Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back - A Real Estate Podcast

S3E3 - Meet CFO Lyndsey Gallagher - Where Family Legacy Meets Fast Moving Leadership

• Coldwell Banker American Homes

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In this episode of Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back – A Real Estate Podcast, host Michael Litzner sits down with Lyndsey Gallagher, Chief Financial Officer of Coldwell Banker American Homes, to talk about what it’s really like leading in a family-run company that’s been growing strong for nearly four decades.

Lyndsey shares how she went from answering phones in the office as a teenager to managing the financial operations that power more than 1,000 agents and 100 employees. She talks about building faster, smarter systems that help agents get paid in hours, not weeks, her legendary “Croatia yacht” story, and how compassion, culture, and community remain at the heart of the Gallagher legacy.

You’ll hear about:

  • How family values still guide a modern, fast-moving brokerage
  • The systems and mindset behind same-day commission payouts
  • Balancing business, leadership, and life
  • The ongoing impact of the Heart of American Homes Foundation
  • And, of course, the “Drop the Mike” moment you don’t want to miss

👉 Like and subscribe for more inspiring conversations from leaders who work hard, play hard, and give back.

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SPEAKER_03:

Welcome to the Work Hard, Play Hard, and Give Back a Real Estate Podcast. We're at the studio at American Homes in Franklin Square. And today we have as our guest interview Lindsay Gallagher, CFO of Co-OBanker American Homes. Welcome to the show, Lindsay.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely. If you like what you're seeing here today, remember to like and subscribe to our podcast, okay? And don't forget, by the way, to stay for the drop the mic question at the end. It's always a lot of fun. So we're gonna kind of jump in really fast here because I I think we have a great story to share here. So um for our audience, obviously you're a legacy candidate, daughter of the CEO of Cobalt Banker American Homes, Tom Gallagher. And since I obviously know you since you're a child, I mean literally two years old, right? So you have some unique exposure to the real estate business, really having grown up in it. So um why don't you share with our audience real fast, you know, a little bit of what that exposure looks like, you know, from a from a the eyes of a a a kid, teenager slash now adult? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was trying to figure out like college, you know, nothing different uh angles of life, as they say, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Um yeah. Well, I'll say that probably the car phone was probably the worst thing that was invented in Dana, my sister, in my opinion, because you and dad were always on the phone when he was in the car and we weren't allowed to listen to music or do anything. So that wasn't great.

SPEAKER_03:

I don't think anything's changed. 37 years later, the same thing's happening today, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh-huh, exactly. We did get disc men, though, which was great back in the day in those 90s, because then we were able to listen to music on our own and we weren't having to listen to your conversations in the car, which is great. Um, yeah, so growing up in this, um it's almost like a contact high, so to speak.

SPEAKER_03:

You kind of don't even realize you're exposed to real estate and industry and it's probably things in the back of your brain used to be.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah, since we were young. It was you we always were hearing it, even if we didn't know what was going on and what was being spoken about. When a conversation was coming up in our everyday lives, we were able to, you know, relate or understand because of all the things that we had heard since forever. Then when you guys were in the East Meadow office, uh, when I was a teenager, I was answering phones for you guys over there. I mean, back in the day when you were cutting out the ads in the newspaper and taping them and taping them into the books so that way we like knew the ads that we were taking out and the weeks that we took them out and you know how much we were paying for them and all that. I was there. I was with you guys in our Kaufman back in the day answering phones. I was in Merrick answering phones, and my exposure came uh pretty early. I think whenever you were allowed to start working, or even maybe before that, I was in the office answering phones and learning how it was to be in a in a company.

SPEAKER_03:

Now, when did you get your real estate license exactly?

SPEAKER_01:

I got my license when I was 19.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So that was um pushed by by my father to go for that. I know. Can you believe it? Who wants to have their freshman year of college summer vacation start with going to real estate school? But I have to say thank you, I have to thank him years later because I do, you know, like five to seven deals a year to, you know, friends and family referrals and keep it going.

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And I enjoy that aspect. It's nice to get out there and you know be in it with people and it's fun. But yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so so from our audience, you know, so sh they have an understanding. Um, your main role now as CFO, it's it it's clearly in the back office. You're responsible of paying a thousand plus agents, their their commissions, their their income. And we have obviously a hundred plus employees.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

So there's a lot that's on Lindsay Gallagher's shoulders. So um and in in your spare time you still sell five to seven houses. Correct. All right.

SPEAKER_01:

So if I can do it anyway, okay. There we go. There we go. No, it's just, you know, you have to do time management and you make it work. And that's half the battle.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah. So right now you're running the entire financial side of Cold Bank American Homes as CFO. What's the what was the moment you decided to step into the leadership role role? And what's the greatest lesson you've learned from your dad, Tom, about the business?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I did learn that I will never be a human calculator like he is, and I don't know many that can it still blows me away every time he's able to figure out numbers in his head within like 15 seconds. You I just can't get over it.

SPEAKER_03:

He always holds that over me. I'm really good at math and yet he's like an idiot savant. Yes, I I know he's gonna hear this. I know.

SPEAKER_01:

And if you take out a calculator, it's like he's looking down on you.

SPEAKER_03:

Like you're like, what? Calculate shames you, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh. When did I take on or when did I decide to take on this role? Yeah. Um, I again I had been in many aspects of the company, so I feel like I have come up from, you know, answering phones and you know, helping with recruiting and helping with like newsletters and all of the different aspects of the company from years ago. Right. And you guys were acquiring um a large number of offices at a time. And I was asked to, you know, come in to figure out about, you know, he was nervous about how the money was gonna be handled. You guys both work so well together because you handle different areas of the business. And and he was unsure if he was, you know, gonna be able to keep doing it all. So he wanted to kind of, I guess, prep me for that.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. By the way, one of my personal goals is to definitely recruit and develop more sales than the back office can figure out how to pay. You I like to keep you guys a little overmatched. Yeah, a little overmatched if possible.

SPEAKER_01:

But it's it's happened a couple of times, but we've come back down.

SPEAKER_03:

But yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And I started with payroll, just of the employees originally. Yeah, and then I kind of we were moving into a new software system, and Tom Gallagher does not like change. So with that, I was learning the system. He was a little not reluctant to learn the system, but also I think that was his time to like let me shine and let my wings expand and um gave me that opportunity to see if I could handle it. And that's where I think it really happened. And I think that was around 2013-ish.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So it's been, yeah, it's been over 10 years now that I've really like stepped in and tried to expand our opportunities with that to make everything more efficient for us behind the scenes because you remember he used to write notes on every single agent's commission. Oh my god, yes. Every single one.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. Getting him to move from uh, you know, actually writing the checks to direct deposit. Do you remember that?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

You know, we have agents that span, you know, live literally live a hundred miles apart in the company, and yet he wanted to have written paper checks uh delivered with the notes, was handwritten notes on the computer.

SPEAKER_01:

Which is such a nice touch. And I give a lot of credit to that. But as you were growing, it was just becoming more impossible to do that.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly. I don't know if I would have won the direct deposit war. I think I eventually would have won that argument.

SPEAKER_01:

I pushed that one. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03:

And he always says you and I team up against him now.

SPEAKER_01:

He does say that.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, yes. I think he's right. Sometimes it's true. Yes, yeah. So I think that was one of the battles that uh you helped me uh win.

SPEAKER_01:

So I think he, you know, almost 20 years later agreed with that now.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah. I think when you have to close thousands of transactions a year, which is a good problem to have, you have to have efficiency. So that's awesome. So coming back to the second part of that question, what is the greatest lesson you think you've learned from your dad about the business? Let's we'll leave the life life learning. Life lessons moments, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

His compassion, I think. He after all these years still has the same compassion um that he's had, I feel like, since day one. And I think uh living in this business, you could get beat down very easily, and somehow he still comes out with the compassion. And I give a lot of credit to that because you could be very you could feel very defeated sometimes.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, well, it's a hyper-competitive business.

SPEAKER_01:

It's very hyper-competitive and it's personal and you take things personally. It's hard not to. You you put your you know, blood, sweat, and tears into something, but I'd probably say it's compassion. Yeah, I think and his business mind, he always is able to step back and really like look at a whole situation instead of making um an impulse decision. And I know one of his famous lines to me is wait an hour and see if you feel that way in an hour. And then I remember one time I went to him and I was like, It's been 24 and I still feel the same way. He's like, Okay, fine, then you can execute on it. But take telling me to take a step back and really like look at the whole picture instead of jumping on impulse.

SPEAKER_03:

Sometimes yeah, it's it's the the impulse, it's it's the emotional response, which isn't always the right correct business response. So that takes a lesson, yeah. So there's a little yin and yang with that because I'm way more aggressive. So uh huh.

SPEAKER_01:

But that's yeah, that's why you guys work so well.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, and he's been the one that pulls those reins back at times, you know. Yeah, so I I totally get that one. And with the compassionate, you know, we have Tom's old ego. So there's Tom Gallagher, and then there's we have those tea gal moments. Oh yeah. Yes, that's that's the soft compassionate side that comes out.

SPEAKER_01:

So true.

SPEAKER_03:

So you're one of the few who serve both as a high-level CFO and active real estate salesperson. So how does having your boots on the ground selling homes inform your decisions and strategies for the brokerage side?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, it gives me the opportunity to be out there and to see like what is transpiring like out in the field. So then I'm able to bring it back and either like help anyone in our company that also needs assistance with that, it it allows me to make any kind of changes that I feel like need to be made within our back end systems. If I'm able to like, I'm seeing now I'm interacting with other agents in other companies, and you know, we're talking about uh commissions, they'll talk about commissions. There was an agent that um hadn't gotten uh paid for two weeks on a deal that I had paid our agent on. So she had actually that agent from another company had said, Oh, uh, I did a deal with so-and-so in your company. Um, did your agent get paid? I'm like, Well, yeah, of course. Like I pay the agent. So of course they got paid. I still haven't gotten paid and it's two weeks. So I take that back and I say, All right, you know, like I relay that information and say, We're doing a really great job here. Like we pay our agents as quickly as possible, and I think that's an amazing thing.

SPEAKER_03:

So yeah, the feedback I get from my side, and I'm not on the payroll side, right? That's Tom and your baby over there. But um the average industry is at least a week, you know, and and in an industry where agents are working on a deal for three months, you know, two months, three months, four months, whatever it is, and finally get the damn thing to close where they say, I'm finally gonna get paid, and then the company that waits another week or two leaving them in the wings.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

So our our our goal is to pay them in three business days or less. But I will say the you know, you know, kudos to to you because it's very rarely more than like twelve hours before an agent gets you know, you know, the money deposited and stuff. And I really think that's a tremendous strength and strongly appreciated by the agent uh, you know, on the uh American Homes team. So I don't see anyone in the industry doing anything close to that.

SPEAKER_01:

Which, you know, I give you guys a lot of credit for starting that from so long ago and carrying it through, you know, as you grew. That's not an easy thing.

SPEAKER_03:

Well maintaining it in in scale is definitely a trick as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. So I'm not gonna take credit for asking this question, but I do have some notes here. I'm gonna kind of bring the committee. We have a podcast committee.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

And um, so so the way the question's framed, you know, Tom, if you're listening out there, so it says, that you've been working with your father for the last 10 plus years in the back office. Is he just napping behind his desk while you're doing all the heavy lifting?

SPEAKER_01:

That's funny. Um, there had been a time where I would walk into his office and I'd be like, Are you just sitting there putting words for friends? What are you doing? What are you doing in there?

SPEAKER_03:

Um And it better not be agents that you're playing with. Stop distracting. Stop distracting our agents.

SPEAKER_01:

Listen, as time has gone on, he does come in a little bit later because he feels comfortable and he knows that you know our back office is being handled. But when he's sitting behind that desk, he's always running some type of reporting numbers. He's always looking at something. So then all of a sudden, I'll get an intercom call and be like, Do you have a few minutes? And I'm like, A real true few minutes, or like, do I need now? Or like, what are we going over here? And he he, yes, he is he is in there working, but sometimes also, you know, catching up on shows and playing some games, but then comes back to it.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah. But to his credit, he does have that analytical mind. So you know, he'll come up with that vantage point and uh so I know it's legendary, our conversations at five to five and stuff, but it's like when everyone else is slowing down, we finally get the chance to breathe and we catch up and we have our our discussions, you know, you know, boots on the ground in the streets, so to speak, sales side of it meets you know the analytical, you know, math side of it and stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

So that is when you guys recap the day.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

We will say in the back office that when the phone rings five to five on a Friday, we're like, no, it's Michael.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, it is. It's pretty much could be any day, though.

SPEAKER_01:

It could be any day. You're correct.

SPEAKER_03:

It's not limited Fridays.

SPEAKER_01:

You're you are correct.

SPEAKER_03:

So from your vantage point, obviously you've been around our business. You know, Tom and I have been together as partners uh closer to 38 years than 37 years now. So it's it's it's been a couple, so a couple of decades.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Where do you see our company in the next five years from your vantage point?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh wow. Um I don't know. I I like where we're at right now. I think that the Cola Banker um acquisition five year just about five years ago was pretty huge. I think that was the biggest undertaking that our company had ever done. I think you agree with me there.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, we doubled the size of our company during an insane time in real estate. Yeah, post-COVID.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah. So I think that if we could do that, we could do anything, or at least me personally. Wait, wait, don't challenge me. I'm not challenging you.

SPEAKER_03:

I can assemble challenge you.

SPEAKER_01:

We do we do love a roll-in. A roll-in is great.

SPEAKER_04:

Rollin is great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I I think that we're in a really good place. I think that we have great agents. I think we have great offices and managers, and I think that we're in a good spot to see where where we're headed. Um, I know that you're always looking to grow. You know that I'm always a little hesitant because it makes me nervous.

SPEAKER_03:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

But I know that you guys will never do anything that will put us in a bad situation. So I also trust you guys to make the best decisions for us.

SPEAKER_03:

There we go. Well, you you see the the intense discussion that goes on behind the scenes. Yes. So it's not what what someone hears on the street when it when it's announced, there's there's a tr a ton of preparation and discussion that goes into every decision.

SPEAKER_01:

So months, sometimes years. Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

A little on the side here, which is it's kind of interesting. So one of the things I'm most amused about is you you get the industry news, so to speak, right? Yes. Which is uh agents chattering, so to speak, and sometimes even you know, brokers, managers, and other companies and what have you. And I'll hear blatant statements about our company that would have to have started with Tom and I. And we've never had that conversation, but it's repeated back to me as as if it's happening tomorrow. I'm like, yeah, that's that's not true. Yeah, yeah. So it's interesting when you see the inside discussions and paths and vision, so to speak. So we've seen so much change in our industry. So you've seen the change from your vantage point. Yeah, I'm definitely a uh a few steps deeper into this business than you are. So we've seen technology come in and impact uh our industry, you know, from uh you know uh the internet, just bringing the computers into it to the internet to you know, GPS to pictures of the houses.

SPEAKER_01:

You don't always have the pictures of the houses.

SPEAKER_03:

So we've seen um tremendous change even from email to text messaging now to AI. So we we continue to see that impact. But then we've had all the legal challenges to the industry. So what's a bit what's a bigger challenge? What's a bigger what's a bigger impact on business?

SPEAKER_01:

I think I'd say AI right now is the biggest one currently.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Um I see how it brings so much strength to the industry, I see that it's helpful in so many ways. Um, but then I also get a little bit nervous that it's taking out um the authenticity of like using your own mind. Like when you're relying on somebody else to come up with everything for you, um, it's taking away from what you bring to the table and a little bit. I think that if you use it correctly and you use it to help um bring your strengths out, it's great. But I think if you rely solely on it, it's almost making it inhumane a little bit. Like it's taking out, it's taking out the the personal touch that you bring, I think is what I'm trying to get at.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

But I think I do see all the benefits. I think it's amazing. Efficiencies, if it's used. Absolutely. The efficiencies if it's used correctly, but I think that's where our training comes in and we actually push to train to use it correctly, which I think is amazing. Yeah. Because if you just go and do it on your own and it's not checked before you publish, I think that's not great. I think that we do a good job about the training to do it the correct way to help enhance all of our agents and their work.

SPEAKER_03:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

But when that's not done, that makes me a little nervous.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, ultimately we have to own our own voice. Whether or not we use an AI tool, correct. Ultimately, it's we have to look at it like we're we authored it and we own it at the end of the day. So in an industry known for slow payments, your process for handling agent commissions is famously efficient. So, what's the core philosophy and technology that drives that kind of speed and operational excellence?

SPEAKER_01:

So in 2000, I think 13 or 14, we um went on with a uh real estate software program that is geared towards all real estate sales. So I kind of customized our program to be the way that our company handles oil processing. So we were able to customize everything from the ground up. I created it with the programmers to make it how so that way our company would be run as efficient as possible. So it's great, it filters in with MLS and you know, uh, we have a system in place with the managers when everything is cleared with the paperwork. That's always important. Paperwork needs to be cleared. Like as long as your paperwork is good, you will get paid. Um, but your paperwork is cleared and the managers know the system of, you know, how to tell to trigger me that everything is complete. And I go in there multiple times a day and I'm closing out deals. So that way the agents are getting paid based off of the work that they, like you said before, spent months putting into. Um, it's it's the right thing to do. And we do our best. I mean, we say three business days, but uh if it takes more than two with me, it's usually like something's happened. I'm like pretty, pretty quick with it. Uh, because I think it's really important. Yeah. I think we value our agents and what they bring to our company, and they should feel that in return.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Now you talked about developing processes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Um, in order to, you know, I guess scale the department, so to speak, efficiently to scale, it might be a better way of saying it. So um what was what was the what was the path that, you know, from your vantage point of bringing in new software and creating those processes?

SPEAKER_01:

So actually you had brought me um, it was your idea. You had been going to, I think, like different technology fairs and you had found a few different companies, and we sat on a bunch of different demos because when we were growing and we were looking at, you know, how my father was paying everybody and writing physical checks. We were on direct deposit at that point, but he would still do like a hand, not handwritten, but kind of handwritten breakdown of all of the commission statements.

SPEAKER_03:

And it was with a chicken scratch that no one could read.

SPEAKER_01:

That you couldn't even read. But it went a long way. So we were looking at different systems and we wanted to keep that same, you know, like how the breakdowns came out, the commission statements, but we wanted to automate it for everybody. So we were able to find the program that we felt worked best for us.

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And we customized it according to our culture and the way we process as a company.

SPEAKER_03:

You know what's interesting? It's like it's having kind of obviously lived through this um with you, is that when you start bringing in third-party software, it's typically brought to us by people who aren't in the real estate business. Correct. So it's always assumed uh how our business should work as opposed to how our business actually is actually works. And and the trick is really getting the software, it's not just getting the software, but it's getting it to customize the workflow in a common sense, practical approach.

SPEAKER_01:

And I think that's what mattered to us most was this was a real estate company that were previously brokers, so they got it. And even though they work with the entire country and New York functions very differently than pretty much everywhere else in the world.

SPEAKER_03:

Um thanks to that little thing we call attorneys.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yes, those attorneys. Um, they were able to customize accordingly. Like we don't hold escrow, but there's spots in this system for escrow. So I didn't need that. So we customized accordingly to work primarily with us.

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And that was so important because we need something and somebody that's able to work with us and actually knows our industry. You're so correct because not everybody does.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Another world.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly. So it's it's it's really an interesting exercise, but it's a lot of work and ultimately to get it right.

SPEAKER_01:

To get it right. But once you do, then the functionality is just so smooth that it was worth all the work it took to set it up. And we're still we're still revising and revamping, and you know, APIs come out constantly, we're changing, and it's but it's changing with us instead of being forcing us to change.

SPEAKER_03:

Correct. Right.

SPEAKER_01:

Like it's it's at least it's learning the industry, it knows the industry, and it's making the adjustments accordingly with us, which is super helpful.

SPEAKER_03:

Very, very. So you have a great story about taking care of payroll while on vacation on a boat in Croatia. Can you share that story and what does it reveal about your personal dedication to the agents and financial help of the company?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my goodness. Um, yeah. So I was on Yacht Week in Croatia a couple years ago.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

And as all my friends know, I will travel anywhere around the world with them. However, I always have to bring my laptop.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And they've learned and accepted that because I will be working from wherever I am. So, yes, I was in the middle of the ocean in Croatia and Adriatical Mediterranean way. Mediterranean.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And there was a full-on party going on on our boat, and I was inside. Oh, and except Lindsay. And I had my laptop open, I had my glass of champagne, and I was just like petting everybody, everybody, and the party was going on around me. And yes, I did. I took a pic, I snapped the picture and sent it so that way you knew, no matter what, it's getting done.

SPEAKER_00:

One of my favorite pictures from Lindsay, she was on a yacht in Croatia. Yeah. Okay. And she sent me a picture, and it looked like one of the corona pictures where you see 30 people dancing on the deck, and then you see a computer, and it's her behind a computer. We had over a million dollars in closings that week, and she paid everybody within one day from a yacht in Croatia.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. And I'm like, that's my girl.

SPEAKER_03:

I always find that one hilarious. I'm like, all right. I'm I I I want to say something about handling that much money after drinking champagne, but you know, the job got done.

SPEAKER_01:

The job got done.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly. So, so you've touched on something that's interesting. So, like the personal side of Lindsay. Like, so Lindsay's a world traveler.

SPEAKER_01:

I am. Yeah, become one, yes.

SPEAKER_03:

So, what's your favorite? I know you've been to a lot of good places. So, what's your favorite or most memorable spot that you visit?

SPEAKER_01:

Egypt. I brought my mother to Egypt two years ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Um, so your father refused to go.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, he was not, he did not want to go.

SPEAKER_03:

Too many steps. Too many steps. No golf course. It had been He says one big giant sand trap, and you know, it's a golf reference, probably.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. It had been my number one bucket list since I was probably 10. And every year for I can't tell you how many years, I'd say, Mom, can we go now? And she's saying, No, Lindsay, it's not safe over there. Mom, can we come now? No, it's not safe over there. And somehow I finally got her on board and she said yes. And it was probably one of our most memorable trips ever.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

It was so cool.

SPEAKER_03:

Was it the the whole pyramids experience? The whole pyramids. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Like even now, like how did they do that?

SPEAKER_03:

Or inspiring, so to speak.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Very cool.

SPEAKER_03:

All right. What's the runner-up?

SPEAKER_01:

What's the runner up? Oh, uh, I actually really love Croatia. So when I was on that boat, that was my third time there. Okay. Um, beautiful country.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Beautiful, beautiful country, and they love Americans.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. There you go. It's a good one too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

There you go. That's fantastic. So when you step away from the spreadsheets, closing paperwork, real estate sales. So, what is the Lindsay Gallica recipe for truly disconnecting?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, wow. Um, okay. So downtime. What is downtime really like I love to travel. Um, I love to work out. I strength train, you know, three to four days a week at least. Right.

SPEAKER_03:

This way you can fight off the attorneys and yeah, fighting off everybody, fighting off you and you, you, and dad. Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

I love to read. I love to go on walks. I love my nieces. I'm very involved with them.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh, they're my little best friends. I love to be with my friends and my family.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. So, with the family business being so dominant in your life, how do you successfully set boundaries to ensure you have time to focus on your personal life and personal interests?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I don't.

SPEAKER_03:

It's one big giant blurred line, right?

SPEAKER_01:

I was in the office till 745 last night. No, I do. I've been better about it. Um, there was somebody that you had brought back in uh back in the day, Bill Monopoly. Yeah. And he sat down with me one day and I would tell him all the things that were stressing me out, and I didn't know how to handle what to put in front of the other, like what held the most importance. And he really sat down with me and worked with me to really put into, you know, uh a list what holds the most top priority.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And I would list it down. And then if I didn't get to it by the end of the day, tomorrow was another day, and nothing bad was gonna happen if I did not accomplish that task that day. So it really helped me uh prioritize in what I felt was truly of utmost importance because it might be important to someone else, but it had to be have that importance to me as well in order for me to get through all my tasks for the day. And that was super helpful.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Because I was definitely not doing that. I I felt like I was a failure if I didn't get through everything that I needed to complete for the day, and that also wasn't great. So I had to find a healthy balance and I finally did.

SPEAKER_03:

Good. Good. I mean, literally, we're in a business that really doesn't have boundaries because for even for an agent, right? There's always another house to show show, another person to speak to, another issue going on, if you're doing it at a high level.

SPEAKER_02:

Correct.

SPEAKER_03:

So, you know, it doesn't matter that it's a weekday, a weekend, you know, a morning, afternoon, or evening, right?

SPEAKER_01:

The phone's ringing at 7 a.m., the phone's ringing at 10 p.m. It's uh it's yes, it's constant. So it is hard to set boundaries.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Shout out to Bill Monopoly. Right, shout out to Bill Month. I always great that a a real estate business consultant would have the last name Monopoly, but that was his last name.

SPEAKER_01:

So um I'll always give him credit for that.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. No, he was a uh very good guy, and uh, you know, over the years, you know, having access or having crossed paths with different people or having that opportunity to lean into like a business consultant.

SPEAKER_02:

Correct.

SPEAKER_03:

It's it's uh eye opening. Because they can bring a a fresh p perspective.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. They don't see you every day. So they're able to give you an outside point of view. Something that you or you or dad or anyone wouldn't be able to really see because they're living it with you. So you need like an outsider point of view.

SPEAKER_03:

Also they don't have any preconceived notions coming in. Correct. So it's a fresh pair of eyes, so to speak. So it's really, really helpful things that like that we've done over the years. So Linz, just trying to get a little bit more on the on the personal side, let's so that our audience really can say, okay, who is Lindsay Gallagher? So you're a lifelong Long Islander. I am. Do you have a favorite local escape or activity?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I love to go to the beach.

SPEAKER_03:

Ah, what's your favorite beach spot?

SPEAKER_01:

So growing up it was Fire Island and Robert Moses, because I grew up out in Bayshore.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

And then um as we moved to Nassau, I belong now to Sands Atlantic Beach Club, and that's where you will find me every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

SPEAKER_03:

Is it true you've been seen there on the beach lounge with your laptop uh paying AC?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm sensing a theme here.

SPEAKER_01:

I will pay you from wherever I am, but yes, yes. Uh once a week I do end up there during the week, and I will have my laptop there. And sometimes I'll get a phone call, and those seagulls are giving me up. But yes, I will I will work from wherever.

SPEAKER_03:

There you go. So, you know, you know, obviously giving back is one of our core beliefs, and you know, is really at the fabric of the culture of the company. Correct. So um why don't you share your thoughts on the company's commitment to, you know, community or and or uh charitable endeavors?

SPEAKER_01:

So I think that the reason I um originally before I was working with you guys, I was in event planning um for non-for-profits, which I absolutely love. Um, and when I had decided to take on the role with you guys, I did not give that up. I just now do it and don't get paid for it. So um I'd say that's a big passion of mine is giving back to the community. And I think I learned that from the two of you because you said I've seen all assets of you two in your company while growing up, and you guys were always giving back to the community. You were doing food drives, you were doing Thanksgiving dinners, you were doing community-wide events, and I think that I didn't know that there was any other way. This is just something that you do. Yeah, and I think I personally loved that aspect and I grew with it, and now I help uh community events and do things within our community all the time.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Um different fundraising efforts and I I credit the uh East Metal Kwanis Club for giving us that direction, by the way, which both your father and I got involved in at a very young age.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and I think that it helped shape you too, and then helped shape me.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. So you've been recently involved with the Chamber of Commerce. You uh ran their what was their largest fundraiser of the year.

SPEAKER_01:

Um yes, I have been for years. Correct. The Culinary Delights, and that was a food and beverage tasting um event that we had been holding. Um, it was its 19th year. I had been involved with it for 10 of those years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

And everything you say, by the way, when you say involved, but like running it in charge of it.

SPEAKER_01:

In charge of it, yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Committee chair.

SPEAKER_01:

Committee chair, yes, co-chair usually had some great co-chairs um along the years. And um, we were trying to give back to the community and the restaurants because we have restaurants in all of our all of our towns that are small businesses, and some of them have a really hard time, and we try and bring attention to them and show all the amazing things that they do in our community because they're constantly being hit up for donations for one fundraiser or another. And sometimes you need to remember and attend those places that are giving back to the community the way that they are. So we would do that, and it was a great time.

SPEAKER_03:

But it also turns out to be a uh um uh a fundraiser for the organization as well. Correct.

SPEAKER_01:

So this year we had done it just for the East Meadow Chamber, but previously we have done for East Meadow Quantas, we've done for uh the Medical Center in East Meadow, the Pediatric Center, we've done for Suffolk Nassau Autism, so and America's Vet Dogs. So we've done that in the past also. Um and then we would have uh half of the proceeds go to one of those four charities, and then uh any of the attendees would get to choose which one they wanted it to go to, right? Um, which is always great. So it was nice to you know help other organizations along the way.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely. So um what's the um plan for the uh chamber of commerce? Uh have you sat in the president's chair yet or not?

SPEAKER_01:

I have not sat in the president's chair.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm gonna love the hearing this because both your father and and and your father's partner for 37 have sat in that chair.

SPEAKER_01:

You guys have both been president. I was treasurer for three years.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I currently sit on the board. Okay, and I have a running bet with uh Sir uh Ted Rosenthal that if he is person of the year, that I would be the president that year. And we are both very stubborn individuals, and apparently he is more stubborn than I because I will not go back on a bet, but he will not accept. So I have not become president.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So the reason behind that, oh go ahead.

SPEAKER_03:

Ted Ted, the official uh challenge is now recorded in the annals of time now. So the balls in your court, Ted Rosenthal.

SPEAKER_01:

But the reason behind me not being president was I always like to do things behind the scenes. I'm in the back office behind the scenes. I don't always like to be the face of everything. And if I were president, I feel like you'd be losing me for all of the behind the scenes things that I do. Yeah. And I think that I bring a lot to the table in that aspect. So I didn't want to take away from that.

SPEAKER_03:

So you're sure you're Tom Gallagher's daughter. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01:

We're like in so many ways, except for this. In so many ways.

SPEAKER_03:

Tom's never met a mic, he didn't like it except for me. Exactly, exactly. So you prefer the the background. The people who do the heavy lifting but don't always take the bow for it. So look, that's uh an important role. Every organization or every successful event always has those people that put that extra work in, and it's not just like I said, for the for the picture, you know. Correct. The photo op. So uh it's it's a it's a so that means the the commitment comes from a better place, you know, it comes from a good place. Yes, exactly. So you know we have the uh Heart of American Homes Foundation, right? Uh we would say that your your dad's the chairman of the board, if we will. So what's your what's your feeling about that? What would you like to see that organization accomplish?

SPEAKER_01:

I love that this has been a passion of the two of you for so long and you finally brought it to life. And to see uh the impact that you're making on families that we know or that our agents know, I think are so it's so important. And it's been really like heartwarming to see how many families we've impacted in such a short period of time. And it's it's not like you're sending the money to an organization that you've maybe never heard of or you don't know who it's helping. Like you know where your money is going and who it's helping and how it's helping, and you've changed somebody's life with just like a small gesture, and yes, also financially. But I think it's been pretty amazing to see that we've been able to do that. Yeah, and I think continue to do. And I think that we have a great vetting system. I think it's Marie Asher, makes the phone calls as the requests come in.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah. So the idea is to verify every request, you know. We always say that we protect other people's money more than we would protect our own. So charitable money. Yeah. Well, right, exactly, in a lot of ways. Yeah, exactly. So um, when a request comes in for a donation, it's always vetted to make sure that's a it's a need and and uh the money winds up in the right place.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. And I think that's amazing because how often, I mean, you guys make donations to, I don't even know if you know Michael. We make donations to everybody. Everybody that sends in a request, we're sending a donation.

SPEAKER_03:

I get thanked a lot. And Tom just says just shake the heads, it's not too good.

SPEAKER_01:

Because we get so many requests. Like, think about how many different towns that we're in, how many different PTAs and football teams and blue cross teams and cheerleading teams, and we're getting all the requests. And of course, we're, you know, we we love supporting small, you know, towns and everything that that's what you guys stand for.

SPEAKER_03:

Community focused.

SPEAKER_01:

It's it's been a huge thing. And so now it's nice that you guys have your own foundation that you're able to help our family.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, because you consider all your agents and employees family. And if it's not them, it's somebody that they know or somebody that they heard a story about. And I think that really like hits home. And I think it puts, you know, it sheds light on what you guys are really about.

SPEAKER_03:

I really uh appreciate that vantage point. Now officially you're a treasurer of the foundation.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, so it's an official tax exempt C 103.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's a 5010 C three.

SPEAKER_03:

So it's interesting, and I get again for our audience that doesn't isn't aware what the foundation does, it's when we say it's uh, you know, it's a truly charitable organization or foundation, it there's really no expenses to it. So it's housed in our offices rent-free. There's no employees. Every office nominates uh an agent to or a member to sit on the board of directors.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. Um there's no overhead except for when we run any kind of event.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, the cost of running a fundraiser, you know, the cost of the fundraiser, and obviously, but a hundred percent of the actual net proceeds does go back into the community.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03:

So that's tremendously impactful. So the commitment that we put into it yield the results that we do. So is there a specific story, so to speak? Um, because since you're obviously seeing some of the close-up things, I mean it's super sad.

SPEAKER_01:

But the amount of young children that have passed, and the parents aren't able to um provide a funeral service or a burial for their child that has passed away, and uh uh we've contributed too many times to those. And it's those really touch on, I think. That's that's difficult. I mean, for a parent in general, and then to not have the funds to be able to do that, uh, we've done too many times.

SPEAKER_03:

So, how do you think the overall success of Cobalt Bank or American Homes translates into a better, stronger local community?

SPEAKER_01:

I think your community involvement has added to your success.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I think that I mean, this is what is it, 38 years old.

SPEAKER_03:

Coming up on, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And the hard work that you I'm not saying that you guys don't put in hard work now, but the foundation that you guys built so early on, and the fundamentals that you put into place 30 plus years ago, and you just you just kept on with it and building on it.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And I think that the community can rely on us a lot of the times for our not even just financials, but also our participation.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And I think that's huge because yes, we're all here for business and we're all here to make money and we're all here to succeed. But as far as the community involvement goes, I think that it has happened so naturally. It's not like you're out there publicizing, oh, hi, I'm Mike Glitzner, Cold Banker American Homes, come come use me. Like that's not our approach.

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And I think that because we're so involved in the community and so involved out there participating, right? It has come back tenfold.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

Personally, I think that's I think that's called karma, right? You know what? And you guys deserve some good karma.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, why not? Couldn't have happened to too nice too nice a guy. Right, Tommy?

SPEAKER_01:

Money is valuable, but so is your time. And if you are able to give time and volunteer and bring something to the table, that's equally as important.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly. So if I can run with this idea real quickly, because we have a lot of agents who watch our show. So if there's one takeaway here is participate in the communities, don't just be a name on a shelf, participate, show up and be a member. And the secret sauce, you just said it before, is as much as we give, it's amazing when you get in that lane, the karma brings it back to you. So you meet people, you know, um, and your sphere of influence expands. And then the type of business we've done from the relationships you develop, you know, it's this organic growth of relationships that has expanded our business on multiple l levels.

SPEAKER_01:

Because nobody wants to deal with a salesperson. Like we don't want to be sold, but through the chamber of commerce at least, we go to the meetings and everyone will their number one question is what will I get out of it?

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

The relationships that you make, and then the referrals that you then get from there because now they know you're a real person and they feel comfortable with you and they know that you have their best interest in mind. Yes, and that's how it that's how it works. Like that's the best thing you could do for yourself. Put yourself out there, meet the people, interact with people, and then it will come back to you.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. We're we're in a service business. Yes, and what better way to showcase your ability to serve people than to serve a nonprofit or a charity.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct.

SPEAKER_03:

It's on display, it's correct. It's a perfect opportunity.

SPEAKER_01:

Be your genuine, authentic self, and people see that. People want to be with people that are like-minded and it comes back to you.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly. That's great, that's great information. It's time for the drop the mic question. Before I get into that, I just want to remind our audience if you like what you're seeing here today, please like and subscribe to our show. Okay, we'd love to have you back for future episodes. So, Lindsay.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Your father is a well-known jokester.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Was there a time you can share with us where you wanted to die of embarrassment?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh boy. Only one, huh?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah. Well, what give us a a highlight.

SPEAKER_01:

So I was 13 years old, and my father would drop me off to school and then go to the gym. So he was in East Meadow. So I was living, we were, we I went to Ice Lips high school.

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And then he would drop us off and he would drive to East Meadow to go to the gym.

SPEAKER_04:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

So he was already in his gym clothes. So picture that, folks.

SPEAKER_03:

I heard they used to pay him to stay away from the gym because he he was like it was banned for business. Banned for business. He was the before picture.

SPEAKER_01:

So he would drop me off at school, and there was one day that I did not give him a kiss goodbye before I got out of the car. And he got out of the car in his gym clothes with everybody walking into the school screaming, I'm her dad, I'm her dad. And I'm like, no. So I never did not give him a kiss again. Like I always kissed him before I got out of the car from that day forward because I was mortified. I was like, no, don't do that to me. So but that was a 13-year-old girl. Now, um, now we say, Dad, you can't say that. Daddy, dad, you can't say that. Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

On a on the constant. So I can't even come up with one good one because it's literally, I think, every day of my life. Everyone's always says, has your father always been this way? And the answer is 100% yes. He is not putting on a show for you. This is what it was like growing up.

SPEAKER_03:

I don't think he can help himself. He cannot help himself. I think he's what he's most famous for. Yes, he's got every punchline, but the his dead pen delivery, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

Every time.

SPEAKER_03:

He's got that straight face when he does it.

SPEAKER_01:

And you don't know. You just don't know if it's going to be a joke or not.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Yes. Keeps you on the edge of the seat. Okay. Yes. So we have a little hook in here since we're at the end of the drop the mic question.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

So we really want an honest answer. Okay. Who's the tougher boss? Your father, Tom, or his partner, Mike?

SPEAKER_01:

You're a little bit tougher. What? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

No way.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. And I'll tell you why. You sometimes have um like a one-stream mind where you're like so zoned in on what you're trying to achieve.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

That sometimes it's hard breaking through to you.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Sometimes.

SPEAKER_03:

Sometimes. Yes. You want to get locked and loaded.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't have to say equally, because he's equally as hard sometimes when you're trying to like get him to change something. So equally, you are both pains.

SPEAKER_03:

Wow. That's a double swipe there, Tommy. Are you feeling me, boo? All right. Well, that's that's awesome. That's awesome. So I we really appreciate you sharing your unique vantage point for the real estate business here tonight. You are awesome guests on our show. And uh we look forward to seeing what we can ach achieve going forward in the future.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03:

Awesome.