Podcast Summary: "Building Brands, Buying Domains, Beating the Odds with Jeremy Padawer"

Podcast: The Fame Game with Heidi & Spencer
Hosts: Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag, Studio71
Guest: Jeremy Padawer
Date: October 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid and wide-ranging episode, Spencer and Heidi welcome Jeremy Padawer—a legendary figure in the toy industry and renowned domain name collector. Together, they delve into the trauma and resilience following the devastating Palisades Fire, discuss lessons in brand building, the highs and lows of collecting memorabilia, and the importance of community activism and leadership in the face of bureaucratic failure. The episode blends reflections on personal loss with sharp social commentary, practical advice for disaster recovery, and playful banter about toys, collectibles, and life in the spotlight.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Jeremy’s Unlikely Journey: From Domains to Toys

[00:20 – 01:54]

• Spencer recounts Jeremy's early days buying valuable domain names, including a memorable $500,000 sale of act.com.
• Jeremy discusses his transition: “At the age of 23, I was buying domains. One deal changed everything, but toys became my fun career.” (A, 00:20)
• Toy brands Jeremy’s worked on: Squishmallows, Pokemon, Hello Kitty, Fortnite, Roblox, and more.

2. Shared Loss: The Palisades Fire and Collectibles Gone

[01:54 – 08:28]

• Spencer and Jeremy bond over losing their homes—and irreplaceable collections—in the fire.
• “Every dollar I ever made, I bought museum grade collectible crystals… Seeing that you actually had a larger collection of... art, memorabilia, how would you describe your now-in-heaven collection?” (A, 04:39)
• Jeremy: “I had one of the largest Pokémon collections in the world. I lost probably a third in value, but I lost, like, 99% of the stuff that I owned.” (C, 05:21)

3. Failures of City Leadership and Systemic Negligence

[06:47 – 08:28; 14:44 – 24:00]

• Jeremy and Spencer are highly critical of the city’s failures, emphasizing lack of emergency warnings, poor preparedness, and systemic negligence.
• “This was very much an unnatural disaster... the wind got an assist and gross negligence and ineptitude got the goal.” (C, 06:51)
• They discuss the importance of scrutinizing leadership, noting episodes of incompetence: “Brian Williams, the deputy mayor of public safety, called in a bomb threat two months before the fire and was then raided by the FBI.” (C, 43:24)

4. Irreplaceable Value of Collectibles and Memories

[08:28 – 12:23]

• Both hosts and guest share the emotional difficulty of losing one-of-a-kind items. Insurance cannot replace personal meaning or history.
• Jeremy: “Memorabilia and those types of things are lifelong. My hope was one day my family would be proud, sitting at a Sotheby’s auction. That’s a lost opportunity.” (C, 05:21)
• Spencer echoes: “Every crystal was a talisman of a trip... another type of memory that was just taken from us.” (A, 08:28)

5. Community Rebuilding and Political Advocacy

[21:47 – 26:43]

• Despite loss, Jeremy is committed to helping neighbors, advocating for mass tort lawsuits and better compensation.
• He outlines practical measures to incentivize rebuilding: waiving sales tax on materials, pausing property tax until occupancy, and establishing a real police presence.
• “The city is going to have a windfall of $2 billion in sales tax on $20 billion of construction... It’s pure shit. That’s unbelievable.” (C, 23:53)
• “We need a mayor in the Palisades. Not an honorary mayor, but someone substantive, with face time every week with the powers that be.” (C, 25:14)

6. Tech for Community Coordination

[27:23 – 28:13]

• Spencer floats the idea of an app for Palisades residents—for coordination and verified updates instead of fragmented WhatsApp/text groups:
  • “The community needs an app... not just on Nextdoor. Everything’s so fragmented.” (A, 27:23)
  • Jeremy agrees, noting the need for centralization and communication.

7. Predictions and Hope for the Palisades’ Future

[28:13 – 33:02]

• Jeremy shares his realistic but optimistic forecast for Palisades recovery:
• “I believe we’ll get 50 or 60% of the people who lost their lots back. Our objective should be 70%. The goal is to get as many humans back as possible. Seven years from now, it’ll be the best place on planet Earth.” (C, 30:58)
• He credits the resilience and community spirit, citing very few lot sales despite immense loss.

8. Toy Business Insights, Collectibles, and Branding

[33:34 – 39:21]

• Playful discussion on potential Palisades-themed toy sets and more serious insights into collecting and the toy business.
• On Beanie Babies and speculative collectibles: “Anything you allow yourself to put your money into as an investment should be something you can track and trace over time.” (C, 35:55)
• Jeremy’s personal journey: collecting coins, stamps, autographs as a child—transitioning into toys and building brands from Mattel to entrepreneurship.

9. Advice for Entrepreneurs and Collectors

[40:07 – 41:13]

• Jeremy values creative and emotional intelligence over traditional measures: “True intelligence is the marriage of all these things: creativity, resilience, the ability to stand in front or work in the background… That’s true intelligence.” (C, 41:13)

10. Family, Partnership, and Lasting Bonds

[41:13 – 42:24]

• Jeremy’s story of meeting his wife, the importance of personal partnerships, and parallels with Spencer and Heidi’s relationship. “There’s nothing better I could have done with my life than my marriage. I see a true partnership here, and you guys are capable of incredible things together.” (C, 42:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On City Failure:

  “The wind got an assist and gross negligence and ineptitude got the goal.”
  — Jeremy Padawer, (06:51)

• On Irreplaceable Loss:

  “I had one of the largest Pokémon collections in the world. Lost probably a third in value, but 99% of the stuff I owned. It’s a kick. It hurts.”
  — Jeremy Padawer, (05:21)

• On Leadership:

  “We need a mayor in the Palisades. Someone substantive. I’ve vocalized more vision than our mayor.”
  — Jeremy Padawer, (25:14)

• On Community’s Future:

  “Despite disastrously poor management, I actually believe this community is so strong… Seven years from now it’ll be the best place on planet Earth.”
  — Jeremy Padawer, (30:58)

• On Collectibles & Value:

  “Anything you allow yourself to put your money into as an investment should be something you can track and trace over time.”
  — Jeremy Padawer, (35:55)

• On True Intelligence:

  “Intelligence comes in a lot of different ways… If you only focus on people with high IQs, you end up with disaster after disaster.”
  — Jeremy Padawer, (41:13)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:20–01:54 — Jeremy’s bio, from domains to toys
• 04:39–08:28 — Irreplaceable loss: collectibles, insurance, and emotional impact
• 06:51–08:28 — Systemic negligence vs. "natural" disaster
• 14:44–24:00 — How community can advocate; practical tax proposals
• 25:14–28:13 — Local leadership and the case for a real mayor
• 28:13–33:02 — Palisades' future: predictions and resolve
• 33:34–39:21 — Toy business, collectible advice, and first passions
• 41:13–42:24 — Family and partnership
• 43:24–47:51 — Deputy mayor scandal; ongoing city management criticisms
• 49:40–51:18 — Wrap-up, thanks, and final branding plugs

Tone & Style Notes

• Conversational, playful, but sharply candid
• Mix of empathy for loss and biting critique (particularly towards city/leaders)
• Frequent moments of laughter and self-aware humor (“I feel like a pirate, that’s why I love domain names”) juxtaposed with serious calls to action
• Deep community focus and genuine expressions of gratitude and hope

Final Takeaway

This episode offers a blend of personal storytelling, practical advice, and impassioned civic engagement. Jeremy’s wisdom in collectibles and business is matched by his deep concern for his community and his no-nonsense assessment of leadership failures in disaster management. For Palisades residents—and anyone interested in resilience, rebuilding, and the human side of fame and fortune—it’s a must-listen.

For more from Jeremy:

• Follow his blog: pacificpalisades.com
• Learn more about Spencer & Heidi at prattdaddy.com
• Support the community and join the conversation!