Q&A with Michael Cruz

Michael Cruz is the founder and principal owner of Foresight insurance LLC, a full-service independent insurance agency located in North Bethesda, MD. An IA&B member agency, Foresight Insurance won the 2024 Agent for the FutureTM Outstanding Agency Overall Award, which recognizes innovation in independent agencies.

Q. Tell us how you got your start in the industry and how your career progressed.

Like most people, I fell into it. I started selling life insurance in 2008 when I was 19 years old. I did it for about four years, but unsurprisingly, most of my network wasn’t exactly eager to buy life insurance at that age. I struggled to make it work.

In 2012, I was recruited to work at Liberty Mutual as a personal lines sales agent, and that’s when things started to turn around for me financially. But after a few years, I realized I wanted to do something out of the box. I saw many of my colleagues opening ERIE agencies and doing well, and at the same time, I found myself constantly referring leads to ERIE agents. It made me think, why not build something of my own?

So, in July 2015, I established my entity but wasn’t appointed with ERIE until June 2016. Little did I know, I was about to embark on the hardest journey of my life. There were plenty of challenges, but I’m thankful I was young, naive, and willing to bet on myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the creative, time, and financial freedom I have today from owning my own insurance agency.

As I built the agency, I quickly realized that running a business and selling insurance are two completely different things. I had to move beyond just selling policies and start systemizing the way the agency operated, making sure it could scale efficiently without losing quality or overloading employees.

Q. How has Foresight Insurance grown since its inception in 2015, and what do you consider to be the agency’s greatest success?

A. We have grown every year since we started, through hard markets, the pandemic, and all of it. In 2024 alone, we saw a 40% revenue jump. However, our biggest success is how we have structured our agency to operate as a true team rather than a collection of individuals.

Most agencies rely on individual agents to sell and service clients independently, creating inconsistency and inefficiency. Instead, we have built a model where sales and service are a team effort, providing consistent client experience, more balanced workloads, and a scalable structure. Because of this, we launched a four-day workweek in May 2024, giving our team a better work-life balance without sacrificing productivity or client service.

Q. You’re a proponent of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) into your operations. What advice would you give other agency principals who want to explore AI?

A. AI isn’t a magic bullet, but when used correctly, it can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and allow your team to focus on higher-value tasks.

That said, you have to be willing to try it, test it, and fail. Not every AI tool will translate to productivity, but some absolutely will, and you won’t know unless you experiment. The worst thing you can do is ignore AI. You have to embrace it, stay updated, and be adaptable because this is moving faster than anything we’ve seen in decades.

The agents who stay ahead of the curve will be the ones who experience tremendous growth, using AI tools as leverage. The agencies that wait too long will find themselves struggling to keep up. AI isn’t replacing agents, it’s replacing agents who don’t use AI.

Q. Following the pandemic, you maintained a hybrid work environment to recruit and retain talent. What tools do you use to ensure remote workers’ efficiency and productivity?

A. Managing a remote or hybrid team requires clear communication, well-defined roles, and active monitoring. Without these, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks.

We use Microsoft Teams Chat to check in first thing in the morning, throughout the day, during breaks, and before logging off. BambooHR helps us manage schedules and time off, keeping visibility across the team. Our RingCentral VOIP system allows us to answer calls from anywhere, so there’s no drop in service whether someone is in the office or remote.

Beyond communication, we rely on AgencyZoom for sales pipeline management and automation, making sure our producers stay on top of leads and follow-ups. HawkSoft is our agency management system (AMS) where we track policies, client history, and essential documentation. Most recently, we introduced HelpScout for our shared email inbox, making sure that emails are managed efficiently and nothing gets missed.

We also emphasize high standards of note-taking during every client interaction and strict adherence to our processes. This keeps everyone on the same page and prevents miscommunication. Transparency equals accountability, and when everyone follows the same workflow, it makes collaboration seamless.

Team meetings are crucial. Consistency is key, if you’re not intentional about staying in touch, it becomes an “out of sight, out of mind” situation. I schedule all my meetings in advance, including team meetings, one-on-ones, and other check-ins to ensure everyone stays aligned and no one feels disconnected.

But none of this works without active monitoring. Running an agency the right way means spot-checking processes, analyzing data, and making sure things are getting done. When issues arise, they usually fall into one of two categories: a people problem or a process problem.

I make it a point to regularly review key metrics, including completed tasks, call volume, sales activities, and more recently, even pending and overdue task workloads. Understanding this data at the company, team, and individual level helps me identify bottlenecks and make sure we’re operating as efficiently as possible.

Q. You recently implemented a four-day work week at your agency. What prompted this, and how has the rollout gone?

A. The decision to implement a four-day workweek came out of necessity and desperation after seeing employee burnout during the hard market. It wasn’t about being trendy or trying to offer a flashy perk, it was about survival. The demands of the industry were pushing my team to the edge, and something had to change.

The rollout had its ups and downs. At first, we went through a honeymoon phase, everyone was excited, morale was high, and it seemed like the perfect solution. But soon, we started seeing the cracks in our processes. Some employees doubted whether this could actually work. They didn’t want to take off and come back to a pile of problems or feel like they didn’t have enough time to complete their work.

But through the determination of my team and I, we powered through. We refined our workflows, tightened up our processes, and made the necessary adjustments to make the four-day model sustainable. It forced us to become more efficient, more systemized, and ultimately, stronger as a team.

At Foresight Insurance, we don’t operate based on individual preferences, we operate based on our system, and our agency structure. We do things the Foresight Insurance way, not the individual way. We win as a team or we fail as a team, and this shift has only reinforced that culture.

Q. What do you consider to be the greatest threats and opportunities facing the independent agency system?

A. The biggest threat is agencies that refuse to evolve. The industry moves slowly, and outdated processes are holding many agencies back. Those that don’t adopt better systems, leverage technology, and modernize their workflows will struggle to compete.

Another major threat is stagnation. It’s not just about growing your PIF or revenue, it’s about constantly improving your processes, efficiency, and overall capabilities. Agencies that fail to grow in these areas are on borrowed time. You can no longer afford to be, or stay, small. In today’s market, you’re either scaling up or falling behind, there’s no middle ground. If you’re not evolving, you’re in decline, and the agencies that refuse to adapt will see a fast decline as the industry shifts.

The biggest opportunity? Agencies that embrace technology to become better advisors, not replace the relationship. The agencies that integrate tech without becoming purely transactional will thrive. Clients still value personalized service but expect speed, convenience, and efficiency. The agencies that successfully blend modern technology with expert guidance will be the ones that dominate the independent agency space.

Q. And now a fun one: when you’re not working, how do you enjoy spending your time?

A. During the pandemic, my wife and I picked up walking, and it quickly became something we both loved. I enjoy getting outside and going on long walks as a way to clear my head and spend time with my wife, Natasha. We often do a 10-mile walk from our house in North Bethesda to Downtown Bethesda, grab a delicious oat milk cortado, and then walk back. That’s our weekend 10-mile walk. It’s tough at first, but after a few times, you get used to it. Walking is underrated, it’s one of the best ways to disconnect and reset.

I also enjoy road biking. Sometimes, when I want a challenge, I’ll join a local group ride to push myself. Other times, when I just want to relax and think, I’ll go for a solo ride. I’m fortunate to live in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, which has some beautiful mountain routes within an hour’s drive in both Maryland and Virginia, its location perfect for cycling.

Beyond that, I enjoy good food, traveling, and unplugging when I can. I love flying; I find planes fascinating, and to this day, I still get excited about going to an airport and getting on a plane, regardless of the destination.