James shares with us how he entered the insurance industry and later how he transitioned from being a captive agent with Farmers Insurance to becoming a scratch-independent agency owner. He talks about his podcast Agency Freedom and his recently launched book "Leaving Captivity".
Episode Highlights:
James shares that he chose the insurance industry due to its potential for residual revenue and the ability to build a profitable book of business. (7:03)
James discusses his decision to become an insurance producer and why he chose to work with Farmers Insurance despite facing challenges and disadvantages. (13:30)
James explains the importance of branding and standing out in a competitive market. (18:08)
James mentions that his decision to leave Farmers Insurance began when he started going after his CIC designation. (28:25)
James shares that the Agency Freedom podcast started as a way to help people transition from captive to independent insurance agencies, but has evolved to cover various aspects of overcoming different types of captivity and providing entertaining content to keep listeners engaged. (37:33)
James discusses the concept of his book "Leaving Captivity" which is a comprehensive blueprint designed to provide aspiring independent insurance agency owners with all the necessary knowledge and foundation to launch their own agency successfully. (47:40)
James mentions that he will be discussing the importance of growth and building processes for strategic planning and achieving goals along with practical tips on implementing structure and workflows at the IAOA conference. (52:30)
Key Quotes:
“2023 James would advise 2012 James, “Go be a producer at a really high-quality shop for a couple of years and then find your way after that. Learn the ropes, learn sales and marketing from someone who's already successful”. It took a number of years to really find my feet.” - James Jenkins, CPCU, CIC, CRM
“The book Leaving Captivity is a blueprint, it's 13 chapters covering 15 concept areas, and is designed to be rather conclusive. You read the book, you're good. You have the basic foundation of everything you need to go out and launch an agency. And that was kind of the whole reason for writing it.” - James Jenkins, CPCU, CIC, CRM
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