The Insura-Preneur Podcast

In this episode of AI for IA, Michael Jans breaks down what may become the defining strategic divide in the independent insurance industry:

the difference between agencies that casually “experiment” with AI…

and agencies that systematically build growth, efficiency, governance, and valuation advantage around it.

Michael shares:

• Why AI adoption in the industry is still shockingly immature
• The hidden risks of ...

Most agencies think growth problems start with lead generation.

But what if the real bottleneck is hidden inside renewal servicing?

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Colby Tunick of Refocus AI to explore how AI is beginning to compress renewal workflows from 90 minutes to 15 — and why that shift could fundamentally change staffing, margins, retention, and valuation inside the independent agency channel.

A conversat...

Most agencies are using AI the wrong way.

Not as execution… but as assistance.

In this episode, Michael speaks with Isaiah Hall, co-founder of Circle, about a new approach:

AI that can complete insurance workflows end-to-end.

From a single client request, it can:

• Access your AMS
• Navigate carrier portals
• Retrieve documents
• Draft the response

All with human review at the final step.

The real question isn’t the...

This quarter changed everything.

In this solo episode, Michael Jans breaks down the most important AI developments from Q1 2026—and what they mean for independent insurance agencies right now.

This is not theory. This is signal.

A recent report from Bank of America Global Research identified $15 billion in commissions at risk, with AI capable of performing a meaningful portion of work currently handled by 20,000–30,000 ...

AI is no longer a tool in the insurance industry—it’s becoming the operating system.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Samuel Belanger-Lamoureux, Co-Founder of Cemiar, one of Canada’s fastest-growing insurtech firms, to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface of “AI adoption.”

What emerges is not a conversation about tools—but about a fundamental restructuring of how agenc...

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Mehdi Lhadj, CEO of Floapi, to explore what AI is actually doing inside insurance agencies today—not theory, not hype, but real operational impact.

We break down how agencies are:

• Turning 15-minute workflows into 30-second automations
• Reducing operational costs by up to 75%
• Automating commercial billing, renewal shopping, and client communications
• Increasing compliance while r...

AI is flooding the insurance industry.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Most agencies are using it wrong.

In this episode, Michael Jans speaks with Daniel Yoo, CEO of FinMate AI, about one of the most important strategic decisions facing agency leaders today:

👉 Should you buy AI tools… or build AI into your agency?

You’ll discover:

• Why off-the-shelf AI is easy—but limited
• When customization becomes...

AI is no longer optional in the insurance agency world.

But neither is risk.

In this solo episode, Michael Jans steps away from vendor interviews to deliver a critical message every agency principal needs to hear—right now.

Because while one side of the industry is shouting “Do it or die,” another is warning “Don’t touch it.”

And the truth?

They’re both right.

They’re just talking abo...

Most insurance agencies don’t have a technology problem.

They have a trust problem.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Steve Pieroway, author of the 2026 InsurTech Trust Index, to unpack one of the most important (and overlooked) dynamics in the industry today:

👉 Agents trust the technology…

👉 But they don’t trust the vendors selling it

And that gap is costing agencies time, money, and momentum.

Inside thi...

AI could drive 3X productivity gains in white-collar industries within 12–18 months.

That includes insurance.

Ben Horowitz — co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz — is signaling a structural shift, not incremental change.

Here’s the real issue for independent agencies:

If productivity triples…

Will you convert that capacity into growth?

Or will it eventually convert into pressure — on payroll, margi...

LinkedIn is no longer optional for commercial insurance agencies.

But most agents are using it tactically — not strategically.

In this episode, I sit down with Anthony Blatner to break down:

• Why LinkedIn is the dominant platform for commercial lines
• The right sequence: organic → direct messaging → paid ads
• Why text-only posts often outperform polished marketing graphics
• How LinkedIn newsletters quietly compound authority
...

What do a pair of socks, a red envelope, and artificial intelligence have in common?

In this refreshingly candid episode, Michael Jans returns from vacation with bold clarity and delivers a straight-shooting message to independent agency leaders: AI is here. And if you don’t have a strategy, you’re already behind.

From stories that date back to Agency Revolution’s early days to real-time warnings about cold outrea...

Last week, something happened in insurance that many independent agencies will underestimate.

Insurance quoting functionality appeared inside ChatGPT.

Within one trading session, major publicly traded brokerages saw billions in market capitalization erased — not because earnings changed, but because the interface moved.

This episode is not about AI writing emails or summarizing coverage forms.

It is about distribution risk.

I...

AI isn’t coming — it’s already transforming insurance brokerages from the inside out.

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Canadian insurance veteran and IBAC advisor Tom Reid, who shares what he’s uncovered after mapping 45 core brokerage workflows... and discovering AI can revolutionize 44 of them.

🔍 You’ll hear:

– How quoting time dropped from 30 minutes to just 5

– Why 80% of a...

Agency 2030: How AI Will Reshape Everything

🎙️ with Michael Jans & Chris Tamm (AI Strategist + Former Agency Principal)

What happens when AI goes beyond blog posts and into the beating heart of your insurance agency?

In this eye-opening episode, Michael sits down with Chris—a 7x founder, agency veteran, and global AI implementation strategist—to unpack what really lies ahead for independent agencies.

🔥 Inside this...

Homeowners insurance is no longer “inflation + a little.” In many states it’s become volatile, uneven, and emotionally exhausting for consumers—and operationally painful for agents trying to retain clients through renewal shocks.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Dylan DiMarchi, CEO of Eventual (the company behind Premium Lock), to unpack a simple but potentially disruptive idea: multi-year premium pre...

How do you turn a tiny, rural, PC-10 agency into a multi-niche growth machine that closes six-figure accounts without traditional producers?

In this episode, Michael Jans sits down with Cheri Martinen, Managing Partner of Bancorp Insurance, to unpack how her family’s small Oregon agency has grown 6–7x while being surrounded by national forest on three sides.

You’ll hear how Cheri’s parents:

• Started by c...

In this episode, Michael pulls back the curtain on what AI actually did in 2025—far away from the hype, and deep in the real numbers.

While most of the insurance world is still “thinking about AI,” other industries are already cashing in:

• A global fintech using AI to replace the work of ~700 people in 35 languages
• A major carrier cutting claim cycle times by weeks and slashing complaints by 65%
• A wealth manag...

Still retyping the same client data into five different carrier portals?

In this episode of The AI for IA Podcast, Michael talks with Carl, founder of Gaya, the browser-based tool built specifically for insurance agencies. Gaya sits on top of the systems you already use and turns painful, repetitive data entry into a few clicks.

Instead of spending 10–15 minutes keying information into each carrier portal, agencies using Gaya...