Business Partner Highlight: Stacy Wolak

Keith McKeever 0:01

All right, welcome back to another lender interview. Today I've got Stacey Wallach from Illinois National Bank. Thanks for joining me today, Stacey.

Stacy Wolak 0:09

Thanks for having me. Can you

Keith McKeever 0:11

tell us a little bit about yourself?

Stacy Wolak 0:13

Myself. Stacy was born and raised in the Peoria area. I have graduated from Currie Notre Dame and St. Phil's high school. So I know all about the schools in the area. And highly involved. I know you and I met doing some rebuilding. So I do love getting my rolling up my sleeves, get my hands dirty. And yeah. So a little bit about me married. No kids. love what I do.

Keith McKeever 0:48

Yeah, seems like those ramps were a really, really long time ago now. It was. I know, right? Yeah. You know, it's just great to get out there. Just do a little something different with your day. And so sit in the office, get out there, get active, do something, help some other people out in the community. So yeah, I think that's one of the things I've always appreciated about you is you are that kind of person roll up your sleeves, what what needs done? What can we do? So that's great. But how

Stacy Wolak 1:14

everybody will live someone like we have a miter saw either, you know,

Keith McKeever 1:19

not everybody should be trusted with miter saw. This is true. That's a testament to your skill there. So what is the How long have you been in the mortgage industry?

Stacy Wolak 1:30

I have been doing this for 24 years. Wow.

Keith McKeever 1:33

24 years. It's definitely seen a lot over 24 years, a lot of changes, especially, you know, 10 years ago with all the massive changes that we had, and, and whatnot. So what originally got you into this industry? Yeah.

Stacy Wolak 1:49

That's a great question. Hey, do you actually have a fun story? So I started in the real estate world at 16. My mom was a realtor and Jim Maloof realtor. And so I started their courier service, I started their Saturday secretary. And then at 21, I became licensed. And I sold houses and worked at the same time. And then at 22, I was recruited into the mortgage industry because of all the connections I had with the realtors for so many years. And so started with a broker and 22 actually sold real estate for a minute and did have a Sloane's at the same time. Only for about six months to a year.

Keith McKeever 2:33

Grenada, Chanel.

Stacy Wolak 2:35

Yes. Yes. And so then I dove right into lending.

Keith McKeever 2:42

So you must have had a very interesting childhood like I did growing up with a parent in the business conversations at the dinner table and whatnot.

Stacy Wolak 2:49

Oh, yeah, looking at houses or about the customers or Joseph donner, I,

Keith McKeever 2:57

I joke about it all the time. I'm like I literally grew up with we had conversations around the dinner table, because my mom's been doing this for 35 years now. My dad had his license until he passed away my few my stepdad had his license for a couple of years. So literally, they would sit down and the conversation would be like, what's going on with this? What's going on with that? And, you know, as a kid, you just in one ear out the other? Like, you don't want to hear it, you don't care? You have no idea what's going on? And, yeah, so Did your mom ever say have one of those conversations with you, like one of these days, you're gonna end up in the real estate world?

Stacy Wolak 3:31

You know, no, but it was something that I just really took to. And so we didn't have the conversation. But once I saw her and what she was doing, and getting to go see all the houses and helping people get into those houses, I wanted to do the same thing. So I would have started selling sooner, but we had to be 21 or you had to have a certificate in order to get your license before you turn 21. And not too many people took me too seriously at 21 Selling Houses. But I tried.

Keith McKeever 4:02

Well, you know, at that age, I mean, I think there's a lot of agents that can do it. Even 1819 that you can get your license now. But yeah, a lot of people aren't gonna take you all that seriously. So something you need to consider, right. But, you know, if you're young and got that much energy, you learn you study and learn from the best. And next thing, you know, after a couple of years of experience, it's kind of a moot point. So, yeah, but as a kid, that whole Old One of these days you get in real estate, and my answer was no, I'm not. Oh, here we are almost 10 years later for me. So you know, it is what it is. So what I know you've been in a few different places, but you've been Illinois, national banker, and now I am b i should say that's still a tough one to get past in my head. But how long have you been there and and why do you why did you choose INB to align with?

Stacy Wolak 4:54

Yeah, so I've actually been it'll be seven years next month. So I'm super cited, it'll be the longest I've ever been somewhere. And I stay here for quite a few reasons. One, they become more like family to me, I've got quite the team at the puree branch of people helping me. And we all work together to help each other to meet our goals and to help customers. As you know, I'm really involved too, and so they support me and all my work in the community. So I did a lot of work for Make A Wish Illinois. And when I did, the bank would sponsor what I was doing, and the whole branch would turn around. And we were actually a snap for the scavenger hunt that I have created. And just really, again, rolling up the sleeves and helping and being surrounded with people who are like minded. And the support that they've given me through the years as a loan officer is huge, too, between marketing and, you know, all of our staff is just, it's more family oriented, and we're all incentivized to work together as a team.

Keith McKeever 6:02

Well, you can't argue with that, you know, have that family atmosphere. Obviously, culture sounds like it's a really big part of it. So I mean, I think that's what anybody really wants in their, in their job they want that teamwork and a family atmosphere and culture of getting along and making making things happen. So totally understandable. For sure. So I know you I think you've probably done at this point, for clients of mine, you've probably done just about every loan type, but is there a certain type out there that you specialize in? are preferred, really, really take a lot of enjoyment and doing?

Stacy Wolak 6:35

That's a great question. We do every type of loan. So really, it boils down to the customers that, you know, they want that education and the hand holding, and that really appreciate what you bring to the table. And so I have had, you know, first time home buyers or even not percent home buyers, but they were so it's so much joy and excitement that this was happening for them, that they would even have tears of joy, you know, and being in that moment to make a difference in somebody's life, who thought they might not have been able to do it. It's those customers that are like, this is really happening and getting to see the joy and to be a part of it, and walk them through it and educate them along the way. I always tell everyone, you know, my passion is actually educating, not selling. So I'll educate all the options, we'll walk through it, then the customer makes the decision. And then we're in there together to get to the end. And then the other thing I love about being in a bank is my customers can call me afterwards and say, Hey, I've got a question or I need some help. Or maybe I want to cancel my escrow, then I can help them with that. So that's what I love about the bank is I'm always there, or being takes payments, they can call me and ask me, it's that relationship, that ongoing relationship that we get to have and walking alongside maybe for their second home, or their kids coming back to me and saying, Hey, are their kids coming to me should say, saying, you know, you helped my mom and dad, they said I had to go to you. And so here I am.

Keith McKeever 8:18

There's a lot of reward, feeling in your heart, when you help somebody who know, unfortunately, a lot of people that because of the information that's out there, and myths about different things that they think that they can't qualify, or they don't know how much they can qualify for. They don't know anything about it. Because there's a lot of junk on the internet. Google can send you down a rabbit hole of the truth, or, or lies. And to decipher between those can be kind of difficult. So it's really helpful to have somebody who takes that time to educate. That's one of the reasons I've always enjoyed sending people to you, because I know that they're going to get that education, whatever it is. Some people might know a lot about one thing and absolutely nothing about another. So you know, you got to figure out where it's at, fill in the information gaps and, and help people.

Stacy Wolak 9:09

Yeah, it's a lot of information out there. There's no dumb question. The only thing the only dumb question is the ones we don't ask, because we don't know what we don't know.

Keith McKeever 9:22

That's true. That's true. Yeah. I don't think nobody can stand up and say they know at all, if they do, well. Everybody in the room knows their lives. No, no at all. So So is there any any anything outside of work that you'd like to do hobbies interests? I mean, I know you're pretty well, but to share with everybody else.

Stacy Wolak 9:47

Sure. So most exciting most recently is I became a certified pilot, so I can fly a single engineer plane. Right now I'm just flying little Cessna 150 twos law Running on 172 right now to step it up a little bit from a two seater. But I do love to

Keith McKeever 10:06

let that off as if like, you're going to end up in a scene above F 16 At some point or something like that. I'm just starting and it says

Stacy Wolak 10:14

this is true. I am one of these days I will be in an aerobatic plane.

Keith McKeever 10:20

Gotta have goals, right? That's right. I am not flying with you. I will tell you how much I would fly with you in a Cessna. But yeah, nothing that loops. No way. You lost me there?

Stacy Wolak 10:33

Well, it is a lot of fun. And outside of that I do love to travel a lot. So my husband and I travel and we just got back from Belize. And we just love to explore this incredible Earth that we have to go all over the world. And so that is one of my past times and had been on seven mission trips all over the world. And just hope to keep going.

Keith McKeever 10:59

Absolutely, well, I have no doubt that you'll be back in those places. Many, many more times, roll up your sleeves and getting things done. So now if anybody wanted to reach out to you and get a hold of you, what's what's the best way that they can do that?

Stacy Wolak 11:12

The best way to get a hold of me is my cell phone 309-303-1542 You can call text anytime. And I can also just, you know, text, the link for people to apply, which is really nice. This whole age of technology makes life so much quicker and easier.

Keith McKeever 11:30

That it does it well it beats you know, coordinating schedules that come into your office and you know, all those kinds of things and fill out paperwork. And it's so much quicker and easier. And I think what Gary mentioned education earlier, it's not just first time homebuyers. It can be someone who has bought a house. And in years, if you haven't bought a house in the last 10 years, it has changed drastically on that front. So I mean, I remember what I have been in my house for almost 10 years, I remember, first mortgage I ever got, I went into the office and sat down and filled out the paperwork. And it's just not that way anymore. So makes it quick and easy. So awesome. And I will have in the in the show notes, I'll have links and everything like that, for anybody who's watching. If you are looking for a loan or looking for a house here, you definitely need to call Stacey or follow the link down there and just apply.

Stacy Wolak 12:17

Yeah, and the nice thing too is I can actually finance a house anywhere in the US. So I'm not stuck to just Illinois. So since we are a federally chartered bank, I can finance anywhere in the US.

Keith McKeever 12:28

That's awesome. That was good to know, when I'm selling my sell houses in Alaska, so but I do have a network of people. So you know if somebody watches this and you need a house in Alaska, find somebody out there. We'll find a good realtor for you. And we'll get the loan taken care of so yep, that's all Stacy, I appreciate you hopping on here and just sharing us a little bit of who you are and what you do. So I really appreciate that.

Stacy Wolak 12:54

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.