Suzie and Matt McColm have been helping people figure out the confusing world of insurance for years. The last four years, we have helped the Washington Healthplanfinder run a full service enrollment center in Wenatchee, Washington. #livinginsurance Our webpage is www.wahbroker.org
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After all these years of working insurance in Washington State. I can say without a doubt, I will pick flexibility over strength. It has lead to creativity, connecting with our community, growth, and duration. There are moments in the year that are natural flexibility points personally and for our business. We are going to talk about the small busi…
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Yes, we run a little Insurance Office in Wenatchee where our Washington State find us from all over because of Social Media. We don’t live in the hills and come down for an annual gathering to get updates on the neighbors and supplies. Since the 80’s there has been methods to go online and exchange information and connect to people. We are going to…
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The future is unstoppable and when you prepare you will join it.
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Most people struggle with staying current and forget about the past. However if you want to be unstoppable in business then you need to understand what is current and what will come. Because there are steps that you can do in business that will fall into good timing in the future. We are talking about being prepared.…
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Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without it, no other virtue can be practiced consistently, said Maya Angelou. Sometimes it is tough putting that foot forward to a new life. To tell someone the truth. To just say no. How do you spot the lack of courage?By wenatcheetown
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Very few of us are blessed with the ability to do everything perfectly the first time out. New experiences are a challenge. We fail, adjust and try again. It’s awkward learning and perhaps it gets more difficult as we age because we are afraid of looking foolish. Failure is how we gain skills and friendships. We are going to embrace failure today. …
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Have you checked your foundation recently? Stepped back and took a look to see if you are on sound principles. Back in the day, we called it keeping it real. It doesn’t mean that you have to be a jerk. It means that do not be surprised if someone uses you to set the tone. If you do not understand your foundation then it will hurt if someone turns y…
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What is the value of other people's opinions?
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If it wasn’t for another person asking a question and me caring about them, Suzie and I wouldn’t have an insurance business. With all of the shouting and division going on there is a push to forget that If you want to connect with people that you have to do more than outrage. You have to value other people’s opinions. We are going to tackle other p…
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We have been running a small insurance office for over a decade. One of the biggest concerns with summer is what about the kids? Childcare is expensive and this is opportunity to do family bonding and larger gatherings. There is camping and spending time in the outdoors. Fruit is harvested and put up for the winter. We even get into cook-outs as th…
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Raising a child is a lot like running a small business.
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For the last twelve years, we have been raising our kid while working our small insurance business. Tomorrow is graduation. We are going to talk about some of the ups and downs in what we have done. Education is important and we are ready to hand them off to the next phase of their lives. If you want to prepare yourself either for raising a kid or …
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Why should businesses & communities look at Pride seriously?
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We have been advocating human rights, LBBTQIA+rights, etc some time. ( It was when I was looking at annuities and rights surrounding gay marriage. )Last year our office received a couple of threats and we keep going because it is important. As a younger office, who are our kids and peers? Where does the law support? Where do dollars support? Is put…
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Small business is the community safety net that you have been looking for.
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Suzie & Matt have been running a small insurance business for over a decade through financial tough times and good times. We just had a rival insurance agency issue that they were closing in seven days. The market isn’t easier this year. How is a small business used to build safety nets for our communities? Why, we have no problem promoting other r…
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We run a small insurance agency in Central Washington. There are two different cultures when it comes to sales. One is the use of scripts. You go through a script and then at the end respond to any objections and you close. The other requires a little more work. We are going to talk about the importance of buy ins. This is something that you want t…
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Finding your Yellow Brick Road for Success
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It's how Matt got Suzie to start working with insurance at Wenatchee Insurance. It’s not in a book, it’s not in a school, it’s not some old grey haired wisdom. It requires answering a couple of questions to find your genuine path to your yellow brick road. Sometimes they are together and sometimes they branch off. We are going to get into finding s…
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Getting Real, Real can make a difference.
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When you go out do you find the beigest of restaurants, order a factory-assembled burger with no salt on the fries? We prefer to find a mom-and-pop stand where a person named Jo assembles something that would make a nutritionist cringe. Last week one of our partners was dropping off supplies for an event notice that Suzie and I sell from who we are…
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What brings people to you? What is your draw?
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We have held another record month with writing insurance policies from our office in Wenatchee. We use a very natural method of understanding what makes it attractive to do business. It is not a sale for sales numbers. In fact some of the best policies that we write, we receive zero commision. If you are in sales, then you better know. If you value…
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Car Insurance hit 22% inflation, we need to share some tips.
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Straight out of Wenatchee Insurance, we had to talk about inflation this week. As parents with a Senior getting ready to graduate and small business owners, we feel the pinch. With Car insurance prices hitting 22% and articles talking about groceries as a splurge item, it’s time to talk about saving money. As small business owners, this is not our …
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Are you measuring your customer's smiles as part of your success?
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We have people who come to our Insurance office for the first time filled with dread. Grey-skinned, grim looks focused on the task of diving into insurance through their beliefs. (Seriously, we are going to do an insurance myth episode because someone is telling fibs). When they leave are radiant, expressive and confident. Smiles are something that…
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We have done business for over a decade currently we are working with Wenatchee Insurance. One of the biggest principles in presenting an offer is that it has to have value to the other person. Walking around there are some clear examples of this basic principle not being followed. There is a group of people that present an offer in terms that only…
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Tiktok ban and the importance of social media and small business
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The day that we did this episode was a day that I had a person using Tiktok contact me for insurance help. Since the days of the farm line, there has been some form of social communication over distances using technology. We are going to get into the bill even though we have a very small footprint on there as we recognize its value to the First Ame…
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There is a battle today about Education. How much should we spend? How much improvement are we getting out of it? How much should we spend on bonds? As insurance Agents we have continuing education regularly and not everyone pushes for improvement. Let’s talk about Education versus improvement on today’s Suzilla.…
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What is the secret ingredient to making a good home or a successful business?
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We have been running a small insurance office for years. We talk about the importance of the customer experience and tearing down 'no soliciting' signs in other podcasts. We have even talked about how to do creative outreach and events. It boils down to the idea around comfort. How are you projecting comfort to clients, friends, and strangers?…
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Around Wenatchee Insurance we are. Yes, the Lunar New Year occurs on Saturday. We have gone through the fires of 2023 and are looking forward to the New Year and the prosperity that comes with it. We have been laying the groundwork for the last couple of weeks to begin hatching. New Year, New us. It takes time for renewal. What have you set up for …
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As insurance professionals, we work with trust. Customers have to recognize that you have a product that will work in their darkest hours. We build trust just the same way that we tear it down. Here comes an exercise in trust.By wenatcheetown
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We are going to talk to about Veterans and America today.
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We are going to talk about being a Veteran in America on Veterans Day. There is predatory marketing that takes place, an IG moment or two and then we are used as political talking points to take away helping others. We are getting real with our office Veteran.By wenatcheetown
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After running the enrollment center with the Washington Healthplanfinder for the last six years, we know a little about giving back. In the age of people running to jury duty, maybe we need to make a 180 and run to it. Instead of making a difference one day a year how about making a difference a week or daily? Community engagement goes beyond Insta…
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Supporting the arts is important for business
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While STEM gets a lot of play, what doesn’t get enough talk is supporting the arts in school. We use a heck of a lot of art and we run an insurance agency. My hands are bricks and it doesn’t stop me from supporting and appreciating art. This is where kids get to explore their creativity which drives genius and empathy. As business owners our next p…
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Fall is an exciting time of the year around here. Kids in school, Football, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Black Friday Specials, Dances, Open Enrollment, Halloween. Setting up for winter We are going to talk about energizing your life, your family, and your business during this episode.By wenatcheetown
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If you want to last then you need to adapt and evolve.
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After 12 years of running an insurance business, I can say one thing. There is no perfect customer, employee, or business model. Every year I set a plan and make adjustments. We are going to get into making adjustments so that you can fly. The first rule that we work with is to get out of your business and do events.…
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Scheduling is critical when you do Health Insurance and you are looking at hundreds of appointments in a few weeks. We just dropped a little over $500 for our Calendar program for the year and it is worth every penny. In the last couple of years, we have heard complaints about supply chain shortages. Some of that comes from scheduling. I went to se…
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Health Insurance regardless of Immigration status in Washington State.
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We have been assisting with health insurance since the beginning of the ACA. The first year I had a ton of people with ITINs and tax returns seeking to purchase health insurance. Because of how the ACA was written they were eventually denied coverage. Later in 2017 during a rules change the Dreamers were also denied using the Healthplanfinder for c…
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Goals, Bonuses,& Prizes the most used and abused tools of businesses.
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It is an important time to talk about the three big mechanics of delayed gratification. This is how you build teams and experiences. These are powerful building tools when used correctly. When mishandled then it becomes destructive.By wenatcheetown
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The Economy has shifted even if you have not seen it.
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Our insurance business has been experiencing massive growth. It took us five months and seven days to write as many policies as the entire 2022. So when someone told me that the economy was slowing down, I had to take a deeper look. It seems like the media is in cruise control. One group talks about how bad the Democrats do for the economy and then…
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We have been doing insurance for half our married life. It takes a lot of education to move everything forward. How do you become a better you, partner, business etc. Do you schedule time during your day to improve one skill? When was the last time that you read a book or tried something brand new? How about making a new friend? There is a reason t…
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Environmentally friendly is business friendly.
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Insurance is not an instant business as we have to look at things over long periods of time and then plan. We have folks building dream homes out of concrete and steel to protect from wildfire. We have large portions of Canada on fire. Hawaii’s losses are monstrous. Kids in Montana are upholding their state’s constitution to protect the environment…
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By focusing on effect you can affect a response with the people around you. The Bear season 2 is a real good example of the details a restaurant can have to create an experience. Other businesses can work on similar effects to change lives. Let’s get into it.By wenatcheetown
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Are you treading water or are you getting new experts in your life?
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It is amazing how much people spend on time and money by avoiding experts. We see it a lot in our independent Insurance Agency. We are going to talk about experts today and the value they add. What happens when you cling to an expert? What does that do to your choices, your business, or even your lifestyle? Qualities that we look for every time. If…
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Are you an inclusive or an exclusive business?
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Between last week’s SCOTUS decision and our town’s Prayer meeting masquerading as a 4th of July Celebration, it’s time to sort some things out. Our business has always been inclusive by design. We suggest that people start looking for Friends of Stella lists and GSBA Memberships. It is going to be a tough time for a lot of people. The ability to ru…
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While we run a lot of mid-century with Suzie Health Solutions. We can not rest on that for Wenatchee Insurance. My teenager reminded me how bad nostalgia sucks when we walked into a 50s diner and were served substandard food, reduced sizes, between Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. Start looking at what a company is doing and what they are serving up. Did …
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There are lessons everywhere to improve your business and yourself. Two hours after launch to see the Titanic, Titan lost contact with the surface. There are lessons everywhere and especially over the loss of five people that paid a quarter of a million dollars each for the ride to the bottom of the ocean. We are going to take a dive into the lesso…
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What are signs that you are adulting well?
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Seriously, what signs does a person display when they have their house in order? What does it look like when they are a hot mess? We are no angels however there are habits that effect people display over and over again that promotes success as they define it. Let’s get into adulting.By wenatcheetown
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We are going to get into branding and marketing today thanks to Nikki Darling Productions brochure that I have in my lobby. We keep a rack in our lobby for local businesses brochures which is one of our regular community-building projects. I was asked about branding by a customer this week and since we launched a massive campaign and am talking to …
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Why do I look for Sacrifice in Leadership?
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I learned from my time in the Army. It is a dividing line between management and leadership. A manager will cling to self-importance that pretty Instagram image of what the top looks like. A leader will eat last, provide their best for the people around them from their own pockets. It is where you find a servant leader. When you select a company or…
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We run an inclusive insurance office. This includes the LGBTQIA+ members of our community. We have been doing so for over a decade because things like supporting Gay Marriage and Section 1557 of the ACA are platforms of treating people well like people. We are going to talk about what we currently see, book bans, anti-healthcare legislation and wha…
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Since we have an insurance business we ask What If Questions all the time to each other. Your partner gets sick, vendors fail, and equipment breaks down. How many backup plans do you have in place for your business and your family? It hasn’t been too long ago when the country got our backside handed by the lack of plans and safety nets. Let’s get i…
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As a small business owner, how valuable is your time?
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When politicians come to town, they want to take their pictures with us. Charities have their hand out and we sponsor events. We are called the backbone of America. How valuable is the time of a small business owner to lend a hand or volunteer?By wenatcheetown
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May the 4th Be With you Nerd Business Owners.
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We are big-time nerds around Wenatchee Insurance. We met at a convention. Have Star Wars tattoos. We also nerd out when it comes to insurance. Being a Nerd business owner is incredibly useful and I often seek them out for a single trait. I will give you a hint, it is the opposite of IG famous….By wenatcheetown
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We built an independent insurance agency that is definitely different. We have put ourselves into our business for over a decade. What if all the stereotypes surrounding business are true? Everyone is out for themselves. The boss is exploiting the workers who are all quiet quitting. The customers are going over to the next company because they are …
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Marketing moments with archetypes, how to turbo your messaging.
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Supernova had a big week were we talked about Marketing archetypes. If you followed Suzie Health Solutions through the years then you would have seen a variety of archetypes used. How do they work in business? How do they work in the real world? Would politics be better if one or both of the parties played from a different archetype? What were the …
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The minute that someone steps into our insurance office a person knows that they are in for a different experience. We set out over a decade ago to not make something that sucked. As our kid puts it has no soul. When we look for partners, we look for a different mindset. We want people that care about people, our community and profits. In that orde…
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I am not talking the poker chips and scratchers. We are getting into risks and rewards today. Comfort & safety versus growth & discovery. How if we remove all of the risk then we never win. If we never reward others, then we never win. Who could use some more wins in their life? How about your kids’ life? If you are being honest then there are accu…
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