Welcome back to Lending Leadership: The Mortgage Pros—your hands-on guide to leadership, growth, and grit in the mortgage industry.

On this episode, we’re kicking off a special two-part series focused on the journey from zero to $50 million in annual loan production—and what it takes to break through to $200 million and beyond. This week, we turn the spotlight on our very own Dave Holland, whose career has spanned over 25 years, nearly $2 billion in personal volume, and more than 10,000 families served. Trust us, his story is packed with the hard-earned lessons, mistakes, and mindset shifts that can help any loan officer pave their own path to greater success.

Tom Mills and Rachel Tresch join Dave Holland for an honest, often humorous look at what it really means to grow in this business. We dig deep into the “old school” work ethic that got Dave Holland to his first ceiling, and the tactical shifts needed to move beyond it. While the door-to-door rate sheets and daily faxes may be mostly in the past, the core tenets of grit, relationship-building, and continual learning still ring true.

In today’s episode, we roll back the clock to Dave Holland's early days—living in his grandparents’ basement, grinding through seven-day workweeks, and learning to turn rejection into resilience. We tease out the habits, mindset, and personal systems that allowed him to break out of the “lone wolf” trap, and set the stage for next week’s unpacking of how to scale beyond $100 million.

Whether you’re a new LO, a seasoned veteran, or somewhere in between, there’s something here for every mortgage professional wanting more out of their business and their life.

Key Takeaways:

1. Grit Was the Foundation, but Not the Finish Line:
2. In the early days, Dave Holland built his reputation on relentless work ethic—long days, constant outreach, and never shying away from the “hard stuff.” While that grit got him off the ground, it was clear that “just grinding” set a ceiling on both his output and his happiness. The path to real growth meant learning to work smarter, not just harder.
3. Mastery of the Craft Still Matters:
4. Dave Holland credits much of his early success to becoming a true student of the business—spending hours reading guidelines, memorizing policies, and striving to become the go-to problem-solver. While today’s market offers more coaching and peer collaboration than ever, the lesson is timeless: deep knowledge earns trust and sets you apart.
5. Rejection Is Part of the Game:
6. We explore how repeated “no’s”—and even outright dismissal—did sting, especially for a young professional with hand-me-down suits and no connections. Yet Dave Holland learned to keep showing up in agents’ offices and on the phones, eventually breaking through by sheer tenacity. Every “no” gets you closer to your next “yes.”
7. Building a Reputation on Honesty and Communication:
8. Facing up to mistakes, keeping promises, and being proactive with updates (even when it’s uncomfortable) became cornerstone habits for Dave Holland. We discuss specific tactical routines—weekly agent updates, over-communication at transaction pinch points, and owning errors early—that helped him stand out and earn consistent referrals.
9. You Can’t Scale Alone—Systems and People Are Crucial:
10. Dave Holland shares his realization that he couldn’t break past the $40–$50 million plateau without building a team and learning to delegate. Today, he credits his team and technology for delivering a higher standard of service than he ever could solo. The shift from control to collaboration—and from chaos to systems—was crucial for breaking through to the next level.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share Lending Leadership: The Mortgage Pros. If you’re ready to move from maximum effort to maximum impact, stay tuned for our next installment.

— Tom Mills, Rachel Tresch, and Dave Holland