January is the greatest month of the year! That may be an uncommon opinion, but I’m ready to make my case on why January deserves the crown. It may seem like a silly argument to have, but I don’t ever shy away from a good back and forth (just ask my wife).  Don’t agree?  Add …

In life, transitions can be difficult.  There can be fear and anxiety surrounding what might be next.  Yet transitions are necessary for professional and personal process. Six months ago, I changed careers.  After working in college athletics for 16 years, I accepted an advisor role at The Benefit Company.  This transition was filled with personal …

Balance billing, COBRA, co-insurance, donut hole, EAP, urgent care, formulary… is your head spinning yet?  I’m just getting started.   In about the year 2242BC, according to The Bible in Genesis 11:1-9, following the great flood, the descendants of Noah migrated westward into the land of Shinar.  Some Biblical scholars believe that the people, wanting …

A growing number of companies are offering student loan repayment assistance programs as an employee benefit. In fact, the number of employers offering student loan-related benefits doubled to 8% over the past year, the 2019 Employee Benefits Report by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) found. There are two primary reasons employers are increasingly …

This is the first of more to come…..   The following serves to honor my mother, Johnnie Mae Hall Brown, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her birth on November 18, 1919.  She was a highly revered, student-centric high school teacher of the English language, particularly the practice of the use of proper …

As a follow up to my blog of August 6, 2019, “The Perfect Gift . . . Is It Possible?”, Ranger Valor, the military service dog was born on 8/3/19 and is already a star!  He is in Tampa for training and is a star student.  He will meet his military owner soon for joint …

I attended a funeral this past weekend. Two of the eulogists referenced the same Jackie Robinson quote, a favorite of the deceased: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” After hearing the quote, I thought to myself about deep, abiding relationships and how the development of such is …

The Benefit Company (TBC) is pleased to welcome Paul Nichols to our team. Following graduation from Davidson College, Paul spent 16 years working in college athletics.  During this time, he was the Head Football Coach at Davidson College for five seasons and, most recently, assisted on Coach Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech staff.  These experiences provide …

We all strive to find the perfect gift for our friends and family.   The older we get, however, the more difficult it becomes to find the perfect gift for those who have everything or don’t really need anything. Well, Carey Brown, the Founder of The Benefit Company recently celebrated his birthday and received what we …

A handful of tips for enhanced productivity. Thursday, January 24, 2019, 7:30 AM:  I walk into my office and stare at hundreds of e-mails, three meetings on the calendar, and a messy office.  My wife, Lauren, and I had just returned from a great ski trip.  I should be completely reset and looking forward to …