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Most business leaders treat workers’ compensation like an insurance problem.

It’s not.

In this solo episode of The Policy Playbook, Misty Carson breaks down why workers’ comp is actually a leadership, operations, and culture issue that shows up on your insurance policy months or years later.

You’ll learn why experience mods are lagging indicators, how the first seven days after an injury determine claim severity, and why safety programs fail when leadership behavior doesn’t match policy language.

If your work comp costs keep rising and you can’t explain why, this episode will change how you look at risk, accountability, and control.

Smart strategies. Straight talk. Zero BS.

📝 Show Notes

Workers’ compensation is one of the most controllable lines of insurance, but only when leaders understand what actually drives cost.

In this episode, Misty explains why claims aren’t random, why your experience mod reflects past leadership decisions, and how culture shows up in claim severity every time. This conversation reframes work comp as a system issue, not a carrier issue.

What You’ll Learn

• Why your experience mod is a lagging indicator, not a scorecard
• How the first seven days after an injury decide claim outcomes
• The leadership behaviors that increase claim severity without anyone noticing
• Why safety manuals don’t reduce claims but leadership behavior does
• How return to work programs directly reduce cost and litigation
• Why two similar companies can have drastically different work comp results

Who This Episode Is For

• Business owners frustrated by rising work comp premiums
• Leaders managing safety, operations, or HR
• Organizations with recurring injuries or high claim severity
• Anyone responsible for controlling insurance costs, not just buying policies

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show

Send a text

You can have millions in property coverage and still go out of business after a covered loss.

In this solo episode of The Policy Playbook, Misty Carson breaks down business income coverage, the most misunderstood coverage on a commercial policy and one of the biggest reasons companies fail after a fire, tornado, or major equipment loss.

You will learn what business income actually covers, what it does not, and why most businesses have the wrong limit, the wrong period of restoration, and no plan for extra expense. Misty also explains contingent business income, the coverage you need when your supplier goes down and your building is fine but your operation is dead.

If you have not stress tested your business income limit in the last two years, this episode is for you.

Smart strategies. Straight talk. Zero BS.

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show

Send us a text

Hiring is not an HR task, it is a business protection strategy.

In this episode, Misty Carson sits down with Tamara Galla, President and CEO of PDI Connection, to break down what most leaders miss about recruiting, culture, and the real cost of turnover. Tamara built her firm on three non negotiables, Passion, Drive, and Integrity, and she explains why the fastest hire is rarely the right hire.

They cover why candidates prefer recruiters, why posting and praying is dead, and how leaders can protect their business by building a roster, not filling seats.

What You Will Learn

• Why your talent strategy is your business strategy
• The hidden cost of turnover and mis hires
• How recruiters reduce time, risk, and disruption
• What Passion, Drive, and Integrity look like in real hiring decisions
• Why culture fit starts with leadership, not perks
• How to build a team you would protect at all costs

Guest

Tamara Galla, President and CEO of PDI Connection

PDI stands for Passion, Drive, and Integrity, the core values behind how she builds championship rosters for growing businesses.

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show

Send us a text

Leadership isn’t just about growth. It’s about protecting what you’ve built before pressure exposes the cracks.

In this episode of The Policy Playbook, Misty Carson sits down with Samantha Greer, Principal and CEO of SG Consulting, to talk about what leadership really looks like when the stakes are high and the margin for error is small.

Samantha operates in public, high-accountability environments where one misstep can stall momentum, damage reputation, or derail a mission entirely. She shares what leaders often get wrong about risk, why reaction is far more expensive than preparation, and how organizations can position themselves for growth without becoming overwhelmed by success.

This conversation goes beyond titles and tactics. It’s about anticipation, discipline, and making smart decisions before pressure forces your hand.

If you lead an organization, manage reputation, pursue funding, or operate in complex systems where waiting is already a risk, this episode will change how you think about protection, strategy, and leadership.

This is not an insurance podcast.

This is the playbook leaders need when the game is on the line.

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show

Send us a text

In this episode of The Policy Playbook, I sit down with Frank Rygiel, a leader who understands what responsibility really looks like when decisions impact people, operations, and outcomes.

Frank shares candid insight on leadership, ownership, and the realities business leaders face that rarely get discussed openly. We talk about decision making under pressure, long term thinking, and why consistency and accountability matter more than trends or titles.

This is a grounded, practical conversation for leaders who carry real responsibility and want to build organizations that last.

If you are responsible for people, performance, or risk, this episode will resonate.

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show

Send us a text

In 2024, the average cyber attack cost businesses $4.88 million, and most companies did not even know they had been breached for six months.

In this solo episode of The Policy Playbook, Misty Carson breaks down the seven biggest cyber threats hitting businesses right now and exposes a hard truth.

Most leaders think “We have cyber insurance” means “We are protected.” It does not.

Cyber policies are manuscript contracts, every carrier writes their own rules, and the coverage gaps are often hiding in the fine print. By the end of this episode, you will know where your program is strong, where it is exposed, and exactly what to ask your broker before your next renewal.

In this episode, Misty covers

• The 7 major cyber threats you cannot ignore
  • Ransomware
  • Social engineering and AI powered phishing
  • Supply chain and third party vendor attacks
  • Bricking of hardware
  • Internet of Things and device vulnerabilities
  • Business email compromise and funds transfer fraud
  • Nation state attacks and cyber warfare
• Why having a cyber policy and being protected are two very different realities
• How waiting periods, sub limits, and exclusions quietly gut your protection
• The difference between
  • Social engineering vs computer fraud
  • Property damage vs cyber damage
  • Cybercrime vs cyberwar exclusions
• The real cost of an attack
  • Ransom payments
  • Forensic IT and emergency response
  • Business income loss and extra expense
  • Notification, credit monitoring, and legal defense
• Where most policies break down
  • Tiny social engineering sub limits
  • No bricking coverage for destroyed hardware
  • No dependent business income for vendor failures
  • IoT devices not clearly addressed
  • Silent cyber and vague war exclusion language

You will walk away with

• A clear understanding of how each threat shows up in the real world
• The specific coverage terms you need to look for in your own policy
• The 7 questions to ask your broker before you renew
• Simple verification procedures to put in place now so your claim is not denied later
• A practical way to run a tabletop cyber scenario with your leadership team

If you have ever thought “We have cyber, so we are fine,” this is the episode that will change how you look at your coverage

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show

Send us a text

Most business owners are making six-figure decisions without a full playbook.

They have a CPA.

They have a financial advisor.

They have an attorney.

They have an insurance broker.

But none of them are calling the plays together.

In this episode, Misty digs into what happens when fragmented financial advice leads to unnecessary taxes, costly risk exposure, missed opportunities, and legacy plans that fall apart when life changes.

EJ Pipkin has spent over 20+ years advising high-net-worth families and business owners, plus 10 years serving as a Maryland State Senator. Today, he uses that experience to act as a true quarterback — coordinating wealth, tax, and legacy planning so business owners don’t drop the ball on the goal line of their financial future.

What you’ll learn:

• The most expensive mistake business owners make with their money
• How to prevent “wealth becoming a burden” after a business sale
• What a true financial quarterback does that advisors alone cannot
• Why coordinated advice protects both the deal and your legacy
• How clarity in wealth planning reduces stress and future regret

Who this episode is for:

Founders, business owners, executives, CFOs, and anyone planning a major financial transition in the next 3–5 years.

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Subscribe & Review:

If this episode helped you think differently about wealth strategy, follow The Policy Playbook and leave a review — it helps more leaders find the show.

Guest: EJ Pipkin, Founding Partner at Extra Mile Financial

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How do you grow a mission-driven healthcare organization to $78 million in revenue while serving thousands of families in their most vulnerable moments? You follow a leader who has done it for 40 years.

This week, Misty sits down with Linda Ward, one of the most respected voices in hospice, palliative, and home health care. Linda has led Gulfside Healthcare Services through statewide expansion, new care centers, and service innovations, all while fiercely protecting their culture, their people, and their purpose.

What you’ll learn:

• The strategy behind Gulfside’s recent Hillsborough + Pinellas expansion
• How to innovate in a highly regulated industry
• Why sustainable growth requires protecting people — not just margins
• The leadership philosophy that built a strong culture with 500+ employees
• How reputation becomes your most valuable asset in healthcare

Who this episode is for:

Healthcare executives, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and any leader scaling in a regulated industry.

🎧 Listen to learn how to grow big without losing what made you great.

Subscribe & Review:

If Linda’s leadership inspired you, follow The Policy Playbook and leave a review — it helps more leaders find the show.

Guest: Linda Ward, President & CEO — Gulfside Healthcare Services

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