Flying without a Dashboard You'll Crash Eventually

In this episode of Embrace Talks, recorded at Embrace 2025 in Las Vegas, Trisha Roberts sits down with Julio Canas, Managing Director of Fintel Agency, to discuss one of the most important parts of running a successful insurance agency: understanding and managing your finances. Julio shares insights from more than 20 years in the financial industry and explains why generating revenue is only one side of financial success. Agency owners also need to understand where their money is going, manage cash flow, review expenses, and make informed financial decisions. The conversation covers Julio's Proactivity system of Project, Review, and Optimize, along with the importance of projecting cash flow 12 weeks ahead, reviewing financial numbers every week, understanding your Profit and Loss statement, and identifying which lines of business are actually producing results. Julio and Trisha also discuss the Pareto Principle, evaluating the return on investment of software and subscriptions, eliminating unnecessary expenses, and why every insurance agent should begin thinking and operating like the CEO of their own business. Whether you are a new agent or an experienced agency owner looking to grow, acquire another agency, or strengthen your financial foundation, this conversation provides practical insights for making smarter financial decisions. This episode of Embrace Talks is proudly presented by Farmers Life. CHAPTERS 00:00 Farmers Life Introduction 00:10 Meet Julio Canas and Fintell Agency 04:41 The Pareto Principle, ROI, Expenses, and Thinking Like a CEO Topics discussed include: Financial management for insurance agency owners The Project, Review, and Optimize system 12 week cash flow projections Weekly financial reviews Understanding your Profit and Loss statement Analyzing revenue by line of business The Pareto Principle Evaluating technology and subscription expenses Understanding return on investment Developing a CEO mindset Delegating accounting while staying informed Using financial data to prepare for agency growth and acquisitions Subscribe for more conversations, insights, and leadership strategies from the Embrace community.