#31: Joe Simonds - Why Niches Still Win in the AI Age

#32: Scott Trench: Financial Independence, BiggerPockets, and Building Leverage

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Trench, former CEO of BiggerPockets and host of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, to talk about financial independence, career leverage, house hacking, and the path that took him from early employee to leading one of the biggest real estate education platforms. We get into why financial runway creates better career options, how Scott made himself valuable early at BiggerPockets, what it looked like when the company sold, how he thinks about personal brand and AI, and why financial freedom is about more than just real estate. We also talk about family, kids, wealth, strategy, and the advice he hopes listeners remember. Subscribe for more conversations like this on Pieces of Impact. Join the newsletter: https://substack.com/@steveseger [https://substack.com/@steveseger] Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Steve_Seger2?si=NcXPNK00GHANUmpR [https://youtube.com/@Steve_Seger2?si=NcXPNK00GHANUmpR] Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002] Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=fa8d2e2a653f491b [https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=fa8d2e2a653f491b] Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger [http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger] Guest Links: Scott's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-trench-53056a22/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-trench-53056a22/] BP Money Podcast: https://youtube.com/@biggerpocketsmoney?si=P1_KewEzj67-oYuV [https://youtube.com/@biggerpocketsmoney?si=P1_KewEzj67-oYuV] CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 Intro and why Scott’s work matters to Steve 03:33 Scott joins the show 04:00 Life after stepping down as CEO 05:28 Balance, obsession, and CEO stress 07:14 Finding BiggerPockets through financial independence 07:46 Mr. Money Mustache, house hacking, and early FI thinking 10:16 Building financial runway after college 11:39 Making yourself valuable as an early employee 14:10 Choosing equity and upside 16:34 What a company sale looks like from the inside 19:31 Learning from Josh Dorkin and a professional CEO 20:50 Set for Life and what still applies today 22:16 BiggerPockets Money and the next FI problems 25:45 Personal brand as a long-term asset 27:38 AI, original thought, and better financial planning 32:27 Why AI rewards people who understand the full problem 35:02 Wealth, kids, and not imposing your system 38:50 The financial independence car pick 39:05 Common early-career money mistake 39:21 Underrated career skills 39:37 Content formats he is bullish on 40:19 Book recommendations 40:59 House hack, index funds, or business equity 41:17 AI use cases he is excited about 42:08 A day with no responsibilities 42:33 Current workout split 42:56 Final wisdom: what strategy really means 44:02 Where to find Scott

#31: Joe Simonds - Why Niches Still Win in the AI Age

Joe Simonds is an author and co-founder of Salt Strong, a fishing education, content, membership, tackle, and community business he started with his brother Luke after leaving financial services. In this episode, we talk about walking away from a successful but unfulfilling career, building Salt Strong from scratch, working with family, growing through content and community, and what changed after the company’s recent sale. We also get into AI, why “riches are made in niches,” protecting community standards, the fishing theme park idea, and why writing down your mission, vision, and core beliefs can change how you build. Subscribe for more conversations like this on Pieces of Impact. Join the newsletter: https://substack.com/@steveseger [https://substack.com/@steveseger] Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@steve_seger2?si=NcXPNK00GHANUmpR [https://youtube.com/@steve_seger2?si=NcXPNK00GHANUmpR] Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002] Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=fa8d2e2a653f491b [https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=fa8d2e2a653f491b] Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger [http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger] Guest links: Website: SaltStrong.com [http://SaltStrong.com], Joe’s book link: https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-Happiness-Ultimate-Achieving-Fulfillment/dp/0692733051 [https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-Happiness-Ultimate-Achieving-Fulfillment/dp/0692733051] Salt Strong YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Saltstrong [https://www.youtube.com/@Saltstrong] Salt Strong Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesaltstrong/ [https://www.instagram.com/thesaltstrong/] 00:00 Why I Wanted to Have Joe On 02:19 Leaving Financial Services for Something More Fulfilling 09:06 The First Sale That Made Salt Strong Possible 10:25 Seven Months Before Taking a Day Off 11:36 What Works and Doesn’t When Building With Family 14:45 Free Content, Memberships, and the First Signs of Momentum 18:31 Community First, App Second 24:10 Core Beliefs, No Cursing, and Protecting the Culture 25:54 Riches Are Made in Niches, Even in the AI Age 31:06 Selling Salt Strong Without Losing the Mission 37:59 The Funniest Part of Selling the Company 41:27 The Fishing Theme Park Vision 51:00 The Grandfather Story and Creating Memories That Matter 55:58 Final Wisdom: Write Down the Mission

#30: Carter Dorsch - Growing a Brokerage, Building Trust, and Selling the Forgotten Coast

In this episode, I sit down with Carter Dorsch, Co-Owner at 98 Real Estate Group, to talk about real estate on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. We get into Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Hurricane Michael, what makes the area so unique, and how Carter went from sitting in empty open houses with a chair and flyers to helping build one of the top real estate brands in the market. We also talk about branding, newsletters, handwritten letters, AI listing descriptions that sound like a robot had too much coffee, Ed Ball, the St. Joe Company, college football, local food spots, and why “don’t half-ass it” is solid life advice. Carter is sharp, honest, and easy to talk to, and this was a really fun one for anyone interested in real estate, marketing, or coastal towns. Subscribe for more conversations like this on Pieces of Impact. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:24 Carter Dorsch Joins the Show 02:54 Running 98 Real Estate Group 03:43 Florida’s Forgotten Coast 04:45 COVID and Coastal Demand 06:09 Hurricane Michael and Mexico Beach 08:30 Building Codes and Stronger Homes 12:15 Rebuilding After the Storm 14:36 Getting Started at 98 17:31 Early Pressure and Eating What You Kill 21:43 Buying Into the Business 23:34 Lessons From Ownership 25:03 Branding and Visibility 26:52 Newsletters and Referrals 28:40 AI in Real Estate 31:34 Smarter Direct Mail 34:51 Fastest-Growing Coastal Markets 37:27 Recruiting Agents and Protecting the Brand 40:59 Ed Ball, DuPont, and George Washington 43:25 The St. Joe Company 53:17 The Future of the Forgotten Coast 59:45 Carter’s Long-Term Vision 1:02:34 College Football 1:05:52 Rapid Fire 1:10:29 Handwritten Letters Still Work 1:14:08 Famous Clients 1:15:32 Don’t Half-Ass It 1:17:35 The Myrtle Beach Closing Story 1:19:53 Where to Find Carter

#29: Joe Cermele on Fishing Media, Audience Trust, and Staying Original

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Cermele to talk about his career in fishing media, from Field & Stream and Outdoor Life to MeatEater and now building Cut & Retie as an independent show. We get into writing, storytelling, creative freedom, audience trust, sponsors, and what it actually looks like to build a media business around your own voice. Joe shares what he learned from nearly 20 years inside outdoor media, why personality-driven content has changed the industry, how hard it is to start from zero today, and why being independent gives you freedom but rarely gives you safety. We also get into AI, old fishing stories, why he hates dolphins, and why looking for Bigfoot is a respectable career path. Check us out on Podmonitor: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G1q77ZGcc4iwO87rj0tC88WJQh7YaiMB/view?usp=sharing [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G1q77ZGcc4iwO87rj0tC88WJQh7YaiMB/view?usp=sharing] Join the Pieces of Impact community and subscribe for more conversations like this.  00:01 Intro and why Joe appreciated a conversation outside the fishing world 00:55 Joe’s current life as an independent media creator 02:16 Creative work vs. building a business 04:36 How 20 years in media shaped his current path 07:40 Creating your own luck in outdoor media 11:51 Early adoption, blogs, video, and Hook Shots 17:34 Field & Stream archives and what old fishing media can teach us 19:07 Amazon trip, media trips, and international fishing logistics 22:36 Moving to MeatEater and learning the business side of media 25:42 Joining MeatEater right before COVID 27:39 Why hunting content can be more lucrative than fishing content 29:52 Why he started Cut & Retie 34:21 Building community and the platform he wishes he owned 38:14 Family, privacy, and being personal without filming everything 41:33 What Joe’s community actually looks like 44:38 Authenticity, over-sharing, and not forcing a persona 47:32 Why starting from zero today would be so difficult 49:59 Independent podcast economics and sponsor volatility 52:43 Protecting audience trust with brand partnerships 54:55 Where fishing media is heading 58:10 AI, search, and the future of outdoor writing 01:03:15 The ghost striper story 01:07:56 Finding Bigfoot, River Monsters, and burnout in dream jobs 01:09:51 Rapid fire round 01:10:25 Writer recommendation: Riverhorse Nakadate 01:11:46 Best place Joe has ever fished 01:12:42 How playing in bands helped his media career 01:14:47 Why Joe hates dolphins 01:16:39 Final wisdom: originality over competition 01:17:57 Where to find Joe and Cut & Retie

#28: Zak Herbstreit: Media, NIL, and What Makes College Football Special

In this episode, I sit down with Zak Herbstreit, former Ohio State player and now host of Off Script at On3, to talk about his transition from football into sports media, why On3 felt like the right fit, and what he is learning as he builds his voice in the college football world. We get into how he approaches content, what it is like being behind the scenes at major games, why staying unbiased matters in this job, and his honest take on NIL, the transfer portal, and whether the sport can keep what makes it special. Subscribe for more conversations like this on Pieces of Impact. 00:02 Intro and Zak’s background 01:32 Why On3 felt like the right fit 02:26 Why he moved away from coaching 12:44 Relationships and access in sports media 13:51 Getting reps and growing the platform 18:15 How he plans and films game-day content 21:15 Ohio State-Michigan tunnel story 22:43 Staying unbiased in media 27:52 NIL, transfer portal, and commitment 49:30 Five-year vision 50:47 Rapid fire round 57:15 Final wisdom and where to find Zak