Bill Sprague didn't wait for the perfect moment — he built one. Starting Risk Averse Insurance in 2015 with no clients and a blank slate, Bill and his childhood best friend turned a bold idea into one of Philadelphia's leading commercial insurance brokerages.

Bill Sprague, President and founder of Risk Averse Insurance, shares how he grew a firm built on proactive service, strategic acquisitions, and a culture of accountability. From saying no to the wrong clients to navigating culture clashes during mergers, Bill gets real about what it takes to scale with intention.

Key Takeaways:

• Clarity is a moving target — stepping back regularly to realign with your vision is essential during rapid growth.
• Moving upstream changes everything — transitioning to larger commercial clients required bold decisions and full team buy-in.
• Organic growth fuels staying power — acquisitions are great, but investing in sales training builds the foundation that lasts.
• Culture is built on accountability — Bill's firm runs on a can-do attitude and a winning mentality.
• Start earlier — Bill's biggest advice to his younger self is that the risk of starting a business never gets smaller.

About Bill Sprague:

Bill is the founder and president of Risk Averse Insurance which is a commercial insurance brokerage serving clients in construction, manufacturing, wholesale, and commercial real estate. In business since 2015, Bill and team have turned Risk Averse into a leading brokerage in the area by providing clients a more proactive approach to protecting their business.

Connect:

Website riskaverseinsurance.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/risk-averse-insurance/
Facebook facebook.com/RiskAverseInsurance/

This episode is sponsored by The Satell Institute; the leading CEO organization dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Go to satellinstitute.org to learn more.

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