Industry Insights

Charley Todd

We’ve never had less stigma around mental health—and yet we’ve never seen more people struggling with it. Anxiety is up. Depression is rising. More people than ever are naming what’s happening in their minds and bodies—and that’s progress. But talking about it isn’t the same as healing from it.

We’re flooded with mental health conten...

Tate Secrist

Growing up in the small town of Blackfoot, Idaho, Tate Secrist learned early that hard work, family values and high expectations form the foundation for success. Working alongside his father building homes from a young age, he understood the importance of grit, responsibility and faith—principles that continue to shape his life today ...

Troy Korsgaden

The insurance industry is in the midst of one of the most significant transformations in its history. Long seen as a stable sector, the industry is now being reshaped by fast-moving forces: technological disruption, changing customer expectations, evolving regulations, demographic shifts and global risks such as climate change. For ...

Michelle Hubert

In today’s competitive multiline insurance landscape, the success of an agency force hinges on the strength and leadership of those guiding it. Field leaders play a pivotal role—not just as coaches and advisors, but as architects of high-performing organizations.

A strong agency network is built on five pillars: building top-perfo...

John Ingersoll

I would never have thought of myself as someone who would, or should, embark on a somewhat extreme physical challenge. Sure, I played sports growing up and have always enjoyed being outside. But I am not, and have never been, an elite athlete: I have worked in the insurance industry for 35 years (so in addition to not being an athle...

Gerhard Gschwandtner

During my first years in the United States, back in the 1970s, I was surprised by how easy it was to engage in small talk with strangers. Every time I traveled on a plane, I had fascinating conversations. Today, people on a trip rarely talk to the person sitting next to them. People put on their headphones, watch a movie or wo...

Andy Butcher

Matt Hodson believes that if you want to get ahead—whether that’s making the team or making a good living—you’ve got to do some heavy lifting. It’s a philosophy that has guided him from his days as an undersized high school athlete through a successful 40-plus-year career with State Farm.

Well regarded for his influence in the compan...

Troy Korsgaden

Field leaders—the sales managers, district managers, regional directors and others who directly recruit and develop agents and advisors—are vital to the success of the insurance and financial services industry. The U.S. property and casualty market, which generates over $800 billion in annual direct premiums written, owes much of it...

Michelle Hubert

In the fast-evolving world of multiline insurance, high-performing teams are critical to agency success. These teams are distinguished by a deep commitment to client relationships, operational efficiency and accountability in a highly competitive, client-centered world.

However, the industry is also undergoing significant disrupti...

Industry influencer Mike James shares his journey to inspire others to pursue opportunity

When Mike James took the platform as Finseca’s new chair at the organization’s 2024 annual gathering in Washington, D.C., it was a far cry from his early days at such industry events where he recalls, other than for the wait staff, being the only person of co...