Deposit That

In the world we live in today, there is immense pressure on women in business, from every direction so their tendency is to think they are not worthy or they are not able to measure up to whatever it is on the social media or on TV. They are not always aware of the advantages they have over men, when it comes to reaching out to people, start a conversation and in the end, make a sell or reach their goals.

Laura is a successful woman that has never thought there was a difference between a man and a woman. In her mind, she is doing a job, she’s trying to reach a goal and she is working towards something and the only one that could limit her is herself.

On today’s episode, Laura and I talk about how all the women should be more confident in their skills. We also touch upon the mortgage industry and how currently there is a bad culture that needs to be changed and what can be done in that direction.

Laura Brandao is the President and the only woman partner of AFR. Armed with two decades of experience, determination, and belief in herself, Laura started AFR Wholesale in 2007 and she had her high heel in the door and never turned back. She started as the Director of Operations, in 2009 she became a partner, she quickly rose to EVP followed by COO and now the President. In April 2018 Laura underwent a transformation when she started to write a book. As she detailed out her story, she realized that most of her success both personally and professionally was due to a “say yes everyday” mindset.  So, she started to test the theory and as each day began, she would open her mind and say YES.

The biggest thing that Laura has learned is that if you go into every situation with no preconceived notions or expectations you can do ANYTHING.

So, listen to Episode 12 of Deposit That, to learn why it’s important to support the younger generation and to show them that it all starts with believing in themselves.

Questions I ask:

• What do you do from a loyalty standpoint as an owner to maintain that loyalty and command the loyalty? (25:40)
• Did you ever feel like you were used by any of your employees or sales rep? (27:08)
• Why do you believe, in particular, the mortgage business has attracted so many of the wrong people - the greed, the envy? (32:26)
• Dinosaurs in the industry. Talk to me about them, their problems, how long you see before they go extinct and their unwillingness to change? (44:23)
• What's one thing you want listeners to take away from this show? (54:48)

In this episode, you will learn:

• About Laura’s background – how she got into the mortgage business. (00:49)
• Laura’s advice for women of all age and groups. (05:46)
• The psychology behind people’s negative reactions. (12:07)
• The advantages and downfalls of women in business. (13:40)
• About the culture of family that she has created at work. (23:54)

Connect with Laura:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• American Financial Resources Facebook Page
• AFR Wholesale Website