{"podcast":{"title":"The Mortgage Rainmaker Podcast","slug":"the-mortgage-rainmaker-podcast-7258622","podcast_index_feed_id":7258622,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-mortgage-rainmaker/","website_url":"https://shaylagifford.com/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/2e0454a0-0d55-4f23-94d5-ff8e7fd3d359/PXz82OWTuuPc25hQvbnfgXcv.png","author":"Shayla Gifford","episode_count":79,"summary":"What if the mortgage business could be more simple and fun? What if you could double and triple and quadruple your results with less complexity and less stress – and without the sales roller coaster? I'm Shayla Gifford and this is The Mortgage Rainmaker Podcast. If you're a loan officer looking to sharpen your skills, grow your pipeline, and get fired up – you're in the right place. We bring you interviews with top performing loan officers, my personal insights, and success stories from within my Catalyst Coaching community. I've spent my entire career as a loan officer and helping loan officers. So I know you, I've been you. And now – I want to help you master your craft, dominate the mortgage game, and build a life and business that thrives. So...are you ready to be a Rainmaker? Let's do this!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:19.589493+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-mortgage-rainmaker-podcast-7258622"},"episode":{"title":"55 | Unstoppable: How Stephanie Johnston Survived Her Worst Year, Then Crushed It in the Mortgage Builder Space","slug":"55-unstoppable-how-stephanie-johnston-survived-her-worst-year-then-crushed-it-in-the-mortgage-builder-space","published_at":"2026-02-11T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-mortgage-rainmaker-podcast-7258622/55-unstoppable-how-stephanie-johnston-survived-her-worst-year-then-crushed-it-in-the-mortgage-builder-space","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-mortgage-rainmaker-podcast-7258622","url":"https://shaylagifford.com/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/2e646834-0b79-4796-9401-c85adc045d9d.mp3","summary":"Hard seasons don’t stop you — they reveal who you’re becoming. Stephanie Johnston’s story is one of leadership under pressure. A 20-year loan officer, former collegiate athlete, and mom of three, she faced a brutal market shift, a major production drop, and a second breast cancer diagnosis while caring for a newborn. She fell from #1 to $63M — then chose to rise. In this episode, Stephanie shares how she entered the builder space, rebuilt trust one relationship at a time, and climbed back to close 309 transactions for $138M. This is about standards, commitment, and showing up when it’s hardest. Key Insights Business is earned one relationship at a time The builder space demands discipline, clarity, and availability Commitment creates confidence Hard seasons reveal your standards Leadership shows up when it would be easier to step back Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniejohnstonmortgage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmortgage Website: https://www.sfmc.com/loan-officer/stephaniejohnston/ Are you ready to make it rain? Let’s do this! If you liked what you heard, leave me a five-star review and tell me what hit home for you! PLUS—if you’re done chasing the next shiny idea and want real, proven strategies that actually move the needle, then it’s time to join my free weekly newsletter, Rainmaker Insider . Every week, I share one key lesson from my billion-dollar career in mortgage lending—from sales psychology and leadership to mindset and systems that create true freedom. No fluff. Just real-world insights that help you close more deals and lead with confidence. Subscribe now at shaylagifford.com and start leading like the Rainmaker you’re meant to be! Submit a question: https://kprpwoltlbp.typeform.com/to/WC24kOIK Take my Sales Archetype…","meta_description":"Hard seasons don’t stop you — they reveal who you’re becoming. Stephanie Johnston’s story is one of leadership under pressure. A 20-year loan officer, for…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2477,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-mortgage-rainmaker-podcast-7258622/episodes/55-unstoppable-how-stephanie-johnston-survived-her-worst-year-then-crushed-it-in-the-mortgage-builder-space/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-mortgage-rainmaker-podcast-7258622/55-unstoppable-how-stephanie-johnston-survived-her-worst-year-then-crushed-it-in-the-mortgage-builder-space.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}