98. Focus On What Matters With Winston Smith

Agents Growth Academy

In this episode, Jim interviews Winston Smith, CEO of Bridge, a customer communications management software designed for independent insurance agents. Winston discusses the importance of agency owners working on their business rather than in it, and how Bridge can help them achieve this. He highlights the bottleneck that agency owners often face and explains how Bridge streamlines operations and provides tools for sales, marketing, and customer communication. Winston shares success stories and feedback from Bridge users, emphasizing the increase in revenue per employee as a key metric. He also discusses the role of Bridge as a companion to agency management systems and the importance of customer satisfaction. The episode concludes with Winston's advice to be true to oneself and the opportunities available in the insurance industry.

Takeaways

• Bridge is a customer communications management software designed for independent insurance agents, helping them work on their business rather than in it.
• Agency owners often become bottlenecks in their own businesses, hindering growth and scalability.
• Bridge provides an all-in-one solution for sales, marketing, and customer communication, streamlining operations and improving efficiency.
• Bridge offers features such as video recording, marketing automation, and personalized communication to enhance customer relationships.
• Success stories from Bridge users include increased revenue per employee and improved customer satisfaction.
• Bridge serves as a companion to agency management systems, focusing on communication and customer relationship management.

Resources From Winston

Website
LinkedIn
Google Calendar
Think-Cell
How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clay Christensen
About Winston
Winston Smith is the CEO of Bridge, a customer communications management software designed just for independent agents.
Winston came to Bridge after a decade on the carrier side of P&C. Prior to Bridge, Winston ran his own micro-Private Equity fund, Hammersmith Capital.
While on the carrier side, Winston was a general manager responsible for P&Ls across multiple states for the Safeco and Liberty Mutual brands (but he takes no responsibility for the 'LiMu Emu') and spent a LOT of time in the field with Safeco-appointed agencies (and is lucky enough to count many of them as friends).
He started his insurance career at AIG on Water Street in Lower Manhattan as an underwriter of Executive Lines for Financial Intuitions during the Great Recession.
Winston holds the CPCU and API designations, has an MBA from NYU Stern and his undergrad degree from Princeton. He lives in Johns Creek, GA with his wife and two kids.

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