The Insight Interviews - Powered by Rewire

Steve is an experienced strategic leader, team builder, and relationship manager, with over 20 years professional experience in sales, marketing, and management. Drawing from his extensive experience leading teams at small, high-growth organizations, all the way up to Fortune 500 companies, Steve brings a unique approach to leadership that blends the passion of a startup mentality with the discipline that is required of a mature company. In addition to his corporate work, Steve has served in leadership capacities on several boards of directors, including as president of a 20+member board on behalf of a large national non-profit organization.

In this episode Jason and Steve discuss:

• The best advice in business 
• What happens when you listen 
• How to gain someone’s respect 
• Being a chameleon kind of leader 

Key Takeaways: 

• Listen at least twice as much as you speak. Fight that urge to keep talking about your product or your company and instead, develop a genuine concern for the client’s need and desire. 
• When you allow your clients to speak, two things happen. First, you get to truly know their concerns and can tweak your response accordingly. Second, they’ll remember the conversation better if it was them who did most of the talking. 
• If you want to earn someone's respect, be honest and own up to your mistake whenever you do make mistakes. Also, don’t be afraid to step in and show that you’re going to be the one to solve the problem. 
• As a leader, you’ve got to adapt to your team, one leadership style isn’t going to work for all situations and all kinds of people. Your job is to inspire your team to reach new heights, you must adjust your leadership style to fit your team. One leadership style isn’t going to work for all situations and all kinds of people. 

“We run to the fire, not from it. Perfection is gonna be impossible… our clients remember not that something went wrong, but how we stepped up to fix it when something went wrong.” - Steve Sussman

Connect with Steve Sussman:

Website: www.nan-amc.com

Phone: 727-210-9152

Email: [email protected]

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. 

Starting in sales in 1987 as an insurance agent for New York Life, Fobby moved into the mortgage industry in 1994. In 2000 he co-founded Horizon Mortgage Corp. Since 2013, Fobby has helped multiple lenders create winning teams of mortgage professionals. Fobby's goal has always been on profitable loan volume rather than just loan volume.  Fobby is the national sales manager for First Option Mortgage while hosting Laugh, Lend & Eat the podcast. In 2021, Fobby was awarded Housingwires's Insider's Award, as well as being a two-time recipient of "The 40 Greatest Names in the Mortgage Industry" issued by The Mortgage Collaborative. 

In this episode Steve and Fobby discuss:

• Deeper than just the numbers 
• Starting each day with gratitude 
• Being spiritual yet realistic 
• Creating insights out of insights 

Key Takeaways: 

• Go beyond the numbers, think about what’s really going to make you happy. Stop and take a moment to reflect because you’ll find out eventually, that none of these numbers are gonna make you happy. 
• Start each day with gratitude, fill every second of it with contentment, and live in the present moment.  
• You don’t have to be living in isolation away from civilization in order to experience a spiritual moment. You can be in the city, with a job, and still be mindful, spiritual and content. 
• People will find their own meaning in what you put out there. They might be able to learn your principles, but the best case scenario is for them to also create their own insights out of your insights. 

“I remember clearly my dad saying ‘you know, you can meditate a lot more relaxingly if the bill collectors aren’t calling your phone all the time’... there’s a balancing act between the spiritual life and the real life..” - Fobby Naghmi

Check out Fobby’s book, “Falling Forward, Mishaps on the Road to Happiness” by clicking here: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Forward-Mishaps-Road-Happiness-ebook/dp/B09JFJ2LYB

Connect with Fobby Naghmi:

Website: https://myfirstoption.com/

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

Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laugh-lend-and-eat/id1506984759

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. 

Melissa Perrin serves as EVP, Chief Culture and Communications Officer at First United Bank. Melissa began her career with First United in 2004 and in her role, she oversees culture, communications, and marketing. Her focus is on purpose, values and vision work, employee and customer engagement, workplace and customer space environments, branding and messaging, and First United’s Spend Life Wisely mission.  

Melissa is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Human Resource Management course, the Stagen Integral Leadership Program, and a graduate of the Stagen Advanced Leadership Program. In 2019, she was recognized as one of Conscious Company’s 35 World-Changing Women.

In this episode Steve and Melissa discuss:

• Inspiring people to love being at work
• Spending life wisely 
• Openness and appreciation 
• Applying the law of entropy 

Key Takeaways: 

• Create a work culture that inspires people to love being at work, all with the same desire for both customers and coworkers to leave every interaction being better and feeling elevated. 
• Spending life wisely goes beyond just being prudent on financial matters, but also includes taking care of your health, personal growth, and the cultivation of your faith. 
• Encouraging openness in the workplace will help everyone understand each other and appreciate each other more. Constant feedback and appreciation to inform each person what they did right will help them grow into better people. 
• We are either leaving people better or worse, never neutral. We must put a lot of intention in leaving the people we encounter a little bit better. 

“My goal is that everybody walks away from any type of interaction with First United or myself feeling a little bit better, a little elevated because life is so hard for us anyway like it is...” - Melissa Perrin 

Connect with Melissa Perrin:

Website: www.firstunitedbank.com

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

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. 

Cash Nickerson is chairman of AKKA North America’s Business Unit. He was President, CFO, General Counsel, and the second largest shareholder of PDS Tech prior to its purchase by AKKA Technologies. Previous roles include attorney and marketing executive for Union Pacific Railroad, associate and then partner at Jenner & Block in Chicago, and chairman and CEO of an internet company. He teaches Negotiation as a Professor of Practice at Washington University in St. Louis, School of Law. Nickerson has authored several books, with his latest book, Negotiation as a Martial Art: Techniques to Master the Art of Human Exchange (Made for Success, July 2, 2021), named “Best New Release in Business Negotiations” by the Wall Street Journal.

In this episode Jason and Cash discuss:

• Working smart and working hard
• From mindset to skill set
• Negotiating as a listener
• Learning to love “why”

Key Takeaways: 

• Working smart could mean that a person is willing to work really hard in order to get educated and to get better at what they do. Success is achieved by people who can work both hard and smart. 
• Working on your mindset is the first step, and applying your mindset with your learned skill set is the next. Skill set is what you have to do to execute your mindset. 
• Treating negotiation as a battle of wills is a lose-lose situation. You’ll get suboptimal deals and will lose out on the opportunity to continue to cultivate relationships. Be a listener and ask questions instead.
• Learn to love the word “why.” Don’t focus on the “what.” People have a reason why they want whatever it is they’re negotiating for. Go deeper than what the conversation seems to be about. 

“The people are the problem and opportunity. Don’t separate the people from the problem, get to understand the person. Negotiation is a process of discovery. Negotiation is human.” -Cash Nickerson

Check out Cash’s book on Amazon by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/Negotiation-Martial-Art-Techniques-Exchange-ebook/dp/B098LZLWKB

Connect with Cash Nickerson:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cashnickerson

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cashnickersonjd/

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

Website: https://cashnickerson.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. 

Steven Cooley is the Founder and CEO of Art Vs. Math LLC. and Mortgage Advisor Tools. Art Vs. Math is a hyper-creative marketing technology company and consultancy focused on the mortgage industry.

In this episode Steve and Steven discuss:

• Why should we be grateful? 
• The stories this world needs 
• Failing quickly without fear 
• Responding to criticism 

Key Takeaways: 

• Gratitude has to be practiced daily because our own brain, in a lot of ways, works against us. If you don’t practice gratitude, you will likely just be negative. 
• The world needs more stories with no pretense, tell yours as it is. Find purpose in those seasons of failure. 
• Don’t fear failure, it’s inevitable. 
• It takes humility and an inner strength to be able to take “negative” feedback and respond with the willingness to accept it and commit to change. 

“Failure is where the magic happens. That’s actually the secret sauce of all of it. You can’t find a successful person that hasn’t experienced tremendous loss.” - Steven Cooley

Connect with Steven Cooley:

Website: www.mortgageadvisortools.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-cooley-mktg/

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. 

Rick is a distinguished financial executive who has brought vision and innovation to the mortgage banking industry. He began his career at Citicorp in loan servicing before becoming an originator, branch manager and regional manager for an independent mortgage bank in the early 90’s. He was a founding partner of Preserve Financial, Inc. in 1996, which was an IMB originating loans in thirteen states, and LenderLive Holdings, Inc. in 1999. Rick led LenderLive to a successful exit in 2014 and retired from the company in 2017, at which time the company had grown to employ more than 1,000 on-shore and offshore associates and generated well in excess of $100MM in annual sales. In March 2019, Rick joined the board of Cherry Creek Mortgage, where he was instrumental in assisting the company’s founder to complete a management buy-out. In November 2020 Rick accepted a role as Cherry Creek’s President and COO.

In this episode Steve and Rick discuss:

• The fear of adversity 
• How adversity can be good for you
• Turning adversity into an advantage 
• Loving what you do 

Key Takeaways: 

• Don’t be so afraid of adversity and failure that you’re not willing to take a step forward. 
• Adversity can be the best thing that could happen to you. It can move you in a direction that will take you to a place that’s better than where you’ve ever been before. 
• There’s always a way to turn adversity into an advantage; there’s an opportunity in the midst of all these unwanted things to see what you need to see in order to succeed. 
• Do your best in the work that you have, be an expert in your field, and most of all, have fun with what you’re doing or find something that you enjoy. 

“Through adversity comes opportunity.” - Rick Seehausen

Connect with Rick Seehausen:

Website: www.cherrycreekmortgage.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. 

Craig Ungaro is the Chief Operating Officer for AnnieMac Home Mortgage. As COO, Craig serves as an advisor to all business channels and facets of the organization, serving as Executive Sponsor for Operations, Credit Policy, Quality Control, Compliance, Legal, Enterprise Project Management and Technology. 

Craig’s tenure in the real estate finance industry is slightly over 17 years and has included roles in Title, Closing, Production and Compliance. He started his industry experience as a traveling Closing Agent while attending Temple University, and upon graduation, he was hired by current AnnieMac CEO, Joe Panebianco as a Loan Officer. From there, Craig took on a compliance role and worked his way to VP of Compliance prior to becoming the EVP of Operations. He served as the EVP of Operations for 4 years before accepting the role of COO. In 2019, Craig came full circle and began supporting Legal and Compliance as Executive sponsor in addition to his other responsibilities.  

In this episode Steve and Craig discuss:

• Focusing on solutions
• Togetherness in work 
• Showing security as a leader
• Reinventing yourself 

Key Takeaways: 

• It’s time to stop talking about what we can’t do and time to start talking about how we can do them. Create solutions, rather than boundaries. 
• Don’t just work together, be together in work - let everybody do their best and collaborate to make their best even better. 
• Be the kind of leader that allows your people to disagree with you without fear. Create a culture of compassion for each other despite being in different departments. 
• Embrace reinventing yourself often.

“I felt like I had to create a version of myself to be successful. I felt like all my trainings were ‘how to be someone different to succeed.’ But I’m not a very good version of anybody else but myself.” - Craig Ungaro

Connect with Craig Ungaro:

Website: www.annie-mac.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anniemac-home-mortgage/mycompany/

Email: [email protected]

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. 

Robyn has been a leader in the Mortgage industry for over 20 years and she is ranked nationally in the Top 50 Women Loan Originators and the #1 Originator in Oregon for back to back years. Being a top loan originator and running the largest branch in volume and units for Summit Funding has been an incredible journey. Whether it is with clients, referral partners, team members or industry peers, Robyn’s passion is impacting and developing people. That passion has recently driven Robyn to take on the position Executive Vice President of National Sales for Summit Funding, though she continues to run her personal production through Team LaVassaur and the Eugene, OR Branch.  Since 2014 Robyn has been speaking and coaching top producers nationwide on how to grow their business and have a balanced life. She is committed to empowering people to make an impact in this incredible industry. Her free time is spent with her husband of 22 years, John, and their five young adult children. Being a powerhouse woman in mortgage and at home inspired Robyn to create a weekly series called “Mom Boss”. She shares advice on how to give yourself permission to not only be a parent but also have a career you love and excel in.

In this episode Steve and Robyn LaVassaur discuss:

• Coaching from out weakness 
• Adults need mentors more than ever
• Recognizing weaknesses and strengths
• The top skill for leaders

Key Takeaways: 

• We teach and we coach better from our weakness than our strength. The best learned lessons come from personally experiencing pain, getting through it, and growing from it. 
• Somewhere along the way in transitioning into an adult, many started thinking that they don’t have the right to ask for help. That’s a big mistake because stepping into adulthood actually means you need more help from mentors than you ever did in your life. 
• Recognize the areas in which you are weak or less effective and let others shine in that area while at the same time being confident in the areas where you are strongest. 
• One of the top skills necessary for leadership is a profound amount of curiosity. Listen with curiosity. Don’t nod your head, use your heart - ask questions, clarify. Encourage an environment with your team where they can be honest with you if you got something wrong. 

“We need to fall down. It’s okay. It’s necessary for us to grow. People shy away sometimes of making a mistake or ‘failing’ - versus embracing that and realizing that that in itself is what will catapult us to the next level if we allow it to.” - Robyn LaVassaur

Connect with Robyn LaVassaur:

Instagram: https://summitfunding.net/rlavassaur/

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Robyn-LaVassaur-Summit-Funding-Inc/195876950436123

Website: https://summitfunding.net/sites/rlavassaur

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/robyn-lavassaur-nmls-260589/29/544/266

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RobynLavassaur

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. 

In this episode Steve and Steve discuss:

• What’s required of parents 
• The buyer’s perspective
• Getting your people ready
• The key to maturity

Key Takeaways: 

• If you’re a parent, know that your children will have a lot of influences so you have to do everything you can to stay connected and engaged in building a relationship with them.
• Chances are that you didn’t build a business so that you can sell, therefore your perspective would be different from someone who can see it from a buyer’s perspective. Hire an expert even 10 years or more before you get ready to sell so that you can prepare your company for the transition.
• When getting your company ready for sale, one of the vital things you must consider are your employees. How are you managing and tracking your employee performance and growth and how are you going to make sure they stay when you make the sale? 
• The key to maturity is looking at yourself in the mirror instead of always looking to blame everybody else for what happens in your life. 

“The exit journey is a process that you go through when you start to think about selling your business… the whole preparation until taking the company to market… and the legacy planning after….” - Steve Conwell

Connect with Steve Conwell:

Website: https://finalascent.com

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

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. 

Jesse Lopez has over 20 years of mortgage experience. With deep roots in sales and branch management, Jesse has a proven history of success in growing branches by training and communicating the company culture. He served as VP of Retail and VP of Wholesale for Mortgage Solutions Financial. Under his leadership the training division of Mortgage Solutions was created and has grown expansively.

In this episode Steve and Jesse discuss:

• Why leaders should train their people
• Drawing out passion and drive 
• Giving your time to what matters
• Staying consistent with your purpose

Key Takeaways: 

• The only thing worse than training an employee and then losing them is not training them and keeping them. 
• Passion is pre-existing in people and a leader’s job is to draw it out and teach them to harness it.
• If you wait to have enough money to give, you will never give. In the same way, you’ll never have enough time if you think you don’t have enough time. 
• Create purpose in your life and let your life continually stay consistent with that purpose. 

“It starts with being a good human and actually listening - listen with the intent to understand, ask targeted and specific questions… it boils down to building relationships and showing people that you genuinely care about them.” - Jesse Lopez

Connect with Jesse Lopez:

Website: https://mortgagesolutions.net/

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

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.