Episodes

On this special edition episode of Broker to Broker, guest host Katie Sweeney, CEO of AIME, sits down with the Founder and CEO of Mortgage Champions, Dale Vermillion. The two discuss the evolution of leadership in a variety of market cycles and the need for a collaborative mindset. From Dale’s humble beginnings selling pots and pans to becoming a leadership and sales expert with 30 years of experience, he shares his journey into mortgage and his recipes for success. They dive into the biggest ...

On this episode of Broker to Broker, host Marc Summers sits down with a mortgage broker with the Long Gray Lending Team, Jay Bunte. The two discuss overcoming the difficulties facing brokers, how to get started in the industry, and the importance of “getting over yourself.” A native Texan, Jay Bunte got his start in the industry after an 8-year term of service in the U.S Army and a prior career in oil and gas. With his interest piqued by friends in the mortgage space, Jay signed up for educati...

This week, Marc Summers sits down with Ramona Chapman, Broker-Owner at JR Mortgage Group. The two discuss Ramona’s start in the mortgage industry, the importance of a well-developed process, and the value that networking events like AIME Fuse can add to a mortgage professional’s career. Ramona Chapman got her start in the mortgage world after a successful career in hospitality. While still working in sales for a hotel chain, Ramona decided to buy a home. Realizing the difficulty of the process,...

This week, host Marc Summers sits down with David Temko, President of C2 Financial. The two discuss David’s upbringing in mortgage, his route to the broker channel, and the logistics of running one of the largest shops in the country. David Temko grew up in the industry, and says that mortgage terms and discussions about loans were a normal part of family dinner. His father was a pioneer of the high-margin brokerage model, and David himself got his real estate license at 19. In college, he inte...

This week, host JP Hussey sits down with Major Singleton, a mortgage broker at Major Money Matters. The pair discuss the importance of a strong support team, how to foster connections, and how to make sure your clients keep coming back. A 23-year veteran of the U.S Navy, Major Singleton got his start in mortgage by chance. Unbeknownst to Major, a junior sailor under his command had booked a mortgage professional for an information session. Major attended to ensure that nothing went amiss, but w...

AIME Fuse 2022 tickets are available now at https://aimegroup.com/fuse-2022/ Join Marc Summers and guest Jamie Cavanaugh for a very special episode of Broker to Broker. This week, the two get excited for the upcoming Fuse 5, which kicks off in just four weeks. This year’s Fuse is bigger and better than ever – listen to Marc and Jamie’s chat to learn more about what you can expect from the world’s premier mortgage event. Jamie Cavanaugh is well-known in the wholesale channel – the broker/owner o...

This week, host Marc Summers is joined by Florida’s own Ashley Bedford, who discusses her early experiences with brokers, her work ethic, and the value of building relationships. Ashley first encountered the broker channel as a customer. A new parent, Ashley was looking to purchase her first home. Initial quotes from a big bank set her down payment as an unaffordable $30,000, leading her to start looking elsewhere. She was referred to a broker, who informed her that she only needed less than ha...

Host JP Hussey sits down this week with Atrion Faiola of NorthPort Funding. Atrion has spent almost 20 years in the industry, and has worked on both sides of the aisle. The two discuss making the most of the recent downturn, the cyclical nature of the mortgage channel, and the need to keep your foot on the gas even when times are tough. Atrion joined the mortgage channel right out of high school. As a teen, a next-door neighbor hired him on to his brand new mortgage business. He began at the ve...

JP Hussey sits down this week with Daniel De La Torre of UMortgage. Daniel has only been part of the broker channel for a few months, but with a background in the retail mortgage industry, he brings a wealth of prior experience and keen insight along with him. The two discuss making the switch from bank to broker, the importance of the personal touch, and key advice to get started as a broker. Daniel emigrated to the US from Cuba in 2004 and quickly found a job as a telemarketer. He began explo...

Host JP Hussey is joined this week by Brian Cooke of Sunny Hill Financial. Brian joined the broker channel a few years ago, after a long and successful career on the other side of the industry. In that time, he’s made a name for himself with a relentless pace, unparalleled customer satisfaction, and a diamond-tough work ethic. Brian graduated college in 2001, directly in the middle of a crippling financial crisis. Stuck at home with no job, he began dropping off resumes. His first interview led...

Gay Veale of Epoch Lending might be relatively new to the mortgage industry, but she brings a wealth of life experience. A 30-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Gay shares her wisdom and perspective on leveraging connections and proving your worth. Gay Veale joined the Air Force out of high school, where she would serve for the next three decades. After leaving the military, she worked for a time as a consultant in the defense industry. However, when a friend introduced her to the bro...

This week’s episode is a very special one – Broker-To-Broker host and AIME President of Membership Marc Summers is joined by AIME’s CEO Katie Sweeney and President of Advocacy Brendan McKay. It’s also National Mortgage Brokers Day (or is it week?) – so the three share their tips for celebrating the broker channel and getting the good word out there. “National Mortgage Brokers Day is not just a day, but really an entire week -and we’ve grown it into a month – of education. Educating the consumer...

This week, join in with JP Hussey and Molitor Financial’s Craig Messman as they discuss the importance of creating structure and approaching the industry with methodical intent. Craig is one of Chicago’s top producers, and with almost 20 years of experience, he knows a thing or two about long-term success. In this episode, he shares his tips for structuring and scaling your operation, cultivating in-house experts, and much more. Craig entered the industry in 2001, learning the ropes at a large ...

We are joined this week by Whitley Cooper, a nearly lifelong mortgage expert with the results to back it up. Whitley grew up in the business, and remembers her mom, herself a broker, jotting down loan applications on a napkin during long car trips. A detour into broadcast journalism led her back into mortgage, where she has found her niche. In this episode, Whitley and Marc Summers discuss her methodical approach, the importance of diversity, and how to make homeownership more accessible. Thou...

Breon Price is a rapidly rising star in his native Ohio. The owner of Motto Mortgage, Breon has made impressive strides only a few years into his career as a broker. A former athlete who began as an underwriter, Breon made the transition to brokerage in 2018. A mere two years later he was made managing partner, a testament to his tenacity, work ethic, and drive to understand the game. In this conversation, Breon shares his thoughts on what makes a broker successful in 2022. Price says that pers...

Since 2018, Carrie Johnston has been the top producer in the state of Indiana. Carrie’s constant commitment to growing her brand is an inspiration to upcoming brokers nationwide. For over two decades, she has reigned as an unrivaled authority on the ever-changing world that is the wholesale mortgage channel. In this episode, we get her perspective on realtor relationships, staying up to date with industry trends, and the attitude required to succeed in a competitive field. Ms. Johnston left her...

We are joined this week by Dario Medrano, Broker/Owner of Home Field Lending in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Medrano has enjoyed tremendous success, excelling as both a broker and a mortgage content creator. His TikTok videos regularly accrue thousands of views, with rookie and veteran brokers alike seeking out his insights. Dario and Marc also discuss that while homeowners of the future all have eyes on TikTok, the real value proposition currently comes from its recruiting power, which is especially...

Two powerhouse lending leaders of the wholesale channel sit down for this monumental meeting of the minds to discuss the history and the future of wholesale mortgage lending and why they have given up on a retail division, deciding instead to go all-in on mortgage brokers. UWM President and CEO Mat Ishbia and Homepoint President & CEO Willie Newman talk about the facts that prove why the wholesale channel is not just better for brokers, but better for REALTORs, real estate agents, and, most impo...

At age 22, Jonathon Haddad had become the youngest banker promoted to director at Quicken Loans. By 27, after helping build out their online chat service, Jonathon was promoted to Vice President. Now, at age 30, having transitioned from retail-to-wholesale over 2.5 years ago, Jonathon leads a team of 80 employees and is using his marketing and SEO expertise to bring in 250+ organic leads a month. Jonathon admits that leaving Quicken was not all “rainbows and butterflies” but at the end of the d...

After 22 years in the industry, Mortgage Broker/Owner Jason Glass has finally decided to stop overthinking and take action. Instead of waiting for the perfect situation or over-analyzing every little detail, Jason has decided to take the time to invest in himself and his business with a growth-first mindset, all by being his true authentic self. Not too long ago, Jason would dress up in a suit and tie and try to be a salesman, but that just doesn’t cut it, and it just wasn’t Jason being Jason. ...

After a dozen years of being restrained by limited options in the retail channel, Southern California Mortgage Broker Jerry Avila decided to finally make the transition to wholesale. Jerry believes that no deal should die and that there is always a way to fight and figure things out for the borrower. Jerry started out in a similar rate environment as we find ourselves now (Q2 of 2022), and was forced to swink or swim. Instead of focusing on selling basis points, Jerry quickly realized that his ...

Being an Independent Mortgage Broker is in Andy Treno’s blood. With his dad opening the first broker shop in Minnesota in 1987, loans and title companies were a part of nightly dinner table conversations, and making spreadsheets and stuffing envelopes was Andy’s summer job. After going to school to become a financial advisor, Andy got a job at a bank but quickly realized that mortgages are what he loved, and a bank was not the place to best put together home loans. Andy, as a Mortgage Banker, w...

Within 6 months of transitioning from retail-to-wholesale, Los Angeles Broker/Owners Dustin Rosenberg and Jonathan Yoo were ranked #14 in Non-QM originations by Scotsman Guide. They have 200 loans in their pipeline at any given time and are signed up with 80 different lenders. With a strong support staff, a solidified tech stack, and an assembly line system, Convoy Home Loans is able to personalize loan experiences for everyone from traditional first-time homebuyers to self-employed jumbo invest...

California Mortgage Broker Danny Calderon is the first Spark Grant recipient we’ve had on the podcast. After almost ten years in retail, Danny made the jump to work for himself. With the support of AIME, Spark, and the Brokers Are Better Network and Facebook Group, Danny is more than set up to succeed during this rising interest rate environment. After attending an AIME Fuse event, Danny realized that Wholesale was the place to be. While in retail, Danny started questioning things when he had t...