ELS Spotlight With Samantha Sanders
Samantha Sanders is a USDA Credit Assistant with Stone Bank in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I do a little bit of everything for USDA loans. I make sure all necessary reports are ordered and act as the go between for our third party vendors and our borrowers and/or brokers. I close USDA loans with the attorneys who prepare our loan documents and also close in-house loans as needed. I handle or assist with most aspects of the process except for underwriting, but I am starting to dip my toes into that as well. I do my best to make sure nothing falls between the cracks, to catch mistakes throughout the process, and to be sure that everything is done properly.
What is the most effective daily habit that you possess?
Keeping an organized inbox. I have many, many sub folders and add another any time we start working on a new loan. I keep emails for future reference, and I don’t move anything out of my inbox to the subfolders until the task has been completed or addressed appropriately.
What is the greatest advice you have ever been given?
“It will be there waiting for you tomorrow.” As long as all pertinent, pressing matters have been taken care of by the end of the day, all of the little things will still be there when you get to work in the morning. Work/life balance is hard, but even harder if you don’t recognize that there are things that can wait until tomorrow.
What does effective leadership look like to you?
Everyone has a different set of skills and different communication styles. Effective leaders understand that while one method of communication may work for a certain employee or group of employees, everyone has different communication styles. As a leader, you should be able to adapt and communicate with each employee in a way that gets through to that individual. Good leaders also recognize the strengths of those around them and try to help build upon those strengths.