On today’s show I am talking to Ana Fleck, Principal Broker/Owner at Invis Pacific View Mortgages in the Comox Valley. Ana is here to discuss navigating her journey in the mortgage business, from starting out while raising 2 young boys to having her own office, assistant, and team of brokers.

When Ana first started her mortgage career in 2007, she thought it would be easy. The first person she worked for said she would make all kinds of money in her first year, but that was not entirely accurate. With 2 young boys at home and a husband working as a commercial fisherman, it took a long time for Ana to build her book of business up. The plus side was that brokering allowed her the flexibility to look after her children herself.

Her advise to anyone starting out in business is to concentrate on small achievable goals.  It takes time to build confidence and trust with clients but doing the right thing, even if it means not getting paid, always pays off in the long run.  For Ana, the scariest part of the process was striking out on her own. It was never her intention to start her own office, but she had reached her capacity for growth where she was and was ready for bigger goals.

Later, Ana also discusses her Portuguese heritage and being the child of immigrant parents who did not speak English when they moved to Canada.  She shares how as a child, she helped out with interpreting for her parents at various appointments and even translating financial documents.  She talks about her regret that her mom did not get to have a career and how her love and affection for her close knit family has been a driving force in creating a beautiful and successful life through hard work and integrity.

Now, with an assistant on hand and her husband retired from commercial fishing, Ana has a lot more time to develop her business and herself. At work, her assistant is able to handle a lot of the time-consuming paperwork and her team has created a fun and supportive environment for everyone. At home, her husband has stepped up to help out with some of little things she used to get tied up doing after work.

Connect with Ana:

Website: https://www.mortgagecomoxvalley.ca/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anafleck_mortgage broker/