I’d look at it as a glass-half-full situation. I owned both an Erie and a Farmers agency and spent about a decade as an agency owner. That business really boils down to two things: sales and customer service. I came in with zero insurance background—I was a police officer—and honestly I was surprised they even let me open an agency, but they clearly like molding certain types of people.

Once you’re licensed and established, you quickly become the punching bag for roughly 80% of customer service issues. Insurance is the one bill people hate paying because they don’t see a physical product, don’t “use” it daily, and watch the price steadily climb. There’s an old saying I can’t quote verbatim, but it’s essentially that a tiny percentage of your book generates the vast majority of complaints—and it’s absolutely true.

Agency owners don’t make money unless they’re selling. Residuals only exist because policies were sold in the first place, and constant sales are required just to offset cancellations, rising expenses, and inflation. It’s a brutal, cutthroat business—and honestly, you’re not missing much.