Lion Specialty

Podcast Co-Host - Conversations in the LIONS' DEN

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides employee benefits, property & casualty, retirement, and individual insurance and wealth management solutions through our licensed subsidiaries and affiliates.Our expertise is matched only by our personal commitment to each client’s goals.

Senior Vice President

Marsh McLennan

Vice President

JLT Specialty USA

JLT Specialty USA is the U.S. platform of the leading specialty business advisory firm Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group. Our experts are specialty focused and have extensive experience in industries and products serving leading U.S. and global firms. We focus on complex areas of industry or product need, where innovation and optimization are critical. 

Our specialty team has clear alignment around our clients’ best interests and are judged and rewarded based on our clients performance. With decisive insights, our team is fact-based and analytics-driven to create the best insights and value for our clients. 

Our culture enables a rewarding and challenging environment to attract and develop the best talent in the industry. We encourage creativity and are free to challenge conventions. With teamwork and collaboration, we are working together to share knowledge, solve problems and deliver the best solutions for our clients. 

Jardine Lloyd Thompson is one of the world’s leading providers of insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits-related advice, brokerage and associated services. JLT’s client proposition is built upon its deep specialist knowledge, client advocacy, tailored advice and service excellence. JLT is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and owns offices in 40 territories with more than 10,600 employees. Our global foundation is unparalleled and provides experts worldwide in 135 countries. 

For further information about JLT, please visit our website www.jltus.com

Broker Director and Officer's liability insurance for clients around the globe.

Assistant Vice President

The Aspen Institute

Development Intern

American Property Solutions

Developed Business Plan

Bitzer Real Estate Partners

Intern

LION Specialty is one of the only independent broker that positions financial institutions clients to trade effectively in the global insurance markets.

As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at LION Specialty, I offer a distinct combination of skills and a personalized approach to navigate the dynamic landscape of the global insurance market.
Our focus lies in empowering middle-market financial institutions, which are frequently overlooked by larger brokerage firms, by providing them with innovative tools for risk management and decision-making.

With our long-standing global relationships and experience, we elevate these institutions with our innovative solutions and client service platform.
What sets us apart:

• Decades of experience in our niche, with accolades for our team's effectiveness.
• Exclusive access to a Lloyd's of London program, a rarity in our field.
• Recognition from our peers as one of the best teams to work with.
• The ability to keep our clients up to date with dynamic market conditions with the use of AI tools.

I have 50,490 hours of expertise within the insurance industry focusing specifically on banks, (Re)insurance companies, private equity firms, ILS funds, and investment managers.

My passion lies in developing distinctive solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of each client.
Since the start of my career, I’ve always been driven and results-oriented. Always willing to put in the extra hours and time to get the job done.

After starting in real estate, I jumped over to the insurance world where I teamed up with LION’S co-founder, Mark Flippen. 

Within months, the two of us were landing and converting meetings at a rapid clip. Our passion for insurance and our strong work ethic led us down the path of creating LION Specialty. 

Outside of the financial industry, I enjoy teaching Pilates, exploring the world, and spending time with family and friends.

Interested in discovering how our decades of experience contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of insurance companies in the commercial insurance market? Send me a message and let's connect.

Natasha I.  Kiemnec, ARM

This industry runs on relationships.
Today I'm grateful for every single one.

The clients who trusted us before we had a track record. 

The carriers who partnered with us when LION was just an idea and a business plan. 

The team members who bet their careers on what Flip and I were building.

We started LION with a simple belief: financial institutions deserved better.

Better coverage. 
Better advocacy. 
Better understanding of what they were actually buying.

What we didn't anticipate was how many people would show up to help us prove it.

Underwriters who spent extra hours getting manuscripts right. Clients who referred us before we asked. Industry friends who made introductions just because they believed in what we were doing.

Insurance is a relationship business. 
Everyone says it.

But you don't really understand it until you're building something from scratch and watching people choose to support you; not because they have to, but because they want to.

To our clients: Thank you for trusting us with what matters most.

To our carriers: Thank you for partnering with us to build something different.

To our team: Thank you for making LION what it is.

To Mark Flippen for making the leap with me, and trying something that virtually no one in our industry does. 
 
To this industry: Thank you for twenty years of relationships that turned into friendships.

To the new connections: We’re learning how to build in public and on socials because of you!

To my family and friends: I love you for all the support helping me get to this point!

To my love David Gutierrez, your unwavering love and support has made this possible for me. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who's been part of this journey.

Today I'm not thinking about coverage gaps or policy language.

Just gratitude and love ❤️

Managing Partner & Co-founder of LION Specialty | Global Financial Institutions & Private Equity Broker | Classical Certified Pilates Instructor

If your insurance policy is 200 pages long, it's probably hiding something.
Ours is 35:

I've spent the last 10 years reading what most people avoid…
Hundreds of pages of insurance forms. 

I've tracked how they perform at claim time, mapped exclusions that didn't hold up, and watched policy language fail when it mattered most.

So believe me when I tell you this: complexity isn't protection.

LION’s solution is our Lloyd's Manuscript.

We're now on version four.

Not because we keep getting it wrong. 

Because we keep making it better.

Version one: At JLT, we picked the top 20 writers of insurance company professional liability - basically everyone who writes it - and reviewed their contracts section by section.

Insuring agreements. 
Notice provisions. 
Defense and settlement. 
Allocation. 
Exclusions with carve-backs.

We crafted language simple enough to understand but sophisticated enough for London to back it.

Version two: Public company variation. 

Realized the private company version needed tweaks we hadn't caught the first time.

Version three: Left for another firm. 

Couldn't take our IP. Had to write it again from scratch - which forced us to see what had become outdated, where definitions didn't match up.

Version four: Built LION. 

Rewrote it completely. More succinct. Reordered exclusion sections. Pulled general terms into one place. Made notice crystal clear.

Each iteration taught us something:

How "for" lead-in language on conduct exclusions creates full defense cost carve-backs. 

How "true best effort" allocation language performs under pressure. 

How integrated forms beat 50+ endorsements stitched together.

Here's what four versions got us:

Technical precision: Covers full scope of FI services. Flexible claims trigger. Exclusions with carve-backs for how insurers actually operate. 

Optional punitive damages through London, Bermuda, Ireland. Integration with reinsurance that fills gaps where you'd otherwise pay.

Structural elegance: D&O, E&O, EPLI, fiduciary in clear sections. 

Crime and cyber as modular add-ons. 35 pages of core coverage vs industry standard 150+.

Market validation: Primary capacity to $10M. Excess to $100M in UK. Nine Lloyd's syndicates pre-approved. Tested through countless real claim scenarios.

Most brokers place your business into existing structures.

We build structures designed specifically for your business.
Because we don't write to impress.
We write to respond.

If you want to chat about coverage, my DMs are always open.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance.

JSESSIONID

li_at

15 years in insurance taught me what no training manual covers.
Here are the unspoken rules that matter most:

1. Your relationships matter more than your resume

The best placements don't come from knowing products. 

They come from knowing the underwriter who can make exceptions, the claims executive who will fight for your client, the coverage counsel who understands nuance.

Build relationships before you need them.

2. Saying no is a skill

Early in my career, I said yes to everything. 

Every client call. 
Every project. 
Every "quick question."

I learned the hard way: overcommitment leads to mediocre work. Boundaries create space for excellence.

3. Ask questions that make you look junior

I was 24 manuscripting policies with general counsels from top 30 insurance companies. I asked questions that probably annoyed them.

But asking questions when you don't understand builds expertise faster than pretending you do.

4. Own your mistakes immediately

Coverage errors happen. 
Notification delays happen. 
Miscommunications happen.

The brokers who survive own them fast. The ones who spiral try to hide them.

5. Find people ahead of you who will teach

Senior brokers who invested time teaching me line-by-line coverage changed my career. 

Mentorship is earned through showing up prepared and being easy to work with.

6. Physical discipline supports mental performance

I was working until 10 PM and hitting the gym at 4:30 AM. Not despite the long hours - because of them.

You can't sustain high performance on declining physical capacity.
Insurance rewards endurance. 

Build for it.

Nobody told me these rules at 22. 

I learned them through trial, failure, and watching others succeed or burn out.

What unspoken rules have shaped your career?

Building insurance expertise through hard-earned lessons. Follow along.

the unspoken rules of insurance

Most insurance renewals are just photocopies of last year's decisions.
Here's why that's costing financial institutions millions:

An insurance company came to us last year after 12 years with the same broker.

Their coverage had been "renewed" annually.
Premiums negotiated down.
Limits maintained.

Everyone congratulated themselves on another successful cycle.
Then we actually looked at the program.

Their business had completely transformed over those 12 years. 

New product lines. 
Different distribution model. 
Expanded geography. 

Regulatory requirements that didn't exist when the program was designed.

But their coverage?

Still built for who they were in 2012.

We found exclusions that eliminated protection for 40% of their current revenue. Notice provisions that assumed a corporate structure they'd abandoned years ago. Limits that made sense for their old book but left them catastrophically underinsured for their actual exposure.

Twelve years of renewals.
Not one fundamental coverage review.
This wasn't a bad broker.

The standard renewal cycle rewards efficiency over effectiveness. Brokers have 90 days to get signatures. Carriers want minimal changes. Clients want lower premiums. Everyone's incentive is to keep things moving.

Nobody's incentive is to stop and ask: "Does this still fit?"

At LION, we built the opposite approach.

Every renewal starts with a simple question: If we were designing this program from scratch today, what would it look like?

We map current exposures against existing coverage.
We stress-test provisions against actual claim scenarios in your sector.
We compare your program to our manuscript standard built from hundreds of global form reviews.

Only then do we negotiate.

The regional insurer?

We restructured their entire program. 
Eliminated exclusions that would have gutted their next claim. 
Rewrote notice provisions for their actual corporate structure. 

Rebuilt limits around real exposure, not historical habit.

The insurance market rewards brokers who renew fast.

We built LION to reward clients who renew right.

Because coverage that doesn't fit isn't coverage at all.

It's expensive false confidence.

~

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

We've reviewed every major D&O form in the global market.
Here's why that matters more than any carrier relationship:

Early in my career, I spent six months reading insurance policies line by line with the general counsels who write them.

Not summaries. 
Not broker guides. 
The actual manuscript language that determines whether claims get paid.

That education changed everything about how I evaluate coverage.

Most brokers review forms comparatively. "This carrier's form is better than that carrier's form." Relative judgments based on limited samples.

We review forms against an absolute standard.

Over the past decade, we've built a manuscript benchmark from hundreds of policy reviews across London, Bermuda, and domestic markets. 

Every provision. 
Every exclusion. 
Every definition that matters when claims hit.

When we tell a client "this language is non-standard," we're not guessing. We've seen what standard actually looks like across the entire market.

Last quarter, a specialty insurer brought us their renewal. Their current broker called it "market-leading coverage."

We found eleven provisions that deviated from our manuscript standard. Three of them would have materially impacted their next claim.

One exclusion effectively eliminated coverage for their fastest-growing business line. The broker who placed it had never seen a form without that exclusion, so they assumed it was standard.

It wasn't. We'd seen dozens of forms without it.

The difference between "standard" and "best available" often comes down to how many forms you've actually reviewed.

We've reviewed more than anyone.

That's not a boast. It's a methodology.

Because when you're negotiating coverage, the broker who's seen the most forms knows what's actually possible.

Everyone else is guessing.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG
LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

People ask how I catch details others miss in insurance policies.
The answer goes back to my mom's design firm:

My mom was the head designer at my parents' company for 35 years. Every project that left their office went through her review.

Line by line. 
Layout by layout. 
Color by color.

She'd check once. Then check again. Then check a third time.

Because if something went out wrong - wrong installation, wrong art, wrong color specification - they paid for it.

Out of pocket. 
Their own company. 
Their own money.

That kind of financial exposure creates a particular kind of obsession with getting it right.

I didn't realize I was learning anything. 

I just saw my mom reviewing projects at the kitchen table, marking up drawings, catching errors before they became expensive mistakes.

But that checking discipline sank in deeper than I knew.

In school, I'd review my work the same way. Once for completion. Again for accuracy. A third time before submission. I became valedictorian not because I was smarter - because I caught what I'd missed.

Now in insurance, that same pattern shows up everywhere.

I check quotes line by line.
Read binders multiple times. 
Review policies until I've seen every provision, every definition, every exclusion.

Not once. 
Multiple times.

Because the details that matter most hide in plain sight. 

You only find them through systematic repetition.

The best disciplines get formed before you know you'll need them.

I learned to check for costly errors in design projects. 

Now I check for coverage gaps in insurance programs.

Different industry. 
Same foundation. 
Same obsession.

Building insurance expertise through systematic discipline. Follow along

Natasha Kiemnec

Most brokers start your renewal 60 days before expiration.
We start 150 days out. Here's why that gap determines everything:

The standard renewal timeline is built for broker efficiency, not client outcomes.

60 days gives you enough time to get quotes, compare pricing, and secure signatures. It's enough time to transact.

It's not enough time to transform.

At 60 days, you're reacting. 

Carriers set the pace. 
Market conditions dictate terms. 
You negotiate around the edges of whatever they offer.

At 150 days, you're shaping the market.

Here's what those extra 90 days actually buy:

Days 150-120: We run a complete exposure audit. 

Not "what did you buy last year" but "what do you actually need today." 

Business changes. 
Risk profiles shift. 
Coverage should evolve with you.

Days 120-90: We stress-test your current program against real scenarios. Regulatory investigations. 
Cyber incidents. 
Coverage disputes we've seen in your sector. 
We identify gaps while there's time to fix them.

Days 90-60: We go to market with a clear mandate. 
Not "renew this program" but "here's exactly what we need and why." Carriers respond differently when brokers demonstrate systematic preparation.

Days 60-30: We negotiate from strength. 

Because we've done the work, we know exactly which provisions matter and which are noise. 

We don't waste leverage on immaterial changes.

Days 30-0: We execute cleanly. 

No surprises. 
No last-minute scrambles. 
Coverage bound with full documentation and implementation protocols.

A regional MGA came to us mid-cycle last year. Their expiration was 45 days out.

We told them the truth: we couldn't do our full process in that window. We could transact their renewal, but we couldn't transform their program.

They waited. Renewed with their current broker for one more year. Came back to us at 150 days.

The program we built was fundamentally different. 
Better limits. 
Fewer exclusions. 
Coverage that actually matched their current business model.

The 60-day timeline would have given them another year of the same.
The 150-day timeline gave them protection that actually works.
Time is the difference between transaction and transformation.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

At 22, I was learning from everyone around me.

At 35, I'm teaching what took me 15 years to learn:

At my first Insurance job, I was the youngest person on the team. Everyone else had law degrees or finance masters.

I showed up early. Stayed late. Asked questions that probably annoyed people.

But the senior brokers who took time to teach me? They changed everything.

They'd sit with me line by line through policies. Walk me through carrier 
negotiations. Explain why certain language mattered more than others.

They didn't have to. I wasn't generating revenue yet. I was slowing them down.

But they invested anyway.

By 27, I was building FI teams at JLT. Taking what I'd learned and applying it to bigger accounts, more complex coverage, higher stakes.

The pattern became clear: growth happens through community.

Not just taking knowledge in, but passing it forward.

Now, I'm co-founding LION and mentoring the next generation of insurance pros.

The junior broker who asks questions that slow me down? I remember being her.

The person who needs someone to sit with them through a complicated form? I remember needing that.

The best expertise doesn't stay locked in one person's experience.
It multiplies when you share it.

That's what mentorship actually is - not networking events and coffee chats, but sitting in the details with someone until they understand it the way you do.

Real impact multiplies through others.

Who are you helping grow?

P.S. Ready to accelerate your insurance expertise? DM me - I save spots for committed learners ready to grow.

Your policy has exclusions written in 1987 responding to risks that no longer exist. And new risks with no exclusions at all. Here's why that matters:

I was reviewing a D&O policy for a specialty insurer last month. 

Standard form. 
Top-rated carrier. 
Nothing unusual.

Then I found it.

An exclusion for "computer virus transmission" written in language that clearly predated modern cyber threats. It referenced "magnetic tape" and "diskette transfer."

Nobody uses diskettes anymore. But the exclusion was still there.

Meanwhile, the policy had no clear treatment of AI-related liability. 

Algorithmic decision-making. Automated underwriting errors. The risks keeping their GC up at night.

This is what I call Exclusion Archaeology.

Policy forms accumulate provisions over decades. Carriers add exclusions after bad claims. They rarely remove obsolete ones. The result is coverage shaped by 1990s losses responding to 2025 exposures.

When we review policies, we date every exclusion. Not literally - but we identify which risks each provision was designed to address and whether those risks still exist in that form.

Then we map current exposures against exclusionary language.

The gaps are always surprising.

That specialty insurer had robust protection against risks from the floppy disk era. They had almost nothing addressing how their AI pricing model might create liability.

Their broker had negotiated hard on premium. Nobody had questioned whether the exclusions matched modern reality.

We rewrote their program. Removed three obsolete exclusions. Added specific coverage grants for their actual technology stack. Negotiated AI liability treatment that their old form didn't contemplate.

The insurance market builds policies through accumulation, not design.
Elite coverage requires excavating what's actually in there - and rebuilding for current reality.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

In 2023 I got my Pilates instructor certification. 

Here are 3 lessons from 450 hours of training:

1. Physical practice improves mental performance

Morning movement clears decision fog. Body awareness enhances presence. 

Breath work calms market stress. Energy management beats time management.

2. Teaching others deepens personal mastery

Breaking down complex moves mirrors explaining coverage. Student progress reveals leadership insights. 

Different learning styles need different approaches. Small adjustments create major improvements.

3. Consistent practice compounds results

Daily habits matter more than occasional effort. Precision beats intensity. 

Balance prevents burnout. Sustainable progress outperforms sprints.

The insurance executive who became a Pilates instructor?

She didn't leave her career. 

Balance drives sustained growth. Discipline creates freedom. Movement enhances clarity. Integration beats separation.

At LION, we do more than talk about work-life balance.

We build it into our culture. Midday workouts. Diverse interests. Clear standards with room to grow past them.

Because people who only do insurance will eventually do insurance poorly.

Your competitive edge isn't sacrificing everything for one goal.

It's building a life where different pursuits strengthen each other.

How do you integrate your passions with your profession?

♻️ Repost to inspire holistic leadership.

Underwriters stopped asking if your vault is locked.
Now, they're asking if your robot employees have a human babysitter...

CFOs, CISOs, and risk managers at financial institutions:

Last Thursday's Anthropic disclosure fundamentally changed how we think about cyber risk.

And more importantly, what you need to do about it before renewal.

Chinese state actors convinced Claude it was a security professional conducting authorized testing.

Then gave it the capability to touch real systems autonomously.

The result: 30 simultaneous attacks across tech giants, banks, and federal agencies.

80-90% automated. 
Machine speed. 
Thousands of operations per second.

We've spent the week digesting Anthropic's forensic report, talking with our carrier counterparties, and fielding calls from clients who thought their AI governance covered this.

Most governance policies address employees using ChatGPT inappropriately.

They never contemplated ChatGPT becoming the criminal.

Most policies are silent on AI. And silence means potential denial when your AI hallucinates and destroys critical data.

The market split into three camps: broad AI exclusions, $1-5M sublimits, or premium surcharges.

Your renewal timeline just accelerated by six months.

If you want the breakdown of what sophisticated institutions are implementing right now (hardware keys, explicit AI coverage language, human-in-the-loop documentation)…

Read about it in this week's LION Specialty Friday Five Boardroom Briefing.

Comment "BRIEF" below if you're not on our distribution…

"You're not spending summers at home."
That one parenting decision shaped how I see risk:

Starting at age 5, my parents had a rule: summers were for experiencing the world.

Eight to ten weeks at camp. French language immersion. Study abroad programs before most kids left the state.

At 14, I was hiking Machu Picchu. At 15, I was living on a boat in the Caribbean.

By college, I'd done three study abroads. Not because I was running from home - because I was learning to see the world through different lenses.

My parents understood something most don't:
Your perspective determines how you assess risk.

If you only see the world from one vantage point, you miss threats others see clearly. You misread opportunities that are obvious to people with different experience.

A white American girl from the middle of the country has blind spots. The only way to address them is exposure.

That early travel completely changed how I approach insurance.

Risk isn't just domestic. Financial institutions operate globally. Markets shift based on international dynamics. Coverage needs change based on regulatory environments across jurisdictions.

If I'd only understood risk from a US perspective, I'd miss half of what matters.

Now at LION, we're building with that same philosophy - global perspective, international footprint, understanding risk across markets and jurisdictions.
The best risk assessment comes from people who've seen problems from multiple angles.

Early exposure shapes how you see everything that follows.

What experiences shaped how you assess risk?

Building insurance expertise through global perspective. Follow along.

Insurance language shouldn't require a law degree to understand.

So we broke down stuffy 50-page industry forms into a simple ~30 page manuscript:

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
Most FI policies run 50+ pages of dense technical jargon.

Contradictory endorsements. Nested definitions that reference other definitions. Exclusions buried in subsection C of clause 7.

We created a manuscript that's only 35 pages.

Clear language. 
Logical structure. 
Comprehensive coverage.

Here's why this matters for financial institutions:

Complex language creates coverage gaps in D&O and E&O policies.

Technical jargon breeds misunderstanding of critical exclusions. Confusion leads to claim disputes when you need coverage most.

The institutions that succeed? They demand clarity in their coverage documents.

What Actually Works:

Plain language explanations eliminate ambiguity. Logical coverage organization shows how provisions connect. Consistent terminology prevents contradictory interpretations.

Visual policy mapping reveals gaps before claims hit.

Common Mistakes:

Accepting industry standard forms without question. Ignoring contradictory endorsements layered over years. Missing coverage connections between related policies.

Skipping documentation review until claims arrive.

Your Coverage Blueprint:

Set the foundation by demanding clear policy language and requesting visual coverage maps. Eliminate redundant provisions that create confusion.
Consolidate related coverages into coherent structure.

Create the strategy by building comprehensive glossaries everyone can reference.

Document coverage intentions during placement, not after denials. 

Establish review protocols that catch gaps early. Test programs with claim scenarios before real losses hit.

Clarity creates confidence. 

Simplicity serves everyone. 

Understanding prevents disputes. 

Documentation determines outcomes.

What's your coverage clarity strategy?

~

P.S. Want to see what elite policy documentation looks like?

Book a live policy review: https://lnkd.in/g9rJT-ka

LION Specialty. The leader in institutional insurance.

We've recovered $250M+ in claims because our strategy starts before losses happen.
Here's the exact 10-step process:

1. Choose carriers who act like partners

The right carrier views claims as promises to keep. 

The wrong one views them as problems to minimize. That choice gets made at placement, not during crisis.

2. Get crystal-clear policy wording upfront

Ambiguous language doesn't protect you better - it creates disputes you'll fight later. 

We negotiate precise definitions and explicit coverage grants before you ever need them.

3. Run mock claim scenarios before you need them

If your coverage doesn't work in simulation, it won't work in crisis. 

We stress-test programs against real loss patterns. 
Ransomware during peak operations. 
SEC investigations. 
Nuclear verdicts.

4. Deploy specialist expertise, not generalists

Complex claims don't need good brokers. They need specialists who've seen your exact scenario before. 

Forensics experts. 
Coverage counsel. 
Crisis consultants who understand FI exposures.

5. Balance assertive advocacy with strategic compromise

Push too hard, damage carrier relationships. Accept too quickly, leave millions on the table. 

Elite advocacy requires knowing when to escalate and when to negotiate.

6. Prevent disputes before they start

Most denials trace back to notification errors, not coverage gaps. 

Establish protocols during placement that eliminate procedural mistakes before they cost you.

7. Use data to drive every decision

Claim outcomes follow patterns. 

We analyze settlement histories, trigger data, and industry benchmarks to build positions carriers can't dismiss.

8. Keep pace with regulatory evolution

Regulatory changes shift coverage implications constantly. 
Track developments that affect your exposures. 
Adjust programs before gaps emerge.

9. Document everything - gaps in paperwork create gaps in recovery

Carriers deny more claims for missing documentation than actual coverage disputes. 

Build documentation protocols that withstand scrutiny from day one.

10. Be the steady hand through the storm

Claims create chaos. Leadership needs structure, process, and calm execution - not brokers who panic alongside them.

Many financial institutions leave millions on the table when claims hit.

You don't have to be one of them.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. 

The Leader in Institutional Insurance.

Legally, drones are aircraft.
That one fact nearly created millions in uninsured exposure:

I was reviewing a policy with an insurance company that uses drones for claims adjusting.

Standard manuscript session. Walking through exclusions. Making sure everything aligned with their operations.

We hit the aircraft and operational machinery exclusion.

The CFO stopped me.

"Wait. A drone is technically an aircraft. If this exclusion stays as written, we have a problem."

He was right.

They were using drones daily to assess property damage, inspect hard-to-reach areas, expedite claims settlements. Core business operations. Revenue-generating activity.

And their policy would have denied every claim related to it.

Most brokers would have kept moving. "It's a standard exclusion. Every policy has it. No one's going to challenge drone use."

But standard exclusions don't care about your intentions. They care about their language.

If the exclusion says "aircraft" and drones legally qualify as aircraft, you're denied. 

The carrier won't make exceptions during a claim just because you didn't think it applied.

We added a carve-back.

One sentence: "This exclusion does not apply to the use of unmanned aircraft for claims handling, adjusting, and loss assessment."

That carve-back protected millions in potential exposure.

The exclusion still served its purpose - no coverage for operating commercial airlines or traditional aircraft. But their actual business operations? Fully covered.

This is why custom manuscripts matter.

Standard forms get written for hypothetical companies. 

Broad language. 
One-size-fits-all exclusions. 
No consideration for how you actually operate.

Custom forms get written for your business. Your operations. Your risk profile.

One client conversation caught what could have been years of uninsured exposure.

How many gaps exist in your policy because no one asked the right questions?

~

Ready to stress-test your coverage?

Book a live policy review: https://lnkd.in/g9rJT-ka

We typically find gaps standard reviews miss.

LION Specialty. 

The Leader in Institutional Insurance.

Most brokers build carrier relationships through entertainment budgets. We built ours by making underwriters better at their jobs. Here's what that actually looks like:

Early in my career at JLT, we made a strategic decision. Instead of competing through access and happy hours, we'd compete through education.

We started writing technical papers. 50-100 pages on D&O coverage evolution. 

Policy language analysis. 
Case law trends. 
The history of financial institution professional liability.

Deep work. The kind that takes weeks to research and write.

Then we gave it away.

Carriers used our papers to train junior underwriters. They included our analysis in their own publications. They cited our work in coverage position papers.

We created "Day in the Life" sessions - immersive programs showing underwriters how elite brokers actually review policies. 

What we look for. 
Why we ask the coverage questions we ask. 
How we stress-test programs before placement.

Half-day versions with presentations. 
Full-day versions in New York with multiple speakers. 
Premium programs running multiple days with networking built in.

We co-authored quarterly publications with carrier partners. Not promotional material. Actual technical content that served the broader market.

The result was deeper than access.

Carriers preferred working with us because we understood their products at a technical level most brokers never reach.

When we negotiated coverage, both sides operated from shared expertise instead of adversarial positioning. Conversations became collaborative instead of confrontational.

That foundation transferred directly to LION.

We don't build relationships through golf outings. We build them through systematic expertise that elevates everyone we work with.

When you make your partners better at what they do, they choose to work with you. When you invest in shared understanding, negotiations shift from conflict to collaboration.

The insurance market rewards brokers who entertain.
But it remembers brokers who educate.

~

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. 

The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

"Should we notify our insurance carrier?"
Simple question. Complicated answer. Here's what I mean:

A specialty insurer called us for a second opinion during a regulatory examination. 

The State department of insurance was asking questions.

Nothing adversarial yet.

Their policy had a "claims-made" trigger. Coverage applied to claims first made during the policy period. But "claim" was defined to include "any written demand for monetary or non-monetary relief."

Was a regulatory information request a "demand"? 

Did examination questions constitute "relief" being sought?

Their previous broker said to wait. "It's not a claim yet. Don't notify until there's an actual allegation."

In this case, we disagreed.

We'd seen this exact scenario three times before. 

Twice, carriers argued late notice when examinations escalated to enforcement. 

The clients who notified early preserved coverage. The client who waited lost it.

"Claims-made" sounds simple. But "claim" definitions vary wildly. 

Some include investigations. Some don't. 

Some require formal allegations. Some trigger on informal inquiries.

At LION, we run trigger scenarios during placement.

We ask: "If this happens, does it trigger coverage?" 
Then we test the language against our answer.

Regulatory inquiry. 
Internal investigation. 
Informal complaint. 
Demand letter. 
Formal lawsuit.

Each scenario. Each policy. Every time.

The specialty insurer notified immediately. 
Six months later, the examination became an enforcement action. 
Coverage was preserved because they'd triggered it early.

Their former broker's advice would have cost them the claim.

~

Ready to stress-test your program?

Book a live policy review: https://lnkd.in/g9rJT-ka

27 new reciprocals launched to fill capacity gaps in catastrophe zones... 

NY DFS just collected $19M from 8 insurers for basic cyber failures... 

And Financial Lines underwriters evaluate reciprocals through a completely different lens than you'd expect.

In this week's Friday Five, we're tracking how reciprocals are solving the homeowners coverage crisis in hurricane-exposed markets.

We break down how 18 reciprocals launched in just the past year - bringing $51 billion in premium capacity to markets traditional carriers exited.

Plus, DFS collected penalties for hackers stealing driver's license numbers through online quote tools. 

Hartford paid $3M, Liberty Mutual $2.7M, Farmers $2.775M. 

The crazy part? DFS warned about these exact vulnerabilities back in February 2021.

And how Financial Lines underwriters actually evaluate reciprocals: they see two distinct entities with separate exposures. 

The Exchange holds risk. The Attorney-in-Fact manages operations. Each requires different coverage.

New here? 

Every Friday we distill 200+ insurance, legal, and market-risk articles into three signals your board may need for its Monday briefing...

Want the full analysis this week? 

Comment 'brief' below and we'll get you on the distribution. 

Stay covered everybody.

Financial institutions are the most complex risks in the insurance market.
So why do most brokers assign them to generalists?

I've spent my entire career in financial institution coverage. D&O. E&O. Cyber. Fiduciary. 

The specialized lines that protect organizations when sophisticated risks materialize.

Here's what I've learned: 

Generalist brokers can place these policies. They cannot optimize them.

The difference shows up in details that only matter during claims.

Last year, we reviewed a program placed by a top-10 global broker for a regional insurer. 

Solid carrier. 
Reasonable pricing. 
Professional execution.

But the broker who placed it had never handled a bank regulatory claim.

The notice provisions required immediate notification to the carrier upon "receipt of any regulatory inquiry."

Sounds reasonable. 

Except banks receive routine regulatory inquiries constantly. 

Compliance examinations. 
Information requests. 
Supervisory letters.

If they'd notified on every one, the carrier would have non-renewed them for claims frequency. If they'd filtered and missed one that escalated, the carrier could deny for late notice.

The provision created a trap with no good option.

A specialist would have caught it. We've negotiated that exact language hundreds of times. We know which formulations work and which create impossible compliance burdens.

A generalist saw "notification requirement" and moved on.
That's the specialist paradox.

Generalists can execute the transaction. But the details that determine claim outcomes require pattern recognition that only comes from deep specialization.

At LION, we only serve financial institutions. Not because we couldn't do other things. 

Because focus creates expertise that breadth never matches.

Every provision we negotiate reflects hundreds of similar negotiations. 

Every scenario we stress-test draws from claims we've actually handled. 

Every recommendation builds on patterns we've seen across the sector.

When you're buying complex coverage, the question isn't whether your broker can place it.

It's whether they've seen enough to know what actually matters.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

Pilates trains you to sense what's wrong before it becomes obvious.
I use that exact skill every time I review coverage:

Every Tuesday at 6 AM, I'm in Pilates learning to feel imbalances before they become injuries.

A hip that's slightly off becomes back pain six months later. 

A weak stabilizer muscle becomes a torn rotator cuff. 
Your body compensates until it can't.
Pilates teaches you to notice the compensation before the failure.

That awareness translates directly to insurance.

Most brokers review policies like checking boxes. 

Does it have D&O? Check. 
E&O? Check. 
Reasonable limits? Check.

But coverage gaps don't announce themselves.

They hide in the space between sections. 

In allocation language that looks standard but shifts millions during claims. 

In exclusions with carve-backs that don't quite cover what they should.

Pilates trained me to sense tension before I can articulate why it's there.

I'll read a definition that's almost right but subtly wrong. An exclusion that sits awkwardly next to a coverage grant. Provisions that technically work but create friction under stress.

Things I would have missed at normal speed become obvious when I've trained myself to feel imbalances.

It's not magic.

The same way I slow down in Pilates to notice which muscles are compensating, I slow down in policy review to notice which provisions are creating unintended gaps.

Most people think faster is better.

But the best work happens when you slow down enough to sense what's off.
Physical practice sharpens mental awareness. 

The focus required to hold proper form trains the focus required to catch subtle language.

Different disciplines cross-train your brain.

Building insurance expertise through deliberate practice. Follow along.

Sara Simmonds

CEO Impact Innovator | Helping Purpose Driven Entrepreneurs Scale to $1 Million, $50 Million and Beyond | Follow Me For Systems On Sustainable Growth 🌎

With 100K+ followers, 14 years controlling $ Billion buying budgets generating $200M+ for corporates

Plus $10M+ growth for purpose led founder results and $50M+ in positioned expansion - I built the organic growth system for entrepreneurs I wished existed when I needed it most.

My $150K Lesson:

2007: Co-founded Sharkah Chakra, world's first award-winning impact jeans brand. Featured in Vogue, GQ. Winner/ 30 team members.

The insight: As a $Billion Dollar buyer, I saw what made offers succeed at scale. When I built my own brand, I realized most entrepreneurs don't think like buyers - they think like sellers.

The breakthrough: I stopped asking "What expert should I hire?" and started asking "What would make ME approve this budget?"

The answer: ONE Category of One business - fully integrated, perfectly aligned, impossible to ignore.

That shift changed everything

Impact Innovator OS - The Integrated Growth System

I built ONE system that integrates everything a Purpose Led Entrepreneur needs to scale:

Strategy - Your custom path to scale
Offer - Your Category of One Offer
Sales - Your revenue engine
Mindset - Your breakthrough leadership

Everything in-house. Everything you own. Forever.

My System Results:

£0 to £300K in 12 months without agencies
100K+ organic following through owned systems
Multiple 6-figure months, 40-hour weeks
Zero debt, 100% profitable

Founding Member Results Using This System:

Eugenie & Luis: $1M+ additional revenue
Ami: 0- $300K launch
Carol: $200K Sell out launches and scaling to $30MN
Rachel: $500K funding round achieved 
Jo: $2MN -$4MN Sales Increase 
Marie & Jason: Eliminated $144K agency costs
Alexandra: Closed $75K funding deal 
Paula: Scaled and exited in 12 months
Elizabeth: Ideal to Launch and 18 International Awards, plus Amazon Prime Distribution
Simon: High Ticket Offer launched in 90 days and Best Selling Author of his niche


Founding Member Access (Limited):

▸ Foundation: $15K - Build Your Category of One (12 months)
▸ Scale: $30K - Scale Your Growth System (12 months)
▸ Empire: $60K - Full Integration & Implementation (12 months)

(All programs replace $150K+ in agency costs with ONE in-house system you own forever)
(Limited spots)

For purpose-led entrepreneurs ready to scale to $1M, $50M and beyond as a Category Of One:

▸ Next Masterclass: "5 Systems to Build Your Category of One Business"
▸ Newsletter: Weekly buyer intelligence insights
▸ Strategy Session: 45-min Category of One assessment

→ DM 'SYSTEM' for founding member details
→ DM 'MASTERCLASS' for registration link
→ DM 'NEWS' for newsletter

Business Mentor

My client just sold out a $280K launch in 24 hours (Yes for real)

She achieved this: Using my Buyer Intelligence Systems.

Not fancy ads. Not a huge following. Just billion-dollar buyer psychology applied to her offer.

Here's what she had before we worked together:

Innovative product
Pioneer credentials
Mission-driven vision

Here's what was missing:

Clarity on which offer buyers actually want
How to connect credentials to influence
A system that converts at scale

We fixed all three in 90 days.

The formula? It's the same system I used when I controlled $100M+ in retail buying decisions.

I know what makes buyers say yes at scale. 

Because I WAS the buyer saying yes at scale.

If you're brilliant, purpose-driven, and stuck figuring out what buyers want—this is for you.

I'm sharing the exact formula in my masterclass: 

5 Virtual Unknown Buyer Secrets Monday, November 17th | 12pm CT

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

This is 10+ years of billion-dollar buyer intelligence in 90 minutes.

Because the world needs what you're building.

Love Sara

Founder Impact Innovator OS | The #1 Integrated Growth System for Purpose Led Entrepreneurs to Scale to $1M, $50M and Beyond as a Category Of One Business

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How I learnt the secret of success: Is celebrating each step you make

I used to never celebrate the journey

Until I realised success is one step at a time

Yesterday I was hiking in preparation for Patagonia, and something hit me hard.

I realized the exact moment I learned what real resilience actually means.

It wasn't when I was strong. It wasn't when everything was working.

It was when all I could do was take one more step.

Not the next ten. Not the summit. Just one.

One foot in front of the other. My process. My pace. Nobody else's.

That's when I learned: resilience isn't about being strong enough to see the whole mountain.

It's about being brave enough to just take the next step when that's all you can see.

My business didn't grow because I had it all figured out. It grew because on the days I couldn't see the path, I trusted my process anyway. 

One client. One call. One small decision at a time.

Your breakthrough won't come from having the whole map. It won't come from being where someone else is.

It comes from taking your next step. Even when - especially when - that's all you can manage.

The summit takes care of itself when you honor the step in front of you.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything on your plate.

But here’s the truth: 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫.

We live in a world obsessed with 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

Do more.

Be more.

Try more.

Buy more.

But 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 doesn’t make you happy.

It doesn’t bring wealth.

It doesn’t bring peace.

It brings 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

And it distracts you from your soul’s real opportunity to make an impact that only 𝘺𝘰𝘶 can make.

Because right now, this moment,

is your moment.

Don’t waste it chasing what doesn’t matter.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭

I’ll never forget the moment I realised this.

I was about to close a $10 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 

buying the collection of a world-famous luxury brand.

Sitting in a beautiful townhouse in Mayfair, London,

pen in hand, ready to sign.

And suddenly, it hit me:

this isn’t 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 luxury.

This is just stuff.

True luxury, real success 

comes from 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 that changes everything:

The one thing you do.

The one thing you buy.

The one thing you offer.

The one thing you say.

The one mountain you choose to climb.

That 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 transforms your life

and the lives of those around you.

As the buyer responsible for that $10 million budget,

I realised I was only buying the 1% of what I was shown.

The rest? Waste.

That was the day I walked away from meaningless luxury

and began my journey toward meaningful impact.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞

As a founder, learning to apply the 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦

can transform your life faster in 12 months than in 12 years.

Because people don’t want 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 you do

they want the 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 you do brilliantly.


With that one thing, you can:

Transform your wealth.

Transform your business.

Transform your impact.

Transform your life.

𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞

One of the entrepreneurs I mentor told me recently:

“I spent 10 years doing more — until I discovered my one thing.”

By unlocking that one, unique part of their offer,

their business grew by $1 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 12 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬.

That’s the power of focus.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧

Today, give yourself permission to rebalance.

To do less and achieve more.

To focus on the one thing you do exceptionally well

and let go of the rest.

If you’re ready to discover your “one thing” —

join me 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 17𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 👉 https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

I’ll be sharing 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 to unlocking your 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳

so you can scale as the 𝘰𝘯𝘦-𝘰𝘧-𝘰𝘯𝘦 leader you’re meant to be.

Meaningful freedom awaits.

You’ve got this.

𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚

DO THE ONE THING THAT MOVES YOUR LIFE FORWARD

Commit to what you hate, not just what you love

I used to hate content.

Not because I couldn't do it. Because it felt like a waste of time.

My ego told me: "You're a buyer. A business woman. Not a content creator."

I was ready to throw it in. Get AI to do it. Outsource it to an assistant.

And then I said my mantra:

NO.

Show up for yourself first.

Learn for yourself first.

Build ALL the parts of your system for yourself first.

Because I know that not doing that is the fastest way to failure.

And also because I AM my product.

I don't just say things to my clients. I do what I say, not just say what I do.

So I committed. 30 days straight. Even though I resisted every single day.

The moment I got it done - even though it wasn't brilliant - everything shifted.

New scale-up ideas flowed.

Opportunities opened up.

Everything clicked.

But most importantly?

I realized I had let go of imposter syndrome.

Because doing that "dirty work" - the thing I resisted, the thing my ego said was beneath me

 - THROUGH THE PROCESS, I HAD BECOME.

Not by outsourcing it.

Not by AI-ing it.

Not by avoiding it.

By DOING it.

Here's what I know now:

The thing you're resisting in your work? That's not a block. 
That's your breakthrough.

The thing your ego says you're "too good for"? 
That's where you become who you need to be to scale.

The work you want to delegate before you've mastered it yourself? 
That's the exact work that will transform you.

Commitment isn't just about showing up for what you love.

It's about showing up for what you hate - because that's where you become.

I became the founder who could scale by doing the content I resisted.

What are YOU resisting that's actually your breakthrough?

Together we will transform our world.

Commit to what you hate as well as what you love 

Packing for Patagonia made me cry this morning.

Not because I'm sentimental.

Because my suitcase just showed me the living visual proof of the impact I make

And we make here at Impact Innovator OS

I'm taking 6 of our founders with me - not literally, but packing their genius in my case

Six founders. Six category-of-one brands. All are coming with me to the edge of the world.

I have in my suitcase: products, books, and coaching from the innovators I mentor.

Let's have a look at the IMPACT inside out:  

Carol Chyau - Carol's Category Of One Premium Yak Jumpers - to keep warm and stylish hiking

A year ago, Carol was "just" making sustainable jumpers. Now her yak wool is having $200K sell out launches, and is worn by the worlds to influencers 

Kristi Mayfield,- Kristi's Wine as a social power skill coaching wheel - to taste the best of Argentina

Kristi was "a brilliant wine educator" when we met, and now, 60 days later has launched

The number 1 network for wine as a social power skill in the US..

Vanessa Marshall - Vanessa's B CORP Impact shampoo in a bar - so I can travel light 

Vanessa had a brilliant impact beauty brand Jack59, figuring out how to scale to the next level. 90 days later, we have her game plan in place to double sales next year!

Simon Luthi - Simon's Personal Transformation book of the year - Rocket Shaman

Simon, when we met, was pioneering a brand new method of energy based executive coaching, together we simplified his innovation, now he is scaling 5 figure deals, and selling his services to the world's top 1%.

Jeannie Barsam - Jeannie's Not for Profit Gifing Brands - Collections from brands all sales go to charity

Jeannie had been running a not for profit for a few years, figuring out the best way to scale her genius. Together in 90 days, we have helped Jeannie scale to attract billion dollar partnerships, and have a roadmap in place to scale donations by millions    

Alexandra Merlino - Alexandra B Wild Play Longer  Outside Impact Sunscreen 

Alex is a passionate diver, hiker, and skin cancer survivor, we bonded over love of the outdoors and the lack of brilliant sunscreen - high quality and high impact. Together through Impact OS Alexandra has already raised £340K in funding and is set for an awesome launch next year in 2026!   

I am so proud to be taking each founder's genius with me, and proud to be part of their brilliant scaling impact. 

This is the transformation I help purpose led founders create:

Our members become friends together with each other and with me.

Because we all believe

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

Ready to join us? DM Tribe to find out more

Out of office. Zero Slack. Zero client calls. Zero "quick questions."

My business is scaling without me.

Today is my first official day hiking in Patagonia, and this post is going out without me touching a thing.

Here's what's happening while I'm off-grid:

My team of 5 is running Impact Innovator OS.

My masterclass funnel is converting at 40%.

My clients are getting transformed through our frameworks.

My content is going out on schedule.

All without me touching a single thing.

This isn't a flex. This is what systems are actually FOR.

Most founders build systems to do MORE work.

I built systems so I could completely CHECK OUT.

Here's the billion-dollar buyer intelligence  Category-of-one founders know:

Your business isn't scalable if it can't run without you for a week.

Not "kind of run."

Not "survive."

Actually SCALE.

So here's my challenge for you:

Could your business scale for a week without you?

If not, you don't have a business. You have a job with extra steps.

The frameworks that make this possible:

✓ Masterclass funnel that converts without you on the call
✓ Team that owns outcomes, not just tasks
✓ Content systems scheduled weeks in advance
✓ Client delivery that doesn't depend on YOUR calendar

This is what 7-figure operations actually look like.

Not busier. FREER.

Enjoy this post. It went out while I was watching the sunrise over the Andes. 

If your business can't run without you, it will never scale beyond you 

DM Masterclass to find out how it's done

Why Amazon rejected me (and why I'm so glad they did)

Years ago, I interviewed at Amazon.

Final round.

They loved my buyer intelligence - the deep intuition to know WHAT in a brand or founder makes them sell and scale.

But in the end, they said no.

Why?

They wanted someone "data-driven."

I was "intuition-driven."

I even told them in the interview: "You need more high-impact offers with strong visual appeal - not just more stuff for stuff's sake."

They wanted rules. Systems. Data models that could be replicated.

I wanted to trust the intuition I'd been building since I was 5 years old - helping my Dad choose his sell-out brands.

That intuition isn't pointing a finger in the wind and praying.

It's buyer pattern recognition built over decades. It's billion-dollar buyer intelligence that sees what data misses.

Here is what I see data misses:

The cultural shifts before they show up in numbers
The founder energy that creates movements
The purpose that makes brands irreplaceable
Quality over quantity - high-impact over endless SKUs

Amazon chose data over intuition.

I walked away grateful.
Two weeks ago proved I was right.

Amazon laid off 14,000 people.
Most of them were brilliant at their jobs. That's not why they got cut.

Here's what actually happened:

They got cut because of commoditization.
The exact thing I warned them about in that interview.
When you optimize for "more stuff for stuff's sake," everything becomes replaceable. Including the people making it.

When your business model is built on endless commoditized products, AI can do that. Systems can do that. You don't need human intuition or judgment.

But when you build high-impact, Category-of-One offers with purpose?

You become irreplaceable.

The Old Way: Corporate Reality

Even "good" employees are getting cut
AI + "bureaucracy reduction" = you're expendable

Commoditization = anyone can do your job

The New Way: Purpose-Driven Reality

YOUR mission can't be replaced by AI
YOUR vision IS the business
You're building something that MATTERS, not just margins

Category-of-One = only YOU can do this

The Difference:

Amazon: 14,000 people woke up expendable
Purpose-driven founders: Wake up ESSENTIAL to their mission
Corporate: Optimize for quarterly profits
Purpose: Optimize for impact + sustainability
Commoditized business: Replaceable
Category-of-One business: Irreplaceable

This is why I chose to build my own purpose-driven business instead.

Because I knew I'd always be expendable there.

Those 14,000 Amazon employees? Talented. Skilled. Committed.

But they were building someone else's commoditized dream.

I chose to build my own Category-of-One mission.

And now I help purpose-driven founders do the same: become so essential to their market that they can never be replaced.

Not just another business. A mission only YOU can lead.

Ready to become irreplaceable? Join my masterclass Monday, November 17th, 12pm CT: 

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Trust Your Intuition 

People often ask me my secret to helping founders sell out (here it is in 60 seconds)

People decide whether to buy you (or not) before they meet you.

My job for over a decade was to hunt out cool founders and brands and give them 6, 7, and 8 figure orders in the process.

Thousands of founders would bang on my door, and I would ignore them.

The one secret that made me buy - those who had a community of raving fans.

When you build that community, people hunt the world for you.

That's why I hunted out the coolest founders from the basements of Berlin (and your clients will too).

Those Berlin basement founders weren't trying to be seen everywhere. 

They had cult status among the buyers who mattered. 

That's what made them irresistible - and expensive.

This is exactly what I teach my clients to build. Not mass visibility. Cult status with your Dream 100.

The Dream 100 Formula:

Element 1: Category-of-One Thought Leadership

Become THE voice your Dream 100 follows (not one of many)

Element 2: Movement Building

Create strategic content and events - they feel part of something bigger

Element 3: Strategic Partnership Network

Credible leaders amplify your reach 24/7 - network effects compound your authority

Element 4: Founder-Led Sales System

Everything connects: your leadership → your movement → your partnerships → 24/7 inbound sales

When these 4 elements integrate, you stop chasing. You build a movement that sells 24/7.

Real status isn't about being seen by everyone. It's about being found by the right people.

Your Dream 100 is hunting for you right now.

Sign up to my newsletter to discover how to make sure they find you.

https://lnkd.in/dsVQABvv

Build Your Raving Fans In 60 Seconds

My client https://lnkd.in/d4TNyHCu Simon Lüthi just hit Best Personal Transformation Book of 2025.

We met on Zoom. Him in Seattle. Me in London.

And within the first 15 minutes, I felt it.

That energy that says: this founder is going to change the world.

Simon had created something pioneering - Transmutation Design™. Bringing energy work to corporations. Teaching leaders how to lead without burning out.

He'd lived the journey. Corporate executive → cancer → self-healing → building an entirely new methodology.

But here's what he told me on that call:

"I can't get people to understand what I do. I know it works. I've transformed my own life and my clients' lives. But I can't simplify it."

30 days later, we had it.

His Category-of-One. Crystal clear.

Not through a course. Not through an accelerator.

Through personal 1-1 work with me and the Impact Innovator OS peer group community

Where I could see him, feel his energy, and pull the thread that made everything click.

The breakthrough in 30 days:

Transmutation Design™ - defined and scalable
How to develop Intuitive Intelligence for executive decision-making
The framework Top 1% leaders trust
The positioning that opened global doors

The results in 60 days:

Best Personal Transformation Book of 2025
#1 New Release
High-ticket deals flowing
Top global partners reaching out

This is why I only invite 2 new founders to join Impact Innovator per month.

Because this level of breakthrough clarity doesn't come from templates or group coaching

It comes from personal 1-1 work where I can see YOUR specific genius and help you make it scalable.

Simon is now transforming how corporations lead.

And it started with one Zoom call where I saw what was possible.

Want to see what transformation looks like?

Read Simon's book "Becoming the Rocket Shaman": https://a.co/d/hGUzIGK

Then join my masterclass to build YOUR Category-of-One: Monday November 17th, 12pm CT: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Together we will transform our world.

A friend calls me 'Stara' - Sara + star. I light up every room I enter. 

Not because I'm performing, but because I stopped proving.

Here is how I started to operate from self love rather than self loathing, proving or trying

I used to think magnetism came from doing more, being more,  or trying more

I thought if I just worked harder or closed that next deal

I would feel worthy, but it never happened

The more I tried to feel worthy by achieving, the less I achieved    

Then I realised: buyers don't choose you

UNTIL YOU CHOOSE YOURSELF

When I began to choose myself

Buyers choose me  because they FELT I was honouring my own light

Here are my 7 light warrior mastery tips for you

Implement them (and thank yourself later) 
 
1. Make decisions from your throne, not the gallery. You're not trying to earn the seat - you're already in it.

2. Stop treating your spiritual practice like a side hobby. 

My 1-2 hours of Buddhist chanting daily isn't "woo woo" 

It's the foundation that enables me to shine my light on the world.

3. Build relationships that nurture you, and do not extract from you.

Real radiance attracts =  real relationships. 

My top 1% network exists because we elevate each other, not use each other.

4. Understand that elevating your  consciousness and results aren't separate. 

Make time to do more elevating and receive more results = Simple Math

5. Stop asking "Am I enough?" and start asking "Is this a match for my frequency?" 

Not everyone gets access to your light; protect it.

6. Become known as number one in your purpose. Not by shouting louder, but by integrating your own light deeper.

7. Realise: the work you do on yourself IS the work that scales your business. 

They're not two paths. They're one becoming.

The moment I stopped proving my worth and started operating from it? 

My Results upgraded. My team upgraded. My entire reality shifted.

Not because I learned a new strategy. Because I let go and allowed my light to shine

This weekend, allow yourself permission to let go and allow your light to shine.

And ask yourself 

What would change if you stopped proving and started being? 

For more insights, sign up for my Impact Innovator newsletter here:

https://lnkd.in/dsVQABvv

Together, we will transform our world

Love Sara

My 7 Light Warrior Tips To Scale

Agencies charged me $150K to guess what buyers wanted. Plot twist: I knew

As a Buyer, I'd spent 10 years approving billion-dollar budgets. 

As a Founder, I thought other "done for you" experts knew better, until 

I realised my own missing link: Buyers want clarity of why you are 

The must have for their world:

Here's the insanity:

For 10+ years, I sat on the other side of the table making million-dollar buying decisions across 4 continents. I approved less than 1% of what I was shown.

Then I became a founder.

And suddenly I was paying "experts" to theorize about buyer psychology while I literally HAD the buyer psychology.

The wake-up call came when I lost $150K to agencies that were guessing.

They'd present strategies like: "We think buyers want authenticity..."

I'd think: "I rejected 99% of pitches. I know EXACTLY what made me say yes."

The 4 triggers that made me approve budgets instantly:

Clear Unique Power - I could explain why you in 10 seconds

Category-of-One positioning - You weren't "better," you were different

High-impact value - The transformation was obvious

Owned systems - You could deliver your brand clearly across all channels

When these aligned, price became irrelevant.

Here's what changed everything:

I stopped asking "What agency should I hire?"

Started asking, "What would make ME approve this if I were still the buyer?"

Built my own complete growth system using billion-dollar buyer intelligence.

The results in 12 months:

→ $0 to $300K revenue (zero agencies)

→ 80K+ organic following (owned systems)

→ 40-hour work weeks (no agency dependency)

→ Investment: <$50K (vs. $150K+ annual agency costs)

While other coaches teach what worked for THEM:

I teach the universal decision criteria that made me approve $100M+ across hundreds of industries.

The real truth: There's a 3-year window where conscious consumers are actively seeking Category-of-One leaders.

Every month you wait, someone else claims that position using owned systems while you're stuck in agency dependency.

Ready to stop paying people to guess what buyers want?

→ Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dsVQABvv

→ Join my free masterclass: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

→ Apply for a strategy session: https://lnkd.in/dtiNbpJZ

Stop renting growth. Start owning it.

Your Purpose Is Your Compass To Success When The World Feels Like It's Spinning Out Of Control (Like Now)

Read the news, and you'd never get out of bed.

(That's why I stopped reading it years ago.)

With the right formula to share your purpose with the world, you thrive and scale 24/7, no matter what is going on

Even if the zombies come! :)

Here is my advise: Proven over 20 years choosing which brands people buy and don't buy

If you want to scale, go INWARD to the heart of your unique innovation - and simplify it, that is what your dream buyers want.

Stop listening to the jungle drums of uncertainty and fear from the media, from well meaning friends, from family.

Start listening to really hard facts on purpose-driven data.

Here's what the data shows:

Purpose-driven businesses: 31% hit double-digit growth

Everyone else: 21% PWC

And this was WHILE the market dropped from 43% to 25% overall, PWC

Translation: When things get harder, the purpose gap gets WIDER.

Why purpose wins in chaos:

IBM's purpose: "Make a connected world smarter" 

Result: This mission became the focus of 25% of their research in year one - salesforce

Their Smarter Cities mission innovation delivered:

Stockholm: 22% traffic reduction + $92M revenue gain Salesforce
Malta: 15% water savings, 25% energy reduction salesforce
100+ cities transformed
Here's what billion-dollar buyer intelligence taught me:

When you can't see the path forward, purpose becomes your decision filter.

Most founders spin-chasing every lead, every trend, every "strategy."

Category-of-one founders ask ONE question: "Does this align with my unique purpose?"

That keeps you moving forward while everyone else panics.

Your unique purpose is your secret sauce to 7 and 8 figures.

Not your framework.

Not your funnel.

Your PURPOSE is what buyers actually want.

If you want to supercharge your results, the data is clear:-

Stop listening to the jungle drums of fear.
Start leaning into what makes you a category-of-one.

To get clarity on your unique purpose, DM "CLARITY" and I'll send you a private invitation to our upcoming masterclass.

The world wants YOUR purpose, turned up loud FACT

Purpose Your Key To Success

This is what purpose looks like in action. 💚

Together we will transform our world

Love Sara

Why do brilliant founders stay invisible, while others with weaker offers become no.1?

I have spent years uncovering what makes billion-dollar buyers choose one purpose led business over every other.

On November 17 at 12 PM CST, I'm hosting a live private masterclass revealing the 5 virtually unknown secrets that make customers choose your offer instantly

AND actually buy what you’re selling.

Here's what you'll learn:

1.⁠ ⁠Why being “different” keeps you stuck and what buyers really use to decide who wins the deal.

2.⁠ ⁠How some founders sell out $200K launches in 24 hours (without ads).

3.⁠ ⁠The 2 hidden secrets that make growth sustainable instead of a one-time spike.

This isn’t just another boring marketing class.

This is a live behind-the-scenes breakdown of the exact buyer psychology I've used to approve $100M+ in deals.

It's the same frameworks that have helped hundreds of purpose-led founders have the roadmap to scale to $1M to $50M and beyond without the need for outside experts.

👉 Seats are limited.

Register now and get the pre-video series before the live session.

Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/daGbCRjA

Hamza Abuqalbeen, Damini Chomal and 13 other attendees

5 Billion-Dollar Buyer Secrets That Make Customers Choose You

This time next week, I will be starting a hike in El Chalten Patagonia Fulfilling a life Dream

To walk the path of innovators

I made myself this dream 10 years ago when I wanted to quit being a purpose led founder

Here is what saved me

The Innovator: Yvon Chouinard who founded Patagonia the $Billion Dollar Brand

Chouinard was a broke mountain climber not a business person with a desire to get rich

He simply had a dream to climb mountains

So he taught himself blacksmithing and made awesome mountain equipment.

His friends wanted them. He sold them from his car for $1.50 each.

He didn't set out to build a billion-dollar company.

He just refused to compromise what mattered to him.

When being a purpose led founder got tough for me,

And every bone in my body wanted to quit

I remembered Yvon famous words

"Impossible is the lamest of excuses" Yvon Chouinard

And I realised quitting does not make life easier

It just delays your dreams from being realised - because your dreams don't quit

They keep going back to haunt you - until you realise them

What stopped me from quitting was realising

Everything is "figurable outable" - Including how to build sustainable growth

Like Yvon for mountain climbers, I did the same for purpose led founders

When there was no roadmap for what I wanted to achieve, and help founders achieve

I figured out the roadmap over 10 years

And build the solution - Impact Innovator OS

What would you do if you knew your purpose was the path not the obstacle?

My Systems = Permission To Let Go

Systems aren't about control.

They're about permission to let go.

Most founders think systems mean MORE structure, MORE rules, MORE micromanaging.

They're building prisons, not processes.

Here's what I know with billion-dollar buyer intelligence:

The best systems don't need you watching them.

They need you TRUSTING them.

I just spent a week in Patagonia. Zero Slack. Zero check-ins.

My team ran the business.

My masterclass converted at 40%.
My clients got a transformation.
My content went out flawlessly.

Not because I had cameras on everyone.

Because I built systems that give my team permission to OWN their outcomes.

The difference between control systems and freedom systems:

Control systems: "Here's exactly how to do it, check with me before every decision"
Freedom systems: "Here's the outcome we need, here's the framework, you own the how"

Control systems: Team waits for your approval
Freedom systems: Team makes decisions and moves forward

Control systems: You're the bottleneck
Freedom systems: You're irrelevant to daily operations

That last one? That's the goal.

This is the shift:

Stop asking: "How do I build systems so I know what's happening?"
Start asking: "How do I build systems so I don't NEED to know what's happening?"

Your business will scale the day you become irrelevant to its daily operations.

Not because you abandoned it.

Because you built systems that give everyone else permission to own it.

That's not losing control. That's gaining freedom.

You have the power to protect your peace

I knew my billion-dollar buyer secrets were powerful (Join me at 12 PM CT time today LIVE)

I will be sharing all 5 secrets with you:

How you can get more customers to buy your purpose led offer ( while doing less) 

Why?

Your success is what drives me. 

Watching you break through, exit successfully, own your positioning, regain your confidence, this is why I built these systems.

Here are some of our recent 5 Star Trust pilot  Reviews

"I used Sara's knowledge to fine-tune elements which were decisive for the sale. I exited successfully while taking my company to the next level."
– Paula

"With Sara's support, we confidently stepped into a 'category of one' position—owning what makes our brand distinct and valuable. Within weeks, we were executing with focus and seeing measurable traction."
– Vanessa

"Sara's guidance helps you regain confidence back in your very own unique business value proposition."
– Sarita

"Sara's focused guidance helped me reconnect with the deeper purpose behind my work and articulate my value with much more confidence."
– Pramila

If you want the same results, join us today at 12 PM CT.

I'm teaching the 5 Billion-Dollar Buyer Secrets that get more customers to buy your purpose-led offer.

https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

Sara

Mountains don't apologize for taking up space.

Neither should you.

Before I start working with founders many feel like this 

(and its natural by the way, its an old in built operating systems that needs to change)

They shrink their offers to feel "more accessible."

They soften their prices to avoid "being too much."

They dim their genius to not "intimidate" people.

Here is why that old operating system needs to change:

Working as a  billion-dollar buyer taught me this:

The most magnetic founders never apologize for taking up space.

Not because they're arrogant.

Because they know their PRESENCE is their value.

Mountains don't say:

"Sorry for being so tall."

"Maybe I should be smaller so you're more comfortable."

"Let me make myself less imposing."

They just ARE.

Solid. Unmovable. Unapologetic.

Today embrace this: You are allowed to:

Charge premium prices without justifying them

Have standards that eliminate 90% of people

Take up space in your industry

Be too much for some people

Shine without dimming for anyone's comfort

Stop asking permission to take up space.

Just take it.

Most founders think they need better branding, more content, or a “stronger niche” to convert buyers.

But that’s not why they’re being ignored.

Meanwhile, competitors with weaker offers…
smaller audiences…
and zero differentiation…

Are closing deals faster.

After spending years in high-level rooms where multi-million-dollar buying decisions happen, I learned something most founders never hear:

Buyers don’t choose the most impressive offer.

They choose the offer that triggers 5 specific psychological buying switches.

And almost no one is using them.

On December 8 at 12 PM CST, I’m hosting a private masterclass where we’re breaking down these 5 buyer switches in detail.

Not theory.
Not generic “positioning advice.”
But the exact mechanisms top buyers use to say yes - fast.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn:

1. Why “standing out” is often the reason you’re NOT getting chosen, and what buyers actually look for instead.

2. The strategy behind founders who sell out 200K launches in a single day without ads, funnels, or giant teams.

3. The hidden systems that turn unpredictable sales into steady, compounding growth.

These are the same frameworks I used to greenlight over $100M+ in deals, and founders have used them to scale from $1M to $50M without burning cash or hiring bloated agencies.

This masterclass is not public, and seats are extremely limited.

Everyone who registers gets access to the pre-training video series before we go live.

🔗 Reserve your spot: https://lnkd.in/dqNVxTFy

If you sell expertise, transformation, or innovation, don’t miss this. This one session could change how buyers see you forever.

Don't Fake It Till You Make It"

Starbucks just admitted what most brands won't:

Their purpose strategy misfired.

CEO Brian Niccol told Axios: "We had this strategy that was just a misfire of a purpose-driven store. It's like, well, the purpose is community connection. I think that's what got us off our game." TheStreet

Wait.

A $103B company with 40,000+ locations worldwide just said their PURPOSE got them OFF their game?

Here's what happened:

Starbucks tried to be everything to everyone.

Purpose became so broad it meant nothing.

Community connection? Great. But if your baristas can't make coffee fast enough, you've lost the plot.

Niccol's fix?

Go back to basics. "Above all else, a coffee company." Craver

This is the billion-dollar buyer intelligence lesson:

Purpose isn't about adding MORE missions to your business.

Purpose is about knowing your ONE thing so clearly that every decision flows from it.

The difference between purpose-washing and purpose as your operating system:

Say No To:- Brands trying to save the world while their core product suffers

Say Yes To: Brands whose purpose IS their product excellence

Look at Patagonia:

They don't talk about being a clothing company that cares about the environment.

They're an environmental company that makes clothing to fund the mission.
See the difference?

One is purpose bolted ON.

One is purpose built IN.

Most founders make Starbucks' mistake:

They add purpose to their pitch deck, their website, and their social posts.

But their operations? Still running on old systems that contradict everything they claim to stand for.

Category-of-one founders don't fake purpose till they make it.

They BUILD their entire business FROM purpose.

Every hire. Every offer. Every client decision.

Either it aligns with your purpose, or it doesn't belong in your business.

Don't fake it till you make it.

Make it real, or don't make it at all. 

Sign up to my newsletter here, for weekly strategic  on how to Be Impactful

https://lnkd.in/dsVQABvv

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