Q&A with Sarah Brown

Sarah Brown, CIC, CRM, AFIS is president & CEO of Keller-Brown Insurance Services, a full-service independent agency in Shrewsbury, PA. She also serves as chair of the IA&B Service Group, the governing arm of the IA&B state associations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Her two-year term as chair began on Sept. 1, 2023.

Q. How did you get your start in the insurance industry?

A. Have you ever been sitting at home with nothing to do and hoping someone calls to invite you to hang out? And then you get the call and it’s not exactly what you wanted, but it’s better than sitting at home? And when you go out, it turns out to be a much better time than you were expecting? That’s basically my story.

I did not always want a career in insurance, but after graduating and not finding anything for a few months, it was my first ‘big girl’ job. My parents knew of someone who worked for an insurance company and was hiring for a trainee position. I interviewed and got the job. What I liked most was that there was always something to learn and always something to achieve. And that continues through today.

Q. Describe your agency, Keller-Brown Insurance Services.

A. We’re old, and we’re new. We were established in 1899 in Southern York County by my great-great-grandfather, and I’m the fifth generation in my family to run the business. On our backs, we carry nearly 125 years of history, trust, culture, and service to the community. But we face the same uncertainties as everyone else, and that makes us try new things. We embrace change and are constantly finding ways to operate more efficiently, to provide the products and services our customers want when they want them, to be a place where people want to come to work, and to make an impact.

We have a staff of over 20 people – some who have been with us over 20 years, and before that, some who retired after 37 years. And just this month, we hired our youngest employee, who is from GenZ.

We still meet face to face with customers in our building that was constructed in 1853, but we also have a hybrid work environment and can meet virtually with customers or take our laptops to meet anywhere a customer wants. A customer can come to the office to pick up an auto ID card, or they can pull it from their smartphone at 3 in the morning.

Our core values of Family, Integrity, Diligence, and Loyalty do not change … but we’re always questioning how we deploy them to meet the needs of our customers and our staff.

Q. What’s the best thing about being an independent insurance agent?

A. Having something to offer our customers. So many times, our prospects and customers come to us with problems (and it could be anything – price, coverage, service, claims), and because we’re independent, we can almost always help. We don’t have to turn people away. We can listen to their situation and, based on our knowledge of offerings, put together a program that fits their needs and can help.

Q. Describe your leadership style.

A. You’d have to ask my team and my peers that question! And I’d be very curious how they’d respond…. I can say that I’m driven to achieve the next level of success, whatever that may be. So while it’s great to hit goals, sometimes it’s hard to appreciate it because I’m already thinking about what we need to do next.

I like to collaborate. I used to think I had to be the one with all the answers and would get frustrated with myself if someone had a better idea than me. Now, I like to be surrounded by people with different skillsets and stronger skills than I have. I think it makes our team better, and we come up with better, more well-thought-out solutions. I think we can get through any problem or disagreement with trust and mutual respect, so I try to establish that with anyone I work with.

Q. What do you consider the biggest challenge that agents currently face?

A. Recruitment and staffing, technology, sales, evolving customer expectations, the pace of change – these are all challenges. On top of that, we’re in a hard market now. While that’s challenging on its own, we’re left wondering how the industry will react, what changes will be made, and how it will impact the agent. So with everything we face, the biggest challenge is determining how we need to adapt to remain viable.

Q. How can independent insurance agents work together?

A. We might compete for an account here or there, but we’re all facing the same issues, and those issues are bigger than one prospect or customer.

Forming relationships of trust and respect is so beneficial. It’s helpful to have a network you can reach out to for perspective on an issue. IA&B does a great job of helping to facilitate those relationships, in organizing educational offerings, networking events, and professional development opportunities. Making an effort to show up to these events and to form relationships is an important investment in your career.

Q. Describe the make-up of the IA&B Board of Directors.

A. We’ve been intentional in forming a diverse board, and when I say that, I mean we want a good mix of agents from across our footprint of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. We have representatives from large agencies and startups less than five years old. We have older and younger agents, a pretty good split of male and female. If we’re going to represent independent agents, we need a board made up of people who are dealing with diverse issues.

Q. What is the purpose of the IA&B Board?

A. The purpose of the board is to address the needs of independent agents. That may sound easy, but we’re independent. Our needs are all over the place. We constantly ask, ‘Is this what the independent agent needs? Does it bring value?’

Q. How does the board support the independent insurance network?

A. We work to address the challenges agents face and to come up with solutions to help them succeed. In 2022, we developed a five-year strategic plan that touches on education, professional development, recruitment into the industry, and technology. IA&B’s vision statement is ‘a thriving independent insurance agent community,’ and so all of the initiatives are aligned with that in mind.