The Collective Podcast

On this episode Shane and Sean Z discuss how now is the best time to hit reset to design the business you want. The guys also discuss being honest with yourself, rules to approaching change, and how you need to define the position or need before hiring a person or picking a product. 

1:50 Best time to hit reset

2:40 Defining the position first

5:35 Being open to coaching

8:15 Mapping out what is important

12:05 Take time to design the business you want.

Takeaways:

Don’t hire and then find a position for them. You need to define the position first. 

There will always be another person, product, and opportunity to do things the right way. 

You have the take the time to map out what you love and don’t love. 

Being honest with yourself is always the best policy. 

Focus on pillars, personal and professional. 

Quotes:

“Build out the avatar of what you need and then find the person.”

“We would be hypocritical as coaches, if we were also not open and receptive to coaching.”

“You’re not that important in unimportant tasks.”

“What do you want and why does that matter. 

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 Deborah Byrd joins Kellen and KT to discuss why loan officers need to embrace the done is better than perfect mindset. Deborah also discusses how she helps loan officers create content, be successful with their posts, and why market share will be won by those who are move visible. 

2:45 Intro to Deborah

9:10 Breaking through objections

15:18 Done is better than perfect

21:45 What is the best social strategy 

Takeaways:

Sometimes your path in the mortgage industry finds you as opposed to you finding it.

Market share will be taken by those that are more visible. 

Leverage your client’s experiences to use as social content. 

People are tired of the bait and switch headlines. 

 If the motive is pure your marketing will follow. 

It is double down time for content creation.

Quotes:

“Every loan officer says they want social media support.”

“Not everyone should be on video if it is not your strength.”

“That is the beauty of a market shift, is there is opportunity.

“TikTok has changed the way people want to receive content.”

“Take the E out of ego and just Go.”

“This is legacy building time.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 Kellen and Sean Z talk about all the opportunities you have to educate your sphere. The guys also discuss how understanding market dynamics and getting in front of bad news will allow you to be an expert in the eyes of your clients and referral partners. 

1:35 Negative news

4:30 Getting in front of bad news

8:50 Educate your sphere

12:45 Fighting against perception

Takeaways:

The talking heads give you ammo every single day to educate customers. 

Being a mortgage expert means knowing as much as you can about what drives or drops the market. 

The more you know the more opportunities you have to be that expert voice in the market. 

Don’t be not he wrong side of education and knowledge to your agent partners. 

The key to being a successful loan officer is having a short memory. 

Quotes:

“Inflation is the arch enemy of bonds and the arch enemy of fixed rate security instruments.”

“Always over deliver and under promise.”

“You make the news or somebody else does.”

“I want to be the guy that knows what’s going on.”

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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, Sean Z, and Kellen discuss the launch of the new Next Level platform.  The guys go into the detail about the impact and value the new community brings it's members along with how the platform will bring together a distraction free environment for loan officers to build a better business. 

1:44 Community impact

4:25 The platform

10:00 The community explained

16:20 The loan officers we work with

20:22 Community wrap up

Takeaways:

Coaching is great, but creating a community of people that build long lasting relationships is the key. 

The community is about bringing people together from the distractions of Facebook. 

It was important to make sure that our members had a fully featured platform that was hyper-focused on their needs. 

Two types of membership. Community and Pro with a 60 day free trial. 

There are over $5,000 in discounts from our platform partners. 

You will go through challenges in this business and you need a place that will help you level set. 

The community is for loan officers that might feel like they are on an island and they don’t have help in a contracting market. 

Quotes:

“What we want to build is a group of like minded loan officers, that just want to get better.”

“When I think of community, I think of a place where loan officers can go for knowledge, support, resources, and accountability.”

“We made a decision to move our platform away from Facebook. At Next Level we always look at things a little bit different.”

“The reality is that if your business relies on a Facebook group, you are just renting that audience.”

“We work with everybody. We are looking for highly committed, coachable loan officers who want to take their business to the next level.”

“The goal of the community is to help loan officers."

Show Links:

Community Platform: www.BecomeNL.com 

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 Zalmanoff talks about his recent business decision and the process he took to decide on his move. Sean also discusses how reading certain books gave him a different thought process, how being thoughtful helps you plan properly, and why taking the time to map out your path is the only way to know you made the right move. 

1:00 Big announcement 

5:05 Time for a change

8:45 Being thoughtful about change

11:34 Excited for the future

13:30 Don’t chase

Takeaways:

Reading the right books often helps you think about your current state from a different lens. 

If you ever decide to leave where you work, exit with grace. 

The banker vs broker debate is only relevant to where you are in your business and how you work. 

When making a decision, you need to take time and be thoughtful about what is important to you and what you want. Block by block.

Some things will better and some things will be worse when you make any move. 

Quotes:

“I am opening up my own company and going back to doing what I love getting belly to belly with agents and borrowers.”

“It is important to understand that in an ever changing market, you understand where you fall in and that you are taking care of yourself.”

“I want to focus on myself, I want to focus on the company I am building, and focus on Next Level.”

“Whenever you make a big decision, you can’t think about where you are going, you need to think first about what you need.”

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 discusses the importance of checking in with yourself especially when making an important decision. Sean also discusses how you got to have the right stories you tell yourself, you have to be appreciative, you have continually look at where you are, so you are moving the needle forward in your mind and business. 

1:31 Taking a minute to check-in with yourself

4:18 Principals of CEOs

7:21 Being the best

11:00 Appreciate where you are

14:42 Actions that matter

Takeaways:

You have to take time to reflect on your situation professionally and personally. 

What you tell yourself will tend to manifest into reality. 

Learning from CEO market leaders makes you think about your business differently.

If you truly want to be the best, you will have to make sacrifices. 

Book recommendation: Focus on the Good Stuff

It takes as much energy to plan as it does to wish. 

Quotes:

“You do life or life does you, but no matter it all ends the same for all of us.”

“The story you tell yourself the most is the story you believe the most.”

“I refuse to not be the best at what I do no matter what the circumstances are.”

“If we don’t appreciate the things in our life, then we will have struggles.”

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 Michael Fischer joins KT to talk about how to debunk VA myths by becoming educated and educating others. Michael also discusses specific VA myths, how a community can help you grow the right way, knowledge based marketing, and his path to becoming a the best VA mortgage pro you can. 

1:50 VA lending challenges

5:40 VA myths

13:45 Knowledge based marketing

19:20 Finding a community

22:45 How to become a knowledgeable VA loan professional

Takeaway

If you want to be an expert, you need to educate yourself and be willing to educate others; Especially real estate agents. 

There are still a lot of myths about VA lending out there and not enough experts to help veterans become homeowners. 

Use data to combat the VA appraisal myths about home value with agents. 

Veterans can use their entitlement more than once. 

Show your passion around helping veterans and you will attract those that need help from a true professional.

Find a community of other professionals who want to grow the same passion and mindset. 

You can read and watch videos, but the best learning path is to see how others do their business. 

Quotes

“The key to being better is to educate ourselves and others about VA.”

“In the last few quarters conventional and VA appraisal values have been exactly the same.”

“The number one opportunity out there is to educate real estate agents.”

“Agents really tune-in when you show them that they can do more business.”

“My two most common replies is did you read chapter four or did you call or email the regional loan center.”

“We teach them how to problem solve and how to learn, because I know I can’t teach them everything possible.”

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 Tyler Hodgson joins Sean Z to talk about how he has created a culture of ownership by inviting his team to share in the growth of his brokerage. Tyler also discusses becoming a coach in Next Level, how processes guide execution, and why his company made the Inc 5000 list two years in a row. 

3:15 Next Level journey

5:00 NXT business growth

7:05 Being a coach

9:20 Allowing team ownership

13:00 Processes

15:55 Keys to Tyler’s success 

Takeaways:

Coaching helps you but coaching helps your team as well.

When you allow your team to share in the growth financially of a company it drives everyone to be invested in the success.

If you do decide to create a stock structure, your goal is to make it simple. 

Setting a standard contract date allows you to set up a repeatable, seamless process. 

Details matter for the customer experience but also for the experience of your team. 

You have to be excited and passionate about what you do to really enjoy the success you want. 

Quotes:

“I decided to sign up for coaching for two reasons. One, so that I can have my own personal coaching. Two so I could regurgitate that coaching to other members of my team.”

“I talked to some attorneys and got some advice so that our team members could have some actual ownership and share in the growth.”

“That ownership mindset from your team is so important.”

“There is nothing better than to have your team invested month in and month out.”

“Time kills deals.”

“You have to understand all the different pieces and pay attention to all of them.”

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 Ashley Courville joins Shane to talk about overcoming the challenges of the last 12 months. Ashely talks about being a mortgage mom, finding balance, finding your way back from a low point, and what actions she takes to keep her business at the level she needs. 

2:50 Intro to AR

5:33 12 month reflection

10:14 Finding your way back

14:41 Processes vs outcomes

22:50 Ashley’s ATMs

Takeaways:

Having a team is a great asset to your business but it is also a great asset when you need personal time. 

Not everything is going to go well in business and your personal life. You need to be able to pivot. 

When you go through hard times you need to have the right people in your circle who will cheer you on. 

The reality is that if you’re focused on the outcome, you are going to have a challenging time. 

Processes are what makes your business a business. 

You need to harness to the power of your CRM if you want to have a true 5 Diamond customer experience. 

Quotes:

“I chose to not double and triple my business during that busy season. Being with my kids and being a present mom was my number one thing.”

“I knew it was an absolute must for me to have a balanced life.”

“I thrive on brining a certain amount of energy into the room and my world. When you are struggling mentally it is hard to bring that.”

“Protecting your peace is your number one job.”

“We cannot control our environment but we can control our processes.”

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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 talks about why most 12 month goals won’t work and why Power 90 is the answer. Sean talks about his 90 Day Season and how it allows him to better achieve his goals and course correct when necessary. 

1:25 Why 90 days

6:20 Actions That Matter

9:02 The path

16:14 Planning your season

Takeaways:

Planning a goal list for the entire year is a great way to forget about it. 

Break your goals down to make them more achievable. 

90 day seasons allows you to course correct when you are off target or if your ATMs are not working.

If I just have a 30yr goal with no plan on how to get there, then that is just a hope and a dream. 

When you set a goal, make sure you know WHY you set it and then keep drilling down to find your fuel. 

You need to decide your “Why Times Five”.

Quotes:

“Most people will greatly overestimate what they can get done in one year, and greatly underestimate what they can get done in five years.”

“Breaking your goals down in a 90 day season allows you to live in them every single day.”

“You need action and that’s why we created Power 90.”

“My motivation for getting up every morning, is because I want to make sure my kids are taken care of.”

“You can move a mountain with a shovel if you so choose.”

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

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/