An ordinary presentation transforms from a solo act into a carefully crafted expert ensemble.
However, to make sure it all works you need a strong quarterback holding the whole thing together.
That person has to know the perfect moments to hit each team member to maximize the entire performance.
That's what I talk to Jennifer Chenault, of Lovitt & Touche, about how she fills out her line up each presentation.
However, if you can find the dedication, you'll create a process that produces endless authentic interactions.
If applied and distributed properly should allow you the opportunity to reach people far beyond your previous or traditional methods.
Because it's far more efficient to capture what is already happening than trying to recreate it from scratch.
That's what I talk to Alex Salmon, of The Salmon Agency, about as he struggles with the concept potentially diminishing creativity.
If you don't, you could end up moving on to the next thing before your first big change was strong enough to stand on its own.
But make no mistake about it, finding that first shift is hard to do and should be the only thing you're focused on if it hasn't happened yet.
Because when it does, the changes will feel like they are coming fast and possibly furious but will still take longer than you think.
That's what I talk to James Castell, of Castell Insurance, about how far he's come in such little time.
That's because we're turning back the clock to re-examine a conversation that's nearly two years old.
As dated as you might expect it to sound, there are plenty of principles that remain unadopted and tactics without execution.
The good news is the ball is definitely rolling in the right direction, now it's a matter of picking up speed.
That's what I talk to Marcus Sheridan (Impact) and Matt Simon (Hill & Hamilton Insurance) about the best ways to let people see what you can do.
They usually include easily repeatable processes that don't need to be performed by someone in your agency.
They are also items that would benefit greatly if they manually automated.
Then you and your staff will be free to elevate your client interactions to level you didn't think was possible.
That's what I talk to Ani Podder, of Marble Box, about the best ways to change the way you work.
However, that's what it takes most of the time to get people's attention and motivate them to participate in real-world activities.
Event marketing has far more to offer than free pens and stress balls to really show people what your agency is all about.
Sometimes all it takes is looking around to see what's possible right next door.
That's what I talk to Shannon Strobel, of Shermann Insurance, about the untapped potential that sharing a parking lot.
That might seem like the craziest homework assignment you've ever heard of, but it's certainly one of the most effective ways to scale your information.
Think about all the time you would save if you stopped having the same conversation over and over again.
Even if you were able to cut those conversations in half you'd take your family flexibility to a whole new level.
That's what I talk to Alex Dopazo, of Dopazo & Associates, about how he's looking to hack time.
There always some level of hesitation and avoidance with any insurance career especially if the agency runs multiple generations deep.
But once you decide to jump in it becomes a constant game of trying to wear as many hats as possible at the same time.
Because that's often the life of most modest insurance agencies, but that doesn't mean you can't do fun and interesting things.
That's what I talk to Cheri Martinen, of Bancorp Insurance, about all the things she's done to keep the agency in the family.
When that happens your agency unlocks unlimited possibilities to forecast your financial future and benchmark current progress.
Things like employee engagement, productivity and profitability can then become very tangible and effective part of your data strategy.
Starting with that simple piece of clean data can't be underestimated, regardless of how long it takes to discover.
That's what I talk to Ryan Deeds, of Assurex Global and host of the Digital Broker Podcast, about his extensive experience combining agency data.
Outside of that, there are a ton of challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining good young insurance talent.
Even when you do find someone interested in the industry, there's a good chance their initial expectations are misaligned with reality.
If that happens you certainly won't have to worry about them leaving for a bigger better company.
That's what I talk to Taylor Garcia, of Jackson & Jackson Insurance, about as he reflects on a few times his new producers didn't work out.
It's possible that in those early days it barely scratches the surface of generating any useful business.
However, if you're able to stay the course and keep your head above water the whole time, things could take off in a big way.
That becomes substantially easier if you're able to find a place that doesn't make you feel crazy for wanting to try something different.
That's what I talk to Kim Wood, of Toby and Merrill Insurance, about the confidence she's found to build her long term process.
Things get even better if/when those actions start to happen automatically.
That's when you know the only thing standing in your way is execution.
The only thing you have to worry about is managing the flow to keep expectations consistent.
That's what I talk to Jared Bellmund, of AllChoice Insurance, about the key he found to unlock his personal best.
That's because you're experiencing everything for the first time and have to figure things out for yourself.
There's no established legacy to lean on for support and offer experienced guidance.
The only thing you have are the bold new proceses you've seen enough value from to define and repeat.
That's what I talk to Adrin Monreal, of Monreal Insurance, about exactly how powerful his moment of validation was.
Until you start creating playlists on your YouTube channel it's hard to see what your real focus has been.
At that point, the numbers don't lie and there's no hiding from your real video marketing passion.
The only question you need to ask then is if it's something you should continue doing.
That's what I talk to Allen Drew, of Allen Drew Insurance Agency, about the videos he's made the most.
If it's not a highly useful set of tools that's when things get questionable.
Because simply paying for the possibility of future updates is a tough ask.
It's even harder when you realize going with a local option rarely offers the latest and greatest.
That's what I talk to Nick Thalhammer, of Cincinnatus Insurance, about his overall approach.
When your agency is always on the lookout for the next person, you're always ready for what's next.
Because then you'll have the luxury of essentially viewing their application in realtime.
Having observed their career from afar you'll know excatly what they are made of.
That's what I talk to Kimiko Donahue, of Everything Insurance, about how her agency got started so fast.
Because that's the only thing left after you completely commit to video marketing at the highest level.
Dedicating physical space and company culture to the idea are the two biggest way to really get things started.
The only thing that's usually left is to give yourself permission to create mediocre for a little longer than you'd like.
That's what I talked to Jay Mueller, of Camargo Insurance, about putting the finishing touches on their video strategy.
That's hard to fully appreciate on a small scale when the weight of each one feels too light to notice.
However, when you approach your agency with the mentality of a master builder, you'll probably know where everything needs to go.
The problems start when you refuse to think beyond what you can do (or sell) by yourself.
That's what I talk to Sean Mooney, of Mooney Insurance Brokers, about the assembly he's looking forward to.