Knowing the “Rules” Leads to Winning the Game
I was born outside of Chicago, but I spent most of my youth living between Argentina, Brazil and California. It was my time in Argentina, living with my grandparents, I remember the most.
My grandfather was a bricklayer. He spent his life building homes and buildings all over Argentina. He was an amazing man. When he retired, he didn’t stop. There was always a project at the house, and he had a masterful way of getting me involved and giving me purpose. Whether it was running down the street to pick up fresh bread for lunch or helping him plan his next task, I was quickly made a part of the beautiful day-to-day ritual of living under their roof.
Early Life Lessons
When I was just eight years old, my grandfather had me mixing cement and fully immersed me in building a small second home on our property. He taught me his craft, about taking pride in your work, the discipline it takes to do a good job and, most importantly, the importance of strong values.
My grandfather also instilled a love of sports in me. Before I started any sport, he would hand me the rule books and manuals. They would have me read these books from cover to cover to make sure I understood how the game was played before stepping onto the field. I learned not only the rules but also the importance of each position and the role they played on the team. Once I understood, I could put my energy to playing my best game.
All of this has become key as I have advanced in my career within the mortgage industry. Every day I look back on my time in Argentina and realize how well these lessons of teamwork and discipline have served me as I’ve excelled in the title business. I also believe that my exposure to so many cultures and life experiences have helped me to better relate with people. There’s an art of conversation that comes from life experiences if you allow yourself to relate to others on a personal level. This is true of life and business.
Watching and Learning
My entry into the mortgage industry was not your typical path. I graduated from high school at 17 with the great skills and lessons my parents and grandparents taught me, a love of art that manifested itself in large format murals, but no real idea of what my future held.
It wasn’t until I went to a job fair that I even knew that the mortgage and finance industry existed. I was lucky enough to get a job in the mailroom at one of the largest title insurance firms in the U.S. My manager, who I keep in touch with, saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself.
I remember delivering mail in the examination area, where the search examiners shared two computers. Some of my deliveries included microfiche films. I would watch searchers load and scan through them for information. I watched and learned, just as I had learned from my grandfather. Before I knew it, I had worked my way from the mailroom to a search examiner and then to a title assistant. I had found my place. To this day, I teach my children that if you see something that needs to be done, just take the initiative to learn how to do it. It will serve you well.
It wasn’t until I had worked my way up to title officer and sales rep with another company that I experienced my first major career bump—the housing market crash of 2008. I had to start from scratch and rebuild my career, landing back at my first company as a search examiner. What I realized by coming back to searching was that seeing discrepancies in documents came very easily to me. It took me back to combing through those rulebooks as a kid and solving those puzzles. It allowed me to hone my craft and focus on the industry as a whole.
When I look back on those early times scrolling through microfiche, I can’t help but be amazed by how much technology has advanced our industry. I went from searching just a few counties within our local area to doing transactions on the opposite coast. I feel fortunate to have been a witness to this dramatic change. It gave me a new focus and new skills and I, once again, immersed myself into learning “the new ways.”
When I arrived at ServiceLink in 2012, the focus on technology became even more pronounced. In my current role, I manage ServiceLink’s Single Family Rental (SFR) Title and Close team. We work with investors and lenders to issue policies to insure everyone’s interests.
I’m working with a team of extremely knowledgeable title experts who go beyond cookie-cutter answers to truly resolve issues, setting up a centralized title and close process for our customers. Our clients know they can count on us and that makes me delighted to be a part of this team.
Can-Do Success
Anyone who knows me will tell you: I’m driven by somebody telling me it can’t be done. Maybe it’s rooted in watching my grandfather methodically go about his projects and find a solution to any problem. I’ve also learned that any problem is better solved by a team. So, I’ve used my experiences of growing up in a variety of cultures to better understand people and relationships, especially within my professional life. I built and continue to manage my team like a page from any of those sports rulebooks I read as a kid. We define their position on the team and work together to support each other in those roles. It’s really quite simple … you have to understand the game and all the positions if you’re going to play it well.
