Business Refocused

Hosted by Lindsay Sexton & Carey Wallace

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Episodes

177

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Helps leaders navigate the numbers, people, and strategy behind sustainable growth. Hosted by Carey Wallace and Lindsay Sexton, the show dives into what really happens when a business is changing, whether it’s expanding, merging, transitioning ownership, or rethinking operations. Each conversation offers practical insight on analyzing your business, making data-driven decisions, and building a company built to last. Show previously named Insurance Refocused, but changed to Business Refocused in November 2025. Business owners of all industries face the same challenges as independent insurance agencies.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 17620 min

#176 - How to Read Your Insurance Agency Financials Like a CFO

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 decisionsConnect with us: 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

June 9, 2026Episode 17526 min

#175 - Get Your Agency a Health Check

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 decisionsConnect with us: 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

May 26, 2026Episode 17433 min

#174 - Building a Sales Culture in an Independent Insurance Agency w/ Patrick McClure

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 growthConnect with us: 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

May 19, 2026Episode 17330 min

#173 - Building the Next Generation of Insurance Leaders with Launchpad

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 SessionsConnect with us: 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

May 12, 2026Episode 17241 min

Run Your Agency Like You're Selling It Tomorrow (Carey & Insurance Leaders Lab)

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 PodcastConnect with us: 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

May 5, 2026Episode 17118 min

#171 - The Story Behind the Numbers

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay break down what they’re seeing from real agency benchmarking data and how top-performing insurance agencies are driving growth and profitability.They walk through the key metrics that matter most, including organic growth, profitability, staffing, technology spend, and revenue per employee. More importantly, they explain how these metrics work together and what actually drives performance inside an agency.One of the biggest takeaways is high growth doesn’t always mean high marketing spend. In fact, some of the fastest-growing agencies are spending less than 2% on marketing, relying instead on referrals, niche strategies, and operational efficiency. They also dig into how technology, AI investments, and compensation structures impact profitability, and why simply adding tools or people doesn’t always improve results.Key insights from the episode: How to use benchmarking as a health check for your agency Why growth and profitability vary based on strategy The real impact of marketing spend on organic growth How technology and staffing decisions affect performance Why compensation structure can limit profitabilityConnect with us: 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

April 28, 2026Episode 17045 min

#170 - Inside AgencyFocus: From Valuations to Fractional CFO

In this episode of Business Refocused, Todd Hufford interviews Carey and Lindsay Wallace on the story behind AgencyFocus, how they each found their way into insurance, and what it took to grow the business beyond agency valuation.Carey shares how a role with the PIA of Ohio led her into valuation, perpetuation planning, and data analytics, eventually becoming the foundation for AgencyFocus. Lindsay shares her own path into the industry and how her experience helped shape the company’s next stage of growth.Together, they talk about how AgencyFocus evolved from a valuation-focused business into a firm that also provides fractional CFO services, mastermind groups, and deeper financial consulting for independent insurance agencies.This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at agency valuation, fractional CFO services, insurance industry career paths, and what it takes to build a business focused on helping agencies make better financial decisions.Connect with us: 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

April 21, 2026Episode 16921 min

#169 - How Smart Agencies Are Hiring Young Talent w/ Todd Hufford

In this episode of Business Refocused, Lindsay and Carey sit down with Todd Hufford, CEO of Conner Insurance, to talk about on a topic that’s shaping the future of agencies: bringing in young talent. The conversation starts light but quickly gets into something more meaningful. Todd shares how his perspective on time, shaped early in life, led him to think long-term about building an agency. Not just for today’s revenue, but for the next generation of leaders.Todd shares how Conner Insurance scaled by consistently bringing in and developing talent, even when it meant short-term tradeoffs. Over time, that investment compounded into real growth.That means hiring early career talent with no book of business, funding their development, and accepting that not every hire will work out. For Todd, that’s not a risk. It’s part of the strategy.A few key ideas from the episode: Hiring young producers is an investment, not an expense Most agencies struggle here because they protect short-term profit Training matters more than experience, especially early on Data builds confidence when recruiting and developing talent Every team needs proof that success is achievable Agencies that grow aren’t just better at selling. They’re better at building people.Connect with us: 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

April 14, 2026Episode 16839 min

#168 - What Comes Next? Redefining Yourself After a Career Shift w/ Nicole Malachowski

In this episode of Business Refocused, Carey and Lindsay sit down with Nicole Malachowski, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and the first female Thunderbird pilot, to talk about transition.Not just planning for it. Actually going through it.Nicole’s career ended unexpectedly after a serious illness forced her out of the role she had built her identity around. What followed wasn’t a clean next step. It was the messy middle that most people don’t talk about.Her perspective is simple and practical: transition comes whether you plan for it or not. What matters is how you respond.One idea that stands out is yield to overcome. Accept where you are so you can move forward with clarity.For agency owners, this hits directly. Transition is rarely about the numbers alone. It’s about identity, control, and what you carry with you into the next phase.A few key takeaways: Transition is emotional before it’s strategic The hardest part is letting go of your role What you’ll miss isn’t always what you expect The skills that built your agency still matter, just in a different wayConnect with us: 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

April 7, 2026Episode 16722 min

#167 – Walking Away Happy w/ Matt Naimoli

The agency owners who walk away from a sale feeling good aren't the ones who got lucky — they're the ones who prepared. In the final episode of this series, Carey and Matt talk about fixing problems before they become deal killers, how to know what kind of seller you are, and why the question of what comes next matters just as much as the closing number.In this episode:How to fix valuation issues before you go to marketThe three seller personas — and why knowing yours changes everythingWhat a competitive process does that a direct negotiation can'tWhy so many owners hesitate to pull the trigger (and what to do about it)How to make a decision you won't regret two years laterConnect with us: 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