Her Story
About Marie
I've been in the mortgage industry since about 1998. I started because I wanted to learn how to buy a house and saw the impact it could have on families and communities from my roots in southwest Detroit. I've worked as a loan officer, processor, account executive on the B2B side, and now as strategic alliances manager building relationships with community banking organizations and credit unions. I travel extensively to conventions and sponsor events, having grown our participation to over 70 shows this year. My passion is helping hardworking people overcome assumptions and achieve homeownership.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Marie
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My first mortgage boss and mentor said in a meeting: 'There's two kinds of people in this world. Those that make things happen, and those that wait for things to happen. Which one do you want to be?' That day I decided I want to be one that makes things happen, and I've lived by that.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Dip your toe in and see how you feel about it. You need to love this industry to be fulfilled by it. If you love mortgage, stick it out. If not, this is a good time to leave. Find some mentors, get serious about it, and let it be a passion of yours, and there's no limit to what you can do here.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are that the mortgage industry tends to be over-penetrated with many people who think they're experts but really are not, which gunks up the information. It requires building trust because people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. The biggest opportunity is the flip side: those invested with a good why have opportunity to correctly inform people, build trust, and debunk misinformation.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the first thing. I have taught my kids their whole life, you do the right thing because it's the right thing, no other reason. You will find that people that aren't doing the right thing appear to be getting over, but at the end of the day, you sleep well, you know your motives, and you can never go wrong by doing the right things.
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