In this episode of The MVP Podcast, Mitch Gibson is joined by 4th Generation Insurance Agent, Ryan Smith from Smith and Sons Insurance Agency. The Protege Season 2 Contestant took time to discuss his path from studying Risk Management in college to helping young agents in Oklahoma and why this industry is the best-hidden gem out there. Ryan also talks about why young agents need to have a " Board of Mentors'' rather than just having one "Mentor." Don't be afraid to ask others for help and always try to make a difference each day. Episode Highlights: Ryan shares about his life outside of the insurance agency. (2:22) Ryan discusses his journey studying Risk Management. (9:44) Ryan explains why he decided to join the Protege. (18:47) Ryan mentions that he is the current Vice-Chair for the Big I of Oklahoma's Young Agents. (29:53) Ryan mentions the Big I of Oklahoma's Invest program, which helps young people learn about insurance not just as a topic, but as a profession. (32:45) Ryan discusses the Big I of Oklahoma's FILO, Future Insurance Leaders of Oklahoma, program, which is for young people who are new to the industry. (34:29) Ryan mentions that there is a lot of opportunity for young people in the industry and that there are a lot of changes happening, which is why he's more focused on going after larger accounts. (39:34) Ryan explains why he signs his documents with the title "Business Insurance Broker" rather than "Risk Advisor." (42:41) Ryan mentions that he's working to shift away from messages about general topics and toward addressing a specific problem on LinkedIn. (48:44) Ryan shares that one of the key takeaways from Charles Specht's presentation was that there are three ways to use the information on LinkedIn: as a curator, a creator, or a communicator. (51:50) Ryan discusses what thrills him about The Protege process. (55:12) Key Quotes: “It blows my mind that people don't realize how much information and value can be gained from just listening to podcasts.” - Ryan Smith “I think that there is a there's way more opportunity for young people in the industry. That being said, there's a lot of changes going on. And that's kind of why I'm more focused on going after larger accounts, is because I think that's where the agent, independent agent in 10-15 years or more or less, that's where you're going to be valuable is being able to work with people on larger accounts.” - Ryan Smith “Where I'm at now is trying to transition less from the messages that are just general topics, you know, just stuff I feel good about, and focusing more on like, here's a problem I see for my prospect. Here's my idea on how that can be addressed. And so that's where I'm at now with LinkedIn.” - Ryan Smith Resources Mentioned: Ryan Smith LinkedIn Smith and Sons Insurance Agency Big I Oklahoma Reach out to Mitch Gibson

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