Building Bigger Lives

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Kathryn and Michael discuss strategies for a successful start to the new year, emphasizing the importance of reviewing personal priorities before delving into professional planning, setting clear goals, and maintaining a vision aligned with your values. They explore various planning tools and frameworks, including focus plans, quarterly reviews...

In today's episode of the Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Jamie Zeitz, a top 1% mortgage originator from Jacksonville, Florida, shares his career journey and approach to the industry, highlighting his focus on impact, growth, and excellence through non-traditional strategies and his background in college athletics. He discusses his personal development routine and mindset training, emphasizing the...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael and Kathryn talk about the importance of getting away, sharing their experiences with coordinating trips around family schedules and school breaks. They offer tips and tricks gleaned from their experiences visiting various destinations, including South Korea and New York. They discuss the benefits of using a large calendar to visualize...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Kathryn and Michael celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast, reflecting on its evolution from a small-town entrepreneur concept to its current format and discussing their decade-long collaboration in coaching. They highlight how the podcast adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through Kathryn's embrace of Clubhouse as a creativ...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Kathryn and Michael talk EMAIL! This episode is full of email management tips, tricks, and productivity hacks. They explore strategies for managing email effectively, including time blocking, creating boundaries, and implementing a three-bucket system for categorizing emails based on urgency and importance. They also offer recommendations for i...

Liz Reese joins Kathryn and Michael in this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast.  They discuss her 22-year career in mortgage, where she emphasizes her role as a mortgage advisor who provides personalized advice and leverages her real estate investing experience to help clients make informed decisions. Her career journey began unexpectedly in real estate after starting with a degree in ho...

Michael and Kathryn explore strategies for making team meetings more effective and meaningful, discussing the importance of preparation, clear roles, and active participation. They emphasize the value of in-person meetings for building culture and fostering better connections, while also addressing the challenges of virtual meetings. The conversation covers various aspects of meeting management, i...

Kathryn and Michael welcome Dino Katsiametis to the podcast, where he shares his 28-year career in the mortgage industry and his vision to transform the sector. Dino discusses his early entrepreneurial experiences working in his father's restaurants, learning valuable lessons about customer service and personal growth. He describes his father's journey from dishwasher to food and beverage manager,...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Kathryn and Michael provide practical insights for business owners and leaders on how to foster a loyal and engaged workforce. They share strategies to reduce employee turnover and improve retention by focusing on creating a supportive work environment, transparent communication, and effective leadership. They explore various leadership practic...

This episode features Jay Crowell, president of the National Retail Division for Cornerstone Home Lending.  Jay shares his leadership journey and experiences connecting finance and sports through his father's basketball coaching legacy. He details his father's impact as a pioneering basketball coach and camp founder, while discussing how his upbringing shaped his professional career in mortgage an...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Kathryn and Michael discuss the qualities of strong sales leaders. They focus on exploring qualities that distinguish effective sales leaders and professionals, emphasizing the importance of connecting features and benefits to customer outcomes while highlighting the role of emotional engagement and strategic thinking. The discussion covers how...

Today Michael and Kathryn introduce Ryan Wheelwright, a veteran mortgage lending professional, to discuss his career journey and experiences across various industries. Ryan shares his background in business and philosophy, his transition through different companies, and his early work in the restaurant industry which helped develop his people skills. The conversation explores Ryan's evolution from...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcasts, Kathryn shares her experiences and insights from attending the Momentum Builder Sales Mastery event in Dallas-Fort Worth, where she connected with industry leaders and learned about adaptability in the mortgage industry. The event featured various speakers who discussed personal growth, social media strategies, and the importance of meaningful...

Today Michael and Kathryn discuss the book "The Spirit of the Purple Cow" by Seth Godin, which focuses on being different and remarkable to stand out in today's world. They explained the concept using the example of a purple cow being needed to capture attention, as ordinary cows no longer inspire interest. The discussion highlights how traditional marketing methods are less effective, and they em...

In today's episode of the Building Bigger Lives Podcast, Brian Manning, a 27-year mortgage industry veteran, shares his career journey, which began at age 22 when he managed the Bahama Out Island Travel Network, a scuba diving travel reservation company in the Bahamas. He learned about the internet for the first time when a customer from Texas found cheaper rates online for Atlantis Paradise Islan...

Michael and Kathryn discuss the theme of their podcast episode, which focuses on the fall season's shift in economic events and market conditions, encouraging listeners to reflect on their business plans and goals. They explore the importance of reviewing past commitments and goals, emphasizing the need to adapt and plan for the future. Michael shares his approach of helping clients reconnect with...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael and Kathryn explore the Japanese business philosophy of Kaizen, which means "good change" or "change for the better." Kaizen promotes continuous improvement through incremental changes. They explore historical examples from Toyota and personal experiences shared by Michael's family. They also discuss the practical application of Kaizen...

Today The Building Bigger Lives podcast welcomes Mike Newmann, a Southern Oregon leader and former baseball coach, who shares his career transition from coaching to financial services and discusses his leadership development journey. Newmann details his experiences in managing teams, handling market challenges, and implementing innovative loan programs while emphasizing the importance of personal...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael and Kathryn discuss the concept of to-do lists and their effectiveness in managing tasks. They explore the process of brain dumping, where thoughts and tasks are written down to clear mental clutter. Michael explains the Eisenhower Matrix as a tool for organizing tasks into quadrants based on urgency and importance. Kathryn shares her p...

In this episode of Building Bigger Lives, Michael and Kathryn welcome back John Donnelly, a returning guest and Executive Director of Sales at Service First Mortgage, to discuss his continued journey of learning and growth. John shares that after reading "The 12 Hour Walk" by Colin O'Brady, he embarked on a similar challenge, which marked a significant turning point in his personal and professiona...

Kelly Zitlow is our guest in this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast. Kelly has developed the "Sunshine Warrior" community, movement, and podcast. Kelly shares her personal journey and the origins of the "Sunshine Warrior" concept, which evolved from a source of comfort during her mother's battle with cancer into a trademarked brand focused on positivity and support. She discusses her ow...

Clayton Collins, CEO of HousingWire, shares his career journey from financial services to acquiring the company in 2016, driven by his family's background in housing and his passion for working with entrepreneurs. He outlined Housing Wire's transformation from a print magazine to a digital media company, including strategic acquisitions and expansion into new segments while emphasizing the importa...

In today's episode, Kathryn and Michael discuss the role of AI in personal and professional development, exploring how AI tools like ChatGPT can enhance creativity, productivity, and problem-solving. Kathryn shares her experiences using AI for tasks such as summarizing podcasts, creating meal plans, and generating content ideas, while Michael highlights how AI can serve as a creative companion and...

Joe Bob Thompson, a former client and long-time friend of Michael, shares his life story on the podcast. Growing up in a small, rural town in northeast Texas, Joe faced challenges due to his unique name, which led to fights in the 5th grade. Despite this, he developed thick skin and learned to stand up for himself. Joe attributes his positive outlook to his mother and stepfather, who were signific...

Michael and Kathryn discuss the importance of thoughtful hiring and proper training for new hires. They emphasize the need to assess current team capacity and productivity before deciding to hire, suggesting that addressing inefficiencies and considering technology or outsourcing solutions may be more beneficial. When hiring is necessary, they advise creating a clear job description, understanding...