1/28/2022 – Mark’s Market Update
So – rates are flattening – but mortgage-backed securities and the 10 year Treasury are trading in a broad range. The Fed’s pending a rate increase to help battle inflation – what does this mean? Well – Grit and Curiosity should win out: Watch the video. Grit is work (click the video). Curiosity is wanting to learn and understand (watch the video).
Success has been defined in multiple ways over the years. It can almost be adapted to any particular set of attributes that someone has.
“Success is when luck meets preparation.”
“Success is when you don’t know if you’re working or you’re playing.”
“Success is being able to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want.”
Use what definition you will. For me – I experienced a transformative two hours during our company’s President’s Retreat where I got to be the person that Rene Rodriguez (google him) had in front of the room – explaining how I became what I became.
Short answer: I’m a loan officer.
Long Answer: Everyone’s characteristics can usually be defined by what was going on with them between the ages of 9 to 15. What was going on with me?
Well – during that time, I was raised by a single mother, doing the best she could to raise two twin boys, while putting herself through law school, and ultimately becoming an attorney, in the ’80s, at a time when “lawyering” was largely a man’s domain. This meant that she had to juggle parenting, kid’s hockey games, and law school, and then 80 hour work weeks after she became an attorney to prove that she was good at what she did, and because of some unfortunate (and blatant) sexism – had to be better at it than her peers.
She was also raised on a farm when she was a kid – so, she didn’t shy away from hard work – manual or otherwise. She didn’t defend me when I was a dumbass in school…but, if I needed help, she absolutely did. I once turned a homework assignment in late due to the unfortunate (and early) passing on my Grandfather (her father). We were told at the beginning of the term that this assignment had three months – no
She instilled in me, as a result, a sense of hard work ethic (watching her do the hard stuff of juggling all of that while putting herself through law school), plus a sense of curiosity. I’ve always wanted to learn. I got in trouble once for reading ahead in my history book during class (I thought that was unfair).
So – what’s my secret sauce to doing the best I can to help people every day?
Grit. Curiosity. I learned it from my mother.
That’s why I’m a great loan officer. Whomever you meet – ask them what their story is. Why do they do what they did?
HINT: They should have a story that supports it.
Cheers!