Today we’d like to introduce you to Gene Griffin.
Hi Gene, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up very modestly in East Texas. My father was an Army Veteran and a classically trained musician who played in the Army Rock N Roll band as his job in the Army. My mother was a very talented multi-medium artist and also an Army Veteran. We grew up in a trailer in Longview, TX’s middle of the woods. Behind the “Pine-tree Curtain” as some say. We had all the love, food, and clothes we needed but didn’t have all the frivolous things other kids around us did. It was a very humble upbringing and made me the person I am today. I’m grateful and wouldn’t have changed it for the world. It allows me to have now gratitude for the things I have and for how far I’ve come. My dad used his Army benefits to go to school and earn his Manufacturing Engineer degree. While my dad was attending school full-time, he would work 2-3 jobs and play music on the weekends. Sometimes he worked so much that the only times I would get to see him was when he had gigs. My Mom stayed at home with my older Brother and me and was the “House Manager” if you will. I learned how to work hard from my dad and care for others from my Mom. This part of my story is essential because it lays the foundation for where and who I am today.
After my dad got his degree, he worked in Houston, TX. He went there first to set us up while we stayed back in Longview. Soon after, we moved to Houston into a duplex the summer before I started the 3rd grade. Not long after we moved to Houston, we learned that our trailer back in Longview burned to the ground. We suspect a couple of brothers who lived close by and were well off had something to do with the arson, but we could never prove it. They had a long history of bullying my Brother because we didn’t have as nice of a house, clothes, or things as they did. My father quickly found a music community in Houston with some 3rd and 5th Ward blues legends. He would work his manufacturing job and play music just about every weekend. I was fortunate to be raised around so many great musicians, cultures and welcomed into those communities. My dad was talented and dependable and for those reasons he was well-respected. To this day, he is still playing music, although he has since retired from his manufacturing career.
I got through junior high and high school, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. Like most kids, I found my fair share of trouble. I would get into trouble, but I was much better at getting out of trouble. I was certainly headed down the wrong path. I got arrested for some petty crimes as a minor, was on probation, and messed up on my probation. As a result, I was put into a juvenile detention center, or “Juvy,” as we called it, for a short stint. While there, I had a turning point. I realized that I was better than what I had shown. I didn’t belong there, and my parents raised me better than this. From then on, I started to fill my time with positive activities like music, journalism, and specific studies in school that I was drawn to. By the time I was a Senior in high school, I was the Music Editor of the school newspaper, President of Junior Achievement, and taking 3 college classes while still in high school. I had done a complete 180 from where I was. Ultimately, I graduated high school with a little love and support from special teachers who also saw more in me.
After high school, I attended community college but really had no desire to be there because I was dead set on working in the music industry. I interned at a well-known recording studio in Houston that had cranked out some notable hits and albums from some popular artists. It took me only a short time to realize that I had a knack for business and that the studio wasn’t the best fit for me. With that realization, I set my eyes on the “Live Music Capitol of the World” in Austin, TX. I moved to Austin and couch-surfed with friends while working as an intern for a local artist with some notable local success. I was waiting tables to get on my feet and eventually got my apartment. I got involved in a pirate radio station where I had a show. I would do benefit concerts for the station with local bands, have local bands on my show, and gained some respect from the local music community. I started putting shows together as a promoter and was having success. I realized I had the determination and experience to help some artists, so I launched my artist services company, The Versatile Syndicate, in 2007. The Versatile Syndicate had decent success with a roster of about 8 bands, a couple of national tours, and some of my bands were on the rise. In 2009, a freak house fire took the life of one of my dear friends and artists. It honestly took the wind out of my sails, and I shut down The Versatile Syndicate closing that chapter of my life. I left the music industry but would dip my toe back in later in my life. I decided that it was time to find a more traditional job. There was this office building close to where I lived with a sign that said “Ticket City” that always caught my eye, so I did a little research on this company out of curiosity. After learning more about them, I was very interested. I put on a suit, walked into their doors, and told them I wanted to work there. Two weeks later I was working there on the ground floor. I started as a Customer Service Representative, but I excelled quickly within the company. The VP of Strategic Planning was developing and monitoring a stagnant project due to other tasks on his plate, so I took over that project to give it some new life. I became their Broker Account Manager, and grew their broker inventory feed to over $500M, adding hundreds of suppliers along the way. I was traveling to Vegas, New Orleans, and NY for the company to meet with potential suppliers, but my salary didn’t really reflect the caliber of work I was doing. I decided to see what else was out there for me.
By this time, I had gotten engaged and had a baby girl on the way. I had a friend making really good money in the financial services industry, so I wanted to learn more about what he was doing. I was very interested but I would be going from a salaried position to a 100% commission structure. The uncertainty of income was a bit scary for me. My friend told me, “If you’re terrible at this job, you’ll still make twice as much as you are now.” That was enough for me! I started working for a company called RateGenius as a Loan Consultant in the auto-refinance industry. Like in my previous job, I focused on process, work, and product knowledge, which again helped me grow within the company rather quickly. I was promoted to Team Director and managed a sales team of 10-12 Loan Consultants. At this point in my life, I was one of the most dedicated and efficient workers you would know, but probably not the best manager. I still had a lot to learn, growing up to do, and mistakes to make to get me where I am today. At RateGenius, I had my first 6-figure year, but it took a lot of hard work and hours to get there. Those long hours resulted in burnout, and I decided to leave the company after several years. During this time and with the experience in finance I gained, I developed a passion for financial well-being and helping others. I was determined to be better with money and create a better life for my Daughter, Emma. I also wanted to continue to help others improve their financial well-being, so I leaned into that hard. I tried a few different industries, like commodities trading and life insurance, but kept returning to being a Loan Consultant in the auto-refinance industry. A company recruited me in Denver, so I moved my family to Denver. During this time, my wife and I had grown into different people. We stayed in Denver for a couple of years but ultimately separated and divorced. It was not an ugly situation, though. We both wanted different things, weren’t happy, and both deserved happiness. To this day, we work as a great co-parenting team and have an incredible daughter.
My ex-wife and daughter moved back to Central Texas, and I took a job in Beverly Hills in the tech industry. After a short stint in LA, I couldn’t take being away from my daughter. I was flying back every month, but it just wasn’t enough. I moved back to Texas in 2019 to become a Financial Advisor with a longtime friend as a Mentor who was well respected in this industry. I put a lot of time and work into building that practice when Covid hit. This was the worst time to start a Financial Advisor practice. I hung in there as long as possible, but when I couldn’t anymore, an opportunity presented itself.
I got a job offer for a new auto-refinance company called Gravity Lending which my previous President founded at RateGenius. I had great respect for this man, so I jumped at the opportunity to join their team. I moved back to Austin and hit the ground running. I was on the ground floor of this young company and got to be a part of its rise in the industry. I had the most success I had ever had financially at this point, I was out of debt, and things were moving in the right direction.
After a short period, I became Gravity Lending’s top Loan Officer. I was offered management positions a few times, but I was comfortable as the Senior Loan Officer. I put in extra time to mentor new loan officers and help develop them which I loved doing. I have always wanted to see others doing well, so if I can support that, I will. After about 2 years, I realized that I had hit the ceiling in the auto-refinance industry. I set my sights on the mortgage industry which was the next level in my opinion. After buying my house with my now Fiancee, Adrienne, we moved to Leander, TX. I gracefully resigned from Gravity Lending and took some time off work to focus on passing the NMLS Mortgage Loan Originator exam and obtaining that license. After a couple of months, I did just that.
Once I had my license, it was time to find a job. Honestly, I had never had such a hard time finding a job. Companies would move forward with the hiring process, the market would shift, and they would ghost me. Most companies wanted 1-2 years of experience in the mortgage industry, but only a few were willing to give that 1-2 years of experience. I finally landed a job with New American Funding as a Jr. Mortgage Loan Officer. I took advantage of the training New American Funding provided, they helped me get licensed in 10 additional States, and I closed some good businesses while there. I then went to work in a more independent role with JMAC Home Loans. During this time, I made it a point to become more active within my community. I joined a very active Dad’s Group, joined a BNI, was networking like never before, and got involved with a local non-profit called the Start-Up Kids Club. I found the Start-Up Kids Club out of necessity. My Daughter, Emma, had a knack for business and commerce, so I wanted to find a place we could nurture that. As a Dad who is a nerd about business and finance, this was very exciting. In my search to find something for her, I came across the Start-Up Kids Club, which provides a 14-week program to teach kids about entrepreneurship. They didn’t have a program close enough to where we live, so I decided to bring it to my community.
As of last year, I have been volunteering to teach the Start-Up Kids Club program in Cedar Park along with my Daughter. It has been an enriching opportunity to impact my community positively, a very special thing I get to do with my Daughter and I plan on being a part of this organization as long as possible.
So, how did I keep my toe in the music industry that I eluded to previously? Well, a couple of years after shutting down my company in the music industry, I turned to DJing. After all, I had a massive collection of vinyl records and have a vast knowledge of all kinds of music from my upbringing. DJing was also a way to cope with the loss of my dear friend, it scratched my musical itch and gave me a creative outlet. It started as a hobby, but as my skills and talent progressed, it became a passion. I often fly out to cities like Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Boston, and various other cities in the US to DJ. I DJ all over Austin and the State of Texas. Last year I had my first International DJ gig in Costa Rica, which was an awesome experience. I go by DJ Regal Eagle and have created a bit of a name for myself and remain active as a DJ. I plan on DJing as long as I can.
With the mortgage industry struggling the past year, I pivoted to JMAC Lending’s consumer direct division, SOL Mortgage, which brings us to today. I stay consistent, taking advantage of the slower market by networking and providing value to my clients and community. I’m engaged to be married to an amazing woman. I’m an active and present Dad, Mortgage Advisor, DJ, soon-to-be Husband, teacher, and community leader. I put a lot of focus, effort, and love into everything I do. I am nerdy about my job (in the best way), I have a servant’s heart to help others, active within my community, I love the family I’ve created, and passionate about my music.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been easy at all! I have dealt with poverty, being looked down on and judged, problems I brought on myself by making the wrong decisions, failures, forces outside of my control, loss of everything I had built, depression, and tough economic situations. That said, I have always gotten back up when knocked down and do it with a smile on my face. If you ask anybody who has known me for a long time, they will tell you I’m resilient. I always land on my feet. I pulled myself out of poverty, I define myself through my heart and actions, I am consistently working to be the best version of myself, I learn from my failures and come back stronger, I don’t focus on things I can’t control, I have rebuilt my life stronger than ever before, I’m at peace with myself, and I’m too stubborn to not be successful in the mortgage industry.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work ethic sets me apart from others. I have nearly a decade of experience in financial services and now work as a Mortgage Advisor. I will build my business based on the principles that are important to me like integrity, follow through, and having a clear path to provide mentorship to those looking to make a change in their life and are willing to put in the work. I’m also a volunteer teacher for the Start-Up Kids Club, where we teach kids about entrepreneurship and an active DJ.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am a risk taker by nature and have taken many risks in my life. Some turned out successful, and some were not so successful. It’s about taking those “failures” and finding the growth experience within them. If you don’t take risks, you’re not trying. You see, failure is great! The only time failure is a bad thing is if you’re not learning or growing from it. There is always something to learn and grow from and experience positive or negative. The key is you have to actually “DO” to experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.GeneGriffinMortgage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genegriffinmortgage/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gene.griffin.10
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genegriffin/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/djregaleagle
- Other: https://djregaleagle.com/home
