Callan Harrington sits down with Seth Zaremba, CEO of b atomic and ZINC Insurance, to break down how he built extreme efficiency into an insurance agency and turned it into industry-best margins. Seth is one of the most resilient entrepreneurs in the space, and he opens up about the reality of holding your breath through the hard times as a founder.Seth explains how he reduced insurance operations to their smallest processes, measured the cost per transaction, and used that data to reshape how his team worked. He shares why hiring more people was the wrong answer, how he moved retention from 87 to 94% during the pandemic, and how separating service from process freed his people to do more valuable work. He also walks through the b atomic journey, the failures that came before the breakthrough, and why service automation became the real product. This conversation is packed with practical thinking on efficiency, change management, and why relationships will matter more than ever as AI automates the rest.Listen now to learn how to build an agency that survives and wins in the years ahead.Key topics covered:[00:00] Intro[01:12] What it means to hold your breath[02:43] Why your spouse is your biggest shareholder[04:43] From 87% to 94% retention[05:39] Driving extreme efficiency into an agency[07:22] The 29 processes hidden in every agency[09:25] Measuring cost per transaction[11:13] Moving tasks to cut costs fast[14:04] Why employees earned 13.8% more[15:04] Speed and accuracy win customers[17:37] How the valuation flipped[20:01] Change fatigue and leadership mistakes[24:53] Getting teams past inertia[26:03] Why the old agency model is broken[29:52] The b atomic cookie recipe[33:49] Inside the service automation platform[38:12] Advice for top 100 agencies[42:46] Why knowledge workers are the new black[43:50] Betting big on relationshipsConnect with Seth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-zaremba-8461805Subscribe for more tactical breakdowns from marketing and growth leaders across carriers, insurtech, and top brokers.The Insurance Growth Lab is brought to you by Flashgrowth, where we go deep on the campaigns and strategies driving real results in the insurance industry.
In this episode of The Insurance Growth Lab, host Callan Harrington sits down with Jeff Wilcoxon, Senior Strategy and Corporate Development Principal at VIU by HUB. The two dig into a new VIU by HUB survey that found 88 percent of policyholders want their provider to proactively flag when coverage no longer fits their life, while 56 percent have not heard from their provider in over a year. Jeff explains why the industry has focused so heavily on the sale and neglected everything that happens after.Callan and Jeff break down how VIU by HUB adds 1700 households a week and still delivers proactive advice by combining automation with skilled human agents. They cover the spectrum of embedded insurance, why choice backed by more than 100 carriers matters to partners, and how VIU builds loyalty to the brokerage rather than a single person. Jeff also shares how he evaluates digital agency acquisitions and where AI actually adds value, from agent training to freeing up time for real advice.Listen now to learn how proactive service and smart technology are reshaping the way insurance gets sold.Key topics covered:[00:00] Intro[01:10] The Sanibel Island insurance gamble[03:36] Inside VIU by HUB explained[04:43] Why 88% want proactive coverage advice[05:58] The industry's dirty retention secret[06:47] Building profitable post sale service[09:32] Life triggers that prompt outreach[13:36] Predictive data versus reactive alerts[16:13] Choosing digital or human outreach[17:41] Loyalty to brand not agents[19:34] The spectrum of embedded insurance[21:41] Why choice beats single carrier programs[27:24] Will AI replace the broker[29:41] Evaluating digital agency acquisitions[33:38] Where deals fall apart on valuation[38:05] AI investment that empowers agents[44:27] The insurance experience in 2036Follow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwilcoxonSubscribe for more episodes where we break down one specific growth initiative at a time with the leaders behind it.The Insurance Growth Lab is hosted by Callan Harrington and brought to you by Flashgrowth.
Callan Harrington sits down with PJ Cannon, Regional Managing Director at Henderson Brothers, to break down how he recruits and builds high-performing insurance teams. PJ traces his approach back to his college football recruiting days at Wisconsin and explains how attention to detail and making people feel valued shaped the way he attracts talent today.The conversation digs into the tactics behind building a new office in Columbus from scratch, including how PJ leverages centers of influence, hosts strategic networking events, and uses golf to build genuine relationships that turn into clients and hires. He also shares his interview process, why he screens for vulnerability, and the teaming model he is building to develop new producers while freeing top performers to grow. If you want practical ideas on recruiting, retention, and launching in a new market, PJ delivers real detail you can put to work.Listen now to learn how PJ Cannon turns relationships into a repeatable growth engine.Key topics covered:[00:00] Intro[01:15] Lessons from college football recruiting[02:20] Use them don't let them use you[03:39] Dialed in recruiting processes revealed[04:00] Album covers and buzz for candidates[07:00] Where to find top talent[07:52] Turning advisors into recruiters[09:43] Keeping referral programs alive[10:33] Building powerful centers of influence[11:22] How to build your network fast[12:52] Golf course networking strategy[13:54] Care first sell later approach[16:57] The vulnerability interview technique[20:04] Beating high turnover with teaming[23:48] Freeing top producers to grow[27:04] Launching Columbus from scratch[29:57] Hosting events that drive relationships[33:14] Scaling to 100 million in revenue[34:20] Advice for opening a new office[36:00] Leadership legacy and helping people winFollow PJ Cannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjcannonnorthwesternmutualSubscribe for more conversations on the growth strategies driving real results in insurance.The Insurance Growth Lab is brought to you by Flashgrowth where we go deep on the campaigns and strategies behind real growth in insurance and insurtech.
Callan Harrington sits down with Alex Frommeyer, Founder and CEO of Stack Health, to break down the future of small business health benefits. Alex previously founded Beam Dental, which he started in his dorm room and grew to over $175 million in premiums before its exit to Principal. Now he is tackling what he calls the core problem in healthcare: benefits organized around the employer instead of the individual.Alex explains how ICHRA plans shift employers from defined benefit to defined contribution, giving employees the freedom to choose their own coverage, doctors, and health systems. He walks through why this lets brokers go on offense instead of defense, which types of businesses are adopting it fastest, and how Stack routes unused dollars into HSAs so employees never leave money on the table. The conversation then turns to how Alex is building an AI native company using a slower, smaller, and senior approach to hiring, and why he believes this is good news for young workers and small businesses alike.If you work in benefits or run a small business, this one is worth your time.Key topics covered:[00:00] Intro[01:38] First time running out of money[03:22] Choosing the insurance deck gamble[04:41] The pitch that changed everything[07:12] Beam's exit by the numbers[08:11] Why benefits are broken[10:23] Organizing risk at the wrong layer[13:15] Individual coverage for baby delivery[15:18] What an ICHRA plan is[18:30] Turning leftover dollars into HSA savings[22:15] Brokers going on offense[25:59] Why brokers still profit here[28:44] Best businesses to target[30:52] How ICHRA strengthens the ACA market[33:31] Building slower smaller senior[39:25] Why AI won't kill jobs[44:22] The 10 year vision for stacking[49:14] Advice for future entrepreneursFollow Alex Frommeyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfrommeyer/If you found this useful, subscribe for more tactical breakdowns of the growth strategies working right now in insurance.The Insurance Growth Lab is brought to you by Flashgrowth, where we go deep on the campaigns and strategies driving real results for carriers, insurtechs, and top brokers.
In this episode of The Insurance Growth Lab, host Callan Harrington sits down with Jeff Cohen, Senior Vice President at Zywave, to break down how data separates transactional agents from true advisers. Jeff has spent over 20 years building two powerful datasets, an insurance program benchmarking database and a library of more than 1 million verified loss events. He explains why benchmarking answers what everyone else is doing while loss data answers why they do it.The conversation digs into the gap between what a carrier pays on a claim and the actual economic loss a business absorbs, a difference that can shut a company down. Jeff and Callan explore how AI is leveling the playing field for smaller agencies, why Zywave built an MCP layer to connect its tools with platforms like Claude, and the critical distinction between efficiency and productivity. Jeff also shares what he believes will never change in insurance, from relationships to consistency, and the advice he would give his younger self.If you want to understand how data, AI, and relationships shape the future of insurance sales, this episode is worth your time.Key topics covered:[00:00] Intro[01:14] Building a 20-year insurance database[04:38] How benchmarking guides coverage decisions[05:47] Why loss data beats claims data[07:20] The gap between payouts and true loss[09:27] Mining 1 million verified loss events[11:05] Becoming a trusted adviser with AI[12:32] Leveling the field against big brokers[15:14] What AI can't replace in advising[18:27] Closing the economic loss gap[21:57] Efficiency versus productivity gains[26:29] How agents differentiate in an AI world[32:01] What won't change in insurance[34:32] Why relationships drive real value[37:46] The power of owning your niche[40:32] Advice for his younger selfFollow Jeff Cohen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreymcohenIf you found this useful, subscribe for more tactical breakdowns of the growth strategies working right now in insurance.The Insurance Growth Lab is brought to you by Flashgrowth, where we go deep on the campaigns and strategies driving real results for carriers, insurtechs, and top brokers.