SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of ISM Radio. I'm your host, Gage, and we are here tonight at ISM's executive networking event in the library at the one and only world-renowned Ohica Castle. And I am sitting here tonight with Michael Cimbala from the HartfordFunding.com group. What do you guys think?

SPEAKER_00 0:19

So, Hartford Funding. Uh-huh. You know, we'll stick with that. Okay. But um, what a cool, cool place to shoot a podcast. I mean, it really I mean, it really doesn't get any cooler when you have scenery like this and just the background and the history.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

So the history that's here. This room is unbelievable. The amount of parties that went on in here, me and you were in here podcasting like it's not like it's unbelievable. So let's talk a little bit about Hartford funding and the event that we have going on here tonight because ISM's actually obviously got a great event happening. Uh, we really appreciate you coming down and attending this event, bringing your friends with you.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Appreciate you having.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Yeah, no doubt. You got a nice crowd. You got the biggest crowd in the room tonight for a podcast. We haven't had this.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

I paid enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

No, yeah. We haven't had this many people in the library tonight for a podcast yet. So why don't you tell us a little bit about what you do and why you're here tonight?

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Sure, absolutely. So I'm a divisional manager at Hartford Funding. Um, just turned 40 on March 8th. Happy birthday. And thank you. Thank you very much. And then this uh this year in 2026 just hit the 20th year milestone of me being in the mortgage industry. So started at uh 20 years old, cold calling, grinding, had a good mentor at the age of 25 who said, You want long-term success, it's relationships. So um the beauty of relationships are what brought me here today.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Well, that's incredible. And this is a great relationship we're forming here between Hartford Funding and ISM. We love having you here, so it's a great relationship. We love meeting your friends. But tell us a little bit about you got into the business 20 years ago. This company's around 40 years. I mean, it's they started at the beginning.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

The oldest mortgage bank on Long Island since 1983.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Yes, 83.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Not the same owner, but the oldest mortgage bank.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Yeah, they talked about that on the website because I did go to HartfordFunding.com. It was a great website.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

So you did your homework.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

It was a great website.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Oh, yeah, absolutely. I got the fixed rate mortgages. You want to see the whole list? I got everything done. I did my homework, and we keep the ISM logo correct tonight. We can otherwise Dean yells at us if it's not uh if it's upside down. Um, but yeah, so we're not even gonna touch into that stuff because you realize, you know, you you just claimed to me back in the uh bar area there that we were talking about how charities and businesses need to work together. And what you explained to me was absolutely incredible. So why don't you tell the listeners?

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Yeah, so D so Dean and I originally met from just a go-giving movement, you know, as far as looking to do the right thing and looking to give back. So we were uh a part of a variety of charities, and it just opened up an incredible amount of doors, I think, for the both of us. And Dean and I probably would have met at some point, sure, but it was just the way that the synergy just kind of vibed out without even trying. And when you do take things that people are passionate about, like a charity, like working your tail off, and you take like a sports element or something else you're passionate about, sure, and kind of mix it into just one purpose, that's when you could set a wildfire to just the opportunities that something like that could could create. Not only when it comes to raising money to something you're passionate about, but it indirectly growing your business.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Right. It's indirectly growing your business, but you're helping other people at the same time. So that's uh that's a feat all on its own. That's not easy to do. And charity events are a big deal here on Long Island. We host a few, we we we're part of a few, we try to podcast at a few, we try to help out and do some stuff to bring exposure, which is why you're here tonight to try to bring exposure to what you do.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Absolutely, absolutely. So um, as as far as with the charities, I think the big misconception is that uh a lot of individuals and organizations, you know, when we look at the small to medium-sized businesses, they think that they need to donate a certain amount of money. Right. Or they need to come to the table with you know a certain level of expectations to where, no, the beauty of uh Long Islanders helping fellow Long Islanders are focusing on your communities to where they're all doing the right thing and they're on the same mission. So for me, it's been really cool and just kind of refreshing to help smaller business owners and that medium size get more involved in charities, and then that's created so many more opportunities for them to where easily a small business within a few years can turn into something pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Right. So it's more open-ended than there are expectations. So there's there shouldn't be a set number of 50,000 or 100,000 because we've all worked with the American Cancer Society and all these big companies here on Long Island that we've tried to raise money for, whether it's for the kids, kids that are sick or whatever it is. Right. Um, but you shouldn't have a number set, you should just do it and wherever it goes, keep it open-ended so that you're always creating this every year. 100% and that's that's the mindset behind it. And if they take that mindset, they'll head in the right direction to do the right thing for that charity.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

And I think that everybody, you know, we can go with, you know, cancer, obviously, you know, a very sensitive subject on Long Island to where there's so many different great organizations that are doing wonderful things that you really have to find the charity that really inspires you to where you want to give back, to where it happens so naturally and organically that it doesn't feel like work. And and uh those those that are blessed enough to be able to give more, you know, are the ones that I think truly deep down inside just feel better at what they're doing.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

You talked about how a business and a corporation give back, but how about when an industry comes together? And I'll use one as an example. We had the restaurant industry come together for the Long Island Hospitality Ball that raised millions of dollars over the years for the American Cancer Society.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

That's with Alec Baldwin.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

That's right. See, and and he was a Massapequa guy. They weren't involved in the beginning of that because I was on the committee of the Long Island Hospitality Ball when it first started, and that was Keith Hart and Jay Grossman and that entire crew. Now, they brought in the Baldwin family years after it had already developed and grew into this big event, and then the Baldwin, they bring in celebrities. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Yeah. So I didn't know I was gonna come on here and get educated too.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Right. So that's what we do here at ISM Radio. We educate our listeners and our guests as well. So thanks for being educated here tonight. But Alec Baldwin did jump into it. In fact, he's involved in one of the other podcasts that we did here tonight with the Pickler, Pickler.com. He's actually gonna be at an event at their facility and center reach. Cool stuff. So it's pretty cool how celebrities on Long Island do get involved in raising money and helping corporations and kids and cancer and sickness and everything else that we do as far as charities are concerned. So, what else can we touch on here for the Hartford funding?

SPEAKER_00 7:11

So, so as far as you know, I'll stick uh I'll stick with the charities. And um, so like for instance, I have, you know, so many different good friends that started off as strategic partners, right? And that strategic partnership now kind of elevated what we do together, whether it's co-branding um or just kind of getting out there and raising money. So I have a very good friend, Dimitri, who now just recently got involved uh for the well he just recently got involved with the Long Island Fight for charity that has been around for over 20 years. Right. So I met him in the other room. Yes, so Dimitri, Dimitri fought um a few years ago. I mean, he's kind of a hard guy to miss, you know. Yeah, sure. He's tall by his size. Yeah, yeah, he's tall. By his size and the beard. So so so as far as so Dimitri went and fought, and uh I wanted to support him. So one of the things that we did, which was pretty freaking cool, was because of our relationships and our network, when he was raising money, he did a laundry list of events, and one of the big events that we did was a Halloween party at our friends' funeral parlor. Yes, let me say that again. Yeah, no, that's it was a funeral hall in West Babylon, and we did a Halloween party there.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Now with the caskets with skill uh tell me some of the things.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

With no bodies on site. No, no bodies, no bodies, no bodies.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

Any skeletons?

SPEAKER_00 8:39

Uh no comment. So so as far as as far as one of the really cool things was we have so much experience just in like giving back that we were able to kind of twist all of that into something that takes some humor and put it into something and make an event out of it. And now some people take a lot of creativity, right? And now some people got creeped out, and you know what? Yeah, and it's not fine.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

People are gonna get creeped out over podcasting in the library. Correct, exactly. Like, how are you defecating a library like that? Two idiots on the microphone.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Come on, you know, so so so as far as something like that, is where we just collaborated together in an effort to raise money, and then all the money that we raised that evening then went towards Dimitri and his mission on just raising as much as he could, and then he fought in the in the fight for charity, and now he's on the board. So that's something that now, because of my friendship and my partnership with Dimitri, that's something that is important to me. Sure, and it should be.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

And we appreciate Dimitri, and we're gonna get Dimitri on the podcast as well, too. At some point, we have to.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

You're gonna have to be careful with the lighting. Put the camera up high. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

Well, you said you talk a lot with your hands, which you're doing great tonight on the microphone.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

Yeah, well, that's that's that's because, you know, of my you know, uh little little uh break.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

We could handle we could handle Dimitri on the mic. I think he'll be fine.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Especially if we can handle the fights and handle.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

I mean, listen, I don't know, the lighting might intimidate him.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

Yeah, yeah, no, right. A lot of people think they have to be George Clooney to get under these lights and get on here. They're intimidated by a television set inside a library at Ohica. But this is a pretty cool event. What'd you think inside there? You know, everybody got to speak, you got to speak.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Yeah, I think I I I think as far as just it being the first event to where you're bringing a lot of like-minded individuals together in the same space and just to have the ability to meet people that you never met, right, who you know who you know have the same kind of thought process of coming here and networking in order to grow. Right. And then I've also ran into a few people that I had no idea were gonna be here.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Exactly. So now this isn't this is our first event for 2026. We actually had multiple events going back into 2025 here at the castle. We started the executive networking event, and January and February, the weather was so bad. We the events that we had planned here got snowed out. We couldn't be here. So March was the first one that you're at here for 2026. So we appreciate you coming here tonight.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Thank you, thank you. Like one of the cool things that I learned tonight was uh a gentleman who's a wealth management advisor, and what he's doing in the town of Comac, where he built out like brick layers, and it's all devoted towards cancer survivors.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Yeah, he's unbelievable. And it's in the heart of a ribbon, it's the coolest thing.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Yeah, I'm like, how have I not heard of that? And then he's like, Well, uh, it was officially done in October, so snow kind of played a little bit of uh a role of not damn people to be. But yeah, super, super cool. Um, and uh I'm just happy to be a part of it and happy to support Dean, and I think we're gonna do a lot of cool stuff together.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

No, we really are. And uh super, super excited to meet you here, Michael. But with the event that you just talked about with the bricklaying, um, we can't wait for the grass to grow green, some of the trees to spawn because we're gonna fly the drone and show people exactly what this looks like. It's the coolest thing. He did an unbelievable job on this this brick project. It's the coolest. Yeah, it really is. Good for Comac.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Yeah, no doubt. And uh, hopefully you'll join us this year at Comac Day. It's another big event that Dean plans and ISM hosts. Really cool. So you come down and podcast there with us. Maybe we'll bring Dimitri, get Dimitri on. Yeah, yeah. Maybe you can do some fighting there in a ring and show people, you know, we'll take it to a whole new level. We'll raise it up.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

No, he may have retired from the boxing part, so you may have to, yeah, you'll you'll find out.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

He'll just re promot now. Exactly. Yeah. Is that how you hurt your hand?

SPEAKER_00 12:27

No, no, no. I'm kidding. So act so actually, um, since we're uh doing a lot of uh charity talk, right? So at the Michael Magro Foundation, which is a childhood cancer foundation, to where all the funds that are fundraised um go towards paying the bills for families that have a child that's battling cancer. So they come and they pay the mortgage, they pay the car, they pay the credit cards. They specifically come in because they know that that family's under some stress. They know that the families financially are dealing with a lot. So I was a main sponsor for their three-on-three hoop it up tournament. Oh, and you jammed a finger. At Lu High. Not only did I jam it, I broke it. Slammed on it. So but but we raised a lot of money, so that's all that counts.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

No, that really is all that matters. You you break two fingers for that. You don't care.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Yes, yeah. I mean, I figure one down, I got nine to go.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

That's it. You a lot nine fingers left for charity, exactly. Well, let's host another event. But that's really cool of you, Michael. We really appreciate you. And is there anything you want to close out for Hartford Funding? You want to send them to a website, go to HartfordFunding.com.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

So I would just say, as far as um, if you're looking to talk just more about the charity aspect of things and how to get involved, um, we do have a seminar-based studio in our corporate headquarters, which is located over in Woodbury. So if you're just looking to get more involved or just find out whether what other options would be available to you, that's something to where I'd have no problem helping you just kind of find your sense of purpose and direction. Um, you could find me on the Hartford website. You can also find me on my social media to where I do a lot of entertainment and educational um at mastering your mortgage with Mike.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

Nice. And you guys are over. I actually know the address. You can see here it's not written there. You guys are over in uh Crossways Park Drive West.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

That's exactly where we are. We're actually two doors down from the new um Arizona Ice T building.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Yeah, so 100 Crossways Park Drive West. I actually uh I checked out your website today. So I knew the address because I actually worked in that development back in the 90s, way back when. But uh really cool development back there. Those buildings are pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Yeah, so guys, we appreciate you tuning into ISM Radio, another event here for executive networking at ISM. And uh we appreciate you, Michael, coming on the podcast, really too. Hopefully, loyal listeners check it out and tune in, and we'll be back next time.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

Awesome, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Thanks for listening to ISM Radio. Join us for our invitation only executive networking event at the legendary Ohica Castle. For more information, visit IDXtreamarketing.com.