A Conversation with Sully Gerety, Vice President of Gerety Insurance, and Matt Wolfe, Partner and Director of Strategy at Brand3
When an insurance agency with deep community roots realized its brand no longer reflected its values, it began a transformation that would impact far more than marketing. In this Brand3 Conversation, Matt Wolfe sits down with Sully Gerety, Vice President of Gerety Insurance, to explore how a strategic rebrand helped them clarify their message, attract ideal clients, align their team, and fuel meaningful growth. Their story is a powerful reminder that brand strategy isn’t just about looking good—it’s about building a foundation for business growth.
Matt Wolfe: Thanks for joining me today, Sully. We’ve been excited to share this story—not just because of your business success, but because of how clearly it illustrates something we talk about often at Brand3: when a brand is strategically-aligned with its target audience, everything else becomes easier. But before we dive in, can you tell us about Gerety Insurance and what sets you apart?
Sully Gerety: Sure. We started 27 years ago as Rick Gerety and Associates, founded by my dad. About 10 or 11 years ago, we went independent, which gave us access to dozens of carriers. That flexibility changed how we serve our clients. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that we realized our brand didn’t reflect who we were becoming. That’s when we reached out to Brand3.
Matt Wolfe: You’ve said that we surprised you with our approach.
Sully Gerety: Exactly. We had talked to three or four other marketing agencies, and it just felt like everyone was offering a generic package. "Here’s your Facebook ads, here’s your website template."
Matt Wolfe: That's what we're used to seeing. A lot of agencies will suggest tactical solutions first, focusing on SEO and ad buys, and the answer is almost never out there somewhere in those tactics, but back at the core, back at the heart of the story.
Sully Gerety: Yeah, Brand3 was different. Instead of a boilerplate presentation, you asked us questions. You focused on us—our values, our future, and who we wanted to serve.
Matt Wolfe: Those can be tough questions, but they’re essential. That’s where our process always begins. Because you can’t just slap marketing tactics on a business and expect transformation. The brand itself has to be clear and aligned with its target audience first. It’s the key to marketing that delivers ROI, and that brand development starts by understanding the business and its goals at a deep level.
Sully Gerety: That process helped us redefine everything.
We changed our logo, our messaging, and even our name.
We became Gerety Insurance.
Matt Wolfe: That clarity is powerful. When people think of branding, they think logo, colors, website. But it’s really about telling a story. It’s about telling the right story to the right people. The words and imagery need to come together and make the ideal client for a business feel like it’s their story being told. What was the tipping point for you when it became clear how powerful a brand strategy could be?
Sully Gerety: It was when we defined our ideal client. We’ve always been able to sell a wide range of insurance—home, auto, life, business—but we didn’t have a clear target. You asked us, “Who do you serve best?”
A big aha moment for us was that maybe we're not the best fit for everybody, but we're the best fit for the people in our target market.
That was the shift. We identified our ideal personal and commercial clients, and from there, everything clicked. Our messaging, our outreach, even our hiring improved.
Matt Wolfe: That’s something we see over and over. Businesses resist narrowing their focus because they’re afraid of missing out. But narrowing isn’t limiting—it’s clarifying. And once you’re clear, you become magnetic to the right clients. What changed for your business after that shift?
Sully Gerety: Our leads tripled.
We went from getting 30–40 Google reviews a year to over 50.
Our website leads spiked within two weeks of launch.
But more importantly, the quality of the leads improved.
We’re writing fewer small policies and more full-coverage, multi-policy accounts. That’s the kind of clients we love working with—the ones who want real advice - a partner and guide for all things insurance, not just the cheapest price on a single policy.
Matt Wolfe: That shift toward being seen as advisors instead of agents—that was intentional too, right?
Sully Gerety: Definitely. The industry calls us “producers,” which sounds transactional. But we see ourselves as partners. We’re not just selling policies; we’re educating people, protecting families and businesses. That’s why one of our favorite outcomes of the rebrand was our new tagline: Partners for your protection. It reflects who we are.
Matt Wolfe: I love that. And it’s clear those values come from deep roots. You’re a family business. Can you talk about how your upbringing influenced the culture you’re building now?
Sully Gerety: I started working at the office when I was 11—mowing the lawn, doing odd jobs. I got to see firsthand how my dad built relationships. When I came on full time, he reminded me that most agents don’t make it past two or three years. It’s tough. But we’ve always been transparent and proactive. We teach our team to own mistakes, to communicate clearly, and to care about our clients. Those values are baked into who we are.
Matt Wolfe: That’s one of my favorite parts of your story. Brand integrity doesn’t just shape marketing—it shapes culture. You mentioned that you even hire based on values now?
Sully Gerety: Yes. We realized that to build the kind of team we wanted, we needed to hire for cultural fit first. Skills can be trained. But values like fun, transparency, and being proactive—those have to be in someone’s DNA. Our first interview isn’t about insurance. It’s about who you are, how you work with others, how you handle adversity. That’s helped us build a really strong team.
Matt Wolfe: One of the things I think people underestimate about branding is how it can become a growth engine—not just for marketing but also for sales, for operations, customer retention, and team morale. Have you seen that play out?
Sully Gerety: Without a doubt. Our client retention rate is now 94%—the industry average is 88%. We’re not chasing numbers; we’re building relationships. Our team is happier, our clients are more loyal, and we’re attracting team members who want to be part of what we’re building. In fact, one of our best hires saw our rebrand launch party—food trucks, banners, music—and called the next day asking to work with us.
Matt Wolfe: That’s such a powerful story. And it goes back to what we believe: when your brand is aligned with your mission and values, growth follows naturally. What would you say to a business owner who feels like branding is just surface-level stuff?
Sully Gerety: I’d say they’re missing the bigger picture. If you’re unclear about who you serve or what makes you different, no amount of marketing will help. The Brand3 process helped us answer questions we didn’t know we had.
You can't market fully until you're truly branded well.
And once we had that clarity, everything started working better. Marketing, yes—but also leadership, hiring, operations. It’s all connected.
Matt Wolfe: So true. Brand integrity is usually the missing piece when growth is stalled. When a company knows who it is, who it serves, and why that matters, everything else aligns—team culture, client relationships, marketing performance, even referrals. And that’s a message every business leader needs to hear. Thanks for sharing.
Sully Gerety: Thank you, Matt. It’s been a great partnership, and we’re proud of what we’ve built—with your help.
Ready for the business growth that’s made possible by a strategically-aligned brand? Reach out to Brand3 today.
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