Small Talk Shop: First Citizens Bank’s Fikisha Nelson on IGNITE and Servicing Customers – VIDEO 

On the latest episode of Small Talk Shop, hosts Rachel Crooks and Mary Kate Traficano sat down with First Citizens Bank VP Mortgage Servicing Fikisha Nelson. They got serious about Sagent (something we obviously love), sentimental about family, and so much more. 

Let’s dive into the episode: 

Fikisha kicked off the episode and gave a brief introduction of herself and her company. She outlined her experience in the mortgage industry which began 26 years ago (a true veteran and serious woman leader in mortgage). She discussed how she worked in several small brokerages and servicers firms, which helped her recognize her passion for the mortgage industry, which led her to the servicing space. (1:04) 

I accepted a position with a small broker doing originations – I loved it. I decided that I wanted to explore more about mortgages, specifically what happens after loan closing.

Once she decided to dedicate her career to the mortgage industry, she spent 17 years working as a servicer until First Citizens Bank the company she was currently working for (Guaranteed Bank). After a year at First Citizens Bank, she switched back to the originations side of the house and stayed in that position for five years before making her way back to servicing. (1:57).  

After getting to know Fikisha, Mary Kate and Rachel got prepared for the next part of the conversation which required their ever-so-stylish glasses, which led them into the “Let’s Get Smart” segment of the episode (3:19). When asked what motivated her to attend the HOT (hands-on training) program at IGNITE, Fikisha explained how it allowed her to bond more deeply with her new team. 

Not only did IGNITE help Fikisha feel more connected with her team, but she also had an “aha” moment of her own as she was in a training session. Fikisha was able to put an escrow screen into practice (4:18), in real-time — a beyond-relevant tool that we pride ourselves on with our products. When asked what value Sagent’s CARE platform brings to her organization and its customers, she said, 

The feature allows the customer to see what their escrow balance is, what disbursements we’ve made over the last year, they’re able to view their escrow analysis online, and it gives them some really important information about their escrow account to help them better understand it. 

She said she was so eager to get this service for her customers (and who can blame her?), that she did it at this year’s IGNITE conference. To really show how user-friendly the platform is, she highlighted how she was able to maneuver it as someone who doesn’t have an IT background and isn’t tech-savvy. (Although we know she’s a rockstar in all facets of our industry!) 

Sagent’s platforms don’t only offer self-serving escrow services, either. Fikisha joined events like “Tips & Tricks” during IGNITE to learn the strategies and uses for LoanServ and other Sagent products, many of which she has brought back to her company and now regularly uses to optimize operations. (7:23) 

The episode transitioned into the “Let’s Get Sentimental” segment where Fikisha discussed her personal life (8:20). She shared how her children transitioning into adulthood and moving away has given her a bittersweet, newfound sense of independence.  

Mary Kate and Rachel decided to keep going with the theme of ‘aha moments’ as they transitioned into the “Let’s Get Social” segment (9:35). They played a fun game of trivia to test Fikisha’s knowledge on little known facts, including which unsuspecting food grows shaped like mushrooms and how a loofah is made. You know the viral Social Media segment of “I was today year’s old when I…”, well that’s exactly how this went. We won’t spoil it, but we were just as shocked as Fikisha was. 

In true Small Talk Shop fashion, Mary Kate and Rachel ended the episode with “Let’s Get Silly,” which always asks an emoji-themed question. Make sure you check out the end of the episode to see what emoji Fikisha would use to describe how she felt during her ‘aha moment’ at IGNITE (at the very least, we can tell you it’s not 😟). 

Our team had such a great time reuniting with Fikisha after meeting her at IGNITE and can’t wait to reconnect at future events.  

Check out this week’s full episode below and let us know if you can do better than Fikisha in trivia!