Connecting Beyond the Booth

The lanyards are off. The conversations shouldn’t stop.

Two weeks after MBA Annual, the follow-up is where it gets interesting. Keeping the conversations going as we build toward 2027.

Two weeks since MBA Annual. The lanyards are off, the swag is unpacked, and we’re all back to our regularly scheduled inboxes.

But those conversations we were excited about in Chicago? I want to know what happens next.

We brought dragon water, mints to tame dragon breath, and golf balls that said “Drive with Confidence” to MBA Annual.

Our booth may not have been the sexiest in Chicago, but we still have the sexiest name in mortgage. Thanks, Robbie Chrisman. I am here for it, and we’ll happily keep that title.

This was the Balerion team’s first MBA Annual. The new kid on the block in an industry where people have known each other for decades.

How do you get people to stop and pay attention?

That’s a question I’m taking into our marketing planning for 2027. And before anyone says “a bigger booth,” BTW, have y’all seen what those things cost?!

What I keep coming back to is watching someone go from “What does Balerion do?” to “Wait, let me tell you what we’re dealing with.”

Those are the conversations I want us to keep having.

Thank goodness Naren wore turquoise.

A sea of blue suits, and there’s Naren. Made my job of finding him much easier.

I recently shared why I enjoy partnering with him. He’s 27, brilliant, humble, and genuinely grateful for the people helping him build Balerion.

I partner with Balerion as its Marketing Strategy Lead. I get to help shape the story, connect people, and bring a little personality to how we show up.

And you know I’m going to bring the personality.

But spending the week with this team gave me even more to talk about. I watched people ask questions, challenge what they were hearing, and lean in when they realized what the team was working on.

And I want more of my industry friends in those conversations.

Some of those conversations started before the expo even opened. Coby Hakalir invited us to karaoke the first night and took the time to sit down and listen to Naren. A little singing, a little mortgage talk. Sounds about right for this crew.

Berkeley AI researchers. Can we spend a minute here?

I think we move past that part too quickly.

Balerion brings together Berkeley AI researchers and experienced mortgage operators.

That is a very big deal.

I’ve spent years in this industry. When I have the opportunity to introduce my friends to people with that depth of AI expertise, who are applying it to the problems lenders deal with every day, I’m going to make the introduction.

And probably follow up until you take the meeting. You know me.

The researchers bring a different way of looking at what’s possible. They can ask questions many of us wouldn’t know to ask, then get to work figuring out the answers.

The mortgage operators know where things get complicated. They understand why a detail in a loan file matters, where the back-and-forth happens, and what people need to feel confident moving forward.

There’s real value in having those people work through a problem together.

Mortgage has a lot of hard-earned knowledge. I respect that. I also think this industry should be paying close attention to the expertise and energy coming into it.

I looked around Annual and kept thinking: more people need to meet this team.

You don’t have to understand how the AI works to have that conversation. I certainly won’t be explaining the research to you.

But I can connect you with the people who will.

Tell us about the file that gave everyone a headache.

You probably already have one in mind.

Balerion is working on a big problem: helping lenders understand the entire loan file, identify what needs attention, and turn findings into action before underwriting.

That gets a lot more interesting when someone brings their own experience into the conversation.

“What about this situation?”

“Could it help with this?”

“Here’s where our team gets stuck.”

Those are the questions we need to hear.

One of my favorite moments at Annual was watching Dalila Ramos react to Naren explaining what Balerion could do.

“SHUT UP!”

I was behind the camera and couldn’t help but laugh. If you know Dalila, you know that reaction was real. No BS. And I immediately thought, how many other people would have that same reaction if they took a few minutes to see what this team is building?

That’s why I keep asking my industry friends to have the conversation.

“Built by listening to lenders” isn’t marketing fluff. It’s a differentiator.

The team is building around the problems lenders bring to them. Your toughest file, your questions, the thing your team is tired of working around. They want to hear it.

And I want to get you in the room.

Let’s talk about where we go next.

I had plenty of conversations at Annual about marketing partnerships for 2027.

Sponsorships. Interviews. Events. Content. And yes, some prices that made me double-check what I’d heard.

There are a lot of ways to spend a marketing budget. I want to know what happens after we do.

Who are we reaching? Will they understand what we’re building? Does this give us a way to start a relationship and keep it going?

I’m grateful for the partnerships we’ve built with Michael Hammond and FinTech Hunting, Robbie Chrisman and the Chrisman Commentary team, and the friends who keep making introductions and opening doors.

As we plan for 2027, I want to build on those relationships and find more opportunities that give people a chance to get to know Balerion.

But here’s something we can do right now.

Have a conversation. Those don’t cost anything.

You don’t need to wait for a sponsored interview or the next conference. Call me. Send me a message. Tell me what you’re curious about.

There are people I’ve known for years who haven’t met this team yet.

Friends. Let’s fix that.

The lanyards are off. Now comes the follow-through.

By now, “Let’s connect after Annual” has either turned into a conversation or started slipping down someone’s inbox.

No judgment. I have a follow-up list, too.

But if we were excited enough to talk about it in Chicago, it deserves a little time on the calendar now.

Make the introduction you promised. Ask the follow-up question. Take the meeting. And if we didn’t get a chance to connect at Annual, you haven’t missed your window.

That goes for us, too.

Our 2027 planning needs to carry those conversations forward, give more people access to this team, and help us act on what lenders are telling us.

There are big things ahead for Balerion. I’m excited to be partnering with this team as we build toward them.

And to my friends in the industry: if you’re curious, let’s talk. If you’re skeptical, bring your questions. If you have a problem you think this team should hear about, I’ll make the introduction.

Connect the dots. Create the difference.

For me, that starts with getting the right people talking.