What would it take to walk away from practicing law and open a restaurant on the first night you ever worked in one? In this episode, Jon sits down with Peter Danis, Founder of Figlio Wood Fired Pizza, to talk about 35 years of building a restaurant business around people, and the licensing program he calls Figlio 2.0.

🎙️ About Our Guest

Peter Danis is the Founder of Figlio Wood Fired Pizza and a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Law. Peter traded in his lawbooks for cookbooks in 1991 when he and his wife Laurie (also an attorney) opened their first Figlio Wood Fired Pizza restaurant in Grandview, where they have been serving award-winning wood fired pizza and pasta for the past 35 years. They licensed their Grandview location two years ago to one of their long-term managers and sold their Arlington location to a real estate developer who bought out their lease. They retained their Dayton store to use as a training facility for future licensees of the Figlio concept. Peter is a past President of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association. He has been a frequent motivational speaker throughout the community and has been a guest lecturer in the Ohio State University Entrepreneurship Department, the University of Dayton, and the University of Michigan Business Club. In their spare time, Peter and his wife raise puppies to become service dogs for people with disabilities through Canine Companions for Independence. Peter also raises chickens in his backyard next to his wife's 20,000 bees.

🧱 What We Cover in This Episode

The delivery room moment that turned two attorneys into restaurant owners

Opening a restaurant with no restaurant experience, and why innovation comes from the outside

Manager meetings where the whole team applauds each other's failures

Laurie's ultimatum and what Peter calls Columbus's first full-service non-smoking restaurant

Hiring the bartender who made the best pasta Peter had ever had

Pairing creative people with analytical ones

Price to value in the 2009 recession, and keeping four managers on full salary through COVID

Knowing you're number eight in an employee's life, and letting them lead the dance

A 125% industry turnover rate, and 35 years without losing anyone to the same job at another restaurant

Figlio 2.0: a license already running in Grandview, the goal of 100 new owners, and a small percentage going to each owner's local food bank

Don't worry about what the people out there think

💼 Key Takeaway

"Every job is very, very important, which is why I interview and hire every person because I think that's the one thing I can do."

🔗 Links & Resources

🌐 Figlio Wood Fired Pizza: figliopizza.com

📱 Follow Figlio on Instagram: @figliopizza

📍 Figlio Grandview on Instagram: @figliopizza_grandview

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Know someone building a team, in a restaurant or anywhere else? Send them this episode.

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It. 🧱

#ColumbusOhio #RestaurantBusiness #CompanyCulture #ColumbusRealEstate #FiglioWoodFiredPizza #ColumbusBrickByBrick

When Gagan Timsina went looking for a home for his parents, every agent account he found was talking about itself. So he started talking about Columbus. In this episode, Jon sits down with Gagan Timsina, Visionary at The Columbus Report, to talk about how a page about Columbus developments became a real estate business, and why he is now putting more of himself in front of the camera.

🎙️ About Our Guest

Gagan Timsina is the Visionary at The Columbus Report, one of the fastest growing media pages in the state, and a licensed real estate agent in Columbus. When his mom asked to move here, he started researching the city while living in New York and spotted a lane nobody was covering: developments and projects. His first video, the top 10 developments coming to Columbus in 2025, pulled 250,000 views. He reached 27,000 followers before he got his license here, and today he leads a team of about seven.

🧱 What We Cover in This Episode

How his mom's move, and 77 cousins, brought his family to Columbus

Spotting a blue ocean in Columbus developments while living in Rochester, New York

Replicating a 250,000-view first post with the 80/20 rule

The team of about seven behind the page and the goal of 500 pieces of content a week

How distribution across four platforms turns five pieces a day into 500 a week

The best agent, the most well-known agent, and being known well

Operationalizing generosity, with Columbus as the one he's helping climb the mountain

Kindness as a business model, and showing more of the person behind the page

Learning Muay Thai in Thailand and the confidence that came with it

Volume negates luck: 3,000 posts in a single year

Lead swapping, and where The Columbus Report goes next with developers

💼 Key Takeaway

"Your niche is the incubator. What you choose to do outside of real estate is what will get you clients."

🔗 Links & Resources

📱 Follow The Columbus Report on Instagram: @the_columbus_report

🎵 The Columbus Report on TikTok: @thecolumbusreport6

👤 Gagan Timsina for agents, on Instagram: @gagan.leads

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New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation with the people building Columbus.

Website: ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com

TikTok, Instagram, Facebook & YouTube: @ColumbusBrickbyBrick

Know an agent trying to build a following from scratch? Send them this episode.

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It. 🧱

#ColumbusOhio #RealEstateMarketing #ContentCreation #ColumbusRealEstate #TheColumbusReport #ColumbusBrickByBrick

Nine months into his real estate license, Conner Kochansky had not closed a single deal. In this episode, Jon sits down with Conner Kochansky, Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Impact on The KR Group, to break down how he got through that first year and built a business he does not have to burn himself out running.

🎙️ About Our Guest

Conner Kochansky is a Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Impact on The KR Group in Columbus, Ohio. He got his license in 2022 looking for an education in sales, and spent his first nine months without a closing. He worked part time out of a bar and event space, building clients through the people he met there, before going full time in August 2024. Since then he has grown into a top producer, sold 33 homes last year, and is finishing his second book on self belief while building systems that let him step back from working every weekend.

🧱 What We Cover in This Episode

Why Conner got into real estate looking for an education in sales, not a love of houses

The first nine months with zero closings, and the client who backed out mid-honeymoon

Working a bar and an event space to stay in the game while building a client base

The social media marketing side hustle that led him toward real estate in the first place

A TikTok video that hit eight and a half million views right as he went full time

Going from 33 homes and just under $9 million last year to a pace near $10 to 12 million this year

The mountain-high, mountain-low first year of going full time

Building leverage with a mentee agent and a buyer concierge instead of showing every house himself

The team philosophy of selling the client on you, not just the house

His first published book on serving tables, and the one on self belief he is finishing now

What his ideal day looks like five years from now

💼 Key Takeaway

"I know if I do the right stuff today, it's gonna translate four or five years down the line."

🔗 Links & Resources

📱 Follow Conner Kochansky on Instagram: @connerkochansky

📘 Conner Kochansky on Facebook: facebook.com/conner.kochansky.1

🏠 Styer Hospitality Co, furnished short and mid-term rental management: StyerHospitalityCo.com

🎧 Subscribe & Follow

New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation with the people building Columbus.

Website: ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com

TikTok, Instagram, Facebook & YouTube: @ColumbusBrickbyBrick

Know an agent grinding through their first year with nothing to show for it yet? Send them this one.

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It. 🧱

#ColumbusOhio #ColumbusRealEstate #RealEstateAgent #RemaxImpact #TheKRGroup #ColumbusBrickByBrick

Your kitchen is dated, your listing has been sitting for months, and the options seem to come down to a gut renovation or another price cut. What if there is a third one? In this episode, Jon sits down with Hailey Major, Owner of HOMEstretch: Columbus, to break down what actually drives ROI on pre-sale improvements and where sellers should put their money before they list.

🎙️ About Our Guest

Hailey Major is the Owner of HOMEstretch: Columbus, a home preparation company that gets houses cosmetically ready to list, covering everything between the listing agreement and staging. Born in Texas, she moved to Columbus in elementary school, went to Ohio State, left for a while, and could not shake the city. She spent the first 15 years of her career in sales, mostly tech, with the last decade or so in startups. A franchise broker introduced her to HOMEstretch, and she recognized the service she had needed when selling her own first home.

🧱 What We Cover in This Episode

Why HOMEstretch takes only work tied to a real estate transaction, even when friends ask

Turning around Columbus listings that sat three and six months by putting part of a planned price cut into the house

What makes an update strategic, and why a gorgeous basement in a disjointed house still costs money

Where the biggest returns show up: painting, flooring, and kitchen updates

The Grandview project where the asking price went up in the neighborhood of $50,000 to $75,000 after the work

The two mistakes sellers make most: overspending in one room, and bold design choices right before listing

Coaching sellers through the emotional handoff from family home to largest asset

Pay at close financing and what it does to a seller's decision making

Competing against new builds, and what millennial and Gen Z buyers expect from a resale

Digital rendering tools that show sellers their own space updated before any work starts

Mentorship, and the Columbus women in real estate who opened doors early

💼 Key Takeaway

"Our goal is to neutralize the space and attract the largest buyer pool possible, so that you have the highest potential to sell your home quickly and for top dollar."

🔗 Links & Resources

🌐 HOMEstretch: Columbus: home-stretch.com/locations/oh/columbus

📱 Follow HOMEstretch: Columbus on Instagram: @homestretch_columbus

📘 HOMEstretch: Columbus on Facebook: facebook.com/homestretch.columbus

👤 Hailey Major on Instagram (personal): @hailsmaj

📞 Call or text for a free consultation: (614) 532-4663

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New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation with the people building Columbus.

Website: ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com

Instagram, Facebook & YouTube: @ColumbusBrickbyBrick

Know a seller who is about to take another price cut? Send them this episode first.

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It. 🧱

#ColumbusOhio #PreListingPrep #HomeSellingTips #ColumbusRealEstate #HOMEstretchColumbus #ColumbusBrickByBrick

Will AI replace real estate agents, or just replace the ones who refuse to change? On this episode of Columbus Brick by Brick, host Jon Styer sits down with Red 1 Realty agent Jim Ross to challenge the industry's favorite catchphrase and dig into what's actually at stake for agents over the next three to five years.

Jim Ross has spent 11 years building a high-volume, investor-focused real estate business in Columbus, and he's not buying the comfortable narrative that AI is "just another tool." In this conversation, Jim and Jon break down which parts of the real estate transaction are already being commoditized, what history's biggest tech revolutions teach us about disruption, and why trust, not information, is about to become an agent's most valuable asset.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why the phrase "AI won't replace agents, but agents who use AI will replace those who don't" may be missing the bigger picture

- Which parts of an agent's job (market analysis, transaction coordination, information gatekeeping) are most at risk of automation

- What past technology revolutions, from the MLS to the internet to Zillow, teach us about surviving disruption

- Why AI punishes "gatekeepers" and rewards "advisors"

- How to build a personal brand and a defensible "moat" around trust, negotiation, and local expertise

- The simple exercise Jim used (tracking every hour of his day, then feeding it into ChatGPT) to find out exactly where his time, and value, is really going

- Why Jim believes the number of real estate agents nationally and in Columbus will shrink significantly in the next three to five years, and who will be left standing

About Jim Ross

Jim Ross is a real estate agent with Red 1 Realty in Columbus, Ohio, licensed since 2015. After starting his career with the goal of becoming a real estate investor, Jim discovered a passion for the traditional agent side of the business, particularly working with investors and flippers. Over the past 11 years he's built a high-volume, top-producing business in Central Ohio centered on repeat investor clients and as-is properties, while staying deeply engaged in how technology and AI are reshaping the future of the industry.

Connect with Jim Ross:

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.ross.944

- Instagram: @heyjimross

Mentioned in this episode:

- Styer Hospitality Co — furnished short and midterm rental management: https://www.styerhospitalityco.com

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone building a career or a business in Columbus real estate. New episodes drop weekly.

🌐 Website: https://www.columbusbrickbybrick.com/

📱 Follow us: @ColumbusBrickbyBrick on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

#ColumbusBrickByBrick #RealEstateAI #ColumbusRealEstate

What if architecture wasn't just an expense on your renovation budget, but the single biggest lever for long-term value in your real estate? In this episode, Jon sits down with Nick Karakaian, Principal and Co-Founder of ArcFluence, to talk design as a multiplier, the ADU boom about to reshape Columbus, and why thoughtful spaces drive better outcomes for investors, homeowners, and entire neighborhoods.

🎙️ About Our Guest

Nick Karakaian is the Principal and Co-Founder of ArcFluence, a Columbus-based architecture firm blending design, technology, and real estate strategy. A specialist in maximizing property value through thoughtful design and material use, Nick earned his master's in Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State before launching a construction and design firm in NYC, working for Google, and joining the Keller Williams Realty family. He and his wife Sarah were featured on HGTV's Beach Flip, where they renovated a beach house together in Gulf Shores, Alabama. In 2017, they made Columbus home to take advantage of one of the most exciting real estate markets in the country. Today, Nick is focused on growing ArcFluence with his partners and shaping the spaces that will define the next chapter of Columbus.

🧱 What We Cover in This Episode

Nick's path from striping parking lots to the Air Force, to Google, to launching an architecture firm

Why architecture is an investment, not an expense — and how design directly drives property value

The "third skin" philosophy: how built environments shape behavior, business, and longevity

Renovation math: when you get 80 cents on the dollar vs. $1.30 on the dollar back

Columbus's new ADU regulation — and why it's a game-changer for homeowners and investors

Real ADU use cases: better school districts, multigenerational living, fixed-income retirees, work-from-home setups

Common misconceptions real estate professionals have about working with architects

Why permit timelines are shifting and how to plan accordingly

The rise of universal design, interior design investment, and amenity-driven spaces

Lessons in leadership, scope creep, and the shift from self-employed to true business owner

What ArcFluence is building next — and the commercial projects beginning to shape the skyline

💼 Key Takeaway

"You're not just designing a space. You're creating an environment where humans can perform at their best — and that impacts everything."

🔗 Links & Resources

ArcFluence: ArcFluence.com

Follow ArcFluence on Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn: @arcfluence

Styer Hospitality Co. — furnished short & mid-term rental management: StyerHospitalityCo.com

🎧 Subscribe & Follow New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe so you never miss a conversation with the people building Columbus.

Website: ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com Instagram, Facebook & YouTube: @ColumbusBrickbyBrick

If today's conversation sparked an idea — whether it's an ADU on your lot, a renovation you've been sitting on, or a bigger vision for what your real estate could become — share this episode with someone who'd love it.

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It. 🧱

#ColumbusOhio #ArchitectureMatters #RealEstateInvesting #ADU #ColumbusRealEstate #ArcFluence #ColumbusBrickByBrick

Capital is the most powerful tool in any investor's toolbox — but knowing how to use it is what separates investors who scale from those who stall. In this episode, Jon sits down with Alex Rose, Managing Director of DSCR Lending at Renovo Financial, to break down the financing strategies fueling Columbus's most successful real estate investors.

🎙️ About Our Guest

Alex Rose is the Managing Director of DSCR Lending at Renovo Financial and one of the top-producing loan officers in Ohio for hard money and investment lending. Over the last two years, Alex has closed more than 1,000 units totaling over $175 million in originations. With deep expertise across the Ohio market and surrounding states, he works at the intersection of capital markets and real estate entrepreneurs — helping investors scale through asset-based financing strategies that go far beyond traditional lending.

🧱 What We Cover in This Episode

Alex's path from medical sales at Cardinal Health to leading investment lending in Columbus

What DSCR loans actually are — and how to qualify (the 1.0 vs. 1.2 ratio explained)

Why net cash flow matters more than headline numbers on multifamily deals

Bridge loans, fix-and-flip financing, and the A-to-B gap most lenders miss

How portfolio loans work, when they make sense, and the trap of the 120% release price

The biggest mistakes new investors make — and how to avoid them

Why design quality is now winning flips in a slower

Columbus market The case for "walk, don't run" when building your first rental portfolio

Why mentorship, partnerships, and abundance mindset matter more than ever What makes the

Columbus investor community uniquely collaborative

💼 Key Takeaway

"Walk, don't run. You don't have to hit a home run on your first deal — just get on base."

🔗 Links & Resources Renovo Financial: renovofinancial.com

Connect with Alex Rose on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.rose.942450

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If today's conversation hit home, share it with a fellow investor, agent, or entrepreneur who's building something here in Columbus.

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It. 🧱

#ColumbusOhio #RealEstateInvesting #DSCRLoans #ColumbusRealEstate #RenovoFinancial #ColumbusBrickByBrick

What does it take to go from car sales to owning a mortgage brokerage, 16 investment properties, and a house on a private Florida island? Liz Lawrence, founder of LFG Lending, sits down with Jon Styer to share the unfiltered story of how she carved out a niche in investment real estate lending — and built a life on her own terms.

About Liz Lawrence: Liz Lawrence is the owner of LFG Lending, a Columbus-based mortgage brokerage that works exclusively with real estate investors across more than 40 states. With over 10 years of mortgage experience — built on high-volume teams at Huntington, Fifth Third, and U.S. Bank — Liz made the leap to open her own firm three years ago. She's also an active investor herself, with 16 properties in her personal portfolio and a deep belief that the BRRRR method is far from broken.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Liz went from car sales to banking to becoming one of Columbus's go-to investment lenders
• Why niching down is the most powerful business decision she ever made
• The honest story of growing LFG Lending from scratch — the highs, the hard seasons, and what she'd do differently
• Her personal real estate investing journey: partnerships, BRRRR deals, a 6-pack purchase, and a house on Dog Island
• What's actually happening in the Columbus real estate market right now — and why investors need to slow down and run ALL the numbers
• The mindset shift required when you go from employee to business owner
• Why she's focused on making LFG saleable — even if she never sells it
• How she manages a team with wildly different motivations than her own

Links & Resources:

• 🌐 LFG Lending: lfglending.com
• 📘 Liz on Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/liz.mills.9400/
• 📘 LFG Lending on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LFGlending/
• 📸 LFG Lending on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lfglending/
• 🏠 Styer Hospitality Co.: StyerHospitalityCo.com
• 🎙️ Columbus Brick by Brick: ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com

Subscribe & Follow: If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow investor or entrepreneur who needs to hear this. New episodes drop weekly.

📍 Follow us @ColumbusBrickbyBrick on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube 🌐 ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com

Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It.