President's Message

PROMOTING THE INDEPENDENT AGENT CAREER

I had the privilege of being part of the National Outstanding CSR of the Year Award celebration with Danielle Webber, our featured agent for this month’s magazine. It was one of the more memorable events I’ve participated in at IA&B, as it truly epitomized why this is such a good industry.

Danielle, like a lot of us, didn’t have “insurance agent” as her answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Despite that, she entered the industry, loves the industry, and is flourishing as a result. Her recognition as the top CSR shows how in a short amount of time she has grown in her role. And, as the mother of a young son, she has priorities in addition to her job. But she manages, and she manages quite well. I had a lovely dinner with Danielle, her parents, and her co-workers the night of the award ceremony, and it was a moment where you could appreciate our industry.

It’s stories like this that further our drive to recruit new talent into our industry. With the launch of our Insuring Careers Certification Program (ICCP), we are seeking out more Danielles – individuals who don’t know what a career in insurance entails, but when they find out, become interested. They learn that it’s a career with quick growth opportunity, a career that allows personal flexibility, and a career that can be lucrative when hard work is put in.

There are great stories and great people in the independent insurance agent channel. We meet them all the time. It’s our job to tell these stories to those outside the industry. I’m confident that new independent insurance agents are out there, and they can find a home in this business just like Danielle did. IA&B endeavors to find them.

Onward and upward,

Jason F. Ernest, IA&B President & CEO