Unpacked with Ron Harvey
People Always Matter. Join Ron as he unpacks leadership with his guests.
Unpacked with Ron Harvey
Entrepreneurship and Real Estate: The Path to Building Wealth with Dante Royster
Dante Royster, owner of Epic Mortgage, shares his journey from employee to entrepreneur and reveals how real estate ownership is the most profitable path to becoming a millionaire. His insights on leadership, building loyal teams, and making smart mortgage decisions provide practical wisdom for professionals at all career stages.
• Leaving the W-2 mindset to start his own mortgage brokerage after not getting "a seat at the table" at previous jobs
• Building trust with employees through consistency, humility, and the willingness to apologize when appropriate
• Finding "ride or die" team members who remain loyal through challenging business periods
• The financial impact of homeownership versus renting ($24,000 annually going to landlords)
• Why consumers save an average of $10,000 by working with independent mortgage professionals instead of banks
• The importance of comparison shopping when getting a mortgage
• Maintaining optimism as a business owner despite market volatility
Contact Dante Royster at 708-905-5300 or find him on social media under Dante Royster. Check out his YouTube channel Epic Spotlight for weekly mortgage tips and his book "The Ultimate Mortgage Guide: Securing the Best Mortgage, Not Just the Best Rate" available on Amazon.
Connect with Ron
Just Make A Difference: Leading Under Pressure by Ron Harvey
“If you don’t have something to measure your growth, you won’t be self-aware or intentional about your growth.”
Learn more about Global Core Strategies
.
.
.
.
.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organization or entity. The information provided in this podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners should consult with their own professional advisors before implementing any suggestions or recommendations made in this podcast. The speakers and guests are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners based on the information presented in this podcast. The podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or services. The speakers and guests make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this ...
Welcome to Unpacked Podcast with your host leadership consultant, ron Harvey of Global Core Strategies and Consulting. Ron believes that leadership is the fundamental driver towards making a difference. So now to find out more of what it means to unpack leadership, here's your host, ron Harvey.
Speaker 2:Good morning everyone. This is Ron Harvey, the vice president, chief operating officer for Global Core Strategies and Consulting Leadership development firm based out of Columbia, South Carolina. My wife and I have been in business for 12 years and we spend all our time in our day to day operations of Global Core really helping leaders be better connected to the workforce. You know so building trust and building. You know addressing conflict and keeping teams together. At the end of the day, we truly believe leaders make a difference in every organization. So if you want to see a successful organization, find a great leader and you'll be amazed at what you can do, and that's what we do every day.
Speaker 2:But we pause on Mondays and Tuesdays and we record a podcast that we release every single Monday with leaders from around the globe, with all backgrounds, all industries. We call it Unpacked simply because I don't know the questions yet. I'm meeting our guests and we have a real, organic, open conversation based on what they say and what they're doing and who they are. So hang in with us, Enjoy the conversation. All I can tell you is we will talk about leadership, we will talk about human behavior, We'll talk about things that are happening for real that we can add insight based on our own experiences With that being said, I want to hand Dante the microphone. He's going to introduce himself, and then we'll dive in and spend about 15 to 20 minutes just having an unpacked conversation. Dante man, the floor is yours.
Speaker 3:Well, good morning, ron, and thanks for having me. I am Dante Royster. I am the owner of Epic Mortgage. We are a regional mortgage broker licensed in multiple states. What we do is we help people refinance their properties. We also help people invest in real estate, as well as help first-time homebuyers buy homes. Myself, to get my business out there, I wrote a book in 23. It's called the Ultimate Mortgage Guide, and I also have my podcast as well, epic Spotlight. So we'll have to chat about that. And yeah, definitely just staying busy and trying to spread the word.
Speaker 2:Man. Thank you for coming on. Man, the team finds different people to come on and I'm excited I think you're the first person with your background that's come on, so I'm super excited about the conversation. You're an entrepreneur and so, as we do the podcast, one of the things I always ask people what you know as a leader and starting as an entrepreneur. I want to tap into that. What made you start a business? You know, just jumping out there an entrepreneur can be tough. What made you start your own business?
Speaker 3:You know that's a great question. I would say that, you know, ultimately it was just I really couldn't get a seat at the table. I have always been kind of a, you know, I'll just call myself a big fish in a small pond. I've always have found myself working with businesses that were smaller in size, smaller in stature, but I've always presented myself as a force, as someone, you know, that they could definitely rely on. You know, kind of quote unquote, a cash cow. And so it was a situation where I always have ideas and I always, you know, had that mindset of like, hey, we should do this or hey, we could do that.
Speaker 3:And you know, the last organization I was with, they just weren't listening. And you know, as you get older, you know you understand that every decision is going to impact your life on a personal level, you know. And so that's where it was kind of like, you know, getting to a point where I was like, hey, I know how to pay bills and I know how to keep the lights on and I'm doing, you know, I'm doing pretty good. You know, I think I could do this on my own and I took the leap of faith, you know, but it's not really in my background. You know, my mom is a teacher, my dad was an IRS agent, so it was, you know, a W-2, you get paid every two weeks mentality. So this was really kind of a leap of faith of I can do this.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow man. So many questions to unpack, so much to share, and you know you're pretty transparent and open about it. What was you know, when you think about people that are listening, that are in that place of always seeing W2,? People went to work. What was the biggest challenge for you? Stepping out and believing in yourself to do it.
Speaker 3:The biggest challenge, obviously being self-employed is just not knowing when you're going to get paid. I mean, just transparently speaking, you just don't know. I mean, even to this day, especially a volatile industry that I've chosen, which is the mortgage business, which is real estate, there's a situation where it's hard to predict the future. Right, I can't tell you how many deals I'm going to close in October. I can't tell you who's my client's going to be in November. I can only really have a forecast of this month and maybe a little bit of next month. So there is a little bit of an uncertainty that you really have to have that faith base and just believe in yourself and your skills and bring the work every day.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, which is phenomenal and I think in a lot of industries and it's pretty volatile right now what are the things that you would tell leaders that are listening to how to control what they can control, because there are certain things that you do have control of. What are those things that stand out that you definitely have control of that will contribute to or hinder you from being successful?
Speaker 3:no-transcript is not going good. You know, if they had a belief or a sniff that, hey, we're going to go under, they probably would be looking for a new job. So I mean, you can't really show those things. You have to. You know, keep that poker face even when times are a little tough and you've got to grind through it.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow. What do you tell people that are listening to Dante? You're in the mortgage industry. You're an entrepreneur. How do you help leaders like you once you start something and they're building a team, how do you make a decision? Who to bring on board to start helping you as an entrepreneur, because you may start off doing it all by yourself, but that's not sustainable. How do you help people like yourself figure out, man, I need to hire someone, but, man, it's hard to trust people.
Speaker 3:It is. Sometimes it's been trial and error, so I haven't been perfect, to say the least. But obviously over time you can feel the loyalty and you're looking for people that are loyal, you know, loyal to a fault, almost, you know because they're going to be your ride or dies. They're going to be the people that are going to stick with you through good times and bad times. They got your back, you know, when you make a mistake and they're like it's okay, you know. You know there's been times, right, I mean, payroll comes up and you're like oh man, I forgot, but it's going to come the next day, not today. Those situations unfortunately do arise at times and those people that don't go haywire are okay. We understand and we trust you're going to correct whatever mistake is made and you appreciate that. And in long-term I'd rather go with those people all the way to the top.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I get a little flavor of the music you listen to. You say you know your rider dies for those of you listening. You're about to break that down a little bit, so they get it, dante. But what are the telltale signs of people that are ride or die, or people that's loyal to a default? What do you see or what do you actually notice about? How do I know if they're really loyal to a default, that they're going to be with me ride or die? They're not going to throw the towel, you know you do have to ask questions.
Speaker 3:No, you're good, go ahead. You know, I think there's characteristics, but I mean, yeah, I think there's characteristics, but I think overall you really should ask questions like scenario questions and get to know them on a personal level. You know, are they married? You know, do they have kids? I mean, because those are responsibilities that you know over time will tell you a little bit about them, you know, and what's their future? You know, what do they want to see happen? And you know I try to be friends, you know, from an employer-employee level, as best I can with everyone because it's so important to have that relationship where they feel comfortable and trust. And obviously you know my job is to maintain that confidentiality and don't abuse it and also respect it. But I think if you ask certain questions, scenarios, get to know them from a personal basis. You know where do they come from, who they are. I think you can decipher someone that is, someone that is, you know, going to be with you for a long period of time, someone that you know is just looking for no-transcript.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Wow, I love it. I love it. I want to pack up, but I want to flip the coin. How do I become, if I'm running the business, that I become trustworthy Because you've got people's lives in your hand. If you're starting a company, there's a thing because leaders want people to trust them. What are some things that I need to be able to practice and display that makes me trustworthy as an operator or owner or business or leader, regardless of where I'm at in this space? How do I become trustworthy?
Speaker 3:I mean I believe that's consistency, right. I mean you know you have to be consistent every day. I mean it's, you know I come in and you know I don't really distinguish that I'm the boss, I'm the leader. You know that is out the door. You know I'm here to work with you and let's get to work. So you know every day, you know we have Microsoft teams that chime in hey, I'm in, I'm game on. You know, I let them know I'm here. And I think, over time, consistency over time, they know, like this guy, he's always working, he's here, he's there to help. You know, sometimes if I'm late, I apologize. Now here, here, it is the boss apologizing to the employee that I'm late. But they respect that and I think they appreciate that that, hey, I'm not better than anyone else here. We've all agreed to work here together and it's about a team atmosphere. So I just try to bring that team. I come from a sports background and so my mindset is always about team, team first.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, so Dante. So, dr, I gotta unpack it, because you know there's some old school folks that listen to this podcast and you just say, hey, I'm the boss, I'm gonna apologize. That's like a parent, you know, apologizing. I can tell you that the area I grew up in, or when I grew up, that wasn't really always something that was happening. It wasn't normal behavior for the boss to apologize, the parents to apologize, or teachers to apologize, or adults to apologize to younger people. Where'd you get it from?
Speaker 3:I mean I think that's innate in me. I just you know, I mean obviously I got parents, you know, and I knew it's a different. It's probably a little new school right there, you know it's just the reality is that there's so many more choices than it used to be. I mean so many jobs. You can work remote, you can go work in-house. There's just so many options and so you can't just take it for granted. People are making a decision to choose to work with you. They don't have to, and so I resonate with that. I understand that there's choices that people are making and I value their choice that they made to work with me.
Speaker 2:Wow, I love it. I mean you're, you're dropping stuff in, you're, you're, you're in, you're in, you're in the mortgage industry, real estate, um, and you think, what? What advice do you? You? You tell people as they're looking at you know you, you are in that space. Home ownership I want to spend a little time. That's your industry. Sure, how important is it for?
Speaker 3:people that are listening to help close a wealth gap. When it comes to home industry, what role does that play? Oh, it's huge. I mean, real estate is the single most way to become a millionaire, the single most profitable way to become a millionaire. Most profitable way to become a millionaire. You know it's beyond legacy. You know we're talking about families, I mean, especially in our community. It's so important about leaving something for, you know, our next generation.
Speaker 3:And what better is real estate? Real estate can become an ATM machine over time. I mean, and that's where you see some of the greats of you know, the Greg Cardones, the Robert Kiyosaki, some of these names that you see that don't necessarily look like us, but they've found the ability to, you know, basically figure out the system and how you can extract money tax-free, put it in your pocket, put it in your accounts and not have to pay any taxes on it. And we need to figure that out within our community. So homeownership is key. It's always the now we can't really get, you know, I think we get distracted by the noise and sometimes we get distracted by things that really don't have anything to do with us, and we just got to focus on what is important to us, which is, you know, obtaining assets, which a house is, and building on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have to agree. I mean, I grew up with my parents, you know. When I was little they bought their first home, you know, and so they planted the seed that home ownership was the way for me. So I grew up in that. My parents are entrepreneurs as well. But for those that didn't grow up with that, it can be, it can be scary, it can be some fear associated with it because you're not responsible for all the things that come along with that property. What is some advice you're telling people that may be listening and on the fence of becoming a homeowner for the first time?
Speaker 3:You know, the thing is, it's just the reality. I just did a video, and when I do videos I do research, right, and the average rent in the United States is like nineteen hundred dollars. Wow, you know, and that's you know. So let's just round that up to two thousand to keep number simple. That's twenty four thousand dollars a year that you'd be shelling out to a landlord. You're giving the landlord that two thousand dollars a month. That's twenty four thousand dollars a year. So I'd rather be on the other side. You know, if we flip that coin, I'd rather be the landlord receiving $24,000 a year than the person that's spending it. And what do you have for it? You probably have the sink that's still leaking. You have the person the landlord still hasn't come over and fixed whatever issues that you've got going on, and I'd rather own that asset. So I think it's about really the education level of owning the asset.
Speaker 3:Now I'm a person which is opposite of you. We never talked about mortgages. We never talked about real estate around the dinner table. I didn't even know what a mortgage was when I got the job, you know, I really had no clue. So I mean, I had to kind of learn this. So this is a situation where it's not necessarily predestined for me. It wasn't a skill set, I just knew offhand. It's something that I've learned over the last two decades, but it is something that is so important that we all need to get better at Wow, wow, and so what I heard in there?
Speaker 2:for you, dante, it's never too late to start and figure it out. There are answers all around us, especially with technology today. I mean, there's nothing that you can't learn. So saying I don't know is, for me, is probably one of the answers I don't like to hear. Because I don't know yet, because there's so much access to so much, we used to have to go to the library and check out books and all this other stuff, and people used to run around and sell us in psych, a previous door to door but you got it at your fingertips now. So I tell people there's no reason for us not to know.
Speaker 3:No, I, I agree, I agree well, here, let me, let me just go with that. Um, that's actually why I wrote the book, you know. So, over a two you know two decade career that I have going on, you know, I started getting the same questions over and over and I was like man, nothing's changed, we haven't evolved to a better stature, we're still asking the same questions, so we've never really learned. So I mean, it's kind of that point If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, you know it's a definition of insanity. Keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, it's a definition of insanity. So that's where I was like, well, let me write this book, the ultimate mortgage guide, and let me just give the basics, things that, hey, these are things that you should know.
Speaker 3:And for some people that, hey, I bought a house, I've owned a house, but I haven't really engaged in the level of should I make a change in my mortgage? What should I do? Here's some tools and knowledge of things that you don't know, because sometimes a lot of people, especially back in the 80s and 90s, we went to the bank the mindset is to go to the bank, oh, I'm going to go to whatever bank is around you and they're going to do my mortgage. Either they're going to say yay or nay.
Speaker 3:But they really developed brokers like myself because they didn't want to deal with all the products that are available. They didn't want to deal with renovation loans, they didn't want to deal with DSCR loans. They didn't want to deal with some of these things now that are huge and are strategy plays that can actually put you in a better situation. It was just an ancillary product that they had, because the banks are really there just for checking and savings accounts. But if you're going to be here, might as well just do your mortgage for you. That's extra money. But that's not really why they're in play and that's why our industry overall has developed and grown, as about 60% of people now are using brokers or independent mortgage professionals like myself, because they understand just I have all the products that are out there.
Speaker 2:Wow, interesting. And I don't think most people even pause because some people still with the old skillset or mindset, if you will, of just going to the bank who they've always banked with, they're not doing any comparison shopping. So when you think about it, what's the mistake of not doing comparison shopping then? I mean so, if I don't take the time to pause, because that's who I've always done business with and I got it. You know them, they know you, you trust them, but that doesn't mean that that company always has the best thing for your future.
Speaker 3:What are some mistakes we make when we just get caught up in doing business the way we've always done it. You know, once again, I did a video on this and and it's actually they did a study you know that people save over $10,000 over the course of a loan going through an independent mortgage professional, then going to a bank. So you're just, you're leaving, you're, you're spending more money just because it's, you know, bmo, harris or Chase or or whatever bank of America. You're actually spending more money just to work with them. You know, and what is that necessarily doing for you? You know, um, building a relationship and having an independent mortgage professional.
Speaker 3:You know, once again, I'm I'm paid. Uh, primarily I'm paid through the different. I'm a bounty hunter, so to speak. So I am compensated by the lender who says, hey, thanks for bringing me a client, but I have the whole gambit of products at least that you have an awareness of, like, oh, okay, I know I was talking to a realtor last night and he had a buyer and the buyer's like oh, I'm pre-approved, and he just said, hey, would you want to get a second opinion? And so he saw the pre-approval and broke it down and based on their criteria. You know they were probably receiving a half a point higher than what I could offer, but it's just. You know, sometimes we're viewed as the necessary evil. Right 80 of people need to get some type of financing to buy a house. Yes and so, but we're the necessary evil, so you just want to get it done, like, ah, let's just get it done. But it's like you're actually costing yourself money, not by doing that research and just double checking and seeing what's out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Awesome, Awesome. So tell us about the book. I mean, as we look at time, tell us about the book. I mean people that are listening. Where can they find it and what would they expect? What do you hope they get out of the book if they decide to purchase it?
Speaker 3:It's the ultimate mortgage guide securing the best mortgage, not just the best rate. It's available on Amazon. The purpose of the book was to just educate people and give them a baseline of things that they should know. It wasn't necessarily oh, watch out for this it wasn't a fear factor. It was just here's a baseline. Here's definitions here's a baseline. Here's definitions. Here's scenarios that I've seen over my time and things that I would suggest. I hope that people can receive it, understand it and just feel more knowledgeable when they engage with somebody. It doesn't have to be me, I'm not nationwide per se, but I just wanted people to have more of a knowledge and a baseline so they could ask the proper questions to their realtor, to their loan officer, and just have a better concept of just how the process actually goes.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, Of course, on the show Dante, I always want to make sure I promote the people that come on, that are guests on the show. What are some top reasons? If someone is out there and they're in the market now looking at mortgages, looking at home, what are some things that's happening to them that says, hey, you may want to pick up the phone and just reach out to Dante and ask some basic questions. What are the experiences that makes them pick up the phone to call you?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean obviously, from a holistic or a macro level. Right now we have a lot of inflation and we have tariffs, you know. So that's a reason why we want to check in Now in my business, which is kind of weird, bad news is good news, right. So it's one of those situations that, you know, tariffs comes out and, oh, what is, what is he doing now? Well, that's actually good news for me. That means rates are going down.
Speaker 3:So it might be a great opportunity to call me and just see where you might, you know, take advantage of that situation. You know anyone that has, you know, a higher rate than they think they should have. Hey, let's evaluate, let's see what we can do. But overall, from a micro level, you know, I have, you know, 23 years in the game. You know, obviously I have a knowledge base. I'm an independent mortgage professional, so I really do the shopping for you and look around. I have over 40 to 50 different lenders and banks that I work with, and so that gives me just an ample amount of products to help you, whether, like I said, reverse mortgage, renovation loans, all those types of things that are in play especially for an investor fix and flip loans as well.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome. What states do you cover? I know you're not licensed nationwide, but for people that are listening, that may be listening from locations that you cover, what locations do you?
Speaker 3:cover. As far as West is Colorado, I'm. In the South I'm in Texas, georgia and Florida. In the East Coast, I'm in Maryland and Virginia. Then in the Midwest, I'm in Indiana, michigan and Illinois.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome, yeah, appreciate it. Thank you for sharing for everybody that heard where he's working from Now. We got to get him in South Carolina. He's not in South Carolina. We got to get you to where I'm located, all right, yeah, well, is there anything that I really haven't asked? And I use the podcast to really just have really organic conversations. People are hurting right now, people are trying to figure it out, and I love professionals coming on and saying hey, ron, as your audience is listening, here's some things that I think are super helpful. Is there anything you would share that I haven't really asked you about? That would be good for the audience.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know, it's kind of the glass of water that's on the table. Is it half full or half empty, right? So I mean, obviously I think a lot of business owners for the most part we're always going to say it's half full. We're optimistic, we're always believing that, you know, good thing is going to come right around the corner. You know, we're not really pessimistic people because we have to spread the word that, hey, this is, this is the right opportunity. So I just want people to know that you know, stay positive. I mean that's the only way to go. You can't just linger in that negativity. You got to kind of wash away any negativity that's around you and just believe in brighter days. So I just hope that word gets spread.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome. What's the best way for people to contact you? Do you want to drop a phone number is 708-905-5300.
Speaker 3:708-905-5300. And really been promoting. You can find me on social media Dante Royster is the handle, or check out my YouTube channel Epic Spotlight.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome. Is there anything on there that'd be helpful? So people that are looking at your website on your YouTube channel, are you dropping some nuggets and some some some freebie information out there?
Speaker 3:Man, some hot sauce? Hot sauce, yes, no, definitely. You know so what we do on the channel. I, like I said, I do have my podcast, so you know I interview a lot of different people as well. You know all relating in love, happiness and health and wealth. Those are kind of the little categories that I focus on, but on Fridays we drop a gem of mortgage tips where I'm breaking something down, giving somebody some encouragement If you are taking that journey, whether you're working with me or not, it's just good information to know and so that way you can ask those questions.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, Love it. I love the guests that come on, because you know, what I do know is that small businesses make up 80% of the revenue in our country, and so I love when people come on that are in their communities working hard, doing good work, taking care of people, and not a get-rich scheme that's taking advantage of folks. So I love that. You say, hey, here's what I'm doing, here's why I'm doing it, here's how you can find me. If I can help you, give me a call. So you know. Thank you so much for coming on and being a phenomenal guest and for all you that are listening. Please, please, please, check out the information. Go to his website.
Speaker 2:You know, if you really want to make sure you're doing that to close the wealth gap, real estate is super smart for you. Learn it early. It's never too late. As Dante told you, it's not where property than I. Matter of fact, my parents owned more property than I own today and I'm like how did they own that much? And they had less money. Wow, they did a good job. So I will tell you that it helped take care of us and our entire family for years, and it was real estate. So I will tell you that. Please, please, hopefully you're listening, you're checking out the information, you're going to go to his website, you're going to reach out to him, but ask a lot of questions, which is be curious, and you'll figure out For us. Once again, we drop a different episode every Monday with different insights, different wisdom. We unpack and have fun. Hopefully you enjoyed this episode and hopefully you share it with your friends and colleagues and ask them to come and join us on Unpacked and we'll share more information.
Speaker 3:With that being said, Dante, how do you want to leave the audience and what do you want to leave them with my favorite quote? I don't even know who did this. You will have to change for what you say you want, or?
Speaker 2:you will have to change what you say you want. Wow, hey, that's a drop the mic. I'm not going to mess with it. Y'all know how to get in touch. Thank you all again for joining us, and until next time, dante and I will sign off on this particular episode. Y'all have a wonderful day and we look forward to you joining us on another episode consultant Ron Harvey.
Speaker 1:Remember to join us every Monday as Ron unpacks sound advice, providing real answers for real leadership challenges. Until next time, remember to add value and make a difference where you are for the people you serve, because people always matter.
.png)