"I'm going to leave the ladder, I'm going to leave the window open, I'm going to leave the lights on."

This week on the podcast, I am joined by Rob Gelb, CEO of Vālenz. Rob has led Vālenz through an era of explosive growth, transforming the company from a 60-person shop in 2018 into a 550-employee powerhouse driving innovation in the self-funded healthcare space.

But this episode isn't just about healthcare - it’s about leadership, vulnerability, and knowing when to pass the torch.

In a surprising and highly emotional moment, Rob uses this episode to make a massive public announcement regarding his future at Valenz and the next chapter of his career. He opens up about the deep self-reflection required to make this major life decision, why true leaders must surround themselves with people smarter than they are, and his ultimate mission to "leave a ladder" for the next generation of executives.

We also discuss the "Kobe Bryant mentality" of embracing failure, why playing "not to lose" is a recipe for disaster, and why the future of self-funded healthcare relies entirely on "coopetition" and sharing the blueprint for success.

If you are a business leader, an entrepreneur, or anyone trying to make a meaningful impact in your industry, this is an absolute must-listen.

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!

ParetoHealth: ParetoHealth empowers midsize employers with a long-term solution to reduce volatility and lower overall health benefits costs. Visit https://www.paretohealth.com/fully-insured-vs-self-funding-with-paretohealth-spencer-podcast/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SelfFundedwSpencer to learn more.

Samaritan Fund: A program that connects those who need help to the support they need. We are proud to offer the Samaritan Fund Program. Visit SamaritanFundProgram.com to learn more.

Vālenz Health: We're Vālenz Health, your partner in improving health literacy, reducing plan spend, and delivering high-value healthcare. Visit ValenzHealth.com to learn more.

Imagine360: Imagine360 helps self-funded employers save on healthcare with smarter health plans. Cut expenses by 20-30% with custom solutions. Contact us today at Imagine360.com.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Intro: Why the Smartest Leaders Are the "Dumbest" in the Room

(00:02:44) The "Broken Glass" Leader & Leaving Ego at the Door

(00:04:18) The Kobe Bryant Mentality: Loving to Win vs. Hating to Lose

(00:11:41) Playing "Not to Lose" & The Danger of Playing it Safe

(00:18:09) Becoming a First-Time CEO at 52 (The "Lattice" Career Path)

(00:26:07) "The Obvious is Only Obvious to Those Who Can See It"

(00:28:28) Time as the Great Contextualizer (The 3 Dots Framework)

(00:32:51) Operating in the "Land Before Time" (Why Healthcare is Broken)

(00:39:51) The "Coaching Tree" of Healthcare

(00:43:02) Leaving a Ladder: Mentorship & Creating the Future

(00:51:27) Overcoming the Inability to Scale in Self-Funded Healthcare

(00:56:01) Why We Need "Coopetition" to Fix the $5 Trillion Problem

(00:58:42) Rob’s Huge Announcement Regarding His Future at Valenz

(01:05:15) Closing Thoughts: The Legacy of Leadership & What’s Next

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

"We are not going after the high. What we're going for is symptom relief. Based on our research, employers are going to be saving $5,000 per participant per year."

Is it time for employers to start covering medical cannabis?

My guest this week is Emily Fisher, Founder of LeafWell. As a stage 4 breast cancer patient, Emily experienced firsthand the therapeutic benefits of cannabis when traditional opioid painkillers failed her. However, she also experienced the frustration of navigating the dispensary system without any clinical guidance or oversight.

She founded LeafWell to solve this problem by connecting patients with licensed healthcare providers via telehealth to receive personalized, clinically-guided cannabis care plans. Now, LeafWell has served over 500,000 patients and is bringing their platform directly to self-funded employers.

In this episode, we tackle the stigma and misconceptions surrounding medical cannabis in the workplace. Emily explains how LeafWell differentiates between "presence and impairment," the strict guardrails they use for safety-sensitive jobs, and why clinically-guided cannabis therapy is helping patients reduce or eliminate highly addictive opioids and expensive pharmaceuticals.

If you are an employer or a benefits consultant looking for an innovative, holistic approach to managing chronic pain and reducing pharmacy spend, this conversation will completely change how you view cannabis as an employee benefit.

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!

ParetoHealth: ParetoHealth empowers midsize employers with a long-term solution to reduce volatility and lower overall health benefits costs. Visit https://www.paretohealth.com/fully-insured-vs-self-funding-with-paretohealth-spencer-podcast/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SelfFundedwSpencer to learn more.

Samaritan Fund: A program that connects those who need help to the support they need. We are proud to offer the Samaritan Fund Program. Visit SamaritanFundProgram.com to learn more.

Vālenz Health: We're Vālenz Health, your partner in improving health literacy, reducing plan spend, and delivering high-value healthcare. Visit ValenzHealth.com to learn more.

Imagine360: Imagine360 helps self-funded employers save on healthcare with smarter health plans. Cut expenses by 20-30% with custom solutions. Contact us today at Imagine360.com.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Intro: Medical Cannabis as an Employee Benefit?

(00:04:05) Emily’s Story: Surviving Stage 4 Breast Cancer

(00:08:25) Launching LeafWell: Increasing Access, Education, & Research

(00:11:55) Dispensary "Bud Tenders" vs. Clinically Guided Care

(00:15:24) Why Cannabis is a $29 Billion Healthcare Savings Opportunity

(00:18:01) Reducing Prescription Drugs & Avoiding the ER

(00:21:15) Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Impairment at Work

(00:26:32) Differentiating Between Presence (Urine Tests) and Impairment

(00:29:29) Form Factors: Tinctures, Capsules, and Avoiding Inhalables

(00:35:47) How the Endocannabinoid System Works

(00:42:00) The Future: Will the Government Reschedule Cannabis?

(00:46:54) How Employers Can Roll Out a Medical Cannabis Program

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

"Revolutions are never won by the ruling class... if you want to fix healthcare, you have to be willing to accept a negative sum game. Someone is losing."

Why are self-funded employers still paying for healthcare on a "fee-for-service" basis, where every single transaction is billed separately with zero guarantee of a positive outcome?

My guests this week are Francois and Jeremy from XO Health, a new type of health plan built explicitly for self-funded employers. Instead of relying on traditional, opaque carrier networks (the "BUCAs"), XO Health is introducing a new accounting system for healthcare: the Care Package.

In this episode, we explore how XO packages an entire episode of care - from a knee replacement to the ongoing management of chronic diabetes or maternity - into a single, predictable, fixed price. We discuss how this model shifts financial accountability back to the provider (while also protecting them through embedded risk corridors and "mini-spec" policies), eliminates the perverse incentives of traditional networks, and ultimately allows employers to offer a health plan that employees actually want to use (complete with "hugs and kisses" for $0 out-of-pocket costs).

If you are an employer or a benefits consultant tired of 10% medical trend and unpredictable renewals, this episode provides a blueprint for how true risk-sharing can finally fix the system.

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!

ParetoHealth: ParetoHealth empowers midsize employers with a long-term solution to reduce volatility and lower overall health benefits costs. Visit https://www.paretohealth.com/fully-insured-vs-self-funding-with-paretohealth-spencer-podcast/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SelfFundedwSpencer to learn more.

Samaritan Fund: A program that connects those who need help to the support they need. We are proud to offer the Samaritan Fund Program. Visit SamaritanFundProgram.com to learn more.

Vālenz Health: We're Vālenz Health, your partner in improving health literacy, reducing plan spend, and delivering high-value healthcare. Visit ValenzHealth.com to learn more.

Imagine360: Imagine360 helps self-funded employers save on healthcare with smarter health plans. Cut expenses by 20-30% with custom solutions. Contact us today at Imagine360.com.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Intro: Setting a "Circuit Breaker" for Provider Risk

(00:01:21) What is XO Health? (And where the name comes from)

(00:06:51) The Flawed "Unit of Service" Accounting System

(00:08:33) Introducing the "Care Package" (Episodic & Chronic Bundles)

(00:15:37) The Maternity Example: Guaranteed Pricing & Provider Risk

(00:20:13) How Embedded Risk Corridors ("Mini-Specs") Protect Providers

(00:27:14) Value-Based Care: What is it Really?

(00:32:32) Measuring Clinical Outcomes (Experience, Mobility, & A1C)

(00:38:07) Building a High-Performance Network & Incentivizing Steerage

(00:46:13) The Regulatory Tailwinds Pushing Employers to Act

(00:50:35) The "Negative Sum Game": Why Someone Has to Lose

(00:54:05) Closing Thoughts: Flattening Medical Trend

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/