How Young Agents Find Their Community
Insurance is an industry that carries a lot of history. Traditions run deep, and for generations the most important conversations happened at conferences and in offices. That still matters, but young agents are rewriting what community looks like.
From conference hallways to group chats, podcasts, and social media feeds, young agents are building networks that help them navigate challenges, learn from each other, and shape the future of the independent agency channel.
So, when a principal of an agency asks, “Why would I send my staff to young agent events?” the answer is simple: professional development and networking.
Not only are representatives from many of the carriers we work with in attendance, but in the depths of the hard market, I was able to rub shoulders with other agents navigating the same challenges.
Agents were looking for answers to practical questions like when to remarket accounts, how to retain business, and how to grow during a hard market. Knowing that others were dealing with the same issues was reassuring.
Yet, reassurance only went so far. The consensus was that nobody needed another webinar about how bad the hard market was or would be. We needed tactical, desk-level conversations about what we could do day-to-day.
Community Matters
Community also provides critical guidance for agents stepping into ownership for the first time. Many independent agents are on track to become owners or partners through a staged buyout, family transition, or ESOP.
Moving from agent to owner, however, is often a messy and emotional journey, and having peers going through the same transition makes the process far less isolating. In some cases, those connections have even led to agencies merging or agents deciding to go into business together.
It’s cliche that agency owners wear many hats, but trying on those hats for the first time–whether hiring, marketing, or managing carrier relationships–is easier when someone else is figuring it out alongside you and willing to share what they’ve learned.
Beyond professional support, these relationships often extend into an agent’s personal life, offering a network of peers facing similar life-stage challenges. In an era where work-life balance matters more than ever, having friends who understand the professional pressures and how they spill into personal life is invaluable.
Many agents are getting married and starting families. As a father of four, I’ve connected with other agents on that part of life, as well. It’s a support system I simply don’t get from friends outside the industry.
Young agents also find community by working together locally, often supporting charities and community initiatives. Not only does this help people in need, but it also improves the reputation of insurance professionals. The young agent community is helping challenge stereotypes about the industry.
Digital Connections
But, of course, some stereotypes hold true. Younger professionals are digitally native and that has created another avenue for community.
Many professionals under 35 listen to podcasts monthly. That motivated the Big “I” national Young Agents Committee, of which I am chair, to create the “Young Agents Tactical Series,” a podcast series hosted on Agency Nation Radio. This podcast answers questions like how agents are communicating rate increases and what initiatives agencies are implementing to maintain morale.
Podcasts like the “Young Agents Tactical Series” can create communities of their own. Listeners connect through podcasts as well as the online pages, newsletters, group chats, and social media accounts surrounding them. Depending on your interests, there are podcasts focused on sales, marketing, AI, or supporting women in the industry. All offer opportunities for connection and belonging.
‘Digital connections often carry over in real life, making national events a chance to put faces to names and deepen those relationships.’
Social media also provides a thriving community. Meme accounts offer light relief from daily challenges. One recent post showed a disheveled Jack Nicholson with the caption: “Me rolling into the office refreshed and ready to hit my numbers again for 2026.”
Group text chats with industry friends are also a great sounding board when I need to get out of my head or I’m looking for advice from professionals I trust.
Digital connections often carry over in real life, making national events a chance to put faces to names and deepen those relationships. The Big “I” hosts two major events each year: the Young Agents Leadership Institute and the Legislative Conference. These events bring agents from across the country together. Often, I’ll see people I’ve been texting or sharing memes with for months and we simply pick up where we left off.
Young agent leaders are also increasingly involved in national Big “I” board meetings, giving them a platform to represent their views, needs, and vision for the future of the industry. This means young agents are gaining a stronger voice. And because that community exists both in person and online, that voice draws from a wider group of agents than ever before.
For me, though, the biggest value is simple: knowing that whatever challenge I’m facing, I’m not facing it alone. I have friends working toward the same goals and navigating the same obstacles. At the end of the day, that’s what this community is about: connecting people who feel the same way.
McMillen, national Big “I” Young Agents Committee (YAC) chairman and vice president at The Cashion Company in Little Rock, Arkansas.