When you allow yourself to stay open, curious, and willing to try new approaches, your mind operates at a higher level. This is not simply a motivational idea. It is backed by how the brain works. A calm mind signals that you are safe, and when your brain senses safety, it becomes far more capable of creative thinking, clear reasoning, and effective problem solving.

When the pressure becomes too intense, your amygdala, which serves as your internal danger alarm, steps in and shifts your focus from possibility to protection. You move away from imagination and into survival. Stress tightens your viewpoint, limits new ideas, and makes even simple choices feel heavy. It is not a loss of ability. It is a loss of mental space.

The answer is rarely to push harder. The answer is often to loosen up. Bring some lightness back into your work. Take a short break. Have a genuine laugh. Look at something from a new angle. Give yourself room to breathe. Small moments of play can unlock insights that effort alone cannot create.

When you ease the tension, your brain has the freedom to perform at its highest level, and that is when your most meaningful work begins.

In the hospitality industry, operating margins are often tight, and insurance costs can consume a sizeable portion of the budget. That is why even small inaccuracies in workers compensation calculations can create unnecessary financial strain. When a multi-location hospitality group asked us to review their premium history, the goal was to confirm whether their Experience Modification Rating truly reflected their claims exposure.

Our analysis revealed a subtle but meaningful discrepancy. The rating that had been applied to their policy was higher than it should have been, which directly increased their premium costs. We worked closely with the insurance carrier to support a correction request and ensure the appropriate rating was used for the policy year in question.

In late July, a revised audit was issued that incorporated the accurate Experience Modification Rating of 1.220 rather than 1.233. Although the adjustment may seem minor, the financial impact was anything but. The corrected rating produced a refund of $23,339 for the client.

This result serves as a reminder that even modest errors can lead to significant overpayments. A careful, independent review can uncover overlooked savings and return real dollars back to the bottom line.

In the competitive profession of sales, patience is often the quiet skill that separates average performers from great ones. Many professionals focus only on immediate results, chasing quick wins and rapid responses. But the best sales relationships are not built in a single conversation. They grow over time through consistency, trust, and understanding.

Patience allows a salesperson to focus on people rather than pressure. Most prospects need time to think, compare, and feel confident before they commit. When you stay patient, you give them space to evaluate without feeling pushed. That space creates comfort and comfort builds trust.

Patience also reflects professionalism. When competitors rush, follow up too soon, or give up too quickly, the patient professional remains steady and reliable. Clients notice that calm confidence. It shows you care about their success more than your own agenda.

Sales is a process, not a sprint. Every conversation, follow up, and moment of silence can move a relationship forward if handled with patience. It is not about waiting and doing nothing. It is about staying engaged, consistent, and purposeful until the time is right. The salesperson who practices patience does not just close deals. They build lasting relationships that lead to long-term success.

Premium Recovery Experts’ recent work with an HVAC company perfectly illustrates how subtle errors in workers’ compensation calculations can add up to major overcharges. As part of our standard review process, we analyzed their past audits and experience modification ratings to determine whether their premiums accurately reflected their claims history and payroll exposure.

Our review revealed discrepancies in the experience modification factors applied to two prior policy years. Although the differences appeared minor, even small miscalculations can have a meaningful financial impact. We worked directly with the insurance carrier, NJM, to request corrections on behalf of the client and ensure that the proper experience ratings were applied retroactively.

Once the revised audits were issued, the updated experience modification ratings dropped from .620 to .549 and from .614 to .564. The result was a total refund of $47,662 for overpaid premiums.

Beyond the immediate financial recovery, the corrected experience ratings will help reduce future premium costs and strengthen the company’s financial position moving forward.

This case is another example of how a careful, independent review can uncover hidden savings and deliver measurable results for business owners and CFOs.

In today’s fast-paced and digital world, it can be easy to forget that business still comes down to people. Building real relationships requires more than exchanging business cards or connecting on LinkedIn. The most meaningful professional relationships are built through shared experiences that create memories, build trust, and establish a genuine connection beyond the office.

Shared experiences can take many forms. A round of golf, a lunch meeting, a concert, or attending a sporting event together can open the door to more personal conversations and stronger bonds. These settings naturally lower barriers and allow relationships to develop in a comfortable and authentic way. When people enjoy time together, they begin to understand each other’s personalities, values, and goals. That mutual understanding often becomes the foundation for long-term collaboration and referrals.

One of the most effective ways to deepen these relationships is by hosting industry-focused gatherings such as group lunches or virtual meetups. When you bring together contacts who work in or serve the same industry, the likelihood of shared prospects, clients, and mutual connections increases significantly. These gatherings encourage participants to share insights, challenges, and opportunities while positioning you as a connector who adds value to their network.

The key is to make these experiences enjoyable and intentional. Choose activities that people look forward to and that allow for real conversation. Success in business often comes down to who knows you, who likes you, and who trusts you. Nothing builds trust faster than time well spent together.

When you prioritize shared experiences, you are not just building your network. You are strengthening relationships that can elevate your career, your business, and the opportunities around you.

A recent engagement with a construction company demonstrates just how costly small errors in workers’ compensation audits can become over time. For many businesses, premiums are one of the largest fixed operating expenses, which makes accuracy in payroll classification essential for controlling costs and protecting cash flow.

During our review of the company’s prior audits, we discovered that while they regularly performed concrete flatwork on a portion of their projects, the appropriate classification code for that type of work had never been applied. Instead, auditors consistently used a more expensive code across the board. This oversight inflated premium costs year after year and went unnoticed because the audits otherwise appeared routine.

We worked closely with the client to gather payroll records that documented the scope of their flatwork operations. Once compiled, we presented the case to both the insurance carrier and the state rating authority. The audits were revised, the proper classification applied, and the result was $44,000 in refunds for overpaid premiums. Even more importantly, the correction ensures that their premiums will be calculated correctly moving forward, delivering long-term savings.

This case highlights why business owners and CFOs should never assume their audits are flawless. A detailed review can uncover hidden errors and return significant dollars back to the bottom line.

In life and in business, we get precious few guarantees. One that comes to mind is this: Change is inevitable!

So, how does a business leader stay focused on their goals in a world of constant and swirling change?

Here are three powerful tips to help you stay focused during massive changes:

1. Get extremely clear on your goals. When you have a clearly defined goal, you’re sending a direct message to your mind that what you want is exact. Your marvelous mind goes to work on your behalf to make that idea/dream/vision/specific goal part of your reality. Decide what you want, write it down, and work towards it day by day.

2. Stay focused. In today’s ever-changing world, it’s super easy to get distracted. Make time each day to intentionally focus on your goal through meditation, journaling, or visualizing. This keeps the goal fresh in your mind and it keeps your motivation high. When your mind is laser-focused on your goal, you’ll be able to easily identify what activities bring you closer to
your goal and which ones are just distractions.

3. Apply persistence. In Napoleon Hill’s great work, Think and Grow Rich, he says, “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel. Think about that for a minute: There’s nothing really special or sexy about persistence, but without it, we’re sunk before we even start. Persistence lives in the mind. It is a moment-by-moment choice at times, but the promise is simple – we only fail to achieve our goal if we quit trying. By adopting the mindset outlined above, you’ll be powerfully equipped to get exactly what you want no matter how the world changes around you.

For more mindset tips, please reach out to our good friend Lauren Weibert.

Lauren Weibert
Mindset Coach and Consultant
563-340-3136
lauren@laurenweibert.com
https://laurenweibert.com

At Premium Recovery Experts, we recently had the opportunity to work with a nonprofit organization in California that wanted to ensure their workers’ compensation premiums had been calculated correctly. For organizations with limited budgets, every dollar matters, so a careful review of their past policies was an important step.

Our team began with an analysis of their Experience Modification Rating and identified errors in two different policy years. These errors had directly inflated their premiums and correcting them resulted in substantial savings. We then conducted a detailed review of several past audits, where we uncovered additional problems. A handful of employees had been misclassified in job categories that carried higher rates than were appropriate.

Once these issues were corrected, the nonprofit received over $25,000 in refunds across three separate policy periods. The funds were issued directly to the organization from two different insurance companies, creating an immediate boost to their budget.

The outcome speaks for itself. With no disruption to existing insurance relationships and no upfront cost, this nonprofit was able to recover significant funds that can now be redirected toward its mission.

If your organization has never had an independent review of its workers’ compensation premiums, you could be leaving money behind. Our expertise is finding these errors and securing the refunds you deserve.

Success in sales does not come from occasional bursts of effort.  It comes from consistent, focused action repeated day after day.  The best sales professionals are not necessarily the flashiest or the most aggressive.  They are the ones who build strong habits and stick to them, even when no one is watching.

Consistency is what keeps your pipeline full and your relationships active.  Whether it is making a set number of prospecting calls, following up with leads, engaging on LinkedIn, or setting meetings, it is the small daily activities that create long-term results.  When you show up consistently, you become more reliable, more visible, and more trusted by the people you want to do business with.

Inconsistency leads to peaks and valleys.  One good week will not make up for three weeks of inactivity. That is why it is critical to build daily habits you can commit to.  Block time for outreach, track your activity, and hold yourself accountable.

Sales is not a sprint.  It is a long game that rewards discipline and persistence.  When you commit to showing up every day and doing the work, the results will follow.  Consistency compounds.  It builds your brand, strengthens your network, and leads to measurable success.

One of our recent clients, a small community hospital that also operates a nursing home, reached out to Premium Recovery Experts to take a closer look at their workers’ compensation premiums. Like many healthcare organizations, they had been paying high premiums for years, trusting that their policy classifications were accurate.

Our team conducted a detailed audit and discovered that more than 30 employees had been incorrectly classified under a more expensive job code. These misclassifications resulted in significantly inflated premium costs year after year.

We worked directly with the insurance carrier to correct the classifications on three older policies and ensured that all future policies would reflect the appropriate codes. This not only led to immediate financial recovery but also positioned the hospital for ongoing premium savings moving forward.

The final outcome was a combined total of $141,000 in recovered refunds and future premium reductions.

This success story demonstrates the importance of a thorough review of workers’ compensation audits. Even well-run organizations can have costly errors hiding in the fine print. At Premium Recovery Experts, we specialize in uncovering these mistakes and recovering what your business is rightfully owed.

If your organization has never had an independent audit of past premiums, now is the perfect time to get started. You may be surprised by what we find.