Meet April Blackwell | Mortgage Broker & Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with April Blackwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In 2019 I attended an Industry Conference. Deb Duncan gave a keynote keynote speech. She shared a heartfelt story and issued us a challenge. Her challenge was to dare to dream bigger dreams. The idea consumed me. I asked myself, if I had a dream, what would it be? A light bulb came on in my mind. Create a family legacy. Start your own Mortgage Company, Blackwell Mortgage. The Conference was in October. I let the idea roll around in my mind for a while. It was big. And, it was scary. I started giving myself all kinds of excuses as to why I couldn’t do that. But, I spoke to my husband about it, and he believed in me and said to take the next year to learn all I needed to learn and put a plan together. January of 2020 rolled in. Another speaker inspired me at a women’s resource group with the Bank I was working for at that time. This speaker was a local sweetheart, Jamie Valvano. Jamie shared her personal story and lessons she learned from her father, the late Jimmy V. At the end, she issued a challenge. This time the challenge was to WRITE down the vision for my extraordinary life. I was ready. I had already been stewing on this idea of starting my own business. So, I took it a step further. I wrote it down. That index card is clipped to my vision board by my bathroom counter. I see it and read it every day. Three days after I wrote it down, my Coach, Jonathan Roche asked me, “What is the vision for your life?” I about fell out of my chair! Seriously?! If this isn’t God working in mysterious ways, I do not know what is.
By this point, I thought it. I wrote it. Now, it was time to say it. “I want to start a mortgage brokerage and name it Blackwell Mortgage to create a family legacy and give back to my community.” Jonathan gave me a resounding, “YES!”
We know what happens after January of 2020.
Covid.
Covid was an insane period in general, but in the mortgage world, it was even more so. Interest rates plummeted. Suddenly, everyone in the industry was working 24-7 to exhaustion trying to keep up with the demand. Nobody was staffed to process and close the sudden surge. I, like many other loan officers, had huge pipelines, but nothing was closing, so we weren’t getting paid for several months after the loans were originated. It was painful. I was looking for a way out fast. Suddenly, my plans to own my own business went by the wayside, I was looking for a rescue. I did my research and realized, the whole industry was in this together. Nobody could promise a smooth transition. With my husband’s belief spurring me on, I committed to stay where I was, finish well, and put my exit plan together to start by business by the first of 2021. And that’s what I did.

The process I went through was the following:
1st, I was inspired to have the dream.
2nd, I wrote the dream down.
3rd. I had unwavering support, belief, and confidence from my husband.
4th. I declared my intentions verbally.
5th. I went to work on learning from other mentors and leaders what I needed to do.
6th. I took action, a little bit every day.

The reason why having my own business is important to me is because it allows me to set an example for my children. to raise my children in an entrepreneurial culture. My 10-year-old son helps me with light data entry. For example, if I go to a meeting and collect business cards, he adds that information into a spreadsheet for me.

While it is my hope, that I give them a business they will want to carry on someday, if they have other passions to pursue, that’s ok. As they get older and take on more responsibility in the “family business” they will gain valuable skills that will benefit them wherever they go.

As a commissioned-only salesperson at the bank, I already considered myself “self-employed.” But, as an employee, you don’t get to pick your team, and you have little control over decisions that get made that impact you and your clients. Part of the draw of being self-employed is that I could work with the best of the best and provide the best experience for my clients, save them money, and give back more to the community. Owning my own business was the best decision I ever could have made. It’s not always easy. But, even when it’s hard, the lessons are priceless. I continue to grow as a person and my Faith strengthens every day as I see how good God has been to me.

What should our readers know about your business?
What I love about Blackwell Mortgage is that I get to work with the best in the industry. I am not exaggerating. As a Mortgage Broker, I get to hand-pick the lenders I work with. I learn about them, what makes them great, or not great. Based on my experience and relationships with these lenders I can be sure my clients get to work with the best fit lender for them. Not all lenders are created equal.
Not every lender likes all kinds of loans or all types of borrowers (for example self-employed).
Pricing among lenders also varies.
So when our clients are cost and payment-conscious (which is always), we can match them to the best price and best-fit lender.
One thing a non-industry person would not know- I certainly didn’t know it even though I had been in the business for 20 years–is that brokers set their compensation with the lenders they work with. A broker’s commission is built into the rate sheet. What’s cool is that I am in charge of setting that compensation. I live modestly. No yachts, no fast cars, no homes on islands. This means I can set a modest compensation with my lenders. What that looks like to my clients is lower rates/lower fees than they would pay a bank, credit union, or mortgage retailer.
I love that because I can help more people by making their payments more affordable and saving them money at the table.
Another thing that we do is send our clients gifts during their time with us. It makes them feel special because they are!

Every month I curate a mastermind for Real Estate agents, to add value and help them grow their businesses. Realtors are essential partners in achieving homeownership goals. So, I am very happy to help agents learn new things to help their clients and gain more trust and confidence within their sphere. It is called, Beyond Transactions: A Third Thursday Real Estate Mastermind. The event can be found on Eventbrite.

I also started a non-profit called 1 Corinthians 13:13 Foundation inc, or 1C1313.org for short.
Everytime, I close a loan, I put a portion of the commissions I earn from the lender into the 1c1313.org account.
My goal is to use the Blackwell Mortgage funds as matching funds for the community.
If you donate a dollar, It is matched. Then, 1c1313.org donates $2. I doubled my impact, and you doubled yours. And double is donated to local non-profits in our area. I primarily support The Green Chair Project, Step Up Ministries, and Back Pack Buddies.
The non-profit concept is my proudest achievement. I also get non-profit experience. It makes me appreciate all the hard-working non-profit people out there.
My Logo has 4 little loops, one large loop in the middle, and a starburst bursting off the middle look.
The small loops represent the business, my clients, my referral partners, and the community. We work together in flow to the central loop, that bursts for the Glory of God.
My logo is my reminder of my purpose, my why, and my vision.
That is what I want the world to know about my brand and story. Blackwell Mortgage is a purpose-driven company that helps clients achieve their dreams of homeownership and financial freedom while giving back to the community.
I use #mortgagewithpurpose This says it all. It is a double entendre. First, I want to help you mortgage on purpose with intention, get the right loan for you. Second, we do it for a greater purpose to help those in need in our community.

Todd Duncan says this about the mortgage industry, “good times are hard, bad times are hard.” The mortgage business is not for the faint of heart. When interest rates crossed over the 5.5% mark we definitely saw a slowdown. When they crossed, 6, 7, then, 8% it was really really hard. I’ve had to make hard choices. I’ve had to let go of people that I loved dearly. That was hard. But, during it all, I held on to my faith and trust that things would get better and that I was doing the right thing. We grow in our darkest hours and in our deepest pain. During my toughest days, I leaned on my self-care habits. I turned to prayer and journaling. I simply asked God, “What can I do?” “What can be done?” “What should I do?” By constantly seeking God’s guidance during these hard times, he provided ways and means for me to get through and prosper. My monthly mastermind is a product of these questions. It is also how my business continues to thrive.

Lessons learned:
Give thanks in all things.
Take care of myself: exercise, sleep, journaling, reading
Stay in prayer
Keep the faith
Surrender daily
Let go and Let God.
Surround yourself with people who love you and believe in you.
Do not attach yourself to the result. Give without expectation of anything in return.
Lead with a servant’s heart.
Encourage others. Remind them of how far they’ve come.
Keep stock of the good, don’t count the mistakes.
The worst days set you up and prepare you for the best of days.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question. I LOVE Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Parks, and Dining.
We will start the day at First Watch, and take a tour of the State Museum of Art inside. Have a picnic outside and enjoy the outdoor installations.
Dinner at Manchester’s a local restaurant and bar.
Followed by a show at the Martin Marietta performing arts, Ballet, theater, Opera, Symphony, whoever was playing that weekend.
A day downtown Raleigh to visit the Museum of History and Science, and grab lunch at any of the amazing restaurants in the area.
We would need to find time to visit the Zinc House, go hike in the Umstead, catch a Hurricane’s game, or Durham Bulls, whatever was in season.
We would also need to go downtown Durham for a drink and dinner at a trendy restaurant and show at the DPAC.
Church at Catch the Fire on Sunday!
I love NC, happy to show them my favorite places!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
How funny, I already included 4 shout-outs in my write-up. Deb Duncan – The keynote speaker who dared me to dream bigger dreams.
Will Blackwell – my husband who supported me every step of the way.
Jonathan Roche – My peak performance coach. I met Jonathan in 2018 at Sales Mastery, the same industry conference I went to in 2019 when Deb challenged me to dream bigger dreams. With Jonathan’s help, I was able to upgrade my mindset, health, and energy to transform me into the person I was in October of 2019. I coach with him presently. He’s been by my side providing key tools and strategies to help me through life’s challenges and victories.

Jamie Valvano- Speaker, Writer, Coach. Jamie was serious when she asked the audience to fill out her index card. I am so glad I did. We have stayed in touch. She and her son Grant are so inspiring.

Not mentioned, but also part of the mentorship I received was:
Jason Seibel, Mortgage Broker – instrumental in answering my questions and pointing me to resources to get started.
Todd Duncan High Trust Coaching, Sales Mastery
Matt Harrison – High Trust Coach – The High Trust methodology, and everything Todd Duncan has done is the reason why I was able to transform my business in 2018 from struggling to thriving in 2019. Had I not been part of the High Trust family and teachings, I would never have dared to dream the dream in the first place. Todd’s program transformed me into the business person I needed to be to make that happen.

Website: https://blackwellmortgagenc.com, https://aprilyoungblackwell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilyoungblackwell/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilyoungblackwell/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackwellmortgage913

Other: I have two blogs: TheMortgagepoints.com where I share what I know. TheCoachingPoints.com where I share life lessons and what I fee.

Image Credits
Bobbi Vinson, Frolic & Co Photographer