It's About Payroll

What if benefits weren’t just a cost center—but your biggest competitive advantage?

In Episode 193, we’re joined by Melissa Walker, Co-Founder & VP of Brokerage at Sounder Benefits, to break down how AI + innovation + human connection are reshaping healthcare benefits for modern companies. Melissa went from working inside major insurance carriers to building a brokerage that brings enterprise-level strategy to small and mid-size businesses—without the complexity.

We talk real results, real strategy, and what it takes to make benefits actually work for employers and employees.


Why only 1 in 4 Americans understand basic health insurance terms


How AI took a 25% renewal increase down to 9% while improving coverage


Why the “once-a-year renewal broker” model is dying


The benefits + payroll connection (and how to stop deduction errors)


Level-funded vs fully insured: when it’s time to rethink your plan


The truth about the Affordable Care Act — helped or hurt?


How to tell if your broker is driving value—or just quoting plans


Why planning before renewal season is the new power move


What tech actually reduces payroll/benefits mistakes


How modern benefits help attract and retain younger talent


The future of payroll: becoming payroll pilots, not just processors

Payroll pros, HR leaders, benefits admins, CFOs, business owners—and anyone tired of watching premiums rise while employee understanding drops.

Melissa is licensed in all 50 states with 15+ years across both brokerage and carrier sides. Her mission: make healthcare more affordable, accessible, and less confusing through strategy + proprietary tech.

📲 Connect with Melissa


LinkedIn: Melissa Walker


Sounder Benefits: sounderbenefits.com


Email: [email protected]

🎙️ About It’s About Payroll
A show where payroll professionals, HR leaders, and innovators share real talk on payroll, benefits, workforce operations—and what’s next.

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In this Season 15 Review episode of It’s About Payroll, Brian Escobar and Walter dive into the biggest conversations, lessons, and surprises from the season — and uncover some eye-opening payroll realities along the way.

The episode kicks off with a look at major news impacting payroll professionals, including minimum wage increases across multiple states starting January 1, with more coming later in 2026 in states like Alaska, Florida, and Oregon. The hosts also break down Amazon Business Prime’s new partnership perks, offering payroll, HR, accounting, and cybersecurity benefits through Gusto, QuickBooks, and CrowdStrike — saving businesses an average of $1,000 annually.

The heart of the episode revisits Season 15’s most popular topics: payroll disasters, implementation failures, true payroll crime stories, and compliance breakdowns that cost companies millions. Brian and Walt highlight a recurring theme across all episodes — most payroll fraud lasts 16–18 months before detection, often due to lack of internal controls and oversight.

From time theft and wage theft to insider data breaches, the hosts make one thing clear: payroll is no longer just processing checks — it’s protecting the business.

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In Episode 191 of It’s About Payroll, Brian and Walt sit down with Trent Sorbe, Chief Payments Officer at First International Bank & Trust and leader of Kotapay, one of the nation’s largest ACH and electronic payments originators supporting more than 100,000 payroll clients nationwide.

With over 33 years in financial services, Trent shares his journey from the FDIC to fintech founder to payments executive and offers a powerful look into how real-time payments, modern funding models, and “windowless payroll” are reshaping the industry.

Trent explains how payroll is undergoing a generational shift as longtime professionals retire and technology becomes the new gateway for attracting talent. He outlines why traditional ACH cutoffs, banking hours, and multi-day payroll windows are becoming obsolete and how real-time funding can compress a payroll event from days into minutes.

The conversation dives deep into risk management, small-business payroll access, earned wage access challenges, regulatory complexity across 50 states, and why payroll must evolve into a real-time financial services experience.

This episode is a must-listen for payroll leaders, processors, and technology providers preparing for the next era of payroll.

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Join us for an insightful conversation with payroll industry expert Jon Schausten, CPP, as we dive into the evolving world of payroll.

🔑 In this episode, we tackle the big questions:

* What happens as seasoned payrollers age out?

* How do you find your payroll tribe as a newer payroll pro?

* What does it take to truly succeed in this ever-changing industry?

Whether you’re a payroll veteran, just starting out, or looking to build your network, this episode is packed with practical advice, inspiring stories, and actionable tips. Jon shares his legendary payroll journey, the importance of community, and strategies for thriving in payroll’s next era.

Don’t miss out on this must-listen episode for anyone passionate about payroll, career growth, and professional community!

👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes and industry insights.

https://youtu.be/DyaH-NjNltg https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payrollitsaboutpayroll.io

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In this holiday-themed episode of It’s About Payroll, hosts Brian and Walt dive into common payroll challenges and real-world solutions—all while sprinkling in humor, seasonal cheer, and industry insights. They kick things off with a discussion on automating manual processes, noting that many organizations still rely on spreadsheets, paper timesheets, and even fax machines.

The conversation shifts to the importance of system integration across HRIS, timekeeping, payroll, and benefits to reduce errors and boost efficiency. Walt shares timely pay news, including RSUs and how vesting impacts tax obligations—often causing unexpected tax bills for employees if not planned properly.

Brian highlights new research from Deel revealing stark PTO usage differences between European and North American workers, exposing cultural gaps around taking time off and the pitfalls of unlimited PTO.

The core of the episode: ten realistic payroll crisis scenarios—from system outages to misclassification—and practical contingency strategies. The hosts emphasize communication, backup workflows, and proactive planning as key to preventing costly payroll errors. The episode delivers tactical advice payroll pros can apply immediately.

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