In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck interview the Co-Founders of GloveBox, Ryan Mathisen, and Sean Mulhern. Ryan and Sean discuss how they got to this point in their career and how they developed the GloveBox App.
Episode Highlights:
David introduces Ryan Mathisen and Sean Mulhern. (1:30)
How did Ryan and Sean get to this point in their career, where they developed an app, and distributed it to agencies all over the country? (2:18)
Sean shares his background. (2:26)
Sean mentions that Ryan, together with his brother and father, owned an agency in Colorado. (2:46)
Ryan shares his background. (3:16)
David thinks that some of the best technology for the insurance industry comes from agents who figure out a way to solve a problem that they face every day. (7:24)
What were Ryan and Sean’s tipping point, where they needed to find something that they could develop? (9:17)
Sean shares that it's tech being thrown at a problem, but they didn't know what the actual problem was because insurance is a nuanced sale, and it’s very unique. (9:51)
What are the three biggest issues that Ryan and Sean wanted to solve by developing the app that made their lives ultimately easier, as an agent? (10:55)
Ryan mentions that the biggest piece is looking at what clients can truly handle on their own without needing an agent, which is the bulk of the service work on personal lines. (12:13)
Ryan shares that they have never made themselves a referral to the independent channel. Therefore, being able to refer your agent, on social media or a direct one on one conversation is huge. (12:52)
What’s the “Refer My Agent” button process look like, and how has that become a game-changer? (13:15)
Ryan shares a great feature of the button. (13:55)
Sean shares that the apps from other carriers or AMS were not doing a good job of putting the brand front and center. (16:39)
Sean mentions that the first link that the client will see is a branded page, built for their agency. (17:36)
What does the process of customer service look like on their app? (22:41)
What’s the story behind the name of the app? (29:08)
What other developments might Ryan and Sean be adding over time that aren't where they need to be right now? (30:23)
David mentions that his fundamental theory on anything regarding the agency world is agencies are running their businesses wrong, by and large. (36:22)
David shares that they have a plugin for HubSpot called Sakari, and it’s a texting platform. (44:23)
Does the GloveBox app have the ability to home inventory? (54:36)
Tweetable Quotes:
“We want to challenge the industry to stop talking about customer experience and make moves to enhance the customer experience. Because at the end of the day, that's what we see last on the pecking order with organizations inside the industry.” - Ryan Mathisen
“We would certainly love to talk to you and show you the value of GloveBox, and where we're going because we are changing the independent channel. It's not going to be the same.” - Ryan Mathisen
Resources Mentioned:
David Carothers LinkedIn
Kyle Houck LinkedIn
Florida Risk Partners
The Extra 2 Minutes
Ryan Mathisen LinkedIn
Sean Mulhern LinkedIn
GloveBox
