I believe the independent agency system and its producers have the potential, and need, to be a more significant contributor to client success than any other partner their clients have. I also believe that the future of independent agencies is under attack and anything but assured.

I also believe the agencies and their producers and owners are their own biggest threat. And, so it begins.

On a daily basis, we have the opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain of independent agencies around the country. We are privileged to be trusted with intimate details of their operations. We hear of successes; we hear of failures; we get to see agency owners at their most vulnerable, admitting they're not entirely sure how they became so successful, and they're terrified of not knowing how to continue to be successful.