Your Best Employee Is Being Recruited Right Now — And You May Not Even Know It.

Losing a key employee isn’t just frustrating—it’s expensive. In this episode, Tom Perrone breaks down “phantom equity” (also called phantom stock or ghost stock): a retention strategy that rewards top performers for business growth without handing over real ownership.

You’ll learn how a “Phantom Stock Golden Handcuff” agreement can grant hypothetical shares, tie payout to company value, and deliver cash at a future date or triggering event—creating a strong incentive for key people to stay. Tom also covers design options, tax treatment at distribution, and ways owners can plan for the future payout obligation.

Key takeaways:

· What phantom equity is (and isn’t)—and why it’s different from giving up shares

· How phantom shares are granted, valued, and paid in cash

· Full-Value vs. Appreciation-Only designs and when each fits

· How taxes typically work when benefits are paid out (for owner and employee)

· How to plan for funding the obligation in a tax-efficient way

Want to talk through whether phantom stock fits your situation? Contact Tom Perrone at tperrone@necgginc.com or 203-530-6615.

This episode is designed for closely held business owners—especially companies with roughly 5–50 employees—who want to keep key talent, protect control, and build a simple, flexible incentive plan without ERISA complexity.

In this episode, we sit down with Marc Kroll, founder of Comp365, to break down how the concept of “Total Rewards” is rapidly evolving—and why it’s now a strategic imperative for every organization.

Marc shares how companies are shifting away from one-size-fits-all compensation models toward highly customized rewards strategies that align with employee expectations and business goals. We explore why compensation, benefits, and culture are no longer separate conversations, but deeply interconnected drivers of performance, retention, and growth.

This episode dives into:

· The rise of personalized Total Rewards and what’s driving the shift

· Why workplace culture is now central to compensation strategy—not an afterthought

· The growing role of wellness, mental health, and flexibility in employee value propositions

· How career growth and skill-based rewards are redefining employer-employee relationships

· The transformation of “flexible work” from perk to expectation

· How technology is reshaping HR delivery and Total Rewards execution

If you work with business owners or lead an organization navigating talent challenges, this conversation will give you a clear lens into where workforce strategy is headed—and how to stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment.

https://comp360totalrewards.com
Mgkroll@earthlink.net

From AI Hype to Measurable ROI with Sam Sharma
In this episode, we sit down with AI strategist and transformation expert Sam Sharma, CEO of Elevate AI Tech, to cut through the noise around artificial intelligence and focus on what drives results.

While many companies say they “want AI,” very few are truly ready to implement it effectively. Sam breaks down the critical gap between ambition and execution—and why most AI initiatives fail before they ever produce ROI.

We dive into the real-world challenges business leaders face when adopting AI, including:

- The operational breakdowns that occur when AI is deployed as disconnected tools instead of a unified system

- Where companies are losing revenue today—and how AI can realistically fix it

- The biggest compliance and risk blind spots leaders overlook when rolling out AI across teams

- The key difference between “AI productivity” and true “AI transformation”

This conversation is a practical roadmap for CEOs and business owners who want to move beyond experimentation and start leveraging AI as a true competitive advantage.
If you’re looking to scale operations, improve decision-making, and drive measurable outcomes—not just chase trends—this episode is for you.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsconsultant
sam@elevateaitech.com
https://calendly.com/consultsams

Why Life Insurance Is the Smartest Way to pay for estate taxes and costs!

Estate planning life insurance is the most effective way of paying estate costs.

If you have a taxable estate, there are only 4 ways to pay your estate tax bill — and 3 of them will cost your heirs a fortune. In this video, I break down the real cost of each option using a real-world example, and show you exactly why life insurance held in trust is the only strategy that preserves your wealth.

📊 What you'll learn: • The 4 ways to pay estate taxes — and what each one actually costs • Why a forced asset sale can cost your heirs 111% of the tax bill • How estate tax financing stretches costs to 126% over 10 years • Why life insurance in trust covers your estate taxes for just 26 cents on the dollar • How the 2025 estate tax exemption sunset may affect your estate right now

🏦 Real example: A Minnesota client with a $15.5M net worth projected to grow to $46M faces over $18.6M in estate taxes. We compare all 4 options side by side.

This isn't about life insurance — it's about paying an unavoidable tax bill as efficiently as possible.

📅 Schedule a consultation: https://fantastical.app/b5bhcvxwev-lPTY/call-meetings-general

Download Your Free Estate Planning Report

https://www.allclients.com/Form3.aspx?Key=0267F106386897731AEA0590EE88778C

Thomas J Perrone, CLU, CIC
tperrone@necgginc.com
Free Consultation
https://fantastical.app/b5bhcvxwev-lPTY/call-meetings-general

🎙️ Podcast Show Summary

Business Development In A Changing Marketplace With Effective Communication!

In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to grow a business in today’s changing marketplace. From understanding the psychology of your ideal customer to using data, personality insights, and generational intelligence to close deals faster, this conversation is packed with real-world strategies you can use right away.

Joined by special guest Chris Salem, we explore how business owners can increase profits without chasing new customers, communicate more effectively across generations, and build sustainable growth through smarter marketing, better messaging, and stronger planning.

Whether you’re a business owner, advisor, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you find your beach by aligning your business strategy, customer focus, and long-term planning for greater success and security.

Chris@Christophersalem.com

203 733 8469

sustainablesuccess.net/

Marketing for Small Business in 2026

This episode of Catapult focuses on small business marketing and growth strategies for 2026, hosted by T. Perrone(NECGG Inc.). Featured guests Mike and Kayla Bouffard join to discuss practical steps business owners can take to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Topics covered:

• Google visibility vs. social media for local and service-based businesses
• Must-have technology systems for growing businesses in 2026
• Using AI and automation to boost efficiency without losing authenticity
• Building systems to consistently generate reviews and referrals
• The biggest technology shift business owners are underestimating right now

The episode closes with a call to action to request a copy of "Unlocking Your Business' DNA" (available on Amazon, with profits going to veteran groups) and an invitation for a free consultation.

Michael and Kayla Bouffard

michael@catapultcommunities.com

802-342-3221

Solving the Hidden People Problems That Stall Your Business

From the Building and Protecting Your Business Worth Broadcast | Guest: Nancy Jonker, PhD

Most business owners are great at strategy. Where they get stuck? People. The persistent, uncomfortable, often-avoided challenges that quietly drain productivity, erode partnerships, and eat into the bottom line.

That’s exactly what Dr. Nancy Jonker, Business Consulting Psychologist and Executive Coach at DaptaWise, helps leaders untangle.

Author of two books- ON Amazon
The Partnership Survival Guide

Get Your Power On!

nancy@drjonker.com

616 443 9616
https://nancyjonker.com/
Linkedin

Five Key Questions Business Owners Must Consider!
Ken Somers, covers five key questions which every small business owner should consider. Performance Management For Small Businesses is built on these basic building blocks. The topics are key to creating a better culture, a future succession transition value, and methods to create great professional growth.