Midway Business Podcast
Inspired by the turning point of the Battle of Midway in World War II, this podcast is on a mission to help small and midsize businesses win their own battles—against a shifting marketplace, an uncertain world, and the everyday hurdles of running and growing a business.
Hosted by Butch Zemar, CEO of Elite Benefits of America, who dives into candid conversations with real business leaders about what truly drives success. Each Midway Business Podcast episode delivers tactical insights, practical strategies, and fresh perspectives to help you adapt, manage changes, and keep your business moving forward. . . stronger and smarter.
Inspired by the turning point of the Battle of Midway in World War II, this podcast is on a mission to help small and midsize businesses win their own battles—against a shifting marketplace, an uncertain world, and the everyday hurdles of running and growing a business.
Hosted by Butch Zemar, CEO of Elite Benefits of America, who dives into candid conversations with real business leaders about what truly drives success. Each Midway Business Podcast episode delivers tactical insights, practical strategies, and fresh perspectives to help you adapt, manage changes, and keep your business moving forward. . . stronger and smarter.
Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
29 min
Dr. Lola Adeyemo, Founder and CEO of EQI Mindset, explores why leadership, culture, and employee engagement are more connected to business performance than many executives realize. Culture does not become strategy simply because it made the leadership PPT slide deck. What employees actually experience every day can influence trust, innovation, retention, and ultimately how effectively the organization performs.
The conversation challenges C Suite leaders to examine the distance between leadership decisions and the people experiencing them on the front lines. From workplace trust and accountability to employee resource groups and a changing workforce, Dr. Adeyemo offers a perspective that may have executives looking differently at how their people, systems, and business goals work together to build a stronger, more sustainable culture.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net. To learn more about Dr. Lola Adeyemo, reach out by email lola@eqimindset.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
4 days ago
When Leadership Feels Like Too Much
4 days ago
4 days ago
23 min
Every leader eventually reaches a day when quitting sounds less like failure and more like a very reasonable agenda item. In this episode, Butch Zemar shares lessons from more than 20 years in business, major industry disruption, acquisitions, and the difficult seasons that test whether a leader will keep moving or call it quits.
The discussion examines what happens when pressure, uncertainty, and employee benefits challenges push leadership teams toward resignation. C Suite leaders will gain a practical perspective on perseverance, responsibility, and why the decisions made during the hardest moments often shape the company long after the meeting ends.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net.
Aug 11, 2026
The Cost of Staying Comfortable
Aug 11, 2026
Aug 11, 2026
24 min
Businesses rarely stop growing because opportunity disappears. More often, leaders reach the edge of what feels comfortable and discover that the square peg simply will not fit into the round hole.
In this episode, Butch Zemar examines how leaders respond when old methods, rising costs, and changing markets collide. From business growth to employee benefits, the discussion challenges executives to consider whether their organization is EVOLVING with purpose or simply becoming very efficient at staying exactly where it is.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net.
Aug 5, 2026
Are Your KPIs Creating Clarity or Noise?
Aug 5, 2026
Aug 5, 2026
28 min
Business leaders are surrounded by data, meetings, and enough KPIs to make almost any dashboard look important. Jon Morris, Founder and CEO of Fiscal Advocate, explains why greater clarity often begins by narrowing the focus to the financial measures that reveal whether a company is truly moving forward.
The conversation explores disciplined execution, trustworthy leadership, difficult decisions, and the value of building a team that does not need the CEO involved in every play. C -Suite leaders will gain a sharper perspective on where their time, money, and attention are going and whether those investments are producing meaningful business results.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net. To learn more about Jon Morris, visit fiscaladvocate.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Jul 30, 2026
What Makes a Leader Worth Following?
Jul 30, 2026
Jul 30, 2026
51 min
Leadership gets complicated when pressure rises, answers are unclear, and everyone is watching the person in charge. Jim Carlough, leadership coach, healthcare technology sales leader, and author of "The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership," explores what separates a trusted leader from someone who simply holds the title.
This conversation challenges C-Suite leaders to examine how they develop people, guide teams through uncertainty, and prepare for a workplace being reshaped by technology and rising costs. Promoting your top performer without preparing them to lead can create more problems than it solves.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net.
Jul 23, 2026
Jul 23, 2026
29 min
This episode explores a question every executive eventually faces. Do you build a business on shortcuts or on standards? Drawing from military leadership, business ownership, and real client experiences, Butch Zemar reveals why the decisions nobody sees often shape a company's future. Every company wants better results, but few leaders are willing to change the habits that created today's results.
Whether you lead a growing company or a large organization, this conversation shows why integrity is more than a personal value. It is a business strategy. Renewal planning, leadership, accountability, and decision making all come together in ways that separate companies that grow from those constantly putting out fires. The difference between good companies and great ones often comes down to the standards leaders refuse to compromise.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net.
Jul 16, 2026
Rethinking a Major Business Expense
Jul 16, 2026
Jul 16, 2026
32 min
Employee benefits continue to rank among the largest business expenses, yet many employers still find themselves asking the same questions every renewal season. In this episode, Butch Zemar, Founder of Elite Benefits of America, shares how more than two decades in the industry have shaped his perspective on rising healthcare costs, employer challenges, and the evolving landscape of employee benefits.
Drawing from his experience as a business owner, Butch shares the leadership mindset that has guided his company, from adapting to change and building effective systems to staying focused on long term results. It is a practical conversation about one of the biggest expenses businesses face and why the way leaders approach it can have a lasting impact on their organization.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net.
Jul 15, 2026
What Eight Years Behind Home Plate Taught a CEO
Jul 15, 2026
Jul 15, 2026
31 min
Every business owner wants better results, but few stop long enough to ask whether the real advantage comes from smarter decisions instead of working harder. In this conversation, Jack Oujo, Financial Advisor, Author of “Too Smart to Be an Umpire”, and Founder of Oujo Wealth Strategies, shares how lessons learned under pressure on the baseball field shaped a career leading nearly a billion dollars in assets under management. Sometimes the biggest challenge in business is realizing your calendar has been making executive decisions without your permission.
From leadership and culture to client experience, hiring, planning, and preparing for uncertainty, this episode explores what separates businesses that continue to grow from those constantly reacting. If you lead a company and believe better judgment creates better outcomes, this conversation delivers practical perspectives that every executive can appreciate without pretending business success comes from luck.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net. To learn more about Jack Oujo, visit oujowealth.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Jul 9, 2026
Jul 9, 2026
21 min
This episode challenges one of the biggest myths in business that there is a faster, easier path to success. Through stories from running a 50 mile ultramarathon and building a growing company, the conversation explores why so many leaders spend years chasing shortcuts that quietly cost them more time, money, and opportunity. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to growth is not the market. It is the person signing the checks.
Whether you lead 5 employees or 5,000, this discussion uncovers why companies repeat the same patterns, why consultants often see problems owners cannot, and why doing the right work beats doing more work. Your business may not need another quick fix. . . it may just need a leader willing to stop arguing with the mirror.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net.
Jul 7, 2026
Lead Better, Think Smarter, Grow Faster
Jul 7, 2026
Jul 7, 2026
38 min
Tori DaCosta, Founder of Journey Stone LLC and author of “No Name Bastard: How Our Lives Teach Us What We Can Control, Manage, and Influence”, joins Midway Business Podcast for a conversation that every business leader eventually needs to have. Growth is not always limited by strategy or market conditions. Sometimes the biggest obstacle is sitting in the corner office. The good news is your toughest employee might also be your easiest one to coach.
This episode explores why leadership starts long before the boardroom, how today's business environment is reshaping the way leaders connect with their teams, and why the businesses that continue to grow are often led by people willing to grow first. If you are looking to strengthen culture, improve decision making, and prepare your organization for what comes next, this conversation offers a fresh perspective that belongs on every executive's playlist.
Midway Business Podcast is powered by Elite Benefits of America, helping employers protect resources, empower people, and drive results through smarter employee benefits strategies. Learn more at elitebenefits.net. To learn more about Tori DaCosta, visit journeystone.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

About the Host: Butch Zemar
Butch Zemar is the go-to expert for helping small and midsize businesses make sense of health insurance—and save money doing it. With over 15 years of experience, he’s known for being strategic, innovative, and genuinely committed to helping businesses get the best bang for their benefits buck.
Butch wears many hats: podcast host who’s passionate about paying it forward to business owners, industry expert, writer, and speaker who keeps things real and practical. He’s earned awards and recognition but prefers to let his work speak for itself.
For more information, please visit elitebenefits.net or call: 888-535-3006.








