PROFESSIONAL DEV .
WORK ON YOUR AGENCY , NOT JUST IN IT
JEREMY WALL OF GOALMAKERS DISCUSSES HOW THE IA-MBA PROGRAM CAN IMPACT YOU AND YOUR AGENCY
As KAIA continues to provide programs to enhance member agencies , we have partnered with GoalMakers to provide the IA-MBA program .
A mini-MBA created for the leaders of independent agencies , this 10-week program helps agents accelerate their career by mastering the people management and business finance skills needed to grow and optimize your agency .
To learn more about the program , KIA & B recently sat down with Jeremy Wall , co-founder and CEO of GoalMakers & Lead Facilitator of IA-MBA , to discuss the value of the IA-MBA program .
KIA & B : Can you give us a quick background on you and your history of helping develop leaders and business professionals ?
Jeremy : Personally , I ’ ve worked with businesses , startups , and incubator programs for the last 10 years . I have also been involved in the entrepreneurship program at North Carolina State University .
For GoalMakers , we were founded in 1993 by John Cioffi . He developed a business coaching and consulting firm and then wrote a popular book on business management called “ The Winning Managers Playbook ”.
This developed into a seminar , which continued to grow . In 2017 , I came on board with the vision of creating a digital version of the successful programs we had developed .
KIA & B : What was the genesis for IA-MBA , and why did you feel it fulfilled a need in the industry ?
Jeremy : In our home state of North Carolina , we began to bring our seminars to insurance industry clients . While we received great feedback on the material , agents wanted more tailored content . They weren ’ t selling widgets and carrying inventory , they had specific scenarios they wanted to problem solve .
That led us on a path of adding insurance-specific content , and especially for independent agents . We worked with Carey Wallace of AgencyFocus to develop the financial components , added other agency aspects from subject matter experts , and built IA-MBA .
As we ’ ve moved forward with it , we are excited to see the continued evolution of the material , it really is a “ living program ” that agents are helping us grow and refine .
KIA & B : How is IA-MBA different from other professional development programs ?
Jeremy : We believe the differences are in this being a “ program ” and not a set of “ courses ” you take . This is a result of the cohort that experiences the program with you . You have a built-in community of peers that offers you bi-weekly conversations , breakout sessions , mentorship , and more .
In addition , this program is based on an Executive MBA format , but tailored to insurance . You are walking through the entire business structure , from team management to financials .
KIA & B : Let ’ s say I ’ m a busy agent that wants to better serve my clients and sell more insurance to those who need it . Why should I carve out time for IA-MBA ?
Jeremy : The ROI of improving your business as a whole is invaluable . In a timespan that is less than a quarter of your year , you can develop skills that touch
10 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER