Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

In this episode, Justin takes the opportunity of RISKWORLD 2026 to interview on-site two session co-presenters, Sandy Avina and Angel Guerra, and a fellow podcast host, Joel Appelbaum. Sandy and Angel co-wrote a book, Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us, which comes out on May 18th. They discuss their careers, how they came to team up to write, and why this book, now. Justin and Joel discuss Joel's career in risk, from underwriter to Chief Content Officer at the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) and podcast host of The Edge of Risk.

Listen for thought leadership on communicating risk to business professionals and translating complex risk research into media content.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:14] About this episode of RIMScast. It was recorded live, on-site at RISKWORLD 2026, in Philadelphia. It's one of my favorite episodes of the year. We will be joined by a range of guests. But first…

[:43] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Course will be on May 13th and 14th. The popular CBCP and RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Bootcamp will be held from May 18th through the 21st. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be held on June 9th and 10th.

[1:02] Links to registration are in this episode's notes.

[1:05] Webinars. On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility."

[1:17] On May 21st, GRC returns to present "Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules."

[1:27] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes.

[1:41] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today!

[2:00] On with the Show! We are live on the exhibit floor at RISKWORLD 2026 at the Philadelphia Convention Center. There's a lot of great energy. That energy transferred from the stage to our booth! My first guests are from our LA RIMS Chapter, Sandy Avina and Angel Guerra.

[2:23] Sandy and Angel co-presented the session on Tuesday, May 5th, "Between Truth and Trauma: Investigating the Invisible." RIMScast caught up with them right after they came off the stage to discuss the state of mental health claims and get a preview of their new book.

[2:37] Sandy and Angel co-authored the book coming out on May 18th. It's called Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us. We're going to have a lot of fun! Let's get to it!

[2:44] Interview! Sandy Avina and Angel Guerra, Welcome to RIMScast!

[2:58] Angel says this is her third RISKWORLD and she loves it! She last attended two years ago in San Diego. Sandy says this is her first time at RISKWORLD. She's trying to experience everything, and it's like trying to put ten pounds of sugar in a five-pound bag. She's getting there.

[3:17] Sandy is The Riskfluencer on TikTok.

[3:25] Angel has a business, Beauty and Beast in Business.

[3:28] Together, Sandy and Angel make Riskfetti.

[3:41] Angel started in the mailroom of SRS 20 years ago, moved through Claims, Operations Management, and Global Risk Management, and is now a VP at Arrowhead Evaluation, which does independent medical and risk consulting.

[4:11] Angel's variety of experiences lets her see everything and gives her knowledge of risk management and the ability to manage a program well.

[4:31] Right out of college, Sandy joined California's workers' compensation state fund as an adjuster. She loved it and started to learn other lines. She now works for California Schools JPA, a public risk pool supporting K-12 and community colleges.

[4:54] Sandy leads the California Schools JPA claims program for property liability and workers' compensation. She loves it.

[5:03] Sandy and Angel connected through LinkedIn.

[5:25] Sandy and Angel presented a RISKWORLD session on developing the defense for psychological claims. Sandy says we're seeing the change in legislation for allowing mental-mental claims and not just physical-mental claims.

[5:35] Dr. Ron Heredia was also on the panel. He spoke on how to crack defenses and properly investigate. There are red flags and also very truthful claims. As professionals, check your unconscious bias. Think about fact-finding without a specific agenda.

[6:12] Justin points out that May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S. Sandy partners wth Kind Souls Foundation, a non-profit that provides a warm, emotional support line for anybody with a work-displacing event. Sandy notes the struggles of the Sandwich Generation.

[6:56] Angel says we see people are being a lot more open about mental health and self-care, but there's still a stigma to it. It's important to recognize that, not just in May, but throughout the year.

[7:15] Justin mentions a guest from a couple of weeks ago who served in the Canadian military. He was very open about his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They had a wonderful conversation about it. Justin doesn't want to bring it up if somebody doesn't want to talk about it.

[7:40] Sandy says, when you have the conversations more often, and they're more open, people feel more comfortable bringing it up.

[7:50] Sandy and Angel's session was "Between Truth and Trauma: Investigating the Invisible." Angel says a lot of people told them they were very happy with the session. They see increases in legislation that allow for more mental-mental claims, and it's a challenge to keep up.

[8:11] Angel says having Dr. Ron Heredia with them gave a view of what it looks like from the employer's side. Are you investigating those claims, recognizing the importance of very clear documentation? If it's not in writing, it didn't happen. Have a doctor help with questions to ask.

[8:43] Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us is coming out on May 18th. Sandy says she and Angel both started in claims, and they found that a lot of employers they spoke to didn't know risk management. They didn't understand their coverage or insurance, or how it works.

[9:12] Sandy says a lot of the education in the industry today is very academic and is meant for the risk managers. Employers are not going to go get their CPCU or take webinars on coverage or understanding endorsements. They assign someone else to do it. It's split in the organization.

[9:35] Sandy says nobody is speaking to that audience from a layperson's perspective in a way they'll be receptive to. Sandy said we wanted to make that information accessible, so we created a book that is fun, engaging, and more accessible for business owners.

[9:49] Angel says they used case studies, fun stories of claims they had managed or others had managed. It's very engaging. People say they've read the book and laughed. It's for HR Managers, Safety Managers, and CFOs, who don't understand insurance but have responsibility.

[10:41] Angel's advice for beginning risk professionals: Find a community of individuals who are willing to support you and talk about the hard things and cheer you on when you're not sure if insurance or claims is where you want to be. It's not an easy industry, but a wonderful industry.

[11:00] Sandy's advice for the young generation is to make content about this industry. If you are working in this industry, make your TikToks and post on socials. We need to hear from that generation. It democratizes the flow of information. They already do it for their personal life.

[11:18] Sandy says, talk about your experience. I want to know what it's like for somebody coming into the industry right now. I know what it was like 23 years ago; I want to know what it's like now. That's the best way to get that information out there. We want to know those opinions.

[11:40] Justin says, I love what you're doing. You've got a lot of great energy! Angel, Sandy, thank you so much for joining me on RIMScast. You were wonderful guests! I hope to see you again next year.

[12:04] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes.

[12:25] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, to be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Advance rates are available through June 5th.

[12:39] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will retu...