BOR or Bust is a podcast for insurance producers who are done settling for second place. Hosted by Daryl Henry and Nick Aube, BOR or Bust is real, honest conversation about what actually works in insurance sales—Broker of Record strategy, building a book, winning large accounts, handling rejection, navigating underwriters, and betting on yourself when the stakes are real. Because BOR is not just a way to win new business. It’s a mindset. It means going all in. It means betting on yourself. It means believing you’re worth it. And refusing to accept second place as an acceptable outcome. For us… it’s BOR or Bust, baby. WORK WITH NICK -- https://calendly.com/producersystems/bor-strategy-call-nickaube WORK WITH DARYL AT BITNER HENRY -- https://bitnerhenry.com/careers-home/
Can one insurance producer build a $1 million revenue book in six months? Nick is about to find out. After reading The Science of Scaling , Nick started asking a different question: instead of incrementally improving the traditional producer model, what would have to change to make a seemingly impossible goal possible? That means eliminating bottlenecks. Protecting revenue-producing time. Rethinking cold calling and lead generation. Saying no to carrier meetings that consume your best selling hours. And maybe even questioning one of the foundations of our own sales system. Because if the goal is $1 million in six months, do you really need two meetings to close a BOR? Nick thinks you can do it in one. Daryl thinks there are some major problems with that idea. That disagreement turns into one of our deepest sales conversations yet as we work through buyer personalities, carrier access, account complexity, qualification, strategy development, and whether the secret to the one-call BOR might actually be controlling WHO gets into the sales process in the first place. This isn't about working 10X harder. It's about building a sales process capable of producing a radically different result. BOR or Bust, baby.
How to Take Control of the Sales Process
56 min
Most producers think they're losing deals because they don't have the right market. They're wrong. They're losing deals because they've lost control of the sales process. In this episode, Daryl Henry and Nick Aube break down: • Why prospects stop trusting you when you quote after pitching a BOR • The biggest mistake producers make when selling exclusive markets • How to create leverage with underwriters • Why "value-added services" don't close deals • The difference between selling yourself and selling a strategy • How to get prospects making decisions earlier in the sales process If you're tired of chasing quotes, collecting paperwork, and getting rolled at renewal, this episode will show you a different way to sell. BOR or Bust, baby.
Strategy Trumps Relationship
51 min
The insurance industry teaches you that relationships wins business. They're wrong. Relationships matter—but they aren't enough. In this episode, Nick and Daryl explain why prospects who "love their broker" still take meetings, request quotes, and ultimately sign Broker of Record letters. You'll learn: Why strategy beats relationships Why clients can't answer whether they're getting the best deal How to win business from family members, friends, and long-time brokers Why underwriters give better pricing when they believe they can actually win How to stop competing on personality and start competing on strategy If you've ever heard, "I love my broker, but..." this episode explains what those prospects are really trying to tell you. BOR or Bust, baby.
Evolving from Being a Quoter to a BOR Broker
55 min
There are two kinds of insurance brokers: those who know how to win with Broker of Record (BOR) letters... and those who wish they did. But making that transition isn't easy. How do you evolve from being a quoter into a BOR broker? What needs to change inside your mind? What needs to change in your habits? What needs to change in the value you create for your prospects? In this episode of BOR or Bust , Daryl Henry and Nick Aube break down the mindset shift that separates producers who spend their careers chasing quotes from those who consistently win business with Broker of Record letters. We discuss: • Why investing in yourself is the highest ROI investment you'll ever make • Why the insurance industry teaches producers to compete the wrong way • The four stages every producer goes through • Why quoting creates stress, burnout, and inconsistent results • How BOR brokers solve the exact same problem—without becoming quote factories • Why creating value matters more than shopping more carriers • The mindset changes that transformed our careers If you're tired of competing on price, this episode will change the way you think about selling insurance.
Accessing Every Insurance Company Won't Get You the Best Deal
44 min
Every producer has heard it: "Our agency has access to more insurance companies." But does that actually help clients get better results? In this episode of BOR or Bust, Nick and Daryl explain why market access is one of the most misunderstood concepts in commercial insurance. They discuss: • Why no broker has access to every carrier • Why underwriters ask, "Do you control the account?" • How reputation impacts your negotiating leverage • Why shopping every market can actually hurt your client • How to create real competition without destroying your credibility • Why the best producers don't sell market access—they sell strategy If you're trying to win more Broker of Record letters and become a trusted advisor instead of another quoting broker, this episode is for you.
Use Your Customer's Words to Grow Faster
53 min
Why do some producers consistently get more meetings and close more business? Because they stop talking about what they think matters and start talking about what prospects think matters. In this episode, Nick and Daryl discuss one of the most important sales skills a producer can develop: using a prospect's own words to describe their problem. From cold calls to qualifying meetings to closing conversations, they break down how listening for key phrases can help you build trust faster, create stronger emotional buy-in, and move prospects through the sales process. Along the way they discuss: The difference between selling on price and solving the price problem Why most brokers miss the prospect's real pain The language prospects use when they feel stuck How to uncover buying motives through better questions Real-world BOR examples that led to major wins A lesson, a story, and a laugh. BOR or Bust, baby.
Cold Call Objections -- They're Not Rejecting You. They're Rejecting Every Other Agent.
56 min
It's very easy to mistake objections in the insurance buying process for buying signals. In Episode 4 of BOR or Bust, Daryl Henry and Nick Aube break down one of the biggest mindset shifts in insurance sales: Most objections are actually buying signals. When prospects say: "We're already shopping." "We're looking at options." "We just renewed." they're often revealing that they're actively trying to solve a problem—not rejecting you. Daryl and Nick discuss why traditional insurance sales scripts create resistance, how changing the sales process changes the conversation, and the simple framework they use to turn objections into appointments. If cold calling feels harder than it should, this episode may completely change the way you think about prospecting.
The BOR Blueprint: From Cold Call to Close
1 hr 7 min
Fix your deliverable, and everything in the sales process will fall into place. In this episode, Nick and Daryl break down the complete BOR Blueprint from cold call to close. You'll learn: How to structure the first outreach What should happen during the 15-minute qualifying call How to build and present a custom premium negotiation strategy Why most prospects don't actually know how to get the best deal How to position the BOR as a tool for the client How to move prospects through a process that creates commitment The goal isn't to sell yourself. The goal is to sell a strategy. When prospects understand the strategy, the BOR becomes the natural next step. WORK WITH NICK -- https://calendly.com/producersystems/bor-strategy-call-nickaube WORK WITH DARYL AT BITNER HENRY -- https://bitnerhenry.com/careers-home/
We Just Want a Better Price is the Best Thing You Can Hear
44 min
Most brokers panic when a prospect says: “We just want a better price.” In this episode, Daryl Henry and Nick Aube explain why that sentence is actually one of the strongest buying signals in commercial insurance sales. The conversation explores: What prospects REALLY mean when they talk about price Why buyers feel boxed into bad insurance situations How lack of strategy creates uncertainty in the marketplace Why BOR strategy empowers the customer — not just the broker The ethical problems with constant quoting and market blocking How producers accidentally destroy their own confidence by caving and quoting This episode is about moving from: “Let me quote this” to “Let me show you how to control the marketplace.” If you’re trying to build a book through strategy, conviction, and trust instead of endless quoting, this episode will hit home. BOR or Bust. Believe in yourself. Go win it, baby.
Solve the Premium Problem: Why Most Insurance Brokers Finish in Second Place
53 min
Most insurance brokers are accidentally training themselves to finish in second place. In Episode 2 of the BOR or Bust Podcast, Daryl Henry and Nick Aube unpack why traditional insurance sales advice often fails — especially when producers avoid talking about premium. Nick shares the story of how years of coverage analysis meetings led to dead-end deals, awkward follow-ups, and prospects saying, “I think we’re in a good spot with our current broker.” The breakthrough came when he realized clients weren’t actually asking for quotes. They were trying to solve a deeper problem: “How do I know if I’m getting the best deal?” This conversation dives into: Why prospects really ask for quotes The hidden psychology behind premium objections How BORs become easier when you solve the right problem Why transparency creates trust faster than relationship-building How producers accidentally make themselves irrelevant Why strategy beats service theater The difference between “saving money” and “taking control” Plus: A daycare insurance horror story Why clients ghost brokers The danger of becoming “Mr. Available” The legendary acai bowl analogy If you’re tired of losing BORs, competing on price, or hearing “we’re happy with our broker,” this episode will change how you think about insurance sales.
The Fastest Way to Grow Your Insurance Book | BOR or Bust
45 min
Most insurance producers are trained the same way… Quote. Hope. Come in second. Repeat. And then the industry wonders why 75% of producers wash out. In the first episode of BOR or Bust, Daryl Henry and Nick Aube break down: ✅ Why “quote and pray” destroys producer confidence ✅ How Nick built a $4.8M pipeline… and watched it collapse ✅ How Daryl went 1-for-43 and nearly washed out ✅ The 4 producer quadrants ✅ Why Broker of Record strategy changes everything ✅ How to grow your book faster without sacrificing your family If you’re a commercial insurance producer, agency owner, or sales professional who refuses to build your career the old way… You’re in the right place. WORK WITH NICK -- https://calendly.com/producersystems/bor-strategy-call-nickaube WORK WITH DARYL AT BITNER HENRY -- https://bitnerhenry.com/careers-home/
