Tag: Branch Managers

I wish someone had told me early on: 

Just because it feels slow right now… doesn’t mean you’re failing. 
It might just mean you’re still building. 

I remember a moment in 2010-ish — scrolling through the all new social media thing, thinking: “Am I the only one not crushing it?” 

Everyone else was posting wins… 
Top producer awards, closing pics, jumbo checks… 

And me? 
– Some ghosting pre-approvals 
– Several of my deals unraveling 
– A pipeline that looked more like a headache pool 

Right when I was about to call it a day, I got a text from a past client: 

“Thanks again. I was painting my daughter’s room today and thought about how you helped make this possible.” 

That changed everything. 
 
Here’s what I remind myself now: 

1. Social media is a filter, not a fact. 
Everyone’s showing the highlight reel. 
No one’s posting canceled contracts or rate shoppers. 

2. Progress is quieter than you think. 
The follow-up you made when you didn’t feel like it? 
The coffee meeting you almost canceled? 
That’s what winning looks like. 

3. You don’t need to beat anyone but yesterday’s version of you. 
If you made one more call… showed up more focused… 
You’re ahead. 
 
You’re not behind. You’re just early in your story. 
Keep going. 

When I was 14, I spent my summers working in the tobacco fields of Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. 

Now, if you’ve never been in a tobacco field in July, let me paint the picture… 

It all starts at 4:30 am (I still wake up about that time every day) 
In the field by 5:30 am. 
 
It’s 95 degrees by 10 a.m. 
 
The humidity… it felt like I was wearing it within the first 30 mins.  
And that black gum from the stalks? It’ll stain your hands for days. 

I was hot, tired, itchy, and smelled like the inside of a barn. 
And to be honest… I felt like quitting… often! 

But I showed up and did the deed day after day anyway. 
Because that’s what you did. 

Nobody was coming to save you. Nobody was handing out shortcuts. 
You just did the work. 

Day after day. Row after row. 

I remember one particular hot afternoon, I dropped to my knees and asked God, “Please tell me you have a better plan for me; tell me I’m learning something here…” 
 
Turns out… He did have a better plan for me. 
And I did learn something in those hot fields. 

Years later, I found my way into the mortgage world. 
But at first? 
Man, it felt just like those tobacco fields. 

Waking up early. Making uncomfortable calls. 
Getting rejected. Sweating through your shirt. 
And doing it all over again the next day. 

But here’s the twist… 

Most people quit when it’s hard. 
But, see, I had a little secret from those tobacco fields: 
Hard wasn’t new to me. 

See, I learned something in those rows that they didn’t teach in school: 
The ones who keep showing up – even when it’s not fun, sexy, or easy – those are the ones who win. 

And now… 
 
Because of that hard work… 
We built a mortgage business that runs with freedom and flexibility. 
 
Because of that hard work… 
We built a training company that helps thousands of loan officers every week, many of whom are going through their own “tobacco field” right now. 

If that’s you, I just want to say this: 

You’re not alone. 
You’re not broken. 
You’re just in the middle of the row. 

Keep showing up. 
The harvest is coming.