Recruiting isn’t about scripts, pitches, or job postings — it’s about who you are as a leader.

In this deep, unfiltered episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with Richard Milligan, one of the most respected recruiting coaches in the mortgage industry, to unpack what actually attracts top talent — and why most leaders struggle to recruit at scale.

Richard shares his personal journey from loan originator to elite recruiter and coach, revealing how identity, vision, systems, and personal brand matter far more than compensation plans or company decks. This conversation goes far beyond recruiting tactics, diving into leadership psychology, faith under pressure, resilience, and what it truly means to become an “attractive leader.”

If you’re trying to grow a team, scale a company, or lead at a higher level — this episode delivers clarity, frameworks, and hard-earned wisdom.

🔑 Key Takeaways & Bullet Points

• Why great recruiting starts with leadership identity, not job offers
• The concept of Attractive Leadership: vision, values, and purpose
• Why people follow leaders — not companies
• How Richard built a 32-step recruiting system that scales
• The difference between transactional recruiting and relationship-based recruiting
• Why personal brand is now a non-negotiable leadership skill
• How faith, failure, and pressure forged better leadership
• Why systems outperform motivation and hustle
• How to build a 90-day roadmap tailored to each individual leader
• Why value creation — not persuasion — wins in recruiting and referrals

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

In this episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with Matt Adler, a top-producing loan officer at Lake Michigan Credit Union, to break down the exact systems, niches, and mindset behind his extraordinary production.

Matt walks through his full journey — from music major and tuba performance student to becoming one of the most efficient producers in the country — and explains why discipline, focus, and saying “no” are the real growth levers in mortgage.

This is not hype or theory.
 It’s a real-world operating system for loan officers who want to scale intelligently.

🔑 Key Takeaways & Bullet Points

• How Matt closed $249M+ across 570 units with a small, specialized team
• Why over 95% of his business is self-generated and referral-based
• The power of niche lending (non-warrantable condos, FHA, first-time buyers)
• Why the phrase “I’m available anytime” kills professionalism and productivity
• How to structure a high-volume team (LOAs, processors, production partner)
• Why Mortgage Coach TCAs create instant advisor authority
• The consultation process that converts without selling
• How time-blocking, Calendly, and boundaries unlocked scale
• Why saying “no” attracts better clients and partners
• Lessons from Todd Duncan, Tony Robbins, and elite peer groups

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

Trust in financial institutions is declining — and the mortgage industry is feeling it more than most.

In this in-depth episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with Kristin Messerli, CEO and Founder of First Home IQ, to unpack why consumer trust is eroding — and exactly what mortgage professionals can do to rebuild it.

Kristin shares her journey from social work and community outreach to becoming one of the leading voices on financial literacy, trust-building, and next-generation homebuyers. Drawing from data, psychology, and real-world experience, she explains how education, empathy, and transparency outperform rates, ads, and automation alone.

This episode goes deep on:

• Why institutional trust is declining across all industries
• How trust has shifted from institutions to individuals
• The role AI should play in making advisors more human, not less
• Why listening matters more than pitching
• How loan officers can stop being transactional and become trusted guides

If you’re a mortgage advisor, loan officer, or industry leader navigating today’s skeptical consumer landscape, this episode delivers practical frameworks you can apply immediately.

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

What if your biggest breakthrough comes after you’re broke, scared, and ready to quit?

In this powerhouse episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with Dustin Owen — founder of TLO (The Loan Officer Podcast), mortgage coach, industry influencer, and endurance athlete — to unpack the real journey from struggling loan officer to building one of the most recognized mortgage media and coaching platforms in the industry.

Dustin opens up about:

• Going $10K into credit card debt his first year in mortgages
 • Deferring student loans just to keep the lights on
 • Doing FEMA cleanup work after hurricanes to survive
 • Rebuilding through the crash
 • Scaling from 40M a year to 70M a month
 • And ultimately transitioning from top producer to industry educator

Along the way, he reveals why love, structure, and discipline are the foundation of elite teams, thriving families, and high-performance businesses — and why investing in yourself delivers a higher return than the stock market.

If you’re a loan officer, team leader, or entrepreneur navigating today’s market, this episode delivers real tactics, real mindset shifts, and real strategy you can apply immediately.

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

What if the fastest way to grow your mortgage business isn’t more cold calls…
 but becoming so well-known in your local market that business comes to you?

In this episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with Geoff — veteran originator, host of a 400-episode mortgage podcast, and creator of one-to-many marketing systems — to break down exactly how loan officers can stop chasing realtors and start attracting referral partners through authority and visibility.

Geoff shares how he:

• Built his mortgage business in ultra-competitive Orange County
 • Shifted from cold calling to teaching classes and hosting events
 • Created a platform that made him “five-mile famous”
 • Helped originators move from vendor to valued partner
 • Turned personal branding into a scalable referral engine

If you’re a loan officer tired of being treated like a commodity, this episode delivers real tactics to rise above the noise and become the obvious choice in your market.

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

What does it really take to go from a broke 23-year-old cold-calling strangers…
 to building a billion-dollar mortgage organization — without losing your family, your health, or your joy?

In this powerful episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with Shayla Gifford — mortgage industry icon, Rainmaker strategist, and creator of the Rainmaker Archetype system.

Shayla’s journey is raw, real, and deeply tactical:

• Dropping out of college
 • Starting in door-to-door sales
 • Closing 20 loans in her third month
 • Scaling from a one-woman operation to a 150-employee, billion-dollar team
 • And ultimately rebuilding her business around systems, balance, and sustainable performance

This isn’t just motivation.
 This is a playbook for originators who want to scale intelligently in today’s market.

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

Markets rise. Markets crash.
 The professionals who survive — and win — are the ones who build before the storm.

In this episode of The Way, Dino sits down with Ken Perry, founder of Knowledge Coop, longtime mortgage educator, speaker, and industry truth-teller, for a deep conversation about identity, confidence, systems, and leadership in volatile markets.

Ken shares hard-earned lessons from decades in lending — including why misplaced confidence destroys careers, how lack of knowledge erodes trust, and why most loan officers struggle not because of the market, but because of poor preparation and broken systems.

This episode goes far beyond tactics. It’s about becoming the kind of professional clients trust, teams follow, and markets can’t shake.

If you want to build a mortgage career that lasts through every cycle, this is a must-listen.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why confidence is earned through knowledge — not hype
• How misplaced attribution creates dangerous highs and devastating lows
• The difference between coaching and therapy (and why leaders need both)
• Why systems matter more than talent when scaling production
• How ADHD, strengths, and self-awareness can become unfair advantages
• Why “being busy” is not the same as being effective
• How to prepare your business before the next market shift
• Why education builds trust faster than marketing
• How loan officers lose deals to Google — and now AI
• What it really means to act like the CEO of your own mortgage business

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

AI isn’t coming for your job — but your clients are changing faster than most professionals realize.

In this episode of The Way, Dino sits down with Eric Post, founder of Zi AI and a 20+ year real estate and mortgage industry veteran, for a deep, honest conversation about how artificial intelligence is reshaping consumer behavior, trust, and relevance in knowledge-based service industries.

Eric explains why the biggest threat isn’t AI-powered competitors — it’s the AI-powered consumer having private conversations before they ever call a loan officer or agent.

This episode goes far beyond tools and tactics. It’s about mindset, positioning, personalization at scale, and why the future belongs to professionals who shift from being information providers to trusted guides.

If you want to stay indispensable in a world where knowledge is cheap and automation is everywhere, this conversation will change how you think about your business.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the AI-powered consumer is the real disruption in mortgage & real estate
• How knowledge has become table stakes — and what actually differentiates you now
• The difference between automation and augmentation (and why it matters)
• Why optimizing relationships can actually destroy them
• How to use AI behind the scenes without losing the human touch
• Why “efficiency” alone is a zero-sum game
• How top producers will win by becoming wisdom workers, not technicians
• The role of EQ, communication, and taste in an AI-driven world
• How to reclaim time without sacrificing client experience
• What loan officers should not automate if they want more referrals

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

In this powerful episode of The Way, Dino sits down with the legendary coach, author, and industry icon to unpack over four decades of hard-won lessons on building a business that doesn’t just produce income — but creates freedom, longevity, and real wealth.

Todd shares why most loan officers stay stuck trading time for money, how systems unlock scale, and why relationships — not transactions — are the real asset in any lasting business.

The conversation dives deep into coaching, mindset, AI-powered learning, referral economics, and why slowing down is often the fastest way to grow.

This is not theory. This is proven execution from one of the most trusted voices in lending.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why transactions create income, but relationships create fortunes
• The “slow down to speed up” principle that transforms careers
• How Todd built referral-driven businesses without chasing leads
• Why most loan officers confuse being busy with being productive
• The real purpose of coaching — beyond learning how to do loans
• How systems create freedom, scale, and a sellable business
• The power of referral-by-design vs. transactional marketing
• Why confidence determines conversion more than scripts
• How AI coaching and role-play are changing learning forever
• What it takes to build a business that lasts decades — not cycles

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

In an industry obsessed with leads, rates, and automation, Justin Padron proves there’s a better — and more profitable — way to build a mortgage business.

In this episode of The Way, Dino sits down with Justin Padron of Neo Home Loans, a relationship-driven mortgage advisor producing nearly $70 million annually by focusing on community, collaboration, and long-term trust — not transactional shortcuts.

Justin breaks down how treating clients like family, building deep local relationships, and partnering strategically with real estate agents and financial planners creates a sustainable, referral-driven business — even in challenging markets.

This episode is a masterclass in old-school fundamentals executed at an elite level.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How Justin built a $70M mortgage business without chasing leads
• Why community presence beats national reach for long-term growth
• The exact team structure that allows Justin to scale without burnout
• How mortgage advisors can collaborate with financial planners and CPAs
• Why asking for introductions is more powerful than asking for referrals
• How to turn refinance savings into generational wealth conversations
• The biggest mistake loan officers make when trying to “do it all”
• How to hire your first team member (even if money feels tight)
• Why outbound phone calls still outperform modern lead strategies
• How to balance family, health, and business without sacrificing production

Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"
For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com.
Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on
instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis
Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.