Getting Past the Premium

Most mid-market construction companies are outgrowing their brokers without even realizing it. In this episode of Getting Past the Premium, Elliot Bassett sits down with Joshua Verch, Senior Advisor at The Baldwin Group, to unpack what really happens when companies scale past $10M, $25M, or $50M—and producers are still treating them like they’re a small business. Joshua brings a sharp and refreshing perspective from inside the trenches of construction risk management, where service gaps, ou...

Most producers chase every lead and wonder why they’re stuck in the price game. But Tom Gilroy flipped the script—and helped scale a 120-year-old family agency into a nationally recognized powerhouse. In this episode, Tom breaks down the repeatable strategy that took him from finance outsider to President of GKG, and the systems they use to help producers win high-value clients without pitching on price. If you’re serious about creating meaningful differentiation, building real expertise, ...

Most agencies are burning out their team to protect their bottom line. More remarketing. More manual quoting. More inefficiencies. All while margins get tighter — and expectations get higher. This week on Getting Past the Premium, Elliot sits down with Chris Peabody from Ascend to unpack what the most forward-thinking agencies are doing differently: ✅ Automating the right processes ✅ Embedding AI in invisible, high-impact ways ✅ Standardizing workflows without losing trust ✅ An...

Most insurance producers think they need more leads. What they actually need is more clarity. Clarity on: → Who they serve → Why they’re different → How they want to grow → And who should be referring them business In this episode of Getting Past the Premium, Elliot Bassett sits down with Abby Arcishewsky, founder of Archway Strategy, to break down how producers can build intentional, strategic, revenue-driving sales systems — starting with their value proposition and referral process. If ...

Most insurance producers cap out at $600K. Not because they lack talent...but because the system around them is broken. In this episode of Getting Past the Premium, I sat down with Ryan Deeds, VP of Strategy and Analytics at Alkeme, to break down the real reasons producers and agencies stall out. Ryan’s built sales systems for 300+ producers across 57+ acquired firms...and what he’s seeing is uncomfortable, but true: “40% of our clients were generating just 3.5% of our premium.” That’s no...