How did you get involved in the mortgage industry?
Principal Mortgage opened an office in Overland Park, KS in 2001 and I became part of the original team that started this office.  It was a great opportunity to not only learn the mortgage industry, but also be a part of a start-up team.  Rates dropped shortly after we opened, so it provided intense training in order to keep up with demand.

What is the biggest challenge or opportunity you have seen in the mortgage industry?
Regulations are always changing, so keeping up with the forms, compliance and regulations are always a challenge for smaller community banks.  However, as a community bank we have the opportunity to provide our customer personal service that they cannot get from online and national banks.  We typically know our customers both as customers and personally, so we can tailor our programs to specifically meet their needs.

What advice would you give people just entering the industry?
Don’t get overwhelmed by the paperwork and forms.  It can seem there is a mountain of paperwork to get through, but it becomes easier over time.  Also, try to imagine yourself in your customer’s shoes.  Using acronyms can be commonplace for bankers, but most consumers do not understand and with the paperwork involved it can add to the confusion.

Do you have a quick tip for saving time, generating leads, tracking information, etc. that you would like to share?
Plan ahead, things always seem to take longer than anticipated, so be flexible and prepared for changes.

When you are not at work, what do you like to do most?
With 4 daughters I spend a lot of time building Barbie houses and coaching soccer.

 What is a quote or a guiding principle you live by?
The golden rule; do unto others as you would have them do unto you.