The Randy Forcier Podcast | Mortgages, Business, Sports & Culture

On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I'm joined by Kelly Mank, co-owner of BNI Maine, for her second appearance on the podcast, four years after our first conversation.

Kelly shares how BNI Maine has grown to 551 members across 21 chapters, generating approximately $42 million in closed business over the past year. We talk about what's changed in the organization, the importance of building a strong culture and why complacency might be the biggest challenge facing longtime members.

We also get into what separates successful BNI chapters from struggling ones, the importance of leadership and accountability, and why building genuine relationships matters more than simply hitting numbers. Kelly shares some advice for chapter presidents, her thoughts on AI and social media versus traditional networking, and where she sees BNI heading in the future.

Finally, we discuss her family's other businesses, including Salt Spa Wellness, and the one quality she sees consistently in successful business owners.

CONNECT WITH KELLY & HER BUSINESSES

BNI Maine
https://bnimaine.com

Salt Spa Wellness
https://saltspawellness.com

The Windham Eagle
https://www.thewindhameagle.com

Next2Thrive — Business Consulting

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I'm joined by Chris Bedard to talk about the recent jump in mortgage rates, what it means for homebuyers and why there may still be opportunities in today's housing market.

We also break down CMG Home Loans' new Rate Break program, which offers eligible buyers a temporary 0.5% interest rate reduction for the first 12 months at no additional cost to the borrower.

Then we switch things up with two new segments: Would You Rather and Overrated or Underrated. We debate putting 20% down versus keeping your cash, lower rates versus lower purchase prices, whether paying discount points makes sense, first-time homebuyer programs, online mortgage calculators and more.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I'm joined by my brother Matt for an unplanned movie podcast about Backrooms, one of the most fascinating movies we've watched this year.

We break down what makes the Backrooms themselves so compelling, from the eerie, endless rooms and found footage to the strange imagery and mysteries that make the movie so hard to stop thinking about.

We also get into the characters, some of our favorite scenes, the extended post-credits sequence and our theories about what's actually happening inside the Backrooms. Plus, we discuss director Kane Parsons, the movie's YouTube origins and whether we want more stories set in this world.

Finally, we compare Backrooms with Obsession and The Odyssey, share our ratings and talk about why sometimes the best movies are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers.

Spoiler warning: We discuss the entire movie, including the ending and post-credits sequence.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I’m joined by Chris Davis, Realtor with Real Broker and founder of Places in Maine.

Chris shares his path from acting and performing in New York City to returning home to Maine, getting into real estate and eventually building his team.

We also talk about the LAUNCH event Chris recently put on and some of the biggest ideas from his keynote, including why you need to stop building other people’s dreams, how to become memorable, finding your personal anchors and why the thing you’re afraid to share might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Chris also gets into building a personal brand, finding the balance between authenticity and oversharing, getting past the fear of being cringe on social media and why simply being yourself can be one of the best ways to grow a business.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, Chris Bedard and I break down the latest Federal Reserve meeting, the decision to raise the federal funds rate, and what we’ve seen with mortgage rates leading up to the announcement.

Rates have moved higher over the past several days, pushing 30 year mortgage rates back above 7%. We talk about why that’s happening, what the Fed is watching, and what higher rates mean for buyers who may have started their home search expecting something very different.

We also talk about why buyers shouldn’t make their decision based solely on an interest rate. Ultimately, it comes down to affordability, the monthly payment, and whether buying a home makes sense for your family and your situation.

Then we shift gears and go through some of the biggest misconceptions Realtors have about the mortgage process. Can we just get an appraisal waiver? Can we do an escrow holdback? If someone has great credit or a ton of money in the bank, shouldn’t they qualify? Can we challenge a low appraisal? And if rates drop after someone locks, can we just lower their rate?

We break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes and why there’s usually more to these questions than it seems.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I reconnect with my old college roommate and friend Joe Brown, 26 years after we first met as freshmen at Saint Anselm College.

Joe and I look back at our college years and talk about how much life has changed since then, from raising kids and sending them off to college to careers, coaching, moving away from home and realizing how quickly the years go by.

We also get into Joe’s journey as a teacher, athletic director and basketball coach, why he eventually stepped away from coaching, what youth sports have become, and the challenges of coaching your own kids.

More than anything, this is a conversation between two old friends comparing where we thought life was going at 18 to where we actually ended up 26 years later.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, Chris Bedard is back and we’re getting ready for the start of the NFL season with our full 2026 preview.

We go division by division through the entire NFL, breaking down the biggest storylines and making our over/under win total picks for all 32 teams. We get into whether the Patriots can repeat last year’s success, the Bills’ chances of taking back the AFC East, what to expect from teams like the Ravens, Chiefs, Eagles and Seahawks, and why we both think the Rams could be the team to beat.

We also make our Super Bowl picks, talk MVP and other major awards, and discuss some of the players and teams we’re higher — and much lower — on heading into the season.

Plus, plenty of Patriots talk as we look ahead to their season-opening Super Bowl rematch against Seattle.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I welcome back Josh Lagasse, owner of RE/MAX Realty One, more than four years after he first joined me as my second-ever podcast guest.

We talk about Real’s acquisition of RE/MAX and what it could mean for the brand, how Josh’s perspective on running a real estate company has changed, and what the most successful agents are doing differently in 2026.

We also dig into AI and its growing role in real estate, the changing purpose of social media, why human connection still matters, and how agents can position themselves to be discovered through ChatGPT and other AI platforms.

Then we turn to the Southern Maine housing market — higher mortgage rates, affordability, inventory, home prices, seller expectations, buyer leverage, and the challenge of convincing homeowners with ultra-low rates that it can still make sense to move.

Finally, we look ahead to 2030 and discuss why technology may make it easier to replace an average real estate agent while making a truly great agent even more valuable.

On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, Matt and I break down Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the movie that capped off an incredible summer at the box office and gave Marvel a much-needed win heading toward Avengers: Doomsday.

We talk about where Brand New Day ranks among the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, our favorite scenes, the return of MJ and Ned, Sadie Sink’s debut as Jean Grey, and Jon Bernthal stealing the show as The Punisher. We also get into Hulk, Florence Pugh’s Black Widow, the future of the X-Men, and some of the movie’s biggest questions and nitpicks.

Plus, we hand out our signature movie awards, discuss what this movie means for the future of Marvel, and debate whether Spider-Man: Brand New Day has us more excited for Avengers: Doomsday and the next phase of the MCU.

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On this episode of The Randy Forcier Podcast, I’m joined by Jeff Lee to talk about his new short horror film, Baby in the Woods, and what it actually takes to make an independent movie from scratch right here in Maine.

Jeff takes us behind the scenes of producing the film, from developing the script and finding locations to casting actors, assembling a crew, creating storyboards, handling contracts, and figuring out how to pay for it all. We also get into some of the jobs you probably see in movie credits but have no idea what they actually do, the unexpected expenses that come with filmmaking, and why keeping a production on schedule is so important.

We also talk about the upcoming five-day shoot in Waldoboro, what happens once filming wraps, crowdfunding the final stages of the project, getting Baby in the Woods into film festivals, and Jeff’s bigger goals in the film industry. Plus, we discuss why low-budget horror is having such a moment and how independent filmmakers have more opportunities than ever to get their work seen.

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🍎 Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-randy-forcier-podcast/id1623732002