Inside Royal United: Recent Episodes
Royal United
There’s so much more to working for a company than a website or an offer letter can reveal. It’s about the people, the culture, the real conversations about what it takes to be successful in a role. At Royal United Mortgage, we believe in honestly sharing our company's story to give you the bigger picture.
This is Inside Royal United, the podcast sharing the stories behind the incredible people that make up our organization. Through a series of episodes, our team members share their stories, showing you what it means to create great jobs for great people and how that affects our customers and community.
We help people improve their lives. From our customers, our team members, and to our communities, we’re making a difference. And you can make it happen.
"We're a people development company first, [a] mortgage origination company second," - Gabe Allen
Companies don't issue mortgages; people issue mortgages to other people. Royal United Mortgage recognizes that it would be nothing without its workers. That's why we’re a people-first organization.
We are a bottom-up, growth-oriented company. That means we're entirely dependent on our employees to propel our business forward. What’s in store for us in the future? It’s probably no surprise that our people have a lot to do with the answer.
In this episode, our leaders share their thoughts on where Royal United is going, the importance of placing people first, and how you can be a part of what happens next.
In the end, we are all part of something bigger than ourselves.
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
You’ll learn:
- If making a difference is important to you, this is the place for you. Your voice matters whether you've been with us for a week or 10 years.
- At RUM, we don't chase the highs, and we don't chase the lows. So long as you manage what's within your control, we will be there for you.
- Pay close attention to what's happening in the here and now. Focus on making incredible decisions, and ensure that you're executing to the highest degree possible.
"We Serve. United." When we think about those three words we certainly think about them in the context of serving others in the community that potentially are less fortunate than us, but at the same time it's also about serving our ourselves and our souls. The outreach that we do allows us to all come away with our actions aligned around being part of something bigger and what that experience means. - Julie Wright
It's not enough to merely write a check. Real engagement starts when we connect with our community through acts of service. At Royal United, we make outreach personal by fostering authentic relationships with those needing assistance in the form of BOTH time and money.
Our goal is to make an immediate impact where ever we serve and in the aftermath of COVID, we put that philosophy into action , launching "Pay it Forward Fridays." Taking place over two Friday's in November of 2020, Royal United gave our team members the means to directly help those most affected by the pandemic. And as team members rallied to our communities and were able to, at random, assist someone in need, what transpired left us all with an experience we will never forget.
“We Serve. United” is more than just a motto. It’s a mindset.
In this episode, listen as our team members reflect on the importance of community and what it truly means to serve.
You’ll hear:
- Why communities need people who are willing to stand up and physically do the work.
- How serving is a mindset, an action, and a goal.
- Why, in the midst of a global pandemic, we felt so strongly that we had an obligation to help those most impacted.
- How volunteering can open up your world.
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
"If I didn't have a very clear and defined reason why I was going come in here every single day, and if I didn’t understand what it meant not only to me but, more importantly, to others around me, I don't know if I'd still be here... Money can buy you happiness. Sure. But you gotta know what happiness looks like for you." — Colby Hurford
A good paycheck can only motivate you so much. Without deeper meaning, money is not enough to make you the best person and leader you can be. To be truly successful, you need a clear "why" for your work: a reason to come in and be your best every day.
On this episode of Inside Royal United, members of our team share their personal why, the motivations and goals that help move them along the path of personal development, and what keeps them coming back to Royal United.
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
You’ll hear:
- How personal motivation and discovering your happiness is the best way to continue your professional self-development journey
- How your “why” can transform the lives of customers and coworkers
- Why Royal United fosters a community to help employees develop their personal why, become the best versions of themselves, and transform the lives of others
"The most important thing is the investment that we make in our team, and we know that if we do that, consistently day in and day out, that everything else will follow."- Julie Wright
The impact we measure isn’t just what’s experienced within our organization.
In this episode, follow several Royal United team members as they trace the impact that Royal United Mortgage has had on their personal, professional, and financial lives.
After finding herself laid off, Amanda Caldwell found a new sense of purpose working at Royal United. Eric Wolfe's career at Royal United allowed him to fulfill his dream of supporting his family as the sole breadwinner. Keara Whelehan experienced transformative growth as she made the tough transition from college into the workforce. Now the Assistant VP of lending, Keara has come a long way from her start as a 21-year-old mortgage loan originator.
****Through their stories, discover how fostering positive personal development can lead to client success. By empowering workers, Royal United Mortgage creates a positive impact beyond its four walls.
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
You’ll hear:
- Why great companies are built by great people.
- Why we invest in personal development and community impact.
- How empowering employees leads to superior customer satisfaction.
"If I were to walk into another (mortgage) company, I'd probably understand what they're doing, how they're doing it. But one thing that separates Royal United Mortgage from everybody else is our people and the way that they are trained and the passion they have about achieving the common goal and helping families." - Rob Jakubowski
Regardless of the industry, if you ask most employees what's the "one thing" that sets their company apart, they could probably tell you. But at Royal United it's not just "one thing" that makes us different; it's an entire list. It's our people, our business model, our training process, our focus on development, our leadership, our career path, our technology, and our mindset around being part of something bigger than yourself that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else.
In this episode we take a deeper dive to uncover why Royal United is a different type of organization, and how we got to be that way.
You'll hear:
- How great leaders today make for more great leaders tomorrow.
- Why it's important that we do what we say we are going to do.
- Why we get excited when things get tough.
- How real feedback has been used to improve our process.
- What we are doing to support women in leadership.
- How, in our environment, it's very possible that someone who starts with us today, could eventually end up running the entire company.
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
“Yesterday doesn’t matter. Tomorrow doesn’t matter. The only way to be successful is to be successful today.” - Gabe Allen
"Answering the question of if I "won my day" or not, is very internal. Did I give everything that I can do today to be successful today? And if the answer is no, what can I do to change that right now? - Eric Ashton
When it comes to Royal United, our culture is based on competition and a question you often hear is "Did you win the day?" While it seems like that should be easy to answer, the reality is that there's a lot that goes into "winning the day," that most people don't even think about.
In this episode of Inside Royal United, we discuss how daily victories build into long-term achievements.
You'll hear:
- How we believe in looking for, and celebrating, each small accomplishment on the way to achieving our long-term goals.
- Why it's important to set small, achievable goals that lead to bigger wins.
- The importance of having a game plan for success, and executing on it.
- The only one who can decide if you’ve really won your day is yourself.
We’ll also share how good leaders make good employees, why people still quit before they reach success, and how making work into a game can motivate your team to succeed.
Resources:
- To learn more about Royal United, check out royalunitedmortgage.com
This place has been the means to help me accomplish everything I’ve ever wanted.” — Colby Hurford
"We don't just work together, the relationships are real, they're genuine. We have an open door policy; if anyone ever needs anything, at all, we're there to support." - Chris Doepke
Virtually every employer offers employee benefits, and those that want to remain competitive in today's market know the importance of offerings that support physical, mental and financial wellbeing. However the extent to which these offerings, and others, are rooted into the fabric of the company culture is what separates a "job" from a "career."
At Royal United, there’s more to uncover than what's reflected in our offer letter or on our website. An onsite wellness coach, monthly wellness challenges, budgeting classes, paid parental leave, inclusion initiatives and free mental health counseling are among the benefits that help our team members be the best version of themselves.
In this episode, you'll get a peek into what goes into our benefit strategy, why we encourage people to take advantage of our offerings and the impact those resources have on our people both in, and outside, of work
You’ll learn:
- Why our health and wellness program extends beyond insurance
- How we support the mental health of our team members and their families
- How our remote locations are treated the same as headquarters
Resources: - If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
"Our PEOPLE, our CUSTOMERS, our COMMUNITY. Those three things are not just words. They're the playbook by which we do things.” - Julie Wright
From day one, we've said that Royal United will only go as far as our PEOPLE take us. Therefore it's our commitment to provide a culture of belonging, where each team member (regardless of their role or tenure), knows they are part of something bigger than themselves and is respected and heard. Where, through strong culture and leadership, we focus on the professional and personal development people seek to help them find success and be emotionally fulfilled.
Treat each CUSTOMER as a family member and give them unparalleled service and options designed specifically for their needs.
Be more than just a contributor to worthy causes; be an integral part of the COMMUNITY and committed to making it better.
They’re more than just words. They’re the ethos of how we operate.
In this episode, you’ll hear team members share what these pillars mean to them and how everything we do revolves around them
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
- Find out more about our outreach, https://www.royalunitedmortgage.com/resource-center/blog/community-outreach
You’ll learn:
- Why we invest so much in our people
- How people development impacts our customers
- How community outreach and partnership saved Royal United
”Everybody’s got a failure point, and the reality is we need to take everyone's individual failures and recognize and celebrate them.” - Shawn Greve
We’ve talked about what greatness looks like, and we’ve touched on how to be successful here, but what’s the reality?
What does it really take?
We don’t shy away from the work it takes to deliver results for our people and those we serve. The rewards can be great, but it's not always fun along the way. What you're about to hear is a real conversation with team members sharing some of the reality you might not hear in a job interview.
Resources: - If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
You’ll hear:
- What it takes to be successful
- Why feedback and conflict are vital for growth
- How your mindset dictates your path
“There are times when you are going to want to throw in the towel. But what's going to set you apart from everybody else is when you don't.” - Carole Murphy
In any role in any company, there are characteristics that can make you the best, and Royal United is no exception. We strive for greatness and expect the same from our team members. In this episode, we wanted to take a moment and give you a little insight into what greatness looks like and what it requires from our people themselves.
Resources: - If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com
You’ll hear:
- What great means to our team members
- How they overcome failure
- Why asking for help is only step one
There’s so much more to working for a company than a website or an offer letter can reveal. It’s about the people, the culture, the real conversations about what it takes to be successful in a role. At Royal United Mortgage, we believe in honestly sharing our company's story to give you the bigger picture. This is Inside Royal United, the podcast sharing the stories behind the incredible people that make up our organization. Through a series of episodes, our team members share their stories, showing you what it means to create great jobs for great people and how that affects our customers and community. We help people improve their lives. From our customers, our team members, and to our communities, we’re making a difference. And you can make it happen.
”Respect and support for each customer, respect and support for each team member, and respect and support for each community we serve. With every endeavor and interaction, it’s never forgotten that it’s all about real people helping real people. Together. We are United.”
Weaving through different voices and perspectives, founder Mike Keleher will be your guide as we navigate through the stories of why we create great jobs for great people.
Resources:
- If you want to learn more about Royal United, find us at royalunitedmortgage.com.
You’ll hear:
- How Royal United started to serve an underserved market
- Why our employees are who we serve the most
- Why we’re a people development company that just happens to originate loans