The Collective Podcast

On this episode Lee Nguyen joins Shane and KT to talk about his journey from the Navy to Mortgage. Lee also discusses the importance of balance, how teaching classes level up his business, and how a hyper-focus on working his ATMs gave him a great path to success. 

3:30 Intro to Lee

5:40 Finding balance

9:28 Lee’s ATMs

13:03 Homebot strategy

15:10 Highest and best use of time

17:46 Details matter

21:00 Education is the opportunity 

Takeaways:

You have to have balance in what you do otherwise you will get burnt out. 

Actions That Matter will only help your business if they are truly an action that matters. 

If you do not like doing something, let that drive action to find something you do like doing and then go all in. 

You will find where you need to focus by understanding where you are weakest in your business. 

Great book to read is Run Like Clockwork.

Teaching classes is an evergreen strategy that transcends adverse market conditions. 

 Work ethic is a super power when you are just starting out.

Quotes:

“Joining Next Level got me past a lot of my bottlenecks.”

“My main needs was balance and getting out of my own way.”

“I knew one of my weaknesses was my post close follow up.”

“If there was one thing that I could do once a week, it would be to schedule and teach classes.”

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 Linda Shinpaugh joins Sean Z to talk about how she runs her business and manages her branch from the road full-time. Linda also discusses her activities and processes that allow to her to find success even in a challenging market. 

1:30 Working on the road

3:33 Intro to Linda 

11:10 Linda’s ATMs

18:30 Find your tribe

20:40 The power is in the group

Takeaways:

If your business depends on working with agents, you better make sure you are scaling your business to match theirs. 

You have to be intentional about your ATMs. They can’t just be thrown together without a strategy. 

Consistent systems and processes will make all the difference in how you run your business. 

When you have a remote team, doing 1:1’s and team calls are important. 

Even if you are not producing, it doesn’t mean you can’t drive ultimate value for your team. 

Celebrate your activities as they will lead to wins. 

Quotes:

“A lot of clients look back to the Realtor which is why they are the pivot point in the transaction.”

“One of my super powers is being organized, systematic, and consistent.”

“Culture is important to us, so I send over our core values before I interview someone.”

“For me being really scheduled and disciplined with my time and my routine is one of the biggest ATMs that I do.”

“When times are tough, winners win and losers sit on the sidelines watching the winners.”

“If you are not staying focused on your activities and just worried about results, it will be hard to stay positive.”

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 Fredo Rivera joins Shane and Sean Z to talk about how he has built a monster brand by being authentic. Fredo discusses how his ATMs drive his business growth, how he chooses to have a good attitude, and how being consistent is the ultimate brand amplifier.   

3:15 Intro to Fredo

6:00 Enjoying what you do.

7:35 Looking back

9:30 Where should you focus your efforts

13:42 Replace vs supplement

16:10 Building a solid brand

20:16 Fredo’s ATMs

24:15 Being passionate 

Takeaways:

You have to find joy in what you do and find what is going to drive you forward. 

Being service focused over being focused on the transaction is where the gold is. 

Bombbomb is easy technology to use and allow you to do one to many.

Video, video, video. Enough said. 

You have to choose to have a positive outlook. 

It is a people business, so make sure you are talking to people and having conversations.

Staying consistent is the ultimate brand amplifier. 

There is a tribe out there, you just need to find it. 

Quotes:

“If you are not passionate about what you do and where you do it, you are doing the wrong thing in the wrong place.”

“If I could go back, I would double down on my level of service towards people.” 

“You got to have as many touches with people as possible every single day.”

“My business has been affected too, but I choose to have a good attitude.”

“You can have a great relationship and still not get the business if you don’t ask for it.”

“I put out content that I think will resonate with people.”

“I have to get my mind right, so I can get my grind right.”

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 Alysha Boles joins Sean and Kellen to give her three top strategies for growing your business in a new market. Alysha also talks about doing business in two very different states and the benefits of getting plugged in with your local schools. 

1:30 Intro to Alysha

3:28 Starting a new market

9:48 Multi-state business

13:02 Making the community small

18:05 Getting plugged in

Takeaways:

Start out quickly in a new market by visiting open houses. 

Join local community networking groups to meet more people.  

You can’t get plugged into your community unless you plug in!

If you want to go all-in on something, then you must burn the ships. 

Finding people in your local community that want you to win is amazing. But it doesn’t happen without having conversations.

Quotes:

“You have to make the large small, you have to find your community and you have to dig in.”

“I used old fashioned organic social media to have conversations to take the online offline.”

“I did 8 loans my first year. With my one year anniversary with Next Level I did 38 loans, and the following year I did just under 70.”

“Everywhere you turn and have conversations, you are going to find a connection somewhere.”

“Next Level is a community of people that are willing to help, give, and share their best practices.”

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 mortgage broker and video marketer Ryan Ehler, joins Sean and Shane to talk about how Loan Officers can produce video success for their business. Ryan gives a breakdown of how to get started, what type of content matters, and tactical advice for beginners. 

2:15 Introduction to Ryan

5:44 Brand through video

8:36 Advice for beginners 

13:05 Working hard and smart

17:55 Video that matters

22:00 Be on brand

Takeaways:

If you aren’t meeting in person with clients, video will be even more important to your business. 

Video allows you to saturate your area with your brand 24x7.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Don’t worry about the mistakes. 

Don’t worry about equipment as you can simply start with your phone. 

Work for the lifestyle you want and you will know how much money you need to make. 

If you are looking for video ideas, you can simply start with recording answers to the questions you get all the time. Leverage cheap and free sources to create your content. It is out there!

Quotes:

“As long as people like and trust you, along with knowing you will do good for them, they won’t care you are.”

“You don’t have to sell yourself if you deliver value up front with video.”

“You don’t need a top notch DSLR to do video.”

“Work hard and smart, but not long.”

“It is not about making as much money as possible, it is about building for your lifestyle.”

“Remember that your video is all about them and not about you.”

“Don’t worry about hitting home runs and going viral.”

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 Kellen and Sean go over three winning strategies that will loan officers win business today and tomorrow. The guys get tactical to help you separate yourself in a time when standing out is a major key to get deals. 

2:45 Blessing from the market pain

4:27 Seller guarantee strategy

12:10 Financing presentation 

18:22 Client updates

Quotes:

“With the 10k seller guarantee, you are just separating yourself from the other offers.”

“It is the little things that matter and sometimes the little things are what makes all the difference.”

“I tell agents that my number one job is to make agents the most amount of money in the least amount of time.”

“The number one complaint in the industry is lack of communication.”

Key Takeaways:

Even with the pain of this recent shift, there is still a long-term upside. 

You have to look for opportunities in your business that will allow you to separate yourself from the pack. 

Doing the financing presentation to the listing agent and sellers can make all the difference in getting your offer accepted. 

Don’t forget that you want to create a relationship with the listing agent too. 

Do what you say you are going to do for your borrowers and agents. 

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 Shane and Kellen go into detail about how being non-negotiable on money making activities can triple your business. The guys also discuss practical examples and the one simple thing that separates average LOs from great LOs. 

1:55 ATMs explained

6:45 ATM rules

9:20 Practical examples

15:17 Secret sauce

19:35 The stories you tell yourself

22:05 Realtor playbook

Quotes:

“ATMs are non-negotiable.”

“During your ATM time, you executing your activities.”

 “You write the top five things you are good at, you like to do, and make you money.”

“Go into Monday playing offense, and not defense.”

“ATMs are not one size fits all.”

“The one thing that separates a three loans a month loan officer and a 15 loans a month loan officer is consistency.”

Key Takeaways:

Instead of large time blocks, can you focus on one thing to complete each work day?

ATMs have to be three things. You have to like doing them, you have to be good at it, and they have to be a money making activity. 

During your ATM hour, you focus only on that activity. 

Organize your week before your Monday starts. 

Being consistent with your activities will be the single greatest driver for your business. 

Don’t get tripped up doing activities that have a low percentage of growth potential. 

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 Shane and Sean talk about how the divide and conquer strategy is critical for your growth. They also break down how to delegate your duties, setting expectations, and how to set up your first critical hire. 

1:30 The divide and conquer conversation

6:30 Delegation

10:05 Your first hire 

14:45 Don’t compare yourself to others

18:00 Set expectations and upsell your staff

Quotes:

“Right now is a great time to reset the talent on your team.”

“Your first hire should always be a loan partner.”

“You have to know what your specific value proposition is before you hire help.”

“Where you are at in your business is going to be different than anyone else.”

Key Takeaways:

Balanced loan officers are not built to do everything in the process. 

If you have to over engineer your systems and processes to catch your team from making mistakes, you have the wrong team members. 

There is a lot of talent our there that can help you grow your business. 

Now is the perfect time to build the business that you want. 

Never talk bad about any person who your customers or partners will have contact with. It will set them up for failure.

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Free download: https://vflinks.typeform.com/episode151 

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 KT talk about why it is critical to know your numbers in this business. The guys also discuss how to calculate your worth so that you can invest your time in money making activities and grow a successful business.

2:00 Knowing your numbers

4:55 Planning to get to your number

9:18 Executing on your plan

14:00 Finding out what your worth

20:37 It is hard to get out of your business

Quotes:

 "If you understand this business, you can have a wildly successful and long career as a loan officer."

"The number one answer I get from Loan Officers when talking about how much money they want to make is one hundred thousand dollars."

"If you're starting at zero, that's ok. It will take you about 90 days of being consistent and focused on your actions that matter, to start seeing results."

"Hope is not a strategy." 

"When you know how much you are worth per hour, you start to see what you should be spending your time on."

"The common denominator between the Loan Officers that make 300-500 an hour is that they have help."

"You have to ask yourself, is what I'm doing right now the best use of my time?"

Key Takeaways:

Knowing your numbers is one of the most important details that you have to pay attention to. 

It is important for loan officers to have clarity on what their goals are before they really get going with building their business. 

Having a goal is meaningless if you don't have a plan to get there. 

Being a loan officer is a long-game play. You have to be willing to put in the work. 

If you don't know what you are worth per hour, then it will be hard to make more money by working less. 

Don't have limiting beliefs as they will 100% limit your chance of success.

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Free Download: Annual Goal Workshet

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 Shane and Sean talk about how to get a true ROI from being focused on what matters. The guys also talk about activity tracking, being able to adjust, and being focused to work on your business. 

2:00 Activity Tracking

4:25 Focused actions

8:25 You have to adjust

12:20 Return on time investment

16:43 Think as a business owner

Quotes:

“In order to understand where you want to get to, you have to know what you are doing with your day right now.”

“How much of your day are you spending working on the actions that matter most?”

“When I track my time and look at those days compared to when I don’t, there is a lot less waste.”

“It is really important to know what you are worth per hour.”

“Your goal is where can you get the biggest return on your investment of time.”

Key Takeaways:

You need to be honest with yourself in how well and productive you are with your day.

Great book recommendation: Run Like Clockwork

To be efficient, you need to see how you can get the same results in the least amount of time. 

Nothing stays the same. You have to able to adjust to the current conditions. 

Figure out how to get more out of your day by removing waste. 

In order to properly value your time, you have to know what your time is worth. 

Show Links:

Strategy Call: www.NLStrategyCall.com  

Free download: https://rebrand.ly/8020 

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/