We Inspire Growth To The Core

ABMG To the Core is a set of awards given quarterly to three team members, nominated by their peers because they embody and exemplify one of our three core values. While growth might start from within; when you’re on a team of people who truly want to see you become your best self, that’s where growth starts to blossom. And that’s where these three superstars come in.

Meet Annah, Nicole, and Chris. These three were nominated by their team members for the “Inspiring Growth Award.”

Christopher Brown, Market Leader with Atlantic Bay  

Tell us a little bit about your journey here with Atlantic Bay. I came on five years ago when Atlantic Bay entered the Charlotte market. At that time, we were closing a little less than $100 million. And last year we closed $800 million. So, really great growth over that time. And we’ve been able to do it by serving our Mortgage Bankers on a daily basis, our best recruiting tool has been our mortgage bankers themselves. We’re surrounding ourselves with likeminded people; I’ve always said good DNA follows good DNA.  

The support we give our Mortgage Bankers through employee engagement, innovation, technology, and our one-team concept is what it’s all about. I came from a place prior to this where there was one approach to how you handle your employees. Here, we’re nimble and fluid, we really support each employee as an individual. We do the things we can, to make sure our employees are the best version of themselves.  

We don’t force employees to adapt to Atlantic Bay; we adapt through our employees, that’s a big difference from other places. 

How has Atlantic Bay helped shape your career path? For me personally, my dream was to get to the point where I would manage managers and help them grow. The cool thing is, Atlantic Bay has given me the support and tools to do that. They’ve helped me through mentorship programs, recruitment courses, teaching me how to be a better leader, helping organize my day, and how to stay nimble. They reinvest in us constantly, and they are always looking for ways on how to improve without us losing our identity.  

What are some of the ways that you inspire? I try to bring positive energy on a daily basis, and lead by example. If someone calls me with an issue, I let them vent. I give them the opportunity to get things off their chest and be heard. Then we work together as a team to come up with a solution. Sometimes leaders go into fix it modes before they understand the root of the problem, I try to understand what’s really the opportunity area. Then, we figure out how to maximize that opportunity.  

What traits do you possess that would make your peers want to nominate you for this award? We stay goofy; I have a catch phrase “can’t stop, won’t stop” and that really gets the team fired up. They make fun of me about it, which I love. To be a leader you’ve got to be a little goofy and make fun of yourself, and let others make fun of you. You can’t take yourself too seriously, allow yourself to be vulnerable. I share my struggles with my team which opens others to share theirs, too. It helps them know they are not alone.

If you were talking to someone who knows nothing about Atlantic Bay, what would you tell them about us? It’s a family vibe. We really support one another, we work hard, we play hard. If you want to be part of something that you feel like you’re truly part of something, we’re the place to be. We work as a cohesive unit; we’re all working toward the same goal to provide top-notch exquisite service to our clients and our business partners. 

Annah Parker, Closing Manager with Atlantic Bay  

Tell us a little bit about your journey here with Atlantic Bay. I came to Atlantic Bay in 2012 as a Senior Closer, six years later I was promoted to a team lead. I helped closers answer questions and helped with their pipeline management until 2019 when I got promoted to Manager. So now, I manage about 16 closers in our retail division. 

How has Atlantic Bay helped shape your career path? Coming over to Atlantic Bay was the best decision I’ve ever made career-wise. When I first started here, I just thought I would be a Senior Closer and be perfectly content. 

I love closing and working with settlement agents but just naturally the management team saw some qualities in me. So when the opportunity for team lead came about, I expressed interest and that started my journey into the management side.  

What are some of the ways that you inspire? I genuinely care about each and every closer, and I think they feel that. I care about their happiness with Atlantic Bay. And I care about their personal happiness so that they can live their best lives. 

I have quarterly meetings with everyone on my team to see how things are going both personally and professionally. We all have life events, so if someone is going through something, I’ll reach out to them daily. Even if it’s something positive, someone is having a baby, getting married or buying a house – I check in so that they know we’re here for them.

What does winning the ABMG to the Core Award mean to you? It meant everything to me. I even cried! It meant so much that my peers think that highly of me and took the time to nominate me. It was a really nice moment for me with this company.

If you were talking to someone who knows nothing about Atlantic Bay, what would you tell them about us? I would tell them that coming to Atlantic Bay was the best career decision I ever made. Atlantic Bay is a company that works toward helping people find their best qualities and put them in a position where they can grow and live their best lives.

Nicole Fleck, Secondary Market Analyst Team Lead with Atlantic Bay

Tell us a little bit about your journey here with Atlantic Bay. I started in 2015, I joined the Lock Desk – I had never done anything in the lock desk or secondary. It was exciting and scary all at once, but I had such a great team and my bosses taught me so much. My supervisor was also a great trainer who made it fun and easy to learn.

It’s been exciting! I’m always learning. We work so closely with all the different departments and I love how each department is broken down into smaller groups specialized in the steps important to close a loan fast and efficiently. I’ve worked in this industry for a while, and I know how busy everyone can be, so it’s really nice to see the way that ABMG has split different departments; it’s extremely helpful. It makes a difference when you’re at a company who helps you continue to learn and grow.

What are some of the ways that you inspire? There’s so much to learn here, so much growth opportunity. Nobody in this company micromanages you, so you’re open to success - you just have to run with it. We get the tools to learn so much from teammates and departments. I just tell my team to work hard, it’s hard not to be already happy at this company. Even when we’re busy, we joke around and have fun. That makes it easier to give back and want to be good at we’re doing.

What traits do you possess that would make your peers want to nominate you for this award? I just think that you have to be happy and have patience and compassion for others, especially with this last year. You have to have some humor. For me, I think that my teammates can see how much I love my job. They see how I’m willing to step up and help them. My teammates know that if they need anything, they can count on me for it. Our department is super team oriented. We can’t do something without each other. So, having those encouraging conversations throughout the day with them is important.

What does winning the ABMG to the Core Award mean to you? It is an honor and a great privilege. I want to represent Atlantic Bay and our core values. It makes my heart happy to win this award. I’m glad that I represent a positive outlook for our company and that I’m proud to put Atlantic Bay on my social media and support them, as well. I am extremely grateful to work with my ABMG work family. I believe in them and I feel like they believe in me, too.