Chasing Excellence

Tony Thompson
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Chasing Excellence is a podcast for founders, operators, and leaders focused on building high-performing businesses. Each episode features in-depth conversations with top performers across industries—with a strong focus on the mortgage industry, where success depends on consistent deal flow, efficient systems, and sharp execution. We break down: What’s driving revenue right now The marketing and sales systems that actually convert The real bottlenecks that are slowing down growth How top mortgage brokers and lenders scale in a competitive, regulated market This isn’t theory or recycled advice—these are real conversations with people actively building and scaling. If you're in the mortgage industry and want to grow smarter, simplify your systems, and close more deals consistently, this podcast is built for you.

  1. 2d ago

    $30M and Still Self-Processing: Mario Escobedo's Relationship-First Playbook at Sienna Mortgage

    Mario Escobedo is the Broker/Owner and Senior Mortgage Advisor at Sienna Mortgage in Henderson, Nevada, and he does something most high-level originators avoid: he's simultaneously the top producer, the broker-owner, and the one still processing his own loans. Mario grew up around the mortgage business, stepped away for a stretch, and came back to it in 2016-2017, bringing a corporate sales background with him. He named the company Sienna Mortgage after his niece Sienna, his wife's goddaughter — reasoning there was no better name for a business built on family and trust. Today Sienna Mortgage does more than $30 million a year in production, almost all of it purchase business, growing 15-20% year over year. Mario credits relationship-based sales as his edge, running quarterly realtor masterminds with 15-25 agents to keep those referral relationships sharp. His view on sales is simple: it's the ability to build trust with somebody — nothing more complicated than that. 🔑 What You'll Learn: Why Mario treats sales as "the ability to build trust with somebody"How running quarterly realtor masterminds keeps referral relationships aliveWhy staying hands-on as a self-processor makes him a better broker-ownerWhat it took to grow Sienna Mortgage 15-20% year over year Connect with Mario Escobedo: https://siennamortgage.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-escobedo-2a6b37132/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.

    $30M and Still Self-Processing: Mario Escobedo's Relationship-First Playbook at Sienna Mortgage

  2. Aug 11

    300 to 2,000 Units a Year: Corrina Carter's Servant Leadership Playbook at CMS Mortgage Solutions

    Corrina Carter is the CEO and Owner of CMS Mortgage Solutions in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where 29 years in the mortgage industry — 21 of them running her own company — have taught her that growth stops the moment a leader tries to do it all herself. Corrina got her start in mortgage almost by accident: a family medical crisis pulled her out of her prior job, and she took an administrative role in the industry before working her way up to loan originator and, eventually, founding her own brokerage. For years she carried 60-70% of her company's production personally — until around 2022, when she made the deliberate choice to step back from selling and reinvest her profits into building out her team instead. The result: CMS Mortgage has grown from roughly 300 closed units a year to about 2,000, now operating across 27 states with 120 loan officers, 68% of them women. Corrina's advice to originators trying to grow faster is simple — don't go at it alone, and find people further down the path who can help shorten yours. 🔑 What You'll Learn: Why the biggest constraint in this business is bandwidth, not effortHow to make the shift from top producer to servant leaderWhy letting go of yesterday keeps you sharp todayWhat scaling a brokerage to 27 states actually requires Connect with Corrina Carter: https://cmsmortgage.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrina-carter-4216907/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for more conversations with the mortgage industry's top producers and broker-owners.

    300 to 2,000 Units a Year: Corrina Carter's Servant Leadership Playbook at CMS Mortgage Solutions

  3. Aug 4

    34 Years in Mortgage: Jeff Dettelbach on Building a Husband-Wife Top Producer Team in Indianapolis

    Jeff Dettelbach is a senior mortgage loan originator at Hallmark Home Mortgage Powered by Fairway in Indianapolis, Indiana — 34 years into a mortgage career that started in 1992, still ranking in his company's top five producers alongside his wife and fellow top originator, Julianne. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a conversation about longevity, service, and what it takes to build a husband-and-wife top-producing team. Jeff graduated from Indiana University in 1991 and got his start calling alumni for donations at the IU Foundation — a role he credits with turning him from an introvert into a skilled communicator — before moving into mortgage telemarketing and, within his first year, management and then origination. What You'll Learn: How Jeff went from calling alumni for donations to 34 years as a mortgage originatorHow he and his wife Julianne built a team that ranks top five in their companyWhy "good old fashioned service" and due diligence still separate top producers from the restWhy 92-95% of clients need personal guidance no automated process can replaceJeff's "rifle approach" to networking, and why persistent follow-up is where the real business gets builtWhy reinvesting in your own development is non-negotiable for long-term originators Connect with Jeff Dettelbach: Hallmark Home Mortgage: https://myhhm.com/jeff-dettelbach/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.

    34 Years in Mortgage: Jeff Dettelbach on Building a Husband-Wife Top Producer Team in Indianapolis

  4. Jul 28

    From YouTube Burnout to #1 Broker Under 30: Shawn Malkou's Journey to X2 Mortgage in Chandler, AZ

    Shawn Malkou is the CEO and broker-owner of X2 Mortgage in Chandler, Arizona — named the #1 Mortgage Broker in the Country Under 30 for 2024, and projecting around $70 million in personal production this year. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a candid conversation about an unlikely path into the industry: 8-9 years as a YouTube content creator before burnout, a volleyball coach's tip that changed everything, and a job offer that collapsed right after he got licensed — which turned into the best break of his career at a small three-person brokerage. He founded X2 Mortgage in 2021 and has since grown it to a team of about 20. What You'll Learn: How Shawn went from burned-out YouTube creator to broker-owner of X2 MortgageWhy the IMB job that fell through led him somewhere betterHow he named X2 Mortgage for SEO and phone clarity during the 2020-2021 boomWhy his weekly Monday sales meetings focus on metrics, not motivationHis "lead by doing" approach to running a teamWhy he tells new originators to master production before starting a companyHow AI is freeing up time for originators to close more loans Connect with Shawn Malkou: X2 Mortgage: https://x2mortgage.com/shawn-malkou LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnmalkou/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.

    From YouTube Burnout to #1 Broker Under 30: Shawn Malkou's Journey to X2 Mortgage in Chandler, AZ

  5. Jul 21

    From Processor to President in Utah: Emily Rowley on Building a Culture-First Mortgage Company

    Emily Rowley is the president of the retail division at First Colony Mortgage — a Utah-based company founded in 1984 that she joined in 2004 as a processor. Over 22 years, she worked her way from processing to originating to leading, building deep relationships and an even deeper conviction that culture is the foundation everything else gets built on. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Emily joins host Tony Thompson to talk about what it takes to grow through hard markets, why the mortgage industry needs to start betting on young talent, and how First Colony is positioning itself for the future with a full ecosystem play that includes their own AI tech company, Tidal Wave AI. She also gets candid about what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry — and why helping other women develop self-belief is one of her biggest priorities. What You'll Learn: How Emily went from being talked out of getting her license to running the retail division of a growing national companyWhat the law of generosity looks like in practice — and how it shaped First Colony's growth during the 2008–2009 crisisWhy the industry's average originator age is a quiet crisis, and what First Colony is doing about itHow to build a "customer for life" approach through revenue stacking and ecosystem thinkingWhat Emily believes is the greatest challenge for mortgage companies right now — and why being ready to sprint is non-negotiableHer honest advice for women in the industry who are letting the difficulty of a male-dominated space affect how they see themselves Connect with Emily Rowley: First Colony Mortgage: http://www.FirstColonyMortgage.com Follow Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-gappmayer-rowley-66214894/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with the leaders, originators, and operators shaping the future of the mortgage industry.

    From Processor to President in Utah: Emily Rowley on Building a Culture-First Mortgage Company

  6. Jul 14

    25 Years, $70M/Year in Tampa: Oliver Orlicki on Why You Should Never Quit

    Oliver Orlicki is the founder of The Orlicki Group — a Tampa, Florida-based mortgage team with over 75 years of combined experience, consistently closing around $70 million annually. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a fast-paced, high-energy conversation about what it takes to stand out, stay motivated, and capitalize on the AI wave reshaping the mortgage industry. Oliver's journey started far from mortgage — a journalism degree, dreams of sports broadcasting, and a detour into financial planning before 9/11 sent him into the industry in 2001. Twenty-five years later, his philosophy is simple: be pleasantly persistent, never quit, and surround yourself with people who push you to excel. What You'll Learn: Why differentiation — not interest rates — is the real competitive battlefield in mortgage todayHow AI and social media are creating massive opportunity for originators willing to use themThe "pleasantly persistent" philosophy and why it takes 7 contacts to make a saleWhy being great at what you do is the only real defense against losing business to AIHow surrounding yourself with high-producing people becomes addictive — in the best wayWhy buying a home remains one of the few reliable paths to generational wealthOliver's #1 advice for originators trying to reach the next level: don't quit Connect with Oliver Orlicki: Follow Oliver Orlicki : https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-orlicki-6a9b8931 The Orlicki Group: https://orlickigroup.com/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.

    25 Years, $70M/Year in Tampa: Oliver Orlicki on Why You Should Never Quit

  7. Jul 7

    DSCR & Investment Property Lending in Texas: Nathan Howry's Multi-State Broker-Owner Journey

    Nathan Howry is the President & CEO of Mortgage Inc. — a New Braunfels, Texas-based brokerage five years in the making, built on a broker-first philosophy, in-house operations, and a team culture laser-focused on helping every loan officer reach six figures. Licensed in five states with 13 LOs and a personal production volume of $35–50 million a year, Nathan has built a company that doesn't just survive tough markets — it finds opportunity in them. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson, CMB for a practical, no-fluff conversation about what it really takes to build a mortgage brokerage that grows its people and outlasts market cycles. Nathan spent nearly two decades in the industry — moving through restaurant management, a decade in real estate, and a rapid rise from LOA to branch manager — before making the deliberate move to broker ownership. What followed was a brokerage built on process, fairness, and a relentless focus on the investment property lending niche that's now become their signature. What You'll Learn: How Nathan went from a failed real estate career and the restaurant business to running a multi-state mortgage brokerageWhy he rebranded from "Mortgage Maniac" to Mortgage Inc. — and what the process taught him about building a company that can recruit and scaleHow Mortgage Inc. became the exclusive mortgage team for one of the largest build-to-rent developers in the countryWhy Nathan shifted focus to DSCR and investment property loans — and how it positioned the company perfectly in a slow purchase marketThe accountability system behind his weekly one-on-one calls with every LO on his teamWhy over-communication is the single most important habit for any originator trying to reach the top level of this businessHow Nathan built a full ecosystem — development, property management, tenants, and individual investor financing — that keeps clients coming backThe difference between broker and retail — and the real reason Nathan made the switchThe three pillars Nathan credits for his success: Family, Faith, and FitnessWhy mental fitness — cutting out the noise and the vices — is what truly moves the needle for top producersTony's "Corporate Athlete" framework and why every serious originator needs to hear it Connect with Nathan Howry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-howry/ Mortgage Inc. : https://mortgage-inc.com/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.

    DSCR & Investment Property Lending in Texas: Nathan Howry's Multi-State Broker-Owner Journey

  8. Jun 30

    VA Loans in Charlotte: Alec Conrad's Unlikely Path from M&A to Mortgage Broker

    Alec Conrad is the co-broker owner of Carolina Mortgage Advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina — a brokerage built on a simple but powerful philosophy: do the basics better than everyone else, find your niche, and protect it with consistency. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson, CMB for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a mortgage business from scratch, why he became the VA loan go-to in a market with no military base nearby, and how a FaceTime call with his toddler son changed the entire trajectory of his career. Alec didn't come from mortgages — he came from mergers and acquisitions, traveling constantly, closing high-stakes corporate deals. But when his son Cooper asked why daddy was always so far away, he was on the next flight home, canceled his contract, and never looked back. What followed was a humbling first year of near-zero income and a decade of building something real — a brand, a niche, a partnership, and a brokerage now on track for 30–40% production growth in 2026. What You'll Learn: How Alec left a high-paying M&A career to be present for his son — and built a mortgage brand around being "Cooper's dad"The origin of Carolina Mortgage Advisors: how a difficult situation at a prior brokerage turned into the momentum to go independentWhy the originators winning right now are the ones focused on fundamentals — not headlines, not tech, not what Rocket just acquiredHow Alec became a VA loan authority in Charlotte by teaching nearly 1,000 realtors since 2018 — without living near a military baseWhy consistent messaging over years turns niche expertise into a self-sustaining referral engineThe post-mortem review Alec runs every year to track where new referral partners came from — and how to replicate itHow a simple Tuesday update habit turned listing agents into his #1 source of new businessWhy knowing what to refer out is just as important as knowing what you're great atHow to use RETR to build a targeted list of realtors who don't have a dedicated lending partnerWhat Alec is most grateful for: a business partnership that accelerated his growth by nearly a decadeWhy the broker channel's product access can work against you if you haven't committed to a niche Connect with Alec Conrad: Carolina Mortgage Advisors: www.carolinamortgageadvisors.com Alec Conrad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-edward-conrad/ Subscribe to Chasing Excellence for weekly conversations with top mortgage professionals and industry leaders sharing what it truly takes to go from good to great.

    VA Loans in Charlotte: Alec Conrad's Unlikely Path from M&A to Mortgage Broker
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About

Chasing Excellence is a podcast for founders, operators, and leaders focused on building high-performing businesses. Each episode features in-depth conversations with top performers across industries—with a strong focus on the mortgage industry, where success depends on consistent deal flow, efficient systems, and sharp execution. We break down: What’s driving revenue right now The marketing and sales systems that actually convert The real bottlenecks that are slowing down growth How top mortgage brokers and lenders scale in a competitive, regulated market This isn’t theory or recycled advice—these are real conversations with people actively building and scaling. If you're in the mortgage industry and want to grow smarter, simplify your systems, and close more deals consistently, this podcast is built for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Tony Thompson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tony Thompson
  • Show Website
    Chasing Excellence

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