5 minute read
From her favorite movie to her first job, we get the personal and professional facts from Jean Noble, director and head of marketing and call center sales at Urban Financial of America, in this month’s edition of The Hot Seat.
Ten years from now I hope to begin drafting a book. It has always been a dream of mine. The topic is TBD, but I do know that it will a work of fiction based on some real-life events.
Something nobody knows about me is that I considered making a radical career change and went to school part time for interior design. But after three semesters at the New York School of Interior Design, I threw in the towel and somehow landed in the mortgage industry instead.
My favorite vacation was in Turks and Caicos. With its turquoise waters and white sand, it’s truly heaven on earth. With just a 3.5-hour plane ride from JFK Airport, you can be completely disconnected from “real” life for just a little while. (Wow, that sounds like a tourism ad for the island.)
My first car was a navy blue Ford Probe named Billy.
The craziest thing I’ve ever done was get into the mortgage business!
If I had three wishes they would be to have one last chat with my dad—gosh, I miss him; that my children are always safe; and to retire on the North Fork of Long Island, buying a home between a vineyard and the Long Island Sound.
My favorite movie is Love Actually.
I never miss an episode of The Today Show, The Voice, Shark Tank, House of Lies, House of Cards or The Newsroom.
Every morning I have coffee with my husband. Sometimes I have to wonder why he’s so quick to make coffee… is he just being nice, or is he afraid of me without my daily allowance of caffeine?
I can’t go without my spiral notebook. A few years ago, a colleague tried to get me to convert to one of the first tablets, but I just couldn’t embrace the technology for note-taking—I am a paper-and-pen type of gal. (Thanks, Chris Mullins—I tried!)
When I was a kid my dad told me, “Jeannie, walk faster—it’s a man’s world out there and you need to keep up.” I guess this was sound advice in the ’70s for a dad to give his daughter who wanted a career in business. Either way, it stuck with me. If he saw me today, he’d probably tell me to slow down!
I’ll never forget when I was pulled into a loan closing in 2004 shortly after one of the first reverse mortgage TV commercials aired. The borrower wanted to thank the marketing team for creating the commercial—she said her life changed dramatically just by watching TV one morning. There really is a feel-good benefit to our business.
My first job was at a party goods store, where I made balloon arrangements. I actually met my husband there—who knew one day we would get married, have three kids and a dog?
My parents taught me how to appreciate the now, that life is a series of lessons and we need to embrace the experience. “Everything happens for a reason” was a common phrase around our house.
My favorite time of the day is dinner with my family. I love to ask my kids, “So, what was your favorite part of the day?” It’s amazing the answers you will get from a 10-, 7- and 5-year-old!
I always live life to its fullest. “Go big or go home” is my mantra.
The most memorable moment in my life was when I first became a parent. What an unbelievable life experience. It taught me about love at first sight, how to put life into perspective and that I really can’t control everything.
The best purchase I’ve ever made was our home. It’s a great family house with big trees and enough room to host my six siblings and their families for Sunday get-togethers.
My favorite book is The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Inspire Greatness One Child at a Time by Stephen R. Covey. This book really drives home the importance of character education and ethics in future leaders.
If I could trade places with someone for a day, I would choose Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon; Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks; or Pope Francis. It’s really a tie between three visionaries whose to-do lists I would love to see!
Ten years from now the reverse mortgage industry will be a much larger and thriving business. I will review the RMI market share reports with great pride and reminisce, “I remember when we were a boutique business doing 65,000 units per year.”
People should seek a career in the reverse mortgage industry because they are looking to help Americans retire successfully. Reverse mortgages will be an important part of a successful retirement plan.
The most fascinating thing about the reverse mortgage industry is that we are ultimately all one big team working in tandem to break barriers and make this a mainstream retirement tool.
I am optimistic about the reverse mortgage industry because we constantly think outside the box and try innovative strategies to brace the industry for the future. The Extreme Summit is the perfect example.
Reverse mortgage professionals can best support the public image of reverse mortgages by playing by the rules—one bad player is a reflection on all of us!
