I have recieved now more than a few requests to share a bit more about my background with respect to how I ended up where I am now than i reveal on my About page. It is a task that I have not been too excited about as it feels self-indulgent and overly revealing at the same time. I am sure that many of you will skip these posts (and yes there is more than one) and feel free to do so, those of you interested in where this is all coming from - enjoy.
There are four parts to this thing and I’ll be rolling them out over the next week or so. It is definitely an unfinished piece. Particularly the parts about my indoctrination in to the industry and any in-depth conversation of where I learned what I share here; but its a modest start and one that I hope puts some perspective me - the person who writes Blown Mortgage every day.
– Morgan
Part 1
A lot of people ask me about my background and how and why I am in mortgages. Most people want to know why someone in the mortgage industry has a web site like Blown Mortgage. I guess its a little weird having a site that is primarily focused on the negative aspects of the industry in which I work. So with out further ado, for those of you that care about who is writing this blog please enjoy this autobiographical article that should shed some light on who I am and why I write Blown Mortgage.
The Early Years 1976 - 1998
We’ll breeze through the formative years as it can get a bit cumbersome and is primarily rooted in good-old suburban
I spent the majority of my days playing baseball or whatever sport was in season with my younger (more athletically gifted) brother in between being a very serious over-achiever in the classroom. During high-school I was on our conference-winning varsity baseball team. I managed to earn an All-Conference Academic Team nod for my baseball/academic feats; though I imagine it was more for the grades than the baseball. I was also on about a million after-school clubs including Model United Nations, Tutoring in the City, Young Republicans, Computer Club you name it, I was probably on it. I spent too much time growing up stressed out about things I couldnt control; politics and my parents divorce are two that consumed the majority of my time.
Growing up in
When it was time to go to college my high-school mentors and advisors thought Id do what every other sensible east coast graduating senior does by attending one of the myriad well-regarded liberal arts colleges in the North East. I would have none of it. I wanted out. The catty in-fighting, the cliques, being around the same 500 people for the last 18 years was just the fuel I needed to blast-off for greener pastures. I didnt make my parents too happy with my college requirements which are repeated here in total. They were 1. Some place warm, 2. some place far away, 3. Some place big. That was it I wanted a fresh start somewhere warm and potentially prosperous.
After looking at schools such as
The College Years
College in
Through my first year and a half I mastered the balance of fun and class with the same skill and gusto that got me through high-school as a stressed-out, ultra-conservative, type-A personality headed for a heart attack at 22. I was Deans List with a 4.0 average my freshman year (spring quarter no less) and enrolled by selection in to the Honors Program. I began struggling with the balance between social and academic pursuits upon my acceptance in to the Beta Theta Pi fraternity during my sophomore year.
Joining a fraternity, while a definite impediment to ones academic drive (I quickly lost my honors status and was never to see the Deans List again), has been one of my most personally satisfying and successful decisions Ive made to date (with the notable exceptions of my marriage and birth of my son). It was in my fraternity that I first got the idea that it was OK to slow down a bit. That the race was rather a myth; and that there wasnt anywhere to get in any particular hurry. Right or wrong, I unwound, distressed and started to come in to my own as a person with a point of view (not a very impassioned one, mind you). My mom continues to say to this day that
But back to why it got me where I am today. In
My senior year I was able, with the help of a very good friend, to put together the fraternitys single largest charitable event in the history of the chapter. I organized and promoted a softball tournament that involved more than 3,000 Greek-affiliated students from 6 different universities over a weekend long sequence of events, games and the requisite parties. It was a massive 3-month undertaking which involved recruiting sponsors such as Red Bull and other name-brands, as well as encouraging teams to road trip it to
For my efforts with the softball tournament I was awarded the University Award of Distinction; one of 50 of a graduating class of 4,500 to receive the honor, which is awarded for improving the quality of life on campus and in the community. It was a great moment. At that point I should have known that my passion was organizing, promoting and marketing. But I didnt.
Stay tuned for part 2.
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[Source: Blown Mortgage]
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