Getting into the mortgage business is hard. Really hard.
When I first got started, contacting my Principal Broker felt like sending a message in a bottle — sometimes I’d wait days, maybe more, for them to return my call. So, I had to figure out everything the hard way. No guidance, no mentorship, just trial, error, and a whole lot of frustration.
And if that wasn’t enough, I was starting out in Hamilton — which at a time, many lenders wouldn’t even lend in certain areas (north of Barton between Parkdale and Wentworth… iykyk).
Career Change: From Logistics to Lending
Before becoming a mortgage broker, I was a Logistics Manager for an aluminum importing company. Then came the 2007–2008 recession — which really pulled the rug out from under those plans.
Around the same time, my husband took a job with the Hamilton Police.
Fun fact: I went to bed with an engineer and woke up with a cop. Another Fun Fact: He hates when I say that.
We were getting ready to start a family, and with his unpredictable shift work, I needed a career that offered real flexibility. I’ve always been good at connecting with people — I figured I could sell ice to an Eskimo — so mortgages couldn’t be that hard… right?
Our First Mortgage (and the Painful Lesson…)
In 2005, we bought our first home with:
- Zero down
- A 40-year amortization
- And yes — I wanted cashback
But our mortgage agent (my cousin, no less) put us in a product with a bona fide sales clause — meaning the only way to refinance was to sell the house. We’d bought a serious fixer-upper and financed all our renovations with high-interest credit cards, thinking we’d be able to refinance later.
But we couldn’t. And that one overlooked detail? It cost us thousands.
When I became a Mortgage Broker, I made a promise: No one I work with will ever be left in the dark like we were.
Alone in Hamilton
For the next 10 years, I was part of a brokerage team that I genuinely loved, but most of them lived miles away — Toronto or further north. I felt isolated in Hamilton. And this was before COVID — back when “Zoom” was still just something toddlers said when pretending to drive.
Then came a low point.
I didn’t choose to leave that team — I was fired.
And I was gutted. I knew I needed more, but I hated change with a passion. But what felt like a door slamming shut turned out to be the universe giving me a shove toward something better.
A Fresh Start (and a Friend Who Quit Me)
The next brokerage felt like a breath of fresh air. I reconnected with a network I had genuinely missed. I had regular phone calls — sometimes multiple a day — with an agent who quickly became one of my best friends (and I still can’t believe she quit me!).
Those regular conversations gave me the connection I had been missing.
This new brokerage opened my eyes to what “full transparency” looked like — or at least up to a certain point. And honestly, looking back, that point makes perfect sense now.
I was genuinely happy and felt truly supported. That’s when I started building my own team. My volume grew, my income increased, and my confidence soared.
Then… everything changed.
Once you start doubting the integrity of your leadership, it’s time to move on. So that’s exactly what I did.
After nearly four years, I left and moved to the National Team, determined to finally launch my own brokerage.
But life had other plans.
Finding My Voice (and a Network That Listened)
Six months before my move, I had been having quiet conversations with other networks. For the first time, I started to truly understand how this industry works behind the scenes.
One network stood out — not because they wanted to know what I’d bring to the table, but because they asked:
“What do you want to build, and how can we help?”
No one had ever asked me that before.
For context, I come from a dysfunctional (and that’s putting it mildly) family. I barely graduated high school (thank you for lying to me, Ms. Scott!), had a business fail and filed for bankruptcy.
So having someone believe in me, it shook me — because back then, I didn’t even believe in myself.
MPFG Was Born
I realized I needed help.
I’m great with people, I know my products, and I lead with empathy (which I’ve learned isn’t all that common in this industry). I can sell, strategize, and build relationships.
But spreadsheets? Systems? Numbers? Not my jam.
So I found myself a partner, got licensed with FSRA, and just like that, Mortgage Powered Financial Group — MPFG — was born.
When It All Fell Apart (and Came Together)
This past year has been the most transformational of my life.
I’ve learned more than I thought possible and grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
The partnership suddenly ended. It wasn’t part of the original plan — but it needed to happen.
As hard as it was in the moment, I knew it was the right choice for the sake of our team’s integrity and the culture I set out to build. And while the ending came quickly, what happened next reminded me why I started MPFG in the first place.
My team came together. I had to lean on the agents and brokers around me, and they stepped up in every possible way.
Who knew that building a team would be so healing for me? I’m forever grateful.
That’s when it hit me: When you lead with respect, honesty, and consistency — people will follow you.
We’re still new, and we may be small.
But we are breaking records — and we are doing it together.
Why MPFG Exists
I built MPFG to be the home I always wished I had — a brokerage where agents and brokers could:
- Start their career
- Build a thriving business
- And end their career — on their own terms
I wanted to create a culture of real transparency — not the kind I had been sold in the past. I wanted a place where agents could design their dream business and create the life they truly wanted.
And I wanted them to know they’d never have to do it alone.
We’re here to grow together, to break records together and live our best lives — together!
And yes — we’ll play Skeeball, too.
A Note of Gratitude to Mortgage Intelligence
I want to take a moment to acknowledge Mortgage Intelligence, our home.
I’m incredibly grateful that they saw something in me that I didn’t yet see in myself. They stood by me when things got tough — really tough. Was the transition smooth? Not exactly. But we worked together—and continue to work together—to make things better for all agents, not just the ones at MPFG.
Mortgage Intelligence trusted my vision and gave me the freedom to pursue it. Time and again, they’ve shown up for me and my team… and they continue to do so.
For that, I’ll always be thankful.
I promise—I’ll make them proud.
Passion Meets Purpose
I heard a quote the other day that really stuck with me:
“Your passion is what you love to do. Your purpose is what you do with that passion.”
My passion is the mortgage industry. My purpose is helping others not just survive, but truly thrive in it.
That’s why MPFG exists.
It’s also why I’m proud to teach with Mortgage Professionals Canada.
And that’s why, even when it’s hard, I’ll always show up — every single time.
Will I make mistakes? Absolutely.
Will I take responsibility for them? No question.
Am I learning to ask for help when I need it? Getting there!
Will I always do what’s right, even when it’s hard? Every. Single. Time.
This Is Only the Beginning…
I’m not perfect. But with the right team beside me, we’re building something incredible — together.
MPFG isn’t just a mortgage brokerage.
It’s a community.
It’s a place for people grow — not just in volume, but in confidence, clarity, and purpose. It’s where new agents find their footing, and experienced brokers reignite their passion. Where we support each other, learn from each other, and pull each other forward.
I didn’t start MPFG just to run a business — I started it to build something that lasts.
A place where nobody has to figure it out alone. Where we lead with heart, back it up with action, and always chase excellence (and laugh a lot along the way.)
This is the brokerage I wish I had when I got started. And now, I get to lead it.
And we’re just getting started.
If you’re still searching for a place to grow, you might have just found your new home.
