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16d •
Welcome to Risk Management Made Simple
I'm Dallas Downey, and I built this community because I got tired of watching business owners get blindsided. I spent years in the trenches doing what most brokers do—slinging policies and grinding to grow my book of business in a field that's, honestly, boring as hell. I'd sit down with business owners, explain coverages until I was blue in the face, and watch their eyes glaze over. They didn't care about deductibles or limit structures. They cared about one thing: Am I paying for useful protection? But here's the problem—most didn't understand the difference between having insurance and actually managing risk. They thought a policy meant they were safe. So they'd get hit with a lawsuit, an OSHA violation, or a massive claim they thought was covered, and suddenly we'd both be scrambling. That's when I realized the real issue: I wasn't solving their problem. I was just selling them a product. That's when everything changed. I stopped focusing on policies and started focusing on why businesses get exposed. I learned auditing. I studied compliance frameworks. I built processes to uncover the gaps that insurance alone can't fix. And the moment I started teaching business owners about total cost of risk—not just premiums, but lawsuits, downtime, regulatory fines, and operational chaos—everything shifted. They got it. They engaged. They protected their business. That's why this community exists. This isn't a place for sales pitches. It's a place where you get the frameworks, the checklists, and the straight talk that keeps you out of trouble. You'll see case studies from businesses that got exposed—and how they fixed it. You'll get templates you can actually use. And when you have a specific question, you'll get expert feedback, not corporate jargon. Here's what I want from you: 1. Show up. The value here only works if you're engaged. Comment on posts. Ask questions. Share your biggest risk concerns. 2. Be honest about where you're vulnerable. The more real you are, the better advice I can give. 3. When you're ready to go deeper—whether that's a mock OSHA audit, a comprehensive risk plan, or just expert guidance on a specific problem—you'll find those options inside. But there's zero pressure. This community is genuinely free, and it's genuinely valuable on its own.
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2d •
How to Get Maximum Value From This Community (And What's Coming Next Week)
Happy Friday, y'all By now you've heard the mission (education, not gatekeeping), and you understand the structure (Compliance → Workers Comp → Operational Risk). Every week follows the same pattern. Here's what to expect: Monday: Risk Tip Post - One specific problem (not 5), Real data/numbers, Why it matters to YOUR business, What you should know, and a Discussion prompt. Time commitment: 4-5 minutes to read What to do: Read, think about whether it applies to you, answer the discussion question honestly Wednesday: Case Study - A Real scenario (anonymized real business), What went wrong (or what went right), Root causes breakdown, and a Lesson for YOUR business Time commitment: 5-7 minutes to read What to do: Read, compare to your situation, engage in comments with other members Friday: Action + Engagement - You'll get a framework, checklist, or self-assessment you can use, Actionable next steps, and a Discussion prompt with accountability angle Time commitment: 5-10 minutes (depending on if you do the action item) What to do: Download the resource, do the assessment, commit to one action publicly How to Maximize This ✅ DO THIS: - Show up on schedule (Monday/Wednesday/Friday at the times posted) - Engage in discussion (comment with your answer to the prompt) - Do the Friday action item (don't just read it) - Share your obstacles/questions (that's what the community is for) - Hold yourself accountable (public commitment = higher follow-through) ❌ DON'T DO THIS: - Read passively and move on (you'll retain 10% instead of 70%) - DM me asking me to solve your specific situation in 5 minutes (I will, but it's $750/hour consulting—the content is free for a reason) - Skip engagement because you're "shy" (this community thrives on real problems, not lurking) - Wait until Week 12 to implement anything (compounding action beats delayed perfection) On the last Friday of each month, I'll send out Downloadable Resource A template, checklist, or assessment you can actually use (OSHA audit checklist, EMR calculation template, etc.) as an bonus to help you assess your business more.
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4d •
The 3 Risk Pillars Every Business Needs To Be Aware Of
When I work with a business, I'm always mapping the same three categories: Pillar 1: Compliance Risk Pillar 2: Workers Compensation Risk Pillar 3: Operational Risk They're not separate problems. They're interconnected. But they require different strategies. 🔍PILLAR 1: COMPLIANCE RISK The Problem: You're not compliant, you get cited, you pay penalties, your insurance goes up. What Most Business Owners Don't Understand: OSHA rewrote their penalty structure in 2025. Small businesses (≤25 employees) can now reduce penalties by 70% if they know the rules, but most business owners don't know the rules exist, so they get hit with a $16,550 penalty when they could've paid $2,400 if they'd known. Real Example: - A smaller manufacturing shop gets cited for fall protection violations - Manager thinks: "We're getting fined $16,550. This is bad." - What they don't know: They qualify for 70% size reduction + 15% quick-fix bonus + 20% clean history credit = 85% total reduction - Actual penalty: ~$2,483 The difference: $14,067 they didn't need to lose. Compliance isn't just about penalties. It's about being audit-ready before inspectors show up, understanding which violations exist in YOUR operation, having a framework to fix them before they become problems, and knowing which compliance areas require expertise vs. which you can DIY These first few weeks, we're breaking down OSHA violations, compliance frameworks, audit systems, and how to self-inspect before the government does. 💔PILLAR 2: WORKERS COMPENSATION RISK The Problem: One bad year of claims tanks your experience mod, and you're overpaying premiums for 3+ years. What Most Business Owners Don't Understand: Your workers' comp premium is NOT just based on your payroll and job classification. It's based on your Experience Modification Rate (EMR), which is calculated from your claim history. One $50,000 claim can increase your premium by 15-25% for multiple years, and three $20,000 claims hurt you more than one $60,000 claim (this is the part that confuses everyone).
6d •
Week 0: Why I Built This
Hey, Dallas here. Buckle up, this is a longer one. I'm going to be straight with you: I didn't build this community because I had extra time on my hands. I built it because I'm tired of watching business owners get blindsided. "Dallas, why did my workers' comp bill jump 40%?" "When did you last get hit with an OSHA citation?" "I didn't even know we had that insurance gap until the claim came." "The auditor says I owe $8,000. How is that even legal?" These aren't rare conversations. They're the rule, not the exception. Here's What I've Learned: I've been in the insurance and risk management space for a decade, operating across Iowa and Texas. I've worked with hundreds of business owners—from $1M shops to huge operations, and the pattern is always the same: Most businesses are one OSHA violation, one premium audit, or one worker injury away from a financial crisis they didn't see coming. Not because they're bad operators. Not because they don't care about safety. Because nobody taught them the system. You were taught how to run your business. How to build a team. How to serve clients. How to manage cash flow. Nobody taught you about experience modification rates, OSHA compliance tiers, insurance classification codes, or workers' comp claim management. And the people selling you insurance? They're not incentivized to educate you. They profit from your confusion. So you're left asking Google, hoping Reddit has answers, or paying consultants $15K-$30K just to tell you what you should've known already. That's why I'm here. This is NOT: - Another sales pitch disguised as education - Generic "compliance tips" you could find anywhere - A place where I'm gatekeeping information to sell you later This IS: - A weekly deep-dive into the three areas that destroy businesses: Compliance, Workers Comp, and Operational Risk - Real frameworks, real examples, real actionable strategies - A community of business owners who are done getting surprised - The foundation for you to either DIY or make smart decisions about when to hire an expert
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