00:00 Intro and episode setup
03:50 Cliff Ourso’s family legacy in insurance
07:40 Early lessons in sales, work ethic, and quality
12:20 Why Cliff almost became an attorney
15:50 Choosing insurance and entering the family business
18:00 The hiring lesson: “hire 12 if you need 10”
25:00 Finding opportunity in hard market conditions
33:20 AI, growth, leadership, and the future of the agency

Learn More Here: https://matthewpearce.biz/

Description

In this episode of the For Profit Podcast, host Matthew Pearce sits down with Cliff Ourso of Ourso Insurance to talk about family business, leadership, hiring, growth, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Cliff shares how his family’s insurance agency grew from its roots in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, how early lessons from farming and the family flower shop shaped his work ethic, and why he eventually chose insurance after originally planning to become an attorney.

This conversation covers the real side of running and scaling a business: hiring before you feel ready, leading employees well, navigating hard market conditions, using AI inside an agency, and redefining success as life and business evolve.

Cliff also shares one of the strongest lessons from the episode: if you need 10 people, hire 12. It is a practical reminder that growth requires capacity, leadership, and the willingness to build ahead of demand.

This episode is a great listen for business owners, entrepreneurs, insurance professionals, and anyone interested in learning from Louisiana leaders who are building with purpose.

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