Mat Ishbia | Lessons from an NCAA Basketball National Champion Turned People-First CEO
On this week’s donothing podcast, you’ll learn:
Why Mat chose to play a back-up role in a powerhouse basketball program rather than be a star player at a smaller school
What significant life and leadership lessons Mat learned while playing at MSU
Why it’s important to properly handle victory and defeat
Why Tom Izzo is his biggest business influence
How business leadership and basketball constantly overlap
Why Mat chose a career in the business world rather than coaching basketball
How UWM grew from 13 to over 3,000 under Mat’s leadership
Why Mat calls the morning huddles the most important part of the day
How Mat translates his lessons learned as an MSU player into the workplace
Why competitiveness is both Mat’s best and worst trait
What UWM does to help employees achieve a work-life balance
Why Mat discourages his team from working more than 40 hours a week
How UWM works to treat its team like family
What the “Firm 40” means within UCM—and how it makes for a better organization
Why an openness to change is integral to positive business growth
Why UWM integrated additions like a coffee shop, doctor’s office, grocery store and more into its headquarters
How Mat balances his demanding job with family life
Why showing appreciation to his employees is a key part of his leadership
Where Mat would rather be than playing a round of golf
Whereas most successful high-level executives point to business juggernauts like Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs or Elon Musk as their biggest inspirations, Mat Ishbia attributes his own extraordinary career trajectory to a different kind of leader—acclaimed Michigan State University basketball coach, Tom Izzo.
After winning an NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship title under Izzo’s leadership, Mat took the lessons he learned on the court like top-down respect, family-like teamwork and constant hard work into the corporate world. Today, Mat is the President and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) with more than 3,000 team members. Listen to his story on this week’s donothing podcast.
Mat’s a visionary who combines a keen business mind with a unique ability to create an award-winning corporate culture that has been lauded nationally. UWM has been recognized as a Tech-Savvy Lender by Mortgage Technology magazine and the gold standard for client service, both within the mortgage industry and across the general business landscape.
His high-energy, relentless pursuit for innovation and pragmatic perspective of the mortgage industry has accelerated UWM as the number one wholesale lender and number two overall purchase lender in the nation.
Mat is also one of the “Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40” and a Vanguard Award winner by HousingWire. He’s also widely recognized as a prominent advocate for mortgage brokers nationwide, promoting wholesale mortgage brokers on CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg TV.
Connect with Mat Ishbia
Connect with United Wholesale Mortgage
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