ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Guest Bio
Tamara Corbin | Director of Client Services, TriStar
- More than 25 years in workers’ compensation, starting out as a California adjuster
- Began in a client services sales role at GAB Robins, then worked an indemnity desk and a med-only desk before returning to client services
- Co-founder and president of Rainbow Risk Alliance, an organization for LGBTQ+ professionals in insurance, launched in 2021
- Mentors client services staff and champions patience, encouragement, and human-centered claims handling
Our Conversation
Tamara joins us to talk about how she found her way into workers’ comp and why belonging matters for building a more diverse industry in insurance. She shares what led to launching Rainbow Risk Alliance, what she wishes she had known early on, and why empathy still matters as technology reshapes claims. We also explore how the industry can attract the next generation.
Key Discussion Points
Found by accident, kept by design
A newspaper ad opened the door to a sales role, and a few unexpected detours later, Tamara realized she had built a career around the one thing she loves most: learning how people and industries fit together. Find out what kept her here.
Why seeing yourself in other leaders matters
For her first decade and a half, Tamara kept a part of herself hidden at work. Hear what changed when she started seeing leaders who looked like her and shared her experiences with others.
One conversation, one organization
A chance meeting at a California conference planted the seed for Rainbow Risk Alliance. Learn how that idea took shape, and what the group has been able to give back, including more than $50,000 to LGBTQ+ nonprofits in California.
Patience is a professional skill
Tamara talks about the one thing she wished she learned early on, and why the people who grow fastest in this industry are the ones who stick with it, stay curious, and keep asking questions.
Pick up the phone
When email chains replace real conversations, empathy is often the first thing to go. Tamara explains why adjusters need to maintain that human connection, and how AI could give them more time to use their judgment instead of replacing it.
Questions to Consider
- What would change in your own workplace if every new hire saw leaders who reflected their experiences?
- When a claim feels like a mountain of paperwork, what would it look like to start a conversation with the person beyond the paperwork?
- What interests do your newest colleagues bring, and how could those interests apply to our industry?
Interested in learning more about Rainbow Risk Alliance? Click here
¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp
