Good morning Insurance Heroes! 🦸🏼‍♂️🦸🏼‍♀️

🚀 Katy Perry, Gayle King, and zero gravity? Yes, please! A crew of six fabulous women—including the pop superstar and the "CBS Mornings" co-host—just ditch Earth for a few breathtaking minutes in space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard. They launched from West Texas and it was cool to see their self-flying rocket (no pilot needed!) marking its 31st spaceflight and 11th human mission. Celebs like William Shatner and Michael Strahan have already taken the ride—now it’s Katy’s turn to Firework her way through the stratosphere! 🎶

💫The insurance question is: what about their life insurance? Does anyone know if there’s an exclusion to “space roadtrips”? 😂. Let me know and I’ll share it with our thousands of readers. 👩‍🚀✨

Now, let’s enjoy another day in the best industry in the world.

Let’s GOOOO!

😱This week’s OMG moment

🏠California regulators are supporting State Farm General’s emergency 17% homeowners rate hike—despite not calculating its full impact—due to the insurer's deteriorating financial condition, especially following the devastating January wildfires in Los Angeles. The rate increase, down from an initial 21.8%, is part of a broader effort to stabilize the company, which includes a $400 million capital injection from parent State Farm and a halt to nonrenewals through year-end. State Farm General is also seeking interim hikes across multiple lines, including 38% for rental dwelling coverage. Critics like Consumer Watchdog argue the company is sidestepping consumer protections and estimate the hike could cost policyholders $50 more per month. If the hikes are later deemed excessive, policyholders will be refunded with interest. Meanwhile, State Farm has paid over $2.75 billion on nearly 12,400 wildfire claims, and projects direct losses at $7.6 billion, with reinsurance adjustments potentially reducing its surplus from $1.04 billion to $604 million. As California’s largest homeowners insurer, all eyes are now on the Insurance Commissioner’s final decision.

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🫱🏼‍🫲🏼For Insurance Agents

🔥M&A activity is back in action—Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has officially completed its $1.2 billion acquisition of San Francisco-based insurance brokerage Woodruff Sawyer, moving ahead of rivals WTW and Brown & Brown in a competitive bidding process. The deal, first announced in March 2025, strengthens Gallagher’s footprint in property and casualty insurance, particularly in management liability, construction, and real estate sectors. Woodruff Sawyer, which brings in estimated annual revenue of $268 million and employs over 600 people across 15 offices in the U.S. and U.K., will operate under Gallagher’s U.S. retail P&C division, led by Peter Doyle. CEO Andy Barrengos will remain at the helm of the acquired firm. Gallagher plans to retain Woodruff Sawyer’s staff and leadership, with $150 million earmarked for integration and retention over the next three years. This acquisition, following Gallagher’s $13.5 billion purchase of AssuredPartners in late 2024, underscores the brokerage giant’s aggressive expansion strategy and solidifies its presence on the U.S. West Coast.

🚀 AI Made Easy for Insurance Pros! 🏆

Want to work smarter, not harder? HubSpot’s free “How to Use ChatGPT at Work” guide is packed with 100+ ready-to-use prompts to supercharge your workflow and boost efficiency. In just 30 minutes, discover the ins and outs of ChatGPT and master expert techniques to sidestep common AI challenges. Whether you’re streamlining client communications or speeding up policy research, this guide is your shortcut to AI success! 🧠⚡

👩🏼‍💻Grab it HERE and start automating like a pro! 🚀

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Do you want to quote life insurance in seconds? Do you want your clients to quote life insurance in seconds? If this is the case, BackNine Insurance is your solution. BackNine is a FREE life insurance InsureTech that gives you direct access and appointments to multiple carriers in every State and Puerto Rico. Sign up with BackNine HERE and start enjoying the beauty of quoting and applying for life insurance in seconds. Oh, and make sure you tell our friend Blake at Backnine that you are part of the Fun Family 😉.

🌟Motivation

In a hard market, it’s easy to feel like we’re each navigating stormy seas alone—but here’s the truth: we’re stronger together. 💪 As insurance professionals, we’re not just selling policies—we’re protecting dreams, rebuilding futures, and guiding communities through uncertainty. This is our moment to lean on each other, share insights, and collaborate like never before. When carriers, agents, brokers, and partners unite with a common purpose, we turn challenges into breakthroughs. So let’s rise, not just as individuals, but as a united force in the greatest industry in the world! 🌟

📈In the fast-paced world of insurance, it’s tempting to chase quick wins with paid marketing—but real, lasting growth comes from playing the long game. 💼💡 Organic marketing is all about showing up consistently: sharing value, building trust, and nurturing relationships with your clients and community. It might feel slow at first, but over time, your reputation grows, your name circulates, and clients start coming to you. Unlike paid ads that disappear the moment you stop spending, organic marketing builds equity in your brand. So while paid campaigns can give you a boost, it’s the steady, relationship-driven efforts that turn insurance professionals into trusted advisors—and businesses into legacies. 🛡️

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⚙️Technology

💻Gemini 2.5 Pro isn’t just another AI tool—it’s a cheat code for coders. ⚡ Whether you're wrangling a complex JavaScript project or debugging obscure backend issues, this AI responds with clean, well-documented code almost instantly, making you feel like you’ve unlocked next-level developer powers. Unlike older assistants that felt clunky or required constant tweaking, Gemini is fast, context-aware, and remarkably precise. It's a serious game-changer—especially if Google pairs it with real-time UI editing. The dev world is shifting fast, and those who learn to collaborate with AI (instead of competing with it) are going to have a major edge. 🚀

🌎Around the World

🚗💸 Hey insurance agents—here’s one to flag for your clients: With new tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts now in play, car insurance costs are expected to rise in the coming year. Why? As prices for parts and repairs climb, insurers will be shelling out more to settle claims—and those rising costs eventually trickle down to premiums. Think higher payouts, longer repair times, and more totaled vehicles, especially as 60% of replacement parts come from overseas. Now, more than ever, this is your time to shine by educating your clients. Help them understand what’s happening, and guide them on smart ways to manage rising costs—like adjusting deductibles, reviewing coverage, and maximizing discounts. In a shifting market, your insight is the value they need most. 🛠️📈

😁Fun Fact

😂Here’s a “cool” and “FUN” Fact: at the beginning of 2025, I wrote an article for The Demotech Difference Magazine. My goal was to deliver a powerful call to action for insurance professionals to embrace innovation, unity, and purpose as we navigate the evolving landscape of our industry. I highlighted the critical role insurance plays not just in protecting people and businesses, but in strengthening entire communities—especially in times of catastrophe. More importantly, I emphasized the need for deeper collaboration across agents, carriers, reinsurers, and vendors to foster shared success and resilience. As many of you already know, my mantra is: “Open Minds and Open Hearts”. To me, this is a reminder to stay curious, compassionate, and community-driven. If you have not read it, you can download the full article below. Hope you enjoy it!

📰Non-Insurance Stuff

🤖Arizona has approved a groundbreaking and controversial charter school program that replaces human teachers with artificial intelligence to deliver core academic instruction to students in grades 4-8 during a two-hour online school day. Utilizing platforms like IXL and Khan Academy, the AI provides personalized lessons that adapt in real-time to each student's performance, enhancing learning efficiency. The remaining part of the day is dedicated to life skills workshops led by human mentors, focusing on areas such as financial literacy and entrepreneurship. A pilot program reported that students learned twice as much in half the time, allowing more emphasis on essential life skills. This initiative is significant as it represents an early adoption of AI in education, demonstrating its potential to hyper-personalize learning at scale and likely prompting important discussions about the future role of technology in the education system based on its outcomes.

😂Insurance Meme of the Week

Created by @insuranceagentmemes and sent to us by a great friend. Gotta love the “I never had a claim before” 😂!

Do you have a funny insurance meme you would like to share? Send it over to us and we will gladly share it in our next newsletter. You will get the credit, of course 😉.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for being part of our Fun Family.

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I appreciate you,