If you want to achieve long-term, sustainable success as an LO, you have to stay engaged in and excited by the work you do. Continuing to learn throughout your career is the key to doing that. Particularly after a few years in the business, it’s easy to get comfortable. If you stop following industry trends and pursuing new opportunities to grow, you can easily find yourself in a rut. However, when you continue to seek out opportunities to further educate yourself, you’ll have all the inspiration you’ll need to grow your business. Here are a few resources that can help:
Professional Development
Whether your company offers (or will pay for) additional training, or it’s something you need to invest in yourself, seeking out professional development courses and additional certifications is a terrific strategy to stay inspired and develop your business. Courses are unique because you have the opportunity to engage with a group of other motivated professionals. Though courses can be a larger investment of time and sometimes money than the other resources we’ll share, they can be one of the most powerful tools in your kit.
Podcasts
Podcasts are great because they don’t require a monetary investment and only as much time as you choose to give. Podcasts are also accessible — you can listen almost anywhere while doing almost anything. They’re a perfect way to maximize your time and fit some education into the blocks of time that may otherwise not be utilized completely. Mortgage-specific podcasts are, naturally, a good place to start, but don’t be afraid to stretch out. There are an infinite number of topics out there, and it’s easy to find podcasts about marketing, sales, communication, and goal achievement. Think of the top areas you’d like to strengthen, find a podcast with that focus, and get started.
Books
However analog and traditional books seem, it’s a resource that shouldn’t be overlooked. Though not quite as convenient as podcasts, books offer a greater opportunity for full immersion to help you really delve into a topic. If you’re short on time, audiobooks are a fine substitute. However, blocking off time to read daily is a practice that many top entrepreneurs and professionals swear by. Even if you only have a small window of time, sitting down with a book is a great way to gain new knowledge and inspiration that can help you get back to the office feeling recharged and reinspired.
Blogs
Blogs are a perfect way for busy professionals to keep up with the latest industry and marketing trends. With many bloggers sharing posts daily, it’s an easy way to create a consistent stream of new information. Just like podcasts, there are useful mortgage-related blogs that can provide specific tips and strategies; and there are also countless other blogs to help you advance as a professional more generally. By curating a list of blogs to follow, you’ll keep yourself current and moving forward armed with up-to-date ideas and information.
Social Media
Following other mortgage professionals online is a smart strategy to employ. By following people you admire, you can get a glimpse into what makes them tick. Find people who actively share content and engage with their followers. Not only will you likely find useful content, but you’ll also probably find great discussions with other professionals.
Mentors
Online resources are convenient and instantly gratifying, but seeking out an in-person connection who can offer advice and motivation can be invaluable to your career. Whether a manager, fellow mortgage professional, or simply someone you know whose success you admire, building and maintaining these types of relationships is a proven method for LOs who want to grow.
We’re surrounded by resources for education and inspiration. If you want to scale greater heights, you simply need to take advantage of them.
Here’s another piece I wrote about achieving long-term success in the industry that fits well with this one.
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