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Chasing Excellence

Tony Thompson 12 Episodes Jun 30, 2026

Chasing Excellence is a podcast for founders, operators, and leaders focused on building high-performing businesses. Each episode features in-depth conversations with top performers across industries, with a strong focus on the mortgage industry. The show breaks down what's driving revenue, marketing and sales systems that convert, real bottlenecks slowing growth, and how top mortgage brokers and lenders scale in a competitive market. It offers real conversations with people actively building and scaling their businesses.

Episodes

From M&A to Mortgage Broker: Alec Conrad's Unlikely Path to Excellence Jun 30, 2026 00:23:54 Alec Conrad is the co-broker owner of Carolina Mortgage Advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina — a brokerage built on a simple but powerful philosophy: do the basics better than everyone else, find your niche, and protect it with consistency.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson, CMB for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a mortgage business from

Servant Leadership & Team Growth with Chris Musso of West Park Mortgage Jun 23, 2026 00:18:45 Chris Musso is the president of West Park Mortgage Group — a Tampa, Florida-based brokerage five years in the making, built on servant leadership, data-driven coaching, and a team culture that produced growth for every single LO in one of the toughest mortgage markets in recent memory.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for a deeply practical conversation about what

Legacy, Competition & Social Selling with Brian Tewes of Tewes Lending Jun 16, 2026 00:17:27 Brian Tewes is the president and CEO of Tewes Lending — an Orlando-based mortgage brokerage recognized in the top 5% nationwide by HousingWire and the top 2% in the country by Scotsman Guide.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson right in his home city for a conversation about building a mortgage business on legacy, competitive fire, and daily social media consistency.B

Faith, Data & Mortgage Growth with David Kakish of Anchor Home Loans Jun 2, 2026 00:21:28 David Kakish is the branch manager of Anchor Home Loans — a DBA under C2 Financial based in Gulf Shores, Alabama, closing around $50 million annually across 130 to 150 units in just his third year in the business. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson for one of the most honest conversations the show has had yet about what it really takes to build from zero when you ha

Niche Mortgage Strategy & the Senior Market with Mark Maimon of Luminate Bank Jun 9, 2026 00:23:46 Mark Maimon is a branch manager at Luminate Bank with nearly 25 years in the mortgage industry, operating across Los Angeles, New York City, and Florida — and closing between $100M and $200M annually.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down the strategy behind his success: go where other originators aren't, plant seeds before the market is ready, and build a

Process, Discipline & $30M/Year with Chris Kerr of Elements Financial May 26, 2026 00:12:54 Chris Kerr is a top-producing outside loan originator at Elements Financial Credit Union in Indianapolis, closing $30 million a year across 100+ units — with no inside referral pipeline.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down the mindset, habits, and process that have kept him at the top of his game for 20 years.Chris didn't start in mortgages. After studyi

Data, AI & the Future of Mortgage with Justin Demola of Equifax May 12, 2026 00:08:35 Justin Demola is the SVP of Mortgage and Housing at Equifax, with 33 years of mortgage industry experience spanning origination, consulting, and the vendor side.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to talk about the forces reshaping the mortgage industry — regulatory uncertainty, the power of data, and why AI represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for mortgage

Playing the Long Game in Mortgage with John Murphy of MJW Mortgage May 19, 2026 00:20:20 John Murphy is the Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of MJW Mortgage — an Indianapolis-based Independent Mortgage Bank doing $400 million in annual volume.In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson live in Indianapolis for a conversation about building a mortgage company that lasts, leading from the front, and why avoiding the vanity of volume is the real competitive adv

Building Grand Line Lending from Scratch with Hussein Nasser May 5, 2026 00:15:53 Hussein Nasser is the broker-owner of Grand Line Lending — a Detroit-based mortgage brokerage he built from the ground up just 10 months ago, already closing $11 million a month with a purchase-focused goal of $150 million annually. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down exactly how he got there and where he's headed.Hussein's path started during college w

From Welfare to Broker-Owner: Building 4MG Mortgage with Ashlin Endter May 5, 2026 00:24:23 Ashlin Endter is the broker-owner of 4MG Mortgage — a Miami-based brokerage she built from the ground up in just six years, going from first-time originator to top producer and team leader. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, she joins host Tony Thompson to share one of the most raw and powerful journeys the show has featured yet.Ashlin's story starts far from mortgage. After pursuing nursing a

Building a $200M Mortgage Brokerage with Shawn Smith of Sublime Financial May 5, 2026 00:14:43 In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to share the mindset, systems, and decisions that took him from surviving the 2008 crash to running one of Dallas's top broker shops.Shawn Smith is the broker-owner of Sublime Financial — a Dallas-based mortgage brokerage generating $200M in annual volume with 23 loan officers across Texas, Oklahoma, Washington State, and Florida.S

Chasing Excellence with Tony Thompson Apr 17, 2026 00:01:52 What will you do with the time you've been given?Chasing Excellence is the podcast that brings you real stories from real people — from those already at the pinnacle of success to those just beginning their journey.Host Tony Thompson sits down with individuals who chose to pursue excellence over the ordinary, sharing their trials, tribulations, breakthroughs, and wisdom.Every episode is designed t

Chasing Excellence

Episodes

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