From the Darkhorse's Mouth

In Episode 19 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Free Agent," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Steve "Woody" Woodworth, owner of Woodworth Recruiting. The discussion explores the pressures pushing agents to rethink the captive model, including income ceilings, limited carrier access, hard market challenges, operational demands, and the desire for stronger ownership and equity opportunitie...

In Episode 18 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "RemX by EmployBridge," Carly Garzella is joined by Michelle Crotty, Regional President and Christina Johnson, Strategic Solutions Director of RemX by EmployBridge. In this episode, Carly sits down with Michelle and Christina from RemX by EmployBridge for a conversation about how workforce strategy is evolving across insurance, professional staf...

In Episode 17 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Better Together," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Clebe Best, Vice President of Membership Development and Engagement of IIABAZ. In this episode, Dan and Carly explore why independent agencies in Arizona should be actively engaged with IIABAZ—and what they may be missing when they are not. The conversation looks at the Big I’s role in supp...

In Episode 16 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Boom Goes the Dynamite," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Norm Hudson, Co-Founder and CEO of Staff Boom. In this episode, Dan and Carly explore how insurance-focused outsourcing can help agencies and other firms solve staffing pressure, improve operational efficiency, and create more room for growth. Rather than discussing outsourcing as a...

In Episode 15 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "The Gloves are Coming Off," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Kimiko Donahue, Founder of Press Play Coaching. If you’re running an agency and feeling buried in service work, this episode breaks down how a client self-service platform can take the most repetitive requests off your plate, so your team can get back to renewals, retention, and g...

In Episode 14 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "The Gloves are Coming Off," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Adam Casinelli, Co-Founder of GloveBox If you’re running an agency and feeling buried in service work, this episode breaks down how a client self-service platform can take the most repetitive requests off your plate, so your team can get back to renewals, retention, and growth. Th...

In Episode 13 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Herding Humans," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Alyson Hutchins, Business Development Manager at BBSI. If you’re running a small agency and feeling stretched thin, this episode breaks down how a PEO partnership can take HR, payroll, benefits, and workers’ comp off your plate, so you can get back to growing the business. The conversation s...

In Episode 12 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "All Aboard," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Steven Harris, Franchise Owner at Journey Payroll & HR. If you’re looking to turn great hires into long-term performers, this episode breaks down why onboarding is one of the most critical (and most underestimated) parts of the employee journey - and how to get it right. The conversation sta...

In Episode 11 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Ask Me Anything," Dan and Carly Garzella switch things up and answer a series of questions from the audience. If you’re weighing the leap to independence, this special Q&A episode breaks down the real questions agents are asking—and the honest answers that matter most. The conversation starts with year-one realities: the toughest marketing...

In Episode 10 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "You're Fired!," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Carey Martin with Custom Hiring Solutions, to dive into the world of recruiting and staffing. If you’re looking to build a stronger team, this episode breaks down why staffing is one of the most critical functions in business, and how to get it right. The conversation starts with today’s staf...

In Episode 9 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Meet Sara," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Matt Godek with Client Connect, to dive into what's possible with AI assistants. If you're looking to transform client communications, this episode breaks down how AI is reshaping the insurance industry - and what it means for the future of agency growth. The conversation starts with the story beh...

In Episode 8 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "The Assistant," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Jessica Loomis with Insurassist, to dive into what's possible with virtual assistants. From back-office strategy to full operational integration, this episode breaks down how virtual assistants are reshaping the insurance industry - and what it takes to build a more efficient, scalable agency...

In Episode 6 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "The Matrix," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Travis Schenck , Marketing Strategist at My Biz Niche, for a deep dive into what it really takes to build a high-performing digital marketing strategy in today’s fast-moving landscape. Travis shares his approach to brand strategy - starting with business analysis, developing clear marketing plans...

In Episode 7 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Duck, Duck, Goose," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Kristen Geer , Director of Operations at BNI Arizona, for a powerful conversation on why networking still matters - and how to make it work - in today’s digital-first world. Kristen shares her personal journey in the world of structured networking and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how...

In Episode 5 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Build a Bear," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Cody Houk , Co-Founder of Primerisk, for a tactical deep dive into one of the most critical components of a successful independent agency: the tech stack. Cody shares how he approached building out Primerisk’s platform from the ground up, including the evaluation process for choosing the right...

In Episode 4 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Houston, We Have a Problem," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Gene Knippers , Regional Director at Ironpeak Insurance, for a high-level conversation about navigating carrier access and making smart moves in today’s complex insurance market. Gene introduces Ironpeak Insurance and its role as a true aggregator, breaking down what sets them apa...

In Episode 3 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Banking On It," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Chuck Kelly , owner of Lumenasa Insurance, to break down the numbers and strategies that drive success in the independent insurance world. Chuck shares his expertise on understanding key business metrics, making data-driven decisions, and balancing revenue forecasts with expenses to build a th...

In Episode 2 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth , titled "Flight Risk," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Jeremy Besse , owner of Optimal Insurance, as they delve into the challenges and rewards of transitioning from a captive insurance agency to the independent world. Jeremy shares his 19-year journey in the insurance industry, including 15 years with a captive agency, and the pivotal decision to b...

From The Darkhorse's Mouth with Dan and Carly Garzella In this inaugural episode of From The Darkhorse's Mouth, meet Dan and Carly Garzella as they take you on an inspiring journey through their origin story. Learn how Dan, starting as a Farmers Insurance agent with no experience or connections, built a thriving insurance business from the ground up. Together with Carly, they share the pivotal mom...