Frank Garay is an easy man to talk with. He’s an even easier man to listen to. He has stories and a way of sharing wisdom and experience that is compelling, entertaining, and believable. The man exudes knowledge and trust and with little to no encouragement, shares his experience both in twenty years as an in-the-trenches originator and fifteen years professionally reporting on the industry.

Creating the National Real Estate Post (NREP) has easily been Frank’s biggest and most noteworthy success in the mortgage industry. NREP gained hundreds of thousands of mortgage originator subscribers and has had tens of millions of views. It also leapfrogged Frank Garay and Brian Stevens into the mortgage spotlight as a respected source of industry news and insights.

While Frank parted ways with NREP in June of 2021 to make personal life changes, NREP was a great success and also a big life-changing experience. Frank started it all on July 2, 2007, and it’s still going strong with Brian as the sole anchor and owner.

“The way it all started,” Frank shared, “was when I was running a large net branch for a mortgage broker in northern California, I had fifty or sixty guys working for me. As the big financial crisis began to unravel the banking world, and I looked for ways to coach my guys who were spread broad in about a 50-mile radius. I tried the typical sales meeting. You know, the let’s get together and talk kind of meeting. Funny thing is the only people who would show up were the people who didn’t need coaching.

We tried webinars and had a little more attendance, but I couldn’t tell if they were paying attention to me or watching Wheel of Fortune in the background; I didn’t know what was going on. Then we had the idea to use webcams so my guys could see me. I saw an option to record a video and email a link and thought I’d try that.”

Frank being Frank, he did not record a typical rah-rah sales meeting. Music is a big part of Frank’s life and has been from a young age when he became curious as to how the musical sounds he heard were made. As a teen, he learned to play guitar and has been entwining music into his professional and personal life ever since.

Frank’s first video was a two-man job with his brother Pat helping as Frank played his jaw harp and sang a parody for his guys.

“That first video was me telling them to get off your ass and do something, pick up the phone. It was funny. There was Pat behind me flipping papers while I’m singing, ‘ain’t got no loans, what will I do’ and I’m stomping my foot and wah wahing in between on the jaw harp.

Man, this little minute-and-a-half video made it out to like 1,500 loan officers. Our broker thought it was so funny he tried to share it with the entire company by emailing the video file and crashed their servers.

I thought that first video was cool and I realized there might be something to this idea. I remember looking out my office window and I saw it laid out, like a premonition, a vision. It all unfolded in front of my eyes. I saw I would be this mortgage video guy and I would be going around the country speaking at events. It was a weird experience and I swear it happened to me just like that after I made the first video. As we experimented with different videos, slowly the vision become a reality. The more real it became, the more it drove us to continue to pursue it.”

This was the inception of what would become NREP. It took a bit longer for Frank to team up with partner Brian Stevens and officially birth the daily video blog now considered an industry staple and a must-have subscription for many in the real estate and mortgage industry.

“At first, it was my brother Pat and me,” Frank continued. “We originally called it The Daily Patrick. I recorded a video every day. We would talk about rates. We were brokers, so we would open with who had the best rate that day and my brother would give a brief snippet of industry news. Then I came in with a coaching tip. Pat got us onto YouTube and we started to take off, but by December Pat was gone. My business was blown up by the industry imploding. I couldn’t pay him and he had to find something else.

I was lucky to be absorbed into the corporate office where I was told to keep doing that video thing because there’s something to it and we should send it to our loan officers to give them a bit of industry news and coaching.

I knew to keep doing this it had to be a two-man show. My boss said, “Go talk to Brian.”

I said, “I hate that guy.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t like you either. I don’t get it because I’m friends with both of you. Get over yourselves and talk to each other. I’m telling you he’s the guy.”

So, I went to Brian’s office. He sat at his desk with clients facing him. I’m looking over the top of their heads as I’m standing in his doorway. “Hey man,” I said, “You know that video thing I do with my brother?”

“Yeah.”

“My brother’s got to go, and I think it’s a two-man show. Tim suggested you might be interested in doing this with me.”

“Okay.”

This anecdote describes the start of a relationship that grew to be as close as brothers, even to the point where each partner has half of a broken heart tattooed on their butt cheek with the other’s name inside. We are told this is a true story that has been graphically, and publicly, proven upon occasion. Regardless, Frank and Brian became legendary friends and partners as they embarked on a “crazy unusual journey in the mortgage space that in the end was very, very cool.”

Great things came from a funny little video meant to make Frank’s team laugh during a dark time in the industry when it wasn’t easy to find reasons to keep going, let alone laugh. What defines success? More specifically, what defines the man who walks away from what most would call superstar success within the industry to start over again in a totally different direction?

Frank’s vision for success has changed over the years, as is true for most people. “Ultimately,” he shares, “my vision for success is the health, wealth, and well-being of my family. I want my kids and their kids to be safe and secure. I have full-grown kids who rely on my wife and me for support for various reasons. If I wasn’t successful, I wouldn’t be able to help them. The fact they know they can count on us, that’s success for me today. But tomorrow it might be a gold-plated Mercedes, who knows….”

Leaving the NREP was a big deal for both Frank and Brian. After a close-knit 15 years together, the business showed no sign of slowing. And yet, Frank found himself needing to make a change. “When I decided I needed to separate it was a spiritual thing for me. I was praying a lot about it because I was feeling trapped, almost suffocated. I’m a Christian and a believer but I’m not the kind of guy who hears God directly speaking to me. Yet, I had a strong sense of release. A feeling that it was OK; I could leave NREP.

Brian and I are still close. My departure from NREP was not about an issue with us in any way, shape, or form. It was just me. Honestly, I am ten years older and he’s got a lot more piss and vinegar left in him. I’m like, Dude, I want to wind this thing down. I can’t do this another ten years, I’ve got to do something different, man. And he was gracious and said, OK, do whatever you need to do.”

For the past year, Frank has been working with Carl White, Steve Kyles, Scott Hudspeth, and Mike Cardascia growing the Loan Officer Breakfast Club which is a free mortgage originator coaching Zoom call every Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM Eastern time. Frank considers it the perfect place for him to land after departing from NREP. After spending fifteen years in the cloud, Frank felt he had lost touch with the street-level origination.

“The mortgage business is the mortgage business. It’s the same as it’s always been, even with many changes, and at the end of the day, it’s the same business I did for 25 years even though it’s a new world. Of course, I had no clue what I would do next,” Frank says, “only that I had to find a different direction. It was a weird moment, another time when it felt like a premonition, where I saw it all laid out for me. I got involved with Carl, and it was one of the best things to ever happen to me, professionally. I had great success in building a brand from the ground up with NREP achieving significant notoriety within the industry, and now I’m enjoying great success with Loan Officer Breakfast Club. This gives me great personal satisfaction, which to my way of thinking, is a great achievement.”

Frank’s favorite thing about the mortgage industry is how unbelievably moldable and pliable it is for every originator. “It’s the most exciting and unique industry anyone can be a part of. Think of all the different ways you can become successful. You have the ability to create your own brand, within a brand. You can find a zillion different niches to exploit and dominate. You can build your own business or build a business within a business. There is absolutely no limit to what you can earn, none. You can fully exercise your entrepreneurial spirit at full throttle, at all times, continually creating new and innovative ways to succeed.

This ain’t no 9-to-5 gig. It’s extraordinary and we’re all blessed to be a part of it. There are a lot of kids in their 20s and 30s getting started, and when I speak to them it’s good to know an old dog can still teach a new trick. There’s a lot of technology out there and it helps. But this business is hand-to-hand combat baby, and you need to go out there and talk to people.

I want to provide as much value to the origination community as possible while making the value as accessible as possible. I think everyone needs coaching. I get coaching. All the most successful people in this industry get coaching. We understand the fact Frank and Carl might not be right for everyone and it’s okay because there’s others to work with, lots of them. Jeez, Christine Beckwith and her company are absolutely amazing! Join her program for goodness sake! But get coaching. Find your tribe and work the plan. You’ll always do better, much better if you connect with the right group.”

Frank Garay is a speed and patience guy, the kind of mover and shaker who ignites the spark of an idea into flame with immediate implementation, then watches patiently for results. He believes nothing that lasts happens fast and consistency is key—everything works with consistency, and nothing works without it. His number one piece of advice to all is, “Find God fast, He makes molehills out of mountains. Trust me, that’s a big deal.”

That faith in something more than himself is an integral part of Frank’s daily life, both in business and personally.

“My biggest disappointment was not handling my success properly. I achieved something that doesn’t come along often. Brian and I caught lightning in a bottle. I went from being your typical moderately successful loan originator to becoming what I can only describe as a national mortgage celebrity, almost overnight. Brian and I were in extremely high demand for years. We were constantly being asked to speak at all kinds of events, getting flown first-class, and treated like royalty everywhere we went. But it got to me. I was caught up in it and fell into alcohol quite heavily. I was the kind of guy who would open a bottle of whiskey and just throw the cap away because once the bottle was opened, it was getting finished.

Today, I feel I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and although a lot of amazing things came from it, it could have been better. Much better. I simply didn’t handle it responsibly, and I’m convinced I paid a price for it. Did I learn a lesson from it? You bet I did. I’ve been sober for the last seven years and my business and my family life have never been better. I thank God for it every day.”

Life has a way of going full circle for each of us. For Frank, his love of music is evidence of how his life has changed for the better.

“I almost ruined my whole life. I looked in the mirror one day and realized I hated myself. I decided I’m done and I haven’t had a drink since. That decision realigned me spiritually. I realized I could get back into the church life. I do love the Lord you know, but I departed for years yet I always had the longing to come back.

An unexpected benefit was finding an even greater love of music. When I stopped drinking, I also stopped playing with my band. When I became a member of a local church, one thing led to another, they found out I play guitar and I was invited to play. At first, I said no, but after a couple of years of being gently pressured, I started playing for the church.

This is a great way to enjoy music. I should have been doing this all along. I get to play. I get to buy gear and all the fun stuff I love about being a guitarist. And now I play in a church, man. I play for the Lord and it’s wonderful. I look forward to playing all week long. I enjoy finding out what we will play the next weekend and working on the songs. I love it. All of it.”

There are many words which have been left on the cutting room floor in the writing of this article. How does one compress a lifetime of colorful living into a brief story? Frank Garay is a husband, father, and grandfather. He has four adult children and a wife he loves dearly. He loves to spend time on his motorcycle relaxing and cruising slowly to enjoy the scenery and in a dichotomy fitting his personality to a T, he loves to ride a little spirited, to zip along, and to feel the inherent danger of being on two wheels with a powerful motor propelling him forward. This is, for Frank, a time for focus and clarity. Concentrating on being safe and enjoying the ride somehow clears his mind and allows him to experience the moment, dialed in so tightly the cares of the world just go away for a brief time.

Frank sees a future filled with growth and industrious effort for the industry he loves.

“I say in this industry opportunity goes beyond being an originator. To the younger people getting involved, I say don’t you dare look at this as a job. Mortgage is such a big cake there is more than enough to be shared, explored, and exploited. Devour your cake, keep your eyes open and be ready for when that little glimmer of an idea could turn into something really amazing.

Chase everything down. If you’ve got an idea, implement it fast. Even if it’s only 70 percent ready, go now because you’ll figure out the rest and you’ll know quickly if it is a good idea or not. When you find that good idea, be ready. It may become your vision.

In the mortgage space, you’ll do much better if you’re a little bit of an entrepreneur. Exercise your entrepreneurial spirit and be more than a loan officer working nine to five. Get a taste for more and find your direction. Find the thing that rocks you and floats your boat. There’s a lot of money to be made for those who can explore and exploit their ideas and turn their vision into reality.”

NEXA Mortgage is a Mortgage Broker lending to consumers looking to own a home or refinance their existing. Our mission is to serve our customers with honesty, integrity, and competence while providing an exceptional customer experience.

Our goal is to provide home loans to consumers nationwide while supplying them with the lowest interest rates and closing costs possible. We pledge to help borrowers overcome roadblocks that can arise while securing a loan and strive to offer the best payment plan along with the best terms imaginable.

Written by: Laura Brandao

This month I have the honor and pleasure of interviewing my dear friend and colleague Christine Beckwith. Although Christine and I have been in the mortgage industry for a similar length of time we never met in person until 2019 when Christine interviewed me for a video series. From the first moment we connected, we felt like we had each found a long-lost sister. The initial connection was felt out of a sense of understanding and camaraderie for wearing a badge of honor or making our way through the mortgage industry as women executives. This was also a pivotal time in Christine’s life because it was the beginning of 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching.

I am forever grateful to Class Valuation for bringing us together because these two unicorns have never been the same since.

Today, 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching is the largest consulting firm in the American banking and brokering industry.

“We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”- Whoopi Goldberg

Christine is a 30-plus-year veteran of the mortgage industry and has held positions ranging from originations all the way to senior vice president of sales. She has won numerous awards and is a four-time best-selling author. Her experience in the industry has had her wearing many hats including marketing, development, financial forensics, sales, training, and leadership.

Her mission to help the industry evolve to take full benefit of the cutting edge financial and marketing tools available today has impacted the lives of thousands of people and continues growing and moving forward. Christine describes herself as a “happy and ever-evolving human.”

Christine, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. What do you think is your greatest success?

My biggest success in life is my son, Jagger. Being a mother has given me perspective and purpose in a way I never before imagined.

I was pregnant with him at an extremely intense point in my life. I had just been given my first senior executive role at H&R Block Mortgage and I was required to travel extensively throughout my pregnancy.

I had to take the time for his birth and a short maternity leave which was an added challenge but having Jagger has made me a better person and given me the joy of being a mother.

Jagger is a teenager now, but I am keenly aware of his daily schedule daily and I am in constant touch with him by text. He has also traveled with me before, so he understands what I do and why I need to travel so much.

Watching Jagger grow up and develop and learn has taught me about patience, perspective, and staying grounded even on days when things are whirling around me at a frantic pace.

Share a pivotal story with us about your history in the mortgage business which has brought you to the level of achievement you have reached today.

It is quite hard for me to pinpoint a particular moment. I had so many changes over my 34 years in the industry and each one brought new challenges and decisions to be made. Some were driven by external factors like changes in regulations or the economy, and others came about through promotions or changes in roles.

I started out in Worcester, MA as a loans officer and then moved up to branch manager with a team of ten working for me. That business was bought by H&R Block Mortgage. At that point, I changed from purchasing to refinancing. I was a bit reluctant to make the change but ultimately, I ended up being a district manager leading a team of 125 loan officers instead of 10.

Our team worked our way up to first place and I was promoted to regional vice president overseeing the Northern West and East Coast districts and then later to senior vice president of sales with national oversight. When the mortgage implosion occurred, my job ended and during a summer off with Jagger, I wrote my first book, Wise Eyes, while I sat on the beach at Lake Winnipesaukee, my childhood home.

After that, I went back into the industry in another smaller firm and worked my way up again. In 2018, I moved on from a job at AnnieMac to open 20/20 Vision and I have never looked back. I always wanted a consulting firm and one I could use to teach and give back to the mortgage industry.

I guess it was more a series of moves and moments that brought me here, rather than a specific one or two. I spent those years learning and growing to the point when now, I can nurture and encourage growth in others.

What was your greatest disappointment or failure and what did you learn from the experience and how has it helped you in moving forward?

My divorces feel like failures to me. I was very young the first time I married, and I realize now I was not ready for that level of complication. We both traveled a lot and it meant we couldn’t nurture our relationship enough to keep it together.

When my second marriage ended it was even harder and took longer for me to recover. I am lucky Jagger’s father and I are still close friends and are successful at co-parenting Jagger as partners.

Those heartaches taught me life’s lessons I needed to learn. I have gleaned a true understanding of gratitude and the value of security from my mistakes, and I am not afraid to share the truth of failure in hope my experience will encourage others to invest their own hard-won wisdom in a better future for themselves and their families.

I use the painfully garnered understanding and knowledge from those lessons even today in both my personal life and career. There is an impetus that comes from a defeat. The loss can either drop you down or put the wind in your sails to move forward and do better. I chose the latter path and value those lessons, as painful as they were to learn.

Do you have a favorite quotation? What makes it special to you?

Muhammad Ali said, “Champions have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

This speaks to me. I have learned my skills over time, but my will is still as strong today as it was in the beginning of my career. My drive to succeed has not diminished or become less despite my level of success. I think that is probably true for most people.

Please describe yourself as a leader.

I would describe myself as tough but fair. I am a driven person and expect a lot out of my team. I want people to step out of their comfort zone and grow. I encourage that in my people and in myself.

What strengths do you bring to your leadership and to your profession as a woman?

My biggest strength is my tenacity. I do not stay silent or take no for an answer when I have a goal in mind. I have worked my way into many exceptional seats at the boardroom table and did not let my gender or the perception of it hinder my advancement.

I want to lead women in our industry today through the tricky terrain of a career in the financial industry. I have faced losses and defeats in my career trajectory, and I know I continue to have a marked impact on the industry as a result.

As a leader, I want women to know they need to learn, fall, climb back up and be relentless in the pursuit of their career goals. The battles we endure forge us into the strong, successful, and influential people we become, and when our seat at the table opens, we need to take it without hesitation.

What is your favorite thing about our mortgage industry?

The facet I find most appealing about our business is the opportunity to set your own limits as far as earnings and success are concerned. There are no ceilings on either if you are willing to do the hard work and push yourself forward.

Please share with us your vision for success.

For me personally, success will be a comfortable retirement where I can travel, maintain a certain lifestyle, and leave a legacy for my son. Having time to slow down and rest more will be a bonus too.

I see my goal closer now and I am working hard to reach it.

If you could go back in time and have a cup of coffee with your teenage self, what advice would you give her to help her get through life?

I would ask her to always think hard about the choices she makes as she goes through life. Sometimes, just taking a moment to think again can save you a world of hurt or from making a costly mistake that will take time to unravel.

I am writing a second solo book right now called Finding Honor – The Journey to the Truth. It is a memoir with the main theme being to align yourself with your inner compass and learn to make good or better choices as a result.

In a nutshell, I would tell my teenage self to pause a moment when making large, life-altering decisions and listen to her gut instinct. I know I am a decent, intelligent, and reasonable person, and I do make good decisions if I give myself time to think them through.

Where do you see yourself personally and professionally in the next five, ten, and fifteen years?

Five years from now, I want to still be where I am but having grown my firm to a much bigger size. My goal is to dominate the consulting and marketing space in the mortgage industry.

In ten years, I want to be retired and living in my lake house in central New Hampshire, spending time with my family and traveling occasionally.

In fifteen years, I will be, God willing, enjoying the latter years of my life and hopefully, writing more books.

What do you want to do for our industry with your company?

My vision for this company is to have it change our industry and leave it better and stronger. I want to educate and encourage more highly professional brokers and lenders to better serve their clients and to have successful and rewarding careers.

Where do you think the business is headed?

Up! Bigger, better, and more innovative than ever. I see the mortgage business growing in leaps and bounds and taking advantage of technology and amazing people to become a gold standard for all the financial service industries.

What is your main goal in your business? And in your life?

I want 20/20 Vision to provide a safe space for mortgage and real estate professionals to be able to ask questions, learn from each other, and grow in their personal and professional lives.

My company was founded to give back to the industry that has given so much to me. I want to make education and growth a ubiquitous part of being a financial professional.

My personal goal in my life is to leave my son a legacy he can be proud of. I want him to see what is possible with hard work and determination and to think of me and my accomplishments with pride after I am gone.

What is your greatest lesson to share with our readers?

I have learned over the years life is short and you need to live it with purpose, every day. We don’t realize how little time we are given, and we should make the best use of every moment we have.

Let’s change things up a bit. Tell us about you, personally.

I was born in Laconia, New Hampshire 52 years ago.

I originally went to college for sports medicine and nutrition and used my degree teaching aerobics and as a nutritionist for several years while I was originating loans.

I still teach health and wellness as a symposium for 20/20 Vision.

What about your family? Can you share a bit of that history?

I’m the middle child with two sisters, Heidi and Tammy. My parents, Merle and Sandra, were teen parents, so they are still quite young and enjoying life.

My ethnic background is French Canadian and American Indian, which is a typical mix for a New Hampshire native. And we love our Italian and Irish friends from Massachusetts.

My life partner Cory Parker and I have been together for over 14 years. We have two labs named Charlie and Chica.

My son, Jagger is 16 years old now and the joy of my life.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

I am a creative person at heart. I love cooking, decorating, crafting, and writing. They give me a great outlet when I am not working.

Give us your best three tips for success.

First, be organized. You need to be able to find the things you need to complete your tasks. Wasting time searching for items, information, or tools is time you can never get back. It also looks unprofessional if you cannot complete projects in a timely manner.

Second, execute your plans. You must always be moving forward toward your goals. Time does not wait for you. And someone else may get there ahead of you if you dither and wait. Keep going and handle whatever comes as it comes.

Third, act like there is no time left to finish things. Motivation can be found in even the most ephemeral of deadlines. I have always realized life is short and, as a result, I have squeezed more into my life than most people simply because I keep this thought in the front of my mind. Action is more productive and satisfying than inaction.

I want to thank Christine for sharing her insights and wisdom with us and for having the courage and strength to follow her dreams. She gives to our industry every day by making all of us better and her lasting impact on us has touched so many in a positive and productive way. We love you!

Christine’s Tips for Success

• Be organized
• Execute your plans
• Act like there is not time left to finish things