THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast

Paychex, Inc.
  • 4.9 (12)
  • Management
  • Updated Semiweekly

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.

  1. 17h ago

    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 businesses to take advantage of the flexibility of offering more PTO as a bonus. Another hurdle is handling the soon-to-be silver tsunami of retirees, potentially leaving businesses short on institutional knowledge. Gene recommends mentoring and phased arrangements that include financial wellness resources to help maintain productivity. In AI news, the gap between having the tools and using them to the max is cavernous. Listen to the episode for tips. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 01:26 – Compensation and Raises 05:02 – Maintaining Productivity Amid Retirement Surge 08:12 – Train Employees to Use AI Tools to Fullest 11:22 – Episode Wrap-up  Additional Resources Mid-Year Check-In: https://bit.ly/midyear-compliance-checklist Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  2. Sep 10

    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 Marks offers insights on what employers can do in a tight labor market. He also points to internal issues leaders are having with elevating Gen Z employees, as a survey shows that 60% don’t want managerial jobs. What’s holding them back? Some of the reasons might surprise you. In AI news, the launch of Astra by OpenAI promises advances in browser automation and cybersecurity, but not without controversy. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 00:17 – Jobs Data and What It Means 03:55 – Managerial Pipeline Issues 07:19 – Open AI Launches Astra Platform 09:54 – Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Paychex Small Business Employment Watch: https://bit.ly/paychex-sbew Mid-Year Check-In: https://bit.ly/midyear-compliance-checklist Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  3. Sep 8

    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 with Tom Capper of Moz to explain what actually works now, and what's no longer worth your time when it comes to organic search. Tom breaks down why your competitors' websites, local reviews, and even Wikipedia are suddenly part of your search strategy, how to show up when customers ask ChatGPT instead of Google, and what it takes to build a brand strong enough to rank in 2026. Simplify your business operations. Learn how Paychex can handle your HR and payroll so you can focus on what counts: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Have a topic idea? Share it at https://payx.me/thrivetopics Topics include: 00:00 – Episode preview and guest introduction 02:16 – What changed in search since 2018 05:53 – Defining “surface area” in search 07:32 – Shrinking organic search real estate 10:03 – Is organic search less important now? 13:32 – Domain authority vs. brand authority 16:06 – Why having a brand matters more now 18:19 – Ads inside AI platforms 22:03 – Agents and the future “bot visitor” to your site 26:25 – Wrap up and thank you #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #iHeartRadio #ApplePodcastTips #SpotifyPodcasts DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  4. Sep 3

    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 SBA proposes granting large conglomerates eligibility to compete for the same small business funding pot and resources. Host Gene Marks says such a move will create additional barriers. From barriers to borders, the Canada-U.S. trade standoff has the two lobbing massive percentage spikes on top of imported goods, so Gene offers a few workarounds. In AI news, Google sees prices for tech becoming cost-prohibitive so it proposed a pay-as-you-go plan, which Gene says could work but owners should do a cost analysis. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 00:57 – SBA Plans to Redefine Small Business 03:56 – U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute 07:32 – Google Proposes Pay-As-You-Go AI Plan 10:29– Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Mid-Year Check-In: https://bit.ly/midyear-compliance-checklist DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  5. Aug 27

    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 Marks says this isn’t unusual, but the inflationary pressures will affect businesses trying to get loans. He offers some suggestions in this episode, as well as tips on how owners can combat intricate and technically adept phone scams. In AI news, Claude has become more intertwined in our workplace communications, so Gene says training all the workers at is worth it in the long run. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 01:02 – Impact of U.S. Debt 05:26 – Combatting Phone Scammers 07:36 – Workplace AI Training 10:47– Episode Wrap-up  Additional Resources Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Summer Planning Guide: https://bit.ly/summer-planning-guide DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  6. Aug 25

    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 Google's Mike Clark, Director of Product Management, Agent Platform at Google Cloud, about what AI agents actually are and how to put them to work. They cover the shift from generative AI to agents, why your website needs to be ready for the agentic web, real use cases from deep research to inventory reordering, and how to build trust with AI as you scale. Want to start experimenting like Mike suggests? Grab our free AI & Automation Toolkit to find your biggest automation opportunity: https://bit.ly/4yaSarA Simplify your business operations. Learn how Paychex can handle your HR and payroll so you can focus on what counts: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Have a topic idea? Share it at https://payx.me/thrivetopics Topics include: 00:00 – Episode preview and guest introduction 01:12 – Meet Mike Clark 04:02 – What is an AI agent? 07:32 – The agentic web and why websites must change 14:10 – Overview of the Google Cloud agent platform 18:32 – Small business agent use cases 23:15 – Can you trust agents with critical decisions? 26:35 – Privacy concerns and choosing your AI platform & ecosystem 31:00 – Final advice to small businesses 32:13 – Wrap up and thank you #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #iHeartRadio #ApplePodcastTips #SpotifyPodcasts DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  7. Aug 20

    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 than a year, the percentage of those expecting to create jobs is the highest since 2022, and worries about inflation are down seven points. Host Gene Marks also talks about the unique age-limit approach a restaurant has taken while noting that discrimination could become an issue, while in AI news, employers keep saying less work is coming for employers while a survey shows the latter’s workweek hours increasing. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 01:07 – Small Business Optimism 03:43 – Restaurant Age Limit 06:40 – AI and Workload 09:47– Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Summer Planning Guide: https://bit.ly/summer-planning-guide DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

  8. Aug 13

    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. Host Gene Marks shares more real-time data from the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch and says employers can find labor but it won’t be inexpensive. Eligible small businesses get a boost if they’ve been compliant in their tax payment history with automatic exemption from penalty program from the IRS. In AI news, a 200% increase in agentic AI use in online shopping has Gene signaling to employers that they should ensure their websites are agent-ready or risk losing customers. Listen to the podcast.    Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 00:19 – Small Business Employment Watch 03:20 – IRS Tax Relief Program 05:45 – Agentic AI Use in Shopping 08:38– Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Summer Planning Guide: https://bit.ly/summer-planning-guide DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

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.

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