"People do more research on buying a refrigerator than they do on buying their health plan. And so I saw that as a level of brokenness that I felt... we as consultants could actually make a profound impact." - Trey Halbert

The old-school, transactional broker is dead. My guest this week, Trey Halbert, CEO of ExperINS, joins the show to discuss the rise of the modern "Strategic Consultant" and what that evolution means for employers.

Trey breaks down the playbook for this new, elevated role. We discuss why consultants must align the benefits program with the C-suite's core business strategy, not just the HR department. We also explore how AI is not a threat, but a powerful tool to augment advisors by handling menial tasks (like contract review), freeing them up for the high-level critical thinking and problem-solving where humans truly add value.

This entire shift is part of a bigger journey: moving from a career focused on success and "resume virtues" to one focused on significance and "eulogy virtues."

Tune in for a high-level discussion on the future of benefits consulting!

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Aligning Benefits with the C-Suite: The Modern Consultant's Playbook 

(00:06:23) The Evolution of Self-Funding 

(00:15:05) Why Consultants Are More Critical Than Ever 

(00:20:46) The Power of a Peer Network (True Network) 

(00:29:07) Speaking to the C-Suite, Not Just HR 

(00:35:51) How Benefits Drive Business Valuation 

(00:43:19) How AI Will Augment, Not Replace, Brokers 

(01:04:35) The "No A**holes" Rule & Building Culture

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/