Art of Mortgage Marketing (Doren Aldana)

We’re on the brink of a new year, and with that comes a ton of opportunity. However, it also comes with a lot of uncertainty, and many LOs are starting to worry about what their businesses will look like in the coming months.

Are we likely to see an increase in rates and a decrease in inventory in the near future, and what would that mean for our business? More importantly, will it matter at all?

What can we do now to position ourselves to prosper in the face of anything 2021 throws our way?

In this episode, I share the steps guaranteed to make 2021 our year of domination, no matter what.

It’s time to get yourself prepared and positioned to prosper, regardless of market conditions. -Doren Aldana

Three Things You'll Learn From This Episode

• Why clarity is the first step to creating the lives we want:  How can we create a clear, compelling vision for what we want to achieve in 2021? What's the most effective day-to-day game plan to crush our targets?
• How to tap into our true ‘why':  It’s one thing to have dreams for the future, but what happens if we don’t make them a reality? What’s at stake for us and our families?
• The power of identifying the gap:  How big is the gap between where we are now and where we want to be, and what can we do to bridge the divide, while working SMARTER, not harder?

With so many people hunkering down waiting for this covid-19 storm to blow over, it’s easy to think that it’s impossible to grow your business right now. But even in the midst of a storm, there are still opportunities to build relationships with top-producing agents and become their exclusive partners.

In fact, right now we can use the state of the market to make moves to win. We just need to have the right weapons in our arsenals. What are some of the biggest mistakes and missteps that make agents not want to work with you? 

How can you go from grovelling for business to mutual loyalty and partnership? In this episode, I talk about an effective and efficient system to attract cream-of-the-crop Realtor partners with zero chasing, begging or bribing. I reveal a system that can take you from frustration and stagnation to 11 appointments in one day without a single cold call.

 Use the turbulence to get better, wiser and sharper and to win. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways  

• You can never attract and work with top producers if you’re not working to raise your own standards, routines and activities. 
• This is the best time to expand, because everyone else is contracting. Some of the biggest increases in market share happen in times like this. 
• Now more than ever, Realtors want to talk to mortgage officers who can truly add value and solve their problems. 

For most mortgage pros, the very idea of relocating is enough to leave them shaking in their boots. 

What would it take for us to feel confident enough in our abilities that even if we had to move across state lines, we would crush it? Is it possible to dominate it in a whole new market, from the moment we step foot on the new territory?

In this episode, I’m sharing how to not only move into a new market, but build a next-level pipeline while doing it. 

"It's certainly very doable to reach your income goals in record time, as long as you’re doing it the smart way." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to pinpoint the top producers in a new market How can we get started on our outreach to the top dogs before we’ve even arrived in their markets? 

• How to work with the best and forget all the rest Is there a way to bypass the low-producing Realtors in our market from the get go?

• The key to impressing Realtors in the first meeting So, we’ve enticed top producers into a meeting. How can we ensure it all goes smoothly once we’re in the same room?

The last few years have been incredible for mortgage pros, with the refi boom offering up an abundance of low-hanging fruit. However, when that fruit starts drying up, it’s time to start looking for our bounty elsewhere, and the best option available to us is the purchase market. 

The problem is, now that we’ve become so accustomed to refis, many LOs just don’t know how to approach the purchase market anymore. 

How can we make the necessary shift away from refis before it’s too late? What are the key differences between the refi and purchase markets, anyway?

In this episode, I’m sharing the tidbits you need to know about moving into the purchase space, no matter how long you’ve been relying on refi deals. 

Pivoting from refi business to the purchase market is the equivalent of building the mansion of your dreams on a rock solid foundation, not quicksand. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The unique benefits of the purchase market What is it that makes purchase such a solid foundation for a business, in the first place? 

• How to tell if you’re doing it the hard way Is moving into the purchase space really as tough as most LOs make it out to be, or is that just a self-limiting belief we’ve bought into? 

• 1 way to work smarter and faster Does success in the purchase market have a ‘cheat code’?

It's still a challenging market with rates high and inventory low, but remember, it's not the market, it's your marketing – AND YOUR MINDSET! It's all about controlling what's INSIDE of your control, and obviously, you cannot control market conditions. What you CAN control is your daily activities, what you focus on, and the spirit you bring to those activities, and that makes all the difference in the world when it comes to your results.

Have you ever wondered how the TOP 1% income earners think and that allows them to earn 10X more than the average LO? What do they know that you don't when it comes to their ability to stay resourceful and show up confidently in the face of obstacles? How do they turn adversity into opportunity that puts wads of cash in their wallet?

In today’s episode, I reveal 5 key ways top producers think differently than the average LO and how you can apply these mindsets to your mortgage career. By the end, you will have the tools to break through barriers and reach new heights of success despite the current market.

To accelerate your speed of success, you must accelerate your speed of failure, and top producers embrace the concept called fail forward fast. –Doren Aldana

Things you’ll learn:

-How top producers defy common sense and conventional wisdom.

-How the elite high achievers deal with failure that sets them apart from the pack.

-How the top dogs relate to discomfort and build consistency in their daily disciplines.

-Techniques top producers use to maintain peace and calm, enabling them to solve problems more effectively.

-How top producers make decisions that allow them to accelerate their success.

The biggest thing holding people back from achieving the lives of their dreams isn’t a lack of talent or capacity -  it’s fear. Fear is something we all experience at some point, but we shouldn’t allow it to control us and hold us back. 

Is it possible to eradicate fear?  If so, do we even want to get rid of it? What are we afraid of in the first place?

Fear is a natural human condition, and having it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With that said, we can learn to gain authority over it.

On this episode, we discuss the 3 types of fear that hold mortgage professionals back from achieving their dreams and how to overcome them. 

Rise up and gain authority over your fears. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• Everyone fears failure, but we have to remind ourselves that without risk, there can be no reward. Stop letting the fear of failure stunt growth!
• Something that stops a lot of us from claiming the life we deserve is fear of embarrassment. However, we have to remind ourselves that just as much as putting ourselves out there can cause people to judge us, it can also get them to love us. 
• Most of us have felt the fear of not being enough. The best way to overcome this is by knowing we were created to serve a purpose and are destined for greatness - of course we’re enough!

With a new year comes the opportunity to redefine our energies, and in 2022, I’m urging you all to adopt the energy of champions. 

What would it take for us to believe we couldn’t fail this year? How can we get into the mindset that dictates success is not only achievable, but ours for the taking? 

In this episode, I’m sharing how to start thinking like the WINNERS we’ve been called to be, so we can stop doing it the hard way, already!

"If you want to attract the 10s, you’ve got to BE a 10." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to break the cycle of meetings that go NOWHERE How can we stop regurgitating the same-old, bare minimum speech every other LO is pitching and start showing Realtors the kickass value we bring to the table? 

• 1 way to kick battery drainers to the curb, once and for all How can we align ourselves with the A-players, so we’re never at the mercy of unreliable Realtors again? 

• The truth about a rollercoaster income Is it really normal to have an inconsistent income, or could that be a symptom of a poor game plan? 

Our special Halloween podcast episode was streamed live on Halloween, but it was just too scary-awesome not to share with you…. 

Most mortgage pros feel trapped in a haunted house of inconsistent income, where leads vanish like ghosts and referrals are as scarce as full moons. It’s a frightening reality for many mortgage pros, plagued by unresponsive clients, dead leads gathering cobwebs, and pipelines running bone-dry. 

These spooky symptoms are enough to give anyone the chills—but here’s the twist: with just a few eerie-sistible strategies, you can scare away scarcity, resurrect those “lost” leads, and cast a spell of consistent growth in your business.

Are you clinging to the belief that borrower scarcity and ghosting clients are just the nature of the game, when this haunting, growth-killing mindset might be the very curse holding your pipeline in the graveyard?

What if a few “ghoulishly good” strategies could put an end to sleepless nights, transform “ghost” clients into loyal fans, and break the spell that keeps mortgage pros trapped in the income dungeon?

In this Halloween special episode, we’re conjuring up 3 frighteningly easy strategies to breathe life back into your borrower pipeline and keep the clients rolling in. Spook your competition and watch your pipeline fill up, leaving you cackling all the way to the bank!

You’ll also learn:

• How to stop borrowers from ghosting you with a powerful little-known strategy
• How to resurrect dead leads and turn them into raving fans 
• Simple ways to automate your follow-up and keep the haunt out of high-value leads
• Strategies for putting your pipeline on hyper-growth that won’t die by Halloween next year
• Why waiting for business is scarier than cold calling (and how to flip that fear on its head once and for all)

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

In the mortgage industry we’re often chasing down Realtors and working long hours putting power in the hands of others, but this doesn’t have to be our reality. What if we could flip the script and put the power back in our own hands?

By putting more value on our time, and owning the gifts we bring to the marketplace, we can attract the right clients instead of trying to convince any Realtor to work with us.

In this episode I talk with Tyshawn Young about how she put more value on her time, her decision to limit who she works with and how that all led to her doubling her income in just three months.

We can’t change our reality until we face our reality. -Doren Aldana  

Three Things We Learned  

• How to show that we value our time How can we shift our mindset about time and work productively while not giving up personal time for ourselves?
• Why we should focus on attracting, not chasing How do we align our business to attract Realtors and clients without having to chase them down?
• Why it doesn’t take much to stand out Can we stand out and differentiate ourselves by simply asking the right questions and providing solutions in a way nobody else is?

More often than not, our failure to reach our goals isn’t coming from incompetence, but because we’re unknowingly getting in our own way. The good news is, once we pinpoint the things we’re doing to self-sabotage, we can cut them out for good. 

However, identifying the things we’re doing to hold ourselves back can be easier said than done. How can we diagnose our problem areas, so we can bounce into a season of health, wealth and prosperity? What are the common blindspots for mortgage professionals and how can we quit letting them shroud our success? 

In this episode, I’m summing up the 3 ways LOs are holding themselves back from their biggest wins, so we can put a stop to them TODAY. 

"There is no breakthrough WITHOUT that isn’t preceded by breakthrough WITHIN." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How a poor self image is robbing us of happiness How much joy are we giving up by believing that we’re only worthy of love, acceptance and success when we’re actively doing something? 

• How to stop letting sucky emotions dictate our next moves Are we making poor business decisions because we’re too caught up in fear? 

• The key to kicking bad strategies to the curb Why are we choosing to do things the hard way and what can we do to break the cycle?

None of us want to feel like we’re loan leeches, begging Realtors for their time, but so often, that’s what happens. How do we break that cycle?

We know we add a ton of value, so it’s time to stop haggling Realtors and let them know we hold the cookie. How can we adopt an attraction-based approach and kick our prospecting pleas to the curb, once and for all?

Is it possible to get maximum results without buying into dark age techniques like cold calling?

In this episode, mortgage specialist at Directors Mortgage, Kristin Keith shares how her experience at Mortgage Marketing Coach SUPERSIZED her business in just 2 months.  

"When it comes to success, there is no ‘try’, you're either doing it or not." -Kristin Keith

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

• How to spend our time doing what WORKS Networking events aren’t all bad, but are they really the best, most productive use of our time?
• How to get more RELIABLE results Are we really willing to sit with feelings of angst and sleepless nights for the rest of our working lives?
• Why mindset matters more than we think Whether they’re athletes, world leaders, or business owners, all of the greats have a strong mindset in common. Why would it be any different for mortgage pros? 

Guest Bio -

Kristin Keith is a mortgage specialist at Directors Mortgage in Eugene, Oregon. Passionate about helping people, Kristin has spent over a decade in loans and the last four in mortgages. 

To find out more, go to:

https://www.directorsmortgage.com/loan-officer/kristin-keith/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-keith-a2487515

2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year—uncertain markets, relatively high rates, rising challenges, and heightened competition are leaving many feeling stuck. But here's the reality: success isn’t determined by external forces—it’s determined by YOU.

If you're still relying on outdated strategies, hoping for a break, 2025 might be the year you get left behind. On the flip side, with the right mindset and approach, it could be the year you break through to the next level like never before. Many professionals are spinning their wheels, relying on hope instead of adopting the habits that create real momentum. But the top 1%? They play the game differently—thinking bigger, acting smarter, and executing with precision.

So, where do you stand? Have you set small, "safe" goals that limit your potential? Are your actions sporadic, leaving you stuck in the same place year after year? The top performers don’t operate like that—they define their vision for success, strategize, and most importantly, act.

Do you have a clear picture of what "winning" looks like in 2025? What if, instead of chasing opportunities, you positioned yourself as a trusted leader in your industry, attracting collaborators and brand ambassadors who view you as indispensable?

In this episode, we’ll break down the key principles that make top producers different - principles that most everyone else neglects. We’ll reveal the actions that create unstoppable momentum and build a business that thrives, regardless of the challenges around you.

You’ll learn:

• Serving over selfishness and why the most successful LOs are the biggest givers
• How to chart your course to victory in the midst of the thickest market fog
• Why success, growth and prosperity often lie on the other side of the “cul-de-sac of suck”
• How top-producers define success and happiness (hint: it’s not money)

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Every loan officer wants a business that is stable, systems-driven, and allows them to work with the best people. The problem is, through mistakes and the wrong methods, they end up stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. 

Right under our noses are business pillars that take us away from the drudgery of cold calling the same unenthusiastic agents all the time. 

We want a business that can work and generate income when we’re not working, and a way for us to achieve that coveted top-of-mind awareness.

The good news is, this is all within reach if we push the pedal on the right things. What is the shortest path to quality leads? How can we create content that takes us from chasing mediocre clients to attracting all-stars? In this episode, I share how to generate business by focusing on the assets that are already working in our favor.  

The shortest path to the cash will always be inextricably linked with attracting clients, not chasing them. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

Why we shouldn’t neglect our databases

If you have a database, treat it as an asset and not an afterthought. Building a system that allows us to consistently provide clients with value is the fastest and shortest path to cash. 

How to turn your business into a client magnet

The loan professionals who are on the shortest path to cash are the ones who position themselves as preeminent experts. If you don’t position yourself, you’ll become a replaceable commodity, and you will always have to chase clients. 

The power of referrals 

Referrals are a low hanging fruit if we are looking for the shortest path to the cash. The people who are happy with our work are the ones most likely to refer us to their circle. It’s easier to get referrals when we do such great work that our clients become our fans.

Even the most well-meaning, well-intentioned mortgage pro won’t be able to reach their dreams if they’re falling prey to stinkin’ thinking, so it’s imperative that we’re cultivating the mindsets of winners. 

The question is, how does a winner think? More importantly, where are the mediocre majority going so wrong, and what can we do to shift the way we approach the business? 

In this episode, I’m delving into the default excuses mortgage pros use that only hold us back from our full potential.

"Once you get your thinking aligned, it's just a matter of time before you get champion level results." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The 1 thing that keeps us on the hamster wheel indefinitely How can we banish the idea that ‘more money means more work’ from our lexicon altogether? 

• Why being ‘realistic’ is the first step towards mediocrity Why are we settling for ‘reasonable’ goals when it’s possible to create a life of magic?

• How to kick our concept of ‘greed’ to the curb Are we of the mind that attaining wealth is morally wrong?

Are you stuck in a rut of resistance, feeling powerless to make progress in the face of rising rates and low inventory? If you’re looking to break free from frustration and unlock new opportunities, this message is for you…

Picture this: getting past your obstacles, reigniting power to thrive, and boosting your confidence with a proven plan for prosperity.

Think that’s a pipe dream? Think again!

Case in point, Bernadette Laxamana went from having her best year yet in 2022 to being in the dumps, depressed, dejected, and frustrated because her income tanked and she didn’t know how to get out of her funk.

She reached out to us for help and the rest is history…

Thanks to our proven Realtor Attraction system, Bernadette was able to attract 16 VIP Realtor partners and build a $9.5+ million pipeline from scratch - without making a single cold call. How awesome is that!?

Listen in to this inspiring new episode as Bernadette Laxamana shares her zero-to-hero success story, and more importantly, how she was able to create a massive breakthrough in the face of one of the toughest markets this industry has ever seen…. 

Things you’ll learn: 

-How to unlock millions in your pipeline with innovative strategies—no cold calls, no begging, no butt kissing. 

-How to rebound from setbacks and rekindle your inner fire to turn adversity into opportunity 

-How to bring MASSIVE VALUE to your partners so they make you their EXCLUSIVE PARTNER

-How to recapture your LOVE for the business (and your LOVE for life) by becoming the BEST VERSION of yourself

-And much, much more!

Success is an easy enough concept on paper: it's the one thing we all want. However, when it comes to making it a reality, it's not always clear-cut. What is it that makes mortgage pros so great at overcomplicating their approach? 

How can we simplify our strategies so we can make our dreams a reality without adding unnecessary steps to the mix? Could cutting out the complexity actually improve our results? 

In this episode, I share how elegant simplicity can get us working less, making more, and having a whole lot of fun along the way.

"Come back to the fundamentals that will get you to your income goals faster and easier." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why buying leads is a bad idea Why waste a ton of time and money sifting through gravel, looking for diamonds? 

• Why internet leads should only ever be an add-on Does putting all our focus on smaller prizes really sound like a good idea? 

• How saving a buck trying to DIY comes at a price Getting it right ain't an easy code to crack, so why take the risk of getting it wrong and adding another hurdle to the mix? 

In our business, there are top earners, and there is everyone else…so what would it take to move from the latter to the former?

What is it that separates the champs from the chumps, and how can we start emulating the top 1%? What’s their secret sauce, and how can we get a hold of their recipe?

In this episode, I’m diving into the top 3 principles that allow the shining stars in our industry to prosper, so we can follow in their footsteps! 

Rainmaking always pays better than paper pushing. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to THINK like a top earner Are our dreams audacious enough to keep us inspired? 

• The fool-proof formula for prosperity What are the 3 things guaranteed to keep us fulfilled in every aspect of our lives? 

• Why delegation is non-negotiable for one percenters It’s one thing to fall under the 1% of income earners, but how can we put ourselves in a position to truly enjoy the fruits of our labor?

Let’s be real—when you feel great, you tend to do great. But too many mortgage pros are stuck in a downward cycle of suck that drains their confidence, momentum, and their bank account. They’re not hitting their goals, their swagger is fading, and every setback fuels more frustration. How can they break free from this prison of limitation and create newfound momentum and mojo, so they can start winning again – not just in a “fair weather” market but in ANY market?

In the next part of our podcast series, we’ll dive into 3 more tenets of top producers that allow the 1% income earners to stay at the top of their game, no matter what challenges may come their way. Let’s dive in…

You’ll Learn:

• How $100M producers start your day that allows them to WIN CONSISTENTLY, regardless of circumstances.
• The secret ultra-successful mortgage pros use to scale their production while working less hours and enjoying more quality time with their family.  
• How to delegate strategically, so you can be freed up to DO WHAT YOU LOVE and love what you do
• The secret mindset of the elite 1% income earners that separates them from all the rest

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Referrals are the lifeblood of any successful mortgage business. The majority of consumers trust referrals from people they know, yet most mortgage pros are stuck relying on inconsistent word-of-mouth and feel frustrated by the unpredictable flow of leads.

Many mortgage pros think that just doing great work will be enough to keep the referrals flowing, but hope is not a strategy. In fact, this passive approach is likely costing you business and keeping you stuck in the same frustrating cycle of feast or famine.

So ask yourself: Are you getting as many quality referrals as you could be, or are you letting valuable opportunities slip away? What if you could turn your best clients and partners into a steady flow of pre-sold business without the grind of cold calling or chasing crappy internet leads?

In this episode, we reveal the secrets to winning the referral game and building a reliable, high-quality lead stream that practically runs itself. We discuss the smart way to attract top-tier referral partners, create a system that saves you time and stress, and turn one-time clients into long-term, loyal advocates for your business. Stop hoping for referrals and start creating them on autopilot!

You’ll also learn: 

• How to turn unpredictable word-of-mouth referrals into a consistent lead stream
• The two ways to get referrals: the hard way (grinding away with manual effort) or the smart way (with systems that do the heavy lifting)
• What the best referral partners really want (and it’s NOT more leads!) and how to deliver value that makes you their #1 choice
• The power of systems to save time, energy, money, and stress
• How to build high-octane referral partnerships that boost your bottom line
• Simple but powerful tactics to ask for and land high-quality referrals that flood your pipeline with pre-sold clients!

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With 24+ years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

At a time when everyone is getting hit by the storm of a market shift, it's important to have a strong base of top-producing realtor partners, especially if you’re new to the game.

In this kickass Q&A session, I talk about the best and shortest way to get more transactions and master the purchase market when you don’t have a stable of 10-15 rockstar Realtors sending you all the business yet.

The shortest path to the cash is always going to be top-producing Realtor partners. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways

• How to get more Realtor referrals without cold calling The importance of having a Realtor-attracting system, the right mindset, and the right posture.
• How to build a rock-solid recession-proof business in the purchase market What is the best way to build stability? Does diversification work?
• How to stay motivated when things are tough How do you induce motivation when you clearly lack it?

Most of the time, LOs fail to reach their full potential because they’re unwittingly choosing to do things the hard way. That said, it’s surprisingly easy to slip into bad habits that hold us back, and that’s why so many mortgage pros get mediocre results. 

What are the most common mistakes we’re making, and how can we root them out, for good? Why are we falling for so-called ‘strategies’ that only waste our time and money in the first place?

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 mistakes mortgage pros make on the regular, so we never have to make them again! 

"Stop getting caught up in the ‘follow the herd’ mentality. The very nature of the herd is they do what average people do and get what average people get!" -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why internet leads in isolation are a recipe for disaster Are internet leads ever our best bet? 

• Why BLOGGING could be holding us back from bigger, faster results Is it worthwhile doing all the minutiae of a weekly blog or social media post if we’re not getting immediate results? 

• 1 Thing to remember before running paid ads When is it a good idea to forego paid advertising, and what should we be doing instead?

Everyone with an ounce of ambition ‘wants’ to be successful, but our industry’s statistics speak for themselves: most won’t be. The truth is, wanting to be successful may be a starting point, but in isolation, it just ain’t enough. 

So, how can we stop thinking in terms of wanting to be successful, and turn that into a white-hot, can’t-live-without-it necessity? What’s the golden key to crack the code of turning half-baked interests into decisive action? 

In this episode, I’m explaining why ‘wanting’ to be successful can only get us so far, and what we should be doing, instead!

"We can’t change our reality until we face our reality." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why we need to re-examine our desires No one feels compelled to eat a 5-course dinner if they’ve already eaten a Happy Meal. Are we famished enough to do what it takes to attain our biggest goals, or are we curbing our hunger with small-fry wins?  

• The danger of ‘softening’ our problems Are we tolerating mediocrity because we’ve got into the habit of telling ourselves it’s not ‘that’ bad?

• Why being interested just isn’t enough How can we expect to push through all our challenges if we’re interested in achieving our dreams, rather than being defiantly committed to making them a reality? 

Tired of feeling like you’re grinding uphill with concrete blocks on your feet in your business? I know that frustration all too well.

Perhaps you’ve been putting in massive amounts of time, energy, and money only to see meager results in return. You and I both know, that's a special kind of suck.

Those are all symptoms of doing it the hard way. But here's the good news...

By harnessing the power of LEVERAGE, you can start closing more deals better, faster, easier than you ever thought possible.

If you're going to a gunfight, you don't want to be wielding a butter knife - you want to be rolling out the tanks! If you're digging the foundation for a skyscraper, you don’t want to be using a shovel, you want an excavator.

That’s leverage - something we could all use right now. With rising rates, inflation, hypercompetition, margin compression, and everyone and their dog chasing after the same Realtors, it’s been a tough couple of years. Leverage is a potent and powerful way to become bulletproof in the face of brutal market conditions.

How do we stop spinning our wheels and start seeing massive momentum? In this new episode, I share 8 powerful "leverage hacks" that will allow you to close more deals with less time, energy, money, and stress. Let's dive in…

With leverage, you can build a business that sets you free instead of enslaving you. -Doren Aldana 

Things You'll Learn From This Episode:

-How to go from being seen as a "annoying pest" to "welcome guest" and create an impression of value with every interaction

-How to trigger an endless chain of awesome with every single deal you close

-The power of creating loyalty by providing illuminating clarity

-How to rid your business of dinosaur, Dark Age approaches that leak leverage

-How to shift from paper pushing to rainmaking activities

-How to build a system-based business vs. a YOU-based business

-How to turn decades into days by leveraging tried and true strategies

The current market has been a big challenge for most in the mortgage and real estate industry, but with the right strategies and the mindset, we can not just survive but THRIVE... and take market share like never before.

How do we work through the fear and overwhelm and use this pressure to propel us higher? How do we use this tough market to take market share while our competition is dropping like flies? How do we cultivate a winning identity and a winning strategy so we can win in ANY market, not just in a "fair weather" market?

It’s time to get comfortable being uncomfortable -- that's how champions roll!

In this episode, mortgage professional Colleen Doyle joins me as a speak guest to share how she literally doubled her income in just 2 months without making a cold call. Tune in and discover how Colleen used the power of showing up in her authentic self with a compelling Realtor attraction strategy, to prosper and propel her higher IN SPITE of this challenging market.

Making a switch is hard. -Colleen Doyle

Three Things We Learned  

- How to turn Frustration into Flying Higher What steps can we take when we don’t get the traction we want? What can help put the power thrusters on so we soar higher than ever before?

- Breaking free from Comfort Zone Prison How do we get out of our comfort zone to full our full potential? What does it take to expand out of our comfort zone and achieve our dreams?

- The wonders of a winning mindset All momentum starts from within. When we change the root, we change the fruit.

Guest Bio

Colleen Doyle is a Mortgage Loan Specialist.  A native of northwest Ohio, Colleen attended St. Ursula Academy in Toledo, and is a graduate of The Ohio State University.  While living in Michigan, Colleen formed and owned a mortgage company that served the Michigan and northwest Ohio areas.

With over 15 years of experience, Colleen takes the time to learn each customer’s home buying goals and recommends the financing solutions that will best fit their needs.  She specializes in all aspects of mortgage financing including VA, USDA, FHA programs, as well as construction and Jumbo Loans.  She also has extensive experience assisting first-time buyers with successful mortgage financing programs.  Colleen provides personal, friendly service and expertise to her clients throughout the entire home loan process.  She lives in Toledo with her husband and children.

Visit https://colleendoyleloans.com/ 

Find Colleen on Facebook @colleendoyleloans

Clinging too tightly to our comfort zones is one of the biggest reasons people fail to achieve their goals. What are the effects of not getting out of our comfort zones? How do we overcome the fear of getting out of them? How does entitlement keep us stuck? On this episode, I share the 4 ways we get sucked into the vortex of our comfort zones. 

The juice in life is in progress, expansion, growth, not in stagnating, sitting on your laurels and collecting dust. -Doren Aldana 

Takeaways 

• We stay stuck in our comfort zone by softening the problem. If we don’t tell ourselves the truth, we’ll never be able to solve our problems and level up. 
• A sense of entitlement keeps us stuck in our comfort zone. Instead of letting pride get in our way, we should always pursue growth and expansion.   
• We get stuck in our comfort zone by letting fear stop us. The things you’re afraid of actually become less scary when you pursue them. 
• Don’t get sucked into your comfort zone by sitting on the nail and thinking the bad situation you’re in isn’t that bad. The pain of where you are has to be bigger than the pain of discipline in order to get you into action.

At the start of the show, I shared a few stories about people who have overcome their comfort zones, and the importance of turning our “shoulds” into “musts.” Next, I talked about how softening the problem keeps us stuck in our comfort zones, and how to overcome the terror barrier. We also discussed why we shouldn’t get too comfortable with the pain of where we are. 

We also discussed:

• How entitlement destroys our growth 
• Why stagnation always leads to regression
• Why you need to pursue what you fear

It doesn’t matter how much drive and ambition we have... if our marketing game isn’t on point, we’re only going to end up spinning our wheels and grinding our gears.

As loan officers, we often make the mistake of thinking mortgage is our area of expertise, but that just ain’t so. We’re in the marketing business, and until and unless we acknowledge that and adjust our strategies accordingly, we’ll never reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves.

The problem is, most LOs just don’t know what they don’t know. Where have we been going wrong until now, and what does audacious, effective, and result-driven marketing look like? How can we kick our efforts up a notch and blast our businesses to new heights?

In this episode, I’m sharing the 5 most common marketing mistakes in the mortgage business, and what we can do to make sure they never happen again. 

"Success comes from your ability to market effectively." -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• Why marketing is the NUMBER ONE component of a booming business:  Why would any ambitious mortgage pro want to be the ‘best-kept secret’ in their market? 
• The importance of working ON our businesses, rather than IN them:  Sure, we’ll make a living by working in our businesses, but why stop there? Wouldn’t we rather make a fortune?
• Why chasing isn’t a marketing strategy:  Does chasing after partners, hoping they’ll toss us any spare bones really sound like the path to industry dominance?

Fear plays an important role in keeping us aware of risks, but when it informs our decisions so much that we're too afraid to move forward, something needs to change. 

What are the biggest fears felt by newbie LOs, seasoned mortgage pros and everyone in between, and how do we kick them to the curb, once and for all? 

How do we strike a balance between the damaging delusions of total fearlessness, and the devastating stagnation of pervasive paranoia? 

In this episode, I explain how fear is stopping us from making our dreams a reality, and what to do about it. 

"The more we focus on our fears, the more we tend to attract them, because what we feed, we fuel!" -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How too much trepidation stops newbies from making their mark How can newly minted mortgage pros move past second guessing themselves so they can start making an impact in their markets?

• Why veterans need to stop stressing the 'what ifs' and take action What can seasoned LOs do to stabilize their businesses, so the thought of 'what if' never even enters the equation? 

• How to stop letting market concerns steal our shine How can we get over our market-related fears and serve our customers, instead of projecting our anxieties onto them?

Most of us are looking forward to a new year and hoping that our marketing strategies will be successful in helping us grow our businesses. The problem is that many of these aspirations and goals don’t get achieved because of how we approach our marketing. How do we make sure we’re setting our marketing up to win and succeed? What kills the effectiveness of our marketing plans? On this episode, we discuss 3 things that are hindering the effectiveness of our marketing plans, and how we can improve for a more successful 2020.  

Until our champion level goals have a champion level execution plan, and champion level daily routines, chances are they won’t happen. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• When a marketing plan is too cerebral and too “in-your-head,” it won’t work until your heart is in it and you feel like it’s tied to your BIG why.  
• If a marketing plan is too complex and complicated, we end up doing nothing. Simplify marketing by focusing on database marketing, Realtor marketing and consumer direct marketing.   
• Having a caveman type marketing strategy makes it hard to achieve any success. We have to set up systems for automation and delegation, and we have to be able to get to the outcome taking the easiest path possible.

At the start of the show, I shared why our marketing plans have to be backed by execution and daily routine. Next, we talked about how to connect our plan with our BIG why. Next, we discussed the 3 types of marketing that we need to have in our plan, and how to align our activity with our energy.

We also discussed: 

• Why cerebral marketing plans don’t succeed
• How complexity kills execution
• The difference between a “should” and a “must”

Often, mortgage professionals don’t reach their full potential, purely because they aren’t following the right steps. What steps should you be taking to ensure you achieve the success you deserve? How do you go beyond lead generation and start converting more effectively? On this episode, I’m sharing the 3 critical skills every mortgage professional needs to master for success.

Remember: lead generation isn’t just about quantity. It’s about quality. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Lead generation is the first crucial step you must take to success. Make sure your leads are fruitful, and concentrate on quality over quantity.
• The quickest way to give yourself a pay raise is by doubling your effectiveness in lead conversion. Learn the words that elicit trust, and assert your influence.
• You are the source of your business and the results you receive. Focus on your own self-leadership and hold yourself accountable.

At the start of the episode, I outlined that it’s vital to master lead generation. However, I also mentioned that without great conversion processes in place, lead generation isn’t enough to boost your business. I suggested looking to Realtors for referrals, and shared how to connect with the top producers in the industry.

We also covered:

• Cultivating success habits
• Affirming your value and potential to yourself
• The relevance of the people you associate with

Success comes from the effective habits you maintain over a sustained period. Focus on optimizing your effectiveness and strive for quality over quantity, every time. You’re capable of achieving greatness, but you have to believe that of yourself. You are the source of your success- it’s time to take the first steps towards your future.

Many of us believe that what gets in the way of our success are the circumstances and external limitations in our lives, whether it’s a lack of opportunity or the real estate market. The truth is, very often, we’re held back by our own untrue thoughts, ideas and beliefs about what we’re capable of, and what it takes to become successful. What are some of the beliefs that limit our ability to manifest our dreams? How do they stop us from being effective and productive? On this episode, I share on the erroneous limiting beliefs that hold us back, and how to make a bold, intelligent, and strategic investment in our breakthroughs.  

The most precious and valuable reward for success isn’t what you get, it’s who you become. - Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Everything we have right now is a result of our current comfort zone. It’s impossible for us to go beyond that if we don’t get out of our comfort zones and stretch ourselves.
• Before we do the activities that will make us successful, we have to become people who can attract that success. We do this through things that feed our minds and souls, like prayer, meditation, studying, visualizing and affirming. 
• Attracting top Realtors is not hard, but if we believe it is, we will struggle. If we have a formula and the right mindset, we can attract agents pretty easily. 
• The metaphysical realm is the source of our power to create and manifest the lives we want.

At the start of the show, I talked about how having the wrong foundational thoughts about ourselves and ability to succeed set us up for failure. Next, I talked about why greater levels of success never take place in our comfort zones, and why it’s non-negotiable to work on ourselves before our businesses. Towards the end, I shared on the danger of thinking that top producing agents don’t want to work with us. 

I also shared;

• Why we have to think and operate differently if we want to level up 
• How reinforcing the status quo kills our growth
• The importance of owning our victory in advance

Success doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by design, through mindset and taking the right action. One of the most important things we need to do in our path to success is get rid of the mental and emotional stumbling blocks that trip us up.  These beliefs will take away our power, productivity, peace and profits, so we need to replace them with a belief system that builds us up. Once we lock in the correct mindset, the actions become easy, and the massive effort we inject into our goals will pay off in a huge way.

The mortgage industry is faced with a lot of challenges that can make running a business turbulent, but there are always top producers who thrive and achieve massive success regardless. What success-unlocking secrets can we learn from these people? What are the signs and symptoms that we are doing things the hard way? On this episode, I talk about the three X-factors that set the top dogs in our industry apart, and how we can emulate their success in our own businesses.

Most people focus on doing more, top producers focus on becoming more. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• We’re not in the mortgage business, we’re in the marketing business. To make a profound breakthrough in our businesses, we have to accept that we are marketers first and follow through by making sure it reflects in our daily activities. 
• We have to work harder on ourselves than we do on our jobs. In order to succeed, we have to master a success psychology, which will then impact our results. 
• Never invent, always improve. Don’t try to create something from scratch. If we emulate a formula that’s already successful we cut out a lot of pitfalls, and we get to our desired result faster. 

At the start of the show, I talked about how some people are always able to survive and even thrive through market turbulence, and how they manage to do that. Next, I talked about how ignorance isn’t bliss and why it brings nothing but struggle. I also shared why there’s a huge difference between doing mortgages and marketing mortgages, and the inner game of success most people are asleep to.  

We also discussed;

• The importance of having a success identity 
• The power of emulating and following a proven formula
• Why we have to first become more if we want to have more

Many people look at successful people and think they have secret cheat codes that nobody else can implement, but we too can access them. There are 3 key things that separate the high achievers from the mediocre in this industry. It’s about focusing more on marketing and less on mortgages, cultivating the right mindset for success and emulating and building on what’s already working. Unlocking these secrets and implementing them in our lives will be highly impactful to our success, and profound and instantaneous in the transformation it brings.

The vast majority of loan officers are earning under $75 000 per year, while the top earners are earning upwards of $500,000 annually. What is it that separates the top earners from this mediocre majority? Do they have a secret recipe that the rest of us don’t know about? On this episode, we’re discussing the traits shown by top producers.

Takeaways 

• Commitment and decisiveness are vital traits. We need to go all-in on achieving our goals, and refuse to entertain back-up plans or option B’s. Top producers don’t even consider failure an option.
• Top producers don’t automatically have a secret recipe; they learn it from other high achievers. To be successful, we need to be willing to learn from others and leave our egos at the door.
• We have to be resourceful to win. That means finding a way to achieve, no matter the circumstance.

At the start of the episode, we spoke about the vast difference in income between top producers and the mediocre majority. We discussed the importance of mindset in cultivating success, and learnt that being a top producer doesn’t mean sacrificing more. In fact, if we believe that sacrifice is needed for success, we’re only holding ourselves back.

We also discussed: 

• Why staying true to our values is necessary
• How we need to accept that success doesn’t always come easily
• How to view big obstacles as a prelude to big successes

The massive disparities in income between the average, mediocre loan officer and top producers all come down to mindset. Top producers are in the 1% of loan officers because they’re unwilling to compromise on their dreams. However, no one has all the answers right at the start. If we want to get ahead in the mortgage business, we need to be willing to listen to those who have achieved our goals. We can separate ourselves from the mediocre majority, but we have to be willing to find a way to win regardless of our circumstances.

With everything going on in the shifting market, a lot of people are facing problems right now. Problems are inevitable and when we have big goals, we are going to encounter big ones.

How do we use these problems to propel us higher and help us thrive in any market? Can problems actually be a sign that we are on the right track?

In this episode, I discuss how problems are a key part of what it looks like to take on big goals and how to solve any problem in your mortgage business with grace, power and proficiency.

If you don’t have any problems, you’re probably not playing a big enough game. -Doren Aldana

Three Things We Learned  

• Why challenges are an opportunity for success Solving bigger problems means there are more opportunities to succeed and grow. How can we use these setbacks to make a bigger comeback?
• Embracing your problems Why should we embrace our problems instead of resisting them?
• How to shift from a victim mentality Having a victim mindset isn’t going to help us solve our problems. Why is it so important to shift our mindset from contraction to expansion mode?

With rising interest rates and low inventory today’s hot topics, many loan officers have begun to question how they’ll not just survive, but thrive in today’s economy, but what we should really be asking is, who cares about the economy?

How can we build rock-solid lending businesses that thrive in absolutely any market? More importantly, is it possible to do that without adding a ton of time and effort to our plates?

In this episode, you’re invited to a complimentary training session on how to supersize your business while working less, PLUS, how to do all that in any economy.

"Screw the economy: you can make it in any market!" -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• How to stop pandering to below-average agents, once and for all How can we build the confidence required to reach out to the top dogs, so we never need to deal with another low producer again?
• Why a rockstar Loan Officer Assistant is the key to success What would it take for us to stop trying to do it all and outsource, already?
• How to increase our earnings per client If we’re going to work, we might as well get rich, so why not reach for the plumpest, juiciest fruit from the get go?

As mortgage professionals, we have a moral obligation to make the biggest impact we can and serve our clients to the best of our abilities. We can do so much more good in the world by growing our businesses, so what’s holding us back?

One of the best ways to maximize our profits is by taking advantage of repeat clients and referrals. How can we guarantee this type of business?

The answer lies in mastery. We have to master the art of database marketing. This is non-negotiable: it’s a necessity. The great thing is, if we use the right systems along the way, this doesn’t need to add to our workload. Quite the opposite; we can earn more, while doing less. 

In this episode, I share how to get more than 3 deals a month for every 100 past clients in our databases, on autopilot! 

Cut the clutter and nonsense and get straight to what works: database marketing done right. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Save time, money and stress with systems Having the right systems in place helps us achieve bigger results, with minimal effort. Master systems that provide an endless stream of repeat business, but remember, commitment is key. The right systems aren’t a luxury, but a necessity. 
• Get reviewed in the right places Getting fewer reviews than our competitors is the easiest way to leave money on the table. Ask for reviews the right way and make sure those reviews are visible in the right places. Potential clients are using Google to find mortgage professionals, so that’s where we need to be visible.
• Stay in touch meaningfully To build long-term relationships with past clients, we have to stay top of mind; staying in touch with them is the best way to do that. Reach out to them through a trigger campaign: send out communications on birthdays, mortgage anniversaries and other special occasions.

A ton of mortgage pros are shaking in their boots right now, and that’s because they’ve pinned all their hopes and dreams on just ONE aspect of the business. We could spend dwelling on why that was a massive mistake, but the question remains: what now?

What’s next for LOs who have channeled all their energies into the refi boom? Is there a way to come back from this?

What can we do to diversify our businesses now, before it’s too late?

In this episode, I share how to shift into CONSISTENT success by hopping off our one-legged stools for good.

"Too many people are sitting on one-legged stools with 50, 60, 70, 90% refi business. In a rising interest rate environment, that is an absolute death rattle to your business." -Doren Aldana

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

• How to make the most of the purchase market Are we investing enough time in our purchase business, or are we leaving a ton of money on the table?
• How to differentiate from the masses Do we have a unique selling proposition that distinguishes us from everyone else? How can we decipher what separates us from the herd?
• The key to building SUSTAINABLE stability through diversification How do we diversify our business without adding a ton of extra responsibilities to our plate and doing it the hard way?

As any LO will know, breaking into the business isn’t easy, and many of us have ended up in survival prison at some point along the way. The question is, how do we bust out of that and shift into freedom for GOOD?

How can we create a more stable income for ourselves, so we never have to wonder where our next deal is coming from again? How can we invest in ourselves to the point where we show up as champions every single day?

In this episode, Accutrust Mortgage Broker, James Petrick shares how he went from survival to “thrival” in only 2 months. 

"Unprecedented results don't happen by accident, they happen by design." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to partner with our market’s top Realtors The sad truth is, most Realtors already have their dream team of lenders. How can we break into the inner circles of our markets’ elite players and get a piece of the pie?  

• How to overcome our fears of making bold investments in ourselves How can we quit thinking in terms of what we’ll lose by pouring into ourselves with coaching, and start thinking about everything we have to GAIN?

• How to shift our focus to the activities that matter most How can we stop getting sucked into low-income-producing activities, and where should we be putting our efforts instead?

Bio- 

James Petrick is a loan officer at Accutrust Mortgage, passionate about what he does. James enjoys nothing more than being of service to his clients and partners alike and lives by the idea that when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. 

To find out more, go to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-petrick-77707395/

https://www.instagram.com/mortgageswjames/

When our definition of success is too close to our comfort zone, it’s easy to settle and slip into stagnation. Many loan officers aim for good enough, instead of reaching for greatness, and get sucked into complacency. 

If we truly want to build a business that fulfils and empowers us, it is critical that we push through the resistance, fear, and pain of leaving our comfort zone. That means not settling for “good”. That means realizing that comfort and growth are at odds with one another, and we can’t succeed if we cling to feeling comfortable.  

What are some of the mindsets that make us complacent and lead to us settling? 

Which attitudes lead us into stagnation and regression? In this episode, I share the perils of worshipping at the altar of complacency. 

Greatness is about always expanding and seeking new growth. The comfort zone will corrode your hunger for expansion. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• How to Celebrate Wins and Still Focus on Progress You want to celebrate your wins, but you don’t want to become complacent in the process. When we celebrate a win without thinking about the growth beyond it, we’ll take our foot off the gas and settle. 
• Why Comparing Good to Average is a Hiding Place Average and good are different, but not by much. While good is better than average, it still falls short of the greatness that lies within us. If we only focus on being better than average, we will never challenge ourselves to be anything more.  
• Why Greatness is Uncomfortable  The things that empower us and lead us to greatness aren’t usually comfortable or easy. To become extraordinary, we have to be willing to go through the rejection of our comfort zones and the discomfort of discipline.

We all want to make it in this business, but far too many of us are being held back by stumbling blocks. What's stopping us from making our dreams a reality?

Unfortunately, most of the time the obstacles in our way come in the form of mythical ideas, taken for granted as fact. We're not being held back- we're holding ourselves back!

What are the myths we're telling ourselves, and how can we quit believing them, once and for all? 

In this episode, I count down the 5 fallacies keeping us from financial FREEDOM. 

"Shatter the myths you’re buying into so you can step into power and prosperity." -Doren Aldana

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

• Why lack of experience puts us at an ADVANTAGE How can we get over feeling like we're too young, new to the space, or inexperienced to get mind-blowing results? 
• How being an aggressive salesperson holds us back None of us enjoy dealing with aggressive salespeople in our own lives, so why would our clients be any different? 
• Why investing in a coach is more important than we think Something all the world's greatest athletes have in common is coaching. Shouldn't we follow their lead?

In times of adversity, like a down market, it’s more difficult than ever to stay positive and use the struggle to learn and grow. Yet to get and stay ahead, this is the most important time to embrace adversity and use it beneficially.

Can we use a down market to actually grow mentally and financially? 

In this episode, I look at three simple steps to shift our mindsets on adversity, draw on our innate resilience, and increase our income in a down market. 

Being a champion is not about being perfect, it’s about seeking the best version of ourselves. -Doren Aldana  

Three Things We Learned  

• How to shift our perspective on the adversity we face Anytime there is a down market, many of us focus on the adversity as something taking our joy. Is adversity making you better or making you bitter?
• How to focus on what we can change, and ignore what we can’t Surrender is powerful. When we focus on what we can control it gives us the opportunity to move forward, and come closer to living in the light, instead of the dark.
• How to stop chasing and start attracting It can be hard to adopt this particular posture, but we have to work toward attracting, rather than chasing agents.

Most of the time, our sales managers aren't teaching us the strategies we need to build super-sized businesses, and that's because they can't teach what they don't know. This is a situation of the blind leading the blind, but what happens when we have crystal clear visions of what we want? 

Which vital tools are our mentors neglecting to tell us about, and how can we right the wrong? 

Where can we turn when the people tasked with taking our business to the next level just don't know what to do? 

In this episode, I share the 5 pivotal keys to a successful business that our sales managers aren't telling us.

"Let your daily agenda be governed and molded in light of the fact that you’re in the marketing business." -Doren Aldana

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode 

• Why cold calling is only setting us up for mediocrity Why use marketing from the dark ages and spend days on end throwing yogurt at the fan hoping something sticks, when there's an easier path to the cash?
• Why only using our company's CRM puts us at a disadvantage We wouldn't build a house on someone else's title, so why would we limit ourselves to only using our company's CRM?
• Why we need to be willing to invest in ourselves Enough of doing it the hard way! Wouldn't it be great to have a foolproof tried and tested roadmap to success? Here's how...

One of the biggest challenges mortgage pros experience is creating a healthy pipeline of leads without breaking the bank. Previously, Facebook has generally been the best way to do this, but that’s rapidly changing to our disadvantage in some markets. What are the benefits of using Google Adwords to generate leads? Why are Adwords leads more motivated and likely to take action? 

On this episode, mortgage originator, entrepreneur and media buyer, Brian Diez, shares how he "Cracked the Adwords Code" to generate better quality, more motivated leads at a fraction of the cost.

Change in the marketplace means there is opportunity for those prepared to adapt. -Brian Diez  

Takeaways 

• When market changes happen, our success will be defined by our willingness to adapt. 
• Google allows us to channel pre-existing demand. With Facebook advertising, we’re spending money to create demand.  
• The first step to generating leads on Adwords is building an authority site, a website other sites are linking back to. 

At the start of the show, Brian shared how he got started and how he adapted to the financial meltdown, and how he got started with Google Adwords. Next, we talked about some of the key changes on Facebook that are making it hard to advertise successfully on the platform, and how to start setting up the pieces for successful Adwords campaigns. We also discussed how to create business stability through diversity and why we shouldn’t be reliant on only one digital platform to generate leads.  

We also discussed:

• What’s causing the much-feared Facebook ban and how to avoid it.
• Why Google is a great alternative or supplement to Facebook for quality lead generation
• The value of partnering with a credit repair company
• and much more 

Guest Bio 

Brian Diez is a certified media buyer, mortgage originator, best selling author, and owner of US Credit Advocate. To learn more about his Adwords program, visit https://cracktheadwordscode.com/. 

We hear a lot about 'time management,' but the truth is, there is no way to manage time. All we can do is manage our activities within that time. 

So, how can we manage those activities better to ensure we're not only getting maximum results, but having fun while doing it? Where are our present to-do lists going so wrong, to the point of failing us? 

In this episode, I'm sharing how to get better at managing ourselves, so timing never has to stop us from reaching our full potential.

"It's not enough to fill your days with a bunch of tactics. You have to do the things that work." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to start each day on the right foot We've all heard about the importance of a 'magic morning routine,' but what does that actually look like in practice? 

• Why we need to add an hour of POWER to our daily schedules Are we treating rainmaking activities like a luxury or a necessity? 

• How to pour more of our time into rainmaking Are we spending too much time on paper pushing? 

Our mortgage companies, brokers and managers promise to be the one-stop solution for all our business needs, but when it comes to marketing, they will always fall short, no matter how much they try. What factors make them ill-equipped to help us really win at the marketing game? Should we be trusting them to take care of our databases? What should we do about our marketing instead? On this episode, you’ll learn why your company will never be able to help you get the breakthrough you want in your marketing efforts.  

If you do ordinary things and you come from an ordinary premise, you’re going to get ordinary results. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• Your mortgage company can’t give you what they don’t have. They don’t have the specialized expertise to really help you. They are ill-equipped to help you get your breakthrough because all their methods have been filtered through compliance.
• What worked 10-20 years ago doesn’t work anymore. If your company isn’t continuously evolving, their marketing tactics will fall short. 
• Cookie cutter crap methods produce cookie cutter crap results. 
• Your company is made up of mortgage experts, not marketing experts, so they won’t be able to get you on the cutting edge of your marketing.

At the start of the show, I talked about the delusional optimism many mortgage officers have when it comes to their companies. I shared why they will never get to the root cause of your struggle in marketing, and how compliance and a lack of specialized knowledge contributes to this issue. I also talked about the career suicide decision many LOs make. 

We also discussed:

• The importance of high level mindset training 
• The lacklustre, insufficient and inadequate tactics many companies use 
• Productivity vs. activity

Are you avoiding reaching out to Top-Producing Realtors because you think they won't give you the time of day?

Or do you just lack an effective "hook" to get their attention have them WANT to meet with you?

If so, this new podcast episode is for you!

If you start every day thinking, "there has to be a better way"... there is.

There are no merit badges for doing it the hard way. You can double or even triple your income in in the next 3-6 months, in spite of this "slow" market, as long as you follow these 3 really simple steps.

No more revenue rollercoaster.

No more feeling victimized by the market.

Best of all: no more waiting for crumbs to fall off the table from mediocre Realtors who don't have any business to send you.

It’s time to break out of worry prison and soar into the stratosphere with certainty and confidence.

How can you build up your pipeline in a down market? What "myth understandings" are keeping you from earning freedom money?

In this episode, I share how to become a BOOKING BEAST and take the shortest path to the CASH to win in ANY market (not just a "fair weather" market).

You’re just one VIP partner away from injecting massive momentum in your business. -Doren Aldana

Things We Learned  

-Becoming a market victor, not a market victim

Why hunker down and wait for the market conditions to improve when you can build a system that works in both fair and stormy market conditions?

-The single most profitable skill you can develop in your business

How do we stop wasting time on things that don’t bring us closer to earning sustainable freedom money?

-Replacing chump partners with champ partners

If you’re tired of doing all the pandering without getting paid, how do you tip things in your favor?

-Making your value proposition an EASY YES

Are you unwittingly repelling Realtors with your approach? Use this simple test to find out!

Buying leads has become extremely popular with loan officers who think they’re saving time, but in reality, they’re actually doing it the hard way. Why is buying leads a bad idea? Could they be doing more harm than good? In this episode, we discuss why buying leads is a bad investment of our time and money, and could end up damaging our positioning within the industry. 

Takeaways 

• Avoid wasting money paying for the same leads as competitors. Bought leads are not necessarily exclusive, so they’re definitely an unwise investment.
• By spending our time chasing bought leads, we miss out on opportunities elsewhere. Don’t waste time on leads that may not even convert at all. 
• By buying leads who are probably being pursued by our competitors, we fail to set ourselves apart. If we approach them at the same time as everyone else, we risk competing on cost alone. 

At the start of the episode, we learned that most bought leads are poor quality and not exclusive. We discussed that bought leads are a poor allocation of our money, and spoke about why it’s important to upgrade our thinking and stop doing it the hard way. 

We also discussed: 

• Why we should be hiring an expert to find leads for us
• The importance of a third party endorsement
• Why we should aim to be authorities, rather than prospectors

We may think that buying leads will save us time, but they actually do little to help us and our businesses. They are a poor investment of both our time and money, and stop us from showing potential clients what makes us unique. Buying leads is a poor choice, and one we need to stop making soon.

Many LOs feel like they aren’t getting anywhere or achieving anything when it comes to working with the best Realtors, and it’s because of repeating the same outdated and lack-luster methods. In order for us to overcome this, what are the 5 shifts that need to align in our businesses if we want to start attracting the top dogs? What are the things we need to stop doing immediately if we want our businesses to do better? In this webinar, we talk about the worst strategies for recruiting Realtor partners and what we can do instead, as well as a rejection-free equation for getting business.  

The idea is to stop being a “Joe Schmoe” LO offering great rates and service, and start adding unique value that no other mortgage professional is offering. -Doren Aldana 

Takeaways 

• Everyone is clamoring for the same real estate agents, so the competition has increased immensely. Rates and good service aren’t enough to differentiate us anymore. 
• Stop cold calling the same people over and over with the hope that you’ll wear them down. Instead, use automation to get people pre-sold in advance.   
• Diagnose first; prescribe second. Ask questions, discover their pain points and then come up with a solution.

At the start of the show, I talked about the importance of becoming more like the people we want to attract to work with us, how to determine the right bait to bring Realtor partners in, and how we can bring value to them. We also discussed the difference between prospecting and positioning. 

We also discussed: 

• LOs who completely changed their businesses
• Why cold calling doesn’t cut it anymore  
• The value of mentoring

Growing our purchase pipeline without making a ton of cold calls may sound too good to be true, but that’s only because we’ve become used to doing it the hard way.

Most LOs are so accustomed to begging Realtors for their business that the thought of doing it any other way seems downright audacious, but it doesn’t need to be. When we channel our efforts into working smarter, not harder, breakthrough becomes reality.

What can we do to flip the script on Realtors and get them to ask us for business? Is it truly possible to partner with top dog agents who bring us better deals without calling the same 40 Realtors every Monday?

In this episode, I’m sharing the 3 steps that guarantee purchase pipeline growth.

Work with people who have the highest capacity to send you the most business, the most often. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why we need to stop wasting time working with mediocre agents:   A lot of the time, we end up working harder than we should because we’re partnered with bottom feeder agents who do the bare minimum. How can we stop aligning with low producers for good? 
• How to bait the right Realtors:  Superstar agents want to work with superstar mortgage pros. What can we bring to the table to show we’re the obvious choice for a lender partner? 
• The process we should be taking agents through:  Could our approach with Realtors be the one thing stopping us from building fruitful relationships with them? What should we be doing instead? 

Something human beings in ANY profession know all too well is procrastination (and the devastating effects that accompany it). The question we should be asking ourselves is, how can we nip it in the bud?

What’s causing us to procrastinate in the first place, and is there anything we can do to stop it from stopping us?

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 ways to beat procrastination, so it never has to hold us back again!

"There’s never a perfect time, there’s always something too inconvenient to get started. If you let that stop you, it will!" -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The importance of knowing our end goal What big, hairy, audacious dream are we giving up on when we procrastinate? 

• Why positive visualization is the key to achievement How can we get up each day, excited about what’s to come, even if we haven’t achieved all our goals yet?

• How to quit holding back and just start DOING it How can we get into the habit of taking action, even if it’s just one small step, everyday?

If you’ve been on the struggle bus ever since rates went up, this is just for you...

If you're like most mortgage pros right now, you’ve gone from making bank to scraping the bottom of the barrel, and you’re hunkering down waiting for rates to go back down to “normal.”

Here's the rub: your bills don’t care that it’s a "slow market" and if the outflow exceeds the inflow, we've got a problem. Come hell or high water, we've got to provide for our family. The question is, how do we win in this tough market?

Perhaps you're getting close to having to do something drastic, like throwing in the towel and going to look for 9-to-5 job. It doesn't matter how may so-called "solutions" you try, if you can't find one that works, eventually you're going to run out of tarmac. The struggle is real.

This is where Ben Davis found himself just 12 months ago -- struggling and desperate to find something that works to provide for his family. Then he took a chance and implemented our proven marketing system. In 6 months, he 4X'd his income, all without cold calling, buying crappy internet leads or kissing butts.

He’s gone from scraping the barrel to having to hire an assistant. What was his secret? How is he winning in this seemingly "un-winning" market?

In this episode, Ben joins me to talk about how he created such a massive breakthrough and how you can too by emulating his simple, yet powerful approach.

I went from not having that many prospects and not many applications to having way more than I started with. -Ben Davis 

Three Things We Learned  

-From squirt gun to fire hydrant

How was Ben able to create a pipeline of leads and high-quality deals when so many LOs are leaving the business?

-Getting the top-producing Realtors on board

No one wants to chase Realtors only to have them not give you the time of day. What can you do instead that actually works?

-How to break free from "Perfectionism Prison"

The root of perfectionism is a flawed belief that they have to be "great out of the gate", but that's simply not true. How can you get faster, bigger results with a "seek progress not perfection" approach?

In this crazy seller’s market, it’s safe to say that LOs are feeling the heat on a lot of fronts. Rates are going up, margin compression is the order of the day, inventory is crazy low and the refi gold rush is hitting the point of diminishing returns.

How do we get traction under these conditions and still build a solid recession-proof business?

In this episode, I’m going to share 3 peace-of-mind-inducing winning strategies that will still get you to planet prosperity even as market conditions get more challenging.

"In this crazy seller’s market, everyone is clamoring after the same Realtors because rates are going up, inflation is going up, and the refi boom is drying up." -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• How to strategically guide clients to victory in a multiple offer scenario What powerful steps can you take to get your buyers under contract even if they’re not the winning bidder?
• High level marketing strategies to win over the best and brightest Realtor partners To succeed in a seller’s market, we need a bench of top producing Realtor partners, but how do we prime them to want to work with us when so many LOs are clamoring for their attention?
• Why helping Realtors get more listings will propel our businesses What is the ultimate bait for winning buyer clients in this crazy market?

Rising rates, shrinking pipelines, and fierce competition are crushing dreams left and right. But here’s the kicker—your results aren’t determined by the market; they’re determined by YOU and your marketing. 

If you’re not dialed into the right strategies and habits, 2025 could be the same or worse than last year—or if you make some potent strategic pivots, it could be the year you unleash your full potential and thrive like never before. Here’s the hard truth: most LOs are stuck in a cycle of mediocrity, relying on hope instead of habits. 

Are you setting low goals to play it “safe” while sporadic efforts leave you stuck in the same old rut? The Top 1% don’t play small—they think bigger, act smarter, and focus on the right things.

Have you clearly defined what “winning” looks like in 2025? What if you could ditch the grind of chasing crappy leads and instead attract the right Realtor partners who see you as their Irreplaceable Hero?

In this episode, we share a valuable step-by-step guide to crushing it in 2025. Let’s unpack the 5 key steps you need to align your mindset, habits, and strategies with success so you can turn your daily actions into compounding momentum, stop spinning your wheels, and build a THRIVING business – even in unthriving times. 

You’ll also learn:

• The game-changing mindset shift every mortgage pro must embrace to thrive consistently, regardless of rates or inventory. 
• Why defining your “win” isn’t just important—it’s mandatory if you want to enjoy sustainable success.
• The life-altering difference between trying and training—and how it separates the winners from the mere wishers.
• How to turbocharge your growth by cultivating GROWTH HABITS.
• The secret to “changing the who before the do” so you can break free from the cycle of self-sabotage and start winning consistently.
• The single most profitable daily habit that can skyrocket you to a $30K+ monthly income—even in today’s tough market.

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

The coronavirus epidemic and its impact on our health and wealth is weighing on everyone’s mind; but right now more than ever, it’s important that we show up powerfully in the face of this challenge. How do we remain effective and impactful at this moment? How can we avoid getting caught in fear and panic? In this episode, we talked about how to create a proactive plan to prosper in this time of challenge and strain.  

Keep yourself anchored in an emotional home of resourcefulness, love, peace and proactive action. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• When people are facing extreme fear and experiences of uncertainty, this is when we need leaders who work to expand when everyone else is contracting. 
• Take reasonable precautions to protect you and your family, but don’t participate in the massive panic that’s happening.
• Stress reveals the cracks in our businesses which we overlook when things are good. 
• Don’t over-consume fear-spewing news and content.

On this episode, I talked about how to get through this challenging time with poise, peace, resourcefulness and love. I talked about the importance of having and sticking to a champion level routine. I also shared the difference between informative and actionable information, and fear-driven content. 

We also discussed:

• The importance of keeping your eyes open and being clear-headed
• Why good leaders are needed now more than ever 
• How to be in drive mode instead of drift mode

The mortgage industry is full of well-meaning, gifted LOs who end up kicked to the curb, and it’s all because they haven’t been able to avoid the landmines in our business. 

The question is, what are those landmines, and why do so many mortgage pros end up succumbing to them?

If these deadly mistakes are so common, is it even possible to avoid them altogether?

In this episode, I’m outlining exactly where those dangerous slip ups lie, so more LOs have the ability to not just survive, but thrive in this business . 

If you're not getting the results you want, chances are, your plan sucks. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why a lack of plan is a ticking time bomb How can we expect to reach planet prosper if we don’t even have the roadmap to get there?

• The only landmine deadlier than not having a plan Are we unwittingly sabotaging ourselves by having a bad plan in place? 

• Why execution is everything So, you have a plan. The question is, are you working it?

Business owners become trapped when they decide to do it all themselves. It hinders growth and freedom and makes it harder for the business to build wealth. 

The truth is, even the best, smartest and most talented people don’t serve every purpose and role in their companies. With the best intentions, you can end up holding everything up because there’s so much on your plate. 

The goal shouldn’t be to be to control everything, but to run a finely oiled machine that allows you to step into true freedom. The whole goal of making bold, intelligent strategic investments in your business is to remove you from being a bottleneck. What are the perils of filling up our time doing menial tasks and not delegating them? How can you liberate yourself so you can catapult your business?

In this episode, I talk about how to get more freedom, and get your business out of survival mode. 

You’re not going to be able to build a business that sets you free if you think that you have to do it yourself if you want it done right. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• Why you shouldn’t be a generalist  Focus on being a specialist, not a generalist. Specialists bring unique value to the table and can have more freedom in their businesses because they can hire highly talented people. 
• How to truly set yourself apart with value  What makes you a bottleneck in your business is the erroneous belief that the only unique value you offer is to be available all the time. You can have time freedom and be more present with your family and interests without losing business. 
• The limiting beliefs that are holding your business back  There are belief systems that allow you to create systems and belief systems that will keep you enslaved to your business. Limiting beliefs don’t usually come along. People who believe they have to do it all, also believe that there isn’t any quality talent that matches their standard.

We also discussed:

• Why you shouldn’t be a generalist 
• How to truly set yourself apart with value 
• The limiting beliefs that are holding your business back

One of the biggest reasons loan officers struggle to delight in their work comes down to who they work with. Not all Realtors are created equal. Some energize us and our businesses, and others cause nothing but drama and trauma. If we're working with a lot of the wrong Realtors, we won’t be able to have more fun, flow, freedom, or funds. 

The problem is many mortgage pros believe they have to work with every single agent to have a healthy book of business, but the opposite is true. The most successful mortgage pros have designed their businesses around working with a special select few who value and respect them -- and send them a boatload of referrals. 

By going for quality over quantity, we get to maximize our performance and our results. 

Which Realtors are best to work with? How can we get more out of our businesses by working with fewer higher-quality partners? In this episode, I share the top 5 reasons less is more when it comes to who we work with. 

Be selective about the quality and caliber of partnerships so you’re getting maximum reward for the least amount of responsibility and stress. -Doren Aldana    

Takeaways 

Why we have to choose our Realtor partners wisely:

Every client and Realtor comes at a cost. Some give us the delightful experience of flow, ease, and synergy. Others bring nothing but drudgery, drama, friction, and frustration. 

The trouble with average Realtors and low-producing agents: 

The average Realtor is too much thankless drama, difficulty, and trauma. We’ll get treated like a commodity with the mediocre results to match. Become irreplaceable and indispensable as a mortgage pro by making one simple change. 

How working with the right people improves our quality of life:

Working with a select few Realtors doesn’t just maximize our earnings. It maximizes our fulfillment, and the mental and emotional reward we get from our work. Think about all the areas of your life that will be improved! 

Businesses with strong team cultures crush the competition, outperforming by a jaw-dropping 200%. Yet in the relentless, high-pressure world of mortgages—where sales targets reign supreme—many leaders miss the mark on building the trust and collaboration that fuel sustainable success. Without a clear vision or a united team, scaling feels like trying to sprint through quicksand. 

What if the secret to a billion-dollar business wasn’t grinding harder or chasing the next shiny object, but creating a culture so magnetic that top talent lines up to join your team, your clients can’t stop raving, and growth becomes almost effortless?

Most mortgage pros think hustle and rapid growth are the keys to the kingdom. But here’s the hard truth: chasing short-term wins might actually be blocking your path to long-term greatness. What if the real game-changer is doing less—but doing it better—anchored in culture, purpose, and servant leadership with a patient, long term approach?

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Contento and Michele Steko of Sherwood Mortgage Group, who have cracked the code on building a billion-dollar team. They reveal how they fostered a family-like culture that inspires loyalty, strategically scaled by putting people before profits, and navigated tough markets with grace, grit, and innovation. 

You’ll also learn: 

• The power of building a “family culture” that attracts and retains top talent—because people don’t join companies, they join people.
• How to thrive in any market, even when the wind is in your face, by focusing on what you can control and staying intentional with your actions.
• Why servant leadership wins the long game, and how putting people first creates magnetic, lasting success.
• The timeless secret to building billion-dollar relationships: connecting with 2-3 COIs (centers of influence) a day and compounding those connections into massive results.
• How to master your mindset and self-image to overcome fear, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt—because you can’t outperform the belief you have in yourself.
• Why alignment matters more than chasing shiny objects, and how to find your lane for authentic, unstoppable growth.
• How to manage challenges with gratitude and grace, and turning adversity into your greatest asset.

Guest Bio

Anthony Contento is the co-founder and CEO of Sherwood Mortgage Group, a leading mortgage brokerage in Canada. With a career spanning over two decades in the financial industry, Anthony has been instrumental in the company’s rapid growth since its inception in 2008. Under his leadership, Sherwood Mortgage Group has expanded to over 100 agents across five provinces and has consistently surpassed the billion-dollar mark in mortgage originations. Anthony’s expertise in both banking and mortgage brokering allows him to offer a wide range of solutions to clients, ensuring personalized and effective financial strategies.

Michele Steko is the Vice President of National Broker Relations at Sherwood Mortgage Group. Michele joined the executive team with a wealth of experience in the mortgage industry, bringing a strong focus on fostering relationships and enhancing broker support. Her role involves ensuring smooth communication and collaboration among brokers spread across different provinces, contributing to the company’s cohesive and supportive culture. Michele’s dedication to professional excellence and her ability to navigate the complexities of the mortgage market make her a valuable asset to Sherwood Mortgage Group. To learn more visit https://sherwoodmortgagegroup.com/. 

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine, The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

With inflation rates only continuing to rise, we're on the cusp of a situation where average mortgage pros are set to drop like flies, while only the true winners remain. Our only option is to insulate ourselves from the market…but how?

How can we position ourselves in such a way that it doesn't matter what's going on in the market, and we can excel regardless? Is there a way to protect ourselves from market conditions?

In this episode, I'm sharing how to stay afloat and thrive in absolutely any market.

"Whether you like it or not or know it or not, people are searching you online, so you can't afford to be lackluster about your marketing strategies." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The importance of building a well-diversified, solid stable of top producing Realtor partners How many top producer partners should we be aligned with, and how can we capture their attention in the first place?
• How to build a 5-star reputation online Having a reputation that precedes us will always be the key to success in any market, but how can we go about building one?
• Why we need a multi-pillared, multimedia database marketing system in place Transactions will continue to take place, regardless of the state of the market, so how can we ensure we're in front of consumers, no matter where they are?

With constant algorithm changes and skyrocketing ad costs, it’s harder than ever to make Facebook ads work for your mortgage business. That’s why over 90% of mortgage pros fail to see any meaningful return from their Facebook ad campaigns. Yet, many LOs continue to throw money at these campaigns, hoping for a breakthrough. The result? Wasted time, drained budgets, and frustration that leads many to give up entirely.

But what if the problem isn’t Facebook—it’s your approach? Most mortgage pros treat Facebook ads like a magic button, expecting instant results with little effort. That mindset guarantees failure. Instead of just chasing leads, your focus should be building systems that convert leads into closed deals and cash flow.

How do you create ads that attract quality leads instead of time-wasters? Why are video-based ads outperforming text-heavy campaigns? What’s the secret sauce top producers are using to make Facebook ads work in this tough market? 

In today’s episode, we pull back the curtain on what’s working—and not —in Facebook advertising for mortgage pros. We’re sharing the top 3 landmines that derail most campaigns, reveal cutting-edge tools to increase conversions, and share follow-up strategies that transform clicks into closings. 

You’ll also learn; 

• The top 3 landmines that cause Facebook ads to flop—and how to sidestep them.
• Why targeting is harder than ever (and what to do about it).
• How to use video and storytelling to skyrocket ad engagement.
• The truth about lead quality and conversion rates from Facebook ads.
• Why most LOs waste money on ads and how to focus on profitability instead.
• A revolutionary tool that’s transforming ad campaigns.

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

One of the hardest pills to swallow in mortgage is most LOs just won’t achieve champion-level results, and that’s because they’re taking the wrong approach.

What are1% income earners doing that the other 99% aren’t? Where is the average Joe going so wrong, and what are the first steps to course-correction? 

In this episode, I’m discussing the M3 strategy that’s helped our clients get bigger results, faster, without needing to work harder. 

"Get your mindset, habits and emotions in sync with your dream." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The power of having effective marketing How can we create marketing strategies that target top producers, so we never need to deal with low-level lead sources that never convert, again? 

• How to create a more productive mindset What can we do to set the tone for a more successful day, every day? 

• Why mentorship is more important than most think Think of expert mentorship like baking cookies. Why wing the recipe when we could look up an award-winning formula that guarantees we get the best results?

If top Realtors aren’t giving you the time of day, and they see you as an annoying pest instead of a welcome guest, I feel your pain.

Are you feeling stuck, wasting your time with the wrong Realtors who send you chaff (unqualified leads) instead of kernels (quality borrowers that close)?

If you are sick and tired of chasing and groveling for business?

What if you could knock the socks off a top producer, by WOWING them with an irresistible killer offer that's an "easy yes" value proposition?

In today's new podcast episode, you're going to learn how to do exactly that! Get ready to discover the "secret sauce" for getting top-producing Realtors totally addicted to you... in spite of the fact that they "already having a lender"!

To be a successful loan officer, you’ve got to be a successful marketer. -Kevin Bilberry

Three Things We Learned  

- Attract more Realtors with more fun, flow and finesse

How do you go from selling, persuading and chasing to ATTRACTING Realtors so you can have the "pick of the litter" and only work with the BEST agents who qualify?

- Become the IRREPLACEABLE SOLUTION

A lot of top-producing Realtors have holes in their marketing, and are hemorrhaging money and opportunity... especially in today's market. How can you swoop in to become their HERO such that they start sending you ALL their buyers?

- The ALL CHEESE, no whiskers approach

What’s the secret sauce to making FREEDOM MONEY for the rest of your life as an independent MLO, regardless of market conditions?

GUEST BIO

Kevin Bilberry is the CEO and head of product development at MoveTube. MoveTube has brought real estate search to your TV and made it fun. Head to http://myunfairadvantagesystem.com to sign up.

As we continue trudging through these trying times, nothing in our lives feels usual, and the shadow of an uncertain future continues to loom over us. 

Many people are facing a difficult season, and we’re all feeling the pinch brought on by a contraction of activity, business and income. 

It’s natural to want to keep our heads down so that the storm blows over, but these seasons call for leaders who can step up to the plate and be a light in the darkness. 

How do we maintain the right mindset in the face of a foreboding future? What are the things that really matter and move the needle in this time? How do we move from panic and fear to power and faith? 

In this episode, I share how we can keep going and even use this time to grow and expand. 

We are all prophets of our own futures by virtue of what we expect. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• There’s actually more opportunity than ever before right now with so many competitors stepping out of the way, but we need to adopt the right mindset and wear the right lenses in order to see it. 
• A big part of being pillars of strength in hard times is empathy, openness and vulnerability. Learn how these virtues make the people around us feel safe. 
• Life is an ebbing and flowing of crisis and instead of wishing it didn’t happen, we can find power and strength in accepting it and adopting a more optimistic perspective.

The mortgage industry is filled with myths and alot of times, mortgage professionals are not aware about the truth. Believing these myths can have a negative impact on our success.

How do we understand these myths and ensure we don’t fall victim to it? How do we increase our awareness in the industry and use it to propel us forward?

In this, I dive into the 5 myths most mortgage professionals believe that stunts growth and the impacts of believing these myths.

Myths will erode, corrode and undermine your income potential and your power to produce. -Doren Aldana

Three Things We Learned  

-Think about the marketing business When we begin to focus and acknowledge that we’re in the marketing business as mortgage professionals, changes occur that help us grow.

-How to win in any market Cultivate and condition yourself to thrive regardless of market conditions. What can we do to win in any market and not just a fair weather one?

-The limiting belief that a higher income means harder work Many people are of the belief that higher income means that you need to work harder which is not true. Can we work smarter without working harder?

In a tough market with even tougher competition, we’re all feeling the pressure to do more. However, a lot of people view pressure as something negative and not something that can help us and our businesses to grow and thrive.

Can pressure help us to push the needle of profit and performance? How can we use it to outdo our competition?

In this episode, I talk about the steps to turn pressure into profit and how pressure can help build a recession-proof business that will win in any season.

If you don’t have the pressure of the preparation, then you’re never going to have the diamond that the pressure creates. -Doren Aldana

Three Things We Learned  

- There is no success without pressure Pressure builds character. How can we use it to get stronger, wiser, and sharper?

- Viewing pressure as preparation Can viewing pressure as preparation and not agitation help leverage us for our own benefit? 

- The peril of blame-shifting How can we take ownership and accountability for our faults and not shift the blame?

We’re in a refi boom right now, and while it’s tempting to put all our effort and energy on the low-hanging fruit, the last thing you want is to be unequipped when the refi boom inevitably ends. Even though many mortgage pros are only doing refi’s, now is not the time to be blindly following the herd.

If you become too myopically focused on the low-hanging fruit to the detriment of building consistent purchase business, your income will tank and you’ll end up regretting not building a diversified business.

Why is the purchase market the most reliable, successful and consistent source of business? How do you build a multi-pillar, multi-prong, multi-revenue stream business right now, while still taking advantage of the refi surge?

In this episode, I talk about the perils of having a business that’s too reliant on refi’s, and what will happen when you don’t shift to being proactive about the purchase market.

You want to be as diversified as you can so you are least and last affected by market downturns, not first and most. -Doren Aldana   

Takeaways 

• Refi money is not freedom money. Purchase deals have a lot more commitment because there’s a physical tangible outcome. 
• Refi business is driven by low interest rates; as soon as they go up, you’ll be in trouble. 
• Even though there is high uncertainty in the market right now, there will continue to be purchase business transactions. 

Many mortgage officers are frustrated from not getting results, and it’s because they are reliant on the wrong methods. What are some of the flaws of cold calling? Why do we waste time when we approach the wrong agents, and how do we target the right ones instead? On this episode, I have a conversation with recognized mortgage industry leader, speaker, coach and the founder of Mortgage Coach, Dave Savage. We talk about tactics and strategies to generate more loans without cold calling. 

If you don’t have a marketing system, you will have to cold call. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• If you use the typical methods, all you will get is apathy and arrogance from agents who are tired of hearing the same things. 
• It takes the same amount of time to attract a top dog and a bottom feeding Realtor with no business, so there’s no need to waste time on the wrong people.  
• The most potently profitable activities any mortgage professional can do is contacting top producing agents and booking appointments and communicating with past clients. 

At the start of the show, we talked about how to set goals that inspire you to step up your mindset game. Next, we talked about the importance of honoring your time by targeting the right Realtors. We also discussed an easy way to mine the gold from our databases and current clients. 

We also discussed: 

• How to send the right message that gets an agent to respond 
• Activity vs. productivity
• How to work more efficiently

Guest Bio 

Dave is a recognized mortgage industry leader, speaker, coach and the founder of Mortgage Coach. He has over twenty-seven years of experience as a mortgage executive, business leader, and mobile technology pioneer. As founder of SmartReply, Dave established a leading presence in mobile marketing. By launching Mortgage Coach, Dave has helped tens of thousands of loan officers and millions of homeowners make confident, informed mortgage decisions. Before Mortgage Coach, Dave was one of the nation’s top loan originators and President of a national mortgage company. For more information, visit https://mortgagecoach.com/.

Refis are a great add-on to our revenue streams, but thanks to the low rates we've seen over the past few years, too many LOs have based their entire business on just one activity.

What are mortgage pros risking by putting all their focus on a refi? Could a refi-based business be harming MORE than our professional lives? If relying on refi is such a bad idea, where should we be channeling our energies? 

In this episode, I'm diving into the top 5 ways refi holds us back from bigger, more consistent results in our businesses and beyond.

"Set up your business so you have a military freight ship that allows you to weather ANY storm, at ANY time, in ANY economy." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to quit pinning all our hopes on 'good weather' Refis are great when rates are low, but is it wise to hope for smooth sailing? How can we build a BARGE to withstand any storm, instead? 

• What makes Refis less FUN Sure, refis can make us money and save our clients a buck, but are they life-changing? Which aspect of the business can help us make a real impact? 

• How Refis hold us back from a recession-proof business How can we grow consistently in any market- and is it possible to keep having fun while doing it?

Many mortgage pros fall short of making their dreams come true, but that doesn't mean they're not good at what they do. More often than not, failure is a symptom of the beliefs we tell ourselves.

We can have the best marketing strategies in the business, but without the mindset to match, we're going to be held in place, trapped on the proverbial hamster wheel. The problem is, many of us don't know which beliefs are holding us back.

What are we telling ourselves, day after day, that's keeping us from our full potential? How do we get to the root of our negative thoughts, to stop them from doing more damage?

In this episode, I'm sharing the most commonly held beliefs that hold LOs back from making their dreams a reality.

"Your subconscious mind is what governs your habits and ultimately your results,  be careful with what you tell yourself." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways

• How to kick impostor syndrome to the curb, for good! How can we stop believing we’re not good enough, so we can step into the confidence and competence required to make our dreams a reality?
• Why we need to quit telling ourselves success comes at a price How will we ever feel compelled to put in the hard yards when we’re constantly telling ourselves success is a burden?
• Why doing it all on our own only hurts us What’s the likelihood of attracting top talent who allow us to step into the rainmaker position when we’re hung up on micromanaging every move?

Most of the barriers to our success lie in our own mindsets. What thoughts and beliefs hold us back? How can we change them? On this episode, I outline the seven most problematic assumptions we allow ourselves to believe and why they harm our business. The great thing is, just as your mindset has stopped you from achieving in the past, changing the way you think can bring you immeasurable success going forward.

Think: 'What if it does work?' That's how a champion thinks. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways  

• Stop thinking in terms of what you don’t have: saying you have limited time and money holds you back from finding ways to solve those issues.
• Don't assume you have to add to your workload to be successful.
• Being comfortable now will result in lack of comfort when you're older. Be proactive and understand that you need to put in hard work now to reap the rewards later.

At the start of the episode, I emphasize that each of the seven barriers to your success exist only in your mind. I then start breaking down the ways you can get around each of those self-imposed limitations.

I also look at:

• Why indecision is your worst enemy
• How your workload doesn’t necessarily need to increase
• Why you need to stop thinking about what could go wrong and start thinking about what could go right

At some point, we’ve all been told running a business is a bad idea because you don’t have enough time or money. The reason all of us can agree on having heard that is because we live in a culture that promotes myths. While there are always risks, the fear of failure should never stop you from pursuing your dreams.

If we pay attention to all the reasons it won’t work, we’re really spending the energy on worrying that we could have used to just get started. Change your mindset and stop placing limitations on your abilities. You’re only as successful as you allow yourself to be.

Nothing holds people back in business more than the limiting beliefs they carry. How do you shift away from these misinterpretations? Is being the best at mortgage work going to make you successful? What is the right mindset to have about getting assistance and help? On this episode, I share 7 myths that you need to shatter for greater power, peace, productivity and profits.

Takeaways

• What are the limiting beliefs we are prone to carry without realizing it?
• How can you work "smarter", rather than harder?
• What's wrong with multi-tasking?
• and much more!

At the start of the show, I talked about how limiting beliefs and subscribing to these 7 myths will destroy your results. Next, we talked about the importance of working smarter, not harder if you really want to grow your business. We also talked about the dangers of incessant distractions, and how that makes you a beginner but not a finisher.

I also shared:

• Why being the best marketer, not mortgage professional helps you succeed
• The importance of delegation and empowerment
• Why multitasking isn’t smart

There’s a bigger mindset that plays into success and there is a better way to run your business, but you have to embrace a better mindset first. If you want more income, you don’t have to do more work. If you want to succeed you have to become a marketer first before being a mortgage professional. Remember that leverage is the key to a higher level of success and you have to think about putting policy, procedure, protocol and systems in place that underlie everything you want to get done. When you shift your mindset, success becomes inevitable.

With tens of thousands of mortgage pros leaving the business over the past 3 years, it comes as no surprise most mortgage pros use outdated tactics that yield little to no results in today's market. Between rising rates, low inventory, dwindling leads, and fierce competition, many LOs find themselves trapped in a cycle of frustration, grinding harder for less return.

The truth is, success in the mortgage industry has evolved, and clinging to outdated methods will only leave you stuck and struggling. If you’re grinding away with cold calls, endless social media posts, or chasing crappy internet leads, chances are these tactics aren’t just ineffective—they’re actively holding you back.

It’s time to ask yourself: Is what you’re doing aligned with what truly works in today’s market? What if one simple daily habit could create exponential results, make you the go-to partner Realtors can’t resist, and finally stop the endless struggle bus?

In this episode, we break down the real talk about what’s working in the mortgage industry right now—no fluff, no gimmicks, just proven strategies that get results so you can take control of your business and scale your income.

You’ll also learn:

• Why outdated tactics like cold calling and generic networking events are a waste of time in today’s market.
• The "Hour of Power"—a simple, game-changing daily habit top producers swear by to dominate their market.
• How to flip the script and get Realtors chasing YOU instead of the other way around.
• The make-or-break role of CRMs in turning your pipeline into a profit machine.
• Why social media isn’t the “magic bullet” you’ve been sold—and the smarter, faster way to get results.
• How consistent daily actions compound over time to create exponential growth and unstoppable momentum.

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. With years of experience in the industry, she has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Check out this episode on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

2020 has brought significant challenges into all of our lives, and many of us are experiencing real pain at the moment. However, it’s important to remember that the depths of darkness we’ve been through are equal to the heights of the light we can shine in this world, and we can get through this. 

That being said, moving through grief of any kind is often easier said than done. In truth, there are some things we’ll never truly ‘move on’ from- but we can move forward.

The question is, how? How can we move forward when it feels like life as we’ve always known it is falling apart? What can we do to get through our darkest days and back into the light?

In this episode, host of The Daily Decision and My Journey 2 Hope podcasts, Michael Chabot shares how to keep going in the face of difficulties. 

You can't move past your difficulties until you decide that’s what you want. -Michael Chabot

Three Things You'll Learn From This Episode

• How to move out of the season of grief:  Only we can determine when we’ll move out of the grieving stage. What will be the catalyst for that decision? 
• Why positivity alone can’t turn pain into purpose:  How can we expect run-of-the-mill motivational nonsense to connect us with our true calling when we’re not viscerally connected to it? 
• How to handle the bad days as they arise:  Even as we heal, there will be harder days. How do we deal with them without backtracking on any of the progress we’ve already made?

Guest Bio- 

Michael Chabot is the host of the My Journey 2 Hope and The Daily Decision podcasts. He is passionate about helping people realize that even though challenges are inevitable, we have the power to overcome anything life throws our way. Having experienced tragedy first hand, Michael shares his story in the hopes that others see it’s possible to have hope, even after trauma. Michael is the Senior Vice President of Residential Lending at Draper and Kramer.

To find out more, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/michael.chabot.75

https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheDailyDecisionPodcast%2F

https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMyJourney2Hope%2F 

https://anchor.fm/michael-chabot6

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-daily-decision-michael-chabot-vYVtqgx-PNp/

https://dkmortgage.com/chabot/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chabot 

And to find out more about the Gabriella’s Heart Foundation, go to:

http://gabriellasheart.org/ 

Other podcasts mentioned in this episode: https://impacttheory.com/

Success in the mortgage industry often feels like an uphill battle, an endless grind against constant challenges.

For many LOs, the daily grind can seem overwhelming, with rising rates, increasing competition, and the struggle to stand out in a crowded market. These obstacles are not exceptions but the norm, and how you handle them defines your success.

How can you rise above the resistance and ramp up your revenue? How can you WIN in ANY market CONSISTENTLY, not just a “fair weather” market?

In this episode, I talk about the common struggles most mortgage pros face—low inventory, high rates, stagnation, frustration, and a dwindling pipeline. I also reveal the three counterintuitive truths of success that will change your mortgage career forever.

"Income growth is preceded by inner growth. Your business is like a personal development course with a compensation plan attached." - Doren Aldana

Things you’ll learn:

- How inner growth precedes income growth.

- The importance of focusing on the process rather than the prize.

- Why connecting to your purpose leads to greater success.

- How top producers win in any market regardless of market conditions.

- Practical steps to overcome fear and take purposeful action.

Whether we're facing lockdowns or inventory shortages, there's no doubt that we're in a time of great adversity. However, even in the wake of challenges, some LOs continue to win. 

What are they doing differently from everyone else? How can we mimic their moves and stop falling short of our potential, no matter how many difficulties we face? 

In this episode, I'm diving into how to stay winning in ANY situation (and what's holding you back from prosperity right now!).

"The difference between champions and the mediocre majority is, champions find a way to turn adversity into opportunity." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why networking and visiting open houses can only take us so far Is it possible to create lifelong, fruitful friendships with Realtors without going out of our way to schmooze them? 

• 1 thing to be mindful of with social media Are we doing blogs and social media posts because they offer a great ROI, or simply because everyone else is doing them? 

• How to get agents champing at the bit to work with US How can we flip the script on Realtors and get them hot for what we've got, even in a tough market?

When pushing our businesses to the next level, many of us think in terms of what we should be doing, but sometimes it’s more important to think about what we need to stop doing.

No amount of pressing on the throttle will give us a smooth ride if we aren’t letting off the brakes. The question is, what are those brakes in our businesses? 

Which activities are keeping us stuck in place, and how can we root them out of our routines for good? 

In this episode, I share how to stop spinning our wheels and start moving forward in a smooth ride to flow, fun, and fulfillment.

"If you're constantly being sucked into paper-pushing, you’re putting the brakes on in your business." -Doren Aldana

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

• How stinkin’ thinkin’ holds us back:  We all have an unlimited capacity for greatness, so what’s stopping us from making our dreams a reality? 
• How to put a stop to paper-pushing, pronto:  How can we expect to reach new heights when we’re trapped under the muck and mire of minutiae? 
• Why weak systems set us up for mediocrity:  Repeating each step of our processes each time they need to be undertaken isn’t the same as having a business. Have we created glorified jobs for ourselves?

Anxiety about the future is something most mortgage professionals have experienced, but it being a common phenomenon doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.  

When we’re agonizing over what the future holds, our emotions are more than a blip on the radar. They can be all-consuming and even hold us back from reaching our full potential, and for that reason we should never brush worry off as something small. 

What’s causing us to feel this way in the first place, and what can we do to put a stop to it? Will we ever be able to cut nervous tension out of our lives completely? 

In this episode, I’m sharing how different loan officers experience worry, and what we can do to stop it from controlling us.

Step out of fear and into faith, love, and the best version of yourself. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways

• What’s keeping newbies in a perpetual state of panic:  How can we be sure we’ll make it in this industry, so we don’t have to stick our tails between our legs, admit defeat, and scurry back to our 9-5 grinds? 

• How veterans are impacted by the worry prison:  Most veterans have had bountiful businesses as a result of the refi boom, but what happens when rates inevitably increase? Will we be able to sustain the incredible income we’ve grown accustomed to? 

• The fear that affects newbies and veterans alike:  We all got into this business to create freedom for ourselves, but what happens if our dreams never become reality?

If you’ve been trying to crack the code on attracting Realtor partners and failing, this insight will instantly turn things around, because chances are, you're scaring Realtors away without even knowing it!

Think about it this way... 

If you’re presenting any semblance of selling, you’re going to be repelling. -Doren Aldana

Things We Learned  

- How to stop being seen as an Average Joe LO

Top producers can spot a loan leech miles away. How do you change your energetic frequency so they see you as a Welcome Guest vs. an Annoying Pest?

- How to transform Call Reluctance into Relaxed Confidence

How do you show up with that relaxed posture where you don’t need to convince, cajole, or persuade, you just simply ATTRACT?

- How to transmit TOTAL CERTAINTY

How do we eliminate "wobble words" that transmit UNCERTAINTY and make the shift to TOTAL CERTAINTY, where everything that comes out of our mouths is dripping with confidence and clarity?

- How to leverage the most powerful motivator known to man

What does it take to create a value proposition so powerful people would be crazy to turn it down? Discover the answer now... 

If you’ve been waiting for the light at the end of the high-interest rate tunnel, you’re going to love this…

There are positive signs of change all over the economy. With rates and inflation dropping, a refi boom is coming to a town near you. That means more demand, more referrals and more refi revenue… FINALLY!

No doubt, the next refi boom is the surge everyone’s been waiting for, but what if rates and market conditions didn’t matter to you at all? What if you didn’t have to freeze in cold water, hoping for the next wave and going broke while you wait, and create waves on demand instead?

Picture this: you have a business so solid, you are perfectly primed to prosper and entirely impervious to interest rates. You own your marketing, instead of being owned by the market. Your wagon’s not hitched to mediocre, middle of the road Realtors, but you’re aligned with market-dominating, top producers who continue to win in the face of any storm.

That’s what happens when you stop being a wave rider and become a systems-builder. You get to make freedom money regardless of rates, inventory, inflation, or competition.

What are the 3 key steps to maximizing your profits when the next refi wave hits, and more importantly, how do you win while you wait?

In this episode, we’re going to talk about how to position yourself to benefit first and most from the next refi boom, and how to prosper right now while you prepare.

As rates go down, there’s going to be a bigger pool of people who will definitely want to hear from you, and will have an advantage to refinance. -Doren Aldana

Things You'll Learn From This Episode:

-Create your own waves on demand

Instead of signing up for the suck of being a once-in-a-while refi wave surfer, how do you transform into a consistent system-builder where you can create "waves on demand"?

-The Holy Grail of Communication

If I had to choose one method to communicate with prospects, past clients and referral partners, what would it be? 

-Right person, right message, right time

How do we knock it out of the park with message that resonates with your audience?

Very few mortgage pros do 10 deals a month, and even fewer do it consistently. What are the secrets of those who are getting it right, and where are the vast majority of us going so wrong?  

How can we start thinking like industry top dogs, so 10 deals a month, EVERY month, becomebest-kept a given? 

In this episode, I share the 3 biggest weaknesses holding mortgage pros back from greatness (and how to stop them from stopping us!)

"Even 1% doubt will take you out, so you have to show up every day with your beliefs in alignment with your dreams." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to stop letting weak marketing stunt your growth What are the key clues that our marketing is all wrong?

• Why we need to kick stinkin' thinking for good How can we start showing up feeling like the champions we are and quit cowering in the shadows of self-limitation? 

• How to pick the right mentors Is there a way to pinpoint those guaranteed to get us to our full potential?

There are small and subtle ways that make it hard for us to reach our full potential. 

Even some of the most talented and capable LOs are constantly hitting a ceiling, regardless of their intentions and ambitions. 

What are some of the biggest reasons LOs have a hard time going from mediocre to extraordinary results? 

How do limiting beliefs get in the way of our potential? What does it take to experience holistic success?

In this episode, I share the 7 things that hold mortgage professionals back from reaching their goals in a meaningful and lasting way. 

The secret to living a mediocre life is setting small, ‘reasonable’ goals. -Doren Aldana  

What you’ll learn in this episode 

The limiting belief that will subconsciously stop you from fully committing.

We hold ourselves back from pursuing bigger goals because we have developed limiting beliefs. There is nothing wrong with wanting to keep growing. Better understanding our limiting beliefs can help us break free from them. 

The one challenge that dictates an LO’s ability to excel 

Too many mortgage pros stop themselves because they’re intimidated by this challenge. Once you understand how to flip the script, this challenge becomes an opportunity. Listen to the show for details!

Why it’s time to stop winging it and start creating your successful routine

Whether we’re top producers or not, we all have the same number of hours in a day. We have to use our time more wisely if we want to see the rewards. 

In order to be effective at building partnerships with top-dog Realtors, we need to be able to handle objections like pros. We need to have the superpower of eliminating those objections in advance by constantly raising the standard of what we’re offering. 

It’s common to experience apathy and high walls of resistance from the agents we approach, along with the dreaded objection, “I’ve already got a Mortgage Lender.”

If we equip ourselves with the tools, mindset and know-how to handle and obliterate this objection, it will never get in our way again. 

What is the root cause of this objection and what does it tell us about how the agent sees us? How can we become so irreplaceable and indispensable that all those lame objections just magically melt away? In this episode, we talk about how to objection-proof yourself, and become the LO agents want to work with.

The objection “I already have a lender” is a smoke screen, and a symptom that you’re doing things the wrong way and the hard way. -Doren Aldana 

Three Things You’ll Learn in This Episode 

• What top dog agents are looking for in lender partners  When agents say they are already working with another agent, it’s because we’re not bringing anything unique and compelling to the table. Top dog agents are looking for unique value and people who can bring them the results matched with their standards. 
• Why we need to focus on improving our marketing ability  When you realize that you’re a marketing professional first and a mortgage professional second, you will start to pursue building marketing muscle instead of the minutiae that doesn’t push us forward or appeal to top agents.
• The true message behind the “I’ve already got a lender” objection Saying they already work with an LO is a smoke screen and an excuse to get you off the phone. They’ll only do this if they see you as another run of the mill LO, and not a potential partner who stands out from the crowd.

We all have a tendency to play it safe, because that’s part of the human experience. However, by staying in our convenience zones, we’re only stopping ourselves from moving into our CONQUER zones, so we have to figure out where our comfort lies and how to break free from it, for good.

What are we doing to stay in the easy, breezy space we’re in, and how can we shift away from it so we nullify our chances of stagnation? Which of our day to day activities are taking us to the precipice of mediocrity, and what do those who SOAR do, instead? 

In this episode, I’m shining a spotlight on the 5 places LOs hide from their own greatness, so we can cut them out of our lives, once and for all.

"Step into your champion self, feel the fear and do it anyway." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• When social media does more harm than good If social media isn’t the main thing we should be doing to grow our businesses, what should we be doing instead? 

• Why perfectionism is holding us back from brilliance Is trying to be ‘perfect’ stopping us from getting the best results possible?

• How to kick imposter syndrome to the curb We’ve all experienced imposter syndrome at some point in our lives. The question is, how do we push past it?

Agents are dealing with a market shift right now, and a lot of the low hanging fruit in the market has already been picked. Agents are looking for something more but are using the slow market as an excuse to not go out and get it.

How do we build our businesses on a solid foundation so that it brings in consistent income regardless of the market? What allows us to win in a shifting market?

In this episode, I discuss how to turn a slow market into an unstoppable success, what allows success in any market and how to do more with less to get optimal results.

If you have the wrong strategy, it doesn’t matter how long or hard you work, it’s not going to fix the problem. -Doren Aldana

Three Things We Learned  

• Spending less time on the things that are not working How do we cut off the things that are less productive, and work on the things that produce optimal results?
• How to get more out of referrals Identifying referral partners isn’t enough. How do we nurture these partners to ensure growth?
• Building the dream team Champions surround themselves with champions. How do we build a dream team of champions so that we can uplift each other and provide value?

As mortgage professionals, we have the benefit of extreme flexibility, but if we want to be successful, we have to put a limit on our freedom today, so we can enjoy ultimate freedom in the future. Is freedom a double-edged sword? Can too much of it affect our effectiveness and consistency? On this episode, we learn why having too much freedom can spoil our chances of success and the true freedom we desire.

 You need to be willing to give up some daily freedoms in order to attain ultimate freedom. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Freedom is a double-edged sword; while we want to have flexibility, it’s vital we have structure in place.
• Without structure, we lack effectiveness. We need a repeatability aspect to our business so we see consistent results.
• Lack of structure leads to lack of consistency. We have to submit ourselves to an effective structure everyday to ensure consistently good results.

At the start of this episode, we learned how having too much freedom can create a toxic work environment. We also heard that structure is vital for success, and that we should be creating foolproof recipes that allow us to repeat great results. 

We also discussed:

• Why having the right direction and structure is non-negotiable
• Why applying discipline to your daily agenda is the key to success
• How sacrificing small freedoms can bring us greater freedom in the long term

We’re all living through a time where life is anything but ordinary or the usual, and we’ve decided to do something a little different with our podcast, and that’s celebrate our client wins and successes. 

In order to be leaders, game changers and merchants of certainty, we need to be a light in this time of darkness. This is why our clients are sharing their stories, their life-changing, business-activating, profit-elevating marketing and mindset secrets. 

On this episode, you’re going to hear snippets from our client interviews and hear how they’ve found growth even in the midst of the market challenges we’re experiencing. This will arm you with the inspiration, motivation and strategies to keep going even when everything around us is telling us to hunker down. 

If you want to be the leader who inherits the market of tomorrow, you’ve got to rise up and find a way to turn adversity into opportunity. - Doren Aldana

There are 5 simple steps we need in order to turn Facebook into a lead machine that feeds our pipeline with an ever-growing flow of closed deals. Do you wish you had more quality leads, so you can close more deals? Is your prospecting method wasting your time with little to show for it?

In this episode, marketing expert, Sabina Phillipsz, reveals the critical steps most mortgage pros will never know about how to generate more quality leads on autopilot and how to use those pre-approvals as SUPER BAIT to attract top-producing Realtor partners. You’ll learn how to set up your own consumer-direct Facebook ad that can generate hundreds of quality buyer leads per month; and how to finally take control of your pipeline, and build stability through diversification.

Facebook is a great way to connect with prospects very cost-effectively. It’s a great platform because it’s visual and you can put a lot of content on it. -Doren Aldana  

Takeaways 

• Most people think that branded stuff is the way to go. We get better results and a lower cost a lead when we take the unbranded approach.
• For the best results, do sequential, multimedia and multi-pillared follow-up. When a lead comes in, send an immediate voicemail. Ten minutes later, send an email; fifteen minutes later, send a text message. 
• Mentorship provides us with new ideas, accountability and proven systems. 

At the start of the show, we talked about how to set up a direct consumer ad on Facebook, and why it’s a great platform for generating leads. Next, we talked about the power of having non-branded content, and the power of texting. We also shared case studies including how Penny Wrightly generated 460 leads and 14 closes, how Kelly Czarny doubled her income in 3 months and how Devon Peterson tripled his loan volume in 2 months.  

We also discussed:

• How to implement an automated follow-up system that converts more leads into closings
• How to self-source your own quality leads so you OWN THE POWER in your partnerships
• How to provide your Realtors with UNIQUE VALUE so they make you their exclusive lender
• and much more!

Guest Bio 

Sabina is a Certified Google and Facebook Marketing Specialist who has been working in the digital marketing space since 2007. She has a diverse set of skills in all aspects of business and marketing.

Diversification is the best way to stay afloat in any market, so if we've been focused on REFIs exclusively until now,  it's time to shift into the purchase market. However, to make the most of the purchase space, we have to approach it the right way. The question is, how do we do that? 

What can we do to stand out to the best Realtors in the business, so we're not just getting any purchase deals, but the cream of the crop? More importantly, is it possible to do that without begging, pleading, and annoying everyone along the way? 

In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways to build a purchase business quickly and effectively, so we can reap the long-lasting benefits in no time at all.

"If you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting, and that's unacceptable!" -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to make the most of our networks How can we tap into the GOLDMINES that are our networks? Is there a way to reach out to our existing spheres without coming across as annoying? 

• How to turn one and done transactions into repeat and referral business How can we continue to be the first (and only!) LO people think of when mortgage comes to mind? 

• What it takes to get into the inner sanctum of top dog Realtors How can we pick a more lucrative Realtor partner?

We all want to be successful, but sometimes our aspirations are about more than better results. Sometimes, reaching our income goals is a necessity. The problem is, when we’re in survival mode, it can be difficult to have faith in our ability to make it happen. 

How can we get ourselves to take the leap and do what we need to do when we can’t afford to fail? How can we push past the fears holding us back from true freedom?

In this episode, Senior LO at CMG Financial, Terri Core shares how she went from desperate and barely surviving, to totally thriving in the space of just 3 months. 

"It’s time to bust out of ‘I can’t afford it’ prison and get out at Planet Prosper!" -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to maintain our integrity while pushing for more Do we really need to choose between our values and our goals, or is there a way to have it all?

• How to banish self-limiting beliefs, for good! How can we get rid of imposter syndrome and the little voice telling us we can’t, once and for all? 

• The key to changing our perception of Realtors How can we go from working with Realtors because we have to, to aligning with them because we enjoy their company and have their respect?

Guest Bio - 

Terri Core is a Senior Loan Officer at CMG Financial. While Terri has a history in the business, she stepped out amid the Financial Crisis to pursue a career in the education space. While she battled against numerous challenges upon her return to mortgage in December 2020, she’s since begun working with Mortgage Marketing Coach, and having turned her previous yearly income into her monthly earnings, it’s safe to say she’s not about to look back!

To find out more, go to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/terricore/

Thanks to crazy low rates and being deemed an essential service in the face of the pandemic, our industry is faring far better than most, and there’s no denying that we’ve been blessed with an avalanche of awesome. However, if we want to take advantage of all this, we simply can’t afford to be complacent.

It’s easy to feel secure when we’re in a place of relative comfort, but the truth is, being comfortable will never truly fulfill us. We’re seeking greatness, and that requires us to push past our self-imposed limits.

How can we get over the short-lived contentment that comes with comfort, and start pushing for more? What can we do to motivate ourselves for greatness when all our material goals have already been met?

Most importantly, is it possible to do all of the above without doing it the hard way? In this episode, I’m sharing why ‘good’ holds us back from great, and what we can do to break the shackles of so-called comfort.

"The problem with settling for ‘good’ is we start to compromise and coddle our comfort zone." -Doren Aldana

Three Things You'll Learn In This Episode

• How to jump off the time-for-money treadmill:  Are we building practices that require our undivided time and attention or are we building businesses that can set us free? 

• Why busting out of the comfort zone is non-negotiable:  Everyone wants to achieve independence, autonomy, and freedom. The question we need to ask ourselves is, are we willing to step out of our comfort zones and do what it takes? 

• How to quit ‘making do’ and start making HISTORY:  Are our dreams audacious enough that we have no other option than to step into our champion selves and make them a reality?

In this highly digitally disrupted world, LOs need to bring something to the table that goes beyond mortgages. What is a wealth team and why is it important to focus on wealth building when we talk to clients? How do we build relationships with other professionals to the benefit of the customer? How do we win by becoming better teachers? On this episode, industry leader and Mortgage Coach founder, Dave Savage, shares one way we can differentiate ourselves in the business by offering a unique type of value.

The mortgage professional who decides to be the captain of a wealth team will win the biggest, most and fastest. -Dave Savage   

Takeaways 

• It’s important to make the process of finding and applying for a mortgage a multi-channel multi device experience to match how people use the internet to buy these days. 
• Having a wealth team allows us to connect with a wide range of professional service providers, which gives us more lead generation and conversion opportunities. 
• It’s important that we show homeowners that we’re more than loan officers, and that’s about focusing on more than the loan, but also on building wealth and giving financial advice at the point of sale.

At the start of the show, Dave shared how he got to where he is today and how to make the mortgage process match up with how people use their mobile devices, and the importance of helping people build wealth. Next, we talked about why LOs are better lead aggregators, and the power of building your own wealth team. 

We also discussed: 

• How to create more lead generation and conversion opportunities 
• The importance of bringing more information to the consumer 
• A winning strategy for getting referrals

Guest Bio 

Dave is a recognized mortgage industry leader, speaker, coach and the founder of Mortgage Coach. He has over twenty-seven years of experience as a mortgage executive, business leader, and mobile technology pioneer. As founder of SmartReply, Dave established a leading presence in mobile marketing. By launching Mortgage Coach, Dave has helped tens of thousands of loan officers and millions of homeowners make confident, informed mortgage decisions. Before Mortgage Coach, Dave was one of the nation’s top loan originators and President of a national mortgage company.

For more information, visit https://mortgagecoach.com/ , check out Mortgage Coach on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQp32ymD3hY8sDkdSk5uhpA and join the Mortgage Coach Productivity Mastermind on Facebook.

In the wake of the refi boom, many mortgage professionals have found their wallets fuller, but their lives emptier. We’ve burned ourselves out en-masse, with the common matchstick that is working IN our businesses, rather than ON them.

We signed up for this business because we wanted more freedom, autonomy, and independence, so why have so many of us ended up becoming chief, cook, and bottle washer? How have we made such a complete 180?

How can we get back into loving what we do, instead of waking up every morning for a soulless grind?

In this episode, I share that our collective burnout is a symptom of building practices instead of building businesses.

If you want true freedom, autonomy, and independence, being a practice builder will not bode well. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• Why we need to redefine our idea of brokenness:  Is having a ton of money in the bank as important as having our health and the freedom to spend time with our loved ones? 

• The key distinction between building a practice vs building a business:  Can we step out of our businesses for a couple of weeks without everything falling apart, or have we built ourselves a glorified j-o-b? 

• How to get back into loving what we do:  How can we stop working because we ‘have to’ and start enjoying our careers again, so we can step into our divine calling?

If we waste all our time on mediocre lead sources, we’ll only ever get mediocre results, and none of us got into this business to be average!

Which lead sources are most likely to get us the results we want, and what makes them so much better than all the rest? How much harder do we need to work to secure the lead sources that separate the good from the GREAT in our business?

In this episode, I share the 3 lead gen sources GUARANTEED to put LOs in the top tier of mortgage professionals (and how to get them!).

"The better quality the lead, the better quality your life!" -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• How to partner up with top producing Realtors Reaching out to top Realtors is daunting at the best of times, so how can we get them to partner with us when they’re already married to their current lenders? 

• How to generate pre-sold referrals from past clients Is there a systematic way to turn past clients into red-hot referrals?

• The key to tapping into our personal networks How can we get referrals from our personal networks without feeling awkward and uncomfortable?

In today’s ultra-competitive market with low inventory and relatively high rates, leads are harder to come by, and yet, many are unwittingly wasting the few they do get by making costly mistakes.

The key to thriving unthriving times isn’t necessarily just about getting more leads, but in converting more of the ones you already have into high-quality, high-paying clients who send referrals, give rave reviews and then come back to do repeat business,

Focusing solely on generating more leads might mean you're missing the bigger picture. The real issue often isn’t the quantity of leads but the quality of your lead source and the quality of your follow-up.

Many MLOs are letting potential deals slip through their fingers by not fully capitalizing on the opportunities they already have.

Are you truly squeezing all the juice out of the opportunities you’ve been given, or are you letting potential deals slip through your fingers? How would your life change if you could close more deals with less stress?

In this episode, I talk to Lead Conversion Expert, Penny Wrightly, where we reveal the 3 secrets for closing more deals from fewer leads. Stop doing it the hard way and start doing it the SMART WAY.

"Whether your leads come from your client database or referral partnerships you’re building, those will be your highest-quality leads and the easiest to convert." -Penny Wrightly

You’ll also learn: 

• How to assess and improve the quality of your leads to skyrocket your conversions.
• The most effective follow-up strategies that turn lukewarm leads into hot, motivated prospects.
• Why asking for referrals is a non-negotiable step in your sales process.
• The crucial role systems play in your follow-up game and how to implement them the right way.
• A simple, yet effective strategy for attracting more high-quality leads from your existing clients.
• Tips for nurturing relationships with referral partners to keep your lead pipeline full - regardless of market conditions.

Guest Bio

Penny Wrightly is a mortgage industry veteran with over 24 years of experience, now serving as the Chief Conversion Coach at Planet Prosper. From starting as an administrator to becoming a principal broker, Penny has scaled the heights of the mortgage world, leading teams to exponential growth. She’s passionate about helping mortgage pros turn hard-earned leads into consistent closings, and her deep expertise in lead conversion is second to none.

About Your Host

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

From the outside looking in, it often seems like top producers have some kind of superhuman capacity that sets them apart from the rest of us, but that just ain’t so. 

No one comes into this world as a top producer, and all it takes to reach the next level is having the right skills. The great news is, that means all of us have the latent ability to become elite players in the industry.

What skills have top LOs learned that the rest of us haven’t, and what really makes the difference in their ability to thrive versus those who struggle to survive? Is it possible to follow their lead without putting in more hours? 

In this episode, I’m sharing the 7 characteristics that separate the elite 1% from the mediocre majority. 

"Own success as yours, in advance." -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The importance of having a defiant commitment to success:  We were made by greatness, for greatness. Are we living like we believe that to be true? 
• How not having a bias towards DOING only slows us down:  Why spend eons drawing up a perfect plan when we could start taking imperfect action TODAY and get a step closer to reaching our goals? 
• Why the industry’s elite aren’t looking at LAGGING metrics:  Are our activities doing enough to generate a fruitful harvest for the future, or are we getting too caught up in instant gratification? 

We all want to be in control of our businesses and watch them thrive, but with the current market shift, a lot of people are failing to meet their mark and doing more with less seems like a far-fetched idea.

How can we regain control and take the helm and steer our businesses toward success? Can we push the needle of profit and performance regardless of the market?

How can we be the least and last affected by the market downturns rather than being the first and most?

In this episode, I discuss 3 simple steps to help you thrive in 2023 and beyond and how to be successful in any market.

Knowing what you want is the first step. -Doren Aldana

Three Things We Learned  

• Defining our success The concept of thriving differs from person to person. How do we figure out what it means to us?
• How to get aligned How do we align our goals and habits?
• Why it’s critical to be specific about what we want What can we do to create clarity around our goals?

In today's competitive market where inventory is low and rates are high, leads alone aren't enough. Success lies in how effectively you mine those opportunities.

If you’re not tapping into proven strategies to squeeze maximum value out of your database of prospects, clients and Realtors, you’re handing deals to your competitors on a silver platter—because they’ll be happy to take your market share.

Most mortgage pros think the answer is getting more leads, but here’s the harsh reality: it's not about quantity of your leads, but more importantly, the quality of your leads, and how you nurture and convert those leads into closings.

Are you spending too much time chasing new leads while overlooking the goldmine in your current database? Do you know how to turn the maximum number of those leads into cash? What if you could attract Top REALTORS as exclusive referral partners and automatically turn happy clients into 5-star reviews that turn into red-hot referrals—how much more business could you close?

In this episode, we break down 3 killer marketing campaigns that are guaranteed to generate more REALTOR partnerships, resurrect "dead" leads, and turn 5-star reviews into an unstoppable referral engine.

You’ll also learn: 

• How to get top-producing REALTORS chasing you and consistently sending you high-quality deals like clockwork
• Why those so-called "dead" leads in your database are actually a hidden goldmine waiting to be cashed in for thousands
• The no-nonsense way to turn glowing reviews into a referral-generating machine that fuels your business with prosperity
• How the REALTOR Attraction Campaign (RAC) can get top-producing Realtors hot for what you got before you even call them (no cold calling)
• Why it’s not just WHAT you say, but HOW you say it that can transform your business overnight
• Why focusing on how you communicate is the key to ramping up your referrals
• How to leverage automation to make your pipeline-building efforts EFFORTLESS

About Your Hosts

Considered by many to be the nation’s leading Mortgage Marketing Coach, Doren Aldana is the founder of several highly acclaimed training programs, including Autopilot Referral Systems, Client Acceleration Formula and the 7-Figure Lender Academy. He is a contributing author for Mortgage Professional America, CMP Magazine,The Mortgage Journal, and other mortgage industry publications. He is also the founder of the #1 mortgage marketing group on Facebook, The Art of Mortgage Marketing. Since 2005, Doren has trained thousands of mortgage professionals how to utilize his mortgage marketing secrets to close more deals with less effort, regardless of market conditions. In fact, due to his high-impact mortgage marketing solutions (and a whack-load of success stories), Doren was awarded the prestigious “Best Industry Service Provider” award three years in a row at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. Won the BEST INDUSTRY SERVICE award three times in a row.

Penny Wrightly is the Chief Conversion Coach at MortgageMarketingCoach.com with a 24-year track record of success as a seasoned mortgage professional and expert in creative lead generation. As a highly-decorated veteran in the industry, Penny has built a reputation for thinking outside the box to find opportunities where others don’t. Penny specializes in helping mortgage pros expand their networks, create valuable partnerships, and boost their business even in challenging markets. Her hands-on approach and innovative strategies have made her a sought-after speaker and coach for those looking to thrive in the competitive world of real estate and finance.

Pre-COVID, meeting top producers in person was a great way to build profitable relationships, but that’s no longer an option. If we plan to dominate the industry in the face of the pandemic, we have to roll with the times and find a new way forward.

A lot of so-called ‘experts’ would have us believe the next best option is cold-calling, but that’s doing it the hard way. COVID-19 or not, we’ve still got to find the fastest path to the cash -- and that means ditching old school strategies for good.

How should we be marketing ourselves to top dog agents in a time when networking as we knew it no longer exists? Are there any foolproof solutions in unprecedented times, or is it time to try reinventing the wheel?

In this episode, I’m sharing how both newbie LOs and seasoned pros can build solid connections with top producers, without meeting anyone face to face.

The shortest path to the cash in this business, newbie or veteran, is and always will be attracting top-producing Realtors who make you their exclusive and act as your brand ambassador. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The WORST way to prospect during this time:  Cold-calling and reaching out to Realtors to be ‘helpful’ sure is better than doing nothing at all, but is it the smartest, most fruitful way to capture the attention of top producers?
• How to attract top producers without smiling and dialing:  Realtors aren’t answering phones anymore, and if they are, chances are they’re spending the full duration of the call trying to get rid of us. How can we attract the attention of the top dogs using 21st century technology?
• How to shatter the perception that LOs are loan leeches:  How can we change the way top producing agents see us, so we can go from mortgage hawker to marketing partner in their eyes?

Have you ever wondered what traits, habits and skills separate the top 1% income earners in the mortgage industry from all the rest?

I mean they all offer the same programs with the same rates as everyone else, but they earn at least 10X more than the average LO.

What do they know that you don't?

What champion-level mind-sets and skill-sets allow them to rise to the top, even in a down market?

After 19 years of being in the trenches coaching mortgage pros to success, I'm uniquely qualified to teach you exactly that.

This truly is the Holy Grail of mortgage marketing success – the master key that allows you to WIN in ANY market, not just in a "fair weather" market.

In this episode, I share 7 things upper echelon mortgage pros do differently that separate them from the mediocre majority.

When you focus on making an impact, your income takes care of itself. When you transform lives, your transactions take care of themselves. -Doren Aldana 

Things You'll Learn From This Episode:

-How to prioritize purpose over profits

-How to create a magnanimous mission that propels you from good to GREAT

-Growing vs. getting – how to turn failure into fuel for your dream

-The only consistent, reliable source of business that the Top 1% relies on

-Why a habit of servant leadership is the secret to greatness

There’s a difference between goals and standards. Goals are results we want to achieve and standards are the process by which we achieve those goals. In order to achieve champion-level goals, we need to have champion-level standards to match.

How do we identify the dissonance between our goals and our standards? What are the consequences of staying in our comfort zone that allow us to settle for mediocre standards that don't align with our highest values and ambitions?

In this episode, I talk all about how raising your standards will raise your results, how to step into the best version of yourself, and the 3 steps you can take to develop champion-level habits to achieve champion-level results. Let's GO!!!

Our standards are linked to our identity. -Doren Aldana

Three Things We Learned  

- Goals vs. Standards

What's the difference and why does it matter when achieving success in your life?

- The Power of Your Identity

How to upgrade the way we see yourself so you stop self-sabotaging and get fully-aligned to live your BEST LIFE NOW!

- Breakdown to Breakthrough How to turn the pain in your life into a powerful force for growth that propels you into living your purpose with power, purpose and prosperity!

Stinkin’ thinkin’ only leads to stinkin’ results. When mediocre mind trash becomes the order of the day, even the most talented LOs will live a life of fruitless toil and frustration. 

What are the most harmful lies we need to kick to the curb right now? How do we cut ties with struggle, strife and stress right at the source? 

In today’s episode, I’m going to share how to stop feeding yourself mind trash, and adopt the thinking of champions and winners. 

The fastest, surest path to mediocrity is being realistic or reasonable. -Doren Aldana

Takeaways 

• The real reason you keep leaving money on the table for competitors to grab How do we stop idling in the parking lot of mediocrity and get on the fast track to freedom money?

• How to stop paying tuition to the university of knowing nothing What steps can we take to crack the code on more money and freedom? 

• The mind blocks that make money elusive Is there anything wrong with wanting wealth, financial abundance and earning more than we need?