Recently at IIAD All-Industry Day, I had the honor of moderating a panel of powerhouse voices from across the insurance tech spectrum. One theme rang loud and clear from our conversation: the difference between agencies that win with technology and those that don't is all about mindset and culture.
The event itself was a powerful testament to that mindset. There was strong attendance from many of the top agencies in all of Dallas, a room full of leaders eager to learn, share, and get better together. The energy was high, the questions were sharp, and the hunger for growth was unmistakable.
The panelists spent some time talking about fear. Fear of failure. Fear of change. Fear that AI is coming for our jobs. And then we contrasted that with curiosity, risk-taking, and investing forward. The fear isn't irrational because we're talking about disruption at a scale our industry hasn't faced in decades. But sitting still is the riskiest move of all.
Heath Shearon said it best: "The agencies that win are the ones not afraid to invest. They get that something might break, and they do it anyway. They spend their money and go get it." That willingness to experiment, to try before you're ready, to bet on growth… that's a cultural shift. And it's a non-negotiable one.
Ryan Hanley took it even further, framing this as a transition from a "peacetime" era to a "wartime" mentality. For decades, you could grow just by showing up and doing good work. Now? There are well-funded, AI-powered challengers who don't care about your community ties. They want your accounts. Period. "We are moving out of that peacetime growth environment and moving into an environment where there are going to be people coming after us, and it's going to be real," he said.
What stood out to me was the mixture of passion and clarity. We're not talking about theoretical disruption anymore. It's here. And our mindset determines whether we respond with innovation or inertia.
One of the most practical takeaways came in the form of self-awareness. Ryan talked about lifestyle agencies, those that are built for freedom, for family, for a steady income, and a second home on the beach. If that's your goal, fantastic. Build around it. But if you're trying to grow, you need a different mindset entirely. One that embraces challenge, not comfort.
The mindset of a winning agency is:
- Curious enough to ask questions without needing all the answers first.
- Brave enough to test, fail, and learn.
- Honest enough to recognize when old habits no longer serve your operations.
- Focused enough to stop playing small.
As a moderator, I left the panel energized. Not just by the tech solutions on display, but by the grit and urgency in the room. This isn't about tools. It's about leadership.
Technology follows mindset. Not the other way around.
So I'll leave you with this: What kind of culture are you building in your agency? Is it ready for wartime? Is it built to adapt? Because if you can get the mindset right, everything else gets easier from there.
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