Episode 24: Mitra Castano – Unleashing Your Inner Warrior
Mitra Castano is an inspiring example of a resilient woman. After fleeing from Iran as a child she went on to create the “Perfect” life in Canada only to have the rug yanked out from under her in 2009. Mitra is a picture of inner strength learning to overcome abuse at the hands of her […]
Episode 23: Gloria Roheim McRae – Playing with the possibilities
I had the pleasure of meeting Gloria and her husband Ricardo at the Starting Point Entrepreneurship Conference at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax this February. Gloria is a remarkable young woman who has done all of the things that you are “supposed to” do to notch success in this life. Then finding that unfulfilling struck […]
Episode 22: Warren Macdonald – Helping you change the way you look at the world
One catastrophic moment redefined Warren’s life in April 1997 with a freak rock fall on a remote Australian island that left him pinned under a one-ton boulder. For two days he lay trapped and alone, surviving the ordeal only to lose both legs at mid thigh. Doctors told him he’d never walk again. Warren’s response: […]
Episode 21: Greg Williamson – Sales and innovation
Greg Williamson is a long time mortgage broker. He started brokering shortly out of University and has been a recipient of the Canadian Mortgage Awards Broker of the Year award. He has worked in the bank selling mortgages and has been a pioneer in the brokerage industry for over two decades. Greg has always been […]
Project Pay It Forward
Well, I am excited to write this post. My hope is that this will inspire you to do what you can to make a difference in the life of another. It can be so easy and you never know the impact that you might have. For me, it is something that I have always tried […]
Episode 20: Jason Smith – Finding Your Organizational Rhythm
Jason Smith was inducted into the Canadian Mortgage Hall of Fame in 2014 by the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. Jason has a long history in the mortgage business and is a pioneer in mortgage origination technology. Jason Smith is a highly regarded technology entrepreneur with more than 20 years’ experience building and leading […]
Episode 19: Heather Cole: Diabetes, Ultra Marathons and Ironman Oh My!
This episode is a little bit different than the usual business interviews I do. This week I have the privilege of interviewing an inspiring young woman who I recently met through my triathlon club. Heather Cole is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age […]
Episode 18: Cold calling is dead, Long live the cold call
As we head into the new year and start thinking about the things that we want to accomplish in 2015, I thought I’d share an experience that presented it self to me all wrapped up with a pretty bow on it -yes, just like a Christmas present! You’ll have to stay tuned to my upcoming […]
Episode 17: Mark Kerzner: Relationships, Outputs and Getting it Done
This week I have the pleasure of having a conversation with Mark Kerzner, the President and COO of TMG The Mortgage Group. This was a really great interview for me as I have just recently gotten to know Mark a lot better working side by side on the CAAMP board of directors. My respect for […]
Episode 16: Brendan Calder; Mentor, Leader, Manager extraordinaire
Brendan Calder is a man who many cite as a mentor. He has probably helped produce more leaders in the mortgage industry then anyone. It is my pleasure to spend an hour talking leadership and management with Brendan. I certainly took some things away from this one that change the way I look at how […]
Episode 15: Conversation with Andy Charles, CEO Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance
Andy is the President and CEO of Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance. He has a vast array of experience in the mortgage business. He helped introduce the concept of variable compensation mortgage origination to the big bank. We talk about the lessons he has learned over the years in a variety of executive roles with major […]
Why I felt CAAMP’s Mortgage Forum 2014 was one of the best ever
CAAMP’s annual Mortgage Forum truly is the country’s premiere event for mortgage professionals, always bringing new ideas, information and networking opportunities aplenty. This year was no exception. I sometimes feel that we are quick with hollow praise in many areas whether it be work, personal associations (soccer, hockey, etc) or even our professional associations. The […]
Episode 14: Conversation with Yousry Bissada: 25 Years of Leadership
Yousry is currently the President and CEO of Kanetix, the leading provider of online insurance marketplace. He has served on numerous boards and been Chairman of several. After holding senior executive roles with two of Canada’s Yousry decided to step up his game becoming President and CEO of Filogix, a technology provider to the Canadian […]
Episode 13: Setting Customer Expectations
Conventional marketing wisdom would suggest that you want to meet or exceed customer expectations if you want to have happy customers. This is fairly common sense. The problem that we sometimes run into is that many times our customers expectations are grossly misaligned with reality. Imagine you have a client that has seen you present […]
Episode 12: Boris Bozic on Effective Leadership
Boris Bozic is a 25 year veteran of the mortgage business and has seen what it is like to be a feet on the street broker as well as holding senior positions at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions. Boris went on to found Merix Financial and bring a very unique value proposition to the […]