Like so many others, I landed in the mortgage industry by, well, freak accident. In 2012, after moving over 100 miles from home, I found myself as an unemployed teacher in a time of huge school budget cuts and layoffs here in New Jersey. I started feverishly applying for anything I could find just to help pay the bills. I finally heard back from a job that I had found on Craigslist, of all places, a small startup appraisal management company (AMC). By chance, and I believe by pure fate, the owners’ daughter was also a struggling teacher, and after reading my resume, they decided to bring me in for an interview. I had no idea what I was walking into, to be honest I did not even know what an AMC was at that point in time, and didn’t I realize that, in that exact moment, my entire career path had changed. I started part-time and, unbeknownst to me, my nickname was “Heidi Helper” to my co-workers, who have since become some of my closest friends. I later learned that they lovingly and secretly called me by this nickname before telling me about it years later. We have since shared so many laughs over that.
I very quickly fell in love with the industry and never looked back at teaching again, much to my Dad’s dismay. Sorry Dad! I was like a sponge and wanted to learn all aspects of the business and industry. I went from helping around the office doing whatever I could to signing on new appraisers when and where I saw the need arise. From there, I ended up building out our entire appraisal panel within a little over a year. I practically begged the president of the company to bring me to industry events so I could get involved and meet as many people as possible. Within a few years’ time, I handled all vendor management and business development for the company while working side-by-side with the owners who allowed me the opportunity to work from home after having a little girl.
The company grew rapidly from a few local clients and credit unions to some of the biggest mortgage companies in the industry. We went from covering just two states to 15 , from just a handful of orders a day to a fully staffed team that could barely keep up with the volume on some days, and from around 20 appraisers to over 800 appraisers that I personally had a hand in signing on. It was such a great experience; I learned and grew so much thanks to the amazing owners who I am still lucky enough to call friends. I am forever grateful that I stumbled upon that Craigslist ad and that someone gave me a chance. For the longest time, I put myself last, including in my career, so that I could focus on my family. So many women have had this same experience. It’s something I certainly do not regret in the least; it was what was right in that time. This job changed that for me and opened the door to so much opportunity. I found my people, my industry, and my career all while caring for my family.
