"Coming from the arts into this world, personality played a key role"
When he made the switch from acting to mortgage, Lamont Harris (pictured) felt like he had to be a “renowned, astute type of individual” who already knew the ins and outs of the trade.
“I think a lot of the challenges were challenges that I made for myself initially,” Harris told Mortgage Professional America in an exclusive interview. “But as I transitioned, one of the things that I learned is it was more about personality than anything else. Coming from the arts into this world, personality played a key role in making that transition easy for me because I love people. I love talking to people, and I love helping people.”
Fast forward 16 years, Harris is now the owner and CEO of Harris Capital Mortgage Group, a mortgage firm based in Las Vegas. He has also made a name for himself as an author, motivational speaker, trainer, and TV host.
“I don’t look at pressure as pressure. I perceive it as an opportunity,” Harris said. “Success and failure both start in the mind. And because they both start in the mind, you know, the perceived pressure that one has is perceived pressure that they put on themselves, right, and nobody can put me in a box or put me in a situation I’m not comfortable with, because it’s all about how I see it.
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“It’s all about the outlook. Especially in a market like this, where a lot of my peers are like, man, what are we going to do to survive the next 18 to 24 months? How are we planning? There’s an old saying if you don’t plan your hunt, it’s just a walk in the woods. Ever since 2008, when we had the last downfall, I was planning. We were planning, and we went through a really good period there. But the idea is in going through that period, are you ready for the downturn because it will happen. It’s inevitable. It’s proven over the last 60 years or so. It’s one of those things that just comes full circle. And how we’re positioning ourselves right now will determine what happens when that next moment arrives.”
You can watch Harris’s full interview on MPA TV: From acting to real estate
