Jay Stampfl joined Alliant Insurance Services in 2022. As the managing director and practice leader of the cyber insurance and advisory consulting groups, he engages with clients on matters of cyber risk mitigation and strategy. He has extensive cybersecurity experience. Jay Stampfl further supports Alliant Insurance Services in areas of cyber risk strategy, delivery processes, and business growth.
Jay Stampfl earned multiple Aon Excellence Roundtable for Outstanding Achievement honors during his time as the revenue leader for cyber insurance and consulting at Aon Corporation. He excelled at growing Aon’s Cyber insurance, advisory, and incident response services. He gained additional technology sales experience during his more than six-year tenure as the senior director at FTI Consulting, a position that emphasized top-line sales revenue growth within the technology practice.
Jay Stampfl studied communications at Florida Atlantic University. When he is not overseeing operations at Alliant Insurance Services or attending industry events, including the largest annual insurance industry meeting, the RIMS Conference, his interests include playing tennis, golfing, and traveling.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day starts with waking up extra early to shower, take care of the dog, and check some emails before I start waking up my kids for school. I get them out the door and then try to sit for a little bit to go over my calendar for the day to make sure I’m where I need to be and at what times. Once I get through the day of work, it’s taking kids to practice, attending games, figuring out dinner, and making sure everybody is getting their work done for school. Once the kids are fed, done with all their schoolwork, I go back in the office for a few hours to catch up on some email and plan for the following day. I usually get to bed by 10 pm to get a healthy amount of sleep. I do my best to stick to a schedule and daily routine, as it makes me the most productive.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring ideas to life by validating them through research, defining success, but, most importantly, getting feedback from trusted advisors. I try and define what success looks like for the specific idea and set clear goals on a path forward. I focus less on perfection but look to make progress one step at a time.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Generative AI is a trend that excites me. It’s difficult, as there is still so much to learn and understand about its use cases in our personal lives and business world, but it absolutely is so interesting to me. It’s being used in so many different ways, and I believe we are still just scratching the surface. Lots to learn and understand, but so interesting and exciting at the same time.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
If I had to select one thing, prioritization is number one for me. Identifying your one to three most-important tasks and focusing on those is most important. It’s easy to get lost in the tons of things going on.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t get caught up in the highs and lows; try to find balance and enjoy your youth and the journey. Life moves forward and goes on, no matter what the situation. “This too shall pass” is a little quote that I believe is powerful. No matter how you are feeling in a specific moment, time will move forward.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I believe that disagreement, when handled respectfully, is one of the most productive forms of collaboration. Most people view disagreement as conflict, but I see it as a catalyst for better decision making and stronger outcomes.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Remind myself daily that I’m doing the best I can right now. Some days will be better than others. Taking each day as it comes and trying to be the best version of myself I can be.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Change of scenery helps me. I will move to a different room, go outside, or “reorganize my workspace” to gain a fresh perspective.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Creating SMART goals for myself keeps me focused. That means “specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.” I started doing this years ago when I looked at my career and what I was doing present day and where I would like to be in five years, 10 years, etc. Every time I have started with a new organization or when I’m working toward a specific role in my existing company, I do this. Helps keep me motivated and focused on achieving long-term and short-term goals for myself.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I decided to leave a company that I loved very much and decided to follow the money. That was the number-one reason I left, and it turned out to be a big mistake and was a short stent of one year before I decided to leave. Thankfully, I had a few other opportunities available to me. I learned very quickly and thankfully early in my career that it’s not always about the money. The company, people, culture, and vision matter the most because that’s what makes you happy and satisfied in your work. Yes, money is important, but it’s not the only thing.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
AI Powered Content and Process Automation Service.
You build small, customized AI solutions for local businesses—NO coding needed.
Examples:
– Automated customer follow ups.
– Drafting social media posts.
– Responding to FAQs.
– Writing blog posts.
– Organizing review responses.
Why it works: most small businesses know AI is important but don’t know how to use it. You bridge that gap.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
AI Powered Content and Process Automation Service.
You build small, customized AI solutions for local businesses—NO coding needed.
Examples:
– Automated customer follow ups.
– Drafting social media posts.
– Responding to FAQs.
– Writing blog posts.
– Organizing review responses.
Why it works: most small businesses know AI is important but don’t know how to use it. You bridge that gap.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
We recently had a very large snowstorm here in the Northeast. In the middle of the storm, a few neighborhood kids rang the doorbell and wanted to know if I wanted the driveway and walkway shoveled. They said they would do it now and then come back in the morning to do it again when it stops. Now, I have a plow that comes typically to do it, but I decided to hire them. I said, “I will give you $100 cash.” They were so happy and did a great job. It made me remember the days when I was a kid and would do the shoveling with my neighborhood friends. It brought back great memories, and it was so nice to see the young folks off their phones and enjoying the simple things. Having a snow day, being outside with the neighbors, and learning how to work hard and together to earn a dollar.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
One of my favorite books I read when I first started my career years ago was “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. The reason I really loved the book is it can be applied to both personal life and business life. The 7 Habits emphasize proactive behavior, goal setting, prioritization, mutual benefit, communication, collaborative synergy, and continuous self-improvement. This methodology encourages a balanced and holistic approach to personal and interpersonal growth, aiming to foster meaningful and lasting success.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently watched “Game of Thrones,” and I now understand the hype of this show because it was totally awesome. Tyrion, Daenerys, and Arya were my favorite characters on the show. The cinematography, the costumes, props, visual effects, and the writing and direction were superb! Also, I really LOVED the opening title sequence of the show, and the music makes it even more amazing. What works in “Game of Thrones” is the extensive storyline, with multiple houses working against one another or with one another all in order to obtain power, wealth, and the crown to the realm.
Key learnings
- Having a daily routine and schedule is key to being as productive as possible.
- Being proactive and setting goals for yourself professionally and personally is a great way to stay motivated and will help plan for the future.
- Life gets very busy and will throw many things at you, which can be overwhelming at times—step away, take some deep breathes, and refocus on what’s most important.