It's About Payroll

Brian and Walt are back with a (much-anticipated) Season 16 review!

In this episode, the hosts reflect on what made this season groundbreaking — from game-changing guests to major milestones for the Payroll Universe brand.

In this episode:

Word of the season: "Groundbreaking" vs. "Impactful" — and why both fit
The biggest surprise: just how many payroll-adjacent businesses are shaping the industry
The episode that changed everything: Trent from CotaPay and the death of payroll cutoff times
Melissa Walker (Sounder Benefits) and how employers can actually save money on benefits
Brian Smith (Top to Bottom Solutions) and the myth that benefits only cost you money
Behind the scenes: what goes into prepping each season that listeners never see
How the podcast has personally changed both hosts
Book updates: It's About Payroll has a new cover and formatting, and Walt's Bruised But Not Broken is a must-read
The Certified Payroll Technician (CPT) course launch on iSolved
This or That: Hip-Hop Edition 🎤
Resources mentioned:
It's About Payroll (book) – digital copy on sale for $2.99
Bruised But Not Broken by Walt
CotaPay | Sounder Benefits | Top to Bottom Solutions | Payroll Like a Boss
Certified Payroll Technician (CPT) course – payrolluniverse.com

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🔥 Is your payroll career stuck on autopilot? In this episode of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt break down the real payroll career arc — from entry-level grind to strategic leadership — and the stage nobody talks about: the waiting period.
Whether you're just starting out, feeling stagnant, or ready to level up, this episode is your roadmap.

In this episode, we cover:
✅ The 4 stages of the payroll career journey
✅ Entry-level mistakes that hold payroll pros back
✅ How to move from "task-heavy" to strategic payroll leadership
✅ The dangerous waiting period — and how to survive it
✅ Why more money doesn't always mean less stress at the top
✅ The difference between being a payroll manager vs. a payroll LEADER
✅ AI layoffs in 2026: What 100,000+ tech job cuts mean for payroll pros
✅ Why 53% of employees would leave over ONE payroll mistake
✅ "I Should Have Known Better" — payroll war stories you'll relate to

💡 Key Insight: Payroll accuracy isn't just an operational issue — it's a retention strategy. One mistake can trigger turnover.

🎓 New Course dropping soon! Learn payroll inside a live payroll system. Perfect for career changers and new grads.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly payroll industry insights, career tips, and real talk from payroll professionals who've been in the trenches.
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In Episode 204 of It’s About Payroll, Brian welcomes two powerhouse voices in payroll leadership: John Bernatovicz, founder of Willory, author, keynote speaker, podcast host, and HR/payroll leader, and Tammy Gillenwater, CPP, senior consultant at Willory, speaker, and advocate for the payroll profession. Together, John and Tammy discuss their upcoming book, Payroll Like a Boss, scheduled for release on April 28, 2026, during Global Payroll Week.

The conversation explores how payroll professionals often feel invisible, why payroll must be seen as a strategic business function, and how leaders can develop payroll teams beyond gross-to-net processing and tax compliance. Tammy shares her journey of “falling into payroll” and later realizing it was a true career, while John explains how the “Like a Boss” concept grew from HR leadership into a payroll movement.

Listeners will gain encouragement, practical perspective, and a renewed understanding of payroll’s role in business strategy, workforce planning, compliance, technology, and organizational impact.

In Episode 202 of It’s About Payroll, Brian and Walt unpack a growing trend they are seeing across the profession: more HR and payroll professionals publicly sharing that they are open to work. They connect that observation to a softer 2026 labor market, slower hiring, longer job searches, and the pressure companies are feeling to stay lean. The conversation explores how payroll teams are being asked to do more with fewer people, why some senior professionals may be more vulnerable in tighter markets, and how automation is changing payroll roles without eliminating the work itself.

The episode also dives into what makes payroll professionals more marketable today, including education, certifications, multi-state compliance knowledge, and a willingness to learn how AI can support the job. Brian and Walt also share the thinking behind PayQuest, their app designed to reduce spreadsheet chaos, improve accountability, and create cleaner audit trails for payroll-related payment requests. Listeners will walk away with perspective on the payroll job market, the future of the profession, and practical ideas for staying relevant in a changing environment.

It's About Payroll – Episode 201 | Book Release, Payroll Myths & Economic Uncertainty

🎙️ We hit 201 episodes AND dropped a book — and we're not slowing down! In this milestone episode, Brian and Walt celebrate the release of It's About Payroll, share insider tips for self-publishing on Amazon KDP (including why you should buy your own ISBN numbers), and dive deep into what payroll really means for employees, companies, and the economy.

📌 In This Episode:

📚 Book release update + KDP self-publishing tips (ISBN numbers explained)
💸 Financial fitness: How to avoid subscription traps and sneaky renewal charges
🧾 Busting the biggest payroll misconceptions ("You must be good with numbers!")
🏈 Why payroll pros are the safeties of your organization
🌍 How economic uncertainty, inflation, and rising fuel costs hit payroll teams first
⚖️ The big debate: Technical accuracy vs. human communication — which matters more?
🏢 Compliance function vs. strategic leadership — where does payroll belong?
💡 Whether you're a seasoned payroll professional, an HR leader, or just curious about what payroll actually involves — this episode is packed with real talk, industry insights, and lessons learned from 200+ episodes in the game.

🔗 Get the Book: It's About Payroll — available now on Amazon
📖 Also check out Walt's book: Bruised But Not Broken
Links:
https://www.itsaboutpayroll.io/payrolluniversemedia
https://youtu.be/T-dTJm2Nvic https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll
itsaboutpayroll.io

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