JBD, JBD, Where We Would Be Without the JBD

Hello,

It feels like it has been a while since I've written a newsletter for Joe Barker Digital. Since my last entry, I have lost my job, started a business, had oral surgery, and completed 2.5 million fantasy football mock drafts. These past few weeks have been busy, to say the least. But, out of all the recent changes, I have found clarity in direction. Joe Barker Digital is growing, and along the journey, I promise to keep you all updated every step of the way. To learn more about Joe Barker Digital's growth and this newsletter's evolving role, please keep reading.?

On August 19th, I separated from Brown & Brown. When I talk about this on other platforms, I usually don't say their name, but it feels appropriate on Linkedin. The separation was because of my website, Joe Barker Digital, which you can see in my bio. However, like any good story, we have to start at the beginning before we get to the climax. And the beginning starts here, with you all.?

Joe Barker Digital started as my LinkedIn brand to connect with colleagues and clients. It was a platform to share insurance insights, generate conversation, and connect professionally with you guys. It was really just a fun little page, but it started to grow in engagement. People began to want to work with me, carriers were reaching out to collaborate on business opportunities, and I was starting to make a little name for myself. But then, the more content I produced, the more I was starting to test the corporate boundaries. What I interpreted as entertaining began to become legal exposure.??

I posted a video that's still on my page in which I reacted to a car accident. Even though the response from viewers was positive and people took the desired action to reevaluate their policies, it was out of bounds legally. There was too much legal exposure, and I was encouraged to stop with that content style and stick with corporate-approved marketing materials. It was my first example of doing my best but coloring outside the lines, which would eventually lead to my separation from the company.?

Somewhere along the lines, I had the idea for my very own Joe Barker Digital website. A beautiful site for myself that would act as the home for all my digital efforts. I would post articles, videos, and interactive features, like my assessment. It would take my digital presence to the next level. But I got a little too excited. I knew I could only work with some of you guys, so I figured in a situation where I E-met a potential client that my agency couldn't help with due to our minimums, I would connect them with another advisor outside of our firm. If they did qualify, we would work together like usual. That seemed really cool. So, the website's core tenant, which you can still see, is about connecting insurance seekers with insurance advisors. That's where the trouble came from.

After months of development, I was finally ready to go live. I learned my lesson about testing legal boundaries from before, so I submitted the site to the legal department. Within 2 hours, I turned my badge in to the HR director's office. I wasn't fired, per se, but I was given an ultimatum: my website or my job. The website was enriching Brown & Brown's competitors and opened them up to way too much liability. Joe Barker Digital was now completely out of bounds.?

But I think I knew that. I think, on some level, I expected to part ways. I chose Joe Barker Digital over my job because I care about you guys too much. Insurance is boring, and it's hard to care about it. But now, I can do my best to create engaging and entertaining content to help you better understand your policy. We're allowed to have fun now.?

While I don't currently write insurance policies, I connect seekers with qualified advisors. If you visit my website by clicking the 'visit my website' button, you will be directed to a free assessment. That assessment lets me know what you're looking for and how I can help you. From there, I let an advisor who is best suited to solve your problems know, and they will contact you, ready to help. It's really a wonderful process.?

I know we mentioned the changing role of this newsletter earlier, but it's really just to document Joe Barker Digital's growth. Videos and articles will be posted on the Joe Barker Digital company page, which I urge you to support. I'm still going to write here, most likely once a week.?

It's time to have some fun! Joe Barker Digital is free to color as much outside the lines as possible. But I can't do it without your support! We're flying solo now, so we have to work hard. It takes a village. If you are open to supporting me, please follow my company page. If not, that's okay; I still love you. Either way, we're just getting started.