In Episode 19 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth, titled "Free Agent," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Steve "Woody" Woodworth, owner of Woodworth Recruiting.

The discussion explores the pressures pushing agents to rethink the captive model, including income ceilings, limited carrier access, hard market challenges, operational demands, and the desire for stronger ownership and equity opportunities. Woody shares perspective on what agents typically expect when they begin exploring independence, from more commission potential and broader carrier markets to greater brand control and freedom over their own future.

The episode also breaks down the rise of aggregators, networks, clusters, franchises, and roll-up models. These groups can offer access, scale, technology, training, market leverage, and communi ...