The Art of SBA Lending

This week we have Jonathan Smith on the podcast to talk about the national growth and success of SBA at Northwest Bank. In this episode Jonathan and Ray get into: >Strategies behind hiring and interviewing >The dedication it takes to be a high producing player/coach (especially in a new shop) >How important titles should be to an employee >Underwriting large SBA M&A transactions. Listen in and leave a review! This episode is sponsored by: Baker Lewis Baker Lewis is the SBA lending industry’s premier executive search and personnel consulting firm. Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com

This week we have SBA legend Lance Sexton on the podcast for a stellar episode on education for the future generation of SBA lenders behind the scenes of a bank closure, and Lance uses a phrase that may sound familiar: clear as mud. Can you guess what he’s talking about? Great topics for a great guest, live from Nashville at NAGGL. Also, how did The Art of SBA end up on the syllabus at University of Ozarks?! Find out! This episode is sponsored by: Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit http://lumosdata.com . Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com

We’re sitting down with Lane Rhodes on her home turf for this episode! Live from Nashville we are chatting with Nashville's OG of Lending about leveraging your strengths and efficiency to find success as a BDO. Listen in to get all the details about how Lane found her success by creating relationships, how being patient doesn’t always pay off, why streamlining your process is always the right idea, and her feelings on the SOP changes. Let us know what you think of this episode by leaving a review or sharing our channel! This episode is sponsored by: Baker Lewis Baker Lewis is the SBA lending industry’s premier executive search and personnel consulting firm. Lewis Kappes Lewis Kappes is a premier law firm providing legal counsel to banks and non-bank lenders closing SBA transactions nationwide. With a team of focused SBA professionals, Lewis Kappes empowers lenders to maximize volume and safeguard their SBA guarantee through systematic and comprehensive legal management of commercial loans. If you're interested in learning more about the Lewis Kappes SBA Department, contact Scott Oliver at soliver@lewiskappes.com

For this weeks episode we have Karen Bean joining us to discuss all things about the secondary market. Listen to Karen and Ray get into details about her incredibly successful career in the secondary market, learning about what happens when a buyer mistakenly bids too high, how 2008 and Covid-era incentives impacted the secondary market, her BTS thoughts of what went down with Signature Bank, and where she is now. Enjoy! Karen is an employee of the StoneX Group. The values, opinions, and statements expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of StoneX Group, its subsidiaries, or its employees. This episode is sponsored by: Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com. -- Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com

This week we have Steve Miriani, founder of Diamond Financial joining us to get into the industry hot topic, raising the SBA 7(a) limit. Listen in to hear Ray and Steve discuss why this needs to be a priority and what steps are being taken to get us there. We also discuss the journey of Steve’s career, how creating his own niche led him to his success, and the overall state of SBA today. Steve has created a petition to show the SBA that we are serious about raising the cap, we signed it and encourage you to as well. Petition: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/5-million-sba-cap-doesnt-buy-what-it-used-to Steve’s website: https://diamondfs.com This episode is sponsored by: Able Able is an a AI-powered deal acceleration platform that streamlines the most hated process in SBA lending: document collection and management. You can learn more about Able and schedule a demo by going to www.able.ai Baker Lewis Baker Lewis is the SBA lending industry’s premier executive search and personnel consulting firm.

For this weeks episode we have Darren Davis, president of Small Business Specialty Lending at Colony Bank joining us to conclude our sit-down interview series from Asheville. In one of Ray's favorite episodes so far this season, they sit down to talk leadership, talent, overcoming obstacles and SBA changes, and the lessons he's learned the hard way on his own journey since his role as a BDO. Listen in and let us know what you think by leaving a review, subscribing, and sharing our channel. This episode is sponsored by: Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com. Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com

This week on The Art of SBA Lending- Shatterbox Join us for a panel discussion as we sit down with founder of Shatterbox, Dustin Baker, and early adopters of the program Chris Kwiatkowski and Cam Nayebi. Ray and our panelists go into detail about the struggles with the talent gap in SBA lending, including hiring and training, why Shatterbox was created, how it was created, and how it works, from 3 different points of view. This episode is an exciting look into the future of SBA hiring so we hope you enjoy! This episode is sponsored by: Baker Lewis Baker Lewis is the SBA lending industry’s premier executive search and personnel consulting firm. CORPSMART CORPSMART is a due diligence group that specializes in lien searching, UCC filing, DMV title recordings and more. If you're looking to streamline your process, the CORPSMART team is the best resource, offering a wide range of services, capability to directly integrate with your in-house systems, and the icing on the cake, their over-the-top customer service, making every deal that much easier to close To discuss your due diligence needs visit the CORPSMART website at https://corp-smart.com for more information or to set up a get acquainted call, email McKenna Weiks at McKenna@corp-smart.com - and let them know that the Art of SBA sent you!

This week we have Ken Rosenthal on the podcast giving us his 4 secrets to success in SBA sales. Listen in as Ray and Ken think back to when they first met in the very beginning of Rays SBA career, how Ken organizes his day to maintain his position as a top-producer, standing out as an SBA lender in your market, and those sales secrets we are all wanting to hear. Look out for new episodes every Thursday morning! --------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Lumos Data** Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com. CORPSMART CORPSMART is a due diligence group that specializes in lien searching, UCC filing, DMV title recordings and more. If you're looking to streamline your process, the CORPSMART team is the best resource, offering a wide range of services, capability to directly integrate with your in-house systems, and the icing on the cake, their over-the-top customer service, making every deal that much easier to close. To discuss your due diligence needs visit the CORPSMART website at https://corp-smart.com for more information or to set up a get acquainted call, email McKenna Weiks at McKenna@corp-smart.com - and let them know that the Art of SBA sent you!

This week on The Art of SBA Lending we have a guest who certainly likes to stay busy, Maria Lawson! Maria is the Managing Director of Government Guaranteed Lending at Signature Bank of Georgia and board member of GLQC. Maria sits down with Ray at The Southeastern Small Business Lenders Conference in Asheville, NC, to discuss: -Balancing her impressive roles as a Manager/Producer and board member of GLQC -This years and next years SESBLC conference (including an announcement!) -What it takes to have long runs at SBA shops Plus, Maria reacts to SBA hot topics and the new regulations. Let us know what you think about our show by subscribing and leaving a review! This episode is sponsored by: Baker Lewis Baker Lewis is the SBA lending industry’s premier executive search and personnel consulting firm. Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit http://lumosdata.com .

This week on The Art of SBA Lending we have Victor Diaz, Managing Partner of Starfield & Smith, an SBA Law firm you may already know. Kicking off our 5 week in-person interview series from Ashville, Victor is sitting down with Ray for another great episode. Victor talks about his experiences from being a trial attorney to now an SBA attorney, what to expect out of SBA counsel (and what not to expect them to do), leadership, public speaking, and his role in helping Banco Popular enter the Florida market. If you enjoy this episode, let us know! Leave a review, share, and subscribe for more. This episode is sponsored in part by: Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com CORPSMART CORPSMART is a due diligence group that specializes in lien searching, UCC filing, DMV title recordings and more. If you're looking to streamline your process, the CORPSMART team is the best resource, offering a wide range of services, capability to directly integrate with your in-house systems, and the icing on the cake, their over-the-top customer service, making every deal that much easier to close To discuss your due diligence needs visit the CORPSMART website at https://corp-smart.com for more information or to set up a get acquainted call, email McKenna Weiks at McKenna@corp-smart.com - and let them know that the Art of SBA sent you!

In this weeks episode we are sitting down with Shane Lewis, President and co-founder of Baker Lewis, an SBA advisory firm. If you’ve been following along The Art of SBA, you already know who they are! We all know this shake up in the SBA industry has caused a lot of movement…but nobody knows it as well as Shane does. Listen in to hear what he has to say about the current SBA job market, why closers and underwriters are leaving their shops, and a highly anticipated update on Shatterbox. Only on The Art of SBA Lending! Don’t forget to subscribe for notifications and leave a review of our show! This episode is sponsored by: Able Able is an a AI-powered deal acceleration platform that streamlines the most hated process in SBA lending: document collection and management. You can learn more about Able and schedule a demo by going to http://www.able.ai Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com

This week on The Art of SBA Lending we have a mystery guess with a big announcement…their retirement! Listen in to see who is retiring and what industry they are moving into. We’re also talking BDO experiences and comp plans, post-covid trends, and more. Leave a review if you’ve been loving these episodes and don’t forget to share our channel! This episode is sponsored by: Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com CORPSMART CORPSMART is a due diligence group that specializes in lien searching, UCC filing, DMV title recordings and more. If you're looking to streamline your process, the CORPSMART team is the best resource, offering a wide range of services, capability to directly integrate with your in-house systems, and the icing on the cake, their over-the-top customer service, making every deal that much easier to close To discuss your due diligence needs visit the CORPSMART website at https://corp-smart.com for more information or to set up a get acquainted call, email McKenna Weiks at McKenna@corp-smart.com - and let them know that the Art of SBA sent you!

This week on The Art of SBA Lending we're honored to be bringing you an interview with one of the few people who have actually run the SBA. Welcome, Jeanne Hulit, former acting SBA administrator and current CEO of Maine Community Bank! Jeanne is here giving us her takes on the 2023 changes of the SBA, and what she thinks about simplifying the SOP. We're talking about raising the SBA limits, her background in the SBA, and of course, her time in charge. We're excited about this one, so listen in and don't forget to subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes. This episode is sponsored by: Able Able is an a AI-powered deal acceleration platform that streamlines the most hated process in SBA lending: document collection and management. You can learn more about Able and schedule a demo by going to http://www.able.ai CORPSMART CORPSMART is a due diligence group that specializes in lien searching, UCC filing, DMV title recordings and more. If you're looking to streamline your process, the CORPSMART team is the best resource, offering a wide range of services, capability to directly integrate with your in-house systems, and the icing on the cake, their over-the-top customer service, making every deal that much easier to close To discuss your due diligence needs, visit the CORPSMART website at http://www.corp-smart.com and let them know that The Art of SBA Lending send you!

Join us for our newest episode with Jim Mueller, BDO at Celtic Bank and highly deserving recipient of last years “BDO of the Year” award. Ray and Jim have a great conversation about achieving success and caring deeply about the process from somebody who has been on both sides of the table. In this episode we discuss: Jim's transition from a CEO to a BDO, making mistakes quickly (and correcting them quickly), why Jim prioritizes communication with the borrower from start to finish, and his advice for a new BDO. You're going to get a lot out of this one so don't miss it! Subscribe now to stay in the loop for new episodes. This episode is sponsored by: Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com CORPSMART CORPSMART is a due diligence group that specializes in lien searching, UCC filing, DMV title recordings and more. If you're looking to streamline your process, the CORPSMART team is the best resource, offering a wide range of services, capability to directly integrate with your in-house systems, and the icing on the cake, their over-the-top customer service, making every deal that much easier to close To discuss your due diligence needs, visit the CORPSMART website at CORPSMART™ - CORPSMART™ and let them know that The Art of SBA Lending send you! The comments made on this podcast are own own, and not necessarily the views of our employers.

In this episode we interview Phil Johnson, Founder and CEO of the Master of Business Leadership program for employees and executives. Listen in as Ray and Phil get into the majorly important topic of emotional intelligence. What it is, why it’s important, and it’s current role in corporate America. Covering the questions of ego-based fears and how they’re holding you back from success, the disconnect between emotional intelligence and selling, and how quickly we are evolving as a society; we’re excited to switch it up from our normal content and give you something new to think on. Listen in now and let us know what you think! To learn more about Phil’s work and contact him visit his LinkedIn page or book time with him on Zoom here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipjpjohnson/ https://calendly.com/mblcoach/chat-with-phil This episode is sponsored by: Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com. -- Able Able is an a AI-powered deal acceleration platform that streamlines the most hated process in SBA lending: document collection and management. You can learn more about Able and schedule a demo by going to www.able.ai Navigate this episode: 1:25 introduction to Phil Johnson 2:00 importance of emotional intelligence in a corporate setting 3:10 State of emotional intelligence in corporate America 5:05 How has the state of emotional intelligence changed over the past 50 years and where are we headed? 7:05 Moving past ego-based fears 9:50 What are the metrics to determine "success"? 13:39 Relationship and disconnect between emotional intelligence and selling 16:39 How different generations show differences in emotional intelligence in leadership 18:24 What are some habits of an employee with good emotional intelligence? 21:30 How the world would be different if we were all taught about emotional intelligence at an early age 24:37 EQ vs IQ 29:00 When lack of emotional intelligence stunts your career growth 31:50 Staying consistent 33:10 How do you know if you're a good leader? 34:47 internal change before external change

Serious Episode- Sorry It’s Jared Johnson of First Internet back on the podcast this week! $100+mm years, content creation, closers, authenticity and business acquisitions, we’re talking about it all! Learn what kind of sacrifice, dedication, and value-add is needed to earn the spot of a top producer right here. __________________________________________________ This episode is sponsored by: Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com. ‌ __________________________________________________ Navigate this episode: 2:00 Introducing Jared Johnson 2:50 At what point will you be satisfied with your sales? Discussing Jared's sales record 6:04 Gratitude and continued relationships from borrowers 11:05 A top-producing BDO's involvement in closing 13:00 Discussing trust in your closer and if incentives make sense 19:30 Serious post- Sorry; Jared's viral LinkedIn post and thoughts on authenticity 23:46 Creating the ability to be a top-producer and sacrifice that comes with it 30:22 Confidence is key 33:53 Shifting from BDO to an advisor; finding your passion in your business 36:32 Working on business acquisitions 38:40 Deal fall outs this year 44:04 Jared's day-to-day work break down 45:35 Content creation; finding the time and the balance

In this episode we bring you a LIVE panel discussion from The BDO Retreat in Miami! Join us for a panel discussion with top producing BDO's: Dennis Wagner, First National Bank, Ryan Kroge, First Internet Bank, Shane Pierson, Grasshopper Bank, and our host, Ray Drew. This episode is all about achieving success, meeting your potential, and maximizing your efforts. Listen in as our panelists give you the in's and out's on their path to success, their BDO superpower, honing in on your purpose, and the best tips for establishing relationships, referral sources, and efficiency. One take away from this episode... challenging yourself will always pay off. This crew really delivered with the tips you need to succeed, don't miss out! Don't forget to leave a review and subscribe to be notified of new episodes! ‌ This episode is sponsored by: Able Able is an a AI-powered deal acceleration platform that streamlines the most hated process in SBA lending: document collection and management. You can learn more about Able and schedule a demo by going to www.able.ai -- Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com.

Welcome to Part 2 of our State of Small Business Panel on The Art of SBA Lending Podcast with William "Bill" Woodard, Chief Credit Officer at T Bank, Jordan Hallam, Director of Government Guaranteed Lending at SouthState Bank, Nick Roach, President and CEO of Stone Bank. In this episode we cover which industries are hot right now, why you should be thanking your servicing teams, spikes in deal fall-outs and pay-offs, unpacking valuation gaps, and increased brandawareness of SBA since covid. Don't forget to subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes dropping every Thursday morning! Navigate this episode 1:55 Which industries are doing poorly and which are doing well right now? 5:12 What trends have you noticed from home improvement businesses born in the Covid era? 9:20 Giving credit and props to your servicing teams 11:15 Noticing a spike in pay-offs 14:25 Making revisions to origination based on analyzing your portfolio 17:41 Cautiously optimistic origination 19:20 Unpacking the valuation gap 21:52 Fragility of transactions and deal fall-outs in acquisitions 23:40 Construction industry insights 25:19 Increase in demand and brand awareness for SBA due to PPP 27:42 YOY SBA volume trends for 2023 29:04 One lesson you learned in 2023 32:12 Another one of Ray's games- what inning of this economic cycle are we in? 34:09 One thing to look forward to in 2024 This episode is sponsored by: Rapid Business Plans Rapid Business Plans is the go-to provider of business plans and feasibility studies for government guaranteed small business lenders. For more information, or to set up a Get Acquainted call, email Bethany McClellan at Bethany@rapidbusinessplans.com Lumos Data Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com.

Welcome to the newest season of The Art of SBA Lending Podcast! This week we are kicking off with part-one of a fan-favorite, panel-style episode discussing the (surprising) state of small business. Our host, Ray Drew welcomes Bill Woodard, Chief Credit Officer at T Bank, Jordan Hallam, Director of Government Guaranteed Lending at SouthState Bank and Nick Roach President and CEO of Stone Bank. Listen to their takes on the state of small business and how it’s not quite going the way we expected, managing relationships with borrowers that aren’t communicating favorably and how to change that, deferment requests, protecting your bank and the benefits of meeting a borrower in person during the lending process. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss part-two! 2:15 introduction to the panel 3:45 The state of small business is ____ 6:01 How are small business borrowers doing right now? 8:13 Why the current state of small business is surprising us 9:40 Are borrowers more likely to inquire about deferment requests and concessions these days? 13:55 How the panel handles deferment requests, navigating isolated incidents and protecting your bank 22:12 Dealing with borrowers who don't communicate 24:19 Servicing the loans to enhance borrower communication post-close 28:08 Should lenders be providing ongoing financial analysis as a service for borrowers? 32:22 Should meeting borrowers in-person be the standard? 35:38 Importance of "character", intuition and site visits 41:45 Throwing good money after bad money. When a borrower needs working capital, what do we do? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode is sponsored by: Able | Able is an a AI-powered deal acceleration platform that streamlines the most hated process in SBA lending: document collection and management. You can learn more about Able and schedule a demo by going to www.able.ai Lumos Data | Lumos empowers your small business lending growth with cutting-edge analytics and streamlined applications that optimize your performance. If you're ready to take your small business lending to the next level with cutting edge analytics visit lumosdata.com

In this episode we welcome our first guest of the new year, Sherry Martin! Sherry is the Director of Client Bank Development at SBA Complete. She's had a life-long passion for the success of small businesses, has worked every role in SBA, started shops from the ground up, and could teach everyone a thing or two about leadership. Listen in as Ray and Sherry get into a conversation about how her background inspired the success and growth of her career today, her insights into the biggest challenges the SBA is currently facing, and how she has become such an effective leader in her space. Hope you enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe! Happy new year!