Inside the Mortgage Mind features Bryan Lovell, National Director of Business Growth at VanDyk Mortgage. Bryan joined VanDyk Mortgage in 2011 as National Sales Manager, bringing over a decade of experience in Sales Leadership positions. He currently serves as the National Director of Business Growth, where he focuses on growing their branches and sourcing new recruits and opportunities.Bryan is a John Maxwell Team certified independent speaker, coach and trainer and enjoys helping others break through ceilings of achievement. He enjoys playing and coaching soccer, softball, and spending time with his family.
In this episode of The Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers and co-host Kyle Houck, interview Bryan Lovell, National Director of Business Growth at VanDyk Mortgage. Bryan started as an employee at Publix, entered his current profession shortly before the economic crisis of 2008, and now is the National Director of Business Growth of a mortgage company. David, Kyle, and Bryan discuss what it takes to motivate your team, drive revenue, and give your team what they need to succeed.
What does Bryan Lovell’s daily routine look like? (10:23)
Regardless of the business you have or the business you are in, you have to be an innovator, and you have to be different. (15:33)
When did Bryan transition into the mortgage world from the grocery industry? (16:41)
Work on revenue-generating activities every day and work on your business and not in your business. (41:15)
What is the best part of Bryan’s job today vs. where he started? (19:33)
What are some ways to keep Bryan’s loan officers motivated? (23:58)
How does Bryan manage “fragile egos” within his organization and not hurt people?
What is the BLT of leadership? (27:20)
If something isn’t going right, sometimes you have to take people back to where they changed the process, because the process works. (34:04)
Bryan shares what he does to drive the revenue. (37:28)
The philosophy is built around adding value to the referral partners and comes from a place of contribution. (38:05)
Leverage is another big thing. People doing big sales shouldn’t be doing work that takes them away from sales. (40:52)
One of the big mistakes salespeople make is isolating themselves. (44:30)
Bryan’s experience in dealing with agents and agencies and what makes them successful. (48:33)
Different people have different needs, and you need to create a service model to meet the needs that they have. (51:07)
What’s on Bryan Lovell’s reading list right now? (57:56)
What would be Bryan’s advice to an insurance agent who is trying to get inside the mortgage mind? (55:52)
Include your employee’s life goals into your business planning. If money is the only motivating factor, once the monetary goal is met you lose the motivation.
Care for your employees as people, not just as employees.
Make sure you are meeting people where they are, and make sure you are truly meeting the needs that they have.
Influence is one of the most powerful tools we have in business, leadership, and personal life. Used well, it inspires people, builds trust, and creates ethical results. Used poorly, it can slide into manipulation and self-interest.
Reinvention is one of the most powerful themes in the insurance industry. Some of the best commercial producers in the country did not grow up wanting to sell insurance. They did not study risk management in college. They did not come from an agency family. They found this industry after they tried something else. They found it after life pushed them toward a career where performance, autonomy, and mindset determine the outcome.
The most successful producers in the middle market did not get there because they quoted faster, smiled bigger, or knew how to talk longer. They got there because they learned how to differentiate themselves so clearly that prospects had no choice but to see them as trusted advisors. They learned to operate like businesspeople first and insurance technicians second. They learned how to tie operational mechanics to insurance outcomes. They learned how to control their time, their pipeline, and their future.
In commercial insurance, the most dangerous threats to your book of business aren’t always visible on the loss runs. One of the most overlooked vulnerabilities for middle market producers is ignoring the personal lines needs of their business owner and executive clients.
The commercial insurance industry is one of the few professions where someone can enter with no experience, no connections, and no background in risk management and still build a long, lucrative career. But success is never automatic. It requires hunger, humility, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the process feels overwhelming. That is why the story of Pam Seidler has already started making waves among new and aspiring commercial producers.
In an industry where tradition often outweighs innovation, artificial intelligence and automation are slowly but steadily reshaping how independent insurance agencies operate. The push toward smarter, more efficient workflows is no longer a matter of if—but when. While many agencies are still evaluating how AI fits into their operations, early adopters are already reaping the benefits of streamlined submissions, faster processing, and actionable data insights.
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