SBA Lending Unplugged: My Unfiltered Take on Industry Hurdles and How to Clear Them

?? Charge through it like a Rhino, they said. It'll be fine, they said. Well, let me tell you—it's not always that easy. ??

Friends and colleagues, I've been wrestling with the urge to write this for a while, and after a particularly grueling week, I can't put it off any longer. I'm not here to play guru or dispense life advice; hell, most days I'm wrestling to stay positive just like you are.

The landscape in the SBA lending industry has dramatically shifted, and not in our favor. I used to sift through 30-40 deals a week and turn around 10% of those into successful transactions. Now? I'm looking at 50-60 deals a week and scraping by at a 2-3% attrition. Previous borrowers had expectations I could meet with ease. Now, they have hopes and dreams that often clash with the reality of the market forces trying to crush them. The frustration stretches me to my limits, and it pisses me off daily.

The workweek feels like a roller coaster that I can't get off. Monday begins with a torrent of new issues, bubbling up from the weekend, and by Friday, there's a letdown because deals aren't closing at the pace I set for them. And don't get me started on third-party insecurities, non-cooperative landlords, and conversations with the credit team trying to navigate a marketplace that's as stable as quicksand. It can be nerve-wracking. Sure, giving up crosses my mind more than I care to admit, but what keeps me going? It's like there's a Rhino inside me, urging me to charge through the chaos. (My spirit animal... self adopted... yes its dorky)

External forces, like interest rate hikes and inflation, aren't making things any easier. Add some wavering consumer data to the mix, and it's like we're navigating a labyrinth in the dark. Borrowers are taking on really stupid, desperate debt like it's going out of fashion, and I'm left trying to make sense of their financial choices, many of which are some that my nearly two decades of SBA lending haven't yet experienced.

So how do I manage to keep my head above water? I stick to a simple mantra: "Just keep grinding." It's not a groundbreaking philosophy, but that constant grind, combined with self-reflection and mental support from colleagues, keeps me on my feet. And yes, I lean on Instagram and other platforms where I find meaningful advice or perspectives that help me maintain a balanced mindset.

But let's not sugarcoat things. I've been there, at the edge of negativity. Just yesterday, a mixture of lack of sleep and unyielding challenges pushed me to a breaking point. My saving grace was a return to my daily rituals: a workout, some quiet time in front of a fan (I love my fan), and uplifting talks from spiritual mentors that reset my mind.

And if you think you're alone, you're not. My inbox is full of messages from peers experiencing the same pitfalls. It's like a support group for SBA lending warriors. No one needs empty platitudes; what we crave are real solutions from someone who's been in the trenches.

While work-from-home setups have their perks, they've also thrown us into the arena of digital socialization, where misunderstandings can escalate quickly. Resentments can build up before you even realize what's happening. My best advice? Pick up the phone and have an actual conversation. Remember, everyone's struggling, not just you.

So why am I sharing all of this? Because we're all facing similar challenges. It's tough, but if we open up, show some humility, and learn from our failures, we can emerge stronger on the other side. Being humble and teachable are not signs of weakness; they're the building blocks of resilience and success. We're all in this grind together, each one of us fighting our own battle but part of the same war.

As we face another challenging week, let's remember: we're all part of the same struggle. Let's own it, learn from it, and keep grinding.