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The Mindset of High-Performing Leaders with Kiley Romero · Better Together

• Shawn Sundsvold: Hey everyone and welcome back to the Better Together podcast. I am your host for today, Sean Sunsvold, and as always, I'm joined by my partner in life and in business, Kelly Sunsvold. Today's guest is Kylie Romero. She is the co-founder of Smooth Mortgage Company, a business and career coach, an entrepreneur who's committed to carving her own path. She's had the opportunity during her career to work closely with high performing executives and decision makers at the top of their game. People leading at a level most of us probably aspire to. And today she's pulling back the curtain to share some of the mindset shifts and strategic moves that shaped success, not only for her, but the leaders she coaches. This conversation is guaranteed to be filled with stories and insights that will help you think bigger, lead better, and build with long-term clarity, no matter where you are in your journey. So Kylie, thanks so much for being here today. I am really looking forward to this conversation. Kiley Romero: Me too. Thank you so much for having me. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah, you're more than welcome. tell us kind of, you know, catch us up on where you're at in your entrepreneurial journey and what led you to starting Smooth Mortgage Company. Kiley Romero: Yeah, so about 10 years ago, I was working for a large corporation and had been in pharmaceuticals, tech, I've been sales for about 15 years, had been an award winning sales rep and had helped win a nation against a big large company, a multi-billion dollar organization that had been around for a long time that were discriminated against people who worked for the organization when it came to mental illness, chronic illness, terminal, whether it was them or their kids. so, you know, I, that really laid heavy on my heart and I helped a big pivotal role in winning that ⁓ some other ⁓ ⁓ well as myself and also wrote policy for that company to change the trajectory of how employees were going to be treated when they dealt with those chronic illnesses, terminal illness, mental illness or their family members. so ⁓ that, after that being something that I felt a lot of, I mean, it was difficult, but I thought, what am I going to do with this adversity? How can I use this as wind to my back to go help shape the lives of people not only working within big corporations but how do they navigate their own? and so after that I started consulting. I started consulting anybody from a college student. I've helped kids get into Brown, NYU, I mean all the big programs. helped people get security clearances on employees that have worked for me that are ⁓ in the or are ⁓ also ex-military then I started working with companies and building companies up from the ground up. Everything from ⁓ programs to time and tracking to payroll. I had had some ⁓ HR ⁓ experience as well in selling big time solutions as well as part of my corporate career. And then about 2017, a childhood friend of mine who had moved out to Chicago had said, what do you think about being a part of my mortgage company? I said, I don't come from that world, but I do come from sales and marketing. He said, well, that's where I'm reaching out to you. And so we started Smooth Mortgage in 2020 in the middle of pandemic. I don't know if that was the smartest thing to do, but it gave me lot of insight on how to get really good on being on the phone with people. I nobody was, I this is like straight lockdown. also started a tax company at that time and started two companies that are now flourishing today. it was just kind of like a, I was into this very regulated world of mortgage and learning how important it was to be ⁓ transparent to consumer and why Dodd-Frank was implemented in 2010 by then Barack Obama, what that meant and the scrutiny that brokers like myself were under as they should be due to the housing crash. led me into a whole other area of just an industry that's probably one of the hardest because it is commission only, is sales, it's activity every day. loan officers and the brokerages that do well are people that have the activity and the attitude daily. So I've seen people two to three years in do better than people who are in for 20 years because again it just depends on what you're going to do every day. From I met Matt Ishbia who is the owner of UWM, the CEO and president and founder of UWM and he also happens to be the owner of the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury basketball teams, which meant a lot to me because I'm from Arizona, born and raised in Arizona. just looking at the way working with someone that close at that level of taking his company from the company's been around for 40 years, but taking over his dad's really small loan shop after graduating from Michigan State and growing it into a multi-billion dollar company, bigger than Bank of America, Chase Bank by billions and just doing one part of lending really taught me about leadership and about ⁓ having that unreasonable hospitality, which is a book by the way, definitely read that book on how to put your feet in ⁓ shoes of your client. And it's just has to be all about the client and what does a broker so what Matt did is what does the day of a Kylie Romero look like on the broker owner side? How do I delegate who I mean, there's 80 lenders to use and we give about 90 % of our business to them for three reasons. Speed, all of the tools and technology that they have around AI. They already have. ⁓ AI tool that has a backend of its chat UWM. It's pretty much like chat GPT and just throwing a loan and they're having to break down the scenario. The speed of what they're doing as far as not only the customer service, but also the technology is what we were clear to close in an hour and a half, you know, the other day. just the fact of the matter is, is it's not so much, okay, we have the technology is what I've seen as far as entrepreneurs and the C-suite executives just far in advance beyond anybody else. It's the fact that they're listening. to the client. what I've learned, and I thought I had this down, you know, pretty good by the time I started a mortgage company was how do I put my entire being in what my client is thinking, feeling like what are some of the things that I can take off of their place so that they could focus on their job instead of, you know, wearing 10 different hats is what most entrepreneurs do when they're starting out in a lot of these startups that I see. So what I'm always thinking is how can I take off when someone's looking for a loan or an athlete. to see what they want to do. How do I figure out what their needs are and build it around what they want? And so when you make it about the client, all the other accolades just follow, right? ⁓ The sales numbers are there. People want to work with you because they know that you really care why because you're investing in them. So the top people that I've been able to work with like the Matt Ishbeaz and Marybeth Rumpola's, the Dolores Hillenbrands, some of these people that are ultra, ultra successful is because they really do have no equal. do know their worth, but have no ego in it and they're really just driving toward what is best for the client and that's where they start with and that's where they end with. Kelly Sundsvold: Awesome. So thanks for sharing all that. ⁓ Throughout your career, you've had an opportunity to work with some really amazing business leaders. have led multi-million dollar and even a billion dollar companies. So ⁓ have you learned from working with these individuals? Kiley Romero: Well, first thing I've learned is they have a very strong response time. I mean, they respond within an hour. And that's something that I have implemented for people that work with me. I mean, we all have lives. We're in the shower vacation, but so much about doing well in all industries is speed to the speed which you can do it in, right? It has to be strategic. It has to be well thought out. AI is not like, I want to touch back on that. So we still crave human interaction and there's always going to be that piece. I mean AI is a tool to delegate or maybe not have 10 things you want to run email through it to make it sound better but the number one thing that I see in this ultra high performers are response at time within an hour even if they don't have the answer they'll respond and say I don't know the answer and they're honest and they'll say I don't know the answer I don't have an information right now but I'll get it from you so that's the number one thing also their attitude I mean they really focus on what they can control right I mean there's so much going on right now. that it's hard for people to think straight, right? There's just a lot of chaos going on here in this country. think for the first time a lot of our lives, you you wake up to bad news all the time and you're thinking, how do I get myself focused on the things that I got to do? Because I got to feed my own family and I'm obligated to people. So they focus and they control what they can control. And they really take one day at a time. Like, what do I have to do today? Now they may be a forecasted out for next quarter or what they want their next five years to look like, but they're always focused on the micro because a micro affects the macro. Their attitude, they always, no matter what's going on in their personal life, and they do take that time off if there's something they need to take time off for, but their attitude is always there. In career, I've seen some people graduate from some of the, know, NYU or some of these other schools that never end up on a big movie set or never follow through with their goals because, you know, I mean, attitude and execution will outweigh talent and intelligence. every day and it was something that I needed to get over myself with someone that does mentor a lot of students and a lot of people coming into their career for the first time that you've got to check your attitude and again you got to have self-worth but a lot of entrepreneurship and highly successful successful people they don't have the ego right I mean maybe they have a persona that we see on tv or when they're in an interview but they cannot possibly be where they're at if they didn't listen to other people when you're an entrepreneur you Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah. Kiley Romero: hire other people to tell you what to do. And you've got to be comfortable with that. So they're great at delegating. I Matt Ishbeau just using him as an example, right? Wasn't that great of a basketball player? And these are his words. Didn't get to the NBA. Well, guess what? He bought a team instead, right? So I mean, if that's not one of the biggest flexes in the world, don't know what is, right? But he's somebody that control what he can control. But he's also the same 20, 25 people working with him for all these years. That says something that his leadership, he's always open to listen. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah. Kiley Romero: him. He's listened to me. He listens to his clients. So those are the main things that I've seen highly successful people do. They understand speed to the market. They understand their attitude, execution. They understand having the right people around them to tell them what to do and not necessarily the other way around. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah, I think that's so interesting. you know, one of the things you mentioned in there was the, you know, controlling what you can write. One of the best managers I ever had. One of the things he taught me was, you know, his phrase was always control the controllables. Right. And a lot of times that means you. Kiley Romero: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Shawn Sundsvold: yourself, your reactions and your behaviors, right? Like those four things are the constant set of things that you can control. So let's take that a step further and looking at like, you know, the decision making process for, you know, some of the people that you've worked with and how do these strong leaders make decisions under pressure and how do you see that differ from other people? Kiley Romero: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Kelly Sundsvold: Mm-hmm. Kiley Romero: They're pretty quick to make decisions, they have all the information, right? So again, they make sure that they have the right team of people, a of people that they can trust, ⁓ almost a team of advisors, right? mean, these are typically the people that work with them. So they're pretty quick on making decisions. They do always go with their gut. So even if they're advised a certain way, right? Even if there's a hundred people telling them to do something, they do typically go with what they know. But a lot of the information comes from how is the business doing? What does our client say? And what does the market say? So they make decisions based on the market, right? So a lot of these decisions aren't personal. They're not what do I think? Like what does the market think? When I say market, I mean industry, because the market doesn't care what Kylie thinks, right? The market cares on what you're going to do. So a lot of the way they make decisions is it seems fast, but it's been well thought out. And they typically don't question themselves out. But these are people that they listen, they learn, and they watch. And they also have people what I call as watchers. They have people that they will say, why don't you go out there and tell me what's going on? And these are typically people they've known for a long time. These people maybe they've known from their childhood or people that they see. They pay a lot of attention to the way other people make decisions in their personal, professional life. And this is something that I've watched really closely on how does that person live their life to where I want to Shawn Sundsvold: Hmm. Kiley Romero: them close to me, right? What are they like in their family? And then they take all that information and they make a rather quick decision ⁓ and it's based off of just having done it before, right? Because a CEO or someone at a very high level is paid to make decisions that will affect thousands, sometimes millions of people. So they don't regret their decisions often. They do their research and they have people around them that they trust to give them the best information to make that Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah. Kiley Romero: decision but oftentimes they try not to make it where it's all about themselves or or you know personal and oftentimes they're making decisions maybe they don't want to make but it's for the betterment of you know the organization it's the betterment of where the industry is going. Kelly Sundsvold: Yeah, I mean, you're a mentor, you're a coach yourself. This influenced your leadership style and in what way have they done that? Shawn Sundsvold: Mm-hmm. Kiley Romero: Yeah, I would say my family, I would say I come from a very large military family, one of the largest in American history. We come from a big Latino family. So I have relatives that I have a lot. probably one of the longest living veterans living about 20 minutes away from me, he's 99, he'll be 100 on May 31st. He fought in World War II. So these, a lot of my relatives were in actual war. And I had one uncle that was lost at sea for three days back in the 30s and they thought he was dead and he survived. So when you come from that sort of survival backbone, it's kind of hard to feel sorry for yourself. Or like my parents who lost my youngest sister, and my dad and just the way my parents behaved to each other Kelly Sundsvold: Wow. Kiley Romero: with so much grace during such a difficult time and one of the hardest times in their life. And so that to me is where leadership starts from. And so I took that as a very young mom and thought, okay, well, what's my legacy gonna be like? And what do I want my relationships to look like? And what do I want to So the way I thought is, well, I come from this family of this legacy of people who don't ever complain, don't ever feel sorry for themselves, who don't play a victim even though many of them really were. ⁓ so when you come from that foundation, it's easier to propel yourself forward regardless of what comes your way because you have all these role models that... turn their adversity and their darkest hour into diamonds. I mean, they spun that into diamonds, literally, right? They went on and they mentored other people and they helped other people and they weren't bitter for the ugliness maybe they saw in war. And now they're thinking, you know, my uncle, great uncle can't believe what's going on now because he's trying to fight this from happening, right? So ⁓ when you have that foundation, it's hard not to want to lead. It's hard not want to help other people. It's hard not to want to give back. as much as you can. So what I do is I try to anything that I learn, I don't keep any secrets. Everybody wants you know me, you can call me out. There's no secret to the sauce, right? And just give as much information. That doesn't mean everyone's going to do it, right? But at least you are going to say this is what I've learned. I wish I would have known this 20 years ago, or this is what would have helped me go faster. So it's really my upbringing. had a really good childhood. I know that's rare. ⁓ I had too many people that I couldn't let down. And so for me, I felt like if I'm gonna go work, I'm gonna be the best at what I'm doing if I'm gonna leave my daughter And you know because I had to you know work as a young mom Then I want to be the best sales rep I'm gonna be the best at what I can be because that's all I saw so it was a lot easier for me to feel like I could do that because That's what I was shown my entire life Kelly Sundsvold: Mm-hmm. ⁓ so kind of shifting this a little bit towards your experience as a founder. How has your own experience as a founder kind of shaped the way that you show up for your business support? Kiley Romero: a founder is a whole other, ⁓ know, ⁓ the difference between being a founder, someone who buys a business and a CEO. it ⁓ is your self comes out, your real self comes out and it's not for everybody because you have to hire people. Kelly Sundsvold: Yeah. Kiley Romero: that you have to listen to and you have to let your ego down and you are the leader and you lead by example in every way. So for me, it's really taught me to be a better person, even though I thought I was doing it a pretty good, it's a different level of responsibility and you are responsible for people. You are. And it starts with you and the way you behave out in the world. Kelly Sundsvold: Mm-hmm. Kiley Romero: they mimic. So if you come in with a bad attitude, don't be surprised that your team isn't performing. So it's taught me to just be very disciplined. I mean, like I said, I come from that. background anyway, it is, you know, entrepreneurship, it's just not for everyone. And until you're profitable, it's a hobby and you've got it every day. It's, it can be a lonely road. can be depressing. I'm going to just honest because it is a roller coaster and it is definitely not for everybody. And that's why most businesses fail or most people fail if you think about it in the first three to five years. And so if you can get past that five year mark and you can be profitable, then you're doing something right. But you got to be open to change and you be open to flexibility and got to be open to people leaving if it's not the best thing for them and when you hire what is the best thing for this employee and how can I get them from point A to point B and so it's it's a lot of flexibility, discipline and So it's really taught me a lot about what people go through and have a lot of respect for people that like a mad ishb or some of these other people because they didn't come from anything, you know, I mean and they they it's not like they were given a you know, they were born wealthy, which you don't wait, which I don't have anything against that. I'm just saying that there's something for somebody that came from nothing and built something so mimicking and stealing is much of the attributes that they have ⁓ as well. But it just gives you a lot of understanding and respect about how hard it is. you I wouldn't do it any differently than the way I've done it I mean I've learned a lot but I to the entrepreneurship role, but it's definitely not for everybody. I mean, I've mentored people and they go back and they're like, this isn't for me. Because it requires a different level of character. I mean, it just does, especially in the climate that we're in, there are no second lives. And so, when you're walking outside, you've got to assume you're being recorded, right? And so there is a different level of character. And I'm glad in transparency that I see that's going to. Shawn Sundsvold: Mm-hmm. Kiley Romero: trickle down from government to business to sports everywhere that is so needed to do right by individuals. So to me, if you're not going to do right by people, you probably shouldn't be in business at all. And I'm glad to see that shift slowly but surely. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah, I think that transparency as a business owner is just so important, right? Because people are trusting you, you your product, your service, whatever it is, they're definitely, you know, working to trust you with that. And I know when we first talked, one of the things that we talked a lot about was not being afraid of failure or judgment, right? The idea that, you know, when you're talking to somebody, the worst thing that somebody can say to you is no, right? And so why is that so important for visionary leaders? Kiley Romero: Yeah. Thank Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you've got to get over that because you're going to be told no a lot. you've got to get over yourself. For me, I just got active on social media a few years ago. And it was through Marybeth Rampolla, who her brother started Zico. And he sold it to Coca-Cola. And then he bought it back. She played a pivotal role. came with the name and the original packaging and all that. But she's like, why aren't you online talking about your career? And, you know, it was hard for me because the way I was raised, you just kind of put your head down and you do the work, but that's not today's world. And so it was really hard for me to even, like my first podcast was a few years ago and I was like, ⁓ my God, I got to talk about my work, already work, now I got to talk. So had to get comfortable myself with just talking about what I've done, but it doesn't need to be I, I, I, what is the value I brought other people? ⁓ have I changed in people's lives? And that's something to talk about, what's the value I have to bring? So. People have to get comfortable with that and they have to get comfortable with being judged and rejected. Not everyone's gonna believe. me, it's like if somebody says no to me, at least they'll say no, but they can't say I didn't do my due diligence. They can't say I didn't do my job, right? We're not going to be everybody's cup of tea. fine. Nobody's everybody's cup of tea. And I think that has to do a lot with ego and fear. ⁓ you just got to take an enshrine. If you've done a good job and if you've done your due diligence, maybe they'll come back. And I've often had that happen, but you can work on a loan for six weeks and have it fall through because the underwriter finds something and there's no pay unless you get the loan or you work with a client for a while. Kelly Sundsvold: Right. Kiley Romero: and something they get an injury and they no longer are needed your services. So it's just par for the course and you're not the only one who's been told no, right? But I always try to, if I put everything out there and I've really paid attention and I've listened to what the client is asking of me, because I work on behalf on the client, not the other way around. a lot of people don't want to have that patience. They want the red carpet and the podcasts and all that. No, you got to do the work. That's a byproduct of the work that you've done. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah. Kiley Romero: They can never say she didn't do her job and that's a very big thing for me I'm never gonna have anybody be able to say I didn't do my job. So ⁓ always have a lot of peace With if stuff doesn't work out and and you know to me like my faith is it just wasn't meant to be I mean Maybe that's not what God wanted for me and and that you have and to me that that's kind of the way that I humble myself so I Mean been in sales. I mean that's where I started I've been told all kinds of things throughout my career doesn't bother me but to somebody coming in new. just as it's part of the course, don't feel bad. Keep doing the work, keep learning and you're going to have people say yes, but you've got to be consistent. That's the other thing people they're told no and then they think ⁓ I'm a failure or I'm not good at what I'm doing. Madyshpia walked into a broker 90 times before they said okay we'll throw a loan to you. 90 times. So there's a reason why he's a multi-billionaire and owns a team. It's not about the money, it's about the principle behind the money. How did they get there? That's what I want to know, right? Shawn Sundsvold: Mm. Kiley Romero: And we can be, there's lots of rich people, right? But doesn't mean that they actually took those steps to get to where they are. And that's what I think is so interesting about somebody like that. You're like, okay, if he was told 90 times no, he still kept going in there. that's the difference between ultra successful people and people that are not. They don't give up, right? So ⁓ you gotta kinda just let the know go by the wayside and not worry about. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah, I love that so much and just that that commitment to their to their goal. Right. And one of the things that you briefly mentioned it a little bit ago and again on our intro call, this is not the first business you've started in the last five or six years. Right. I think if I remember correctly, you're up to somewhere between four or five that you've started in the last few years. Right. Tell us more about, you know, what led you to just kind of be like, all right, this is what I'm going to do and decide this one, then this one, then this one. What led you to just kind of go this Kiley Romero: Yeah. Yeah. Shawn Sundsvold: This is what I want to do is build these businesses. Kiley Romero: Yeah, I mean, like I said, had this agent that came to me who had been in the industry for like 20, 30 years. And again, there was a big difference between an agent and an entrepreneur. I mean, there was a big difference between I'm good salesperson, but do I know how to run a company? And the first thing that I see in people and the first reason I want to work with people is because they know what they're good at and they know what they're not good at. Right. And so people are often scared because like, this is not my lane. I don't even know how build a business, policy, there's payroll, there's laws, and the law doesn't care if you have one employee or a million employees, you have to know what you're doing. So with this last, with the sports agency and how I got into sports, I never thought I'd be in sports, but I had a guy approach me and we talked and he's like, how do I get you to work with me? said, I could be a consultant. He said, no, I want you to be like my second in command. So I just ended up. starting the internship program, ended up everything payroll, branding and rebranded his company and everything. just, it's something that comes very easy to me. It might sound weird. If somebody tells me this is my business idea, I could probably tell you exactly what to do. I mean, it's just, ⁓ it's that I love to do, but I also understand the policy side of it, which a lot of people don't, right? A lot of people understand, okay, I have this idea, but there's also this whole legal side to it. And I'm not a lawyer. But I know who... to do to minimize those costs and things like that. company policy, how important it is for people to understand what you stand for, what your vision is. So I started that at beginning of last year. that company was basically in fruition under 30 days. And we went from having zero people, about 25 people. from there, I was able to do some really cool things. And then there was some stuff that went on that, again, for me, I pivot very quickly. if there's something that I see where I don't think people are treated, well, I leave. I'm lucky to be in that position. However, I did that when ⁓ nobody to talk to me, right? So that's the piece that is so important is a character piece. And that's really where my credibility comes from. Because within 24 hours, if this wasn't changed, then I'm gone. because it's again affecting the client. Went on, got, and so when I left, I was like, okay, it was fun. And then I started getting calls from every agency. I started getting athletes, where are you going? Well, where am I going? What do mean? Well, I want to work with you. ⁓ okay. And my mom's like, you got to do your own thing. Was recruited to another one. Kind of saw the same thing, the kind of Jerry McGuire, Bob Shutter type of thing. I don't, you know, I'm just, I'm not going to mince words. And I didn't see, we're not doing right by the client. And then I said, okay, now I'm going to do my my own completely and came across people like Jeff Hamilton who designed Kobe Bryant who I met and story and said, I'm here to support you any way you can, which I was absolutely shocked. And that was a big reason why I decided to continue doing, you know, what I'm doing. But that was just one, what I would say two, two agencies that I helped solidify in about nine months of last year. And now just working on ⁓ my there was a come to you tax company that I started the same time I started Smooth Mortgage Company that was for it's all It's, it's, it's one guy working in Chicago and, and just cold call. I mean don't know anything about taxes, but cold called and got about 300 clients for him in under a week and a half. So that was on the phone from about six in the morning to about six o'clock at night. So that old school type of touch is still so important even with AI. So really just as about value, regardless of what industry it comes back to value. What value do you have and do you care about the client? It's really that simple. is. You have to hire the right people. You have to listen to people. You have to get rid of people quickly. It's not easy and you've got to know where to leave yourself. But really it boils down to once you build one business. The industry you can learn, right? But you can't learn leadership, right? I mean, I can teach anybody anything, but I can't teach most people to lead, right? So in most people, it's like, even if they have an idea, if they're smart, they know to hire a team of people, right? They're like, well, I'm still the marketing person, but I'm not necessarily CEO. So that's where I come in. A lot of people are like, no, I want to be the owner. I want to be CEO. OK, your company is going to be out of business in six months. You know what mean? So again, it's so much about teaching people how to listen to what they're good at. Not that they can't learn, but again, a C level founder position is much different from from I'm an agent or I developed a protein bar. But for me, it has to be about ⁓ values and standards have to align in regards to how we treat people. That's my number one. That's the number one reason I work with people. Then from there, I can build something right. And sometimes we don't know until we get into something with someone and they're like, Kelly Sundsvold: Yeah. Shawn Sundsvold: Mm-hmm. Kiley Romero: fit and that happens. These are things that every entrepreneur who goes and invests or buys businesses go through, they just don't really say it. You've got to know when to leave. But you also have to know when to stay too. ⁓ don't know that answered your question, but it you know, the values have to align. And so for me, it's you know, you could tell me an idea and I could say this, this and that. And normally it's a consulting fee or you want me to be part of the company. mean, like it just depends on what I have time for, but also how big the opportunity is. I was looking to retire both those guys. Right? I mean, that's what they wanted me there for. But, you know, so, you know, but I'm now doing my own, you know, and as a woman and as a parent, I know what it's like to have a child in that kind of space, that entertainment space and how important it is for the parent to always be there. And it's your child and, and you got to be involved. mean, anybody successful has teams, Taylor Swift, her mother and brother went to go talk to it. She got her music back. Jordan's mom negotiated. There's so much that parents do, you know, not in an egotistical way, but you have to be involved and don't have anybody tell you can't be. So I kind of, again, put that family tradition into business and it's working because people want people that care. Kelly Sundsvold: Right, exactly. Yeah. Kiley Romero: And that's kind of why I've been successful because I care, you know, and sometimes a bit too much, but you know, but anyway. Kelly Sundsvold: Yeah. Yeah, I can tell you definitely care. Like with all the different responsibilities and you said you're a mom too, I mean like it's a lot. How do you manage your time for all of them? Kiley Romero: Yeah. I do time blocking. mean, you know, for me, what Smooth Mortgage was supposed to be for me, Smooth Mortgage, and again, know, I'm transparent. I was supposed to go and build Smooth Mortgage and just have other people run it. I'm still very involved in but I love it. ⁓ I a great relationship with Matt Ischby. I'm a client of his. You know, I've learned a lot. I'm not sure what my role is going to look like. I'll always be a large owner. company, but with the way the economy went and the pandemic and the rising of rates, it was like this company still needs me to be involved. But really, ⁓ this point, I take on projects and do things that I love and where I think I can make an impact. ⁓ there's a gap in the market and I see it and there's a solution I think I have, then I'm going to do it. And that's what I see in sports. mean, sports is the... shut up and dribble mentality and these kids are, they spend their whole lives working on an athlete. mean, ⁓ kids are really, mean, these athletes are really child prodigies for the most part and their families and everything they're doing. And then to be... not treated well and they're just paying percentages and you're only as good as you are as long as you're healthy. How do I take that as a business mentor and make sure that that money turns into generational wealth, right? Especially for a certain group of people that haven't always been treated well in this country. So that's something I'm super passionate about. It's something I know how to do because I've helped people build their own. And that's where the athletes like, I want to work with you and not the typical agent. And I'm not saying all agents are about it. I'm just saying it's that percentage as long as you're healthy. So for me, a lot work that needs to be done in that industry. So as long as I feel like I have something to add, then I think I should be there. So that's how I work. But I time block out time. My whole day is pretty much scheduled every week down to the minute. I don't take personal calls unless it's my mother, my father, my daughter, my sisters. and I just kind of leave everything you know personal to you know for you know after hours but I've got really good at being able to delegate and being able to know when to take a call and what not to take a call so Shawn Sundsvold: It's awesome. That's awesome. Well, wrapping up here a little bit, if somebody wanted to learn more about you or your work or was maybe interested in coaching or being mentored by you, how can they get in touch with you and learn more? Kiley Romero: would say LinkedIn. I would say LinkedIn would be probably the best. where I get, you know, the majority. mean, like I'm about my bio and more what I do and people can get more of an idea of that. Yeah, so just reach out to me there. Kelly Sundsvold: Awesome. Shawn Sundsvold: Awesome. Well, Kylie, this has been such a fun conversation. Thank you so much for your time and your wisdom and your insight. You know, you were such a unique individual and who you've had the opportunity to work within your past. I just felt like he had so much to share with us today. So thank you again for taking the time. Kiley Romero: No, thank you guys so much. was so nice meeting you. You guys are doing incredible work. And thank you for being so flexible, too. I appreciate it. Kelly Sundsvold: Yeah, of course. Of course. Shawn Sundsvold: Yeah, of course.