Most corporate wellness programs are built on a fundamental flaw: paying people to do something they already want to do.

If you have to incentivize an employee to drink a glass of water, you have muddied the water and completely missed the point of true wellness. In 2026, the traditional carrot-and-stick approach to wellness is a failing strategy.

My guest, Brittany Nelson, joins me to discuss how to rescue employers from the “golden handcuffs” of outdated wellness vendors. Brittany shares her journey from working on a Toyota assembly line to becoming a Registered Dietitian and Certified Health Value Professional. We discuss why tracking VOI (Value on Investment) is replacing ROI, why EAP utilization hovering at 2% is actually a massive red flag, and how to restructure plan designs to remove useless premium differentials.

If you want to stop checking boxes and start building a real culture of well-being for your clients, this episode will change the way you approach population health.

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