The Mortgage Rainmaker Podcast

The bar is lower than you think. Show up, sell yourself, and do the damn work.
Hey there, Rainmakers!
In this episode, I’m coaching Zenon, a Catalyst member who’s just over a year into the mortgage business and hungry to build.
We break down how to earn more opportunities with real estate agents without hiding behind complicated loan products. From positioning yourself as the backup lender to leveraging niche wins and mastering follow-up, this conversation is about learning to sell what matters most: you.
Because agents aren’t just buying your products. They’re buying your character. They want to know you’ll answer the phone, fight for the deal, communicate when things get hard, and actually give a damn.
You don’t need twenty years of experience to win. Be hungry. Get coached. Follow up. Keep showing up.
Key Insights
People choose you because they trust your character, not because you have the perfect loan product.
Consistent follow-up can become one of your biggest competitive advantages.
Position yourself as the backup lender to earn opportunities without threatening existing relationships.
Use niche wins to open doors, but don’t build your entire business around difficult deals.
Help your referral partners create business instead of always asking them for business.
You don’t need decades of experience when you’re coachable, hungry, and willing to do the work.

Are you ready to make it rain? Let’s do this!
PLUS! Do you want to be in the Hot Seat?
Got a sales challenge, mindset block, leadership question, or growth decision you’re wrestling with? Send Shayla your question by video, audio, or in writing, and it could be featured in an upcoming Hot Seat episode.
Submit your question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK
Submit a question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK
Take my Sales Archetype Quiz: https://quiz.shaylagiffordcoaching.com/
Nominate someone to be on the podcast: https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/

Connect with Shayla:
https://www.instagram.com/shaygiff/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-gifford-3019396/

Show Links:
https://shaylagifford.com/
https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/
https://shaylagifford.com/catalyst/

Guild Mortgage:
https://www.guildmortgage.com/

Ryan Erekson wants to build a $24 million mortgage business working five hours a week. And AI is how he plans to do it.
Hey there, Rainmakers!
Ryan is my AI coach, and in this episode, we’re breaking down how to use AI to create more money, more time, and higher-quality work—without replacing the relationships that actually grow your business.
We get tactical with how AI can help with pipeline reviews, borrower and agent updates, database opportunities, follow-up, and everyday tasks that eat up your time.
Key Insights
Start with the work creating the most friction.
Ask: Does this make me money, save me time, or improve my work?
Use AI to eliminate administrative work—not relationships.
Protect your highest-value hours for people and conversations.
Start small: choose one frustration point and see how AI can help.

Guest Links
Guild Mortgage:
https://branches.guildmortgage.com/nv/henderson/ryan-erekson-515-hdne.html
LinkedIn:
https://www.instagram.com/ryanereksonmortgage/
Instagram:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanerekson/
PLUS: GuildIQ Prompts
🔒 GUILD EMPLOYEES ONLY
The GuildIQ prompts below are internal Guild resources and are only accessible to Guild employees. You must be logged into your Guild account/GuildIQ for these links to work.
If you are not a Guild employee, you will not be able to access the links below.
Guild employees: Check out the GuildIQ prompts referenced in the show! These are some of the most popular prompts I’ve been sharing to help you save time, stay on top of your business, and take action faster.
Birthdays Today
Salesforce Daily Action Plan
Salesforce Tasks Due Today
A-Rated Agents Not Talked to This Week
Agent Talking Points
Monthly LO Opportunity Digest
Active Pipeline Overview

Alex Dykes went from taking out personal loans to pay his bills to becoming a Chairman’s Club producer on pace for 202 loans this year.
Hey there, Rainmakers!
Alex Dykes is proof of what can happen when you get humble, get coached, and stop trying to figure everything out alone. After watching his production collapse to 52 units in 2023, Alex doubled down on himself—and completely rebuilt the way he serves clients and grows relationships.
In this episode, Alex shares his YES Framework for finding possibilities where other lenders see dead ends. We break down the five client buckets that helped his team nearly double lead-to-funded conversion, plus how he uses that process to show real estate agents exactly why working with him makes them more money.
This is professional mortgage advisorship in action: stay curious, explore every option, build systems that follow through, and never underestimate what one YES can become.
Key Insights
Stay curious before deciding a client can’t qualify.
Give every lead a clear path and next step.
Systemize follow-up so no opportunity gets lost.
Track conversion, not just production.
Your realtor value is helping more leads reach the closing table.

PLUS! DM Alex for his realtor and buyer consultation presentations:
Instagram: @AlexDykesLoans
Guest Links
Website:
https://branches.guildmortgage.com/va/arlington/alex-dykes-264-rmad.html
Instagram:
@AlexDykesLoans
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-dykes/
Are you ready to make it rain? Let’s do this!
Submit a question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK
Take my Sales Archetype Quiz: https://quiz.shaylagiffordcoaching.com/
Nominate someone to be on the podcast: https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/

Connect with Shayla:
https://www.instagram.com/shaygiff/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-gifford-3019396/

Show Links:
https://shaylagifford.com/
https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/
https://shaylagifford.com/catalyst/

Guild Mortgage:
https://www.guildmortgage.com/

What if you could sit in on a real coaching call and hear exactly what’s keeping another Rainmaker stuck?
Hey there, Rainmakers!
Today, I’m pulling back the curtain and letting you inside two real one-on-one coaching conversations with Art Shalomov and Tanya Brown, two students in my Catalyst coaching program.
This is The Hot Seat. No polished interview. No prepared answers. Just real loan officers bringing me the real stuff happening inside their businesses—and us coaching through it together.
Art came to me overwhelmed by all the things he thought he needed to do to stand out. We unpack the mindset shift that helped him rediscover his confidence, lean into being a trust builder, and double down on a simple relationship strategy that has him on pace to nearly double his production.
Then Tanya gets in the hot seat with a completely different challenge: building the habit of prospecting. She knows she’s good at it when she does it, but staying consistent while serving clients and running her business is another story. We break down what’s working, what keeps pulling her away, and how to protect the Rainmaker activities that actually grow the business.
As you listen, I want you coaching yourself right alongside Art and Tanya. Because their challenges may look different from yours, but there’s a good chance something said in these hot seats is exactly what you need to hear.
Key Insights
Your greatest differentiator might be the trust you build, not another product
Stop trying to be someone else and double down on what makes you great.
Sales is a numbers game, so keep filling the top of your funnel even when business gets busy.
Prospecting works when you protect it instead of waiting until you feel motivated to do it.
You don’t have to do everything to grow your business. You have to consistently do what matters most.
Ask yourself what you would bring to the hot seat because that may be exactly where your next breakthrough begins.

Are you ready to make it rain? Let’s do this!
Guest Links
Art Shalomov
Website: https://crosscountrymortgage.com/phoenix-az-4639/arthur-shalomov/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artshalomov/
Tanya Brown
Website: https://preferredrate.com/loan-officer/tanya-brown/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyabrown14/
PLUS! Do you want to be in the Hot Seat?
Got a sales challenge, mindset block, leadership question, or growth decision you’re wrestling with? Send Shayla your question by video, audio, or in writing, and it could be featured in an upcoming Hot Seat episode.
Submit your question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK
Submit a question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK
Take my Sales Archetype Quiz: https://quiz.shaylagiffordcoaching.com/
Nominate someone to be on the podcast: https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/

Connect with Shayla:
https://www.instagram.com/shaygiff/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-gifford-3019396/

Show Links:
https://shaylagifford.com/
https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/
https://shaylagifford.com/catalyst/

Guild Mortgage:
https://www.guildmortgage.com/

What happens when you stop trying to look like a loan officer—and start showing up fully as yourself?
Hey there, Rainmakers!
Anne Solano went from losing everything and rebuilding her life in recovery to becoming one of the most exciting new loan officers I’ve watched enter this business.
In her first full year, Anne closed 42 loans with 25 different Realtors referring her business. And she didn’t do it with some complicated sales strategy. She showed up relentlessly, built genuine relationships, found difficult loans other people didn’t want, shared her wins, and became known as someone who genuinely gives a damn.
In this episode, we break down how Anne built momentum so quickly, why doing the hard work upfront protects your reputation, and what happens when you stop hiding your weirdness and bring your full energy into every room.
Key Insights
Consistency and genuine curiosity can outperform a perfect sales pitch.
Find the deals other loan officers avoid and become known for solving them.
Do the work upfront so your pre-approvals are as strong as possible.
Share your wins so Realtors understand exactly what you can solve.
Bring value, energy, and something memorable every time you walk into a room.
Stop hiding what makes you different. Being fully yourself might be your greatest advantage.

Are you ready to make it rain? Let’s do this!
Guest links:
Website:
https://www.lendwithanne.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lendwithanne/?hl=en
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-solano/
If you liked what you heard, leave me a five-star review and tell me what hit home for you!
PLUS—if you’re done chasing the next shiny idea and want real, proven strategies that actually move the needle, then it’s time to join my free weekly newsletter, Rainmaker Insider.
Every week, I share one key lesson from my billion-dollar career in mortgage lending—from sales psychology and leadership to mindset and systems that create true freedom. No fluff. Just real-world insights that help you close more deals and lead with confidence.
Subscribe now at shaylagifford.com and start leading like the Rainmaker you’re meant to be!

Submit a question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK
Take my Sales Archetype Quiz: https://quiz.shaylagiffordcoaching.com/
Nominate someone to be on the podcast: https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/

Connect with Shayla:
https://www.instagram.com/shaygiff/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayla-gifford-3019396/

Show Links:
https://shaylagifford.com/
https://shaylagifford.com/podcast/
https://shaylagifford.com/catalyst/

Guild Mortgage:
https://www.guildmortgage.com/