Callan Harrington sits down with Seth Zaremba, CEO of b atomic and ZINC Insurance, to break down how he built extreme efficiency into an insurance agency and turned it into industry-best margins. Seth is one of the most resilient entrepreneurs in the space, and he opens up about the reality of holding your breath through the hard times as a founder.

Seth explains how he reduced insurance operations to their smallest processes, measured the cost per transaction, and used that data to reshape how his team worked. He shares why hiring more people was the wrong answer, how he moved retention from 87 to 94% during the pandemic, and how separating service from process freed his people to do more valuable work. He also walks through the b atomic journey, the failures that came before the breakthrough, and why service automation became the real product. This conversation is packed with practical thinking on efficiency, change management, and why relationships will matter more than ever as AI automates the rest.

Listen now to learn how to build an agency that survives and wins in the years ahead.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro
[01:12] What it means to hold your breath
[02:43] Why your spouse is your biggest shareholder
[04:43] From 87% to 94% retention
[05:39] Driving extreme efficiency into an agency
[07:22] The 29 processes hidden in every agency
[09:25] Measuring cost per transaction
[11:13] Moving tasks to cut costs fast
[14:04] Why employees earned 13.8% more
[15:04] Speed and accuracy win customers
[17:37] How the valuation flipped
[20:01] Change fatigue and leadership mistakes
[24:53] Getting teams past inertia
[26:03] Why the old agency model is broken
[29:52] The b atomic cookie recipe
[33:49] Inside the service automation platform
[38:12] Advice for top 100 agencies
[42:46] Why knowledge workers are the new black
[43:50] Betting big on relationships

Connect with Seth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-zaremba-8461805

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The Insurance Growth Lab is brought to you by Flashgrowth, where we go deep on the campaigns and strategies driving real results in the insurance industry.

In this episode of The Insurance Growth Lab, host Callan Harrington sits down with Jeff Wilcoxon, Senior Strategy and Corporate Development Principal at VIU by HUB. The two dig into a new VIU by HUB survey that found 88 percent of policyholders want their provider to proactively flag when coverage no longer fits their life, while 56 percent have not heard from their provider in over a year. Jeff explains why the industry has focused so heavily on the sale and neglected everything that happens after.

Callan and Jeff break down how VIU by HUB adds 1700 households a week and still delivers proactive advice by combining automation with skilled human agents. They cover the spectrum of embedded insurance, why choice backed by more than 100 carriers matters to partners, and how VIU builds loyalty to the brokerage rather than a single person. Jeff also shares how he evaluates digital agency acquisitions and where AI actually adds value, from agent training to freeing up time for real advice.

Listen now to learn how proactive service and smart technology are reshaping the way insurance gets sold.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro
[01:10] The Sanibel Island insurance gamble
[03:36] Inside VIU by HUB explained
[04:43] Why 88% want proactive coverage advice
[05:58] The industry's dirty retention secret
[06:47] Building profitable post sale service
[09:32] Life triggers that prompt outreach
[13:36] Predictive data versus reactive alerts
[16:13] Choosing digital or human outreach
[17:41] Loyalty to brand not agents
[19:34] The spectrum of embedded insurance
[21:41] Why choice beats single carrier programs
[27:24] Will AI replace the broker
[29:41] Evaluating digital agency acquisitions
[33:38] Where deals fall apart on valuation
[38:05] AI investment that empowers agents
[44:27] The insurance experience in 2036

Follow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwilcoxon

Subscribe for more episodes where we break down one specific growth initiative at a time with the leaders behind it.

The Insurance Growth Lab is hosted by Callan Harrington and brought to you by Flashgrowth.

Callan Harrington sits down with PJ Cannon, Regional Managing Director at Henderson Brothers, to break down how he recruits and builds high-performing insurance teams. PJ traces his approach back to his college football recruiting days at Wisconsin and explains how attention to detail and making people feel valued shaped the way he attracts talent today.

The conversation digs into the tactics behind building a new office in Columbus from scratch, including how PJ leverages centers of influence, hosts strategic networking events, and uses golf to build genuine relationships that turn into clients and hires. He also shares his interview process, why he screens for vulnerability, and the teaming model he is building to develop new producers while freeing top performers to grow. If you want practical ideas on recruiting, retention, and launching in a new market, PJ delivers real detail you can put to work.

Listen now to learn how PJ Cannon turns relationships into a repeatable growth engine.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro
[01:15] Lessons from college football recruiting
[02:20] Use them don't let them use you
[03:39] Dialed in recruiting processes revealed
[04:00] Album covers and buzz for candidates
[07:00] Where to find top talent
[07:52] Turning advisors into recruiters
[09:43] Keeping referral programs alive
[10:33] Building powerful centers of influence
[11:22] How to build your network fast
[12:52] Golf course networking strategy
[13:54] Care first sell later approach
[16:57] The vulnerability interview technique
[20:04] Beating high turnover with teaming
[23:48] Freeing top producers to grow
[27:04] Launching Columbus from scratch
[29:57] Hosting events that drive relationships
[33:14] Scaling to 100 million in revenue
[34:20] Advice for opening a new office
[36:00] Leadership legacy and helping people win

Follow PJ Cannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjcannonnorthwesternmutual

Subscribe for more conversations on the growth strategies driving real results in insurance.

The Insurance Growth Lab is brought to you by Flashgrowth where we go deep on the campaigns and strategies behind real growth in insurance and insurtech.