Employee benefits that feel like hospitality, not HR headaches.
For Raleigh–Durham, NC employers with 50–500 employees who want every team member personally supported with their benefits, while leadership gets a proactive plan backed by our 90 Day Hospitality Switch Guarantee.
A free 20‑minute video call to see how a hospitality‑driven benefits plan could work for your team.
Local, hospitality-first benefits for Triangle employers
Health Rosetta Rosie Award Winner
Top 10 Percent Plan Grade for a Triangle Employer
Licensed Health and Life Benefits Advisor based in Hillsborough
We help Triangle employers turn their benefits from a noisy line item into a hospitality experience employees actually value.
Tired of feeling stuck with a confusing, reactive health plan?
Renewal meetings that show up once a year with bad news and few options
Employees and families who are confused and constantly asking for help
A broker who responds to issues but rarely brings proactive ideas
Leaders worried about compliance, costs, and burnout for HR
If you are like most 50–500 employee companies in the Triangle, you are dealing with:
You do not need more PDFs. You need a hospitality-level team that treats your people like guests, not policy numbers.
What changes when Honey Benefits is your broker of record
In the first 90 days we focus on three groups: your employees, your leaders, and your business.
For your employees
1 to 1 support choosing their benefits during enrollment
Year-round text support for employees and families
Care navigation to find in-network, high-quality providers
A simple microsite with your plans, videos, and FAQs
For your leaders and HR
ERISA and compliance team on retainer, watching your plan
Monthly executive review calls, not just an annual renewal meeting
A 2-year roadmap that can include Direct Primary Care and smart cash-pay strategies
Drafted employee communications you can quickly review and send
For your business
A benefits experience that supports recruiting and retention
Fewer benefits “fires” landing on your desk
Clear visibility into costs and performance so you can plan, not react
What your first 90 days with Honey Benefits look like
Our 3-step process to get you from status quo to hospitality-driven health plans and broker or records account management.
Step 1: Listen and assess (Days 0 to 30)
Briefing call with leadership and HR
Collect plan data, renewal history, and key frustrations
Create a simple Plan Scorecard showing where you are today
Step 2: Launch hospitality for employees (Days 31 to 60)
Open the text support line and care navigation
Launch your custom microsite
Hold your first monthly executive review
Step 3: Build your roadmap (Days 61 to 90)
Present 2 to 3 plan design options and a 2-year roadmap
Draft communications for any changes
Decide together how you want to continue with our consulting services
Recognized by Health Rosetta as an innovative, high-performance benefits advisor
Rosie Award winner with a Top 10 Percent Plan Grade for a Triangle employer
Focused on Raleigh–Durham employers with 50–500 employees
Board-certified health coach and licensed health and life producer
Dedicated care navigation and extended hours so employees are not left on their own
Why Triangle employers choose a hospitality-first broker
Our 90 Day Hospitality Switch Guarantee
If at any point in the first 90 days you do not feel you are getting the best benefits service you have ever experienced, we will:
Refund any consulting fees you paid us directly, and
Help you handle the paperwork to switch back to your prior broker or a broker of your choice.
You can experience hospitality-level benefits with less risk than staying where you are.
Who Honey Benefits is best for
Employers in the Raleigh–Durham (Triangle) area
50–500 employees
Hourly or shift-based teams like retail, restaurants, healthcare, light industrial, churches, co-ops, and more
Leaders who value high-touch service and are open to more innovative plan designs
If you have fewer than 50 employees, you can still book a briefing to learn hospitality-driven strategies you can use with your current broker.
We're not just consultants. We are fellow business owners who understand the pressure of managing a budget while trying to do right by our employees. We've seen firsthand the frustration of overpaying for plans that don't work, and we're committed to changing that.
You don't have to navigate the complex world of employee benefits alone. Our expertise is your advantage, and we'll partner with you to find a solution that works for everyone.
We Are Business Owners Helping Business Owners
Meet the Team
Founder
An MBA graduate, licensed employee benefits consultant, National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and RosettaFest award-winning broker, Justin brings a positive attitude and entrepreneurial grit to help clients solve their biggest employee benefits challenges. He is also a certified business coach and facilitates “Unreasonable Hospitality” workshops. Justin enjoys running, writing, podcasting, and going on family adventures in his spare time.
Justin Thomas
Advisor
Cristy holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master's Degree in Health Benefits Design. With a background as a dietician, she is now a nationally recognized employee benefits advisor, having been named twice to Employee Benefits Advisor Magazine's Top 20 Women. Cristy is also a RosettaFest award-winning broker and owner of Custom Benefits Solutions. She is active in her local Boy Scouts of America and Rotary International chapter.
Cristy Gupton
Director of Underwriting
With a law degree and over four decades of experience in the benefits industry, Glen brings a wealth of knowledge. His background as a successful owner and president of a third-party administrator (TPA) also helps ensure regulatory adherence. His family also owns and operates Ogden Maple Farm, providing 100% maple syrup products, which aligns well with our sweet theme at Honey Benefits.
Glen Ogden
Director of Engagement
Eric is considered one of the most recognized authorities and disruptive forces in enhanced employee-funded benefits. He has received the “Voluntary Adviser of the Year” award by Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) magazine – the highest industrywide honor given to only one voluntary adviser annually. He is the Founder of Voluntary Disruption and adds a sweet touch to the Honey Benefits client experience.
Eric Silverman
Compliance Team
ETC Companies
ETC provides Honey Benefits and our clients with compliance support and legal resources to ensure our innovations do not outpace regulations.
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It.
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“If you are part of the direct care, free-market healthcare movement you should know Justin Thomas and Honey Benefits.”
Matt Ohrt, Co-Founder RiseUp Health, Multi Healthcare Award Recipient
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“Justin is one of the best men I know, and someone who will effect a necessary positive change to the employee benefits space that is desperately seeking it.”
Ryan James Miller, Faith-fueled Strategist, Coach and Speaker
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"Justin is on a mission to empower families and businesses with better healthcare, and Honey Benefits is driven with this same purpose-driven attitude."
Dr Tanner Moore, Clearwater Health DPC
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"Justin and his team created a health plan where my practice and others can serve employees directly and efficiently."
Dr Amy Nayo, Unorthodoc
FAQs
Do you do more than just health insurance for my company? Yes, we are a full employee benefits consulting agency able to recommend, implement and support your medical and non-medical employee benefits including dental, vision, life, accident, pet insurance and more.
We like our broker so why consider Honey Benefits? The question is not just if you like your broker, do you like the benefits you are able to offer to your employees? Do you LOVE the innovation of your benefits? Do your employees stay BECAUSE of your great benefits? If you feel unsure about those questions it may be worth a free call.
What happens after we have the free call? If we both agree, then we start to share data.
How do you deliver on being a hospitality-driven company? We limit the number of clients we take on and love what we do. Pretty simple. But hard to implement these constraints as a business.
Can you help my company if we are outside Raleigh-Durham? Yes, we have many tools and solutions across states, but let’s have a call first to explore mutual fit.
In the world of employee benefits, "normal" means accepting the status quo. It means partnering with a broker who only offers off-the-shelf solutions that don't address the root cause of your employees' health. If you do what everyone else does, you'll get the same frustrating results.
At Honey Benefits, we don't just quote you the same plans as a normal broker. We provide health-focused alternatives that get to the root of the problem.
I've run ultramarathons, and I know that what’s considered “normal” isn’t always what’s best. It takes grit and an unconventional approach to go the distance. At Honey Benefits, we bring that same mindset to your employee health plan.
Don’t Be Normal & Expect Better From Your Broker
Imagine a benefits package that is a source of pride, not frustration. With our help, you can implement creative solutions that not only cut your costs but also genuinely improve your employees' well-being. Imagine happier, healthier employees and a thriving company culture.