How Positive Self Talk Drives Success in Mortgage Lending with Irene Duford

Lending Leadership

Welcome back to Lending Leadership: The Creative Brief, where we dive deep into the real drivers of growth for mortgage professionals, leaders, and their teams.

Today, we’re thrilled to bring you a conversation that we’ve been looking forward to for some time. We’re joined by Irene Duford, founder and CEO of Loan Team Training and an experienced coach who has spent decades in the mortgage business crafting high-performing loan teams and helping mortgage professionals master their mindsets. Our chat with Irene isn’t just about the nuts and bolts of mortgage training—it’s about the powerful impact of self-talk, intentional communication, and building systems that truly serve the whole team.

Key takeaways:

1. Self-Talk is Your Most Powerful Business Tool: Beyond any CRM or sales script, the way we speak to ourselves daily sets the stage for everything we achieve. Irene shares hands-on techniques—like sticky notes, repetition, and using tools like the Self Talk Plus app—to help rewire your mindset and truly live into your goals.
2. WOW Training is About Communication, Not Just Compliance: Irene’s WOW program goes well beyond mortgage knowledge. It focuses on equipping loan partners and support staff with the communication skills, scripts, systems, and people skills they need to deliver an exceptional client experience—something she identified as a major missing piece in most mortgage training.
3. Most Teams Struggle with Communication, Not Skill: Breakdowns, delays, and frustration on teams and with clients are often fixable by simply tweaking how, when, and what is communicated. Role playing, tailored scripts, and clear expectations are at the heart of Irene’s approach.
4. Hiring Right Means Mapping the Role—Not Just Filling a Seat: Too many loan officers bring in support without clear job descriptions, leading to repeated mis-hires. Irene emphasizes the need for detailed job mapping, skills testing, and alignment of values and expectations, sharing her new hiring support program designed to make this process successful.
5. Stop Waiting—Delegate and Grow: Many loan officers wait too long to hire because of fear (often fueled by negative self-talk). Irene urges us to stop looking at annual salary as a barrier and instead focus on the monthly investment—reminding us that with the right person and the right systems, growth comes quickly.

If you’re ready to start shifting your business from the inside out—by working on your mindset, your team, and your systems—be sure to listen through to the end for specific tools you can implement today. And if you want to know more about Irene’s training courses or support in hiring, reach out to us or connect with Irene directly.

Thanks for joining us on Lending Leadership: The Creative Brief. If you found value in this episode, please like, subscribe, and share with your team. We’ll catch you next time!

Rach & Rinn