The Scratch Agency Podcast

In Episode 185 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald tackle another question from the Scratch Agency Podcast Community: Which aggregator is best for a scratch insurance agency? The answer isn't as simple as naming one company. Stephen and Shawn explain why choosing an aggregator or cluster depends heavily on the agency you're trying to build, the business you want to...

In Episode 184 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald are joined by Michael Richardson of Richardson Insurance for a community call focused on building an agency where the business comes to you. Michael and his wife, Erin, run a fourth-generation agency with a unique inbound-focused model. Rather than relying heavily on cold outreach or aggressive outside producers, R...

In Episode 183 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down with Dan Sage, Director of Associations at HawkSoft, to talk about agency ownership, carrier relationships, industry associations, and the value of building the right relationships when starting and growing an independent insurance agency. Dan shares his journey from working nights and Saturdays in his fat...

Stephen and Shawn have built two very different agencies with very different approaches to generating business. Shawn has developed a strong paid lead strategy, particularly through Meta ads, while Stephen's agency relies heavily on community involvement, relationships, and inbound referrals. Both strategies work—but both can also create a potential bottleneck when too much of the agency's...

The conversation starts with a new agency owner trying to decide between AMS platforms and phone systems. Stephen and Shawn use the question to explore a much bigger topic—how scratch agency owners should think about building their technology stack from day one. One of Stephen's biggest recommendations is simple: start with your AMS.Your agency management system should become the source of tru...

In Episode 180 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald break down how they approach annual planning inside their independent insurance agencies. Annual planning shouldn't only be about deciding where you want the agency to be 12 months from now. Stephen explains why the first step should be an honest review of the previous year—what worked, what didn't, which g...

In Episode 179 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald tackle one of the biggest early challenges for independent insurance agency owners: obtaining carrier appointments. When you're starting from scratch, it can be tempting to believe that having more carriers automatically makes your agency stronger. Stephen shares how he initially said yes to almost every carrie...

In Episode 178 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down for another shop-talk conversation about something every scratch insurance agency owner eventually has to face: taking the next risk. Starting an independent agency is already a massive leap. You may take out a loan, drain your savings, leave a stable job, or start completely from zero. But something inter...

In Episode 177 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald kick off a new style of community-driven episodes by answering questions coming directly from Scratch insurance agency owners. This week’s question: **What can a commercial-lines virtual assistant actually handle inside an insurance agency?** Shawn shares his experience hiring a VA as his first employee and gradual...

In Episode 176 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down for another shop-talk episode to share what’s actually happening inside their agencies—what’s working, what isn’t, and what they’re learning along the way. Stephen shares a recent challenge inside T5 Insurance Services. The agency didn’t have a lead problem—it had a **turnaround-time problem**. Instead of...

In Episode 175 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down with **Mariah Gates, owner of Accelerated Automation**, to talk about one of the biggest opportunities independent insurance agencies are leaving on the table: actually using their CRM to its full potential. After starting as a Farmers agency owner, Mariah began building automation inside her own business...

In this episode of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald have an open conversation about where the podcast is headed—and a lesson every scratch insurance agency owner needs to hear: be careful who you take advice from. After more than 160 episodes, years of building their own agencies, and countless conversations with coaches, vendors, agency owners, and industry profes...

In Episode 172 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down with Dr. Billy R Williams, founder of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring, who shares a unique perspective on launching a brand-new independent agency with his three children. Drawing from decades of experience mentoring agencies and investing in independent insurance businesses, Billy breaks down the fund...

In Episode 171 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald welcome Kelly Donahue-Piro, Founder and President of Agency Performance Partners (APP), for a conversation every scratch agent needs to hear. Whether you're preparing to make your first hire or trying to build an agency that can scale beyond you, Kelly shares practical advice on hiring, training, delegation, sy...

🎙️ Podcast Episode 170 – Automate, Delegate & Eliminate | Building a More Efficient Agency In Episode 170 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald dive into one of the most important—but often overlooked—topics for agency owners: continuously improving your business through automation, delegation, and elimination. Rather than interviewing a guest, Stephen and Shawn...

In Episode 169 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down with Tolga Tezel, Founder and CEO of Canopy Connect, to discuss how modern technology is transforming the insurance quoting process. Tolga shares the story behind Canopy Connect, how a conversation with an independent agent inspired the platform, and why eliminating manual data collection helps agencies cl...

In Episode 168 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald welcome back Charles Specht for Part 2 of their conversation on one of the biggest challenges facing scratch agents: consistently generating quality commercial opportunities. Charles shares practical strategies for building a sustainable commercial prospecting system, from identifying the right outreach methods for...

In Episode 167 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald pull back the curtain on one of the biggest milestones in agency ownership: reaching your first $1 million in premium. After a last-minute guest cancellation, Stephen and Shawn take the opportunity to have a candid conversation about the early days of building their agencies from scratch—what worked, what didn’t, a...

In Episode 166 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down with Michael Ley, Director of Networks at HawkSoft, to tackle a topic every agency owner needs to hear: your tech stack. From shiny-object syndrome and AI overload to duplicate subscriptions, underused software, and disconnected systems, Michael shares a practical framework for auditing your agency’s techn...

In Episode 165 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald break down one of the biggest insurance industry stories of the year — the reported State Farm compensation changes and what they could mean for agents across the industry. Stephen and Shawn share their perspectives on the reported commission reductions, benefit changes, and the broader implications for captive age...

In Episode 164 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald dive into one of the biggest hidden struggles agency owners face: constantly chasing the next thing instead of doubling down on what’s already working. From AI noise and niche FOMO to SOP rabbit holes, dashboards, and shiny-object syndrome, the guys share real stories from their mastermind group conversations and e...

In Episode 163 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down for a raw and honest solo conversation about entrepreneurship, burnout, work-life balance, and the challenge of truly unplugging as a business owner. Fresh off a vacation where Sean was unexpectedly forced to disconnect after the entire island’s Wi-Fi and cell service went down, the guys dive into the real...

In Episode 162 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald sit down with Charles Specht, owner of Permission Network Insurance Agency, for a deep dive into commercial lines strategy, niche positioning, and how scratch agents can start winning bigger accounts—without overcomplicating it. Charles shares his journey from accidental entry into insurance to becoming a commercia...

In Episode 161 of the Scratch Agency Podcast, Stephen Turnbull and Shawn Fitzgerald welcome back Kenny Jones of Remedy Insurance and Wealth Builders for a powerful conversation on growth, visibility, referral strategy, and what it really takes to scale a modern agency. Kenny shares how his business has exploded over the last year through intentional referral partner relationships, strong branding,...