A home was the dream before it was the business

Cheri recalls living in Wisconsin while Larry worked in broadcasting and she ran a gymnastics program at a YMCA. When her boss asked what she most wanted, her answer was simple: to own a home. The goal mattered deeply, but the path to it was unclear.

Over time, their careers gave them different ways to understand the problem. Larry gained experience in employee benefits and financial services. Cheri became a real estate agent and later opened a brokerage. NestSTEPS grew from bringing those experiences together with the uncertainty they remembered as aspiring homeowners.

Connecting knowledge they had gathered over years

The idea developed through conversations about helping people get into homes and working with employers. Larry’s benefits experience helped frame the question: could homeownership support become something a company offers its employees?

They describe continuing to adjust the program after that initial realization. For other founders, their story shows how an idea can emerge from combining familiar fields, then become more specific through conversations with potential customers.

Turning a distant goal into a practical plan

In the interview, Larry and Cheri describe a program built around education, individual guidance, savings and employer support. Participants work toward milestones that make the homeownership process easier to understand.

Employer contributions are part of the model, but the founders explain that employers choose the amount and conditions. The conversation focuses on designing a benefit around an employee’s long-term goal while working within an organization’s circumstances.

The employer needs a business case too

Employers may like the idea and still ask how they can afford it. Larry and Cheri describe that budget question as a key part of their sales conversations. They position the program as an investment in loyalty and retention, asking employers to consider the costs of replacing people.

They also distinguish everyday workplace perks from support that affects life outside work. Their argument is that financial concerns and personal goals do not disappear when someone arrives at the office. Helping with those concerns is central to the kind of employee relationship they hope the program can support.

Education continues beyond getting the keys

Cheri describes six workshops covering subjects such as homeownership, personal finances, the mortgage process and the ongoing costs of maintaining a home. Her emphasis is on understanding the responsibility of ownership as well as preparing for a purchase.

They also describe access to individual advisors during and after the workshops. The aim is an ongoing relationship in which participants can ask questions and revisit their plans, rather than leaving them with information from a single class.

Building a service that can work across employers

The founders discuss scheduling workshops around an employer’s needs, organizing participants into manageable groups and coordinating program administration. They describe combining their team with trained real estate professionals as they expand beyond Utah.

Looking ahead, they want homeownership support to become a more familiar part of employee benefits. Their closing vision is collaborative: employees, employers and advisors each play a role. For the business itself, growth means building the relationships and delivery process needed to support that vision.

Frequently asked questions

Who are Larry and Cheri Salazar?

Larry and Cheri are the founders of NestSTEPS Benefits. They bring experience in employee benefits, financial services and real estate to the business.

What is NestSTEPS Benefits?

In the episode, they describe an employer-supported homeownership program combining education, planning, savings tools, individual guidance and employer contributions.

What does the education cover?

Cheri describes workshops on homeownership, personal finances, the mortgage process and preparing for the ongoing costs of owning a home.

Are employer contributions the same for every company?

No. The founders explain that employers determine contribution amounts and conditions according to their needs.

Does support end after the workshops?

The program described in the interview includes access to advisors during and after the workshops so participants can continue asking questions and working on their goals.