A GREAT DAY TO THRIVE: JON SCOGGINS’ MISSION TO BUILD A NEW KIND OF PEO

When Jon Scoggins and a small team of Tulsa entrepreneurs gathered in late 2019 to map out a business strategy for a new kind of PEO, optimism was in no short supply. After three decades in the PEO industry, Scoggins had a clear vision for what a modern, people-first model could look like: elevated relationships and exceptional service delivered with integrity.

By early 2020, everything was ready. Technology, benefits partnerships and licensing paperwork were in place. Thrive PEO was set to launch March 1.

Then, just days before opening its doors, the world shut down.

“Seventy-two hours before we were scheduled to start operations, COVID hit,” Scoggins recalls.

It could have been a devastating setback. Instead, it became the crucible that defined Thrive’s culture, sharpened its mission and revealed what kind of company it would be.

A JOURNEY ROOTED IN PEOPLE

Scoggins’ career in the PEO industry began long before PEO was a familiar acronym. In the early 1990s, he was working in marketing and advertising when his cousin, Kirk Scoggins — a former NAPEO president — asked him to design an ad for his Tampa-based PEO, TeamStaff. The project offered his first glimpse into a business model that was, at the time, still in its infancy.

“I was immediately intrigued. Helping businesses streamline HR and compliance so they could focus on what they did best just made sense to me.” he says.

Scoggins joined TeamStaff shortly thereafter, learning the business from the ground up.

“I remember walking into my cousin’s office and seeing a book by T. Joe Willey on his desk. He handed it to me and said, ‘Read this and go sell something.’ I learned the business the hard way; I was in my 20s, trying to get business owners to trust me,” Scoggins explains.

Over the next four years, Scoggins managed markets from Jacksonville to Atlanta, building relationships in a pre-digital industry where payrolls were faxed in and checks were printed by hand. Yet even in those early days, he saw the transformative potential of the PEO model, not just for business owners, but for the people who made those businesses run.

After TeamStaff went public and employees pursued new career paths, Scoggins remained in the PEO industry finding sustained success in business development. This path would eventually lead him to launching his own PEO.

A LAUNCH DELAYED, A VISION REFINED

When Scoggins finally decided to start his own company, the timing seemed perfect — until it wasn’t. As the pandemic brought the economy to a standstill, the Oklahoma Department of Insurance, responsible for PEO licensing, shut down. What was normally a 30-day process stretched into months. Clients could not be onboarded until September.

That same summer, Scoggins himself was hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia.

“It was still early in the pandemic,” he recalls. “A lot of people weren’t coming out of the hospital then. I was lucky. I walked out 25 pounds lighter but extremely grateful — and even more determined to get back to work.”

While Thrive waited for the world to re-open, the team didn’t sit idle.

“We used those months to get better. We refined our systems, improved processes and rethought how we could make the client experience better. By the time we officially launched that fall, we were stronger for having gone through it together,” Scoggins says.

That pause also gave Scoggins and his team time to reimagine some of the industry’s pain points.

“We asked, what are the common complaints we hear about PEOs, and how can we fix them?” he says. “Customer service was a big one. So was improving relationships with brokers who historically saw PEOs as competitors.”

The result was a new kind of partnership model. Thrive built a close relationship with its major medical carrier, creating a unique billing identifier for every client. This allows brokers to maintain their agent-of-record status — ensuring there’s no loss of commission or control when they bring business to Thrive.

“It’s a win-win,” Scoggins believes.

THE TULSA ADVANTAGE

Tulsa, Oklahoma offers the perfect environment for a people-centered PEO like Thrive to flourish.

“Our focus has been narrower than most,” he explains. “We want to be the go-to solution in the state of Oklahoma. Most of our clients are within an hour’s drive. They’re also our friends and neighbors. In Oklahoma, people want to do business with their own.”

Although Thrive is licensed in 40 states, 98% of its clients are Oklahoma-based. Scoggins estimates that 80% of customers are within 15 minutes of Thrive’s Tulsa headquarters. That proximity means Scoggins’ team visits clients regularly; another touchpoint that reinforces that true partnership nature of the relationship.

That local-first approach has paid off. Thrive has grown steadily since its 2020 launch, earning recognition as Tulsa’s fastest-growing company and Oklahoma’s third fastest-growing overall. But the company’s reach is beginning to expand. Thrive is now exploring new markets in Texas and Oregon, regions Scoggins says share Oklahoma’s appetite for local, relationship-driven business.

And all this growth has come without employing a single salesperson and nimble team of just 10.

BALANCING GROWTH AND SERVICE

Thrive’s rapid rise could easily have come at the cost of client service. Scoggins has worked hard to ensure it hasn’t.

“Growth has always been the outcome of doing the right things, not something we chase,” he says. “If you communicate honestly and follow through, good things happen.”

One striking example: in five years of operation, Thrive has never had a client leave a voicemail during business hours.

“We’ve trained our team kind of like Apple Store employees,” Scoggins laughs. “Everyone’s cross-trained on our platform, so whoever answers the phone can usually solve the problem.”

That philosophy extends to training. New employees complete a six-month program that covers every corner of the company. Once they reach their six-month anniversary, they’re gifted a pair of custom Thrive-branded Nike sneakers — a lighthearted but meaningful symbol of belonging.

“We wanted to make HR fun again,” Scoggins says. “Now even our clients ask for the shoes.”

CULTURE THAT LIVES ITS NAME

Step inside Thrive’s Tulsa headquarters and the culture is immediately visible — and audible.

“When you call our office, whoever answers the phone will say, ‘It’s a great day to Thrive,’ and the best part is, we mean it,” Scoggins says.

The company’s atmosphere is intentionally open and upbeat, with office dogs roaming the office, Pac-Man battles and plenty of laughter.

“Culture isn’t a buzzword here,” Scoggins explains. “It’s the energy behind everything we do. People genuinely like working together. They show up ready to solve problems and support each other.”

That supportive spirit extends to work-life balance. Every employee has a partner with whom they alternate Fridays off, ensuring everyone gets regular downtime.

Thrive’s approach to culture is simple but powerful: trust, transparency and shared ownership.

“We don’t do rigid hierarchies; everyone’s voice matters, whether they’ve been here a week or five years,” Scoggins says.

POWERED BY TECHNOLOGY, GROUNDED IN PEOPLE

Though Thrive’s service model is deliberately high-touch, the company has invested heavily in behind-the-scenes technology including AI-driven tools that increase efficiency without replacing human interaction. The goals is not to take people out of the equation, but to free them to focus on relationships and results.

That blend of high-efficiency systems and personal service is what Scoggins believes truly sets Thrive apart.

“We’re a people-first company powered by technology not a technology company that happens to employ people,” he says. “Every client has a dedicated ‘Thriver’ who knows their business inside and out.”

This approach, combined with Thrive’s partnership network of trusted advisors, brokers and CPAs, has fueled its steady growth.

“Every relationship starts through someone the client already trusts. It shortens the sales cycle and starts the partnership on solid ground,” Scoggins says.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THRIVE

Looking ahead, Scoggins isn’t focused on becoming the biggest PEO, just the best version of Thrive.

“We’ve built a model that works,” he says. “Now it’s about refinement, innovation and scaling thoughtfully. We’re exploring expansion to other regions, but not just for the sake of growth. We want to go where our model fits and where we can make a real difference.”

Thrive’s ongoing investments in AI and automation will continue to streamline operations, allowing staff to stay client-focused.

Still, for all the accolades and growth, Scoggins insists the company’s success comes down to one thing: people.

“Without question, I’m most proud of our team,” he says. “They’re the heart and soul of this company. Every milestone we’ve reached, every client we’ve served well, is because of them.”

For Scoggins and his team, that philosophy isn’t just marketing, it’s the company’s identity. Every day, in every interaction, they live the motto that greets every call and anchors every relationship: It’s a great day to Thrive.