Creating A Customized And Flexible Member Experience with Brian Del Savio

Hey. Hey. Welcome back to the Broker's Voice. I am excited today to have Brian Del Savio join me with new benefits. Brian, welcome to the Broker's Voice.

Thanks, Andy. It's a pleasure to be here. Every time I talk to you, I really just feel like I'm a better person after leaving, so.

Well, I appreciate that, man.

Thanks for having me on.

Well, I'm gonna tell you, you're a better man because you take action. That's. That's the reason it's all working out for you right now. And I want people, we're going to use this episode to have a little fun because I don't think people. There's a lot of people probably know Brian with new benefits, but they don't know Brian Del Savio prior to new benefits. So we're going to start there. You had made a comment offline that some people look, listen to you and they go, brian, where are you from? Where's that accent? Why don't we start where. Where were you born and raised?

Yeah, I was born and raised right outside New York City. So many people do say, you know, I say funny things like bag or the Oz or whatever it is. I can't. I just can't get rid of it. I currently reside down in southwest Florida with my family. But, yeah, I grew up outside New York City. My dad, you know, my grandparents came over to New York City from. From Italy through Ellis island, settled in the Bronx. My mom's side also came from Italy over here. And then, yeah, that New York accent is just gonna. I think it's gonna be with me for life.

Well, you know, it's funny, I. Whenever I listen to a podcast or something, you know, I, I have a lot of people, I followed it that just happened to be from, like, Long Island. For whatever reason, there's a ton of successful entrepreneurs from Long island, but there's one word that I hear that I know. Yes, you are from New York. Some way, shape or form, instead of saying tournament, it's tournament.

So. So let's talk about your. Your childhood. Because actually, you know, you went through my Academy and for 12 weeks, I didn't know this about you until the end. And I'm like, how has it taken this long to know this? You were a. You were a really good hockey and baseball player.

Yeah.

So talk about that. You know, high school, playing both of those sports in high school, maybe. What was it like back then compared to today? Because everything's travel teams. But this talk about your high school, your high school hockey and baseball career.

Yeah, I mean, sports played a huge role in my life growing up. I grew up with my older brother. He's only a couple years older than me. So I was always the younger one. Especially on my block. It was always. I was the youngest one in the block. So I've always having to step up my, my level to play with all these guys. I played in high school as an eighth grader. I think I'm one of the only people to ever play. I had to pass a certain test to get on the high school team. I was in the first line as an eighth grader, probably, I don't know, 130 pounds, whatever at the time, go against these seniors. I got hurt a couple times doing that, but I was all right. Actually broke my leg in my senior year. Didn't even play my senior year. But yeah, I mean, I loved hockey. I love all sorts of sports. Growing up, really competitive environment, kind of growing up in the New York City area. And yeah, I ended up. We've talked about before. I don't really talk about too much, but since you asked. Yeah, like breaking so the records in high school for the whole time for the, the goals and assists, the points and all that stuff with baseball. One of my friends just called me a couple weeks ago. I don't know why, but he said, hey, do you know you're still the all time hit leader at the high school for, for baseball. So I was that guy that was the high school athlete, really free sport athlete. I played soccer as well. Really just stay in shape. But I was a captain of all three teams. I just love sports. I still do till today. Yeah. And then after that I got.

I got some letters from, obviously from, from D1 schools for baseball and hockey is a little bit more difficult. I, I kind of went the traditional route like you're saying at the time there was travel, hockey and all this stuff, but I didn't really want to. I don't know, for whatever reason, I want to stay with my friends. I didn't want to kind of get out there. And that kind of plays into the exponential awareness you talk about today. Why I really want to be exponentially, you know, create exponential awareness in my business. Because I have regrets about not doing that.

And we're going to talk about that in a second. You know what, What? You are a defenseman in hockey. What, what position were you in baseball?

Catcher, actually.

Oh, okay.

In hockey I played defense just because the team needed. I played forward in like eighth, ninth grade. And the team I could Basically stay on the ice almost the entire game as a defenseman. So I said, we're gonna put you back on defense. And I played defense for my sophomore and junior year and then my senior year I got hurt, but yeah, that's awesome.

You remind me of my nephew. My nephews played hockey and baseball in high school. He just graduated. And you know, you talk about that whole eighth grade thing. I can remember.

High school wrestling. There's some states where kids could actually wrestle varsity as eighth graders. And I remember hearing the story mainly at colleges like University of Iowa, you know, the, the big programs where a kid was a five time state champ as a wrestler. That means he won in eighth grade. Can you imagine being like a senior in wrestling and losing to an eighth grader?

But that's really cool, man. So you get to college, you go to Franklin Pierce, which is in New Hampshire.

Right.

And you had mentioned that you had a chance to play both sports actually at Franklin Pierce, which would have been quite the feat because. Because playing two sports in college plus, you know, maintaining grades is no easy task. But you ended up going down the path of just hockey. Why not baseball?

Yeah, I don't know. I think it's just, you know, looking back on it, I think a lot of it was just.

I think I was my own worst enemy, quite frankly, to a certain degree. Right. I'm kind of a perfectionist. And I just felt like maybe I couldn't do both. I also had other priorities at that young age, of course. But I ended up. I loved hockey, though. I love both sports, but hockey was really always has been in my heart since I was a little kid. I mean, going to games since I was a little kid playing. And anyway, so I played, I did focus on the hockey. Basically walked onto that team out of high school. Most of those kids were coming from junior programs. They were 20 year olds. As freshmen, I was like 18 years old and, you know, just, just walking on that team. Thank goodness I made it and I focused on that. But actually I did play baseball for a little bit in college. Not really by my choice or me being going out there and you know, seeking that. One of my roommates just basically said, hey, why don't you come down? I know you play baseball in high school and come hit some balls in the cage. Was the off season. And the coach comes in, he's like, dude, what are you doing? Like, where have you been? He's like, you're gonna come to the field tomorrow morning? I'm like, tomorrow morning? He's like, yeah, yeah, don't worry about it. I got your uniform and everything. So I actually ended up did playing for like a. Like a off season with the team doing really well. And then when hockey I actually completely dislocated my shoulder, my right shoulder, my throwing shoulder. I needed surgery for a year. I should have just done it. Looking back, I didn't. And then that was it. The coach that wants you to stay on his dh. And again I was more and worse enemy. I didn't do that. And I just focused on hockey. But you know, it's a regret of mine, but it is what it is at this point.

Yeah, we're going to talk about that a little bit because I think you and I have a similar regret. You know, it's. It's funny you bring up or interesting you bring up the.

Hockey thing. You know what I think is unique about college hockey and my perspective is following the Wisconsin Badgers hockey team, you know, there were a couple of years they were really good. And what's unique about that is because you have a lot of kids coming from the junior programs up in Canada. Some kids are playing college hockey at age 22, 23.

Right, exactly. Yeah.

These guys are men. You went on to have a very successful hockey career though at Franklin Pierce.

Yeah, we were younger.

Keep going. No, keep going. Talk about that because I think. And that also gave you an opportunity that opened the door to even play at a professional level.

Yeah, it was, it was a. It was definitely a ride there. It was a newer program. We just gone, you know, official NCAA basically into the ECAC Northeast and Northeast 10 was where the conferences up there, good conferences for hockey that Franklin Pierce had been, you know, basically destroying teams as a club team for years before I got there. They finally made the jump to the ncaa. Full blown ncaa. But it was tough at first. I mean it taught me a lot.

A lot of stuff. They're probably stuck. Sticks me. We were. It was tough to win a game in that conference. We barely did the first season, first two seasons and I had offers to go to other colleges and things like that. Again, maybe it's a good thing. I don't know. I'm a loyal person. I stayed stuck through it. Ended up leaving that program at the time as the all time leading goal scorer there as well was captain of the team. So yeah, I mean it was just made some great friends and it was a great experience and it taught me a lot. Looking back, I didn't realize at the time, but it really was teaching me a lot about Life, Just, just going through that experience.

Well, what would you say? You know, I'm curious because you made a comment offline about, you know, having a successful career at Franklin Pierce. You just said you, you left as the all time leading scorer. It, it gave you an opportunity to possibly open the door to playing some professional hockey. But you said no talk about that because I have, I have a very similar regret. But I'd love to hear your perspective.

Yeah, I think it goes back to just kind of that almost like that self sabotage, like not deserving things. And I've worked hard at that. I think a lot of people, it's funny when you, when you open up about this, a lot of people have the same thing. Maybe they don't even realize it and they start talking about like, wow, I kind of had that same thing, you know, that fear of being out there and, and excelling almost too much. It's kind of, it's kind of interesting, but it's like your own worst enemy sometimes. But yeah, I went to a couple of tryouts in the semi pros echl, basically the week for hockey. And again they kept inviting me to come back and come back and keep going and I just basically stopped. So I don't, I can't really put a finger exactly why. But again, it's one of those, like you said, you can't go back because if, if you did, if I did keep pursuing it, I probably would have kept playing and played a higher level. Would I be in the NHL? Probably not being, I mean you never know. But I like to look at it as, you know, maybe I would have broke my neck. That league was pretty crazy that was trying out for. So you never know. But everything happens for a reason looking back. But yeah, it was, it was a, it was a crazy league at the time. And I just decided to kind of, I was ready to get into the workforce and you know, it is what it is.

Yeah, it, you know, I, I, my situation was I had been cut by the Milwaukee brewers and it was the last, last day or second last day of spring training. And I remember they bring in the, the player director of player personnel's office and what they do is they lay down a, basically a list of all these independent teams and they're like, you tell us where you want to go, we'll make the call and get you on one of these teams. And I said, no thanks, because I had my college degree. I was like, okay, it's time to enter the, enter the business world. Right. When I look back at that, I'm like, what would have happened if I would have said yes? You know, I was 22 years old. What would happen if I went and played another summer or two of independent ball? Maybe I get picked up by somebody else, right? And so that was that one decision where I'm like, man, did I make the right decision in that moment? I don't know, but you never want to look back. Hindsight's 20 20, so one quick question before we get into new benefits, and I hope this. Your. Your boss is watching because you said you're a very loyal guy. So I hope. I hope they're hearing this.

When you look back at your sports career and what you're doing today, what lessons do you take from your athletic career and apply today?

Actually, a lot of it does come. Come around that exponential awareness. So, like, you know, you gotta be a champion of yourself and you gotta get out there, right? Sometimes not gonna just come to you. So a lot of that is what I'm trying to do now. And thanks a lot to your help. But it's like, what if I did go to that private school in high school and take that step, you know what I mean, and get more. Cause that's gonna be much more awareness. Obviously, to me, you know, a lot more people are looking at that league than a high school hockey league, right? What if I did play junior hockey for those extra two years, right? And go somewhere random and play that hockey? What if I did switch colleges? What if I did keep on going easy? So that's kind of it, like just. It's almost like saying yes. Like getting out there and saying yes and creating exponential awareness is one of the biggest things that it kind of taught me. And that. That fear of not reaching your maximum, you know, capability, it's like a fear of wasted talent almost. If you've ever seen the move. The Bronxdale fear. Wasted talents was one of the quotes in there. That's kind of where I'm at. And I just live my life like that every day, essentially, both for business and for family, by the way.

Yeah, that's, you know, one of the reasons complete game consulting exists is, you know, I' trying. One of the things we love doing is helping producers and insurance professionals reach their full potential. Because I feel like I fell short of mine at pro ball. I really do. And. And all and only you know that, right? And a lot of people probably look at your situation, go, man, you were lucky to have that opportunity. It's like, yeah, but I still know that I didn't really reach the potential I was capable of.

Right.

And only, only you looking in the mirror. And I think it's important you brought up the word vulnerable earlier. We are in an industry, Brian, where people love to peacock. Let's, let's be really honest. People love to talk about their size of their book and they love to stick that chest out and compare themselves to others. But vulnerability is important right now. It's important for you to be able to look in the mirror and go, yeah, I am not where I want to be yet or I'm not reaching my full potential. And so I'm glad you recognize that. So let's transition to new benefits. So you're with new benefits.

I'm going to start with the obvious question. Let's start with what the heck is it?

Yeah, absolutely.

And then I'm going to ask you why is it different? Because what I, what I will share is it's a technology, right. And in a world of commoditization, everybody's like, oh, great, you're another app or you're another technology solution. So let's start with what is new benefits.

Yeah, technology is definitely a component of that. So black people don't even realize New benefits has been around for about 33 years, actually.

No, I didn't know that. Wow. Okay.

Yeah. So a lot of people see our technology like, oh, this must be tech startup or something like that. But actually the technology is a huge part of it. You have to be tech forward and, you know, tech thinking. That's what we are. So we're always trying to stay ahead of the game in that area. But really we're a provider of benefits also. So new benefits started 33 years ago as a vision discount company and that was it. We basically invented what's the discount medical plan organization space. That's how we're regulated, essentially. So now you see all these different companies out there, but really New Benefits basically invented that space. The regulations were built around, around new benefits essentially.

Going back three decades. But today really we've just been expanding and basically adapting to meet the needs of our clients, which are direct clients, are basically employee benefit firms, consultants, essentially. And we basically have now come to the place where we have 30, roughly 30 of the top enhanced benefits in the marketplace in one place. So these are all types of benefits that are not insurance, but they are here to complement any sort of traditional insurance, if you want to call it traditional insurance. You know, I know brokers doing a lot of unique things as well, but the core benefits that brokers are providing to the groups, they come to us. And we've already been vetting these products, like I said, for decades. And we have them all in one place. We're always evolving. And then those brokers can go and basically create completely custom packages for their employer groups, essentially.

Well, and dive into that customization, because I think that is one of the differentiators. Right. What. What makes new benefits different from the other platforms out there that are doing similar things. So talk about that. Talk about your differentiators.

Absolutely. I think it's the flexibility. So obviously, it's simplifying the complex world of enhanced benefits, which is what I always talk about, because it is complex and ever changing. So we handle that and all the vetting of the products. But products, one thing brokers know, they come to us and consult.