Idiot to Genius

Most people are still figuring out what they want to do in high school. Emani Chapman was already building his own brand. He started Cozy Caps during his sophomore year, creating his own beanies and eventually expanding into custom designs and other handmade products. In this episode, Emani talks about turning an idea into something real, learning how to work with customers, making mistakes and im...

What do you see that everyone else is still missing? Returning guest D.R. Rawson joins Idiot to Genius to share what more than 30 businesses and a lifetime of entrepreneurship have taught him about leadership, character, and embracing new technology. From becoming a CEO at 21 and helping introduce PVC pipe to the U.S. market to his work today with AI and character education, D.R. explains why resp...

What if the biggest challenge in your life isn't the giant you're facing, but the one you're avoiding? In this episode of Idiot to Genius , Aaron "Sgt. Q" Quinonez shares how overcoming homelessness, trauma, depression, and adversity taught him a life-changing lesson: the first battle everyone must win is the battle against avoidance. From faith and neuroscience to leadership...

What if the reason sales feels uncomfortable is because you’re trying too hard to sell? In this episode, Julie Jones , sales conversion and client retention strategist, shares why great sales conversations aren’t about convincing someone to say yes. They’re about listening, asking better questions, and helping people get clear on what they actually want. Julie opens up about going from being afrai...

In September's episode of Pods & Properties , Todd dives into some of the biggest real estate questions we're hearing right now, including the rent-versus-buy debate, whether a housing crash is actually coming, and why online home value estimates don't always tell the full story. On the podcasting side, Pod Savvy Guide shares how her approach to podcasting has evolved over the year...

What if the problem isn’t your team, but a pattern you don’t realize you’re creating? John and Sheridan Fisher, founders of J.S. Fisher Company and authors of Clarity by the Numbers, break down the hidden patterns behind communication, micromanaging, delegation, and decision-making and why recognizing your own patterns can change the way you lead, work, and communicate. Connect with John + Sherida...

What if AI isn’t here to replace your team but could actually make your team more valuable? In this episode of Idiot to Genius , Steph and Todd sit down with executive coach, professor, and speaker Dr. Bill Sodeman to talk about leadership, AI, and navigating change in the workplace. Dr. Bill shares why leaders can get stuck putting out fires instead of thinking strategically, how chasing the next...

What happens when you finally take a break and realize just how much you needed it? In this August edition of Pods & Properties , we’re talking about burnout, stepping away from podcasting and social media, and what happens to your attention and creativity when you put down your phone. Then we shift into the Utah housing market, why buyers may have more room to negotiate right now, and why sel...

After a stretch of incredibly inspiring episodes—from learning to chase rejection to powerful stories of resilience like going from homelessness at nine to leading 30+ businesses we’re taking a short break to reset and refocus. In the meantime, Steph has plenty of episodes across her other shows like Notable Peeps and 52 Weeks to keep you inspired, and Todd shares a weekly real estate Q&A on h...

At nine years old, DR Rawson was homeless searching for food behind restaurants and working to support his family. Decades later, he became a lawyer, built more than 30 companies, and now teaches leaders and children alike that character is the foundation of everything. In this episode, DR Rawson shares the moments that shaped his life from survival to success and the principle that changed everyt...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t strategy, the market, or your circumstances… but your own mindset? In this episode of Idiot to Genius , we dive into the real root of why people stay stuck year after year a\nd it’s not what most people think. It comes down to the subconscious programming we’ve picked up from parents, school, society, and past experiences that quietly shapes how we...

Bailey Brimhall shares how a simple idea turned into a fast-growing company from shipping pre-orders at his kitchen table to achieving consistent 50% growth quarter after quarter. But it wasn’t instant success. From slow first sales and zero traction to finding momentum through in-person events, innovation, and persistence, this episode dives into the real journey behind building a business. Baile...

Have you ever felt like you were meant for more but stayed where you were because it felt safer? Philly Rodriguez built her career in the emergency room, where chaos was familiar and decisions were clear, but stepping into real estate forced her to confront fear, identity, and the discomfort of no guaranteed paycheck. This conversation explores what happens when you stop hiding parts of who you ar...

What’s really being done to make housing more affordable and why does it still feel so out of reach? In this episode of Pods & Properties , we dive into the real conversations happening around affordability, from credit card interest caps and institutional investors to the bigger picture of supply, demand, and inflation. Then, the conversation takes a turn into podcasting, where Steph shares a...

Jonathan Rogers is a Realtor and former Marine Corps reservist bringing military discipline, leadership, and a commitment to service into his real estate career. After serving in the Marine Corps Reserves, Jonathan transitioned into real estate, where he applies the same mindset of accountability and resilience to help clients navigate one of life’s biggest decisions. In this episode, he shares ho...

What if the real risk in business isn’t failure but staying comfortable for too long? In this episode, we sit down with power couple Brandon and Michelle Barber to unpack what happens when certainty disappears, systems collapse, and entrepreneurs are forced to pivot or be left behind. For more than 25 years, they’ve coached over one million people, created 100+ courses, generated $10M+ in revenue,...

What if your rock bottom wasn’t the end of your story, but the beginning of the most productive season of your life? The most surprising part of this transcript is how fast Joe “Chef Giuseppe” Gallagher Jr.’s turnaround happened: jail in January 2024, and his first spaghetti sauce sale June 1 after walking into a Piggly Wiggly with one jar and zero “perfect plan.” What hit even harder was his hone...

Pods & Property is a monthly segment where real estate meets podcasting, hosted by Pod Savvy Guide and Realtor Todd Porter. Each episode breaks down what’s actually happening in the local Utah real estate market using real data, real experience, and zero hype, then closes with an honest take on where podcasting is headed next. From buyer and seller behavior to market conditions, content trends...

At some point, success stops being about effort and starts being about honesty. In this episode, Misty Cabaniss, a Florida-based Realtor with nearly 25 years of experience in real estate and construction and an agent with eXp Realty in Florida. Misty shares how real estate became a mirror for deeper patterns around money, identity, and self-worth, shaped by years of living in survival mode. She op...

What happens when the career you spent decades building disappears and you’re forced to answer the question most of us avoid: who am I without my job title? In this episode, Karen Maria Alston shares how 2025 unraveled the plan she thought she had, and how that disruption pushed her into an unexpected new world: AI. What started as curiosity turned into full immersion, with Karen earning AI certif...

Nancy Benet went from five failed businesses, a divorce, four young kids, and $650,000 in debt to building one of Florida’s most respected accounting firms, Fix It Accounting. In this episode, Nancy shares the moment her business deal collapsed, the recession hit, her unemployment ran out and how declaring “I will make this work” changed everything. She reveals how she built her firm by serving pe...

In this December episode of Pods & Properties , Steph Shoell breaks down what’s happening in podcasting and digital media while Todd Porter , real estate expert, shares what buyers and sellers need to know heading into 2026. They cover the National Association of Realtors’ updated forecast showing a projected increase in home sales, why interest rates around 6 percent could unlock inventory, a...

Before Babar Arshadever launched a company, wrote a check, or mentored a founder, two things guided him: hunger and honesty. In this episode, Babar shares how those values shaped every pivot of his life from selling pharmacy franchises at 21 to stepping into entrepreneurship, making bold decisions that cost him money, and staying anchored to the roots that define him. He talks about the culture of...

What happens when life’s most painful losses turn into your life’s purpose? In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Kay , founder of My Digital Memories , a company dedicated to rescuing photos, films, tapes, and family history before they disappear forever. Jeff shares how losing loved ones at a young age sparked a lifelong mission to preserve memories and protect family legacies. From forgotten V...

From the outside, attorney Mark Astor looked like a textbook success story a decorated prosecutor known as a “trial machine,” a lawyer who fought relentlessly for justice, and later, a high-earning professional with all the material markers of achievement. But behind the scenes, Mark was unraveling. After leaving the prosecutor’s office, he stepped into a career that made him money but left him ut...