If you’ve ever watched a video of fish flying through the air at Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market and thought, “That’s entertaining… but what does that have to do with my insurance agency?” you’re exactly who this blog is for.

A few years ago, the Jenesis team read Fish! together in our internal book club. At the time, we weren’t looking for a feel-good story. We were looking for practical ideas to help us work better together as a team, serve our customers better, and bring more energy into a busy environment that supports hundreds of independent insurance agencies every day.

What surprised us was how simple the message was. And how challenging.

Fish! isn’t really about fish. It’s about culture. It’s about attitude. And it’s about realizing that even in demanding, detail-heavy environments like insurance and software, work doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time to produce great results.

As a team, we left that book club discussion inspired to improve how we showed up for one another and for our customers. Not with slogans or big initiatives, but with small intentional changes. Better collaboration. More patience. More presence. And a renewed focus on making the workday more human.

That’s why this book still sticks with me. Because the lessons don’t expire. And they apply just as much to independent insurance agencies as they do to a fish market in Seattle.

The Big Idea Behind Fish!

The authors studied the Pike Place fishmongers and noticed something remarkable. These weren’t easy jobs. They were physically demanding, repetitive, and customer-facing. Yet the people doing the work were energized, engaged, and joyful.

They didn’t change their jobs. They changed how they did them.

From that observation came four core principles that transformed not just one workplace, but thousands of others.

Choose Your Attitude
Play
Make Their Day
Be There

Each one of these applies directly to insurance agencies, agency teams, and even the technology and marketing systems that support them.

Choose Your Attitude (Even on the Busiest Days)

One of the most important lessons in Fish! is this idea that attitude is a choice.

Insurance agencies face pressure every day. Renewals. Claims. Billing questions. Staffing challenges. Software updates. Marketing decisions. The work doesn’t stop.

But attitude determines whether that pressure creates burnout or purpose.

When the Jenesis team discussed this chapter, it sparked some honest conversations. We realized how much our individual attitudes affected the people around us. A frustrated response could ripple through an entire day. A calm, positive response could do the same.

This matters deeply inside insurance agencies. Agents interact with customers during stressful moments. How they show up matters.

Technology can help. A strong insurance agency management system can reduce friction and improve efficiency. A reliable insurance agency CRM can keep follow-ups organized. But no software can choose an attitude for your team.

That choice happens every morning.

Play at Work (No, This Is Not About Slacking Off)

Play might be the most misunderstood principle in Fish!.

Play doesn’t mean unprofessional. It means human.

The fishmongers laugh, joke, and engage customers while working incredibly hard. The joy fuels the work instead of distracting from it.

In insurance agencies, play can look like:

Friendly competition around reviews or referrals
Celebrating wins in team meetings
Inside jokes that build connection
Making learning and training a little more fun

When agencies adopt new systems or processes, including a cloud-based insurance management system, play can reduce resistance. It lowers stress and opens people up to learning.

At Jenesis, bringing a little fun into how we work together made collaboration smoother and communication easier. It didn’t make us less productive. It made us more engaged.

And engaged teams serve customers better.

Make Their Day (Where Growth Really Comes From)

This principle might be the most powerful of all.

“Make Their Day” is about intentionally improving someone else’s experience. Customers. Teammates. Partners.

Insurance agencies that grow consistently don’t just process transactions. They create moments.

An agent who follows up when they don’t have to
A thoughtful explanation instead of a rushed answer
A proactive review instead of a reactive response

This mindset directly impacts retention, referrals, and reviews. If you want more Google reviews for your insurance agency, start here. If you want stronger client loyalty, this is the path.

Marketing plays a role too. Email marketing for insurance agencies, SEO for insurance agencies, and social media for insurance agents all work better when they are genuinely helpful. Marketing amplifies who you already are.

The agencies that win long-term are the ones that consistently choose service over shortcuts.

Be There (Presence Is Underrated)

In a world full of distractions, being fully present is rare.

Fish! defines “Be There” as giving people your full attention. Not multitasking. Not rushing. Not half-listening.

This lesson hit home for our team. We realized how often we were technically available, but not fully present. Small shifts made a big difference.

For insurance agents, presence builds trust. Listening carefully builds confidence. Slowing down at the right moments creates loyalty.

Technology should support this, not replace it. The best AMS for independent insurance agencies reduces busywork so agents can focus on people. The best systems create space for presence.

Culture Beats Strategy Every Time

You can have the best tools. The best carriers. The best marketing plan.

But culture always wins.

We’ve seen agencies with average resources outperform competitors with better tools because their teams showed up with better attitudes, stronger relationships, and a genuine desire to serve.

At Jenesis, reading Fish! together reinforced something we already believed. Software matters. Marketing matters. But people and culture matter more.

That belief influences how we support agencies, how we design training, and how we show up when customers need help.

A Short Leadership Takeaway for Agency Owners

Here’s the leadership lesson Fish! makes clear:

Your team doesn’t rise to your processes.
They rise to your attitude.

As an agency owner, you set the emotional tone whether you realize it or not.

If you’re rushed and reactive, that spreads.
If you’re calm, intentional, and encouraging, that spreads too.

An insurance agency management system can streamline operations. Marketing can increase visibility. But leadership shapes experience.

The best leaders don’t just manage workflows. They model the culture they want to see.

A Simple Challenge

Try this with your team.

For one week, focus on one Fish! principle each day.

Choose Your Attitude
Play
Make Their Day
Be There
Reflect together at the end of the week

No big initiatives. No new tools. Just intentional behavior.

You may be surprised how quickly morale improves and how naturally results follow.

Final Encouragement

Insurance is meaningful work. You protect people. You guide them through uncertainty. You help them recover and move forward.

Fish! reminds us that meaningful work doesn’t have to feel miserable.

Joy and excellence can coexist. Culture can be chosen. And small changes can create lasting impact.

As the song says, “Don’t worry… about a thing.”
Okay, maybe worry a little. But choose joy anyway.

Because agencies that choose culture don’t just survive.
They grow.