How Two Insurance Brokers Built TopShelf Insurance From Scratch

Sometimes the best entrepreneurship stories start with frustration. Two brokers saw the wrong way to serve clients, walked away, and built something better. That’s where real business advice and long-term success stories begin. Josh Roy and Jacob Patterson are the founders of TopShelf Insurance, an independent brokerage built around value-first insurance strategy for business owners and decision makers. After working at the same agency, they realized they shared the same belief. Insurance should not be a race to the bottom on price. It should be about protection, service, and real strategy. Since launching TopShelf Insurance in September, they’ve been scaling fast, building a top shelf client experience, and preparing to bring on more agents as the business grows. 0:00 - How Josh got licensed in one week 0:20 - The story behind TopShelf Insurance 2:18 - From music education to insurance sales 3:49 - From blue collar work to commercial insurance 5:20 - Building a brokerage from scratch 5:47 - The biggest scaling lesson they learned Connect with Josh Roy & Jacob Patterson: Website: https://topshelfagency.net LinkedIn Jacob Patterson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-patterson-66a567172/ LinkedIn Josh Roy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-roy-63533a3a2 Connect with Greg Kirkham: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-kirkham Brokers Hotseat is where top insurance professionals share real founder stories, business strategy, and the lessons behind scaling a business. From entrepreneurship and leadership skills to startup advice and client growth, every conversation brings practical insight from people building in the field. Powered by NXC Podcast Network #thenxcpodcastnetwork #brokershotseat #insurance