Most service-business owners don’t have a lead problem. They have a follow-up problem.

In this episode, I sit down with Cheri Martinen, a fourth-generation insurance agent who bought out her parents’ agency over a 7-to-8-year plan and learned every side of it: sales, HR, bookkeeping, and carrier relationships. She shares the direct mail campaign built around a smoke alarm battery that brought in leads right away, and why she says 80% of sales close between the 5th and 20th contact.

We also get into the part of business most owners avoid until it’s too late:

• What happens to your personal assets if you operate without business insurance
• What underwriters look at: your structure, revenue and payroll
• Why umbrella and cyber coverage matter when lawsuits are the risk
• How an independent broker quotes your business across multiple carriers, and why it costs the buyer nothing
• Why masterminds, outside help and delegation keep owners from burning out

If you’re the bottleneck in your own business, this one’s for you.

Connect with Cheri:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-martinen-a6002725/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575834316721
• Instagram: @cheri_martinen
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BancorpInsuranceLaPine
• Her book: https://a.co/d/01V9fXkW

Want to see where your business is leaking? Book a free strategy session with Pure Gold Business Solutions: puregoldbusiness.com

The doc also had an open to-do to confirm the book title from the Amazon link and add it to the description. The Gemini notes call it “Covered,” but those are auto-generated. I only saw the first part of the checklist, so there may be more below it.

If you're interested in working with Angelo, click below to book a strategy session and get started:

Book your strategy session here: https://www.puregoldbusiness.com/start

After a short break, we're back with a new episode of Pure Gold Business Podcast.

Since being away and running sales calls for my new venture, I thought it would be fitting to share what some insights that I've picked up and can pass along to you in order to make those conversations easier on you and your prospects.

Stop diagnosing alone. Bring your business to the workshop and let Angelo walk you through the map live — with the full Pure Gold community in the room.

Register here: https://www.puregoldbusiness.com/workshop

Have you ever given everything you had to a job, a friendship, or a relationship—showing up early, staying late, doing work that wasn’t even yours to do—only to be treated like you're completely disposable the second you ask a real question?

In this milestone 10th episode of the Pure Gold Business Podcast, host Angelo Cottingham dives deep into a hard truth that most people avoid: loyalty without reciprocity isn't a virtue—it's self-sabotage.

If you’ve ever been gaslit, ghosted, or turned into the "villain" simply for standing up for basic respect, this episode is your wake-up call. Angelo breaks down the toxic patterns that keep high-performers stuck in unrewarding situations and delivers a strategic, step-by-step game plan to regain control of your time, income, and future.

Stop diagnosing alone. Bring your business to the workshop and let Angelo walk you through the map live — with the full Pure Gold community in the room.

Register here: https://www.puregoldbusiness.com/workshop