???? Episode 53: The Five Ps of Brokerage Success with Jeremy Millar

Hosted by Jonathon Haddad, AIME's Chairman & CEO, and Tommy Golightly, AIME's Marketing Manager, featuring special guest Jeremy Millar, CEO of Amarlo.

In this episode, Jonathon and Tommy are joined by Jeremy Millar for a deep dive into what it really takes to transition from being a solo loan officer to running a profitable, scalable brokerage. 

???? Broker Buzz

• - The best tools for automating rate and market updates to realtor partners without breaking the bank.
• - Whether hard money or traditional financing is the right path for a client seeking renovation funds just one month after closing.
• - How a properly structured divorce decree can solve DTI challenges when an ex-spouse still appears on an investment property mortgage.

???? Sales Training | The Five Ps of Brokerage Success

Jeremy introduces his five Ps framework: Presence, Process, People, Production, and Profit. He explains why these five numbers are the key to unlocking control over your business and breaks down how to measure lead volume, track conversion rates, analyze average comp per loan, and use that data to make smarter decisions. 

Jonathon emphasizes the importance of simplifying KPIs and reviewing them monthly rather than waiting until year end to realize you're off pace.

???? Story Time | Who You Surround Yourself With Matters

Jonathon closes the episode with a reminder that success is rarely built alone. He encourages listeners to take stock of the people in their inner circle and ask whether those relationships are elevating them or holding them back. In a world full of noise and negativity, protecting your mindset and curating your community is not optional. It is essential.

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts

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#MortgageBroker #Amarlo #BusinessOwner #KPIs #SalesTraining #LeadGeneration #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Lending #FinancialStory #BrokersAreBest #BrokerPowerUp #AIME #Podcast #Network

If you've ever thought, "I can do it better myself" or "It's just easier if I handle it," this conversation is likely to hit home.

Samantha Shelton sits down with Irene Duford, founder of Loan Team Training and a nationally recognized trainer with 26 years in the mortgage industry. Together, they dive into the one thing that holds so many high-performing women back: our own inner critic.

Irene gets real about the self-talk that keeps us stuck, the fear of delegating, and why our instinct to be the fixer can actually limit our growth. 

She shares practical strategies for rewiring those inner thoughts, building systems that actually work, and knowing exactly when it's time to bring on a loan partner.

Whether you're overwhelmed, under supported, or just tired of carrying it all yourself, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, understood, and ready to take the next step.

???? Subscribe to our channel and join the movement!

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts.



#WMN #WomenInMortgage #SelfTalk #LoanOfficerLife #Delegation #MindsetMatters #TeamBuilding #Empowerment #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network #MortgageJourney

???? Episode 245

Host: Marc Summers (AIME's Founding President)

Guest: Jason Sharon (Owner of Home Loans Inc.)

This week's episode features a returning guest and owner of Home Loans Inc., Jason Sharon. 

A retired Navy veteran and longtime AIME supporter, Jason has built a thriving brokerage across seven states by mastering the art of delegation, creating new systems and harnessing the power of virtual assistants.

???? Key Takeaways:

• Why it’s important to check your ego and let go of tasks that don’t require you. 
• How to build a virtual team that feels like family, not contractors.
• The power of utilizing checklists and creating repeatable steps in any industry. 
• Hiring based on heart and the ‘tell me about your childhood’ interview question.

???? Golden Nugget:

"You don't hire skill, you hire heart. If you don't have a plan, if you don't have a checklist, it's going to fail."

???? Subscribe to Broker to Broker on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

???? Join AIME: aimegroup.com/membership

#VirtualAssistants #ScalingYourBusiness #VALoans #MortgageProcess #TeamCulture #BusinessSystems #DelegateToGrow #BrokerToBroker #MortgageTech #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network

???? Episode 52: AI, Root Access, and Protecting the Broker Channel

Hosted by Jonathon Haddad, AIME's Chairman & CEO, and Tommy Golightly, AIME's Marketing Manager.

In this episode, Jonathon and Tommy tackle the trends and tools dominating the mortgage space, from AI-powered lead gen to the timeless value of human connection. 

???? Broker Buzz

• - How to balance AI bots and in-house ISAs for maximum lead conversion without losing the personal touch.
• - Why speed to lead and conversion metrics must drive your hiring and firing decisions.
• - Strategies for combating misleading servicer mailers by re-engaging past clients with transparency and trust.

???? Sales Training | The Danger of Root Access

Jonathon sounds the alarm on a growing trend: loan officers giving AI "root access" to their computers in exchange for automation. He explains why this poses a massive risk; not just to individual brokers, but to the entire independent channel. 

With regulators already tightening AI rules and retail competitors watching for any misstep, protecting client data has never been more important. Tommy reinforces that sentiment and shares why he draws a hard line between using AI as a tool and letting it operate autonomously.

???? Story Time | If You Want to Go Far, Go Together

The episode opens with a fortune cookie message that sets the tone: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Jonathon and Tommy reflect on what that means for brokers today, and why things like community, collaboration, and having the right people around you are the true foundation of long-term success. 

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts

???? Subscribe on YouTube for new episodes every week



#MortgageBroker #AI #LeadGeneration #SalesTraining #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Lending #DataSecurity #FinTech #BrokersAreBest #BrokerPowerUp #AIME #Podcast #Network

???? Episode 244

Host: Marc Summers (AIME's Founding President)

Guest: Christopher Griffith (Founder of Vetted VA)

This week's episode features Chris Griffith, a longtime friend of AIME and founder of Vetted VA, a training community built to help mortgage professionals serve veterans with confidence and capability. 

Chris shares the heart behind Vetted VA, why education should focus on understanding over memorization, and how to navigate market cycles without losing your footing.

???? Key Takeaways:

• What Vetted VA is and how it enables those in the industry to better serve veterans.
• The difference between theory based training and reality based application.
• Why asking questions and admitting what you don't know is a strength, not a weakness.
• How to use slower market seasons to expand your capacity and sharpen your skills.

???? Golden Nugget:

"If you're waiting on rates to do something for you to be sustainable, you're probably not sustainable. Focus on what you can control, expand your capacity, and invest your time wisely."

???? Subscribe to Broker to Broker on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

???? Join AIME: aimegroup.com/membership

#VALoans #Veterans #VettedVA #BrokersAreBest #MortgageTraining #CommunityOverCompetition #Homeownership #VeteranSupport #BrokerToBroker #MortgageTech #AIME #Podcast #Network 

???? Episode 51: Infrastructure, Relentless Sales, and Building What Scales

Hosted by Jonathon Haddad, AIME’s Chairman & CEO, Tommy Golightly, AIME’s Marketing Manager, and featuring special guest Michelle Berman-Mikel, author of The Black Line and creator of Beyond the Method

This episode brings a powerful guest to the table for a deep-dive discussion on accountability, structure and what it truly means to be relentless in this industry. 

???? Broker Buzz

• - Navigating non-QM files with gaps in rental history & re-establishing credit documentation.
• - Why borrowers cannot act as their own general contractor on construction-to-perm loans and how risk drives those decisions.
• - Structuring complex acreage and multi-parcel transactions and when private money becomes the realistic path forward.

???? Sales Training | Leveraging Relationships the Right Way

Michelle breaks down her proven framework for outbound prospecting and explains why the “lever” strategy is so impactful. Instead of blindly sending messages to cold leads, brokers can learn how to identify mutual connections, clearly explain the relationship and create context that earns a response.

Jonathon reinforces the importance of coaching and accountability, emphasizing that even high performers need someone in their corner asking, “Who did you prospect today?”.

???? Story Time | Infrastructure Over Hype

In a unique shift from traditional loan officer messaging, Michelle shares how she built a keynote around serving infrastructure professionals rather than front-facing salespeople. The theme: what is invisible determines what is scalable. In a culture obsessed with speed and shortcuts, she challenges the industry to respect systems, governance, and the slow mile instead of chasing the sprint.

The result is a grounded reminder that success is built on structure, discipline, and relentless execution.

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts

???? Subscribe on YouTube for new episodes every week



#LoanOfficerTips #Lending #LO #RealEstate #Finance #BrokerCommunity #SalesTraining #Leadership #Development #EntrepreneurMindset #ProspectingStrategy #HousingMarket #BusinessGrowth #BrokerPowerUp #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network

Ever feel like a great processor is the secret weapon you’re missing?

In this episode, Molly Meeker sits down with Kathy Dey, Director of Operations at Apex Processors, for a straight talk conversation about the power of partnership between loan officers and processors.

Kathy brings over 30 years of mortgage experience, from telemarketing second mortgages in the ‘90s to running a team of 60+ elite processors today. She pulls back the curtain on what really makes a loan team click: clear communication, mutual respect, and letting each expert do what they do best.

Molly and Kathy dive into why contract processing is changing the game for brokers, how to find, and keep, your perfect processor match, and the one habit that separates top producers from the rest. 

Whether you’re a new broker making the leap from retail or a seasoned LO looking to scale, this episode is packed with real world advice you can use right away.

???? Subscribe to our channel and join the movement!

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts.



#WMN #WomenInMortgage #MortgageOperations #ContractProcessing #LoanOfficerLife #ProcessorAppreciation #ScaleYourBusiness #Empowerment #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network #MortgageJourney

Host: Marc Summers (AIME’s Founding President)

Guest: Brian Yampolsky (Owner and Founder of Orion Mortgage Corporation)

Marc is joined this week by 34-year veteran of the industry, Brian Yampolsky, who has built a thriving brokerage on relationship-based referrals and consistent, thoughtful execution. 

From surviving market shifts to refining the client experience, Brian shares the practical strategies that have sustained his business for decades.

???? Key Takeaways:

• Why a relationship-based, referral-driven model takes time but pays off long-term.
• How to use UWM’s free home value estimator to open more doors with listing agents.
• The power of consistency: “Better to be consistently good than occasionally great”.
• Personalizing the closing process with thoughtful, client-tailored gifts.

???? Golden Nugget:

"There's a solution to every problem. Sometimes we may not know what it is, but it's out there. Stay calm and stay steady. That's what people want from us."

???? Subscribe to Broker to Broker on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

???? Join AIME: aimegroup.com/membership

#BrokerToBroker #MortgageTech #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network #RelationshipBuilding #RealtorPartners #ClientExperience #SmallBusiness #MortgageAdvice #LeadGeneration #BusinessGrowth

???? Episode 50: Basel III, Capital Rules, and What It Means for Brokers



Hosted by Jonathon Haddad, AIME’s Chairman & CEO, and Tommy Golightly, AIME’s Marketing Manager

Episode 50 marks an important milestone for the Broker Power-Up podcast, and instead of shifting focus inward, Jonathon and Tommy turn their attention to an issue that has the potential to significantly impact the broker community.

???? Broker Buzz

• - Breaking down the proposed Basel III mortgage capital rules and how they could affect loan pricing.
• - Why higher capital requirements for banks may shift competitive dynamics between retail and wholesale.
• - What brokers should understand now so they are not reacting late if these policies move forward.
• - How AIME continues to advocate for independent mortgage professionals amid regulatory changes.

This episode centers around a recent HousingWire article that outlines proposed changes to Basel mortgage capital rules and the broader implications for liquidity, risk weighting, and borrower cost. Jonathon and Tommy unpack what is noise, what is real, and how brokers should position themselves in a shifting regulatory environment.

For reference, the article discussed in this episode can be found here: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/basel-mortgage-capital-rules/

Tune in for a clear, level-headed episode about regulatory shifts, market positioning, and why it’s critical for independent brokers to stay informed and engaged.

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts

???? Subscribe on YouTube for new episodes every week

#LoanOfficerLife #WholesaleLending #HousingPolicy #IndustryNews #Regulations #HousingMarket #EntrepreneurMindset #Leadership #Development #BrokerPowerUp #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network

???? Episode 49: The 20-Year Strategy, Sharper Hustle, and Getting Back on Track

Hosted by Jonathon Haddad, AIME’s Chairman & CEO, and Tommy Golightly, AIME’s Marketing Manager

???? Broker Buzz

• - Proving child support payments when funds are distributed through state-issued debit cards and the paying party is uncooperative.
• - Best practices when working with third-party processors and why a structured intake form prevents confusion.
• - How to exclude temporary medical leave from 1099 income calculations using proper documentation.
• - A reminder that hustle matters, especially in a market where refinances are reopening and opportunity is growing.

???? Sales Pitch Training | The Power of the 20-Year Mortgage

Jonathon breaks down the best way to present a 20-year mortgage to past clients who may be sitting in higher-rate 30-year loans and highlights how a small increase in monthly payment can shave years off a loan. 

Framing the difference as a manageable weekly amount, walking through five-year equity impact, and asking the right questions that help clients connect short-term sacrifice to long-term financial freedom. This is a practical, underutilized strategy brokers can implement immediately.

???? Story Time | Routine Wins After Setbacks

Coming off a week of being under the weather, Jonathon shares how leaders can quickly rebound without getting bogged down by the stress of catching up. There is no magic potion, just discipline and getting back to your foundation. Drinking water, getting to the gym and controlling the things you can control. 

Success isn’t about avoiding disruptions altogether, it’s about navigating them effectively and bouncing back. 

???? Listen wherever you get your podcasts

???? Subscribe on YouTube for new episodes every week

#LoanOfficerLife #WholesaleLending #RealEstateFinance #BrokerCommunity #SalesTraining #LeadershipDevelopment #FinancialFreedom #RefinanceStrategy #EntrepreneurMindset #HousingMarket #BrokerPowerUp #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network