Chess Not Checkers

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien welcome back Cal Spoon of Insurance Busters for a second round, after his first appearance drew some of the best feedback the show has ever gotten. With wildfires still fresh on everyone's mind in Spokane, the guys go deeper into the mechanics of a claim and how the average person can actually protect themselves.Cal makes his central case plainly: an insurance company is a business, and since its only product is paying valid claims, the only way it grows profit is by paying less. From there he walks through what that means for you. He explains the duties after a loss, why the sworn proof of loss (SPOL) is the document that actually triggers the insurer's obligations, why your policy is written at a postgraduate reading level on purpose, and how the whole structure, from adjusters to attorneys, is built to mitigate payouts rather than install coverage. Along the way he gets into the McCarran-Ferguson Act, "the float" that Warren Buffett built his fortune on, and a jaw-dropping story about a bank check his own mother could not cash.The practical takeaway is simple. If you have a loss, pause, hire a public adjuster whose interests are actually aligned with yours, and pull up your own policy and ask it one question: what are my duties after a loss in this specific policy.Learn more at insurancebusters.net. Given the strong response, a third episode with live listener questions may be on the way, so send yours in.Chapters 00:00  Welcome Back, Cal Spoon (Part 2)01:36  Using AI to Actually Read Your Policy03:50  Vacant Job Sites and Real-World Liability05:25  Why Your Premiums Never Go Down08:00  Written at a Postgraduate Reading Level on Purpose09:55  The One Question That Explains the Whole Business12:50  David vs. Goliath: What to Do When You Have a Claim13:00  Your Duties After a Loss16:40  Mitigators: A Whole Staff Built to Remove Coverage21:20  The Sworn Proof of Loss (SPOL) and What It Triggers24:49  Mortgage Checks and Who Holds Your Money26:30  Cronyism and How the System Interconnects31:35  The McCarran-Ferguson Act and 50 Separate Markets36:40  Why They Can't Compete With Insurance Ad Dollars42:08  How a Huge Insurance Company Goes Bust on Purpose44:20  The Check His Mother Couldn't Cash50:00  The Float: Where the Real Money Is Made56:43  The Corner Store: Morality When You're in Need01:00:30  Can They Pay Every Claim and Still Profit? Yes01:03:11  Already Took the Check? What to Do Now01:04:55  Why a Public Adjuster's Interests Are Aligned With Yours01:09:45  The Best Prompt for Your Own Policy

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Danny Beard, Director of Strategic Partnership at Union Gospel Mission, for a wide-ranging conversation that runs from a dairy farm in southern Illinois all the way to the heart of Spokane's hardest problem.Danny has lived a remarkable life. He started cutting hair in seventh grade, played Division I basketball at Kansas State alongside future Hall of Famer Lon Kruger, turned down the NBA to serve, and then spent 40 years helping build NBC Camps from 300 campers into a global operation. Along the way he coached a young Adam Morrison and watched him overcome a juvenile diabetes diagnosis to become a Spokane legend. Now at Union Gospel Mission, where he has been involved since 1984, he walks Keith and Jordan through what the organization actually does, why it runs as a high-barrier shelter, and the five things he believes make someone a contributing member of society again.Chapters00:00  Welcome, Danny Beard!01:02  Cutting Hair Since Seventh Grade06:22  Growing Up on a Dairy Farm09:50  How a Basketball Camp Brought Him to Spokane14:35  Building NBC Camps From 300 to 11,00019:22  How the Camps Scaled: Fred Crow and Grassroots24:46  Playing D1 Ball at Kansas State29:00  The Game That Put Him on the Map32:30  Turning Down the NBA to Serve36:35  Coaching a Young Adam Morrison42:02  Union Gospel Mission: 75 Years and the Mission44:20  Five Marks of a Contributing Member49:48  Handouts vs. a Hand Up52:52  Why UGM Is a High-Barrier Shelter53:20  The Success Rate and the Five-Year Goal56:36  Why Spokane Has the Problem It Does57:48  Enforcement, Accountability, and "Johnny's House"01:03:40  A Nuanced Problem: Drugs, Mental Health, Housing01:08:30  The Home Project: Reconnecting People With Family01:12:40  Why Isn't This Getting Fixed?01:15:56  75 Years of UGM and the Nov 15 Gathering01:17:55  Wrapping Up

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Gavin Cooley, president of the Spokane Business Association and the city's former longtime CFO, for an honest conversation about homelessness, addiction, and the future of Spokane. Gavin shares what cities like Houston and Boise have figured out: that this is not mainly a funding problem but a collaboration problem, and that saving lives and keeping streets clear are not opposing goals. The three of them get into the "one-third rule," why silos and turf wars stall progress, the difference strong leadership makes, and the harder human questions of indifference, compassion, and accountability. Through it all runs a stubborn hope that Spokane could become the comeback story other cities study.00:00  Welcome, Gavin Cooley00:47  Eight Kids, Fifteen Grandkids, and Growing Up in Spokane03:33  The Bridge Over the Falls That Never Happened07:21  From City CFO to Studying Homelessness08:20  What Houston Got Right11:40  Getting Everyone Under One Umbrella15:45  Trying to Bring the Houston Model to Spokane19:55  Why It's Not a Funding Problem21:21  Condon's Collaborative Approach22:20  When Fentanyl Changed Everything28:30  Why the Problem Persists31:20  The False Dichotomy of Compassion vs. Accountability36:50  San Francisco's One-Year Turnaround40:20  On-Street Patrol and the One-Third Rule43:45  What a Real Response Would Look Like50:00  Leadership, Admitting You're Wrong, and the Hard Pivot55:15  Spokane Could Be the Comeback Story58:30  Why Spokane Is More Resilient Than You'd Think01:03:00  The Danger of Normalizing It01:09:25  This Is Who Spokane Really Is01:14:00  When There's a Clear Way to Help, Spokane Shows Up01:18:55  Final Thoughts

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Cal Spoon of Insurance Busters, a public insurance adjuster Keith met through the local fires. If you have ever filed an insurance claim, or ever will, buckle up, because this one will change how you look at the whole system.Cal pulls back the curtain on a profession almost nobody has heard of, and in doing so explains how insurance actually works. He gets into why the policy you signed is really a contract, the "duties after a loss" buried on page 33 that most people never read, and why the adjuster the insurance company sends works for them and not for you. Along the way, he breaks down how premiums get invested, how carriers use data and old software to predict the exact number you will accept, and why so many claims get settled for a fraction of what is actually owed.He also gets practical. Cal walks through what to do if you are in the middle of a claim right now, why you should pause before accepting a goodwill offer, the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value, how matching and "line of sight" tricks work on roof claims, and why a quick lawsuit can actually cost you more than it recovers. Plus, why he shows up to disaster zones with a smoker and feeds the community instead of buying ads.This is part one of a two-part conversation. Learn more about Cal at insurancebusters.net.Show Flow00:00  Welcome, Cal Spoon of Insurance Busters01:34  What Is a Public Adjuster?03:40  Where Modern Insurance Really Started05:05  Your Premiums Are Invested in a Hedge Fund08:16  Futures, Forecasts, and What the Carrier Really Knows12:18  Colossus: The AI That Predicts Your Payout16:06  Why You Trust the Company That Owes You Money19:30  It's Not a Policy, It's a Contract22:40  Goodwill Offers and Buying Your Silence25:26  Mold, Civil Authority, and the But-For Doctrine33:00  How to Actually Shop for Insurance37:46  A1 vs. A2: The $180 Mistake That Costs Six Figures46:55  What to Do If You're In a Claim Right Now53:00  Why He Brings a Smoker Instead of Buying Ads58:55  Why Insurance Busters Litigates Most Claims01:00:30  The Sworn Proof of Loss and Pricing a Claim01:03:30  Roofs, Decking, and Why Patches Don't Cut It01:06:45  Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value01:08:05  The Float: How Carriers Make Money Holding Yours01:17:15  Wrap-Up and Where to Find Cal

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Lance Beck, chief strategy officer at Greater Spokane Incorporated and former president and CEO of the Valley Chamber, for a wide-ranging conversation about the past, present, and future of Spokane.Lance traces his own path from studying servant leadership at Whitworth to low-income housing work to running a chamber of commerce, and how that shaped his belief that the best solutions come from seeing people and places holistically. From there the three of them dig into the forces shaping the region right now: the cost of doing business in Washington, the permitting and building-code hurdles slowing the fire rebuild, the data center debate, and why so much of the public conversation gets stuck fighting at the edges instead of the 40 percent everyone actually agrees on.At its heart, this one is about vision and who carries it. Keith, Jordan, and Lance get into infill and the Garland and North Monroe transformations, the risk a developer takes to build something cool instead of something safe, why leadership has shifted from authority to influence, and how a community rallies behind the people willing to put their name on the line. It is an honest, hopeful look at a mid-size river city with a bigger upside and a smaller mess to clean up than the markets around it.Learn more about Greater Spokane Incorporated at greaterspokane.org.Show Flow00:00  Welcome, Lance Beck01:40  A Northsider and a Passion for Leadership04:10  Learning to See People, Not Just Stats08:30  Why Business Took the Baton on Public Safety10:30  Fighting at the Edges vs. the 40 Percent We Agree On13:00  Homelessness, Visibility, and the Crime Question15:25  Accountability and the Joint City-County Approach18:50  Doing Business in Washington vs. Idaho20:20  The Fire Rebuild, Building Codes, and Sales Tax21:40  Data Centers, Energy, and Learning from Grant County23:00  Spokane's Lost Edge: Cost of Living27:30  A Spending Problem, Not a Revenue Problem30:50  Why the Jail Became a Processing Center33:40  Systems of Care vs. Working in Silos35:40  Quick Fixes, Long Problems, and the Anti-Parking Fight38:25  Garland, North Monroe, and Earning the Infill46:30  Why Build Something Cool Instead of Something Safe50:00  Who Are Spokane's Visionaries Now?54:45  Leadership Shifting from Authority to Influence57:30  Supporting a Culture That Rewards Taking the Risk01:03:30  What Walt Worthy Means to This Community01:05:00  Vision Makes the Criticism Easier to Take01:09:12  What's Actually an Advantage About Spokane01:12:10  The Downtown Paradox and Commercial Vacancy01:15:46  Four "What If" Statements for the Region01:18:45  Ownership, Action, and Casting the Vision01:20:12  How to Get Involved with GSI

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Luc Jasmin to talk community, policy, and the challenges shaping Spokane today. Luc shares his journey from Boston to becoming a first-generation Haitian American leader in the Pacific Northwest, and how he got into politics through early childhood education advocacy.They dive into the realities of housing, workforce, and regional development, and how creative, collaborative solutions can make a real difference. Luc also shares how government can better meet community needs and the power of building consensus to drive change.If you care about Spokane, policy, or just want to hear a thoughtful conversation about improving communities, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Cody Arguelles, founder of the Late Arrival Club, a private members' lounge in downtown Spokane, and a man with one of the more unexpected paths to entrepreneurship you will hear.Cody starts with the club itself, a whiskey-and-cigar community he built with a group of fellow veterans, where the only real requirement is being the kind of person who can disagree, shake hands, and still grab a beer. From there, he shares his story of becoming an Air Force SERE specialist, the strange post-military pitch that pulled him toward business, and how he eventually landed on building a place of his own.The conversation gets into his run for Spokane City Council, why he runs as an independent, and his blunt take on how far the political parties have drifted from each other. Keith, Jordan, and Cody dig into what happens when people who have never built or stewarded anything end up making the rules.Whether you are a veteran, an entrepreneur, or someone who just wants to build something real in your own city, this is a candid, story-rich conversation about service, self-reliance, and getting to yes. Learn more about The Late Arrival Club and how to join at latearrivalclub.com.Show Flow00:00  Welcome, Cody Arguelles of the Late Arrival Club03:30  What the Late Arrival Club Really Is10:30  Reading People and Who You Let In13:50  Signing Up Blind: Choosing the SERE Path17:14  What He Misses Most About the Military23:55  Manipulation Training and How People Break30:49  Local Politics Is Local: Why He Ran34:23  Being Conservative, Running Independent41:30  How He Out-Raised the Career Politicians44:59  Where Government Makes Problems Worse55:22  Who Should Be Making the Rules1:05:40  A Magic Wand: Spokane in Five Years1:15:46  Burned-Out Developers and Betting on the City1:22:43  The Fight to Smoke in His Own Private Lounge1:26:04  Wrap-Up

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Devin Mecham, designated broker of NAI Black, for an insider's look at commercial real estate and where Spokane goes from here.Devin shares how he got into the business, and the guys dig into the market from a commercial lens: why the office sector has taken such a hit, how downtown and public safety factor in, and whether office can ever be a strategic investment again. They also look ahead to the building boom they expect as the region rebuilds after the fires, and who is actually positioned to win that work.From there the conversation turns to the bigger forces shaping the city: the permitting headaches and Growth Management restrictions that stall good projects, the opportunity and the questions around data center development, and the hard truth that everyone says they love Spokane while pulling it in very different directions. Jordan even gets candid about rethinking how he wants to play real estate going forward, and why he is leaning more commercial.Whether you are an investor, a developer, or just someone who cares about where Spokane is headed, this is a candid, in-the-weeds conversation about real estate, civic vision, and playing the long game. Learn more about Devin at NAI Black.Chapters:00:00 Welcome, Devin Mecham of NAI Black03:24 How Devin Got Into Real Estate07:00 Missing Bedtime: The Numbers and the Why10:24 Reading a Commercial Deal (Without the Jargon)13:47 The Coming Rebuild Boom and Who Wins It17:25 Why the Office Sector Fell20:48 Buying Office: Cap Rates and Staying Power24:10 Tenant Improvements, Leases, and the Real Math27:32 Growth, Permitting, and the GMA Problem34:16 Property Taxes and Getting Stonewalled40:56 Data Centers: Opportunity and Questions44:28 Loving Spokane, Disagreeing on the Vision51:31 When the Rules Change Out From Under You54:56 Buy Well, Never Sell: Lessons and Case Studies61:45 74 Projects In: Rethinking How to Play It65:08 Partnerships and Final Thoughts

We're revisiting one of our favorite conversations. Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien sit down with Brynn MacLennan, CEO and co-founder of Slate, the company reinventing something almost nobody enjoys: flossing.Brynn walks through the whole arc, from the first spark of the idea in 2019 to launching an electric flosser in 2022, and everything that came with scaling a physical product through a pandemic. She's honest about what it actually takes: the innovation, the leadership calls, the team culture you have to build, and the curveballs you never see coming.Whether you're chasing a business idea of your own or you just dread flossing, there's something in this one for you. That's what makes it worth a second listen.Learn more at slateflosser.comShow Flow00:00 Welcome, Brynn MacLennan of Slate03:14 A Dentist, a Problem, and the Idea for Slate06:37 What It Really Takes to Make a Physical Product09:56 Spending $24K to Get Started13:11 Regrets, Passion, and Loving the Product16:27 Flossing, Correlation, and Not Wanting to Die19:41 Grit vs. Stubbornness: Knowing the Difference23:00 Bringing More Voices Into the Business26:24 "Every Day I Realize I Know Nothing": Learning as a Leader32:55 How Slate Actually Gets Made and Shipped52:24 Leading People Without Losing Yourself1:02:14 Hiring for Behavior, Not Just Skill1:08:51 Playing Chess, Not Checkers: Final Thoughts

In this episode of Chess Not Checkers, Keith Riddle and Jordan Tampien pull back the curtain on something they usually only mention in passing: the real mechanics of real estate development.Whether you are an investor, a developer, a would-be flipper, or just trying to make sense of today's housing market, this episode is a candid, numbers-and-all look at how real estate really works, and a reminder that at some point, as Jordan puts it, you have to pick a life instead of just collecting stuff.Show Flow00:00  Breaking Down a Real Deal for Once02:39  The Peyton: Seven Stories, 96 Units07:44  Tax Credits, Lenders, and a Loan That Nearly Fell Apart12:44  Why a Pro Forma Is Worthless Once You Dig In20:40  The New Rules: Rates, Holding, and Who Wins25:48  Where Values Are Actually Falling28:18  Rebuilding After the Fires vs. Your Insurance Payout36:13  Spokane's Renovator's Market and the Return on a Flip46:39  50,000 Older Homes and Why More Flippers Would Help49:09  Oversized Houses and the Shift in What Buyers Want56:59  The Hidden Costs of Owning a Home1:12:42  Sentiment, and Reconnecting1:22:30  Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up