Her Story
About Melissa
I've been in the mortgage industry for about 30 years. I started as a receptionist, and that was not my forte, so then I moved into being an underwriting assistant. From being an underwriting assistant, I went directly into underwriting and worked my way through, doing wholesale, retail, whatever was in front of me. I was able to get all of my designations and keep them maintained. Most of my entire career is all underwriting background, and I've been in underwriting leadership for the last 15 years. I've touched every single area - underwriting, quality, training - and I've been able to establish a pretty strong network throughout the industry. I've worked with various companies including Chase for 9 years, and I was part of a small company that I helped build and watched go public - HomePoint. I was there from the very beginning for 10 years and helped get them to that point. I've been able to maintain employment through difficult times, including when the market crashed back in 08 and 09, and during the recent downward spiral when rates started increasing. I think that goes to tell you about building relationships and who you know. Today, I'm VP of Underwriting with Sago Home Loans, a new company that's building and establishing. I like to help take any organization to the next level, using my experience and my strengths. I'm the type of individual that will roll my sleeves up and do the job that my underwriters are doing. I always come across as, I'm here to support you, not be your boss. I've helped many individuals get to the next level with their designations because I feel like everybody should have a career path and experience growth.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Melissa
01What do you attribute your success to?
It's building relationships and not burning bridges when you go from one place to another. Anytime I ever left a company, it was to further enhance my career, or someone that I've worked with previously wants you to come with them. After weighing the pros and the cons, I make a decision that's best suited for myself. But I never, ever, ever left a company high and dry. I can't say anything negative about anyone that I've ever worked for. I always leave on good terms. I've been able to establish quite a network of contacts throughout the industry. I have the contacts, I call them phone-a-friends - I just pick up the phone and call someone. I've connected with various people in various positions in the industry, so I keep my phone of friends close by.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think it's important to touch on that back 30 years ago when I started, I was a single mom, and I had to build a future and maintain a certain level of income to make sure that my child had what they needed. My work ethic has always been strong - I put in long hours, long days. I was working till 8:30 last night. I don't get extra compensation for that, I just do it. My children watched me as they've grown, and today they have a very strong work ethic. I'm their role model, and they have seen the growth that I have given. I gave up a lot - they didn't get as much time with me because of all the long hours I've worked all these years. The mortgage industry is very grueling, it's not an easy industry, it's probably one of the toughest. But they learned from me. I balanced what I had to do with work-life balance, working the hours that I've worked. As you build your own children and you've built for the future, you instill them a work ethic, and that's what they had. Everybody always says to me, your children have such great work ethic, and you don't just wake up and get that. As a leader, I always feel like you should give your team the tools to be successful and to support whatever goals they want to have. I feel like everybody should have a career path and everybody should experience growth, and I would never hold anybody back.
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