In this episode of the Collective Genius Podcast, I sit down with Damon Lines—longtime CG member and high-level CEO operator—for a conversation that blends grit, strategy, and a whole lot of entrepreneurial wisdom. Damon shares how he went from making six figures in college as a part-time mortgage guy to navigating a near-bankruptcy during the 2008 crash. He opens up about the hard choices he had to make and the key decisions that helped him scale a multimillion-dollar wholesaling business.

We cover Damon’s deep-rooted partnership with Doug Hopkins, what it really takes to build a lean and profitable real estate business, and how a leap into TV advertising—when everyone else said it was too risky—became a game-changer. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re at a crossroads in your real estate journey, this episode is full of insights that will challenge the way you think about growth, discipline, and focus.

[0:00] - Introduction

[2:00] - How Damon and Doug built their wholesaling business in Southern California and Phoenix

[4:00] - Why laser focus on wholesaling became their superpower

[7:00] - The strength of their partnership and what makes it last

[10:00] - Damon’s pivot from pursuing dentistry to making $150K in college

[15:00] - The mental toll of the 2008 crash and how Damon rebuilt from near-zero

[20:00] - How a systems-driven approach helped scale to 250 homes/month

[33:00] - The birth of Sellers Advantage and betting big on TV ads

[39:00] - Why TV advertising outperformed all other lead sources

[47:00] - Building a small but elite team—and why fewer, better people win

[54:00] - What changed after joining Collective Genius and how feedback improved their operation

[57:00] - The value of responding to leads fast—and how it transformed their conversion rates

[1:00:00] - Damon’s perspective on smart hiring, gut checks, and when to ignore the data

1. Focus Wins – Damon and Doug found long-term success by resisting distractions and staying committed to wholesaling—even when others pivoted.

2. TV Still Works – While most investors overlooked it, TV became their number one lead source and continues to drive results in highly competitive markets.

3. Lean and Profitable Beats Big and Average – With fewer than 25 employees across two markets, their team operates lean but earns more by hiring exceptional talent and paying them well.

4. Partnerships Matter – Damon and Doug’s complementary strengths and shared vision have helped them navigate challenges and stay aligned for nearly two decades.

5. Feedback is Fuel – Joining Collective Genius helped Damon see blind spots in his business—from response time to process improvements—and accelerated their growth.

• https://www.sellersadvantage.com/ – Damon and Doug’s California-based home buying company

• https://www.doughopkins.com/ – Their Arizona operation and brand

• https://go.thecollectivegenius.com/podcast/ – Learn more about the mastermind behind this podcast

If this episode hit home or gave you a new perspective, do me a favor—rate the show, follow us, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone else in the real estate game. We appreciate you listening and being a part of the Collective Genius community.

In this episode of the Collective Genius Podcast, I sit down with my good friend and longtime CG member, Glenn Schworm. Glenn’s journey from humble beginnings to leading two thriving businesses—one in real estate flipping and the other in education—is filled with hard lessons, major wins, and brutally honest setbacks.

We dive into what it really takes to scale a business, what happens when things go sideways, and why some of the most important growth happens in the toughest seasons. Glenn opens up about early bankruptcies, rebuilding after failure, and what finally helped him turn things around when scaling remotely nearly broke him. If you’re navigating challenges in your business right now—or thinking about taking the leap—this conversation is going to hit home.

Episode Highlights

[0:00] – Introduction

[3:00] – The value of real community in Collective Genius and how it’s shaped Glenn’s journey

[5:14] – Glenn’s first dream: becoming a business owner as a teenager running wiring jobs

[13:11] – His first big win—a $7,000 deal—and the marketing disaster that followed

[14:45] – The reality of buying rental properties off late-night infomercials in the ’80s

[22:23] – How Glenn and Amber got started flipping homes together

[25:01] – Flipping a house in 30 days and making $36,000 during the 2008 crash

[28:00] – Why Glenn teaches that success comes through struggle and resilience

[34:46] – The real motivation behind his education company—and why he stuck with it

[36:34] – Moving to Florida and the operational chaos that came with running things remotely

[40:01] – Investing in the right people: how a team member refused to be let go—and saved the business

[45:08] – The financial holes in the business: bad hires, unchecked marketing spend, and accounting red flags

[47:14] – A turnaround story: how leadership, coaching, and commitment rebuilt profitability

5 Key Takeaways

1. Failure is not optional—it’s essential. Glenn emphasizes that real success comes through repeated failure and the willingness to get back up, again and again.

2. Leadership is about betting on people. His business turnaround hinged on empowering the right team member who believed in the vision even when things got rough.

3. Scaling remotely is hard—but possible. It took years of trial, error, and loss before his remote flipping business found its footing again.

4. Passion matters more than the paycheck. Glenn’s drive in the education space comes from a deep love of helping others—not just making money.

5. You don’t have to be a great operator to succeed—but you do need one. Knowing his own weaknesses helped Glenn find and invest in someone who could run the day-to-day better than he could.

Links & Resources

• The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber

• Collective Genius Mastermind

• Learn more about Glenn and Amber’s flipping and education business: glennandamber.com

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