Start your week with intention.
I'm stepping away from my leadership series this week.
About a week and a half ago, I had to have surgery. Nothing serious, but anytime they put you under anesthesia it is at least a little serious, and it meant taking real time off. Not the fun vacation kind where I can still sneak in a few calls, but the kind where I literally had to be out.
And while I was home recovering, last Wednesday, October 28th, marked three years since my mom passed. With more time on my hands, I found myself doing a lot of reflecting on her life and the legacy she left behind.
In my very first newsletter, I shared some of my mom's personal struggles and some of the struggles she and I had together. That is a small part of her story, and this week I want to take some space to honor the rest of it. My mom was the biggest early influence in my life.
Joyce Davison was the social coordinator of every room she walked into. She never knew a stranger, she always had a kind word, and she could never, ever say no. She was the first to invite the widow over for Thanksgiving and the first to show up with a meal when a friend was sick. She was a stay-at-home mom who worked part time at a fabric store and later at a real estate company. She never sold a house, but I am convinced she could have. Everybody loved my mother.
At her service, my brother shared a story I had never heard, and I smile every single time I think about it.
My brother Bill is the Information Security Manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory out near Hanford. Part of his job is taking care of international visitors who come to see the labs and the research being done there, including getting them American cash for their per diem. One day a group came in last minute, so he went to the local credit union the lab works with, told them how much cash he needed, and told them he needed it that day.
They said there was no way. He asked if there was anything at all they could do, and the woman helping him said she was really sorry, she just didn't think there was.
Then she glanced down at his driver's license and asked, "Are you Joyce Davison's son?"
He said yes. "Oh, I know all about you," she said, and she started sharing anecdotes about his military service and his family that clearly my mom had shared with her. And then she said, "I will absolutely get that done for you right now."
That is my mom. She never spoke about herself. She was always bragging about her kids or quietly doing something kind for someone else, and all those years of kind words and genuine interest in the people around her showed up at a credit union counter on the exact day her son needed it. She never knew it would matter that day.
My mom was relationship rich in a way most people never get to be. She spent her whole life putting other people first, and without ever meaning to, she built up equity in her name that her family got to cash in on. Her reputation walked into that credit union long before my brother did. How we serve and how we show up for people does not stop with us. It trickles down to our kids, our families, and the people we lead, and it carries our name into rooms we may never walk into ourselves.
I was able to sit with my mother in her final six weeks of life. Being with someone you love when they leave this earth is a soul crushing experience, but it brings things into focus very quickly. In those weeks, the only thing she cared about was having her family, her friends, and my dad, her husband of 53 years, by her side. It didn't matter what house she lived in or what car she drove or what clothes she wore. None of it mattered. The people mattered.
So as we head into this week, remember that it is on us to create a life worth living, regardless of our circumstances. I'm striving every day to be intentional about how I spend my time and who I spend it with, and I am creating a happy, joyful life for myself. I am blessed to be in an industry where we create opportunities for the American dream, and to work alongside incredible professionals inside and outside of my organization. I feel very blessed.
Thank you, Mom.
Make it a great week!💛🌟
Missed an issue? Read past Monday Resets here.
MY LINKEDIN FEED
Dave Savage
Dave's new Advice Movement Manifesto makes the case that AI is speeding up the shift from loan officer to trusted advisor. Borrowers show up having already asked AI, and the producers winning right now meet them with curiosity, a clear comparison, and a plan the whole family can understand. I am so proud to see two of my own producers, Summer Pineda and Brady Thomas, featured along with my friends Jeremy Forcier and Jessica Uphoff as proof that advice is what is growing businesses this year.
PODCAST OF THE WEEK
With everyone talking about AI, this episode looks at what borrowers actually do when they pick a lender. Citing STRATMOR's 2026 data, Realtor referrals drove nearly half of purchase lender selections, while AI recommendations drove about 1%. My favorite part is the idea that if you can't name ten agents who referred you a buyer in the last 90 days, you don't have a marketing problem, you have a room problem, and the fix is getting in front of more agents. It's only 12 minutes, so it fits on your drive to the office.
WHAT I'M READING
Un-Copy-Paste-Able: How to Build a Personal Brand People Trust on Social Media by Chelsea Peitz
I've committed to reading one chapter a day, and right now that means Chelsea Peitz's newest book. A big thank you to Katie Shive for putting it in my hands. Chelsea has spent nearly two decades helping real estate and mortgage professionals show up online as themselves, and this book is all about building a personal brand people trust without turning into a full time content creator or someone you don't recognize. (Perfect timing, since I am learning this one in real time.)
My takeaways from chapter 1
Action creates clarity. All the prepping, planning, and tweaking is usually procrastination disguised as productivity. Clarity shows up once you start.
Connect with a human, not the algorithm. This ties right into what I have learned this past year in the Forward Mastermind. You don't need a viral post, you need a viable one that connects with the right people. Your views will go up and down, but those relationships grow steadily.
Social media is a communication tool first and a content tool second. It is the only free tool that lets you scale human connection. A reply to a story, a thoughtful comment, or a quick message can build a relationship just as well as your best video.
If you don't know what to post, get clear on your audience. Most people skip this step and jump straight to creating. Great content comes from curiosity, empathy, and understanding what is happening in your audience's world.
I would love for you to read along with me. Grab a copy, and as you go, hit reply and share your takeaways. I'll be sharing mine here too, and I can't wait to hear what stands out to you.
ON THE CALENDAR
Nov 2: ISM Manufacturing
Nov 3: Election Day, JOLTS job openings, National Sandwich Day
Nov 4: ISM Services
Nov 5: National Chinese Takeout Day
Nov 6: October jobs report, National Nacho Day
Nov 7: Book Lovers Day, International Merlot Day
Nov 11: Veterans Day
PASS IT ON
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Natalie Overturf
Cell: 360-606-7947
