Want weekly payroll & PEO industry insights direct to your inbox? 

I break down payroll industry news and trends every Wednesday. 1000+ subscribers and growing → payrollinpodcast.com

Most payroll bureaus are losing deals to better-resourced competitors while drowning in day-to-day operations.

I've been in the payroll industry for 20+ years. I've closed over $40M in B2B sales. And I've spent two decades learning what separates the payroll companies that scale from the ones that plateau.

The difference? 

They leverage three strategies:

1. Offshore talent to scale without breaking the bank (outsourcedscale.com)

Your competitors are hiring VAs for 70% less than onshore talent. Sales reps, marketing coordinators, customer service—all AI-trained and covering every timezone.

2. Founder-led marketing that actually generates leads (underdogdigital.co)

National firms spend millions on marketing. You don't need to. You need a system that positions you as the local expert and fills your pipeline consistently.

3. Strategic partnerships that add recurring revenue 

Every payroll client is a potential PEO client. Partner with us and earn a handsome revenue share on every PEO deal—without the compliance risk or infrastructure investment.

I break down these strategies every week on the Payrollin' podcast and newsletter.

If you're a payroll bureau owner who wants to compete smarter (not just work harder), subscribe to the newsletter. Every Wednesday, I share one actionable insight you can implement immediately.

👉 Subscribe here: payrollinpodcast.com

My track record:

- 4x Founder (2 seven-figure+)
- Bestselling Author (Ping-Pong is Not a Strategy)
- $40M+ in B2B sales
- 20+ years in payroll

This industry is consolidating fast. Independent bureaus that survive will be the ones who adapt.

Most people think it's impossible to deepen your faith, grow a company, volunteer every week, stay in good shape, stay present for your family, and be genuinely happy.

Here's what they miss: Clarity isn't the result of success. It's the cause.

For the last decade, every Monday morning (I just did it this morning!), I review my vision across seven areas of life:

1. Personal & Spiritual 
2. Relationships 
3. Career/Business 
4. Free Time & Recreation 
5. Health & Fitness 
6. Community & Legacy 
7. Financial Goals

Then I ask: "What can I do this week to move closer?"

That's it.

No grinding. No sacrifice. No "someday when things slow down."

Just relentless clarity on what matters (and the discipline to protect it).

The result? See above. All boxes checked. 

This Thursday at Tech on Tap, I'm sharing the system I use.

In 20 minutes, you'll walk through the exact Vision Planning process I use, and leave with one action you can take this week to get what's out of alignment back on track.

No theory. No 300-page workbook. Just a simple framework that works whether you're scaling a business, building your career, or figuring out what's next.

📍 Boyd Innovation Center, Columbia
 🗓️ Thursday, Jan 16th | 5:00-6:30pm
 🍻 Free drinks, networking, and the clarity you've been missing
 🎟️ Register free: Comment

The life you want isn't on the other side of more work. It's on the other side of more clarity.

See you Thursday.

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Social Entrepreneur | Payroll & PEO Industry Student

Brittany Hodak, CSP told me a story that's been stuck in my head for weeks.

And it's making me question everything about how I run my three businesses.

A few months ago, she and her neighbor both got new roofs after a hailstorm.

Both roofs looked great. Both were installed correctly. Both companies were professional.

But here's where it gets interesting:

--> Brittany can't remember the name of HER roofing company.

--> But she's referred her NEIGHBOR'S roofing company to three different people.

Why?

After her neighbor's company finished the roof, they swept the entire yard with a magnetic detector. Picked up dozens of nails. Then came back the NEXT DAY after it rained to sweep again.

Meanwhile, Brittany and her husband spent WEEKS crawling around their yard with a $40 Amazon magnet picker, terrified their kids would step on a nail.

One company installed a roof. The other one eliminated a problem.

This hit me like a ton of bricks because I own a PEO, a marketing agency, and an offshore staffing firm.

And in every single one of those industries, we're all basically installing the same roof.

The payroll gets processed, benefits are in place. The campaigns get launched. The staff gets hired.

But who's sweeping the yard for nails?

Brittany (who's built superfan experiences for Disney, Amazon, and Walmart) said something that I can't stop thinking about:

"Doing what you're expected to do is no longer the ceiling you aspire to. That's the floor."

Nobody remembers you for doing your job correctly.

They remember you for what you do AROUND your job.

How will you improve your customers' experience in 2026?

☞ Matt Vaadi

Tricia Wallwork - National Association of Manufacturers - NAM | LinkedIn

JSESSIONID

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Talks about #hiring, #marketing, #simplifyhr, #entrepreneur, and #smallbusiness

I've been studying something that bothers me about my own content.

I want to teach when I write. 

Share frameworks. Drop knowledge.

But here's what I'm realizing: people don't resist learning. 

They resist being bored.

Take Duolingo. 575 million users. But less than 0.1% finish a course.

They mastered engagement. They failed at outcomes.

So I'm looking for the opposite. Creators who've cracked the code on both.

The ones who keep you entertained enough to stick around AND actually teach you something valuable by the time you're done.

I'm talking about:
→ Podcasts where you laugh and learn
→ Newsletters that read fast but change how you think
→ YouTube channels that feel like entertainment but deliver real education
→ LinkedIn creators who tell stories that secretly teach strategy

Not the dry, corporate "thought leadership" that puts you to sleep.

And not the pure entertainment that leaves you empty afterward.

I want to study the ones who've figured out how to do both.

Drop your favorite creators/channels/newsletters below. The ones where you finish and think: "Wait, that was actually useful AND I enjoyed it."

Bonus points if it's business/B2B related, but honestly I'll take anything. 

Finance YouTubers. History podcasts. Whatever you've got.

I'm compiling a list and I'll share the best ones back with everyone.

(And if you've got examples of people doing this BADLY -all engagement, zero value- I want to hear about those too. Sometimes we learn more from what not to do.)

taplio

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taplio

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Matt Vaadi's Linkedin Analytics

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