CONNECT by California MBA
by The California MBA
Welcome to California MBA's podcast, Connect, our all-new podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry.California MBA serves to represent the residential and commercial real estate finance industry before all governing bodies. The California MBA encourages and promotes sound business practices and honesty in marketing, origination, lending and servicing of mortgage loans through our educational and networking opportunities.
Episodes
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Why Wholesale Wins: Phil Shoemaker on Non-QM, AI & Building a Sustainable Mortgage Company
What does it look like to build a mortgage company with no intention of selling it? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Phil Shoemaker, CEO of Avera Financial (formerly The Loan Store), for a candid, energetic conversation on sustainable growth, the...
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Stop Chasing Shiny Objects: Meghan Tidgewell on Technology, MISMO & Real Operational Change
Technology transformation in mortgage isn’t a big bang. It’s an ongoing process of figuring out how to work smarter, adapt to change, and improve the way you do business. And most lenders are doing it wrong. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Meghan...
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Only 1 in 5 Trust Their Loan Officer — How First Home IQ Is Fixing That | Kristin Messerli | Connect
There are buyers in your market right now who qualify, have the savings, and have the income — but won’t pick up the phone. Not because they can’t buy. Because they’re afraid to. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Kristin Messerli, Executive Director of...
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The Perfect Storm for Non-QM: Why the Time Is Now | Lisa Schreiber, eResi Mortgage | Connect
Non-QM is having a moment. Agency production is down, non-agency is up, and the calls are coming in — not going out. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Lisa Schreiber, who leads client strategy at eResi Mortgage and brings nearly four decades of mortgage...
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Where the Friction Really Lives in Mortgage Operations | Michael Danlag & George Schultz, Solugenix
Lenders know they need to modernize. But ripping out the entire technology stack isn't realistic — especially when rates are rising and headcount is getting cut. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Michael Danlag, Vice President of Strategic Relations, and...
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Standards Are the Foundation - Amy Moses on MISMO, MCD & the Future of Mortgage Data | Connect
Standards are invisible when they're working well — but when they're missing, the entire mortgage ecosystem feels it. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Amy Moses, Vice President of Strategic Growth at MISMO, for a wide-ranging conversation on the data...
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Treat Your Loan Officers Like Clients — Artin Babayan's Formula for IMB Growth | Connect
What does it actually take to build a relationship-driven IMB that grows 80% year over year — without losing its culture? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Artin Babayan, Founder and CEO of Premier Plus Lending, for a candid, open-kimono conversation on...
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Do You Really Know Who You're Wiring Money To? | Andrew Liput, Secure Insight | Connect Podcast
The closing table is where a lender's money, documents, reputation, and borrower relationship all come together. And it's also one of the most vulnerable moments in the entire mortgage transaction. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Andrew Liput…
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Meet Penny: The AI Agent Removing the Back and Forth From Mortgage | Copperlane | Connect
What if the back and forth that slows every mortgage application — the missing documents, the unanswered questions, the manual follow-ups — could be handled automatically, without replacing the loan officer? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Athan Zhang,...
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UAD 3.6, AI & the Future of Property Valuation | Kenon Chen, Clear Capital | Connect Podcast
Appraisal modernization. UAD 3.6. Property data as infrastructure. These aren't back-office compliance topics — they're the next competitive battleground in mortgage. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Kenon Chen, Executive Vice President of Strategy and...
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The Human Side of Disaster Servicing: Forbearance, Rebuilding & What Must Come Next | Connect
When a natural disaster destroys a home, the mortgage servicer is one of the first calls a homeowner makes. What happens in those first days and weeks can determine whether a family rebuilds — or falls through the cracks. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down…
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50 Million Millennials Haven't Bought a Home Yet — Here's Why That Matters | Nora Guerra | Connect
Affordability. Access. Inventory. These words get thrown around constantly — but what do they actually mean for the families sitting in a financial literacy event in Atlanta wondering if they'll ever own a home? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Nora...
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Stop Whiteboardng and Start Building: How Lenders Actually Adopt AI | Varant Herculian, JazzX AI
Every lender is being pitched AI right now. But how many are actually implementing it successfully — and what separates the ones that do from the ones that don't? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Varant Herculian of JazzX AI for a candid,...
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FICO® 10T Is Here — What Every Mortgage Lender Needs to Know | Devin Norales, FICO | Connect
Credit scoring is one of the most consequential — and least understood — topics in mortgage right now. And it's moving fast. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Devin Norales, Head of Mortgage and Capital Markets at FICO, for a deep-dive conversation on...
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Double Your Volume Without Doubling Your Staff | Vince Furey, MeridianLink | Connect Podcast
Lenders are spending more on technology than ever — and getting less return than they expected. Why? Because most of them don't know what they have, what it costs to run it, or whether it's actually delivering. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Vince...
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Credit, Income & Assets — Certified in 5 Minutes | Mike Brown, Gateless | Connect Podcast
Lenders cut to the bone. Volume stalled. And now the next cycle is coming — are you operationally ready for it? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Mike Brown of Gateless, a company helping lenders rethink how work gets done across the entire mortgage loan...
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GSEs Are Scrubbing 2020–2023 Portfolios. Are You Ready? | James W. Brody, Brody Gapp LLP | Connect
The regulatory and compliance landscape for mortgage lenders has never been more complex — and the risks hiding in the rearview mirror may be bigger than the ones ahead. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with James W. Brody, Esq., Founder and Managing Partner...
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Notice of Default, Junior Liens & the California Usury Trap | Steven Ernest, Forta Law | Connect
Nobody originates a loan hoping it becomes a legal strategy session — but in the real world, defaults happen, projects stall, and lenders need a plan. In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Steven Ernest of Forta Law for a practical, no-nonsense conversation…
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The Fight for the Consumer: Real Estate Consolidation, AI & Future of the LO Relationship | Ep.265
Mortgage lenders track rates, volume, and affordability. But are they paying close enough attention to what's happening in real estate — and how it directly affects their business? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Coby Hakalir, SVP/Managing Director of...
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The Borrower Has Changed. Has Your Product Suite? | Tom Davis, Deephaven Mortgage | Connect Podcast
One out of every four loans in 2026 will be non-agency. Are you positioned to compete for all of them — or just three out of four? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Tom Davis, Chief Sales Officer at Deephaven Mortgage, for a data-heavy, no-fluff...
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Shift Left or Get Left Behind: Steve Kolker on AI, Production, and the Future of Mortgage
The mortgage production environment is as competitive as ever — tight margins, volume pressure, and a flood of technology promises. So what actually separates the lenders managing through it well from those that are struggling? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits…
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People First, Technology Behind the Scenes | Neil Armstrong, CRO of Indecomm | Connect Podcast
The mortgage industry has been talking about AI and automation for years — but where is it actually delivering results today? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Neil Armstrong, newly appointed Chief Revenue Officer of Indecomm, to dig into the real-world...
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Why AI Won't Replace Your Loan Officer — And What Will | Bob Jennings, CEO of TrustEngine
The mortgage borrower has changed — but most lenders' engagement strategies haven't. In this episode of Connect, Paul Gigliotti, CEO of the California MBA, sits down with Bob Jennings, CEO of TrustEngine, to unpack what it really takes to win and retain borrowers in today's volatile,...
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How Digital Collateral is Transforming Capital Markets | Michael Sachdev, CEO of Snapdocs
Closing isn't just a moment at the end of a loan—it’s the highest leverage integration point in the entire mortgage lifecycle. In this episode of Connect, Paul Gigliotti, CEO of the California MBA, sits down with Michael Sachdev, CEO of Snapdocs, to discuss why the industry must stop treating...
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Mortgage Industry 2026 Outlook: Rates, Housing Supply & AI with John Hedlund
In this episode of the Connect Podcast, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with John Hedlund, Vice Chair of ICE, Vice Chairman of the National MBA, and California MBA Board Member. John shares powerful insights from ICE Experience “Win” event in Las Vegas and breaks down the biggest…
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Why AB1018 Could Raise Mortgage Costs 50%+ | Paul Gigliotti & Nick Pabarcus Discuss
In this episode of the INSIDE THE IMPACT Podcast from the California MBA, host Paul Gigliotti, CEO of the California MBA, sits down with Nick Pabarcus, Managing Director of Non-QM Sales at PennyMac, to break down California bill AB1018 and its potential impact on automated decision...
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Unified POS/LOS + AI: Wilco's Charlie Changes Mortgage Production Forever
Join Paul Gigliotti, CEO of California MBA, on Connect for Episode 254 with Tom Morelli from Wilco! Discover how Wilco is transforming mortgage origination with Charlie – a groundbreaking Production Optimization Platform (POP) that unites POS, LOS, AI, and business intelligence into one seamless...
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From Paper Stacks to AI-Powered Verification: The Future of Mortgage Lending w/ Sasha Stair, CMB®
In this powerful episode of the Connect Podcast by California MBA, host and CEO Paul Gigliotti, sits down with Sasha Stair, CMB®, CMO at Xactus, to unpack the massive shift happening in mortgage verification. Say goodbye to outdated, manual, paper-based processes — Xactus 360 delivers dynamic,...
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Will AB 801 Change How We Lend in 2026? | IMPACT Podcast
In this episode of the IMPACT Podcast, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Chuck Iverson to break down California’s proposed Community Reinvestment Act (AB 801) and what it means for the industry heading into 2026. While the intent behind new legislation is often to help, Paul and...
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Secondary Market Secrets: Whole Loan Trading, Valuations & Market Shifts with Rams Capital | Ep. 252
In this episode of Connect by California MBA, host Paul Gigliotti sits down with Vik Kasparin from Rams Mortgage Capital for an in-depth look at the secondary mortgage market. Rams specializes in mortgage asset valuation, training, advisory services, and whole loan trading—focusing on…
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Connect with Connect with John Rothfield, Derivative Logic | Episode 248
Join us on the Connect Podcast as CEO of the California MBA, Paul, sits down with John Rothfield, a seasoned economist and advisor at Derivative Logic, for a deep dive into the current financial landscape, managing market volatility, and turning economic uncertainty into a clear vision for the...
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Digital mortgages aren't the future. They're here. | Connect with Leah Sommerville, DocMagic | 247
Digital mortgages aren't the future — they're here. Tune in to the latest episode of the Connect Podcast, presented by the California MBA, to hear how the industry is making the shift to fully digital closings! This week, the CEO of the California MBA Paul Gigliotti, sits down with Leah...
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Connect with Paul Gigliotti, Incoming CEO, California MBA | Episode 246
In this special edition of the Connect podcast, outgoing CEO Susan Milazzo sits down with her successor, Paul Gigliotti, to discuss the future of the California MBA (California Mortgage Bankers Association) Susan celebrates her 21 years of service while Paul, a veteran mortgage leader with a deep...
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Connect with Mark Wilson, CEO, Advisent | Episode 245
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Mark Wilson, CEO, Advisent Episode discussion topics: How you got into the mortgage industry? You have big news that just launched – the rebranding…
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Connect with Lee Gillispie, Senior Managing Principal, Paradatec | Episode 244
Connect with Lee Gillispie, Senior Managing Principal, Paradatec | Episode 244 by The California MBA
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Connect with Susanne Livingston, RWM Home Loans and Jimson Tharayil, Acrisure | Episode 243
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Susanne Livingston Owner/Chief Strategy Officer, RWM Home Loans and Jimson Tharayil VP Strategic Partnerships, Acrisure. Episode discussion topics:...
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Connect with Kenon Chen, EVP Strategy and Growth, Clear Capital | Episode 242
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Kenon Chen, EVP Strategy and Growth, Clear Capital. Episode discussion topics: Tell us how you got into the mortgage industry? I believe Clear…
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Connect with Daniel Ceniceros, Founder & CEO, Connect Media | Episode 241
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Daniel Ceniceros, Founder & CEO, Connect Media Episode discussion topics: 1:59 - What innovative marketing techniques should people be thinking…
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Connect with Cody Charfauros, Principal/Managing Director, Slatt Capital | Episode 240
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Cody Charfauros, Principal/Managing Director, Slatt Capital Episode discussion topics: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the CRE...
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Connect with Jon Brod, Co-Founder & CMO, Roam | Episode 239
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Jon Brod, Co-Founder & CMO, Roam Episode discussion topics: 1:14 - Let’s start with your journey—what sparked your move into the world of AI? Was...
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Connect with Amy Moses, Business Development Consultant, MISMO | Episode 238
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Amy Moses, Business Development Consultant, MISMO Episode discussion topics: 1:28 - I always like to get started with a little background, so tell…
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Connect with Caren Castle, Managing Attorney, California, The Mortgage Law Firm | Episode 237
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Caren Castle, Managing Attorney, California, The Mortgage Law Firm Episode discussion timestamps: I always like to get started with our journeys to...
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Connect with Mitch Kider, Managing Partner, Weiner Brodsky Kider, PC | Episode 236
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Mitch Kider, Managing Partner, Weiner Brodsky Kider, PC Episode discussion timestamps: 1:29 - The last time you were on Connect; we were fresh off…
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Connect with Tom Davis, Chief Sales Officer, Deephaven Mortgage | Episode 235
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Tom Davis, Chief Sales Officer, Deephaven Mortgage. Episode discussion timestamps: 1:30 - You became interested in the mortgage industry as a child....
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Connect with Cheryl Messner, PRODUCT Polly | Episode 234
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Cheryl Messner, PRODUCT, Polly Episode discussion timestamps: 1:29 - Tell us how you got into the mortgage business 3:22 - How do you see business...
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Praveen Chandramohan, SVP, Origination Growth Solutions, Cotality
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Praveen Chandramohan, SVP, Origination Growth Solutions, Cotality Episode discussion timestamps: 1:27 - How you got into the mortgage business 2:44…
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Connect with Marcus Carter, President, La Mesa Fund Control & Escrow Inc. | Episode 231
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Marcus Carter, President, La Mesa Fund Control & Escrow Inc. Episode discussion timestamps: 1:29 - I always like to get started with our journeys to...
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Connect with Paul Gigliotti, Head of Growth and Partnerships, Prudent AI | Episode 230
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Paul Gigliotti, Head of Growth and Partnerships, Prudent AI Episode discussion timestamps: 1:44 - I always like to get started with our journeys to...
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Connect with Anthony Ho, Managing Director and Chief Credit Officer, Amerihome Mortgage | Ep. 229
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Anthony Ho, Managing Director and Chief Credit Officer, Amerihome Mortgage Episode discussion timestamps: 1:39 - Tell us how you got into this...
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Connect with Tom Delaney, President, Bankers Insurance Service | Episode 228
Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers and shakers in the mortgage industry. This week we welcome Tom Delaney, President, Bankers Insurance Service Episode discussion timestamps: 1:39 - I always like to start with finding out about our journeys…
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About this show
Welcome to California MBA's podcast, Connect, our all-new podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry.California MBA serves to represent the residential and commercial real estate finance industry before all governing bodies. The California MBA encourages and promotes sound business practices and honesty in marketing, origination, lending and servicing of mortgage loans through our educational and networking opportunities.
Hosted by
The California MBA
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