What do you do when someone tells you your success has nothing to do with your talent — and everything to do with how you look?

In this episode of STANDOUT Cabo, Kristin Guillaume, Account Executive at The Loan Store, gets refreshingly honest about 23 years in the mortgage industry — the gender bias she faced, why she didn't report it, and what she'd tell her younger self now.

Kristin and Paige dig into the real stuff nobody talks about in this industry:

The comment a male colleague made repeatedly that stopped Kristin cold — and why it was anything but a compliment

Why women in this industry earn every single inch and still get told it's luck

The ops vs. sales divide and why alignment between the two is everything

People pleasing, saying no, and the boundary work that never really ends

Why giving first is the fastest way to get unstuck

What it actually looks like when women stop competing and start collaborating

This one is honest, warm, and the kind of conversation you don't usually get to hear in a professional setting.

🔗 Learn more about The Loan Store: @TheLoanStoreInc

📲 Follow us across all platforms: notorious.wmn.com

STANDOUT by NOTORIOUS® exists because companies believe the female voice deserves a bigger stage. Thank you to our sponsors for helping us create content, community, and experiences that celebrate and elevate women in mortgage. Together, we're changing what's possible. ✨ Thank you to: • The Loan Store • Rocket Pro • Broker Insights Group • Coastal Breeze Processing

#StandoutCabo #WomenInMortgage #MortgagePodcast #AccountExecutive #WomenInBusiness #GenderBias #MortgageBroker #WomenWhoLead #TheLoanStore

What does it really take to build a 30-year career in a male-dominated industry — while raising kids, setting boundaries, and refusing to shrink?

In this debut episode of STANDOUT Cabo, host Amber sits down with veteran mortgage originator Barbara Masters for a raw, honest conversation about what nobody talks about in this business.

Barbara shares how she fell into mortgage at 26 without knowing how to spell it, built a niche around equestrian property financing, and learned the hard way that boundaries aren't optional — they're the business model.

In this episode:

The "mean girl mafia" of mortgage and how to rise above it

Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset — and when it finally clicks

Setting firm boundaries without losing clients (or yourself)

Why women in this industry tend to both love and hate it more than anyone else

How losing physical confidence from health issues mirrored losing business confidence

The truth about being an introverted woman in an extroverted industry

Whether you're in mortgage, sales, or building any business as a woman, this one will hit.

🔗 Find Barbara: homeloanswithbarb.com 📲 Follow us: @notorious.wmn across all platforms

STANDOUT by NOTORIOUS® exists because companies believe the female voice deserves a bigger stage. Thank you to our sponsors for helping us create content, community, and experiences that celebrate and elevate women in mortgage. Together, we're changing what's possible.

✨ Thank you to: • The Loan Store • Rocket Pro • Broker Insights Group • Coastal Breeze Processing

#StandoutCabo #WomenInMortgage #MortgageIndustry #WomenInBusiness #FemaleEntrepreneur #MortgageBroker #WomenWhoLead #BarbaraMasters

In this powerful episode of STANDOUT by Notorious, host Paige Hernandez sits down with one of the most influential leaders in the mortgage industry — Phil Shoemaker, CEO of The Loan Store (TLS) — for a deep, candid, and refreshingly human conversation about leadership, culture, purpose, and the future of lending.

With nearly 30 years in the industry, Phil has lived through massive market shifts, the rise and fall of major lenders, the grit of building Caliber from the ground up, and the explosive growth of HomePoint. But today’s conversation goes far beyond resumes and industry accolades. Phil opens up about what truly shaped him as a leader — the cultural shifts that pushed him away from corporate environments, the burnout cycles he refused to repeat, and the personal realizations that inspired him to build TLS differently.

At TLS, culture isn’t a buzzword — it’s the blueprint. Phil unpacks the now-famous “No Asshole Policy”, how it came to be, and why it has become a non-negotiable foundation for the company. He shares how TLS is structured with patient capital, long-term vision, and a commitment to spreading wealth and opportunity company-wide — not just to executives at the top. From equity participation for employees, to leadership development led by Rod Hairston, to initiatives focused on mental, physical, and financial health, TLS is proving that a mortgage company can be profitable and deeply human-centered.

Phil also gets real about gender dynamics in lending, sharing personal reflections about women in leadership, the barriers they face, and how the industry can — and must — evolve. His stories about his own wife’s career trajectory hit home for so many women who step away to raise children, only to re-enter the workforce feeling years behind.

The episode dives into: What inspired Phil to build TLS from scratch Why empowering leadership beats fear-based leadership every time The hidden costs of hustle culture and how COVID changed everything TLS’s incredible 38-acre property in Texas — and why physical connection still matters

The origin of the upcoming Notorious women’s retreat: “Burn the Business Plan” How somatic work, personal development, and subconscious rewiring play into success Why purpose — not profit — must be the true north

This is one of the most honest and insightful conversations we’ve had on STANDOUT.

Whether you're in mortgage, entrepreneurship, or simply someone craving healthier leadership and purpose-driven work, this episode will speak to your soul.

💫 CONNECT WITH US

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