In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay welcome back Jessica Yarbrough, COO and co-owner of Johnson Insurance and founder of Agency Ops Advantage, to discuss how operational excellence can increase agency value while creating a better experience for employees and clients.

Jessica shares how transforming operations, investing in technology, and building a high-performing culture helped her agency double in size and earn recognition as both a Best Practices Agency and one of North Carolina's Best Employers. She also explains why she's now helping other agency owners improve their operations through consulting. 

The conversation explores how operational strategy directly impacts agency valuation, scalability, and long-term growth. Rather than focusing solely on financial metrics, Jessica explains why strong leadership, effective change management, and intentional culture are often the difference between agencies that plateau and those that continue to grow. 

Key takeaways include:

•  How operational improvements can increase agency value 
•  Why culture and leadership are competitive advantages 
•  The importance of change management when implementing new technology 
•  How better systems create scalability and reduce owner dependency 
•  Why operational excellence benefits agencies planning to grow, acquire, or perpetuate

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this Coffee Break episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay break down one of the most important financial metrics for independent insurance agencies: EBITDA.

They explain what EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) actually means, how to calculate it, and why it's a critical measure of your agency's true operating profitability. Whether you're focused on growth, acquisitions, or maximizing your agency's value, understanding EBITDA helps you make better financial decisions. 

Key takeaways include:

•  What EBITDA is and why it matters 
•  How to calculate EBITDA from your profit and loss statement 
•  Why owner compensation and discretionary expenses should be adjusted 
•  The role of one-time expenses in measuring profitability 
•  How EBITDA impacts agency valuation and acquisition planning

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay are joined by Tom Garrity and Catherine Garrity-Frans of Compass Point Consulting, LLC to discuss what it takes to successfully transition a business from one generation to the next.

Drawing from decades of experience working with family businesses across industries, Tom and Catherine share why succession planning is about much more than choosing the next leader. They explore how governance, clearly defined roles, healthy communication, and intentional leadership development create businesses that can thrive for generations. 

The conversation also tackles some of the most common challenges family businesses face, including when founders struggle to let go, how to avoid nepotism, why compensation should be separated from family ownership, and the importance of preparing the next generation long before a transition begins. 

Key takeaways include:

•  Why successful succession planning starts years before a transition 
•  How family businesses can balance ownership, leadership, and family relationships 
•  Common mistakes that create conflict between generations 
•  The importance of defining roles, responsibilities, and compensation 
•  Why founders often struggle to step away and how to overcome it 
•  Practical strategies for building a business that lasts beyond one generation

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay sit down with Mike Almberg and Max Olson of Legacy Advisors to discuss what agency owners should know before selling their business and why preparation matters long before a deal is on the table.

The conversation explores agency valuations, buyer selection, market trends, and the importance of creating a competitive process. Mike and Max explain why selling an agency is about more than maximizing price. It's about finding the right partner, understanding your options, and making a decision you can feel confident about long after the deal closes. 

They also share insights on today's M&A market, including how buyers are evaluating commercial lines versus personal lines agencies, what drives agency value, and why understanding your financial levers can dramatically impact future outcomes. 

Key takeaways include:

•  Why every agency owner should understand their agency's value before they plan to sell 
•  The importance of running a competitive process when evaluating buyers 
•  How buyer preferences are shifting in today's market 
•  What drives agency valuation and long-term enterprise value 
•  Why the right cultural fit matters as much as the purchase price 
•  How strategic planning can create more options and better outcomes

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay sit down with leadership consultant Anne Baum to discuss a critical piece of agency mergers that often gets overlooked: culture.

While most merger conversations focus on valuation, deal structure, and financial performance, Anne explains that the real work begins after the transaction closes. The long-term success of any merger depends on how well leadership brings two teams together, builds trust, and create a shared vision for the future. 

The conversation explores practical strategies for integrating teams, reducing uncertainty, and helping employees understand where they fit in the new organization. Anne shares lessons from guiding organizations through mergers and explains why communication, transparency, and intentional culture-building can make the difference between success and failure. 

Key takeaways include:

•  Why culture integration should begin immediately after closing 
•  How leaders can reduce fear and uncertainty during a merger 
•  The importance of communicating vision, expectations, and timelines 
•  Practical ways to build trust between newly combined teams 
•  Why retaining great people is often the biggest determinant of merger success

Connect with Our Guest:
Don't forget to connect with Anne Baum on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and gain further insights into leadership and organizational transformation.

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Follow AgencyFocus for more conversations that help agency owners build clarity, confidence, and long-term value. Learn more at https://agency-focus.com/

Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay answer common financial questions they’ve recently received from agency owners and break down what a meaningful monthly financial review should actually look like.

From analyzing six-month auto policies and understanding profitability to identifying discretionary expenses and building accurate financial reports, the conversation focuses on helping agency owners use their financials as a decision-making tool rather than simply a historical record. 

Key topics include:

•  How to evaluate six-month policies in financial reporting 
•  Which expenses should be considered discretionary or one-time costs 
•  Why monthly P&L reviews matter more than annual tax returns 
•  The risks of operating without timely financial statements 
•  When to outsource bookkeeping and accounting functions 
•  Using financial data to make better growth and investment decisions

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay explore how agency benchmarking is helping independent insurance agencies gain deeper financial visibility and make more informed business decisions.

As more agency owners look beyond valuation and focus on long-term performance, health checks have become a powerful tool for measuring growth, profitability, book health, staffing efficiency, and operational risk. Carey and Lindsay discuss how agencies can use benchmarking data to understand where they stand, identify blind spots, and uncover opportunities for improvement. 

Topics covered include:

•  How a health check differs from a traditional agency valuation 
•  Why growth and profitability metrics matter together 
•  The risks of carrier, client, and producer concentration 
•  How staffing efficiency impacts agency performance 
•  Why technology investments should create measurable capacity gains 
•  Using financial data to make more confident business decisions

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay sit down with Patrick McClure of Impact Performance Team to talk about one of the biggest challenges agency owners face: creating a true sales culture.

Patrick shares his journey from commercial insurance producer to sales leader and entrepreneur, helping independent agencies improve sales performance, develop producers, recruit talent, and build accountability across their organizations. What started as sales coaching has evolved into leadership consulting, recruiting, and operational support for growing agencies. 

The conversation explores why many agencies hit a growth ceiling, how agency owners can transition from producer to leader, and what it takes to build a team that consistently generates new business.

Key takeaways include:

•  The difference between managing producers and leading them 
•  How to build accountability without micromanaging 
•  Why recruiting the right people matters more than insurance experience 
•  The five non-negotiables of a successful sales organization 
•  How agencies can move from referral-driven growth to intentional sales growth

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this episode of The Insurance Refocused Podcast, Lindsay and Carey Wallace welcome Beth DeLaForest back to the show to talk about Launchpad, a new webinar series designed to help the next generation of insurance professionals learn, grow, and build meaningful industry connections.

Beth and Carey share why knowledge transfer matters more than ever as experienced leaders prepare to exit the industry and younger professionals step into bigger roles. They discuss the value of mentorship, outside perspectives, peer relationships, and learning from leaders who have already walked the road ahead.

The conversation also highlights the heart behind Launchpad: creating a free, collaborative space where future leaders can hear from experienced voices across the industry on topics like leadership, delegation, imposter syndrome, AI, and building confidence in their careers. 

Link to Upcoming Launchpad Sessions

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Show previously named Insurance Refocused

In this special re-release, we’re sharing an episode originally featured on Nina Shepard's Insurance Leaders Lab Podcast. Carey joins Nina to talk about financial clarity for independent insurance agency owners. 

They discuss why waiting until you're ready to sell is a mistake, how your compensation structure could secretly be tanking your agency's value, and the three key drivers that determine what your business is really worth—growth, profitability, and transferability.

Originally featured on the Insurance Leaders Lab Podcast

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Follow AgencyFocus for more conversations that help agency owners build clarity, confidence, and long-term value. Learn more at https://agency-focus.com/

Show previously named Insurance Refocused