Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Jasper.
Hi Christina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
5 years ago, I made a lot of life-changing decisions at once, all driven by one goal: to stop living as a victim and to start what I considered an “F#*k Yes” life. As a rape survivor living with 2 decades of a victim mentality, the only way to break the cycle was to press the reset button and take some huge leaps of faith.
The first leap I took was to help me feel proud of myself for the first time in my life. As a survivor, we sometimes blame all of our success on others. I wanted to do something that would show me I could succeed on my own. As a single mom, that can be scary, especially when that success was a career change into a commission-only loan officer in the mortgage industry. I had two options. Fair or thrive, and I did everything I could to thrive and the success that it created was astounding.
So many amazing realtors and referral partners rallied around me and helped me succeed. I brought to their clients a heart to serve, a financial planning background to help people rethink what debt meant to their financial future, and a goal to help all my clients have fun when buying their home. Finances can be stressful, and I wanted to make it so easy it was a joy. This approach to mortgages was unique and refreshing for my referral partners, and business took off. I am finally proud of myself for what I have created in the mortgage industry, and my new goal is to help others feel empowered as well.
The second leap was opening my own mortgage branch. I wanted to empower others to change the look of the mortgage industry. Right now, we are an all-women team in a male-dominated industry. I think clients feel more comfortable asking questions about finances because of our team’s makeup and passionate approach.
The third leap was learning to love again. Fear drove so much of my past relationships. Through using my voice, not avoiding my story and my truth, and opening myself up to the possibility that I could trust someone helped my find my current husband and biggest cheerleader, Lance. When I doubt myself, he reminds me of my power and my greatness. As I continue to redefine who I am and transition from victim to warrior, it has been amazing to have him by my side.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This road is paved with woman who showed me how to embrace my power and my swagger. I asked the universe for help because I had no clue what self-love looked like. A week later, I was walking down the road in downtown Durham and passed a bar, and when I looked inside, I saw the most gorgeous, self-confident woman I have ever seen strutting across the stage in drag. I was hooked. Drag Queens embody self-love, self-worth, and swagger. I strive to live with that attitude, even when I don’t 100% feel it that day.
When I struggle, I think of the people who lifted me up at my lowest, and the struggles seem smaller. The market is tough right now. Business is down. I believe if I keep working for the right reasons, empowering others, business will thrive.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our business is powered by passionate, strong, and ambitious women. We take a financial planning approach to debt and look at a client’s full financial picture before coming up with a mortgage strategy. Our clients leave with what they are comfortable spending, not just what they qualify for.
We are addicted to education of both our referral partners and our clients. We educate our clients weekly with state of the market and first-time homebuyer seminars by Zoom so they know exactly what they are getting into. We also educate our realtors and coach them so they can grow their business organically and passionately, just like we grew ours.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Untamed Atomic Habits
You can do hard things (podcast)
Happy Days by Gabrielle Berstein
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jaspermortgagegroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mortgagetipswithjasper/
