan and love you, man, and what you're doing.

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And, you know, I got to talk to you a little bit while we're on this.

Speaker 5323.72s - 338.7s

Kenna, just hang out with me for a minute because I know, you got to just hang out because I got a fanboy for a minute. And a lot of my, a lot of our listeners are going to be this way too. But Scott, you and Bradley have done over or had over a million downloads on your podcast.

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Wait, wait, how many?

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Over a million.

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How many zeros is that?

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That's a lot of zeros. And I know there's a lot of hard work that goes into that. I know there's a lot of patience being with Bradley PERSON for that long. And I know there's a lot of dedication in that. But I know here's the thing I love the most. Before you get into it, I'm going to say it for you.But, Scott PERSON, you're the most passionate guy I've ever met in my life for our industry.

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And I know that's legitimate. And I know it's genuine because you and I've sat and talked 5.30 in the morning in hotel rooms talking about the industry. And I know that's legitimate and I know it's genuine because you and I've sat and talked 5.30 to morning hotel rooms talking about the industry. So now I'll let you go. But I had to say that

Speaker 5372.12s - 381.22s

for you. Well, I appreciate you saying that. So I think, you know, if the question is kind of

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what got us to a million downloads, I would attribute it to two things, maybe three things, but number one, I'll keep this short, is consistency. So, you know, the one thing that Johnny Gwynn, our producer and Bradley PERSON both knows, if you really want to piss Scott Howell PERSON off, don't have a new podcast release on Wednesday at 6 a.m. and you'll get the full wrath. Like, at 605, why in the hell is there not a podcast downloaded yet?So consistency is number one. I think everybody has their own podcast outside the insurance industry that they listen to. And, you know, you get in this habit of listening to whatever that is, whether it's a crime drama podcast or a comedian, Burke Kreisher and Tom Seguer on Two Bears One Cave WORK_OF_ART.

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Two Bears One Cave WORK_OF_ART, yes.

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Yeah, yeah. But you get into this rhythm of listening to it, and that's why I'm talking about consistency right now. So if Tom and Bert, and we certainly aren't as big as now. So if Tom and Burt PERSON, and we certainly aren't as big as they are, but Tom and Burt PERSON just decided that they were going to take four weeks off, if you watch their downloads and listenership, it would just drop off. Like, you know,people would stop going and trying to listen to that. So that's number one. Number two, I think, you know, these candy companies, these quirky manufacturers, they're always looking for what they call the bliss point. And the bliss point is that you've you ever eaten something, and I do it all the time, and I like get down in the floor, and I'm like, my God, this is the best thing I've ever eaten in my life. Oh yeah for sure

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but it's it's that perfect blend

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of like

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savory almost salty but sweet

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you know you know what I'm talking about and I think that's our podcast I think that's our podcast so you've got Scott

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with these just stories that if Bradley PERSON didn't say that he had seen it with his own eyes, I don't think most people would think they were true. And then you've got Bradley PERSON, who is the more, you know, actual insurance agent who has really good viewpoints on technology and running an agency efficiently. And so you've got this bliss point going on. You've got this redneck half farmer that's got a million stories to tell me. I call it the WAAE factor.And then you've got Bradley PERSON sitting there kind of a counterpoint to me. It's that bliss point. And so I've always felt like that's what makes our podcast what it is, is that bliss point that we have. And then, you know,just, I hate to say it because it's going to sound like bragging. But I think you know, we're both pretty good dudes, man.

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You know, I'm not out here on anybody. I'm not out here creating drama. I'm not out here creating drama. I'm not getting involved in drama. Let me say this.

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If you're in drama or you got a bunch of drama going on, Scott PERSON probably didn't even know about it.

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Yeah.

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I don't even know about it.

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Yeah, I'm going to put Sid PERSON on the spot.

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We had a conversation about you in Uber yesterday.

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Okay, Scott PERSON, I have to ask you,

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because really quick before it, because I went into that.

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Do you, do you, do you, okay, so Heath and I have been recording for, I don't know, we've probably recorded maybe 30 episodes together.

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Maybe, maybe, maybe, 20-ish.

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And when you're, like, I went from recording solo to recording with him.

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So there was this awkward, like, we're, like, stepping on our toes, trying to figure each other out.

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But we've hit this point now where we're literally in each other's brains.

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Yeah.

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And I will look over at him and he'll say, he'll ask a question.

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Like, holy crap, that was the question I was thinking.

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And he asked it 10 times better than I did.

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And same thing vice versa.

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Do you and, do you got, are you in each other's head?

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Do you all share a brain?

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Oh my gosh.

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So I'm going to get real like, I don't know, like, what's the one?

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Sorry, Kenneth PERSON.

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You're just going to hang out for a minute.

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I'm about to get like really kind of, I love you, kiddick.

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Kind of kooky acting here for just a second.

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Okay.

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I swear to God, I believe this.

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I think that there is something to energy.

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Oh, yeah. Oh, for sure. You know, 100%. One thing that Bradley PERSON and something to energy. Oh, yeah.

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And, you know, one thing that Bradley and I always talk about is how much better our podcasts are in person like you two are doing today instead of over Zoom PRODUCT because, you know, he's trying to get up to my energy, which is hard to do.

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I'll agree with that.

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But we can play off each other's energy.

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There's something to that energy thing.

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And just kind of feeding off each other.

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And what you two just kind of said was kind of start reading each other's mind a little bit.

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It's kind of weird.

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100%.

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It's kind of weird.

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Yeah.

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I can't explain it.

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I know it's kooky.

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I know people are like, Scott PERSON, you're full of shit.

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I'm telling me there's something to it.

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No, I agree with you.

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But back to the original question, I need you to tell it.

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We had this conversation in Uber yesterday.

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Yeah, we did.

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We did.

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So you nailed on three out of three, for sure, in terms of what makes your podcast awesome.

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But the last one was your character.

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And we had this long conversation in the car about insurance influencers,

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which I call them thought leaders. I was like, God, what am I in the 90s? No, it's an influencer today.

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I had to get up to speed. And which influencers were actually, you know, we're kind of like, is it fake news?

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Or are they actually an influencer? Or are they in it for the passion and the love of the industry?

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They're in it just to get some likes and some clicks.

Speaker 2728.52s - 747.02s

Right, right. And you guys, I mean, this might be a polarizing opinion. I might stir some feelings up with this, but I truly believe that you guys have, in terms of like influencership the most amount of influence in the industry today.

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Well, and then that is because you're the most non-influencer influencer, right?

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And I'm saying that I hope that other people listen to this, like you guys just don't care and you, you don't care about the stuff that, you know, I think a lot of others do care about, right?

Speaker 1764.14s - 772.96s

You're just there to do it and have fun with it and help and that's it. Right. It's awesome. 100%. 100%. So, so this year,

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Bradley PERSON and I did not take podcast sponsors. Wow. And part of the reason for that, now we had

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three or four would reach out and, you know, been wanting to do something. And we may end up doing

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something with somebody before the year's over.

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But I cannot tell you how many people have reached out to me and been like,

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thank goodness.

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I don't have to go through those sponsorship ads to get to the podcast.

Speaker 4795.8s - 803.18s

But I've always called myself the, or I guess us, but more I think me, the anti-thought leader.

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And in that I have no aspirations about, us, but more I think me, the anti-thought leader. And in that, I have no aspirations about, you know, being in some type of legislative position within the industry or anything like that.

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And I just, I think people that listen to podcasts can pick up kind of intuitively on who's being genuine and hanging it.

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I call it hanging it out there and who is, you know, kind of in it just to get clicks or

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some bigger thing out there or whatever.

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Listen, I tell them all the time on the podcast.

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I'm in the guy. I bawled. I cried like a baby about eight episodes when I talked about my plan, long-term, 10-year plan, about selling the agency or doing some type of ownership exchange. And I started talking about the fact that that day would be the last day I ever podcast because as I said that day, I will not do a podcast if I'm not in the game every

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single day so that I can at least when I talk to somebody either call bull-hs-because

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I'm the one I'm the one in the damn foxhole over here every day. Yep. Or I can agree and say, nope, he's right.

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I see it every day.

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I have, you know, I'll have three territory manager meetings this week probably in person. Got one tomorrow's Wednesday? Yeah. Got one with Liberty Mutual tomorrow. And I just feel like if you're going to do this, now y'all's deal is a little different. But if you're going to reach out to, like, agents and talk to talk,you better be able to walk the wall.

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Well, that's one of the things that I will say, first of all, you know,

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Sid's third generation. I'm second generation. So we've been around. We both stay in. And we both feel the same way. We want to have a finger on the pulse.We want to know what's going on. So I'm with you on that. And one of the things, you know, for the guys and girls that are listening, may not know, Scott PERSON. There's a lot of, there's a lot of insurance podcasts out there. Let's just be honest with it.

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And some of them are pretenders and some of them are contenders and real deal agency owners.

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And a couple of episodes ago, or I don't know how long ago when this comes out, but you put out an episode with Bradley PERSON and you shared your real numbers, your real revenue numbers in your agency. And I stepped back like, holy shit. This guy's got a real deal. Like, I knew you did. But when you shared transparency on your numbers, you don't have to do it right now if you don't want to.But to share that, be like, man, because a lot of people think, how's he producing this much content and have a real deal agency?

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And you do.

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And I think that goes to a lot of different things there.

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You must have a really good team, first of all. But number two, you're in the trenches every day. You're in the foxhole, as you calls it.

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Yep.

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So, yeah, I mean, our agency, we have six locations.

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We have, we just, I just looked at our agency intelligence report this morning.

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So we're at $14,000, $14,000,100,000 in premium total.

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You know, I'm going to share something.

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I'm going to share something right now that I haven't shared.

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And I think a lot of people will turn the radio up or the dial up when they hear this.

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I just did.

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I don't know how you.

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So in December of 2022, we had in in our agency, just north of $8 million in premium with nationwide insurance.

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Now, what most of you know is last September of 23, Nationwide ORG came out and said,

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Spickett ORG's cut off. We're not going to write new business unless it's like the most pristine thing in the world. We might not even write that. And we're getting off a lot of our stuff,non-renewing stuff. And I told the C-suite executives at Nationwide ORG, I said, look, if y'all aren't

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careful you about to throw the baby out with the bathwater and sure enough so every

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month I get a list of personal lines clients and commercial clients and that list sometimes is as long as a hundred and fifty accounts that they are non-renewing

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oh my gosh.

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I say all that to say that my agency, we have been playing defense for the last year like the 85 Chicago Bears ORG. Right.

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Every month, it is an up at dawn pride swallowing siege to, you know,

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first, if we don't get to them fast enough at 30 days we get the call hey I just got a letter saying my insurance is going to cancel what are you going to do about it and we're trying desperately to stay ahead of that I've over hired on the account manager side because well quite frankly I mean we had to just to play as much defense as we've been playing. Now, here comes the hard part. Just had a meeting about this last week. We had what I call the 2024 Scott Howell-Ass Chewing of the Year Award goes to my sales team. Because I got them on a Zoom call, actually Google Hangout PRODUCT, just like this. And I said, guys, at some point, and we're not far away, this market's going to turn.And I think we're already starting to kind of see that happen a little bit, although it's not, and we're not nearly out of the woods. At some point, we're going to have to stop playing defense and start playing offense.

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Right.

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And, you know, that's a delicate balance of when to do that because everybody on this podcast and everybody listening to this podcast, if you don't already know this, should know this, the money in the insurance business is not a new business. I can put a sales bell up and we can high-five each other about that $50,000 account we wrote. If it's going out the back door faster than it's coming in the front door, it don't matter how much you sell. You're just a hamster on a wheel.And that's where we've been for the past, really the past year and a half DATE. Yeah. We've been a hamster on a wheel. And that's where we've been for the past, really the past year and a half. We've been a

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hamster on a wheel. We'll write 50,000, excuse me, 150,000 or 100,000 a month,

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and we lose 102,000.

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Yeah. And it almost defeats like

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all the work people put in because I don't know. And so you'll hear me on our podcast a lot

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talk about you got to figure out how to slam that back door shut.

Speaker 41208.64s - 1275.56s

And the only way I know to do it is to be so far above and beyond. So here, Heath PERSON, if you have your insurance with I protect, there's one thing I can promise you. This is what I tell new prospects all the time. Because I have gotten to a point in my career where my give a damn button broke. I will literally get on, you can't do this if you're a new producer. Don't try it because somebody will just hang up on you. I'll get on the phone with somebody and I'll say, do you know why you're going to put your insurancewith me? And they'll go, no, why? And I say, because I might be the only son of the in the entire United States of America GPE, but definitely in the southeast, that when our after-hours phonesystem, through light speed, kicks on at 501 p.m. When you call that number or main office, 4444-2041, first thing it says, if this is a claims emergency,press 1 to be connected to Scott Howell's PERSON cell phone.

Speaker 11277.94s - 1278.42s

And

Speaker 41278.42s - 1298.18s

what I tell them is this. Now, it may not be important to you right now, but let me tell you what's about to happen. Not never, not never in the history of ever since Jesus PERSON walked on this earth. Has a claimever happened between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Speaker 01298.28s - 1299.16s

Monday through Friday.

Speaker 41299.68s - 1301.82s

Yeah. If you have a damn

Speaker 51301.82s - 1303.96s

claim at your house, guess when it's going to happen?

Speaker 41304.64s - 1321.2s

7 a.m. on Sunday. 9.30 at night on Saturday. Thursday at 10.30 at night, your damn house is going to burn down. And if you're with anybody else, good luck getting in touch with somebody at 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon because it ain't going to happen.

Speaker 51322.4s - 1322.9s

Preach.

Speaker 41323.26s - 1324.78s

Okay, a lot to unpack there.

Speaker 11324.78s - 1326.98s

But I do want to bring Kenneth PERSON in here a minute

Speaker 51326.98s - 1328.58s

because you've been so patient.

Speaker 11329.2s - 1332.26s

Okay, so first of all, you brought up the hard market,

Speaker 51332.38s - 1333.3s

and I believe you're right.

Speaker 11333.42s - 1335.88s

I believe we're somewhere in the end of the second quarter,

Speaker 51336.16s - 1346.16s

maybe third quarter for it's a ballgame, so we're getting to the tail end, I feel like, but I still think we do have a little ways to go on this hard market. By the way, let me interrupt you.

Speaker 41346.6s - 1359.94s

That assumes that Hurricane Sidney Row, and I'm just making that up, it could be any name out there, doesn't like criss-crossed the state of Florida in August, and then we're right back to square one on Candyland FAC.

Speaker 51360.34s - 1361.5s

No, I agree with you.

Speaker 41361.94s - 1365.66s

And so, again, navigating, you know, hard market, going through what you're talking,

Speaker 51365.68s - 1370.46s

but keeping that back door shut, you know, Kenneth PERSON, you made a pivotal, you know, a big transition

Speaker 41370.46s - 1375.62s

in your career, what, a year and a half ago or so, from producer to, you know, operating

Speaker 51375.62s - 1392.3s

or operations manager, whatnot, you know, talk to me a little bit about that, you know, you went from, you know, producer to, I guess, managing producers and service and Bradley and the whole, you know, game there. Talk to me a little bit about in this hard market, what that's been, because you've only been in it in the hard market. You don't know a soft market.

Speaker 01392.96s - 1402.66s

Yeah, yeah. No, if I can, Scott, if I can steal your thing and jump in your DeLorean PRODUCT, man. And a little bit of background, I did have a background video of a DeLorean PRODUCT plan for you,

Speaker 11402.74s - 1405.2s

but it was a little too distracting.

Speaker 01410.8s - 1463.78s

But, uh, but yeah, so, so I have not been in the industry too long. I've been only in it for about four years and only at portal PRODUCT. And so I had no expectation of the industry at all. I had no idea other than I needed to buy insurance myself, what insurance entailed. So I was, uh, between jobs after college for a little while, I was working in an internship with a local entrepreneur learned a lot of great things from him, but I needed some consistent income.And Bradley PERSON had told me we had a lot of conversations. This guy introduced me to him. And Bradley PERSON, we hit it off and he was like, if you get your license, I'll hire you. I was like, okay, say less. And I didn't know how long it took to get a license. So I just studied every night, worked on it for four days.On the fifth day, I drew four hours, got my license called Bradley PERSON. I said, I got it. He said, no, you didn't.

Speaker 11463.98s - 1477.62s

He said, I got it right here., no, you didn't. So I got it right here. And then we had a conversation. We started. And yeah, it's, I immediately in the first meeting with Bradley PERSON really saw his vision for the industry and, you know, his company and how well he

Speaker 01477.62s - 1528.44s

treats others. And I really wanted to be a part of that. And we started in sales because we had to keep the lights going. It was just me, him, and our now director of sales, Ms. Natasha May PERSON. Hey, Natasha PERSON, if you're watching this, love you, you do a great job. But, yeah, start in sales. I can do sales.I can do it. I'm not passionate about it. And that's one of the great things about Bradley PERSON is he'll sit with this team and try to figure out what our passions are. And as we started growing a little bit, my passion was really, my passion is still the clients, but at the end of the day, my passion is for the team that we have and giving them the resources. And he saw that, started in service a little bit, and a little bit after he was like,how would you feel about running my operations?

Speaker 11528.58s - 1531.68s

And I was like, yeah, yeah, I would love that, man.

Speaker 01532.46s - 1545.14s

And yeah, that's kind of where we are today. I really just love building resources for our team, helping them get everything they need in order to perform their job, hit the dreams they want to achieve.

Speaker 51545.86s - 1547.72s

Yeah, I must steal something from sitting.

Speaker 01548.14s - 1550.12s

Can I say something real quick about Kenneth PERSON?

Speaker 51550.36s - 1550.94s

Please do.

Speaker 01551.12s - 1552.5s

You know, I haven't been around.

Speaker 51552.72s - 1554.42s

So, I'm sorry.

Speaker 01554.7s - 1555.46s

No, go for it.

Speaker 41556.16s - 1570.6s

No, I just wanted to say, I know Bradley's not here today, but Kenneth PERSON is about as good as I've ever seen in creating, you know, to serve your clients,

Speaker 01570.68s - 1573.24s

you don't just necessarily have to be in sales or an account manager.

Speaker 51573.24s - 1578.36s

So in areas where he's passionate about things that he still serves his clients

Speaker 41578.36s - 1624.38s

is like creating these unbelievable automations that have that perfect copyright for things like late pays or policy pending cancellations or and man to have somebody like that in your agency that their mind allows them to be able to and their expertise to do that kind of thing I don't know that clients really of thing I don't know that clients really I know they don't know that he's behind the scenes like the wizard and the wizard of Oz but I'm telling you right now he is about as good asanybody as I've ever seen it doing that kind of stuff and I think Bradley PERSON is blessed to have him on his team I'm sorry Heath PERSON I just wanted to say no you're good

Speaker 51624.38s - 1626.54s

thanks man I appreciate that Scott PERSON dude I I just wanted to say that. No, you're good. Thanks, man. I appreciate that. Scott.

Speaker 41627.3s - 1631.8s

Dude, I was just going to say, I was just steal from, we talked yesterday on a podcast

Speaker 51631.8s - 1636.76s

about service team being kind of the unsung heroes of the agency. And they don't get a ton of

Speaker 01636.76s - 1639.38s

love. And you just kind of alluded to that a little bit with Kenneth PERSON. Like, a lot of people don't

Speaker 51639.38s - 1654.92s

know he's behind the scenes. But what does that look like for you as you're setting up your team for success in that area of course you know talking about keeping the back door closed or even new business or navigating hard market carrier relationships all the above take it from whatever angle you

Speaker 01654.92s - 1660.48s

want to but what does that look like for you day yeah yeah so so I'll keep it real simple

Speaker 51660.48s - 1665.32s

so I start my day exactly the same every day. You know, I'll listen to some up

Speaker 01665.32s - 1670.38s

upbeat music. I'll sit there and I'll breathe real slow and I'll think of the word

Speaker 11670.98s - 1685.68s

intentional and I'll think of the word intentional for everything I do throughout the day. And I don't have it right now, but at my computer at the home office, I have a little sticker on the top of my computer that just says mindful of this. And I'll think about it throughout the day.

Speaker 01686.1s - 1702.44s

I'll reach out to everyone on our team at the beginning of the day like, hey, we're ready for this day. You know how to reach me. And just keeping that in the back of your mind. So I'll keep that in the back of my mind whenever helping them create resources or listening to them whenever they have ideas.But, uh, but, uh, but yeah,

Speaker 11702.44s - 1704.68s

you're spinning gold right now, right?

Speaker 41704.68s - 1705.46s

Right. Come home. Right. Come home. But no, I, it yeah, you are spinning gold right now, right? Come home.

Speaker 51705.7s - 1705.96s

Right.

Speaker 41706.04s - 1706.68s

Come home.

Speaker 01708.58s - 1718.64s

But no, it's kind of hard not to have it hokey whenever you tell them, like, let's get this day, guys, we got this. But a little hokey goes, it can be helpful sometimes.

Speaker 11718.76s - 1720.36s

Some times they need to hear it.

Speaker 01721.28s - 1738.54s

But yeah, that's really, that's really what I do within a day is just think like I literally also at the beginning of the day, I remember my entire journey. I'll play through it in my head. Like, this is where I was. This is why I am in two years. This is where I and the team want to be in five years. And I just keep that playing in my head.

Speaker 11740.14s - 1750.14s

Dude, TED WORK_OF_ARTx right there. This is a TED talk going on. Wow. That was awesome. No, I will say to your point on that, I had never really been a part of an environment like that or, you know, a culture like that.

Speaker 51750.24s - 1753.54s

But my girl over here next to me here, she does that every morning.

Speaker 01753.64s - 1758.62s

She'll send out some motivational thing or a song that she listens to that morning like, let's a f-and-go.

Speaker 51758.74s - 1769.08s

Let's get this party going. Let's, you know, sorry, I'm going to get you fired. But just like, let's get this day. Let's get after it. And you do a really good job of motivating me and the team in that. So I think there's a lot to what he's saying.

Speaker 21769.2s - 1770.76s

Oh, yeah, 100%. It's all mindset.

Speaker 51770.76s - 1775.84s

Yeah, there's this video I like to listen to in the morning a lot.

Speaker 01775.9s - 1777.24s

It's actually Jim Carrey PERSON.

Speaker 51777.56s - 1777.84s

Oh.

Speaker 01778.12s - 1779.02s

He's playing us.

Speaker 11779.18s - 1780.46s

He's doing a speech.

Speaker 01781.06s - 1789.94s

And he's talking about he's like, I had to figure out who Jim Carrey PERSON was. and he was like in order to do that I had to realize like I'm not just me and

Speaker 11789.94s - 1796.66s

my body I am how I'm perceived to others so if I like you were saying earlier Scott

Speaker 21796.66s - 1802.38s

energy so like if I'm giving out good energy good energy is going to follow and help everybody

Speaker 01802.38s - 1805.76s

around you yep kind of like when you're just smile,

Speaker 11805.86s - 1807.04s

when are you making a phone call?

Speaker 01807.36s - 1808.52s

You can feel it.

Speaker 11809s - 1810s

People can hear it.

Speaker 01810s - 1811.18s

People can hear it.

Speaker 11811.22s - 1812.96s

I know you're a big tonality guy, Scott PERSON,

Speaker 01813.12s - 1815.28s

but I won't get you off on that rabbit trail right now.

Speaker 51815.4s - 1838.12s

But I do know that that's a big thing for him. But I'm going to ask the four other people on this, you know, podcast a little bit of Chad PERSON wants to jump in on this too, of like, you know, where does that come from when you guys have like that positive attitude no Chad PERSON off you know off air he's got it too but where does that come from for you guys and what does that look like as a leader in your agency is that something you feel like a pressure to do or is that just a natural thing for the four of you

Speaker 01838.12s - 1846.16s

either one at all if I could be if I could be completely honest yeah I have to fake it most mornings. Okay.

Speaker 51846.44s - 1849.74s

You have to fake it. You have to put on that strong face. You have to be the leader.

Speaker 01849.94s - 1854.18s

So half of the time I'm faking it and then perpetuate it.

Speaker 11854.68s - 1857.88s

You almost have to do it for yourself.

Speaker 31858.3s - 1859.32s

Yeah, I was going to say.

Speaker 21859.5s - 1859.66s

Yeah.

Speaker 01859.66s - 1871.16s

Yeah. Well, it's a muscle you have to flex, right? So I haven't talked about this yet. I was going to put a post on social, and then it just felt too, I don't know,

Speaker 21871.22s - 1882.1s

it felt too, you know, like I wanted to make sure I was doing it for the right reasons. And I wasn't quite sure what to say about the experience. But have you guys heard of ayahuasca? Mm-hmm.

Speaker 41882.56s - 1886.3s

I've been wanting to do it. I've been wanting to do an ayahuasca. Yeah. I don't want to say, I've been wanting to do an ayahuasca. Yeah.

Speaker 11886.62s - 1887.84s

I don't want to say trip.

Speaker 21887.98s - 1890.12s

I want to say, do it right now.

Speaker 41890.12s - 1892.92s

Go to Costa Rica GPE with a shaman and actually do it.

Speaker 21892.92s - 1893.86s

I would love to do that.

Speaker 11894.04s - 1895.04s

Yeah, I went to Peru GPE.

Speaker 21895.2s - 1898.48s

I went to Qitos GPE, literally in the middle of the jungle.

Speaker 41898.8s - 1902.44s

I woke up Saturday morning the last day I was there, and I remember going to

Speaker 21902.44s - 1909.98s

breakfast with, we were, there's just a group of 19 other people, so just 20 of us um make sure you do it with a small group by the way there's some

Speaker 41909.98s - 1915.14s

that is that consider is 19 a small group yeah well there's some that do three or four it's just more

Speaker 21915.14s - 1920.82s

expensive if you go like under five people it's up you know you're talking like more than a couple

Speaker 01920.82s - 1926.38s

grand right like you're talking more like 10 grand, which I was not willing to pay.

Speaker 21927.22s - 1927.42s

Yeah.

Speaker 01928.14s - 1930.22s

But I'm sure you get an even better experience

Speaker 11930.22s - 1933.78s

because you have more of that one-on-one with the shaman.

Speaker 21934.82s - 2065.36s

But yeah, I woke up on Saturday morning, went to breakfast with the group, and somebody goes, did somebody hear a gunshot last night? And I said, oh, man, you know, I had a moment where I thought that was fireworks. And they're like, Sid, we're in the middle of the Amazon LOC jungle.Who the heck is lighting off fireworks? And they go, no, it's a gunshot because we're in, you know, we're in the Amazon LOC and there's other tribes. We're in this hut sort of area, tribal hut area. And there's other tribes that are near us and, you know, jaguires and different things. So they were protecting the border of the, you know,of the area that we were in, essentially. That's how far out we were from, because we flew into Qatos and then went an hour and a half down this river. And, you know, and so it was literally out in the middle. I didn't realize how far out I was until the last day. But I actually think since then, you know, I, so I appreciate Heath PERSON's, you know,compliments and whatnot, but I would say I'm actually probably not as consistent with, you know, hyping up the group as I would want to be. But that's, and it's something I've struggled with, like do I put on the fake face or do I not? I typically, I just wait till I feel it, right? Like I think since that experience, what I've learnedis when I'm really truly connected to myself, like the breathing exercises you do Kenneth PERSON in the morning, when I'm really in tune with where I am in a moment and what's going on around me and what the team needs, I show up, right, in that way. And sometimes the group does not need hype. Sometimes they actually need a quiet morning. Sometimes they need a one-on-one.Sometimes they need. And so it's really, it's less about bringing the energy, and it's more about bringing the right energy by being in touch with myself enough that I'm able to like perceive, right, what's going on around me and figure out what everybody else needs. And I don't do it right a lot of the times. You know, I still struggle.

Speaker 42065.68s - 2068.92s

Hey, sis, can I ask you a question?

Speaker 22069.06s - 2072.86s

And then I've got one statement I want to make that some people are going to probably

Speaker 12072.86s - 2075.74s

never listen to our podcast again after I say it, but that's okay.

Speaker 22075.82s - 2076.14s

Whatever.

Speaker 12077.18s - 2079.02s

Did you feel like, uh, I don't know to say otherwise.

Speaker 22080.54s - 2087.6s

Hey, did you, did you, do you feel like that experience on that, I'll call it a journey in Peru GPE, changed you forever?

Speaker 12087.8s - 2089.78s

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 42089.78s - 2096.64s

I will say, I will say, I will say, and I'm an EQ guy. I barely scratched eighth grade.

Speaker 12096.74s - 2098.36s

I have the brain of a small squirrel.

Speaker 42099.74s - 2105.82s

When we got on here today and you started talking and just your body language and your tonality,

Speaker 52106.78s - 2112.42s

I remember thinking to myself, Sid seems a lot more laid back today than she normally is when I see her.

Speaker 12112.72s - 2112.86s

Yeah.

Speaker 42113.32s - 2120.2s

Well, because I don't have that nervous, anxious energy where I'm worried about what other people are thinking.

Speaker 22120.2s - 2125.52s

I think at this point, so, you know, I think ayahuasca, it's such an interesting thing.

Speaker 42125.96s - 2133.12s

I think a lot of people can get to the place that ayahuasca gets you to, but it just takes longer, right?

Speaker 22133.12s - 2138.9s

Like I remember our shaman saying, hey, we're going to try and do what people accomplish in 40 years and four days.

Speaker 42139.38s - 2143.66s

So it's almost like a cheat code to coming into touch with yourself.

Speaker 02143.78s - 2145.38s

And it's a, it's a roller coaster.

Speaker 22145.52s - 2149.3s

I mean, I could tell you some stories that I am not going to share on this podcast.

Speaker 02150.5s - 2150.52s

But.

Speaker 42150.64s - 2152.26s

So, so, so, yeah.

Speaker 02152.54s - 2153.76s

So, so let me say this.

Speaker 22153.76s - 2154.52s

And we'll move on.

Speaker 12155.02s - 2155.22s

Yeah.

Speaker 22155.86s - 2160.74s

This is like, this is like phase one of me becoming like a cult leader probably,

Speaker 12160.88s - 2161.78s

but I'm going to say it anyway.

Speaker 02163.36s - 2168.1s

So, so I, number one, number one, number one, I do believe in God.

Speaker 22168.1s - 2173.2s

Same, same. Same. Yep. Do believe in God. I don't believe.

Speaker 42173.2s - 2179.66s

Well, I don't know this for a fact, but you ask like how do we, how do we do this?

Speaker 22179.66s - 2183.52s

And I think the three of them gave their opinion and my opinion is this.

Speaker 42184.36s - 2186.76s

I'm not so sure that God,

Speaker 22187.94s - 2190.3s

where we as Americans NORP anyway,

Speaker 42190.86s - 2192.12s

that go to church,

Speaker 22192.24s - 2193.82s

kind of have this opinion of God

Speaker 42193.82s - 2196.62s

and this view of God as a human being type,

Speaker 22197.18s - 2200.16s

the guy with a big beard and you're going to go up to heaven

Speaker 42200.16s - 2202.38s

and he's, you know, meet you at the pearly gates.

Speaker 12203.4s - 2207.6s

He may be something completely different in the form of energy right

Speaker 42207.6s - 2215.72s

i believe that god lives in each one of us okay almost like a light inside you and here it comes

Speaker 12215.72s - 2224.32s

here it comes so i believe whatever that dark energy is that people i think refer to they make that

Speaker 42224.32s - 2227.74s

connection to satan maybe or or the devil or whatever.

Speaker 12227.9s - 2228.06s

Yeah.

Speaker 42228.82s - 2241.28s

I just have always felt that when you lead with love and you decide that that light that's inside you that I,

Speaker 12241.78s - 2243.56s

maybe that's God.

Speaker 42243.56s - 2246.12s

Maybe that's God is some type of energy, life form that's inside you that I maybe maybe that's God maybe that that's that's God is some

Speaker 12246.12s - 2252.56s

type of energy form that's inside each and every one of us but each and every one of us has

Speaker 22252.56s - 2259.24s

the other part of us too right yep but when you lead with that rather than the dark side

Speaker 42259.24s - 2266.7s

and you get in drama and you get in cuss fights on social media and you you hate on people and you're

Speaker 12266.7s - 2275.54s

popping on social media about you know oh they're good i just think that that love wins man yeah

Speaker 42275.54s - 2280.12s

so just think love wins here's how i would put that uh because i'm still working through this

Speaker 22280.12s - 2284.34s

philosophically and dude we should have a beer or coffee sometimes because i would love to pick your

Speaker 12284.34s - 2290.56s

brain on this so i when I came out I remember I went to dinner

Speaker 22290.56s - 2293.8s

with my mom she actually came to visit me I was living in DC and I remember sitting

Speaker 12293.8s - 2297.28s

across the table from her at a restaurant and she said Sid PERSON you're going to

Speaker 42297.28s - 2304.84s

hell and that scared the living bejesus out of me in the moment I was like oh

Speaker 22304.84s - 2307.98s

not you know kind of protective mode In the moment, I was like, oh, not, you know, kind of protective mode,

Speaker 42308.1s - 2312.78s

ego came on. I remember I walked out of the restaurant, you know, I was like, not about it.

Speaker 22313.7s - 2318.44s

By the way, never in your life did you need Scott Howell sitting beside you more than that day,

Speaker 42318.52s - 2323.68s

because she and I would have gone 10 rounds. Yeah, no, I appreciate that. And she didn't, you know,

Speaker 22323.72s - 2327.82s

my mom and I've come a long way in the last 10, 11 years now.

Speaker 42328.62s - 2344.22s

But, you know, in that moment, I internalized this fear and reality of hell, right, as this sort of place down below underneath, sort of all the religious beliefs or principles, right, that we hear about.

Speaker 22346.3s - 2357.88s

religious beliefs or principles right that we hear about and what's in what's changed about my framework now since this experience is number one are we are nothing

Speaker 42357.88s - 2368.64s

compared to the cosmos the the I mean it is so much. Like the sand, you know, at the beach, right?

Speaker 22368.64s - 2369.46s

Pretty much.

Speaker 42369.46s - 2383.58s

Our tiny human brains think that we have the capacity and capability to wrap our little tiny human brains around what's actually going on in the universe, that right there blows my mind.

Speaker 22384.3s - 2387.34s

Right. That, that went right out the window.

Speaker 02387.8s - 2395.74s

So number one, I'm like questioning everything at this point in a good way, not in a, I don't know about it, but in a, why does that work that way? How does that work?

Speaker 22395.74s - 2404.32s

And, you know, challenging like basic principles that we believe in. You know, I had a, they call it an ego death, but essentially it's where you're,

Speaker 02404.58s - 2411.34s

what people refer to a spirit or soul sort of separates from your physical body and you're able to kind of see it from above.

Speaker 12411.34s - 2416.34s

And you realize that you are a lot more than your physicality and materialism.

Speaker 02416.7s - 2428s

And what we do a lot of times is we create these systems in order to kind of keep our physicality to make it behave, right?

Speaker 12428.12s - 2432.64s

And to make it so that everybody can kind of connect and live together and, you know,

Speaker 22432.7s - 2433.44s

live in one.

Speaker 12433.44s - 2439.48s

And it comes from that idea of physicality or ego as opposed to this internal, you know,

Speaker 22439.68s - 2447.4s

sort of soul-centric or spirit-centric place, which is such a, it's very interesting.

Speaker 02447.4s - 2455.24s

So what I also realized is when you sort of release yourself from that ego, you're a lot more

Speaker 22455.24s - 2500.96s

connected from that energetic place to people around you. I was more connected to people in the room. You know, you're more connected to people even outside the room, right? Again, I can tell you stories about that, like other places in the universe, other around, like it's really kind of trippy. And, you know, what I realized was that that that kind of connection was never reallysomething I had felt before. And the idea of love, you know, we call it love. Again, words are hard, right? Connection is how I might also describe it. When you're really in tune with connecting to yourself, it's a lot easier to connect with others and be connected with what's going on around you.

Speaker 02501.82s - 2508s

And when you experience disconnection from yourself or from other people is when

Speaker 12508s - 2515.26s

you start to feel that like loneliness, that desperation, that hopelessness and ultimately like that

Speaker 22515.26s - 2521.14s

victimhood and powerlessness. And there's sort of this sort of like spiral that you go down,

Speaker 02521.14s - 2527.32s

right? And it's not, I agree, I don't necessarily think of it as,

Speaker 12527.72s - 2532.82s

you know, a hell. I guess you could think you could term it that way, but it's more of just

Speaker 02532.82s - 2540.56s

this disconnection from, from sort of the source of the universe or love or, you know, the,

Speaker 22540.56s - 2551.56s

the universe itself. I know, again, this sounds really crazy. And I can't believe I'm saying this on a vertiphyr, but that's, you know, agreed universe itself. I know, again, this sounds really crazy. And I can't believe I'm saying this on a Vertiport ORG, podcast. But that's, you know, agreed wholeheartedly. That's kind of the way I would think about it.

Speaker 42551.58s - 2557.08s

We got to get a beer in some way. You know how you can prove that out? I'll tell you exactly how you can prove it out.

Speaker 22557.1s - 2557.46s

Let's go.

Speaker 42557.74s - 2560.86s

So in the last five years, really 10 years DATE,

Speaker 22561.08s - 2568.78s

all these reality shows have come out where they stick somebody out in the wilderness by themselves.

Speaker 42569.08s - 2573.18s

There's one, I can't remember the name of it, but it's called, I think it's called Alone PRODUCT,

Speaker 22573.38s - 2579.28s

where they take like 10 people, they separate them by like three to five miles,

Speaker 42579.28s - 2582.16s

but they put them in Alaska GPE by themselves.

Speaker 12582.46s - 2591.46s

And every single person that they put on that show, some of these guys and girls are like expert wilderness people.

Speaker 42592.3s - 2600s

In about 55 days, most of them are like, I can't do this anymore. I want to go home and see my family. Because we were built for relationships.

Speaker 52600.3s - 2601.62s

You know, we were built for that.

Speaker 42601.74s - 2607.92s

We were built to have that literally, you know, Eve was put on this earth to Adam PERSON's helper and made from the, you know.

Speaker 52608s - 2626s

So, yeah, I, again, I think that we were made for relationship in an awkward transition here probably. I do think that goes back into insurance. I think, you know, the relationship will always be key. The relationship will always be king in this business, no matter where you're at, in the hard market, soft market, you know, whatever you're going through, whatnot.

Speaker 22626.4s - 2632.88s

See, you know, I thought you were going to go, and that's why we need an intranet because we all need to be more connected.

Speaker 52633.08s - 2643.76s

Boom. I'm going to get there. My bad. I was a beautiful segue, said. You did the way better than I did. I was trying, so it's like, I got to get this back around.I got to tie this. We got to earn our paycheck here.

Speaker 42643.76s - 2650.12s

I'll say this, Pete PERSON. Yeah. Go ahead. No, I was no I was just gonna no I don't want to interrupt you go ahead you're about to say

Speaker 52650.12s - 2656.48s

I was just going to say you know in terms you know one of the things I talk about all the time on the

Speaker 42656.48s - 2664.6s

podcast is um I think technology is a beautiful thing I think vertifor has some beautiful

Speaker 02664.6s - 2671.22s

beautiful products some great products you know I think Kenneth is a beautiful thing. I think Verte4 ORG has some beautiful products, some great products. You know, I think Kenneth PERSON and I would both stand on the pulpit

Speaker 42671.22s - 2676.3s

and we could talk for hours about agency zoom and how wonderful that product is.

Speaker 02677.22s - 2679.26s

Yeah, I think Kenneth PERSON's written a book about it.

Speaker 12679.26s - 2680.76s

Kenneth PERSON's back in the room.

Speaker 42681.02s - 2681.42s

There is.

Speaker 32682.86s - 2684.7s

But I'll say this.

Speaker 42685.52s - 2691.96s

The one thing I have never been able to square away when it comes to direct the consumer

Speaker 32691.96s - 2701.8s

insurance carriers like lemonade and some others is I don't believe because the only reason

Speaker 42701.8s - 2717.7s

any of us are here, the only reason any person here is talking to each other is really, we don't make our money when we just take people's premium, right? We make our money when we're there for them in the worst possible thing that's ever happened.

Speaker 12717.78s - 2719.8s

They come home, their house is burned down or whatever.

Speaker 02720.5s - 2725.98s

And I just don't see from a retention standpoint,

Speaker 42726.86s - 2739.76s

if there's no relationship, how or why somebody when a company like lemonade needs to take 47% rate, how are you going to keep them?

Speaker 12740.14s - 2742.9s

All they're going to do is look at the bill and say,

Speaker 42742.96s - 2743.84s

well, I'm not paying this.

Speaker 12743.9s - 2745.44s

I'll just go get my stuff somewhere else.

Speaker 42746.24s - 2762.74s

So that relationship part of this industry is so important. And as I tell people all the time, I'm like, look, I just want my agents to have the relationship with our clients where at least they call them and say, hey, Scott PERSON, I need you to get my insurance down. I'm going to go somewhere else.

Speaker 12762.94s - 2763.82s

That's all I want.

Speaker 42764.7s - 2780.82s

You know, give me a chance to make it right or to get something else if I have it. But if you don't have that relationship, you know what you get, Sid PERSON? An email on Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock, please cancel my insurance. I've gone with another carrier.

Speaker 22781.4s - 2782.62s

With no heads up.

Speaker 52783.1s - 2783.86s

Yeah, none.

Speaker 22784.16s - 2794.52s

And I'll be fully transparent when I decided to come over here at Vertefort ORG. One of the reasons I did was because, and I didn't know coming to a technology company, what would this look like? But I'm a big relationship guy. I've talked about it forever.

Speaker 52795.32s - 2805.44s

And one of the things when I first got here, the tagline, powering your possibility here at Vertefort ORG. And they talk about internally here a lot from the top down how much technology is

Speaker 02805.44s - 2824.02s

there to help relationships to put our clients you guys in the position to build those relationships to close more deals yes but also to put your people Kenneth Scott PERSON in a position to build relationships to further their you know relationships with their clients and so you know again you know to bring

Speaker 52824.02s - 2841.58s

this back around a little bit, you brought up something about Kenneth that I want to get into for a few minutes before we have to wrap up of, you know, and you talked about you couldn't shut up at agency Zoom PRODUCT. So I put you the test there for a minute, Kenneth. But how much does that agency Zoom PRODUCT truly help your staff build that relationship and do that? What kind of buildouts do you have for some of that if you want to talk about

Speaker 02841.58s - 2845.64s

just for a minute? Yeah know after this podcast I would love

Speaker 52845.64s - 2850.56s

to share you my powerpoint of how much we love agencies we may have to bring you on a

Speaker 12850.56s - 2857.18s

webinar yeah okay it's a webinar but uh it's done but yeah no man it's you heard it here

Speaker 02857.18s - 2863.96s

but no it's it's it's it's a great resource to have and uh I want to first say I really

Speaker 12863.96s - 2865.82s

appreciate y'all's team at agency Zoom

Speaker 02865.82s - 2868.54s

because y'all really listen to the input of the agent.

Speaker 12869.26s - 2871.5s

And like I've reached out to several of your team.

Speaker 02871.6s - 2874.08s

I'm like, hey, you know, this would be really nice to have.

Speaker 12874.08s - 2876.28s

And, you know, they've helped make it a reality.

Speaker 02876.62s - 2904.98s

But, but yeah, no, I mean, we use it from everything from helping us automate, you know, notifications to clients on quotes to seamlessly creating a handoff procedure where the, the agent only has to take two minutes, pass it off to the service team, wrap it up, and then just retention. And honestly, agency Zoom PRODUCT has really been crucial to helping us with the retention when you all implemented the service center. It's been really nice.

Speaker 52906.64s - 2924.02s

Yeah, I appreciate it. If there's any one or two pieces of their sentence of advice you could give to someone listening right now, whether in your role or in a management role, what would that be from your perspective, Kenneth PERSON? Do you mean just relatively like?

Speaker 02924.06s - 2933.62s

Yeah, relatively using agency Zoom PRODUCT, like a way that they could, you know, use a sort of agency Zoom piece to further that relationship or to help their staff.

Speaker 52933.7s - 2936.96s

Because you said you're all about your staff, putting them in the best position.

Speaker 02937.22s - 2937.8s

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 52938.44s - 2940.08s

Yeah, so let's see.

Speaker 02940.9s - 2941.88s

I put you on the spot there.

Speaker 52941.88s - 2948.26s

I would say, yeah, I would say, say you know be really careful with your automations.

Speaker 02948.6s - 2950.04s

Make them make sense.

Speaker 52950.42s - 2951.86s

So two things with automations.

Speaker 02952.66s - 2955.68s

So Bradley PERSON was really good at doing the copyright

Speaker 12955.68s - 2957.28s

like Scott PERSON was saying earlier.

Speaker 52957.42s - 2960.78s

So all of our texts have, you know, the personality behind them.

Speaker 02961.36s - 2981.56s

They don't feel robotic and they come at the right time. Another thing is, I would say if you are going to utilize automations with task, I would say add redundancies just to make yourself safe. Redundancies, it might be annoying, but it will, it adds a level of

Speaker 12981.56s - 2985.84s

accountability. Sorry, I lost my level of accountability.

Speaker 02987.32s - 2987.44s

Sorry, I lost my train of thought.

Speaker 42988.36s - 3015.86s

What else did you ask you? Kenneth PERSON, while you're thinking about what the other thing you were going to say, let me ask you this question to piggyback off what Heath PERSON just asked you. Would you agree, though, that there is a tight wire act that you're walking that tight wire between having enough automations in there and maybe there's a little redundancy there and I understand that

Speaker 13015.86s - 3022.08s

and I can appreciate that but then if you fall off the top wire normally it's because

Speaker 03022.08s - 3026.72s

the redundancy is just too much you know like late pay

Speaker 43026.72s - 3033.84s

notification instead of having five you have 10 yeah in different forms like an email a ringless

Speaker 03033.84s - 3041.04s

voicemail a text message whatever and and i you know we i'll give you a perfect example our claims

Speaker 13041.04s - 3047.24s

automation through vertifor's agency zoom we go in and look and the person that

Speaker 03047.24s - 3054.86s

had created it had like 12 automations to the point i had people calling me that had a claim

Speaker 13054.86s - 3059.82s

and they're like you got to turn some of this off this is yeah y'all are sending me a

Speaker 43059.82s - 3065.92s

every every other 30 minutes it feels like yeah that, that's a really good point, Scott PERSON.

Speaker 03066.08s - 3068.08s

So one of the things at our agency,

Speaker 13068.96s - 3070.54s

we're really transparent.

Speaker 03071.08s - 3163.46s

Like I guess we'll get into it later, but I just want to kind of point towards it. So the intranet that we've created over time, it has, I have a spreadsheet or actually a Google ORG document that list out every single automationwithin our agency where I can read it like a book, where I can understand what goes on. And so that allows new people in our agency to see a 30,000 foot view stole that from Bertha PERSON. You're welcome. But a 30,000 foot view of our agency to really understand what's going on. So anytime we have somebody brand new, it might feel like info overload, but I'm like, hey, guys, this is exactly what our agency looks like.So you can pinpoint and dive in. And then kind of another add on to the agency Zoom is, you know, we meet quarterly. Me, Natasha and Bradley, we'll meet quarterly and we'll be like, hey, our agency has grown. Does this workflow, do these automations, do they still make sense or do they need to be tweaked and refined? Because the larger you grow, the more the little problems become larger problems that you need to address. And another thing that we have at our agency to keep track of those is I'm really big about I don't thinkthere's it's going to sound stupid but I don't necessarily like the idea of issue I like the idea that there's a problem that we don't yet have a solution for so we always try to tackle

Speaker 13163.46s - 3171.86s

things in that light so we have we have a document where. So we always try to tackle things in that light. So we have a document where we can be like, oh, this is a, we call it occurrence.

Speaker 03171.86s - 3180.76s

So this is an occurrence I found here examples of the occurrence and other people can add to that where we can work as a team to come up with the best solution.

Speaker 13180.76s - 3185.76s

Instead of working more proactively than reactions.

Speaker 03185.76s - 3191.18s

Man Scott, when Bradley PERSON has another baby, you need another co-host.

Speaker 13191.28s - 3194.34s

You need to bring Kenneth PERSON on there as your co-host for a little while because this dude's

Speaker 03194.34s - 3195.24s

dropping dimes.

Speaker 13195.84s - 3198.6s

Listen, listen, I'm just going to say it right now.

Speaker 53199.2s - 3201.6s

This may be the best podcast anybody's ever done.

Speaker 13201.68s - 3202s

Dude.

Speaker 43202.1s - 3202.94s

Ever.

Speaker 13203.1s - 3204.82s

I'm talking Lewis Howles PERSON.

Speaker 53204.9s - 3205.96s

I'm talking all of them. This may be the best one. Dude, Kenneth's dropping some done. Dude. Ever. I'm talking Lewis Howells PERSON. I'm talking all of them.

Speaker 13206.02s - 3206.9s

This may be the best one.

Speaker 53206.9s - 3208.28s

Dude, Kenneth PERSON's dropping some bombs.

Speaker 13208.42s - 3211.36s

Okay, so on that note, you brought up Intranet PRODUCT.

Speaker 53211.56s - 3213.7s

Just to set the table, I want to close out with this.

Speaker 43214.08s - 3234.22s

So if you can set the table one of you two, what is Intranet PRODUCT for those who don't know? And then how did you come to this conclusion? Where did, you know, mind your agency come from? You know, just kind of wherever you want to take that. There's no real question. I just want to get into it and highlight this a little bit on part of the show as we, you know, begin to wrap it up.

Speaker 03235.68s - 3242.68s

So, yeah, so what an intranet is is it's basically for, if you don't know, anybody listening,

Speaker 53242.96s - 3252.74s

it's basically an internet, but for your company that has workflows, processes, procedures, and just general knowledge to help your team have the resources they need.

Speaker 13253.44s - 3262.74s

And whenever Bradley started Portal, one of the first things he did, which I'm very grateful for, was he had the bones set up.

Speaker 03263.26s - 3309.68s

Like, he had an intranet, you know, it wasn't pretty, but it had the info that we needed at the time. And, you know, I'm really glad that he started whenever he did because, you know, that was, I believe, in 2019. And then we had the hard market a little bit after. And then we had COVID.And so the bones were there. And just over time, it's taken us four years to build this thing out to what it is. And I think it's really been helpful to us because whenever I talk to people about, you know, the project we're working on is I'm like, anybody can do this. Anybody can do this. It's whether you have the time and the resources available to do it but uh but yeah so

Speaker 13309.68s - 3317.12s

so uh bradley had asked me to help him on the internet a few years back and i wanted to take it and run

Speaker 03317.12s - 3329.04s

with it so we've really fleshed things out i had to learn a lot um figured out how to build it for Microsoft ORG products, and just out of nowhere, I believe

Speaker 13329.04s - 3337.4s

it was November, Scott PERSON. Rather, was like, hey, this thing's looking real good. Do you think you

Speaker 03337.4s - 3368.86s

could build this for other people? And I was like, yeah. And he's like, you want to. And I was like, yeah. And so that's kind of the birth of it. And so what we want to do is, you know, we want to be able to create this resource that's invaluable to our agency and help others build it. The kind of people looking for like not necessarily as their agencies, but like people that, you know, kind of just chasing their tail, so to speak.

Speaker 53369.22s - 3370.82s

Like, like you have processes.

Speaker 43371.02s - 3372.04s

He's looking for Scott PERSON.

Speaker 53372.04s - 3380.5s

Well, I was going to say, Scott PERSON, if you could, you know, piggyback, maybe give some use cases and maybe I'm sure you're using it in your agency and just kind of walk through a little bit of that.

Speaker 43381.36s - 3381.5s

Yeah.

Speaker 53381.64s - 3383.78s

So just real quick. Thanks, Kenneth PERSON. That was awesome.

Speaker 43384s - 3482s

30 seconds. 30 seconds. And I'll let Kenneth PERSON get back to what he was saying. So used to, like, going all the way back to 2019, I would go to like Mike Stromso's UPP event or Chris Paradiso's mastermind event. And there was this one theme that I kept hearing. And that is your agency, especially as you get bigger, you know, if Heath and I start an agency in Arkansas tomorrow and we're keeping all of our stuff in a Star Wars WORK_OF_ART trapper keeper,you know, we probably don't need an internet. We've got three policies in the office, right? But the bigger you get and the more people you hire, you know, you need to have a place where maybe the first 45 days that new hire can go and watch videos of everything from, you know, how to do agency Zoom PRODUCT. And sometimes we'll pull stuff from, you know, places like Hawksoft or Agency Zoom PRODUCT to help teach people. talk soft or agency zoom to help teach people.But when I would go to these events, Paradiso and Stromso ORG were saying you got to have an intranet. Oh, but here's the last thing they would say. It's going to cost you about $75,000, but you've got to have an internet. Intranet, excuse me, for your agency.And I think what we've been able to accomplish with Kenneth PERSON being kind of the boots on the ground is the ability for an agency who have an intranet and not have to open the checkbook out and pay somebody $75,000 or $100,000 to develop it.

Speaker 13482s - 3487.32s

Kenneth PERSON, do you have anything you want to add to it? Chad may have something to add, but Kenneth, do you have anything you want to add to that?

Speaker 53489.12s - 3489.64s

Oh, no.

Speaker 03489.84s - 3490.92s

No, Scott PERSON nailed it.

Speaker 33491.22s - 3499.12s

I want to say that coming full circle on this is, you know, the theme of the day is, is energy.

Speaker 53499.66s - 3507.16s

And that intranet creates that energy for not only, you know, that connection that you're talking about,

Speaker 03507.44s - 3517.16s

but just like Kenneth PERSON was saying, you know, sometimes I have to fake it, but the energy's there to use it in that intranet.

Speaker 53517.52s - 3519.48s

You don't have to fake it every time.

Speaker 33519.72s - 3522.34s

It's already there for you to use. Correct.

Speaker 43522.94s - 3523.72s

That's awesome.

Speaker 53524.38s - 3529.48s

Also, Chad PERSON, you could say anything, and I would just stare deeply into your eyes.

Speaker 43529.48s - 3529.72s

Right?

Speaker 53529.86s - 3531.16s

I think I stopped breathing.

Speaker 43531.7s - 3532.78s

Like, I wasn't breathing.

Speaker 23532.9s - 3533.58s

100%.

Speaker 43533.58s - 3535.06s

A hundred percent.

Speaker 03535.32s - 3537.98s

And again, I'm glad you brought that up.

Speaker 53538.04s - 3542.02s

And again, as we wrap up, so the thing is, you know, you may have to fake it,

Speaker 03542.12s - 3543.64s

but I think you're faking it for yourself.

Speaker 23543.9s - 3545.94s

The realness is like the why you're doing,

Speaker 03546.08s - 3546.86s

why you're faking it.

Speaker 53546.9s - 3562.12s

You're faking it for your team. That's real. That's the realness that you have. Like, you know you're faking it internally because you're like, I got to get there, but you know you've got a team that needs it. And so that's the real.So I think that's why we keep doing it. And again, going back to people knowing your team and what they need and don't need.

Speaker 03562.42s - 3565.62s

But guys, do you have anything you want to say before we close out?

Speaker 23565.7s - 3567.14s

No, this is your show, man. Let's go.

Speaker 53567.14s - 3570.5s

Dude, like you said, Scott PERSON, this has been a phenomenal podcast.

Speaker 23570.88s - 3572.38s

You guys delivered. Thank you.

Speaker 53572.46s - 3572.98s

For sure.

Speaker 43573.1s - 3575.1s

Hey, hey, I want to say one thing before we go.

Speaker 23575.84s - 3581.2s

You know, I was talking about how we all have this image of God being a person.

Speaker 43581.54s - 3584.56s

He's an older gentleman, big beard.

Speaker 53585.02s - 3585.54s

You know,

Speaker 43585.6s - 3587.34s

maybe that's the staff or whatever.

Speaker 13588.3s - 3589.24s

In my mind,

Speaker 43589.56s - 3593.38s

his voice sounds like Chad PERSON. Right? Not Morgan Friedman PERSON,

Speaker 53593.5s - 3595.64s

but Chad PERSON's the voice of God, right?

Speaker 13596.74s - 3596.94s

Like,

Speaker 53597s - 3600.12s

if I could choose like one person on the planet

Speaker 43600.12s - 3609.86s

to be the voice of God to match that image that we all have of him as a human being, that voice would be Chad PERSON.

Speaker 53610.26s - 3613.22s

Hey, Chad PERSON, do you want to close us out with that voice of yours? Because that was awesome.

Speaker 33613.6s - 3617.16s

I would say, be careful, Scott PERSON. You might hear me at some point.

Speaker 53617.16s - 3638.36s

Say, it's not. Start. That is awesome. Guys, thank you so much. Both of you guys are being here. Thank you, Voice of God, for coming to join us, too.Ladies and gentlemen that are watching on YouTube ORG, make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don't miss anymore. If you're listening on, you know, wherever, Apple, Spotify, Google ORG, wherever you listen, keep listening. And then after you listen to ours, maybe you go find insurance guys

Speaker 13638.36s - 3649.28s

and give them a listen to because they're amazing. Yes. Good friends, inverted for it. Kenneth PERSON, thank you so much. If you want to reach out to them, I'm sure you can find them on LinkedIn ORG, Scott Howell, Kenneth Williamson PERSON.We'll maybe put a link in the show notes.

Speaker 53649.88s - 3655.14s

Again, thank you guys for hanging out with us, and we'll see you on the next one. Well, that was a great episode.

Speaker 23655.98s - 3658.82s

Amazing. It was an amazing episode.

Speaker 53658.94s - 3664.96s

I really enjoyed that content. Guys, if you enjoyed that content, you want more of it, make sure you hit the subscribe button.

Speaker 23664.96s - 3668.74s

Nah, dude. You got to tell them to crush it. Crush that subscribe button, guys.

Speaker 53668.9s - 3674.18s

All right. Whether you want to crush it, smash it, hit it. Bop it? Sure, we could bop it.

Speaker 23674.68s - 3679.24s

Either way, guys, we don't want you to miss another episode. We enjoy spending time with you,

Speaker 53679.32s - s

the VIP. Yeah. We'll see you next week.