In the business world, headwinds are obstacles that prevent or slow down growth: rising costs, supply-chain malfunctions, and yes, pandemics. Tailwinds, on the other hand, are events or conditions that make progress easier and speed up growth: think favorable interest rates, higher employment and vaccines.

But headwinds aren't necessarily negative. In fact, they're sometimes necessary for success. Take the last time you had to fly somewhere for business, for example. As your plane rolled down the runway, your pilot was likely hoping for a headwind, because it creates greater flow of air over the wings and reduces the ground speed needed for takeoff.

It's an apt metaphor for the effects of the pandemic on the voluntary industry in recent years. The health and economic woes certainly created challenges for the ways brokers and voluntary carriers normally interact with their clients and employees' wallet share. But those headwinds eventually helped the industry take off, as more employees discovered the physical and financial value of voluntary protection, while brokers in some distribution channels found new opportunities to expand their business.