In this episode of Behind the Curtain, hosts Steve Luther and Van Hohe sit down with Joan Fleming, Senior Vice President at Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company. Celebrating over 31 years in Nashville and 16 years with Citizens, Joan takes us on her journey from starting as a marketing assistant at SunTrust to founding her own firm, Creative Vision Mortgage, and ultimately shaping the mortgage division at Citizens.

Joan shares her passion for serving first-time homebuyers and underserved communities, describing how she views mortgage lending not just as a job, but as a true ministry that turns income into generational wealth. The conversation covers the breaking news of Citizens launching its new mortgage subsidiary, CBN Mortgage, the power of 100% financing programs without income limits, navigating fluctuating interest rates, and why financial literacy is essential for young home buyers.

• Mortgages as a Ministry: Joan shares how a conversation with her 9-year-old daughter convinced her to stay in banking rather than switching careers to nursing during a recession.
• Breaking News (CBN Mortgage): Joan announces publicly for the first time that Citizens Bank & Trust is expanding its mortgage department into a full mortgage subsidiary called CBN Mortgage to bring more programs to clients.
• The 100% Financing Game-Changer: Discover how Citizens created a 100% financing program up to conforming loan limits without location or income restrictions to help buyers walk through the door with zero down payment.
• Pivoting with Joy: From napkin-sketching loan programs with her Chief Credit Officer to adapting through economic recessions, Joan discusses the freedom and flexibility of working with a local community bank.
• Advice to First-Time Homebuyers: Joan explains why young buyers need to look past current interest rates, focus on long-term equity over "dream home" expectations, and practice sound budgeting before taking on a mortgage.

"All I do is at the end of the day to ensure that the American dream is met... My daughter basically said, 'Mommy, mortgages are your ministry. If you leave, then who's going to help all the people?'" — Joan Fleming

Joan Fleming is the Senior Vice President at Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company and a graduate of Tennessee State University. With decades of experience in lending, management, and team building, she is a passionate advocate for homeownership and financial literacy throughout the Nashville community.

Connect with Joan:

• Website: AskJoan.net (for pre-qualification, budgeting, and inquiries)
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joan-fleming-a47563117/

#BehindTheCurtain #JoanFleming #CitizensBankAndTrust #CBNMortgage #NashvilleRealEstate #Homeownership #FirstTimeHomebuyer #100PercentFinancing #CommunityBanking #FinancialLiteracy

In this episode of Behind the Curtain, hosts Steve Luther and Van Hohe sit down with Dr. Wendy Combs, founder and principal of Cedar + Kind. Dr. Combs shares her inspiring transition from a 20-plus-year corporate career—leading enterprise-wide talent development strategies across 142 hospitals and 2,200 care sites for major health systems like Kaiser Permanente and CommonSpirit Health—to creating a deeply personal, grief-informed estate transition service.

Dr. Combs unpacks the complex emotional and practical weight that comes with clearing out a home after losing a loved one or navigating major life transitions like downsizing or becoming an empty nester. The conversation explores the psychology of physical belongings, the power of preservation, and how Cedar + Kind acts as a "forcing function" to help families honor the past while thoughtfully clearing a path for what's next.

• Corporate Leadership to Heart-Centered Service: Dr. Combs discusses her background in clinical psychology, organizational change, and project management at tech and healthcare giants like Intel, Kaiser Permanente, and CommonSpirit Health.
• The Psychology of Belongings: Discover why over 55% of Americans feel overwhelmed by physical clutter and how everyday objects carry complex layers of both joy and sorrow during life transitions.
• "Help You Never Knew to Ask For": An inside look at how Cedar + Kind combines logistical project management with empathetic support to systematically break down overwhelming estate clear-outs into manageable, non-emotional steps.
• The Meaning Behind the Name: Dr. Combs explains how "Cedar" symbolizes preservation, storage, and strength, while "Kind" reflects the core value of leading with kindness and compassion.
• Preserving Legacy Through Technology: Learn how Dr. Combs incorporates digital story-capturing technology to record audio and video memories tied to family heirlooms, creating lasting legacy books with QR codes for future generations.

"Cedar is the idea of... preservation. It stores, saves, and preserves what's most important. And I really wanted to be myself and fully live the values that I think are important, and one of those is kindness." — Dr. Wendy Combs

Connect with Dr. Combs:

• LinkedIn: Cedar + Kind / Wendy Combs
• Website: www.cedarandkind.com

#BehindTheCurtain #CedarAndKind #EstateTransitions #GriefSupport #SeniorMoveManagement #OrganizationalPsychology #NashvilleBusiness #LegacyPreservation #Downsizing #EmpathyInBusiness

In this episode of Behind the Curtain, hosts Steve Luther and Van Hohe sit down with Kathleen Lappe — entrepreneur, technologist, four‑time founder, and CEO of DirectOffer, the AI‑powered real estate platform reshaping how buyers and agents connect. A Bay Area native turned Nashville innovator, Kathleen has spent her career at the intersection of technology, media, and property — building patented, ADA‑compliant AI tools designed to make homeownership more accessible for everyone.

From launching multiple startups to becoming an NVIDIA Inception Partner, Kathleen has emerged as a national leader in multimodal AI, multilingual communication, and digital accessibility. But behind the technology is a deeply personal story: her daughter Abigail, an autistic young adult whose early challenges with communication inspired Kathleen to create tools that remove barriers for people with disabilities.

As she shares in the conversation: “People with disabilities digest information differently… this was a problem I could solve.”

Kathleen walks us through the creation of Olivia — a patented AI assistant that speaks 107 languages, answers property questions, provides audio tours, and helps buyers engage with listings in the way that works best for them. She also breaks down the surprising truth about consumer behavior, why most people still prefer humans, and how transparency is the key to building trust with AI.

“The best AI tells the consumer right away: I am an AI system. If you want a human, I’ll get you one.”

Beyond DirectOffer, Kathleen shares the story behind AuctionLook — now the only official MLS for auctioneers in the United States — and explains why auctions are simply “multiple offers with a deadline,” not distressed sales. She also gives a candid look at global expansion, cultural nuance in AI development, and why dialects (including Irish and Southern) are far more complex than most people realize.

This conversation is a deep dive into innovation, accessibility, entrepreneurship, and the future of real estate — told through the lens of a founder who builds technology with humanity at the center.

From Sci‑Fi Kid to AI Pioneer

Kathleen shares how growing up in Marin County — surrounded by Silicon Valley and inspired by Star Trek — sparked her fascination with artificial intelligence.

“We grow up watching movies and think… could that really be?”

A Mother’s Mission — The Story Behind Olivia

Her daughter Abigail’s journey with autism became the catalyst for creating ADA‑compliant, multilingual AI tools that make homeownership more accessible.

“When you have an autistic child, you never know if they’re going to talk… this was a problem I could solve.”

How Olivia Works — 107 Languages, Audio Tours & True Multimodal AI

Kathleen explains how consumers interact with Olivia, why choice matters, and what the data reveals about how people actually want to use AI.

AuctionLook & Reinventing the Real Estate Auction MLS

From Kentucky to Texas to Alabama, Kathleen built the first and only MLS for auctioneers — now serving multiple states and powering billions in transactions.

Consumer Trust, Transparency & the Future of AI

Why people prefer honesty over hype, how voice permissions impact adoption, and why the next five years will be defined by regulation, not replacement.

Global Expansion — UK, Canada & Beyond

Kathleen shares the cultural, linguistic, and technical challenges of taking AI international — including the hilarious moment Olivia accidentally sounded like a leprechaun.

“Just because it sounds accurate to an American ear doesn’t mean it’s accurate.”

Nashville as a Tech Hub

Why she chose Nashville, how the city is evolving, and where she sees opportunity for growth in AI and accessibility.

CEO, DirectOffer

Kathleen Lappe is a four‑time founder, patented AI inventor, and accessibility‑driven technology leader. As CEO of DirectOffer and creator of Olivia — the industry’s first ADA‑compliant, multilingual AI assistant for real estate — she is pioneering tools that make homeownership more inclusive. Her work spans AI, media, global expansion, and the nation’s only MLS for auctioneers.

Connect with Kathleen:

🌐 directoffer.com

🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathleenlappe