Leadership in the Face of Adversity: The Inspirational Story of Heidi Whitesell | Ep. 189

The Art of SBA Lending

This week on The Art of SBA Lending, we go behind the scenes with Heidi Whitesell to unpack the leadership, culture, challenges, and ultimate wind-down of a successful SBA lending division. Ray Drew sits down with Heidi, who he calls one of the best leaders he's ever worked for, to discuss the philosophy that created a legendary, family-like culture in a fully virtual, non-bank setting.

Heidi shares the vision for her former venture, Fund-Ex, which quickly climbed the national rankings without losing its unique team culture. She reveals her leadership principles, including the powerful belief that "love always works," and explains how relentless positivity, transparency, and providing resources ahead of revenue were the keys to their success—even in a highly complex industry. The conversation takes a raw and emotional turn as Heidi opens up about navigating the intense, uncertain process of a company sale and eventual wind-down while privately battling a serious health crisis, revealing why she chose to stay and fight for her team.

🎯 In this episode:

• The Vision for Culture: How a fully virtual SBA team built a top-25 lending operation with a "family" culture using the principles of People, Process, and Product.

• Leadership Secrets: The power of transparency, collaboration, and why staying positive and putting the team first are non-negotiable for a leader.

• The Resource Strategy: Why investing in resources before revenue is essential for speed and service, and how this investment combats costly employee turnover.

• The Ultimate Test: Heidi's emotional account of leading the company through the stress of a sudden sale, a liquidity crisis, and the difficult process of a year-long wind-down.

• A Leader's Sacrifice: The incredible story of how a commitment to her team kept her fighting while undergoing chemotherapy.

💬 What do you think is the hardest part about building a strong culture in a virtual environment? Share your thoughts below!

🎙This episode is sponsored by:

CORPSMART

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Rapid Business Plans

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