As any of you who have been following along with the news of The Collective Agency Council know, the council was recently founded by agents-turned-gurus. Mike took a a few moments to tell you the story of how he met one special founder, Bradly Flowers. Check out Mike's story below!
"I want to share with all of you a story about my friend Bradley Flowers.
Bradley and I met in I want to say 2016 right here in good ol Insurance Soup. He was a fresh faced kid in the industry with a LOT of ambition, potential, and energy. At that point in time, we hosted Career Agent Concepts sales calls 1 on 1. We were not doing webinars yet. Taylor Dobbie and I booked 6-8 individual calls a day and did our song and dance. And one day I got Bradley as a lead.
We hopped on the phone and spoke once and he needed to think about it.
Second time... he was interrupted and had to hop off.
Third time... reschedule.
Fourth time... needed to think about it.
FIFTH TIME...
I went into the FIFTH call ready to give Bradley a little talking to about time management and respecting other professionals. I was ready to tell him all about clients who bought without even GETTING on a call with us and if he needed to consult with ANYONE else that he was not behaving like a business owner.
The truth was he was young and nervous about making an investment into something he hadn't read up on and did not FULLY understand.
The truth was I was nervous that a still new and reputation-establishing CAC was letting a lollygagging prospect take up too much of MY time when I had so many other Agents waiting to get on calls.
And somehow the universe aligned that day and Bradley joined CAC on that fifth call. I didnt even have to strong arm him or let him know what I was really thinking that morning.
Upon entering the program I watched him feverishly go through the material. I watched him post ad after ad asking for feedback. I watched him take many of our ideas and tweak them a bit - often in very cool and creative ways.
I started taking notice. This kid was working. Really putting in effort.
I watched him get better and better. I watched him become a vocal leader in CAC. And then one day I heard about a little podcast he had gotten off the ground along with his partner Scott Howell. Maybe you've heard of it The Insurance Guys Podcast.
It's only the largest and most downloaded podcast in the industry with almost 20k downloads on many months - far surpassing, even doubling and tripling the other "larger" podcast audiences in the industry.
Then I started seeing the guy pop up with Gary V not once but multiple times.
Then HE helped get US invited to Gary V's event to present and speak on panels. While AT that event, we went to dinner down in Miami with Brad Auerbach, head of Insurance for Facebook, due largely in part to an introduction from Bradley.
I have watched him go on to be nominated for Agent of the Future. I don't remember if he won or not. I want to say he did. Maybe he'll prove me wrong in the comments section.
I have watched him launch a program designed to edit Agent video content that has quietly helped a handful of Agents look better on camera than they ever would have looked on camera alone.
I have watched him launch his own independent Agency.
I have seen him launch a 2nd podcast.
I have seen him develop into a tremendous content producer, industry thought leader, speaker, and Agent.
And today....
Today I am proud to announce that this lollygagging, on-my-nerves, going-to-tell-him-off prospect of CAC from 2016...
Who has developed into someone I personally look up to in some areas of this industry.
Who has developed into a hell of an entrepreneur.
Who has developed into someone the INDUSTRY by and large embraces, follows, knows, likes, and trusts.
Who has developed into a HELL of a friend.... is on his way to becoming an OWNER in The Collective Agency Council. We are super pumped with this addition to ownership at CAC. Our relationship and friendship with Bradley runs deep and his value, reach, and influence in this industry is tremendous.
Bradley is going to be leading conversations around content production and Agency culture inside the Collective Agency Council.
We couldn't be more excited about making it official.
Congratulate Bradley Flowers with us as he takes on a new role within the industry and helps even more Agents than he already is, as an owner and mentor inside The Collective Agency Council.