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Yvonne and Rafael take some time to relive and review 2024 Season 4 and chat about a few changes they will make for Season 5. 

Thank you for listening! 

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We are so happy to introduce you to Elise White, President of Change Forward Industries, based in the Atlanta Metro area in Georgia. 

Join us for an interesting conversation with Elise. You'll learn about her educational background, including that she studied criminal justice and how that led to a career in insurance and claims management.

Elise has 16+ years of experience managing claims for some of the biggest insurance companies, including Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and Zurich, and has developed quite an affinity for supporting at-risk youth, as well as at-risk industries. She recently launched Change Forward Industries. 

Listen to this episode to learn more about Elise, her career and what she's been up to lately, including some very important work with Diversity and Talent Alliance (DATA).

Here are some resources related to our conversation: 

1. Change Forward Industries - https://changeforwardindustries.com/
2. Article about RIMS/WCI Research Presentation: www.workerscompensation.com_Want better worker safety-tryEmpathy
3. Diversity and Talent Alliance (DATA) , Non-profit https://www.diversityandtalent.org/
4. Support the DATA Fundraiser - Workers' Compensation Empathy Relay Digital Game for $10: https://www.diversityandtalent.org/store/p/empathy-relay-digital-game-workers-comp-edition

Note from Elise: "I did not state these stats with 100% accuracy, but here is the insurance data on the aging workforce and talent shortage within insurance:" 

Stats mentioned: 

• 4% millennials interested in working in insurance careers, PEW Research
• 50% of insurance professionals are looking to retire by 2028, National Association of Mutual Insurance 

We love Elise and we think you will too! Grab your headphones and let's go talk to Elise!

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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In this episode, we get to know Evelyn Eury, Director of Program Claims, Occupational Risk/P&C Lead at Crum & Forster—a leading carrier in property and casualty, accident and health, and specialty insurance solutions. Evelyn shares her journey from studying journalism to her current role, where she navigates the intersections of workers' compensation, property & casualty, and other insurance lines.

Our conversation covers a variety of topics, including:

• Saluting Veterans: Recorded on Veteran’s Day, we honor Evelyn’s husband, Seth, an active-duty US Coast Guard member, and all who have served our country.
• Cameo by Saint: Evelyn’s Weimaraner, Saint, makes a guest appearance.
• Mentoring the Next Generation: Evelyn discusses mentoring young insurance professionals and inspiring them to pursue careers in risk and insurance.
• Mom Life: Balancing her career while raising three daughters, along with trends in beauty products and Sephora adventures.

This extended episode is a wonderfully organic conversation filled with insights and heartwarming moments. Grab your headphones, your favorite beverage, and join us for an inspiring chat with Evelyn Eury!

For listeners who are newer to the industry, here are links to the conferences we mentioned during the episode: 

CLM (Claims and Litigation Management):
https://www.theclm.org/allevents

Workers' Compensation Institute (WCI) Conference:
https://www.wci360.com/

National Comp Conference:
https://wcconference.com/

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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Let's get to know Melissa Marks, Senior Leave Supervisor at Pepsico. What does a "Leave Supervisor" do for an employer? Shout out to our friend Natalie Torres for introducing us to Melissa.

In this episode, Melissa shares her personal health journey and how it has shaped her empathy for others, particularly as she navigates her role working with employees who experience work injuries.

Here is a link to Melissa's book, titled "Fight Faithfully"

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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We are so happy to bring you this episode featuring Dr. Crystal Cobos, Director of the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic at Institutes of Health and Anne McDonnell, Advocacy and Affiliate Specialist for the Brain Injury Association of
America and former Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia.

In this episode, we discuss the recent development announced in late July by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: CMS now officially recognizes Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) as a chronic condition. According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) this is a victory for the brain injury community. CMS has added TBI to its list of chronic conditions for chronic special needs plans (C-SNPs) through its Medicare Advantage program, effective for the January 2025 plan year.

What does this mean for brain-injured employees and the workers' compensation community? Bottom line? We see this as a good thing. Tune in to hear what more these two experts have to say about it. 

For more information about Institutes of Health, Brain Injury Services, visit:
https://institutesofhealth.org/

For more information about the Brain Injury Association of America, visit: 
https://www.biausa.org/

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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In this episode, you will hear from Jennifer Wolf, President of the Minnesota Workers' Compensation Insurance Association (MWCIA). She talks about what she studied in college, how she found her way into our wonderful industry, and how she loves our workers' compensation ecosystem.

We also learn what a rating does and how it contributes to the overall workers' comp system. According to the MWCIA website: "The primary function of MWCIA as a Data Service Organization (DSO) is to produce an annual Ratemaking Report, which is the basis for all workers' compensation rates in Minnesota. Insurers then apply their unique expenses and loss experience to these base rates to create their own independent rates."

In addition to her duties at MWCIA, Jennifer is also President of Kids' Chance of America. 

As you will learn, Jennifer is one of our brightest gems in the WC industry. Smart, funny, and a lover of our industry, she is the real deal.

Grab your earphones, and let's go chat with Jennifer! 

MWCIA - https://www.mwcia.org/

Kids Chance of America - https://www.kidschance.org/

National Academy of Social Insurance - https://www.nasi.org/

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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Come along with us as we catch up with two of the brightest leading women in our industry: Marijo Storment and Jenn Ryon. 

We start, as we usually do at the beginning of our episodes, discovering what Marijo and Jenn studied in school. Then, we chat about what it was like to launch ForzaCare. 

Next, we take a deep dive to focus on an organization that is near and dear to our hearts: Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation (AWWC). Yvonne served as a Florida ambassador to the organization for over four years in Tampa, FL. She still loves to support and advocate for the organization. Rafael has been a long-time supporter of AWWC. 

We talk about AWWC, the organization's mission, vision and what you can expect if you attend one of their events. We encourage everyone to attend a national event, or a local event if you have an opportunity. 

Jenn serves as Vice President and Marijo is the Secretary, both serving in prominent positions on the board for AWWC.

So grab your headphones and get ready for a jam-packed fun exploration of one of the most influential organizations in our industry! They encourage everyone to leave their logos at the door, and come to their events to learn, network, and grow. 

For more information about Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation: https://allianceofwomen.org/

To learn more about ForzaCare: https://thinkforza.com/

NOTE: since the recording of this episode, Jenn Ryon has transitioned to Prime Health Services. You can learn more about the company here: https://www.primehealthservices.com/

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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We have a special treat for you just in time for a long weekend!

Dr. Tyrone Spears, Chief of the Workers' Compensation Division for the City of Los Angeles, is one of the best and brightest in the business. Yvonne and Rafael recently caught up with him for a lively, thought-provoking episode!

If you know Tyrone, you know he is a servant leader who continually does good things for others. Find out what he studied in school, what career path he considered, and how he found himself in the workers' compensation industry, an industry he has come to love.

Conversations with Tyrone are always fascinating. He is the real deal. So, grab your headphones and settle in for a cozy conversation with Tyrone about leadership, mentorship, diversity, equity, inclusion, doing good for others, and being a good human. We also talked about politics, our 2024 bonus topic, since we talked to him the Monday after Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race.

Some things we mentioned during the episode include:

Dr. Tyrone Spears - books on Amazon.com
-Autism Who? his latest book
-The Compassionate Leader
-Land The Job

Hazel's Hands - https://www.hazelshands.com/
Tyrone started this charity in his grandmother's name. Hazel's Hands provides resources, services, and leadership to meet the emerging needs of at-risk youth and their families in our communities.  

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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Join Yvonne and Rafael as they chat with one of their hometown "sheroes" Brenda Cogdell, Director - Risk and Safety Division, Hillsborough County. 

Brenda shares her enthusiasm for her role at Hillsborough County and for the risk and insurance industry where she has dedicated her career to shaping a culture of caring for the employees she serves. 

Together we explore her journey from graduating from Tampa's University of South Florida (Go Bulls!) to entering the risk management industry, serving as the risk manager at the City of Manassas, Virginia, then coming back to Hillsborough County where she began. 

We talk about the culture Brenda is helping to build at Hillsborough County called "Workplace Possibilities!"

Learn how Brenda's father's career as a longshoreman shaped her and how it sticks with her still today. She believes team members who get hurt or ill at work ought to be reminded they are still part of a team, or a work family. 

Brenda Cogdell is the real deal! She happily shares her expertise and encourages young professionals to take advantage of all resources and mentors along their career journey. 

Some of the organizations we discuss in the episode include: 

Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) 
https://www.rims.org/

Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA)
https://primacentral.org/

Thank you for all you do Brenda! We LOVE you! 

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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Les Shute is the Chief Innovation Officer at Infinity Nurse Case Management. Join us in this episode as we learn more about Les, including what Les studied in school and what he aspired to do in his career.

After graduating college as a Marketing Major and with a Minor in Computer Science, Les was recruited into the insurance industry and started as a workers' compensation adjuster!

In this episode, we learn that Les grew up with a strong influence in computer programming. He has immersed himself in learning all about artificial intelligence and

Les chats with us about OOM, "orders of magnitude," Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), neuro-symbolic AI, and other "mind-bending" scenarios and applications of artificial intelligence. We also discuss how AI may impact carbon-based life forms over the next 5-10 years.

Get ready for a fascinating conversation about AI, a recurring topic we have discussed several times this year. As we always say, we love all our guests, but this episode is super fun and thought-provoking. 

Learn more about Infinity Nurse Case Management here.

Interested in learning more about how artificial intelligence has progressed since the 1940s? Check out this timeline courtesy of Veerloop.io.

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp