Ever wonder how a family-owned insurance agency grows to over 40 locations without losing that small-town feel? Shepherd Insurance, a prominent independent agency with a history spanning over four decades, stands as a testament to the value of personalized service and a deep-seated commitment to its clients.
At the heart of this success is Susan Morgan, Partner at Shepherd Insurance, whose journey through the industry has equipped her with a unique perspective and a fervent dedication to the independent agent channel. And based on Shepherd Insurance’s 65,000+ satisfied households, she's pretty good at it.
Morgan's path through insurance began right out of college, drawn by something that might surprise you: flexibility. "The thing that I enjoyed the most about insurance, and working in an independent agency, is that when I got married and started my family, I was able to adjust my career to my family life," she explains.
But as her kids grew up, so did her professional ambitions. She spent nine years working on the carrier side, learning the business from the other side. "I learned a lot through that process, but really felt like I wanted to go back on the independent side," she says.
When she joined Shepherd Insurance in 2014, it was like coming home with a whole new perspective. "Shepherd gives me the best of both worlds: a large agency with many locations and getting to work with a lot of people," Morgan explains. Having seen both sides of the business—carrier and agency—Morgan has been able to leverage her comprehensive knowledge for the direct benefit of clients.
Despite being a partner in a large agency, Morgan still has her own clients. "I still have clients to this day," she tells me. That hands-on connection keeps her grounded in what really matters—taking care of people.
Founded over 40 years ago in Indiana, Shepherd Insurance has grown into a formidable presence. The agency’s footprint has since expanded far beyond its initial vision, now with over 40 locations across Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, and Illinois, allowing them to serve a diverse clientele while maintaining a localized approach.
"As a growing agency, and an agency that does a lot of mergers and acquisitions, I think a lot about our culture; about being founded as a family agency and maintaining a service level that you get from a small-town agency as you grow," Morgan reflects. The answer lies in a strategically-designed service model that prioritizes the client experience above all else.
So how does an agency keep over 65,000 households happy and avoid turning into a faceless corporate machine? Shepherd Insurance’s answer was relatively simple. "We built an internal service team, so that if you call in and the person you normally talk to is unavailable, the call goes into the queue and someone within the company will pick up the call and take care of your issue." No voicemail. No 1-800 numbers. Real people helping real clients. “If you absolutely need to talk to your regular agent, whoever picks up the call will take a message and make sure it gets routed appropriately.”
The insurance market has been rough lately, especially for property coverage. Morgan calls it a "hard market," which is industry speak for "everything's more expensive and complicated." But instead of just passing along bad news, Morgan and her team see this as their time to shine.
"With the hard market, clientele need an agent to advise them on the changes that have come about," she explains. “Clients need to be educated on the intricacies of things like wind and hail deductibles, roof depreciation schedules, and optional coverages that could save your financial life if disaster strikes.”
This is where independent agents really prove their worth as knowledgeable advisors. "If they were dealing with a direct writer or buying their coverages online, just to saving some money," Morgan notes, they'd miss crucial details. Having someone who can translate insurance-speak into real-world protection? That’s invaluable.
Here's where Morgan gets excited: technology that makes life easier for clients, not more complicated. "Our AMS (agency management system) was not equipped to engage with our clients the way we wanted to try to bring in automation," Morgan explains. So Shepherd Insurance brought in a CRM (customer relationship management system).
The CRM handles renewal communications, texting with clients, and automatically captures all interactions. But where it really shines is during disasters. With a big presence in Florida, Shepherd Insurance has had plenty of opportunities to test their communications system during hurricanes.
"We have used it for cat claim management because we have such a big presence in FL," Morgan explains. “If the Florida offices get hit by hurricanes, teams in Indiana and Kentucky can take over. It’s seamless for the customer, who was hit by that same storm."
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. "We got such positive feedback from customers and employees," Morgan recalls. While local teams focused on staying safe, other offices kept everything running smoothly. "It goes back to our service model. Having people all over the footprint with access and training, so if one office shuts down, doesn’t impact the whole company. We can pick up and service the business from anywhere."
Morgan's most common piece of advice to clients is straightforward yet impactful: "Work with an independent agent and review your policy documents." In other words, find an independent agent who can help you understand what you’re buying.”
Morgan's seeing a scary trend with what she calls "nuclear liability verdicts," or massive lawsuit settlements that can destroy people financially. "We make sure that we are educating clients on protecting themselves, on the importance of carrying umbrella coverage, excess liability, and appropriate liability limits."
People think lawsuits just take your insurance limits and call it a day. "People don't think about getting sued and garnishing their future wages and just think they're just taking my policy limits and being done. We’re seeing more and more often that legal suits are going after umbrella limits, too."
The message is clear: protect yourself properly because the legal landscape has changed dramatically.
It’s because of the changing insurance landscape that Morgan remains steadfast in her belief in the enduring value of the independent agent.
"When I started in insurance in the 90s, I was part of a group that saw the internet start to take hold, and heard that it would take the place of the independent insurance agent. My entire career I’ve been hearing that. Now it’s supposedly AI that’s going to replace everyone. But just like any other tool, we have to learn how to use it to our advantage.”
Morgan believes AI will make independent agents even more valuable, not less. "I don't think that AI is going to replace us because we still have to have judgment, people that are able to use that data."
After talking with Morgan, I walked away convinced that Shepherd Insurance has cracked the code on something really difficult: how to grow big without losing your soul. They've figured out how to use technology to enhance human relationships, not replace them.
"Maybe I'm naive, but I'm still optimistic that we'll be around," Morgan says with a laugh. But it's not naive optimism—it's confidence built on decades spent putting clients first and adapting to whatever comes next.
Shepherd Insurance has cracked the code on something incredibly difficult: how to grow exponentially but also stay close to your roots. They’ve figured out how to use technology to enhance human relationships, not replace them.