Stop Solving Everything | How Scratch Insurance Agency Owners Build Better Teams

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 immediately deciding how to fix it himself, Stephen identified the problem, brought it to his team, and asked them to develop the solution. The result? His team identified workflow improvements Stephen hadn’t considered, reassigned responsibilities inside Agency Zoom, and even called out Stephen’s own lack of dedicated proposal time. That conversation led to a simple 3:00–3:30 PM proposal block that has already helped improve their process. Shawn shares a similar experience from his agency involving personal lines renewals and an incomplete SOP. Rather than stepping in with the answer, he empowered his team members to review the process, identify what was missing, and solve the issue together. 🔍 **If you’re building a scratch insurance agency and starting to grow your team, this episode is a reminder that leadership isn’t about having every answer. Sometimes the best thing you can do is identify the problem, give your team ownership, and let them help build the solution.** 🕒 **Timestamps:** 00:00 – Introduction & Another Shop-Talk Episode 01:23 – Realizing the Agency Didn't Have a Lead Problem 02:20 – The Turnaround-Time Bottleneck 03:00 – Asking the Team to Build the Solution 03:55 – When Your Team Calls You Out 04:56 – Time Blocking Proposal Work 05:56 – Empowering Your Team to Make Decisions 07:43 – Re-Auditing Roles, Responsibilities & Agency Zoom 08:20 – Shawn's Personal Lines Renewal & SOP Example 09:25 – Defining When a Process Is Actually "Done" 10:08 – Why Agency Owners Shouldn't Solve Every Problem 10:38 – Training Employees to Think for Themselves 11:27 – Give Your Team Ownership 12:17 – Building a Culture of Accountability 12:47 – 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. HawkSoft is focused on customer service, honest feedback, and helping independent insurance agencies get where they need to be. 🔗 **Links & Resources:** 📘 Join the Scratch Agency Community on Facebook for conversations, resources, and insights from other independent insurance agency owners. 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thescratchagencypodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hutxCZ5NUPqF5hRdC79Hl 🌐 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 so you never miss an episode. Most importantly, remember to **dig down deep, believe in yourself, and own your own future.**