The Insight Interviews - Powered by Rewire

Jerry is a husband, father, and 26-year veteran of the mortgage industry. He has been married to his college sweetheart Michelle for 31 years and they have lived and raised their family of 5 children in the rolling hills of central Maryland for the last 22 years. He and Michelle founded Corridor Mortgage Group in the fall of 2000 and grew the company from 8 employees to a team of 150. In October 0f 2018 Jerry led the entire Corridor family through a transition to SWBC Mortgage where he serves as a Senior Vice President on the SWBC leadership team.

In this episode Jason and Jerry discuss:

• Living an integrated life and the realization that home, work and faith are all integrated, not separate.
• Checking the hard and difficult things off your checklist first.
• Being willing to work harder than the next person in line to be successful.
• Being alert and looking for opportunities to engage others. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Never make assumptions about your employees; they are people, not assets.
• The decision for people to leave or stay with a company has more to do with their confidence in and the integrity of leadership, and whether or not they will be able to make a difference in people’s lives.
• Embrace change that takes you outside of your comfort zone—that will lead to the most growth.

“I wanna do everything I can with that dash or that piece of life on this earth that I’m given to make a difference.” - Jerry Rader

Mentioned: Grit by Angela Duckworth 

Connect with Jerry Rader:

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

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

Website: www.swbcmortgage.com

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-rader-8234abb/

               https://www.linkedin.com/company/swbc-mortgage/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

Jason Higham is one of Houston’s foremost experts in residential lending and real estate, and his branch of Cherry Creek Mortgage has been voted #1 Best of The Woodlands for the past decade & secured the Best Places to Work award by the Houston Business Journal. 

Jason’s commitment to honesty and integrity, as well as his uncanny ability to establish sound business relationships translated to helping more than 220 families for over $75 million in volume in 2019, with national recognition as a Top Originator by the Scotsman Guide, as well as a GHBA Prism Award for Houston’s Best Mortgage Specialist. 

Jason is an active member of The Woodlands community, where he resides with his wife, Leila, and 3 children. He makes time to give back to charities & organizations such as Giving Goes Glam, Texas Children’s Hospital, Open Your Purse for Change, The Montgomery County Food Bank, The Montgomery County Women’s Center, The NeighborBridge, Operation Finally Home, Spring Texas Music Fest benefitting local veterans, Angel Reach, Light It Up Blue for Autism and the Jan & Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute.

In this episode Steve and Jason discuss:

• You don’t see it as work if you enjoy it. 
• Don’t give yourself permission not to be great.
• Challenge yourself to grow every day, embrace a growth mindset.
• Practicing 100% accountability to build better relationships.

Key Takeaways: 

• Connect everything to your why; find that joy and that connection at a personal and professional level.
• When you’re trying to help people, don’t start with advice, start with questions.
• Don’t settle for people with less than an “outstanding attitude”; you can teach everything else.

“To get your mind right, do some physical activity, stay in your routine, and journal.” - Jason Higham

Connect with Jason Higham:

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

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

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

                  https://www.facebook.com/CherryCreekWoodlands  

Website: https://www.cherrycreektexas.com/

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

In this episode Steve and Jason discuss:

• When you find hope AND make plans you are unstoppable.
• You find motivation after finding and knowing your why.
• Writing your goals to hold yourself accountable.
• The key is consistency, make, and keep a commitment.

Key Takeaways: 

• Put intentionality into your actions so that your subconscious moves forward to achieve your goals.
• Don’t let failure stop you, embrace failure, let it rebuild and mold you.
• Planning can feel selfish but realize others benefit from your planning, Start Now. 

“I am not figuratively running away from 2020 I’m more running towards and into 2021.” - Jason Abell

Mentioned: 

Saint-Exupéry: "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast endless sea."

Simon Sinek's TED talk video: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

“Success in business and in life consists not only in the pursuit of happiness but also in the humble willingness to start over.” - Dale Carnegie

Reflection and Planning Tool

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

In this episode Steve and Jason discuss:

• “Change of heart” Can our hearts just change? 
• Our choices, how do we reflect and accept the marks of this year?
• We have all learned something about our circle of influence.
• There is always something to believe in - never lose hope.

Key Takeaways: 

• Adaptability, resiliency, and your ability to pivot: what did you learn about yourself this year?  
• “Pack, jump, and reflect.” - Jason Abell
• Look for the good and don’t take things for granted.
• The bad is always temporary.

“I started wondering if it took a village to change a heart” - Steve Scanlon

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Reflection and Planning Tool

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

Bruce Jordan has been teaching Denver’s Real Estate community for over a decade and created Jordan Real Estate College, Ltd. to provide Continuing Education and expose new ideas to agents all across the Denver Metro area.  As an industry thought leader with over twenty years of experience as a real estate attorney and twenty years as a Loan Originator and Branch Manager for Cherry Creek Mortgage Co., Inc., the information he provides is always current, effective, and concise for navigating an ever-changing industry.

In this episode Steve and Bruce discuss:

• Pivoting and moving through a career transition. 
• Embracing and moving into the unknown.
• Being a “Rest of Life Learner.”
• Seeing the authenticity in ourselves and others. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Analyzing your life and seizing the courage to make a change. 
• Realizing what is and is not important in your life.
• Learn how to react and adjust to the good and bad that happen throughout your life.

“Spend some time reading about topics and thoughts that can expand your horizons and open you up to a whole new experience.” - Bruce Jordan

Mentioned: Author Steve Covey

Connect with Bruce Jordan:

Website: www.jordanlending.com

               www.jordanrealestatecollege.com

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

Tony has over 20 years of executive leadership experience in the real estate industry. Before joining Atlas, he was responsible for seven states in the Mountain West for the largest mortgage company in the U.S. Today, Tony leads the overall strategy and direction of Atlas while maintaining a relentless commitment to the firm’s values and culture.

In this episode Steve and Tony discuss:

• Developing leaders and advancing the mission of the company. 
• Setting aside distractions and being present to make the moment memorable.
• Taking the time to realize your calling in the world.
• Embracing failure so that you can learn and progress.

Key Takeaways: 

• Have an integration and sense of wholeness so you know what you are good at, what you are bad at, and be at peace with embracing both.
• Leadership is about building relationships and a community of trust, but you can’t get a deep level of trust without some vulnerability. 
• See the strength of a leader through their vulnerability because there is a difference between transparency and vulnerability.

“Engage in intentional and meaningful coaching.” - Tony Julianelle

Mentioned: 

The Human Operating System: Recovering the Heart and Soul of Your Leadership  

Connect with Tony Julianelle:   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtlasRealEstate

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

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

Website: www.realatlas.com

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

Steve Lagana has been in mortgage lending for  30 years now. For the last 10 of those years, Steve has served as President of First Home Mortgage. Under Steve’s tutelage, First Home has won prestigious awards such as Top Places to Work by The Baltimore Sun, Top 1% of Originators in the Country by Mortgage Executive Magazine, and Top Producing Lender in Maryland by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. 

Steve began his career as a Loan Originator in 1990 where he won multiple top producer awards. He has served as the President of Maryland Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Association. Steve holds an Engineering degree from the University of Maryland and resides in Rockville, Maryland with his two kids, Joey and Angie. 

I’m here to tell you this guy flat-out cares about people to a degree that is well beyond the norm. From hiring LO’s with no mortgage background to ensuring that the emergency needs of his team members are abundantly met, I can tell you that Steve is one of the good guys and has been for a very long time.

In this episode Jason and Steve discuss:

• Performing the three-step interview process.  
• Having a level of accountability for everyone in the company.
• Investing in yourselves as an industry by providing feedback and helping others to learn and grow. 
• Adapting the way you do business to benefit the company and the customer. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Better listeners make better salespeople.
• Take the time to put together a good file; the better the file looks going in the better the outcome. 
• Attitude reflects leadership: please and thank you are free...use them. 

“As leaders, we want people that want a career, not just the next job.” - Steve Lagana

Connect with Steve Lagana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-lagana-9bbb35152/

Website: www.firsthome.com

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

In this episode Steve and Jason discuss:

• Being thoughtful and staying present in your own life.
• Putting in the time and doing the work to improve yourself.
• Developing a deeper level of integration in every aspect of our lives. 
• Having hope that the bad times will end…..eventually.

Key Takeaways: 

• If your home life and relationships aren’t going well it will reflect in every other aspect of your life.
• Transitions happen and though it may feel like it sometimes, you are not alone in your experiences. 
• Developing and having a plan is going to be better for you in the long run in thinking about your future. 

“Your business and personal life are far more integrated than most people know.” - Steve Scanlon

Mentioned:

 https://www.lizardquiz.com/

Still the Lizard: Transformation is Closer Thank you Think

Reality and Hope: Reflections From a Coaches Chair

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

In this episode Steve, Jason, and Guests discuss:

• The best of gratitudes and what guests are “grateful for.” 
• Surviving and thriving even in 2020. 
• The importance of your mindset in your day to day life.

Key Takeaways: 

• People who start their day, meeting, event, etc. with gratitude move into a more positive direction and headspace.
• Allow your work to be a part of you and bless you mentally. 
• The importance of your community: building it and being a part of it.

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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

Troy is President of First Financial Mortgage and grew up around the mortgage banking business thanks to his mom. He began his mortgage career as a loan officer in 1985 in Fort Worth, Texas. He loves the outdoors, and all types of music. Loves the mortgage industry, and is a believer in Christ. Troy, his wife Dana, and their two children live in Fort Worth Texas. 

In this episode Steve and Troy discuss:

• Cultivating curiosity and discipline through the routine. 
• Possessing a growth mindset to grow personally and professionally.
• Finding professional growth through hard work and continued education. 
• Using the leaders in your life as examples of the good and the bad.

Key Takeaways: 

• Surround yourself with like-minded people and strong mentors.
• Pursue uncomfortable situations to discover growth. 
• Servant Leadership: leading with empathy, care, communication, and trust.

“I noticed when there were challenges and those times that I was most uncomfortable was when I grew the most in my life.” - Troy Fore

Connect with Troy Fore:

Website: www.ffin.com

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen Braun

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