1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.080 Welcome back to Broker Freight 2025. 2 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:03.660 And one of the best things about being at 3 00:00:03.660 --> 00:00:04.880 Broker Freight, the people you meet. 4 00:00:04.995 --> 00:00:06.845 Carl, we met a couple of years ago. 5 00:00:07.315 --> 00:00:08.885 It's good to see you again. Likewise. 6 00:00:09.105 --> 00:00:11.965 So, for the people watching introduce yourself, your first 7 00:00:11.965 --> 00:00:13.485 and your last name and who you're with. 8 00:00:13.945 --> 00:00:15.125 My name's Carl Broadbander. 9 00:00:15.225 --> 00:00:17.965 I'm the EVP of partnerships with IOU Financial. 10 00:00:18.505 --> 00:00:21.125 And IOU Financial is one of the, uh, 11 00:00:21.125 --> 00:00:22.565 bigger wholesale lenders 12 00:00:22.565 --> 00:00:24.685 and one of the first wholesale lenders in our industry. 13 00:00:25.345 --> 00:00:28.405 So Carl, we've met when you were just starting out. Yeah. 14 00:00:28.465 --> 00:00:30.205 So let's talk about building personal 15 00:00:30.205 --> 00:00:31.285 relationships with people. 16 00:00:31.435 --> 00:00:33.525 Yeah. Why is that important to your business? Yeah. 17 00:00:33.525 --> 00:00:35.405 And how is that important across the industry? 18 00:00:36.085 --> 00:00:37.805 I remember that that was quite a crash course. 19 00:00:38.305 --> 00:00:40.605 Uh, of course the personal relationships are critical 20 00:00:40.605 --> 00:00:41.965 because building trust 21 00:00:41.965 --> 00:00:44.045 and having good communication is the cornerstone 22 00:00:44.045 --> 00:00:46.325 of our business and of the broker's business. 23 00:00:46.465 --> 00:00:47.565 And ultimately that's 24 00:00:47.565 --> 00:00:50.125 what gives our merchants the confidence 25 00:00:50.125 --> 00:00:51.205 to move forward with funding. 26 00:00:51.825 --> 00:00:52.885 So, um, in fact, that's 27 00:00:52.885 --> 00:00:54.565 what I was speaking about today on your stage, 28 00:00:54.905 --> 00:00:58.565 was the importance of building trust in our relationships. 29 00:00:58.625 --> 00:01:01.005 So it is critical. It's a cornerstone of our industry, 30 00:01:01.005 --> 00:01:02.965 and I think we all need to recognize 31 00:01:02.985 --> 00:01:04.045 how we can raise the bar 32 00:01:04.305 --> 00:01:07.365 and continue to, to, um, build more trust in our industry. 33 00:01:08.305 --> 00:01:11.005 So for 2025, how has business been for you? 34 00:01:12.035 --> 00:01:13.245 Started off real strong. 35 00:01:13.825 --> 00:01:17.725 Um, we, like many others, I think experienced a, a little, 36 00:01:17.905 --> 00:01:20.005 um, sensed a little more hesitation on the part 37 00:01:20.005 --> 00:01:22.085 of our merchants in April closing loans. 38 00:01:22.545 --> 00:01:23.925 And we did research into that. 39 00:01:23.945 --> 00:01:27.165 We found out, we did a survey of 218 brokers, uh, merchants, 40 00:01:27.825 --> 00:01:30.645 and they told us that they were more worried than ever, 41 00:01:30.645 --> 00:01:33.605 significantly more worried than ever about political 42 00:01:33.685 --> 00:01:36.525 instability and public health crises. 43 00:01:37.225 --> 00:01:38.485 So political instability. 44 00:01:38.485 --> 00:01:41.605 The survey was taken in April, so that was peak, uh, 45 00:01:41.615 --> 00:01:43.165 Trump tariff war stuff. 46 00:01:43.165 --> 00:01:45.445 Right. So I think that explains part of it. 47 00:01:45.445 --> 00:01:47.965 And as far as the, um, public health goes, I think, 48 00:01:47.965 --> 00:01:51.445 you know, we've heard a lot about, um, uh, eggs, uh, 49 00:01:51.885 --> 00:01:55.645 tainted dairy products, um, bird flu cuts to Medicaid. 50 00:01:55.665 --> 00:01:57.645 So I think probably our clients, 51 00:01:57.645 --> 00:02:00.965 especially the ones in the medical fields, are the ones 52 00:02:00.965 --> 00:02:02.805 that are, um, sensitive to that sort of thing. 53 00:02:02.805 --> 00:02:04.885 So those are some of the things that are causing merchants 54 00:02:04.885 --> 00:02:07.205 to hesitate these days. 55 00:02:07.625 --> 00:02:09.245 We think it will pass, like everything does. 56 00:02:09.945 --> 00:02:11.525 But yeah, that's what we've seen in the market 57 00:02:11.525 --> 00:02:13.685 and that's what I shared this morning with your audience. 58 00:02:14.695 --> 00:02:17.645 Let's talk a little bit about being here at Broker Fair. 59 00:02:18.065 --> 00:02:20.805 How has, uh, it impacted your business? 60 00:02:20.825 --> 00:02:22.965 Ha have you been able to meet someone here, 61 00:02:23.535 --> 00:02:24.885 build a relationship, started 62 00:02:24.885 --> 00:02:26.085 here, and it grow your business? 63 00:02:26.705 --> 00:02:29.645 We absolutely have many times, including this year. 64 00:02:29.825 --> 00:02:34.245 Um, so I mean, we always meet about 65 00:02:34.815 --> 00:02:38.165 3, 4, 5 brokers that, that, 66 00:02:38.235 --> 00:02:39.405 that we would've never crossed 67 00:02:39.405 --> 00:02:40.565 paths with unless we were here. 68 00:02:40.865 --> 00:02:43.245 And we also get a chance to obviously meet with brokers 69 00:02:43.245 --> 00:02:44.725 that we've been working with for a long time. 70 00:02:44.915 --> 00:02:48.205 Some of these brokers have been working with us since 2009, 71 00:02:48.945 --> 00:02:50.765 so we, we go way back with some of these guys. 72 00:02:50.765 --> 00:02:52.765 So it's kind of a family reunion in some sense, 73 00:02:52.785 --> 00:02:55.085 and also a great opportunity to meet new brokers. 74 00:02:55.435 --> 00:02:57.445 Awesome. Well, Carla, thank you so much for your time. 75 00:02:57.445 --> 00:02:59.045 Really enjoyed, thank you for chatting with us, us. 76 00:02:59.135 --> 00:03:01.285 Thank you. And if people wanna reach out to you 77 00:03:01.285 --> 00:03:03.605 and work with you directly, what's the best form of that? 78 00:03:04.385 --> 00:03:06.885 If you wanna work out with me, um, work with me directly, 79 00:03:06.885 --> 00:03:10.845 reach out carl@ioufinancial.com is pretty easy. 80 00:03:11.185 --> 00:03:12.285 I'm on LinkedIn obviously, 81 00:03:12.505 --> 00:03:14.245 but I look forward to hearing from just about anybody. 82 00:03:14.395 --> 00:03:16.925 Awesome. Well, Carl, again, thank you for your time. 83 00:03:17.005 --> 00:03:19.765 And again, the best thing about Broker Fair is just the 84 00:03:19.765 --> 00:03:21.005 networking and the people you get to meet. 85 00:03:21.065 --> 00:03:22.525 So there'll be much more coming up.