Onward Nation

I'm a Denver native and a graduate of Mullen High School and Regis University. I have been in the mortgage industry since 1997. I opened this branch in July of 2000 as a broker shop, and it has evolved over that time to become what is now Hallmark Home Mortgage in Colorado.

Formerly the #1 one producer at other companies as well as my own branch until 2008, I now get more pride developing talented people to their full potential. My #1 job today is helping loan officers close more deals following systems that produce the career and life they wanted when they chose this industry.

1. Our Core Purpose is to have a Profoundly Positive Impact on the lives of our staff, the clients we serve, our referral partners, business partners and vendors, and on the world in which we live.
2. We live out that Core Purpose by embracing our Core Values in the approach we take to both our work and our lives.
3. Embracing our core values is how we are able to deliver on our brand promise of closing loans on time, under budget with no surprises.

We've taken the approach that we want to be a great company - and not just a big company. Quite simply, we believe we provide the very best lending experience by focusing on 3 key areas of service:

• Excellent proactive communication and follow up systems
• 100% pre-approval to closed loan ration with money back guarantees
• On Time, Under Budget No Surprise Closings, with money back guarantees

Plan tomorrow today -- Dave plugs his appointments into a spreadsheet and pays close attention to his calendar. ONWARD!

Dave has developed a daily routine that contributes to his productivity during the workday.

Dave had to deal with failure during the first few years -- and Dave tells the whole story here.

“A business owner has to be a leader -- leadership is a pivotal component to a successful business."

“An ego can be detrimental -- give credit where credit is due -- it will be returned.”

“I would have implemented a system to help with the hiring process -- as well as reduce the turnover rate.”

We try to have a rhythmic meeting schedule -- which bolsters engagement through preparation.

An individual who wants to come into the business and learn without taking any shortcuts.

1. Be proud -- it’s not about the money
2. Maintain your values -- no regrets

• https://www.hallmarkhomemortgage.com/index.php/denver-colorado

You can also find us here: ------ OnwardNation.com ------

Kristian L. Finfrock is the Founder/Financial Advisor at Retirement Income Strategies. Kristian is an active member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) and Advisors Excel, a national group founded to provide guidance and education to the highest level of financial professionals in the industry. In his current practice, Kristian and his team help individuals and business clients establish sophisticated—yet easy to understand—solutions for protecting and preserving wealth while minimizing tax exposure.

Our team has a strategy session at the start of the week -- we are able to tackle the financial service workload. ONWARD!

Kristian likes to have a power hour -- his power hour helps him to dial in on his business.

Kristian felt restricted as a captive agent -- and Kristian tells the whole story here.

“A business owner has to hire the right people -- and delegate tasks to the appropriate team-members.”

“Marketing is everything -- find a way to deliver the message -- find a new and unique way to tell the story.”

“I would have implemented a system to simplify the process of scaling my business.”

It’s very important to expect the unexpected -- change is inevitable -- and preparation is essential.

An individual who takes ownership -- works towards a goal -- and never backs down from a challenge.

1. Plan to fail -- it leads to opportunity
2. Just do it -- believe in yourself -- embrace the challenge
3. Find a mentor

• https://madisonsfinancialplanner.com/media/

You can also find us here: ------ OnwardNation.com ------

Carl founded the Wright Partners in 1998. Since then, his Team has developed Real Estate Projects valued at over $200 million and currently owns and manages a portfolio of over $100 million.

Wake up early -- dive into your number one challenge for the day -- tackle the hardest task. ONWARD!

Constant learning and improvement -- try to be better than who you were last week.

Carl was heavily invested in the real-estate market of 2008 -- and Carl tells the whole story here.

“A business owner has to be able to listen to their clients -- ask them how you can help.”

“Know your vital functions -- know when you're working inside of them -- know when you're working outside of them.”

“I would have implemented a system to help me with the fundamentals of checklist management.”

Business owners have to study trade journals -- listen to podcasts -- and take advantage of diverse learning channels.

An individual who is committed to continual learning -- you can always better yourself.

1. Be comfortable being uncomfortable
2. Keep learning

• http://www.wrightld.com/index.php

You can also find us here: ------ OnwardNation.com ------

Art Boulay is the CEO of Strategic Talent Management. Art helps leaders fully realize their own talent, and the talents of their employees. He brings practical ideas, humor and common sense solutions to each assignment.

Hiring -- putting the right person in the right position at the right time can save a ton of time. ONWARD!

Present moment awareness -- try not to lose track of the current business environment.

Art had to overcome the recession of 2008 -- and Art tells the whole story here.

“A business owner has to understand cash-flow -- be able to take a long look in the mirror -- and communicate effectively.”

“Get out of your own way -- get on with it -- just do it -- it’s your own personal responsibility to make it happen.”

“I would have implemented a system to help me bring my conceptions and various ideas to fruition.”

Business owners have to develop meaningful relationships within their organization and also with external publics.

An individual who can expand our networks -- display an unwavering level of commitment -- and fit into our culture.

1. Focus on the client
2. Know who you are and what you're good at

• http://www.strategictalentmgmt.com/author/art/

You can also find us here: ------ OnwardNation.com ------

Dr. James Rouse is a naturopathic doctor, entrepreneur, wellness magazine founder, motivational speaker and trainer, author, impassioned athlete, Ironman competitor, father, and married to Debra for over 20 years.

Dr. James Rouse is committed to inspiring everyone to imagine and achieve the vibrant, high-performance lives we all deserve. Through leading-edge ideas, practical life strategies, and superior products, Rouse’s mission is to help guide all into a healthy lifestyle.

His vision is a world in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Shoot the arrow -- go to the most desired target -- envision your target -- remain focused. ONWARD!

Movement increases your dopamine -- thus making you more proactive -- become a sweaty genius.

James had to overcome the brain's innate negativity bias -- and James tells the whole story here.

“A business owner has to learn to love the plateau -- give yourself total permission to feel engaged.”

“All motion creates positive emotions -- therefore, everyone has a huge opportunity to move into a favorable situation.”

“I implemented a system surrounding three principles -- self-care, balance, and controlled breathing.”

Business owners have to understand vulnerability in order to build a level of cohesiveness in the organization.

An individual who has a special skill that can be used in our environment and knows how to use that skill when necessary.

1. Follow your passion
2. Become a leader through service

• http://drjamesrouse.com/

You can also find us here: ------ OnwardNation.com ------

Gary Vaynerchuk builds businesses. Fresh out of college he took his family wine business and grew it from a $3M to a $60M business in just five years. Now he runs VaynerMedia, one of the world’s hottest digital agencies. Along the way he became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, investing in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, and Birchbox before eventually co-founding VaynerRSE, a $25M angel fund.

Gary also currently hosts The #AskGaryVee Show, a way of providing as much value as possible by taking questions about social media, entrepreneurship, startups, and family businesses and giving his answers based on a lifetime of building successful, multi-million dollar companies. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and SoundCloud.

• Don’t be crippled by trying to quantify success -- use all the tools at your disposal -- try to be four to five years ahead of everyone else

• The company’s of now will be done in eight years if they refuse to adapt and change -- to grow you have to ask dumb questions grounded in the future of business

• Every business has a story to tell -- don’t disrespect social channels -- they are a living and breathing channel of communication

• We live in an ever-changing transparent world -- if you're company’s in the yellow-pages or newspaper because you're afraid of social -- then an opportunity will be missed

• People will follow the story -- communicate the story -- humanise it -- where is the personality

• Old fashioned rules -- you have to become a giving business through social channels -- before you ask and receive

• A good value-proposition shows your consumer the value they will receive

• https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/

Dr. Flint McGlaughlin the founder of MECLABS, the world’s largest independent research institution focused on offer response optimization. His work has led to many discoveries regarding the philosophy of human choice, experimental design, and the cognitive psychology of conversion. Dr. McGlaughlin has written or edited more than 250 articles and texts, he has won multiple awards, and he has been quoted in more than 13,000 online and offline sources.

• Don’t optimize offers or websites -- optimize thought-sequences -- by gauging the perception of value-force and value-cost

1. You have to do something fundamentally different
2. Limit internal arrogance at the leadership level derived from ignoring consumers
3. Limit the all-in risk -- focus on small discoveries that compound

1. Try to see through the lense of the consumer
2. Employ the consumer mindset -- understand their thought-sequence
3. Speak in their vernacular -- ineffective communication proves to be costly

• Clarity trumps persuasion -- once you can articulate the value with clarity -- you will get an answer in return.

• Focus on developing a clear value-proposition -- with an emphasis on the consumer and channel of communication.

• http://www.flintmcglaughlin.com/
• https://twitter.com/flintsnotes
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_McGlaughlin
• https://www.linkedin.com/pub/flint-mcglaughlin/51/582/62

Avinash Kaushik is the co-Founder of Market Motive Inc and the Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google. His prior professional experience includes key roles at Intuit, DirecTV, Silicon Graphics in the US & DHL in Saudi Arabia.

Through his blog, Occam’s Razor, and his best selling books, Web Analytics: An Hour A Day and Web Analytics 2.0, Avinash has become recognized as an authoritative voice on how marketers, executives teams and industry leaders can leverage data to fundamentally reinvent their digital existence.

• The percentage of visitors to a particular website who navigate away from the site almost immediately -- (bounce route should be at or below 30 percent).

1. Focus on optimizing your display campaigns through targeting
2. Spend time optimizing your landing pages
3. Understand why consumers come to your site

1. Measure your acquisition strategy
2. Measure consumer behavior on the site
3. Measure the outcome of a visit

• Humanise your advertisements -- don’t shout at the consumer -- connect with the most favorable audience (18-24 years) -- build a relationship through their hangout (YouTube)

• Change the incentive structure -- senior leadership has to imagine the endless possibilities -- then create based on the vision

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/akaushik
• https://twitter.com/avinash
• http://www.marketmotive.com/
• http://predictiveroi.com/avinash-kaushik/

Steve Kleber is the founder and president of Kleber & Associates, an integrated marketing and communications agency. He has a deep passion for the home and building industry.

Utilize cloud-based applications to keep your team connected -- the cloud is innately versed in virtual connectivity. ONWARD!

Aggregate content and employ thought-leadership techniques to bolster our client's image.

Steve dealt with an egregious economic cycle -- and Steve tells the whole story here.

“A business owner has to remain focused and become an expert at one specific trade.”

“Focus on the fundamentals -- treat the customer with respect -- wake up early -- work passionately.”

“We have a rhythmic system that helps us stay within our own career specialization.”

Business owners who can bring innovation to the team by building a bridge between marketing and sales.

An individual who can follow the frame of reference and scale expectations, while remaining committed to their respective specialization.

1. Stay the course, but make sure it’s a sustainable specialization
2. Don’t devalue your role as an expert

• http://kleberandassociates.com/

John Lee Dumas is the Founder and Host of EntrepreneurOnFire, an award winning Podcast revealing the journey of today’s most inspiring Entrepreneurs 7-days a week. EntrepreneurOnFire generates over $250,000 a month in revenue & offers a free 15-day course on Podcasting at FreePodcastCourse.com. With over 1 million unique listens a month, EntrepreneurOnFire has inspired Fire Nation to take control of their life and take the Entrepreneurial leap. Are YOU prepared to ignite?

“Podcasting is a legitimate medium of communication.”

1. Escape the Imposter Syndrome:
2. ✭ Don’t be afraid of launching a podcast -- everyone has the right to launch an authentic podcast on any number of topics
3. Jump In -- Try not to Delay the Launch:
4. ✭ Disseminate your podcast -- it will be a truly gratifying moment that will help you conquer the initial learning curve
5. Focus on a few Distribution Channels:
6. ✭ Podcasts can be disseminated through a diverse group of channels, iTunes and Stitcher Radio both have huge followings.
7. Climb the New and Noteworthy Charts:
8. ✭ The momentum will start to pick up when your podcast climbs the charts and generates buzz in the podcast community
9. Remain Confident:
10. ✭ Don’t let a ranking slip deter your spirit -- you have to remain confident and overcome obstacles

• http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com