How PEOs Cut Costs & Reduce Liability: Bradley Stroud Explains the “Secret Sauce” | Staffing Forward

How PEOs Cut Costs & Reduce Liability: Bradley Stroud Explains the “Secret Sauce” | Staffing Forward On Staffing Forward, host Geraldine Mansah-Dartey interviews Bradley Stroud, President and CEO of Stroud Link, a PEO brokerage firm, about how professional employer organizations help small to mid-size businesses scale. Stroud explains the co-employment model, where the business remains the on-site employer with full control while the PEO becomes employer of record to handle payroll, taxes, workers’ comp, benefits, and HR support, leveraging large pooled employee counts to secure discounts and absorb liability. He discusses industry changes such as AI-driven efficiencies and rising health insurance costs, introduces Stroud Link’s Combo Plan health option, and addresses misconceptions about losing control. Stroud describes his hands-on brokerage process, client savings examples, documentation challenges, and ongoing marketing efforts to increase PEO awareness. 00:00 Marketing Frustrations 00:54 Podcast Welcome 02:53 Bradley Stroud Intro 05:19 Why PEOs Matter 07:38 Industry Changes 09:33 How PEOs Work 11:45 Co Employment Explained 15:26 Real World PEO Benefits 17:49 Common Misconceptions 21:09 Savings Story 22:44 How StroudLink Operates 24:38 Client Onboarding Challenges 28:17 Growing Awareness 29:50 Marketing Experiments 31:29 Wrap Up And Contact