We recently connected with Stephen Bellosi and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Stephen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

Financial Professionals are generally only available to those who are wealthy. The system is broken and there is no incentive for professional to provide advice or give their time to those who really need it. Objective financial advice and planning is only available to those who can afford to pay for it. The same holds true for financial or insurance products especially for creative professionals.

The digital photography market, including cameras, software and processing equipment, is a $ Billion plus industry
Professional and amateur photographers own a lot of expensive camera equipment that is under or uninsured. The perception is that insurance is too expensive and there is a ton of friction involved in the process of obtaining the right coverage and objective advice.

• Brokers and agents generally neglect low premium markets such as photo / video and personal lines insurance.
• The process of obtaining the right type of coverage is cumbersome, confusing and time consuming
• The process of underwriting and onboarding a new client is very fragmented and slow for brokers and agents.
• Deficient insurance coverage can lead to financial catastrophe for professionals as it could put them out of business temporarily or permanently.
• Camera and Video equipment ranks high among the most frequently stolen property

The industry would benefit from a solution whereby:

• Obtain customized insurance products in a virtual environment without having to speak to a broker, agent or underwriter.
• Connect motivated insurance prospects directly with licensed professionals without hassle or harassing emails and phone calls.
• Streamline underwriting process by connecting directly via API with multiple insurance carriers.
• All data is securely stored in a cloud server environment ensuring that your equipment records don’t get lost even if your phone does.
• Reduced call times and increased efficiency realized by brokers, agents and insurance companies.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started learning about financial products such as stocks, bond and mutual funds as a child. My grandfather’s eyesight began to fail him as a result of diabetes. I would read the Wall Street Journal to him, and he taught me all about how the investments and capital markets worked.

I always knew I wanted to do something in the world of finance and business, but I wasn’t sure exactly what. When I was in college, I interned with a financial services firm and never looked back. Early in my career I focused on providing educational seminars to medical and dental residents and began to accumulate clients and grow a book of business organically. I really enjoyed the educational aspect of the business as it was very rewarding to know that I was educating very intelligent people on topics that were relevant to their planning needs. If nothing else, I was helping everyone make more informed decisions even if they did not do business with me.

I quicky identified that certain products paid higher commissions or fees than others and began to question how we as “advisors” were to remain objective if our financial interests were not aligned with our prospective clients. As I progressed in my career and grew my book of business, I realized that there were a lot of people in need of financial guidance who do not have access to it. The incentive for advisors is purely based on the amount of assets under management or the amount of premium being paid for a certain insurance product.

In addition to the incentives being misaligned, I noticed that the industry was very fragmented in that certain “advisors” were either focused on insurance planning only or investment planning only. There were very few comprehensive planners and a lot of friction in the process from the advisor and client side.

I pride myself on breaking down the barriers that exist between the “advisors” that surround the client / prospective client. Talking with the tax and legal advisor leads to more coordinated planning and a better client experience. There is simply too much one person to know which is why communication among advisors is crucial. Professionals service providers are all trained differently in their subject matter expertise.

I believe that my objectivity sets me apart from others as well as the comprehensive view that I take when engaging prospective clients. It’s about addressing the needs and finding a better. more efficient way to do things. That could mean creating a brand-new product or service or refining the process of how things are being done.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients has always been referrals. Warm introductions are always the best simple because there is instant credibility and trust. It’s important to cultivate the relationship but starting off from a place of trust and common ground through a mutual known party is always a great jumping off point for an enduring relationship.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A little obvious but the COVID 19 pandemic caused several major pivots. I had just moved from NJ to South FL was recently married and building a new home. Additionally, I was working on two start-up business as well as my core financial planning business. Everything came to an abrupt halt.

I had to reinvent my entire client Acquistion process and shelf my startup businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.insurious.us
• Instagram: s_bell_insta_biz
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenbellosi
• Twitter: StephenBellosi