Benefits Brokerage, Retirement Plan Advisory All in One Place—TotalBenefitsCA
Growing up in the Woodlands neighborhood of Walnut Creek, Blair Stientjes knew where he wanted to set up shop when he founded TotalBenefitsCA, a California-based benefits brokerage firm that focuses on building benefits and retirement plans for small businesses.
During his fifteen years as a 401(k) advisor and benefits consultant with a multi-national insurance brokerage serving mid- to large-sized businesses, Blair saw opportunities that large benefits firms often overlook: small business owners struggling to navigate the convergence of employee benefits and retirement plan management, often dealing with multiple vendors and conflicting advice.
After setting out on his own and establishing TotalBenefitsCA in 2023, Blair made the move from his Walnut Creek home office to Shadelands at 488 N. Wiget Lane, in 2025.
Blair Stientjes founded TotalBenefitsCA in 2023 and moved into Shadelands in 2025, a familiar space near his neighborhood community he’s called home since childhood.
TotalBenefitsCa offers a comprehensive approach to benefits packages — medical, dental, vision, and ancillary insurance lines, alongside management and advisory services for 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans. The distinction matters: Small business employers have a single advisor helping them make strategic decisions about their benefits dollars.
"We're always straddling that line," Blair said, "creating economy and value for the business owner, while maintaining a competitive and compelling benefits package that attracts and retains talent."
From the employee perspective, “When they’re looking at the benefits in the package offered by their employer, they’re looking at how they can best put the components together to both protect their families with health insurance, and invest in the future with a 401(k) or 403(b).”
And for Blair, that’s the exciting part.
"I get to work with employees to help them understand something that might look daunting at first," he says. "Once I meet with them and get to know them, it becomes easy for me to be a guide to help them make their decisions. I lay out their options, answer their questions, and help them make choices that speak to their specific needs — rather than following what their workmates and colleagues picked, which may not be the best option for them and their family."
Blair meets with clients — generally CEOs, HR representatives, and employees — in his office, on site in the client’s office, and virtually via Zoom.
Blair views his work through a financial lens, shaped by years in the industry.
“At the end of the day, the employer is making a financial decision as to which benefits package they are going to offer to their employees, and then the employees have to make a financial decision as to what will benefit them as an individual or as a family, and managing that relevant to saving for retirement, as well,” said Blair. “So it’s always a financial decision that has to be made by the employer and by the individual, and that’s where my many years in the financial world serves my clients and me very well.”
Blair works with a number of partners in Northern California offering clients access to outsourced HR, payroll, bookkeeping, accounting, legal services, professional employer organizations, and CFO support to help ensure they have a team around them with a proven track record. “It's about helping business owners focus on what they do best by eliminating the noise of additional challenges and obligations that are a part of doing business.”
While his financial advisory practice serves clients nationwide, Blair concentrates his benefits work in Northern California by design. The reason is personal: local knowledge of the markets and healthcare systems matters.
"I know the health systems available here. I know which plans provide access to those systems," he said. "By focusing on Northern California small businesses, I get to meet my clients face-to-face, know them and their employees, and become part of their teams and their lives."
“In many cases, a Health Savings Plan is a better place to put retirement money than in a 401(k) or 403(b). It’s not for everybody, but it is an excellent option for many,” said Blair. “It’s such an important part of the retirement equation, I bring it up with every introductory conversation.”
And while he is the primary point of contact for TotalBenefitsCA, Blair has remote employees dedicated to both the benefits side and the financial advisory side to handle the many moving parts of his line of work.
“I am 100 percent connected to this area, having been a part of this community for so long,” said Blair. “I left Walnut Creek for UCLA, worked in San Francisco for several years, and then moved back to Walnut Creek because this is where I want to be.”
He's watched Shadelands transform from open fields and orchards in the '70s to become one of Walnut Creek’s first business parks. Now, as the revitalized area has become an economic hub with prominent and innovative businesses, nonprofits, and amenities moving in, Blair finds himself exactly where he's meant to be — helping his community and region build stronger futures for employers, employees, and families.
