Risk Services Of Arkansas - January 2022

Risk Services Of Arkansas - January 2022

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TRYING TO SIMPLIFY MY LIFE

Remembering What Really Matters

that he mentions is simplifying your routines . We often try to do too much in the morning and the evening, so try to reduce the activities at the beginning and end of your day by intentionally doing what is absolutely necessary and strategically enriching for your soul. It’ll take some time to get used to, but he says we will feel much more refreshed throughout the rest of the day if we start it and end it this way. Donghia also stresses that we strip away any nonessentials . He suggests we make a list of our daily activities and keep track of how much energy is invested in each task. Once your list is filled, split it into two columns: one for the things that are necessary and good, and another for the things that are unnecessary and distracting. Then spend a few days living with only the good and necessary to see how different it feels. The final suggestion I want to bring up is to fill your life with what matters . We spend too much time and energy on tasks or issues that cloud our vision and make us forget the important things in our lives. Determine what matters most in your life and focus on appreciating and spending more time interacting there. One thing I have learned over time is that “things” don’t matter, but people and the memories created with them, do. This has certainly been a struggle throughout my life, which is why I have been so focused on simplifying over the past few years. I’m further along with some things, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. I urge you all to try and simplify your life this upcoming year. It will be difficult, but you might find it incredibly rewarding in the long run.

We’ve finally made it to the new year, and many people are probably starting to work on their New Year’s resolutions. Personally, I’ve never been one for these resolutions. Without a proper plan in place, they often turn into nothing more than wishful thinking, which then turns into unfulfilled resolutions. Instead, I have an area I try to focus on and try to improve throughout the year. For the past couple of years, I have been focused on simplifying my life. As I’ve gotten older, I have grown tired of running around doing things that don’t really matter in the long run. I want to do things that are important to me and that bring value to my family and the people I care about. In today’s fast-paced society, we are constantly bombarded by advertisements and commercials. You can’t even turn on the TV or go online without some very sophisticated marketers trying to sell you something by implicitly suggesting that what you already have is not good enough. So, when I took a step back, I started to see that in order to make a change, I had to be extremely intentional about stepping off this fast-moving treadmill. I recently read an article in a newspaper that fell in line with my current focus on simplifying my life, and I thought it would be great to share some of the ideas with you all as we enter 2022. Mike Donghia, the author of the article, starts off by discussing some of the imaginary needs that we all obsess over throughout our lives. These include the need to be perfect, to be right, to have all the answers, or just to stay busy. Donghia explains that we must let go of these in order to simplify our lives. I can tell you that this step is easier said than done! He goes on to provide some areas we can adjust to make this simplification easier, because it’s hard to drop habits and desires we’ve had for years. The first

–Brad Johnson President, Risk Services of AR Specialized Insurance Programs for Specialized Industries. • www.INSURICA.com • 1

GO BRANDLESS! IT’S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER Companies likeWarby Parker have built a powerful customer following for creating direct-to-consumer products that slash prices by cutting out the middleman. Now, Brandless is doing the same thing for small, everyday purchases. When you buy peanut butter, you’re not just buying the product — you’re also buying the brand attached to it, along with its costs of distributing and warehousing, plus

Traffic deaths across the country grew by almost 19% in the first six months of 2021 — that’s 20,160 people killed in motor vehicle accidents in half a year. And that’s during a time when many people were working remotely due to the pandemic and roads were clearer. A recent study from Ohio State University stated that since fewer people were driving on the road at the beginning of 2021, more drivers were speeding or driving recklessly. It’s worth noting that the number of actual collisions decreased during the pandemic, but the number of these collisions that ended in a fatality increased. To further prove that speeding and reckless driving were a factor in these statistics, look no further than at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) behavioral research findings from March 2020 to June 2021. This study saw that people were speeding and driving without seat belts more often than in the years before the pandemic. The NHTSA’s Deputy Administrator, Dr. Steven Cliff, stated that this report is “a reminder of what hundreds of millions of people can do every day, right now to combat this: Slow down, wear seat belts, drive sober, and avoid distractions behind the wheel.” The Department of Transportation is attempting to get communities to adopt road design elements that have been proven to make driving safer for everyone. These elements include enhanced crosswalk visibility, full bicycle lanes, wider edge lines, variable speed limits, speed safety cameras, and much more. Many people will continue to work remotely during the first few months of 2022, which means there will be fewer cars on the road. If you’re driving anywhere, even just down the street, do not speed, and wear your seat belt. You can’t control what other drivers do, but you can control what happens in your car.

retail space. By eliminating what co-founder and CEO Tina Sharkey calls a “brand tax,” she realized Brandless could significantly cut down the costs for small products that people bought every day.

When Sharkey and veteran entrepreneur

Ido Leffler came up with the concept of Brandless, it immediately caught fire. They raised

over $16 million in November 2016, and at launch, received over $50 million in venture capital from New Enterprise Associates, Google Ventures, and others. However, their business model didn’t sustain itself forever — Sharkey stepped down as CEO in May 2019 after friction between her and lead investor SoftBank Vision Fund. By February 2020, Brandless had shut down and laid off 90% of its workforce, leaving only a few to manage open orders.

Brandless is thriving again, nevertheless.

When Brandless shut down, they cited their struggle with fierce competition and business model inviability in the direct-to-consumer market. Part of the problemwas that Brandless simply wasn’t sustainable in the way Sharkey and Leffler originally hoped. That’s when Utah-based digital marketing exec Ryan Treft entered the picture. He’s the new CEO, and his vision has, thus far, helped make the consumer’s “quality to price valued product” daydream a reality. “It’s not about racing other brands to the bottom of being the cheapest, because that’s where people compromise on the quality, the ingredients,” Treft said. His new leadership promises to uphold Brandless’ previous commitments to keep all its products free from 400 potentially harmful ingredients, including parabens, sulfates, and synthetic dyes. For a new “brand” that attracted a lot of attention back when it was in its early stages, Brandless is certainly back to the top with its newer product lines in personal care. They’ve received great reviews and attention across platforms. Congrats for fighting your way back, Brandless!

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The Future of Beach Restoration and Protection

If you retired as a millionaire, what would you do with your wealth? You might save it for your heirs, take some extravagant adventures, or donate to a charity you feel is worthy. One former international banker decided to forgo the usual retirement strategies and instead donated a large sum of money to restore and protect an 8-acre beach on Tybee Island in Georgia. Alan Robertson spent $15 million of his own money to bring in over 50,000 cubic yards of sand to strengthen the beautiful dunes that built up over time around coastal vegetation. He also added small overwalks and wind fences for extra protection while still maintaining its natural look. Robertson said, “If you didn’t know it was not nature, well, you wouldn’t know it was built by a bulldozer.” Robertson’s restoration has been so successful that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asked him to write a book detailing the best practices for beach restoration.

Scientists have hypothesized that climate change will cause stronger storm surges in the future. Beaches across the country have used seawalls, dykes, floodgates, flood channels, and other resources to stop storm surges, but this often diminishes the beaches themselves. Beaches on their own are a natural storm protector, but as people walk along beaches more and more, they become weak. The experts are currently at an impasse when it comes to beach restoration. Some believe in reinforcing the coast against storms and rising oceans with various forms of protection. Others want to leave the beaches alone so they can do their job, since the resources we put into place will eventually be prone to floods. Robertson may have inadvertently changed the future of beach protection with his project. It’s possible that other beaches will follow in his footsteps as they prepare to protect themselves from storm surges and rising ocean levels.

Solution on Pg. 4 Have a Laugh!

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INSIDE This Issue Reminding Myself About What Matters page 1 Go Brandless —Their Unique Comeback Story Drive Safer in 2022 page 2

Protecting the World’s Beaches page 3

Make More Time for Reading page 4

Embrace Your Inner Bookworm

4 Secrets to Finding Time to Read as a Busy Parent

Make it a family affair. Sometimes parents feel guilty when they take time for themselves that could be spent with their children. If this sounds like you, make time to read together — the kids read their books,

When you think of reading, you might conjure up an image of yourself curled up next to a cozy fireplace, sipping on coffee, and reading the day away. However, with the hustle and bustle of daily life and raising kids, it’s tough to find the time to truly dive into a good book. We know it’s important to read to our children, but we forget how valuable it is for them to see us reading, too.

and you read yours! Some days, this may last 10 minutes, but other times, they may stay captivated longer. Either way, you are creating healthy habits for your kids while getting in a chapter for yourself, too!

So, how can you fit it into your schedule?

Don’t leave the house without a book. Whether you are waiting in the pickup line at school, at the dentist’s office, for your order at the coffee shop, or at your kid’s soccer practice, this downtime could be spent reading a chapter of your book.

Swap out the movies for books. Once the kids are tucked in after a long day, it sounds so nice to park yourself in front of the television with a cozy blanket and mindlessly watch a good movie or an episode of your favorite show. However, instead of watching TV for an hour, dedicate some or all of that time to reading. This way, you’re still making progress in your book.

Schedule reading time. This one sounds quite silly, but as parents know, if you don’t make time for something, it won’t get done. Plan out 30 minutes of reading time each day to allow yourself to get comfortable and read without distractions. The trick here is to make sure you don’t cancel on yourself!

No matter how you make the time to read, you will be glad you did. Good luck and happy reading!

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