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Rethink Networking: The New Blueprint for Building Authentic Relationships in a Tech-Driven World · Mortgage Marketing Radio

0:00
Hello, my friend. Let me tell you a story about Mitch. Mitch is a loan officer in our My
0:04
Agent Classes community who just had a major win worth celebrating. Mitch hosted a networking
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event for real estate agents, but this wasn't just another meet and greet. Mitch took an
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intentional targeted approach inviting only top producers. And what was the topic and the
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conversation all about? Well, Mitch shared strategies and ideas and resources to help the agents
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with lead conversion, even talked a little bit about DSCR loans and even tips for optimizing
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the agent's Google business profiles. And here's the key. Mitch didn't need to be an expert
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on any of the topics because he's a member of My Agent Classes in our community where we equip
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loan officers like Mitch with the tools and resources and training to help him host networking
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events just like this. And even more, he used Chachi BT to help conduct Google audits for agents.
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And that value first approach led to four booked meetings, six Google business profile audits,
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a listing video invite from an agent who said come be in my listing video, Mitch. And Mitch
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was also invited to a brokers open where he was introduced to two new agents. Mitch had never
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met before. Andy scheduled two appointments with each of those agents as well. All of this from
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one strategic networking event. Why does this matter? Because this is what real networking looks like
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today. It's not about shaking hands and handing out business cards. It's about showing up
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intentionally offering real value and building authentic relationships that move your business
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forward. And if you want to scale your agent awareness engagement and referrals, the way Mitch has
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done without call calling chasing or paying for leads, this is exactly what we help loan officers do
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inside my agent classes. Want to learn more? Check the link in the show notes to watch a quick
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video and book a time to talk with me or just head on over to go.myaginclasses.com. You're listening
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to mortgage marketing radio where we help loan originators who want to grow their business
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safe time and make more money. I'm Jeff Zimfer your host and today we're talking about rethink
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everything you know about networking. A brand new book and I'm joined by Lindsey Meyer,
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Jen Pietman and Philip Mancuso, three of the 25 contributing authors behind this new book,
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rethink everything you know about networking. This book is not just another collect business cars
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and hope or referrals. It's a fresh modern framework for building meaningful long lasting
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connections that align with your values and your goals. So whether you're a mortgage pro or a
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real estate agent, you're a business owner or a leader, this book will help you connect with
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purpose, lead with generosity and grow your network the right way. So you're going to hear from
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three of the contributing authors today, but this book is packed with wisdom from 25 different
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authors across mortgage, real estate and business. If you're ready to leave old school networking
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behind and create real momentum in your business through relationships, this episode is for you.
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Hey, and don't forget, check the show notes for a link to grab the book on Amazon
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today. Pick up a copy for yourself and maybe even a few extra copies to share with your referral
2:51
partners. Enjoy the episode. Let's get into this week's show.
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Lindsey and Jen, welcome to the show. Hey, we're excited to be here. Thanks for having us.
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My pleasure. Let's take care of some housekeeping first. People want to know who's who
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attach the identity with the voice. So Lindsey, what do you want to share with the listeners or
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viewers about who you are and what you do? Hey, y'all, thanks for tuning in and Jeff,
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thanks so much for having both Jen and I on. We have a week until we're launching our book. We
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think everything you know about networking and that will be the foundation of our conversation
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today. Jeff, I love speaking and catching up with you a few weeks ago and I know you have a lot
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to say. So I'm currently outside Chicago, born and raised at EPM wholesale and I love it there.
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I've been there for a little over seven months as VP of this dev and then my passion project
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rethink everything you know about networking which we have nicknamed Raycan and it's been such
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an adventure and now we're just launching and hope to help all of you and feel free to reach out
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to any of us anytime to learn a little bit more after our conversation. Absolutely. Okay,
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Lindsey, thank you for that. Jen, you know what the game is now. What do you want to share?
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Well, I'm Jen Peachman. I am VP and Director of Strategic Lending at GVC Mortgage. I'm sitting
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in our headquarters today which quite honestly doesn't happen all that often. I do work remotely.
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I'm based out of Cleveland but our IMB is based out of Indianapolis. So I'm here welcoming a new
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branch to join us and I'm excited to start off the first of a series of podcasts that I'll be
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joining this month to talk all about our book, rethink everything you know about networking and
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talking about how you can create real long-lasting human connection along the way. So excited to get
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started. I love that you said that real long-lasting human connection along the way. I think that's
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relevant based on the flow and volume that's coming at us all with tech and AI particularly.
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Automate everything, outsource this, outsource that, don't have to talk to people, push button,
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get resolved. Like, tell me, tell me where's that landing for you guys in the whole premise of
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what was the motivation to write this book which by the way, it's more than a book, it's a movement
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so who wants to take that first? Jen, go for it girlfriend. Listen, I think Lindsey asked me to
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participate in this book and I know Lindsey from networking on the conference circuit and quite
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frankly say a lot of times I feel like I conference for a living sometimes because I might
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have so many different events throughout the year and yes, conferencing is a word I've made it up
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but I think to your point you know we live in a human-based industry. I'm sorry and there's
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tech that enables us but the human connection is something that first time home buyers are craving.
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I thank us in this post-COVID world. I think the value of human interaction is super important
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and I have some friends that are neuroscientists and I've asked them, you know,
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how does your brain treat zooms versus in person and they're like completely different? It's not
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the same. Your brain is wired for human connection and you know I talk a little bit about three
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melodies that we'll talk about here a little bit but things that I think are super important,
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the three top things that I find are most important in networking and I've really made my living
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in and have the position I have at TBC because they were former clients of mine. So every
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job I've been offered over the years in the past I'd say 10 years in this industry at the level
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that I'm at has been through connections and relationships so I think that speaks a lot of
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volumes just there and itself but you know I'm seeing more and more you know really are focused
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on hyper localized lending in our industry and I think you know being the mortgage gal or the
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mortgage gal or the guy in your area is more important now than ever. There's a lot of information
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out there right but folks are really looking for people that they dig they trust and can give them
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helpful information and resources along the way and yeah we've got a great tech stack and everybody
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it does right but I think the difference is the person that you are. Are you saying that
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in today's tech forward tech heavy noisy world that it's more important than ever to have those
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communication those in-person communications those authentic. I really think it does mean
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personally you know I have been on a little movement of my own this these past three months and
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I've really taken a lot more time to pick up the phone and call my connections yeah I can text you
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yeah I can email you but man when someone calls you and says hey I've been thinking about you and
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it's been a couple of weeks since we chatted and whatever blah blah blah like that means more
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than any text message or email or auto dialed response that you're going to receive
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from my perspective. There's just something about human connection that I really believe in and
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I feel like whether it's building your business or your brand or your connections like that's
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at the heart of it all. Yep I would agree. I want to take a pause for a second then we see that
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Phil has joined us Phil we'll come to you in a few minutes you can do your brief intro and share
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what your kind of chapter is from the book in a moment. Lindsay we're going to go over to you.
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Why do you think that networking and by the way let's do this what does that mean networking right
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are we talking about I'm going to a network event you know I'm shaking hands and kissing babies
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like can we put some definition around networking and because I think you talk about
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intentionality so go ahead and jump on that from there if you would. Yeah networking is a really
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tough word I think it has a lot of negative connotation to it and I think there's a lot of different
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ways to say that we're having human interaction or human and tech interaction which is happening a
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lot these days I think networking really is just getting a face-to-face and communicating and using
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your five senses and body language in order to do so body language makes up 55% of the communication
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prides process which is pretty crazy. I think if you are open to talking to people whether it's your
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family your best friend you have conversations that challenge you I mean we were all born to connect
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and to communicate in different ways so start with that we already have the the power within us
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to just get started and to go and I think writing this book we hope that it provides a go-to-to-help
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individuals looking to find their way looking for better tips in order to master their confidence
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through connection whatever it may be so I think it's really just get started and reach out to
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people to help you. Hmm okay hey are you tired of cold calling realtors and feeling like you're
9:51
getting nowhere with my agent classes you don't have to chase agents anymore we hand you a done
9:56
for you system of ready to teach presentations plug-and-play marketing and even 200 producing
10:02
agents to invite so you can double your agent referrals in 90 days or less plus you'll get weekly
10:07
coaching and a community of loan officers sharing exactly what's working right now here's a quick
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win from one of our members I joined it because I was tired of doing business the way that regular
10:17
loan officers have been doing it in my market which is just making the the core calls every Monday
10:23
and Friday checking with reals agents I had done that for years and seemed like everybody was
10:27
doing that I need something different and I wanted to find a way that I could work with the agents
10:32
that I want to work with I wanted to find a way that I could have a captive audience every month
10:37
every couple weeks where I could find agents that were like-minded and that wanted to work with me
10:41
as well so it's probably brought in I'm just guessing here but it's probably brought on in the
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three years I've been back with the program is probably brought on it's probably say about 40
10:51
million dollars in volume since then right and it's led us some massive relationships
10:56
and I wouldn't be able to do those things without this program the value of these Friday calls
11:02
are so incredibly valuable for all of us I get upset if I miss it on a Friday the cost of this
11:08
program is what is worth it just because of these Friday calls that were on where we help coach
11:12
each other we're just here to help each other add value to our real trip partners are you ready to
11:17
stop chasing and start attracting agent referrals on demand book a call at mortgage marketing
11:22
.pro or hit the link in the show notes now back to our show good I'm going to come back to you two
11:27
ladies in a moment I want to get to you fill up what we were doing here is if you want to go
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and unmute yourself I think I can do that right here there you go give us a brief brief background
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who are you what do you want to tell the audience about yourself well I'm Phil Mancuso
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president chief investment officer of EPM been in the business since 1988
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and having encompassed many roles from sort of start to finish within the mortgage
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industry started out in sales so when you talk about networking know a little bit about that
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um that's about it um well your chapter in the book if I'm correct is built different a call
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to rethink resilience stop romanticizing misery and choose excellence that is a juicy title
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like what do you want to accomplish what do you want what here's the question I ask all these
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everything everything author chapter contributors what were you hoping to accomplish with your
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chapter you know I I had an interesting conversation in an uber of all places uh and you know
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I should remember the guy's name he had a really sort of unique name so you think it would stand
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out but he was a part-time uber driver and like a part-time psychoanalyst or something like that
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and you know he brought up this really interesting thought that our brains are wired for survival
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not success and you know I don't that wasn't a unique thought for me but I felt like he
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articulated it in a really intelligent and thoughtful way and it was sort of around the time that I
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did a keynote at our annual event and you know and then it sort of dovetailed into writing this
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chapter and you know when you think about it and I've been saying this from you know the first
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sales training that I may be ever did uh you know was you know the human condition is very much
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like Pavlov's dog you know the the more you experience failure the more you become adverse to it
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and of course I wouldn't pick up the phone again or knock on another door if I knew it was going to
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be hung up on me or slammed in my face and and that's you know just something that we're kind of
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tend to be wired with unless we're not or unless we can sort of train ourselves uh you know to
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not be so you know trying to grab the collective sales force of the world and maybe shake them by
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the shoulders a little bit and say this isn't easy and you know no one wants to hear your complaints
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I certainly don't uh you know and and obstacles are opportunities for winners and excuses for losers
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and so that's really the thought and the mindset is um you're gonna fail you want to fail
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the most successful people use that failure as a rallying cry as a catalyst and I think that's
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ultimately the message um that not only would I want to convey in the chapter but but just really
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uh in in the communication of what I we uh us stand for um okay yeah I think that's a good we
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always need to be reminded of that right resiliency especially in this business right here
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what's the old saying by less brown that it's not if you get knocked down fall on your back because
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if you fall on your back and get back up something like that all right Jen back to you
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in your chapter we're gonna kind of go round robin here um you talk about the three traits for deep
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lasting human connection do you want to unpack those yeah um you know in coming up with topics
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when I was working with Lindsay and Liz I thought immediately to intentionality and networking
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I feel like networking to network is one thing but doing it intentionally is a whole
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another different ballgame um I know that this word the little bit played out I feel like authenticity
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but I also feel like people can smell a fake and can sniff out BS really really quick right so
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if you're not who you are 100% of the time you're not gonna show up authentically um and I talk
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a little bit about vulnerability too um I feel like I'm one of those people that kind of when I
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know you I know you and I'm not gonna forget the details um some of that comes along with being
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intentional and with the folks that I'm reaching out to to either chasing clients or prospects or
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folks that I really admire in this industry like I will chase you down and find you because I want
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to know you and I'm doing it intentionally along the way um you know authenticity I think for me
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is one of those things that is super duper important how you show up and how you stand out and how
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people will remember you is bigger than anything else out there so you know I'm not shy about
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I love hiking because I'm stressed out and I need to go you know clear my brain in nature and
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I dig waterfall chasing because I like the energy that I received from it and I wear peach a lot
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because my last name's peach bin and people call me peach or peaches right and I talk a little bit
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about vulnerability um right now I'm in the process of being evaluated to give my daughter a kidney
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and it is a story that not most people didn't know until about 10 years ago when I was with a client
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and they wanted to see a picture and I showed her my girls and they could see obviously that one
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daughter was very different than the others right and at that time I could hit it right I've
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leaned into it um along the way you know she has a disease that only 500 people in the United States
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are infected with so it's ultra rare but in telling my story I've connected with other people
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in our industry that are impacted by the same disease that don't necessarily talk about it
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or folks that have given a kidney or their kids has had their second or third kidney transplant
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so it's to me I'm just a big fan of human connection and the relationships that come along with
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connecting with people that you know you're vibing with right away um and that's what I talk about
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in chapter 9 is just the importance of authenticity and intentionality and vulnerability because I
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think those are the three things that lead to real long lifetime relationships I mean 10 years ago
17:59
nobody knew who the heck I was right and now when I walk in a room most people know who I am a little
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that's branding a lot of that's networking and I give some tips and tell some stories along the way
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and for me you know I've had such incredible opportunities the opportunities in this industry to
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tell my story to raise money and hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity to you know being
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off of the position that I'm sitting in now because of my networks I'm a big believer in you are
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who you surround yourself with and you have to be intentional along the way to get there
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hmm agree with that 100 percent quick question if you don't mind I want to I want to go pull
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the thread a little bit deeper on the vulnerability piece and then Matthew will say hello to you in a
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moment um did you struggle with being vulnerable and would you have any tips to share with
18:49
people or offer up to give them permission to it's okay you know I feel like I don't know if
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I'm just one of those people's but you can tell when I'm holding back um and when I was younger
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and probably not in the same position that I'm at right now um professionally yeah I was scared
19:08
to death man when you're like FMLA eligibility and taking time off and like punching clocks and
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trying to get everything done hell no I wasn't telling anybody right when I was given the platform
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um when I kind of got my face first big girl job I would say in this industry I leaned in um and
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people were amazed I mean the first time I talked about it on stage man I got off stage and
19:32
like fell down it was like crying like it was all the things right now I can talk about her situation
19:39
and surgeries and fighting medical professionals and my own journey to to be in a place where I can
19:45
make some life style changes and and make an impact to her that makes I think for me some people see
19:50
as my shell can be a little bit hard around that but it's also because I've been given a platform
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to probably let out a lot of the stuff yeah that I'm dealing with that I probably would have held
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in if I wasn't vulnerable um I get it some people don't want to talk about health stuff I understand
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but like the first thing most people say when they see me as hey Jen how's it going how's your kiddos
20:12
right like how's Morgan right or how's team peach right like we call ourselves team peach right so
20:16
like people feel like they know me because they do because I'm I wear my heart on my sleeve not
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everybody does but for me it's been a platform to you know raise a hundred fifty thousand dollars
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to a foundation and her name and make connections with people that probably just would have been
20:33
business associates but now I know you have this in your family too like you don't have to talk
20:38
about it and I'll never say your name um you know what other people's kids are diagnosed with
20:43
super rare diseases or they're like oh my god can you help me what would you do it just shows that
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you know all this time and the trench is medically has provided me with a vehicle to
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support myself and my kid and support others who might be along a similar journey if not the same so
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that's where the real connection happens man it does yeah and there's purpose in the pain or
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the struggle you know well because unless you have some some purpose or some meaning or you're
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able to kind of uh turn that into some way for you to utilize that on a bigger scale or platform
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or maybe impact other people then then it becomes debilitating you know 100% yeah when you hold
21:26
it in man I can tell you like the tears will roll down my face like if I'm gonna get in for too long
21:30
I just got an award on stage and I I came Kardashian cried man because I was holding it in for too
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long like oh right by the way I don't know it's ugly crying it's what it is yeah it's my friend
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tells me they're like oh you Kim Kardashian crying you you ugly cry but like well that's that's
21:50
I'm glad we brought that on a nice transition note into Matthew here um I don't know where we go
21:55
from that or how you one up the Kim Kardashian crying but um you're talking about networking
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through education in your chapter teaching and sharing knowledge as the highest form of connection
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what did you hope to accomplish with your chapter Matt and Jeff you were part of the first
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book of rethink so yes we're a family we are family absolutely um and so while Matt's
22:18
getting his audio set up Lindsay I want to come back to you because I haven't asked you specifically
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this question about what you hope your goal from your chapter to be about um and you talk about
22:29
the universal power of the wave I'm curious tell me more I do thank you uh I think it just takes
22:35
one small action for a large result and I used the example in my chapter I described my early years
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in college pre-facebook and social media where it was you just get out there and connect with people
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you actually use your two legs and you're walking like I mentioned 10 felt like 10 miles a day on campus
22:57
just to make sure that I was building myself building my sorority I you know social chair who I
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you know how I represented myself and then as an adult I came across the Hawkeye wave and it's
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very well-known if you don't know it there's the QR code in my chapter you can also YouTube it and
23:18
a woman had posted on a Hawkeye group hey we should all turn and wave to the children at the hospital
23:26
because a new suite had been designed over the field so the first time that the press box as they
23:33
called it was used uh the moment is recorded and and you know she thought oh I'm just throwing
23:39
the suggestion out there but it was such a beautiful moment because enough ears had listened
23:44
and people started turning and waiting to the children the children were prepared with their
23:49
parents for signs you can just see the motivation and how much inspiration and joy a single or
23:56
multiple waves and what the impact can make for families that are struggling so learn to gents and
24:02
just want a happy moment and you know go down your teeth flowing your way. So the Hawkeye wave I just
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googled it Iowa Hawkeye's athletics when the Kinnick clock hits zero at the end of the first quarter
24:15
70,000 fans football fans turn and they wave at the kids in the hospital who are watching along with
24:23
them battling life threatening diseases yeah that's powerful. Did you go to Iowa? I did. The
24:30
listeners who want to know where and when and how they get the book what who wants to jump on that
24:35
where and how and when is it Amazon you mentioned audio earlier and we're going to put everything links
24:40
in the show notes to everybody's linked in profiles but also to how they get access to the book
24:44
resources somebody take that and tell us where the heck we can get it. Sure it's going to be on
24:48
Amazon October 15th which is a week from today it will hit bookshelves I would say maybe a quarter
24:55
after that although we will have some local books bookstores across the nation that will have the
25:01
Ray Khan book on their shelves and then we will have an audio coming out as well so we're super
25:06
pumped. Okay so first place to get it is on Amazon October 15th which by the time this goes live
25:12
is probably it's going to be available so you're listening to this right now go to Amazon and what
25:17
about for people who want to continue the conversation maybe you've made a connection to somebody
25:21
here right Matt Jen Lindsay what would be the best way for them to do that. Reach out LinkedIn is
25:26
great don't get scared if we don't reply back sometimes it's just a lot of messages and you might
25:32
miss one so jump on an opportunity ask questions connect with our crew and those that are following
25:40
rethink everything you know about networking like you said we're creating a movement for those
25:44
people who want to change a lot change their lives change other people's lives use education
25:51
and and use the power of being an individual to become multiples so fantastic and so it's been
25:57
a privilege to meet with four of the authors authors in today's conversation from the chapters but
26:02
there's actually like 25 other chapters from a bunch of different other people so you're going to
26:08
get nuggets from over 25 people and I guarantee you there's something for you to connect and dive
26:13
into there on that book hey everybody I appreciate you making time for your busy days this is really
26:17
a great conversation thank you thank you so much chef the authenticity is your best friend when it
26:22
comes to success I think that if you believe in yourself and you believe in the product that you're
26:28
selling then you're really not selling I think sales has more always been more about the networking
26:35
aspect making the connections and then secondarily communicating what you perceive the benefits are
26:42
of what it is that you do and you know to try to convince someone to make a decision versus in an
26:50
educational informative passionate enthusiastic way just simply leading them to that decision
26:59
that to me is the the way that you can really get the ultimate level achieve the ultimate level of
27:08
success in sales you know otherwise if you're just fooling people and and trying to you know
27:14
convince people that might work for a minute but it certainly doesn't work in the long yeah absolutely
27:20
good point all right maybe we'll call this to the the tornado podcast seek shelter wherever you're at
27:26
okay that's it for today's episode before we wrap up I just wanted to remind you about my agent classes
27:31
your proven system to double your agent referrals in just 90 days imagine never having to co-call
27:37
again instead building real lasting relationships with top-producing agents who want to send you
27:43
business with done for your presentations marketing automation weekly coaching it's all designed
27:48
to make growing your business easier and fun so if you're ready to take control of your agent
27:54
referrals and grow your income visit mortgage marketing dot pro or check the link in the show notes
27:58
and why you're there don't forget to check out the success stories from other mortgage pros who've
28:02
already seen incredible results thanks for listening and I'll see you on the next episode
28:24
you