44 minute read
LEADINGWOMEN
Katie Sweeney Executive Vice President of Strategy Association of Independent Mortgage Experts
Katie Sweeney is the Executive Vice President of Strategy for the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts. Katie oversees the day-to-day operations of AIME. She leads AIME’s developmental business objectives with a goal of continuously growing the wholesale mortgage broker channel utilizing innovative entrepreneurial and professional management principles. She’s also responsible for developing sponsorship opportunities and initiatives focused on retail-towholesale channel recruitment efforts.
MWM: When hearing the term #LeadingWomen, what is the first thing you think about and how does it feel to be asked to represent this cause for the November issue? Katie Sweeney: Throughout my career, I have always drawn inspiration from the trailblazing women who have come before me. It is not lost on me that while setting an example of what it takes to become highly successful in this world, they have also battled gender adversity and
paved the way for women in the mortgage industry. It is an honor to now be included in this group of powerful women who can inspire and elevate others in our field. To me, this is what #LeadingWomen means. To be a Leading Woman is to open doors, not just for yourself, but for all of the other women following in your footsteps.
MWM: Briefly, what has brought you to where you are today, as EVP of Strategy at AIME? Katie Sweeney: After graduating from Pepperdine University with a Bachelor’s degree in business marketing and sports communication, I began my career working in the healthcare industry. During the four years I spent in the industry, I held a variety of marketing roles and grew my data analytics skills which have been a huge part of my career to this day. I then made my jump to the mortgage industry, joining Pacific Union Financial to run Consumer Direct marketing and analytics. In the 2.5 years I was there, I earned four promotions, expanded from marketing into application development, and became the youngest vice president within the organization. I was then recruited to ARIVE during the preliminary development phase to lay the groundwork for initial partnerships, branding, and go-to-market strategy. ARIVE was a great vehicle for my transition to the wholesale side of the mortgage industry, which I believe to be the best option for both professionals and consumers. I am thankful for the insight from my previous roles that allowed me to see all aspects of origination in consumer direct and retail lending models. I joined the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) in early 2020 and look forward to continuing the growth that the organization sparked when it was founded.
MWM: How can female executives better advocate for themselves in such a highly male-driven industry, especially during a time when inequality is more prevalent than ever? Katie Sweeney: It’s so critical to establish credibility within your career at an early stage. No matter the role you are hired to perform, bring your ‘A’ game and exceed the expectations of those around you. You must do whatever you can to seek knowledge and learn new skills every single day. Most importantly, believe in your
own skills, your own voice, and what you bring to the table. Studies show that women don’t share their professional accomplishments out of fear of coming off as bragging or self-serving. Your accomplishments should be recognized, acknowledged, and celebrated by those around you. Success isn’t about good luck or being at the right place at the right time; it’s about hard work and having the confidence to stand up for yourself. Throughout my career, I have looked for different ways to build my confidence and become my own strongest advocate. At the end of the day, you have to believe in yourself to earn respect and credibility from your colleagues. I focused on learning as much as I could about the mortgage industry at every level by analyzing data and researching trends to connect with different executives and ultimately, grow my career. Anyone who has the drive and work ethic to become successful is entitled to the confidence that comes with that success.
MWM: What is your “why”? What drives everything you do? Think of Simon Sinek. Katie Sweeney: Ultimately, I am driven by opportunities to challenge myself and help others in achieving their full potential. As the EVP of Strategy at AIME, I get to live my “why” on a daily basis. In focusing on how to best serve our membership base, I am constantly bettering myself as I try to set others up for success and provide value in everything we do. I also recognize the importance of holding myself accountable to my “why”. That is why I set ambitious weekly and monthly goals for myself and my team to accomplish by looking at trends, data, and challenges happening within the industry. By doing this, I not only fulfill my “why” of challenging myself, but am also the most informed, helpful version of myself in helping others.
MWM: Anything else you want to add that will help people learn more about you and what makes you amazing? Katie Sweeney: I have spent the first part of my career focused on creating the tools necessary to guide mortgage businesses to success. I’ve launched numerous technological platforms and have led many teams in optimizing workflows, creating engaging customer experiences, and building efficiencies. Now, my focus is on helping the AIME community build sustainable businesses and create success for themselves. My team and I are developing partnerships, trainings, and new initiatives to directly impact the success of the broker channel and empower more borrowers to become homeowners. I have striven to be a transformative voice for the wholesale channel and will continue to do so long after we accomplish our goal of 25 percent broker market share.
MWM: What is your favorite inspirational quote? Katie Sweeney: “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in our absence,” by Sheryl Sandberg. I make it a priority to live by this every single day at AIME. I want the people on my team to be inspired by my work ethic in a way that encourages them to reflect it. To me, that is true leadership.
Tech Talk By Suha Zehl TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
Six months ago, the entire world as we know it was transformed. The COVID-19 pandemic turned our worlds, both professional and personal, upside-down; and, in the blink of an eye, companies had to re-evaluate their continuity plans and scramble to keep their businesses running. Long gone were in-person conferences where lenders hobnobbed with vendors and learned about the latest and greatest new “cool” technologies. The impact of the pandemic was felt far and wide across all industries, and the mortgage lending space was no exception.
In this, the first of several articles, we will explore the long-lasting impact of the pandemic on the mortgage lending space and technology. And in subsequent articles, we will take a deep dive into each of the technology trends shaping the future of our industry as we collectively respond to the digital transformation thrust, willingly or unwillingly, upon many of us.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The pandemic forced everyone to rethink how their businesses are run. Almost overnight, everyone began to work remotely. With historic low rates that continue to show no sign of ebbing, the demand for purchase and refinance business continues to be at an alltime high and customers continue to expect a smooth experience, regardless of the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Couple that with the critical shortage of qualified Operations staff that is significantly stretching the average cycle and response time of many lenders, and you will find organizations that are struggling to find ways to leverage today’s technology, with its rapidly evolving capabilities and integration. All of this in the hopes of meeting their customers’ expectations while improving productivity in this rapidly and continuously evolving situation to drive business growth during these challenging times.
This situation has certainly had a resounding impact on technological innovation and digital transformation. Across industries, organizations are rushing the digital business transformation in response to this unprecedented turn of events. According to a Fortune survey of CEOs done in collaboration with Deloitte, 77 percent of CEOs say that their company’s digital transformation has been accelerated due to the current crisis.
This brought about one of the most impactful technology trends to our space as lenders
were forced to shift to cloud-based solutions and platforms. This facilitated the increase in collaboration (e.g. Zoom, Teams), the powerful shift to automation (e.g. APIs and AI), and the ability to streamline workflows (e.g. bots, integrations). Vendors and fintechs that heard the signals early on and created solutions that addressed these novel, complex challenges for these organizations are now reaping the benefit of their foresight.
INDUSTRY REACTION
In this environment, thriving organizations are those that are nimble enough to know when they need to stop and pivot, sometimes midstream, to accommodate the opportunities created either by the situation itself or the ever-increasing plethora of new technologies available and on offer.
At this crossroad, we find that successful lenders are those that have effectively, and with agility, re-imagined their business by strategically applying a blend of these new technologies, which presented them with the means to strike the right balance between innovation and technology on the one hand and thrilling their customers with a seamless, frictionless experience on the other. The ubersuccessful lenders are those that took the extra measures and sought complementary technology solutions to attract and retain a new generation of employees.
Obviously COVID-19 has caused widespread concern and economic hardship to millions of borrowers in the U.S. At the same time, historically low rates have spurred a refinance-boom that is not slowing down. How organizations respond to these concerns, whether the customer is new, in process, or already closed, is critical to the longevity and future of those relationships. Again, technology can play a strategic role in streamlining communication, providing clear guidance, and improving transparency to an ambiguous, evolving situation.
Lenders that have embraced some of these newer technologies such as automated valuation models (AVMs) as an alternative to appraisals, when feasible, or other virtual service options such as e-signature, hybrid e-close, or remote online notarization (RON) are amplifying their message and demonstrating to their customers that they care about their situation, that they are implementing solutions to alleviate their concerns, and ultimately that they are indeed their trusted partner for life.
BREAKING DOWN THE CHALLENGE
Given the severe economic impact of the pandemic the industry at large is facing, and will continue to face, increasingly difficult decisions are evident as we navigate these unchartered waters.
First and foremost, companies must understand who their target audience is. Business intelligence can play an essential role in providing this critical insight. Data is certainly a differentiator; those who are consuming this data intelligently will certainly gain a competitive advantage. Without this awareness, how can lenders identify what gaps exist, what bottlenecks are causing unnecessary delays, and what changes are not just necessary, but imperative, to drive business growth?
Knowing who their customers are, companies can then strategically examine and select the technology tools they will provide to delight them. However, for many in this space, they
cannot simply consider the external customers, i.e. those “buying” the product. They must also take into consideration their internal customers, i.e. their employees. Why? The answer is quite simple: what is the advantage of having an exceptional front-end omni customer experience if the back-end process is legacy, outdated, and lacking? It may look great on the outside, but if the inside is rusty and clogged, no one is going to bite! To be successful in these current challenging circumstances, companies must leverage the new technology trends to attract the right employees and engage the customers they want to attract.
ATTRACTING THE RIGHT TALENT
The backbone of any organization is its employees. It comes as no surprise that this next generation of employees is digitally native: they are tech savvy and constantly connected, having grown up in an “always on” world that includes the Internet, digital media, and mobile communications devices. Most of this new generation values the technology that a prospective employer will offer them, seeking employers who offer cloud-based systems that support seamless digital collaboration and real-time sharing. Empowering these employees with the right technology is the best way to attract them, make them more productive, and, in turn, drive business growth.
Unlike many industries, the lending space continues to be on a hiring spree as production continues to go through the roof. Many are facing severe shortages in their staffing matrices, specifically processors, underwriters, and closers, and they have resorted to offering “signing bonuses” to attract these highly sought-after employees. And while that may get some lenders over the current hump, the likelihood of retaining these “opportunistic” employees is not extremely high.
Rather, lenders must be deliberate about their recruiting strategies and focused not only on hiring for the short term but hiring and retaining talent for the long term. Again, technology can plan a pivotal role as companies continue to cultivate the remote workforce environment and lean on human resources technology to manage talent acquisition, communication, collaboration, and productivity across the board.
Companies who have chosen to go “digital” in their recruitment, onboarding, and even training practices are seeing a significant return on their investment, with improved employee engagement and increased commitment and productivity. Those who are using technology to shift to a more user-centric focus are seeing an even greater ROI and ensuring they are not only hiring, but also retaining, the best talent; thus, creating a win-win situation.
ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CUSTOMERS
On the flip side, lenders must also leverage technology to engage with and retain the next generation of customers, who in all aspects are remarkably like the new generation of employees, with one added caveat.
In addition to being digitally native, this new generation of customers, the Millennials, the Gen-Z, and even the next generation, Gen Alpha, are increasingly expecting a tailored, “Amazon-like” experience in every interaction, whether online or offline, including the biggest one they will make – buying a home! They truly are not concerned about the problems you are facing with staff shortages or the hiccups in your supply chain (appraisals, title, etc.). They want a frictionless experience in an omnichannel environment that keeps them updated anytime, anywhere, kind of like the Domino’s Pizza Tracker!
These customers can be a disruptive and relevant force on the economy. They are socially conscious, turning to brands and services that offer maximum convenience at an affordable cost on their terms. They are more empowered by information, which is always
available and use it to their advantage. They seek organizations with thriving user communities who are customer-centric.
To accomplish this, companies must begin by mapping out the customer journey, from awareness to advocacy and loyalty, to identify opportunities to differentiate themselves and deliver value at every stage. Those who forgo this critical step and simply think that buying “cool technology” will solve their problems, whatever those “problems” may be, will be sorely disappointed.
Understanding the drivers and motivation of the customer at each stage in the journey is paramount to develop the relevant technology strategy. Asking the right questions at each step will shed clarity and insight, including knowing what the customer is doing and thinking at each step, how they expect to interact with you, and what their concerns or “pain points” may be. From that, you can glean the opportunities that will help identify areas of improvement across the customer’s buying journey. In turn, this will help align the organization’s digital transformation strategically to address these opportunities.
By leveraging technology and the vast amount of behavioral data available, lenders can form strong, well-founded relationships with these customers. By finding meaningful ways to differentiate their products and services, they will successfully connect with and win these customers’ loyalty.
FINAL WORDS
We are living in unprecedented times and we are all struggling with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent post on LinkedIn, Jason Frasier said “The industry as a whole is playing from behind due to the status quo mentality that continues to rear its ugly head.”
In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about disciplined organizations that think differently about technology. Collins sites example after example of companies for whom technology becomes an accelerator of momentum, not a creator of it, further saying you cannot make good use of technology until you know which technologies are relevant to your business.
Fifty years ago, Edward Lorenz, an MIT meteorology professor, had a profound insight: small changes can have large consequences. This insight ultimately became known at the “butterfly effect” and became the founding principle of chaos theory. And while this may appear to be unrelated to financial services, the entire mortgage industry has been making incremental small changes that will have profound consequences on the industry at large.
I will be exploring these, and other technology trends, as they relate to the mortgage lending space, in upcoming articles more fully. If you would like to feature your technology in one of our upcoming articles, please contact the Editor at leora@mortgagewomenmagazine.com to schedule time with me!
Stay tuned!
Suha Beidas Zehl brings over 30 years of global, information technology, and business experience in various industries, most recently in mortgage. She is renowned for her focus and drive to leverage innovation, new technologies, and business intelligence to drive digital transformation and to elevate the customer journey. Suha started her career as a programmer analyst; she has taught at the University level and ran her own successful consulting company before returning to the mortgage industry as an award-winning technology executive and speaker. She is currently the chief analytics officer with Equity Prime Mortgage.
THRIVING
THROUGH THE Holidays
BY JESSICA EHLER
I debated how I wanted to tackle this subject because it’s easy to say “just do less” and “live in the moment,” but our reality as professional women is that the end of the year is extra chaotic. This is our last quarter which means it is our last opportunity to make sure we hit our yearly goals as well as create new ones for next year. Our lives are thrown in a thousand directions, and all of them require us to give, give, give and if you’re anything like me, you want to make this time extra special which requires even more give. The good news is, after 10 years of owning a business and getting through this chaos while adding more and more kids, I have come up with a fail-proof system to thrive instead of surviving.
I do not want to toot my own horn, but “toot-toot” I have become a master of getting it all done (for the most part) and doing it efficiently. I may or may not be a little type A, but now this system will benefit you even if you are not. Being chronically short on time and not wanting to do things more than once is also the key to my insanity… I mean success.
PLAN TO SUCCEED
This may sound a little hokey, but the first thing I want you to do is go somewhere quiet, close your eyes, and visualize what is most important to you during these next couple of months. What makes you happiest during this time of year? What moments are most precious to you? Write them down and center everything else around them. For me, it’s taking time to serve others with my kids and see how happy they are to be giving back. It is having my family over for Thanksgiving, doing craft projects with my kids, and my Christmas day tradition. It is also sitting down with my husband/business partner with a bottle of wine and brainstorming what we want our next year to look like personally and professionally. This is what makes my holiday season special, so all of those items will go on my calendar and the rest can fit around it.
Which leads me to my next tip, make those lists! And I am not talking about the naughty or nice kind. There is so much going on that your lists might need lists, but it’s easier to sit down for an hour and map out the next couple months than to try to wing it and be all over the place. I have six lists. Yes six,
do not judge. A calendar to mark the dates, todo list, weekly grocery list, gift list, and to-buy list where I mark the store down next to it. Finally, if I am hosting an event that requires a separate list. Lists = organization and sanity.
• What big events are happening on what
days? What do you need to bring? Mark your calendar, highlight what you need to bring and add to your to-buy list what you need to purchase. Does it need to be wrapped? Add that to your to-do list with a date by which it needs to be done. What outfit are you going to wear? Write that down too and set it aside in your closet. There is nothing worse than getting ready to go and realizing its dirty or something is missing. • Who needs gifts? Make that list. Then on your to-buy list write everything down and what store you plan to get it from; better yet, buy it online. As soon as you buy that gift, cross it off your list and wrap it! You heard me, wrap it as it comes in. Avoid that Christmas Eve meltdown where you try to wrap 100 things and wish you had fewer children.
• Family pictures: date, time, outfits, and lo-
cation. What do you still need to buy? Put it on the buy list with a date it needs to be done. Not the day you are doing pictures, give yourself a couple days. Don’t forget shoes! • Hosting: What food do you want there? Who is bringing what? Write their name next to it.
Look up the recipes in advance and add all the ingredients you need on that week’s grocery list. You will thank me for not having to go back to the store for anything!
PRIORITIZE
I want to do everything during the holidays. EVERYTHING! Need me to volunteer at school and teach the kids a craft project, for all three of my kids’ classes? Sure! Oh, you need me to bring all the supplies as well and have them in individual bags to save time? No problem! Hold signs all day for the turkey trot? I’d LOVE to! Make the teachers hand-made gifts? Sounds like a must – that probably makes me a better mom. Eye roll. Ok, I do love doing those things, but right now I don’t have the time to do all of it. It’s the biggest refi boom our country has ever seen. And it’s the holidays. And I want to make magical memories for my family. If I did everything that was asked of me, I might actually go crazy! And I have. So now I come up with other ways to participate, but on my own time. • I created my own turkey drive so that I can pick what day to do it on because fitting into other peoples’ volunteer schedules was too much. • Now, I don’t do the class craft, but the kids and I make a yummy dessert together for them to take to their party – quality time, holiday baking, and participate, check! Make it a pizza night so you do not have to cook two things, double check! • Family photos are done in October and cards are ordered immediately after – I do not have time for that nonsense in December. Mark on my calendar what day they go out and spend the extra money to have the company address them for you. • You know those cute little checklists with a holiday activity a day? The kind with the silent guilt trip that if you love your kids you will do ALL these items to make their holidays special? Yeah, I can’t do all of that, so I ask my kids what is most important to them and pencil in my calendar what day we can do it – ice skating Tuesday the 8th, Santa Friday the 11th, gingerbread houses when Grandma comes for dinner on the 16th, etc.
I want to make the holidays magical for my kids and I want to take the extra time to give back to those who need a little extra help, but I want to enjoy it too, sans guilt.
MAKE HEALTH A PRIORITY
You can’t pour from an empty cup so please take care of yourself. If you have not been, start today, if you have been, don’t stop now! If you go down, how is all this stuff that is so important to you even going to get done? I always wrap
together mental health and physical health because they truly do go hand-in-hand. If you are stressed out mentally and emotionally, your body feels it and that’s why physical activity is often recommended for stress relief. You do not have to have a killer workout; sometimes this is as simple as putting your phone down and going for a walk in the neighborhood. There are so many free workouts ranging from yoga to dance to bodyweight interval training on YouTube that you can do in your house, so pandemic-friendly, no excuses. Whatever floats your boat. Just move your body and I promise you will feel better physically and emotionally, and it will give you more energy to tackle those crazy lists!
You know what else is great for your mental health? Gratitude. I like to journal five quick things I am grateful for every day, but you can even just sit somewhere quiet for two minutes and create a mental list. It will really help you gain perspective, especially during times of chaos. The other day my kids were losing it while I was cooking dinner; whining, following me around, fighting with each other. You know, normal kid stuff, and I was about to snap. I stopped, took a deep breath, looked around at everything in front of me, and came up with a quick list of what I was grateful for in that moment, which is hard when your kids make you want to run away, but it absolutely helped. It was as easy as 1) I really love my kitchen; 2) Some people aren’t even fortunate enough to know where their next meal is coming from; 3) My potty-training toddler looks so cute running around in those little undies; 4) My glass of wine; and, 5) My big kids can help with the dishes. That was seriously it! I am a hot head, so that little trick really saves me. Last but not least enjoy ALL the holiday foods, drink the eggnog, just practice moderation, drink your water, and take your vitamins.
SAY NO
You can still enjoy the holiday without all the self-imposed expectations. Decide what fits your family and what traditions are actually important to you. OR deviate from the traditions that had you feeling trapped and start your own! Because of divorces, my husband and I were dragging our kids to four different family gatherings on Christmas day. The kids couldn’t take good naps, and, by the end of the day, were having meltdowns. One family was upset that we had eaten at the previous family’s house, the other family has expensive antiques all over that a two-year old can easily break, so I had to run around like a nut to protect the valuables, and the last house was always the guilt trip over us running late and EVERYONE was waiting on us. We absolutely hated it and I would even get hives while getting ready because I was pre-stressed knowing how it would go.
So, one year we said no! We sat in our pajamas all Christmas day, making a big fancy breakfast together, playing with our new things, watching movies, and ordering sushi for dinner. This is now my kids’ favorite day of the year; before, they did not enjoy Christmas the “traditional” way and neither did I. No family guilt either because I make it a point to visit them on other days. I do Christmas Eve with my family and New Year’s Eve with my husband’s. Instead of fitting into the box, we made our own box. This will look different for everyone, maybe you love the family hustle, but something else makes you crazy. The point is that you get to decide what crazy fits your family and saying no does not make you selfish; it keeps you sane.
As I said at the beginning, I’m a master of getting it all done, but the key is that it’s all of things that are important to me. Sure, you will always have obligations that aren’t exactly what you want to be doing, but if something is truly miserable or such a time suck that it causes you to fail in other areas, why are you doing it?
On a final note, I want to remind you to give yourself a little grace and remember that you are doing the best you can. This can be a really hard season, but your mindset going into it can make all the difference.
Jessica Ehler is a loan officer and CFO of The Ehler Lending Team in Gilbert, AZ. She holds a BS in Exercise Science from Arizona State University and has been a gym owner for eight years. Fitness is still an integral part of her life. She is married to her loan partner and they have three amazing little boys.
MORTGAGE MOMS
BY ASHLEY GRAVANO
TECHNOLOGY
Technology. In many ways it’s a blessing, and, in my opinion, in many ways it’s a curse. Those of us in the “biz” a while (and I won’t age myself) remember paper files stacked to the tippy top of our desks. Could you imagine that in today’s world, especially during a pandemic working from home?! I could not! It has made processing and communicating so much easier and better without a doubt. But in what ways has it hurt? Are you a text or email person or do you prefer a good old-fashioned phone call or in person meeting? It really does make you think. What technology could we NOT live without at work? The list is endless these days with all the apps and systems from which to choose. Lenders and title companies alike could not keep up in the environment we are in without technology! Then we shift gears and think about our kids and managing their technology, how is it hurting and helping them all at the same time… Not many kids are playing flashlight tag or hide and seek like I did as a kid. They are playing Fortnite, obsessing over TikTok, and looking for Pokemon’s. Again, a blessing yet in some ways a curse. I certainly am guilty of allowing too much screen time while managing a household and work. How do we find that balance at home and work? Are we sacrificing our kids’ personal social skills by allowing too much use of technology? I asked the selected Mortgage Mom’s these questions this month. 1. From a business viewpoint: What technology do you feel a lender cannot live without? 2. From a mom’s viewpoint: a. Are you an iPad at the dinner table Mom? b. What quick tech tip can you share with the Moms out there juggling long hours and motherhood?
CASEY HUGHES WADE
Vice President, Relationship Manager SLK Global Solutions 1. This seemed like a trick question; with all the mortgage tech in the market today, and there is a lot. Nothing in my opinion is more important to a lender than their LOS: Preferably an LOS with an open API system to seamlessly integrate with additional technology partners, empowering the lender to streamline and automate the mortgage manufacturing process while creating a simple, easy borrower experience. 2. My son is six and we have another little one on the way. In a perfect world, absolutely not. Who would do such a thing? Not me, dinner is about connecting and spending time as a family. No technology at the table, EVER!! Although this is my ideal answer, it is definitely not the truth, and, as a working mom, I am all about being real. Real-life mom answer: I use technology all the time to give myself more bandwidth. I am certain there are times that my son has been at the dinner table on his tablet while I’m working on a project, cook-
ing dinner, or perhaps experiencing exhaustion on the couch. Lol. As Moms, we do the best we can, and each day our best looks a little different. I gave up trying to be perfect a long time ago and instead I strive to be kind and loving and present for my family. Sometimes that means taking breaks, with the help of technology, so that I can take a few moments for myself to reset or catch my breath so that I can be the best version of me possible.
I love sharing tips with other moms! When my son was a baby, I swore by the app, Wonder Weeks. It seriously changed my life by providing weekly updates on my baby’s mental development. It was incredibly accurate for our family and helped me navigate shifts in my son’s behavior and sleeping patterns. If you have a baby, download this app!! And if you are a new mom, definitely download this app. Fast-forward to helpful technology for first graders, I’m in love with the Google Home Mini. My son loves music and loves asking questions. This solves both. He can ask Google any silly thing he wants. He can also search for music artists and play his own music without staring at a screen. It even has options to tell stories and share riddles. Because it is so small and simple, it often finds its way to our front window. With the window open, my son will hang out in the front yard while DJing music for the neighbor kids. They love it and obviously, we have become the "cool" front yard that all the kids love to hang out at. Other than those two tips, my only solid mom advice on technology that I swear by is this: regardless of what it looks like to others, always do what is best for your family! You know your kids and your home best.
CATE DALTON
EVP, Customer Advocacy Mortgage Cadence 1. Their smart phone. We will continue to see technology designed for consumer use, which includes lender staff as well. Just look at how remote work took off this year as a result of COVID-19. A Mortgage Cadence / Accenture study showed us that digitally driven lenders thrived during this time. 2. I raised my kiddos (now 20 and 18) without technology at the dinner table. Though, I think I was more excited about their TV programs than they were… guilty of the occasional “TV Babysitter.” I think there is great opportunity at the dinner table for kids to learn and practice manners, not just “table manners” but also how to have conversation. My kids, my husband, and I all learned a lot about patience and tolerance too! I remember being at a Sunday brunch with my family and parents. My son and daughter began their usual whining and moaning. My son said, “This is SO boring. Nana and Papa, can’t you quit talking so we can go?” As I began to tell my son that was not appropriate, my
mother, aka “Nana” whispered in my ear, “This is so good for them! They are learning tolerance, which they will need as they get older.” That helped me get through some of the more difficult restaurant experiences. Another tip a mother gave me in my younger years is to remember with whom is my lifelong relationship. It’s not the table of people next to me staring at the mess my child just made. It’s my child. That helped a lot!
What quick tech tip (could be an app you swear by or rules for tech in the house) can you provide the mom’s out there juggling long hours and motherhood? Use technology to be your best self and get the family involved. We have a smart home and swear by it! Alexa knows what’s on the grocery list and I don’t have to ask anyone in the house what they want at the store. I don’t even have to be the one to shop. What we’ve learned is that it isn’t enough to “have” the app or smart device, but we have to agree as a family, or parents, how we will use it to our advantage. The extra investment in deciding which lights should turn on automatically, which calendars we share, and even what social media and games we play together, have made a difference! My husband and I love to compete against each other learning Spanish on Duolingo. My daughter and I have some of our funniest times making TikTok videos. My son and I love supporting our personal growth through The Pattern. AND, the whole family goes crazy with SnapChat!
CHRISTINE BECKWITH
President & COO Vision for Success Coaching 1. Monday.com we use it for everything. 2. No, we sit to eat as a family sans electronics.
Quick Tip: Be mobile, master your iPhone abilities, it works longer hours than my computer.
LORI ALLEN
SVP, Mortgage Services Services Security Service Federal Credit Union 1. Unfortunately, in this day and age cybersecurity risks are all around us and because lenders leverage technology with multiple third-party service providers across platforms and store a vast amount of nonpublic information, it is imperative to have a first in class cybersecurity software that monitors and immediately remediates identified cyber threats and vulnerabilities. 2. No, I do not think I would because when I was raised, dinner time was family time and that is how I raised my son. It was our time to talk about our day, what things were going on in our lives, and share great laughs! I really think it helped our family to learn to express ourselves and effectively communicate our thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Even though he is 30, when we have dinner together, we talk to each other and do not let technology get in the way of great conversation.
My son is older and I hear Moms talk all the time about apps that help them keep their children safe when they are using apps online and active on social media. Also, setting time limits their children are allowed to be online so they maintain a healthy balance between technology and being active.
Ashley Gravano brings over two decades of success and experience in the title and settlement industry, devising and executing strategies while leading team efforts that have produced conclusive results, valuable business partnerships and solid growth avenues for real estate products and services. With this experience, Gravano joined MC in 2019 as VP of Product Solutions bringing MC’s products to market. Just recently, Gravano was promoted to VP of Communications and Business Development at Mortgage Cadence and will focus on expanding the Mortgage Cadence brand through both existing and new industry channels. Gravano serves as an influencer and is well known throughout the mortgage industry for her online presence.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
INVISIBLE VETERANS: What Happens When Military Women Become Civilians Again
BY: KATE HENDRICKS THOMAS
Combining research with narrative, this book exposes common threads of lived experience and reviews the latest data on military women and their healthy reintegration into civilian society. Female veterans share their stories of seeking to be seen in a culture where they don't quite fit and their struggles to find community and friendship. Some fought during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as the first women in combat in American history.
How and where, for example, does a female combat Marine find her tribe once she leaves the service? Through the stories of these courageous yet entirely human women, readers learn about the experiences of a new and often forgotten generation of veterans; about the challenges surrounding family and career choices that millions of American women face; and ultimately, about sacrifice, resiliency, loss, and love.
This book will inform readers with an interest in female veterans and women's health and mental health issues, as well as researchers, students, and professionals working in fields encompassing women's psychology, health, and social work.
Spotlights personal experiences of female veterans through interviews
Includes cutting-edge research on obstacles female veterans face and solutions
Addresses emotional, physical, sexual, social, and financial health issues for female veterans who are single, married, divorced, mothers, culture-diverse, mid-life, and elderly
Includes text on resilience for female veterans and how some are becoming leaders in business, politics, and advocacy
Remember all the technologies of days gone by? Bag phones, flip phones, blackberries., beepers, thermal fax. That unforgettable dial up modem song that preceded hitting up the world wide web with our our AOL account and then … “you’ve got mail.” Rotary phones, floppy disks, cassette tapes, overhead projectors, Walkman, Atari…I could go on forever, but alas, I date myself. And if these items sound familiar, perhaps some of you too!
Technology has changed our world forever: how we work, play, exercise, relax and even fall in love. In this issue of Ask the Experts, you will hear some truly amazing stories from some truly amazing women, sharing how technology has changed their own lives. AMY SWANEY, CMB Branch Manager Citywide Home Loans In the first mortgage company where I worked, the owner struggled to get the staff to embrace email. The LOS was an HP12c and an NCR Good Faith Estimate. Borrowers sat with you to complete the handwritten 1003 and bring you documents. Relationships mattered.
Thirty years later, I take an application on my cell phone, laptop, or iPad. My clients contact me on email, video, DMs, and text. We service more customers, in less time. Relationships have shifted to convenience. This flexibility allowed us access to work when and where we want, twenty-four hours a day.
In 2020 when a pandemic forced us to slow down and consider what really mattered, I realized the same technology that marginalized relationships was also what kept us together. Families could stay connected, and many could work remote, so their health and jobs were protected. For me, balance in technology is what is essential. As Christian Louis Lange opined, “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”
MEL MARSH VP of Digital Marketing Cardinal Financial Company, LLC I could talk about how technology has changed at work (typewriters to tablets) but what has really improved my life is streaming fitness. Getting to the gym was always hard for me, with triplets, pets, a spouse, and being a self-confessed workaholic. There never seemed to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. When the day's work finally ended, I would happily fall down some internet rabbit hole learning about a new technology or some such. Ten months ago, I was introduced to Beachbody On Demand. Just 30 minutes a day of high intensity interval training (HIIT). Thirty minutes working from home is easy enough to find in a day. I have added in running too on alternating days (praise Brooks for Ghost 12's!) and I am closing in on a 40-pound weight loss. Thank you to the Technology Gurus who brought digital fitness to my phone. Game changer for me!
BARB MCGARVEY Marketing Director Allied Mortgage Group Technology has allowed me to stay connected with friends and family and share in milestone moments even with COVID.
My nephew and his fiancée were supposed to get married in September with over 300 hundred people in attendance. COVID altered their plans significantly; they postponed the huge reception for one year and went forward with a much smaller wedding ceremony with under 40 people in attendance. But around the country, many of the family members unable to travel attended via Zoom, including my 91-year-old mother who is in lockdown at an assisted care facility and my sister living in Portland, OR. While they watched the streaming ceremony, we chatted via instant messaging. It was an amazing event for everyone!
I remember when fiber optic technology was introduced and here we are today, running businesses remotely and staying connected globally. I cannot wait to see what comes next! LAURA ESCOBAR President Eagle Home Mortgage Our vision is to create the world’s simplest path to homeownership. We are on a mission to remove all friction points from the mortgage process, both for our customers AND associates.
Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first. So, for me, leveraging technology to improve the associate experience is just as important as customer-facing innovations. Whether you’re removing repetitive processes with bots or creating a more social organization by leveraging the latest collaboration tools, putting your associates at the heart of your technology strategy will lead to success.
Although we are working from home, our people feel more connected than ever. This is part of our #remotebutconnected efforts. Through weekly video and photo contest on Yammer, to a more robust internal communications program, we are thriving in business while also maintaining our family culture.
In my personal life, Peloton has been a gamechanger. I am a spin class fanatic!
ELIZABETH HILLESTAD SVP of Marketing Civic Financial Services Staying connected in our post-COVID world… Thank goodness we had all this video conferencing technology, from Zoom to Teams to Slack, even Facetime. These tools have been essential to staying connected with team members, colleagues, friends, and family. Our team keeps our cameras on during all meetings so we can see each other and stay engaged and get personal. Makes telephone conference calls seem incredibly impersonal and distant. And whenever I’m on one of those calls, I think “I WANT TO SEE FACES!” I couldn’t imagine how disconnected we would be without simple, easy-to-use video conferencing technology.
LAURA SCHREIBER Senior Vice President of Training Content and Communication Guaranteed Rate For mortgage companies, the pandemic presented new challenges. Guaranteed Rate’s innovative lending technology and comprehensive employee engagement enabled us to continue running business as usual, but even better. Today, almost 100 percent of our internal mortgage operations are executed remotely and we are relentlessly pursuing new channels. Guaranteed Rate CEO, Victor Ciardelli, has a way of tapping into the zeitgeist and anticipating the “next big thing.” He always believed that a truly contact-free, borrower-driven mortgage process would revolutionize our industry. In March, we quickly leveraged eClose for a 100 percent remote closing with remote online notarization, allowing qualified borrowers in many states to complete the entire closing appointment safely at home. Because of our proprietary online collaboration and pipeline management system, comprehensive online employee communication and resource platforms, our workforce is more productive and efficient. KASIA STEPHENSON VP, Director of Marketing Sierra Pacific Mortgage Connectivity plays a huge role in my life. Being able to access work email from virtually anywhere has helped me in so many ways. It gives me the flexibility I need as a working mom to not only be there for my family but also handle work priorities. This past summer, I went on vacation, and, due to COVID, we decided to drive. Of course, a big project was launching at the same time. Since I had access to work email via my phone, I was able to answer important questions without impacting the deadline from the passenger’s seat. Ten years ago, this would not have been possible. Technology allows today’s working women to be present for their families, responsive to work demands, and helps maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Sue Woodard is the chief customer officer at Total Expert. She can be reached at sue.woodard@totalexpert.com.
TRAILBLAZERS: BLAZING A PATH ... RAISING THE BAR
CAUSE OF THE MONTH
WHAT IT IS
Founder Serene Singh, a Rhodes Scholar and former Miss Colorado Teen, created The Serenity Project after seeing the effects of unhealthy beauty ideals through her pageantry and modeling experience. She created this non-profit to give tools to at-risk women after losing a best friend to suicide. While working in the US Senate on violence, trafficking, and rape policies she noticed womxn survivors were never in-charge of the settings where changes impacting survivors were created. Serene dreamt of empowering survivors to dream again. Transforming pain into power has been Serene’s mission with The Serenity Project since its start.
VISION
The Serenity Project aims to empower resilient womxn who have persevered through life’s greatest hurdles by challenging unhealthy beauty standards, the rising number of suicide attempts, and the lack of support, tools, and skills survivors receive to grow through trauma they have gone through.
WHAT THEY DO
The Serenity Project journey starts with a kick-off fashion show aimed at challenging our society’s notion of “beauty,” celebrating these womxn in the project to step out of their comfort zones and connect with their limitless potential, and inspire all womxn to persevere and find strength in celebration and community.
The Soaring Curriculum is a 12-chapter year-long curriculum aiming to support the womxn in their personal and professional development through challenges, projects, weekly exercises, inspiring womxn speakers, readings, and much more. The curriculum runs alongside The Serenity Project Mentorship program from the start of February, one week before the fashion show, for approximately one year. Some examples of themes for chapters are self-image, independent exploration, professional development, and impactful storytelling.
The curriculum name, Soaring, comes from the idea that the womxn are much like butterflies, taking their wings and soaring to new heights. Ultimately it serves to continue their growth in being brave enough to fly.
Participants are paired with amazing mentors to create their projects. The Serenity Project womxn have developed projects for many causes including acid-attack victims, PTSD survivors, and anti-bullying groups - paying their experiences forward to empower other womxn!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Donate • Become a participant! • Become a mentor, which is a 12-month commitment • Volunteer- recruiting, creating curriculum, speaking at one of the many workshops offered
I am doing what I love with the people that I love.
