Building Bigger Lives

In this episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast, we focus on the Role Reflection journal exercise as a tool for annual planning. Michael and Kathryn explain that the exercise helps people reflect on their current year before setting goals for the next. They discuss the importance of looking back at both celebrations and hard moments to find lessons and avoid repeating mistakes. Michael compar...

This episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast  features a conversation between Michael, Kathryn, and guest Darren McGraw about leadership, followership, and professional growth. Darren shares his career journey, starting with a formative 10-year experience at Safeco Insurance where he credited a strong culture of professional development for his success. He discusses his 25 years as an entrepr...

This episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast focuses on the functional process of a life plan and how its "accounts" work. Michael and Kathryn describe accounts as important areas of life, such as spouse, children, health, finances, and friends, using a banking metaphor where one makes deposits and withdrawals of value. They walk through the components of each account: purpose (the "why"), en...

This episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast features Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen welcoming executive coach Steph Saffer as their guest. Steph shares her unique background transitioning from being a licensed acupuncturist for 16 years to becoming an executive coach, drawing from her experience treating 40,000 patients who were high-performing leaders dealing with burnout and workplace...

Michael and Kathryn discuss the current real estate market, emphasizing that despite negative headlines, it is actually a buyer's market with opportunities for savvy buyers. They highlight data showing an increase in price cuts, with 20.8% of listings having reduced prices in September, indicating a shift in seller psychology. Kathryn explains that sellers are more open to negotiations due to mark...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen interview Marcie Hines, a mortgage professional and founder of the nonprofit Caleb's Cause. Marcie shares her journey in the mortgage industry, starting in 2001 and evolving from working IN the business to working ON the business with the help of coaching and new networks. She discusses her passion for helping...

Michael and Kathryn conduct a podcast recording from the Building Champions Experience in Sun River, Oregon, after an almost decade-long break. They provide a recap of the week's events and key takeaways. Michael explains how the retreat serves as a "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" hard reset for high-performance professionals, offering a peaceful environment disconnected from urban distractions that allows part...

Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen discuss the experience of sending Kathryn's youngest daughter Abby off to college, exploring the emotional and practical aspects of this transition. Kathryn shares how they prepared for the move, including dividing responsibilities with her husband Todd and ensuring Abby was comfortable with using Marco Polo for staying connected. They discuss how this experience...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen welcome guest Jacob Washburn to discuss his experiences in the mortgage industry, leadership, and personal growth. Jacob shares his journey into mortgage lending, his long tenure at Cornerstone, and the importance of focusing on process over outcome to avoid burnout. He explains how his faith and personal valu...

Kathryn Pedersen and Michael Regan discuss aphantasia, a condition affecting 2-4% of the population, where individuals cannot conjure visual images in their minds. Kathryn shares her recent discovery of having aphantasia and explains how it impacts business applications, particularly in coaching and real estate settings where visualization exercises might not be effective for people with this cond...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Kathryn Pedersen and Michael Regan interview Joey Hansen about her recent experience being recruited and changing companies after 12 years. Joey shares insights from her journey, categorizing the different recruiting styles she encountered into seven types: over-talkers, pitchers, greatness sellers, over-promisers, expansionists, givers, and in...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael and Kathryn discuss the importance of authenticity on social media, especially for business professionals. They explore how different platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn have evolved and how users engage with content, emphasizing the value of genuine, relatable posts over overly promotional or manufactured content. Kathryn shares her...

This episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast features Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen interviewing their friend Kevin Gramp, who shared insights about his personal and professional journey. Kevin discusses growing up without a father figure but with a strong single mother who instilled grit and work ethic in him, including teaching him to earn money by raking lawns. He credits Kathryn Pede...

In this episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Kathryn and Michael discuss the four foundational elements of business building: vision, plan, playbook, and scorecard. They explain why vision comes first as it sets the compass for the future direction and helps attract people to invest time and energy in the business. Michael describes how planning involves SMART goals and the distinction be...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives Podcast, hosts Kathryn Pedersen and Michael Regan interview Kelly Marsh, SVP and Regional Manager at Cornerstone, about her career journey, leadership style, and communication habits. Kelly shares her background, including her competitive upbringing and entry into the mortgage industry, and discusses how her focus on emotional intelligence and coaching...

In this episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Michael and Kathryn discuss the housing industry and the summer buying season of 2026. They explore why there is strong purchase activity despite no major external factors driving it, with Kathryn explaining that it's likely due to normal life events like families growing, job changes, and buyers becoming accustomed to current mortgage rates ar...

This episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast features Mike Rafii sharing his personal journey from a childhood marked by significant adversity to becoming a top producer in the mortgage industry. Born in New York to Iranian parents, Mike experienced displacement multiple times during his early years, including living in Iran during the revolution, Britain, Germany, and eventually settling in...

In this episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Michael and Kathryn discuss the "K economy" phenomenon in the housing industry, where business results have split into two categories: those experiencing significant success and those struggling to keep pace. Kathryn explains that the separation began about a year ago when people made different choices about maintaining business disciplines dur...

This episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast features Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen interviewing Russ Laing, a top-producing mortgage professional at Network Funding who has closed over $100 million annually multiple times. Russ shares his authentic business approach that focuses on old-fashioned relationship building, transparency, and doing what's right for clients rather than chasing...

In this episode, Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen discuss the importance of using halftime as a strategic opportunity for business reflection and course correction heading into the second half of the year. They explore two mindset scenarios for business owners at halftime: winning teams who need to identify what's working and make slight improvements, versus losing teams who may be struggling wi...

In this episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Kathryn and Michael discuss Michael's recent trip to Italy, focusing on the planning process and experiences during the journey. Michael explains how the trip was planned about a year in advance after friends recommended a Culture Discovery vacation package to the Amalfi Coast, which he and his wife Lori booked along with another couple from Sc...

This episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast features a book club episode discussing "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara. Kathryn and Michael explore key takeaways from the book, including creating memorable experiences through personalized gestures, the importance of serving both customers and team members with excellence, and the value of asking thoughtful questions to understand cli...

In this episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Michael and Kathryn discuss the role of a trainer in leadership, expanding on a previous podcast episode about the four roles of leaders. They explore the mindset, skill set, and tool set needed for effective training, emphasizing the importance of designing systems and frameworks, using visual aids like PowerPoint and Excel, and adapting to on...

In today's episode, Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen discuss the importance of changing one's mind in response to innovation and personal growth. They explore how innovation, whether driven by technology or process improvements, often forces individuals to reassess their approaches in business and personal relationships. The hosts share examples of how they've adapted to changes over the years,...

This episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast features Michael Regan, Kathryn Pedersen, and Greg Harkavy discussing the Building Champions Experience (BCE), an immersive coaching event returning in September 2026 after a seven-year hiatus. Greg, an original coach and co-owner, explained that BCE was created in 2008 as a structured experience focused on three elements: reflect, connect, and pla...