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
Episodes
545 episodes
EP 536 Ethics As The Competitive Edge - With Adam Russo, JD
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 cos...
•
32:35
EP 535 From Founder Hustle To Scalable Structure - With Forrest Derr
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.• commo...
•
19:47
EP 534 ENCORE: Choice Without Chaos - with Chad Schneider
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 contribu...
•
24:45
EP 516 ENCORE: Rethinking Provider Networks - with Scott Smith
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 ...
•
25:37
EP 518 ENCORE: Quality Without Guesswork - with Kate Grohall
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 with...
•
26:30
EP 531 ENCORE: Solving The Health Payment Puzzle - with Tom Policelli
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% fin...
•
24:22
EP 505 ENCORE: Fixing PBM Conflicts - With Susan Thomas
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...
•
24:56
EP 538 From Buggy Whips To AI - with Julian Lago, Benepower
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...
•
25:27
EP 537 Enhanced Benefits Evolution - With Eric Silverman, Voluntary Disruption
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...
•
28:17
EP 536 On-Site Wins - With Chris Yarn, Walk On Clinic, Inc.
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 sav...
•
25:50
EP 535 Coaching For Leaders, Clarity For Advisors - with Jenna Dillon
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 need...
•
24:18
EP 534 ICHRAs = Choice And Control - With Chad Schneider, Thatch
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—...
•
24:00
#533 Independent Imaging Update - With Cristin Dickerson MD, Green Imaging
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, transpare...
•
22:55
#532 Leading Without Bottlenecks - with Charlie Rhea
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 ...
•
Episode 529
•
26:23
# 531 Eliminating Financial Barriers - with Tom Policelli of PayMedix
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 ...
•
23:39
# 530 From Jungle Survival to Business Innovation: Conner Insurance
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 b...
•
23:20
#529 How Nature Walks Transform Business Thinking
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 direc...
•
Episode 528
•
23:11
#528 Paid Leave: From Expense to Engagement Strategy
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 ...
•
18:46
#527 Taming the Time Thief - with Andrew Hartman
We explore the concept of time as our most precious resource with Andrew Hartman, founder of TimeBoss, who shares a framework for achieving results without overwhelm and burnout.• Andrew's journey began when work stress caused him to lo...
•
22:14
#526 Parenting On-Demand with Hans Kullberg | ShiftShapers
Recorded live at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, David A. Saltzman sits down with Hans Kullberg, CEO and Founder of Avocado Health. Together, they explore how Avocado Health is solving one of the biggest challenges facing employers and...
•
16:53
#525 Beyond Urgent Care with Lorenzo Amaya | ShiftShapers
Recorded at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, David A. Saltzman talks with Lorenzo Amaya, Vice President of Business Development at Integrated Source One. They explore the nationwide physician shortage, the challenges of quality care and...
•
Episode 525
•
21:29
#524 Breaking the Mental Health Bottleneck with John Troutman | ShiftShapers
Recorded live at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, this episode of ShiftShapers features John Troutman, Vice President of Business Development at Mind Club America. Host David A. Saltzman and John discuss the “mutual mystification” surro...
•
Episode 524
•
18:08
#523 Getting Unstuck with Reuven Shelef | ShiftShapers
In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman sits down with Reuven Shelef, CEO of Out of the Box Consulting and creator of the Untangling Complex Challenges methodology. Reuven shares why our brains default to negativity whe...
•
Episode 523
•
23:51
#522 Actionable Insights: From Claims Data to Member Experience with Ramesh Kumar | ShiftShapers
In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman talks with Ramesh Kumar, CEO and co-founder of zakipoint health. Ramesh shares how a personal mission to help his father navigate healthcare led to a professional pursuit: transforming ove...
•
Episode 522
•
23:17
#521 Education and Communication For Advisors with Sally Pace | ShiftShapers
In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman welcomes Sally Pace, CEO of Connect Healthcare Collaboration and co-founder of The Granite List—a platform built to help benefits advisors compare point solutions with clarity and confiden...
•
22:34