Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lerea Mares. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lerea, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I attribute a lot of my work ethic to athletics growing up. I played basketball through high school, and softball through Junior College. The little lessons include: *if you’re on time, you’re late*don’t be last*teamwork*mental toughness*winners are built during practice* I carry all of these lessons with me in the workplace. These traits have kept me both disciplined and competitive.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I grew up in Pueblo, Colorado. Upon graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, I accepted a job at FirstBank in Denver. For 7 years, I learned about banking, managing people, sales, and loan origination. Chasing the dream of living in the mountains, I lived in Dillon, Colorado for 1 of the 7 years away from ‘home.’ When I got there, I realized I was in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and was still somehow not satisfied. Call it the seven year itch, but I was ready to be back close to my family, and returned to Pueblo in 2022 to pursue a more independent role as a Loan Officer for Cross Country Mortgage.
Professionally, this has been one of the most challenging ventures I’ve ever been on. My mental toughness and grit has been tested in many ways. It’s hard being in sales. It’s hard to always be on your game. It’s hard to put all of your time and energy into your work. But, when you help someone, and when you see results, it makes it all worth it.
My focus is currently building brand awareness, making sure realtors know I am here, and helping every person referred to me either achieve homeownership or develop a plan to get there.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Every person is different and I think it is important to build your business around your strengths. If you are better on the phone, make more calls, If you are better in person, go to more events. Yes, you have to do things you don’t want to do to be successful. Yes, you have to get out of your comfort zone. But, spend more time doing the things you like to do. The qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge I enjoy and find most impact are education, strategy, and honesty. I spend a lot of time putting on educational based events. I enjoy face to face interactions, and feel people can relate to me better in this setting. I have always been a numbers person, so my value proposition to clients is that I can help them with their short-term and long-term strategy to build wealth. I am an open book. Those around me know I am honest and can see that in my work.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We all know the best way to build a business is through referrals and word of mouth. I find by partnering with other business owners, we can combine funds, knowledge, and creativity, to put on events, advertise, and promote one another’s business. If you are looking for another business owner to collaborate with, please contact me at [email protected].
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Professional Photo- DavidTookIt College Softball Photo-OJC Athletics (Otero Junior College)
