Insurance is a complicated environment for many looking from the outside in, relying on experts to help guide and lead you to the right path. It’s also a highly competitive environment, with a plethora of options available for those interested in pursuing insurance – and not all in this space were created equal. As this year’s standout Independent Insurance Specialists, we spoke with Patrick Murakami from Main Street Insurance – Patrick Murakami Agency (Main Street Insurance) to find out more.
Patrick believes fundamentally in living an extraordinary life – in changing lives and helping people through whatever means he can. He approaches his business in an altogether very different way than many would expect, bringing a strong pulse of creativity to the insurance landscape. This is made all the more potent through a mission to lead through education, integrity, and selling a flexible solution catered entirely to the individual, as he begins by explaining in more detail.
“We aim to be the provider of choice and will always do what is in the best interest of the client. Our core values are defined by authenticity, creativity, and ‘to give more than we take’ for we ensure the client receives more than they ask. Much of this is driven by a core goal to be a service-based agency in a predominantly sales-based environment.” This has been crucial to the agency’s longevity, acting as a key distinguisher from the crowded and highly competitive sector.
This is amplified by the fact that insurance remans a complex landscape to navigate for the layperson, creating a vicious feedback loop of those needing ethical, expert advice engaging with those that are solely driven by sales. Patrick and Main Street Insurance aim to be different. “Insurance has become so self-serving and dictated off of price, but the reality is that so many people are underserved and uneducated. Our reputation has grown from the fact that we have honest conversations and are willing to have the sometimes-tough conversations, because we are truly looking out for the long-term and best solutions for our clients. We look out for their needs as a family, as individuals as well as their livelihoods.
“I believe that by choosing not to be safe and fall in line with other agencies has been our greatest benefactor. We intentionally seek to learn from other business models, for example we learned how to market from realtors, we also dared to do things that no insurance agent has ever done before, such as show up to a home closing.”
“Our ability to embrace and try new things allowed us to grow online into multi-millions of sales from $260 in marketing ads.”
This ethos is reflected entirely within the internal culture of the agency, with the team thriving on the back of Patrick’s focus on creativity and integrity. “Our culture reflects everything that we do. We never decline to give somebody time who is looking to improve themselves. This means we allow people to come pitch to us, join in our team meetings, and learn from us. I still help people fix their resumes for free, I give marketing strategies away because there are no secrets, and execution is hard to do.
“The creativity implementation came from live streaming on Twitch. I used to host a digital open mic which taught me how to build an online tribe. It was the only way I knew how to connect with people – was using my art. I used to go into meetings to meet business owners and entrepreneurs and I would actually share my poetry with them.”
All that remains is to discuss what comes next for Patrick and his agency. As you might imagine with everything previously discussed, the focus will be on expansion as Patrick capitalizes on the agency’s burgeoning market position. “For 2023, I am absorbing a few insurance agencies and have begun coaching other agents across the country. The goal for 2024 is to launch a coaching program that replicates what we’ve done to help agents fast forward and evolve into the new digital age. There is also a culture and legacy piece designed for other businesses as well.”
For business enquiries, contact Patrick Murakami, Business Owner from Main Street Insurance -Patrick Murakami Agency via email – [email protected] or on their website – www.insurancewithapurpose.com
Address: 31 N Tejon St #300 Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Telephone:719-309-6439
