Small Talk Shop 2024 Year in Review: Conversations with Satisfied Customers Across the Country
Connecting with our customers and sharing their relevant impact on the industry (with a side of some fun and quirky games like ‘choose what emoji suits your mood’ or travel trivia) is what keeps us relentless in our pursuit to continue innovating for the industry, helping deliver positive outcomes. And what better way than to showcase these stories then a short video a series we call Small Talk Shop.
Each segment features conversations with customers that include a bit of small talk, a bit of shop talk, and everything in between. Most episodes are virtual, but this year the team was lucky enough to score a couple in-person conversations during their IGNITE and Hands-on-Training (HOT) events.
To close out the series for 2024, we wanted to share some quick highlights from some of our brilliant customers and their successes this year.
ACI Worldwide’s Darcy Locke
Darcy Locke, VP Head of Consumer Finance Sales at ACI Worldwide, had a great conversation with Mary Kate and Rachel about the state of payment technology, meeting the customer where they are, and a love of traveling. Darcy discussed the integration of ACI technology into Sagent’s platforms, which she believes is critical because it provides the convenience and immediacy that homeowners are beginning to expect. In the remainder of the episode, our hosts had a little bit of fun with Darcy, from playing a geography trivia game to picking emojis to describe different aspects of her personality.
IN-PERSON EPISODE: Plaid Pants, Tiger Woods, and Watching Golf on TV
The team went behind the scenes of an in-person HOT event to talk with customers about the industry and second chances using golf-themed language. The guests were Robert Reiter from Servion, Doreen Thomas from Click n’ Close, Aaron Shippee from First Citizens, and Ebony Owens-Culcu from Dollar Bank. Later in the episode, guests played a game called “Birdie or Bogie” where they sorted golf related concepts into the categories of Birdie (good) and Bogie (bad).
First Citizens Bank’s Fikisha Nelson
Fikisha Nelson, a VP at First Citizens Bank, sat down with the team to discuss her 26-year career track in the mortgage industry and her experience at Ignite, Sagent’s annual customer summit. She highlights connecting with her team and experiencing a personal lightbulb moment when she was able to put an escrow screen into practice, in real-time. Check out the remainder of the episode to hear Fikisha get sentimental about her children’s transition to adulthood and play a fun game of trivia.
IN-PERSON ESPISODE: Meeting Sagent Customers in Denver at IGNITE 2024
In this episode, the team chatted with attendees at Ignite, Sagent’s annual customer summit. The featured guests were Cassie Tappa from MGIC, Josh Dalke from Gateway, Bryan Somerland from Proctor Loan Protector, Karnesto Ward from Trustmark, and Kareem Crooks from Marriott. They discussed conference takeaways and advice, including getting out of your shell and taking the opportunity to network with other professionals. Check it out if you need a good laugh!
Click n’ Close’s Judy Humphreyson
15-year veteran of the mortgage industry, Click n’ Close’s Judy Humphreyson, joined our hosts to discuss her career journey, the nuanced nature of Section 184 loans, and industry partnerships. The trio also discussed integrating feng shui principles in their lives and played a quick game.
Our team is always excited to connect with customers and engage in a little shop talk and a little small talk. Keep an eye out for future Small Talk Shops coming your way in 2025.