The Salty Adjuster

"Behind any one of our successes... it's a group of people that are pushing. Sometimes I'm pushing, sometimes they're pushing me."That simple idea sits at the heart of this conversation with Bobbie Shrivastav.We talk about what it takes to build communities that matter, why the most fulfilling work is fueled by joy instead of ego, and how the people who make the biggest impact are often the quickest to share the spotlight.From launching initiatives that challenge the status quo to creating opportunities for others to be seen and heard, Bobbie has spent her career proving that leadership isn't about standing in front of the crowd. It's about bringing people with you.This episode explores entrepreneurship, growth, mentorship, EmpowerHER, and the power of surrounding yourself with people who challenge you, champion you, and occasionally give you the push you didn't know you needed.Because none of us gets there alone.If you're feeling isolated, we invite you to email [email protected], join us on Linkedin, or join our reddit community. We'll get you connected with mentors like Bobbie.

"When mom took her final breath, dad was sitting by her side, holding her hand. Eight months to the day, dad decided to join her. As an insurance professional, I think the hardest thing was getting into the mindset of 'I'm the insured. I'm the bereaved.' Their house burned down that July. I had to jump into that mode, going back and forth with adjusters." - Precious Norman Walton CPCU, SHRM-CP, AIC, AIS, AINS, ACS, TRIP"I lost my mom last year. I came home from a CAT deployment and both my parents went into the hospital on the same day. My boss was texting me about a claim and I was like 'I'll call you back later, I just found out my mom is gonna die." - SaltyNote from The Salty Adjuster Team: This isn't the episode we anticipated it would be. We had a list of questions for Precious, one of the foremost leaders in our industry, about everything insurance-career-related. But Salty and Precious found common ground in recently losing one or both parents within the same year, an experience unlike any other experience. We let the mics keep rolling on a cathartic, heart-opening, real dialogue that everyone needed.We're presenting this raw, unflinching trailer without edits and will also present the full episode this week without commercial interruption or production announcements. The song at the end of the trailer is by the band Touché Amoré, whose heartwrenching songs and lyrics about the death of his own mother are favorites of Salty.If you need support managing grief or loss, call 998, check out friends of the show Project55 (Brenden Corr and Justin Goodman), The SAFE Project (Cal Beyer, CWP, NAC) or visit The Salty Adjuster reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSaltyAdjusterPod) where you can interact directly with Salty and Producer Brett . We promise you're not alone.THANK YOU Precious for the love, candor, and vulnerability for this upcoming episode of the show.NAAIA - National African American Insurance Association Insurance Nerds #SandwichGeneration #Grief #MentalHealth #loss

"What you're now doing is you're not teaching adjusters how to adjust. You're teaching them estimatics... when you remove the elements of being able to let adjuster adjust claims, you run the risk of that bad reputation: 'X carrier doesn't want to pay claims.' A lot of that spans from moving away from adjusting." We're counting down the end of Season One and Beginning of Season Two (September 2026!) by revisiting some of our favorite moments from Season One so far. This was a big one for us.Back in the beginning of June, we sat down with the one and only Andrew Norton, CPCU, ARe, SCLA Gold, for a conversation we wish could've gone on another full hour or two. We'll be bringing him back for more wisdom in Season 2, but ICYMI/if you're new to the show, head back to episode 9 this weekend and treat yourself. And while you're at it, treat the hardworking Salty Team by rating and reviewing the show, please and thanks! Available on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gMQb5qGbInsurance Nerds #insnerds #insurancenerd CoVerse The Salty Adjuster

"Now it's our canvas to paint. What are we going to do differently?"We love a leader in this industry who takes the time to kick the door open for others to follow. A trailblazer who takes a dirt road and paves it so that it's easier to bring people along. In our upcoming episode next week, we sit down with someone who embodies that spirit: the accomplished, collaborative, inclusive and brilliant Bobbie Shrivastav ☀️Despite founding multiple insurtechs including Solvrays, building EmpowerHER - Leading the Future with Lucy Graham and Stacey Brown, co-authoring the Momentum Series books with Renu Joseph, cohosting the Insurance Sync podcast with Laurel Jordan, AND mentoring and sponsoring dozens (if not hundreds) of insurance professionals, Bobbie doesn't think she's the story. For her, the story is the joy of creating something with people you believe in. Building communities that didn't exist before. Watching others step into the spotlight. Having so much fun doing the work that the accomplishments almost become secondary.You can hear the smile in her voice when she talks about her work. We hope this trailer for Tuesday's episode brings a smile to your face. #TheSaltyAdjuster InsurTech America InsurTech Carolinas The Salty Adjuster CoVerse Communications

Every once in a while, someone comes along who completely shatters your assumptions about what an insurance professional looks like.Austin Lewis is one of those people.Austin is an economist-turned-life insurance broker, Army National Guard member, husband, dad, and conservationist who has built an audience of more than 120,000 people by doing something you don't see every day. Before he starts talking about insurance, he's usually knee-deep in the Chesapeake Bay pulling out shopping carts, tires, fishing line, and whatever else doesn't belong there.That's how we found him.What started as a Facebook rabbit hole turned into one of the most unique conversations we've had on The Salty Adjuster.We talk about why someone told Austin he'd never make it because he showed up on camera dirty, sweaty, and wearing chest waders instead of a Rolex. We talk about building a business around purpose, why authenticity attracts the right clients, and how social media can be about something bigger than selling.If you've ever wondered whether you have to fit the industry's mold to succeed, this bonus episode might change your mind.Grab some Old Bay chips and maybe a pair of waders and enjoy this refreshing conversation with The Bay Life Broker himself.Check Austin's work and brokerage out here: https://www.baylifebrokerage.com/

🦀 SUPER. SPECIAL. BONUS. EPISODE. INCOMING. 🦀 We've found a guest unlike anyone you've ever met in insurance for a conversation unlike any we've heard on this (or, candidly, any) insurance show.Be honest... When you hear the words "life insurance broker," what comes to mind? 🕴‍ A tailored suit? ⌚ Fancy watch? 🚗 Nice car? 🏌‍♀️ Golf on Fridays? 📸 Filtered LinkedIn posts from a sleek office?What if we told you to instead picture a guy in the water just outside Baltimore city, in fishing waders and a cut-off tee-shirt, hauling trash and handling wildlife every morning before clocking in at the office? Austin Lewis, owner of Bay Life Brokerage, is an economist-turned-life insurance broker who starts most mornings knee-deep in the Chesapeake Bay pulling shopping carts, tires, and fishing line of the world's third-largest estuary. While he works, he talks via reels to his 67,800 followers on Facebook and his 58,400 on Instagram about insurance, conservation, and leaving the world a little better than he found it. In fact, that's his entire value proposition for Bay Life Brokerage (https://lnkd.in/gjUPg8ag). When The Salty Adjuster stumbled across one of Austin's videos on Facebook he asked Producer Brett if she thought there might be a chance he'd do the show. And when she crossed her fingers and hoped that someone with more than 100K followers on social would even bother to reply to her DM, Austin responded to Brett within minutes (and waaay after business hours), more than willing to jump on the pod. It isn't like he has a ton of free time. A member of the Army National Guard, volunteer with the BACK RIVER RESTORATION COMMITTEE INC, husband, dad, and yes... #insurancebroker... Austin is living proof that sometimes the best way to make a difference is to stop trying to look like everyone else. "I'll never forget, I had one friend...," Austin told us, "he's an investment advisor, and he told me that he did not think that it was going to work well for me because I was showing up on video dirty, sweaty, in waders, cut-off tee. I mean, looking like I was a bricklayer or something... And the point he was making was, in this industry, people want to do business with people who appear to be successful financially."Watch the trailer, then get ready for this BONUS EPISODE DROP (coming Thursday!) for one of the most unexpected conversations we've had on The Salty Adjuster.Have questions for Austin? Pop them in the comments or email [email protected].

"Silence is the worst. Silence is a trust killer." Hey friends.If you've been listening this season, you've probably noticed a theme.We've talked with Michael Balarezo and Arvind Sontha about restoring trust through technology. Heather Blevins reminded us that claims is the promise. Bryan Falchuk challenged us to rethink how we use AI without losing our humanity. Curtis Goldsborough showed us what trusting across claims and underwriting silos could look like.This conversation ties a bow around all of it.Leslie Sapienza has spent her career helping some of the largest organizations in insurance rethink how they communicate with customers. And after this conversation, you'll probably never look at a claims letter, text message, or status update the same way again.We talk about why silence is often more damaging than bad news, why policyholders don't need perfection as much as they need clarity, and why communication has earned a seat at the executive table instead of being treated like a "soft skill."We also dig into the role AI should play in claims, the difference between informing someone and reassuring them, and why every interaction either builds trust... or quietly chips away at it.Whether you're an adjuster, a claims leader, or anyone who has ever wondered why one claim leaves a customer singing your praises while another ends with an angry LinkedIn post, this episode is worth your time.Learn all about Leslie here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lks-strategies

Bad communication. No communication. Slow communication. Confusing communication. On a claim, which might be the worst day of a policyholder's life, the way carriers communicate can make or break trust. In our upcoming new episode on Tuesday 7/21, we have strategic communications expert Leslie Sapienza for a frank and timely conversation about how insurance stops failing claimants through comms. Get a taste of the episode in this fresh teaser trailer and please subscribe and follow on Apple and Spotify so you don't miss a single episode drop!CoVerse Communications The Salty Adjuster Brett McKenzie LKS Strategies

Bryan Falchuk has spent decades challenging insurance to think differently. As President & CEO of PLRB, a best-selling author, celebrated speaker, and one of the industry's most prolific voices and educators, Bryan joins The Salty Adjuster for a conversation that covers just about every corner of claims. Leadership, burnout, AI, fraud, recruiting, and the future of the industry are all on the table. What makes the difference between an Insurtech that changes the industry and one that flames out? Bryan says it starts with humility, not hubris.Can AI actually support empathy in claims? Bryan thinks it can, if we deploy it for the right reasons.What happens when we treat every claim like fraud? Longer claim cycles, higher costs, and less trust.Why are so many adjusters burning out? And why supporting claims professionals takes more than another wellness initiative. Who are the "dinosaur hunters"? Bryan explains what separates the InsurTech companies that last from the ones that don't, and why curiosity will always beat certainty. Which state has more tornados in 2026 than any other and how is that changing the market? The answer is gonna surprise you.Salty has benefited immensely from the resources that PLRB offers adjusters striving to continue learning through their career. Nearly two-thirds of the insurance industry's carriers are PLRB members. If you're an adjuster, there's a good chance you've benefited from PLRB's conferences, educational resources, or technical expertise. If you're not sure whether your organization is a member, you can check using your work email here: https://members.plrb.org/loginFollow Bryan on LinkedIn, and be sure to check out The Future of Insurance podcast.

Dropping Tuesday 7/14/26... we've got the big guy: Bryan Falchuk, President & CEO of PLRB, Dropper of Wisdom, Best-Selling Author & Speaker. Note to adjusters: robot lawyers do NOT equal claims cost savings. This trailer gives you a sneak peek into next week's episode where we cover:Why insurance needs to stop treating every claim like a potential fraud case—and how trust leads to better outcomes for everyone.What makes great leadership in today's insurance industry, especially as burnout and constant change reshape the workforce.How AI and emerging technology should support insurance professionals, not replace the human judgment that claims depends on.Why the industry's biggest opportunities come from being willing to challenge old assumptions and continue learning.How purpose, curiosity, and relationships have shaped Bryan's career—from claims leadership to author, podcast host, and CEO of PLRB.Make sure you SUBSCRIBE wherever you are hearing this trailer so that you don't miss it because trust us... you don't want to. And while you're at it, be sure to subscribe to "The Future of Insurance" podcast where you can hear even more of Bryan and a can't miss lineup of industry leading guests.

"What would help a ton is just educating a homeowner on what a claim looks like."Most people assume a conversation between a staff adjuster and a former public adjuster is going to sound like a debate.It doesn't.In one of the most surprisingly honest conversations we've had on The Salty Adjuster, The Callused Former Public Adjuster joins the show to talk about what actually creates better claims outcomes.The answer isn't bigger estimates. It isn't denying more claims. And it isn't hiring a public adjuster every time something goes wrong.It's communication.It's education.It's good faith.From explaining why "you can't build a used house," to discussing why homeowners often don't understand the difference between ACV and RCV, why some public adjusters genuinely earn their reputation while others deserve to lose it, why some carrier adjusters become burned out and calloused, and why every claim should begin by remembering there's a human being on the other side of the estimate, this conversation challenges assumptions without taking cheap shots at either side. Whether you've spent your career as a staff adjuster, IA, public adjuster, contractor, mitigation professional, or restoration expert, you'll probably hear a perspective you haven't considered before.And if you've ever believed the other side is the problem, this episode just might change your mind.So grab a salty snack, put up your feet, and join us for one of our favorite conversations of the season.

"What would help a ton is just educating a homeowner on what a claim looks like."Public adjusters often get cast as the villains of the claims story.This episode challenges that narrative.In this trailer, The Callused Former Public Adjuster joins The Salty Adjuster for an honest conversation about the biggest gap in claims today: homeowners simply aren't taught how insurance works.Every acronym is new. Every form is confusing. Every delay feels personal.Whether you work for a carrier, as an IA, a public adjuster, or a contractor, this conversation is full of surprising moments—and plenty of common ground.Full episode coming soon. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Nobody becomes an adjuster because they love paperwork.Yet for most claims professionals, paperwork has become one of the biggest obstacles standing between them and the people they're actually trying to help.This week, The Salty Adjuster sits down with Arvind Sontha, founder and CEO of Kyber, to talk about the administrative burden that's quietly reshaping claims. Arvind explains why documentation has become such a bottleneck, what exceptional adjusters have in common, and how AI can eliminate tedious work without replacing the expertise, judgment, and empathy that make adjusters indispensable.It's a conversation about technology—but it's really a conversation about giving adjusters their time back.So grab a salty snack, put your feet up, and join us for a fresh look at the future of claims.In this episode:Why paperwork has become one of the biggest pain points in claimsThe three qualities every great adjuster sharesWhere AI belongs—and where it absolutely doesn'tHow reducing administrative work can improve outcomes for adjusters and policyholders alikeWhy the future of claims is still deeply humanBe sure to subscribe toThe Salty Adjuster wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review if you're enjoying the show!

If you've ever spent more time writing about a claim than adjusting it... this trailer is for you.Arvind Sontha, founder and CEO of Kyber, joins The Salty Adjuster to talk about paperwork, the hidden administrative burden facing adjusters, and why "No adjuster enjoys paperwork" might be the least controversial statement in insurance.Listen to the trailer now, then come back Tuesday, July 7, for the full episode.

Heather Blevins has a nickname for a reason.Better known throughout the industry as The Insurance Rebel, Heather joins The Salty Adjuster for a conversation about claims, leadership, burnout, authenticity, and why "we've always done it this way" isn't much of a business strategy.We talk about why claims professionals aren't a cost center—they're the people delivering the promise every insurance policy makes, and the heroes on the front line of a policyholder's worst day ever. We get into consumer education, finding your voice, why "soft skills" aren't soft at all, and why adjusters deserve more support than another email reminding them to practice self-care.Along the way, we discover Heather's lifelong admiration for David Bowie, find out how a life-changing health crisis ultimately led her to become one of the most respected voices in claims... and of course, what dinosaur would be her favorite and why (it's definitely not what you think).Turns out, rebellion looks a lot less like breaking rules and a lot more like refusing to stop asking better questions. Stay Salty... and long live the rebellion.

"The claims organization is not a cost center. It's the product delivery center."That's the kind of sentence that earned our guest Heather Blevins the nickname The Insurance Rebel. She drops so much wisdom in our forthcoming episode (out tomorrow, Tuesday 6/30!) that we had to tease it twice. So what do you think? Is claims a department to manage... Or the promise customers are actually buying?1️⃣ Watch the clip.2️⃣ Subscribe via Apple or Spotify to The Salty Adjuster so you get notified for every fresh episode. 3️⃣ Bring your saltiest and most rebellious opinions to our brand new reddit community, where you can share without fear: https://lnkd.in/gG4Za-e9

New Episodes now drop TUESDAYS. Don't miss our chat with Heather on 6/30/26.

"Insurance is full of first responders who never get to be the patient."Whitney Carpenter dropped that line early in this conversation, and honestly, it set the tone for everything that followed.This week, The Salty Adjuster sits down with Whitney to talk about authenticity, burnout, leadership, and why so many insurance professionals spend their careers taking care of everyone else while quietly running on empty themselves. When we say, "I'm fine," do we really mean it? And how do we hold space when people aren't?Full disclosure: Producer Brett and Whitney first met as colleagues years ago. Over time, they became close friends, sounding boards, and career confidantes. That history shows up throughout this conversation.Whitney shares why authenticity feels so risky, why women are often judged differently for the same leadership traits, and why "I'm fine" has become the most common lie in corporate America. We talk about raising kids who teach us more about risk than any insurance textbook ever could, the pressure to always be available, and why loyalty without boundaries eventually turns into self-sacrifice.Then the conversation takes an unexpected turn.Salty, Brett, and Whitney reflect on lessons they've learned over the years. What starts as a podcast interview becomes a candid conversation about friendship, personal growth, setting boundaries, and learning how to advocate for yourself without apologizing for it.Also discussed:Why burnout may be insurance's biggest unaddressed riskFake LinkedIn personas and real-world leadershipWhy younger generations define success differentlyDirt bikes and dinosaursThe industry's unhealthy relationship with the phrase "Let's circle back"Grab a snack, grab a beverage, and remember: You don't have to set yourself on fire to keep everyone else warm.

In this (SPECIAL VIDEO!) ten-minute minisode, The Salty Adjuster team has created a master cut of guests answering our TOUGHEST question for the audience... "What is your favorite dinosaur and why?"From Adjusto's Michael Balarezo to Datos Insights' Laurel Jordan, from Salty himself to Jason Smith of Right Restoration, from Recruiter/Magician Tony Canas to Project 55's Brenden Corr, and including LO$$ Ratio/Curtis Goldsborough, Insurance Nerd Andrew Norton, strategist Tye Threats, NY Risk Advisor Aaron Gordon, and authenticity champion Whitney Carpenter... we've got them all!

When we sat down to record this episode, it was the morning after the Knicks' improbable 29-point comeback against the Spurs.Most people were talking about the comeback.Aaron Gordon was talking about the guy who didn't give up on the play.That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Aaron.Known to most of social media as NY Risk Advisor, Aaron joins The Salty Adjuster for a conversation about hustle, burnout, family legacy, risk management, and why he would like the internet to know, for the record, that he still works for his mother.What starts as a discussion about hustle culture quickly turns into a deeper conversation about building something that lasts. Aaron shares what it was like growing up in a brokerage founded by his father, carrying forward a family business that spans generations, and why the best advisors are willing to sacrifice their own interests when it's the right thing for the client.Along the way, we discuss the relationship between brokers and adjusters, why insurance is a promise and not a commodity, and how the industry's reputation sometimes suffers because people misunderstand the difference.We also spend a surprising amount of time discussing New York driving, autonomous vehicles programmed with regional personalities, food truck entrepreneurship, and whether a pterodactyl is the superior dinosaur.Because this is The Salty Adjuster.In this episode:• Healthy hustle vs. burnout culture• Family business and succession planning• What separates advisors from salespeople• The role brokers play before, during, and after a loss• Why trust matters more than commissions• Claims, coverage, and difficult conversations• Knicks playoff lessons for life and leadership• New York driving "etiquette"• Food truck business ideas• PterodactylsGrab a snack, settle in, and remember: If you see New York plates in your rearview mirror, just pull over. It's not worth it.

What if burnout isn't a badge of honor?This week, The Salty Adjuster sits down with leadership strategist, speaker, and executive coach Tye Threats for a conversation that starts with her remarkable journey from working full-time at 17 as a young mother and evolves into a candid discussion about leadership, work-life balance, burnout, and the pressure many insurance professionals carry every day.Tye challenges some of the biggest myths in modern workplace culture, including the idea that being busy means being valuable, that long hours equal commitment, and that exhaustion is somehow proof of success. Along the way, she shares lessons from decades of leadership experience, talks about developing future leaders, and offers practical advice for creating boundaries without sacrificing impact.The conversation takes an unexpectedly personal turn as Tye reflects on loss, perspective, and the moment she realized that work will always be there tomorrow, but life may not.Topics include:Why claims professionals carry a unique emotional burdenThe difference between activity and impactBurnout culture and the myth of hustle-as-successSetting boundaries without feeling guiltyLeadership, delegation, and developing future talentWhat younger generations are teaching the workplaceWhy retention isn't always the metric leaders think it isAs Tye puts it: "People confuse activity with impact and busyness with value." That idea alone might change how you think about work.You can connect with Tye on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiuna-threats/Book your consult with Tye: https://wtvconsulting.com/

"When you remove the elements of being able to let an adjuster adjust claims purely based on the merits of that claim, you run the risk of creating that reputation that companies don't want to pay claims." — Andrew Norton What happens when claims organizations become more focused on dashboards than judgment?This week, The Salty Adjuster sits down with claims leader, educator, CPCU, meme enthusiast, and accidental Craigslist success story Andrew Norton for a candid conversation about leadership, adjuster burnout, quality reviews, and the growing gap between the people making decisions and the people handling claims every day.Andrew shares why some of the industry's biggest challenges aren't technology problems at all. They're people problems. Together, he and Salty discuss what happens when adjusters are trained to satisfy metrics instead of adjust claims, why bad managers can drive great talent out of the industry, and how leaders can stay connected to the realities of claim handling before they become disconnected from the frontline.They also cover:Why humor is a survival skill in claimsThe difference between coaching and complianceQuality reviews that help versus quality reviews that hurtWhy adjusters need room to exercise professional judgmentThe industry's ongoing struggle with burnout and retentionWhether every insurance professional secretly inspects roofs and basements at their friends' homesPlus, Andrew delivers perhaps the most motivational dinosaur answer in Salty Adjuster history.Grab a salty snack, step away from your work queue, and join the conversation.

"The untold story of insurance is that thousands of claims are handled well every single day, but nobody hears about them." - Curtis Goldsborough (aka LO$$ Ratio)What happens when one of insurance's funniest personalities sits down with one of claims' saltiest adjusters?This week, The Salty Adjuster welcomes Curtis Goldsborough, better known as LO$$ Ratio. Curtis has built a loyal following by turning underwriting, risk management, and insurance culture into something most people never thought possible: entertainment. But behind the humor, there' s a deeper story about the industry.Together, Salty and LO$$ Ratio tackle some of the biggest questions facing the industry today. Why is insurance so bad at communicating with normal humans? Why do underwriting and claims often feel like they're speaking different languages? And why do the industry's success stories rarely get told?Along the way, the conversation explores:• Why insurance might secretly be comedy gold• The relationship between underwriting and claims• Predicting losses versus helping prevent them• Consumer education and policyholder responsibility• AI's potential role in helping people understand coverage• Why good insurance stories rarely make the news• Wildly unexpected underwriting discoveries• Conference cities, pickle sunflower seeds, and T-Rex armsIt's thoughtful. It's funny. And it's a reminder that behind every policy, premium, and claim file are real people trying to solve real problems.Grab a salty snack, step away from your work queue, and enjoy the conversation.

"Insurance is a business that's designed to help others, and yet we somehow forgot to check in on one another."This week, The Salty Adjuster sits down with Brenden Corr of Project 55 to talk about authenticity, burnout, sobriety, mental health, and why insurance professionals spend so much time taking care of everyone else while often neglecting themselves.Along the way, Brenden explains why his LinkedIn feed is just as likely to feature a poll about Panda Express for airport breakfast as it is a conversation about mental health. For him, it's all part of the same mission: replacing polished corporate personas with authentic human connection.Together, they explore the emotional weight carried by adjusters, claims professionals, underwriters, brokers, and everyone else working on the front lines of helping people through difficult moments.In the second half of the episode, Producer Brett joins The Salty Adjuster to reflect on the emotions and memories the conversation surfaced. What follows is a candid discussion about grief, workplace culture, pregnancy loss, catastrophe claims, the importance of checking on friends, and why vulnerability shouldn't be treated like a weakness.There are laughs. There are uncomfortable truths. There are a few stories that still stick with us years later.Most importantly, there's a reminder that behind every claim file, every KPI, and every LinkedIn profile is a human being carrying something you may never see.Grab a salty snack, mute your notifications, and join us for a conversation that matters.ResourcesProject 55: https://project55.orgSuicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988Email the show: [email protected] this episode resonates with you, share it with a friend. Sometimes the most important claim we handle is checking on the people around us.Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of mental health, burnout, grief, pregnancy loss, and self-harm. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, anytime in the United States.

The Salty Adjuster sits down with insurance industry unicorn Tony Cañas. Recruiter, magician, podcaster, designation collector, community builder, and former claims adjuster who escaped before the salt fully consumed him.Tony talks about burnout in claims, why so many adjusters feel trapped, how the industry accidentally creates feral field adjusters, and what happens when smart people realize insurance careers don’t have to follow a straight line. The conversation dives into recruiting, mental health, customer surveys that ruin lives over rental cars, and why claims might not be for everyone… but insurance probably is.They also cover Hamilton karaoke, velociraptors, rap videos, top hats, and the very real possibility that insurance conferences are one bad blockchain presentation away from becoming survival scenarios.If you’ve ever worked a CAT event, questioned your career choices while staring at 147 open files, or wondered how anybody survives this industry with their personality intact, this episode’s for you.

In this episode of The Salty Adjuster, our host sits down with Jason Smith of Right Restoration. A restoration veteran with decades of experience helping homeowners navigate fires, floods, smoke damage, and the absolute chaos that comes with property losses.The two talk about how they first met years ago through the textile cleaning side of the business, how their careers evolved alongside each other, and why trust and communication matter more than ever between contractors, adjusters, and homeowners.They also get into:• Mitigation myths and shady contractor red flags• What homeowners should actually do during a water loss• Smoke damage, pack-outs, and sentimental items• Why communication can make or break a claim• The certifications that actually matter• Why plumbers would absolutely survive a zombie apocalypse• Dinosaurs. Obviously.It’s equal parts industry insight, war stories, and salty nonsense from two guys who’ve spent years walking into other people’s worst days and trying to make them a little betterSo grab a snack, send an appreciation text to your plumber, and let’s get salty.Check out Right Restoration's website: https://rightrestoration.net/

Today on the show, Producer Brett flips the mic back on the Salty Adjuster for an episode that starts with catastrophe claims and somehow spirals into punk music, deployment loneliness, dinosaur debates, and whether a giant salt shaker should become the official mascot of the show.Together they unpack the weird emotional reality of claims work:- living out of hotels,- delivering devastating news,- surviving CAT deployments,- working through burnout,- and trying to stay human in an industry built around catastrophe.Also discussed:why you should never argue coverage on a roofthe soundtrack behind long estimate-writing sessionsthe emotional support value of hockey games during deploymentswhy every adjuster becomes at least slightly feral by Friday afternoonand why Jaws might actually be easier to survive than GodzillaIt’s part roadside diner conversation, part punk-rock therapy session, part claims industry group chat after midnight.Send your questions to [email protected], or pitch yourself as a guest on an upcoming episode!

"How can you can’t lead claims if you’ve never done the work?"In this episode, The Salty Adjuster sits down with Laurel Jordan for a passionate conversation about leadership, mentorship, burnout, and what it really takes to build a lasting career in claims. A longtime advocate for women in insurance, Laurel shares her perspective on earning credibility from the ground up, creating opportunities for others, and why the best leaders understand the emotional and operational realities of the work because they’ve lived it themselves.From frontline claims handling to executive leadership to Laurel's brand new role at expertise-driven Datos Insights, the conversation explores confidence, community, resilience, and the importance of helping the next generation of women find their voice in an industry that doesn’t always make space for it automatically.Laurel is seeking mentees and you can email [email protected] if you're interested in being introduced to her.

What happens when the adjuster becomes the policyholder?In this episode, The Salty Adjuster sits down with Michael Balarezo, a former claims adjuster who later survived his own devastating wildfire loss as a husband, father, and insurance professional. Michael shares what it feels like to stand on the other side of the claim, when your training, experience, and composure collide with the reality of watching your own life burn.Together they talk about the emotional weight of contents claims, the gaps in the recovery process, and why Michael ultimately founded Adjusto to make claims more human for the people living through them.It’s an honest conversation about loss, resilience, claims culture, and the difference between processing a claim and actually helping someone recover.

In the debut episode of The Salty Adjuster, you'll meet our host, a career-long claims professional with a specialty in property, a love of punk rock, and a desire to connect claims professionals to one another. No jargon or industry spin. In Ep1, The Salty Adjuster and his producer Brett have an honest conversation about the show and the human reality of property claims. From catastrophe deployments and burnout to empathy, dark humor, and the emotional weight adjusters carry every day, this episode explores the full human ecosystem of claims.Email [email protected] to appear on the show or to have your question answered on air.