Philosophy in Insurance: Bryan Falchk

What happens when you mix philosophy with insurance? You get a conversation that slows things down - that asks not just what we do, but why we do it.

In this episode, I sit down with Bryan Falchuk, founder of Insurance Evolution Partners, President & CEO of PLRB, author, TEDx speaker, and one of the genuinely good humans in our industry.

We talk about the strange and beautiful overlaps between philosophy and insurance - about control, perception, leadership, and the quiet discipline of doing the right thing, one day at a time.

Bryan opens up about his early fascination with problem-solving, the philosophical grounding behind his books The 50 75 100 Solution and Do a Day, and how those ideas show up in his leadership today. We dive into Stoicism, motivation, modern insurtech, and the simple truth that perception shapes everything, from customer experience to culture.

This isn’t a technical discussion. It’s about the humans behind the spreadsheets and strategies. It’s about how we think, how we lead, and how we make meaning in a business that’s built on uncertainty.

If you’ve ever wondered what philosophy has to do with insurance, or why thoughtful people stay in this industry for decades, this episode might give you a few answers, or at least better questions.

What we cover;

• The story of how Bryan first found his way into insurance (and why he stayed)
• How philosophy - and even a little accidental Stoicism - shapes his leadership and perspective
• The importance of perception in business and relationships
• The danger of hubris in both insurers and insurtechs
• Why “owning your 50%” changes everything
• And how doing a day at a time still matters when you’re running at full speed

A few moments to listen for;

• When Bryan and I talk about what “control” really means
• His take on what insurance enables in the world
• The part about people who hate you, and why that’s sometimes a good thing
• How philosophical ideas like presence and perception play out in claims and leadership

Links & Resources

• BryanFalchuk.com
  — Bryan’s site, books, and TEDx talks
• Future-of-insurance.com
  — for his industry series
• "The 50 75 100 Solution" and "Do a Day" — available wherever you buy books

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Brewing a Legacy: The Story of Edward Lloyd

with Howard Benge, Director of The Insurance Museum

Three hundred years before global markets and skyscrapers, there was a man with a coffee pot and an idea.

Edward Lloyd didn’t come from money. He wasn’t an underwriter, a broker, or a banker. He was a London coffee-house owner in the late 1600s, serving merchants, ship captains, and traders in a city still rising from the ashes of the Great Fire. Yet from his small café on Tower Street, and later Lombard Street, Lloyd built something extraordinary: a meeting place where information, trust, and risk came together.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, Daniel Grimwood-Bird sits down with Howard Benge, Director of the Insurance Museum, to rediscover the real man behind one of the most famous names in insurance. Together they explore the world of 17th-century London - a city of coffee houses, maritime trade, and entrepreneurial energy - and trace how Lloyd’s simple idea of gathering people around conversation became the foundation of a global insurance market.

They discuss:

• How coffee houses became the “WeWorks” of their day - buzzing centres of trade, gossip, and deal-making.
• How the Lloyd's Coffee House we know today, celebrated by the blue plaque on Lombard Street, wasn't it's original home - and why Lloyd moved it.
• The way he gathered news, data, and sea captains to create one of the first real-time information hubs in history.
• How his brand endured long after his death, and why the name Lloyd still defines credibility three centuries later.

Howard also shares the mission behind the Insurance Museum, a project dedicated to preserving the human stories of an industry that quietly underwrites our world.

This is a conversation about legacy, curiosity, and the entrepreneurial spark that built an institution from nothing more than coffee, community, and courage.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood Bird engages in a compelling conversation with Curtis Goldsborough, a dynamic figure in the insurance industry known for blending humor with insightful industry commentary on platforms like LinkedIn.

Curtis shares his unconventional path into insurance, starting from his early aspirations in computer science, through ministry, media, and finally into insurance.

Highlighting his meteoric rise from an entry-level role to becoming the president of an underwriting inspection company, Curtis emphasizes the importance of soft skills, practical experience, and empathy in leadership.

He passionately discusses the industry's shift towards predictive prevention over reactive measures, the need for consumer education, and his creative outlet, 'LO$$ RATIO', which merges humor and critical issues.

Curtis' journey underscores the necessity of evolving industry practices to benefit society as a whole, while also offering a glimpse into his personal life and parental aspirations

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood-Bird welcomes Tee Barr, Director of Product - Geospatial at Verisk Extreme Event Solutions and a part-time lecturer at Northeastern University.

Tee shares a comprehensive overview of their 25-year career in geospatial information and how their passion for geography led them to unexpected roles, including significant stints in defence and intelligence, precision agriculture, and finally, the insurance industry. The conversation delves into the intrinsic role of geospatial technology in various fields, the future of geospatial in insurance, and the industry’s slow adoption of new technologies.

Tee also reflects on their personal journey towards authenticity, coming out as non-binary and queer, and how shedding their 'mask' transformed their personal and professional life.

The episode concludes with Tee discussing leadership, mentorship, and the importance of a supportive network.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel Grimwood-Bird engages in a profound conversation with Mark Huxley, a seasoned expert in the insurance sector with nearly 50 years of experience.

Mark delves into his beginnings in London's East End, his unexpected entry into the world of insurance, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. He shares insights on the evolution of the insurance industry, the entrepreneurial journey of establishing the first outsourced claims TPA, and his dedicated work in promoting social mobility and inclusivity. Mark reflects on influential mentors, the significance of the Lloyd's Lab, and his extensive engagement in the City of London's livery companies. This episode offers a unique perspective on combining professional success with social responsibility, making meaningful contributions, and fostering innovation in the insurance industry.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of 'Humanizing Insurance,' host Daniel welcomes Alex Bond, founder and Managing Partner of FinPro and host of the 'Leadership in Insurance' podcast.

Alex shares his journey in the insurance industry, from starting at RSA to founding his own recruitment company, FinPro. He discusses the cultural differences between the UK and US insurance markets, the importance of bravery and experimentation in one's early career, and his vision for building the best InsurTech recruitment business.

The conversation also touches on personal anecdotes, including Alex's unexpected path from aspiring RAF pilot to acting school, and the lessons he learned along the way.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

In this episode of Humanizing Insurance, host Daniel sits down with Astrid Malval-Beharry, Founder and President at StratMaven.

Astrid shares her journey into and through the insurance industry - from earning her MBA to navigating career changes and relocations. She highlights the power of building a strong professional network and emphasizes the importance of taking ownership of your work-life balance, an insight which inspired her to launch StratMaven.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.

Humanizing Insurance Host Daniel is joined today by Ema Roloff who is the Co-founder & Chief Growth Officer at Roloff Consulting.

In this episode, Ema shares her mindset behind implementing effective strategies that drive businesses forward. With experience both inside and outside the insurance industry, she brings a wealth of insight that she is eager to share through her business. She’s especially passionate about working with insurers, believing it’s an industry full of untapped potential.

Humanizing Insurance is bought to you by Daniel Grimwood-Bird. It's a passion project, driven by the evergreen phrase 'Insurance is a people industry'.

Through each conversation, we explore the stories, experiences, and ideas that make our world of insurance more human - from the pioneers and innovators shaping its future to the quiet leaders who hold its traditions together.

This podcast exists to remind us that behind every policy, premium, and claim is a person, someone making decisions, taking risks, and protecting what matters most.

If these stories resonate with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who still believes in the people side of this business.

You can also connect with Daniel on LinkedIn to continue the conversation, recommend guests, or request a topic that you'd like to know more about.

Humanizing Insurance — one conversation at a time.