1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Veterans in Lending, Real Estate Wealth, and the Eight Tenets of Excellence In the launch episode of In Search of Excellence Island Style, Larry Gonzales introduces the Broker Mortgage Experts team and gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the people helping make homeownership possible. The episode features mortgage brokers Sarah “Eli” David, Micheal Melso, and Daniel Sepulveda, and is positioned for first-time homebuyers, Realtors, investors, the local Hawaii community, and military/VA buyers. The conversation opens by tackling one of the most common mortgage myths, that buyers need 20% down to purchase a home. From there, the team shares personal stories about service, leadership, homeownership, and how real estate can become a long-term wealth-building tool. Dan talks about the moment he realized saving alone would not create wealth, while Eli shares how her family used VA benefits to buy homes at nearly every duty station. Mike explains how lower-down-payment programs can make homeownership more realistic for buyers. The episode also introduces the show’s “eight tenets” of excellence, including moving with mana, serving with aloha, building ohana, standing for something, staying lean, staying in your zone, freedom with accountability, and rising through adversity. It closes with practical reflections on resilience, routines, discipline, leadership books, and the advice that shaped each guest most. Guests Sarah “Eli” David — Mortgage Broker, IG: @elidavid_2074 Micheal Melso — Mortgage Broker, IG/FB: @mikethebrokerusmc Daniel Sepulveda — Mortgage Broker, IG: @_dansepulveda Timestamp Highlights 00:00 Down Payment Myth 00:47 Podcast Welcome 01:33 Excellence Origins 02:46 Meet Mike Melso 04:48 Mortgage Misconceptions 05:46 Meet Dan Sepulveda 06:41 Wealth Through Equity 09:50 Meet Eli David 12:25 Sponsor Break 13:11 Why Loan Officers 13:58 Move With Mana 16:14 Serve With Aloha 20:02 Build Ohana 22:40 Stand For Something 26:38 Keep It Lean 31:04 Stay In Your Zone 34:47 Freedom Accountability 35:11 Freedom With Structure 36:33 Discipline Equals Freedom 37:19 Rise Through Adversity 40:44 Forged By Hard Times 42:55 Teaching Kids Resilience 43:46 Five Minute Rule 46:08 Which Tenet Matters Most 49:58 Sponsor Break 50:30 Guess Our Ages Game 52:54 Morning Routine Habits 57:55 Early Wakeup Discipline 01:00:11 Favorite Leadership Books 01:03:57 Best Advice Received &amp;nbsp; Don't forget to subscribe to In Search of Excellence Island Style for more episodes on leadership, homeownership, and personal growth. Let us know what you think of this episode in the comments below. Share this episode with a friend who is interested in real estate, mortgages, or leadership! In Search of Excellence, Island Style https://sites.libsyn.com/613475 <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/40649600/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/200202850