Today Ete sits down with Tom Stone, loan officer at Guild Mortgage.

By the time Tom Stone finished college, he had studied accounting, physical therapy, and finally landed on sociology and behavioral science. While his choices in majors may have seemed a little scattered, there were a few things that he was certain about. For one, he knew he wanted to live in the Heber Valley, where his family had moved when he was 15, a place he absolutely loved and never wanted to leave. Second, he knew that he would never take a "salary job" because, as he put it, "I'm not gonna have someone tell me how much money I'm gonna make." Despite all the things that could go wrong, despite the lack of security in a commission type job, he was confident that, for him, removing limits was more important than hanging on to security. He was "sure about himself," not in a big-ego way, but in his ability to do whatever it took to succeed. 

When it came to settling on a career, working in mortgages, he said, "felt right." He wouldn't have limitations on his income, and he could stay in the Heber Valley, where he knew he could make things work, despite the potential difficulties of working in such a small market. And when he followed those intentions even further, leaving a secure mortgage job at a bank in order to start his own company, he had to battle some serious skepticism. Within minutes of each other, the first two people he told about his plan responded with "Are you stupid?" and "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." But Tom had some insight into dealing with fear. He knew that results only come from action. Some people decide to act for what they want, others just hope that things will work out. Tom would be the former. He had to push out that "first morning thought" whispering that he couldn't do it. He looked to the experiences he'd had so far in his life. He'd handled challenges before, and if he was able to do it then, he could do it now.

Deciding to start his own business would certainly not be the last struggle he'd find himself in. 2007-2012 were, of course, some pretty dark times for anyone in mortgages. He pivoted, he made smart choices, he paid every bill, and got through. 

Now decades in, and living the life he wanted, Tom can look back and confidently say that he made the right decisions for himself and his family. "Success for me is having the time to do what you want," he tells us. In Tom's case, that means being available for his family, having the time to serve the community, and having time to ride anything with wheels. Tom has found success.

Tom is uniquely poised to offer some great advice in an area that's relevant to almost all of us. If you haven't already, most of us will someday go looking for a mortgage lender. What's it like to be on the other side of the desk, to be the guy handling peoples' most valued assets, their money and their home? What can you do to help your chances of getting the loan you're seeking? What if you're self-employed? Find out in this episode of The Company Next Door.