If you've been in the mortgage business for more than a day, chances are, you've come to realize that being a "successful" loan officer isn't just about how many deals you close, the volume you fund or how fat your bank account is (although all of those are important). Let's be real: creating your BEST LIFE and achieving true "success", both personally and professionally, requires an "X Factor" beyond just your bottom line. What's the secret to creating sustainable growth that has you fired up and fulfilled, instead of bored or burnt out? How do you build a business that sets you free, instead of one that enslaves you? How do you create a healthy balance between work and family? How can you finally break free from Stress Prison, and unlock your power to live your BEST LIFE, full of fun, flow and fulfillment? If those questions sound meaningful to you, you've come to the right place. The Legendary Lender Podcast will inspire you to stop settling for second best, and live your BEST LIFE now!
Episodes
Nov 16, 2021
Nov 16, 2021
46 min
“The rollercoaster is no fun to be on in this business.” – Jed Barker
Stress, strife and struggle; three things that you want to eliminate from your life. But do you feel that you are equipped with the tools to do that? If not, this episode is for you!
There are three ways that we know for certain will expand your peace, productivity, and power, and rid you of the negative emotions and lower-level frequencies that come about when you are stuck in a fixed mindset.
If you’re ready to align yourself with the laws of the universe and reach your optimal state of being, there’s no need to look any further than right here! Let's get this party started...
“The more successful you get, the more time you should have for yourself.” – Jed Barker
Timestamps:
[01:05] Introducing today’s topic, and the story that inspired me to discuss it.
[04:50] When Jed feels the most stressed.
[05:19] Habits that loan officers tend to let go of when they take on more work, and why this is so problematic.
[07:07] The rollercoaster that you don’t want to be on.
[08:47] What the “champagne problem” is.
[09:43] Why you shouldn’t be working late into the night, using a client’s experience as an example.
[13:26] Jed shares his personal experience of late night working.
[16:27] The importance of establishing good habits and boundaries as early on in your life as possible.
[18:08] Why delegation is one of the key elements that will lead you to your Best Life.
[18:50] Exceptions to the “don’t work late at night” rule.
[19:43] What research tell us about sleep.
[22:00] The Magic Morning Routine; what it is and why you should be doing it.
[24:40] How your body and your mind are linked.
[26:53] Impact that the Magic Morning Routine has had on Jed’s life.
[28:03] The vibrational frequency of the life that you want to be living.
[30:56] Ways that the first two topics we’ve discussed today negatively affect a mortgage loan officer’s ability to prospect successfully.
[31:59] Why momentum is so important in the mortgage loan industry.
[35:21] How your business will change if you spend 2 hours on proactive prospecting every day.
[37:18] The way you should be measuring your success.
[38:13] What a fixed mindset looks like in comparison to a growth mindset.
[43:44] Where you can learn more about Best Life, and whether we are the right fit for you.
“When you feel powerful, when you feel resourceful, ain’t nothing going to stop you.” – Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
Nov 9, 2021
Nov 9, 2021
48 min
“Systems are the key to your Best Life.” – Al Rodriguez
Making money is great, but it’s not the only factor that enables you to live your Best Life. You also need time. Time for your family, time for your friends, time for the fitness, time for fun. And guess what? You can have it all... IF you don't settle!
Your mortgage business can provide you with the money you need to create the life you want, and the time you need to enjoy it. And we’re here to help get you on the path to achieving this by letting you in on the three secrets that separate the "interested" from the defiantly committed.
Don’t settle for second best! Working 80 hours a week for half a million dollars doesn’t have to be the limit of your success; we’ve got a better way of doing things...
“If you think working 80 hours a week to make half a million dollars is success, check yourself.” – Al Rodriguez
Timestamps:
[01:02] An introduction to today’s topic (it’s possible, we promise!).
[03:07] The power of decision.
[05:05] Differences between a systems-based business and a you-based business.
[08:35] Reasons that we want to work less hours.
[09:12] Technology and people; the two factors which are vital to a systems-based business.
[11:34] Why speed is king in the mortgage loan industry.
[12:52] Two stories which highlight how not to do business.
[17:43] Focus on marketing rather than minutiae!
[20:00] How being a Best Life loan officer allows you to focus on what you should be doing.
[21:19] Examples of what good marketing does and doesn’t look like.
[22:11] Comparing active and passive marketing campaigns.
[23:00] The problem with how the majority of mortgage loan officers spend their time.
[24:26] How to become a high performing loan officer.
[27:41] Benefits of an Hour of Power.
[31:10] What separates the interested from the decidedly committed.
[32:46] Attracting talent takes skill.
[33:55] How not to do business, using real world examples.
[36:01] What goes into building a winning team.
[39:29] If you can’t build a winning team right now, join one!
[40:49] The difference between “a should” and “a must.”
[44:35] Hear if Best Life Mortgage is for you.
“Speed is king.” – Jed Barker
Links and Resources:
Nov 2, 2021
Nov 2, 2021
46 min
“There’s a million and one ways to skin the cat when it comes to growing your business,
but not all methods are created equal.” – Doren Aldana
As a mortgage pro, there are so many ways that you can conduct your business. But be careful; not all methods are created equal. Some will lead you to your Best Life, and others will keep you in the passenger seat of somebody else’s car.
To become the author of your own story, the first ingredients you need are intention and clarity. Decide what YOU want to create, who YOUR best clients are, and what quality leads look like to YOU, and then bless and release everything else!
If you’re not sure how to do that, we’ve got you covered. Tune in today to hear about 3 changes you can make in your business that will set you down the path to your BEST LIFE....
“We can all be authors of our own book if we want to be.
Everybody else wants to write our story for us too, but we don’t have to let them.” – Jed Barker
Timestamps:
[01:41] Why people so often overthink and over complicate things.
[03:55] The quality over quantity rule; never forget it!
[06:21] Jed explains the main reason that he chose to work in the mortgage loan industry.
[07:52] How Jed initially approached the process of finding leads, and why this didn’t work out for him.
[08:37] Two realizations which changed the way Jed looked for business leads.
[10:53] The philosophy that we live by at Best Life.
[11:33] Fears which can lead you down the wrong path in your business.
[13:49] Growth that Jed experienced in his business when we started working together.
[15:34] Intentionality is the key to building your ideal business.
[17:17] A downside of not working with realtors.
[18:08] What it means if you’ve never found a realtor you like working with.
[20:23] The most reliable source of business.
[21:42] Jed’s experience of working with realtors.
[22:59] An example of a loan officer who doesn’t work with realtors, and the strategy he uses instead.
[24:50] How responses to the questions we ask on our Facebook group highlight the pervasiveness of overthinking in our field.
[26:13] The most profitable way of doing business as a loan officer.
[30:10] Refi’s versus purchases.
[34:10] Why you should stop trying to reinvent the wheel.
[38:15] Jed explains the value of using systems, from his personal experience.
[40:50] People who will benefit from working with us at Best Life.
“Realtors don’t suck, you just suck at cultivating fruitful, fulfilling relationships with realtors.” – Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
Oct 26, 2021
Oct 26, 2021
48 min
“It’s not so much about what you are doing, but the mindset behind it.” – Doren Aldana
If you’re tired of sifting through hundreds of poor quality leads, missing out on time with your family because you’re stuck in the office, and doing things you hate because you’re too worried to pass the work on to anyone else - this episode is for YOU!
As a mortgage loan professional, your potential is LIMITLESS, but if you’re earning less than half a million dollars a year and you’re working more than 50 hours a week, you’re putting limits on yourself that are preventing you from reaching your true potential.
Do you believe you’re capable and worthy of your BEST LIFE? We believe you are, and today we’re going to tell you the reasons that you’re working too much and earning too little, and how to change that! Let’s get this party started...
“It’s a mindset of lack and scarcity that holds us back from becoming business builders.” – Jed Barker
Show Notes:
[01:49] How to tell if you are working too much and earning too little.
[02:27] The difference between being a practice builder and a business builder.
[05:45] Why we put limits on our own success.
[07:08] Jed shares some of the steps that he has taken and the important learnings he has had on his growth journey.
[09:39] The danger of stagnation.
[11:44] How to fuel your evolution towards being a business builder.
[14:21] Weak marketing; how this prevents mortgage professionals from reaching their potential.
[16:05] Growth Jed experienced in his business when he started working smart.
[19:01] Something you need to figure out in order to build a successful business.
[24:00] How not to do marketing.
[27:01] Best Life’s approach to attracting realtors.
[30:01] Why weak systems and delegation will lead to working too much and earning too little.
[32:17] Reasons that people don’t delegate work to others, and the importance of learning how to do this.
[34:58] Jed explains how he decides when it is the right time to delegate.
[36:39] The two different elements that make up systems and delegation.
[39:20] Why we decided to launch Best Life, and the services and systems we offer to our clients.
[42:31] Our philosophy at Best Life: Everyone is all in!
[44:40] Hear if you are the kind of mortgage loan professional we are looking to work with.
“If we’re not growing, we’re dying.
If we’re not taking steps towards growth and expansion of our business,
we’re actually taking steps towards stagnation.”
– Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
Oct 19, 2021
Oct 19, 2021
55 min
“If you want to have a legendary vision, you have to have a legendary purpose.”
– Jed Barker
You were made for greatness. But are you living your life to its full potential, or are you shackled by your limited vision and your "realistic" goals?
There are several key habits that lead to success, and in today’s episode we’re going to teach you about three of the most important ones.
Do you know which qualities make for a legendary leader? Do you understand the importance of knowing when to lead and when to be led? If not, you’re about to find out!
Let's get this party started...
“What unleashes our superpower, our God given calling, is when we start to connect to purpose beyond ourselves.”
– Doren Aldana
Show Notes:
[02:17] Hear what it means to be a Legendary Lender.
[02:54] Legendary vision; habit number one that leads to success.
[05:09] Mediocrity is easy.
[06:20] A milestone that Al is celebrating today.
[07:09] How your legendary vision should make you, and others, feel.
[08:02] Parallels between Al, Doren, and Jed’s love stories, and some relationship advice.
[10:09] Questions to ask yourself which will help you figure out your vision.
[12:10] Why your purpose should be about more than just money.
[14:15] The problem with realistic goals.
[16:05] The purpose that drives the work we do at Best Life Mortgage.
[18:46] Habit number two; Legendary faith.
[20:24] How living in faith compares to living in fear.
[22:55] What it means to be a servant leader.
[24:50] The benefits of swagger, and an example of someone who has it.
[26:00] Faith is a life principle.
[29:13] Doren shares a story from his most recent family vacation which highlights the importance of faith.
[33:41] The science of building muscle, and how this applies to faith.
[34:57] Legendary leadership; the third habit that breeds success.
[36:06] Value that comes with knowing when to lead and when to allow ourselves to be led.
[38:26] Characteristics of a legendary leader.
[42:23] A lesson that Al learned from a mentor about the power of being led.
[44:01] Why humility is a key to success as a leader.
[47:03] Divine revelation; a manual for life.
[48:28] Our vision at Best Life, and how you can get involved.
[51:47] The only thing worse than going in the wrong direction.
“If you want to create a legendary legacy, a legendary life, you have to shift out of fear and into faith.”
– Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
Oct 13, 2021
Oct 13, 2021
44 min
“You’ve got to fortify your mindset.”
– Al Rodriguez
Can you imagine living a life where you earn FREEDOM MONEY, with the freedom to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want, any time you want?
If this seems "pie in the sky" and "unrealistic" then you’re trapped in a prison of your own making. As Henry Ford once said, "Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right."
Too often, we hear mortgage pros complain about Realtors, but what they don’t realize is that the reason they hate realtors is because they are approaching the relationship the wrong way.
Partnership with Realtors is kind of like sex... if you don't like it, you're probably doing it wrong! LOL.
Stop chasing the Realtors and start ATTRACTING... so you are in the driver's seat!
You can have it the way YOU want it... IF you don't settle and if you learn to work SMART, instead of just working hard.
Tune into today's episode, if you’re ready to get out of the passenger seat and get into the driver’s seat of your own life! Let's get this party started...
“The reason why you’re hating working with realtors, if indeed you do, is because you’re doing it wrong.”
– Doren Aldana
Show Notes:
[01:15] – Chasing versus attracting.
[02:49] – Something that saddens Al about people’s perception of the mortgage loan industry.
[04:28] – How chasing realtors is likely to affect your mental state.
[07:14] – The reason that mortgage professionals so often complain about realtors.
[09:37] – Strategies which lead mortgage loan officers down the wrong paths.
[12:22] – Keys to attracting the right realtors, using examples from other industries.
[14:40] – A dangerous myth that mortgage loan officers have bought into.
[17:32] – The power of owning your identity as the leader of your own life.
[20:02] – What your life will look like when you live on your own terms.
[22:59] – Why most mortgage professionals will never escape the prison of chasing.
[23:43] – The average income for a mortgage loan officer.
[24:45] – Benefits of a personal growth mindset.
[26:07] – How the mortgage loan environment is going to change when rates go up.
[27:17] – What it means if you are overworking yourself.
[29:33] – The mission behind this podcast.
[30:07] – Characteristics that you need to cultivate in order to live a life of freedom.
[33:16] – A recap of the main points we covered in today’s episode.
[36:08] – Best Life’s Realtor Attraction Plan.
[37:15] – Commitment required to build your life of freedom.
[39:13] – Hear if you are the type of person who should get in touch with us at Best Life.
“You are made to win, you are made by greatness for greatness,
the problem is that you don’t have a great strategy.”
– Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
The Legendary Lender Home Page
Mortgage Marketing Coach on Facebook
Oct 3, 2021
Oct 3, 2021
47 min
"Quality leads come from quality relationships" -Al Rodriguez
Everyone wants to make FREEDOM MONEY, but few ever achieve it. In this episode, we are going to go through three of the most common barriers that prevent LOs from finding true freedom in their business and give you some valuable advice on how to work around these.
Our conversation today centers around leads, systems, and delegation:
Leads are the lifeblood of a business, and all leads are not created equal. We'll reveal the secret to sourcing the best quality leads, so you can earn more while working less! The right scheduling system is not an easy code to crack, but once you do crack it, it will unlock the vault to freedom like never before. Empowering others to handle the minutia can be scary, but if you don’t want to be a slave to your business, you have to take a leap of faith and delegate effectively.
Whatever your best life looks like, this episode will get you one step closer to it!
"The quality of your leads is inextricably linked to the quality of your life" -Doren Aldana
Show Notes:
[01:34] – Why we’ve chosen the topic we have for today.
[04:07] – Al explains why quality leads are vital in achieving success.
[06:01] – A false belief that Al held for many years.
[09:04] – Jed shares what his journey of finding quality leads looked like.
[12:05] – What a quality lead consists of, and how it will impact your life.
[14:51] – The Oprah Winfrey factor, and how to leverage this power.
[15:15] – Reasons that mortgage professionals choose to align themselves with Best Life.
[16:28] – Lack of effective systems; how this issue prevents people from entering the promised land of freedom.
[18:09] – Examples of effective and non-effective systems.
[22:00] – Systems that have been key to the huge success Jed has experienced.
[24:30] – The many different types of systems that you should be utilizing in your mortgage loan business.
[28:05] – What is likely to happen to your business if you don’t put systems in place.
[28:59] – Why you shouldn’t be doing everything in your business.
[31:44] – The only four things that you should be doing as a loan officer.
[35:57] – What Jed has learned about delegation through his experience as a loan officer.
[37:45] – A story of a client Doren had recently which highlights the importance of delegation.
[38:44] – Fear that many people feel about delegating work to others.
[41:50] – The definition of insanity, and how to stop acting insane.
[44:48] – What to do if you’re ready to find freedom.
"If you want to step up and make freedom money, you need systems." -Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
Sep 23, 2021
Sep 23, 2021
53 min
"People don't know what they don't know." -Al Rodriguez
Where there is clarity, there is power, and our goal as coaches is to help you gain the power of clarity. You don’t know what you don’t know, we're here to open your eyes to the potential landmines that you could be standing on without even realizing.
In today’s episode, we focus on three major hindrances to the optimal growth of your mortgage business; stinking thinking, stinking selling, and stinking scheduling. We share a number of examples of what these harmful practices look like, and how you can get far away from them!
"Everything starts in your mind." -Jed Barker
Show Notes:
[01:00] – The topic we are going to be covering in today’s episode.
[03:07] – Value of high-performance coaches.
[03:34] – An explanation of landmine number one; stinking thinking.
[05:01] – Al delves into some examples of stinking thinking, and where the dangers of stinking thinking lie.
[08:20] – What the mortgage loan industry looked like when Al became involved.
[09:01] – Your best life starts with your mindset.
[11:55] – What it means to “be humaning.”
[12:49] – Doren shares three real-world examples of stinking thinking that he has witnessed in his clients.
[16:21] – Stinking Selling; landmine number two.
[17:56] – Being a mortgage professional means being a professional salesperson.
[21:19] – An astounding statistic about the follow up percentage on leads.
[22:18] – A major reason that Jed has experienced such immense growth in his business.
[24:40] – Why market conditions don’t matter as much as people think they do (and what matters more).
[25:13] – Jed explains why, at 25 with 4 kids, he left his well-paying job to pursue a career as a salesman.
[26:31] – What Jed learned through his experience doing door-to-door sales.
[28:22] – One of the main reasons Jed loves being a mortgage loan professional.
[30:31] – The surest way to repel success.
[32:40] – Landmine number three; Stinking Scheduling.
[34:12] – Advice from Al for people who, like him, are not naturally organized.
[35:12] – How a lack of scheduling will impact your business.
[37:02] – Problems with overbooking your schedule.
[38:18] – The practice which results in Jed’s most productive, happiest days.
[41:03] – How activity and productivity differ.
[43:17] – Why self-respect is a crucial factor in building your schedule.
[44:14] – In order to succeed, you need to eliminate fear.
[45:44] – Lessons we teach at Best Life.
[47:40] – Who should reach out to us.
[50:38] – How to get in touch with us and find out more about what we do.
"If you want to be the victor in life you have to choose to claim the power to be the
creator and the source of your life." -Doren Aldana
Links and Resources:
The Legendary Lender Home Page
Mortgage Marketing Coach on Facebook
Sep 17, 2021
Sep 17, 2021
48 min
“Don’t take yourself too seriously, life is too short to be serious all the time.”
–Jed Barker
More often than not, the thing that stands in the way of us achieving our full potential is ourselves, and because human beings are prone to self-delusion, we are usually the last to realize that the source of our problems lies within. That’s about to change; in today’s episode we’re going to reveal 3 of the common self-sabotage snares that hinder success, so you can avoid them!
If you haven't noticed by now, we're all about helping you create a thriving mortgage business without sacrificing your family, fulfillment, faith, fitness, or whatever else is important to you. If this is the life you want, and you’re not quite sure how to get there, this episode will get you on the right track!
“Being human, we have an infinite capacity for self-delusion. We have an infinite capacity for being the last person to notice how we self-sabotage ourselves, because when you’re inside the bottle it’s hard to see the label.”
–Doren Aldana
Show Notes:
[0:51] – The importance of the topic we are going to be discussing today.
[03:31] – Delusional optimism; one major way that people self-sabotage.
[04:54] – Advice from Al about how to get away from the dangerous habit of delusional optimism.
[06:24] – Al shares some stories which highlights what delusional optimism can look like.
[08:03] – Jed explains the difference between optimism and delusional optimism.
[09:22] – A classic case of delusional optimism in the mortgage loan industry.
[12:16] – How to tell if you are suffering from delusional optimism.
[13:32] – “I already know that” – why this phrase is a form of self-sabotage.
[15:05] – Al’s personal experience of allowing his ego to take control, and what everyone else can learn from this.
[17:49] – The value of having a strong support team.
[19:09] – Doren shares a story which embodies the concept that “the teacher learns more than the student.”
[22:06] – Why we recommend that our clients track and measure their time.
[23:33] – Self-sabotage practice number 3: Working on your job to the neglect of yourself.
[26:31] – The Best Life Mortgage Philosophy.
[27:32] – Achieving a good work-life balance is key to success.
[30:18] – Where, other than work, you should be focusing your energy.
[32:00] – The number of hours you should be working per week, and examples of other activities which should take up the rest of your time.
[35:29] – Doren shares a story about two lumberjacks, which highlights the importance of focusing on things outside of work.
[38:29] – What is your definition of success?
[40:24] – Mistakes that Doren made early on in his career.
[41:47] – The simple (but not easy) strategy to achieving success.
[43:47] – Hear if Best Life coaching is for you.
[45:15] – Where you can learn about our value proposition, and what to do if it resonates with you.
“If we have a plan, we won’t be delusional, we’ll be optimistic.
You’ve gotta drop the delusion out of there altogether; optimism is the way to go.”
–Jed Barker
Links and Resources:
The Legendary Lender Home Page
Mortgage Marketing Coach on Facebook
Sep 7, 2021
Sep 7, 2021
57 min
“It’s not that realtors are the problem. It’s that you are messing up the process so that it is problematic for you.”
-Doren Aldana
Today we’re going to dive into a perennial hot topic: how to attract the Realtor Partners. Many mortgage pros gag at the mere thought of working with Realtors. Why? Because they’re doing it the hard way! Sure, cold calling can lead to some connections and profitable interactions, but frankly, that's the caveman method from the Dark Ages.
In today’s episode, we outline the three keys to attracting top-producing realtors as exclusive partners, without the hell of cold calling. I know it sounds too good to be true, but listen as we reveal the secrets for attracting profitable partnerships with top real estate agents.
“I don’t want to spend 80% of my time on something that isn’t going to get me a return on my investment.”
-Al Rodriguez
Show Notes:
[01:03] - An introduction to today’s topic.
[02:34] - Realtors are not the problem. If there is a problem, you’re doing it wrong.
[03:37] - Why do you want to go after the top-producing realtors?
[05:25] - There are varying degrees for Al. Al doesn’t want to kick anyone to the curb but he confirms that he only wants to work with top-producing realtors.
[06:45] - If you’re going to work, you should be getting a return on your investment.
[08:44] - Jed shares why he got into the mortgage industry and the immediate realization that building a relationship with realtors was critical.
[10:32] - If you don’t like working with realtors, you’re working with the wrong ones.
[11:10] - Jed describes his method of ranking the realtors on his list.
[13:01] - Be intentional in your decisions and have that champion mindset.
[15:53] - Exclusive partners means that real estate agents send you all their business.
[16:25] - The first key is a compelling unique value proposition.
[17:12] - What is the opposite of this proposition? Al describes what doesn’t work.
[18:16] - Flip the script for realtors to think they need you more than you need them.
[20:35] - Setting up an initial discovery meeting in person with someone you want to work with is something that works well for Jed.
[22:01] - How does Jed build relationships with real estate agents?
[24:18] - A compelling unique value proposition is only valuable if you know what is valuable to realtors.
[25:08] - Doren describes the second key as an automated attraction system.
[27:34] - Al describes a smart and efficient system that develops leverage.
[30:04] - Not understanding leverage can create unnecessary challenges.
[32:11] - You’re not being interviewed by real estate agents. You are interviewing them.
[33:16] - Jed shares what made the difference between his first 6 months and the spike in his success.
[36:01] - At Best Life Mortgage, Doren explains how they take away a lot of the common barriers.
[36:40] - The third key is to diagnose first and prescribe second.
[39:24] - If you prescribe first, you don’t know what to offer that they need.
[41:03] - Talk to the realtor and get to know them before you prescribe anything.
[42:56] - If you diagnose first, you come with the intention to connect.
[44:01] - Without the scarcity mindset, you will be able to better choose who to work with.
[45:20] - Jed shares a strategy he uses to better connect in discovery meetings.
[48:14] - Working together after making a real connection creates exclusivity.
[50:15] - Always lead with value and avoid commission breath.
[52:26] - Best Life Mortgage has amazing support for building your business.
“If you do not like working with realtors, then you’re choosing the wrong realtors.
There are so many top-producing realtors that are absolutely amazing to work with.”
-Jed Barker
Links and Resources: