Placing You First Insurance Podcast by CRC Group

Urban wildfires are rewriting the rules of home insurance, and the details matter more than ever. We sit down with Brittany Martin, Personal Lines Team Leader for CRC’s Western Region, to break down the construction features, spacing standards, and modeling tools that are redefining eligibility in California, Colorado, and beyond. From tempered glass and enclosed eaves to ember-resistant vents and Class A roofs, we get specific abo...

Spills don’t wait for business hours, and neither should your coverage. We dig into transportation pollution liability with Mike Padula, President of Starwind Environmental, to discuss why relying solely on MCS-90 or CA 99 48 can leave painful gaps when real-world logistics meet environmental scrutiny. From remote cleanups to loading dock mishaps, we break down how TPL delivers true risk transfer, rapid response, and specialized cl...

What if repairs didn’t stall your schedule or drain your cash while invoices pile up? We sit down with Starwind Equipment Services’ president, Randi Glaszer, to unpack a smarter way to protect heavy equipment—one that matches the way contractors actually buy, finance, and fix their machines.

We break down how multi‑year physical damage insurance on admitted paper can be written to the life of a lease or loan, with rates lo...

Sexual abuse and molestation claims have skyrocketed in recent years, creating significant financial and reputational risks for organizations across various sectors. The numbers are staggering – $651 million in settlements in 2023 alone, with each settlement exceeding $1 million. What's driving this dramatic increase, and how can organizations protect themselves?

Michelle Levine, SVP with CRC San Francisco, pulls back the curta...

ChatGPT reached a million users in just five days, while Bank of America's AI assistant Erica has handled over two billion customer interactions without human intervention. The AI revolution in banking isn't coming—it's already here, transforming how financial institutions operate and creating complex liability questions few insurance policies directly address.

Mark Waldeck, Team Leader and Broker with CRC Chicago, ta...

Rising construction costs coupled with widespread labor shortages have created a perfect storm for homeowners facing property losses. The gap between insurance coverage and actual rebuilding expenses continues to widen, putting families at significant financial risk..

Mary Roy, Senior Underwriting Team Leader at CRC Group, breaks down the complex factors driving this trend. The fundamental difference between new construction and rec...

In this conversation with Starwind Cannabis leaders Tony McIntosh and Eric Morrison, we unpack why traditional insurance approaches fall short for cannabis operations. From navigating the complex regulatory framework to addressing distinctive risk profiles like high-value crops and cash-heavy transactions, cannabis businesses face challenges that standard BOPs simply weren't designed to handle. The discussion tackles persisten...

Severe convective storms are reshaping America's insurance landscape, hitting communities harder and more frequently than ever before. What used to be a defined spring storm season has expanded into a year-round threat, leaving homeowners, businesses, and insurers scrambling to adapt.

Join hosts Amanda Knight and Scott Gordon as they dive into the growing crisis with guests Ben Tschepikow from CRC Group's Arkansas office a...

Six years and 100 episodes later, the Placing You First podcast welcomes back Neil Kessler, CEO of CRC Specialty and Benefits, who was our very first guest in 2019. What a journey it's been! The transformation runs deep—while our collaborative, hustle-driven culture remains intact, we've become an entirely different organization.

Perhaps most significant has been our shift to an ownership mindset. Looking ahead, our focus ...

Every business with a social media account now faces media liability exposures that were once limited to publishers and broadcasters. This reality stands at the core of our fascinating conversation with Mario Romero, a professional lines broker specializing in media and entertainment coverage with CRC Group in Los Angeles.

The digital transformation has democratized content creation while simultaneously introducing complex liability...

The healthcare insurance landscape is rapidly evolving beyond traditional pain points, creating new challenges for retail agents seeking coverage for specialized risks. From ketamine clinics to advanced med spas, these emerging sectors require specialist navigation to secure appropriate protection. Healthcare has always presented unique insurance complexities, but today's market features several particularly difficult placemen...

Technology is reshaping insurance placement, but the most powerful solutions don't just automate—they amplify human expertise. This fascinating conversation with Team CRC's ExecPro Broker Brian Benda and Director of Digital Distribution Erin Dyer reveals how CRC’s Quick Quotes platform delivers exactly that balance.

Quick Quotes began as an internal tool refined over five years before being extended to retail par...

Learn more about navigating cyber threats and insurance with insights from Hunter Maskell, a Director with the CRC / INSUREtrust Cyber Practice Group and Professional Lines Broker Chris Zepeda. Ransomware attacks are making a sophisticated resurgence, matching the concerning levels of 2020 and 2021. Despite strides in incident response, the financial strain from business interruptions and legal battles lingers. While current market...

Could "forever chemicals" like PFAS be the new asbestos for the insurance industry? Join us on the Placing You First podcast as we unpack this pressing issue with CRC Environmental Broker Sean McLaughlin. We explore how these persistent chemicals infiltrate our everyday lives, from kitchen cookware to essential firefighting gear, raising alarming health concerns. Listen as we navigate the complexities of managing PFAS ris...

Learn more about safeguarding your business against one of the most insidious threats today—social engineering fraud. Join us as we sit down with specialists, Lori Wheeler and Jackie Leslie from CRC's ExecPro Practice Group, who share their invaluable insights into the growing prevalence and sophistication of these cyber threats. Gain a thorough understanding of how these scams have surpassed even ransomware in frequency and t...

Summary: Join hosts Amanda Knight and Scott Gordon as they engage with industry specialists Tyler O'Connor, Josh Anderson, and Michelle Earle to dissect the seismic shift from admitted carriers to the thriving Excess and Surplus (E&S) market. You’ll learn precisely why high-severity claims and social inflation are pushing human services organizations toward E&S solutions, especially during a mental health crisis. The c...

Ever wondered how the latest advancements in GLP-1 medications are revolutionizing the treatment of diabetes and obesity? Join us for an insightful conversation with healthcare brokers Scott Scheiblin and Chip Wenges as they unravel the complexities and opportunities these groundbreaking drugs bring to healthcare providers. You'll discover the hidden pitfalls of improper prescribing practices, the looming threat of regulatory ...

Learn how to master submissions for small and midsize property placements with insights from Destinie Kindle a seasoned Underwriting Team Leader with CRC Group's Fort Worth Texas office. Discover how precise and detailed property submissions can be a game-changer in securing optimal insurance coverage. Destinie shares her specialist advice on enhancing your submission process, including the crucial details often overlooked.

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Imagine the financial and logistical nightmare of discovering that a single contaminated ingredient has infiltrated multiple food products across your supply chain. That's exactly what we're examining with John O'Malley and Chris Martin from CRC Group's Minneapolis office. This episode unravels the complex web of costs and liabilities that ensue from food recalls, using real-world incidents to stress the importa...