Shows / THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Designed for those who crave the inside scoop on everything from people to policy to profits, each THRIVE episode transforms complex business and HR topics into clear, actionable advice. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or an aspiring leader, this podcast is your go-to source for cutting through the noise and gaining a competitive advantage.
Episodes
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Midterms: What Does an Overhauled Congress Mean for Gas Prices, Healthcare, Tariffs?
There’s a ton of focus on the blue wave of Democrats primed to take control of Congress in 2027, but host Gene Marks says he doesn’t see how this will greatly…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
The Small Business Guide to Providing Competitive Employee Benefits
Can a small business offer benefits that rival the big guys? Bradd Chignoli of MetLife joins Gene Marks to show you how. From life and disability insurance to…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Frightfully Funny HR: Costume Fails, On-the-Clock Tattoos and a Hamster Surprise
Whatever you’ve encountered in your experiences in HR, if it didn’t involve work-time tattoos or a hamster as part of a white elephant gift exchange, then…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Economic Outlook and Elections, Start Succession Plan, AI in Manufacturing
If you took small business owners’ feelings about cash flow and their confidence about growth in 2027 and compared it to their feelings and confidence in the…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
AI, Scams, and Ransomware: What Every Small Business Should Know Now
How do you protect your business when scams no longer look like... well, scams? Cybersecurity expert Iskander Sanchez-Rola of Gen breaks down the threats small…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Cyberattacks Remain Major Threat, Interest Rates Might Rise, AI Use in Reviews
It’s Cybersecurity Month, and the data around fraud and scams resulting from a lack of proper protection is mind-numbing: $20.8 billion in losses, including $3…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Inflation, Jobs, and Confidence Create Mixed Economic Message, AI Training Expands
Employers are holding on to their workforce and working them longer hours, according to the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch data from September, all…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Laundromats, Private Equity, and Seller Financing: Inside Today’s Business Sales Market
Buying or selling a business takes more than finding the right match. It takes good timing, realistic expectations, and a clear read on the market. Host Gene…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Rates Reshape Housing Market, the Retirement Gap, AI Botches Financial Tests
With mortgage rates surpassing 7%, it’s created a ripple effect within the housing market for buyers, sellers, and even the industries that are directly tied…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Unemployment Is Down, Proposed Bills to Help SMBs, AI Not Leading to Mass Layoffs
Unemployment claims have dropped to their lowest level since mid-July, which is a good indicator that layoffs aren’t imminent. Host Gene Marks talks about…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
How Data, Adoption, and Agentic Tools Deliver Business Value — with HubSpot’s Angie O’Dowd
Gene Marks talks with Angie O’Dowd, Global VP of Partner Ecosystem at HubSpot, about how HubSpot has evolved into a full CRM and “agentic customer platform,”…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Managing Annual Compensation, Your Retiring Employees, and Underuse of AI Tools
A Korn Ferry survey found that at least half of employers expect to provide raises at least equal to the rate of inflation (3%). Host Gene Marks advises small…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Labor Market Tightens, Gen Z Avoids Managing, Open AI Launches Astra
Data from the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch and the federal government show weekly hours worked increasing and job openings maintaining. Host Gene…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Can Small Businesses Win at Search in 2026? Moz's Tom Capper Explains How
Search engine optimization, or SEO, has changed more in the last two years than the previous ten, and small businesses are feeling it. Gene Marks sits down…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
SBA Redefining ‘Small’, U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute Widens, AI Sticker Shock
As if small businesses didn’t have enough daily challenges, now the federal agency that’s supposed to have their back is redefining what it is to be small. The…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Impact of $40T in U.S. Debt, Tips to Avoid Scammers, Get AI Workplace Training
The amount of U.S. debt has reached the unfathomable, and at $40-trillion-plus, federal government is left with little choice but to print money. Host Gene…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Google's Mike Clark on What AI Agents Can Do for Small Business (and How to Get Started)
AI has moved beyond chatbots. The next wave is agents, and they're already reshaping how small businesses operate. In this episode, Gene Marks talks with…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
What’s Behind Optimism? Age Limits or Discrimination? AI Equals More Work?
The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ monthly survey results show good news on the optimism front: the index reached its highest level in more…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Resilient Labor Market, Tax Penalty Relief, Surge in Agentic AI Use in Shopping
Despite economic uncertainty, the U.S. labor market stays stable, which includes a 3.14% growth – the highest increase in five years – in weekly hours worked…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Kevin Hassett on AI, Tariffs, and Small Business Growth
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council and top economic advisor in the White House, joins host Gene Marks to break down what today's economy…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Experts Eye Increased Hiring in 2026, Expect More I-9 Enforcement, AI Assists Restaurants
Hiring managers forecast that more permanent jobs will be added in the second half of 2026. Gene Marks shares a report that 63% surveyed said that too many…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
More Taxes on Imports, Job Lock for Health Insurance, ChatGPT Training for SMBs
Just when you thought it was safe to expand your budget and return to importing more products and goods from other countries, a change in policy will leave…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Entrepreneur’s Jason Feifer: Practical AI Strategies for Busy Business Owners
AI is reshaping how small businesses work, but knowing where to begin is the hard part. Entrepreneur Editor-in-Chief Jason Feifer joins Gene Marks for a…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Boomerang Employees, Retirement Advice, AI Accelerates Freelancer Status
More than one-third of new hires in March were boomerang employees. Host Gene Marks explains why people are returning to their former places of work, and the…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Top States for Business, a Social Security Surprise, Taking Wheel from Copilot
A recent survey using 138 metrics – access to a skilled workforce, the cost of doing business, infrastructure, and cost of living, to name a few – found one…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
AI Expert Dan Chuparkoff: Try It Before You Fear It
What if the best thing you did with AI this week wasn’t a big strategy overhaul, just one small experiment? Dan Chuparkoff spent three decades building…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Positive Jobs Data, Blue-Collar Millennials, AI Deployment Gets Assist
Multiple sources show job growth trending upward, including the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch that showed a fourth consecutive month of improvement…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Spending and Inflation, Procurement Expenses, Impatience with AI Service Bots
Americans seem undeterred by inflation hovering at 3.4%, as the personal consumption expenditures index rose 0.7% in May and is up 4.1% year over year. This…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Celebrity Interior Designer Nate Berkus: Hiring, Hard Clients, and Knowing What You’re Bad At
At 24, Nate Berkus launched an interior design firm with no business plan and a whole lot of nerve. Thirty years later? Offices in three cities, 50 employees…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Business Applications Up 3.7%, Cascading Healthcare Costs, AI Resource Credits
Entrepreneurs continue to make a go of it despite current economic uncertainty, with business applications increasing 3.7% in May. Host Gene Marks says with…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Appeals Could Hurt Refunds, Policies Limiting Contractors, AI and ROI
Businesses that got in on the front end of requesting refunds for illegal tariffs are better off than those applying now. Why? As host Gene Marks explains, the…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Scoring New Fans for Your Business During the World Cup
Every town has its big moment. A global tournament, a hometown festival, a parade that fills the streets. The question is whether your business is ready to…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Positive Jobs Data from Paychex, JOLTS Hints at Divide, State AI Laws Are Key
How’s the labor market? Depends on who you ask. Host Gene Marks highlights that in this week’s episode, pointing to the steady increase in job growth the past…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Optimism Wanes but SMB Health Solid, Burnout on Rise, States Step Up AI Laws
The construction sector takes the least of a hit on the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Optimism Index, while retail suffers worst decline. Add…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Savannah Bananas Owner Jesse Cole: The $0 Marketing Strategy That Built a 35-Million-Follower Brand
Jesse Cole built the Savannah Bananas into a 35-million-follower brand without spending a single dollar on marketing. His secret? Stop marketing. Start…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Profitability Falls 1.3%, Employees Expect Financial Guidance, AI Drives B2B Growth
Small businesses always have challenges, but these days none is more damaging than the costs of doing business jacked up by inflation. Gene Marks, a small…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Producer Price Index Worrisome, World Cup Pitch on Tipping, Claude SMB Training
A sharp spike up to 6% for the Producer Price Index has podcast host Gene Marks expressing concern over the pending price hikes for goods for the remainder of…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
The World Cup Is Coming, Is Your Business Ready?
Big events bring big opportunities, but the businesses that win are the ones who prepare. Host Gene Marks sits down with Connie Kinnard of the Greater Miami…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Tariff Refunds, Hiring Is Steady, Financial Forecast on Agentic AI Commerce
Businesses that paid illegal tariffs under the Emergency Economic Powers Act could get a windfall if they follow the process to request a refund. Host Gene…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Employee Retirement Options, Fed’s Interest Rate Map, and Free SMB AI Training
A new Executive Order from the White House aims to expand participation in retirement savings for lower-income workers, which brings supporters and critics. It…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
What Small Business Leaders Get Wrong About Workplace Mental Health: MHA VP Suzi Craig
Is your team truly showing up or just going through the motions? Suzi Craig, VP of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health America, joins host Gene Marks to…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Worker Classification Alert, Labor and Immigration Impact, AI and Yelp Bookings
The pro-business aura of the current administration shouldn’t lull owners into a sense of invincibility, says Gene Marks, as he cites a major ruling by the…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Optimism and Pause from Banks and Manufacturing, Google Lauds AI Ad Tools
With banks making money and reporting solid consumer spending and stable credit while several manufacturing reports indicate renewed momentum in the industry…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Gen Z Using AI for Polywork, Cyber Crime Losses Spike, Copilot’s AI Oops
Artificial intelligence is working for and against Gen Z, hindering their first job searches while also enabling them to manage workloads as they engage in…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
What Your Org Chart Reveals About the Health of Your Business: OrgChart CEO Tom McCarty
Think org charts are just boxes and lines? Think again. Gene Marks sits down with OrgChart CEO Tom McCarty to explore how a living, data-connected org chart…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Selectivity Cools Job Market, ADA Lawsuits Increase, Trust in AI Accuracy Wanes
Job growth and wage growth have cooled, according to the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch and even Homebase, but the overarching theme is that small…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Invoice Indecision, a Thaw in Tech Funding, Anthropic Puts Agentic AI on Task
With the many challenges small business owners face on a regular basis, add forgoing pay for themselves. A survey by Bluevine found that 3 in 10 have invoice…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Optimistic but On Edge: What NFIB’s Indexes Say About Small Business in 2026
Small business owners are feeling cautiously hopeful, but far from settled. In this episode of THRIVE, host Gene Marks sits down with Holly Wade and Peter…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Pay Transparency, Tax Write-Offs, and AI Wishful Thinking
A new Mercer survey finds that only 54% of U.S. employers are ready to comply with pay transparency regulations, while host Gene Marks says it’s a smart…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Optimism Up and Entrepreneurs Out, Compensation Boost, AI Innovation Incentives
A report finds that entrepreneurs are optimistic about business prospects but nearly one-third want to sell. Gene Marks says take the positivity with a grain…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Actress and Producer Jill Wagner: The Business of Being a Creative Entrepreneur
What happens when a Hallmark star meets a business podcast? Actress and Lioness executive producer Jill Wagner joins Gene Marks to reveal the business savvy…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Refunds for Tariffs, Job Growth Discrepancy, Rehiring After AI Layoffs
With the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against the legality of some tariffs and another court ruling that refunds must be paid, host Gene Marks offers business…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Industry Optimism Up, Data Needed for HR Decisions, OpenAI’s New Gadget
A quarterly check-in with the National Federation of Independent Businesses finds optimism in many industry sectors, led by Manufacturing. Host Gene Marks says…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Tariffs: SCOTUS Ruling, Why They’ll Stay, and What to Do with Uncertainty
Host Gene Marks takes us through a whirlwind few days regarding tariffs, including the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a majority of the…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Jobs and Wages Steady, Skipping PTO Causes Burnout, Growth Targeted in 2026
The Paychex Small Business Employment Watch for January reveals that job growth and hourly wage growth remain steady to start 2026, but host Gene Marks…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Best-Selling Author and Host Ken Coleman: Stop Motivating Your Team and Start Doing This Instead
Forget pizza parties and pep talks — best-selling author and Front Row Seat podcast host Ken Coleman reveals why traditional motivation tactics fail and what…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
SBA Touts Growth, Capital Programs, a Bill on AI Training, Permit Process Changes
The Small Business Administration had a busy past few weeks in the news and for their communications department. An article reported on the agency’s reported…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Shutdowns to Delay Tax Refunds, Agentic Commerce, Supply Chains, Consumer Confidence
Even with the partial government shutdown now over, the lingering impacts to employers and employees will be felt throughout 2026. The IRS is short-staffed and…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Planning Around a Shutdown, Banks Float 10% Credit Card Rate, AI Hiring Tools
Regardless of whether a partial federal government shutdown happens this week, businesses should be prepared and plan accordingly for potential impacts…
- THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast
Wage Laws to Tax Rules: What’s Really Changing for Employers in 2026
Navigate 2026’s biggest regulatory changes with confidence! Gene Marks sits down with Paychex experts to tackle your pressing questions on no tax on tips and…