Tony Thompson

Chasing Excellence

Business EN ↓ 32 episodes

Chasing Excellence is a podcast for founders, operators, and leaders focused on building high-performing businesses. Each episode features in-depth conversations with top performers across industries—with a strong focus on the mortgage industry, where success depends on consistent deal flow, efficient systems, and sharp execution. We break down: What’s driving revenue right now The marketing and sales systems that actually convert The real bottlenecks that are slowing down growth How top mortgage brokers and lenders scale in a competitive, regulated market This isn’t theory or recycled advice—...

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: meettonythompson.com

Author

Tony Thompson

Episodes

Process, Discipline & $30M/Year with Chris Kerr of Elements Financial 26.05.2026 12:54

Chris Kerr is a top-producing outside loan originator at Elements Financial Credit Union in Indianapolis, closing $30 million a year across 100+ units — with no inside referral pipeline. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down the mindset, habits, and process that have kept him at the top of his game for 20 years. Chris didn't start in mortgages. After stud...

Building a $400M IMB: John Murphy on Playing the Long Game in Mortgage 19.05.2026 20:20

John Murphy is the Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of MJW Mortgage — an Indianapolis-based Independent Mortgage Bank doing $400 million in annual volume. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson live in Indianapolis for a conversation about building a mortgage company that lasts, leading from the front, and why avoiding the vanity of volume is the real competitive ad...

Data, AI & the Future of Mortgage with Justin Demola of Equifax 12.05.2026 8:35

Justin Demola is the SVP of Mortgage and Housing at Equifax, with 33 years of mortgage industry experience spanning origination, consulting, and the vendor side. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to talk about the forces reshaping the mortgage industry — regulatory uncertainty, the power of data, and why AI represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for mortgage...

Building a $200M Mortgage Brokerage with Shawn Smith of Sublime Financial 05.05.2026 14:43

In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to share the mindset, systems, and decisions that took him from surviving the 2008 crash to running one of Dallas's top broker shops. Shawn Smith is the broker-owner of Sublime Financial — a Dallas-based mortgage brokerage generating $200M in annual volume with 23 loan officers across Texas, Oklahoma, Washington State, and Florida....

From Welfare to Broker-Owner in Miami: Ashlin Endter Builds 4MG Mortgage 05.05.2026 24:23

Ashlin Endter is the broker-owner of 4MG Mortgage — a Miami-based brokerage she built from the ground up in just six years, going from first-time originator to top producer and team leader. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, she joins host Tony Thompson to share one of the most raw and powerful journeys the show has featured yet. Ashlin's story starts far from mortgage. After pursuing nursing...

$11M/Month in 10 Months: Hussein Nasser on Building Grand Line Lending from Scratch 05.05.2026 15:53

Hussein Nasser is the broker-owner of Grand Line Lending — a Detroit-based mortgage brokerage he built from the ground up just 10 months ago, already closing $11 million a month with a purchase-focused goal of $150 million annually. In this episode of Chasing Excellence, he joins host Tony Thompson to break down exactly how he got there and where he's headed. Hussein's path started during college...

Chasing Excellence with Tony Thompson 17.04.2026 1:52

What will you do with the time you've been given? Chasing Excellence is the podcast that brings you real stories from real people — from those already at the pinnacle of success to those just beginning their journey. Host Tony Thompson sits down with individuals who chose to pursue excellence over the ordinary, sharing their trials, tribulations, breakthroughs, and wisdom. Every episode is designe...