Slade Lewis on Leadership, Follow-Up, and the Future of Insurance

NASCAR, Family, and Starting Over with Chip Goode

What 19 years on pit road taught Chip Goode about pressure, family, and building a second career. In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long talks with Chip Goode about sports, NASCAR, family, and how he made the jump from pit road into insurance. It starts with football and the NFL Draft, but the bigger story is about work, timing, and knowing when it is time to build something new. Chip shares how he spent 19 years on NASCAR pit crews, what that life demanded, and why he eventually needed a different path for his family. He also gets into the move into insurance, buying an agency, and what it means to have more control over your work and your time. CHAPTERS 00:20 – Mitch checks in with Chip and the conversation starts with business 00:46 – Rate increases, tighter underwriting, and a tougher insurance market 01:10 – NFL Draft talk and why Chip likes the Panthers building up front 02:34 – Steelers fans, draft night, and the Aaron Rodgers question 04:29 – Why teams get stuck chasing average instead of finding their quarterback 06:44 – Chip on growing up in Statesville and being around racing early 07:00 – Football, basketball, UNC Charlotte, and getting into NASCAR 07:53 – Chad Little, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, and life on pit crews 09:06 – How Chip first got into the sport through his dad 10:43 – Getting into Victory Lane as a kid 11:00 – From helping on weekends to jumping over the wall in 1998 12:27 – The physical and mental side of being on a pit crew 13:52 – Meeting his wife and balancing racing with family life 15:00 – A streak of 730 straight Cup races 16:26 – Why family eventually changed the way he saw the job 18:04 – Coaching, showing up for kids, and the value of flexibility 20:27 – His daughters, college, and musical theater 22:07 – Why Chip moved from NASCAR into insurance 23:23 – The call that pushed him toward Farm Bureau 24:00 – Getting licensed while still working race weekends 25:01 – The chance meeting that led to buying an agency 26:13 – What independence changed for Chip as an owner 29:00 – Mitch on starting over in sales and learning to live on what you produce 30:00 – Faith, timing, and the checks that showed up right when they were needed Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchlongnc/] | KazInsurance [https://kazinsurance.com/] | Read: Pagers & Payphones [https://kazcm.com/pagers-payphones-content-social-media/] Connect with Chip Goode: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chip-goode-7834a5103/] | X [https://x.com/goodechip]  More from the KazSource Network The Real ROI of Podcasting [https://kazcm.com/roi-of-podcasting-bob-knakal/] — KazCM Remote Work in Today’s Financial Advisory Industry [https://kazsource.com/remote-work-financial-advisory-industry-joe-cantanucci/] — Entrepreneur Perspectives The Long Game | Episode 1: Wes Connor on 50 Years in Business [https://kazsource.com/the-long-game-wes-connor-50-years-in-business/] — KazSource The Economics Behind College Football's NIL Explosion [https://sportsepreneur.com/college-football-nil-spending/] — SportsEpreneur About This Podcast and Series The Long Game is a series under Entrepreneur Perspectives. Produced by QuietLoud Studios [https://quietloudstudios.com/] — a modern media network and a KazSource brand. Get in touch with Eric Kasimov: X [https://x.com/eric_kaz] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickasimov/] Credits: Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud [https://soundcloud.com/user-774649902/sets/jess-ricky]

Slade Lewis on Leadership, Follow-Up, and the Future of Insurance

What strong leaders do, why follow-up still wins, and how insurance is changing fast without losing the human part. In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long talks with Slade Lewis about how he got into insurance, the turns his career took along the way, and how he ended up in a leadership role at Pinnacle. They also get into sales, management, technology, and what has changed in the business over time. It is a practical conversation about relationships, follow-up, and how to lead people well. It also gets into AI, rising premiums, and why clients still need a real person they can call when something goes wrong. CHAPTERS 00:21 – Mitch kicks off the conversation from the road 01:03 – Slade on growing up in Hampstead and going to UNC 02:30 – A journalism degree with a concentration in advertising 03:09 – Slade’s first job in insurance with Jefferson Pilot 04:00 – Moving from service into sales 04:27 – The bulldog hair company car story 06:14 – Leaving insurance for pharmaceutical sales and coming back 07:20 – Product roles, UnitedHealthcare, and becoming a broker 08:26 – Slade’s current role and how he thinks about leadership 10:48 – The biggest sales challenges in insurance today 12:00 – Why answering calls and following up still separates people 13:34 – How client meetings shifted from face-to-face to Zoom 14:20 – Technology, DocuSign, and doing business across states 14:57 – Why AI may transform agencies faster than expected 15:58 – The caution around database underwriting and automation 16:50 – How AI is already shaping health insurance underwriting 17:41 – Rising health insurance costs and the pressure on employers 18:35 – Standard rate increases in the small group market 19:20 – Looking for options when traditional carriers say no 19:43 – Auto and homeowners insurance costs keep climbing 20:18 – Roof issues, storm risk, and what is driving property costs 21:36 – Slade reveals he was his high school typing champion Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchlongnc/] | KazInsurance [https://kazinsurance.com/] | Read: Pagers & Payphones [https://kazcm.com/pagers-payphones-content-social-media/] Connect with Slade Lewis: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sladelewis/] More from the KazSource Network The Real ROI of Podcasting [https://kazcm.com/roi-of-podcasting-bob-knakal/] — KazCM What Happened to CFB Bowl Games [https://sportsepreneur.com/college-football-bowl-games-dying/] — SportsEpreneur The Long Game | Episode 1: Wes Connor on 50 Years in Business [https://kazsource.com/the-long-game-wes-connor-50-years-in-business/] — KazSource About This Podcast and Series The Long Game is a series under the Entrepreneur Perspectives umbrella. Produced by QuietLoud Studios [https://quietloudstudios.com/] — a modern media network and a KazSource brand. Get in touch with Eric Kasimov: X [https://x.com/eric_kaz] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickasimov/] Credits: Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud [https://soundcloud.com/user-774649902/sets/jess-ricky]

First & Long: The Steelers Are Stuck and We're Not Okay

Welcome to First & Long — a father-son football conversation between Mitch and Adam Long. Steelers fans, NFL obsessives, and yes, they've already argued about this. In this episode, Mitch and Adam talk about the NFL Draft, the Steelers, the Bills, and a couple of Pittsburgh trip stories that did not exactly go to plan. They also get into quarterbacks, roster building, fan frustration, and why teams still have to win up front. It is a loose football conversation, but the main point is clear: quick fixes usually are not enough. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT Pittsburgh trip stories and hotel disasters Why the draft always starts arguments The case for building the line before chasing a quarterback Why where a quarterback lands matters Whether the Steelers should give Will Howard a shot Why the Steelers feel stuck in the middle Why teams still win in the trenches Whether Buffalo is doing enough around Josh Allen CHAPTERS 00:01 – Mitch sets up a talk about the draft and Pittsburgh trips 00:18 – Adam’s advice on where not to stay in Pittsburgh 00:43 – The hotel story that went bad fast 01:50 – The legendary bar encounter in Pittsburgh 02:19 – Running into the same guy again in Virginia 02:45 – Mitch and Adam get into the draft 03:06 – Adam on the Raiders, Fernando Mendoza, and Kirk Cousins 05:30 – Mitch makes the case for trading the top pick 09:30 – Why quarterback success depends on where a player lands 12:37 – Mobility, protection, and what the Steelers lacked last year 15:24 – Adam on play calling and helping players succeed 17:25 – What the Steelers should target in the draft 19:57 – Jeremiah Love, offensive line help, and winning in the trenches 23:37 – Mitch on following the draft without pretending to know every prospect 25:16 – The argument for seeing what Will Howard can do 27:42 – Why Adam does not want Aaron Rodgers back 30:31 – The cost of being scared to have a losing season 35:15 – Bo Nix, the Broncos, and what could have been 38:42 – Mitch turns to the Bills and Josh Allen 41:52 – Why Buffalo may be at a key point Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchlongnc/] | KazInsurance [https://kazinsurance.com/] | Read: Pagers & Payphones [https://kazcm.com/pagers-payphones-content-social-media/] More from SportsEpreneur The Business in College Sports [https://sportsepreneur.com/college-sports-business-nil-athlete-education/] How the NFL Turns Chaos into an Asset The NFL Owns the Media [https://sportsepreneur.com/espn-buyout-nfl-network-owns-media/] About This Podcast and Series First & Long with Mitch and Adam Long — a SportsEpreneur [https://sportsepreneur.com/] series. SportsEpreneur: X [https://x.com/SportsEpreneur] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportsepreneur/] Credits: Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud [https://soundcloud.com/user-774649902/sets/jess-ricky]

50 Years in Business with Wes Connor

What 50 years in insurance teaches about relationships, change, and why the basics still matter. In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long sits down with Wes Connor to talk about how he got into insurance, what kept him in it, and what 50 years in the business has taught him. They get into family business, remote selling, hiring challenges, commercial and personal lines, and why life insurance still stands apart from products people are required to buy. It’s a grounded look at what still matters in the business, what has changed, and why the basics still win. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT * How Wes Connor got into insurance in 1975 * From kitchen table sales to DocuSign and video calls * Why relationships still matter in a more digital business * Working with family across generations * Hiring challenges in today’s insurance market * Commercial versus personal lines in a changing market * Why life insurance feels different from mandatory coverage * Disability, long-term care, and planning before it’s too late CHAPTERS 00:20 – Mitch welcomes Wes Connor 00:41 – How Wes got into the insurance business 03:15 – Starting out and falling in love with the work 05:21 – How selling insurance has changed over the years 08:00 – Podcasts, technology, and the next generation in the business 11:00 – Working with family and building an agency over time 12:00 – Hiring challenges and the shortage of new agents 16:23 – Disability insurance, income protection, and planning gaps 16:52 – Wes breaks down his agency’s commercial and personal lines mix 19:19 – Why selling life insurance is more satisfying 21:00 – Real examples of how life insurance changes outcomes for families 23:29 – Long-term care, aging, and staying healthy Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchlongnc/] | KazInsurance [https://kazinsurance.com/] | Read: Pagers & Payphones [https://kazcm.com/pagers-payphones-content-social-media/] Connect with Wes Connor: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-connor-2a172313/] | Website [https://wesconnor.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wes_connor_insurance/] More from the KazSource Network The Real ROI of Podcasting [https://kazcm.com/roi-of-podcasting-bob-knakal/] — KazCM What Happened to CFB Bowl Games [https://sportsepreneur.com/college-football-bowl-games-dying/] — SportsEpreneur Remote Work in Today’s Financial Advisory Industry [https://kazsource.com/remote-work-financial-advisory-industry-joe-cantanucci/] —Entrepreneur Perspectives About This Podcast The Long Game with Mitch Long. Produced by QuietLoud Studios [https://quietloudstudios.com/], a KazSource brand. Credits: Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud [https://soundcloud.com/user-774649902/sets/jess-ricky]

The Long Game: Meet Mitch Long

Why stories beat pitches, why showing up still matters, and what this series is about. Eric Kasimov sits down with Mitch Long to kick off The Long Game. Mitch has been in the insurance business for over 30 years. He started with a pager and a roll of quarters. He built his book by showing up every Tuesday until people just started handing him the business. Now he's here to have conversations with business owners about how they got where they are — the real version, not the LinkedIn version. What We Talk About: * Criminal justice major to insurance salesman * The 93-year-old woman and the bell story * Why face-to-face still matters (and why it's not enough anymore) * Pagers, Blackberries, and the quarantine pivot * The buggy whip salesman problem * NIL, college sports, and what it means to stay relevant Chapters: * 00:14 – What this show is and how conversations work * 01:00 – Mitch's path into insurance * 08:27 – Podcasting as a way to connect * 13:00 – Old school meets new school * 21:30 – Adjusting how you reach people * 23:45 – Pagers, payphones, and quarters * 26:00 – Blackberry, Gateway, and what happens when you don't evolve * 28:00 – The buggy whip salesman * 30:00 – Mitch's grandfather sold matches * 31:30 – MC Hammer selling records out of his trunk * 32:01 – NIL and financial literacy Connect with Mitch Long LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchlongnc/] | KazInsurance [https://kazinsurance.com/] More from the KazSource Network Ambient Influence in Content [https://kazcm.com/ambient-influence-content-strategy/] — KazCM The Benefits and Issues of NIL [https://sportsepreneur.com/nil-pros-and-cons/] — SportsEpreneur Is College Still Worth It? [https://kazsource.com/is-college-still-worth-it/] — Entrepreneur Perspectives About This Podcast and Series The Long Game with Mitch Long. Produced by QuietLoud Studios [https://quietloudstudios.com/], a KazSource brand. Get in touch with Eric Kasimov: X [https://x.com/eric_kaz] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickasimov/] Credits: Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud [https://soundcloud.com/user-774649902/sets/jess-ricky]