In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Bryan Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity, one of America's largest insurance and wealth management firms. From his upbringing in a small-town Texas funeral home to building a company that serves millions of families, Bryan shares profound insights on why technology without humanity creates nothing worth remembering, how small-town values scale to billion-dollar operations, and why the myth of being "self-made" is the biggest lie in business. Discover how legacy is operational, not aspirational, and why AI represents the greatest opportunity to amplify human connection at scale.

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Episode Breakdown

00:00 Introduction and the founding principles from a Texas funeral home

08:22 Why naming your company "Integrity" holds you accountable every day

15:47 The myth of self-made entrepreneurs and the power of inherited principles

23:18 How do you meet with every family? The scaling paradox of human connection

31:52 Small-town values in billion-dollar operations: big business done the small-town way

39:26 The delegation trap: concepts without context and why scale breaks

47:15 AI as human amplifier: the opportunity everyone is missing

55:38 The trust breach: when automation replaces people instead of amplifying them

01:02:43 Legacy Safeguard and why everyone needs to be remembered

01:09:17 Recording his parents' story nine days before his father passed

01:15:32 The Integrity Foundation and legacy in action

01:19:25 Final wisdom: lean into your parents' lives before it's too late

About Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams is the Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity, leading the day-to-day operations of one of America's largest insurance and wealth management firms. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Integrity.

Bryan is the Founder of Legacy Safeguard, LLC, a company dedicated to helping members leave a lasting legacy and be remembered long after they're gone. He's considered one of the nation's leading experts in the Senior Market and speaks frequently across the country about the importance of helping families on one of the most difficult days of their lives.

Prior to founding Integrity, Bryan was Vice President of Corporate Development at Directors Investment Group, Inc., where he became the youngest Vice President in the company's history. He has a degree in Business Administration from Texas Tech University. Bryan and his family live in Highland Village, Texas.

Connect with Bryan Adams:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-w-adams-2794b8159/

Integrity: http://integrity.com/

About Simon Bowen

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.

Connect with Simon

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/

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