In Episode 13 of From The Darkhorse's Mouth, titled "Herding Humans," Dan and Carly Garzella are joined by Alyson Hutchins, Business Development Manager at BBSI.

If you’re running a small agency and feeling stretched thin, this episode breaks down how a PEO partnership can take HR, payroll, benefits, and workers’ comp off your plate, so you can get back to growing the business. The conversation starts with the startup stage: the first signs you need help with HR or payroll, the most common operational pain points for teams of around five people, and how BBSI’s model balances affordability with real, tangible value.

We then dive into the growth curve: what happens as your agency starts to scale, how BBSI’s support evolves, and when it makes sense to start thinking about internal HR. The discussion also unpacks BBSI’s workers’ comp differentiator: why their approach to safety, predictability, and cost management stands out, and how stronger HR systems, culture, and people metrics become a strategic advantage instead of just a compliance checkbox.

Finally, we tackle the long view and the most common mistakes small agencies make as they grow their teams, including waiting too long to think strategically about people and process. You’ll hear guidance on when and how to transition pieces of HR in-house, what future-proofing your operations really looks like, and how to build a path from five employees to fifty without burning out.

Whether you’re just getting started or already feeling the strain of growth, this episode offers a practical roadmap for using a PEO model to scale smarter, protect your people, and set your agency up for long-term success.

💬 Have questions? Email us at podcast@darkhorseinsurance.com

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