What if I actually got the job?

Start your week with intention.

In June of 2006 I was in a really good place. I had rebuilt my production, my branch was doing very well, and I knew how to do my job.

During one of my calls with my leader, Chris Altig, he told me he was going to hire a district manager to help with growth in Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and Montana. He wanted to know if I wanted to throw my hat in the ring, and I let him know I would think about it.

Over the next three Monday Resets, I want to share what happened after that conversation. I took a chance on a new role just before the mortgage market fell apart, and then I tried to build a team while our company was for sale. A lot of what I learned feels relevant again. If you are considering a move, learning a different way to work, or trying to lead people through uncertainty, there is something in this story for you. This week starts with the part that happened before I ever got the job.

That night, after we put our 18 month old twins to bed, I told my husband about the position. He thought I should apply. I told him I didn't think I would get it, and he said, "Somebody is going to get that job. Why shouldn't it be you?" He believed in me more than I believed in myself that night.

I wanted to contribute, and I wanted to become the leader I hadn't had early in my career. But the truth was, I was afraid. Putting my name in meant people would know I wanted it, and they might choose someone else. That felt embarrassing before anything had even happened. And if they chose me? Then I would have to do a job I had never done. I was afraid of both answers.

That is worth admitting, because sometimes we spend so much time asking whether an opportunity will work out that we never look closely at what is making us hesitate. Maybe you are considering a company that could better support your business. Maybe someone sees leadership potential in you, or you have an idea you keep putting off because you don't know whether you can pull it off. Those decisions deserve real questions about income, support, expectations, and fit, and I am certainly not suggesting you ignore them.

My husband couldn't guarantee I would get the job or be good at it. His question helped me take my own desire seriously enough to apply. I put my name in, I interviewed, and Chris called to tell me the job was mine.

What I took from it

Ready is a decision, not a feeling.

You will never feel ready. LinkedIn studied its own platform and found that women apply to 20 percent fewer jobs than men, and when they do apply, they are more likely to be hired. I waited to be tapped for a stretch of my career, and the tap does not always come. Nobody is coming to tell you that you are ready.

Know what you are actually afraid of.

I told myself I wouldn't get the job. The real fear was being embarrassed if I didn't and failing if I did, and neither one had anything to do with whether it was the right opportunity.

Keep someone close who will ask the hard question.

It helps to have a person who knows you well enough to ask whether you are giving yourself a fair chance. I had one that night.

Next week, I'll share what happened when I went from being a confident producer to sitting at my desk wondering who I was supposed to call.

Make it a great week! 💛🌟

MY LINKEDIN FEED

My post this week

Last year I was on a panel at Momentum Builder and was asked whether leadership is important in the retail mortgage space.

Read the rest of this post here.

Dave Savage

Dave shared a short clip of Tim Rowen, VP of Sales Success at NFTYDoor, on how to talk about home equity with a homeowner who does not want to give up a 3.5% mortgage. I picked it because most of our past clients are sitting on a low rate and real equity, and this gives you the words to open that conversation without arguing about rate.

Watch the clip here.

CHART OF THE WEEK

Redfin found that 21.1% of homes for sale had a price cut in the four weeks ending September 20, up from 19.8% a year ago and the highest share for this time of year in its records. Denver and Indianapolis lead the country at about 30%. On the West Coast, Portland and Seattle are both above the national number, while most of California sits below it and San Francisco is under 10%.

What to tell a borrower or agent: Buyers have more power in this market than they have had in years. Sellers are cutting prices, and nearly half of buyers are getting concessions like closing costs or a rate buydown, so ask for them.

Source: Redfin, share of listings with a price drop, four weeks ending September 20, 2026, among the 50 most populous U.S. metros.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

Ken Perry on Redefining Winning | Lessons From Last Time

Ken Perry spends a lot of time with people in our industry, and he has watched too many of them take this market personally. His point is that when the market was up we gave ourselves the credit, and when it went down we took the blame, and neither one was the whole story. He walks through five questions to help you decide what winning means to you. It is 17 minutes, and I think a lot of us need to hear it right now.

ONE AI THING I ACTUALLY USED THIS WEEK

This newsletter. Katie Shive helped me write my brand book (how I sound, the stories I tell, the phrases I use and the ones I never would), and I loaded it into Claude so it starts from my voice. From there I talked through my story out loud, and Claude asked me questions one at a time until the details were right. Then it built the draft in beehiiv, section by section, while I made the call on every line.

The story and the edits are mine. The formatting, the links, and the fact checking are where it saved me hours. If you want AI to sound like you, give it something to learn from first. Even one page on how you talk to clients and a few emails you are proud of will change what you get back.

Also worth a read:

A loan officer used AI to save a deal he almost turned down

He nearly denied the loan, then used AI to find qualifying income he had missed, and the borrower was approved without bending a single rule. I picked it because this is the right way to use AI, as a second set of eyes that helps you find the yes.

LINKS WORTH YOUR TIME

The jobs report just made a Fed rate hike less likely
Only 29,000 jobs were added in September, well under the 80,000 expected. A softer job market gives the Fed a reason to hold off in October, and that could be good news for rates.

Fannie and Freddie are moving to one pricing grid, and not everyone is sold
The 20 point VantageScore penalty goes away, which could mean better pricing. Lenders are asking what happens if investors price those loans differently, so I am sharing it so you know both sides of the conversation.

What non-QM leaders say you should do before year end
Your next loan may already be in your database: the investor whose deal didn't work last year, the self employed borrower, the homeowner who needs cash but wants to keep a low first mortgage, or the past client who now owns three rentals.

WHERE TO FIND ME

Oct 6 to 8: Momentum Builder, Dallas, TX
Oct 10: mPower, Chicago, IL
Oct 20: Spokane/North Idaho All Employee October Luncheon

If you will be at Momentum Builder or mPower, reply to this email and let's grab coffee. If you want time on the books, grab a spot on my calendar here.

ON THE CALENDAR

Oct 5: ISM Services
Oct 6: Trade Balance, ADP weekly jobs estimate, 3 Year Treasury auction
Oct 6 to 8: Momentum Builder, Dallas
Oct 7: Fed meeting minutes, 10 Year Treasury auction, Consumer Credit
Oct 8: Jobless claims, 30 Year Treasury auction
Oct 9: Consumer Sentiment
Oct 10: mPower, Chicago
Oct 11 to 14: MBA Annual Convention and Expo, Chicago
Oct 14: September CPI inflation reading
Oct 16: National Boss's Day
Oct 16 to 19: NAMB National, Las Vegas