- 1,581
I've been at this for 8 years since college. Started as a producer for a captive & now I own an IA. I make my own hours, I make more money then all of my peers & their spouses combined x2. My agency (and income) continues to grow & I just finished an acquisition that has springboarded my income into levels I never thought I'd reach at this point in my career.
I don't understand how more people don't pursue independent P&C agency ownership??? If it weren't for captives recruiting poor suckers ... This profession would totally be a secret. The only ones making it into the IA ownership group (today) are the 1% of captives who've pulled their head out of their butts & switched...or kids taking over parents shops.
I find myself surrounded by agency owners who are 58-65 years old with no perpetuation plans & shrinking agencies. The acquisition opportunities for us young guys are just insane. Separate from growth through inorganic acquisition, The average agency owner has no clue how to generate business, so when you network your @$$ off to fuel the new business machine ... you realize the competition is next to non existent.
Some young captive slaves know "what" networking means..but they cant maintain & grow relationships because they inevitably can't close a high enough % to keep the referral sources dazzled & committed. Yes you'll get some but the difference is astounding. Yet they have their captive drug dealers there to inject them with subsidized internet leads.
GUYS...if you're working Internet leads..I mean really..what the hell are you doing? You're no dif then my college buddy who says he wants to find a wife, but constantly goes to bars looking to hook up w the next girl.
As an Indy agency owner, this profession IMO surpasses every other career short of being a famous actor, F500 executive or male porn star. And the truth of the matter is its hard to switch careers into this for the obvious reasons. I'll submit that certain doctors can make significant income as well...but they WORK brutal hours. Due to the nature of the business it's like a fraternity that so few will ever understand.
The sad part is many of you young captives reading this won't realize how limited you are until you're too invested to switch. A successful captive will make "good money" but your skills & abilities would lend to so...so much more with the ability to competitively write every single thing that your quote. I have friends at captives that are better agents then me, but they can't switch over. Their moderate success as a captive has lead them to single income households with kids & they can't afford to start over. I have captives constantly sending me business that they have no market for. I literally feel guilty at this point taking their referrals because it's money that should be theirs. I have formed personal relationships with these local SF & Allstate guys and I'm constantly drilling them saying wtf are you doing? You sell insurance & you tell 9/10 people you can't sell them your insurance!!!!!!
I know some of you on this forum have large Erie books & you'll jump in & root for the successful illusionist company who claims to be IA. Lets be real...you started in a different era. An era of Erie, Allstate, State Farm & the IA down the street selling some mutual nobody knew about. I'm heavily networked with fellow agency owners in my market & there's not 1 scratch Erie guy making any respectable money.
So to my fellow true IA owners (as you're the only ones who will truly understand....) cheers to this fairy freakin tale job!
I don't understand how more people don't pursue independent P&C agency ownership??? If it weren't for captives recruiting poor suckers ... This profession would totally be a secret. The only ones making it into the IA ownership group (today) are the 1% of captives who've pulled their head out of their butts & switched...or kids taking over parents shops.
I find myself surrounded by agency owners who are 58-65 years old with no perpetuation plans & shrinking agencies. The acquisition opportunities for us young guys are just insane. Separate from growth through inorganic acquisition, The average agency owner has no clue how to generate business, so when you network your @$$ off to fuel the new business machine ... you realize the competition is next to non existent.
Some young captive slaves know "what" networking means..but they cant maintain & grow relationships because they inevitably can't close a high enough % to keep the referral sources dazzled & committed. Yes you'll get some but the difference is astounding. Yet they have their captive drug dealers there to inject them with subsidized internet leads.
GUYS...if you're working Internet leads..I mean really..what the hell are you doing? You're no dif then my college buddy who says he wants to find a wife, but constantly goes to bars looking to hook up w the next girl.
As an Indy agency owner, this profession IMO surpasses every other career short of being a famous actor, F500 executive or male porn star. And the truth of the matter is its hard to switch careers into this for the obvious reasons. I'll submit that certain doctors can make significant income as well...but they WORK brutal hours. Due to the nature of the business it's like a fraternity that so few will ever understand.
The sad part is many of you young captives reading this won't realize how limited you are until you're too invested to switch. A successful captive will make "good money" but your skills & abilities would lend to so...so much more with the ability to competitively write every single thing that your quote. I have friends at captives that are better agents then me, but they can't switch over. Their moderate success as a captive has lead them to single income households with kids & they can't afford to start over. I have captives constantly sending me business that they have no market for. I literally feel guilty at this point taking their referrals because it's money that should be theirs. I have formed personal relationships with these local SF & Allstate guys and I'm constantly drilling them saying wtf are you doing? You sell insurance & you tell 9/10 people you can't sell them your insurance!!!!!!
I know some of you on this forum have large Erie books & you'll jump in & root for the successful illusionist company who claims to be IA. Lets be real...you started in a different era. An era of Erie, Allstate, State Farm & the IA down the street selling some mutual nobody knew about. I'm heavily networked with fellow agency owners in my market & there's not 1 scratch Erie guy making any respectable money.
So to my fellow true IA owners (as you're the only ones who will truly understand....) cheers to this fairy freakin tale job!