With the expansion of InsurMark within the Simplicity family and the transition of leadership from Steve Kerns to Jeff Maxey, there have been a number of changes happening to our team that have expanded our insights and learning practices.
In this episode, Jeremy Houser details the progression of InsurMark up to date including key financial advice from Shaquille O’Neil that everyone should keep in mind.
Jeremy discusses:
The transition of leadership at InsurMark
The InsurMark team’s strategies for attracting new clients for advisors
Leveraging resources provided by InsurMark
Building credibility and trust with clients through articles and third-party resources
Do you ever think about the power of Simplicity in business?
In this episode, Jeremy Houser is joined by Bruce Donaldson, CEO and President of Simplicity Group. They discuss the importance of advisors, creating a positive work culture, differentiating themselves, and achieving work-life balance. Donaldson shares his personal experience with retirement planning and how it inspired him to create a company that better serves its clients.
Bruce discusses:
Simplicity Group’s philosophy when it comes to wholesale initiatives and supporting independent agents and advisors
The importance of simplicity in business practices and the benefits that come with it, such as efficiency and added time for client relationship building
Why businesses who embrace Simplicity and their resources are thriving
Simplicity’s competitive advantage in consulting services and institutional support for agents and advisors
Mr. Donaldson serves as Simplicity’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Donaldson is responsible for defining the Group’s strategic direction and managing its various operating businesses. Prior to Simplicity, Mr. Donaldson was a managing director at an international investment bank, for which he was responsible for making and managing private company investments. Mr. Donaldson has also led the successful start-up of a national financial guaranty insurance company and a multi-billion-dollar asset management business. Prior to starting the entrepreneurial phase of his career, Mr. Donaldson held various financial, business, and legal positions in the United States and the United Kingdom. Mr. Donaldson earned a M.B.A. from London Business School, a J.D. from the John Marshall Law School and a B.A. from Hobart College. Mr. Donaldson serves as a Director for Simplicity Group Holdings.
In this episode, Jeremy Houser is joined by the new President of InsurMark, Jeff Maxey, to discuss his leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, removing obstacles, and respecting everyone’s role within the organization.
Jeff discusses:
His commitment to the success of his team members and how he plans to elevate the grounds at InsurMark
The growth he has experienced working with top advisors across the country
The company culture at InsurMark and how it has evolved over time
How serving and helping others will also help yourself
Jeff Maxey is truly “on a mission” to work with advisors across the country and assist them in taking their businesses to exciting new levels. In 2023, Jeff was named President of InsurMark after serving as the company’s Executive Vice President and General Manager for six years.
A native of Texas, Jeff attended Texas A&M. Jeff and his wife Natalie have one daughter, Camden, and a son, Grayson. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
In this episode, Jeremy Houser is joined by Steve Kerns, the CEO and Founder of InsurMark. Steve announces his new role as the Executive Vice President of Business Relationships at Simplicity Group. As Steve assures that InsurMark will continue to provide excellent service and support to agents and advisors, we walk down memory lane, highlighting our top accomplishments as a team and showing our gratitude for the amazing leader Steve has been over the last 40 years, and will continue to be.
Steve discusses:
The number of advisor relationships he has built through working with InsurMark
Importance of advisors differentiating themselves and achieving work-life balance
Steve’s new role advocating for change, new product opportunities, and technological advancements
Overcoming challenges as they come, accepting change, and embracing the new
At the young age of 29, Steve Kerns was one of the two founding members of InsurMark in 1983. Over 40 years, he has taken InsurMark to new heights in becoming an industry leader in delivering first-class financial advisory mentorship services. Steve has recently taken on the new role of Executive Vice President of Business Relationships at Simplicity Group. As he starts a new journey in his life, he leaves behind a glowing 40-year legacy at InsurMark, with the glowing confidence that the company will continue to grow, and that the best is still to be seen.
Have you done your homework? Are your papers in order?
In this episode of the Advisor Mentorship Podcast, Jeremy Houser is joined by InsurMark’s very own case manager, Felicia Turner. Together they discuss the evolution of the company over the past decade while Felicia emphasizes the importance of completing product training, maintaining a balanced team, and being licensed before writing new business.
She also discusses the process of getting funds in and dealing with carriers, staying on top of onboarding paperwork, and highlighting the need for agents to validate the client’s financials and ensure suitability.
Felicia discusses:
The indispensable role of an assistant in the insurance business
Knowing your clients and knowing their products
The importance of communication and collaboration between assistants and agents
The positive relationships she has been able to create through her advisor network
Her experience at InsurMark over the past 10 years
Are you looking to differentiate yourself from your competitors and create a brand that can endure the ever-changing advisor space?
In this episode, Jeremy Houser is joined by Greg DuPont, an estate planning attorney and founder of DuPont Wealth Solutions. Greg emphasizes the use of themes and systems, the importance of a reliable team, and utilizing the coaching he has received from the Advisor Mentorship Program to pave the way for his success.
Greg discusses:
The challenges he faces in managing expenses and revenue
His mission to positively impact one million lives by 2030
How focusing on a team environment improves company performance
Strategies he has learned through coaches in the industry
Greg DuPont is a financial advocate all about using proven strategies to eliminate debt, reduce lifetime tax costs, and generate more disposable income. He helps attorneys, professionals, and small business owners ensure that their money supports their life and the way they want to live it.
Debt and taxes provide the greatest challenges to building, preserving, and transferring wealth. Greg focuses on true tax planning: not only looking for solutions to current income taxes but also your lifetime tax cost.
We all know that the insurance industry is facing challenges in the current market environment, but what are the solutions, and what does the future look like?
In this episode, Jeremy Houser speaks with Mitch Anderson, the VP/ Senior Relationship Manager at Athene USA. Mitch talks about Athene’s growth within the annuities space and their portfolio of volatility-controlled indexes. Additionally, Mitch shares the firm’s mission to continue providing innovative product solutions to their clients.
Mitch discusses:
What you should know about Athene’s partnership with InsurMark
The awards that Athene won in 2022
The importance of volatility control indices and ways the firm selects their index partners
Some of the challenges Athene faced in scaling up their business and how they overcame them
Athene’s Roth conversion program
The value of educating clients on the differences between banks and insurance companies
What the future holds for the company
The importance of fixed index annuities in volatile markets and the benefits they offer for clients in drawdown situations
Mitch Anderson is a VP/Senior Relationship Manager for Athene USA and works with a number of our Key Distribution Partners. Besides managing NMO relationships, Mitch frequently speaks at training events and helps educate advisors on the benefits of Fixed Indexed Annuities.
For over 30 years, Mitch has worked in the insurance and financial services industry in a number of different roles, from wholesaling to sales management.
When it comes to financial well-being, most people immediately think about creating a financial plan, saving up for their retirement, and being able to enjoy their golden years after the hustle is over.
What they don’t realize is that without physical well-being, those golden years might be overshadowed by a number of health problems, throwing a wrench in your plans for years to come. What if you treat your health as an asset?
In this episode, Jeremy Houser is joined by Stevyn Guinnip, the founder, and CEO of Grow Wellthy™. Through speaking to many advisors who have been in the business for more than 20 years, including her father, Stevyn unveils the similarities between financial and physical wellness and her approach to helping advisors and investors grow wellthy so that they can retire wellthy.
Stevyn discusses:
Her connection to the financial world
What motivated her to build Grow Wellthy™
The parallels between financial and physical wellness
Tips and tricks advisors can follow to live a healthy lifestyle
Ways health is a silent partner in our retirement plan
Stevyn Guinnip, MS, CWC is an exercise physiologist, certified wellness coach, and the daughter of a successful financial advisor. She is the Founder & CEO of Grow Wellthy™, a health and wellness advisory firm with a financial perspective. She believes that a financial plan without a wellness plan is only half a plan for success. Her new book on health and wealth for financial professionals will be coming out soon. You can read more about Stevyn’s story here.
As the third quarter numbers are being finalized, we are excited to announce that Jeremy’s team has already surpassed 2021’s numbers, even with one final quarter left.
In this episode, Jeremy Houser speaks with Tim Whisler CRPC®, CLTC® President and Founder of The Whisler Agency. After their annual advisor family reunion trip to Cabo, the advisors at InsurMark left feeling well-equipped and confident in the work that they are doing through engaging with other professionals in the industry. So, get ready to listen to Tim unveil some common business wins he has to share with Jeremy.
Tim discusses:
Key business nuggets he has gained from talking with other advisors during his time in Cabo
Ways Tim has been able to double his business in a one-year timeframe
Advice for advisors looking to connect with prospects online to see results
Reasons consistency is key
The power of ‘writing things down’
Podcasts and how they work as a tool to expand your network and build credibility
Tim Whisler is the president and founder of The Whisler Agency, an independent and comprehensive financial services firm. His mission statement is “to provide retirees and soon-to-be retirees with a greater sense of confidence about their retirement plan.” Tim holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM designation and the Certified in Long-Term Care designation. These advanced studies provide him the additional knowledge to help effectively evaluate your financial situation and design a retirement plan tailored for you.
Effective management and having systems in place are some of the aspects that Jeremy Houser and his advisors value the most in their business setting.
However, going 100% virtual when it comes to marketing is not for everyone.
In this episode, Jeremy Houser is joined by financial advisor and founder of Cornerstone Wealth Management, Erich Castillo, to unveil this year’s wins and losses when it comes to business innovation, consistency, and client connection. Erich and Jeremy also shed light on the benefits of incorporating business-oriented online and digital tools.
Erich discusses:
The importance of keeping a consistent message across your business
Some business challenges he has faced this year
Stories and processes that are helping him this year convert prospects
How going virtual has allowed his business to scale and become more efficient
Erich Castillo is the founder of Cornerstone Wealth Management. Originally from San Francisco, he has traveled and lived all around the world, eventually landing in Lexington, Kentucky, while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Education at the University of Kentucky. Erich had the opportunity to work as an athletic trainer for the football, basketball, soccer, women’s gymnastics, and men’s tennis teams.
Erich began his professional career in 1997 at American Express Financial Advisors, achieving numerous accolades and awards, which inspired him to found his own business. In 2004, he founded Cornerstone Wealth Management, where he has more flexibility to provide personalized and client-centric service.
