Key takeaways from an Agency 2030 panel featuring Ciara Gravier, Brandon Smith, and Casey Nelson
The insurance world is moving fast. AI is everywhere, client expectations are rising, and agency workflows are being rebuilt in real time.
In a panel discussion focused on Agency 2030, three agency leaders shared what they are seeing in their firms and across the country. The conversation was candid, practical, and consistent on one core idea.
Technology will change the tools. It will not replace the trust.
Below is a recap of the biggest lessons and the most actionable moves agencies can make now to prepare for the next five years.
Agency 2030 is shorthand for the agency model that will win in the next five years.
It is not just about adopting more technology. It is about building an agency that can:
Deliver a faster, clearer client experience
Hire and retain talent that fits your culture
Use automation to reduce friction and protect margins
Strengthen relationships so you stay indispensable in a noisy marketplace
When asked what would change most in the agency landscape, the panel did not start with AI.
As AI becomes more common, live human relationships become more valuable.
The panel’s belief was clear:
Clients will be overwhelmed by automation
Trust will become harder to earn
Agencies that stay personal will stand out
Agency 2030 belongs to agencies that double down on relationships, not agencies that hide behind tools.
The panel agreed that the best agencies will use tech to create space for higher-value human work.
One key shift Casey emphasized:
Move from an order-taker mentality to a professional advisory model
That looks like:
Scheduled calls instead of constant interruptions
Clear workflows instead of reactive inbox chaos
Proactive renewal guidance instead of last-minute panic
Technology helps make that possible, but only if you use it intentionally.
It is the lack of guardrails.
Casey raised a major concern that shows up again and again in agencies:
Staff are using AI tools already
Many agencies have no written guidance
People can unintentionally paste private client data into free tools
An effective AI policy should cover:
What is allowed and what is not
A strict rule against entering client documents or sensitive information
Human review requirements
Approved use cases like rewriting emails, summarizing notes, or role-play practice
Training and regular updates as tools evolve
If you think your team is not using AI, they are. The safest path is to acknowledge it and set rules.
Ciara Gravier, owner of a South Florida commercial-focused agency, framed client experience through one lens.
Where are we punishing the client with our process?
She shared a modern approach:
Digitize applications and reduce back and forth
Use workflow automation to move submissions faster
Offer portals and self-service where appropriate
Set expectations early and communicate frequently
Her key insight:
Clients do not expect instant delivery. They expect clear expectations and updates.
They want to know they have not been forgotten.
Brandon shared a practical client experience problem that agencies can fix.
Many clients see a renewal notice late, panic, and call at 4:45 on a Friday.
So his team built automated renewal communication to:
Notify clients early
Provide a plan and recommendations
Reduce last-minute stress for both clients and staff
The result:
Better retention
Less chaos
More profitable renewals
Both Ciara and Brandon emphasized that hiring for Agency 2030 is less about resumes and more about fit.
Insurance skills can be taught. Culture is harder to change.
What they look for:
People you trust without micromanaging
Strong phone presence and empathy
Communication skills and professionalism
Alignment with your core values
One practical example:
Casey pointed to teachers as an underrated talent pool because they are already skilled at:
Explaining complex ideas simply
Handling pressure
Selling attention and trust every day
Ciara shared a generational truth.
Younger team members often expect:
Task-based workflows
Systems that guide next steps
Tech that removes ambiguity
In many agencies, that creates friction with experienced leaders who built their careers without modern tools.
The lesson:
If you want younger talent, you have to build an agency they can succeed in.
Then you train them on what technology cannot replace:
Client confidence
Tone
De-escalation
Hard conversations
Professional judgment
The panel returned to a simple principle.
AI must be human-supervised. Always.
Where agencies get into trouble:
Asking AI for insurance advice instead of contacting an underwriter
Copying and pasting client details into tools
Treating AI output as final without review
The ethical risk is less about the existence of AI and more about how casually it can be used.
Trust is the currency of insurance. Agencies cannot outsource that.
One audience observation introduced a major shift already underway.
People are moving from:
Asking humans
Searching Google
To:
Asking AI assistants inside the tools they already use
This matters because AI is gaining transactional capabilities, meaning agencies may soon need to consider:
How their content, FAQs, and processes show up in AI-driven experiences
How to protect their voice and personality in a world of automated answers
How to keep a clear path back to a real human advisor
The takeaway:
Your agency voice and positioning matter more than ever.
If you cannot define your tone, your value, and your client experience, technology will define it for you.
The panel highlighted blind spots that can quietly damage profitability.
Do you know if a specific client is in the black or the red?
If you are not tracking service demand and touches per client, you may be over-serving unprofitable accounts while under-investing in top clients.
Brandon shared a different way to define success by tracking indicators of real value, like:
How many times you helped a client reduce coverage
How many second opinions you provided
How often clients say no one has ever explained it this way before
These are leading indicators of loyalty.
Ciara tracks both:
Referrals received
Referrals given back
She is building a community ecosystem where clients see the agency as a hub, not just an insurance vendor.
The panel also addressed a mindset shift.
Independent agents are not fighting each other as much as they are fighting:
Direct writers
Captive models
Low-trust, low-touch insurance buying experiences
Collaboration improves the channel.
Sharing playbooks, renewal systems, and marketing tactics raises the standard for everyone.
If you want a practical checklist, start here.
No client data in public tools
Human review required
Approved use cases defined
Staff training documented
Digitize applications and intake
Automate renewal communications
Create clear expectations and updates
Define values and behaviors
Hire for fit
Reward what you want repeated
If you tolerate exceptions, you weaken onboarding and accountability.
Profitability per client or touches per client
One purpose metric that reflects your mission
The panel consensus was no. AI will change tools and workflows, but human trust and advocacy will remain the differentiator.
Uncontrolled use by staff, especially entering client information into public tools without guardrails.
Proactive renewal communication. Beat the carrier to the mailbox and eliminate last-minute renewal emergencies.
Hire for culture and communication skills. Consider non-traditional pipelines, such as teachers and service professionals.