We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jake Seltzer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jake below.

Alright, Jake thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

My company, Summit Administration Services, operates in a specific health insurance segment. Many employers choose to self-fund their employee benefits and risk programs – think medical, dental, vision, workers’ compensation – meaning the employer takes on the role of the insurance provider. Most companies will bring in a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to handle the plan’s operations. Every big insurance company has an arm that provides these services, too. Still, independent TPAs, like us, can help employers unplug from the traditional insurance system and get creative in building plans geared toward their employees.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen a massive consolidation in our industry. Remaining independent and keeping grounded as a family-run small business in this industry has taken immense work and determination. We compete in a market against traditional insurance carriers and prominent, private equity-backed Administrators. Our agility and ability to pivot quickly based on a client’s situation is where we excel. We never force an employer to take our pre-packaged bundle of services, which allows for picking and choosing precisely the right vendors for the needs of the employees.

Our business model and size require that our staff know how to handle situations outside their typical job description. You won’t find a big insurance company letting a member speak with the person who processed their claim. But what if that’s the right person to answer a complex question?  We hire amazingly driven staff and cross-train them to be fixers. They’re empowered to help a member experiencing a health issue from beginning to end. 

I love to push the boundaries of customer service, especially when emotions are so high, as with health-related issues. I’ve brought behind-the-scenes staff to client meetings and open enrollment sessions so my team can truly understand who we serve. And the results were beyond what I could ever imagine. I once brought a Claim Examiner with me to an employee health fair, and she was like a rock star. Members she helped through significant life events were so excited to meet her face-to-face. It helps my team recognize the impact they can have on people by using empathy and compassion to drive our actions. Nobody thinks in those terms when talking about insurance.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I entered the insurance industry in 2007 as a temporary mail clerk at Summit Administration Services. Previously, I was working towards my musical ambitions, playing drums for indie and punk bands in Arizona. Being in independent bands was a great setup for my pivot to business. Without realizing it, I’d spent a decade in a business boot camp, learning to work on a team, making quick decisions at the moment, and dealing with the fact that not everyone liked what we were playing. Being in sales and helping operate a business requires all of these skills. Thankfully, I’ve never had a client meeting where someone yelled for me to “get off the stage.” But, I have developed very thick skin from my experience playing music, and I have unique tools to handle uncomfortable situations.

When I came to Summit and got my first insight into the insurance world, I questioned everything to determine our role in helping the end users get the most out of their benefits. Being an outsider, I think it’s easier for me to drop the jargon and speak with people plainly to ensure they understand their insurance and how to be better health consumers. As a finance and accounting guy, I focus on how we can help companies provide valuable employee benefits while controlling costs. I gravitate towards the idea of changing the industry and its perception from the inside. 

I started by attaching myself to mentors, learning as much as possible from them, and recognizing where I needed to improve my understanding of the system. So, I started asking to go along to client and member meetings. I got my insurance license. I earned degrees in Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Finance. I became a Certified Self Funding Specialist©. I worked hard to prove to my mentors that I was serious and wasn’t going anywhere. 

I went from opening mail to implementing a new Flexible Spending Account claim system, repricing medical claims, financial reporting and accounting, assisting our Account Managers, and finally ending up in City and Tribal Council meetings where decisions were being made based on data I helped deliver. Far from the sweaty nights playing the bar scene but with no less determination. When the opportunity came for me to invest in this company and take an ownership stake, I jumped at the chance. 

I stayed with Summit because of the business model our President, Alfred Gregory, put in place from day one; we are a completely independent and financially transparent player in the insurance space. That flies in the face of everyone’s perception of this industry, especially our competitors. He built this company on his terms – to only work for our clients. There are no commissions, no secret payouts, and no games. It’s a unique stance against a system that has helped drive the American healthcare system into unsustainability. I found a home and a mentor for which I will forever be grateful.

We are so lucky to have a staff that shares our beliefs and business model. My goal is positively impacting the 10s of thousands of members we proudly work for. I do what the big Insurance Execs won’t and go out to meet with our Client’s staff, ask how we are doing for them, ask how they’re feeling, and ask if we can do better in helping them understand what their employer is providing. Our management team does the same thing. We are a small piece of a massive and convoluted system, but our focus is 100% on the people who trust us to help them give the most to their deserving staff.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I had my epiphany of the impact I wanted in this business, I recognized just how much there was to learn. We had a Director on staff who was well-known in our industry for her knowledge of compliance and building programs specific to Native American enterprises. I knew I had to get into her orbit, but she was far too busy to consider mentorship at the time.

I have a background in photography and used it as an excuse to get some critical one-on-one time by offering to do headshots of the management team for free. A portrait photographer must be able to connect with their client in a very short time. This Director brought her daughter and a broker friend in to sit for pictures, too, which was great because I had a much longer window to get everyone to loosen up. I did something right in that 10 minutes because it opened the door enough for me to get invited to take notes during client meetings, which I’d then follow with a million questions all the way home. She kept me at arm’s length for at least two years but likely didn’t realize how pivotal it was in my development. Once I paid my dues, she became an incredible hands-on mentor.

As I moved into permanent positions with Summit, I did the same with the management staff and even some Brokers we worked with. Once I became part of the management team, I found fewer opportunities to interact with people outside our company willing to let their guard down and have informative discussions. My favorite way around that was to put some ‘junior’ title on my name tag at industry conferences. Many people in top positions like to show off their knowledge to people they think it’ll impress. As a “junior accountant,” I would get valuable tips and tricks that an Exec wouldn’t otherwise share with a competitor’s Finance Director. I enjoy having a little fun at their expense while learning about the different ways people in our industry do things.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

First off, be realistic. A team’s morale will ebb and flow like any close group of friends/family/humans. There has to be an expectation for the occasional bad week, and these are great ways to learn about what your staff needs to feel comfortable and fulfilled with their job. Be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Second, I don’t like to micromanage my team. I ensure the team knows the job’s goals, mission, and importance. Then, I trust they’ll represent our morals, and we empower them to make a path independently. The cliche of My Door Is Always Open has to be true for this to work. You have to be willing to listen and figure out what your team needs individually. If someone is stuck or lost on a project, give them space to be vulnerable and admit it. I find that most often, talking through the steps taken will let someone figure out the answer independently.

Lastly, as much as possible, lead from the weeds. There is no task in my office that I haven’t done. I understand this isn’t realistic for many people but get to a spot where your team knows you’re not asking them to do something you won’t do because you’re above it. If there’s ever a project that requires extra hours or weekends, I’m here with them. In the rare times I’m unavailable, I acknowledge them for going above and beyond because I can’t. 

Being truly grateful for the people who work with and for you goes a long way. I’m so lucky to have the team that I do, and I tell them often. It shouldn’t be difficult to say thank you if you recognize what value everyone is bringing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.summit-inc.net/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeseltzer/