What’s the good news, ladies?  Pancake edition 

If you follow me, you know that my mind has been on pancakes lately, so please forgive my tardiness on this article!  As many of you know, I run an annual fundraiser for a Veterans Clinic called “Pancakes for Roger” where we collect pictures from all over the world of people enjoying pancakes as a reminder to enjoy the little things in life and to pay homage to my late father, Major General Roger E Combs.  For every picture we get, we make a donation to help veterans across the country.  You might be thinking, “What does this have to do with insurance?” To be honest, my career in insurance has given me the ability to start this grassroots effort and we wouldn’t be where we are as an official not for profit corporation if it wasn’t for the support from this industry.  Countless friends and colleagues take part every year and it just warms my heart.  

Ethics are the cornerstone of our industry. As stewards of health care, our foremost duty is to our clients – guiding them through the complexities with integrity and compassion. Our commitment extends beyond profit margins; it’s about prioritizing people over everything else. Our staff, vital to our mission, come next, ensuring they’re supported and empowered. And those of us that are business owners? We come last, because true success lies in serving others selflessly.  Two women who I see live this out loud are our next two features: Melissa and Rachel, welcome to the fold!

Melissa Burkhart, Futuro Sólido USA

“In the past 12 months… wow.  I am not sure where to start, but it was very gratifying indeed to be invited to speak at three very well-respected employee benefits conferences, both in-person and virtually.  Perhaps the most noteworthy of these was leading a panel at BenefitsPRO 2023 in Atlanta, titled “Winning, Serving, and Retaining Groups with Hard-to-Reach Employees.”   Anyone who has spoken with me about Futuro Sólido for more than 30 seconds knows that this topic is very near and dear to my heart, and that it reflects my personal purpose as well as my company’s mission.  Leading a panel at the benefits industry’s flagship event was an honor and privilege.  I am extremely proud to be the only CEO of a language service provider who shows up at these events and who invests every day in employee benefits education for speakers of other languages.”

Rachel Fox, Sunny Day Fund

“I’m using my 22 years in the employee benefits arena to help build a new benefit category – you don’t see that everyday! You can usually find me on my sunny soapbox on TikTok or LinkedIn talking about emergency savings accounts (ESAs) as an employee benefit to help keep people from raiding their 401(k)s. Usually, these raids are not huge withdrawals where people are buying some luxury second home – this is people just trying to survive. Many workers are drowning in debt because we’ve made debt resources so ubiquitous – yet savings strategies are tough to find, even through payroll where their income originates. I mean, their savings account at the bank is paying 0.46% APY but their credit card cash back rewards are 5% – see what’s happening here? So, my mission is to improve the financial outcomes of workers of all incomes, by bringing ESAs into the core of the benefit stack.”

Calling all trailblazing women in our industry!  If you know someone who’s breaking barriers, making waves, and inspiring others, we want to celebrate them! Nominate the incredible women in your network by sending an email to scombs@combsandco.com. And don’t be afraid to introduce yourself!   Join our Wonder Woman Crew and let’s shine a spotlight on these phenomenal leaders together!