In addition to the strong influence of my parents, sports shaped how I think from a young age. I saw good and bad examples early—the coach who cussed out the umpire at my 8-year-old Little League game and shattered the only helmet that fit my oversized noggin, and the one who quietly tied a teammate’s shoes two years later.

I’ve learned from great coaches and not-so-great ones. Those moments stuck. They still guide how I lead, work with others, and handle pressure.

And before all that—my parents.
They worked hard, showed up consistently, and taught me that how you carry yourself—especially when no one’s watching—matters more than what you say.

Competing taught me how to lose with grace, lead under fire, and show up when it matters. It’s been a long time since I played, but I still study the game—and apply its lessons to how I build, lead, and grow in business. What started as learning how to bounce back from a tough game became the foundation for how I handle setbacks in business.

I help healthcare solution providers grow their footprint inside employer markets.
While healthcare has been my core focus, these same principles apply anywhere complex sales, indirect distribution, and stakeholder dynamics shape go-to-market strategy.

Curiosity drives it all. I treat every conversation, setback, and win as a door to what's next—that I keep opening. I’ve learned just as much from losing as I have from winning big.

I'm a student of business growth—sales that convert, marketing that resonates, and strategy that scales. The lessons I use now come from both hard-won losses and big wins that changed what I thought was possible.

Today, growth takes more than cold calls and mass emails. Sales success now depends on:

-Video DMs that cut through the noise
-Content that sparks conversations
-Outbound sequences that blend timing, relevance, and social proof
-My profile isn’t built for attention. It’s built to start real conversations.

Because I work in employer healthcare growth, people often assume I’m a benefits broker or consultant. I’m not. I work with them—advising solution providers on how to break into employer markets through smart positioning, strategic partnerships, and distribution that actually works.

My approach starts with listening—and ends with aligned growth you can measure.

Much of my work has been in employer health. I’ve experienced firsthand how crowded and competitive this space can be. That’s the space I know best—and where I deliver the most traction.

If you're tired of playing the same playbook and want a fresh set of eyes, let’s talk.

Sarah Beckstrom is a hero and I honor her sacrifice to protect us all.  Bernard Toney Jr.  makes a great point in his post to remember her name and share her story.

Steve Thomas

I work with employers, their partners, and advisors to identify problems and provide solutions to solve challenges.  This requires asking  lots of questions, being a great listener, and collaborating with executives from all parties in a muti-decision maker process.  

During my career I have worked for Onsite health center  organizations. Virtual healthcare providers, one of the largest hospital systems in the nation, TPAs, SaaS companies, and population health management  companies.  These companies have been start-ups as  well as the largest organization in their vertical.  Each organization taught me important lessons in increasing revenue and maintaining clients.  

The majority of my work has been with employers between 500 and 65,000 employees. I have also worked with carriers, payers and other aggregate contractors of employer snd employees lives such as Hospitals, TPAs, PEOs, enrollment companies  etc. All of this has required collaboration with multiple decision makers and advisors to commit to significant multi year contracts. 

My geographic focus has been on both a national and regional basis.  I have served organizations as both an individual contributor and as a player coach.  In both roles my work expanding revenue has met and surpassed my goals 85% of the time. 

If you'd like to learn more about how we can work together, please DM me or send me an email at st@cfl.rr.com.

U.S. Diplomat 🇺🇸 | Former White House Medical Officer | Harvard Senior Executive Fellows Alum | Tillman Scholar

The world should know her name.

Sarah Beckstrom, 20
West Virginia National Guard

On November 26th, while standing her post near the White House, Sarah was attacked without warning. 

She wasn’t in a confrontation. She wasn’t seeking danger. She was simply doing her job with quiet integrity and the kind of heart you can’t teach.

She fought through the night.
But on November 27th, she passed away.

An innocent young woman — a daughter, a teammate, a friend — taken far too soon by senseless violence.

To her family: we are holding you close.
To her fellow Soldiers: we grieve with you.
To Sarah: we honor your life, your service, and your love.

Share her name. Share her story. 

#Military #USArmy

I probably use sports too much as an analogy…in business and life.

You do not discover loyalty when things are going well; you find it when things stink.

You find out who’s truly loyal when:
Your favorite football team has multiple back to back losing season… and the same friends still show up in the parking lot at 8 a.m. in team gear for your tailgate.
Your business or your career hits a rough patch (you get laid off or fired, your company is acquired by an aggressive PE company, you make a very public mistake), and the same people still pick up the phone, still refer you, still hire you, still trust you with their business or their reputation even when there are “better” or easier options.

You go through a personal low point (divorce, money problems, depression, whatever), and certain people don’t vanish or get weird; they just keep showing up without keeping score.

Real loyalty usually looks boring and inconvenient:
It’s the client who stays when a competitor undercuts you by 30%.
It’s the spouse who still chooses you on the days you’re at your absolute worst.
It’s the fan who keeps the season tickets when the team hasn’t had a winning record in many years.

Most people are conditionally loyal (“I’m ride-or-die… as long as you’re winning”).
True loyalty is irrational. It doesn’t make sense on a spreadsheet. It keeps showing up when every logical reason says to walk away.
So if you want to test who’s actually loyal to you (friends, customers, partner, whatever), stop being impressive for a little while. Stop winning. Make some mistakes. Have a bad season.

The ones who stay aren’t polite.
They’re priceless.
That’s how you discover who’s really got your back.

How do you discover who is loyal in your personal and business life?

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful we finally dropped the calendar. For years, our family did what so many others do—tried to make the holiday work on the actual Thursday. That usually meant racing through airports, juggling time zones, and squeezing in connection between flights and stress. But this year, we decided to let it go. We’re doing “Thanksgiving adjacent”—gathering when it works for everyone, even if it’s not the fourth Thursday in November. No guilt, no logistics challenges. Just full tables, longer visits, more stories, and yes—just as much pie. We have shifted the date without shifting the meaning.

I’ve also been reflecting on the people I’m most thankful for: family, of course, but also the friends who’ve become family; the colleagues who bring energy and purpose to each day; the former teammates I still collaborate with and learn from; and the extended LinkedIn community that’s grown into something truly impactful. Over the years, your comments, messages, IRL meetings, and virtual coffees have made this platform a space for connection, collaboration, and shared insight. You know who you are, and I’m truly grateful.

I am also tremendously thankful for the men and women of our armed forces, law enforcement, and fire and rescue services who sacrifice so much—holidays included—to keep the rest of us safe every single day. Your service doesn’t take a day off, and our gratitude never should either. 

So here’s what I’m curious about: have you ever shifted a holiday so more people could actually show up—physically and emotionally? Would you? I’m here to say, it’s worth it. However and whenever you’re celebrating this season, I’m wishing you peace, connection, and something delicious.

From Gridiron to Nursing
Football Players Who Chose to Save Lives Over Score Touchdowns

After reading about D’Brickashaw Ferguson’s nursing career, I got curious:
Who else made that kind of pivot?
Turns out — there are more than a few.

Here are five former (or current) football players who chose nursing as their next chapter:

1. D’Brickashaw Ferguson
10-year NFL vet (Jets), 3× Pro Bowler
Just earned his BSN in 2025
Now a cardiac nurse at RWJBarnabas Health
He used to protect quarterbacks.
Now he protects hearts.

2. Patrick Hill
Former Titans fullback
Master’s in Nursing from UCLA
Inpatient psychiatric nurse
"Says blocking 300-lb linemen prepared him for the hardest nights on the psych unit."

3. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Super Bowl champ (Chiefs RB)
Enrolled in nursing school
Kinesiology degree as foundation
He’s not waiting until his cleats are hung up and preparing for his second act.

4. Roosevelt Davis
Former UCLA Bruins RB (2011–14)
Turned down pro football offers
Earned his MSN
Pediatric CVICU nurse at CHOC
“Getting hit in the head a lot wasn’t fun.
Helping kids after open-heart surgery?
That’s everything.”

5. Chandler Brayboy
Jaguars practice squad WR
Just finished BSN at Elon University (Dec 2024)
Plans to work critical care or team medical
He diagnosed his grandfather’s Parkinson’s at 15.
This sounds like a calling that runs deep.

Football gave them fame. Nursing gives them purpose.
Only ~10.4% of U.S. nurses are men — and these five prove there’s plenty of room in this field for strength, speed, and heart.
📊 Source: AACN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey (10.4% male RNs)

If I were running the hospitals these men are working?
I'd put every one of these guys on a recruiting poster.
When young men see someone they admire step into nursing —
they start to picture themselves there too.
These players aren’t just changing careers.
They’re opening the door for others to follow.

Pictured Below: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Patrick Hill, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Roosevelt Davis, and Chandler Brayboy.

“If employees are your greatest asset, why is their care still just a line item… and not the entire line dance?”

Most companies say they care.

But when it comes time to fund healthcare strategies that actually work, the conversation shifts to “budget constraints.”

Here’s the gap no one wants to talk about:
The same organizations investing millions in recruitment, productivity tools, and office redesigns often hesitate to fund the one thing that drives all three—access to great care, delivered where and when employees need it most.

What happens when care is embedded in the workplace?

- Primary care becomes proactive, not reactive
- Absenteeism drops
- Chronic conditions get caught and managed early
- Employees build real relationships with providers
- HR stops guessing—because data shows what’s working
- Retention, morale, and trust improve

And yet, leaders still ask: “Can we afford this?”
The better question is: “Can you afford not to?”
Employers who invest in integrated, on-site and virtual care see:

- Less time away from work
- Improved access for employees and families
- Streamlined healthcare management
- Better recruitment and retention outcomes
- A measurable ROI/VOI for every dollar spent

This isn’t another point solution.
It’s a care model that works from the inside out—and proves it.

👉 If you’re an employer or advisor wrestling with this decision, I can walk you through how leading companies are making it work. Results, relationships, and real ROI.

Health strategies don’t change behavior. Incentives do.

Take the Adams Family—two working parents, two kids, employer-sponsored coverage. Like most families, they don’t skip care because they’re reckless. They skip because nothing in their plan nudges them toward action until something breaks. That’s the gap in most employer health strategies: they provide access, but not activation.

Access doesn’t equal engagement. To drive real behavior change—especially around preventive care, chronic condition management, and long-term wellness—you need a behavior-first design. That means building in smart incentives that guide decisions before they become claims.

What works? Premium reductions for completing wellness visits. HSA contributions for preventive care compliance. Gift cards for health risk assessments. Step challenges with meaningful rewards. Milestone payouts for smoking cessation or diabetes coaching. These tools aren’t perks—they’re intentional nudges that create momentum.

The numbers back it up. Companies with engaged employees outperform others by 202% (Gallup). Sixty-eight percent of workers say they’d work harder if they felt recognized (Zippia). Strategic rewards can improve productivity by 14% (SHRM).

Your health strategy shouldn’t just offer options—it should shape outcomes. That’s how you reach families like the Adams Family before things escalate.

If you're exploring ways to go beyond coverage and design for behavior, send me a message. I’ll share real-world incentive models that are driving improved engagement in today’s workforce.

Do you write LinkedIn recommendations?  So few people provide them and you do not have to wait until someone asks you for one.  They are important in building LinkedIn profiles especially if you are looking for your next opportunity.

Eden Ezell shared a great post with some tips on how to handle some of the common questions people have about writing connections on LinkedIn.  

Plus she has a holiday challenge for everyone.  How many recommendations can you write between now and the end of the year?

I have committed to three each week in December.  

Can you match me or do more? Let me know in the comments. 😎

Healthcare Risk & Compliance Expert | Advising Boards on Governance, Regulatory Oversight, and Enterprise Transformation | Adjunct Professor of Law | Curating Clarity & Solutions | Dragonslayer of Problems

I’ve got a secret about LinkedIn  Recommendations that no one tells you - 



Recommendations are not only for employer/employee or client service relationships. You can give a recommendation for any multitude of things! 

As illustrated below (thanks Melissa Cohen!), mentoring, studying, teaching, working together, etc. (I had to put in a name so I could get to this screen - who wouldn't choose THE #dingdangdelightful Melissa Cohen?)

And I’d say that “working together” can be defined as a lot of different things.

In a community where you join sessions to learn together? Working together.
Volunteering at the same philanthropic event? Working together.
Organizing a holiday event together? Working together.
Speaking on a panel together? Working together. 

If someone knows me well enough to introduce me to a stranger, they know me well enough to make a recommendation. (Whether the want to is an *entirely* different story! 😉)

Once you get past the “how do you know them” part - the rest is super easy. Simply write a few quick sentences that would help someone know this person better. 

Here's a few ideas (you only need one!):

•	What do they do better than anyone else?
•	Describe a specific instance where they made a difference.
•	Identify one or two qualities or skills that make them stand out.
•	How would you describe their *approach* to work (e.g., leadership style, teamwork, reliability)?
•	What’s it like to work with them? How do you feel after being around them?
•	What roles, teams, or organizations would benefit from their strengths?
•	Why would you recommend them to others?

Now, with all that, here's my holiday challenge to you - can you give *one* LinkedIn recommendation before the end of the year?

Or one recommendation each week between now and 12/31?
Or even one recommendation each day between now and 12/31?

Starting today, I’m going to try for one per day. That's right. I'm gonna do my best to write 36 recommendations to close out 2025.

And I’m going to start with the ones that I didn’t even realize were sitting in my “pending” folder - so sorry to those friends (you know who you are!) 

(pro tip - you can *ask* someone for a recommendation, too!)

Please join me - Who's in for giving at least one recommendation?

Health insurance analogy that is spot on.

HR & Organizational Development Leader | Driving Workforce Transformation, Leadership Growth & $3.6M+ in Business Impact.

Saw this today… and had to share…

… seems accurate

How much of your healthcare premium is actually covered by your employer?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (March 2024):

Private sector: 68% of employee premiums
Public sector: 71%

That's a significant investment. But here's the uncomfortable truth:
If your workforce isn’t engaging with the cost-saving programs you’ve built, you’re bleeding value.
The best-designed wellness or benefits program will still fail if no one uses it. Why?
Participation only follows engagement

✅ Engagement only follows behavior-driven incentives
✅ Behavior only changes with consistent communication
✅ Behavior only changes with consistent communication

Here’s what works on the ground:

1️⃣ Premium Differentials – Reward engagement with lower premiums
2️⃣ PTO Rewards – Time off tied to measurable outcomes
3️⃣ Gamification – Leaderboards, team steps, and real prizes
4️⃣  Leadership Visibility – Executives using the programs publicly
5️⃣ Feedback Loops – Ongoing employee surveys to optimize motivation

These aren’t just wellness tactics—they’re culture plays. And they shift costs and commitment.

The takeaway:
Programs are just the starting point. ROI lives in participation. Employers must design incentives intentionally, measure consistently, and partner with advisors who drive true engagement.

👉 What’s the most creative engagement tactic you’ve seen work in a wellness or benefits program?

Georgia Oak Partners's recent post brought back great memories of watching one of my all-time favorite players. As a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, Dale Murphy sits right behind Hank Aaron as my favorite Brave. For a glorious stretch in the 1980s, he was the most complete player in the National League: back-to-back MVP awards in 1982 and 1983, five consecutive Gold Gloves, seven straight All-Star selections, and six straight 30+ home-run seasons.

Because of Ted Turner’s SuperStation, the Braves weren’t just Atlanta’s team; they were literally America’s Team. No matter where my travels took me, I could always find Dale Murphy on a television screen. He finished his career with 398 home runs, 1,266 RBI, and a reputation as one of the genuinely good guys to ever put on a big-league uniform. Yet the unofficial thresholds of 400 home runs, 500 home runs, and 3,000 hits had become an unwritten rule that shut out one of the most dominant runs of the entire 1980s.

But second chances do come around for the Hall of Fame, even if they take a long time. In December Eight names will be considered, and one of them is Dale Murphy, hoping the committee finally rights an old wrong and and Dale gets the bronze plaque he so richly earned IMHO.

We're excited to spotlight the campaign for the Braves legend and Georgia Oak Managing Director Dale Murphy — the site MurphyToTheHall.com is making a compelling case for his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Murph's resume speaks volumes: two consecutive National League MVPs in a pitcher-dominated era, nearly six straight seasons averaging ~36 HR and 105 RBIs, and nearly 400 career home runs.
 
More than numbers, his character, sportsmanship and impact on and off the field earn him the kind of recognition the Hall of Fame was built for.

If you believe in recognizing excellence, dedication and integrity in sports (or in any field), now’s a great time to lend your voice to #MurphyToTheHall!

#Baseball #HallOfFame #Leadership #CharacterInSports #DaleMurphy

Your Engagement Audit—5 Questions to Ask Before Launch Before you roll out that new program, ask:

1️⃣ Who owns engagement beyond launch day?
2️⃣ How will night shift hear about it?
3️⃣ What pain does this solve for the employee?
4️⃣ What’s the clearest call to action?
5️⃣ Who can vouch for it from inside the walls?

No answers? No launch. Get these answers figured out first. 

Would your engagement plan pass this test?

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