Agency Nation Radio

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Cash McMillen, partner and executive vice president of operations at The Cashion Company Insurance in Little Rock, Arkansas, and chairman of the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee, hosts a discussion with two young agents about getting started as a commercial lines independent insurance agent. Deuel Romero, commercial lines agent at Tedford Insurance in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Kate Adams, commercial lines marketing manager at Flood & Peterson in Denver, Colorado, explore why and how to choose a commercial lines niche, how to get up to speed in a new industry segment, and tips for building a strong network. Romero discusses his work with Hispanic business owners and Adams shares insights from her business marketing role and how her commercial lines background helps her connect with clients. "I think people are too afraid of making mistakes," Adams says. "The lessons that we have learned the best, and that have stuck with us, have been from the mistakes that we've made along the way." Romero and Adams were also featured alongside eight other young agents in Independent Agent magazine's June issue. https://www.iamagazine.com/2025/06/01/license-to-lead-meet-10-young-agents-35-and-under/ Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/category/podcasts.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Courtney Jacobs, owner of Insurance Done Right (IDR) in Biloxi, Mississippi. Since launching her agency seven years ago, Jacobs has navigated the complexities of growing a business along the Gulf Coast—where the unique challenges of flood insurance and storm exposure are a constant concern—while also serving in the Air National Guard and giving back to her community through various organizations. "We have seen a large impact since the flood rates changed a few years ago, which is counting a lot of people out from some of these bigger homes or projects," Jacobs explains. "Because of our extra exposure down here in the lower six counties in Mississippi, we’re definitely feeling the rate increases. The beauty is that I do have the options as an independent broker, which I do appreciate. But it’s tough because some people just can’t afford it." "We do a lot of fundraising for the homeless or for women’s shelters," Jacobs says when asked about her philanthropy endeavors. "Through those different platforms and organizations, I’m donating, I’m giving back, I’m raising money. Just anything that impacts my community for the better." Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Jacobs was also featured in the July issue of Independent Agent. Check out her interview here or read the full issue online.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Ashley Engl, chair of Big I New York’s NextGen young agent committee, hosts a conversation with two Generation Z agents: Jackson Doyle, commercial risk adviser at J. Krug in Itasca, Illinois; and Brooke Stout, receptionist and assistant account manager at Chalk & Gibbs Insurance & Real Estate in Morehead City, North Carolina. Together, they discuss how they got their start in the industry, what excites them about its evolution and the valuable lessons they've learned from the mentors who have guided their growth along the way. “I’ve learned the most from doing the job,” Doyle says. “Being thrown into the fire—whether it's all the cold calls, dealing with rejection, meeting with prospects, or going through your routine of delivering a proposal—a lot of the growth over the years has just come from strictly doing the job and learning what works.” This month, Doyle and Stout were featured in Independent Agent magazine's June cover story alongside eight other next-generation agents. https://www.iamagazine.com/2025/06/01/license-to-lead-meet-10-young-agents-35-and-under/ Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we’ve got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we meet Brock Elliott, Producer and partner at Elliott Insurance Group in Louisburg, Kansas. Elliott got his start in the industry when he turned 21 and bounced around a couple roles before finally finding his stride as an account executive. Throughout his career, Elliott has played a pivotal role in the Big 'I' community at both the state and national levels—leading as chair of the Young Agents of Kansas (YAK) and the national Young Agents Committee (YAC) where he learned about the annual YAC Give Week and InsurPac and how we can give back to the insurance industry and the greater community. “I challenged another young agent across the state to see who could raise more bandages and more money. The loser had to get a bandage-themed tattoo,” Elliott said recalling a time he lost a bet during a fundraising challenge in support of Noah’s Bandage Project, a charity dedicated to raising money for pediatric cancer and providing fun bandages to children undergoing treatment. “We collected over 1 million bandages and about $10,000 in under 30 days. We got to take the bandages to the kids and they got to see the tattoo. They loved it.” Today, Elliott is championing political advocacy in his current role as chair of the state government affairs committee and most recently was presented with the Young Agent of the Year Award at the 2025 Big “I” Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts. Elliott was also featured in the June issue of Independent Agent. Check out his interview here or read the full issue online. https://www.iamagazine.com/magazine/issues/2025/june/declaration-of-independents-brock-elliott

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Will Jones, Big “I” director of communications and editor-in-chief of Independent Agent magazine, is joined by Nancy Germond, Big “I” executive director of risk management and education, and Amanda Juratovic, Big “I” vice president of E&O operations, to discuss one of the independent agency channel’s most-pressing issues: rising errors & omissions claims. With the hard market, remote work dynamics, and evolving client expectations converging, the risk landscape is shifting fast. But what does this mean for your agency—and how can you protect yourself? “What we’re really seeing is that the basics are being overlooked, and that’s what’s leading to E&O claims,” Juratovic said. “It all comes back to the fundamentals. If agents consistently follow the core standards they’ve been trained on, we’d see a significant drop in claims—even in a hard market.” Don’t miss this essential conversation on how to navigate E&O risk in today’s complex environment. Agency Nation Radio is where insurance professionals turn on the mic and share unscripted stories about leadership, technology, marketing, success, and failure—stories that helped make them the professionals they are today. From Main Street USA to the pages of Independent Agent magazine—we've got the stories you want to hear. For more, catch Agency Nation Radio on your favorite streaming platform or visit iamagazine.com/podcasts.