Mortgage Broker Broadcast
Developing your knowledge to help you build a successful Mortgage Broker business. Craig Skelton shares his thoughts and experiences on all aspects of mortgage advice covering everything from operating in the banking world, estate agency based advisers all the way up to working as a self employed broker. He will be joined by experts from within the industry and other business sectors which all play a key part in becoming a successful mortgage broker in the modern world.
Mortgage Broker Broadcast
First-Time Buyers, Evergreen Content, and Blood Cancer: Dan Knott's Journey
Dan Knott's return to The Mortgage Broker podcast reveals the extraordinary resilience required to maintain a thriving mortgage practice while facing life-altering personal challenges. As a specialist in helping first-time buyers navigate homeownership, Dan's business was flourishing until 2024 delivered multiple simultaneous crises - renovating his late grandmother's home, welcoming a sleep-resistant newborn, and receiving a devastating blood cancer diagnosis.
What unfolds is a masterclass in controlling what's controllable. Rather than allowing circumstances to derail his business completely, Dan leveraged years of evergreen content to maintain visibility when creating new material became impossible. His philosophy that "it doesn't have to be done perfectly, but it does have to be done" guided him through months of uncertainty while awaiting final diagnosis results.
The podcast explores the unique strength of Dan's client-focused business model, where clients specifically choose him rather than being referred, creating foundations of trust that withstood service interruptions during his health crisis. Now cancer-free, Dan shares how his experience transformed protection conversations with clients: "My immediate concern was just, although all the cover was there for myself, it never seems enough."
Looking forward, Dan reveals his plans to launch "Let's Buy a Home" - a podcast helping people navigate both purchasing and early homeownership - along with creating a brand ecosystem spanning mortgages, content creation, community-building, and speaking engagements. His alternative vision challenges the assumption that broker success must follow a traditional expansion model.
For anyone facing business challenges while navigating personal crises, this conversation offers both practical strategies and emotional reassurance that recovery is possible. Whether you're a mortgage professional or entrepreneur in any field, Dan's journey demonstrates that resilience isn't about avoiding difficulties, but developing the capacity to navigate through them while maintaining your professional identity.
Looking for one to one mentoring, visit my website to see how it works craigskelton.co.uk
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Hi and welcome to this week's the Mortgage Broker broadcast. My guest this week is Dan Knott, and I wanted to get Dan back onto the podcast. He's been on a couple of times already early days back in December 2021 and then came back on in May 2023. So if you've not listened to him before, listened to the podcast before, do have a listen to that, because he was a new broker at the time, new into the industry, and it's been good to sort of have a chat with him, catch up with him about his journey. And, yeah, I wanted to get back on just really to catch up what he's been going on. I know he's had a challenge in 12 months and we want to talk. I want to talk about that on the podcast. So, yeah, let's just get Dan onto the podcast. So welcome back onto the podcast, dan.
Speaker 2:How to the podcast? Dan, how are you? I'm very well, craig, thank you very much for having me back my hat-trick appearance.
Speaker 1:It is your hat-trick appearance and that's exactly when I was sort of looking back thinking I don't know. We had a brief chat conversation before we hit record very, very brief, to be fair. So I think you had a third time and it seems like ages since you've been on the podcast, ages since I spoke to you. So really appreciate it taking. You are very busy, so I really appreciate you taking the time to come back onto podcasts and trusting me with no agenda, no topics, just having a chat about what's going on in, uh, dan's world. So, uh, but it's great to get you back on there.
Speaker 1:So, for the first, for those people that haven't listened to the first time he was on, which was way back, what? De? December 2021, so sort of three and a half, three and a half years ago, so ish. And then back on in um, may 2023, so it seems like a common theory about eight, like an 18 month gap in between each one kind of thing. So, uh, yeah, for those people that haven't listened to you on those podcasts, do you want to just give a brief introduction about yourself and who you are?
Speaker 2:yes, so my name is Dan is Dan. As you are aware, I am a mortgage advisor. I niche primarily into the first time buyer space, helping young people to take the first steps onto the property ladder. I joined the industry in 2020, late 2020. My first full year as a mortgage advisor was 2021. My first full year as a mortgage advisor was 2021. I joined the industry on a self-employed basis, generating all of my own leads. That was always the plan and, yeah, that's still the case today.
Speaker 1:Good, and that's what I want to talk a lot about in terms of, because when I look back at your, I did a bit of research before we hit record. I thought I'm going to see when, dan, I knew when you started, I knew what you weren't long into mortgage broken when you first came on the podcast, which was which is great. But what I loved doing this morning was going back on your instagram, which we'll talk about platforms and things like that, but going back, scrolling back and scrolling back and scrolling back to your sort of 600, 700 posts I think it is something like that you've done and then looking back and then just sort of seeing the change in the brand, changing you and how that's developed, which just makes me smile because it goes back to the point of what we've talked about before and what I've sort of said is just start, don't worry. You look at how your brand's evolved, which is amazing, is amazing to see.
Speaker 2:Yeah, something I sort of live by is the thought that it doesn't have to be done perfectly, but it does have to be done, so get on with it yeah, which you can see that over that period of time.
Speaker 1:But before we get into the podcast and talk about mortgages, let's we need to have a bit of a chat about. You are a diehard Sunderland fan, Mackham aren't you?
Speaker 2:I am Season ticket holder since 1997 in the same seat.
Speaker 1:Wow, I didn't think that you were that old, are you?
Speaker 2:from a toddler. That was when I was four. Right, okay, yeah, since I was four, the same seat, wow.
Speaker 1:Diehard Mackham, then Diehard Mackham, and good to see where you are at the minute. Right, okay, yeah, since I was four the same seat. Wow, die hard Mackham, then die hard Mackham, and good to see where you are at the minute yes, so we're, we're quite, we're good championship side.
Speaker 2:However, I do fear when we go up we're probably going to struggle, but we're a good championship side nothing like sort of the.
Speaker 1:I don't think you've got a good chance. You've got a sort of like you are up there, I think you'll be. I think it's playoffs, I think. Is that fair to say for you?
Speaker 2:It's going to be playoffs. So it's quite a strange season because we're not good enough to be top two. We're a little bit behind the top two in terms of quality it's quite clear to see. But also we're miles ahead of the seventh-place team. So we've sort of settled into the fact we're going to be in the playoffs already. I actually booked my hotel for Wembley last month, so optimistic.
Speaker 1:That is optimism. That is optimism right there. That's quite optimistic for a Maccum, because the Maccums, I know, are quite pessimistic.
Speaker 2:Shall we say, well, it is free cancellation.
Speaker 1:All right, well, that's fine then. Yeah, you're fine then. So football we'll see how this goes. This is going to go out 26th of March, so we've still got eight, nine games of the season by then. So it'll be interesting to see how that plans out and whether you are at Wembley for the bank holiday weekend. It's like normally bound the bank holiday May time.
Speaker 1:Exactly yeah, so, yeah, good, so yeah, enough talk about football, let's get into mogul. So I think, like you say when you look back over there, so what's been going on recently? You seem to be very busy. You've had quite a lot. I follow your content on social media a lot. I follow your content on social media.
Speaker 2:your instagram comes up on my feed all the time, what's sort of like being the the most recent challenges and what's been going on in, uh, in dan's world because I'm so new to the industry and despite the fact that the industry in the housing market went through a little bit of a slowdown over that, maybe two years ago, my business, thankfully, has been growing year on year. Last year was the most successful year yet in terms of business, written profits, et cetera. Last year, however, was, without doubt, the most stressful year of my life and, in turn, the most difficult year within the business. A few different reasons, all sort of from personal life. So my gran passed away in August 2023, which happens.
Speaker 2:However, my plan was always that I was going to buy her house. The house needed a big renovation and at the start of 2024, that renovation was ongoing. It was a lot of work it's always more work than you think it's going to be. It's always more expensive than you think it's going to be. It's always more expensive than you think it's going to be and that we eventually complete the purchase of our new home in april 2024. But to add to that, we had our second baby in may of 2024. Wow, so there was a lot going on pregnancy and a home renovation.
Speaker 2:Um, our second baby simply didn't sleep for the first eight months of her life, so, genuinely. For about eight months I was running on three hours sleep a day. It was pretty horrific, to be honest, in terms of sleep and then managing work on top of that and everything else. But also through 2024, I had a bit of an ongoing health issue which led to eventually being diagnosed with blood cancer in August. Now, this was ongoing all year before that. So the house renovation, baby lack of sleep and the ongoing diagnosis yeah, it made it really hard to sort of manage the business. For the first time, in August of last year, I received a diagnosis for blood cancer, which was a big shock. I'm a pretty physically fit lad, no pre-existing medical issues, um, and yeah, it's sort of you know, it really did hit the fan, so to speak. Um. So, with that, just to be clear, I received, um, the all clear in october and I'm I'm absolutely fine, um, but I essentially turned all calls off for a few months, um, because I didn't want things to get too stressful. It was the first time in life where I've maybe really struggled with stress. Um, didn't know what was going to happen, didn't know how bad it was going to be, how it was going to end up and, yeah, essentially turned off client calls for around about two months, which is never what you want to be doing, but it was necessary just to get through those few months and just make sure that I was as healthy as possible, controlling the controllables.
Speaker 2:But just to add some context to the cancer thing, because people will ask is that essentially I had a lump which was removed and I was misdiagnosed multiple times. I was told that it was X, y and Z. I always knew that it wasn't what they were diagnosing me with, so I always challenged it and eventually, after many, many tests, um, I was diagnosed with blood cancer. However, they couldn't tell me what type of blood cancer it was. It was one of three things it was.
Speaker 2:Either the best case scenario was it was lymphoma, where a lump was essentially removed and that was the end of it. That was the best case scenario. Or it um could have been something called multiple myeloma, which is very, very serious. Um, so we had MRI scans, we had um bone marrow biopsies, there was all sorts going on, a lot of very significant tests. So yeah, it was an incredibly stressful time but thankfully in October it was the lymphoma and essentially there was no other traces of it in my body. So at the moment I feel good and yeah, but it really caused it quite a difficult year in the business last year, um, and it's maybe caused a little bit of a slowdown over sort of January this year, not in terms of new appointments but in terms of, maybe, applications, because I did turn my calls off for such a long period last year. But you know, here we are, um, and yeah, it's just all part of all part of the journey.
Speaker 1:It's like wow, wow. First of all, I appreciate you sharing that on this podcast and I know I've seen various clips on your social media about in terms of not in as much detail probably as what you've sort of just talked about there. But then for me, just for you, to talk through that and explain that and think about I know luckily you've pressed the fast forward button button and giving everybody the reassurance of yeah, I got the all clear in october. So I'm guessing that two month period of from august to october was that the sort of time where you it was the not knowing, so you yes, it was not knowing, and sort of many nights really really really fearing the worst.
Speaker 2:Um, I think when you go to these appointments in the hospital you know the bone marrow biopsy was probably one of the worst days I've ever had um, you sort of you're speaking to the doctors and you're asking leading questions, hoping that somebody's going to go. Oh, it'll be all right, you know it'll be all right, but it know it'll be all right, but it never quite happens. So, yeah, august to October, yeah, that was sort of the main period of stress.
Speaker 1:Which, let's say, for you to first of all, for you to come out, obviously it's amazing news that you've got the all clear. That is like the one big thing, that sort of like that is the really good news. But but then you look like dealing with that in terms of over those two months and, understandably, pausing your client, like your business, then sort of and I'm interested to get your take on it in terms of where your mind was at. If you don't mind, if you, if there are questions that I don't, you don't want to talk about, then absolutely fine, we can sort of just I'll edit them out or we can. We can not talk about it because for you to like maintain your business and come out the other side and still have a business going and you're still growing with that, the mindset of what you've had to deal with over that period of like two, like a two-month period, we've. I can't imagine what you've had to deal with over that period of like two, like a two-month period, we've. I can't imagine what you've gone through in terms of that. Like you say, I hear horror stories about the, the bone marrow biopsies which are like are pretty, not not great from a an experience point of view, but just the the, the thoughts and things that go, because you do expect the worst, don't you? Your mind, just naturally you've got to I know what, like I, without going to see. So I don't want to take anything away from what you've talked about. I've gone through a little bit of a not as drastic, but a bit of time where the unknown, where there was that little bit of unknown of, we found something, but we need to check something out. But we're going to get you booked in for an emergency CT scan but it's going to take two weeks. It's like it's the unknown.
Speaker 1:And you sort of said something there about controlling the controllable, and it does. It made me realise at that point of yes, you have the, you plan worst case scenario, your mind just goes in worst case scenario, mind it like it does, but from your point of view, to maintain your business, and then still going through worst case, not. But you sort of said something there on controlling the controllable, which that's so powerful. You, you have to believe in that at that critical time, because nobody's going to give you those reassurances. Your family and friends are going to go, oh yeah, you'll be all right for those people that knew, yeah, you'll be fine, don't worry about it. Yeah, absolutely fine.
Speaker 1:Nobody knows like I'm some a good friend of mine who's gone through a similar sort of thing from a cancer point of view, to then get through the whole thing and he said I said everybody tells you, oh, it's gonna be fine, apart from the people that you want to tell them. What do you want them to tell you it's going to be okay. But they don't give you that reassurance because, well, they can't. They can't give you false hope, they can't give you, like, give you that reassurance, oh, yeah, it's going to be fine, it's gonna be fine. But then and then build you up to then pull you back down so say, obviously they didn't in your situation, mine, all my friends, he's like but yeah, that's real level-headed stuff in there in terms of keeping that together yeah, I think it's as well as that.
Speaker 2:I think having two kids you've sort of especially two young kids. You know the baby was still, is still not sleeping. You know there's nothing you can really do about that. So I think it gives you um a good opportunity to be like right, well, I've got stuff to do anyway, like I've got to get on with it, so, so get on with it. I always say a little bit of a funny one was um, I'm a big oasis fan and as a child I was a huge oasis fan. Um, still am. And the week I got the diagnosis they announced their comeback, right, um. So I can't the exact days, but something like I got the diagnosis on the tuesday, they announced their comeback on the wednesday and the tickets were out on the friday, something like that. I can't remember exactly. So that gave me a very early opportunity of being like right, I'm going to, I'm going to see oasis.
Speaker 1:Um, so, like sort of, so, not um, dwelling on it, it gives me a very immediate opportunity to be like no june next year I'm going to see oasis, I'm going to pay 350 quid for a ticket and get ripped off um so, yeah, who cares like that, like it doesn't matter what it costs it I know obviously it does within reason, but to give you that and that's what gets you through, and they give you that focal point of I am going to stay away. So did you get tickets? I'm guessing you got tickets then and you paid £350, and you're going to stay away. I did.
Speaker 2:I did. I'm going to see them in Manchester in June.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay. But when you're there at that gig and you're stood there, sat there, whatever the situation may be, and you're a massive fan of that band, you will I'm guessing will you get quite emotional. Is that like you're thinking? Actually, this is like what you've gone through and this moment of this ticket, of purchasing this ticket, where you were when you bought the ticket, which you didn't care about money at that point'm guessing you're like I'm gonna say because if I get through this, I'm gonna sit away, because I don't give a toss what it costs, I'm gonna go do it, kind of thing. So, yeah, will you be. How will you feel at that moment?
Speaker 2:yeah, perhaps I did think that at the time, um, but yeah, sorry, it's very yeah that obviously the stars did align and it did help me along the way. But to be honest, with the whole thing, when I was going through it, I did fear that it would become an everyday worry for the rest of my life. But to be honest, I don't really think about it too much anymore. So I think I've sort of got away quite luckily, not only physically but also mentally. It's not really something I worry about too much anymore, rightly or wrongly. So yeah, but you know I'll be there though.
Speaker 1:And that is the main thing you will be there In terms of when you sort of because bringing it back to our day-to-day life of protection with mortgage brokers. We're talking about protection. We're talking about things that could possibly happen in the future. It is unknown, and you put in that the thoughts in people's minds, talking about shortfalls, plugging the gaps. However, you talk about protection with your clients, but you said something there a little while back where it's well, you are fit and healthy. It doesn't, and that's what people think, like I don't, but it's not gonna happen to me because I am fit and healthy and I'm very, I'm active and do what I need to do. But that's why that sort of thing just you just don't know, like that doesn't give that thing, doesn't care whether you're active or not yeah, so I always do use myself as an example now during calls with clients and sort of explain.
Speaker 2:My immediate concern was just, although I do, you know, all the cover was there for myself. Um, it never seems enough. You know, if something was to happen to me, they can't replace me financially, um, you know. So it's sort of you need that was genuinely what. Where will the kids be financially growing up and also in early adulthood, if I'm not there? Um, you know, I've got this cover. However, you know, I wish I had 10 times more and I think that that that would be the case for everybody. Yeah definitely.
Speaker 1:But we all talk about stories, we all talk about clients and situations, but when you are you're face to face with a client or you're on a team's meeting, zoom meeting or on a virtual meeting, they're going to be looking at you. You're going to be very. It's not just a story, it's your story, it's not just a client. This is what's happened to me and this is my like. What a powerful message. Not that clients need to be sold to or anything like cause. That's not what you're there to do is from a protection point of view, but from what you're, what you've gone through and you're going to talk about it and you've got to be able to talk. One massive thing is Dan, no-transcript somebody in the past or I've had a client who's done this or that it's you and they're looking at the whites of your eyes. If you're on a team's or face face and you are talking about your experiences, which is so powerful.
Speaker 2:Exactly, yeah, and I think I've always had quite a good, I've got a great relationship with my clients, so I've always, fortunately, been able to explain the benefits of protection to clients anyway. So this only adds to that and, yeah, luckily I am able to protect the vast majority of my clients.
Speaker 1:Which is then like you say it's because you want them to be your friend. Luckily, I am able to protect the vast majority of my clients, which is then like you say it's because you want them to be your friend. That's the whole point of being a mortgage broker. You want to build trust with these clients. You want to be there. You're there for them. You're working with predominantly first-time buyers, so you are going to be their friends because they're not experiencing this world. They're not experiencing these kind of transactions, they're not experiencing dealing with all these stressors that they're going to be dealing with. So dan is going to be their friend because you are going to be there, mate. You are there for them because that's just how you work as a mortgage broker.
Speaker 1:You don't you don't see it as a transaction, do. You are like good friends with the, with your clients, and I love that. When I look to one of your instants I'll let you to answer in a second because I'm not I'm talking quite a lot on this podcast, which I don't normally do, but, um, when I look to one of your instances, I say why do you do what you do, or whatever the comment was, and then you've got a clip of just like loads of pictures of your clients moving in, and this is why you do it.
Speaker 2:That put a smile on my face yeah, so the best part of my business is that my clients choose me. Um, most of them follow the instagram page for years. Maybe they've heard me on podcasts and then they've went to the instagram page and they've chosen to contact me, and they've chosen to work with me. Um, rather than it being a referral, or they've just contacted a local company and they're assigned an advisor. They've chosen to work with me. So, to begin with, they probably like me a little bit, they probably trust me and, yeah, they want me to be the person to take them through the process.
Speaker 2:What that means is we have a fantastic relationship to begin with. The trust is there, they allow me to do my work and, yeah, that just allows you to build even greater client relationships, have better experiences, get great client reviews, have fantastic results. And, yeah, I don't really have too much client friction within my business, which I value massively, because sometimes sometimes you know, when you do get a client who maybe doesn't, it always stems from clients not valuing your, your role or your advice, and that can it can become a real pain in the backside, um, and it's just not something I want in my day-to-day um. So, yeah, absolutely the fact that I've got. Great relationships with my clients is, without doubt, the best part of the job.
Speaker 1:I think the thing is as well, because this is long-term for you. You're seeing this as, like your clients, because they're your friends, because they've seen your content. They feel as though they know you because they've seen your 600, 700 posts on Instagram. They've seen your social. They feel as though they know you because they've seen your 600 700 posts on instagram. They've seen your social media profiles. So when they're reaching out and talking to you, you're answering a lot of questions on your content that they have in their mind. So who better to speak to somebody than the person that's answered half a dozen of questions? Yes, you've still got another 10 or 20 that they're going to answer in your first, in your initial contact with them, but at least they are going to, at least if you've answered some of their questions and they feel comfortable with reaching out, which is then more likely for them to to reach out and deal with you.
Speaker 2:So absolutely, I think, on instagram and maybe tiktok as well. There's so much advice out there, a lot of clickbait advice You're maybe not really sure who to trust. One thing I do is I do appear on a lot of podcasts as a guest and I do get most of my clients from podcast appearances and I think people having the opportunity to listen to you in short form, talk about the subject for an hour, be asked random questions and be able to answer them on the spot often when it is quite complex allows people to see that you really do know what you're talking about. You happen, you're happy to do the job in public. Um, because a lot, a lot of people aren't and, yeah, that again it's massive for authority building. A lot of the time they say you know, I've heard you on this podcast. It's clear you know what you're talking about. It's clear you've worked with a lot of first-time buyers. I need some help, so let's have a chat and is it local?
Speaker 1:is it a lot? Your clients, are they local or the in the sort of depend?
Speaker 2:or no. So I've consciously tried to well, first of all, to answer a lot of my. I do have a lot of local clients, but I've consciously tried to build my following in london, um, over the last year or so. A lot of the podcasts are london-based. I do find that a lot of the listeners are london-based um, often sort of ex-students and things like that. And and, yeah, I am consciously trying to work with more clients in London.
Speaker 2:I feel like the buying habits are a little bit different in terms of they are maybe more comfortable paying for an advisor to take them through the process and sort of reaping the benefits of that. As well as that, you know to be completely transparent, bigger properties, bigger mortgages, of which you know, at the end of the day, it is a business and where I'm based in Sunderland has some of the cheapest homes in the country. Now, I do work with a lot of clients in Sunderland. However, as many mortgage advisors will know, when you are mortgaging properties worth £100,000, sometimes the procuration fees you're receiving if that's all you were doing, you're going to have to do a lot of business, which then can begin to impact the service, your relationships, communication, etc. So, yeah, I do work with. I would say it's probably a 50-50 split between local in the Northeast and then a lot of work in London of work in London.
Speaker 1:So how much emphasis do you put on the reviews and the feedback from your clients and like, how like and what part of the process have you got? Process for your reviews and what, when? If you have, then when is that? When is it part of your process?
Speaker 2:Yes, so views, reviews, are massive. I always say to I get a lot of questions from mortgage advisors who follow my Instagram on you, mortgage advisors who ask me questions about how I do things. And yeah, I always say, if you're busy, show you're busy and if you're not busy, pretend to be busy. Um, so the yeah so reviews get your reviews from your clients and they need to be up on socials. I am able to get lots of reviews and I do get lots of reviews because of that relationship. One, because they want to leave a review because I'm doing the job. Two, I'm very comfortable asking for a review, so I always do it.
Speaker 2:At mortgage offer. When I receive a mortgage offer, I ask them specifically for a review. When I receive a mortgage offer, I typically have a phone call with the client in which we chat through. You know, here's your offer, your solicitor's going to receive one. You're going to receive one. This is what we've done with your protections. We're going to instruct your property surveyor now. Yeah, if you would like to leave me a review, it really helps as a self-employed advisor. Here's the review to Trustpilot. It only takes two minutes and, yeah, I would really appreciate it if you don't mind. And yeah, that does see me get quite a few reviews. If a client doesn't leave a review, I do then follow up. Typically when we hear of completion approaching, I feel like once completion has occurred, fair enough, they're in the house. They don't want to hear from me anymore.
Speaker 1:No, no, and I get. I think most brokers do do. If brokers listen to this thinking and get information from you, thinking, when should I get my reviews offer is, like most brokers do get them a mortgage offer stage, because that's the good news in it, you've done, you've technically done your job. Your job is to get the mortgage offer. I know you do a lot more than that man don't. I'm not sort of saying that's where it ends or that's where it starts, but you do a lot more than that. But that's the good news story with the client got your mortgage offer. Why, like as you said, get the review.
Speaker 1:The important thing is follow, because there's a lot brokers that don't follow because they're scared of that. If the client's not left to review straight away, is that bad news? Is that because they don't want to give me a good review? Is that not that I'm not going to get good feedback? So then they're scared to then follow it up, whereas I say just follow up. If the worst case scenario they don't want to give you a review, then that's fine. Get for some feedback on why. What can you learn from them not giving you five-star or not giving you a review? So don't be afraid of that. I'm pleased to hear that you do follow up, because that just shows that you're not scared of the response. Shall we say?
Speaker 2:No, and I think the best way to get a good review is to be sort of good at everything else. If you know you've communicated well through the process, if you know you've got them the best deal, if you know the you know you you've provided clarity in all areas throughout the process, then yeah, ask for the review and they're not going to mind absolutely and they won't.
Speaker 1:And yeah, normal feedback is that they, uh, they won't. So it's just getting part of the process. That's the important thing. What I wanted to pick up on I just made a note there because it is a bit of a side issue, but in the past, on the podcast, when you came on before, we talked about consistency and evergreen content and things like that. You're consistent with your posting. You're consistent with your social media, with your Instagram I see all the time coming from my feed. What happened when you've got that period of August 2024 where everything's paused with your business, everything paused with what's going on? Did you come like and I appreciate you answering this on it? And I'm asking you cause I know you answer this honestly what was you? Was you thinking I've got evergreen content to keep posting? Was you scheduled in to push content or did you just go? Do you know what? I don't want clients. I don't want leads. I need to pause my life for a second. Let's just stop everything so it.
Speaker 2:So the whole thing, the whole hell thing went on. It's a little bit more than just august, august and October, because there was a big lead-up to it before that, and what that meant was the content did slow down last year majorly. I think there was a phase where I hadn't recorded a new video for almost a year. However, my content is evergreen, as mentioned. So there was a lot of reposting content. A lot of the content was reposted from two years earlier, literally lifted the video and added new captions to it and reposted it, and that kept the account as alive as possible. Um, it's not ideal, um, but having that there certainly allowed me to continue some form of profile online and yeah, that's what I did. So that's the benefit of your content being evergreen.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and thanks for sharing that. I really appreciate you sort of being honest on the podcast and I think that's Brooker should take sort of some reassurance in that. That evergreen content. We all post evergreen content, whether it's rebranded, like you you say, whether it's recaptioned, whatever that looks like. If you've answered a question that is still relevant now for people, it's still okay.
Speaker 1:And no, I'm not sort of saying you create seven videos and post like the same one on a monday, same one on tuesday. We're not talking about that. We are talking a bit of a time in between. Mine's normally about sort of four or five months in terms of posting in between new content. So I do repost evergreen content in between new stuff, but it just, like you said there, it's a case of that's okay because it is evergreen stuff that you post and you are done. You are creating evergreen content that can just be reused.
Speaker 1:No, it's not ideal, absolutely not, but at least you're still being consistent as you possibly can. While you're dealing with months of emotional, physical stress, you're still there as the face of the business, because this is your business. Nobody's going to do it for you, are they? You've not. If you don't create that content, nobody's going to wake up today and go do you know what? We've not quite got a Dan Does Mortgages AI bot yet or anything like that that we can just sort of create stuff for which obviously will come in down the line, but you are still being seen by your potential clients who don't know any different. What's going on in your world and in your personal life, they don't know any different.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And something I never understand, I've never been able to relate to, is when people say I don't know what to post or I can't think of ideas. I just I don't understand that. Um, still till this day. This might be something I might have mentioned on our first ever podcast after after one year in the job. What I did when I first started on social media was I created um. It was a spreadsheet with six months worth of content. It had six months worth of content on. I'm still just recycling that now in 2025. It's the exact same stuff.
Speaker 2:You know, I post about lifetime ISAs all the time. All the time because my work primarily with first time buyers and that's what they think about. They think about saving the deposit in a lifetime isa. So I post about it all of the time from different angles. So one may be um, simply what a lifetime isa is. Another post may be sort of the things you need to consider with a lifetime isa. So having it, you know, 12 months after your first contribution, the maximum purchase price. Another post may be be sort of whether there's going to be any changes to the lifetime ISA. Split that into rails and carousels. You've got six posts and you can just keep using them over and over again every couple of months, with minor changes. You know there's loads of topics like that. I'll talk about first time buyers, where these are the concerns that they have. So just talk about them over and over again. Um, that's something I sort of um I always stick to. Uh, and yeah, I've never understood when people say I can't think of things to post.
Speaker 1:There is a never-ending supply of things to post but I think the truth is, man, this is like I'm probably going to get shut down a little bit for this, but I'm. The truth is the people that sort of say I don't know what to post about. That's just an excuse that they choose, that they just use that excuse of not to post because they don't feel comfortable doing it. They don't want to do it. Well, just don't do it. Then don't make excuses. I don't know what to post, there's plenty. Oh my god. Like you say oh this, like that's boring, that's boring, people don't care. Like it's not about sort of groundbreaking content that you're not going to going to come up with something that somebody's never posted about before or talked about and yes, mortgages are boring. That's that is life, literally.
Speaker 1:Who, yeah, who, gets really excited today, wakes up and thinks you know what? I'm going to get? 100 grand in debt. I'm going to get 200 grand in debt. I'm going to have this bowling chain around my leg for the next 40 years. Who wakes up thinking that they don't? But what they do wake up on, they're thinking I want to move, I want that new home, I want to redo this or do that, I want to extend, I want to move to that area for a better life. I want to move that area for catchment, for school. That happens. That's the real stuff. Mortgages are just a byproduct of the lifestyle that people want to create for themselves and the lifestyle that they choose. So I think, going back to me, I think it's just people have just been choosing an excuse and they all have that one. I just don't know what to post about because, my God, as a mortgage broker, we have got plenty of things to talk about and post about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm always in the mindset of you've sort of slightly alluded to it there that nobody really cares, so just post it all. I'm not Kanye West, you know, like nobody's waking up excited to see my posts. The way I view my content is, if I put enough content out there and they see Dan, not mortgage advisor, dan, not mortgage advisor, dan not mortgage advisor, dan, not mortgage advisor enough times when it comes to the day that they need a mortgage advisor, they might think Dan, not Nobody. Um, nobody is, you know, sitting and watching my content on a saturday night, unfortunately. Um, as well as you know, when I do podcasts, I'm you know people always say oh well, what if you make a mistake, or what if you say an answer to a question that's wrong, or what if you stutter? Honestly, nobody cares. Nobody is going to be watching my content and really intensely viewing it as a fan. They are just watching it for some information and they might think you know what?
Speaker 2:He seems like a good lad, he seems to know what he's talking about. Maybe I'll give him a follow and it's as simple as that. So, yeah, I do agree. I think a lot of the time people say they want to do it, but then they come up with all these reasons why it's so hard and I think, ultimately, maybe you just don't want to do it and that's fine. So find another way to generate business. Um, because yeah, as I say, it doesn't need to be done perfectly, but it doesn't need to be done. So if you're going to do it, just do it exactly.
Speaker 1:I think the thing is like you don't need all the gear. It's like, yes, you will embrace that and go down that rabbit hole like I have, you have and you will go through. You will go through that. However, if you've got a phone, you can create content. Just do, and people like that, raw, unpolished, and see yourself develop. It's like a great.
Speaker 1:I love and cringe and then love again looking back at my old content, thinking what were you doing? Like why did you think that angle or that thing or that? But nobody care like. And that's for you, because you are critical of yourself. But ultimately they say nobody cares, we just over complicate things. It's just a case of just get yourself out there. Any somebody, if you may, it laughs at you down the pub because you've created content. Thanks. Do you want to put that on the the post, and then I'll get more, I'll get more algorithms, I'll pick you up and I'll get more people viewing what you, what you're talking, like my content.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I think people just worry too much about what people are going to think and what people are going to say, and I think, at the end of the day, you are self-employed, you're trying to grow your own business. If anybody's going to put you down when you are self-employed trying to promote and generate business and grow your business because you've had the balls and been brave to go out there and do it on your own. If somebody's going to put you down, let them crack on, because if that's the worst that can happen, that's the worst they're going to say, just let them crack on with it and just enjoy that ride and enjoy that feedback of thanks. For that I'm really pleased. You're what I usually all the time my mates were about the podcast fucking is here. Sorry, I swore on the podcast is here again on the.
Speaker 1:I'm fed up of seeing your face on podcast brill. At least I know it's coming up in your algorithm, so it's coming up in other people's as well, but you know it's just. Yeah, I think we worry too much about other people's thoughts and comments when we're trying to create content and not be perfect. But looking back, like I was, I look back on your thing. He's got a shirt and tie on, like what. I can't remember Dan having a shirt and tie.
Speaker 2:And then I thought, oh yeah, can't remember dan having a shirt and tie yeah, yes, that's, that's how it all started and, um, I think you've got to think about why, why it is you wanted to do it. So for me, it's to generate more business and to generate better business, um to then allow me to to make more fun, more money, whilst, um, maybe not working more, or, um, whilst managing a work-life balance of some sort. So I always think you know other people. How do people typically make more money over time working away from home?
Speaker 1:I do it by posting on social media, um, and I'm quite happy with that yeah, you enjoy doing it and that's the most important thing, because and that is the thing that makes you love and clearly love and clearly enjoy doing what you do day in, day out, and obviously the challenges that you've faced over the last 12 months or so you will enjoy doing what you do even more. Dan, we've talked for 40-something minutes and we haven't even so, I want to sort of just sort of end on and a bit of promotion for you really in terms of it. So I should have done the introduction, beginning now that fellow podcaster. You've talked a lot about podcasting, on being on guest, but now is that changing? Are we sort of looking at Dan hosting podcast in that podcast now?
Speaker 2:so hopefully within the next month, I should have started releasing episodes for my own podcast. So most of my mortgage business comes from appearing on other people's podcasts. Through that I've got quite a good network, I would say, in the sort of financial influencer space and sort of podcasters, etc. Yeah, so it made sense to start my own podcast. So I've actually recorded three episodes for that with guests. I'm going to record a load more this month.
Speaker 2:The podcast is called let's Buy a Home and the idea of the podcast is that it's going to help people to navigate not only the purchase of a deposit, but also we'll be talking, there'll be relatable stories from people online with you know, instagram profiles who already post their journey of home ownership or home renovations, whatever it might be. As well as that, there may be sort of gardeners on talking about you know how to landscape a new built garden. People are talking about you know how to landscape a new built garden um, people talking about diy. There are, you know, there's home cleaning accounts, um, all of these sorts of things. So I've helped people navigate those early days of home ownership as a relationship expert, in which we'll be discussing how to manage your relationship when you first move into a property with a partner.
Speaker 2:Um so, recovering all these different bases, essentially to help people navigate not only the journey to homeownership but also those early days of owning your own property. Ultimately, it's not necessarily going to be an industry podcast. There's not going to be other mortgage advisors on the podcast. It will be very much a case of using my network, connecting to people, having some hopefully fun, fun, relaxed conversations. It's not going to be too serious and yeah, um see where it goes what a cracking idea.
Speaker 1:I think like that, like you say, it's not, it's not for mortgage brokers, it's not, it's not our industry kind of thing, but in terms of what you're doing to helping people's experience and the journey that people go through, the emotions people go through, and all those kind of things, you're thinking outside the box a little bit because it's a case of well, yeah, because all these things matter when people are buying the first home. So, and their, their journey. So, cracking idea, mate, and I cannot wait, I will, I'm going to make sure that I, uh, we'll put some links in the podcast. The podcast might not be out by the time we put this out, but then I can put some backlinks in to make sure that, uh, we people can easily look out for that. So, uh, exciting times. And fellow podcaster there now, dan, who'd have thought that sort of three and a half years ago when we first met, I know, I know to be honest with you, I would much prefer it.
Speaker 2:So it's going to be done remotely. I would much prefer to do it in studio. However, I am at a disadvantage being in the northeast, because a lot of people are down south, um. So, yeah, that's always a disadvantage, but that's something I'll be navigating over over the course, um, over the course of the year. But there's some quite big guests coming on, um. So, yeah, I'm excited to see where it goes.
Speaker 2:The aim is over the next year or so. You know, last year I had a little bit of a sit out, as mentioned. This year I've had all of these ideas in the pipeline for quite a while. So the aim is to hopefully grow a podcast. I've got sort of 10 episodes to line up to begin with. I've recorded three around, about sort of 10 in total that I'll be beginning with. Start a podcast. I would love to start an online community a first time buyers in line with that, the let's buy a home community in which people can sort of whether it's a facebook group, and people can share their own experiences, have little rants and ask other home buyers questions, whether it's decor or using solicitors or buying a new build using a certain builder, whatever it might be. As well as that, I would like to.
Speaker 2:I really enjoy speaking. I've done a couple of paid speaking gigs now and that's something which I really enjoy. It's something I would like to do more of. It's not a priority in the immediate future but yeah, I would love to be paid to speak and I think you know a lot of people think, might think that's not going to happen. But you know I'm very much of. I can always sort of see the roadmap because a lot of people do it and, yeah, whether it's going to be specifically about specifically about home ownership, or whether it's finances or whatever it might be specifically about, specifically about home ownership or whether it's finances or whatever it might be, who knows? But I would, I would like to do a little bit more of that and essentially build some sort of brand ecosystem where the mortgages, the podcast, the community and the live speaking events all sort of feed into each other and, yeah, build one one ecosystem out of it.
Speaker 2:But to be completely transparent, I am at the same time because a lot of people you know may sound like you know, oh, he's got all the plans. But you know I am at a little bit of a crossroads with my career. I'm very I'm certain, and it always has been the case, that I do not want to own a large brokerage with lots of staff working under me. Where I'm, you know, I might be on a Saturday or I might be working an evening. It's simply something that's never really appealed to me. So that's why I'm also thinking about other avenues where I can use a profile that I'm hoping to build and, yeah, make money from from other avenues. But yeah, I don't have all the answers for it yet, but you don't need to to get started. So just, I always say say yes and work it out later. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:But that's the thing. You don't need all that, all the answers right now. I think, like you say you, but the thing is that, dan, what you've clearly said is that again, it's going back to something that you enjoy. People just think, oh, the natural progression is this, then you want to take on staff and do this, and that that's fine for those people. But if that doesn't work for you, that's fine too.
Speaker 1:But you've found and got this idea in terms of where you do want to be and where you do see your position within this sort of this space, and good for you in terms of thinking actually, I'm gonna do it, I'll work it out, but that's what everybody's doing anyway. It's just working it out as we go along. Everybody's the same. So there's no illusions there. We're all just working it out day by day, whatever industry and whatever we're doing. That's just life.
Speaker 1:So, dan, thank you so much for coming back on the podcast. Thank you for being so honest, sharing such a yeah, just a challenging 12 months or so that you've had, but like where you are now and where you're moving forward and a glimpse of the future, and you won't need good luck with a podcast. I'm sure you'll be amazing with the podcast. But, yeah, great to catch up, great to see what you're doing, great to see in terms of what you've got going on moving forward and uh, who knows? And like say, maybe we're not leaving 18 months, but we might sort of, yeah, get you back on to uh, have a catch up on a chat from there. So, but, thanks ever so much, mate.
Speaker 2:Really appreciate you coming back on thank you very much for having me on. It's been a pleasure once again thanks, dan.
Speaker 1:Thanks for being an amazing guest back on the podcast, really appreciate you taking the time to come back on and sharing your challenging, challenging journey over the last 12 months. It's fair to say it has been challenging, but great to see that you've come out the other side and it's been great for you to share, being very honest on the podcast and talking about the challenges and experiences that you faced. And if you've enjoyed the podcast, please like it, please share it, please leave us a review to help us reach as many brokers as we can within our industry. And if you are thinking about becoming a self-employed mortgage broker or looking to start your own mortgage broker band and business, or you're just looking to accelerate the growth of your existing business, see my website, craigskeltoncouk, book a discovery call or just simply get in touch. Send me a WhatsApp. We can have a chat about how I can help and support you to achieve your goals for 2025. And, as always, please don't forget to run your own race.