Welcome to Insurance Town! Your host is the Mayor of Insurance Town, Heath Shearon. After many years in different parts of the insurance world, Heath wants to share his experience with you. Join in on conversations with Heath and many of the friends he's made along the way. Insurance Town is a production of Insurance Town LLC! Find more info at http/://www.Insurancetownpodcast.com Music: "Mornin, Noon, and Nite" by Daddy Long Legs
Listen to episodes
60 recent
October 22, 2026Episode 35348 min
How to Recognize and Recover from Burnout (Connected Conversations in Insurance Collab)
In this episode of Insurance Town, I release an episode of Connected Conversations, host Carrie of Canopy Connect. She interviews Brooke Liu, of MarshBerry, about the “quiet, creeping” burnout high achievers often hide—what Brooke calls operating in “low power mode.” Drawing from her work with her peers and her own intense travel schedule, Brooke explains that burnout is a capacity issue, not a motivation problem, and shares early warning signs like fatigue and declining sleep quality. They explore why women may carry extra burnout weight through credibility pressures, emotional labor, and difficulty delegating, and why asking for help can protect credibility more than masking struggle. Brooke offers practical strategies—accountability partners, communicating priorities, time-and-energy audits, and rejecting constant work-life balance in favor of seasonal grace—plus organizational ways to spot and reduce burnout through surveys, benchmarks, staffing, process standardization, and technology. Connect with Brooke:Email: brooke.liu@marshberry.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookeacliu/Marshberry LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marshberry/ Sponsors of Insurance Town Canopy Connect Bind AI V!Va Teams
October 16, 2026Episode 3521 hr 0 min
How do I sell more insurance? (Full Length Audio)
This week in insurance town te Mayor Heath Shearon sits down with Christ Warren of Determined Vision for a conversation about how AI, mentorship, and a serious mission mindset are changing the way insurance professionals prospect, serve, and grow. Christ shares his journey from Cameroon to the United States, the discipline that shaped him, and why he sees life insurance as a way to give families choice when the worst happens.They also dig into practical agency lessons: how to use AI and VAs to protect time, why mentorship shortens the learning curve, and how to keep sales conversations centered on the real problem instead of the product. Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome to Insurance Town and sponsor overview 00:58 - Meet Christ Warren and clear up the pronunciation of his name 03:37 - How Christ found the podcast using AI outreach 04:42 - Using AI for prospecting and audience targeting 06:30 - Why credibility and core values still matter in insurance 08:50 - Christ’s move from Cameroon to the United States 09:17 - Growing up as the oldest of seven, with six sisters 11:27 - From biology and medical school to insurance 13:18 - Learning from a mentor who scaled from six figures to millions 16:54 - The Mamba mentality and doing the reps 20:11 - Why mentorship matters at every level 23:36 - Focus, repetition, and mastery over chasing shiny objects 24:34 - Slowing down to speed up in business 25:06 - Christ’s partner helps shape the AI and exposure strategy 26:37 - The Eisenhower framework for urgent, important, and delegable work 29:23 - What agency owners should protect as their highest-value activity 31:28 - Why purpose and client impact matter more than admin tasks 32:57 - The call log test and surrounding yourself with stronger people 34:44 - Why Christ sees passion as a superpower in life insurance 35:06 - Volunteering and seeing end-of-life reality up close 36:53 - Keeping the mission front and center in agency training 39:00 - Why repeating the vision helps shape the culture 41:19 - What life products Christ works with 42:01 - Diagnosing first before recommending coverage 43:14 - The ripple effect when a breadwinner dies uninsured 46:20 - Why the work is serious, not just sales 47:50 - Real examples of families changing spending habits after the right conversation 49:50 - How Cameroon still shapes Christ’s view of choice and planning 54:48 - AI and VA systems helping the industry return to old-school fundamentals 57:43 - Technology should create more time for relationships and service 58:45 - Where to find Heath and the upcoming AI conference in New York Sponsors Canopy Connect Bind AI V!va Teams
October 8, 2026Episode 35139 min
AI Is Moving Fast. But Who’s Watching the AI?
On this episode of Insurance Town, I sat down with Joseph Varga, founder of Forge Orbital , for a conversation about AI governance, agentic AI, and what businesses especially those of us in highly regulated industries like insurance need to be thinking about as this technology continues to move at an unbelievable pace. Joseph breaks down the difference between the AI most of us have gotten comfortable with and the proactive, agentic systems that are beginning to take action on our behalf. And while that creates incredible opportunity for efficiency and growth, it also creates a whole new set of questions around accountability, transparency, data, and trust. One of the biggest ideas we unpack is the concept of the AI “black box.” If an AI system drafts an email, makes a recommendation, assists with underwriting, or helps influence a claims decision, can you explain exactly how it arrived at that answer? And more importantly, could you recreate that decision two years from now if a regulator, customer, carrier, or attorney asked you to? That’s where Joseph believes governance becomes critical. We also get into the idea of having AI check AI. On the surface, having one model review another sounds like a strong safeguard. But as Joseph explains, if both systems are probabilistic, you may simply be getting a second opinion—not actual proof. For insurance professionals, that distinction matters. Joseph also shares how Forge Orbital approaches governance differently by operating as a deterministic layer in the background—helping organizations create rules, evidence boundaries, audit trails, and human checkpoints without creating yet another dashboard employees have to manage. And yes, we absolutely talked about dashboard fatigue. This conversation isn’t about being afraid of AI. It’s about using AI responsibly. Because the more AI moves from answering questions to actually taking action, the more important it becomes for agencies, carriers, MGAs, and insurance technology companies to understand what’s happening behind the scenes. If you’re already experimenting with AI, building AI into your tech stack, or simply trying to understand where all of this is headed, this episode will give you a few things to think about. Joseph’s biggest message is a simple one: Use the technology. Take advantage of what it can do. Just make sure you understand what it’s doing on your behalf. Because AI is moving fast. And the companies that win won’t just be the ones that adopt it fastest—they’ll be the ones that learn how to use it responsibly. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Insurance Town 00:30 – A big thank you to our sponsors: Canopy Connect, Bind AI, and VIVA Virtual Solutions 02:54 – Meet Joseph Varga of Forge Orbital 05:25 – Joseph’s background and his path into AI technology 07:35 – What does “AI governance” actually mean? 09:52 – Human-in-the-loop vs. true AI governance 11:17 – The evolution from reactive AI to proactive, agentic AI 13:16 – Where AI could be headed next 15:07 – When will government regulation catch up with AI? 16:28 – Where Forge Orbital fits into AI governance 17:26 – Is having AI check other AI actually enough? 20:07 – Why companies need to start preparing for AI governance now 21:46 – What insurance agencies and carriers should be doing today 24:17 – How Forge Orbital integrates into an existing tech stack 26:07 – AI governance use cases for independent insurance agencies 27:41 – Building Forge Orbital for highly regulated industries 29:50 – Why governance shouldn’t mean another dashboard 32:33 – What happens when employees use AI from their phones? 34:07 – Why Joseph became passionate about AI governance 36:11 – How to learn more about Forge Orbital 37:54 – Joseph’s final advice for businesses adopting AI 39:04 – Closing thoughts A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors Insurance Town would not be possible without the partners who continue to support this community. Canopy Connect helps agencies simplify insurance intake and collect the policy information they need faster. Check them out at usecanopy.com/heath . Bind AI helps insurance agencies use AI to uncover opportunities, create capacity, and work more efficiently across the commercial insurance lifecycle. Learn more at Bind.ai . V!VA Virtual Solutions provides insurance-trained virtual assistants who can help agencies create capacity across quoting, renewals, service, and other key workflows. Visit VIVATeams.com/InsuranceTown to learn more and receive $1,000 off You can learn more about Joseph and Forge Orbital at ForgeOrbital.com .
September 24, 2026Episode 35020 min
Networking Not Working, Live From InsuranceFest 2026
This episode is live from the Santa Monica Peir at Insurance Fest 2026. Sponsors: Canopy Connect -Making it easier for agencies to collect insurance information directly from clients and prospects, helping speed up the quoting process and improve the customer experience. Bind AI - An AI-powered digital teammate built to help insurance professionals automate repetitive work, increase efficiency, and give their teams more time to focus on the human side of the business. V!VA - Helping insurance agencies scale with trained virtual professionals who can support service, operations, marketing, and more giving your team additional capacity without sacrificing the customer experience.
September 17, 2026Episode 34946 min
Can I Scale My Insurance Agency Without Losing My Culture?
This week in Insurance Town, Mayor sits down with longtime friend and fellow insurance leader Heath Barnett, co-owner of Legacy, for a conversation about growth, culture, ownership, and building a business people actually want to be part of. Heath Barnett is an insurance agency leader and co-owner of Legacy. After beginning his career in the captive insurance world, Heath transitioned into the independent channel and helped build Legacy into a multi-state insurance organization. His leadership philosophy centers on developing people, creating opportunities for ownership, giving local leaders autonomy, and building an organization where professional success doesn’t have to come at the expense of family and the things that matter most. Heath’s story starts in Memphis, Texas, where he grew up around agriculture, small-town relationships, and a family Farmers agency. After working alongside his grandfather and eventually purchasing the agency, Heath began seeing opportunities beyond the captive model. That journey ultimately led him into the independent insurance world and to what has become Legacy—an organization that has grown to roughly 250 people across multiple states. But this episode isn’t simply about getting bigger. It’s about how you grow without losing who you are. Heath and Mayor talk about the importance of training agents to understand what they are actually selling instead of competing on price alone. They dig into what the captive world can teach independent agencies about carrier training and development, why Legacy intentionally recruits coaches and teachers, and why the right culture can become one of the strongest recruiting and retention tools an agency has. They also get into ownership, succession planning, producer autonomy, burnout, family priorities, faith, and creating an organization where people have the opportunity to build something of their own. If you’re an agency owner thinking about growth, recruiting, producer development, culture, or succession, there are plenty of nuggets in this one. Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Insurance Town 03:21 – Meet Heath Barnett 09:27 – Leaving the captive model for the independent channel 10:34 – Rebuilding culture in the independent insurance world 15:43 – What Farmers got right about training and support 18:26 – Stop selling price and start understanding the product 21:54 – Why Legacy recruits coaches and teachers 29:19 – Burnout, family priorities, and faith at work 32:53 – The original vision for Legacy’s growth 36:54 – Why producers choose the Legacy model 41:41 – Ownership, succession, and protecting an agent’s book 43:42 – Why Legacy moved beyond the traditional last-name agency model 44:53 – Connecting with Heath Barnett and Legacy 45:45 – Legacy’s growing multi-state footprint 46:02 – What could be next for Legacy 49:19 – Texas football, Texas Tech, and the Longhorns 51:15 – Closing thoughts Learn more about Legacy at legacyinsurance1.com . Proud Partners of Insurance Town Canopy Connect Stop chasing down declaration pages and PDFs. Canopy Connect helps insurance professionals collect verified insurance information directly from prospects and clients in seconds, creating a faster and easier experience for everyone involved. Bind AI Formerly 1Fort, Bind AI is helping insurance organizations put AI to work as a digital teammate—supporting workflows, increasing capacity, and helping teams spend more time on the work that requires human judgment and relationships. V!VA Virtual Solutions V!VA helps insurance agencies build effective virtual teams by focusing on more than simply placing a VA. Their approach centers on processes, training, accountability, and helping agencies create measurable return on their investment. Insurance Town listeners can receive $1,000 off when getting started with V!VA Virtual Solutions. Thank you to our partners for supporting Insurance Town and helping us continue bringing real conversations, practical ideas, and stories from people doing the work across the insurance industry. One change I particularly like here is positioning the episode around the question, “How do you grow without losing who you are?” That feels very on-brand for Insurance Town and gives the entire episode a stronger through-line.
September 10, 2026Episode 3481 hr 4 min
How do I grow my agency using Virtual Employees?
in this weeks episode, Heath Shearon sits down with Rob Lopez, CEO of V!VA, for a wide-ranging conversation about insurance, outsourcing, virtual assistants, and AI. Rob shares how his path from broadcast journalism and sports radio led him back into the insurance world, and why his focus has always been on building real departments not just filling seats. They also dig into what makes V!VA different: process-driven onboarding, bilingual support, nearshore staffing in El Salvador, and a consultative approach that helps agencies document workflows before adding talent. https://vivateams.com/insurancetown Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome, sponsors, and introducing Rob Lopez from V!VA 03:33 – Why Rob stays present in the industry 05:32 – Rob’s early life as an Allstate kid 06:30 – Broadcast journalism, the Houston Rockets, and a career shift 07:26 – The first life insurance claim that changed Rob’s perspective 07:55 – Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma 08:44 – Distribution work, aggregators, and building agency networks 09:35 – Why aggregator margins eventually hurt the value proposition 10:29 – Rob’s sports talk and media background 12:30 – Why catastrophe work mattered more than commissions 14:53 – Rob’s father and front-line catastrophe response 17:37 – Delivering a claim check and overcoming fear at the kitchen table 18:43 – Why showing up during claims builds trust 20:40 – Heath and Rob discuss the mission behind insurance 22:32 – How Rob entered the virtual assistant space 23:43 – Hiring for impact, not headcount 24:39 – The story behind V!VA’s first hire 27:18 – How that first hire became part of V!VA’s origin story 29:13 – The evolution from “VA” to trained insurance team members 30:13 – Why checklists and SOPs are essential 32:03 – Using virtual assistants to document workflows 33:27 – Why Rob is willing to say no to the wrong client fit 36:01 – Cheap labor versus true partnership 37:26 – Building departments instead of relying on one person 41:06 – Why turnover is inevitable without documented processes 42:31 – The impact of losing a virtual assistant 44:21 – V!VA’s systems and strategy review process 45:48 – Quarterly check-ins and role alignment 47:12 – Virtual assistants, licensed agents, and career growth 49:17 – Why nearshore support can be effective for insurance agencies 51:06 – AI versus humans in the agency 53:30 – V!VA Front Desk and AI-powered communication 55:22 – AI for after-hours lead capture 56:48 – Cost savings, payroll, and E&O coverage 60:04 – How to contact Rob and access the Insurance Town offer 61:26 – The $1,000 setup credit for Insurance Town listeners Sponsors: Canopy Connect - get dec pages , gather information , meet your clients where they are Get a discount using my code !! 1fort.ai - it is AI for insurance agencies , save time, be more efficient and win more deals with 1 Fort AI Viva - see why more people are going to viva for near shore talent. And get a massive discount for being a listener of the show
September 3, 2026Episode 34747 min
Where do I even start when it comes to AI in my agency?
In this weeks episode the Mayor talks with Dave Rose, an agency operator at Bolt and former Liberty Mutual and Travelers leader, about what independent agents can learn from captive carriers, how connected distribution works, and how agencies can start using AI without overhauling everything. Dave brings a practical, operator’s perspective from both the agency side and the tech side, with a focus on real-world implementation rather than hype.In this episode, they cover the process discipline of captive agencies, the power of referrals and centers of influence in the independent channel, and why AI adoption is more about solving specific pain points than chasing tools. They also preview Dave’s ITC session on building an AI-first agency plan in 30, 60, and 90 days. Timestamps 00:00 — Intro, sponsors, and welcome to Dave Rose 08:24 — What Bolt does as a connected distribution platform 10:25 — What Dave learned moving from captive to independent 12:40 — Why independent agency success depends on knowledge, not just choice 15:03 — Centers of influence and building referral pipelines 17:05 — Why branding and marketing matter in the independent channel 19:19 — Why Dave wanted to be both an agency operator and technology builder 20:16 — How Bolt tests technology from the agency side first 23:04 — Why AI vendors all sound similar and what actually matters 24:57 — Advice for technology vendors: think through the agency lens 27:00 — The difference between insurance-first technology and tech-first insurance 28:17 — ITC and the growing role of agents at the conference 29:36 — A real example of an agency owner unsure where to begin with AI 31:18 — Why the industry is still early in its AI journey 34:13 — Three AI myths Dave wants to challenge 36:02 — Why AI should support, not replace, relationship-driven work 38:36 — Dave’s ITC session: practical next steps for agencies 41:26 — Agent Day at ITC and the value-first approach 42:23 — Session title: The AI First Agency: Your 30-, 60-, and 90-Day Plan in 15 Minutes 46:03 — The origins of Bolt and its connected distribution mission 47:28 — How Bolt connects lead generation, quoting, binding, and servicing 49:31 — Who should talk to Bolt and who benefits most 51:29 — How to reach Dave and Bolt 52:40 — Why ITC is worth attending for independent agents 54:58 — Why ITC works because of its concentration of knowledge and conversation Sponsors: Canopy Connect 1fort Viva If you have not registered for ITC Vegas. Go check it out and use discount code : 1AGSPKSNB for $200 off
August 27, 2026Episode 34647 min
How do I close more prospects ?
This week in insurance town Heath Shearon sits down with Martin Mashalov, co-founder of Gridpull, to unpack why buying more leads is not the same as getting more business. They dig into how appetite matching, renewal timing, and trigger-based prospecting can help agencies spend producer time more efficiently and improve conversion rates. Martin explains how his background in applied math and insurance analytics led him to build tools for finding better prospects, not just more prospects. The conversation stays practical throughout, with examples from restaurants, commercial real estate, and new business triggers. 00:00 - Welcome to the episode and the lead buying problem 05:22 - Why insurance complexity pulled him toward technology 09:55 - Modeling insurer risk and learning the agency and brokerage chain 12:04 - How lead buying became a prospecting problem 14:39 - Why volume alone does not fix lead performance 18:39 - What “appetite” means for agencies and carriers 20:29 - Restaurant examples and carrier appetite edge cases 27:17 - New business triggers as a smarter prospecting strategy 28:21 - Permits, hiring, and licensing as insurance signals 31:38 - Trigger stacking for stronger prospecting profiles 33:20 - Why Gridpull was built around a real workflow problem 34:08 - Where AI fits and where it should stay out of the way 39:30 - How Gridpull organizes renewals, contacts, and follow-up 42:43 - Using existing books of business for cross-sell opportunities 44:10 - Early conversion rate and revenue gains from Gridpool 47:40 - How Gridpull supports agencies beyond just software 48:13 - Contact options and demo availability 49:22 - Free trial, credits, and privacy considerations Sponsors : CANOPY CONNECT 1 Fort VIVA
August 20, 2026Episode 34551 min
How Can I Maximize My Conference Experience?
This week Drake Lawhead comes to visit us in Insurance Town to talk all things conference , and maximizing the conference experience. We get into what all goes into building a major industry event and how attendees can actually get value from showing up. They also dig into how ITC evolved from an investor-focused conference into a broader experience for agents, brokers, carriers, and the tech vendors serving them.We discuss why in-person networking still matters, how to prepare before a conference, and what makes ITC’s agent and broker programming different from a typical trade show. 00:00 - Welcome to Insurance Town and sponsor shoutouts 08:25 - What conference planning really looks like behind the scenes 09:36 - How conference teams handle complaints and reduce friction 11:42 - How attendees should prepare before a conference starts 13:25 - Why some people should attend with a plan and others should leave room for serendipity 15:46 - Why staying present beats taking conference-day Zoom calls 18:48 - Why in-person networking still beats digital connection 19:49 - How ITC’s app and meeting system help people connect fast 28:35 - Why insurance is a natural fit for technology and AI 31:09 - What ITC Agents attendees can expect from Tuesday through Thursday 33:43 - Expo hall, main stage, happy hours, and the closing concert 38:05 - Why ITC was built for introverts too 39:43 - Quiet zones, lounges, puppy park, and low-pressure networking 42:31 - How ITC borrows ideas from other conferences 45:01 - Why intentional networking matters more than just putting people in a room 46:45 - Why Drake enjoys the independent agency world 47:58 - Dates, location, and how to register 48:59 - ITC events around the world 50:49 - Final push to register and use the app 51:47 - Closing thanks and signoff Thank you to my Sponsors: Canopy Connect 1fort Viva Virtual Solutions
August 13, 2026Episode 34453 min
Should I give my clients my personal cell number ?
In this weeks Episode, I got the chance to talk to my brother, my homie, my main man, Casey Nelson of Agency X and Eclipse Insurance. We talked about a major career shift, returning to the agency side with Eclipse Insurance, and why that move is giving him a new lens on what works and what doesnt inside an agency. They also dig into Agency X, Casey and Jessica Holder’s upcoming behind the scenes podcast about fixing real agency problems in real time. Think, Reality TV meets VLog, meets Podcast, and all rolled into some entertaining and Educational Content built for insurance agencies. A big part of the conversation centers on the tension between old school workflows, modern automation, and AI, plus how agencies can adopt technology without creating chaos. Let me be real , this one gets SPICY, QUICK!! Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome to Insurance Town and sponsor rundown 02:25 - Casey joins the conversation and catches up with Heath 08:51 - Why agency owner alignment on process is non negotiable 09:46 - Paper workflows, printed emails, and missing documentation 14:07 - Why no insurance tech is truly ready out of the box 15:04 - Preparing clients for AI driven service changes 20:28 - Front door theory and getting everything into the ecosystem 22:24 - Why agents should stop using personal cell phones for business 24:14 - Relationship business vs order taker mentality 27:10 - The value of honest staff feedback on workflows 31:17 - How AI adoption has changed since the Zapier era 32:26 - Why agencies that resist tech risk falling behind 37:46 - AI fatigue and why younger generations may push back 39:21 - Why agencies should map pain points before buying AI tools 40:22 - Change one variable at a time and keep a baseline 41:38 - What is agency X 47:40 - Casey’s ITC speaking opportunity 49:10 - What Casey will talk about at ITC 50:42 - Why the agent and vendor halls at ITC are worth the trip 51:38 - ITC promo code details and closing thoughts 52:32 - Final thanks, future guest host plans, and signoff Sponsors: Canopy Connect 1Fort AI Viva Virtual Solutions
Is this your show?
Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.
