Tag: Business Owners
Insurance Is Changing, Is Your Business Ready? With Jake Jeatran (Ep. 11)

Insurance Is Changing, Is Your Business Ready? With Jake Jeatran (Ep. 11)

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Insurance is changing fast, and business owners can’t afford to treat it like just another expense line item anymore. 

In this episode, James Knapp sits down with Jake Jeatran of Marsh McLennan Agency to talk about AI, cyber risk, underwriting, and why strong advisory relationships still matter in a tech-driven world.

James and Jake explore how insurance has evolved into a strategic business decision, especially for manufacturers, distributors, and growing companies. Jake shares insights from both the underwriting and brokerage sides of the industry, along with practical perspectives on cyber insurance, captive insurance structures, M&A planning, and the future impact of AI on risk management.

What to expect:

  • How AI is changing underwriting and cyber insurance
  • Why insurance matters during mergers and acquisitions
  • What business owners should know about captive insurance
  • Why relationship-driven advisory work still matters
  • And more!

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Connect with Jake Jeatran:

About Our Guest:

Jake Jeatran is a third-generation insurance professional at Marsh McLennan Agency, specializing in middle-market manufacturing and distribution companies. With experience in both underwriting and brokerage, Jake helps businesses navigate complex risk management decisions, including cyber insurance, captive strategies, total cost of risk analysis, and mergers and acquisitions planning.

Disclaimer:

At 10:25, single parent captives are 831(b) not 531(b).

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Planning Beyond the Sale: Flexible Strategies with David Soczek, CLU, ChFC (Ep. 9)

Planning Beyond the Sale: Flexible Strategies with David Soczek, CLU, ChFC (Ep. 9)

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What happens when plans meet reality and reality changes everything?

How do you prepare for outcomes you cannot predict while still making confident decisions today?

In this episode, James Knapp interviews David Soczek, CLU, ChFC, Owner and Vice President of National Benefits Group, about building flexible strategies for business owners. They explore how planning for multiple outcomes, not just ideal scenarios, shapes better decisions. David explains the importance of collaboration with advisors, attorneys, and CPAs, along with balancing simplicity and complexity. The conversation also highlights how insurance, estate planning, and business succession intersect in real client situations.

Key takeaways:

  • Why planning must account for unexpected life events like death, divorce, or shifting business outcomes
  • How collaboration between advisors, CPAs, and attorneys leads to more complete client solutions
  • The challenge of balancing simple strategies with complex financial realities and client comfort levels
  • Why fairness in family business transitions often requires separating business control from financial outcomes
  • How flexibility in insurance and estate structures can create better long term outcomes for business owners
  • And more!

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Connect with David Soczek:

About Our Guest:

Dave joined National Benefits Group (NBG) in 2004 and became an owner in 2009. His responsibilities include guiding clients through the design, implementation and administration process of non-qualified plans for both private and public companies.

Dave began his financial services career in 1992 with a local office of a national firm where he specialized in the design and implementation of individual financial plans. In 1995, Dave joined the original NBG, with an emphasis in plan administration of non-qualified plans. In 2000, when NBG was purchased by Marsh & McLennan, Dave remained with their national executive and non-qualified plan group as a client executive. While at Marsh, Dave specialized in the design and implementation of corporate owned life insurance and non-qualified plans.

Dave holds the professional designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and is an active member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU).

Dave resides in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis with his wife, Janet, and has survived raising two children, Samantha and Sydney, both of whom now have graduated college and on to their next adventures in life.

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Dead Wrong Tax Decisions Business Owners Keep Making with Chris Wittich (CPA Perspective) (Ep. 6)

Dead Wrong Tax Decisions Business Owners Keep Making with Chris Wittich (CPA Perspective) (Ep. 6)

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What if better tax planning started long before April, or even before you decide to sell your business? This episode pulls back the curtain on how small business owners and advisors can think differently about taxes, compensation, and long-term planning.

In this episode of Zombie Advisor, James Knapp sits down with Chris Wittich, MBT, CPA, and partner at Boyum, to talk through real-world tax planning strategies for business owners at every stage. Chris shares how his career in tax started at age 15, preparing returns by hand, and how that early experience shaped his practical, people-first approach today. Together, they identify common gaps James and Chris see when reviewing new business tax returns, especially in owner compensation and retirement planning. The conversation also explores how tax strategy changes when a business owner is preparing for an eventual sale, whether to private equity, family, or internal successors. The episode wraps with an important look at estate organization, Minnesota estate tax considerations, and why clarity and preparation matter just as much as tax savings.

What to expect:

  • Why the owner pay strategy is often the first sign of missed tax planning
  • How compensation decisions impact retirement plans, FICA taxes, and flexibility
  • What business owners should consider years before selling their company
  • Estate planning realities, organization tips, and common pitfalls families face
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with us!

Connect with Chris Wittich:

About Our Guest:

Chris Wittich is a partner at Boyum Wealth Architects and holds both an MBT and a CPA designation. With nearly 20 years of experience working with individuals and small business owners, Chris specializes in tax planning, business strategy, estate tax matters, and advisory support for the beauty and salon industry. His approach focuses on helping clients make informed decisions through clarity, organization, and long-term thinking.

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