“We ask staff what we should keep doing, what we should stop doing. We even tell interviewees that if they want micromanagement, they’ve come to the wrong place, but if they want autonomy, come on in.” —Chris Ball CEO FROM ZERO TO $20 MILLION Reliance Group boasts seven companies at its headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia By Dennis H. Pillsbury Photography by Melanie Maganias Nashan “The people you meet
From The Latest Issue
A STRONG NETWORK Chicagoland young pro finds value in building and maintaining business relationships By Christopher W. Cook I always hear about how insurance is a people business, which is one of the reasons why I would find it difficult to work in insurance—I have the tendency to be an introvert among introverts. Sometimes I have to psyche myself up before I mingle and connect when I do find myself
Six steps to your unique niche Carving a path to your own space in the industry By Landon Bentham It wasn’t long into my career in the insurance business when I was approached and told to “find a niche” in something. “Let’s look at our current list of clients and insurance company appetites to try and find a business or industry you could focus on,” they said. “This is where
TIPS FOR AGENCY GROWTH DURING A HARD MARKET Educate yourself and understand your clients’ needs The hard market is not going away anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you cannot leverage it now to grow your long-term business strategy. By Nicole Farley There seems to be news each week that a carrier is adjusting its appetite and offerings. We are currently in a hard market cycle, which means insurance might
STARTING OUT YOUNG High school co-op program opportunity leads to successful career in insurance By Elisabeth Boone, CPCU It’s a long way from high school to area president and client advocate, and that’s the path taken by Tabbatha Sipes, vice president of Assured Partners, who began her insurance career at age 17. “At the time, I didn’t realize that insurance was something I wanted to do long term,” Sipes says.
