How A Horse Can Teach You A Little Something About Business. And Yourself.

My real passion is horse racing. When I am not spending time with my family, originating mortgages or working with my mastermind coaching group, I can usually be found at one of the mid-Atlantic’s race tracks cheering on one of my thoroughbred racehorses. I spend a great deal of time at the track and am always amazed at what I learn there about life outside the horse world.

Heart. Sometimes the only difference between success and failure is simply desire, or “heart.”

I recently had a horse that was big, beautiful, and loved to run. He could run all day if we asked him to. He was healthy, well bred and generally thought of as a great “prospect.” In fact, he was a brother to one of this past year’s great horses, the champion Lost In The Fog, who unfortunately just succumbed to a rare form of cancer at the far too-young age of four.

I couldn’t have been more excited the day I bought him. I had visions of the winner’s circle (and visions of big winner’s checks). I even made sure to give him a name that demanded respect, while at the same time honoring my daughter, Katherine. You see, I was preparing for the great ride that Commander Kat was going to take us on, and I wanted to be able to one day tell my daughter that I named the great champion after her.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Winner’s Circle…

Commander Kat’s initial workouts looked great and our excitement grew as we approached the day that he would make his debut. The big day finally came and we couldn’t wait to place “win” bets on our guy. In the paddock, he looked every bit the champion I knew he was to become. I couldn’t have been more proud. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Problem was, no one told him he was supposed to win. Or even run fast. The race started and the eleven horse field (well, most of them, anyway) charged out of the gate in the _ mile race. The Commander? Well, he just sort of acted like he was out for a Sunday drive. Instead of charging out of the gate with the spirit and determination that his breeding (and our hopes) suggested, he just galloped around the track enjoying the beautiful day. He acted as if he were just happy to be out there with the other horses, running around and playing. He finished right at the rear of the pack, 7th of eleven – only his raw talent kept him from being last by a mile. Not exactly the start of a long and illustrious career.

Unfortunately, this was not a one-race occurrence. We soon discovered, after about 10 races, that this well-bred, intelligent horse lacked the one thing he needed most to be a winner: Heart! He simply had no desire to win. NO HEART. I could tell you a story about another horse I owned that ran the last _ mile of a race on a broken leg to finish in the money, just a length from winning. He had “heart.”

Without the desire to succeed, he was just an average horse doing what he thought he needed to do to get by. He went out and “did his job” during training and races; and, in return, we fed him and took care of him. We sold him soon after we admitted to ourselves that he lacked heart, and he continues to be a loser for someone else.

Now, translate this to our business. There are plenty of intelligent, formally-educated loan officers out there who are currently failing in this business. Why? My guess is a good part of it is a lack of “heart.” They are simply going to the office and going through the motions of “doing their job.” If the boss gives them the “good” leads that week, they make a sale. If he gets the “bad” leads, again – well, nobody can blame him if he doesn’t succeed.

Loan officers who constantly make excuses – “interest rates are up,” “the market is slow,” “my branch manager hates me and gives Joe all the good leads” – are, in my opinion, showing a lack of “heart.” They just accept what they perceive to be their problems and they never do anything about it. Funny, perception then becomes reality.

Successful loan officers know the value of having “heart.” They care about their business and themselves. They continually seek ways to improve themselves and their skills. They seek out knowledge and they are not scared to invest in themselves. They show up for work each day ready to set the world on fire. They are winners!

Without the desire to improve; and without taking the steps to do so, loan officers without “heart” will end up just like my horse - failures. And, the worst part of it is, there is no reason for it. The tools to succeed are right in front of all of us.

Make this year your year. Give yourself a gift by committing to do at least three new things to improve your business. You have taken a great first step by joining NARLO. Now, do more. Take a class in marketing. Resolve to create 3 new referral relationships this month. Consider developing expertise in a niche.

Just do something. Anything. There are opportunities everywhere for loan officer’s with “heart.”

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” - Abraham Lincoln

By Jon Esposito

Jon Esposito specializes in the niche market of Construction to Permanent financing. He has been responsible for over half a billion dollars in closed construction loans in his career. Today, he continues to originate loans while devoting a large portion of his time to helping other loan officers build high income businesses while reducing overhead and stress.

For his FREE NO OBLIGATION REPORT “7 Essential Survival Tactics Every Loan Officer Needs to Know. Now” please visit www.LoanOfficerSurvivalTactics.com or call his 24 hour toll free information line at 1-888-699-6075, ext 90252 to request your report. A special gift to Mortgage Pro News readers only will be sent to the first 87 loan officers who request his free report. Give yourself the gift of education in the New Year.