BEST PRACTICES – PRESS RELEASE VAST retains its Best Practices status, once again becoming a part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States.  This status comes by participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) Best Practices Study group.  The annual survey and study of leading independent insurance agencies documents the business practices of the “best” agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices. Since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, have joined forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories.  The agencies comprising the … Continue reading

While many people are in “Back to School” mode and feeling like summer is over, it doesn’t officially end until September 22!  There are still plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the warm weather and evening sunshine. I encourage you to enjoy the outdoors and here are some great late summer activities – which I would argue are even better done when it’s not too hot outside: Hiking – a hike when it’s a little cooler is great, especially if you’re taking kids or pets with you. Depending on where you live, you might see the leaves changing color … Continue reading

Getting enough exercise daily can be challenging for anyone.  The recommended amount of exercise is at least 150 minutes a week at a moderate, aerobic level, or 75 minutes a week at a vigorous level according to the American Heart Association.  That breaks down to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week of moderate exercise.  With hectic, busy lives filled with 8+ hours at a job, family life, house work and prepping meals, it’s hard to imagine that there’s even time to sleep!  But exercise is so important – not only for physical health, but also for mental health … Continue reading

Have you found how different a conversation can be once you’ve put ‘a face to a name’? We love connecting with our clients, whether it’s in the office, out in our community or even through our social media. Today’s post is just another way we want to connect with you and let you know a little bit more about us. We’re putting the spotlight on some of our employees and giving you an inside look! Corey Hanycz | Personal Lines Account Manager | 5 Years with VAST What is your favorite thing about working at VAST? My team. Are you … Continue reading

Blue is our culture here at VAST. Being blue means we embody our 9 core values: communication, empowered, fun, relationships, results, team, innovative, healthy and integrity. It is what we live and breathe on a daily basis, so I wanted to reflect on a few events we have had in our office so far this year that embrace our blue culture. Every January at our annual meeting our Zen Committee announces a 12 week wellness challenge to all employees. This year we “climbed” Mount Everest. For every 120 minutes of exercise you moved your climber up the mountain. If you … Continue reading

Have you found how different a conversation can be once you’ve put ‘a face to a name’? We love connecting with our clients, whether it’s in the office, out in our community or even through our social media. Today’s post is just another way we want to connect with you and let you know a little bit more about us. We’re putting the spotlight on some of our employees and giving you an inside look! Amber Rude | Commerical Lines Account Manager | 2 Years [in August!] with VAST What is your favorite thing about working at VAST? My coworkers. … Continue reading

VAST promotes a variety of committees for employees to participate in. From the Nerd Herd to the Zen committee, there’s something for everyone.  Here at VAST, giving back is something that is very important to us. One of the newest committees, The Volunteer Committee, was created to provide opportunities for VAST team members to give back to our amazing community by volunteering for different causes and organizations. Our goal is to provide easy access to these opportunities by having a list of options to choose from right at our fingertips.  A few of these opportunities include JJ Packs, UPAWS, The … Continue reading

Have you found how different a conversation can be once you’ve put ‘a face to a name’? We love connecting with our clients, whether it’s in the office, out in our community or even through our social media. Today’s post is just another way we want to connect with you and let you know a little bit more about us. We’re putting the spotlight on some of our employees and giving you an inside look! Brittney Schaeffer | Benefits Account Manager | 4 Years with VAST What is your favorite thing about working at VAST? The people and the environment. … Continue reading

Have you found how different a conversation can be once you’ve put ‘a face to a name’? We love connecting with our clients, whether it’s in the office, out in our community or even through our social media. Today’s post is just another way we want to connect with you and let you know a little bit more about us. We’re putting the spotlight on some of our employees and giving you an inside look! Sarah Boyce | Commercial Lines Account Administrator | 6 Months with VAST What is your favorite thing about working at VAST? I love that VAST … Continue reading

You wouldn’t be very interested in a boat with a hole in it, or a bike with a wheel missing; yet too often we accept missing pieces in our overall wellness because we don’t see the bigger picture of what wellness actually means. Wellness isn’t just about whether or not you’re sick. Wellness encompasses one’s overall state of being—physically, mentally, and socially. Being aware of your overall wellness and taking steps to improve upon any areas of need can have a positive impact on your quality of life. Here are three basic areas to consider when checking in on your … Continue reading