If I Started All Over Again Today This Is What I’d Do

Geoff and three-time guest Sue Woodard work through five things Sue would do differently if she had to start her mortgage career from scratch today. The conversation blends tactical business lessons (database, saying no to bad referral partners) with mindset shifts (action over perfection, speaking up, giving back). Best for LOs doing year-end reflection who want a concrete reset framework.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Start your database TODAY with whatever tool you already have — open your pipeline, pull every pre-approval from the last 12 months, and add every name with a phone number into a CRM before end of week. Sue's pre-approval-in-a-drawer story is a direct warning: those people didn't disappear, you just stopped contacting them.
• Audit every active Realtor relationship this week: pull closed loans per agent for the last 12 months. Any agent with fewer than 2 closings who is consuming significant time gets a 'no' — free that capacity for partners who actually produce.
• Add your nail tech, barber, trainer, and other personal service providers to your database today and send a single direct message: 'I work primarily by referral — if you or anyone you know ever needs a mortgage, I'd love to be your person.'
• Pick ONE thing you've been 'perfecting' before launching — a video, a realtor presentation, a follow-up email sequence — and ship a good-enough version within 48 hours. Your phone is a thousand-dollar camera; use it.
• Apply Warren Buffett's 25/5 rule to your business this week: list 25 goals, circle the top 5, and treat the other 20 as a do-not-do list — not a someday list — so your top 5 actually get executed.
• Identify one person in your market (newer LO, team member, referral partner) who needs encouragement or guidance and give 30 minutes of 'palm down' time this week — no agenda, no ask for business in return.

The playbook

1. 1. ACTION OVER PERFECTION: Launch the imperfect version now — database, video, realtor presentation — and iterate after.
2. 2. SAY NO MORE: Audit time-consuming relationships and commitments quarterly; behind every no is a better yes.
3. 3. FIND YOUR VOICE: Speak up when something feels wrong — in meetings, on teams, with referral partners — others are often thinking the same thing.
4. 4. CONTROL YOUR RESPONSE: You can't always choose circumstances; you can always choose your reaction. Treat bad service as proof the bar is low and your opportunity is high.
5. 5. GIVE PALM DOWN: Intentionally invest time in at least one person who needs your help, with no expectation of return.

Worth quoting

“Behind every no, there's a better yes. Say no to certain things so you can say yes to the right things.”

“We've been lost in refinance world, standing in the money machine. It's time to dig back into relationships.”

Best for

LOs who have been too busy with refis to nurture their database or agent relationships and need a practical reset heading into a purchase-market cycle.