A couple of weeks ago our admin team gathered for our first large onsite in over a year. We flew from all over the country to meet in the beautiful Park City, Utah. Our summit was called, “Reaching New Heights”, and the purpose was not only to create a Digital Mortgage Transformation roadmap for the next year, but also to conquer our fears by literally reaching new heights (and for some of us to familiarize ourselves with pants again, ahem).
We took the group rock climbing with an amazing local outdoor adventure guide company, “In the Company of Guides” (ITCOG). As we arrived, a mountain wind blew steady and strong. Many began to question our desire to hang from the side of a mountain in these conditions. Interestingly, similar feelings of concern emerged the previous day, as we discussed our Digital Mortgage Roadmap. Coming off of overwhelming and record volumes and facing an uncertain rate environment could deter lenders from embracing our cutting-edge Digital Mortgage Roadmap. Are our lender clients ready to reach new heights? In the end, we believe lenders are eager to ascend to new places and to see their world from a different point of view. Alas, so did we.
Inspired by those who pushed through their fears and reservations, we even had a couple of team members change their mind about climbing. One of the ITCOG owners had this to say about the event:
What a powerful fun day we had with the Lender Toolkit corporate summit. What a gift to give the employees. First they rented a glam camp site at Storm mountain picnic area. It was perfect, remote and beautiful. We were staring up at Storm mountain still glistening with snow on a sunny June day.
Some employees just kicked back to relax and enjoy the views. Others decided to try the rock climbing, though most had never tried it before. It was so fun to watch people pushing themselves physically and mentally. The group was very supportive as they cheered each other on. When anyone reached the top or their high point everyone celebrated together.
Some people who were just watching decided to give it a go. I could just see in their faces when they got down how proud they felt.
All in all, it was such a social, fun, and relaxing day. In addition, it was an adrenaline rush for many as they challenged their fears and overcame them. As a guide, I was left with a sense of awe at the bonding of the group. I think it was such an amazing gift to give the team, and an experience to connect them. I imagine they will have something to look back on that brings laughter into the work days. This kind of experience is great for stimulating creativity for upcoming projects. Way to go team Lender Toolkit. Climb on! To the top you go!
-Winslow Passey, In The Company of Guides Owner
It truly was a powerful way to see our individual capabilities, and even more importantly, what is possible when we support each other as a team. We were even joined by Jake Thompson from Simple Nexus, who honestly made the rock climbing look easy. It was great to connect with him and to get to know someone from the digital mortgage company we love to work with. He had this to say about the experience:
I’m grateful to have been included in the event and to have met so many new folks! It was awesome watching everyone scale that cliff! Lender Toolkit is making huge waves, and I’m excited to continue to partner to bring lenders an amazing experience. We’re excited to work with any lenders who are looking for a true Home Ownership Platform that enhances their borrower experience from rate shopping through closing, and we greatly appreciate Lender Toolkit experts keeping us in mind as they work their relationships.
– Jake Thompson, Simple Nexus, Strategic Account Executive
We spent the day out in the wilderness rock climbing, and even rented out a glamping spot nearby for people to relax. We had a full outdoor bar (with our own Summit Signature Cocktail), delicious locally catered food, and walking / hiking trails all around us for people to explore.
We then took a tram ride to the summit of Snowbird to really breathe the high mountain air. After exploring, we headed back down the mountain for a delicious final dinner at the Aerie at Snowbird Cliff Lodge (highly recommend!)
We’ve all now settled back into our routines in our own individual corners of the US, but the memories from this week will last a lifetime. One employee even said, “It was the best work retreat I’ve experienced.” We’ve walked away with a roadmap for the company moving forward and yes, you guessed it, as one of the leaders in digital mortgage, we will continue reaching new heights.
