Nolan Pearson, President and COO of Apex Benefits Group, spent 9 years managing employee benefits from the buyer side before ever working for a broker. He's heard every pitch, sat through every renewal, and lived the frustration of being told "the claims are just the claims" when costs spike.

In this bite-sized cut from a longer conversation with Josh Schumacher, Nolan breaks down why so many CFOs stay in reactive broker relationships even when they know something's wrong. He also explains what separates a real consultant from a broker who's doing the bare minimum, and the exact questions leaders should ask before deciding to stay or go.

If you want to listen to the whole conversation, head on over to this link to hear the full version.

Highlights:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:00) Why Every Broker Pitch Sounded the Same

(01:57) “Claims Are Just the Claims”

(03:23) Wanting Something Different From a Broker

(04:54) Questions to Ask About Pharmacy and Claims

(07:01) Questions Every Leader Should Ask

Resources:

Apex Benefits website: https://apexbg.com/

Apex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/apex-benefits-group-inc-/

Josh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-schumacher-apexbg/

Nolan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-pearson-91a44770/

Most employers don't lose money because their benefits plan fails. They lose money because nobody stopped to ask if it still works.

In this episode, Amanda Gilbert, Vice President of Client Strategy and Engagement at Apex Benefits, moves the conversation from theory to practice. She walks through real client relationships: the problems they were stuck in, the strategy sessions that changed direction, and what happened once they got creative.

From a private university that solved a difficult renewal without disrupting a single employee, to a healthcare client whose growth plans reshaped their entire self-funded strategy, Amanda breaks down what separates a broker who shows up once a year from a trusted advisor who's in it year-round.

Highlights
(00:00) Why Best Practice Is a Broker Review Every 3-5 Years

(01:34) Why Employers Get Complacent

(02:04) What Complacency Actually Costs Employers

(03:36) Case Study: The Private University's Custom Network

(05:40) The Questions That Uncover a Real Strategy

(07:57) Building a Strategy That Lasts Beyond One Year

(09:31) What These Three Clients Had in Common

(11:57) How to Evaluate Your Broker Without the Heavy Lift

(13:41) Broker vs. Trusted Advisor

(14:32) Why Benefits Strategy Is a Year-Round Conversation

(14:59) The Real Impact of Getting Creative

(16:05) Final Advice: You Don't Have to Repeat the Same Outcome

Resources

Apex Benefits website: https://apexbg.com/

Apex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/apex-benefits-group-inc-/

Amanda Gilbert’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-gilbert-b59bb62a/

Josh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-schumacher-apexbg/

A renewal meeting should not be the first time your broker talks about controlling benefits.

In this episode, Amber Chittenden, President of Apex Benefits, explains why employers need more than a transactional partner. Drawing on more than 30 years in the employee benefits industry, she shares how the broker role has shifted from shopping rates and negotiating renewals to helping organizations actively manage one of their largest business expenses.

Amber and Josh explore what employers miss when they focus only on fixed costs, why claims management requires year-round attention, and what separates a trusted advisor from a broker who simply brings back quotes. They also discuss how benefits should connect to broader business goals and what employers can ask to determine whether their current partner is truly accountable for results.

For any organization still treating benefits as a once-a-year renewal conversation, this episode offers a better standard for managing healthcare costs.

Highlights

(00:00) The Hidden Cost of Transactional Benefits
(00:30) Meet Amber Chittenden
(01:09) How the Broker Role Has Changed
(06:10) Why Transactional Brokers Still Exist
(07:57) The True Cost of Ignoring Your Benefits Strategy
(09:02) Why Employers Focus on the Wrong Costs
(10:18) Why Renewal Season Is Too Late
(11:40) What's Next for Employee Benefits
(14:10) Building a Benefits Strategy That Starts With Business Goals
(15:34) What a Strategic Advisor Should Actually Do
(17:45) How to Evaluate Your Broker
(20:05) The First Step Toward Breaking the Cycle

Resources

Apex Benefits website: https://apexbg.com/
Apex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/apex-benefits-group-inc-/

Josh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-schumacher-apexbg/

Amber’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberchittenden/