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It's About Payroll: Daily Summaries Delivered
by WRKdefined
Brian Escobar and Walter William Duncan III are the hosts of It’s About Payroll. Collectively, they have over 4 decades of experience in the payroll industry. This podcast was created with the intent of sharing their knowledge and attracting new talent to the payroll industry. ItsAboutPayroll.io You can access their LinkedIn profiles. https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/escobarbrian https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/william-duncan-477051187
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Yesterday35 min
Payroll Through the Years: What History Can Teach Payroll Professionals Today
From clay tablets to crypto — how did we get HERE? 🧾 In Episode 212 of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt take a deep dive into the history of payroll — from informal farm wages in early America to mainframe computers, WWII tax withholding, and the AI-powered systems of today. In this episode: What part of payroll has changed the LEAST in 100 years? The FLSA (1938) — the law that changed everything How WWII turned employers into tax collectors overnight Paper checks → punch cards → direct deposit → what's next? Is AI in payroll actually useful or totally overrated? What if payroll moved to blockchain and cryptocurrency? Would daily pay actually help employees — or hurt them? Hot takes: Should payroll certification be required? Should payroll report to the CEO? 💬 Listener Challenge: If you could eliminate ONE payroll headache forever, what would it be and why? Drop it in the comments — the FIRST person to respond wins a signed copy of our book! 👉 Learn more & explore our resources: https://www.itsaboutpayroll.io/app-state https://youtu.be/O19ESFxeoDw 📩 Email us | 🔔 Subscribe for weekly payroll insights | 👍 Like & share with a payroll pro you know #Payroll #PayrollHistory #FLSA #HRProfessionals #PayrollCompliance #Fintech #Cryptocurrency #AIinPayroll #ItsAboutPayroll #PayrollPodcast #DirectDeposit #PayrollCertification #WorkforceManagement
- 1 weeks ago50 min
What Season 17 Taught Us About Payroll’s Future
In Episode 211 of It’s About Payroll, Brian Escobar and Walt Duncan review the biggest conversations and lessons from Season 17 while examining where the payroll profession is heading next. Walt opens with an important reminder to continue helping and encouraging others, even while navigating personal and professional pressures. The discussion then turns to payroll tax cleanup, late filings and the need to “trust but verify” payroll providers. Walt shares how a vendor acknowledged a known issue involving late tax submissions, reinforcing the importance of checking agency portals, notices and filing records independently. Brian also explores how artificial intelligence is moving beyond basic chatbots and into payroll tax calculations, payroll processing and reconciliation. The hosts revisit standout guests and topics, including Jon and Tammy’s confidence-focused approach, Jim O’Connor’s assessment of America’s benefits system, Andy Valentine’s explanation of global payment delays and Shayla’s guidance on responsible AI implementation. Listeners will gain practical guidance on payroll auditing, compliance communication, career growth, fraud prevention and using AI without surrendering professional judgment.
- 2 weeks ago31 min
"Stop Treating Payroll as Overhead — It Could Cost You Millions"
In this episode, we sit down with Shala Druin — Founder of Strategic Payroll Solutions, Certified Payroll Professional, and one of the payroll industry's fastest-rising thought leaders — to have the conversation that every C-suite needs to hear. Payroll isn't a back-office function. It's one of the most critical compliance and business risk drivers in your entire organization. And if you're still treating it as overhead, you may already be exposed to risks you don't even know about. 💥 In this episode, we cover: Why payroll being "boring" is actually the sign it's working — and how to leverage that The real cost of understaffing your payroll department (hint: it can reach millions) A real-world story of a company facing a $2M IRS bill — and how it was fixed How to get payroll a seat at the executive table (even if you report to HR) AI in payroll: what's exciting, what's dangerous, and how to test it properly Why the next big payroll title might be Chief Payroll Officer How to advocate for yourself and your team when no one else will 🎙️ About Shala Druin: Shala is the Founder of Strategic Payroll Solutions, a trusted advisor to CFOs and CHROs, and a certified payroll professional with deep expertise in global compliance, M&A readiness, and AI implementation in payroll. You've probably seen her on LinkedIn challenging organizations to stop treating payroll as overhead — and start recognizing it as a foundation of business success. 🔗 Connect with Shala: LinkedIn: Search Shala Druin Website: strategicpayrollsolutions.com 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode of It's About Payroll — where we dig into the real conversations shaping the future of the payroll profession. 👍 Like this video if you think payroll deserves more respect. 💬 Drop a comment: Does your organization treat payroll as a strategic function? Links: itsaboutpayoll.io https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll https://youtu.be/8f3-RpBO2rw #Payroll #PayrollProfessional #HRLeadership #PayrollCompliance #AI #CFO #BusinessRisk #ItIsAboutPayroll #PayrollLeadership #ShalaDruin
- 3 weeks ago38 min
The $18,000 Payroll Mistake: What Would You Do?
Episode 209 of It’s About Payroll places co-hosts Brian Escobar and Walter W. Duncan III in the payroll hot seat. With no guests and no lifelines, Brian and Walt challenge each other with realistic payroll scenarios, difficult leadership decisions, and thought-provoking questions about the profession. The conversation begins with an employee who was overpaid $18,000 during the prior year because an incorrect salary was entered at hire. Brian and Walt explore how leadership, HR, payroll, employee relations, state requirements, repayment options, and the employee experience could all influence the response. They also explain why a traditional payroll audit may not catch an error when the incorrect rate matches the employee’s system profile. The hosts then discuss which payroll processes they would automate, which laws they would standardize, common employee misconceptions about payroll, and whether technical expertise or customer service matters more when hiring. They close the professional discussion by identifying continuous learning, consistency, integrity, and attention to detail as habits that separate elite payroll professionals from the average. The episode finishes with a fun Fourth of July food showdown and an encouraging reminder to keep learning, serving people, and taking the next right step.
- Jul 1, 202640 min
True Payroll Crime Stories: Shady Business in the Sunshine State
What happens when the person processing your payroll is the fraudster? In this episode of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt break down a jaw-dropping real case out of Miami — a payroll manager at an orthopedic practice who allegedly stole over $1.5 million by increasing her own salary, issuing herself unauthorized bonuses as large as $25K, and racking up $400K+ in personal charges on the company credit card. Oh, and it went undetected for more than two years. This isn't just a crime story. It's a masterclass in what happens when internal controls don't exist. In this episode: 🔍 How she allegedly set herself up as the account owner — giving herself God-mode access 🚨 The control failures that made $1.5M disappear without anyone noticing 📋 A NEW segment: Payroll Crime Prevention Scenarios (multiple choice — test yourself!) 💡 Brian's Payroll Fitness Tip: How to build a payroll dashboard that catches anomalies before they become felonies ✅ Lessons for employers, small business owners, and payroll service providers The real takeaway: No honest payroll professional should be placed in a system where their work is never independently reviewed. Trust is not a control. 🎓 Interested in leveling up your payroll career? Check out our Certified Payroll Technician (CPT) course — cohort 1 is already underway! 📲 Subscribe, like, share, and tell a friend to tell a friend. 💬 Got a topic or guest you want us to cover? Drop it in the comments. Links: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll itsaboutpayroll.io https://youtu.be/Bcx9MFYjZE0 https://local12.com/news/nation-world/payroll-manager-stole-million-millions-doctors-office-doctor-back-neck-orthopedic-authorized-unauthorized-paymaster-administrative-access-discovered-arrest-fraud-steal-stealing-poor-miami
- Jun 23, 202641 min
AI Is Coming for Payroll, but Not How You Think
In Episode 207, Brian Escobar and Walt Duncan examine one of the biggest questions facing the payroll profession: Is artificial intelligence an adversary, an ally, or simply the newest tool in the payroll toolbox? The conversation explores how AI could reshape payroll departments by answering employee questions, detecting anomalies, researching compliance requirements, supporting tax-notice processing, and automating routine work. Brian and Walt agree that AI is unlikely to eliminate payroll professionals completely, but it will reduce certain processing and data-entry roles while increasing the value of strategic leaders who can interpret information, investigate trends, and connect payroll results to the business. They also emphasize that AI cannot own compliance liability. Payroll professionals must verify AI-generated information using federal, state, and local government sources rather than presenting “AI said so” as support. The episode also examines payroll fraud controls, post-approval payroll changes, direct deposit, daily pay, unlimited PTO, and where payroll should sit within an organization. Listeners will gain a practical understanding of how to use AI responsibly while preparing for a future in which payroll professionals operate more like pilots managing increasingly automated systems.
- Jun 15, 202640 min
Jim O'Connor's Playbook for Fixing America's Broken Benefits System
In this explosive episode of It's About Payroll, we sit down with Jim O'Connor, President & Founder of Premier Health USA, to expose the hidden truths behind America's healthcare benefits crisis — and what employers, employees, and payroll professionals can do RIGHT NOW to fight back. 💥 What you'll learn in this episode: ✅ Why America's benefits system gets a D (and what it would take to earn an A) ✅ The "Insurance Hamster Wheel" trapping employers with the Big Four carriers ✅ How level funded & partially self-insured plans can get your money BACK at the end of the year ✅ The #1 mistake employers make when selecting benefits (hint: they never ask their employees) ✅ Why the paycheck is the most powerful benefits communication tool you're not using ✅ How payroll and benefits teams can team up for a home run ✅ What employee benefits will look like by 2030 ✅ Jim's surprising take on what employees STILL want — same as they did 40 years ago 💡 Whether you're a payroll professional, HR leader, small business owner, or benefits consultant — this episode will change how you think about healthcare, compensation strategy, and the future of work. 🔗 Connect with Jim O'Connor & Premier Health USA: 🌐 Website: www.premierhealth-usa.com 📧 Email: joconnor@ph-usa.com 🌐LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joconnorpremierhealthusa/ 📲 Enjoyed this episode? Do us a favor: 👍 LIKE this video 🔔 SUBSCRIBE & hit the bell so you never miss an episode 📤 SHARE with a payroll pro, HR leader, or business owner who needs to hear this https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll, itsaboutpayroll.io https://youtu.be/RkVPNtuyAbg 💬 Drop your thoughts in the COMMENTS — what grade would YOU give America's benefits system? 🎙️ It's About Payroll — the podcast where payroll professionals, business leaders, and HR innovators come together to make sense of the workforce landscape. Quote of the Day 💬 "Every meaningful breakthrough in life begins with a long season of unnoticed work." — Robin Sharma #employeebenefits #payroll #healthinsurance #hrstrategy #smallbusiness #LevelFundedPlans #healthcarecosts #payrollpodcast #BenefitsStrategy #humanresources #workplacebenefits #JimOConnor #PremierHealthUSA #ItsAboutPayroll #openenrollment #affordablecareact #employeeretention #hrleadership #businessgrowth #healthcarebenefits
- Jun 1, 202645 min
Payroll: The Past, Present & Future
Is payroll still just a back-office function? Not anymore. In this episode, Walt and Brian break down how payroll has transformed from a purely administrative role into a strategic, compliance-driven, employee-experience powerhouse — and where it's headed next. 🔑 What We Cover: How payroll evolved from processing checks to influencing company strategy The real story behind payroll cutoffs (and why we need to stop using the term loosely) Earned wage access: perk or expectation? Is biweekly pay becoming obsolete? AI in payroll — error detection, anomaly flags, and what AI still can't replace The payroll "offensive lineman" analogy that hits different Lightning round: Payroll hot takes — will paper checks disappear? Should payroll have a C-suite seat? 💡 Key Takeaways: Payroll professionals are increasingly being pulled into executive-level conversations around compliance, data governance, and employee experience Nearly 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck — pay speed is now a strategic priority AI will enhance payroll, but human oversight and compliance expertise remain irreplaceable Bad data = bad results, no matter how smart the AI 📚 Mentioned in This Episode: Andy Valentine (previous episode) Max van der Glees Bussink & "The Payroll Pivot" by Nick Day Celery (AI payroll error detection), Paycom, iSolve, Career Learning, Nerd Outfitters (Troy) CPT (Certified Payroll Technician) Course — first cohort launching June 1st! & more! 🎓 CPT Course Now Open! Learn to process payroll inside a real payroll system before you ever get a job. Cohort 1 starts June 1st. On-demand version coming soon. Free Payroll Nerd T-shirt or hoodie included! 📖 Get the Book: Digital version on sale for just $2.99! https://www.amazon.com/-/es/About-Payroll-Your-Blueprint-Start/dp/B0GPK85YYM itsaboutpayroll.io https://youtu.be/rSFw18ZZqQo https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll 🎙️ It's About Payroll is the podcast for payroll professionals at every stage — from first job to C-suite conversations. Subscribe, share, and tell a friend to tell a friend. #Payroll #PayrollProfessional #HumanResources #EarnedWageAccess #AIinPayroll #PayrollTech #FinancialWellness #PayrollCertification #HRTech #ItsAboutPayroll #PayrollNerd #CPT #PayrollCompliance #FutureOfWork #PayrollLeadership
About It's About Payroll
Brian Escobar and Walter William Duncan III are the hosts of It’s About Payroll. Collectively, they have over 4 decades of experience in the payroll industry. This podcast was created with the intent of sharing their knowledge and attracting new talent to the payroll industry. ItsAboutPayroll.io You can access their LinkedIn profiles. https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/escobarbrian https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/william-duncan-477051187
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