From the Field

This week, in From the Field, I shared my thoughts about tools, leadership, and helping people discover what they actually need. After I published it... I realized something. I think a lot of leaders—including me at times—fall into the same trap. We become fixers. Someone brings us a problem... And before they're even finished talking... We're already thinking about the solution. We're trying to help. We genuinely care. But somewhere along the way... We stop listening. I've r

From the Field One of the biggest mistakes I see in our industry... Is believing the next tool will solve the problem. Another CRM. Another AI platform. Another marketing piece. Another product. Another shiny object. Don't get me wrong... Tools matter. I've spent my entire career helping Loan Officers, Branch Managers, and teams discover and implement them. But over the years... I've come to believe most people don't need more stuff. They need more clarity. We get caught in t

Lately I've been thinking about purpose. People talk about finding your why all the time. We're taught that's what we're supposed to have. That's what drives us. That's what gives us energy. That's what gets us out of bed every morning. That's the reason we do what we do. So I tried to find mine. I sat down more times than I can count. I went on long walks. I went hiking. I spent a lot of time thinking about it. "What is my why?" Nothing. I never found it. I prayed about it o

The longer I've been in this business, the more I've realized something. It was never really about the loans. It wasn't about the money. It wasn't about the awards. It wasn't about recognition, titles, production numbers, or checking the next box. At one point or another, I probably thought it was. Most of us do. But when I look back over my career, that's not what stands out. What stands out are the people. The first family I helped buy a home. The first Realtor I helped gro

If you've spent any time around me lately, you've probably heard me say something like... "Hang on... let me brain dump this idea or thought." 😂 Seriously. Half the conversations I have with AI start with me dumping about six ideas, three rabbit holes, a squirrely idea, a story from yesterday, and something that popped into my head while I was making coffee or even in the shower. Most of it doesn't make sense. At least not yet. Sometimes it's just a pile of thoughts waiting

From the Field I was having a conversation recently with a Loan Officer about AI. Like many conversations lately, it eventually led to the question everyone seems to be asking. "Do you think AI is going to replace Loan Officers?" It made me stop and think. Not because I haven't heard the question before. Because I think we're asking the wrong question. From what I'm seeing, AI isn't replacing great Loan Officers. It's replacing busy work. The repetitive tasks. The first draft

From the Field I was talking with a Loan Officer recently about growth, marketing, and all the tools available in our industry. CRMs. AI. Video platforms. Social media. Lead generation. Automations. The list goes on and on. At one point he stopped and said something that really resonated with me. He said: "Honestly, I just want to know the three things I should be doing this week to grow my business." That hit me. Because our industry loves tools. We love resources. We love t

From the Field One of my favorite questions to ask in deeper conversations with Loan Officers is this: If I handed you a napkin and a pen... What would your business look like? Not what it looks like today. What would you build if there were no limitations? How many loans would you be doing? What kind of referral partners would you have? Would you build a team? Would you stay lean and highly profitable? Would you have more freedom? More support? More balance? The interesting

From the Field I was having a conversation recently about recruiting and who I look for when building a team. The interesting part was that somewhere during the conversation, the person stopped me and said: "You're not really a recruiter." At first, I wasn't sure what they meant. Then they said: "You're more of a business partner." The more I thought about it, the more I realized they were right. I've never looked at my role as simply hiring people. I've always believed leade

I've talked with a lot of professionals over the years who feel exhausted. They're making calls. Sending emails. Attending meetings. Posting content. Working long hours. But when I ask a simple question, they pause. "Are you actually moving closer to your goal?" Activity and progress aren't always the same thing. Sometimes we're busy because it feels productive. Sometimes we're busy because it keeps us from focusing on the things that matter most. The challenge isn't doing mo

Ever notice how easy it is to focus on what's not working? The deal that didn't close. The referral partner who stopped sending business. The Loan Officer who chose another company. The goal we haven't reached yet. I've had those conversations a lot lately. What I've noticed is that when we spend too much time looking in the rearview mirror, we miss what's directly in front of us. The next conversation. The next relationship. The next opportunity. The next chance to grow. Non

Ever make a mistake? Ever say the wrong thing, make a bad decision, miss an opportunity, or fail to act on something you knew you should have? And then find yourself replaying it over and over? I think we've all been there. The world has a way of constantly reminding us of our shortcomings. The mistake. The missed opportunity. The thing we should have done differently. What we often miss is the opportunity in front of us. What's next? What can I learn from this? What can I do