How did you get involved in the mortgage industry?
I fell into the mortgage industry back in 2013.  I had graduated from South Dakota State University (Go Jacks!), and had finished an internship with a community bank working with their commercial lenders and knew I wanted to get into lending!  I got my first opportunity as a Jr. Loan Officer with Wells Fargo and have not looked back since.

What is the biggest challenge or opportunity you have seen in the mortgage industry?
For the first time in a long time, we are in a rising rate environment – which is both a challenge and an opportunity.  The challenge is profitability – rates go up, margins get smaller.  A lot of institutions will have to decide if mortgage is going to be a revenue stream, or just a service they can provide.  The opportunity is, as some institutions scale back, that opens up the door for others to gain more customers and market share.

What advice would you give people just entering the industry? 
Don’t spend time learning every little thing, about every loan program because it will all change at some point.  Spend your time building relationships and meeting people, so that you can begin to build a business!

Do you have a quick tip for saving time, generating leads, tracking information, etc. that you would like to share?
Start and finish you day with a quick 10-15 min. meeting with yourself and ask:  What did I do well today?  What could I have done better/different?  What do I need to get done before I leave?  What are the most important things that I will start my day with, tomorrow?

When you are not at work, what do you like to do most? 
I’m one of those wierdos that like being active and working out.

What is a quote or a guiding principle you live by? 
If you want to be really good, do the things no one else is doing.