Michael Marcon is a veteran serial entrepreneur, corporate leader, and author with four decades of experience specializing in risk management, human capital, and private equity advisory. He is the founder and CEO of Symphony Risk Solutions, a forward-thinking insurance broker structured around industry-specific specialties that harmonize to deliver cohesive, clear solutions for high-stakes clients. Prior to launching Symphony, Michael bootstrapped Equity Risk Partners from his personal savings into a premier brokerage firm serving the private equity sector before executing a successful sale to Hub International in 2016. Recognized for his contrarian leadership style and focus on plain-English communication, he also authored The Conductor’s Guide to Business and Life Success, serves on multiple advanced technology and specialty insurance boards, and chairs a family foundation dedicated to helping families in need.
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Winning the Zero-Sum Game: Why Smart Communication Beats Lower Prices
1. "Words Matter" and the Power of the Subconscious
Marcon emphasizes that clients and prospective buyers rarely make choices based purely on numbers or logic. Instead, they make decisions subconsciously. While buyers look at facts, figures, and prices with their logical "left brain," they are ultimately moved to action by how a company communicates with their emotional "right brain." Good communication builds trust and disrupts the status quo.
2. Standing Out in a Zero-Sum Industry
Marcon uses his own field—the insurance industry—to explain why communication is so vital. He points out that:
Every person or business that needs insurance already has it.
Gaining a new client means someone else has to lose one.
Because competitors generally have access to the same products and identical pricing, a company cannot rely on price alone to win.
Therefore, the only true differentiator is how a business presents itself and how its words resonate with the buyer.
3. The Psychology of a Name
To prove his point, Marcon shares the story behind his company’s name, Symphony Risk. He compares it to several major competitors with names like Hub, Marsh, or Gallagher. He argues that if a buyer knew absolutely nothing about insurance and had to choose a partner based purely on a name, they would choose "Symphony Risk" because the word subconsciously evokes a sense of harmony, organization, and masterful coordination.
In Michael's Words:
"If you assume that everybody has access to the same information... and pretty much to the same price, then how are you going to differentiate yourself? And that's where I believe communication and presentation... touch the person in here [the heart/gut], not up here [the head]."
From Cacophony to Harmony: Leading a Business Like a Conductor
1. The Business as an Orchestra
Marcon connects his company’s name and the philosophy of his book, The Conductor’s Guide to Business and Life Success, to how he structures his firm. He explains that a great business operates just like a symphony orchestra:
You need to hire the absolute best specialists (the best "musicians") for every specific role.
It is not enough to just have talent; all of those specialists must learn how to play together under one roof.
2. The Role of the Conductor
Marcon shares a vivid picture of an orchestra warming up before a show: individual musicians practicing their own parts creates a loud, unpleasant "cacophony."
That is where the leader comes in. Just as a conductor taps their baton and raises their hands to turn that noise into beautiful music, a great CEO aligns different business departments so they move together in harmony. This unified approach is what builds emotional trust with a client.
3. Ditching the Buzzwords
Marcon drops a truth bomb about how professionals communicate: clients usually do not understand industry jargon, but they are too proud to admit it.
When business leaders use complex industry buzzwords, clients will often just nod along to avoid looking foolish, while internally disconnecting from the presentation. Marcon argues that the best communicators drop the confusing terminology and focus on making the client feel comfortable, safe, and understood.
In Michael's Words:
"What you do in a symphony... you want the best musician for every instrument. You want them to all play together. People get that intuitively... That's the differentiator, is how do you make them feel comfortable? In communication, the use of buzzwords and industry terminology—clients do not understand what we are selling them. They're not gonna tell you, 'I don't understand.' They're just gonna nod their head."
Speaking "Human English": The CEO Superpower of Simplicity
1. Banning Acronyms in Business
Marcon shares a radical rule he instituted at his company: employees are strictly banned from using acronyms with clients.
While shorthand terms like HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) are second nature to industry insiders, they sound like a foreign language to outsiders. Shevelenko points out that this is especially critical in human resources and benefits, where complex terminology can leave average employees entirely in the dark about what coverage they actually have.
2. The Danger of "Expert Speed"
Marcon highlights a major trap that experts fall into during client presentations: they talk too fast. Because the expert understands the material so deeply, they zip through details at a pace the client cannot keep up with.
Furthermore, you cannot assume a business buyer automatically knows the industry lingo. Marcon points out that in his 40 years of experience, he frequently encounters a Head of HR, a Risk Manager, or even a CFO who has just been promoted into their role. They are still learning the ropes and are often too embarrassed to ask what basic acronyms mean.
3. The Power of "It's Kind of Like..."
When asked what his true superpower is as a high-level insurance broker, Marcon admits it isn’t having a rare, secret knowledge of insurance policies.
Instead, his superpower is translation. He leaves the ultra-technical details to his specialized team and focuses entirely on explaining complex ideas in clear, simple English. His most effective tool for doing this? Building simple analogies by using the phrase: "It's kind of like..."
In Michael's Words:
"In our firm, we eliminated any acronyms. You can't use an acronym... because the client doesn't know what it means. The other challenge we have as experts is we go really fast, and they can't keep up. What I'm really good at is explaining to the other person what it means in English. If I had a dollar for every time I used the phrase to a client, 'It's kind of like...' I'd be incredibly wealthy."
Speaking Their Language: Turning Complex Problems Into Comfort and Clarity
1. Tailoring Analogies to the Client's World
Building on his signature phrase, "It's kind of like...", Marcon explains that his use of analogies isn't random—it's highly targeted.
If he is talking to an executive in the aerospace industry, he uses references to taxiing on a runway, preparing for takeoff, or running through pre-flight checklists.
If his team is dealing with a healthcare client, they frame risk management around "checklist culture," which medical professionals use every day to keep patients safe.
Marcon reveals that this is actually how he has always learned. By translating dense concepts into pictures and familiar situations in his own mind first, he discovered he could easily find the right words to help others understand them too.
2. Cascading the "Subconscious Strategy" to the Team
As a CEO, Marcon isn't an expert in every single micro-industry his firm covers, whether that’s hospitality, real estate, or aerospace. Instead, his job as a leader is to continuously drill a core mantra into his team: words matter, presentation matters, consistency matters, and clients decide subconsciously.
Once his teams absorb that goal, they apply it to their own specialties. The aerospace team translates aviation risk into everyday terms, while the healthcare team speaks the specific language of hospital administrators. The goal remains unified: don't make the client try to figure out what you mean—just tell them clearly.
3. Fighting "Slide Deck Fatigue"
Marcon praises Shevelenko’s company, Relato, for focusing on beautiful, clean, and consistent visual presentations. He points out a frustration that almost every professional has experienced: sitting through an overwhelming 80-page slide deck that feels like a massive jumble of information.
When a presentation is cluttered, the buyer gets exhausted and starts asking, "Where is the conclusion? Just tell me what I need to know." Clean presentation eliminates the clutter so the recipient can easily digest the core point.
In Michael's Words:
"If I know the industry that they specialize in—let's say it's aerospace—I'll say, 'It's kind of like when you're taxiing on the runway... or doing your checklist.' I put it into a frame of reference that they see every day... We've all been there. How many times have we put decks together that are 80 pages long? And they're like, 'Where's the conclusion? Tell me what I need to know.'"
Beyond the Black Hole: Solving the Distant Communication Trap
1. The Magic Words: "Everything Is Going to Be Okay"
To explain how to manage someone's anxiety from afar, Marcon shares a personal story about a friend running a business who sent him a long, incredibly stressed email about complex financial problems. Because Marcon was traveling and couldn't meet immediately, he sent a brief note back: "I understand the issue. I have a solution for you, and everything is going to be okay. We will talk when I get back."
When they finally met two weeks later, the friend revealed that simply hearing the words "everything is going to be okay" dramatically lowered his stress. That reassurance gave him the confidence to stay calm and actually solve most of the problems on his own before Marcon even returned.
2. Ditching the Boring "Please Find Attached" Email
Marcon points out that most professionals completely waste their first opportunity to communicate when sending over a file. He compares two dramatically different ways to introduce a proposal:
The Boring Way (Status Quo): "Attached is a presentation for your review. Please let me know if you have any questions. Kind regards, Michael." This sets zero expectations and treats the document like a chore.
The Masterful Way: "Alex, I'm so proud to send you this information. We've been grinding on this for a month. Here are three things you're going to see inside... but here is the headline: you're going to save money and your coverage is going to get better."
By framing the presentation this way, you give the client a positive "lens" or prism through which to read your report. They open the file feeling excited and safe, rather than overwhelmed by data.
3. How to Frame Bad News
Marcon clarifies that framing isn't about lying or using slick sales talk to hide problems—if you lie, you permanently destroy trust.
Instead, it's about leading with ownership and solutions. If the report contains bad news, you don't try to hide it in a 50-page attachment. You tee it up honestly in your introduction: "Here is the bad news, but I have already included two clear solutions inside this document to fix it."
In Michael's Words:
"When you know you're putting something out that you're not gonna be able to get that immediate feedback, it's really important how you tee up the presentation... You're now giving them a headline, so now they're reading your proposal through the prism of this level of expectation. If it's bad news, give them bad news, but say, 'Oh, by the way, here's the bad news. I've included two solutions in here.'"
The "Effort" Instinct: How Empathy and Short Sentences Build Lasting Trust
1. Putting Yourself on the Other Side of the Desk
Marcon explains that great communication begins with a simple mental exercise before you ever touch a keyboard: put yourself in the recipient's shoes. Ask yourself:
What do I actually want to see and hear?
What confusing questions am I going to have?
How can the person sending this answer those questions in advance?
You will never anticipate every single worry perfectly, but Marcon argues that perfection isn't the goal. Clients possess a subconscious instinct—they can feel when you are making a genuine effort to protect them. Even if you are just sending "electrons on a screen," that underlying care and intent breaks through the digital divide and builds trust that can weather bad news.
2. Ditching the Transactional Mindset
Shevelenko notes that modern business is frequently plagued by a "transactional mindset"—getting the deal done quickly and moving on. Marcon’s philosophy turns this on its head. By prioritizing clear intention and human connection first, you establish a baseline of trust. Once that bridge is secure, successful business transactions follow naturally.
3. The Art of the Short Sentence
To illustrate why clear, brief communication is so rare, Marcon shares a famous historical quote: "I apologize for writing you a long letter. I didn't have time to write you a short one."
Spewing a mountain of data into a document is easy; editing that data down into an undeniable, punchy summary is incredibly difficult. It is why companies like Amazon under Jeff Bezos famously banned PowerPoint in favor of dense, beautifully structured memos.
Marcon highlights a few practical rules from his book to keep your writing digestible:
Use short, declarative sentences. Tell the reader exactly what is happening.
Lean on bullet points. Avoid massive walls of text or long paragraphs.
Ban "faux legalese." Drop pompous filler phrases like "notwithstanding the foregoing."
Stop over-caveating. If your proposal requires a dozen warnings and escape clauses, you probably haven't done the hard work of finding a real solution.
In Michael's Words:
"The subconscious stuff—they can tell when you're trying. They can tell when you're making the effort and when they know you've got their back... That's when you build this connection of trust. Give people short, declarative sentences. Give them bullet points. Don't give them paragraphs. Don't give them faux legalese... Make it easy for them to digest. Good news comes in one sentence."
Authenticity Over Disclaimers: How Human Emotion Beats Red Tape
1. The Energy Behind the Screen
Shevelenko shares a personal observation about how he works, noting that when he writes an email to someone he genuinely cares about or is trying to make laugh, he often catches himself smiling at his screen.
He points out that this positive mental state transfers into the message. Authentic emotion transforms a boring business message into a real human connection, moving it away from a cold, purely transactional feeling. Marcon agrees, stating that true connection ultimately depends on where the words are coming from.
2. The Power of "Old School" Touches
To combat the coldness of modern digital communication, Marcon admits to being a bit of a contrarian. He leans heavily into strategies that cannot be automated:
Handwritten notes to clients: Because nobody else takes the time to do them anymore, they instantly stand out.
Handwritten birthday cards for staff: Every single employee at his firm receives a personal birthday card from him each year. Even as the company grows and the stack of cards gets massive, he refuses to stop because it proves to his team that they matter.
3. Fighting "Disclosure Fatigue"
Because insurance is technically a legal promise, companies are heavily incentivized by their legal departments to hide behind endless fine print, warnings, and caveats. Marcon argues that while regulations are necessary, businesses shouldn't let fear dictate how they talk to people.
He jokes about TV commercials showing someone jumping out of a plane without a parachute while drinking a soda, requiring a "Do not attempt this" warning at the bottom. Marcon believes we shouldn't treat business clients like they lack common sense. For instance, rather than refusing to give a client a pricing estimate out of fear of being wrong, a leader should simply explain clearly that it is a rough estimate and the final bill comes from the insurance company.
In Michael's Words:
"I send handwritten notes to people. Why? 'Cause they don't get them from anyone else. So it stands out... I don't ever wanna be in a society where your disclosure pages are longer than your proposal... At some point you have to assume that people are reasonable, and that there's no intent to defraud."
Turning Assumptions Into Facts: How to Communicate in the Private Equity Universe
1. The Fine-Tooth Comb: Why You Can’t BS Private Equity
Marcon warns that PE professionals are among the hardest working and sharpest individuals in the business world. They possess a near-superhuman ability to spot inconsistencies. Marcon jokes that a PE investor can be looking at slide 40 of an 80-page presentation and instantly ask, "Why doesn't this number match the data on slide 12?"
Because they review everything with a fine-tooth comb, Marcon’s number-one rule for his team is absolute transparency: never try to bluff or fake your way through an answer with private equity stakeholders. They will see right through it, and you will instantly lose your credibility.
2. The Ultimate PE Secret: Removing the Variables
Marcon explains that PE professionals spend their entire day building massive financial models. These models are heavily weighted with dozens of unstable assumptions—such as future interest rates, fluctuating supply chains, hiring costs, and competitor moves.
Because their world is full of variables, the greatest gift an advisor or business leader can give them is certainty.
If you can take just one or two of those stressful assumptions and prove them to be a solid fact (or at least a reasonable certainty), you make their job significantly easier. By eliminating a few items they have to worry about, you free up their brainpower to focus on the variables they truly cannot control.
3. The "Foolproof Algorithm" for Uncertainty
Marcon shares a witty analogy he uses when clients question why they even need to buy insurance or manage risk. He tells them he has a proprietary, 100% accurate algorithm to decide if they need a policy, but it requires them to answer just one data point: "Tell me if you are going to have a claim or not."
When the client naturally admits they have no idea, Marcon delivers the punchline: exactly. Insurance isn't a transactional product; it is a hedge against the unknown.
Because every business has a completely different risk tolerance based on its investors, budget, and lifecycle, a leader's job isn't to force a decision on a client or a PE investor. Instead, your role is to act as a masterful advisor: lay out the data, run the potential scenarios, and give them the facts they need to choose their own comfort level.
In Michael's Words:
"Do not BS a private equity professional. They will see right through it in a heartbeat... Private equity professionals look at outcomes. They build these enormous financial models loaded to the gills with assumptions... If you can take one or two of the assumptions in their model and turn it into a fact, it's two or three less things they have to worry about."
The Ultimate Mic Drop: Why Giving a Straight Opinion Is Your Best Business Strategy
1. The Fear of Taking a Stance
Marcon explains that in highly regulated and corporate fields like insurance or finance, most professionals are terrified of being wrong. Because they are afraid of liability or a client getting mad at them down the road, they constantly hide behind wishy-washy language. When a client asks what they should do, the average professional ducks the question by saying, "Well, it depends... let's look at all twenty options again."
Marcon argues that anyone can dump a list of options on a desk. What busy, high-level executives actually want is an expert recommendation.
2. The Power of "If I Were You..."
Marcon shares the second most valuable phrase of his 40-year career: "If I were you, I would do this."
When a private equity client or business owner asks for his opinion, Marcon doesn't hesitate. He takes a firm stance based on his expertise. He tells them exactly which coverage to buy, what risk limits to set, or how to structure a employee 401(k) match.
By giving a direct, unfiltered answer, you do something rare in business: you offer real vulnerability and clarity. In return, the client rewards you with an immense level of professional trust.
3. The Two-Way Street of Trust
Taking a clear stand requires a specific type of partnership. Marcon explains that this level of communication relies on a mutual agreement:
You trust the client not to unfairly punish you if the situation changes later.
The client trusts you to give a completely straight answer without burying it in legal fine print.
For example, if Marcon recommends a specific strategy and things go sideways six months later because the company unexpectedly bought three new businesses, a reasonable client won't blame the original advice. They will understand that a change in facts naturally changes the opinion.
In Michael's Words:
"Here's the secret to private equity that everyone in insurance is afraid to do: when they ask you your opinion, give them an answer. The second thing I wish I had a dollar for was every time I said to a client, 'If I were you, I would do this.' ... I give them trust, and in return I get trust back."
Contact Michael Marcon
If you want to connect with Michael Marcon or learn more about his risk management framework at Symphony Risk Solutions, you can reach out through his direct professional channels:
Direct Email: michael.marcon@symphonyrisk.com
Corporate Website: symphonyrisk.com
General Company Line: (415) 957-0600 or (972) 864-0400
Looking for his book? You can find The Conductor's Guide to Business and Life Success via major book retailers or by connecting with Michael directly on LinkedIn to discuss his leadership strategies.
Check the episode's Transcript (AI-generated) HERE.
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