In this episode of Benefits Broker Boost, Adam Smith is joined by Talia Hansen, a Benefits Consultant at Ethos Benefits and a recent "Rookie of the Year" award winner. Adam Smith and Talia Hansen explore Talia's journey of rapid professional growth, the power of seeking intentional mentorship, and her commitment to a fiduciary-first approach to healthcare consulting. The conversation offers a blueprint for newer brokers on how to navigate the "traditional grind" while building long-term credibility through education and social media.
Talia Hansen entered the industry by choosing employee benefits over property and casualty because she saw a profound need for help in how healthcare is navigated. Early on, she recognized that many sales organizations lack the training necessary for success, so she took it upon herself to bet on her own development. This led her to "shoot her shot" by cold-emailing industry leader Chelsea Rikus, a move that resulted in a powerful mentor-mentee relationship and eventually her current role at Ethos Benefits. Talia Hansen emphasizes that young brokers must proactively seek out courses, conferences, and mentors to perform better day after day.
Bridging the Gap with Specialized Education
To accelerate her career transition from rookie to successful producer, Talia Hansen treats continuing education with high seriousness. She highlights several key resources for brokers looking to advance:
Conferences: Attending BenefitsPRO Broker Expo to dive deep into industry spaces and networking.
Certifications: Earning five certifications through the IFEBP and beginning the rigorous CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) course.
Parallel Organizations: Engaging with SHRM, HRCI, and local community groups like Rotary to build a broad network.
Legislation: Staying at the forefront of PBM legislation and fiduciary liability litigation to better empower employers.
As a fiduciary benefits advisor, Talia Hansen aligns her practice with ERISA tenants, focusing on being a prudent steward of employee dollars. She differentiates herself by sitting on the side of the employer rather than the carrier; she works on a negotiated fee basis instead of chasing carrier commissions or end-of-year bonuses. This model ensures her advice is solely in the best interest of the plan sponsor and participants, focusing on improving both health and financial outcomes.
Social Media as a Credibility Ecosystem
Social media, particularly LinkedIn, has been a major driver for Talia Hansen’s book of business. She advises brokers to stop worrying about being an "expert" before they post and to focus instead on being authentic and consistent. Talia Hansen uses a "batching" strategy, taking 90 minutes each week to schedule posts based on real conversations she has with clients, vendors, or colleagues. This consistency has built a "credibility ecosystem" that has directly resulted in referral partners, podcast invites, and prospects reaching out to book meetings.
Moving Beyond "Check-the-Box" Wellness
Talia Hansen challenges the industry’s reliance on surface-level wellness programs, stating that while they are "fun," they are not a "hardcore strategy" for lowering healthcare costs. She argues that a Fitbit challenge will not reduce the cost of specialty medications or premiums. Instead, she encourages brokers to focus on measurable fundamentals first, such as removing mental health barriers, improving care navigation, and utilizing existing EAPs, before reinvesting the resulting savings into gym memberships or gift cards.
The Human Side of Healthcare: Partnering with HR
Rather than bypassing HR to reach the CFO, Talia Hansen advocates for listening to HR as the most valuable source of group insight. HR professionals are the "people people" who know which employees are struggling with treatment or travel distances for care. By partnering with HR, brokers can design programs that address the human side of healthcare, leading to less administrative work for the employer and better financial and health outcomes for the employees.
This episode is sponsored by Plansight. Plansight is the only end-to-end benefits marketing platform that uses AI and automation to ensure every renewal and RFP is consistent, accurate, and fast. By taking the manual work out of benefit planning, Plansight helps you stay ahead of the curve and deliver faster, smarter results to your clients. Visit Plansight to learn more about making your brokerage more efficient.
