The Collective Podcast

Divide and conquer take on a whole new meaning when you are married and happen to work together. Sam & Anisha Mauldin join Sean Z and Kellen to discuss how they balance work, being parents, and, more importantly, being there for each other. 

3:45 Intro to Sam & Anisha

6:21 Divide and conquer

10:55 Balancing work & life

13:25 Being a husband-wife team

16:45 Maintaining focus

Takeaways:

2022 showed the difference between action and inaction with origination results. 

In a team, there will be trial and error in finding out who is best at doing what. 

When working as a married team with children, it is all about finding your balance with duties. 

If you are a husband-wife team, working with other husband-and-wife teams is a little-known niche. 

Sometimes you just have to stop thinking and stop doing. 

There are a lot of great ideas out there, but it can cause you to lose focus. 

Quotes:

“Trial and error is what got us to where we are now.”

“In-process updates is one of our ATMs”

“We want to be great spouses, great parents, and then great loan officers.”

“We love working with husband and wife agent teams.”

“It's not that we need to taught something new, it’s about doing what we know we need to do and doing it consistently.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

There are opportunities everywhere if you have the right mindset and take the right actions consistently. Thomas Frank joins Kellen to talk about the current state of the market, mining your database, niche products, and keeping a positive outlook. 

1:55 Mindset

4:45 Reality of a high-rate environment 

6:55 Database mining 

9:10 Niche products

15:05 Fundamentals

Takeaways:

You have to take action otherwise you won’t get where you want to go. 

For the consumer, it really isn’t about the rate it is about affordability. 

Database mining is paramount in a down market. 

If you can find opportunities for multiple streams of income, don’t be afraid to jump on them. 

There is always great opportunities by focusing hard on a niche market. 

Become a subject matter expert in one area of the industry and you can drive business from multiple channels. 

Quotes:

“Mindset is huge in this market.”
“We may lose 50% of loan officers in this market.”
“I have been using ChatGPT to help create more email marketing content.”
“I am having my team pick out a niche, and go hard with it.”
“Your not going to win in this market by being all things to all people.’

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

Tomorrow doesn’t exist, when you are just trying to get through today. On this episode John Torrijos joins Sean Z to share his Covid story, where he went from months in the hospital, given a 50/50 chance to live, to getting back into the game with a new perspective on what is important. 

1:42 Intro 

4:19 John’s story

16:45 Coming back into the market

21:20 Gaining perspective 

Takeaways:

Don’t underestimate the power of your mind in times of crisis. 

Your mindset needs to focus on what you need to do to get through today. Tomorrow doesn’t exist. 

Having a solid support system of family and friends can help you get through in trials and tribulations in life. 

Gaining perspective allows you to only care about the things that actually matters. 

There is no comparison between what is happening now and what happened in 2008.

Quotes:

“The nurse tells me it might be time for you to go on the ventilator.”

“This is our story, this is our journey.”

“Covid took over my body and made me a shell of what I was.”

“You got to have have the mindset of get through today, and then tomorrow you will get through tomorrow.”

“I am in the business for the long haul, with one foot in front of the other each day.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

Stop with the cookie cutter nonsense and just bring value! Sean Z and Kellen talk about how they have provided value to agents by working a niche to fill a need and how agent education is still a number one driver of value. 

1:50 Just bring value

5:50 Working a niche

7:40 Finding the audience

13:15 Agent focused events

17:00 Just do something

Takeaways:

Be careful with cookie cutter scripts as they may raise red flags with agents. 

Focusing on a “unsexy” niche allows you to dominate a market segment.

Education doesn’t always have to be about loan products. You can also be helping agents be better business operators.

Sometimes the best start is to just take action on something you wouldn’t normally do.  

Quotes:

“If you are a loan officer that is not bringing me value, I don’t have time for you.”

“Check your REALTOR association’s calendar to find the right day and time for your event.”

“These are immediate actions you can take right now to build your pipeline.”

“Do something every day that gets you a little bit outside of your comfort zone.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

On this episode Brian Sacks joins KT to talk about how Loan Officers can make themselves a true value to agents by becoming a utility. Brian also talks about his top advice to loan officers, how to attract business, creating agent partnerships, and how to show up as an expert. 

1:15 Intro to Brian

3:10 Advice to loan officers

7:20 Attracting business

11:30 Treating agents as partners

15:00 Don’t assume

18:20 Finding a good fit

22:10 How do you become a utility

26:44 Top Originator Underground

Takeaways:

When you decide to listen or follow someone, make sure they are a practitioner in what they are doing. 

It is far better to attract business as opposed to chase business. 

You should be interviewing agents to make sure it is a good fit instead of just trying to get business. 

Treat agents as partners, as opposed to adversaries. 

When agents refer, they are also trusting their pay and reputation with who they refer to. 

You want a relationship driven business, not a transactional driven one.

Agents want to sell more homes and your strategy needs to be centered around helping them do that. 

Three types of agents: Part-timer, successful arrogance, and mid-level. 

If you help an agent grow to get to the next level, you can create an unbreakable bond of trust. 

Quotes:

“Look at what the competition is doing and then do something completely different.”

“Be careful who you listen to.”

“If you are chasing business, you are at a disadvantage.”

“Better for you to show up as an expert, than a beggar.”

“If the agent is a better salesperson than you are, then they will win and you will lose.”

“Less is more, quality is better than quantity.”

“This market will be a big purge for agents and loan officers.”

Show Links:

Brian Sacks Workshop: www.toporiginatorunderground.com 

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

On this episode, Sean Z and Kellen discuss the three hot topics that loan officers can use to start teaching agents today. The guys talk about how agents want this education to help grow their business and how you becoming a subject matter expert only adds to your value proposition when it comes to creating more agent relationships. 

1:45 Educating agents

5:00 Market education

11:55 Product education

17:27 Efficiency education

Takeaways:

Agents want more education on the mortgage side of the house, so they can use that information to their advantage. 

Teach agents how money works in the mortgage world. 

Agents are going to go somewhere for information, make sure it is you. 

You don’t always have to make an event out of your educational efforts. It can be an email, reel, text video, and any other communication channel that works.

Go back through deals you couldn’t get done to see if there is opportunity there. 

If you have a unique product, you have something to talk about. 

If you are great at time management, social media, setting up systems, teach it to your agents. 

Quotes:

“We can use education as a way to build trust and relationships with agents.”

“So many loan officers overcomplicate what they teach agents.”

“When you build an audience where you continue to bring value and education, you will win the war.”

“I just want to be a subject matter expert, and all I want to do is provide value.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

On this episode, Kevin Ducey joins Shane to talk about how loan officers can weather bad markets with multiple streams of income. Kevin and Shane also discuss the importance of leadership, sales, investing in others, and how making an impact helps others make a bigger impact. 

2:05 Kevin’s story

9:45 The 5 Next Level Keys

12:00 Making an impact

14:35 Multiple streams of income

Takeaways:

Don’t focus on units and volume, focus on families in homes. 

If you help people you can watch the help others. 

Leadership and sales will travel. You can be successful anywhere with those traits.

Leadership, sales, marketing, knowledge, and mindset are the keys to be a next level loan officer. 

If you have the opportunity to invest in someone else, take it. 

Using this industry to create multiple streams of income will help you weather rough markets. 

Insurance has always been a solid long-term investment.

Quotes:

“It was easy to service and help an industry that was helping people find a home.”

“I think the second step of the American dream is entrepreneurship.”

“What I realized is that I can help people in this business make more money.”

“When good people have more resources in their hands, they help more people.”

“There is a lot of power in legacy.”

“Comma was built for originators by originators.”

Show Links:

Comma: www.whycomma.com 

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

On this episode, KT and Shane talk about how loan officers can win simply be executing at a higher level than the competition. The guys also discuss why goals don't matter if you can't measure them, why talk is cheap, and how proper planning will prevent piss poor performance. 

1:37 Executing at a high level

6:10 Goals need to measured

9:40 Talk is cheap

11:40 Prioritizing and planning

15:44 Take and embrace feedback

Takeaways:

If you execute at a high level for a long period of time, you will have success. 

If you set goals, they have to measurable. 

Effort is important but not as much as executing. 

Execution is effort, plus action, plus tactics, plus strategies, plus accountability, plus discipline. 

Talking about it doesn’t matter if you don’t execute. 

Ask yourself, what does proper planning look like to you.

Start out by making a list your Top 3 objectives that you need to execute on this year. 

Quotes:

“But for me the definition of executing, is did I do it 100%.”

“We are in a market where if you are executing at 70% you will lose against those who execute at a high level.”

“A goal is just a dream, unless you set intention and action.”

“Effort in today’s market is not enough for you to win.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

On this episode Carlos Tejero joins Kellen Vaughn to talk about how he has found success in a down market by doubling down on social media marketing. Carlos talks how his social media strategy and blocking out the noise allowed him to do build a team to do more business. 

2:00 Intro to Carlos

4:40 Power of social media

7:00 Referral partner offline

10:15 Best type of content

12:45 The importance of the team

15:15 Key positions for support

17:20 Block out the noise

Takeaways:

Social Media continues to be a great business generator so ignore it at your own peril. 

Consistent video on social media is a long-game play and will lead to success. 

You can use social media to drive both consumer leads and referral partner relationships. 

You have to be invested in your long-term success as opposed to short-term results. 

Jumping on video trends are great for awareness and eventual conversions. 

Having a strong team that you pour yourself into can make all the difference. 

Quotes:

“I didn’t have a lot of business, so I locked myself in the room and did video after video.”

“Social media is what got me here and I haven’t stopped.”

“What good is it to do a video, and then stop."

“Don’t give up.”

“As you long as you put in the work, you’re going to receive.”

“You have to block out the noise.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/

On this episode Joe Wilson, founder of Social Coach, joins Kellen to talk about how consistency beats perfection when it comes to social media. The guys talk about getting over the hump of starting, how messaging consistency wins business, and how taking actions can make you tens of thousands of dollars.

1:30 Different times

4:08 Excuses and perfection

8:50 Getting started

10:40 Consistent message

13:30 Social Coach

20:00 Being aware of blindspots 

Takeaways:

You can always find reasons to not do something. 

If you wait for things to be perfect you will hurt your income. 

Consumers identify with imperfection.

Consistency is important which is why large companies are showing ads all the time. 

Consumers need to see your message at least 12-15 times. 

Being aware of your blindspots is important, but not as important as taking action. 

Quotes:

“Everyone has something that they don’t like about themselves.”

“You are worthy and good enough as you are exactly today.”

“My consistency will be your perfection.”

“Consistency is the number one indicated to success on social media.”

“Showing up consistently even with an imperfect message, will be way better than not.”

“The average American spends over 2 hours a day on social media.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Podcast Partner: https://mortgage.leadpops.com/nextlevel/ 

Social Coach: https://www.socialcoach.io 

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelLoanOfficers/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSyHzkvBri1YWJSH7df1CQ

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-loan-officers/about/