Columnist for Women With Vision Magazine
Imposter Syndrom: An insiders perspective
July / August 2023 ISSUE
What is Imposter Syndrome and how do you recognize it?
A LAURA BRANDAO INTERVIEW WITH JANET PAGAN
April / May 2023 ISSUE
This month Laura is interviewing Janet Pagan. Based in New Jersey, Janet is the Branch Manager of the Cliffside Park office of Paramount Residential Mortgage Group Inc.
Challenging Times Call for Daring Women Leaders
March/ April 2023 ISSUE
This is planting season. During periods of challenge, planting seeds of hope, trust, and fortitude is one of the most vital functions a leader can perform. When circumstances seem to present insurmountable obstacles, people turn to leaders for inspiration, confidence, and a feeling of security, and they need to be willing to step up and lead without fear or hesitation.
A LAURA BRANDAO INTERVIEW WITH MELONIECE GASKIN
March/ April 2023 ISSUE
I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Meloniece Gaskin, owner/broker of M’Possible Mortgage Group currently based out of San Tan Valley, Arizona.
A Laura Brandao interview with Brianna Harris
January/ February 2023 ISSUE
I had the pleasure of speaking with Brianna Harris. I still remember the very first time Brianna texted me to tell me she was going to be the social media manager for the AIME Women’s Mortgage Network. She was passionate, dedicated, extremely knowledgeable, and after a year of working together, I knew that Brianna would soar to higher levels.
Who is Depending on Me Today?
A Laura Brandao interview with Elena Boland
November/ December 2022 ISSUE
I had the pleasure of speaking with Elena Boland, executive vice president of Wholesale Mortgage located in Reno, Nevada. Elena started her journey in the mortgage industry after being offered a job at a mortgage company where she could bring her kids to work. Originally, Elena attended school for accounting, but when the mortgage opportunity presented itself, she jumped in and never looked back.
Money is a bonus of doing right by others as you work through life and career.
A Laura Brandao interview with Semah Kirmizikaya Rodriguez
September/October 2022 ISSUE
This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Semah Kirmizikaya Rodriguez who is a mortgage loan originator with First Option Mortgage. Semah was a winner of the prestigious Women With Vision award in 2021!
Never Give Up On Your Dreams
A Laura Brandao interview with Kendall Lanier
August/September 2022 ISSUE
“Money is a bonus of doing right by others as you work through life and career.”
A Laura Brandao interview with Tobi Libbra
July/August 2022 ISSUE
Tobi is VP of Production for FirstTrust Home Loans. FirstTrust Home Loans, with headquarters in Sheridan, Arkansas, started as a brokerage shop which has been converted to a full-function independent mortgage bank originating in multiple states.
CHRISTINE BECKWITH – President and Founder, 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching and Consulting
A Laura Brandao interview
June/July 2022 ISSUE
Check out this month’s “ The Vision Magazine”. I had the honor of interviewing the amazing, Class Act: Christine Beckwith – President and Founder, 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching and Consulting.
Change Starts With Me and I Can Do Anything I Put My Mind To!
May/June 2022 ISSUE
This month I have the pleasure of interviewing Angie Kelson. Angie is the broker-owner of Moapa Valley Mortgage in Moapa, Nevada.
“Don’t wait for the right opportunity to come along. Make your own path and create new opportunities for yourself!” – Tina Fey
CURIOSITY AND AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE TO LEARN
March/April 2022 ISSUE
This month I had the pleasure of interviewing Windy Lafond, the founder of Genie Notary, Inc. Windy immigrated with her family from Haiti at the age of seven and settled with her siblings and her mother Genie, in Newark, New Jersey.
Putting heart in your business and in your life.
When I started out in the workforce years ago, there were certain unwritten rules of conduct in the office if you were looking to make it to the executive level. Arriving in the morning meant stopping at the door to don a mask. It was a mask to cover up your individual personhood and blend in with your co-workers.
CURIOSITY AND AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE TO LEARN
January/February 2022 ISSUE
A Laura Brandao interview with Shawanda Weston
This month I had the pleasure of interviewing Shawanda Weston. Shawanda is a Mortgage Loan Officer at CMS Mortgage Solutions Inc. in Virginia. She has been in the financial services industry since 2008 and has worked her way up from a teller position to the important role she is in today.
YOU WILL NEVER GO WRONG BETTING ON YOURSELF!
November/December 2021 ISSUE
A Laura Brandao interview with Joni Pilgri
This month I had the honor and privilege of sitting down with Joni Pilgrim, CEO of NAN Appraisals. I truly believe we all have a story to share and I encourage everyone to use their voice because your story may be the one to change someone’s life.
YOU WILL NEVER GO WRONG BETTING ON YOURSELF!
September/October 2021 ISSUE
Interview with Tashira Turpin
Every day we make a choice about how are we going to view our lives? Do we focus on what’s missing or what we want to change or do we take a lesson from Tashara Turpin? Tashara wakes up every day with a grateful heart, taking the time to say thank you for everything from having another day on this Earth to a green light while driving. I can tell you I am grateful I have the honor of spotlighting amazing women like Tashara because everyone’s journey is a lesson we can learn and grow from so take the time to ask, listen, and share.
SUPPORT AND CAMARADERIE IN THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY
July/August 2021 ISSUE
An interview with Nike Ojo: Bringing Light and Positivity to Our Industry.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Nike Ojo the broker-owner of Discovered Homes Investment, Inc. in Texas. I remember the first time I saw a Facebook post from Nike in the AIME Women’s Mortgage Network group; it was as if I saw a beaming light coming off the screen. Nike’s love for others, her positive perspective, and her willingness to lend a hand and share her expertise have resulted in her being recognized as a leader and role model for women in the mortgage and real estate industry.
THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY CALLS OUT TO UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL
March/April 2021 ISSUE
An interview with Naz Woods
Everyone has a why: our purpose, cause, or belief drives us all. The question is, do you feel everyone in the mortgage business believes their why is helping families through the mortgage process? Well, this month I had the pleasure of interviewing Naz Wood, the processing manager at United Wholesale Lending, and I can confidently say her why is perfectly in line with what she does every day.
NEVER STOP BEING CURIOUS
Jan/Feb 2021 ISSUE
An Interview with Nicole Peraino
…one day Nicole stumbled upon a LinkedIn message from AIME looking for exactly what she had been doing over the course of the last few years. This was her chance to take her schooling and experience and bring it to the mortgage world. As she considered the potential for this job, Nicole remembers thinking, “Is it possible to have a full-time video and creative role in the mortgage industry?” The answer she found to be, “Yes!”
Helping Families open new doors.
Nov/Dec 2020 ISSUE
An Interview with Canadian broker, Linda Walters
Have you ever thought about what it’s like to be a mortgage broker in another country? Well, when I met Linda Walters, a mortgage broker at Mortgage Architects in Ontario, Canada, I had the opportunity to have a guided tour.
Build it and They Will Come! The Birth of NAMMBA
OCT/NOV 2020 ISSUE
I remember the day clearly. It was back in 2016. I said, “I’m here today because every conference I attended over the last two to three years has showed me we absolutely need more diversity, we need more women, and we need more young people. Quite honestly, our industry is not doing enough.”
YOUR LIFE BY DESIGN
JULY/AUG 2020 ISSUE
Yes, you can have a thriving business and the personal life you always wanted.
As we kick off the new Women’s Mortgage Network spotlight series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jaymini Dave, the President and Broker/Owner of Avant Financial Group. I asked Jaymini how she got her start in the mortgage business. Like many of us, it was by pure happenstance. In 2009 Jaymini graduated college with a finance degree. She was pleased to have a job lined up with Merrill Lynch but due to the uncertainty of their own future, Merrill Lynch decided not to add any new team members.l.
MAKING THE LEAP FROM RETAIL TO BROKER
SEPT/OCT 2020 ISSUE
How to thrive by virtue of family, community, and collaboration!
Barb Multari, the Broker/Owner of Pathway Mortgage Group, was introduced to the mortgage business by her husband, Franco, who was an originator at the time. Every day he would tell her she should join the mortgage industry because she had the skills and the mindset to excel.
Women’s Mortgage Network – The Story Begins…
MAY/JUNE 2020 ISSUE
Empowering A New Generation of Female Mortgage Professionals, Laura Brandao and the Associated Independent Mortgage Experts unite to create a new community of powerful women sales professionals, read their inspiring foundational story here in the pages of WWVMag.
