Have you ever told someone at a party that you work in insurance? You probably know the look. Their eyes glaze over just a tiny bit, they give you a polite nod, and then they quickly look for someone—anyone—else to talk to.
Let’s be real. Our industry has an image problem. We’re often seen as the dusty old textbook on the shelf—important, sure, but not exactly a page-turner. And in a world that’s changing faster than ever, that’s a dangerous place to be.
I was thinking about this the other day after hearing some thoughts from Rod Patterson, and he really hit on something that’s been on my mind for a while: it’s time to bring some new energy into this business. Not just for the sake of looking cool, but for our very survival.
So, Why Are We Seen as So… Stuffy?
It’s a fair question. At its core, what we do is incredibly human. We help people rebuild their lives after a disaster. We give families a safety net. We allow entrepreneurs to take risks and build amazing things. That’s powerful stuff!
But somewhere along the way, we buried that incredible purpose under layers of jargon, complex paperwork, and processes that feel like they were designed in 1982.
Think of it like this: the insurance industry is a legendary rock band. We’ve got the classic hits that everyone knows, and our core music is solid. But we’ve been playing the same setlist, in the same style, for decades. The world has moved on to new sounds and new ways of listening, and we’re still wondering why the stadiums aren’t as full.
We’ve relied on “the way things have always been done” for far too long. And that’s just not going to cut it anymore.
What "New Energy" Actually Looks Like
When we talk about bringing in "new energy," it's not just about hiring a bunch of 22-year-olds and installing a ping-pong table in the breakroom. It's a much deeper shift in mindset. It’s about fundamentally changing how we think, operate, and connect with people.
It Starts with Fresh Perspectives
For years, we’ve been hiring from the same talent pool—people who already know insurance. But the magic happens when you bring in people who don't.
Imagine bringing in a user-experience designer from a top tech company to redesign the claims process. Or a storyteller from the entertainment industry to lead your marketing. These people see the world through a different lens. They’ll ask the "dumb" questions that end up being brilliant, like, "Why does this form have 12 pages?" or "Why can't the customer track their claim like a pizza?"
It’s About Purpose Over Policies
We need to stop leading with products and start leading with our purpose. Nobody wakes up in the morning excited to buy a liability policy. But they do get excited about protecting their family, growing their business, and having peace of mind.
This new energy means shifting our entire language. It's about training our teams to be empathetic consultants, not just policy pushers. It's about telling the human stories behind what we do, not just rattling off coverage limits.
Finally Embracing Technology (For Real This Time)
Look, having a website and an email address doesn’t make you a tech company. For too long, we’ve been bolting on technology as an afterthought.
True innovation means building our operations around a seamless, digital-first experience. Customers today expect to handle things on their phone in minutes. They want instant answers, total transparency, and zero friction. They’re comparing their insurance experience to Amazon, Netflix, and Uber—not to the other guy down the street who also uses a fax machine.
How Do We Get the Best People to Join Us?
This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? If we want to attract this new energy, we can't just post a job opening and hope for the best. We have to become a place where smart, ambitious, creative people want to work.
Here’s where we can start:
- Tell a Better Story: Let's overhaul our recruitment message. Instead of "Seeking an underwriter with 5 years of experience," how about, "Want to help small businesses chase their dreams? Join our team and help us build the financial safety nets that make it possible." We need to sell the mission, not just the job description.
- Create a Culture of Innovation: This means actually listening to new ideas and giving people the freedom to experiment (and even fail). If a new hire suggests a totally different way of doing things, is leadership going to say, "That's not how we do it here," or are they going to say, "Interesting. Show me a prototype."? That answer makes all the difference.
- Look in Unexpected Places: Let's stop fishing in the same small pond. We should be at tech conferences, art schools, and data science meetups. Let’s find people with raw talent—problem-solvers, communicators, and creative thinkers—and teach them the insurance part. It’s a lot easier to teach someone about risk than it is to teach them how to be curious.
This isn’t just about filling seats. It’s about building a dynamic, diverse team that reflects the world we’re trying to protect.
And hey, this isn't just a challenge for the new folks. For those of us who have been in this industry for a while, our role is to become mentors. We have to be the ones who open the doors, listen to the crazy ideas, and use our experience to guide this new energy in the right direction.
Ultimately, shaking things up isn't just a good idea; it's a necessity. The world isn’t going to wait for us to catch up. By embracing new talent, new ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose, we can transform this industry from a black-and-white classic into a full-color blockbuster that the next generation will be excited to be a part of. And that’s a future I think we can all get behind.
