Growth Notes

Drown Out Industry Negativity and Focus on Your Bottom Line Frazier opens with a quote from Billions about people being quick to turn from cheering to booing, using recent commentary about UWM to highlight how negative news and loss get more attention than positive performance, especially for front-runners. He notes that despite UWM’s long run as the number one lender and its public-company quarte...

When You Serve Everyone, You Serve No One In this Growth Notes episode, Frazier argues that it’s more important than ever to stand out by being original and hyper-focused on a specific niche rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Referencing a Charlie Munger quote shared in Cody Sanchez’s newsletter—“When you serve everyone, you serve no one”—he explains that marketing and sales have bec...

Are You an Honest Liar? Revisiting a Growth Note From August 8, 2024 Frazier opens by saying everyone is an “honest liar” and explains that this is episode 601, marking over two years of daily Growth Notes since May 1, 2024. He introduces a special format: replaying an edited Growth Note from Thursday, August 8, 2024, because early Growth Notes from May–August 2024 were never uploaded as podcast e...

Growth Notes Episode 600: Five Lessons on Consistency and Ownership Frazier marks the 600th episode of Growth Notes by reflecting on consistency and taking action even when he doesn’t feel like it, noting he always enjoys it afterward. He shares five lessons from a recent Still Standing call featuring member Carrie, who spoke with a group of loan officers about execution and sustainable business g...

Nostalgia, Change, and Recruiting in Today’s Mortgage Industry On Growth Notes, Frazier reflects on nostalgia after news that his family’s former company, Mason McDuffie Mortgage, was acquired by Envoy Mortgage, noting he sold his interest years ago and that nostalgia can be dangerous because it filters out the bad, pulls focus from today, and undermines the future built by present actions. He tie...

Put Yourself First in a Constricted Market + Mortgage Mornings with KP (PRMG) Frazier opens Growth Notes by inviting listeners to Wednesday’s Mortgage Mornings call at 10:00 AM Eastern (link in the show notes), featuring KP (Kevin Perrone) from PRMG discussing how brokers can build a battle-tested business, what he’s hearing in AI-focused rooms with investors like private equity and hedge funds, a...

Taking Action: How One Struggling Loan Officer Rebuilt Her Pipeline Frazier shares an email from a broker in his AIM Thursday call series for struggling loan officers, explaining he’s seeking feedback to improve the planned 16-call run. The broker praises his no-BS mindset approach and asks for more tactical guidance on social media and reaching out to new agents, noting high-functioning ADHD and...

The Strength in Saying “I Can’t Do This By Myself” Frazier opens the week with a Monday Growth Note and reflects on a newsletter from Cody Sanchez about her difficult journey trying to get pregnant, which reminds him of his and his wife’s experience with their first child. He highlights her point that one of the hardest things to say is “I can’t do this by myself,” and argues there is a real cost...

When Is Enough Enough? The Mirror Moment That Forces Change In this Sunday Growth Note (August 2), Frazier encourages listeners to have an honest conversation with themselves about “when enough is going to be enough” and to stop relying on excuses. He shares his own catalyst: after years of failed diets and letting work and habits slide, he was over 320 pounds and realized things had to change whe...

Frazier reflects on moving into August with five months left in the year and urges listeners to push hard even if things typically slow down later in the year. He shares a question from LinkedIn Loaded about what people chase that ultimately doesn’t matter, and answers that it’s influence when it’s pursued as recognition or validation for its own sake—likes, vanity metrics, and “celebrity” status....

Stop the Race to the Bottom: Differentiate by Delivering Utility In Growth Notes, Frazier explains that doing the same thing as competitors leads to a “race to the bottom,” where buyers default to price because products, features, and promises sound identical. If a prospect could swap your name with a competitor’s on your marketing and not notice, you’ve become a commodity, and discounting is a si...

Less LinkedIn Bravado, More Real Help for Struggling Loan Officers On Growth Notes, Frazier says listeners prefer “spicy” episodes and commits to doing a few each month while urging leaders in the mortgage industry to stop prioritizing social-media chest beating and bravado, especially on LinkedIn, and instead spend time helping struggling loan officers. He argues confidence is needed, but awards,...

Frazier promotes Wednesday’s Mortgage Mornings at 10:00 AM EST featuring Dionne Bass, focused on LOAs—whether to hire one, how to empower an existing LOA, understanding task lists, and where to start. He then addresses a “loser mentality” that he says keeps people stuck: reacting to others’ success by tearing them down, calling it luck or unfairness, and spending energy complaining instead of inve...

The Three Rs: Reset, Recalibrate, Recommit In Growth Notes, Frazier encourages listeners to set meaningful, purpose-driven goals and warns that pride and ego can lead people off track when they fall behind. He urges anyone who is off pace on their yearly or quarterly targets to be honest about where they are and why, and to view a reset as neither defeat nor retreat. Frazier emphasizes that the in...

Don’t Quit Before the Lesson In this Growth Notes episode, Frazier encourages listeners to finish July strong by refusing to quit when things get tough. He explains that failure, loss, and adversity in life and business carry lessons, and giving up during challenging moments prevents people from learning what they need to move forward. Frazier notes that conditions are never perfect, and the lesso...

Mindset as the Hidden Obstacle: How Your Approach Shapes Results On Growth Notes, Frazier reflects on a recent Mortgage Mornings call with Chris Vinson, whom he praises for rapport, connection, closing, and conversion without being a stereotypical “smooth” sales person. Frazier says many obstacles that hold people back come down to mindset—specifically how a positive or negative approach influence...

Frazier shares a Facebook post his mom saved from June 1, 2016, when he was recognized as one of 50 rising young leaders in the mortgage industry, and revisits his interview quote about overcoming a “complacency mindset” to innovate and “reimagine the entire mortgage experience.” He reflects that, more than 10 years later, he is still fighting complacency and pushing innovation, noting that while...

Stop Trying to Be Liked: Be Relatable, Relevant, and Trusted In Growth Notes, Frazier shares how trying too hard to be liked can trip up loan officers, especially introverts, and argues that likability shouldn’t be the goal. He says the real aim is being relatable and relevant by understanding what people are dealing with, speaking their language instead of a predetermined script, and genuinely ca...

Frazier promotes Growth Notes and reminds listeners to join Mortgage Mornings every Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST, noting a standout episode with Chris Vinson. He argues that while mortgage companies often claim they invest in their people, they frequently confuse tool purchases with true development and lack ongoing, high-quality training beyond onboarding. Frazier says top companies focus on repetit...

Frazier addresses leaders who run teams and invites listeners to Mortgage Mornings at 10:00 AM Eastern featuring sales speaker Chris Vinson. He explains that companies cannot be run by committee and that while leaders should avoid being dictators, there must be one decision-maker steering the ship. Teams don’t need to agree with every decision, but they do need buy-in, which comes from repeatedly...

Frazier explains that experience only matters when it’s converted into expertise, since many people can spend years in a role without improving. He warns that experience can also become an excuse for inaction, as seasoned professionals often debate strategies through an “experience filter” and talk themselves out of trying new approaches. By contrast, newer professionals tend to move faster becaus...

What Are You Willing to Give Up to Go Up? On Growth Notes, Frazier challenges listeners to ask what they are willing to give up to go up, emphasizing that if nothing changes, nothing changes and success requires sacrifice. He explains that every new level of success demands a trade-off, meaning you can’t keep every habit, distraction, and comfort while expecting growth. Sacrifice can be small, lik...

Stay in Your Strength Zone Frazier reflects on a recent Green Zone workshop, explaining that the Green Zone is a “strength zone” where people add the most value, referencing John C. Maxwell’s teaching that success is fueled by the goodness of God, excellent people around you, and the ability to stay in your strength zone. He encourages listeners to identify what they are truly good at, where they...

Stop Missing Income: Make Your Content About What Customers Actually Want Frazier says many mortgage professionals are willingly missing opportunities and income because their content and marketing aren’t based on what consumers actually care about. He references his highest-downloaded Growth Notes episode, “Do You Truly Understand Your Customer?” (episode 37, January 21, 2025), noting the show is...

Frazier follows up on Growth Notes feedback about multitasking, explaining why it feels productive: it provides emotional rewards and a sense of movement, temporarily reduces anxiety when responding immediately, avoids the need to choose what matters most by pretending everything is equally important, reinforces an identity of being constantly needed, and can function as an avoidance strategy that...