NFM Lending branch manager conquers life's storms with strategy and strength
The current market upheaval, coupled with personal adversities, would have derailed many. Yet, with each turn, Jane Floyd (pictured), producing branch manager at NFM Lending, emerged stronger and more knowledgeable.
Floyd’s path has been punctuated with unexpected twists. But even from her early days in public relations to her entrepreneurial ventures, Floyd leveraged opportunities and maintained a positive outlook, even when the odds seemed insurmountable.
“I got into the industry by accident,” she shared. “Initially, I was in public relations for a title company. However, I grew bored with that role, where my main task was to deliver donuts and make calls. After college, I ventured into hospitality, managing restaurants. This was until I took a break when I had my first son. Unsure of my next step, I considered returning to law school in the area.”
But as fate would have it, a chance encounter would set her on a path she hadn’t envisioned. “There was a guy I called on that owned a mortgage company, and he said, ‘Hey, I think you’d be really good in the mortgage business’. And you know, sometimes it just takes somebody saying something like that to you.
“I was around 29 at the time, and, intrigued, I asked him more about it. He’s like, ‘I’ll pay for your license. Come work for me.’ From that day forward, I absolutely loved the mortgage business. I’m forever grateful to this gentleman for introducing me to the industry.”
A few years into her new career, another proposition came her way. “Another gentleman there said, ‘Hey, do you want to open up our own business?’“ Floyd recalled. With a blend of audacity and faith, she took a bold step. “I went home to my husband and said, ‘Hey, honey, do you mind if I take a second mortgage out on the house?’ He’s like, ‘Go for it.’”
That leap of faith paid off. Floyd’s brokerage flourished for over two decades. Yet, she remained restless, always seeking ways to innovate and adapt. “A coach and mentor said you need to get into correspondence,” she said. That advice led her to merge her company with NFM Lending, marking a new chapter in her illustrious career.
Today, as mortgage professionals grapple with fluctuating interest rates and market uncertainties, Floyd’s perspective remains refreshingly optimistic. “I don’t consider the interest rates my biggest challenge,” Floyd asserted. Drawing from over three decades of experience, she believes the real challenge lies in mindset. “It’s keeping people positive,” she emphasized. “I educate myself. I pride myself on educating my loan officers. My agents on the rates, are what they are. I cannot change that.”
Floyd’s dedication to education extends beyond interest rates. She’s a staunch advocate for homeownership, viewing it as a cornerstone of wealth creation.
“Homeownership is the number one way wealth has been created in our country,” Floyd said. Even with rising rates and affordability concerns, she firmly believes that “purchasing is better than paying rent, which is 100% interest.”
Reflecting on her journey, Floyd’s gratitude towards her mentors and colleagues is evident. “Always, always, always, always, I want to add value to my real estate agents,” she said. This value addition and collaboration ethos has been a driving force behind her success.
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Amid her professional journey, Floyd grappled with a heart-wrenching challenge: her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
“My husband was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer and had about six months to live,” Floyd said. “It’s not curable, but it’s treatable. And by the grace of God and prayer and organizations, he’s amazing. We still deal with that.
“I was also diagnosed with breast cancer, so I needed to be with him, and I didn’t really. But you just do what you got to do. Like, I’m not going to have a pity party. I just got diagnosed with cancer. I can’t control how I’m going to react to it, and I got a team to feed at a branch and agents that need to close on houses.”
Despite this, Floyd remained resolute to keep moving forward. With the help of a friend and generous colleagues, she raised half a million dollars for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
“One of my dear friends started a kind of a challenge to raise money, and that’s how it went viral,” she said. “That was three years ago, and I raised about $500,000 within 48 hours through my sphere and the generous colleagues in the business. I’m all about community and giving back.”
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