What strong leaders do, why follow-up still wins, and how insurance is changing fast without losing the human part.

In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long talks with Slade Lewis about how he got into insurance, the turns his career took along the way, and how he ended up in a leadership role at Pinnacle. They also get into sales, management, technology, and what has changed in the business over time.

It is a practical conversation about relationships, follow-up, and how to lead people well. It also gets into AI, rising premiums, and why clients still need a real person they can call when something goes wrong.

CHAPTERS

00:21 – Mitch kicks off the conversation from the road
01:03 – Slade on growing up in Hampstead and going to UNC
02:30 – A journalism degree with a concentration in advertising
03:09 – Slade’s first job in insurance with Jefferson Pilot
04:00 – Moving from service into sales
04:27 – The bulldog hair company car story
06:14 – Leaving insurance for pharmaceutical sales and coming back
07:20 – Product roles, UnitedHealthcare, and becoming a broker
08:26 – Slade’s current role and how he thinks about leadership
10:48 – The biggest sales challenges in insurance today
12:00 – Why answering calls and following up still separates people
13:34 – How client meetings shifted from face-to-face to Zoom
14:20 – Technology, DocuSign, and doing business across states
14:57 – Why AI may transform agencies faster than expected
15:58 – The caution around database underwriting and automation
16:50 – How AI is already shaping health insurance underwriting
17:41 – Rising health insurance costs and the pressure on employers
18:35 – Standard rate increases in the small group market
19:20 – Looking for options when traditional carriers say no
19:43 – Auto and homeowners insurance costs keep climbing
20:18 – Roof issues, storm risk, and what is driving property costs
21:36 – Slade reveals he was his high school typing champion

Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn | KazInsurance | Read: Pagers & Payphones

Connect with Slade Lewis: LinkedIn

More from the KazSource Network

The Real ROI of Podcasting — KazCM
What Happened to CFB Bowl Games — SportsEpreneur
The Long Game | Episode 1: Wes Connor on 50 Years in Business — KazSource

About This Podcast and Series

The Long Game is a series under the Entrepreneur Perspectives umbrella. Produced by QuietLoud Studios — a modern media network and a KazSource brand.

Get in touch with Eric Kasimov:
X | LinkedIn

Credits:
Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud

Welcome to First & Long — a father-son football conversation between Mitch and Adam Long. Steelers fans, NFL obsessives, and yes, they've already argued about this.

In this episode, Mitch and Adam talk about the NFL Draft, the Steelers, the Bills, and a couple of Pittsburgh trip stories that did not exactly go to plan.

They also get into quarterbacks, roster building, fan frustration, and why teams still have to win up front. It is a loose football conversation, but the main point is clear: quick fixes usually are not enough.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

Pittsburgh trip stories and hotel disasters
Why the draft always starts arguments
The case for building the line before chasing a quarterback
Why where a quarterback lands matters
Whether the Steelers should give Will Howard a shot
Why the Steelers feel stuck in the middle
Why teams still win in the trenches
Whether Buffalo is doing enough around Josh Allen

CHAPTERS

00:01 – Mitch sets up a talk about the draft and Pittsburgh trips
00:18 – Adam’s advice on where not to stay in Pittsburgh
00:43 – The hotel story that went bad fast
01:50 – The legendary bar encounter in Pittsburgh
02:19 – Running into the same guy again in Virginia
02:45 – Mitch and Adam get into the draft
03:06 – Adam on the Raiders, Fernando Mendoza, and Kirk Cousins
05:30 – Mitch makes the case for trading the top pick
09:30 – Why quarterback success depends on where a player lands
12:37 – Mobility, protection, and what the Steelers lacked last year
15:24 – Adam on play calling and helping players succeed
17:25 – What the Steelers should target in the draft
19:57 – Jeremiah Love, offensive line help, and winning in the trenches
23:37 – Mitch on following the draft without pretending to know every prospect
25:16 – The argument for seeing what Will Howard can do
27:42 – Why Adam does not want Aaron Rodgers back
30:31 – The cost of being scared to have a losing season
35:15 – Bo Nix, the Broncos, and what could have been
38:42 – Mitch turns to the Bills and Josh Allen
41:52 – Why Buffalo may be at a key point

Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn | KazInsurance | Read: Pagers & Payphones

More from SportsEpreneur

The Business in College Sports
How the NFL Turns Chaos into an Asset
The NFL Owns the Media

About This Podcast and Series

First & Long with Mitch and Adam Long — a SportsEpreneur series.

SportsEpreneur:
X | LinkedIn

Credits:
Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud

What 50 years in insurance teaches about relationships, change, and why the basics still matter.

In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long sits down with Wes Connor to talk about how he got into insurance, what kept him in it, and what 50 years in the business has taught him.

They get into family business, remote selling, hiring challenges, commercial and personal lines, and why life insurance still stands apart from products people are required to buy. It’s a grounded look at what still matters in the business, what has changed, and why the basics still win.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

• How Wes Connor got into insurance in 1975
• From kitchen table sales to DocuSign and video calls
• Why relationships still matter in a more digital business
• Working with family across generations
• Hiring challenges in today’s insurance market
• Commercial versus personal lines in a changing market
• Why life insurance feels different from mandatory coverage
• Disability, long-term care, and planning before it’s too late

CHAPTERS

00:20 – Mitch welcomes Wes Connor
00:41 – How Wes got into the insurance business
03:15 – Starting out and falling in love with the work
05:21 – How selling insurance has changed over the years
08:00 – Podcasts, technology, and the next generation in the business
11:00 – Working with family and building an agency over time
12:00 – Hiring challenges and the shortage of new agents
16:23 – Disability insurance, income protection, and planning gaps
16:52 – Wes breaks down his agency’s commercial and personal lines mix
19:19 – Why selling life insurance is more satisfying
21:00 – Real examples of how life insurance changes outcomes for families
23:29 – Long-term care, aging, and staying healthy

Connect with Mitch Long: LinkedIn | KazInsurance | Read: Pagers & Payphones
Connect with Wes Connor: LinkedIn | Website | Instagram

More from the KazSource Network

The Real ROI of Podcasting — KazCM
What Happened to CFB Bowl Games — SportsEpreneur
Remote Work in Today’s Financial Advisory Industry —Entrepreneur Perspectives

About This Podcast

The Long Game with Mitch Long. Produced by QuietLoud Studios, a KazSource brand.

Credits:
Music by Jess & Ricky — SoundCloud