We are excited to be celebrating the two-year anniversary of the NASBP podcast, “Let’s Get Surety®: Let Me Hear Your Bonding Talk®.” Launched in early March 2020, the NASBP Podcast features episodes with industry leaders and experts opening up and sharing an insider perspective about the surety industry. NASBP’s Podcast Host, Kat Shamapande, and Co-host, NASBP CEO Mark McCallum, have fun and engaging guests who bond over bonding and discuss the world of surety and how it affects and improves our everyday lives!

As we completed the second year of the Let’s Get Surety® Podcast, we now have a library of over 60 episodes with regular bi-monthly episodes on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, as well as a few additional episodes on pressing industry issues. These episodes have covered a range of topics from the 5-15 Lean into Leadership series, tribal sovereign immunity, court bonds, the digitization of surety, and cash flow considerations, to name a few. The response has been amazing, with a total of close to 20,000 episode downloads and ringing in our 2-year anniversary in March 2022 with 1,387 downloads, the highest one month download rate that NASBP has seen yet! Listeners have been tuning in around the country with downloads in every U.S. state and from around the world. NASBP Podcast episodes have been downloaded in more than 37 countries.

If you haven’t had a chance, check it out. Catch up on the past episodes anywhere that you like to listen to podcasts or visit the “Let’s Get Surety®” website and subscribe. This resource is free and easy to access, which makes sharing pertinent episodes with colleagues or clients simple–even on social media!

We want to hear from you as well! Click on the “Comments and Questions?” tab anywhere on the Let’s Get Surety® webpage and you can ask us a question, share a suggested topic or guest idea, and tell us what you think. And maybe you’ll get to hear your voice on the show!

Below are links to the top five most downloaded episodes of “Let’s Get Surety®”!

#30 eSignature in Surety – On this episode we are joined by Michael Pitre of Gray Surety to discuss electronic signature. We talk through eSignature options, the best practices, and what makes this a safe and reliable option. Pitre also shares the reasons his surety company embraced this innovation as well as other innovations that might be on the horizon.

#37 Another Look at eSignature in Surety – On this episode, we are joined by Adam Pessin and Kaz Yasui of Tokio Marine HCC – Surety Group to discuss electronic signature. We talk through eSignature options and what makes this a safe and reliable option. They also share reasons Tokio Marine HCC adopted eSignature and how they are using DocuSign eSignature Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) technology, as well as other innovations and developing trends. You may want to also check out other podcasts on e-signature and other technology topics.

#29 Discussing the AFSB Designation – On this episode Jason Terrell of The Institutes, NASBP Past President Larry McMahon of Alliant Insurance Services, and Ralph Pulver of Travelers join us to share some background and insights on The Institutes AFSB designation and to discuss the value it has had on their careers. Check out the links for more information on The Institutes, the AFSB designation, the CPCU designation, and NASBP’s William J. Angell Surety Schools–all of which are mentioned in this episode. Pictured left to right: Ralph Pulver, Jason Terrell, and Larry McMahon.

#32 Blockchain Technology in Surety – On this episode, Greg Davenport, Senior Vice President, Global Risks, Liberty Mutual Surety, joins us to discuss blockchain technology and its potential application within the surety industry. We discuss what is meant by the term “blockchain technology” and its relevance for surety transactions and how ICISA and the RiskStream Collaborative are invested in leading exploration of the application of this technology to surety processes. Additionally, we examine how block chain technology is being proposed for a power of attorney repository.

#1 A Look at NASBP’s Be Guaranteed to Succeed Campaign and Surety Stories – NASBP staff Mark McCallum and Kathy Hoffman join us to share information and updates on the NASBP Be Guaranteed to Succeed Campaign, which is designed to help begin a new conversation about surety. They also describe the engaging array of NASBP Surety Story Videos and how to find a NASBP bond producer. For more information on the Be Guaranteed to Succeed Campaign, visit www.nasbp.org/guaranteed or go directly to the growing library of Surety Story Videos, www.nasbp.org/guaranteed/surety-stories.