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 company
• What the law of generosity looks like in practice — and how it shaped First Colony's growth during the 2008–2009 crisis
• Why the industry's average originator age is a quiet crisis, and what First Colony is doing about it
• How to build a "customer for life" approach through revenue stacking and ecosystem thinking
• What Emily believes is the greatest challenge for mortgage companies right now — and why being ready to sprint is non-negotiable
• Her honest advice for women in the industry who are letting the difficulty of a male-dominated space affect how they see themselves

Connect with Emily Rowley:
First Colony Mortgage: http://www.FirstColonyMortgage.com
Follow Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-gappmayer-rowley-66214894/

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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 today
• How AI and social media are creating massive opportunity for originators willing to use them
• The "pleasantly persistent" philosophy and why it takes 7 contacts to make a sale
• Why being great at what you do is the only real defense against losing business to AI
• How surrounding yourself with high-producing people becomes addictive — in the best way
• Why buying a home remains one of the few reliable paths to generational wealth
• Oliver's #1 advice for originators trying to reach the next level: don't quit

Connect with Oliver Orlicki:

Follow Oliver Orlicki : https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-orlicki-6a9b8931
The Orlicki Group: https://orlickigroup.com/

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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 brokerage
• Why he rebranded from "Mortgage Maniac" to Mortgage Inc. — and what the process taught him about building a company that can recruit and scale
• How Mortgage Inc. became the exclusive mortgage team for one of the largest build-to-rent developers in the country
• Why Nathan shifted focus to DSCR and investment property loans — and how it positioned the company perfectly in a slow purchase market
• The accountability system behind his weekly one-on-one calls with every LO on his team
• Why over-communication is the single most important habit for any originator trying to reach the top level of this business
• How Nathan built a full ecosystem — development, property management, tenants, and individual investor financing — that keeps clients coming back
• The difference between broker and retail — and the real reason Nathan made the switch
• The three pillars Nathan credits for his success: Family, Faith, and Fitness
• Why mental fitness — cutting out the noise and the vices — is what truly moves the needle for top producers
• Tony's "Corporate Athlete" framework and why every serious originator needs to hear it

Connect with Nathan Howry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-howry/

Mortgage Inc. : https://mortgage-inc.com/

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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 independent
• Why the originators winning right now are the ones focused on fundamentals — not headlines, not tech, not what Rocket just acquired
• How Alec became a VA loan authority in Charlotte by teaching nearly 1,000 realtors since 2018 — without living near a military base
• Why consistent messaging over years turns niche expertise into a self-sustaining referral engine
• The post-mortem review Alec runs every year to track where new referral partners came from — and how to replicate it
• How a simple Tuesday update habit turned listing agents into his #1 source of new business
• Why knowing what to refer out is just as important as knowing what you're great at
• How to use RETR to build a targeted list of realtors who don't have a dedicated lending partner
• What Alec is most grateful for: a business partnership that accelerated his growth by nearly a decade
• Why the broker channel's product access can work against you if you haven't committed to a niche

Connect with Alec Conrad:

Carolina Mortgage Advisors: www.carolinamortgageadvisors.com
Alec 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.

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 it
• The 3 pillars of LO success: consistent activities, consistent processes, and qualified referral partners
• How AI is being implemented at West Park right now — and why it sets LOs up to beat competitors who aren't using it
• The data framework Chris uses to show each LO exactly how many credit pulls they need to hit their goals
• Why LOs closing one loan a month are almost certainly not working 75-80% of their day on business building
• Tony's "are you a buy, sell, or hold?" question — and why every originator needs to answer it honestly
• Why servant leadership — not micromanagement — is what keeps top producers around for over a decade

Connect 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.

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 years
• The family legacy behind Tewes Lending — and why "Let's Get You Home" means more than a tagline
• Why affordability is both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity in mortgage right now
• The Warren Buffett mindset Brian uses when rates climb and other originators head for the exits
• Why Brian loves Monday mornings — and what that tells you about building a business worth showing up for
• The daily social media system that turns closings into referral magnets
• Why being a partner — not a vendor — is what gets clients and realtors across the finish line

Connect with Brian Tewes:

Tewes Lending: https://teweslending.com/

Follow Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-tewes-mba-ab02283a

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.

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 now
• How Mark positions his business as an alternative to reverse mortgages — and why it works
• Why wealth advisors deliver 10x more qualified referrals than real estate agents
• The long-game marketing mindset: planting seeds 18 months before they bear fruit
• Why picking a niche doesn't cost you standard transactions — it earns you both
• How to approach mortgage through a financial planning lens to add value no other LO is offering
• Mark's mission to drill a well in Kenya — and how a $25,000 goal can serve over 1,000 people

Follow Mark Maimon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-maimon-51bb923

Luminate 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.

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 pitch
• Why he makes personalized video walkthroughs for every loan estimate — and how it helped him scale
• AI 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 are
• Why motivation and focus are two completely different things — and what separates top producers
• How to shoot bullets before cannonballs — and stop wasting money on strategies you haven't tested
• David's gratitude framework: the things you're complaining about today are answers to prayers from 10 years ago

Connect 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.

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 edge
• How he closes 99% of the pre-approvals he puts his name on
• Why discipline is the most important trait for originators who work from home
• What Chris would tell his younger self: build a repeatable process from day one
• How to stay motivated through slow seasons when the phone stops ringing
• Why your operations team is the secret weapon behind every great originator
• The "change your sail" philosophy for adapting when the market shifts

Connect 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.

John Murphy is the Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of MJW Mortgage — an Indianapolis-based Independent Mortgage Bank doing $400 million in annual volume.

In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson live in Indianapolis for a conversation about building a mortgage company that lasts, leading from the front, and why avoiding the vanity of volume is the real competitive advantage.

John entered the mortgage industry at 19 years old — right in the middle of the 2008 crash — and never looked back. He and his partner Michael built MJW from a two-man broker shop all the way to fully delegated Fannie Mae seller-servicer status. Their model: be big enough to support your people, but small enough to actually know them.

What You'll Learn:

• How MJW Mortgage grew from a broker shop to a $400M Fannie-approved IMB
• Why the "vanity of volume" is a trap and what to focus on instead
• The 3 things every originator needs to succeed: desire, continuous learning, and community
• Why great leaders start as great followers — and what that looks like day to day
• How to stop playing too small with your goals and your pipeline
• Why the Midwest is one of the most overlooked mortgage opportunities in the country right now
• The mindset shift that separates originators who make it from those who quit too soon

Connect with John Murphy:

Follow John Murphy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntsmurphy/
MJW Mortgage: https://mjwmortgage.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.