Risk & Resolve

Insurance sounds straightforward—until markets tighten, umbrellas shrink, and carriers pull back. In this episode, we sit down with Steve Duff, CEO of the Big “I” of Indiana, to unpack what’s really shaping the future of independent agencies. From rising premiums and courtroom pressures to capital, consolidation, and community, Steve brings clarity to the forces colliding across the industry—and what it takes to keep local expertise strong when the stakes are high.

Steve shares his journey from a 22-year-old lobbyist to association leader and opens the playbook on how Indiana sustains a resilient property-casualty market through targeted advocacy, practical education, and intentional connection. It’s a candid look at leadership, market realities, and the systems that help agencies not just survive—but stand up stronger.

Key Topics We Cover 

• Indiana’s association structure and why it works
• Shifts from classroom CE to online learning
• Community building through low‑cost events
• Legal support, E&O access, and M&A guidance
• Agency consolidation, valuations, and regeneration
• AI as efficiency, not a relationship replacement
• How lobbying actually works at the Statehouse
• Tort reform priorities and nuclear verdict costs
• Third‑party litigation funding and transparency
• Perpetuation planning and leadership lessons

We close by connecting the dots between the Statehouse, the courthouse, and your clients’ premiums. Steve explains how education-first lobbying, coalition building, and targeted tort reform could stabilize capacity and pricing—and why nuclear verdicts ultimately hit everyday families, farms, and small fleets. He also reflects on leadership lessons learned, the responsibility of serving members well, and his goal to leave the association stronger than he found it.

If you care about keeping insurance local, affordable, and smart, this episode delivers insight you can use now. Subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway or question—we’ll feature listener feedback in an upcoming episode

What if the most valuable benefit in your company isn’t a perk, but a person? In this episode, we sit down with Marcus Schrader—president and CEO of Workforce Chaplains—to explore how confidential, relational care inside the workplace is addressing the emotional and spiritual needs that traditional EAPs and wellness programs often miss. From shop floors to corporate offices, Marcus reveals why more leaders are investing in chaplains and care coaches to strengthen culture, retention, and performance. Here’s what we dive into: 

• faith roots and discovery of corporate chaplaincy
• founding story and early risks
• scale across companies, states and locations
• post‑2020 surge in need and demand
• inclusive care model without proselytizing
• where and how conversations happen
• triage boundaries and referral networks
• part‑time team model and recruitment
• ROI for leaders, retention and culture gains
• transformation stories and long‑tail impact
• fatherhood insights that shape care
• resolve to lead at home and at work

Whether you’re rethinking employee support, exploring care coaches, or building a culture where people feel truly seen, this conversation gives you a practical roadmap to start. If the insights resonated, subscribe to the show, share this episode with a leader who values people, and leave a review to help others discover these conversations. 

In this episode, Ben and Todd sit down with Dr. Chad Nowlin, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of Energy Physio. Dr. Chad shares his journey out of the traditional corporate physical therapy model and unveils his cash-pay approach focused on root cause pain relief. He opens up about the limitations of diagnosis-based care, the power of preventative MSK strategies for employers, and his discovery of the Keystone Reset, arguing that better outcomes are achieved by changing the way people move, not just how they feel.

Main Talking Points

• Dr. Chad's path from a high-volume corporate physical therapist to a cash-pay entrepreneur.
• The critical differences between insurance-based and cash-pay physical therapy models.
• The philosophy behind the Keystone Reset and treating the whole body (ankles, hips, shoulders) to solve local pain (e.g., low back).
• Why pain is a "lagging indicator" and the focus should be on leading indicators like movement quality.
• The huge opportunity for preventative MSK screening for employers and its ROI.
• A new model for triaging care using virtual assessments and navigating patients to high-quality local cash practitioners.
• How this preventative framework can drastically reduce employer work comp and health plan claims by addressing issues before they require surgery, injections, or excessive medication.

In this episode, Ben and Todd sit down with Michael Klein, Executive Vice President of Personal Insurance at Travelers. Michael shares his 35-year journey through the industry from actuary to executive leader and opens up about setbacks, leadership, early career talent, digitization, and why insurance is one of the most misunderstood but meaningful careers in America.

Main Talking Points
 • Michael’s path from math major to actuary to EVP
 • Career setbacks, resilience, and leadership insights
 • Travelers strategy and the future of personal lines
 • Digitization in the independent agent channel
 • Why insurance is misunderstood and why it matters
 • Early career talent, internships, Gamma Iota Sigma
 • Agency and carrier partnership opportunities
 • Stewardship, legacy, and investing in the next generation

Discover how Tommy Martin, CEO of The Tebow Group, turned early business failures into nationwide success and now dedicates his life to amplifying faith, hope, and love through the Tim Tebow Foundation. In this inspiring episode of Risk and Resolve, Tommy shares:

        •        His journey from an “accidental” business owner to building billion-dollar financial firms.
        •        Lessons learned from early business failures that fueled future success.
        •        How timing, innovation, and relationships created rocket-ship growth.
        •        The mission of the Tim Tebow Foundation to serve the “real MVPs” – the most vulnerable people.
        •        Behind-the-scenes stories of anti-human trafficking, orphan care, and special needs ministries.
        •        How impact-driven investing is changing the game for business owners and communities.

Journalist and author Bob Welch joins Risk & Resolve to unpack the making of Resolve, the true story of Lt. Clay Connor’s impossible WWII survival in the Philippines—and what it teaches us about courage, leadership, loyalty, and truth in storytelling. We also dig into the state of journalism, faith, and the duty to honor unsung heroes.  

Main talking points
        •        Why Welch writes people, not “war,” and how Resolve came to be
        •        Clay Connor’s unlikely path from untested officer to respected jungle leader
        •        The pivotal alliance with the Aeta (Pygmy) community and what courage looks like in practice
        •        How to craft narrative: foreshadowing, “breadcrumbs,” keeping secrets, earning the ending
        •        The collapse of local newspapers, objectivity, and standards in modern media
        •        Integrating faith, integrity, and service into life and work
        •        Handling a complicated legacy: telling the whole truth about a hero’s life
        •        The near-miss film deal and why this story still begs for the big screen
        •        Risk taken: Welch’s 2,653-mile Pacific Crest Trail and how it reshaped his confidence
        •        What’s next for Welch: finishing a novel and continuing to mentor writers

In this riveting episode, Clay Conner continues his firsthand account of life in the Philippine jungles during World War II. He reveals the inner workings of the guerrilla resistance, the ruthless political shifts among the Huk bands, and the moral decisions that defined survival. Clay also shares shocking and deeply human stories of Filipino bravery, cultural encounters, and how lessons from war carried into business and life decades later.

Main Talking Points:

• The transformation of the Huk resistance and infiltration by political forces
• Clay’s insights on leadership, control, and manipulation learned from guerrilla warfare
• His near-fatal confrontation with fellow American Lt. Tony Ramsey
• Graphic realities of survival—meals, scarcity, and trust in Filipino allies
• The moral and emotional toll of jungle warfare and betrayal among Americans
• Stories of loyalty and cultural respect between Clay and the Negritos
• Lessons Clay later applied to business and leadership in peacetime

In this Solution Spotlight episode of Risk & Resolve, host Ben Conner sits down with Jory Zunich, SVP of Growth at Nice Healthcare, to explore how one company is rewriting the rules of primary care. From a founder’s frustration with a broken system to a nationwide movement delivering affordable, accessible care — this conversation reveals how healthcare can finally work for everyone.

Episode Highlights:

• The origin story of Nice Healthcare — born from a father’s $700 emergency bill and a mission to fix care
• How virtual, in-home, and workplace visits remove the need for clinics entirely
• Why 70% of everyday healthcare can now be delivered at no cost to employees
• The secret to Nice Healthcare’s quality — full-time, W2 care teams, not gig workers
• How the model includes free prescriptions, labs, X-rays, mental health, and physical therapy
• Why employers across 15 states love it — lower costs, faster access, and real ROI
• The 2026 Indiana launch and exclusive partnership with leading broker firms

A forward-looking episode on innovation, empathy, and the reimagining of American healthcare — not through more complexity, but through simplicity, trust, and care that comes to you.

In this episode of Risk & Resolve, Ben Conner and Todd Hufford dive into Clay Conner’s harrowing encounter with the Hukbalahap rebellion, his relationship with the Negrito tribes, and his reflections on freedom, leadership, and legacy. A gripping look at war, loyalty, and the human spirit amid chaos in post-war Philippines.

Episode 6 of Risk & Resolve continues the incredible story of Clay Conner — American officer, survivor, and reluctant hero of the Philippine resistance. This chapter explores:
        •        His capture and confrontation with the Hukbalahap (Huks) rebellion
        •        The rescue led by 400 Negrito tribesmen
        •        How political power and betrayal shaped his mission
        •        His deep connection and admiration for the Negrito people
        •        Reflections on Filipino culture, the war’s moral toll, and America’s role in the Pacific
        •        His vision for rebuilding and his longing to return to help the Negritos thrive
        •        Insights into guerrilla warfare organization and post-war Philippine politics

A story of courage, conviction, and compassion that bridges history, faith, and legacy.

ACSI President Larry Taylor joins Risk & Resolve to unpack the past, present, and future of Christ-centered education. We talk quality guardrails, teacher pipelines, global growth (especially Africa), and how churches and schools can partner to disciple the next generation.  

Main Talking Points

• Larry’s journey: from public-school coach to leading Prestonwood Christian Academy and now ACSI
• Startup-to-scale lessons: facilities, strategic planning, and “quality control parameters” for mission fidelity
• Paying teachers fairly without pricing out families: tuition assistance and sustainable financial models
• School choice momentum, church partnerships, and stewardship of shared space
• Non-traditional growth: hybrid, homeschool, and online options—meeting “digital native” demand
• Vision 2030: new fields of ministry, educational resources (AI/digital), missional alliances, teacher/leader pipeline
• Vision 2050 focus: Africa’s population boom, training leaders in sensitive regions, and U.S. “education deserts”
• AI as reach and rigor: multilingual PD/content, teacher assistants, and worldview/Socratic tools
• Post-COVID enrollment trends: leveling in places, strong demand pockets with long waitlists
• Personal finish line: legacy, grandkids, and handing off a mature global model at ACSI