My parents, sisters and I were on a month-long trip through Europe in 1987 in a bright orange Volkswagen van that Dad still claims he didn’t choose. It was a mechanism for international embarrassment—European Vacation, Teen Daughter edition.
Wake up! Speak French! Originally published in Leaders Edge Magazine
We’d arrived at a toll booth and didn’t have correct change. The “middle sister” was proficient in rudimentary French, but she was asleep. Desperate times. We were blocking traffic, so we screamed at her to “wake up and speak French.” Dazed and confused, she conversed with the toll taker; it’s unclear whether it was her translation skills or his sympathy (or irritation) that allowed us free passage.
This family classic comes to mind as I contemplate the employee benefits industry and impediments to innovation. We are asking the same people who have been successful in this industry because they like process, certainty, contracts and an annual “cycle of things” to now be flexible,...
Let's put down the Magic 8 Ball and get real about the new business budget
Who produced 20% of your practice revenue this year? Do you have a high degree of confidence that they’ll repeat or was that “accidental” revenue? If production isn’t going to come from them, who will deliver? Benefits leadership is tough enough; let's get real about new business and remove some mystery from 2019. What resources will your new clients leverage? It varies widely based on size, industry and funding mechanisms, making those details in a pipeline invaluable.
In many firms, benefit leaders are responsible for practice investments without reliable insights into producer activity. I think we’ve outgrown leveraging historical production and a Magic 8 Ball to “guess-ti-budget” new business revenue and then holding our breath to see if it materializes. As I’ve written previously here, I'm empathetic to the challenges in our business. I'm concurrently optimistic and believe it's possible to tactically prioritize...
Modernizing your Employee Benefits Practice: Empathy (and help) for Fatigued Executives
Industry change is everywhere and angst-inducing shifts, like the impact of leveraging artificial intelligence, are emerging. Few retail insurance brokerage firms (and their Benefits P&L leaders) have tangible proof that they're pivoting and building a modern practice equipped to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.
This is an understandable consequence of player-coach "stretched-too-thin-fire-fighting" leaders who, while smart and experienced, are barely hanging on keeping their operation profitable. Despite their aspirations, they're also constrained by "just in time" hiring budgets that prioritize (and reward) near term valuations over long-term growth strategies. This is universal and not just a public broker phenomenon. Teams must have the resources and bandwidth (during the day, not the night shift) to succeed. No business benefits - pun intended - from another list of strategic ideas that well-intentioned people can't execute.
Sounds familiar? If it does,...
How to Use Digital Engagement on LinkedIn To Sell And Hire, with Jenn Walsh, Episode #87
It was fun collaborating here with Kurt Shaver on his podcast.
I'm currently obsessed with helping firms grow and have seen that it's possible to accelerate how quickly a potential customer will trust you by demonstrating your expertise. Fine-tuning how you present yourself is a manageable "ask" - even during the busy season.
One tip: Print out your LinkedIn profile at least once a year. For some reason opportunities to update & edit seem more obvious that way.
I'm currently obsessed with organic growth and modernizing employee benefits practices. Fine-tuning how you present yourself is a manageable "ask" even when you feel stretched-too-thin. It's possible to accelerate how quickly a potential customer will trust you by demonstrating your expertise.
[1:22] Who is Jenn Walsh – she helps high-level experts get unstuck
[6:27] More and more sales are happening through team selling
[11:47] Why relationships matter and how LinkedIn can accelerate trust
[16:33] Getting into...
Students are back in school and they aren't using NoDoz to get ahead
Have your high school or college students mentioned the prevalence of "study drugs" on their campus? I've written previously about the tragic impact of opioid abuse and what to consider before filling a prescription for teens. We need to talk about the misuse of prescription stimulants with the students in our lives, as well.
Millions, including my son, are prescribed stimulant medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). His brain chemistry requires it in conjunction with other tools to be successful. It turns out many students are self-medicating without the benefit of physician monitoring to avoid the side effects of these controlled substances.
These stimulants are Schedule II drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin. They include amphetamine and dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Adderall XR, and generics), methylphenidate (Concerta, Methylin, Methylin ER, Metadate CD, Ritalin, Ritalin SR, Ritalin LA, and generics), and lisdexamfetamine...
The wisdom of saying "No" to Norco and other opioids for your teen
My children got teeth at 3 months, putting them on the earlier side of the teenage rite-of-passage of wisdom teeth removal. My son's younger age (15) and the logistics of scheduling - after summer school, but before vacation and football tryouts - were top of mind in the oral surgeon’s office. That morning I was “pragmatic-we’ve-already-lived-through-this-once-let’s-get-it-over-with-working-mom.” Before I knew it, the surgery was scheduled, and we were out the door with pre and post-op instructions and prescriptions (handed to me by the front desk) to fill prior to surgery.
Later, as I sorted through the paperwork, I caught myself staring at 3 prescriptions. How was it that I gave more thought to the family calendar than to discussing pain relief with the surgeon? I considered myself well-versed on the opioid epidemic and initiatives to limit the number of pills in the ecosystem to curb abuse. I incorrectly assumed that as a result...
Documents 18-Year-Olds Should Sign By Labor Day
A year ago, @BenefitsLady was wrapping up final details to send my eldest off to college. Having finalized the Bed Bath & Beyond College Order, we were set to pick up our items across the country move-in weekend. The finish line was near. And then it wasn’t.
A peer (also up to her eyeballs in college prep) relayed a parental nightmare about a friend’s son who was hospitalized out-of-state during college. The parents couldn’t get any information for several days about his condition because he was 18. She asked me if I’d had my daughter sign releases in case of an emergency at school. Um, no. That hadn’t made it on the list.
When she turned 18 a few months prior, my attention was on the “Adult” All-Access Pass she now had to vote, get her ears double pierced without mom present, purchase a lottery ticket and skydive. She signed away her rights (pictured here and posted with permission) and jumped out of a plane on her actual...
