It's About Payroll

It's About Payroll

Payroll Demystified

Brian Escobar and Walter William Duncan III are the hosts of It’s About Payroll. Collectively, they have over 4 decades of experience in the payroll industry. This podcast was created with the intent of sharing their knowledge and attracting new talent to the payroll industry.

ItsAboutPayroll.io

You can access their LinkedIn profiles.

https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/escobarbrian

https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/william-duncan-477051187

The $1.26M Gambling Addiction Scandal
It's About PayrollAugust 19, 2026
214
00:37:11

The $1.26M Gambling Addiction Scandal

Brian and Walt are back with another episode of It's About Payroll (not "all about payroll" 😂). This week's lineup: 💰 Financial Fitness Nugget — Walt breaks down why every business needs a payroll reserve fund (and what ChatGPT thinks is the ideal amount to keep in the bank). 📰 Payroll News — Abs...

Your Employees Are Stressed and Payroll Sees It First!
It's About PayrollAugust 10, 202600:54:14

Your Employees Are Stressed and Payroll Sees It First!

In Episode 213 of It’s About Payroll, hosts Brian Escobar and Walter W. Duncan III explore what happens when work life and real life inevitably collide. They begin with two real payroll situations: an employee facing the attempted recovery of an overpayment in one paycheck and a payroll professional...

Payroll Through the Years: What History Can Teach Payroll Professionals Today
It's About PayrollJuly 31, 2026
212
00:35:03

Payroll Through the Years: What History Can Teach Payroll Professionals Today

From clay tablets to crypto — how did we get HERE? 🧾 In Episode 212 of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt take a deep dive into the history of payroll — from informal farm wages in early America to mainframe computers, WWII tax withholding, and the AI-powered systems of today. In this episode: What...

What Season 17 Taught Us About Payroll’s Future
It's About PayrollJuly 21, 202600:50:15

What Season 17 Taught Us About Payroll’s Future

In Episode 211 of It’s About Payroll, Brian Escobar and Walt Duncan review the biggest conversations and lessons from Season 17 while examining where the payroll profession is heading next. Walt opens with an important reminder to continue helping and encouraging others, even while navigating person...

"Stop Treating Payroll as Overhead — It Could Cost You Millions"
It's About PayrollJuly 13, 2026x
210
00:31:34

"Stop Treating Payroll as Overhead — It Could Cost You Millions"

In this episode, we sit down with Shala Druin — Founder of Strategic Payroll Solutions, Certified Payroll Professional, and one of the payroll industry's fastest-rising thought leaders — to have the conversation that every C-suite needs to hear. Payroll isn't a back-office function. It's one of the ...

The $18,000 Payroll Mistake: What Would You Do?
It's About PayrollJuly 09, 202600:38:37

The $18,000 Payroll Mistake: What Would You Do?

Episode 209 of It’s About Payroll places co-hosts Brian Escobar and Walter W. Duncan III in the payroll hot seat. With no guests and no lifelines, Brian and Walt challenge each other with realistic payroll scenarios, difficult leadership decisions, and thought-provoking questions about the professio...

True Payroll Crime Stories: Shady Business in the Sunshine State
It's About PayrollJuly 01, 202600:40:59

True Payroll Crime Stories: Shady Business in the Sunshine State

What happens when the person processing your payroll is the fraudster? In this episode of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt break down a jaw-dropping real case out of Miami — a payroll manager at an orthopedic practice who allegedly stole over $1.5 million by increasing her own salary, issuing hers...

AI Is Coming for Payroll, but Not How You Think
It's About PayrollJune 23, 202600:41:35

AI Is Coming for Payroll, but Not How You Think

In Episode 207, Brian Escobar and Walt Duncan examine one of the biggest questions facing the payroll profession: Is artificial intelligence an adversary, an ally, or simply the newest tool in the payroll toolbox? The conversation explores how AI could reshape payroll departments by answering employ...

Jim O'Connor's Playbook for Fixing America's Broken Benefits System
It's About PayrollJune 15, 2026x
208
00:40:02

Jim O'Connor's Playbook for Fixing America's Broken Benefits System

In this explosive episode of It's About Payroll, we sit down with Jim O'Connor, President & Founder of Premier Health USA, to expose the hidden truths behind America's healthcare benefits crisis — and what employers, employees, and payroll professionals can do RIGHT NOW to fight back. 💥 What you'll...

Payroll: The Past, Present & Future
It's About PayrollJune 01, 2026x
206
00:45:53

Payroll: The Past, Present & Future

Is payroll still just a back-office function? Not anymore. In this episode, Walt and Brian break down how payroll has transformed from a purely administrative role into a strategic, compliance-driven, employee-experience powerhouse — and where it's headed next. 🔑 What We Cover: How payroll evolved ...