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At the FirstChoice In Motion Independent Agent Member Conference, top performing insurance agency owners and producers gathered for interactive educational sessions, panel discussions, and workshops led by industry trailblazers. Attendees gained exclusive updates on what’s shaping the future of independent agencies. No agency grows by standing still. At In Motion, a three day conference focused on agency ownership best practices, insurance professionals came together to examine the strategies, leadership practices, and operational decisions that help agencies move from vision to sustainable growth. Growth is often associated with new clients, higher revenue, or expanded capabilities. But for many agency leaders, sustainable growth starts with something less obvious creating an organization that can succeed without relying on a single person to drive every decision, solve every problem, or carry every responsibility. State of the market an evolution and your agency’s future. Keith Captain, President, MarshBerry Networks, kicked off the event with “Market Evolution the Impact on Your Agency.” Captain spoke about the significant transformation underway in the insurance industry. While the industry remains strong, average broker organic growth has slowed, widening the gap between high performing agencies and those dependent on favorable market conditions. Captain urged agency leaders to move beyond incremental improvements and fundamentally transform their businesses through disciplined sales execution, stronger producer accountability, targeted marketing investments, technology adoption, and data driven decision making. The question attendees were left to ponder, Carriers are ready to grow, are you State of the industry building an investment grade agency. Next up was “The State of the Industry,” presented by Phil Trem, President of MarshBerry. Trem examined the forces reshaping insurance distribution, including strong brokerage valuations, evolving merger and acquisition activity, and the increasing importance of sustainable organic growth. A central theme emerged If you were an investor, would you invest in your agency An “investment grade” agency is one that is actively improving, adding capabilities, developing talent and creating new growth rather than simply defending what it already has. Agencies that seek to become investment worthy will experience durable quality and more strategic options The session established the foundation for the rest of the day by emphasizing that longterm success requires intentional planning rather than reactive decision making. Drive a more proactive future with technology. The panel discussion, “The Future of Insurance Is Proactive How Agents Can Lead the Predict and Prevent Movement,” gave attendees a compelling view of how predict and prevent is changing the insurance experience and why agents are essential to helping customers understand, adopt, and benefit from prevention focused solutions. Led by Keith Captain, the panel featured Nationwide’s Managing Director, Ryan Jensen, Nationwide’s Tiffany Grinstead, Vice President, and Bob Marshall, Ting Labs CEO. The group shared how technology and proactive guidance can help customers see risk earlier and take action to avoid or reduce disruptive losses. Support the growth of women in insurance. The In Motion Women’s Leadership Event offered specialized sessions on topics like building resilience, maintaining wellness, and driving results. Maintaining momentum often requires knowing when to step back and empower others. In “The Art of Letting Go How Strategic Delegation Elevates Leadership,” Brooke Liu, MarshBerry Senior Vice President, emphasized that effective delegation is not simply assigning tasks, but intentionally developing people, building trust, and creating capacity for leaders to focus on higher value priorities. Benefit from collaboration. While the sessions, insights, and data helped attendees build knowledge and identify next steps – networking with peers offered opportunities to exchange experiences, expand professional circles, and identify partnerships with hundreds of FirstChoice members from across the country. Regional breakouts provided connections with others who share similar challenges and goals, which led to fresh perspectives, practical advice, and a stronger network to lean on long after the event ends. The large dynamic trade fair with carriers, technology vendors, and consultants further supported agency growth as leading companies shared the latest products, tools, and resources shaping the industry. The In Motion event was built around sharing ideas, learning from peers, and equipping agencies with the strategies, systems, and talent needed to achieve sustainable growth that doesn’t depend on any one individual. Longterm success comes from building organizations where leaders, teams, and agencies can all thrive together. In Motion 2027 If networking with industry peers, having engagement and dynamic educational sessions, and working on sustaining the growth of your agency is important to you, then join FirstChoice, so that you can attend In Motion 2027 in Orlando, Florida. What else you missed, Exclusive insights and guidance from the experts Jen McKay, MarshBerry Vice President, shared potential paths for agencies and how to take intentional steps to maximize value, independence, and longterm success. Brooke Liu, MarshBerry Senior Vice President, gave attendees a smart strategic planning framework – the last one you’ll ever need. Heath Shearon, FirstChoice Vice President, highlighted how agencies can consistently invest in people and technology to remain competitive and adapt to market shifts. Scott Kegler, MarshBerry Senior Vice President, shared how to align talent, roles, and responsibilities with organizational goals through strategic recruiting, producer development, performance measurement, and compensation strategies. Diane Wagner, FirstChoice Vice President, explained how to sustain profitable organic growth by strengthening culture, developing producers, expanding existing client relationships and implementing disciplined sales strategies. A panel of experts spoke about why – and how – agency leaders should fix internal processes before buying technology and how to establish a technology roadmap. Watch for upcoming articles with more in depth information on these topics.