What if your benefits package wasn’t just an expense line—but your secret weapon for winning talent and keeping your best people?

In this episode, Coach Misty Carson sits down with Stephanie Porrino (Koch) one of the nation’s top 25 HR and benefits leaders, to uncover how she turned a traditional benefits program into a competitive edge that fuels both engagement and profit.

From navigating double-digit healthcare increases to transforming culture through empathy and data-driven decisions, Stephanie shares how she coached her company to become Florida’s Most Engaged Employer—and why HR is not a cost center, but a strategic driver of business growth.

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• How to transform HR from a “cost center” into a profit driver
• What reference-based pricing really means and how it can cut healthcare costs
• Why “stay interviews” outperform exit interviews every time
• The role of culture in building a championship-level team
• How listening and respect can outplay any retention strategy

💡 Key Quote

“We control two of the largest line items a company has—people and healthcare. If we understand those, we can change the game.” — Stephanie Porrino (Koch)

⚡ Takeaway Play

Your benefits strategy isn’t a policy—it’s a play. When you design it around people, it becomes your most powerful recruiting and retention advantage.

📬 Next Week

Coach Misty throws penalty flags—calling out the five most common violations brokers commit and the five questions every leader should ask before renewal.

Tagline: 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

Guest: Stephanie Porrino (Koch), Director of HR at Hendry Marine Industries

Host: Coach Misty Carson, Business Development Executive at OneDigital and Founder of Playbook Consulting Group

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What does it take to change an industry—not just succeed in it, but actually change it?

Bridgette Bello didn’t wait for permission. She saw a gap in how Tampa Bay’s business story was being told and built a platform that changed the game. From becoming the first female publisher of the Tampa Bay Business Journal to launching TBBW—now recognized as Florida’s best magazine—Bridgette has proven that when you lead with grit, grace, and game-day execution, you don’t just play the game, you redefine it.

Coach Misty Carson sits down with this media MVP to unpack what it really takes to build a brand that matters, how to lead a lean team that delivers at championship level, and why relationships remain the most valuable currency in business. Bridgette also shares a powerful real-world insurance story that every business leader should hear before their next renewal.

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• How to build a mission-driven brand that becomes a movement
• Why “print is dead” was the best motivation to innovate
• The playbook for building small, high-performing teams
• The insurance lesson every business owner must learn the easy way—not the hard way
• Why reputation and relationships are your most protected assets

💬 Key Quote

“Protect your relationships and your reputation at all costs. That’s the currency you control.” Bridgette Bello

💡 Takeaway Play

Your brand is not just content—it’s connection. Lead with mission, execute with precision, and protect your relationships like revenue.

📬 Next Up

HR powerhouse Stephanie Porrino (Koch) joins to reveal how to turn employee benefits into a competitive edge that attracts and keeps top talent.

Tagline: 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

Guest: Bridgette Bello, Co-Founder, CEO, and Publisher of Tampa Bay Business & Wealth

Host: Coach Misty Carson, Business Development Executive at OneDigital and Founder of Playbook Consulting Group

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You know what happens when you don’t have a playbook? You get blindsided. You lose yards—and sometimes the whole game. That’s exactly what’s happening to business owners who renew their insurance with no strategy and zero explanation.

In this debut episode of The Policy Playbook, Coach Misty Carson calls time-out on vague answers, rising costs, and brokers who hide behind “the market is hard.” She breaks down why complexity has become a weapon, how to take back control, and what questions instantly reveal whether your broker works for you—or just collects a commission.

If you’re a business leader who built success through grit and integrity and you’re tired of feeling powerless at renewal season, you just made the roster.

Key Takeaways:

• Why most business owners lose money without realizing it
• The mindset shift that turns protection strategy into business strategy
• The first question to test your broker’s loyalty

Tagline: Smart strategies. Straight talk. Zero BS.

Next Up: Media MVP Bridgette Bello joins Coach Misty to talk leadership, legacy, and what it takes to build a winning brand.

Links:

🔗 Subscribe → The Policy Playbook

💌 Join the newsletter → Play of the Week

🤝 Connect → LinkedIn

💻 Website → The Playbook Consulting Group

Host: Coach Misty Carson, Business Development Executive at OneDigital and Founder of Playbook Consulting Group

Support the show