Annual Planning for Your Insurance Agency | Setting Goals That Actually Work

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 goals were achieved, where you fell short, and most importantly, why. Stephen walks through the annual summit he holds with his team, including reviewing wins, challenges and lessons learned, evaluating team capacity and constraints, identifying process improvements, discussing sales and marketing, and setting personal and professional growth goals. Shawn shares why taking the planning process outside the office has made such a difference for his agency. Whether it's a half-day meeting, an overnight off-site, or simply getting away by yourself, removing everyday distractions creates the space to actually think about where the business is going. They also discuss planning when you're still a one-person agency, involving your team in future hiring decisions, and why every major goal should be reverse-engineered into measurable actions. But setting the goal isn't enough. If your goal is to hire a producer, for example, success isn't simply making the hire. What changes afterward? How much time does it give back to the owner? How does it affect production? What new responsibilities can the owner focus on? Stephen closes with a simple framework: pick three things, reverse-engineer how you'll accomplish them, define what success looks like, and focus. 🔍 If you're preparing your insurance agency for the next year, this episode gives you a practical framework for reflecting on where you've been, deciding where you're going, and turning big annual goals into measurable actions. 🕒 Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & HawkSoft 01:07 – Why Annual Planning Matters 01:34 – Owner Vision vs. Team Planning 02:04 – Start by Reviewing the Previous Year 02:38 – Goals Beyond Revenue & Production 04:27 – Prioritising Your Annual Planning Agenda 04:56 – Stephen's Annual Summit Agenda 06:04 – Personal & Professional Team Goals 06:52 – Getting Team Buy-In 07:52 – Annual Planning as a One-Person Agency 09:15 – Getting Away From Everyday Distractions 10:23 – Reverse-Engineer Your Goals 11:14 – Planning for Future Team Growth 13:08 – Why Off-Site Planning Works 14:22 – What Does Success Actually Look Like? 15:42 – Hiring Someone Isn't the Finish Line 16:25 – Pick Three Priorities 16:55 – Reflect Before Planning Forward 17:33 – Community Feedback & Closing Thoughts 💼 Sponsored by HawkSoft https://www.hawksoft.com A family-owned and operated agency management system serving independent agencies with teams from one to 300+ employees. In this episode, Stephen shares feedback from an agency owner in Louisiana who describes HawkSoft as easy and comprehensive, particularly when it comes to accounting inside their agency. 🔗 Links & Resources: 📘 Join the Scratch Agency Podcast Community on Facebook to connect with other Scratch agency owners, share your annual planning ideas, ask questions, and contribute to future conversations. 📸 Follow us on Instagram:   / thescratchagencypodcast   🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hutxCZ... 🌐 Visit Our Website: https://scratchagencypodcast.com Thank you for tuning into another episode of the Scratch Agency Podcast. 👍 Like the show. 📤 Share it with another scratch insurance agency owner. 🔔 Subscribe to the YouTube channel so you don't miss the weekly episodes, updates, and shorts. Most importantly, remember to dig down deep, believe in yourself, and own your own future.