1 00:00:00.315 --> 00:00:03.125 Welcome to the 2025 De Bank Connect in Miami. 2 00:00:03.545 --> 00:00:06.445 I'm now joined with Rocco, ate with Meridian Bank. 3 00:00:06.635 --> 00:00:07.885 Tell me what's been going on. 4 00:00:08.225 --> 00:00:09.365 Uh, lots of good stuff. 5 00:00:09.465 --> 00:00:11.805 We, uh, we just hired somebody new. 6 00:00:12.105 --> 00:00:16.405 Uh, we've grown probably two times, uh, from last year. 7 00:00:16.825 --> 00:00:18.685 Uh, we're gonna have our best February ever. 8 00:00:19.365 --> 00:00:21.325 I love to hear that. Yeah, it's fun stuff. 9 00:00:21.465 --> 00:00:25.485 Uh, I think our message of a, of a sort of maybe a 10 00:00:26.185 --> 00:00:29.205 lesser cost of capital longer term is really hitting. 11 00:00:29.735 --> 00:00:32.085 We've now been able to go up to 500,000 12 00:00:32.085 --> 00:00:33.285 where we weren't before. 13 00:00:33.505 --> 00:00:36.885 So a lot of those new things have really begin to, uh, 14 00:00:37.195 --> 00:00:39.085 come home and make it, make it work for us. 15 00:00:39.545 --> 00:00:41.685 Is the new administration helping with these things, 16 00:00:41.705 --> 00:00:43.405 or where is this all coming from? Uh, 17 00:00:43.405 --> 00:00:45.805 We're hoping that that's, uh, that's, uh, positive, 18 00:00:45.805 --> 00:00:46.965 especially, um, 19 00:00:47.145 --> 00:00:48.885 the people are feeling in our industry 20 00:00:48.885 --> 00:00:49.965 at least, feeling a lot better. 21 00:00:50.365 --> 00:00:53.085 I also do, uh, SBA lending for us at the bank, 22 00:00:53.345 --> 00:00:55.525 and we've been finding a lot of synergies back 23 00:00:55.525 --> 00:00:59.325 and forth between either taking customers out of them, uh, 24 00:00:59.385 --> 00:01:03.165 uh, revenue advance to an SBA or vice versa back into, 25 00:01:03.425 --> 00:01:05.485 and that's really been, uh, resonating with a lot 26 00:01:05.485 --> 00:01:06.485 of our ISOs as well. 27 00:01:07.185 --> 00:01:09.525 You said February's been your best month so far, 28 00:01:09.545 --> 00:01:10.925 and it's only two months into the year, 29 00:01:11.025 --> 00:01:12.205 so I am assuming the rest 30 00:01:12.205 --> 00:01:13.805 of the year is gonna be great too. Yeah, 31 00:01:13.805 --> 00:01:14.805 Let's hope so. Right. 32 00:01:14.805 --> 00:01:17.805 Uh, fingers crossed, we think we have now begun 33 00:01:17.805 --> 00:01:20.005 to build the base where we need to be. 34 00:01:20.225 --> 00:01:22.685 You know, for a while we were sort of that ship 35 00:01:22.685 --> 00:01:24.485 that was stuck in the dock, and then 36 00:01:24.485 --> 00:01:26.525 We, you stuck somewhere. I don't see that happening. 37 00:01:26.885 --> 00:01:29.245 Thanks. And then we sort of moved out into the bay 38 00:01:29.245 --> 00:01:31.925 and we've been moving around and now we're ready to go out 39 00:01:31.945 --> 00:01:34.525 and hit the open waters and really rock and roll. 40 00:01:34.665 --> 00:01:36.205 So, uh, and it's been working. 41 00:01:36.725 --> 00:01:38.845 I love to hear that. So how are we rocking and rolling? 42 00:01:38.875 --> 00:01:40.765 What are you doing? Tell me more. Yeah, 43 00:01:40.765 --> 00:01:41.765 Tell you more. Right. I, 44 00:01:41.765 --> 00:01:44.085 I think part of it is the fact that we, um, 45 00:01:44.475 --> 00:01:47.765 that we have our capital is, is cheaper than a lot of others 46 00:01:47.765 --> 00:01:48.925 because we're owned by a bank. 47 00:01:49.505 --> 00:01:52.005 Uh, we've been able to go slightly longer terms, 48 00:01:52.465 --> 00:01:54.005 but it's really that personal touch 49 00:01:54.005 --> 00:01:55.125 that we've been able to give. 50 00:01:55.465 --> 00:01:58.845 And it's also folks just getting to know who, uh, merit is 51 00:01:58.905 --> 00:02:00.645 and Meridian is in the marketplace, 52 00:02:00.645 --> 00:02:02.365 which takes some time, as you can imagine. 53 00:02:02.635 --> 00:02:03.685 Well, talking to me always 54 00:02:03.685 --> 00:02:04.765 helps get the word out. It does. 55 00:02:04.765 --> 00:02:06.245 Yeah, it does. Thank you for the opportunity. 56 00:02:06.245 --> 00:02:07.645 Always appreciate that. Always. 57 00:02:07.755 --> 00:02:09.645 What else do people, do you want people to know? 58 00:02:10.465 --> 00:02:12.085 Uh, probably that we, uh, 59 00:02:12.155 --> 00:02:14.445 also have a small ticket leasing company as well, 60 00:02:14.865 --> 00:02:17.765 so we have a lot of products that we can put, uh, 61 00:02:17.765 --> 00:02:19.845 someone into and a lot of products 62 00:02:19.845 --> 00:02:21.405 that ISOs can sell for us. 63 00:02:21.585 --> 00:02:24.205 So we're an ISO driven shop. We like working with them. 64 00:02:24.505 --> 00:02:26.925 Uh, we are not a direct lender at all, our funder at all. 65 00:02:27.225 --> 00:02:30.325 Um, so other, excuse me. We are a direct funder. 66 00:02:30.385 --> 00:02:32.045 We don't go directly to the merchant. 67 00:02:32.305 --> 00:02:33.925 Uh, so just to make that clear. Yeah. 68 00:02:34.025 --> 00:02:35.925 And so I think all of that's beginning to work. 69 00:02:36.665 --> 00:02:38.445 We need things to work and you're doing it well. 70 00:02:39.015 --> 00:02:40.605 Thank you. Yeah. No more sinking at the 71 00:02:40.605 --> 00:02:41.645 dock. I don't wanna hear that. Yeah, 72 00:02:41.715 --> 00:02:42.715 Exactly. No, we've 73 00:02:42.715 --> 00:02:44.005 been, we were stuck there just 74 00:02:44.005 --> 00:02:46.005 to working on the ship, let's call it. Yeah. 75 00:02:46.285 --> 00:02:48.525 I think that's a better way to keep the flow going. 76 00:02:48.755 --> 00:02:49.925 Yeah. Thank you. You know, 77 00:02:49.925 --> 00:02:51.565 and stuff like this is gonna, uh, 78 00:02:51.565 --> 00:02:53.085 really helps us get our name out there, 79 00:02:53.255 --> 00:02:54.525 which is important as well. 80 00:02:54.545 --> 00:02:56.325 And we have some more folks showing up today, 81 00:02:56.705 --> 00:02:59.085 so they're probably better at talking than me, but who 82 00:02:59.085 --> 00:03:00.085 Knows. No, you did great. 83 00:03:00.085 --> 00:03:01.365 And I appreciate you showing 84 00:03:01.385 --> 00:03:02.485 up for me. Yeah, there. 85 00:03:02.485 --> 00:03:04.005 You're welcome. Thank you very much. Yeah, 86 00:03:04.025 --> 00:03:05.805 And there's still more to come from Miami.