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PODCAST

Midway Business Podcast

The Zemar Podcast

Inspired by the turning point of the Battle of Midway in World War II, this podcast is on a mission to help small and midsize businesses win their own battles—against a shifting marketplace, an uncertain world, and the everyday hurdles of running and growing a business. Hosted by Butch Zemar, CEO of Elite Benefits of America, each episode features candid conversations, tactical insights, and practical strategies from real business leaders. From adapting to change to tackling rising costs (including

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

26:54

Overcomplicated? Here’s How the Rule of Threes Wins...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/09/16

On this episode of the Midway Business Podcast, Butch Zemar sits down with Chicago business consultant James DiMambro to unpack the “Rule of Threes”—why boiling things down to three clear benefits, values, or differentiators can set small and midsize businesses apart. (Because let’s be honest—if your pitch deck needs 47 slides to explain your value, you’ve already lost the room.) With nearly two decades of experience across marketing, sales, and customer success, James has worked with everyone from

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22:46

Why Waiting Until December Could Bankrupt Your...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/09/12

Running a business without a process is like steering a ship with no rudder—you’re just hoping the waves take you somewhere good. In this Midway Business Podcast episode, Butch Zemar dives into why so many owners get paralyzed by bad habits, overthinking, or flat-out fear of change.From companies passing on nearly a million in savings, to leaders drowning in “analysis paralysis,” the stories highlight a bigger truth: success comes from predictability. Just like sales, operations, or HR, benefits

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33:32

Sauce, Strategy, and Success: Business Takeaways from...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/09/10

Who knew pizza could teach you something about running a business? In this episode of the Midway Business Podcast, Butch Zemar sits down with Alex Yount of Chicago Pizza Guys—a passion project that started with three friends swapping favorite pizza spots and grew into a community followed by thousands of fellow pizza lovers.Alex takes us inside their journey from casual conversations to creating reviews, videos, and a loyal following that celebrates the best slices Chicago has to offer. Along the

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19:29

Running a Practice, Running a Business—Turns Out...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/09/05

In this episode, Dr. Tom Germino of Germino Dental shares 40+ years of business lessons—growing from a one-chair startup (with his wife running the front desk) into a multigenerational family practice serving patients across three generations.Business Tips: Customer loyalty is everything. Patients still stick with him after 40+ years—because trust outlasts flashy marketing. Invest in tech (and people). From silver fillings to digital scans—staying relevant means upgrading more than just

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25:49

The CEO’s Dilemma: Are You Solving the Right Problems...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/09/03

In this episode, Butch Zemar sits down with lifetime entrepreneur MZ, who built a 40-year event production company (think Bulls championship parades and Fortune 500 events—not your average company picnic) before shifting his focus to helping business owners gain control of theirs through EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System).MZ shares what decades in the trenches taught him—like how solving the wrong problems really well still doesn’t help (we’ve all been there), why consistent processes give

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29:33

From Hot Spots to Blind Spots: Business Lessons from...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/27

In this episode, David Cole of Aluminight Custom Outdoor Lighting sheds light—literally—on how professional exterior and landscape lighting can transform homes and businesses. From permanent holiday lights (finally retiring the “Clark Griswold” ladder routine) to design strategies that make a property shine without blinding hot spots, David explains how thoughtful placement and planning make all the difference.But this isn’t just about bulbs and wires—it’s also a playbook for business owners. David

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28:52

Want to Think Like a CEO? John Andrade Shares The 4...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/22

Butch Zemar chats with John Andrade, who went from teenage Nextel hustler to selling an online car platform (pre-Carvana) to banking—and somehow lived to tell the tale.His takeaways? Failures are tuition, visibility beats inboxes, and “No Soliciting” signs are just suggestions. John also makes the case that advisory boards aren’t just for Fortune 500s—they’re for anyone trying not to blow up their business plan. Through his “Go For CEO” platform and his book, he shares the 5 Fs: Faith, Family,

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24:43

Stop Losing Talent: Engagement That Works (Without...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/21

In this episode of the Midway Business Podcast, Butch Zemar talks with Lindy Hoyt, Founder of People Ambassadors, about why keeping employees engaged sometimes feels harder than keeping your New Year’s resolution past January. Lindy shares how most companies confuse “butts in seats” with engagement—and then wonder why turnover looks like a revolving door. Her take: retention requires intention. Don’t drag people back to the office just so they can sit on Zoom; give them purpose, growth, and

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22:24

Collecting Cash Without Collecting Enemies: Turning...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/19

Host Butch Zemar sits down with Bill Clayton of Transworld Systems, the fixed-fee collection service ($10 an account) even the Girl Scouts would use. Founded in 1970 by doctors tired of losing profits to percentage-based agencies, Transworld recovers overdue accounts without torching customer relationships—a “patient who pays stays” kind of philosophy.Bill dishes on why most businesses wait too long to act (once it’s six months overdue, your chances of getting paid are about the same as finding a

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22:00

Why Your P&L Is Lying to You (and How to Catch It in...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/18

In this episode, Butch Zemar chats with Virginia McGann of Integrated Back Office Solutions, who turns financial chaos into clear business roadmaps. She’s seen it all—QuickBooks files built during Super Bowl commercials, negative bank balances that somehow still cash checks, and owners calling “money in the account” a profit margin. It’s part detective work, part intervention, and entirely about helping business owners stop guessing and start knowing. Virginia explains why cutting marketing is like

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27:18

AI Won’t Replace You… Unless You’re Doing the Wrong Work

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/14

Host Butch Zemar chats with Michael Kupchak—accountant, educator, fraud examiner, and youth sports coach—about a career path that runs from small family business to teaching at the University of Chicago. Michael shares how blending accounting with information sciences put him in the sweet spot for AI’s rise—not to replace humans, but to kill repetitive work so you can focus on the good stuff (like lunch).He warns that in fraud, the biggest risk might be the person you trust most—kind of like

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27:08

How to Fix Your Business in Eight Days (Without...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/13

Host Butch Zemar sits down with Jamal Wolf, who went from being Circuit City’s #1 computer salesperson (back when selling a desktop was like selling a car) to running two companies—Chicago Smart Business Solutions and Chicago Smart Realty Solutions. His career detour wasn’t exactly voluntary; after corporate commission “restructuring” (aka, “we’re changing how you get paid, so you make less”) and the 2008 job market disaster, Jamal decided if people kept saying, “We’re afraid you’ll take our

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38:01

Your Data Just Got Held Hostage. Now What?

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/07

In this episode, Butch Zemar chats with tech attorney Lisa Gavin, who’s navigated everything from fintech to ransomware settlements (yes, that’s a thing). Lisa lays out what happens when a hacker locks down your data and demands crypto—hint: there’s no Liam Neeson, just consultants billing by the hour and your cyber insurer asking if you’ve “read the policy.”She introduces tabletop drills—live-action crisis simulations where your leadership team roleplays disaster. No PowerPoints. No IT guy to save

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33:09

How to Stop Paying for a Broken Healthcare System...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/08/05

In this episode, Butch Zemar chats with benefits vet Gary Blaum, who’s spent decades in the TPA and PBM trenches. Spoiler: PBMs were cooking the books, and Gary brought spreadsheets to the gunfight. After years of chasing down shady contracts, he found something better—Vitable—a fixed-cost primary care model that sends nurse practitioners to your employees’ homes. Yep, house calls are back, and no, it’s not 1942. Employees love the zero copays. CFOs love the predictable costs. HR finally has a

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36:40

Beyond the Breaking Point: What Great Leaders Do...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/07/28

🎙️ In this episode of the Midway Business Podcast, Butch Zemar dives into the unglamorous truth about why people give up too early — and no, it’s not just because Netflix released another season of something shiny. From childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut (thanks for nothing, Navy recruiter) to navigating the chaotic galaxy known as health insurance, Butch shares battle-tested stories about how success isn’t a straight line — it’s more like a drunken loop-de-loop through doubt, detours, and

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33:20

Dear CFO: You Analyze Everything Except the One Thing...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/07/25

In this episode of the Zemar Podcast, Butch Zemar takes us on a wild ride from outdated Navy aircraft to outdated employer health plans — because apparently, both refuse to die quietly. Using a broken FLIR pod as a metaphor (and no, not the kind of pod you cry in after seeing your renewal increase), Butch breaks down why starting from scratch isn't such a bad thing — whether it's rewiring aircraft or rebuilding your benefits strategy. If NASA can reprogram a space capsule with duct tape and

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14:27

Because ‘We’ve Always Done It This Way’ Is Clearly a...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/06/26

In this episode, Butch Zemar delves headfirst into the bureaucratic complexities that hinder small and mid-sized businesses when it comes to managing employee benefits. He explores why some companies act like deer in headlights when faced with cost-saving opportunities — usually because emotions are driving the bus while logic is locked in the trunk. Butch calls out the common bottleneck culprit: the business owner.Spoiler alert — if you're still personally reviewing dental network maps in Q3,

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18:48

We Tried Nothing and We’re All Out of Ideas - But...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/06/18

Let’s be honest—setting goals is easy. Achieving them? That’s where CFOs start twitching and HR hides under their desks.In this episode, we get a masterclass in corporate reality checks. Think you're overworked? Imagine trying to hit business goals while your benefits plan is hemorrhaging money like a rookie finance intern let loose in Excel. Butch Zemar breaks down the art of not giving up too early—unless, of course, you enjoy 54% renewal increases and the warm, fuzzy feeling of budget panic. He

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16:37

Brokers, Spreadsheets, and Other Things That Haven’t...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/05/19

This episode dives into the all-too-familiar boardroom ritual: reviewing the company's health plan with furrowed brows, followed by the annual shrug and “let’s just raise the deductible again.” Butch Zemar calls out this Groundhog Day behavior with a fresh prescription—less déjà vu, more innovation. Drawing inspiration from Big Hero 6 (because who says insurance can’t be animated?), he challenges businesses to think differently.Brokers still clinging to 1990s playbooks? CFOs allergic to

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21:22

Skate Your Lane: Beer League Strategies for Boardroom...

Midway Business Podcast ·

2025/04/22

In this episode, we lace up the skates, tape our sticks (badly), and take a hard-checking look at how beer league hockey can teach business professionals more than a dozen leadership seminars and a thousand "synergy" emails ever could. What starts as a midlife crisis on ice turns into a full-on MBA in grit, leverage, and learning not to chase the puck—or the next shiny business trend.Between getting yelled at by semi-retired goalies and misplaying every position imaginable, the lessons come fast,

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225 results

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