What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want isn’t your business, but your belief that you have to do it all alone?

In this episode, Nicole Ahles sits down with one of the most respected leaders in the mortgage industry, Cindy Ertman. Cindy spent nearly three decades as a top producing loan officer, a branch manager, and an executive leader before stepping into her true calling: helping others rise.

Cindy gets real about the moment she realized she needed help, how she built systems to protect her time and energy, and the non-negotiables that kept her family close through it all.

She shares the exact exercise that helped her uncover what was draining her, why hiring a personal assistant was the best investment she ever made, and how she learned to stop chasing perfection and start focusing on progress.

Whether you’re struggling to delegate, feeling overwhelmed by the demands of work and home, or just looking for permission to ask for the support you deserve, this conversation has what it takes to leave you feeling seen, empowered, and ready to take the next step.

Subscribe to our channel and join the movement!

#WMN #WomenInMortgage #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #Delegation #MindsetMatters #WomenInLeadership #Empowerment #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network #MortgageJourney

The post Women’s Mortgage Network Podcast: Episode 18 appeared first on AIME.

Episode 246

Host: Marc Summers (AIME’s Founding President)

This week’s episode features Kyle Koller, a ten year mortgage veteran who has built his entire career in the broker channel.

He shares his unconventional start in the industry, after receiving a text from a former student. Kyle talks with Marc about the mindset shifts, practical strategies, and relationship building tactics that have sustained his business through countless market cycles.

Key Takeaways:

Golden Nugget:

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

#UMortgage #BlendedRate #WorkLifeBalance #LoanOfficerLife #MortgageIndustry #ScalingYourBusiness #FinancialAdvisor #BrokerToBroker #MortgageTech #BrokersAreBest #AIME #Podcast #Network

The post Broker to Broker Podcast: Kyle Koller – Ep. 246 appeared first on AIME.

Episode 54: Compliance, Culture, and Managing Conflicts

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

In this episode, Jonathon and Tommy dig into listener questions about the real-world challenges of running a brokerage, from compliance gray areas to keeping the peace among producing loan officers.

Broker Buzz

Sales Training | Showing Up When It Counts

Jonathon and Tommy reflect on what sales training really looks like behind the scenes and why it’s not always just about the scripts and techniques. Sometimes, it’s about showing up for your teammate when it’s time for a hard conversation.

Story Time | The Fortune Cookie Flashback

Six months ago, a fortune cookie promised that March would be a month of change. Jonathon set a calendar reminder for himself and Tommy to revisit it. That reminder finally arrived, sending Tommy on a hunt through old footage to figure out what it meant.

The result is a conversation about time, perspective, and the slow burn of personal development. The message is clear: Growth is not a sprint. It is showing up every single day.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#MortgageBroker #Compliance #TeamBuilding #Leadership #SalesTraining #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Lending #CompanyCulture #BrokersAreBest #BrokerPowerUp #AIME #Podcast #Network

The post Broker Power-Up Podcast: Episode 54 appeared first on AIME.

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

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

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

The post Broker Power-Up Podcast: Episode 53 appeared first on AIME.

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!

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

The post Women’s Mortgage Network Podcast: Episode 17 appeared first on AIME.

Episode 245

Host: Marc Summers (AIME’s Founding President)

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:

Golden Nugget:

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

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

The post Broker to Broker Podcast: Jason Sharon – Ep. 245 appeared first on AIME.

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

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

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

The post Broker Power-Up Podcast: Episode 52 appeared first on AIME.

Episode 244

Host: Marc Summers (AIME’s Founding President)

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:

Golden Nugget:

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

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

The post Broker to Broker Podcast: Christopher Griffith – Ep. 244 appeared first on AIME.

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

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

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

The post Broker Power-Up Podcast: Episode 51 appeared first on AIME.

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!

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

The post Women’s Mortgage Network Podcast – Episode 16 appeared first on AIME.