The Insight Interviews - Powered by Rewire

Henry Mintzberg is Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University in Montreal, the winner of awards from the most prestigious practitioners and academic institutions in management (from the Harvard Business Review to the Academy of Management), and the recipient of 21 honorary degrees from around the world. He is the author or coauthor of 21 books. His latest book is Understanding Organizations…Finally! – Structuring in Sevens (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Feb. 7, 2023), and before that, Bedtime Stories for Managers. 

In this episode Steve and Dr. Henry discuss:

• Understanding organizations 
• How strategic planning doesn't work in a program organization
• The art of managing a company
• Why so many organizations are a mess

Key Takeaways: 

• Strategic planning is a waste of time.
• The four basic forms of organization are personal, program, professional and project.
• Strategy does not emerge from a planning process; rather, it emerges from a much more creative and learning process, and then you implement or bring the strategy to life through a planning process. 
• When starting a new business, or frankly, any new organization, government, department, NGO, or whatever, you must begin with the art of it. You must devise innovative new ways to position that new organization. 
• There is so much going on in modern life, causing people not to stop and think. And with the reduction in community, people feel isolated.

“Insight is lovely, because insight is art, insights are not craft, and certainly not science. It's art. It's finding something new, something in ways that people haven't seen before. It is important in new organizations, important in all organizations for certain things. ” - Dr. Henry Mintzberg

Connect with Dr. Henry Mintzberg:

Website: https://mintzberg.org/

Dr. Mintzberg’s books: https://mintzberg.org/books

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrymintzberg/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Craig Davis has been a leader in the Mortgage Industry for over 20 years, hyper-focused on servant leadership to help those he serves achieve more by focusing on his simple formula: Attitude + Action = You. He created Street Level Leadership in 2016 as a curation of insightful content that represents his leadership style. He is a recent cancer destroyer, a family man, a buddy, and by his own admission a good human. 

In this episode Steve and Craig discuss:

• How important meaningful relationships are 
• Finding your purpose
• Overcoming setbacks
• How to view things so you can learn lessons from them

Key Takeaways: 

• Always appreciate the meaningful relationships with your loved ones, your family and friends. 
• Maintain balance when you finally find your purpose 
• Think positively and do everything you can to overcome setbacks. 
• Focus on what you have. It's your mindset that will help you get through whatever you may be suffering.

“I have a belief that everybody is a leader. Despite their title, you have to lead yourself, you have to lead others, you may have to manage up, you have to lead your life, your loved one.” - Craig Davis

Connect with Craig Davis:

Website: https://streetlevelleadership.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-davis-0b99b426

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

With over 24 years of experience in sales, marketing and business development, Cesar provides mentoring, coaching and consultancy to ensure businesses and customer performance grows. Cesar offers integrated business solutions in all aspects of a business, including sales and marketing, IT, operational, financial and human resources. His focus is on consistency and understanding numbers, and he has a passion for identifying opportunities, uniquely positioning a brand and for delivering creative solutions and results. Cesar has a strong track record both in Australia and internationally, working with business owners to provide them with market insight, business strategy and improving the performance of their business.

In this episode Jason and Cesar discuss:

• Lessons learned from successes and challenges  
• The way we exercise our freedom in life 
• Understanding the self before decision-making

Key Takeaways: 

• Figure out your standards and stick to them, even if it costs you business. You need to understand what you’ll tolerate and what you won’t. 
• If you’re stagnating, explore why that is and how you might learn from it and how you might move beyond it. You can stay in stagnation or you can push for growth.
• When you take the time to understand yourself (your emotions and your ego) first, and then put yourself in the other person’s shoes before making decisions and taking action, you’ll find better outcomes.  

“If you can just understand where you're at, if you're not in the best shape, or if you're not in the best part of your day, why are you still trying to work or why are you still trying to talk with your loved ones? Take a day off for yourself. Go reflect, you know? Do something crazy, but do not spend much time with people because that's your learning time…you have to understand where this is coming from.” - Cesar Hasselmann

Connect with Cesar Hasselmann:

Website:  https://cesarhasselmann.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesarhasselmann/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cesarhasselmann/

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Andrea is known for her integrity, professionalism, knowledge and for treating her clients as extended family. She understands that every homebuyer’s situation is unique and will provide you with the information to make confident decisions, whether you’re a first time or seasoned homebuyer. She has 16 years of experience in VA, FHA, Conventional, as well as down payment assistance programs and excels in structuring loans for optimum success. 

In this episode Jason and Andrea discuss:

• Treating people like family 
• The importance of being your authentic self 
• Leading by example 
• Focusing on the people first 

Key Takeaways: 

• Having integrity, treating the clients like a family and bringing them joy through giving the care they need is the best thing in business. 
• Nothing else is better than just being yourself, especially if you are enjoying your work and doing your job very well. 
• Lead by example with kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding. 
• The problem or the challenge is simply worked out when you focus on the people first.

“I know there's tons of training out there for leadership skills, because I've done them. And at the end, I feel like it's just really simple, just focusing on helping people by listening to their problems. And then coming up with solutions that make sense, together. ” - Andrea Lopez Bartoszewicz 

Connect with Andrea Lopez Bartoszewicz :

Website: https://people.rate.com/andrea-lopez-bartoszewicz-316293

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mortgagemaestra/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreaLopezB2

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 312-375-0870

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Andrea is known for her integrity, professionalism, knowledge and for treating her clients as extended family. She understands that every homebuyer’s situation is unique and will provide you with the information to make confident decisions, whether you’re a first time or seasoned homebuyer. She has 16 years of experience in VA, FHA, Conventional, as well as down payment assistance programs and excels in structuring loans for optimum success. 

In this episode Jason and Andrea discuss:

• Treating people like family 
• The importance of being your authentic self 
• Leading by example 
• Focusing on the people first 

Key Takeaways: 

• Having integrity, treating the clients like a family and bringing them joy through giving the care they need is the best thing in business. 
• Nothing else is better than just being yourself, especially if you are enjoying your work and doing your job very well. 
• Lead by example with kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding. 
• The problem or the challenge is simply worked out when you focus on the people first.

“I know there's tons of training out there for leadership skills, because I've done them. And at the end, I feel like it's just really simple,  just focusing on helping people by listening to their problems. And then coming up with solutions that make sense, together. ” - Andrea Lopez Bartoszewicz 

Connect with Andrea Lopez Bartoszewicz :

Website: https://people.rate.com/andrea-lopez-bartoszewicz-316293

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mortgagemaestra/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreaLopezB2

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 312-375-0870

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

About Bob Johansen: Bob Johansen is a IFTF DistInguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future, a sociologist focused on top leadership in shape-shifting organizations. He is co-author of: Office Shock: Creating Better Futures for Working and Living (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Jan. 17, 2023), shares how to prepare for the emerging officeverse. Learn more at http://officeshock.org 

In this episode Jason and Bob discuss:

• Defining “future back” 
• Reframing a problem into an opportunity
• Attracting and retaining talent 
• How to think future back 

Key Takeaways: 

• Thinking future back will help give you clarity of direction, opening up more creative approaches for how you’ll get to your future from the present time. 
• It is good to consider the challenges encountered as opportunities for working and living our lives differently than before. 
• It is critical to be flexible and resilient while considering the possibilities in preparing for the future.
• Shift your mindset to think “future back,” and then imagine how that particular future will be affected by your current choices. 

“We have to be sure we have those kinds of opportunities for hope, and economics of hope, kind of a base there that allows for that great clarity of direction, great flexibility of execution.” - Bob Johansen

For a 30% discount, people can use the “OFFSHOCK” discount code through our website: https://www.bkconnection.com/books/title/Office-Shock

Connect with Bob Johansen:

Website: https://www.iftf.org/projects/officeshock

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-the-future/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bob-johansen

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

About Evan Swanson: Evan was born and raised in Portland. He is married and is blessed with two kids. He earned his certificate in financial planning at the University of Portland Pamplin School of Business and is now a mortgage professional and certified financial planner at Swanson Home Loans, a division of Cherry Creek Mortgage Company. He brings his financial planning competency into engagements with his mortgage customers to better serve them. 

In this episode Steve and Evan discuss:

• How credibility helped Evan with his clients 
• Facing vulnerability well
• Being courteous to people on the phone, even when they are selling something
• Dealing with the pressure of competition 

Key Takeaways: 

• Proving that you are credible and competent is critical, especially in the area of residential real estate finance wherein consumers deserve a high level of trust and professionalism throughout the process. 
• Facing vulnerability is difficult but it's important in business. Ideas must be put into action and made valuable with the help and support of other people in order to up your game.
• Always be courteous to other people who are doing their best and trying to make a living. Even if you aren’t willing to buy any of what they’re selling, at least show some respect. Elevate your game in terms of how you judge people.
• In dealing with the pressure of competition you must prepare yourself, especially your mental health. Be aware of the fact that you may be working against long standing habits.

“The reason I went down this path was not because I was intentionally trying to trick my strike zone. The reason that I went down this path is because I felt like it was the right thing to do. I felt like there was a need, I felt like consumers deserved higher levels of professionalism and competency in the mortgage industry. That's the reason I did it. And the consequence of that has been, yes, I have benefited from a strike zone that has been shrunk.  ” - Evan Swanson

Connect with Evan Swanson:

Website: http://www.swansonhomeloans.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanswansonlinkedin?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BhBszbMHLRdWDOS1buFi7Fw%3D%3D

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mymindonmtg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swansonhomeloans/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Denice Salem

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

About Mike Sullivan: He is the President and CEO of LOOMIS, the country’s leading challenger brand advertising agency. For more than 30 years, he’s helped some of the country’s most successful companies build their brands.

He is co-author of: The Voice of the Underdog: How Challenger Brands Create Distinction by Thinking Culture First (BizComPress, Aug. 10, 2020). Learn more at theloomisagency.com

In this episode Steve, Jason, and Mike discuss:

• A brand is only as strong as its culture
• Template of an employee 
• Creating a good place to work 
• Aligning your values as a leader with the organization

Key Takeaways: 

• A brand is only as strong as its culture. It would be more effective for recruiters to prioritize hiring people aligned with the company’s values rather than hire anyone they could find and train them to practice the organization’s values. 
• Create a template of an employee, an ideal that every member of the organization should strive towards. Having clarity on what kind of people you’d like to have in your company will perpetuate your success.
• Establish the foundation of your company, determine what your purpose is, and figure out if you’ve got the heart for that. Once you get those two basic things down, you’ll be in a position to build out the kind of culture that you want. 
• Get clear on what your values are as a leader and figure out what your organization’s values are. Make sure that they are aligned and congruent. 

“A brand is only as strong as its culture.” - Mike Sullivan

Connect with Mike Sullivan:

Website: http://www.theloomisagency.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesullivanatloomis/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

About Richard Strayer: A college physics drop out who found his way to a temporary and entry level position at Countrywide Home Loans in the default space, finishing up a degree in the evenings, before spending a 3-year tour with KPMG and becoming a CPA.

Ultimately returning home to the Mortgage Business, he spent his formative years in the loan boarding, acquisition, and subservicing space.  During the Great Recession he moved into the non-default operations where he has been for the last 15 years.

In this episode Jason and Richard discuss:

• Leadership starts with connection 
• Connecting in a hybrid workspace 
• The layers of “why” 
• You are the CEO of You, Inc. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Leadership starts with connecting to each person in a personal way so that you can hear their story and understand them on a deeper level. Make yourself available and be sincere. 
• There is no replacement for face-to-face interaction. Even if you work in a completely remote environment, you’ve got to try to meet sometimes in person in order to create a connection. 
• If you want to truly be able to connect and understand a person’s idea, you’ve got to be open, be curious, and keep asking questions. 
• You are the CEO of You, Inc. Do everything for your own life what you would have done for your business. Have accountability, create systems, be organized, and continuously plan your own growth, always looking ahead to the next level. 

“Connect with each person in a very personal way, so that you can understand them and they can understand you. Make yourself available.” - Richard Strayer

Connect with Richard Strayer:

Website: https://www.pennymac.com/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Jodi Hall is the President of Nationwide Mortgage Bankers, Inc. (NMB). She utilizes 20+ years of leadership experience to establish short and long-term goals, oversee strategic planning, assure operational efficiency, and champion organization-wide projects. Jodi is responsible for the overall success of NMB. She embodies NMB’s core values and has led the company to be awarded in the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America for over three consecutive years, gained a spot in Crain’s New York Business, Crain’s Fast 50!, attained Great Place to Work® Certification in 2020, 2021, 2022, and has claimed several spots in Fortune’s lists of Best Workplaces including Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials™ 2022 and Fortune Best Workplaces in New York™ 2022.

She is a thought leader in not only mortgages, but in mortgage technology — being named an Elite Woman by Mortgage Professional America. She services on the Chase Client Advisory Board and The Mortgage Collaborative’s University Advisory Board.

Her vision is to build a different type of mortgage company rooted in culture and powered by technology. She believes the journey starts and ends with great people who share a passion for helping the communities they serve. Jodi is motivated by her desire to mentor the next generation of mortgage professionals who will lead the industry into the future.

In this episode Craig and Jodi Hall discuss:

• Learning from failure and listening to feedback
• Taking care of yourself in order to be more effective 
• Letting go of control and delegating tasks 
• The lesson we should take into 2023

Key Takeaways: 

• Some of the most important lessons we’ll learn in life, we’ll learn from failure. We need to be open to listening to others and encouraging them to provide feedback so that we have all the resources we need in order to make the best decision we can.
• If you want to be more effective, you’ve got to take care of yourself. Execute common sense practices consistently and you’ll be better prepared to face the day.
• Build a team and delegate your tasks. Have at least one other person who could do the tasks that take your time and attention from more important things. 
• Learn to lead with humility and empathy, be there with your team, and strive to understand and consider their needs while also doing your best to serve your clients and give value. 

“The 2022 learning lesson has been how to be truly empathetic, and try to help individuals navigate regardless of where they are. Empathy is something that we need to carry away - as we push into 2023.” - Jodi Hall

Connect with Jodi Hall:

Website: http://www.nmbnow.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-hall 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.