Happy Mother’s day from Skyscraper Insurance

Happy Mother’s Day to all you super moms out there!

This year you guys deserve a double shout out for handling this crisis like pros handling the kids and your spouses & some of you even grandkids every single day, your jobs didn’t change a bit just got bigger you are the real heroes and deserve a shout out applause.

A mother is not replaceable whoever has one hold on tight appreciate them.

While appreciation for any parent should be every day of the year, We still love to extra appreciate mom on this special day. We had no idea how hard (yet amazing) motherhood would be until we got there. So my love and respect for my own mom (and anyone out there who has ever raised a child) grows more and more every day.

Happy Mother’s Day to my very own amazing mom (shown with Ruby above) and to all of you mamas out there!

A Letter to Moms

I love that we set aside a whole day to honor and celebrate the women who raised us. My mom was an amazing mother who dedicated her life to her three daughters. She was selfless yet strong- and the most beautiful woman I know. Mother’s Day holds a special place in my own heart because of the little ones who made me a mom. I love waking up to their little feet bringing me the handmade gifts they’ve poured their hearts into making. These are the moments that remind me motherhood is a gift, and fostering these little people’s growth is my favorite job of all.

Every year as Mother’s Day gets close, I get a little nostalgic about my kids and how much celebrating them in the day-to-day means to me. So today I wanted to sit down and type up a little letter to all moms, encouraging you to fully appreciate the season you’re in, and also to share some of the challenges and triumphs I’ve experienced as a mom.
As a quick side note, when I started writing this post it was all about the joy of motherhood—but when I thought about all the strong moms around me, it didn’t take me long to realize the name “mom” isn’t easy to come by. These mothers have fought infertility, miscarriage or even the loss of a child. So whether you’re a mom right in the middle of raising your babies, or you find yourself in the throes of immense pain—this day is for all of us.

You are enough.

I think at times all moms get this insecure feeling of “I’m not doing enough.” As a working mom, it’s the hardest when my kids grab onto me as I’m walking out the door and say, “Mommy please stay home!” I don’t want to ignore that, so I always explain to them that being with them is my favorite thing in the world. I explain that I have to work just like they have to go to school. I also let them know what I’m doing at work that day—whether it’s filming the show or going into the office—and what time I’ll be home. Taking a few seconds to let them in on this other huge part of my life has really helped them understand that mom and dad have a big job to do.

I have had to find creative ways to connect with the kids during the day now that I work, to let them know I am always thinking of them. I’ll send them a little note in their lunchbox or surprise them and pick them up early from school for a fun date.

When I was staying home these same feelings of “not doing enough” would find their way into my mind. In that season I spent a lot of time focusing on balance. Nap time was when I got things done. Whether it was folding laundry, prepping dinner, writing my blog or doing design work—that was my time. It was important I kept myself creatively fed during those years, so I never let myself be filled with feelings of discontent. I hope if you’re in this season now you’ll take the time to allow yourself a few minutes a day to do what you love, too. I found it was the thing that kept me balanced and energized.

Taking the time.

The young stage my kids are in is the sweetest. Chip and I are their favorite people and they still stop what they’re doing to greet us at the door when we get home. I really want to savor this season for as long as I can. When I get home from work I try and leave my phone in the car and make that intentional effort to play and connect face to face with them. Even when I’m tired at the end of a long day, it’s fuel to see the look in their eyes when I ask them to cook with me or go play outside. As a mom, sometimes I have to change my mindset and remind myself what’s important. I only have so many hours a day to spend with these sweet, little people. And they won’t be little forever. So I get up and keep moving.

The littlest things.

The details have always mattered to me, especially when it comes to my kids. Whether I’m making cereal for breakfast or a big, fancy dinner, I want them to know that celebrating them in small ways in everyday life is a big deal to me. When Chip and I are traveling a lot, the first thing I want to do when I get home is cook. I want my kids to have the security that when momma’s home, there will be a good meal. At my birthday breakfast a couple weeks ago, Chip had the kids go around the table to say what they love most about Mom, and each one of their answers was that I cook for them. I’ve been cooking since they were born, and I’ve never heard them say anything like that. The fact that they notice and feel provided for in the kitchen was a sweet moment for me.

Motherhood can be difficult. It’s not an instant gratification thing all the time. When your kiddos are just babies and you’re changing diapers or listening to whining constantly, it can feel overwhelming. But I want to encourage you, because one day you’ll be sitting around a table for your birthday breakfast and you’ll realize that their little hearts are thankful for you. And they do notice things like mom’s homemade meals.

We hope you feel so loved and celebrated this Mother’s Day. And no matter what season you find yourself in, just know that you are doing enough, and you are loved and appreciated. Take a few moments today to look around and appreciate your children and the stage they’re in. I know for me, the thought of them growing up and moving off makes me want to burst into tears! So this Mother’s Day I plan to milk it for all it’s worth, and squeeze them just a little longer.

Life Insurance

Life Insurance Options

We do everything we can for our loved ones, not because we have to, but because we want to. Whether you’re looking for coverage for a specific period of time or lifelong protection, with the right Life Insurance coverage, you can be happy knowing that your loved ones will be able to live out their dreams, no matter what the future holds.

The Right Coverage for You
Skyscraper Insurance offers many different coverages, so you can find the guarantees, flexibility and cash value options to fit your needs. Compare premiums, advantages and disadvantages of term, whole, and universal life insurance policies to figure out what kind of Life Insurance is right for you.

Is Term Life Insurance Right for You?
Term life insurance provides affordable coverage to meet your temporary needs. Term life insurance may be the right fit for you if you are looking for:
Guaranteed coverage for a specific amount of time or to cover specific financial obligations
Affordability and level payments that are guaranteed not to change
A complement to an employer’s life insurance plan
A quick and convenient sales process for eligible customers
How It Works
You can select a coverage period of 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. You receive a guaranteed death benefit for the term you choose, and your payments are guaranteed to remain level for the length of the term. A variety of add-on benefits, also known as riders, allow you to tailor your coverage to meet your need

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Commercial P&C Insurance

Commercial Office Space Set for a Strong Comeback

The sustained increase in demand for office space across the nation since late 2022 suggests that the market has moved past its lowest point, according to insights from the real estate technology platform, VTS. Demand for office space began to rise in late 2022 and continued into early 2023. Since then, the office market has experienced a period of stability and growth, supported by favorable economic factors, indicating a market rebound. This conclusion is drawn from the VTS Office Demand Index (VODI), which tracks unique new tenant tour requests for office properties in key U.S. markets. The VODI serves as an early indicator of future office leasing activity. According to the index, demand for office space has grown consistently over the past 12 months, closing the second quarter with a 17% year-over-year increase and a 34% rise from the VODI’s lowest point in December 2022. A significant shift in office-based employment patterns further supports the belief that demand for office space has stabilized. After reaching its peak in August 2022, office-based employment declined by 3.9% in early 2024. However, this trend has since stabilized, and employment growth has remained steady. Additionally, a recent decrease in work-from-home rates has fueled the renewed demand for office space. “They say you can only recognize a market bottom after it has passed, and the office space market is no exception. Following what we now see as the bottom, the national demand has gradually increased, though it remains susceptible to economic challenges,” said Nick Romito, CEO of VTS. “However, the growth observed in VODI over the past 18 months, coupled with positive trends in the office-using workforce, suggests that the market has reset, and the worst is behind us.” It’s important to note that this national trend does not impact all local markets equally. Cities like Los Angeles and New York City have seen healthy growth in office space demand, while markets such as San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have experienced prolonged stagnation. In Los Angeles, office space demand surged in the second quarter, briefly surpassing pre-COVID levels, driven by an increase in the average size of office spaces sought by tenants. New York City followed a similar overall pattern, though with some softness in the second quarter. Conversely, San Francisco’s demand for office space remains unpredictable, largely due to its tech-focused workforce, which continues to favor remote work more than other industries. “Markets heavily dependent on the tech sector, like San Francisco and Seattle, are on a markedly different post-COVID recovery path compared to more diversified markets like Los Angeles and New York City. It may take some time before we see office demand in San Francisco and Seattle return to pre-COVID levels,” added Ryan Masiello, Chief Strategy Officer at VTS.

Cyber Liability

Global IT Outage Puts Business Interruption Insurance in the Spotlight

In July, a global IT outage had a significant impact on business interruption insurance policies, overshadowing the effects on cyber insurance coverages. “This incident wasn’t a result of a malicious attack, which is why typical cyber insurance policies may not have been activated,” explained Peter McMurtrie, a partner in West Monroe’s insurance sector, in an interview with PropertyCasualty360.com. “Where coverage was applicable, factors like deductible amounts, waiting periods, and coverage limits played a critical role in determining the extent of exposure,” McMurtrie noted. “Standard policies for small businesses were less likely to offer coverage, while more complex policies for mid-sized companies and Fortune 500 corporations may have included broader triggers for non-malicious outages caused by third-party software issues.” The outage was triggered by a software update on July 19, 2024, by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which affected organizations worldwide using Microsoft Windows. This interruption had far-reaching consequences, including disrupting hospital systems, media outlets, financial institutions, delaying thousands of flights, and halting daily business operations. McMurtrie emphasized that while the initial impact of the outage was similar for both large and small businesses, the ability to recover operations and whether insurance covered the loss of business income varied. “Larger companies are more likely to have advanced disaster recovery plans that ensure service redundancy following unexpected outages,” he added. “Their insurance programs also tend to cover a wider range of incidents.” According to Microsoft, the CrowdStrike update error affected over 8.5 million Windows devices globally. The incident highlighted the interconnected nature of our global ecosystem, including cloud providers, software platforms, security services, and their clients. “It’s a stark reminder of the importance of prioritizing safe deployment and disaster recovery across the tech industry,” the company said in a blog post. McMurtrie pointed out that the outage’s widespread impact was largely due to its effect on organizations that are critical to societal infrastructure—sectors like agriculture, airlines, banking, energy, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. “Insurance companies base their risk appetite on their ability to understand and price risks appropriately. This becomes increasingly challenging with emerging threats,” he said. “However, I anticipate that insurers will respond by clarifying policy language, refining risk selection criteria, and possibly developing new products specifically designed for this evolving exposure.”

Happy Mother’s day from Skyscraper Insurance