The Wiggle Room

From No Father to Fearless Leader

Matt Labozetta

What does it take to become a leader when no one ever showed you how?

In this powerful episode of The Wiggle Room, Guild Mortgage President and COO David Neylan shares the raw, untold story behind his leadership: raised by a single mother at 16, abandoned by his father, and shaped by a life that demanded he grow up fast.

David opens up about the grit it took to survive eviction notices on the front door… the quiet strength of a mother who never once bad-mouthed the man who left… and the weight of becoming the dad he never had. From sweeping floors at a karate dojo to leading a national company — this is a story of resilience, humility, and the deep humanity that makes true leadership unforgettable.