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Decided to write a little thing:
Last week, I had the opportunity to hear from the CEO of Travelers, Alan Schnitzer, and his presentation was nothing short of astounding.
At its core, his message revolved around a simple but powerful question: How do we lead ourselves and others through troubling times?
I could spend the next five minutes summarizing his stories and insights, but in essence, he shared three moments in recent human history when we had our backs against the wall—times when the future seemed bleak, and challenges appeared insurmountable. Yet, in each of these moments, optimistic individuals rose to the occasion, worked relentlessly, and ultimately overcame the odds for the greater good.
If I had to distill his entire message into a single phrase, it would be this: Be an Optimist.
But how do we embrace optimism when we find ourselves in what many are calling the hardest market of a generation—if not ever?
A few weeks ago, I met with a talented agency owner who had fallen into a deep pit of despair. And honestly, I couldn't blame him? This market has been rough. Insurance isn't as fun today as it was two years ago. His retention ratio was slipping fast. His conversion rate had plummeted from 80% to 20%. Underwriting had tightened, prices had skyrocketed, and customer frustration was at an all-time high. Carriers had pulled every lever to limit property production. New business was complicated to write. Clients weren't just upset about premium increases—they were also dealing with higher deductibles and shifting risk-sharing models. Simply put, this wasn't the heyday he had previously enjoyed, and the weight of it all had pushed him into a dark place. Unfortunately, his story isn't unique—many agency owners and producers across the country share the same struggles and sentiments.
Just last week, I spoke with another agency owner who operates a large agency deeply connected to the mortgage industry. His entire business model revolves around leading with the property line. Last year alone, his agency had to turn away over 90,000 potential customers because his carrier partners couldn't—or wouldn't—take the business citing capacity as the issue. Many of you operate similar models, relying on mortgage lender referrals. And many of you have faced the same challenges: fewer options, higher prices, lower conversion rates, and endless declinations.
So, how can someone find optimism after striking out 90,000 times in a single year?
How can we stay optimistic when we struggle for success more often than we ever have before? And, perhaps most importantly, what does optimism even get us?
It turns out, optimism—or what psychologists call Positive Psychology—plays a massive role in nearly every aspect of life, including business success.
Dr. Martin Seligman, a leading researcher in this field and author of Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, has dedicated his career to studying the impact of optimism. His findings?
Now, I know some of you are thinking, "That's great, Shawn, but no amount of optimism will change the fact that a carrier is beating me every single day. I'm not winning often enough, and I don't see a path to winning again."
I get it. Truly, I do.
This feeling of helplessness—what psychologists call Learned Helplessness—happens when negative experiences stack up over time. And in this market, they have stacked up. Every lost client. Every lead you spent two hours on, only to be declined. Every underwriter rejection. It's been relentless.
But just as it's scientifically proven that we can learn helplessness, it's also proven that we can learn optimism, and optimism rings the cash register.
Let me take you back to my conversation with that agency owner who was struggling. We talked about silver linings. We looked at what's on the horizon. We strategized ways to improve retention, automate processes, and enhance client satisfaction. We explored additional lines of business. We discussed commission overrides and strategic initiatives to focus on for the next month and quarter. We talked about how carriers are finally starting to turn a profit again—which means a healthier insurance market is coming.
Most importantly, we ended the conversation in a better, more optimistic place than where we started. And that alone—science tells us—can be a material factor in success.
We took the time to create space for optimism and action. To shift the mindset. To stop focusing on what we can't do and start focusing on what we can.
So, whether you're leading an agency of one or a team of 50, you—and your team—deserve to be led by an optimist. And if you aren't one yet, the science is clear: you can learn to become one!
Last week, I had the opportunity to hear from the CEO of Travelers, Alan Schnitzer, and his presentation was nothing short of astounding.
At its core, his message revolved around a simple but powerful question: How do we lead ourselves and others through troubling times?
I could spend the next five minutes summarizing his stories and insights, but in essence, he shared three moments in recent human history when we had our backs against the wall—times when the future seemed bleak, and challenges appeared insurmountable. Yet, in each of these moments, optimistic individuals rose to the occasion, worked relentlessly, and ultimately overcame the odds for the greater good.
If I had to distill his entire message into a single phrase, it would be this: Be an Optimist.
But how do we embrace optimism when we find ourselves in what many are calling the hardest market of a generation—if not ever?
A few weeks ago, I met with a talented agency owner who had fallen into a deep pit of despair. And honestly, I couldn't blame him? This market has been rough. Insurance isn't as fun today as it was two years ago. His retention ratio was slipping fast. His conversion rate had plummeted from 80% to 20%. Underwriting had tightened, prices had skyrocketed, and customer frustration was at an all-time high. Carriers had pulled every lever to limit property production. New business was complicated to write. Clients weren't just upset about premium increases—they were also dealing with higher deductibles and shifting risk-sharing models. Simply put, this wasn't the heyday he had previously enjoyed, and the weight of it all had pushed him into a dark place. Unfortunately, his story isn't unique—many agency owners and producers across the country share the same struggles and sentiments.
Just last week, I spoke with another agency owner who operates a large agency deeply connected to the mortgage industry. His entire business model revolves around leading with the property line. Last year alone, his agency had to turn away over 90,000 potential customers because his carrier partners couldn't—or wouldn't—take the business citing capacity as the issue. Many of you operate similar models, relying on mortgage lender referrals. And many of you have faced the same challenges: fewer options, higher prices, lower conversion rates, and endless declinations.
So, how can someone find optimism after striking out 90,000 times in a single year?
How can we stay optimistic when we struggle for success more often than we ever have before? And, perhaps most importantly, what does optimism even get us?
It turns out, optimism—or what psychologists call Positive Psychology—plays a massive role in nearly every aspect of life, including business success.
Dr. Martin Seligman, a leading researcher in this field and author of Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, has dedicated his career to studying the impact of optimism. His findings?
- In sales, the most optimistic salespeople sell 90% more than the most pessimistic ones.
- Even if you're not at the extreme ends, normal optimistic salespeople still outperform their normal pessimistic counterparts by 40%.
- Optimism is a greater predictor of success than IQ—it provides a competitive edge that intelligence alone cannot.
- Optimists are more likely to get promotions and salary increases, making them higher earners.
- On a biological level, optimists live 11-15% longer, have stronger immune systems, and even heal faster from illness and injury.
Now, I know some of you are thinking, "That's great, Shawn, but no amount of optimism will change the fact that a carrier is beating me every single day. I'm not winning often enough, and I don't see a path to winning again."
I get it. Truly, I do.
This feeling of helplessness—what psychologists call Learned Helplessness—happens when negative experiences stack up over time. And in this market, they have stacked up. Every lost client. Every lead you spent two hours on, only to be declined. Every underwriter rejection. It's been relentless.
But just as it's scientifically proven that we can learn helplessness, it's also proven that we can learn optimism, and optimism rings the cash register.
Let me take you back to my conversation with that agency owner who was struggling. We talked about silver linings. We looked at what's on the horizon. We strategized ways to improve retention, automate processes, and enhance client satisfaction. We explored additional lines of business. We discussed commission overrides and strategic initiatives to focus on for the next month and quarter. We talked about how carriers are finally starting to turn a profit again—which means a healthier insurance market is coming.
Most importantly, we ended the conversation in a better, more optimistic place than where we started. And that alone—science tells us—can be a material factor in success.
We took the time to create space for optimism and action. To shift the mindset. To stop focusing on what we can't do and start focusing on what we can.
So, whether you're leading an agency of one or a team of 50, you—and your team—deserve to be led by an optimist. And if you aren't one yet, the science is clear: you can learn to become one!
