What if by holding on too tight...you’re holding yourself back?

Hey there, rainmakers!

This week I sat down with mortgage coach and powerhouse mortgage banker Denise Donoghue, aka The Mortgage Nerd, for a raw and inspiring conversation about growth, leadership, and the sometimes brutal journey of building a sustainable business.

Denise Donoghue, known as "The Mortgage Nerd," is one of Dallas’ top 3% producing mortgage professionals voted by D-Magazine.

We got real about what it means to be in the grind phase of your career—and why most people don't realize that you don’t graduate from it permanently. 

Denise shared how burnout became a wake-up call, forcing her to rethink how she led, hired, and communicated with her team. She walks us through the pivotal moment she realized that doing it all herself wasn’t leadership—it was survival mode. And she talks us through how she was able to scale her success and manage a sizeable operation – 

without the stress or the time-suck.

What we talked about:

✨ The “grind phase” is real—and it often returns. You’re never above doing the work.

✨ Burnout is a red flag, not a badge of honor.

✨ Leadership is about asking the hard questions and being open to feedback, even when it stings.

✨ Building a team means letting go of control and investing in training, not just hiring fast.

✨ You can’t scale a business if you’re still trying to do everything yourself.

Guest Links:

The Mortgage Nerd

Denise on LinkedIn

Denise on Instagram

Denise on YouTube

If you liked what you heard, why not leave me a five star review, and tell me what you liked most about the show!

PLUS :

Do you feel like you've hit a plateau or lost some of your enthusiasm, focus, and fire? Has business become a grind and you often wonder what it’s going to take to get you excited again? Or do you feel like your world is constant chaos and you aren’t driving your life forward with clarity of vision?

If so - check out my catalyst coaching community, where we accelerate your success!

Connect with Shayla:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Show Links:

Shaylagifford.com

The Mortgage Rainmaker Podcast

The Catalyst Coaching Community

Guild Mortgage