Since graduating from GA TECH, I always wanted to work with teams. My fondest and best memories were created from being with my football teammates thus I knew the same connections had to be the same in work. Call it my surrogate to Football and team sports that were no longer my focus.

I knew working out early in my teens and speed training prepared me for sports and opened the door to attend Citadel and GA Tech. At Ga Tech, I realized preparing for my future was not going to be weight and speed training but knowledge of finance, organizational management, how the world works, and abstract thinking.

My banking career and Southeast Mortgage helped me better understand how we are all connected and helping others develop their knowledge base and skill set increases opportunity for everyone. During this time, there were always the super stars that only did what was in their best interest and more times than not used sketchy tactics to raise themselves up at the expense of others.

These experiences crafted what I believe to be a common truth in life and to be successful in work and with your family.

My job and responsibility to my TEAM and Shareholders is to ensure Southeast Mortgage is on the right and best sustainable path. The strategy has to be innovative and ahead of the curve, provide my TEAM with a safe and fair workplace, and prudently grow shareholder value through monetization of opportunity that ultimately creates opportunity for the whole TEAM (Village-I wrote this in 2006 Click to Read). For most of my career, competitors never understood what my TEAM understood working close to me. I have a compass that is governed by some general rules that I will not compromise. I want to pay it forward by sharing this brief narrative of what I have learned so far in my career and the personal rules that govern my life.

My personal rules that “I Believe” create a successful future in life and work.

1. Always tell the truth (The truth may be embarrassing but you will sleep better)
2. Do what you say you will do (Be reliable)
3. Be kind to all living things (I save turtles, help hurt animals etc. Good Karma)
4. Take care of your team and they take care of others and the whole team rises
5. Pay it forward (Teach someone something you were taught that helped you)
6. Always do the right thing (Even if its not a policy do what is right for those who have your back)
7. Never worry what others think or say, be yourself (Be you its more interesting)
8. Take Care of Yourself (Eat Well, Have a great bed to get great sleep, exercise)
9. Be bold (Speak up against unjust attacks, bullying, lies)
10. Hug your family every day and tell them you LOVE THEM

Cal

If you had to choose a TEAM to compete with that would give you the best chance to win and share in the rewards of success, what is your logical choice.

Choices (Click for Definition)
A. 2 LLC Members
B. Family Owned Business
C. 33 Shareholders that Share a Common Vision

If it were a basketball game, who would probably win?
If it were a dodge ball game, who would probably win?
If it were a baseball game, who would probably win?
When you have to compete in the Mortgage Industry?

Employee ownership has its benefits. It is hard to compete with a large team that possesses a diverse skill set that has a passion to be the best.

Can you join the LLC? NO
Can you join the Family? NO
If there is no path to ownership or being a part of ownership, what does that say about the value placed on your contribution to the LLC or somebody’s family. Are you really part of the TEAM?

Choose you, Choose your Family, Choose

I am pleased to announce Matt DeCesaro has joined Southeast Mortgage as our Senior Vice President – Builder Services Division.

Matt DeCesaro, SVP, Builder Services Division
Matt brings a wealth of experience to Southeast Mortgage and will help us meet Home Builders high demand for our services in the markets we serve.

Our Builders and Partners see an increase in sales from the traffic our media services and other innovative techniques drive to their projects. Matt recognized the leadership Southeast Mortgage was taking in this important market segment. This was the logical next step in a successful career.

“Matt will do great at Southeast Mortgage. I had the pleasure of leading the discussions and outlining our growth strategy. Matt is a great guy and saw the unique advantage Southeast Mortgage had from a media, technology, and service perspective. Matt will be a great teammate and leader in the next chapter of Southeast Mortgage’s success.” Cal Haupt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Southeast Mortgage of Georgia, Inc.

David Jacobs came to Southeast Mortgage three years ago after a client told him how great their experience was at Southeast Mortgage. During our initial conversation with David, we found he had other needs. Trust and Follow Through.

Apparently David experienced internal competition for accounts and empty promises.
Southeast Mortgage always works as a TEAM / Village towards a common mutually beneficial goal.

“The diversity of our 32 Shareholders (Owners of Southeast Mortgage & Current Employees) is the compass that keeps fairness in the forefront for all our teammates. With 56% of our owners women and 44% men, we have a balanced perspective on life and work. Our Maternity leave is twice as long as others in our industry and we are the only mortgage company in our markets providing a path to ownership for employees. Ambition, Skill, and Loyalty has no ceiling at Southeast Mortgage.

I truly wish more people in this industry would ask more questions about who owns their company. Ask, is there a path to retirement for all instead of a few members?”
Cal Haupt, Chairman and CEO, Southeast Mortgage of Georgia, Inc.

At Southeast Mortgage, we work as a Village supporting our Account Managers to ensure we do a great job for their partners and clients. We WIN together not at the expense of another.

SEM does not promise the world nor do we embellish what we can deliver. TRUST and INTEGRITY are our guiding principles. If we tell you we will do it, we get it done.

In my career, I never said “I will do my best”, I always said, “I will get it done”.

There is always a way to solve a problem, improve a process, or create an new opportunity.

My Mentors never had to worry about a task assigned to me. As a result, they assigned more tasks to me which created opportunity for advancement and monetary reward. Be invaluable to your Mentor.

Cal Haupt, Chairman and CEO, Southeast Mortgage of Georgia, Inc.
a shareholder “employee” owned corporation