Turn Your Free Time Into Feed Time: How Your Hobbies Can Build Your Book

Let’s clear something up right now: You don’t have to live at your desk to grow your agency.

You don’t need another cold call session or one more email drip campaign that converts at 1.2% to build your book of business. What you need—what most agents are sleeping on—is right in front of you.

It’s your hobbies.
It’s what lights you up on the weekend.
It’s the people you’re already hanging out with, talking to, spending time with.

And it’s hands-down one of the easiest, most fun, and most authentic ways to grow your agency—without feeling like a sleazy walking billboard.

Here’s how to flip the switch and make your personal life start feeding your professional life, without turning your free time into a 24/7 networking event.

1. Stop Hiding Who You Are Outside the Office

The first rule? Own your weird. Loudly.

Too many agents try to separate “business them” from “real them.” So they show up in their community with a polished, professional version of themselves that looks like a LinkedIn post made human.

Let me be real with you: People don’t buy from a polished professional. They buy from a person they like and trust.

If you fish, talk about it.
If you’re in a Jeep club, bring it up.
If you’re coaching your kid’s lacrosse team, own that role like a badge of honor.

Because that’s how you build connection. Not with “Hey, do you need a quote?” energy—but with real, human common ground.

People connect with people, not sales pitches. So stop muting your personality. Start leaning into it.

2. Turn Your Hobby Into a Micro-Niche

Every hobby you’ve got? There’s a niche for it in insurance.

Play guitar? Think music instructors, performers, music stores.
Ride a motorcycle? Think custom shops, biker clubs, motorcycle events.
Golf? Think private club coverage, high-value liability, country club connections.

Let me give it to you straight: You have insider access that other agents can’t touch. You know the lingo. You know the pain points. You know what coverage actually matters to those people—because you are one of them.

Write a blog post. Create a short video. Do a checklist. Sponsor their event. Show up. You’ll be the only one in the room who “gets it,” and that makes you magnetic.

3. Leverage Local Events the Smart Way

When there’s a local tournament, craft fair, fun run, or community thing tied to your interests—don’t just attend. Embed yourself.

Sponsor a team.
Host a booth.
Provide branded water bottles or cool giveaways.
Even better—volunteer and serve.

You’re not there to sell policies. You’re there to show up as a leader and trusted face in your circles.

When people see you consistently involved, giving back, and being a part of something they care about… you become their insurance person without even trying.

Remember, trust is built long before the quote.

4. Create Content Around Your Interests That Attracts Your People

Your social media doesn't have to look like an insurance brochure.

In fact, please… don’t let it.

If you’re into working out, don’t just post gym selfies. Drop a short video explaining how gym owners or personal trainers should protect their equipment, or how an accident in the parking lot outside your local 24-Hour Fitness led to a client losing their coverage. Maybe even create a “What happens if you get injured at the gym and your insurance sucks?” carousel. That kind of stuff gets attention, especially from other fitness freaks.

In a motorcycle club? Show off the ride, post clips from weekend rallies, and slip in things like, “Did you know most motorcycle policies don’t cover custom parts over $3,000 unless you tell them?” People love to learn things that save them money—especially if it’s wrapped in chrome and attitude.

This kind of content hits because it’s not staged. It’s just you, doing what you do, being helpful along the way. You’re not selling—you’re educating while living your life. And guess what? That’s when people lean in.

They don’t want to hear from another guy in a button-up spitting jargon. They want to hear it from someone who gets them.

5. Start a “Passion to Policy” Referral Web

If you’re already part of a hobby group, team, or club, take it a step further: create a mini referral web.

You insure the Jeep guys?
Help the guy who fixes the winches.
Help the woman who owns the custom wrap shop.
Help the mechanic.

You don’t have to be everything to everyone. But you can become the insurance go-to for the whole hobby network by being intentional and supportive.

Pro tip: Introduce your network to each other. Share their businesses. Tag them in posts. Become their connector.

They’ll remember that. And they’ll reciprocate.

6. Host Something Fun That Has Nothing to Do with Insurance… Until It Does

Look—everyone’s been to a BBQ where someone inevitably says, “So what do you do?” and the second you say “insurance,” they immediately fake a phone call or go refill their drink.

Unless you flipped the script.

Host something fun, something social, that gets people together for the thing they care about. Then just be there as a cool, useful human who happens to be really damn good at what you do.

Run a Tupperware-party. You bring the snacks, some drinks, and give them a quick breakdown of where they’re overpaying or under-protected. Make a point to ask everyone how works been going - theyll return the volley - offer to review their coverages. Casual. Low-pressure. Useful.

Or host something cheeky like a “Scented Wax & Liability Facts” night with your wife or partner. You help them shop for a few candles, and while they're sniffing the latest limited-edition fall blend, you drop a one-liner like, “Did you know if your house burns down from a wax melt, your claim could be denied if you’re not covered right?”

It sounds ridiculous. That’s why it works.

Nobody else is doing it. And because it’s social first, the business comes naturally.

You’re not selling—you’re just showing up. And that’s what makes it memorable.

The Real Win? This Feeds You, Too.

Let’s not pretend you don’t get burned out in this business. Rejections. Underwriting hell. Clients who think $3 a month savings justifies switching carriers every six weeks.

It’s a grind sometimes.

When you start building your business around what you love—and who you actually enjoy spending time with—you win twice.

You make money in a way that’s more you, and you build a book filled with clients who are like-minded, loyal, and not just shopping for price.

Final Word: Your Life Is Your Strategy

Stop looking at your hobbies like they’re a “break” from work. They’re not. They’re a blueprint.

They tell you exactly where to find people who think like you, live like you, and will want to work with someone like you.

You don’t need to chase every lead. You need to magnetize the right ones by showing up where you already belong—with purpose, consistency, and just enough strategy to let your personal life quietly fuel your pipeline.

So yeah… you can hit the lake this weekend.

Just bring a few business cards and a cooler with your logo on it.

You’ll be surprised how often “pass me a beer” turns into “hey, can you look at my policies?”

Build a book that reflects the life you actually live.