"I was making someone else a lot of money. I was making good money, but the amount of money I was making someone else was considerably more."

That realization changed everything for Allen Hudson. ⚖️

In episode 4 of Elevate the Hustle, Stan and Dom sit down with Allen Hudson, founder of Community Risk Advisors. Allen was running a $65 billion insurance program when he realized the corporate ladder had a ceiling—and he didn't own any of it. So he walked.

Allen breaks down:

• Why "Jane and John Doe Insurance Agency, Inc." is dead, and what replaces it
• The shocking reason his first US-based hire quit after 3 months
• How he's scaling by having senior team members build and train their own teams
• Why specialization is the only path forward for agencies trying to compete
• His advice for both brand-new agents and 25-year veterans who've been doing it the same way forever

Plus: Why Red Robin became his go-to meal, how he got banned from almost every bar at UMD, and why entrepreneurship dropped his golf handicap from 6 to 11.

If you've been waiting for the "right time" to go independent, this episode will make you rethink everything.

Real talk, real stories, and occasionally real bad language.

If you're an insurance agency owner or entrepreneur who wants straight talk and stories from the trenches, hit play.

🌐 Website: elevateteams.io
📷 Instagram: @elevateteams
🔗 LinkedIn: Elevate Teams
🎙️ YouTube: @ElevateTheHustlePodcast

"A lot of people get paralyzed and they don't make a decision, but that's a decision."

Rob Bowen learned that in the Navy. At 50 years old, he decided to stop waiting and start his own insurance agency. 🎖️

In episode 3 of Elevate the Hustle, Stan and Dom sit down with Rob Bowen, Navy veteran, owner of Patriotic Insurance Group, and one of Elevate's very first clients. They met at a golf outing in Nashville (where Dom barely made the tee time after "networking" until 3 AM), and what started as a round of golf turned into a years-long partnership.

Rob breaks down:

• Why he left a stable job at 50 to become an entrepreneur, and what finally pushed him to do it
• The military leadership lesson that changed how he runs his agency
• How he went from doing certificates of insurance himself (badly) to delegating outcomes, not tasks
• Why most agencies are busy doing "busy work" instead of revenue-generating activities
• The real reservation he had about hiring remote workers, and how it became a non-issue fast
• What it's like preparing to sell your agency after only 5 years of going independent

Plus, Rob shares his go-to golf club (a 15-year-old Nike hybrid), why he'll never do another certificate of insurance, and the one book every agency owner should read.

If you've ever thought "I'm too old to start over," this episode is for you.

Real talk, real stories, and occasionally real bad language.

If you're an insurance agency owner or entrepreneur who wants straight talk and stories from the trenches, hit play.

🌐 Website: elevateteams.io
📷 Instagram: @elevateteams
🔗 LinkedIn: Elevate Teams
🎙️ YouTube: @ElevateTheHustlePodcast

"Do you know Kelly Bailey?"

If you're in Florida insurance, the answer is yes, and you're probably best friends. (And if not, you will soon.) 🐝

In episode 2 of Elevate the Hustle, Stan and Dom sit down with Kelly Bailey—founder of Hive Recruiter and serial connector who turned decades of "side hustle" placements into a full-time business.

They dig into:

• Why fear of failure keeps people from starting, and why Kelly did it anyway
• What actually drives people to leave their jobs (spoiler: it's not always money)
• The "vibe check" that matters more than checking boxes on a resume
• Why most agency owners are hiring the wrong people for the wrong jobs
• How Stan finally convinced Kelly to stop working until 1 AM and hire her own VA, and what happened when she finally did

Real talk, real stories, and occasionally real bad language.

If you're an insurance agency owner or entrepreneur who wants straight talk and stories from the trenches, hit play.

🌐 Website: elevateteams.io
📷 Instagram: @elevateteams
🔗 LinkedIn: Elevate Teams
🎙️ YouTube: @ElevateTheHustlePodcast