Risk and Relatability with Rachel DeAlto

RIMScast

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From Law to Leadership: A Journey of Transformation

This chapter explores the transition from an insurance defense attorney to a leader in risk management and entrepreneurship. The speakers reflect on the importance of their legal background in enhancing their public speaking and storytelling abilities while emphasizing the value of authenticity and relatability in leadership. Key themes include strategic decision-making, resilience, and the interconnectedness of personal experiences and professional success.

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

Our guest, Communication and Relatability Expert Rachel DeAlto will be a keynote speaker on May 6th at RISKWORLD 2025. In this episode, Justin and Rachel discuss her career from insurance defense attorney to speaker, author, and startup leader. As a defense attorney, Rachel worked with risk management professionals. Rachel shares tips for creating connection, relatability, and trust. She speaks of authenticity within professional boundaries.

Listen for suggestions on developing empathy and establishing trust.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:15] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2025! RIMS wants you to Engage Today and Embrace Tomorrow in Chicago from May 4th through May 7th. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and the link in this episode’s show notes.

[:33] About this episode. Our guest is relatability and communication expert, Rachel DeAlto. She will be one of the keynote speakers at RISKWORLD 2025.

[:59] RIMS-CRMP Workshops! On February 19th and 20th, a two-day virtual workshop for the RIMS-CRMP will be led by former RIMS President Chris Mandel and presented by the RIMS Greater Bluegrass Chapter, the 2024 RIMS Chapter of the Year.

[1:21] RIMS will be partnering with Purima once again on March 5th and 6th to deliver a virtual RIMS-CRMP Prep Course. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and this episode’s show notes.

[1:38] Virtual Workshops! Gail Kiyomura of The Art of Risk Consulting will host the “Fundamentals of Insurance” virtual workshop on February 19th and 20th, 2025.

[1:53] On February 26th and 27th, Elise Farnham of Illumine Consulting will lead “Applying and Integrating ERM”. “Managing Data for ERM” will be hosted by Pat Saporito. That course starts on March 12th, 2025.

[2:14] A link to the full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode’s show notes.

[2:25] The RIMS Legislative Summit 2025 is back! It will be held on March 19th and 20th in Washington, D.C. Join RIMS for two days of Congressional meetings, networking, and advocating on behalf of the risk management community.

[2:43] This event is open for RIMS members only so if you’re not a member, join now! Visit RIMS.org/advocacy for registration details.

[2:51] RISKWORLD 2025 registration is open. Take advantage of our Super Savings Rate by February 28th. Speaking of RISKWORLD, that brings us to our very special guest.

[3:03] Rachel DeAlto is a communication and relatability expert. She maintains a law degree and a master’s in psychology and has achieved the designation of Certified Speaking Professional through the National Speakers Association.

[3:17] Rachel is the author of Relatable: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere, (Even if it Scares You), available from Simon and Schuster.

[3:26] On May 6th, Rachel DeAlto will deliver her keynote, “The Power of Relatability,” at RISKWORLD 2025, where she will explore the vital role of genuine human connections in effective leadership.

[3:38] She’s here to tell us a little bit more about her keynote and she will reveal some of the top interpersonal qualities that inspire trust and motivate teams. These are the sorts of skills that risk management professionals can use at any stage of their career.

[3:56] Interview! Rachel DeAlto, welcome to RIMScast!

[4:01] Rachel is one of the three keynote speakers on May 6th. She is super excited about it. She has heard amazing things about RISKWORLD from friends who have attended or spoken there.

[4:18] Rachel was adjacent to the risk profession as an insurance defense attorney. She was very much aware of the risk management professionals.

[4:47] Rachel was constantly having conversations with the risk professionals, keeping them in the loop, determining together where potential pitfalls were, based on the boots on the ground, in front of witnesses or clients. She and the risk management professionals were cooperative.

[5:16] Rachel is still friendly with the claims adjusters she worked with and her former office, who are still working in the insurance defense world.

[5:33] When Rachel knew she was going to be at RISKWORLD, she took a bigger look at it to see how large it is, how many different risk professionals are out there, and the different roles they play. The risk professionals Rachel had worked with were a fragment of the risk population.

[6:07] Rachel saw there was a holistic way that organizations mitigate or prevent risk.

[6:26] Rachel tells how she had transitioned from being an attorney. She had always dreamed of being an attorney and maybe a judge. Ten years ago, she came up with an idea for a startup company, intending to continue practicing law while running the company.

[6:52] The company led to a significant launch, with about $2 million in private placement. Her responsibility shifted to the company she was running. That led to doing more media and public speaking. She had had no intention of leaving her boss; he still chastises her for it.

[7:27] Rachel uses very strategic “yeses.” She notes that there are times when you are shown two paths; one goes this way, and one goes the other. She is grateful her paths led her to where she is. She would have been happy still practicing as an attorney but she enjoys what she does.

[8:04] Rachel believes her skills as an attorney transfer to her career as a speaker. She likes being able to help people and make an impact, with some of the elements of her former career integrated into her work. She feels lucky to do what she does.

[9:18] Rachel sees a change over the last several years in that we’re understanding that we’re all on a stage. We all have stories to tell. We all have parts of ourselves to share. The more comfortable we are in that, the more successful we can be. It’s how we connect with people.

[9:43] Rachel is all about relatability now. We should all be striving for it. It’s the ability to connect with people on a multitude of levels. How can risk professionals balance the emotional risks of vulnerability, authenticity, and leadership and be relatable?

[10:15] Rachel speaks of the components of relatability. Authenticity and vulnerability are parts of it, but you don’t reveal everything. Be genuine while maintaining professional boundaries. It’s not about oversharing but having appropriate levels of transparency.

[10:46] Cheryl always tries to demonstrate this, whether in conversations or on a keynote stage. It’s sharing stories for a purpose; sharing parts of herself, with intention attached to it. That’s how we can build trust and credibility without compromising our authority and professionalism.

[11:08] Justin asks about resilience. What traits or practices distinguish reliant leaders in periods of uncertainty?

[11:31] Because she loves student loans, Rachel went back and got her master’s degree in psychology. Resilience stuck with her. It’s not a huge part of what she speaks on but it’s part of our lives.

[11:56] There’s a lot of research around the difference between resilient states and traits. Some people naturally have resilient traits. Others can invoke resilient states when needed, focusing on adaptability, emotional intelligence, and maintaining composure. These can be developed.

[13:44] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! HUB International continues its Ready for Tomorrow Series with RIMS. On February 20th, they will host “Ready for the Unexpected? Strategies for Property Valuation, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity in 2025”.

[13:04] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members.

[13:15] Nominations are also open for the Donald M. Stuart Award which recognizes excellence in risk management in Canada. Links are in this episode’s show notes.

[13:27] The First of (hopefully) Many RIMS Texas Regional Conferences will be held in San Antonio from August 4th through 6th, 2025. The Risk Management Roundup in San Antonio is set to unite the Texas RIMS Chapters and welcome risk professionals from around the world.

[13:50] You can join as a speaker. The Conference Planning Committee is interested in submissions that explore technology and cyber risk, workforce protection and advancement, energy and sustainability, extreme weather, construction, restaurant, retail, hospitality, and more.

[14:08] The deadline to submit your proposal is Monday, February 24th. The link to the event and the submission process is in this episode’s show notes. Go check it out!

[14:20] Let’s Return to My Interview with RISKWORLD Keynote Rachel DeAlto!

[14:28] Justin asks about compassion. What steps can a risk professional take to build compassion? Compassion can be developed through practice. It’s easy for risk professionals to look at things as black and white; as numbers, percentages, and data points.

[15:30] If you start to feel a little disconnected from what you’re talking about it’s because you’re coming at it from a very educated perspective. Recognize that and then ask yourself where are the parts of it where you can become compassionate. Take a step back and practice empathy.

[15:53] Look at things from the other side and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Use active listening without judgment. Be in tune with the other person, trying to understand their objectives. Find common ground and the space to take a step back. Take small steps.

[16:22] If someone feels disconnected from their compassion, they can start with the awareness of it and then take small steps in the beginning, to dive back into it.

[16:32] On the RISKWORLD keynote stage, on May 6th, Rachel will share a lot of her practical frameworks for building trust and connection. She will also share data from her research on relatable leadership and what teams are looking for from their leaders.

[16:57] Rachel will share ways to create stronger working relationships. Regardless of where you work as a risk professional, you work with other people. The stronger connections you have and the better teams you have, the more efficient you can be at what you do. That is her goal.

[17:16] Who does Rachel look up to? The first to come to mind is Carey Lohrenz, one of the first female fighter pilots. She’s an incredible human who has a phenomenal background. Brené Brown is incredibly relatable. She transmits information in a way that draws you in.

[18:19] Rachel’s parting words: “I’m excited to connect with everyone! That is where our superpowers lie, in the connections we build.

[18:27] “Anyone attending RISKWORLD, setting the intention of creating connections that will make a difference professionally and personally is going to change how you show up and what you walk away with.”

[18:39] It has been a delight to meet you, and I look forward to seeing you on May 6th at RISKWORLD. Thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast!

[18:53] Special thanks again to Rachel DeAlto, for joining us here on RIMScast. You can go to her site, RachelDeAlto.com for more information. Rachel will be one of three keynote speakers on the main stage at RISKWORLD 2025 on May 6th.

[19:09] In our prior episode, we heard from Ryan Harris, who will also be keynoting there. Shortly, we will hear from the third May 6th keynote speaker, Holly Ransom. So be sure to subscribe to RIMScast and catch all of these episodes.

[19:24] We want to see you at RISKWORLD 2025, from May 4th through May 7th. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD.

[19:30] More RIMS Plugs! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes.

[19:58] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information.

[20:17] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information.

[20:35] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[20:51] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management.

[21:05] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org.

[21:12] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!

Mentioned in this Episode:

RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7. | Register today! | Super savings rate ends Feb. 28.

RIMS Legislative Summit — March 19‒20, 2025

Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award

Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy

RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2025 | Submit an Educational Session by Feb. 24.

RIMS Risk Management magazine

www.racheldealto.com

RIMS Webinars:

RIMS.org/Webinars

“Ready for the Unexpected? Strategies for Property Valuation, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity in 2025” | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 20, 2025