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PODCAST

The ShiftShapers Podcast

Change either paralyzes or energizes - the choice is yours. Hear from businesses and entrepreneurs who have become energized and who have profited by shaping the shifts in their markets and practices. Become a SHIFTSHAPERS INSIDER and get our latest download, advance notice of all podcasts, podcast summaries, and special INSIDER-ONLY content. INSIDER SIGN UP

business management

All Episodes

36:28

EP 542 What If Chronic Disease Was Optional? - with...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2026/03/31

Employers keep paying for the symptoms of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome while the root causes go untouched. We unpack why many wellness models fail, how insulin resistance hides for years, and what chronic disease reversal can look like when a physician-led metabolic health team measures the right signals and tapers meds safely. • metabolic syndrome as a dominant driver of employer healthcare costs • why low-fat guidance and ultra-processed food worsen hunger and outco...

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26:47

EP 537 When CFOs Treat Healthcare As Any Other Cost -...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2026/03/24

We explore how employers can manage healthcare like any other cost by shifting from insurer-built, passive plans to employer-built, actively managed designs. Carl Schuessler, Jr. shares candid tactics on data, precision testing, and honest change management that help advisors become true risk partners. • defining a health plan mission that aligns to EBITDA and predictability • focusing on data hot spots such as MSK, imaging, pharmacy, and facilities • using billing audits and cost containmen...

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32:35

EP 536 Ethics As The Competitive Edge - With Adam...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2026/03/17

We dig into who truly makes claim decisions in self-funded plans and why that matters when ethics and compliance collide. Adam Russo shares how fiduciary prudence, transparent compensation, and NSA arbitration are reshaping risk, trust, and costs. • plan sponsors as final decision makers on claims • plan documents lagging laws and mandates • compliance versus ethics as distinct obligations • transparent compensation, performance fees, and caps • fiduciary prudence in subrogation and settleme...

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19:47

EP 535 From Founder Hustle To Scalable Structure -...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2026/03/10

We dig into why growth stalls when roles blur and the founder stays the bottleneck. Forrest Durer shows how clear seats, weekly scorecards, and steady leadership cadence create accountability and make scaling calm and repeatable. • common founder-led bottlenecks and warning signs • seats defined by 5–7 responsibilities not titles • building a simple pyramid with an integrator or COO • activity-based KPIs and weekly scorecards • busy work versus productive work • weekly one-to-ones and leader...

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24:45

EP 534 ENCORE: Choice Without Chaos - with Chad...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/12/30

We revisit how employers can control healthcare spend while expanding employee choice through ICRAs, with Chad Schneider of Thatch sharing what works, what breaks, and what’s next. We dig into change management, decision tools, dynamic contributions, and the broker’s evolving role. • Why ICRAs surged after 2020 and boomed in 2024 • Carrier expansion and a stronger individual market • The real barrier being change management and fintech • Decision support that mirrors travel-style shopping • ...

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25:37

EP 516 ENCORE: Rethinking Provider Networks - with...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/12/23

We revisit how PPOs got built on discounts and show why total value beats sticker price. Scott Smith joins us to explain nationally curated high-performance networks that rank providers on effectiveness, appropriateness, and cost, and how that changes renewals, member experience, and fiduciary risk. • why traditional PPO discounts miss total cost of care • how consolidation and narrow networks increase abrasion • claims-based scoring at the provider NPI level • quality metrics that matter: e...

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26:30

EP 518 ENCORE: Quality Without Guesswork - with Kate...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/12/16

We explore how reducing variation in cost, outcomes, and experience creates real value, and why deep provider metrics and real-time member support outperform box-checking credentialing. Kate Grohal shares a playbook for aligning incentives without repeating the mistakes that soured HMOs. • defining quality as reducing variation across cost, outcomes, experience • Kate’s path from patient escort to quality leader • why NCQA alone falls short for measuring provider performance • additional met...

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24:22

EP 531 ENCORE: Solving The Health Payment Puzzle -...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/12/09

We revisit the rising problem of the “functionally uninsured” and ask how to restore real access for employees who delay care because of confusion and cost. Paymedix CEO Tom Policelli shares how a super EOB, upfront provider payment, and 0% financing change behavior and bend trend. • confusion outranking cost as the top barrier to care • hospitals pushing prepayment and the access wall it creates • income-tier patterns driving ER and inpatient overuse • super EOB mechanics and single monthly...

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24:56

EP 505 ENCORE: Fixing PBM Conflicts - With Susan Thomas

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/12/02

Pharmacy benefits shouldn’t feel like a black box. We sit down with Susan Thomas, Chief Commercial Officer at Lucy Rx, to unpack why drug costs keep rising and what it takes to build a benefit that serves patients and plans—not middlemen. Susan started as an oncology nurse and moved into PBM leadership, and that dual lens shows up in everything we cover: from the real-world stress of waiting days for an oral chemo to the hidden economics of rebate chains and vertically integrated networks. W...

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25:27

EP 538 From Buggy Whips To AI - with Julian Lago,...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/11/18

What if benefits work leaped from horse‑and‑buggy speed to highway pace? We sit down with Julian Lago, co‑founder and CEO of BenePower, to explore how AI is already compressing days of quoting, enrollment, and service into minutes—and what that means for brokers, HR leaders, and members who need clear answers right now. We dig into the practical side of agentic AI and retrieval‑augmented generation: how specialized models fetch plan rules, accumulators, and pending claims to answer real‑worl...

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28:17

EP 537 Enhanced Benefits Evolution - With Eric...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/11/10

Change can energize or paralyze—so we chose energize. We sat down with Eric Silverman, founder of Voluntary Disruption and a four-time guest, to unpack what’s actually moving the needle in enhanced benefits today. The surprise? Products haven’t radically shifted, but execution has. Simple, high-interest options like pet insurance, ID protection, legal plans, and life paired with long-term care continue to win attention. The real breakthroughs are how teams communicate, guide choices, and run ...

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25:50

EP 536 On-Site Wins - With Chris Yarn, Walk On...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/11/04

What if the clinic your team actually uses is the one parked outside the office? We sit down with Chris Yarn, CEO of Walk On Clinic, to unpack why on-site and mobile primary care crush near-site options on utilization, trust, and measurable savings—often with fewer clinic days. The story begins with a simple truth: convenience wins. When clinicians are visible and familiar, employees engage more, follow through on care, and keep the relationship going virtually with the same people they see i...

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24:18

EP 535 Coaching For Leaders, Clarity For Advisors -...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/10/28

We explore what executive coaching really is, how it helps leaders make better decisions and show up with presence, and why advisors can use it to grow their practice and help clients cut costs and claims. We share signals that coaching is needed, how to introduce it without awkwardness, and how to build strong referral partnerships. • Clear definition of executive coaching and who benefits • Common leadership traps and the “business affair” pattern • Executive presence as a practical skill ...

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24:00

EP 534 ICHRAs = Choice And Control - With Chad...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/10/21

Healthcare costs keep climbing while employees want plans that actually fit their doctors, budgets, and lives. We tackle that tension head-on with Chad Schneider, head of broker channel at Thatch, and unpack how ICHRAs—individual coverage HRAs—let employers lock in predictable budgets while giving every employee real choice on the individual market. We start by demystifying ICHRAs and why 2024 became the breakout year: broader carrier participation, stronger individual risk pools, and better...

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22:55

#533 Independent Imaging Update - With Cristin...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/10/14

Costs are spiking, access is shrinking, and members are stuck on hold while scans get delayed—yet the fix might be hiding in plain sight. We sit down with Dr. Cristin Dickerson, CEO of Green Imaging, to unpack how independent imaging, transparent bundles, and human-led AI can lower trend, reduce friction, and actually make benefits plans feel usable. From private equity acquisitions that quietly triple rates to the national radiologist shortage sparked by years of “AI will replace you” hype, ...

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26:23

#532 Leading Without Bottlenecks - with Charlie Rhea

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/10/07

Leadership bottlenecks can silently strangle even the most promising companies. When decisions, initiatives, and progress all funnel through one person—typically the founder or CEO—growth becomes impossible. Charlie Rhea knows this pattern all too well. As an implementer of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Charlie has witnessed the remarkable transformation that occurs when leadership teams embrace a different way of operating. The framework he teaches provides three critical bene...

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23:39

# 531 Eliminating Financial Barriers - with Tom...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/09/30

High-deductible health plans have created "functionally uninsured" people who have insurance cards but can't access care due to high out-of-pocket costs, creating barriers to necessary healthcare and driving up long-term expenses. We discuss a solution with Tom Policelli of Paymedix. • Consumer confusion about benefits is the #1 issue, with affordability a close second • 45% of insured people avoided necessary care last year due to cost concerns • Nearly 30% of hospitals now require payment...

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23:20

# 530 From Jungle Survival to Business Innovation:...

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/09/23

A 75-year legacy built on survival, relationships and faith continues to drive innovation at Conner Insurance, where CEO Ben Conner and his team focus on providing sound counsel during life's most significant moments. • Founded in 1949 by WWII veteran Henry Clay Conner Jr., whose 30 months surviving in Philippine jungles shaped core values of seriousness, relationships, and entrepreneurial spirit • Second-generation leadership of four Conner brothers emphasized shepherding the next generatio...

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23:11

#529 How Nature Walks Transform Business Thinking

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/09/16

Jessica DeAngelo, Chief Hiking Officer at Hike to Become, shares how unplugging in nature revolutionizes business thinking and helps executives rediscover clarity and creativity away from digital distractions. • Former global sales director who transformed her life by committing to daily hiking after feeling overwhelmed by corporate demands and new motherhood • Created the Hike 31 Challenge based on four principles: Hike or walk, In nature, Keep tech off, Every day • Takes executive teams on...

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18:46

#528 Paid Leave: From Expense to Engagement Strategy

The ShiftShapers Podcast ·

2025/09/09

Paid leave has transformed from a nice-to-have into a powerful retention and engagement tool for employers seeking to attract and keep top talent. Seth Turner of AbsintheSoft shares insights on how properly structured leave programs can create positive employee experiences that drive loyalty and productivity. • 86% of employees look for paid leave when job hunting, and 42% won't apply without it • Well-designed leave programs should address diverse workforce needs across life stages • Employ...

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547 results

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