HOW TO MAKE YOUR SCHTICK STICK

BY SARAH WOLAK, STAFF WRITER, NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE

Standing out is tough to do in a serious, suit-clad industry. But some industry professionals have figured out a way to incorporate a schtick into their self-branding — whether it’s a motto or a style of dress.

Dalila Ramos is an industry veteran who learned how to make her career more her style. She started in the industry in 2001 and has worked in several roles since: originator, account executive, recruiting, and title work. And as she pursued each of these roles at various companies, Ramos picked up a hefty following and professional network, and she wanted to use that to her advantage. In 2019, she was inspired by a colleague, Sean Cochran, to use her following as a way to enforce her brand and, in turn, boost her business. “Sean’s a Realtor who calls himself the cowboy of real estate, and he told me if I wanted to brand myself better, then I should combine something that I love with mortgages,” Ramos said. “After I thought about it some more, I figured why not incorporate tacos into my brand.”

Just one week later, Ramos hosted her first Taco Tuesday with Dalila video, which she uploaded to LinkedIn. That was at the tail end of 2019 and, due to the onset of the pandemic, Ramos pursued these videos on her own.

“I feel so blessed to have started the videos right before the pandemic because it became my outlet,” she said. “It allowed me to add value to my career and helped me educate and form relationships. It really helped me blossom.”

As pandemic guidelines became more lax, Ramos started incorporating guests into the videos, which helped them continue to gain popularity. She was even approached by people in the industry who offered to pay her to appear on a Taco Tuesday episode.

Back when Ramos curated her Taco Tuesday brand in 2019, she worked for Planet Home Lending. “They really let me take off and run with my own personal brand,” Ramos said. “They knew that it was positive branding and videos that were driving business.” But, as Ramos