John Donnelly

06/03/2026

The biggest risk facing loan officers isn't rates.
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It's not inventory.
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It's not affordability.
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It's the possibility that the industry changes while you're busy doing what used to work.
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The best loan officers and branch managers I know aren't waiting for the market to save them.
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They're building new skills.
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Learning new tools.
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Adapting to changing consumer expectations.
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And preparing for what's next.
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The gap between those who are adapting and those who are waiting is growing every day.
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I shared my thoughts in this week's newsletter.
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Link in the comments.
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Are you building for the future or protecting the past?
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06/02/2026

The American Dream isn't disappearing.
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It's getting more expensive.
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Yesterday I heard a story that got me thinking.
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An investor purchased two new homes from a builder.
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Both were rented almost immediately.
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But here's what caught my attention...
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The tenants weren't first-time renters.
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They were former homeowners.
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Both had sold their homes and moved into rentals because homeownership no longer made financial sense for their situation.
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Think about that.
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For years, we've been taught that homeownership is the goal.
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Buy a home.
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Build equity.
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Create stability.
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Build wealth.
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I still believe that.
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But consumers are adapting.
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And whether you're in mortgage, real estate, or business, that's the lesson.
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Wayne Gretzky once said:
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"I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been."
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The people who win in any industry are the ones who pay attention to changing behavior before everyone else.
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This story may be an exception.
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Or it may be an early signal of something bigger.
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What trends are you seeing that most people are missing?
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06/01/2026

"You are in such a hurry to get to tomorrow that you look back and realize you never lived today."
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That was one of the topics that came up during a Memorial Day round of golf with my friend Baylor Barbee.
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We spent four hours talking about life, business, goals, family, and the future.
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At one point, the conversation turned toward gratitude.
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Not the kind of gratitude people post about.
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The real kind.
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The kind that reminds you that much of what you have today did not happen by accident.
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Someone sacrificed.
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Someone took a chance on you.
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Someone opened a door.
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Someone invested time, energy, and belief into your future.
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As we talked, I found myself looking around.
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A beautiful golf course.
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A great friend.
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A healthy family.
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A career I genuinely enjoy.
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Opportunities I once hoped for are now part of my everyday life.
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And it reminded me that sometimes I move so quickly toward the next goal that I fail to appreciate the scenery along the way.
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I've never been great at celebrating wins.
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I'm usually focused on the next challenge, the next objective, or the next mountain to climb.
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But Memorial Day felt like a good reminder.
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Pause.
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Look around.
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Appreciate what you've built.
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And don't forget to thank the people who helped make it possible.
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Baylor later turned part of that conversation into an episode of Shark Theory called Stop and Enjoy the Scenery. I was honored to be mentioned, and I think he captured the message beautifully.
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I've linked the podcast in the comments if you'd like to give it a listen.
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Question:
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What is something in your life today that you may have worked years to create but rarely stop to appreciate?
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05/28/2026

Mini home crises have a funny way of showing up at the worst possible times.
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Last night, around 9:00, my daughter called and said the bathtub faucet was broken.
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I went to check it out and realized the handle had stripped out completely. The water would not shut off. I took the faucet apart, trying to stop it, and eventually had to shut the main water off to the house.
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Not exactly the relaxing evening I had planned.
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This morning, I called the plumber at 7:00 a.m., hoping they might be able to squeeze us in, and thankfully, they had availability to be here by noon.
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While I was sitting on the back patio making the call, I looked up and saw this giant rainbow stretched across the sky.
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I know it sounds simple, but it honestly felt like a reminder from the big man upstairs:
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Everything is going to be okay.
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Funny how quickly perspective can shift.
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One minute, you are frustrated over a stripped faucet and an unexpected problem. The next minute you are reminded that most things are figureoutable if you stay calm, handle what is in front of you, and keep moving forward.
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“Some days the win is simply realizing everything is going to be alright.”
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Take a breath.
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Handle the next thing in front of you.
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Trust that things usually work out.
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And go make it a great day.
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05/27/2026

Most people can tell within seconds when they’re being sold to.
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The pressure.
The rehearsed pitch.
The feeling that someone is trying to convince rather than genuinely help.
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The people who make the biggest impact usually do something different.
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They connect first.
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I was recently a guest on
Dan Rochon’s podcast, and afterward, he sent me a signed copy of his book, Teach to Sell.
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What stood out most was what he wrote inside it:
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“Your voice can help this idea reach people who need it.”
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The older I get, the more I believe the best leaders and salespeople are not the ones applying pressure.
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They create clarity.
They ask better questions.
They help people move forward with confidence.
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One of the core ideas behind the book is simple:
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Stop trying to sell people.
Start teaching them.
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Another line Dan wrote was:
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“You are the hero of your journey.”
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A reminder that a lot of people need.
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Nobody is coming to build your future for you.
At some point, you have to step into it yourself.
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Excited to dig deeper into this one.
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What’s a book that changed the way you think about leadership, business, or life?
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If you want to hear our conversation, the link is in the comments.
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05/26/2026

Some people came back tired today.
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I came back energized.
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A long Memorial Day weekend with family gave me a chance to slow down, reset, and think. Then this morning I had a great coffee meeting that left me even more fired up about where things are headed.
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Rates are showing signs of life.
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There’s optimism around the Strait of Hormuz situation calming down.
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Projects we’ve been building internally are starting to click.
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Our CRM rollout is gaining traction.
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Recruiting conversations are heating up.
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New ideas are turning into ex*****on.
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This business is still hard.
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Margins are tight.
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Competition is fierce.
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But momentum shifts fast in this industry.
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The people who usually win are already moving before everyone else realizes the market has changed.
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Excited for what’s ahead.
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Let’s build something meaningful this week.
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05/21/2026

I was recently asked on the Your Business- Your Next Level podcast what keeps people loyal to a company in today’s world.
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My answer surprised some people.
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It is usually not compensation.
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People stay where they feel heard.
They stay where they trust the leadership.
They stay where they feel like their work matters.
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That requires a different kind of leadership than just managing numbers or driving results.
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We also talked about something I learned while climbing Kilimanjaro.
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The first mountain is achievement.
The second mountain is purpose.
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At some point, leadership stops becoming about proving yourself and starts becoming about helping other people grow, succeed, and climb their own mountains.
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That perspective has changed the way I approach business, recruiting, coaching, and life.
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Really grateful to Eunicia Peret for the thoughtful conversation and the opportunity to share part of my journey.
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If you want to listen to the full conversation, I linked it in the comments below.
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05/20/2026

AVERAGE MAY BECOME EXTINCT.
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I think the mortgage industry is changing faster than most people realize.
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The next top producer may not look like a traditional loan officer at all.
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The future may belong to the people who learn how to combine:
• audience
• trust
• technology
• marketing
• human connection
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…faster than everyone else.
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AI is changing the game.
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Consumer behavior is changing.
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Attention is changing.
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And I think many loan officers are still preparing for the old relationship model instead of the new attention economy already forming around them.
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In my newest edition of The Clear Path, I share 5 predictions about where I think the mortgage industry is heading over the next 5 to 10 years.
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This is not a fear-based article.
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It is a future-focused one.
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If you want to read the full article, I linked it in the comments.
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The next top producer may not look like a traditional loan officer at all. For 25 years, people predicted the death of the loan officer.

05/19/2026

One of the most expensive things in life is wasted energy.
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Albert Einstein once said:
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“Weak people take revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.”
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The older I get, the more I understand that last line.
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Not everything deserves your energy.
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Stay focused. Stay steady. Keep moving forward.
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05/18/2026

That 68-foot putt was not the real story.
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Aaron Rai turned pro in 2012.
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More than a decade of grinding before this moment.
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One PGA Tour win before yesterday.
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Then, under pressure on 17, he drains a 68-foot putt that basically seals the PGA Championship.
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What stood out to me most was the look on his face afterward.
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Almost disbelief.
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Because moments like that are usually built long before anyone notices them.
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That is true in golf.
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And it is true in business.
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After more than 25 years in the mortgage industry, I know the daily disciplines never stop.
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Prospecting.
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Following up.
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Building relationships.
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Protecting your pipeline.
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Most overnight success stories are really just years of consistency people never saw.
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The putt is what everyone remembers.
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The years behind it are the real story.
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