Inspired Forward

We’re in a covid cocoon right now and many people have made the mistake of putting their business fundamentals on pause. We have one of two choices, we can let this pandemic stop us from growing, or we can work on ourselves, nurture our relationships, strengthen our safety net, and come out of this stronger.  If we get into concentration and focus now, we are guaranteed to always be in momentum under any market condition.  What are some of the key areas loan officers have been overlooking because of the pandemic and the busy refi market? Why is it so important to nurture relationships with Realtor partners right now?  In this episode, mortgage industry author, speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur Jen Du Plessis talks about how we can be more intentional about the fundamentals of our business.  Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode How to take ownership for not nurturing your relationships: Many loan officers could have done a better job at keeping in touch with their Realtor business partners this year, and we should own that. When we do reach out, it’s okay to admit that. It’s more honest and authentic, and people will appreciate it.  Why we have to have a database of people we like: The majority of your deals next year are in the loans you’ve done before, not just for repeat business, but for referrals. That’s why we need to stay in touch with our database of past clients. The problem is, we’re often held back from getting in touch with our database because of one or two people we don’t like. Remove those people from your database so that you want to get in touch with everyone else.  How to interrupt bad habits: Creating better habits is the key to growing through the covid crisis. We have to recognize a bad habit and shift by replacing it with a good habit. If we gamify our ability to stick to good habits, we can make positive changes.   Guest Bio: Jen is an author, speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur in the mortgage industry. She is also the principal and Kinetic Spark Consulting. Jennifer began her career in 1983. A veteran of the industry, she has served in multiple high-level management roles, holds a Commercial Lending Certificate, is a Certified Instructor for VAR, and sits on various boards both in and out of the lending industry. Jennifer attended Colorado State University as well as the Denver Institute of Technology with a concentration in Construction Design/Architecture. She has been featured in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, and on Good Morning America, and was recognized in Loan Origination Magazine’s Top 200 Loan Originators in the USA in 2012, putting her in the top 1% of all loan originators in the country. She has transitioned from traditional mortgage lending and is continuing to pursue her speaking and coaching passion.  For more information visit https://www.jenduplessis.com/, text STRATEGY TO 66866 to schedule a consultation, and download 7 Strategies to Transform Your Business Mindset here.

The momentum of the current real estate market has created unprecedented production for mortgage professionals, but this short-term gain cannot be confused with long-term sustainability.  The LOs that don’t have the safety net of a solid business underneath that momentum are not only at risk of a collapse, they are also experiencing significantly higher rates of burnout.  People simply weren’t prepared for the rapid ramp-up of a low-interest market and while the volumes have been great, we can’t overlook the negative impacts. Even in an incredible market, we can’t ignore the challenges loan officers are facing.  What are some of the specific things that are leading to the massive burnout we’re seeing in our industry?  How can we mitigate the emotional and psychological effects of this market? In this episode, mortgage industry author, speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur Jen Du Plessis returns to Beyond Mortgage. She talks about common mistakes people are making in this high production market, and how she’s coaching people around them.   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode The challenges presented by a really good market: Loan officers experienced an explosion in production. If you haven’t formulated an actual business practice, you’ll end up reacting, and not actually concentrating on sustainable business practices. Not only is this leading to burnout, it also means this short-term success will eventually collapse and hurt you in the long run.  How to build a more balanced life: We have a tendency to build the business to make it the strongest part of our lives, then allow for everything else to form around it. We need to invert that and make our health and relationships the center and the strong part, and build the business around those fundamentals.  The connection between the virtual workplace and burnout: Human beings don’t just communicate with words, we also communicate non-verbally. When the world shifted into a virtual workspace, we were cut off from a huge portion of what makes us communicate more effectively. To counter this, we should never do a call without video, we should always position ourselves in the center of the screen, and be more animated when we talk.   Guest Bio: Jen is an author, speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur in the mortgage industry. She is also the principal at Kinetic Spark Consulting. Jennifer began her career in 1983. A veteran of the industry, she has served in multiple high-level management roles, holds a Commercial Lending Certificate, is a Certified Instructor for VAR, and sits on various boards both in and out of the lending industry. Jennifer attended Colorado State University as well as the Denver Institute of Technology with a concentration in Construction Design/Architecture. She has been featured in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, and on Good Morning America, and was recognized in Loan Origination Magazine’s Top 200 Loan Originators in the USA in 2012, putting her in the top 1% of all loan originators in the country. She has transitioned from traditional mortgage lending and is continuing to pursue her speaking and coaching passion.    For more information visit https://www.jenduplessis.com/, text STRATEGY TO 66866 to schedule a consultation, and download 7 Strategies to Transform Your Business Mindset here. 

Many people in our industry experience a tug of war between their businesses and their health and key relationships.  The problem isn’t that the business is too demanding, it’s that there’s no boundary around the things that matter. When there’s no protection around our health and our families, the job will always impose on them. It’s possible to accomplish big things in business without sacrificing family. We have to create the life we want by protecting what we value most, and building our businesses around it.  That way, there’s never a conflict between our families and our businesses.    What are some of the practical ways we can set boundaries between business and life? How do we keep ourselves in a positive headspace?  In this episode, award-winning mortgage leader and the President, COO, and Master Coach at 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching, Christine Beckwith returns. She talks about how she’s managed to balance her career with health and family.    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode Why coaching is necessary for new LOs: Our industry is missing quality training for brand new people. New LOs are lacking the coaching that can help them translate their drive and ambition into successful businesses. New people don’t just need to be taught sales, they also have to learn how to build solid businesses.  How to balance our businesses with our lives: Define the things that matter to you in your life, like family and health, and then build protection around them so that the job cannot impose on those areas. Put your health and key relationships on the calendar first, then build the business around them.  The power of boundaries:  Balance doesn’t happen by default. We have to prepare for the life we want to live, invest in it, and set boundaries around it. That way if anything starts to take us out of those boundaries, we can quickly come back to what’s important.    Guest Bio: Christine Beckwith is an award-winning mortgage industry executive sales leader, best-selling author, sought-after public speaker, and the President, COO, and Master Coach at 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching. She’s also a news anchor and public columnist. Christine’s accolades include 'NAWRB “Best Woman Owned Business in Banking”, “Most Powerful Women in Banking 2019”, and "Most Connected Mortgage Pro" 2018 & 2019. For more information visit https://visionyoursuccess.net/

Business planning is a word that gets thrown around at this time of the year. However,  though mortgage professionals talk about it, not everyone follows through.  Many people in our business have mastered sales and production, but the missing piece is a solid business plan and accountability.   The people who succeed at both the planning and the follow-through understand what needs to be done. They implement the right habits and stay consistent all-year-round.  What are the biggest gaps in the approach to business planning? Why is honesty so important if we want to grow?  In this episode, I’m joined by award-winning mortgage leader and the President, COO, and Master Coach at 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching, Christine Beckwith. She shares her story, how she built her impressive business, and where people go wrong with business plans.    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode: Why so many business plans fail: People start business plans as New Year’s Resolutions, but many of them never see them through. That’s because they lack the accountability to sustain the activities that help them achieve their business goals.  The importance of brutal honesty: Part of being a good leader is being brutally honest without being hurtful. If we truly care about people, we have to be honest with them in a caring way. If we’re not honest at all, we are actually hurting them.  Why we need to be open to honesty: The people who are willing to receive honesty and constructive criticism do really well in this business. The information they get is the feedback that helps them take the right direction, and avoid wasting time on the wrong paths.   Guest Bio: Christine Beckwith is an award-winning mortgage industry executive sales leader, best-selling author, sought-after public speaker, and the President, COO, and Master Coach at 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching. She’s also a news anchor and public columnist. Christine’s accolades include 'NAWRB “Best Woman Owned Business in Banking”, “Most Powerful Women in Banking 2019”, and "Most Connected Mortgage Pro" 2018 & 2019. For more information visit https://visionyoursuccess.net/

The combination of covid, lockdowns, and high transaction volumes has made 2020 an intense year for mortgage professionals. While being busy is nothing to complain about, we’ve had to grapple with big changes this year, and that requires mental fortitude.    That mental fortitude gives us inner stability in a world full of things we can’t control.    With everyone at home, it can feel like our teams aren’t as engaged or as connected as they would be under the same roof. However, even virtually, there are still many ways leaders are rising to the challenge and getting creative about maintaining company culture.    What are some of the ways we can be more effective as leaders? How can we leverage being virtual to maintain a sense of connection on our teams? How can we focus on what’s important during a very busy quarter?    In this episode, mortgage industry leader and Nova Home Loans Branch Manager, Greg Gale shares how to improve our mental states in uncertain times, and how to boost team culture and engagement in a time of lockdowns and working from home.    You can control your mornings and your nights. When you get a really good hold of those, it makes you better at having control during the day. -Greg Gale     Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode How to build mental strength: In times like these where a lot of what’s going on around us feels out of our control, the only thing we can control is our mental states and routines. If we focus on dialing in our morning and nighttime routine, we give ourselves the mental fortitude to deal with whatever the day throws at us.  How to go from reaction to effective response: When we increase our mental fortitude, we can have more control over the space between stimulus and response. If we control this space so that we’re responding instead of reacting, we have more freedom, more choice, and we can take better action.  Ways to keep our team culture strong in a virtual working world: Even if our teams are working apart right now, we can still maintain culture and connection by using virtual tools. From virtual paint parties to games, huddles, and happy hours, if we’re intentional about setting up moments for our teams to come together, we can uphold our culture.    Guest Bio:  Greg Gale is a mortgage industry leader, business coach, and VP/Branch Manager of Nova Home Loans. Greg joined the mortgage industry in 2005. Prior to that, he was a personal trainer and martial arts instructor for 17 years. Greg notes that 20 years of martial arts, where persistence, honor, and integrity are the heart of daily practice, was a perfect lead into his role as financial advisor in the mortgage industry. The Gale Team at NOVA Home Loans is a full-service loan origination service, committed to providing innovative mortgage solutions and real estate strategies. In his role as team leader, Greg stresses the importance of integrity, a positive attitude, patience, creativity, and respect for all things.    This team defines communication as one of the single most important elements in a successful loan transaction. They are committed to returning calls promptly, providing regular status updates, and being available as needed throughout the process. Greg and his team really listen to clients’ needs and then seek the best possible solutions, more often than not exceeding their client’s expectations. The team’s priority is to provide exceptional and memorable service. On a personal note, Greg is absolutely passionate about helping other people and is a regular contributor to the American Heart Association and Susan G. Komen Foundation. Greg is also a member of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers and the Arizona Association of Mortgage Brokers.    Follow @greg_gale_ on Instagram.  

It’s rare for someone to have two long and successful careers in any industry, and the people who do it bring a unique experience and perspective to the table.    Greg Gale went from working as a martial arts instructor for 17 years to running a thriving mortgage business. Along the way, he learned the value of relationships and not missing out on the opportunities presented by what he calls “sliding door moments”.    But his journey wasn’t easy. The tragic loss of his mentor was a moment that challenged him and taught him many valuable life lessons that have made him the leader he is today.    In this episode, Greg shares his story, how he was inspired by martial arts, what pulled him into mortgage, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.    Get in front of the people with the capacity to send you business and build a deep relationship with them. -Greg Gale    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   The most important activity in our business: When the market becomes busy with refi deals, one of the first things LOs drop the ball on is Realtor relationships. We still need to carve out an hour or more to make the calls to check in with them. Lead generation is the lifeblood of our business, and it has to be a priority and a part of our daily routine.  When LOs should get an assistant: Get an assistant based on a projection of your pipeline, not how busy you currently are. Even if our deal flow changes, our relationship nurturing has to stay the same. An assistant allows us to leverage other tasks in our business so we can focus on consistent lead generation and sales calls.  How to build a stable mortgage pipeline: Success in this business is about the quality of our relationships, not the quantity. We need to build a solid base of people with the capacity to send us business and maintain deep relationships with them.   Guest Bio: Greg Gale is a mortgage industry leader, business coach, and VP/Branch Manager of Nova Home Loans. Greg joined the mortgage industry in 2005. Prior to that, he was a personal trainer and martial arts instructor for 17 years. Greg notes that 20 years of martial arts, where persistence, honor, and integrity are the heart of daily practice, was a perfect lead into his role as financial advisor in the mortgage industry. The Gale Team at NOVA Home Loans is a full-service loan origination service, committed to providing innovative mortgage solutions and real estate strategies. In his role as team leader, Greg stresses the importance of integrity, a positive attitude, patience, creativity, and respect for all things.    This team defines communication as one of the single most important elements in a successful loan transaction. They are committed to returning calls promptly, providing regular status updates, and being available as needed throughout the process. Greg and his team really listen to clients’ needs and then seek the best possible solutions, more often than not exceeding their client’s expectations. The team’s priority is to provide exceptional and memorable service. On a personal note, Greg is absolutely passionate about helping other people and is a regular contributor to the American Heart Association and Susan G. Komen Foundation. Greg is also a member of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers and the Arizona Association of Mortgage Brokers.    Follow @greg_gale_ on Instagram.  

None of us got into this business with the intention of working around the clock. Most of us got into the mortgage space to have more control over our time. However, work-life balance is often easier said than done, and many of us have put business at the center of our lives.   Prioritizing our careers can be great for our egos, but is it ever worth sacrificing other areas of our lives? Will a thriving business make up for an unhappy marriage or poor physical health?   Striking a balance is even more complicated when we’re passionate about what we do. Is it possible to provide great service to our clients if we’re not on hand to answer their questions 24/7?   In this episode, author, speaker, and coach, Jodee Brydges shares how to build balance so we can experience success in each aspect of our lives.    Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Why business hours are essential for balance: With so many of us working from home, it has become easier than ever to fall into the habit of working non-stop. To avoid being on the clock 24/7, we have to create office hours for ourselves with a set start and end time for each day.    Why we need to set expectations about boundaries upfront: Once we’ve set office hours for ourselves, we have to communicate them with both our partners and our clients. This way, no one will be shocked if (and when) we don’t answer their calls on a Saturday night.    How planning ahead helps us find balance: There will always be work emergencies and fires that need to be put out, but they don’t need to take over our days and affect our ‘off’ time. By planning out our days in advance and making sure the most urgent tasks are always handled first, it’s easier to pivot when necessary.    How to stop getting sidetracked from our schedules: It’s tough sticking to a schedule when we’re fielding calls, texts, and emails from clients throughout the day. Switch off all devices when focusing on a deal or looking through paperwork to avoid being distracted, and call them back later.   Guest Bio: With over sixteen years of experience in the lending industry, a bachelor's degree in business finance, and over 19 years in the financial industry, Jodee is truly passionate about making a difference in her client's financial portfolios. Jodee's vision is to help each client build their financial future by educating them about the best loan available to meet their financial needs as well as the best way to build their financial futures by paying off debt, growing their savings for retirement and developing a plan for paying off their mortgage. By educating clients on the loan process, helping clients understand the products available and how to manage their debt portfolio, and honoring her commitments to her referral partners, Jodee has built her business 100% by referral. Additionally, Jodee continually offers financial education seminars that help her clients, referral partners, and the local community understand the ever changing financial markets and the importance of managing debt. Being a seasoned specialist with understanding the volatility of the interest rate market, continually educating herself about the financial markets, and using the industry’s best mortgage tools, Jodee is truly viewed by her clients as a trusted consultant and is regularly consulted on matters relating to housing and financial strategies. Additionally, Jodee is the creator of "PointPro" (a turnkey seminar package available to loan originators), a national industry speaker, and has appeared on Robin Fahr's television program "Conversations" and “The Carey Brothers Show’ a nationally broadcasted radio program.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers still seem to be living large and purchasing property wherever possible. Unfortunately, that prosperity might be short-lived because most of it has been funded by credit.   Credit card debt has become an epidemic, with more and more consumers building up debt and not paying it back. The trouble is, by living beyond their means now, they’re only setting themselves up for financial destruction later on.   As loan officers, it’s our duty to warn our clients about the risks of taking out loans they can’t afford to pay back, but how can we approach those difficult conversations? Is it possible to get them on the right financial path if they’ve already built up a ton of debt?   In this episode, author of Digging Out, Jodee Brydges shares what we should be telling our clients to keep them debt-free.    Stop your clients from overextending themselves with loans they shouldn’t have got in the first place. -Dan Trinidad   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   How to advise consumers hoping to buy vacation rental propertiesIn the midst of COVID-19 shutdowns, vacation rentals and Airbnbs couldn’t operate. If our clients are hoping to pay off their loans by renting out their properties, we have to remind them of this and let them assess if it’s worth the risk in the event of another lockdown.    Why we need to have uncomfortable conversations with our clientsDiscussions about what a client can’t afford are never pleasant, but they’re necessary. By being open about the risks of overextending themselves, we can help our clients see where they need to pivot.   The importance of sharing industry knowledge with buyersAs mortgage professionals, we know that at some point there will be a correction in the market and rates will increase. It’s up to us to make sure our clients don’t panic buy their way to financial destruction.

As we near the second year of the 2020s, it’s time for LOs to set themselves up for a decade of success. What we do now will determine whether we flourish in the business, or if we’ll exit the industry for good.   What will be the key differentiator between the superstars of the coming decade, and those who’ll barely stay afloat?   Given how many changes we’ve already seen over the past year, is there any way of anticipating what’s next?    In this episode, Founder of MortgageX, Jason Frazier shares why LOs need to be on the frontlines of change to stay in the business.    The industry is moving forward, and it’s not enough to accept change. You have to be at the forefront of it. -Jason Frazier   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Which side of the business we should be paying close attention to: The decade began in the midst of a refi boom, but it won’t last forever. While it makes sense to take advantage of refi while we can, it shouldn’t be the core of our business. Focus instead on purchase business and building relationships with agents.  How to stay ahead of our competitors:  We’re bound to see new competitors in the industry in the coming years, but no matter how much we try, we’ll never be able to anticipate exactly who they’ll be. We have to be prepared for anything, and we can do that by staying on top of trends and embracing changes as soon as they come.  Why modernization is non-negotiable: In the 2020s, there’s no excuse for LOs to not offer digital services. The consumer has high-tech options everywhere else, so if we want to stay in business, we can’t expect to be the exception.   Guest Bio:   Jason Frazier is an award-winning marketer and disruptive strategist. With over 20 years of C-level expertise in marketing, strategy, and technology, today he serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at EPM. Passionate about helping others get bigger and better results in the industry, he is also the Founder of Mortgage X and host of Mortgage X Podcast and Mortgage Interrupt Podcast. In addition to this, Jason is a highly sought-after national speaker who has made appearances at, among others,  Inman Connect, Gary Vaynerchuk’s Agent 2021, and AIME Broker All-Stars.    To find out more and to connect with Jason, go to:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/realestatecio  https://www.facebook.com/FrazierCIO/

The 2020s started off with a bang, and the mortgage industry has had to adapt to massive changes in the span of a year. However, this change has been a long time coming.    There’s been a major reluctance to change in our industry for years, but we can’t resist anymore. We’ve reached the dawn of a high-tech decade, and failing to embrace new systems isn’t an option.    What is the new consumer expecting from us, and how can we adapt our strategies to suit their needs? As we move into our “new normal”, has anything stayed the same?   In this episode, Chief Strategy Officer at EPM and Founder of Mortgage X, Jason Frazier shares how to prepare for the coming decade.  The consumer is changing, and we need to meet them where they are. -Jason Frazier   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode Why we need to stop romanticizing the past: Now is not the time to reminisce about what the industry used to look like. That world doesn’t exist anymore and the way we used to operate just isn’t relevant in our current reality. It’s time to move forward and embrace the change.  How to serve the consumer of the new decade: Meet the consumer where they are, or risk falling behind. The consumer of today is expecting a high-tech experience, and it’s our job to deliver.  How to guarantee big results: Mortgage has always been a relationship business, and that hasn’t changed. However, how we work on those relationships has. Get comfortable using tools like Zoom to connect with clients, because they’re not going anywhere any time soon.    Guest Bio: Jason Frazier is the Chief Strategy Officer at EPM. As the Founder of Mortgage X, he is also the host of the top-rated Mortgage X Podcast and the Mortgage Interrupt Podcast. An award-winning marketer and disruptive strategist with over two decades of C-level expertise in marketing, strategy, and technology, Jason is also a sought after national speaker who has appeared at Inman Connect, Gary Vaynerchuk’s Agent 2021, and AIME Broker All-Stars, among countless others. 

In the wake of the pandemic, almost every aspect of our world has changed, and mortgage is no different.  With high transaction volumes and delays, every part of our industry is overwhelmed and overloaded. But the issue is, mortgage officers are not communicating this with their customers, and proper expectations are not being set. We’re operating in a world that has radically changed, and not being honest about this causes massive issues, both on the relationship side and the operational side. Honesty will take the pressure off the transaction, reduce stress, and create a better customer experience.  What can go wrong if we don’t set expectations in this market? How do we communicate what’s happening in this market without driving our customers away? Why is it so important to never lose track of the relationship even if we use technology in our operations?  In this episode, well-renowned mortgage trainer, speaker, and consultant, Dale Vermillion shares the biggest mistake LOs are making and how to avoid it.    If you have better closings with less people being upset, you’ll have a better experience for both the consumer and the Realtor. You will also get more repeat and referral business. -Dale Vermillion Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode Why Friday afternoon is the most powerful time of your week: Most LOs waste their Friday afternoon, but this is a great time to time block in our weekly relationship-building activities. Spend your Friday afternoons calling and touching base with everyone in your pipeline, and nurturing clients and customers.   How setting the wrong expectations affects the transaction:Everyone who is associated with the mortgage industry is overburdened and overworked right now, but LOs are still telling their clients that it’s business as usual. We do our clients and our operations teams a great disservice if we keep setting the expectation of 30-day closings. We won’t lose our leverage if we’re honest with people and explain to them why the process is taking longer than usual.  How to merge relationships with technology: Tech makes it easier for us to get access to documentation in a faster format, but if we lean only on tech, the relationship will fall away. Don’t send the customer the link and let them fill it out on their own. Send them the link and then walk them through the process so you don’t void out the relationship because you replaced it with technology.     Guest Bio: Dale Vermillion one of the most well-renowned mortgage trainers, speakers, and consultants in the country. He is also the author of Navigating the Mortgage Maze, an in-depth guide for consumers on how to obtain the best mortgage financing possible. He has trained over 1,000,000 loan originators representing over 500 lenders. His award-winning Mortgage Champions sales training is the industry standard and is the official training program of LendingTree University. Visit https://www.dalevermillion.com/ for more information

In a low-interest mortgage market, it’s easy to have massive success due to the high volume of transactions, but those markets can’t sustain a solid business in the long run.  When the market inevitably shifts, the loan officers who will be left standing are the ones who focus on relationships and have an approach of creating clients for life from the very first transaction.  Having a transactional mindset in this business will get you picked off by the competition, especially if that competition never walks away from the power and importance of relationships.  What do we need to be focusing on to have clients for life? How do we hire people who will buy into our vision and culture?    In this episode, I’m joined by well-renowned mortgage trainer, speaker, and consultant, Dale Vermillion. He talks about the best practices of top producing loan officers, and how to operate a business if we want longevity.    If you want to be a loan officer for life, you have to be committed to your clients for life.  -Dale Vermillion   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode Why experienced LOs aren’t always the best hires:Team leaders try to take an easier route to having top talent on their team by hiring people who are already in the business. But very often, experienced loan officers are already set in their ways and beliefs making it hard for them to buy into our culture.  How to acquire world-class mortgage talent: We don’t have to hire experienced or seasoned loan officers to have a successful business. We need to look for personality traits and behavior, not mortgage knowledge because that can be taught. Look for outgoing communicators who are dynamic, friendly, and hardworking.  The rule that governs success in the mortgage game: The average homeowner is going to go through 9 mortgages and refinances in their lifetime. Top producers turn that first deal into a lifetime relationship by staying in touch with them. This approach doesn’t just get the first deal, it also guarantees all future deals and referrals on top of that. Guest Bio: Dale Vermillion one of the most well-renowned mortgage trainers, speakers, and consultants in the country. He is also the author of Navigating the Mortgage Maze, an in-depth guide for consumers on how to obtain the best mortgage financing possible. He has trained over 1,000,000 loan originators representing over 500 lenders. His award-winning Mortgage Champions sales training is the industry standard and is the official training program of LendingTree University. Visit https://www.dalevermillion.com/ for more information. 

The typical sales cycle in mortgage is 6-18 months, so the lead generating activities we do today will bring us the business for 2021 and beyond. Building a pipeline for the future is the most important thing we should be doing right now.  Lead generation methods and sources differ, but the commitment we need to have will always be the same. If we’re not committed to responding quickly, having the right conversations, and following up, we’ll end up wasting money.  How do we practically improve our lead generation so we get maximum ROI on our time, money, and mental effort? Is it better for loan officers to do their own phone calls or can we get an ISA?  In this episode, 7-figure Mortgage Marketer and CEO of Paragon Digital Marketing Group, Luke Shankula, talks about how to fine-tune your lead generation.    If you’re going to buy leads, you have to commit to doing the work to convert them or you’re just burning money. -Luke Shankula    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   How to use our knowledge to remove objections:  We miss out on opportunities to engage with people by making the assumptions that consumers know everything we know about the home-buying process. Ask questions to see what information they’re missing, and fill in those gaps with knowledge to show them that you add value.  Why loan officers still need to be making the phone calls: The loan officers that win and have the best success pick up the phone. ISAs are not the conversion mechanism, they are just a tool to start the conversation. It’s still the loan officer’s job to make the sale, and that means we have to be the ones having those conversations.  Why our lead generation efforts should include texting: Texting is a great lead conversion tool because people feel less pressured and intimidated by it, and it gives us a chance to ask questions and have real conversations. Remember to tailor your messaging to the platform, so what works on email won’t work in a text message structure.      Guest Bio: Luke is a marketing consultant, Facebook Ads expert, and the CEO of Paragon Digital Marketing Group. He has been featured on ABC, NBC, Fox, Yahoo Finance, and he’s a contributor to National Mortgage News. He works with Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers to generate a predictable stream of exclusive qualified leads that generates on average 2-5 new loans per month per client. For more information, visit https://www.paragondmg.com/, email luke@paragondmg.com or connect with him on Facebook. 

The mortgage market is sizzling hot right now, and with rates at an all-time low and transactions at record highs, loan officers are seeing massive opportunity. But no matter how good or busy the market is right now, this won’t last forever.  If we get too caught up in working today’s market, we will get swept away by the inevitable market shift that will follow this blitz of mortgages.  We have to be focused on building a business that can survive any market, and nurturing the lead sources that sustain us in a normal market. What should we be doing from a marketing perspective to prepare for the future? In this episode, I’m joined by 7-figure Mortgage Marketer and CEO of Paragon Digital Marketing Group, Luke Shankula. He shares what he thinks loan officers should be focused on right now.  As a salesperson, you need to be doing revenue-generating activities for the majority of your day. -Luke Shankula   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode:   How to build a business that will last beyond the current mortgage boom: Even if you’re busy with refis, don’t turn your back on your bread-and-butter business sources, relationships, and referrals. The agents we partner with are the people who feed us when the market isn’t as hot as it is right now. Don’t stop building and nurturing those relationships.    What sets high performing LOs apart from everyone else: The best performers in mortgage scale themselves. Doing the work ourselves often feels like the path of least resistance, but it actually makes it harder for us to grow. What separates top producers from everyone else is processes, dialed in systems and delegating.    Why growing our business isn’t just about us: If we truly believe in our service and believe what we offer is above and beyond what other people offer, we have an obligation to get more business. We have an obligation to impact more people and change lives through homeownership.   Guest Bio: Luke is a marketing consultant, Facebook Ads expert, and the CEO of Paragon Digital Marketing Group. He has been featured on ABC, NBC, Fox, Yahoo Finance, and he’s a contributor to National Mortgage News. He works with Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers to generate a predictable stream of exclusive qualified leads that generates on average 2-5 new loans per month per client. For more information, visit https://www.paragondmg.com/, email luke@paragondmg.com or connect with him on Facebook.   

The hallmark of a great leader is a willingness to serve, so if we want to be effective leaders, we have to come from a place of contribution.   When we strive towards helping others become the best versions of themselves, we’re not only impacting those we serve. We’re also contributing to the effect that they will have on the world around them.    What can we do to impact the lives of those around us to kickstart the ripple effect? More importantly, how can we ensure people take the value we share with them and actually put it into practice?   In this episode, TEDx speaker, author, and coach, Patrick Galvin returns to share how to influence those around us to be the best they can be.    You can get people interested in a speech, but you can’t change them. To do that, you have to connect with them personally. -Patrick Galvin   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Why we can’t rely on speaking engagements alone: Speaking is a great way to get people excited, but it won’t necessarily get them to commit to the changes they need to make. Be mindful that many people return to their existing routines, even after a powerful presentation.    How to supplement speeches to ensure action is taken: Speeches might not be enough to change behavior, but coaching forces people to put what they’ve learned into action. Use coaching and training to consolidate knowledge shared in presentations.    The limitations of one-on-one coaching: Accountability comes from sharing our plans with our peers, so instead of coaching clients one-on-one, set up groups. Keeping these small allows us to give our clients the attention they require, without compromising the vital element of answerability.   Guest Bio: Patrick Galvin is a keynote presenter, TEDx speaker, and author of The Connector’s Way: A Story About Building Business One Relationship at a Time. He is also the Chief Galvanizer of The Galvanizing Group, a speaking, coaching, and consulting company dedicated to helping high-performance teams strengthen relationships to ensure repeat business.    To find out more, go to: https://patrickgalvin.com/ https://www.theconnectorsway.com/   To purchase 10 or more signed copies of The Connector’s Way for your team at a 25% discount, please order here and use FRIENDS25 as your discount code. For direct orders, we ship free via USPS Media Mail.   Links mentioned in this episode: http://www.toastmasters.org/

LOs may be benefiting from low rates now, but at some point, there will be an increase and we won’t be able to rely on rates alone to attract new business. Having close relationships with past and present clients is the best way to safeguard ourselves from the inevitable.  Building strong connections with our customers is non-negotiable if we want our businesses to survive, but we have to go about forming our bonds the right way.  How can we show our clients we’re focused on more than a transaction? What are the key ingredients to a relationship that stands the test of time?  In this episode, author, coach, and TEDx speaker, Patrick Galvin shares how to build long-term, genuine relationships.    Take a genuine interest in your clients as people. -Patrick Galvin   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Why we have to be selfless to succeed: To build real relationships, we need to give without the expectation of getting anything in return. We can have faith that we’ll be rewarded in some way, but that should never be the reason we share value with others.  How to find common points of interest with clients: Just listening to people is a great way to unearth things we have in common with them. Pay attention to a clients’ interests to build connections based on more than just business.  The importance of being genuine: It’s easy to tell when attempts to build a relationship are insincere. When it comes to forming a connection with a client, there’s no room for inauthenticity.      Guest Bio: Patrick Galvin is the Chief Galvanizer of The Galvanizing Group, a speaking, coaching, and consulting company in Portland focused on helping high-performance teams galvanize repeat and referral business through stronger relationships. Patrick is also the author of The Connector’s Way: A Story About Building Business One Relationship at a Time, and a TEDx speaker.    To find out more, go to: https://patrickgalvin.com/ https://www.theconnectorsway.com/   To purchase 10 or more signed copies of The Connector’s Way for your team at a 25% discount, please order here and use FRIENDS25 as your discount code. For direct orders, we ship free via USPS Media Mail.   Books mentioned on this episode: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann https://www.amazon.com/Go-Giver-Expanded-Little-Powerful-Business/dp/1591848288

If we want to stand out to potential clients in 2020 and beyond, it’s not enough for originators to just have a website sharing professional information anymore. We have to show who we really are.   Social media is a necessity when it comes to brand awareness because it allows consumers to engage with us on a personal level. However, that can feel daunting for LOs who aren’t comfortable sharing all aspects of their lives online.    Is there a way for private mortgage professionals to ease into sharing more on social media? How can we maximize our engagement online as we build our confidence?   In this episode, Vice President of Marketing at MBS Highway, Megan Anderson shares why it’s so important to form connections with our audiences, and how to do it.    Stop relying on your traditional website for business. Your potential clients want to go where they’re actually going to see you: social media. -Megan Anderson   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   How to get more comfortable with creating and sharing video content: Video is the best way to get engagement online, but not all LOs are comfortable being on camera. One way to ease into it is by using Stories, which are only visible to our audiences for 24 hours.    How to create personal content when we aren’t natural ‘sharers’: We don’t need to share every moment of our lives with our audience, but we do need to think about which personal information we want to post. This should be something we feel passionate about. We could even talk about taking time away from social media!    Why consistency is the key to a loyal online audience: One way to generate a loyal following is by consistently posting about particular topics. If our audience knows we’re passionate about something and share relevant content about it regularly, they’ll know what to expect and be more likely to tune in.     Guest Bio: Megan Anderson is the Vice President of Marketing at MBS Highway. She is passionate about social media marketing and uses her podcast, Behind the Breakthrough, to inspire loan officers to face their fears of being on social media so that they can reap the rewards.    To find out more, head to: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iammegananderson https://www.instagram.com/iammegananderson/?hl=en https://www.buzzsprout.com/841243  https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/behind-the-breakthrough/e/67256895 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-behind-the-breakthrough-with-megan-anderson/id1498351649?i=1000465046240 https://podbay.fm/p/1498351649/e/1581235200 https://mbshighway.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MBSHigh   You can also email her on: megan@mbshighway.com

As more people enter the mortgage industry hoping to benefit from low rates, loan officers need to find a way to set themselves apart in the eyes of the consumer. One way to do that is by using social media to connect with the audience on a personal level.    To build genuine relationships online, we have to create authentic content. However, that can be easier said than done when most mortgage professionals are simply too busy to add more activities to their schedules.    How can we carve out the hours needed to come up with thoughtful content that aligns with our brands and public personas? Are there any shortcuts we can take without compromising the quality of what we share?    In this episode, Vice President of Marketing at MBS Highway, Megan Anderson shares how to create content that stands out to the audience, even when we’re pressed for time.   It can take a lot of time to make content, so don't be afraid to make it easier on yourself by repurposing posts. -Megan Anderson   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Why it’s necessary to have a clear vision before hiring a content creator Busy originators can outsource content creation to professionals in the space. However, it’s important to know exactly what our brands stand for before hiring someone, or we risk getting generic content that does nothing to differentiate us.    How to time block for strategizing social media  Set aside one day each month to plan a social media schedule for the next 30 days. It’s easier to stay on track when we have a clear idea of what needs to be shared and when.   How we can share the same content more than once Remove the pressure of constantly creating new content by repurposing old posts. The audience won’t notice if we share the same quote on a different background, 6 months apart.   

When we’re new to the business and only doing a few deals per month, it’s relatively easy to build deep connections with clients. However, as we expand, that becomes more difficult. How can we grow without losing important relationships?    For LOs whose success comes from personal connections with customers, this is a major concern. Can relationship-driven LOs build sustainable businesses without losing their ‘spark’?   While growth requires us to delegate certain tasks to our teams, it’s important to stay true to our strengths as we move forward.   In this episode, Matt Johnson and I continue our conversation about Katie Trinidad’s success and how she’s building a business that suits her strengths.   Lean on your strengths and get help for all the rest. -Dan Trinidad   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Teams let us grow without compromising customer serviceAs we grow, we can’t spend as much time connecting with our clients, but that doesn’t mean our companies can’t still provide great customer service. Building a team lets us focus on other aspects of the business while ensuring our customers are well looked-after.    How to build teams that serve our needs bestSome LOs are good at building personal relationships with customers, and others are better at structuring deals. Whatever our strengths, we need to focus on those and delegate everything else to our teams.    How to stay in touch with customers as we growTo grow, we need to spend more of our time building relationships with real estate professionals. However, customer-centric LOs don’t need to cut all contact with clients. Take advantage of technology and send video messages to clients to remind them we care. 

Providing great customer service is an excellent way to differentiate ourselves, not only in the eyes of the client, but also in the eyes of potential referral partners. When we’re known for outstanding value, real estate professionals are drawn to us.    Offering a service that makes us more than a commodity comes down to personality type. There isn’t just one personality that guarantees success, but we do have to figure out what personally motivates us to succeed and tap into that to find the best way forward.    How do we offer a customer experience that sets us apart from other mortgage professionals? Everyone wants to provide excellent service, so what separates those who get it right from those who don’t?   One top-producing loan officer who has done that is my wife, Katie Trinidad. In this episode, Matt Johnson and I discuss how Katie has used her personality to build long-lasting relationships with both clients and real estate agents.    You can get top real estate agents to align with you if you offer excellent customer service. -Dan Trinidad   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   How to be the obvious choice for referral businessSuccessful real estate professionals go above and beyond for their clients, so it’s only natural that they’re drawn to LOs who do the same.    The importance of prioritizing our clientsWhen we’re genuinely committed to putting customer experience first, we’ll naturally build long-term connections with our clients and gain plenty of referrals.    It’s okay to not be a natural ‘carer’Not all of us are motivated by a desire to help consumers. Some of us are motivated by financial gain and that’s okay, as long as we’re providing exceptional services and value.

When a team delivers exceptional customer service, word travels fast and demand for our services increase quickly. We need to have the ability to keep up with the growth in demand. As leaders, the challenge is continuing to grow the team, while also taking care of ourselves and our relationships.  In a market like the one we’re in right now, we have more to balance, and we have to keep adjusting. Balance is a more of a process than a set destination.  How do we grow our teams the right way? What are some of the mistakes we can avoid with a little foresight? In this episode, I continue my conversation with mortgage leader Cody Touchette on how to handle growth and success.    As you grow, you can hire more people to help deliver a great client experience. -Cody Touchette   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode Business growth puts pressure on all areas of our lives All the roles in our lives, from leader and LO to partner and parent require time and intentional dedication if we want to be good at them. The busier we get, the harder it becomes for us to show up effectively in each of those spaces.  Create habits that counter the widespread negativity It’s so easy to become negative right now with all that’s going on, but it’s important not to encourage a negative inner monologue. Create habits around positivity and a mindset of possibility.  Responsible spending protects us in tough marketsSpending money thinking it will always be there is one of the reasons so many people in this business lose everything. Save money, especially right now. Once you start spending, you get used to that level of spending and it becomes hard to curtail it when the market shifts.    Guest Bio: Cody is a mortgage officer, planner and owner of the Touchette Team. Cody’s focus is on the relationship rather than the transaction. His approach is to help clients integrate the mortgage loan they chose into their overall long and short term equity and cash flow needs. To get in touch, email cody.touchette@caliberhomeloans.com. You can also call 206.909.2007. 

A company culture that delivers exceptional customer service is a huge game changer in this market because it’s not as common as we think.    The work we do needs to go beyond helping people with their mortgage; it’s about delivering a service that enhances their lives. In order to deliver this successfully to both employees and clients, it has to be a core part of our operations and activities, and not an afterthought. It starts with leadership and every interaction we have, internally and externally.    How do we hold ourselves accountable to a culture that’s focused on taking care of customers? How do we create a regimented sales process that delivers results? In this episode, I’m joined by mortgage leader, Cody Touchette.    He shares how he has built a $100 million business that’s thriving in this current market.    If you take great care of people and you’re honest and transparent with them, they’ll keep coming back. -Cody Touchette     Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Leaders who serve their employees create a better culture When we as leaders have our employees’ backs and treat them like the customer, it makes the experience of working with us more joyful and rewarding.    Focus on what the mortgage makes possible for your clients  We should go beyond helping people buy a house. We should help them improve their lives; whether it’s through showing them the possibility of home ownership, helping them with debt reduction or helping them grow their net worth.    Internet-based LOs have shifted the client’s expectations  The internet has contributed to a focus on rates at the expense of everything else that goes into a mortgage. We escape this by creating a gold standard system that reliably gets people results.

The activity around buying and selling real estate may have been slowed down at the beginning of the pandemic, but the demand hasn’t dried up. In fact, the pent up demand has increased significantly in light of lockdowns and quarantines.    What has driven this increased demand for real estate and mortgage? How can LOs position themselves within this opportunity to drive value and be of service? In the second part of my conversation with co-founder and CEO of Apex Home Loans, Craig Strent, we talk about why real estate and mortgage are going to get busier over the next few months.    If you’re in the mortgage industry right now, you’re super lucky. If you’re doing the right things you should be busy for a while to come. -Craig Strent    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Build systems so you can originate efficiently You can originate loans without having to do all the work yourself every step of the way. People don’t necessarily want to just talk to you. They want a quick response with an accurate answer, even if that’s coming from your team.    Make every step of the transaction and client engagement valuable The only way to reach that next volume level is to empower our teams and to sell downhill. You want to get your customers excited about the next person in the process that you’re going to pass the baton onto.    Bring value to agents right nowThis is the best time to talk to agents, before they get really busy. Loan officers are soon going to be occupied with refinances, and right now LOs can educate agents about what’s happening and be a resource.    Guest Bio: Craig Strent is a national speaker, and co-founder and CEO of Apex Home Loans, an Inc. 5000 company and one of Washingtonian’s 50 Great Places to Work in Greater Washington. He’s proud to have over 20 years’ experience in mortgage origination, business development, marketing, public relations, and community involvement. Under his leadership, Apex Home Loans was honored to receive 15 awards in the past year for the company’s community involvement, industry talent, business development, and workplace quality. Craig believes in operating with the goal of continuous improvement—both in the way his company serves his customers and in the way his partnership team serves his employees. For more information, visit https://www.apexhomeloans.com/.   

There’s a lot of crisis in our country right now, between the pandemic and the economy. Unlike tough economic times before, the mortgage industry is actually doing well and that trend is set to continue.    Because we’re so fortunate to be in an industry that’s in heavy demand right now, we are perfectly positioned to bring positivity, value and support into people’s lives.    Remembering this and communicating a message of gratitude and service into our team culture will make a huge impact on the purpose we’ll have behind every transaction.    How do we avoid getting swept up in negativity? Why do we play such a huge part in keeping people going right now? In this episode, I’m joined by national speaker and mortgage executive, Craig Strent. We talk about how mortgage officers can be of service in these challenging times.    This time is about gratitude and being of service. -Craig Strent    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Keep your team positive and focusedCoaching our teams away from the news and social media is a great way to keep them positive and in a mindset of gratitude. If our brains are soaked in negativity, it affects health, families, homes and productivity.    Be grateful It’s important to cultivate gratitude in these times. Especially as real estate and mortgage professionals, we are fortunate to be in an industry that hasn’t been negatively impacted. We’re lucky to be doing what we’re doing to be of service to others.    Our jobs can change livesReal estate and home ownership has the potential to help families improve their quality of life and at a time like this, that’s something that can drive us and give us purpose to do the work we do.   Guest Bio: Craig Strent is a national speaker, and co-founder and CEO of Apex Home Loans, an Inc. 5000 company and one of Washingtonian’s 50 Great Places to Work in Greater Washington. He’s proud to have over 20 years’ experience in mortgage origination, business development, marketing, public relations, and community involvement. Under his leadership, Apex Home Loans was honored to receive 15 awards in the past year for the company’s community involvement, industry talent, business development, and workplace quality. Craig believes in operating with the goal of continuous improvement—both in the way his company serves his customers and in the way his partnership team serves his employees.

The top achievers in the mortgage world are those with successful teams behind them. We have to make sure we’re bringing the right energy into our interactions with our teams if we want to see great results.  Our energy makes all the difference; the way we speak to others and how we make them feel can make or break our success. How can we make sure we bring positive energy into our interactions with team members? Is it possible to create an uplifting atmosphere in our companies when we inevitably have an ‘off’ day? In this episode, I continue my discussion with President of American Financial Resources, Laura Brandao. Together, we discuss how to cultivate a positive atmosphere on our teams.    As leaders, we have clients and team members relying on us. We can’t have an ‘off’ day. We have an obligation to get ourselves in check. -Laura Brandao   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode Create a routineThe key to success lies in a great routine. Get into the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday. We could even consider fueling our bodies with similar fuels everyday; this way, we don’t run the risk of low energy levels.    Start the day on a high noteReaching out to our team members every morning is a great way to ensure everyone starts the day on a positive note. This doesn’t even need to be affected by COVID-19; just sending a video out to our teams everyday can boost everyone’s energies.   Feed the mindAs human beings, we all have days when we feel slightly ‘off,’ but we don’t have to let this stop us from a successful day. We have to learn what gets our energy levels back up. This could be a podcast some mornings, or even music in the background. Get in tune with what feeds our minds.   Guest Bio: Laura Brandao is a skilled mortgage industry executive with more than two decades of experience. She is the Founder of Say Yes to Everyday and President of American Financial Resources, and is the driving force that catapulted AFR to the top of manufactured home, one-time close, and renovation lending in the U.S. Laura was named one of the 10 most influential business women to watch in 2020 by Insights Success Magazine, and is the host of the Positively Charged Biz podcast. She is a sought-after speaker for industry events and heralded as a champion for brokers, builders and other partners. She is known for sharing her infectious passion for independent mortgage experts and bringing more families home. Laura worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand the guidelines on their VA Renovation Program, designed to help the men and women who serve our country repair or upgrade their home with low rates.   To find out more about Laura, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-brandao-80ab0444  https://www.afrwholesale.com/contact/  https://www.housingwire.com/articles/49664-woman-of-influence-laura-brandao/  You can also email her at laura@afrwholesale.com

The top achievers in the mortgage world are those willing to do what it takes to succeed. We have to make sure we’re cultivating the right attitude if we want our dreams to become a reality. Our energy makes all the difference; the way we speak to others and how we make them feel can make or break our success. How can we bring the right energy into our interactions and what do we need to make sure we’re not losing sight of? On this episode, Founder of Say Yes Everyday and host of the Positively Charged Biz podcast, Laura Brandao shares her secrets to success.   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   Bring in the right energyThe energy we bring to our interactions is what makes people remember us, whether we’re aloof or animated. We need to be mindful of the atmosphere we’re creating; that’s what differentiates us from every other loan officer.    Be authenticWhile it’s often tempting to replicate someone else’s path to success, we have to stay true to ourselves. Learning from others is important, but we have to be authentic if we want to get the best results.   Don’t lose sight of familyOne of the biggest regrets among loan officers is losing time with family. While enjoying our work is a blessing, remember to set aside time to be with loved ones; being successful loses its appeal when we have no one to share it with.   Guest Bio: Laura Brandao is a skilled mortgage industry executive with more than two decades of experience. She is the Founder of Say Yes to Everyday and President of American Financial Resources and the driving force that catapulted AFR to the top of manufactured home, one-time close, and renovation lending in the U.S. Laura was named one of the 10 most influential business women to watch in 2020 by Insights Success Magazine, and is the host of the Positively Charged Biz podcast. She is a sought-after speaker for industry events and heralded as a champion for brokers, builders and other partners. She is known for sharing her infectious passion for independent mortgage experts and bringing more families home. Laura worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand the guidelines on their VA Renovation Program, designed to help the men and women who serve our country repair or upgrade their home with low rates.   To find out more about Laura, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-brandao-80ab0444  https://www.afrwholesale.com/contact/  https://www.housingwire.com/articles/49664-woman-of-influence-laura-brandao/  You can also email her at laura@afrwholesale.com 

In 2008, the financial crisis left our industry in a tailspin. This time around, there’s an opportunity for mortgage and real estate professionals to really bring value, stability and empathy to people. We may not be gathering in the traditional sense, but we’re learning that we can still come together in a powerful way.  While many businesses have been affected, many mortgage professionals have found that they are more productive and have built better relationships virtually.  That means we have an overflow of positivity and leadership we can bring to the challenges the world is facing right now.  What are the key lessons we’ve learned from this crisis and what do these lessons tell us about what comes next? In this episode, I’m joined by mortgage industry veteran and sales leader, Rhiannon Bolen. We discuss what’s happening in our businesses and she shares her perspectives on managing people successfully remotely.    Set clear expectations but also get buy in from the people you’re working with. -Rhiannon Bolen    Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode   How to lead when people can’t meet or work as usualIt’s important to foster respect for different approaches and personalities, but at the same time, come into agreement on where we can mutually move forward.     Why salespeople often struggle to work remotely Operations people won’t have as hard a time as salespeople do. Salespeople are struggling more because they can’t interact with people normally. The answer is to leverage technology and get good with video so we can still build solid relationships.    The importance of focusing on value not business right nowRight now is not the time to focus on talking to clients to get business. It’s more about the relationship, and bringing value and help. We’re all in the same boat through this experience and are facing the same challenges, so we can speak to that and be empathetic in all our conversations.

Many mortgage professionals are discovering that we’re at a point in our careers where we don’t need to be in the office to work and lead our teams, but that doesn’t mean we won’t need to adjust and tweak a few things.    One of the greatest concerns we have is how we can maintain culture, and make sure the team has the same mood and energy when they’re not able to get into the office. The good news is it’s possible to seamlessly make all this happen with people working divided and from home with the right systems, tools and mindset. There’s a quality of humanity that’s emerging right now, showing us that we can get things done if we work together. Teams can pull together to achieve goals. How can we leverage technology to communicate and lead better? What are some of the great things coming out of working from home?    On this episode, I’m joined by founder and host of Mortgage Mom Radio, Debbie Marcoux. She shares her outlook of the market, and life and business in the age of the coronavirus epidemic.  Work can be done from home and it can be more economical, have more ROI and allow us to run more efficiently. -Debbie Marcoux       Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode    Why Real Estate Will Help the Economy This Time, Not Crash It People are in homes they can afford, less people will walk away from their homes which will keep housing prices up. There will be a small dip in value, but it will be a shorter run and we will spring back from it.    How to bring the culture piece to leadership working from homeThrough this, many industries will realize they don’t need people in huge commercial buildings to run their business. People can work effectively and efficiently at home, and we can still lead and drive culture by leveraging technology.    Debbie’s view of success and what makes her most happy Success is creating a plan and hitting the target goal, it isn’t necessarily about a dollar amount. It’s the ability to make the choice to change   Guest Bio:   Debbie is a team leader, branch manager and host of Mortgage Mom Radio. Debbie has been in the lending industry since 2002 with a past Real Estate Salesperson license beginning her career in 1995. Her wealth of lending knowledge is extraordinary with having closed thousands of loans within her career. She has a special place in her heart for First-Time Home Buyers and takes her time with all of her clients to make sure that they are placed into the perfect lending program for their financial needs.   Visit https://mortgagemomradio.com/ for more information on Debbie and to listen to her show. 

One of the most powerful evolutions anyone can make is going beyond having a job to something fulfilling that also allows them to give back and make an impact. This changes what they do from a job to a purpose. My guest today is a man who inspires me and many others because he managed to do that, and he has an amazing, enthusiastic and positive perspective on life.  As the co-founder of 1 Life Fully Lived and Gobundance, Tim Rhode has learned massive lessons in his own life and turned them into roadmaps to give much needed direction to others. He attributes his achievements to his ability to remain in peak curiosity and not living with regret.  What can we learn from Tim’s journey and experience? What perspectives are necessary for us to get through what’s happening right now? How do we repurpose, retool, and redeploy ourselves and our businesses?  In this episode, founder and CEO of 1 Life Fully Lived and co-founder of Gobundance, Tim Rhode, talks about how he went beyond selling and investing in homes.    When people hold themselves accountable to be their best selves, they can be the best for their family, their communities and for humanity. -Tim Rhode    Three Things You’ll Learn From Tim Rhode How to come to peace with yourself and embrace your flaws and regrets  What gives Gobundance so much depth How to fully replace vertical income with passive    Guest Bio: Tim Rhode is the Founder and CEO of 1 Life Fully Lived, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the next generation become self-sufficient. He is also the Co-Founder of Gobundance, a tribe for wealthy, generous men who choose to lead epic lives. Tim is passionate about helping others grow and create the lives of their dreams. To get in touch, email tim@timrhode.com or visit https://1lifefullylived.org/, https://www.timrhode.com/, https://www.gobundance.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/1lifefullylived/.

At a time where there’s so much negativity in the media, along with fear and uncertainty in the market, positive leadership is more important than ever. It’s incredible seeing people rising up to be a light in these tough times.  Our guest today is a young man who is making an impact by focusing on the right stuff, having clarity and nurturing the right energy around him.  What can we learn about making it through tough times? How is the market going to shift and how can we prepare? Why is it so important to avoid negativity? On this episode, Branch Manager of The Veterans Homefront, Alex Jimenez, shares how to maintain a great mindset and the right habits.  Worry about the wellbeing of others. When you have a genuine concern for the wellbeing of others, that shines through and people become the voice for you. -Alex Jimenez    Three Things You’ll Learn From This Episode  How to stay focused when so much bad news is circulating Right now, it’s so easy to get off track because of what’s on the news and what’s happening. There’s so much negativity around us, and as leaders at any level, we need to guide people towards the light, not drag them further into the dark.    Why things aren’t as bad in real estate and mortgage as we think We’re heading towards a dip in the road in terms of the market and what’s going on in the world, but Alex believes that we’re going to bounce back and see growth in 9-12 months. Learn more about why he thinks mortgage and real estate, and even consumers, aren’t doomed.    The importance of looking for the silver linings in this situationWe can see the positives even in what’s happening right now. We have technology at our disposal, and it’s showing us a whole new way to communicate, work and function and we can leverage it. We can use it to help our clients even if we can’t be in front of them.

One real estate agent’s market downturn is another agent’s market share expansion opportunity. The difference comes down to the ability to prepare and react at the right time.  What are some of the ways we need to be thinking about what’s happening now instead of panicking? With so many agents letting go of staff, why is our guest taking care of his people now more than ever? In this episode, real estate industry leader Jerimiah Taylor, discusses how to keep our heads when the market and the world is in turmoil.    In markets like the one we’re heading into, the people that aren’t doing everything they can and maximizing the resources at their disposal are going to be exposed. -Jerimiah Taylor    Three Things We Learned From This Episode Why many people are going to be left behind in this market Many people don’t even have a game plan right now, and they are still struggling with how to effectively lead their people remotely. Jerimiah already runs his team remotely, and that’s lined them up perfectly with what’s happening.    How to prepare for a coming market shift Because of the way this industry works, there’s a gap between when a shift hits and when we start to see it hit our wallets. This gap is where critical action has to be taken to prepare and if we miss that, that’s when we become exposed. Jerimiah discusses the steps he’s taking to ready and right-size his business for the coming changes in the market. He is implementing a few strategies to fine-tune the ability to move the business model and the team at lightning speed to capture opportunity and reduce the downside.    Opportunity isn’t just going to completely disappearThe spread of COVID-19 is going to cause a shift in the market, but it won’t be the same as what we experienced in the last crash. The fundamental shifts of this shift are going to be different from 2008 because the precipitating factors are not the same. Learn more about what Jerimiah thinks this shift is going to look like and where the opportunities will be.    Guest Bio: Jerimiah is a real estate industry leader, entrepreneur and Chief Revenue Officer for the Real Estate Technology division at OJO labs. He has a long track record of success in the residential real estate industry. Named as one of the 500 most influential business leaders by the San Diego Business Journal, and consistently recognized as a RealTrends top 1,000 agent nationally, Jerimiah has more than 18 years’ experience in both the mortgage and real estate industries as well as expansive experience in technology verticals. An agile and adaptive leader, Taylor is known for his ability to quickly build, scale and implement systems and processes that result in exceptional customer experiences. For more information visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtaylorrealtor/

Right now we’re seeing the lowest interest rates in my 36 year career, and while it’s great to be in a hot market, this is where the most mistakes are made. What are the biggest mistakes real estate and mortgage professionals are making financially, personally, and professionally?  On this episode, we talk about how to build a life you can enjoy living in, and how to make sure the success we have in a good market doesn't come at the expense of what matters in your life.   Your reputation is your future business, so it’s important to be careful with every decision you make. -Dan Trinidad    Three Things We Learned From This Episode Maximize income potential without compromising your personal health, the health of your personal and business relationships, and your reputation.  Don’t spend money like the market will last forever, save and invest everything you can and create passive income.  Even if the market’s good, don’t stop prospecting and paying attention to your customer’s needs; this ensures your future earning potential.

When bad things happen to us, it’s easy to think life just happens, and we have to accept the cards we’re dealt, but human beings are actually equipped with the power to visualize and create the life we want. How do we tap into this highly powerful ability? How do we practice visualization on a regular basis? How do we raise our vibration and attract good things to us? On this episode, mindset expert, motivational speaker and author, Dr Hank Seitz, shares on how to change our lives through our mindset.   Each one of us literally can control the energy that created worlds with our thoughts, that’s how powerful we are. -Dr. Hank Seitz    Three Things We Learned From This Episode Focus on what you want, not what you don’t Don’t put a lot of energy into things we don’t want, only use them as a point of reference, a way to contrast them with what we want. When we energize what we don’t want, we will get more of it. We have to think more of what we want and how to birth it.  Limit low vibration words from your vocabularyWords have power and levels of vibration, and the more we use high vibration words, the closer we are to attracting what we want. For example, ‘work’ is a low vibrational word, there’s no fun or inspiration in it, but a word like ‘play’ raises our vibration.  Our happiness set point influences our vibrationWe all have a happiness set point, a baseline level of our happiness. By raising this set point, we raise our vibration and we enter a space where achieving our dreams is easy.   Guest Bio: Dr. Hank Seitz is a world-renowned Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker, and Award-Winning Author. He is passionate about helping Individuals and Organizations increase their: HAPPINESS, BUSINESS & WEALTH! To get access to Dr. Hank’s webinar on visualization for free, send an email to  drhank@drhank.biz. You can also call Dr. Hank on 214.753.7204.

Our success is tied to how intentional we are with the activities and mindsets that drive us forward. How do we achieve the balance between our personal lives and running our businesses? What is the big question we need to ask ourselves in order to determine if we feel our lives are on the right trajectory? How do we peel back to what really matters to us in business and filter the choices we make the right way? On this episode, coach, speaker, and author, Cindy Ertman, shares on her success journey and the resources we need to keep growing in life and in business.  Success is an evolutionary process. Growth is not always easy, because to grow, we have to change. -Cindy Ertman     Three Things We Learned From This Episode Build a quality support system Our ability to have balance in our lives has a lot to do with the relationships we have, and the quality of the people who support us in all the key areas of our lives. If you foundationally build the business correctly and focus on being productive on a daily basis, it pays off. Moving past a debilitating fear of public speaking When we speak, it’s not about us at all, it’s about the people we’re speaking to and trying to help. We have to go into it with the intention of impacting someone’s life.  Success is a choice Our success is our responsibility and our choice. When we decide to own our success and take control of it, we’ll find the right resources and filter our choices accordingly.   Guest Bio: Cindy is a Loan Originator, business owner author, coach, trainer and speaker. She focuses on building long-term relationships, not only with her clients, but also with real estate professionals, lending partners and community leaders. With her tenure in the mortgage industry, this has translated into a formidable base of referral business that has earned her numerous national awards and ranked her team in the Top 100 Originators in the U.S. by Mortgage Originator Magazine. Cindy now teaches success and personal development strategies to the sales industry and is completing her new book "The Defining Difference: How to Influence Change Through Relationships and Trust". Visit http://cindyertman.com for more information or email info@cindyertman.com.

I have an announcement! We'll be releasing episodes under Beyond Mortgage going forward! I just wanted to share my thoughts about why I made the change in this short episode.

The truth about success and leadership in business is that mindset has a lot to do with it. How do we maintain a positive mindset when we hit hard times? What style of leadership makes it easier for our teams to collaborate and collectively problem solve? On this episode, mortgage originator, branch manager and author, Ben Chenault, shares on the lessons he learned on his journey, and balancing the different roles in his life.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode Transparent leaders drive collaboration The old leadership style where the manager behind the curtain has it all figured out doesn’t work anymore. Being transparent as leaders allows us to open up about current challenges so we can solve problems as an organization.  Leadership is what gets companies through hard timesDuring hard times in our businesses, leaders need to be able to generate their own energy and positive focus in order to get the rest of the team fired up. It’s not about coaching our people through it, it’s about leading by example.   A good reputation draws people in When we do the right things in our business and in our markets, we’re going to attract the right people anyway, and we won’t need to recruit as heavily.   Guest Bio: Ben is a mortgage originator, branch manager and author. Since entering the industry, Ben has remained one of the top Mortgage Producers in the State of Alabama in both volume and number of loans, and is consistently ranked in the Top 1% by industry publications. In his free time, Ben can be found spending time at the lake with his wife and 2 daughters, or playing golf. To get in touch with Ben, send an email to benc@fairwaymc.com.  Buy his book The Top 1%: The Mindsets Top Loan Officers Use That Take Them from Good to Great here.

As loan officers, we often come across clients that are so far into the buying process that we can’t provide them with additional value. However, with the Core 7 methodology, we can build deeper relationships in our markets, and help clients early in the process of buying a home. How does this methodology help us develop successful referral partnerships? On this episode, we’re joined by LO, author and creator of the Core7 Referral methodology and the Core7 Mastermind Group Format, Mark Maiocca. He shares on his journey in the mortgage space, and how he built his system.    Three Things We Learned From This Episode Our service shouldn’t be limited to loans Our job isn’t just to provide loans; it’s to help our clients make sure they are making smart financial choices and doing everything to ensure their financial stability and freedom.  Don’t make assumptions about how well people are doing financially The reason a lot of wealthy people don’t have financial health in every aspect of their lives is that their Realtors and LOs assume that it’s in order, and don’t want to insult them by asking. It’s actually a lot better to ask because it might change someone’s financial trajectory.  Asking the right questions helps us provide more valueWhen we ask clients questions about their financial situation, it enables us to pinpoint a need they have, and refer them to a financial expert with relevant knowledge.

Many of the most highly successful people in our industry are also the most miserable. Their personal lives have suffered at the expense of their business success. What are some of the biggest mistakes we’re committing that makes it hard for us to have fulfilling personal lives? How do we build wealth so that we don’t have to stay in production longer than necessary? Why is it so important for us to let go of control in order to delegate and take things off our plates? On this episode, speaker, author, coach and founder of eReal Estate Coach, Jim Remly shares on how we can achieve a more balanced life.    Three Things We Learned From This Episode We won’t always find alphas to hire, but we can train and coachAlphas are quite rare. Most people aren’t, so when we hire them, we have to help them, coach them, educate them to reach their full potential. Build your business around your lifeThis is business planning season, and as we think about how 2020 is going to look, we have to start with our lives, families and personal goals. After that, we can add our business goals into the picture, and create a system that allows for more balance in our lives.  Financial freedom helps us get a more balanced life Many people in our industry never get off the financial hamster wheel because they don’t handle money correctly. In order to avoid this, we need to treat ourselves as our own employees and establish a base pay. To create more wealth, we also need to buy one investment property a year. Guest Bio: Jim is a speaker, author, and consultant. He is the founder of eReal Estate Coach and the author of The Path to Real Estate Zen, a premium coaching platform for agents looking for a transformation in their real estate career. In addition, he runs one of the largest real estate firms in the state of Oregon, with over $766 million dollars in sales volume a year, with just over 160 active Brokers. As a consultant, author, speaker, and trainer Jim has one mission - to create abundance through simplicity of action. Visit http://www.erealestatecoach.com/ for more information. 

For most people, the idea of living in a location we love, while still running a successful business is the stuff of dreams. Our guest today has managed to do just that! He is a successful LO with honors such as being included in the Top 100 Originators and 50 Most Connected Mortgage Professionals in the US. He runs this hugely successful operation virtually from Puerto Rico! How was he able to leave the East Coast without it diminishing his business and his Realtor relationships? What lessons has he learned from growing his business? On this episode, Keystone Alliance Mortgage co-founder, Andres J. Munar, shares on running his business virtually and building a life around his Big Why.    Three Things We Learned From Andres J. Munar You don’t have to be an extrovert to be successful in business  Most successful people you see from the outside looking in seem like extroverts, but in actuality, a lot of them are introverts. They just do something they love and care about, or we see them around family, friends and peers.  Hiring an assistant frees us up to make more money, which makes paying salaries possible When we hire someone, it enables us to go and get more business, but most people struggle to do it because they will now have to pay someone. We need to look at it from the perspective that hiring someone makes it possible for us to get more loans, which makes paying them so much easier.  Andres’ team makes sure he is part of all client conversations  One of the key things that allows Andres to still be the face of his mortgage business while he lives in another location is how his team communicates with clients. They will always mention Andres or make a request on his behalf, so he is still a part of the conversations.   Guest Bio: Andres J. Munar is an Inc. 500 Recognized Mortgage Professional and Co-founder of Keystone Alliance Mortgage. Andres has continued to be a multi-million dollar producer since 2006 and continues to produce excellent results. He was also named as one of the Top 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals by National Mortgage Professional Magazine in 2017. Visit https://keystonealliancemortgage.com/ for more information or call or text 814.308.3276. Follow @mr.munar on Instagram.

As team leaders, we have the opportunity to create great working environments that prioritize balance. How can we take excessive work off our agendas and free up time? Can we create a company culture that values family? How can fostering a more balanced environment ultimately impact our customers? On this episode, founder of The Cooksey Team, Michael Cooksey, shares how to build a company culture that supports better balance.    Three Things We Learned From This Episode Leverage activities that get in the way of innovation  As business owners, we want to push boundaries and exceed everyone’s expectations, but it’s difficult to do that if we’re constantly wrapped up in everyday activities. The best way to get around this is by leveraging these activities to other team members. This frees up our time to become proactive and be more present with our own families.    Get families involved and make them part of the team  Our lives are about more than just work, and the same goes for our team members. Organize activities where team members’ families are involved. The closer we become to their children and spouses, the more tight-knit our teams will become and the more productive we’ll all be.    Treat the team like the customer As team leaders, our top priority should be our teams. We need to ensure we are offering them enough value, so they in turn give more value to the customer. Excellent service begins at home.    It’s up to us to create a company culture that allows for more balance, both for us as leaders, and for our teams. Leverage where possible - doing this opens up our schedules as leaders to push boundaries and become more proactive. However, when leveraging activities, remember that all team members have lives of their own. To create a more inclusive environment and build a stronger team, get team members’ families involved. Remember, our teams are our customers. We need to ensure they’re happy at work if we want to see better results.  

Most successful people in this business will tell you that the road to their achievements has been anything but smooth. There are personal setbacks, hard times, and for many of us, the challenges we experienced in the Crash of 2008. My guest today is no exception. After working in Hollywood, she found her way into mortgage and then into credit empowerment through her company Color My Credit. What are the biggest lessons she learned, the biggest challenges she faced, and how did she find her purpose? On this episode, speaker, author and coach Ali Glutz joins me to talk about her incredible journey, building a tribe, and balancing everything. At the start of the show, Ali shared her life journey, and how she went from working in comedy to mortgage. She also shared how Color My Credit was born, and how she helps people overcome the shame of debt. Next, we talked about the difference between credit repair and credit empowerment, how Ali got through the crash and the 7 key areas to build a financial legacy. We also discussed;  Why compassion is such a valuable virtue in business  How creativity has propelled her in her career  How she balances all she has going on in her life    Every single one of us has setbacks and moments where we feel stuck. In the words of Alisa, what gets us out of a dark place is helping other people, bringing value to them and teaching them something that will change their lives. She is proof that when we put a purpose behind what we do, we go further and make a bigger impact. It comes down to approaching what we do with empathy, helping clients find solutions so that they can also come out of struggle and difficulty. 

Successful businesses require great management, so it’s up to us as business owners to provide the right leadership. How can we better prepare ourselves for leadership roles, and what do we do when our plans fall through? Is it possible to be a great leader without sacrificing our personal time? On this episode, podcaster, serial entrepreneur and mentor Greg Dickerson shares how we can build better businesses by focusing on developing our own abilities.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode Educate yourself even when you’re at the top of your game As leaders, we need to continue to develop our abilities over time. Education is crucial, and there are many opportunities for us to teach ourselves. Never stop learning; read as much as possible and seek out those who have already achieved the goals we set for ourselves.  Learn from failure No one wants to fail, but the lessons we learn from our failures are invaluable. We need to adapt our mindsets to welcome failure and to see it as not only important, but necessary. By making mistakes, we have the opportunity to prevent them from happening again in the future.  Delegate Tasks While our businesses are important to us, we also need to remember to take care of our personal lives. Hire people to delegate tasks to, and make time management a priority. Don’t allow mental, physical and familial health to degenerate in the name of leadership.    Great leaders are those who continue to learn along the way. If we want to create successful businesses, we need to constantly develop our understandings and abilities, and ensure we’re the best we can be for those around us- in both our teams and families. Lead to inspire, and empower others to lead when you’re unable to. Successful businesses start with successful leaders.

In today’s real estate market, social media is a matter of critical necessity, and if we don’t make it a priority, we risk getting overrun by savvier agents. How do we build a consistent and relevant social media presence around our expertise? How do we balance between work-related and persona content? On this episode, I’m joined by social media trainer, speaker and expert, Marki Lemons-Ryhal, who shares how we can employ social media in growing our businesses and connecting with people.    Three Things We Learned From This Episode If we don’t adopt social media we risk losing market share  Real estate is a profession with the oldest group of practitioners, and many of them struggle to embrace technology and social media. The problem is, even with the most real estate knowledge, we can get surpassed by an agent with a stronger social media presence.    A successful social media strategy starts with target clients  Most people don’t have a business plan, therefore they don’t know who their clients are and then they don’t know how to find where those people are hanging out online.   Create content that connects with people  Only a small fraction of the world’s population makes over $100k a year. When we talk about money, the majority of the human race doesn’t connect with it.   Social media is a key part of running successful real estate and mortgage businesses, and if we commit to being lifelong learners of technology, it will become a lot less intimidating. If we want to do business with people, we have to connect with them on the platforms they spend time on. If we craft relevant content that resonates with them, they will get to know, like and trust us and doing transactions from there becomes a lot easier.

While we’re often told to strive for balance between our personal and business lives, to be truly successful in the holistic sense, we need to aim for integration. How can we build businesses that allow us to take the time we need to be with our families? How can we manage our time more effectively to ensure we’re committed to every area of our lives? On this episode, mortgage industry leader and influencer Brian Covey shares how to prioritize more effectively.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode -Rely on the team to leverage yourselfAs industry leaders, we often feel pressure to be involved in every step of our businesses. However, that’s not necessary if we have the right teams. Build teams that can solve problems without us- by doing this, we’re not only leveraging our time, but helping our teams expand their own capabilities. This will make sure your business integrates into your life in a healthy way.  -Bring potential recruits to youWhen recruiting top producers from other markets, we should be bringing them to us by flying them in. This gives them a chance to see our teams and company culture in action, but also allows us to stay closer to our families.  -Be intentional with your timeWe need to separate our activities into two categories: those we’re interested in, and those we’re committed to. By doing this, we can plan our schedules more effectively and become more intentional in the process.   As business owners and leaders, we can never fully separate our work lives from our personal lives. We need to integrate every part of ourselves to ensure we’re content in every area. Stop trying to be hands-on in every part of the business, and wherever possible, we should bring recruits to us so we don’t need to sacrifice our time. We can be successful in every area of our lives- we just need to be more intentional about how we spend our time.

The typical coaching approach in our industry is to focus only on techniques and tactics, not behavior and emotional intelligence. Why is mindset an important part of becoming successful? How do we unlock real change in our businesses and lives? How do we fit our careers into the rest of our lives in a healthy way? On this episode, I’m joined by speaker, coach, and President of Rewire, Inc, Jason Abell, who shares on their unique approach to coaching.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode Uncover the non-negotiable activity that will unlock change From a coaching standpoint, the real change happens when the person taps into an action or activity where they don’t have the option not to do it. When they feel like it’s something they have to do and there’s no other option, that’s where the magic happens.    Real coaching isn’t about instruction  Really good coaching doesn’t tell us what to do, it facilitates the process of us digging into our thinking, coming up with solutions and moving forward.    Our careers should fit into our lives  Our careers are not separate entities in our lives, they should be integrated holistically in everything else we do. Instead of focusing on coaching that deals with business techniques, we have to deal with the mindset that governs every aspect of our lives.   The truth about the most successful people in our industry is that they don’t just master the business techniques and tactics, they also get the mindset part right. Mindset is what steers the ships of our lives, and it’s where all personal development and coaching should begin. If we delve into our mindsets, we will find the direction we need to go further.

Success is about more than financial wellbeing or owning a business. To be truly successful, we need to be well-developed in our personal lives, too. What are our motivations for being in the mortgage business, and what do we hope to achieve? How are we creating lives that support our visions for success, in terms of our physical, mental and emotional health? On this episode, we discuss why you need to take a holistic approach to success.   3 Takeaways  - Understand the motivation. Knowing why we want to achieve success in this industry is important, as it fuels our energy towards achieving the goal.   - It’s important to think about what we’re doing to improve our health and mental wellbeing. Exercise and rest are vital for physical health, while reading and time planning are crucial in developing ourselves mentally.   - Pay attention to key relationships. Our spouses and children deserve our attention, and any unhappiness at home will affect our businesses as well.   As human beings, we need to understand that every part of our lives has an impact on our wellbeing. To build a life that supports success, we need to think holistically. That means enriching ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. Ultimately, we want to run towards our goals without looking back to see everything else in our lives falling apart.

Hard charging entrepreneurs often find themselves feeling guilty about not achieving a healthy work-life balance, but the concept is unrealistic when we’re running a business. How can we let go of balance, but still give our time to the parts of our lives that matter? How can we manage it all so that we’re not overwhelmed? On this episode, I speak to nationally recognized loan officer, coach and author, Scott Groves, who shares on how he’s able to achieve success both at work and at home.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode Pay attention to the numbers Every person on our team should be bringing in around 5 deals. As the business is ready to grow, we can add more people accordingly. By the time our team is doing 15-20 deals a month, we’ll be in a great spot financially.   Don’t be too concerned about roles We shouldn’t prematurely worry about who on our team does what. Until we start generating leads, everything else is irrelevant. We need to focus on building the business before prescribing specific roles to our team members.   Work-life balance doesn’t exist Stop seeking balance. The reality is, we’ll always feel some sort of guilt when we’re focusing more on work and less on family, and vice versa. Strive to be present, rather than balanced.   As entrepreneurs, we’re often pushed into certain boxes that don’t correspond with where we actually are. The reality is, successful businesses grow organically, and business leaders are often thrown out of balance for that growth to take place. To move forward, we need to spend less time striving to fit into specific boxes, and pay more attention to pushing the margins. There is no balance, and there are no rules. 

Success is defined by more than just financial wealth. How can we build businesses that allow us to excel in all areas of life? Can we enrich other people’s lives, while continuing to grow, ourselves? On this episode, we share how we can grow and improve in multiple areas of our lives.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode Surround yourself with great people Our network plays a huge role in our success, so it’s important to be surrounded by people who have our best interests at heart. This extends to your coaches- some may suggest we leave your current team to join another, because they’re receiving a fee for referring you. We  need to pay attention to those around us and make sure each connection is mutually beneficial.   Get a loan partner Once we’ve reached a certain number of loans, the best hire we can make is a partner. This partner can assist us in any area of the business. The important thing is they’re joining us on our journey to success- and theirs. We’re helping another person advance while benefiting yourself.    Prioritize your relationships Money isn’t everything. We should be prioritizing the people who mean the most to us- we’ll never look back on our lives wishing we spent more time at the office.    A huge marker of success is being able to look ourselves in the mirror and be happy with who we are as individuals. To do that, we need to be investing in ourselves- and to do that, we can start by looking at our relationships. Uplift others and remind people of their worth. Our legacies depend on much more than our finances.      

Our success and the balance in our lives comes down to our focus and being intentional. We need to be clear about what we’re spending our time on and why. What should be the basis of our goals? How do we take care of our well-being and keep some balance in our lives? How can we maintain success across multiple companies? In this episode, Joshua Smith explains what kind of mindset we need to have as entrepreneurs, as well as the vital role that systems and processes have in our business success.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode - How to make the market work for you There is no such thing as a bad market. We need to identify who the market is good for at that period in time, shift our processes and systems, and adapt to that audience.   - Setting meaningful goals based on lifestyle It’s difficult to achieve goals that we’ve set for ourselves when they don’t have a deeper meaning behind them. When we set our goals based on what lifestyle we want, we can visualize our perfect day and start to achieve our goals through daily action.   - How to develop multiple companies successfully We need to build our systems and processes and get our revenue to the point where we can hire top talent. Only once we have a great team in place can we start to invest in and develop a new business.   We need to have the right perspective when it comes to business, and it’s just as important to have the right perspective on our lifestyle, too. When we build our goals around the kind of lifestyle we want, it’s easier for us to achieve them because they become built into our daily routine. When we do this, we can grow our revenue and make hires that keep our company running successfully while we maintain the work-life balance we want.

There are many rapid changes taking place in the mortgage industry, and it’s important to work with those developments in mind. How can you keep building great relationships with your database amid the growth of artificial intelligence and technology? Where does your personal life fit into this process, and how can you continue to prioritize your health? On this episode, podcaster and industry veteran David Lykken shares how he’s built a business that grows alongside industry changes.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode - Stay focused on your audience The mortgage industry requires loan officers to get involved in people’s lives. Embrace this and structure your processes around it. Make sure you’re available to your audience and able to connect on a more personal level. This is much more useful than becoming a ‘public figure’ on social media.    - Embrace technology Millennials have grown up surrounded by technology. As this generation gets older, it’s important for loan officers to tailor their services to them. Technology has the power to serve the lender as well as the client, so don’t discount its value.   - Protect your relationships No matter how successful you are in the mortgage industry, your health should always be a top priority. Something that has a great impact on your mental and emotional health is your support system. Never allow your relationships with family and friends fall by the wayside.   The changes we’re seeing in the mortgage industry are irreversible, so staying on top of the trends is non-negotiable. However, remember that the key elements of the business (communication and relationships) haven’t changed. The way we approach these elements has simply evolved.

So many people cringe when they think of a career in sales because of the negative connotations of bad salespeople. How can you offer services that impress your clients and retain their business? How should you go about engaging with Realtor partners and others in the industry who could help boost your business? On this episode, Stephen Moye shares his insights and experience when it comes to building relationships that will strengthen your business.   Three Things We Learned From This Episode - Be a good salesperson Salespeople often get a bad reputation, but the reality is the only salespeople disliked by the public are the bad ones. Give your clients a great experience. Treat them as individuals rather than numbers, and build genuine relationships with them.   - Network through Linkedin The Realtors you partner with should be people you have strong bonds with, so that you’re comfortable enough telling them hard truths when necessary. Linkedin is a great tool to make these kinds of connections with the right people, because it shows personal interest as well as professional expertise.    - Recruit people who can speak several languages The fastest growing market at the moment is the second-generation American community. The children of immigrants from all over the world are buying houses, so it’s a good idea to be able to engage with your clients in their first languages.    Partnerships and connections are crucial for success. Make sure you’re building relationships with the people you do business with. Create great experiences for your clients and engage with people who have similar interests to your own. The market is yours for the taking, as long as you have the right approach.