Description

About Erika Martens: She currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for FirstTrust Home Loans. Throughout her career, she has held many roles in diverse departments including compliance, operations, underwriting, and technology, and these experiences have given her a unique vantage point when it comes to strategy, decision-making, and data delivery. If asked, she’d tell you that she has made a career out of always being curious and being willing to be the first one to try to figure something out. Erika is a past President of the Oklahoma Mortgage Bankers Association and Board Chair for the Health and Wellness Center, Oklahoma’s largest rural FQHC. She holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University and is an active member of several other communities and faith-based organizations. She was named a NEXT Powerhouse Award Winner for 2021. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, an accomplished police lieutenant, and her son, a bright and active fourth grader.

In this episode, Steve and Erika discuss:

• What makes a good leader? 
• Having a learner’s attitude 
• Fostering curiosity 
• How stress affects intentionality

Key Takeaways: 

• A good leader is one who shows confidence in their team, and is never about themselves but always about other people. 
• Learning to be more curious starts with deciding that you want to be more curious. Having a learner’s attitude will bring you not only a lot of knowledge and experience but also a lot of opportunities. 
• Start small, and don’t be afraid. Pursue the “why” and give your intention to it. Help others be curious, seek out people who want to know more about the things that you already know very well. 
• Intention takes energy and so does stress. Therefore, stress and anxiety in life have the potential to rob from the intentionality in what you do. 

“You can never stop learning. Continuing to learn and be curious - that's what gave me those opportunities. And I want those opportunities to keep coming.” - Erika Martens

Connect with Erika Martens:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstTrustHomeLoansInc 

Website: www.firsttrusthomeloans.com 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-martens-19167818 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.