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Many agency owners proudly hold the pitchfork of independence, but if your firm isn't growing, you are literally losing wealth every single year. The days of treating an agency like a personal lifestyle business while expecting a massive private equity payout are coming to an end.My guest, James Graham, Managing Director at Marsh Berry, joins me to give a "State of the Union" on the M&A landscape in the insurance industry. We break down why the M&A market has shifted from an era of "free money" to highly disciplined buying, why acquirers are intensely scrutinizing Quality of Growth (QofG) and EBITDA margins, and why the drop in public broker organic growth is a massive wake-up call for independent shops. We also discuss the biggest deal-killers in the 11th hour and why the most successful founders have mastered the art of delayed gratification. If you are an agency principal trying to decide whether to scale, partner, or sell, this episode provides the exact roadmap buyers are looking for in 2026.▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callcompletegameu.com/agaTimestamped Outline(00:00) Introducing James Graham(03:17) Why Do Agencies Sell? The Three Macro Buckets of M&A(05:02) The Wealth Trap: Why Holding a Stagnant Agency is Losing You Money(07:34) The Hard Truth: Selling Insurance vs. Operating an Agency(09:54) The 2026 M&A Landscape: High Multiples and the "Quality Spread"(12:30) Why Deals Fall Apart: Mismatched Expectations and Murky Ownership(15:00) The Scrutiny Shift: Why "Quality of Growth" is the New Buyer Metric(17:41) The Drop in Organic Growth: "The Water is Out and You're Naked"(21:45) 11th Hour Deal Killers: What Happens When Top Producers Walk Away(27:24) Start Now: Why You Must Run Your Agency Like It's For Sale Today(29:17) Delayed Gratification: The #1 Characteristic of Scalable Founders(32:49) The Power of Peer Exchange: Inside MarshBerry's Executive Network(36:55) James's Final Advice: Why Organic Growth is Your Greatest M&A LeverageCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY
For the Epistle - Revelation 4:1-11 The Holy Gospel - John 3: 1-15
May 10, 2026 - The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
For the Epistle: Acts 2:14, 36-47 The Gospel: St. Luke 24: 13-35
The First Prophecy: Exodus 14: 10-15:1 The Second Prophecy; Isaiah 55: 1-11
For the Epistle: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Gospel: St. John 9:1-13, 28-38
The Epistle: Philippians 3:7-14 The Holy Gospel: St. Matthew 17:1-9
January 4, 2026 - The Second Sunday after Christmas - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
The Epistle: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 The Gospel: St. Luke 21:5-19
October 19, 2025 - The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
September 28, 2025 - The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecst - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
August 31, 2025 - The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
July 6, 2025 - The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
June 22, 2025 - The Second Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss Florida Gators cracking the top 50 recruiting class in football on 247 Sports as the Gators pick up three commits in the last couple of days.
Dylan Denmark & Graham Marsh discuss Florida Gators football recruiting where they stack up after Kaiden Hall commits to Florida. Also, early point spreads are out for some of the biggest games in college football. What are the point spreads for Florida vs LSU, Miami, Georgia, Tennessee and FSU?
Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss Boogie Fland transferring to the Florida Gators. Also, where do the Gators stack up post spring game
April 19, 2025 - Easter Eve: The Great Vigil of Easter - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
How good can Dallas Wilson be for the Florida Gators?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh react live to the Florida Gators beating Houston 65-63 winning the national championship!!
A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP edition of Gator Bytes!Hacker and Graham Marsh react to the Florida Gators winning the National Championship on Gator Bytes! Presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Will the Florida Gators be national champions tonight?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh breakdown everything that went down in the Florida-Auburn game as the Florida Gators head to the National Title game.
How do the Florida Gators match up against the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Dylan Denmark & Graham Marsh breakdown everything that happened in the Florida-Texas Tech as the Gators advance to the Final Four
ELITE 8 BOUND! Florida Gators destroy Maryland in the Sweet 16!Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
March 2, 2025 - The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
January 19, 2025 - The Second Sunday afte the Epiphany - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
Tough loss against Missouri for the Florida Gators, will they beat Texas?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
How ELITE can Florida Gators Basketball be?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Florida Gators DOMINATE No.1 Tennessee! How good can this team be? Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Shemar James headed to the NFL Draft. Thoughts?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss the state of Florida's roster on Denmark and Marsh.
December 29, 2024 - The First Sunday after Christmas - Fr. Graham Marsh by All Souls' Episcopal Church
Dallas Wilson is officially a Gator! Thoughts?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Caleb Banks is BACK and Jack Pyburn enters the transfer portal for the Florida Gators.Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
How did early signing day finish for the Florida Gators?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Florida Gators recruiting is ON FIRE. Thoughts?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
The Florida Gators HEATING UP on the recruiting trail? Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Can the Florida Gators get a gigantic upset against Ole Miss?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Speciliats.
How could the Florida Gators pull off the upset against Ole Miss?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Should the UCF Knights be FAVORED over the Florida Gators this weekend? Why or why not?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Does the Florida Gators win over Mississippi State mean anything?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Is this the last game for Billy Napier as the Florida Gators head coach? Why or why not?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Will the Mississippi State game be Billy Napier's LAST as the Florida Gators head coach?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Does Graham Mertz or DJ Lagway give Florida the better chance against Texas A&M? Why?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Can the Florida Gators beat the Texas A&M Aggies?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
DJ Lagway or Graham Mertz against Texas A&M for the Florida Gators? Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Florida CRUSHED by Miami. Where do the Gators go from here? Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.
Does Graham Mertz or Cam Ward have the edge in Florida - Miami? Why?Hacker and Graham Marsh discuss on Gator Bytes, presented by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
We give our OFFICIAL Florida-Miami preview. Who do you have winning on saturday? Why?Dylan Denmark and Graham Marsh discuss on Denmark and Marsh.