July 22, 2024 - If there’s anything that can be said about Helpy Hour, it’s that their approach to networking insurance agents with each other is unconventional.
What originally began as a satirical social media page in 2018 for like-minded agents to vent about common challenges has since become a trusted voice that has amassed a following in the thousands and regularly holds educational workshops across the country.
Now on the horizon is their most ambitious gathering yet, “The Unconventional Convention,” which is set to take place at the Circa Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, September 25-27. Highlights of the three-day event will include a meet-and-greet at Circa’s Stadium Swim and in-depth educational workshops focused on lead generation and overcoming common challenges. Attendees will also get to hear from several inspirational speakers, including “Mind of a Champion” founder and coach Julie Bell, bestselling author and insurance agent Scott Grates and our very own CEO of Melon Local, Whitney Green-Olson.
Melon Local caught up with Lee Ann Stach, one of the group’s founders, about what inspired the formation of Helpy Hour and what agents can expect from their upcoming convention.
Melon Local: What was the inspiration behind starting Helpy Hour?
Lee Ann: Helpy Hour started as a Facebook satire page, but with a twist. While many other online communities do a great job at being structured and formal, we saw an opportunity to create a space where agents could connect and share in a more relaxed way, fostering a sense of camaraderie and personality. This focus on a fun and engaging environment has been key to our success, allowing agents to build genuine connections and express themselves freely — something we believe is essential for a thriving online community.
We wanted to help the common agent, and that’s been our goal. And whenever we did that, it just kept growing and growing and growing. And now here we are, several years later, and our page has thousands and thousands of agents.
Melon Local: Why is it important for agents to have a community like Helpy Hour?
Lee Ann: When you get together with somebody and you collaborate, you can take an idea to the next level. You can take a good idea and make it a great idea. Or if somebody is down in the dumps or feeling burned out, your friend who’s in the same position can help lift you up.
It’s important to get together with your peers and feed off of these ideas. I used to work in a corporate role where I would help organize agent meetings. We would see real results move the needle when we met together. It’s like a breath of fresh air to be able to hang out with people who understand what you’re going through.
Melon Local: What type of feedback have you received from agents who’ve attended similar Helpy Hour events?
Lee Ann: The feedback we’ve received has been phenomenal since we try to really create a fun atmosphere while we talk about business. That’s really what Helpy Hour is at its core. We’ve gotten a lot of really, really good feedback because we’ve been finding these cool, coworking spaces, and then we’ll have lunch brought in and things like that.
We’ve been getting really good speakers that we know will bring value. We held an event recently and a lot of the agents left feeling like they really got real value and felt re-motivated to get back in their offices.
Melon Local: Is there a reason you chose Las Vegas for the convention?
Lee Ann: Vegas is one of our favorite places! We’ve been to Vegas so much. We thought Circa would be good because there’d be something for everybody, right? The ladies can swim, the guys can bet on sports. There are just so many things around the Fremont area where you can get around and do a lot of things without necessarily having to Uber or get a taxi. On top of that, we love Whitney from Melon Local, and with them being a headlining sponsor, we thought it just made sense.
Melon Local: What are some takeaways people should know about Helpy Hour?
Lee Ann: Some people thought this may not be a serious meeting, but we’re not always just jokes and satire. We are real business owners who are interested in being good at what we do, and so we have a serious meeting planned. We’ve got serious speakers, and there’s going to be a lot of really great things to learn here. I think people are going to be really pleasantly surprised at the information they walk away with. But you know, after the meetings we can let our hair down too!
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