THE THIRTY-SECOND ANNUAL ROUGH NOTES AGENCY OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES WHO WILL BE THE 2020 AGENCY OF THE YEAR? One of the agencies featured in a Rough Notes cover story during 2020 will be named Agency of the Year. The winner will be selected from votes by the previous 3I years of Rough Notes cover agents (from the years I989-20I9). The principals of the winning firm will be presented with
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Agency Partners EASIER, FASTER COMP FOR SMALL BUSINESSES Insurtech platform speeds processing, takes the pain out of writing this tough class By Elisabeth Boone, CPCU Great minds think alike—especially when it comes to SolePro co-founders Steve Love and Jeff Valentine. While brainstorming a solution to the problem of how to make a profit writing workers compensation for small business owners, the two men conceived the idea of creating a streamlined
AGENT FOR THE FUTURE RiskSOURCE Clark-Theders nabs national honor for innovation and forward-thinking strategies, tactics By Dave Willis, CPIA Now in its second generation of family ownership, Cincinnati-based RiskSOURCE Clark-Theders has what agency leaders describe as “an award-winning work culture centered around empowering our team.” Key elements of that culture are deep client relationships, effective use of digital tools—internally and externally, and a laser focus on the future. Successful deployment
Broken Glass BUILDING A POWERHOUSE WITH PASSION Miami agent grows her benefits business from the ground up, partners with P-C agency By Elisabeth Boone, CPCU “Passion” is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as an “intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.” That definition could have been conceived with Rachel Sapoznik in mind. Since 1987, she has harnessed her passion to focus on building her agency from a startup to one
LOOKING AHEAD PANDEMIC, AGENCY GROWTH AND THE NEW YEAR Why smart agents will prosper in the coming year By David Tralka and Robert Pettinicchi Barring an unforeseen event as disruptive as COVID-19 was this past spring, and being optimistic that a winter wave of the pandemic is contained, 2021 looks to be a hopeful year for independent insurance agencies. Agencies have weathered the pandemic storm remarkably well thus far and