HI Beats AI: How to Generate More Referrals Through Human Connection with Michael J. Maher
Release Date: 02/13/2026
HI Beats AI: How to Generate More Referrals Through Human Connection with Michael J. Maher
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Michael discuss: How Michael accidentally launched a referral engine in his first year by hosting a housewarming party for his very first clients — and walked away with 11 referrals from a single event. The “What’s Next” concept: Every interaction should naturally lead to a future interaction Why events are especially powerful for introverts: you don’t need 50 one-to-one conversations when an event creates hundreds...
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Why Success Still Feels Empty (and How to Build a Business That Feels Like Freedom) with Erin Bradley
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin shares how: Success can look great on paper and still feel empty. The hamster wheel is real — and it usually started with fear. Growth doesn’t have to mean more effort. To rewrite the identity, not the to-do list. Turn your database into a community. About Erin Bradley Erin Bradley is a speaker and...
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The Shortcut to Your Goals: Belief, Grit & Mentorship with Ruben Gonzalez
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Ruben discuss: How perseverance (not talent) was Ruben’s edge — he decided early to stop quitting. How Ruben reverse-engineered a plan around his strengths and chose the luge because it rewarded tenacity and outlasting the quitters. The power of mentorship as a true “shortcut”: borrow someone else’s belief, follow their proven path, and stop arguing logical reasons you can’t do it. Proximity + authenticity win:...
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Do Less, Create Momentum, and Step Into 2026 with Erin Bradley
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin shares: Why 2026 is a “new beginning” year Before you add more… subtract first: the breakthrough lesson that changed everything How consistent activity tends to create results in about 90 days, regardless of season Freedom is built through systems + support How the biggest leaps (hiring, investing, visibility, grief seasons) were done while scared — and still worked ...
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From Tragedy to True Wealth: Nathan Barkocy’s Story of Time Freedom
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Nathan discuss: The life-altering moment that changed everything: a training ride that ended in a 60-mph collision, a coma, and the long road of learning to walk, talk, and live again. How adversity can become fuel instead of dead weight — and why “tomorrow is never promised” reframes how we use our time today. The difference between knowledge and wisdom, and why mentorship + proximity to high-level thinkers compresses your learning curve. A powerful redefinition of wealth:...
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Building Wealth That Supports Your Life with Sharon Lechter
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Sharon discuss: How early exposure to money conversations and entrepreneurship shaped her lifelong mission around financial literacy and empowerment Why one of her “worst” business decisions ultimately led to her best life decision — and how closing one door often opens many others The powerful distinction between chasing income vs. building assets — and why assets only get “sexier” with time. Sharon introduces the core message of her...
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Creating Community & Possibility with Edith Espinola
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Edith discuss: How growing up in a tight-knit family shaped Edith’s desire to create community and connection in both life and business. The importance of seeing people — truly hearing their stories and understanding how human dignity affects every decision they make. How hard seasons can become catalysts for finding purpose, building resilience, and creating support systems that strengthen entire communities....
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Raising Your Belief Lid: The Agency Operating System with Angela Totman
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Angela discuss: How a career pivot during college opened the door to an unexpected, purpose-driven path in entrepreneurship and financial education. The Agency Operating System, an acronym-based framework designed to realign your identity, energy, and actions so you can grow in life and business simultaneously. How accountability is actually a form of self-love — and why most people avoid it due to fear of being “called...
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Joy Is the Strategy: Rewiring Success with Jennifer Liss
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin and Jennifer discuss: How “fun first” became Jennifer’s unconventional success strategy after burnout in two careers Why most high achievers block joy — and how childhood moments often hard-wire that pattern The simple daily question that doubled her income almost overnight How curiosity, not hustle, becomes a reliable business strategy Jennifer’s C-M-O Framework for magnetic marketing: Clarity, Magnetism, Offer ...
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Freedom Has a Feeling: Step Into Your Next-Level Self with Erin Bradley
Pursuing Freedom: Helping Realtors & Mortgage Lenders Build Profitable, Scalable Businesses and Lives They Love — No Hustle, No Burnout
Listen in as Erin shares: Why freedom has a feeling — and how most real estate pros postpone it instead of accessing it now. The origin story of Pursuing Freedom and how misalignment — not effort— created burnout during the early success. The moment I stopped tolerating what wasn’t aligned and started leading with authenticity, joy, and “vacation energy.” How stepping into your future self requires choosing new standards, new boundaries, and new levels of belief. The...
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Listen in as Erin and Michael discuss:
- How Michael accidentally launched a referral engine in his first year by hosting a housewarming party for his very first clients — and walked away with 11 referrals from a single event.
- The “What’s Next” concept: Every interaction should naturally lead to a future interaction
- Why events are especially powerful for introverts: you don’t need 50 one-to-one conversations when an event creates hundreds of conversations about you.
- How Michael scaled from solo production into a “system of systems” team
- The future of business in the AI era: The winners won’t be the ones who out-tech everyone — they’ll be the ones who “out-touch” through HI (Human Interaction), supported by AI.
About
Michael Maher understands the power of Referrals. He is the epitome of how a life can change through the power of connection. Born in a shack in a small town in Kansas, he used his curiosity and humility to build a network that fed him and his business over 500 referrals annually in a business where 5 referrals in a year was above average. His company rapidly earned millions.
Then he wrote a book called (7L) The Seven Levels of Communication: Go from Relationships to Referrals. His network spread the word about this book so fast that it became an Amazon bestseller in just 7 days and has been a bestseller for over 11 years! That book spurred a movement and then a community, The Generosity Generation. This global referral community exchanges referrals daily - and you may be invited to become a part of it. His company, REFERCO, is the foremost authority on business referrals. Michael's network and client list includes presidents and billionaires. He has shared the stage with George W Bush, Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, and Magic Johnson. He's coached many people you've heard of. Today, he is here to help us.
Even though Michael has been given many wonderful titles by the business world, the titles that mean the most to him are husband and father. Michael grew up in Kansas City, and now lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife Sheri, son Max, and their dog Miles. Michael wants to help you build a business that not only feeds your family, but also feeds your soul. Today, you will get some insights on the power of referrals from someone who lives it, breathes it, loves it, and teaches it. A true master. He walks his talk. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my friend, my colleague, Michael J. Maher.
How to Connect With Michael
- Website: www.JoinGenGen.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GETREFERRALS
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-maher-159872366/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/joingengen
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael.j.maher/