This week on The Policy Playbook, we’re stepping off the field.

This episode isn’t about strategy, insurance, or what to fix next. It’s about pausing with intention during Christmas week, especially for leaders and high performers who spent the year carrying responsibility, making decisions, and holding things together.

If this year felt demanding in a quieter, more intentional way, this conversation is for you. Rest isn’t weakness. It’s part of how sustainable performance is built.

Straight talk and smart strategies will return in the new year.

For now, take the pause that allows you to finish strong

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You know what drives me crazy? Watching business owners pay the price for mistakes their brokers made.

Higher premiums. Coverage gaps. Unnecessary risk. All because someone on your team didn’t do their job.

In this episode of The Policy Playbook, Coach Misty Carson throws penalty flags across the field, exposing the violations brokers commit that cost companies money, protection, and peace of mind.

From pass interference to delay of game, she breaks down the five questions every leader should ask before renewal — and the red flags that reveal whether your broker is playing fair or running their own agenda.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated or powerless at renewal time, this is your game film.

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• The five questions that reveal whether your broker is protecting or exposing you
• How to spot “pass interference” when brokers dodge coverage explanations
• Why “market conditions” is the industry’s most dangerous excuse — and what to demand instead
• How to prevent “illegal blocking” that traps you with one broker year after year
• The ethics of broker compensation — and how to ask about commissions the right way

💬 Key Quote

“You’re not just a spectator in this game. You’re the one paying for every yard lost in premiums, coverage gaps, and missed opportunities.”

💡 Takeaway Play

Insurance is not a spectator sport. If your broker can’t explain, defend, and strategize your coverage, you’re playing with an empty playbook. Ask better questions, demand better answers, and protect your business like you mean it.

📬 Next Up

Coach Misty sits down with Deborah Livingston, founder of ReEmployAbility, to explore how compassion and strategy can redefine the return-to-work experience — and why doing good can drive bottom-line growth.

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

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

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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

Support the show