For Callie Watkins, her role as a mortgage loan originator for Sunflower Bank is much more than a job - it’s a platform to forge enduring connections, impact lives and unleash her competitive spirit.
With a passion for numbers, honed since childhood, and a fascination for real estate, especially from an investing mindset, Callie’s journey to success in mortgage lending was inevitable. Her time as a Division I soccer player for Gonzaga University taught her that hard work always wins, a principle she carries into her professional career.
Through hard work, determination and following her gut, Callie’s found herself right where she belongs... with the team at Sunflower Bank.
Finding the Right Place to Start Her Mortgage Career
After college, Callie managed several coffee stands but knew that wasn’t her long-term career. She was ready to make a career change from something comfortable to a place where she could build a future for herself and her family.
Driven by an innate competitiveness and a thirst for unlimited growth, Callie needed a profession that allowed her to break barriers and climb a ladder on a leaderboard. She was introduced to the world of mortgage lending through a land lender she met during her own home search. He introduced her to a contact at Guardian Mortgage, a previous division of Sunflower Bank, who brought her in for an informational interview. She immediately felt a pull to the organization. Unfortunately, the team was not hiring at the time. So, Callie kept networking with mortgage loan originators and hoping that one day she’d hear from her contact about a job opening.
“Call me crazy. I turned down three amazing opportunities before even hearing from Sunflower Bank,” said Callie. “But from the moment I met the people, I felt called to the bank. I just knew it was ‘my place’ and where I wanted to be.”
After three months of networking, hoping and waiting, she was notified of an open position within the and jumped at the opportunity. She couldn’t be happier that she listened to her gut and waited for an opportunity to join the mortgage team.
“It has been the best thing that has happened to me in my career,” Callie affirmed. “Between the life it has given me professionally and personally – I couldn’t be more grateful for my patience in waiting for the ‘right place’ to excel in my career.”
Learning the Business
With no previous mortgage lending experience, Callie’s first role was as a Loan Origination Assistant (LOA). Her time as an LOA allowed her to learn from the loan originators she worked with daily and from other professionals within their office. She gained an understanding of how they conducted their business, what the loan process entailed and how she too could serve as an MLO.
She learned what it meant to always put the customer first, how to find the best solutions to meet their home buying or refinancing needs, and what it means to create possibility in their lives and her own as well.
After about a year as an LOA and the birth of her second child, she came back from maternity leave to a Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) position. Once again, she was right where she was meant to be. Callie describes the shift from LOA to MLO as life-changing, and one that took her to the place she had always seen herself long term.
Sunflower Bank’s Supportive Culture
Looking at what makes Sunflower Bank so special, Callie’s focus remains on its culture. Working for the mortgage lending division of an established community bank, Callie appreciates the breadth of services she can provide clients paired with a culture she loves. In line with its community bank roots, the bank cares about the people it interacts with and the relationships formed are familial.
Callie felt this difference the moment she walked into her first interview, and it felt like family. The team and atmosphere are two of the many things she loves about working at Sunflower Bank. That and the reputation the bank’s mortgage team has built within the industry, make Callie’s job easier because it’s known and respected by her real estate peers.
From supporting, helping and sharing knowledge within the office to spending time together outside of work, Callie enjoys the people she works with most of all. Whether playing golf, grabbing a drink or making a difference through work with or other non-profits in town, her team enjoys each other's company and enriching their connections.
Callie Watkins with team members planting trees at a volunteer event with The Land Council (Opens in a new window)(Opens in a new window)
Callie Watkins (middle) with Marcus McCue, Mortgage Strategy & Project Management Director (left) and Josh Martin, Director of Mortgage Loan Sales, SVP (right) at the 2024 Sales Excellence Retreat when Callie was awarded her 2023 Award of Excellence.
Embracing Dedication and Consistency
Callie has found her place in the mortgage industry and encourages like-minded individuals to explore Sunflower Bank and the industry as well.
“Success isn’t given, you must earn it,” shared Callie. “It takes commitment, dedication and a lot of behind-the-scenes hard work that all creates a snowball effect if you are consistent.”
That consistency has won Callie a place as one of the top-producing mortgage loan originators in her region, as well as a 2023 and 2024 Guardian Mortgage President Club award recipient.
She takes great pride in building relationships and helping people invest in real estate or say “hello” to homeownership. And since Sunflower Bank services the majority of loans funded, and originates loans in 43 states, most of those relationships she works so hard to build don’t end once she’s closed a loan. Callie serves as a long-term partner and guide for her clients and knows that even if they move away from the area, she can still serve as their trusted lender.
Grateful for the support and opportunities afforded by Sunflower Bank, Callie remains excited about the future and the prospect of continuing to shape her dream life alongside her work family.
“They allowed me to grow, expand and spread my wings,” concludes Callie. “And never let me fall because they helped me every step of the way.”