Chasing Excellence

Jaksot

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  20 Years a Fiduciary: Cori Angel's Path from Alaska to Vantage Mortgage in Portland 15.09.2026 20min

  Cori Angel is a Mortgage Broker at Vantage Mortgage Group, an independent, fiduciary brokerage in Portland, Oregon that works with roughly 40 wholesale lenders rather than being tied to any single company or rate sheet. Cori got her start in the industry in 2005 after asking her retail manager for a promotion into management — he didn't have an opening, but sent her to his wife, who was hiring at a mortgage company down the road. She walked in knowing nothing about lending and learned the business from scratch during an era of 8-10% interest rates, watching some of the ethical shortcuts up close that would later help trigger the 2008 housing crash. Two decades later, Cori still runs her business as a fiduciary and trusted advisor rather than a transaction-based lender, building plans with clients who aren't ready to buy yet and staying close with past clients through calls and check-ins during slower stretches.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Cori joins host Tony Thompson to talk about growing up in Anchorage, Alaska — moose, buffalo, salmon, and reindeer sausage dogs included — and how that grounded upbringing shaped the fiduciary, relationship-first approach she brings to every client today.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why Vantage Mortgage's fiduciary, 40-lender model keeps them from steering clients toward any one lenderHow a retail manager's referral — not a five-year plan — led Cori into mortgage lending in 2005What she learned watching unethical lending practices firsthand in the run-up to the 2008 crashHer method for coaching clients who aren't ready to buy: build a plan, then walk them through itWhy she splits her time between working "in" the business and working "on" itWhat growing up in Anchorage, Alaska taught herConnect with Cori Angel: https://vantagemortgagegroup.com/about-us/meet-the-team/coriangel/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/cori-angel-mortgagespecialist/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  The Villages, Florida: Guy's Playbook for Leading the #1 Real Estate Team for 6 Years Running 30.08.2026 20min

  Guy Williams Jr. is Team Lead and Co-Owner of the Roberts Williams Team at RE/MAX Premier Realty in The Villages, Florida, the #1-producing Realtor team in The Villages and surrounding areas for six consecutive years, with more than $400 million in total sales and nearly 1,000 families served since 2020.For years, Guy and his business partner and brother-in-law, Matt Roberts, ran the team without real systems in place until late 2023 and early 2024, when they made their first hires, built out a full team of eight, and brought on a business coach through The CORE, a lender and real estate coaching organization. Following that coach's playbook — with a deliberate focus on repeat business and referrals over pure transaction volume — the team has doubled its business in the past two years.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Guy joins host Tony Thompson to talk about avoiding what he calls "commission breath," his "Bigger Pile Theory" for chasing mentors across every area of life, and why he's more excited than afraid about where AI is taking the real estate industry.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why Guy warns against "commission breath" — and how it kills repeat business and referralsHis "Bigger Pile Theory": constantly seeking out mentors across family, fitness, finance, business, and spiritualityHow hiring a business coach in 2024 helped the Roberts Williams Team double its business in two yearsWhy he believes AI will enhance relationships in real estate, not replace themHis prediction that two-thirds of the industry could shift to discount/flat-fee brokers within 3-4 years — and why relationship-focused agents will still winConnect with Guy Williams Jr.: https://www.robertswilliamsteam.com/ | https://www.remax.com/real-estate-agents/guy-williams-the-villages-fl/102073657Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with top producers and leaders across real estate and mortgage.
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  40 Years, One Rule — Always Answer: Sergio Gutierrez's Playbook at GRC Lending in Miami 30.08.2026 22min

  Sergio Gutierrez is the Broker Owner of GRC Lending in Miami, Florida, 40 years into a mortgage career built on straight answers and hard-won referrals.Sergio got his real estate license first, but three months in, a friend named Carmen suggested he also get his mortgage broker's license "just in case." He passed on his first attempt, and within six months had left real estate behind entirely — mortgage, he says, was his "actual click." GRC Lending takes its name from the last-name initials of Sergio and his original partners, with a company slogan, "Get Ready Close," built around a Formula One-style logo. Sergio's business leans heavily on Miami's immigrant community — clients from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Philippines — and he's candid about the real obstacles they face: high property taxes that price out mid-income buyers, and lending restrictions for non-permanent resident borrowers, even those who've lived in the country for years.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Sergio joins host Tony Thompson to talk about why he never dodges a phone call, why telling a client the truth — even a "no" — has built him more business than competitors who overpromise, and the story of client Eric Gray: a failed loan, an honest phone call, and six buyer referrals since.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why "commission breath" and dodging tough calls are, in Sergio's words, what kills a mortgage businessHow honestly telling a client "no" in two days built him more repeat business than competitors who dragged out a "no" for three monthsThe real lending obstacles facing Miami's immigrant homebuyers — high property taxes and restrictions on non-permanent residentsHis advice to young originators: invest your commissions into real estate equity instead of spending itThe story of client Eric Gray — a failed loan, an honest phone call, and six buyer referrals sinceConnect with Sergio Gutierrez: http://www.grclending.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergio-gutierrez-273b7222/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  From Dropout to $80 Million: Jennifer Kline's Space Coast Mortgage Story at Neighborhood Loans 30.08.2026 20min

  Jennifer Kline is the Spacecoast Area Manager at Neighborhood Loans in Melbourne, Florida, a nine-year mortgage veteran closing more than $80 million a year who joined Neighborhood Loans this past February. Jennifer never set out to work in mortgage — she started as a mobile loan closer for extra income while staying home with her daughter during the mid-2000s refinance boom, all while working toward a teaching degree and eventually a master's degree aimed at becoming a school principal. Instead, an opportunity opened at Chase's loss mitigation center, and mortgage became her career by accident rather than design; she was named Rookie of the Year in her first year in the business. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Jennifer joins host Tony Thompson to talk about treating her business like an actual business rather than tracking leads on sticky notes, mentoring young female real estate agents as what she calls a "mentor mom," and her own homeownership story — buying her first home at 24 with down payment assistance, then using that equity to help fund a business her husband ran for 25 years, a chain of events that ultimately helped fund 30 more home transactions.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why Jennifer calls real estate "psychological selling" in a fear-driven, high-rate marketHow treating her business like an actual business — not sticky notes — quadrupled her productionWhy she now mentors young female real estate agents as a "mentor mom" figureHer own down-payment-assisted first home purchase, and how the equity from it funded 30 more home transactionsWhy she considers herself a "hold" on herself — and what Tony thinks she's missingConnect with Jennifer Kline: https://neighborhoodloans.com/jennifer-kline/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-kline-19403363/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  120+ Loans a Year, One Relationship at a Time: Abdul's Path from Nigeria to Chicago Broker-Owner 08.09.2026 23min

  Abdul Erinfolami is the Founder and President/CEO of Loan Spot Inc, a mortgage brokerage he built from his living room in the Chicago area, now closing around 120-130 loans a year. Abdul immigrated to Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood from Nigeria in 2003, joining parents who'd arrived in the late 1990s — seven people sharing a two-bedroom apartment, with his mother working as a nurse. He started working at 16, spent four years as a personal trainer, and entered the mortgage industry in January 2019 at age 22, a year after buying his own first property. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Abdul joins host Tony Thompson to talk about why he named his company Loan Spot — simple enough that, in his words, "it has loan in it" — and why he still treats every relationship, not just every deal, as the real product he's selling. They cover his structured weekly rhythm (agent touchpoints, follow-ups, pre-approvals, post-closing calls, and VIP networking, each with its own day), why he tells new originators not to quit after two years, and how he reframes Chicago's low-inventory market as opportunity rather than obstacle.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why Abdul believes "people do business with who they like" more than any pitchHow he structures his week around relationships — agent touchpoints Monday, follow-ups Tuesday, pre-approvals Wednesday, post-closing calls Thursday, VIP networking FridayWhy over 80% of new originators quit within two years, and why "it's a contact sport" you have to keep showing up forHow he reframes today's low-inventory Chicago market: "transactions and deals are still being closed — they're either gonna be closed with you or without you"Why he still teaches new agents to make 20 contacts a day, even as lead-to-close ratios have gotten tougher since the pandemicConnect with Abdul Erinfolami: https://loanspotinc.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-erinfolami-65ba5b184/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  Chicago's #1 DPA Producer: How a Family Health Crisis Led Saul Pinela to Neighborhood Loans 01.09.2026 22min

  Saul Pinela is a Producer Branch Manager at Neighborhood Loans in Geneva, Illinois, just outside Chicago, where nearly 14 years with the company — and more than 22 years in the mortgage industry overall — have made him and his team the #1-ranked down payment assistance (DPA) provider in the Chicagoland market, closing around $80 million a year. Saul's path into mortgage wasn't planned: fresh out of the University of Illinois in 2001, he was only a few months into a job at TCF Bank when his father was diagnosed with cancer, and his mother was getting by doing hair out of the house on very low income. When a college friend offered him a way into mortgage lending, Saul took the leap without knowing much about the business — and found he loved helping families, a passion that's carried him from a 20-25 person shop into what's now a national lender. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Saul joins host Tony Thompson to talk about the affordability squeeze he sees daily in the Chicago suburbs, how DPA programs can now stack up to $40,000 between county and IHDA funds, and why he believes non-QM and bank-statement lending will keep growing as more buyers move into self-employment.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why a family health crisis — not a five-year plan — pulled Saul into mortgage lendingHow down payment assistance can now stack up to $40,000 between county and IHDA programsWhy affordability remains the biggest daily challenge for buyers in the Chicago suburbsWhy Saul expects non-QM and bank statement lending to keep growing as more buyers go self-employedHis philosophy: "do it right or not at all"Connect with Saul Pinela: https://neighborhoodloans.com/saul-pinela/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/saulpinela/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  300 to 2,000 Units a Year: Corrina Carter's Servant Leadership Playbook at CMS Mortgage Solutions 11.08.2026 22min

  Corrina Carter is the CEO and Owner of CMS Mortgage Solutions in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where 29 years in the mortgage industry — 21 of them running her own company — have taught her that growth stops the moment a leader tries to do it all herself. Corrina got her start in mortgage almost by accident: a family medical crisis pulled her out of her prior job, and she took an administrative role in the industry before working her way up to loan originator and, eventually, founding her own brokerage. For years she carried 60-70% of her company's production personally — until around 2022, when she made the deliberate choice to step back from selling and reinvest her profits into building out her team instead. The result: CMS Mortgage has grown from roughly 300 closed units a year to about 2,000, now operating across 27 states with 120 loan officers, 68% of them women. Corrina's advice to originators trying to grow faster is simple — don't go at it alone, and find people further down the path who can help shorten yours.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why the biggest constraint in this business is bandwidth, not effortHow to make the shift from top producer to servant leaderWhy letting go of yesterday keeps you sharp todayWhat scaling a brokerage to 27 states actually requiresConnect with Corrina Carter: https://cmsmortgage.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrina-carter-4216907/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  $1M Down the Hard Way: Sukesh Shekar's Path from McKinsey to Founding Altgage in Boston 25.08.2026 19min

  Sukesh Shekar is the Founder and CEO of Altgage, a mortgage company he built in Boston after a $1 million home purchase of his own turned into an education in everything wrong with the mortgage process. Before mortgage, Sukesh was a junior partner at McKinsey & Company — a Ph.D. and Notre Dame alum who assumed a home purchase would be straightforward given his own financial background. Watching how opaque and frustrating it was, even for a high-income household with a physician wife, is what pulled him fully into the industry roughly three to four years ago. Altgage's approach leans on details most brokers skip: watching the 10-year treasury for the right moment to lock a rate, waiving escrow where it genuinely helps a borrower, and structuring loans around how a client's income actually qualifies — all sped up by AI tools Sukesh uses to learn faster and analyze deals. His take on where the industry is headed: as AI takes over more of the mortgage process, the brokers who stay curious and keep the human guidance sharp are the ones borrowers will still need.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why Sukesh believes human guidance becomes more valuable, not less, as AI advancesHow watching the 10-year treasury can help time a rate lockWhy "insanely curious" is his #1 trait for new loan originatorsWhat his own home-buying experience taught him about fixing the mortgage processConnect with Sukesh Shekar: https://www.altgage.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukesh-shekar/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  $30M and Still Self-Processing: Mario Escobedo's Relationship-First Playbook at Sienna Mortgage 18.08.2026 12min

  Mario Escobedo is the Broker/Owner and Senior Mortgage Advisor at Sienna Mortgage in Henderson, Nevada, and he does something most high-level originators avoid: he's simultaneously the top producer, the broker-owner, and the one still processing his own loans. Mario grew up around the mortgage business, stepped away for a stretch, and came back to it in 2016-2017, bringing a corporate sales background with him. He named the company Sienna Mortgage after his niece Sienna, his wife's goddaughter — reasoning there was no better name for a business built on family and trust. Today Sienna Mortgage does more than $30 million a year in production, almost all of it purchase business, growing 15-20% year over year. Mario credits relationship-based sales as his edge, running quarterly realtor masterminds with 15-25 agents to keep those referral relationships sharp. His view on sales is simple: it's the ability to build trust with somebody — nothing more complicated than that.🔑 What You'll Learn:Why Mario treats sales as "the ability to build trust with somebody"How running quarterly realtor masterminds keeps referral relationships aliveWhy staying hands-on as a self-processor makes him a better broker-ownerWhat it took to grow Sienna Mortgage 15-20% year over yearConnect with Mario Escobedo: https://siennamortgage.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-escobedo-2a6b37132/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.
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  34 Years in Mortgage: Jeff Dettelbach on Building a Husband-Wife Top Producer Team in Indianapolis 04.08.2026 15min

  Jeff Dettelbach is a senior mortgage loan originator at Hallmark Home Mortgage Powered by Fairway in Indianapolis, Indiana — 34 years into a mortgage career that started in 1992, still ranking in his company's top five producers alongside his wife and fellow top originator, Julianne.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a conversation about longevity, service, and what it takes to build a husband-and-wife top-producing team. Jeff graduated from Indiana University in 1991 and got his start calling alumni for donations at the IU Foundation — a role he credits with turning him from an introvert into a skilled communicator — before moving into mortgage telemarketing and, within his first year, management and then origination.What You'll Learn:How Jeff went from calling alumni for donations to 34 years as a mortgage originatorHow he and his wife Julianne built a team that ranks top five in their companyWhy "good old fashioned service" and due diligence still separate top producers from the restWhy 92-95% of clients need personal guidance no automated process can replaceJeff's "rifle approach" to networking, and why persistent follow-up is where the real business gets builtWhy reinvesting in your own development is non-negotiable for long-term originatorsConnect with Jeff Dettelbach:Hallmark Home Mortgage: https://myhhm.com/jeff-dettelbach/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  From YouTube Burnout to #1 Broker Under 30: Shawn Malkou's Journey to X2 Mortgage in Chandler, AZ 28.07.2026 22min

  Shawn Malkou is the CEO and broker-owner of X2 Mortgage in Chandler, Arizona — named the #1 Mortgage Broker in the Country Under 30 for 2024, and projecting around $70 million in personal production this year.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a candid conversation about an unlikely path into the industry: 8-9 years as a YouTube content creator before burnout, a volleyball coach's tip that changed everything, and a job offer that collapsed right after he got licensed — which turned into the best break of his career at a small three-person brokerage. He founded X2 Mortgage in 2021 and has since grown it to a team of about 20.What You'll Learn:How Shawn went from burned-out YouTube creator to broker-owner of X2 MortgageWhy the IMB job that fell through led him somewhere betterHow he named X2 Mortgage for SEO and phone clarity during the 2020-2021 boomWhy his weekly Monday sales meetings focus on metrics, not motivationHis "lead by doing" approach to running a teamWhy he tells new originators to master production before starting a companyHow AI is freeing up time for originators to close more loansConnect with Shawn Malkou:X2 Mortgage: https://x2mortgage.com/shawn-malkouLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnmalkou/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  From Processor to President in Utah: Emily Rowley on Building a Culture-First Mortgage Company 21.07.2026 31min

  Emily Rowley is the president of the retail division at First Colony Mortgage — a Utah-based company founded in 1984 that she joined in 2004 as a processor. Over 22 years, she worked her way from processing to originating to leading, building deep relationships and an even deeper conviction that culture is the foundation everything else gets built on.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Emily joins host Tony Thompson to talk about what it takes to grow through hard markets, why the mortgage industry needs to start betting on young talent, and how First Colony is positioning itself for the future with a full ecosystem play that includes their own AI tech company, Tidal Wave AI.She also gets candid about what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry — and why helping other women develop self-belief is one of her biggest priorities.What You'll Learn:How Emily went from being talked out of getting her license to running the retail division of a growing national companyWhat the law of generosity looks like in practice — and how it shaped First Colony's growth during the 2008–2009 crisisWhy the industry's average originator age is a quiet crisis, and what First Colony is doing about itHow to build a "customer for life" approach through revenue stacking and ecosystem thinkingWhat Emily believes is the greatest challenge for mortgage companies right now — and why being ready to sprint is non-negotiableHer honest advice for women in the industry who are letting the difficulty of a male-dominated space affect how they see themselvesConnect with Emily Rowley: First Colony Mortgage: http://www.FirstColonyMortgage.comFollow Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-gappmayer-rowley-66214894/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with the leaders, originators, and operators shaping the future of the mortgage industry.
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  25 Years, $70M/Year in Tampa: Oliver Orlicki on Why You Should Never Quit 14.07.2026 14min

  Oliver Orlicki is the founder of The Orlicki Group — a Tampa, Florida-based mortgage team with over 75 years of combined experience, consistently closing around $70 million annually.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a fast-paced, high-energy conversation about what it takes to stand out, stay motivated, and capitalize on the AI wave reshaping the mortgage industry.Oliver's journey started far from mortgage — a journalism degree, dreams of sports broadcasting, and a detour into financial planning before 9/11 sent him into the industry in 2001. Twenty-five years later, his philosophy is simple: be pleasantly persistent, never quit, and surround yourself with people who push you to excel.What You'll Learn:Why differentiation — not interest rates — is the real competitive battlefield in mortgage todayHow AI and social media are creating massive opportunity for originators willing to use themThe "pleasantly persistent" philosophy and why it takes 7 contacts to make a saleWhy being great at what you do is the only real defense against losing business to AIHow surrounding yourself with high-producing people becomes addictive — in the best wayWhy buying a home remains one of the few reliable paths to generational wealthOliver's #1 advice for originators trying to reach the next level: don't quitConnect with Oliver Orlicki:Follow Oliver Orlicki : https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-orlicki-6a9b8931The Orlicki Group: https://orlickigroup.com/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  VA Loans in Charlotte: Alec Conrad's Unlikely Path from M&A to Mortgage Broker 30.06.2026 23min

  Alec Conrad is the co-broker owner of Carolina Mortgage Advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina — a brokerage built on a simple but powerful philosophy: do the basics better than everyone else, find your niche, and protect it with consistency.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson, CMB for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a mortgage business from scratch, why he became the VA loan go-to in a market with no military base nearby, and how a FaceTime call with his toddler son changed the entire trajectory of his career.Alec didn't come from mortgages — he came from mergers and acquisitions, traveling constantly, closing high-stakes corporate deals. But when his son Cooper asked why daddy was always so far away, he was on the next flight home, canceled his contract, and never looked back. What followed was a humbling first year of near-zero income and a decade of building something real — a brand, a niche, a partnership, and a brokerage now on track for 30–40% production growth in 2026.What You'll Learn:How Alec left a high-paying M&A career to be present for his son — and built a mortgage brand around being "Cooper's dad"The origin of Carolina Mortgage Advisors: how a difficult situation at a prior brokerage turned into the momentum to go independentWhy the originators winning right now are the ones focused on fundamentals — not headlines, not tech, not what Rocket just acquiredHow Alec became a VA loan authority in Charlotte by teaching nearly 1,000 realtors since 2018 — without living near a military baseWhy consistent messaging over years turns niche expertise into a self-sustaining referral engineThe post-mortem review Alec runs every year to track where new referral partners came from — and how to replicate itHow a simple Tuesday update habit turned listing agents into his #1 source of new businessWhy knowing what to refer out is just as important as knowing what you're great atHow to use RETR to build a targeted list of realtors who don't have a dedicated lending partnerWhat Alec is most grateful for: a business partnership that accelerated his growth by nearly a decadeWhy the broker channel's product access can work against you if you haven't committed to a nicheConnect with Alec Conrad:Carolina Mortgage Advisors: www.carolinamortgageadvisors.comAlec Conrad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-edward-conrad/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  DSCR & Investment Property Lending in Texas: Nathan Howry's Multi-State Broker-Owner Journey 07.07.2026 23min

  Nathan Howry is the President & CEO of Mortgage Inc. — a New Braunfels, Texas-based brokerage five years in the making, built on a broker-first philosophy, in-house operations, and a team culture laser-focused on helping every loan officer reach six figures. Licensed in five states with 13 LOs and a personal production volume of $35–50 million a year, Nathan has built a company that doesn't just survive tough markets — it finds opportunity in them.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson, CMB for a practical, no-fluff conversation about what it really takes to build a mortgage brokerage that grows its people and outlasts market cycles.Nathan spent nearly two decades in the industry — moving through restaurant management, a decade in real estate, and a rapid rise from LOA to branch manager — before making the deliberate move to broker ownership. What followed was a brokerage built on process, fairness, and a relentless focus on the investment property lending niche that's now become their signature.What You'll Learn:How Nathan went from a failed real estate career and the restaurant business to running a multi-state mortgage brokerageWhy he rebranded from "Mortgage Maniac" to Mortgage Inc. — and what the process taught him about building a company that can recruit and scaleHow Mortgage Inc. became the exclusive mortgage team for one of the largest build-to-rent developers in the countryWhy Nathan shifted focus to DSCR and investment property loans — and how it positioned the company perfectly in a slow purchase marketThe accountability system behind his weekly one-on-one calls with every LO on his teamWhy over-communication is the single most important habit for any originator trying to reach the top level of this businessHow Nathan built a full ecosystem — development, property management, tenants, and individual investor financing — that keeps clients coming backThe difference between broker and retail — and the real reason Nathan made the switchThe three pillars Nathan credits for his success: Family, Faith, and FitnessWhy mental fitness — cutting out the noise and the vices — is what truly moves the needle for top producersTony's "Corporate Athlete" framework and why every serious originator needs to hear itConnect with Nathan Howry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-howry/Mortgage Inc. : https://mortgage-inc.com/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  Servant Leadership in Tampa: How Chris Musso Grew West Park Mortgage 23.06.2026 18min

  Chris Musso is the president of West Park Mortgage Group — a Tampa, Florida-based brokerage five years in the making, built on servant leadership, data-driven coaching, and a team culture that produced growth for every single LO in one of the toughest mortgage markets in recent memory.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a deeply practical conversation about what it really takes to lead a mortgage team — and how to build one that actually stays.Chris spent 23 years in the industry before opening West Park — running refi call centers and large retail operations before making the deliberate pivot to purchase business and broker ownership. What followed was a brokerage named after his own neighborhood, rooted in community, and built to outlast market cycles.What You'll Learn:How every West Park LO grew their business year-over-year in a down market — and the coaching system behind itThe 3 pillars of LO success: consistent activities, consistent processes, and qualified referral partnersHow AI is being implemented at West Park right now — and why it sets LOs up to beat competitors who aren't using itThe data framework Chris uses to show each LO exactly how many credit pulls they need to hit their goalsWhy LOs closing one loan a month are almost certainly not working 75-80% of their day on business buildingTony's "are you a buy, sell, or hold?" question — and why every originator needs to answer it honestlyWhy servant leadership — not micromanagement — is what keeps top producers around for over a decadeConnect with Chris Musso: Follow Chris Musso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-musso-b6618016/West Park Mortgage Group: https://westparkmortgagegroup.com/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  Orlando's Top 2% Originator: Brian Tewes on Legacy, Competition & Social Selling 16.06.2026 17min

  Brian Tewes is the president and CEO of Tewes Lending — an Orlando-based mortgage brokerage recognized in the top 5% nationwide by HousingWire and the top 2% in the country by Scotsman Guide.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson right in his home city for a conversation about building a mortgage business on legacy, competitive fire, and daily social media consistency.Brian didn't plan on being in mortgages. After watching the 2008 crash devastate his family, he swore the industry off entirely. Nearly a decade later, after a conversation with his father — a 31-year mortgage veteran — changed his mind, he went all in, sank for a season, and came out the other side as one of Florida's top producers.What You'll Learn:How Brian went from "I will never do mortgages" to top 2% nationwide in under 10 yearsThe family legacy behind Tewes Lending — and why "Let's Get You Home" means more than a taglineWhy affordability is both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity in mortgage right nowThe Warren Buffett mindset Brian uses when rates climb and other originators head for the exitsWhy Brian loves Monday mornings — and what that tells you about building a business worth showing up forThe daily social media system that turns closings into referral magnetsWhy being a partner — not a vendor — is what gets clients and realtors across the finish lineConnect with Brian Tewes:Tewes Lending: https://teweslending.com/Follow Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-tewes-mba-ab02283aSubscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  From Ministry to $50M/Year: David Kakish on Faith, Data & Mortgage Growth 02.06.2026 21min

  David Kakish is the branch manager of Anchor Home Loans — a DBA under C2 Financial based in Gulf Shores, Alabama, closing around $50 million annually across 130 to 150 units in just his third year in the business.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for one of the most honest conversations the show has had yet about what it really takes to build from zero when you have no industry background, no referral base, and no roadmap.David spent 17 years in ministry before pivoting to mortgage in 2022. What followed was a data-driven cold calling system, personalized video loan estimates, and a process obsession that most originators with decades of experience still haven't developed.What You'll Learn:How David cold called realtors in states he wasn't licensed in — and used their answers to build his entire pitchWhy he makes personalized video walkthroughs for every loan estimate — and how it helped him scaleAI in mortgage: why it's the great equalizer right now and why you have a 3 to 5 year window to act"Small for a season vs. small for a reason" — and how to honestly figure out which one you areWhy motivation and focus are two completely different things — and what separates top producersHow to shoot bullets before cannonballs — and stop wasting money on strategies you haven't testedDavid's gratitude framework: the things you're complaining about today are answers to prayers from 10 years agoConnect with David Kakish: Anchor Home Loans: https://theanchorhome.com/Follow David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kakish-573aa3249/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  Niche Mortgage Strategy & the Senior Market with Mark Maimon of Luminate Bank 09.06.2026 23min

  Mark Maimon is a branch manager at Luminate Bank with nearly 25 years in the mortgage industry, operating across Los Angeles, New York City, and Florida — and closing between $100M and $200M annually.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down the strategy behind his success: go where other originators aren't, plant seeds before the market is ready, and build a business that competes on expertise instead of rate.Mark has spent his career finding underserved pockets most loan officers walk right past — the senior and elder care space, high net worth non-QM borrowers, bridge loan clients, and wealth advisor referral networks. His philosophy is simple: the center lane is too crowded. Just outside it is where the real opportunity lives.What You'll Learn:Why the senior and elder care space is one of mortgage's biggest untapped opportunities right nowHow Mark positions his business as an alternative to reverse mortgages — and why it worksWhy wealth advisors deliver 10x more qualified referrals than real estate agentsThe long-game marketing mindset: planting seeds 18 months before they bear fruitWhy picking a niche doesn't cost you standard transactions — it earns you bothHow to approach mortgage through a financial planning lens to add value no other LO is offeringMark's mission to drill a well in Kenya — and how a $25,000 goal can serve over 1,000 peopleFollow Mark Maimon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-maimon-51bb923Luminate Bank: https://www.luminate.bank/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.
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  Process, Discipline & $30M/Year with Chris Kerr of Elements Financial 26.05.2026 12min

  Chris Kerr is a top-producing outside loan originator at Elements Financial Credit Union in Indianapolis, closing $30 million a year across 100+ units — with no inside referral pipeline.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down the mindset, habits, and process that have kept him at the top of his game for 20 years.Chris didn't start in mortgages. After studying criminal justice at Indiana University and a brief career as a police officer, he found his way into sales in 2006 and never looked back. A chance mentorship shaped his entire approach to the business — and it all comes back to one thing: being thorough before the pre-approval so everything else runs smoothly.What You'll Learn:Why being thorough upfront — before the pre-approval — is Chris's #1 competitive edgeHow he closes 99% of the pre-approvals he puts his name onWhy discipline is the most important trait for originators who work from homeWhat Chris would tell his younger self: build a repeatable process from day oneHow to stay motivated through slow seasons when the phone stops ringingWhy your operations team is the secret weapon behind every great originatorThe "change your sail" philosophy for adapting when the market shiftsConnect with Chris Kerr:Elements Financial Credit Union: https://www.elements.org/Follow Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kerr-b289138/Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.