Andy NearyI help insurance professionals turn brand awareness into business growth.

Just because you can sell insurance, doesn’t mean you can run your own agency.

17 Mar 2026 · 0 min

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In a brief conversational clip, Andy Neary and Nancy discuss why many insurance agents leave their carrier to start independent agencies primarily to avoid commission splits. Andy argues that this motivation is misguided because running an agency involves a whole set of business responsibilities that differ from simply selling policies. He cites his experience with agencies generating $10‑15 million in revenue, noting that while agents may excel at sales, they often lack the operational, leadership, and risk‑management skills needed to sustain and grow a business. The key takeaway is that success as an independent agency requires both sales talent and solid business acumen.

I think a lot of people in our industry go out on their own for the primary reason they want to— they don't want to split commissions anymore.
And that's not the right reason.
Exactly. And what happens is they go out on their own and then they quickly realize there's this whole other side to insurance called running a business. And I'll say, Nancy, I have worked with insurance agencies as large as $10 to $15 million where you look and you say, wow, you've probably grown to that level because you know how to sell insurance. But watching you run the business, I have no idea how you're at $10 to $15 million. And it is two very different parts of that coin. It's one to sell insurance, one to run a business. And if you're going to go out on your own, if you can sell insurance, great, but you better be able to run a business.
You better be able to run a business. You better be able to manage employees. You need to understand your liability risks. You need to have leadership qualities because just starting a business doesn't guarantee you any of that.