Business Refocused
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.
Business Refocused
#159 - Who Should Own Your Agency After You w/ Laurie Barkman
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In this episode of Business Refocused, Lindsay and Carey sit down with Laurie Barkman, owner of The Business Transition Sherpa, to talk about one of the most common (and most avoided) conversations in independent insurance agencies: how to transition ownership without losing value, momentum, or key people.
Laurie reframes “exit planning” as transition planning, emphasizing that leaving your business is a moment, but building a transferable company takes years. Together, they dig into why so many agency owners delay perpetuation planning, how owner dependency shows up in sales and service, and what it really takes to create a business that can thrive without the founder as the linchpin. The conversation also covers financial readiness, internal succession realities, and why being a great producer, manager, or even a family member does not automatically translate into being a great owner.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- When agency owners should start perpetuation planning (and why “later” costs you options)
- How to spot owner dependency in sales, service, and decision-making
- What “transferability” actually looks like in a founder-led agency
- Why clean, consistent financials are the first step to increasing enterprise value
- How to evaluate whether an internal successor has an owner mindset
- What happens when key relationships live in someone’s head instead of a process
- Why retaining key team members through a transition can protect agency value
- A practical way to prioritize value-growth work without getting overwhelmed
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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
