When you were a kid, nobody in your fifth-grade class stood up and said, “When I grow up, I want to sell insurance.”
That’s because this industry has a stigma. For a lot of people, insurance feels boring at best and slimy at worst. People think of agents as order-takers, paper-pushers, or worse - slick salespeople who show up once a year at renewal. “And it’s gross,” as Lester Morales of Next Impact said.
“But here’s the thing,” he continued, “This business gives you all the tools and opportunities to build an amazing life. And here’s the truth: you have the power to change that story.”
Scott Addis added that this business is about saving livelihoods, protecting families, and giving people the confidence to build a future. You’re not here to sling policies. You’re here to stand in the gap when everything goes sideways. And when you take that seriously, the “icky agent” perception starts to fade.
Think about it: when a farmer gets an $8 million claim check after a disaster, that’s not paperwork. That’s the difference between closing the doors and planting next season. When a client survives a cyber breach because you made them take coverage seriously, that’s not a commission. That’s their reputation saved.
That’s the real work. And it’s miles away from the stereotype.
But here’s the catch: you’ve got to be intentional. You don’t get to change the perception of insurance by acting like every other producer out there. You change it by leading with education. By showing clients the risks they don’t see. By building programs that fit their lives instead of forcing them into cookie-cutter solutions.
When you do that, you don’t just sell coverage—you elevate the whole profession. You become proof that this industry can be about impact, not transactions.
Yes, the stigma is real. But so is the opportunity. Every meeting you walk into is a chance to flip the script. To show someone that insurance isn’t gross—it’s life-changing.
So, stop apologizing for being in this business. Start owning it. Start changing the story. Because the only way to shift perception is to live the difference every single day.