From rock star to EVP

Sam Sharp’s, EVP of mortgage lending at Guaranteed Rate, journey from a professional musician to a top-tier executive in the mortgage industry is a symphony of resilience, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of success.

“Way back when, I was a professional musician – and I made a pretty good go at it,” he told Mortgage Professional America.

However, life as it often does, played a discordant note. A broken hand and a canceled tour forced Sharp (pictured) to face a stark reality. “I grew up in Colorado on the farm in a trailer park. I very quickly realized I had no money. I had no-one to turn to and I didn’t know what I was going to do, because even though I thought I was a rock star my bank account said otherwise.”

From friendship to mortgages

Serendipitously, Sharp’s friend and fellow musician had started at a mortgage company between tours. He recommended the role to Sharp who, although in need of funds, was somewhat reluctant at first.

“He was telemarketing at a mortgage company and suggested I look into it,” he said. “I thought that was the most absurd thing I had ever heard. I’m a drummer, not a telemarketer. But I did have to give it a try. I did it for a week and I quit – I hated it.”

The reality of cold calling hit Sharp hard. But a friend’s success and a second chance led him back.

“He had this check for five thousand dollars – I could live all year off that. I was humbled. It no longer became about interrupting someone’s dinner – it was either interrupt their dinner or have no dinner.”

And Sharp’s perseverance paid off. “I became their top performer within the first year - and then they made me a partner.”

Sharp’s career trajectory soared from there. He navigated through the industry’s ups and downs, always with an eye for opportunity and improvement.

“I moved on from my partnership because I knew that I could do more business inside of a different operation,” he said. “Also, at this time, being a mortgage broker was very difficult. Back then, the way of a broker versus the correspondent lender was a losing battle. You needed that big support, structure, technology - the things that we didn’t have – so I made my moves to a different company where I lasted for several years until their culture no longer aligned with my values.”

From there, Sharp was actually recruited by the owner of Guaranteed Rate. And he’s never looked back.

“It’s been an interesting journey to get into the business,” he said. And Sharp’s approach to business follows his passion for relationships – as well as marketing and building an online presence.

“I’ve always had a strong drive - when something’s frustrating it means you’re not putting the time into understand it,” he said. “Everything I consume is about marketing. It’s about digital marketing, social media - we’re building on our social media presence.”

Education is key

This drive to consume more and more knowledge on the sector is something that really sets Sharp apart from the crowd.

“I love conferences,” he said. “I love getting in front of smart people and hearing them talk. I think it’s just a product of the older I get, the more I seek out these types of conversations and stimulation. I look at people within our industry who are successful - and then I look for other people outside of our industry who are successful – and figure out what they’re doing, trying to study the basics and mechanics.”

This education remains a real cornerstone of Sharp’s philosophy.

“People will have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into a college level education, and let’s face it, a lot of stuff they learn in school isn’t applicable in the streets,” he said. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, that educational status system and approach, but people really need to learn to invest in their education as they get on.”

And even now, Sharp’s passion for personal and professional growth is something that defines his entire work ethic and drive.

“I want to double my business,” he said. “I’ve seen fortuitous markets and my goal right now is to work towards originating a billion dollars with myself as the sole originator in this market. There’s a lot of business out there - the goal is staying positive, focusing on what works and looking for the signs.”