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

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

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 way

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

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 market
• The three seller personas — and why knowing yours changes everything
• What a competitive process does that a direct negotiation can't
• Why 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 later

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

Your agency might be worth less than you think — and the reasons probably have nothing to do with your revenue. In part three, Carey and Matt dig into the valuation drivers most owners never see coming: producer-owned books, aggregator contracts, leadership concentration, and the transferability issues that quietly discount an otherwise strong agency.

In this episode:

• Why a multiple of EBITDA is just the starting point
• Producer-owned books: what they are and what they cost you at exit
• Aggregator and cluster contracts — what you signed and what it means now
• The value killers that show up too late to fix
• How leadership and culture factor into what a buyer will actually pay

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

Selling your agency isn't just a financial transaction — it's one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. In part two of this series, Carey and Matt get into what it actually looks like to navigate an exit, whether that's keeping it in the family or going to market. They break down the difference between a broker and a true advisor, why the fee question is the wrong place to start, and what it really takes to feel good about the outcome.

In this episode:

• Internal succession vs. external sale — the real trade-offs
• Why "broker" and "advisor" aren't the same thing
• How the advisory fee pays for itself (and then some)
• Why working with a sell-side only advisor matters more than you'd think
• What a good exit actually looks like beyond the wire transfer

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

In this episode of Business Refocused, we kick off a four-part guest co-host takeover series featuring Matt Naimoli from Legacy Advisors, who joins Carey Wallace for a deeper conversation on the financial foundations behind agency growth and long-term value.

This first episode focuses on a theme that comes up constantly with agency owners: financial clarity. Many independent agencies are built by strong operators who know their clients and coverage inside and out, but few were ever taught how to read the financial signals inside their own business.

Carey shares how gaining visibility into your numbers changes the way owners make decisions. From forecasting hiring and planning growth to understanding how different strategies impact risk and enterprise value, financial clarity gives agency leaders the confidence to move forward with intention instead of guesswork.

Matt adds the perspective of the M&A marketplace, connecting everyday operational decisions to the bigger picture of valuation and buyer expectations.

Together, they explore how agency owners can build stronger financial foundations so they can grow, acquire, or transition ownership with more options in the future.

In this episode, they discuss:

• Why financial clarity is the starting point for confident agency leadership
• How forecasting helps agencies plan hiring and growth
• The balance between organic growth and acquisition strategy
• Why comparing agencies without context can lead to bad decisions
• How financial discipline today influences agency value tomorrow
• The mindset agency owners need if they want to grow from A to B

This episode sets the stage for the rest of the series, where Carey and Matt continue unpacking the financial strategies and decisions that shape successful agencies.

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

In this episode, Lindsay and Carey sit down with Adam DeLaForest to explore the key factors influencing agency valuation, including financial management, operational efficiency, and market conditions. Our guest, Adam DeLaForest, shares insights from his experience completing valuations on numerous agencies at his role in AgencyFocus, emphasizing the importance of profitability, contracts, and strategic planning for agency owners.

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