Written by Steve Irwin, as originally published in The Reverse Review.

From his most memorable moment and his favorite vacation to his thoughts about the reverse mortgage market, we get the facts from Steve Irwin, executive vice president of NRMLA. 

Ten years from now my son, Ethan, will be 21 and we can finally share that bottle of 2003 Chateau Montelena cabernet (his birth-year vintage) that is patiently aging in my cellar, waiting for this occasion.

Something nobody knows about me is that I was a promoter with renowned venues such as The Peppermint Lounge, The Palladium and The World in New York City. I promoted shows by The Ramones, Squeeze, B.A.D, Iggy, Echo and The Bunnymen, Beastie Boys, Sinead O’Connor, and on and on…

My favorite vacation was in Barcelona in 2005. A perfect vacation in a perfect city.

My first motorcycle was a 1968 Triumph Bonneville 650 T-120. Classic British iron and a real live wire. 

If I had three wishes they would be an end to senseless gun violence, the establishment of equal rights for all and to put an end to our political system’s dependence on “big money.” 

My favorite movie is The Conversation. It’s certainly a complete package and opened my eyes to what great filmmaking could be. Blade Runner would be a close second and a film I still enjoy often.

My favorite website is HUD.gov, the reverse mortgage sections.

My parents taught me how important good manners are.

My favorite time of the day is summertime dusk, in my garden.

My iPod go-to is…There is so much exciting new music and I am constantly making new playlists. I do, however, find myself pulling up Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” when I get overwhelmed with the choices I’ve created for myself.

I’ve never had any regrets.

The best lesson I’ve ever learned was that one should always be available and well prepared.

The most memorable moment in my life was when I married Geri in the Cratloe barn-church in the west of Ireland.

My favorite fiction book is Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. It’s a massive read that’s simultaneously hilarious and quite disturbing. “If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.

My favorite nonfiction book is The Letters of Jefferson and Adams. I will occasionally pick a random set of correspondences between these two founders and get a glimpse into the struggles of this country’s early days—struggles that often persist to this very day. 

If I could trade places with someone for a day, I would choose Lewis Hamilton. I’d love to try an F1 course. 

If I could time travel, I would make sure that I have a proper jet lag remedy.

Ten years from now the reverse mortgage industry will be crowded with awesome proprietary products that will be amazingly creative.

I am optimistic about the reverse mortgage industry because I have had the chance to see, firsthand, the positive impacts that reverse mortgages have had on so many people’s lives. The relief that a reverse mortgage has brought to hundreds of thousands of borrowers is very real and very powerful.

Reverse mortgage professionals can best support the public image of reverse mortgages by properly setting the customers’ expectations at every step of the process, from initial inquiry to final pay off. There should be clear, accurate and consistent communication so that the misunderstandings that have hounded the industry for decades fade from public perception.

The most important influence technology will have on reverse mortgages is that it will redefine the basis of competition.

The ideal characteristics of leaders in the industry are that they understand that strategy is not created in a vacuum and any strategic initiatives must consider the current social, economic, technological and political climates before deployment.