Building Bigger Lives

Ryan Grant, President of Neo, shares his personal and professional journey in the mortgage industry, including his background growing up in a small rodeo town near Yosemite, and his transformation into a more visionary leader through experiences in competitive sports and business. The discussion explores Ryan's leadership style, emphasizing his approach to decisive action, team empowerment, and co...

In this episode of Building Bigger Lives, Kathryn and Michael discuss the concepts of "The Let Them Theory, " a book by Mel Robbins, focusing on the natural human desire to control others and the challenges that arise when others resist this control. They explore how this theory applies to various aspects of life, including work and personal relationships, and how recognizing and addressing these...

This episode features Tony Blodgett, EVP of retail sales at New American Funding, reflecting on his career journey from loan originator to executive leadership while discussing his experiences with Clubhouse and podcasting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tony shares insights about his approach to leadership, personal branding, and the challenges of transitioning from a top-producing loan officer to...

Michael attended the Mortgage Mastermind Summit in Las Vegas, where he and Ken Perry from Knowledge Coop presented a unique interview-style session on redefining winning in various aspects of life, contrasting with the typical sales-focused presentations. Michael highlighted the value of networking and authentic connections at industry events, and mentioned upcoming events including a Todd Duncan...

In this episode of Building Bigger Lives, Geoff Zimpfer shares his experience in the mortgage industry and discusses the importance of platform building and training others. Geoff shares his background, including his experience as a sales trainer with Tony Robbins and his transition into the mortgage industry in 2003. He explains that the inspiration for his book "Disrupt or Die" and his Mortgage...

Kathryn and Michael attended the HousingWire Gathering Conference, where they engaged with top industry leaders, discussed strategic shifts, and explored the implications of AI and recent mergers like Rocket acquiring Mr. Cooper and Redfin. They noted a sense of calm and confidence among attendees about the future of the mortgage and real estate industries, emphasizing that AI will play a signific...

Craig Davis, an experienced coach in the housing industry, joins Michael and Kathryn  to discuss his background, leadership approach, and coaching philosophy. He shares insights on personal branding, setting proactive objectives, and diversifying referral categories to advance one's business in the mortgage industry. Craig highlights his passion for coaching and his unique approach to leadership,...

In this episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, Michael and Kathryn discuss the importance and process of conducting quarterly business reviews. They recommend scheduling reviews 7-10 days after the end of each quarter, blocking out a half-day for the review, though it typically takes about 90 minutes. The review process involves gathering relevant data, scorecarding the previous quarter's f...

In this episode of Building Bigger Lives, our guest Roy Meshel introduces a new video series with the theme "Nobody wants a mortgage, they want the moment." The series focuses on the idea that life is a collection of moments, and people seek mortgages as a means to create meaningful experiences. Roy shares that he has been hearing amazing stories from people in response to this concept. Michael ex...

Michael and Kathryn discuss the time tracking tool, a spreadsheet that breaks down a day into 15-minute increments to log activities. They explain that the purpose is to create awareness of how time is actually spent, which often differs from perception. The tool can reveal inefficiencies, distractions, and opportunities for improvement in time management. They suggest using the data to identify h...

Kathryn and Michael Regan, hosts of the Building Bigger Lives podcast, interview Peter Zevenbergen, a mortgage industry professional with over 20 years of experience. Peter, who also serves as a branch manager and volunteers in his community, shares his unique approach to the industry. Michael, who has coached both Kathryn and Peter in the past, expresses his admiration for Peter's distinct strate...

In this episode, Kathryn and Michael discuss the importance of getting operations in shape, particularly in anticipation of increased volume. They explore different leadership styles, from motivating and driving teams to setting clear expectations. They emphasize the need for efficient processes, scalability, and profitability, as well as various uses for AI. They also discuss the importance of id...

Chad Jackson shares his experience of spontaneously deciding to do the 12-Hour Walk, which inspired personal growth and transformation in his life. He also discusses his musical journey, including his 30-year career as a musician in Seattle and his new band, Sweetener. Chad's personal journey of transformation, which began with a physical challenge and led to mental and emotional growth, has posit...

In this episode, Kathryn and Michael discuss the Stockdale paradox, a concept derived from the experiences of Admiral James Bond Stockdale, the highest-ranking US military officer held as a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam. They explain how certain prisoners, who had specific expectations about their release or improved conditions, were negatively affected by these expectations. In contrast, those who m...

Brent Palmer, a seasoned housing industry professional, shares insights from his career journey in mortgage lending, highlighting his strategic approach and personal growth. He discusses his leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of continuous evolution and maintaining a growth mindset. He reflects on his personal growth, acknowledging his initial insecurity and how it evolved over time...

In this special Book Club episode, Kathryn and Michael discuss the book "The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. They focus on the concept of measuring progress, either by focusing on what hasn't been achieved (the gap) or recognizing how far one has come (the gain). Michael highlights the dangers of the gap, su...

In this episode of Building Bigger Lives, Kathryn and Michael welcome Richard Jefferson, an EVP with Network Funding, to their podcast. Richard, who has been in the mortgage industry for 30 years, manages people across four time zones. They discuss his leadership style, his approach to understanding and accommodating the unique attitudes and emotions of his team members, and his passion for the mo...

In this episode, Kathryn and Michael discuss Michael's recent attendance at the Modern Mortgage Summit, which was divided into two parts. The first part was covered in a previous episode, while the second part, the Mortgage Real Estate Summit, was directed towards real estate agents. In this episode, Michael shares his insights from the summit, highlighting the high-level real estate professionals...

In this episode of Building Bigger Lives, Patrick Palmer, a veteran in the mortgage industry, shares his experiences and insights on leadership with Kathryn and Michael. He discusses the evolution of his leadership style, emphasizing the importance of intentional learning, patience, and maintaining passion in leadership roles. The conversation also covers strategies for long-term success in busine...

In this episode, Michael Regan and Kathryn Pedersen discuss the Modern Mortgage Summit in Las Vegas, which was co-hosted by Todd Bookspan and Dave Savage. The event featured a mix of mortgage and real estate professionals, with the morning focused on mortgage professionals and the afternoon on real estate professionals. The event was live-streamed to around 6,000 people.  Michael and Kathryn discu...

Greg Harkavy, a veteran Building Champions Executive Coach, shares his journey from being a workaholic in the mortgage industry to finding balance through life planning in today's episode of the Building Bigger Lives podcast. He emphasized the importance of setting boundaries, prioritizing personal life, and regularly updating one's life plan to reflect changing values and priorities. The discussi...

In this episode, Kathryn and Michael discuss the importance of daily disciplines in achieving business goals, emphasizing the need for commitments made on a regular basis to execute towards set goals. They also explore strategies for helping individuals achieve their goals, the difference between disciplines and projects, and the importance of discipline and execution in achieving personal and pro...

In this episode, Kathryn and Michael welcome Christy Walker, a successful real estate broker and business owner, to discuss her experiences and insights. Christy shares her journey of managing a brokerage and being an agent, emphasizing the importance of setting priorities, delegating tasks, and adapting to change. She also discusses the challenges of managing a team of independent contractors and...

In this episode, Michael and Kathryn discuss the concept of professional peer groups, which are popular across various industries. They also explore the idea of forming such groups for business growth and problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of a clear purpose, structure, and the power of asking great questions. Kathryn shares her experience of needing to expand her network beyond her small...

In this episode, Michael and Kathryn discussed Michael's recent 12-hour walk, inspired by Colin O'Brady's book "The 12-Hour Walk". Michael shared how he was initially inspired by a friend, John Donnelly, who had read the book and decided to try it himself. Michael then decided to do it himself, downloading the book to understand the context better. He emphasized that the walk was more about spendi...