Cameron Mooney - Founder & CEO

Cameron Mooney - Founder & CEO Entrepreneur | Co-Founder of tugboat.claims 🚢

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Your insurance policy didn’t change, but the meaning did.I wrote something this week that’s been on my mind for a while....
06/04/2025

Your insurance policy didn’t change, but the meaning did.

I wrote something this week that’s been on my mind for a while.

In claims, especially in our work at tugboat.claims, we’re seeing more homeowners denied for stuff that would’ve been routine approvals a few years ago. Not because they let coverage lapse. Not because their policy changed. But because carriers started quietly reinterpreting what the word “covered” means.

A pipe bursts and floods the kitchen? Now it’s called “wear and tear.”
Smoke damage from a wildfire? They say it’s cosmetic.
Wind tears the roof off? That’s being picked apart too.

The wording in the policy didn’t change. But how it’s applied has. And that shift is leaving folks stranded.

It’s happening because it’s cheaper to reinterpret coverage than to go through regulators and admit you’re offering less protection. No press. No oversight. Just a slow erosion of trust.

I break it all down in this week’s article—how we got here, what it means, and why this matters not just to people in the industry, but to every family who’s counting on their insurance when something goes wrong.

Because at the end of the day, this whole system only works if we can trust that the promises we paid for will be honored when it matters.

Thanks for reading.
— Cam

👉 The Great Rewrite: How Your Policy Changed Without You Knowing
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-rewrite-how-your-policy-changed-without-you-knowing-mooney-lpawc/

What’s the best part about being an entrepreneur? It’s the choices it gives you. For better or worse, you get to decide ...
04/28/2025

What’s the best part about being an entrepreneur? It’s the choices it gives you. For better or worse, you get to decide what you are doing, where you are trying to get, how you will spend your time, what priorities you will establish, etc. 

Not everyone wants to have, or to make, all of those choices - and honestly, I totally get that.
The more control and responsibility you take on, the more you risk.

I have been able to choose that I will be done working by 5p mon-fri so that I can spend time with my family and do things like Jiu Jitsu with my kids. Of course, this means that I often start my day at 4:30am to ensure I can get all the work done that is required.

This weekend the kids and I competed in a local BJJ tournament. I left with one win, two losses, and a black eye. The kids each earned some medals. It was such a great day of growth, struggle, and community. Our gym did amazing overall and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone. 

Hopefully this gets easier as I get older ;)

I've got a huge favor to ask of those who know me. I recently started writing a newsletter on LinkedIn to highlight the ...
04/10/2025

I've got a huge favor to ask of those who know me. I recently started writing a newsletter on LinkedIn to highlight the work we do at tugboat.claims and insights gained as a founder working in the insurance industry. The BiWeekly newsletter is called "Dawn Patrol" - and I would so appreciate it if you went and subscribed. The stories we're sharing are important and having subscribers helps them to gain visibility across and beyond my network.

This week’s edition hit especially close to home.

I looked back at the 2008 housing crisis - when I was still in high school - and connected it to what’s happening right now in California: homes burning down, families left underinsured, and insurance companies relying on tools they know are flawed. There was an incredible piece put out in the SF Chronicle investigating this issue that I dive into.

We’re helping hundreds of wildfire victims right now at Tugboat, and what we’re seeing is heartbreaking. The system’s broken, and it’s the homeowners left holding the risk.

If you’ve got a few minutes, I’d love for you to read this one.

đź”— https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/short-coverage-long-promises-lessons-unlearned-from-2008-mooney-ccqyc

“The quality I look for most is optimism... Optimism is true moral courage.” – ShackletonA lot of people will tell you t...
03/25/2025

“The quality I look for most is optimism... Optimism is true moral courage.” – Shackleton

A lot of people will tell you that risk tolerance is one of the most important traits for a founder. And they’re not wrong.

But I’d take it one step further – optimism might matter even more.

You have to be able to see a future you’re genuinely excited to build. Not just for yourself, but for your team, your customers, your community. And you have to hold onto that vision even when the path forward feels unclear, slow, or flat-out discouraging.

There are a lot of things working against optimism when you’re building something real. The challenges are constant. The wins often feel delayed. And no one’s handing out belief on your behalf.

So you carry it yourself. And if you’re doing it right, you pass it on to others.
That’s the mindset.

PS: If you’re unfamiliar with Shackleton – he led one of the most unbelievable survival stories of all time during a failed Antarctic expedition. Every founder should read Endurance by Alfred Lansing. It’s one of the greatest leadership books ever written.

03/21/2025

Responsibility is one of our family’s core values.

We want to raise kids who don’t run from difficulty but run toward it. That starts with us, as parents, learning to model ownership ourselves.

At home, we talk a lot about how to respond to mistakes with honesty and courage. But we’re not just trying to teach a good reaction. We’re trying to build a drive toward responsibility - something that kicks in before anyone even asks.

Let’s be real - when things go sideways, the instinct is to step back, deflect, or avoid. Especially when it wasn’t technically our fault.

But what if mistakes, whether ours or someone else’s, are actually opportunities?
To grow. To learn. To lead. 🚀

I’ve seen it over and over: when someone takes full ownership, quickly and humbly, frustration often shifts into respect - even trust.

And here’s the twist:
What if it wasn’t your fault?
Even better. Own the solution. Step in. Fix it. And watch your credibility grow.

I didn’t do that today. I’ll share more about it next week and how it ties into a leadership concept Chris Voss teaches called the accusation audit.

As business leaders, we can’t just talk about ownership. We have to live it. 💼

If we want a culture of responsibility, it starts with us.

Tomorrow our family practices Sabbath - no phones, reflection, prayer, rest, etc. We usually review one of our core values, so it's the perfect time for me to reflect on how I can grow in this area next week.

Hope you get some real rest this weekend, and are prepared to be a better version of yourself come Monday 🛠️

I had the pleasure of visiting Japan in the fall of 2024 with my wife, and it was an unforgettable experience. Everywher...
03/19/2025

I had the pleasure of visiting Japan in the fall of 2024 with my wife, and it was an unforgettable experience. Everywhere we went, I was struck by the depth of dedication in every craft, structure, and tradition. From architecture to cuisine to the quiet cultivation of nature, everything felt intentional.

This level of focus doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of generations choosing excellence, refining, and eliminating the unnecessary.

What would it look like to apply this same mindset to our own lives? To cut away distractions and go all in on what truly matters?

Keep. Moving. Forward.Daily success can’t be measured against your long-term goals. It’s not about how far you still hav...
03/10/2025

Keep. Moving. Forward.

Daily success can’t be measured against your long-term goals. It’s not about how far you still have to go. It’s about how you showed up today.

For instance, I know I’m making progress in my effort to be more active and healthy when I see the sweat hit the floor. That’s the proof. Not the number on the scale. Not some future milestone. Those goals are important no doubt, There are the purpose behind the drive. But each day, I am just looking for this - evidence that I put in the work.

The same applies everywhere else.

The most common insight from founders, entrepreneurs, and high-performers? You just can’t stop.

If consistency is the key, then we can’t let the highs inflate us or the lows defeat us. We can’t obsess over the finish line. We have to commit to the grind itself. Purposeful, intentional, daily effort.

Success isn’t in the idea. It’s in the sweat. It’s in the early mornings. It’s in putting your best foot forward today.

More on this soon.

tugboat.claims has been hosting weekly office hours live on FB and IG where we answer your claim questions and dive deep...
03/05/2025

tugboat.claims has been hosting weekly office hours live on FB and IG where we answer your claim questions and dive deep into relevant topics surrounding wildfire claims and restoration.

Joint us today (Wednesday) at 3p and drop a comment below with any topics you like us to cover!

What if insurtech was built for policyholders instead of insurance companies?That’s the question we’re answering at Tugb...
02/26/2025

What if insurtech was built for policyholders instead of insurance companies?

That’s the question we’re answering at Tugboat.Claims—by creating tools that empower homeowners to navigate claims with confidence. Because when it comes to insurance, the right tools and information can change everything.

Swipe through for insights from the latest edition of Dawn Patrol, then drop a comment— Are you working on something in a market that’s been overlooked but has huge potential? what’s been the hardest part so far?

Hit the link in bio to read and subscribe. 🚢🏒



 
 
 


The best waves don’t wait. Neither do the best opportunities.Introducing Dawn Patrol – a new newsletter where we’ll shar...
02/26/2025

The best waves don’t wait. Neither do the best opportunities.

Introducing Dawn Patrol – a new newsletter where we’ll share updates from .claims, insights from the frontlines of insurance, and what we’re learning as founders, dads, and builders.

This first edition is live now – talking about where Tugboat started, where we’re headed, and why persistence in claims (and in life) is everything.

Hit the link in bio to read and subscribe. See you out there.

 





Let’s take a quick moment for an intro. I’m Cameron. I live in Southern California with my wife and three young kids. I ...
02/26/2025

Let’s take a quick moment for an intro. I’m Cameron. I live in Southern California with my wife and three young kids. I love just about anything active - surfing, ice hockey, skateboarding, Jiu Jitsu, etc. If I could travel to a new place every month that would be the best, as it is that happens more like once a year.

I am also the co-founder of .claims - an online tool that empowers people to navigate home insurance and property claims with more expertise and success.

I’m glad to have you here and looking forward to sharing more about what we’re building and what it’s like being a founder.






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