Earlier this month, we watched the Michigan Wolverines win the National Championship for the first time since 1997. While I am not allowed to root for Michigan anymore (my husband went to Penn State, so that was part of my wedding vows!), I do love the Harbaugh family quote, "Who's got it better than us?"
I believe Jack Harbaugh started using this quote with his family when they lived in Perrysburg, OH which is less than 10 minutes from my hometown, Toledo. In case you are not familiar with Toledo, it is a large industrial city that is best known for its auto
manufacturing and glass industries.
When the Harbaugh kids were growing up, Jack coached high school football at Perrysburg, Oh and then went on to coach at his alma mater, Bowling Green and eventually ended up coaching at Michigan. His job had his family moving every 2-3 years. Whenever, some sort of challenge or struggle presented itself, Jack would ask, “Who has it better than us… to which the boys would answer: Noooobody.”
This last year has not been without challenges. I know the struggles many of you faced caused many sleepless nights. 2023 saw thousands of people leaving the industry nationwide. Even with these challenges, I think we can all agree that it is still a good day to be in the mortgage industry (thank you Julie Piepho).
At the end of the day, what we all do is much more than a job. Our industry is so much bigger than one person. What we do more than anything is help people achieve the American Dream. We help people become homeowners. Without the mortgage industry, the American dream would only be a reality for a select few.
As we enter 2024, I am cautiously optimistic that it is going to be a “good” year. We are seeing signs of a slow turnaround in the housing market. CMLA is launching many new initiatives that I am excited about and look forward to seeing implemented and perfected throughout the year.
● We are launching free coaching sessions for member companies (thank you to TripleThreat Success, Hourglass Consulting Group, and Rubicon Coaching
● We have started monthly free Loan Officer Roundtables
● We are hosting a monthly webinar with the CMlA Lobbyist
● We have reinvented and restructure the new Lenders’ Rally
So as we begin to embark on 2024, Jack Harbaugh's question echoes in my mind: "Who's got it better than us?" To which I think we can all safely say: "Nooobody!"