Zak Harlow
CEO / CVO
At BenDoc, we love to serve two key groups — our brokers and our business clients.
For Our Brokers:
We serve independent insurance agents who want more than just a contract—they want a system, support, and a path to real success. We help them escape the overwhelm of running an agency alone by providing proven processes, back-office support, and a community that has their back. The outcome? Our brokers build a thriving business with consistent revenue, better client relationships, and the freedom to focus on selling—not admin work.
For Our Business Clients:
We partner with HR teams, business owners, and C-suite leaders who are tired of the frustrating, outdated, and ineffective benefits process. We help them “Cure the Pain” by delivering a seamless, white-glove open enrollment experience — one that actually engages employees, reduces HR headaches, and makes leadership proud of their benefits package. The outcome? A benefits program that employees understand, value, and can afford to use — while HR and leadership get the credit for a job well done.
At the end of the day, we help both brokers and businesses win — because when benefits are done right, everybody wins.
Year started in the insurance business
2006
What is your role at The Benefit Doctor?
At a high level, I am focused on big-picture leadership, industry disruption, and building scalable processes — while also ensuring that BenDoc delivers the best client and broker experience possible.
What do you love most about supporting our clients?
Our Brokers – I love giving our brokers the tools, training, and support they need to win. Too many agents are left to figure things out on their own, but at BenDoc, we equip our brokers with a proven system, back-office support, and a community that has their back—so they can focus on what they do best: helping clients.
Our Business Clients – I love that we don’t just sell benefits—we Cure the Pain of employee benefits. We take the burden off HR teams, simplify the complex, and make sure employees actually understand and value their coverage. When businesses see real results—happier employees, smoother enrollments, and smarter benefits strategies—I know we’re making a real impact.
What is a common challenge you help solve?
For our brokers, we eliminate the overwhelm of running an independent agency by providing proven systems, back-office support, and a community that helps them succeed. No more struggling with commissions, admin work, or trying to figure it all out alone — we give them the playbook and the resources to thrive.
For our business clients, we take the complexity out of benefits. HR teams are often drowning in confusing plans, rising costs, and employees who don’t understand (or use) their benefits. We fix that by designing better, smarter benefits strategies and guiding businesses through a seamless, white-glove enrollment process — so they can focus on growing their company while we handle the benefits.
What’s one thing clients / HR teams don’t realize about what you do?
A lot of brokers show up once a year, drop off a stack of confusing plan options, and disappear. That’s not us. We partner with HR teams to handle employee education, streamline enrollment, and provide ongoing support, so they’re not stuck answering the same benefits questions over and over.
We make benefits simple, clear, and stress-free — not just for employees, but for HR too. When they see how hands-on we are, their biggest reaction is usually: “I had no idea a broker could do all of this for us.”
What makes BenDoc's approach different from other brokers in your opinion?
In my 16 years as a carrier rep, I worked with hundreds of brokers and watched the same exhausting, boring, inefficient open enrollment process play out over and over again. It’s painful before the meetings, during the meetings, and after the meetings. The worst part? Everyone just accepts it as “the way insurance is.”
No. It’s not.
At BenDoc, we do just about everything differently because we’re obsessed with delivering the best open enrollment experience a company has ever had. We don’t just show up with spreadsheets and slide decks—we partner with every client to make enrollment simple, engaging, and valuable for both HR and employees. Our goal? To have the C-suite telling HR, “Great job!”—not just because enrollment went smoothly, but because employees actually understand and appreciate their benefits.
Fun fact about you outside of work?
I love finding the best camping spots, hiking Gods beautiful scenery and spending time on Sundays after church with a house packed with friends and family for afternoon BBQ and pool time.
Advice for anyone trying to create change and make an impact?
Get obsessed with the problem, not just your solution. Too many people push their idea without deeply understanding the pain they’re trying to solve. Listen, learn, and refine constantly.
Surround yourself with the right people. Change doesn’t happen alone. Find the people who believe in the mission, challenge your thinking, and push you to be better.
And most importantly—never accept “this is just how it is.” The world doesn’t change by playing along. It changes when someone refuses to accept the status quo and does something about it.”