Welcome to Business Innovators Magazine…Please introduce yourself and a brief thumbnail of your background.
PS: I’m Paul Scheper, and I have written a book called, “The ABC’s of Self-Improvement: The Psychology of Improving.”
I am a national sales manager for a leading mortgage firm and use the contents of this book (from Chapter A to Z) to help my team improve. What good is a book if you cannot use the concepts day to day? I love my job, and I have this book to provide ways for me (and others) to get better each day.
BI: What would you say is the area in business that you are most passionate about and why?
PS: I am passionate about customers, realtors, builders, financial planners and companies with inspiring stories of how to get better, how to improve each day. My purpose and passion are to help clients save money and improve their financial lives. I was a psychology major in college and the key to success is tapping into “what they want” — not what I want. It is in giving that we receive. Ever notice that the word “LISTEN” has the exact same letters (but in a different order) as “SILENT?” I believe in what Steven Covey used to say, “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” I am passionate about helping people get what they want.
BI: How are you different than your competitors?
PS: I am in the trenches, in the arena (as Teddy Roosevelt says), and selling every single day. I am marketing each day, training each day, coaching people each day and helping people “hands on.” My book is not a history book. It’s a book where the principles can be applied every day, literally today.
BI: Please tell me about any recent business accomplishments that you are most proud of and why?
PS: Being awarded The Man of Character for Orange County (one of 6 inductees) was quite an honor. Character is what you do in the dark, when nobody is noticing. It’s doing the right thing, the honest thing. Integrity, character, honesty, and courage — they all go together. To me, it’s all about caring about others, helping others. I wrote my book because, over the past 33 years in business, so many of my employees have urged me to “put pen to those quotes, those thoughts, those strategies.” Writing my book was a huge accomplishment, and I’m so grateful that it’s helping people improve, even just a little each day.
BI: What Leadership qualities in Leaders do you most admire and why?
PS: I respect servant leaders, which, by name, means that they are serving people, helping people. I believe you pull people by inspiring — not push people by intimidating them. I respect and admire leaders who love to help, who listen, who care. I respect leaders who are enthusiastic and who inspire people, not with fake “rah rah” methods, but with genuine methods, suggestions, approaches that get results.
BI: What has been a key element of your success?
PS: I would say that the key to my success has been focusing on what I can control (my attitude, my effort, my preparation) instead of things I cannot control (circumstances, obstacles, unexpected events). I think being adaptable and resilient are keys, too. But, the number one element that propels me is sacrifice. It’s really not complicated — to get something you’ve never had; you have to be willing to sacrifice something to get what you want.
BI: Who inspired you the most growing up?
PS: My mom. She taught me and my five siblings to never give up, to focus, to prepare and, most importantly, to never be afraid to fail. She is a 3-time cancer survivor, still lives with passion at age 80. She would sit with me in high school for an hour a night teaching me vocabulary words and math tips so that Harvard would accept me for admission. He was and is what I call selfless, caring, loving. Her grit, her desire, her leadership (while I was growing up and now) is what drives me.
BI: What are some of the business projects that you are currently working on that you are excited about and why?
PS: Yes, I am almost finished writing my second book – The ABC’s of Reverse Mortgages. Recent improvements and enhancements have been made to this loan program (developed by HUD in 1988), and it’s now safer, more sensible and works almost the same as a regular mortgage. My book is written so that people can learn about the in’s and out’s of reverse mortgages. Financial Planners, Realtors, Accountants, Attorneys, and Homeowners will benefit because it’s written in an unbiased manner — facts, figures, features — so that the reader can decide if getting a reverse mortgage is suitable and appropriate.
BI: What are 1 or 2 things you would like to say to a prospective client who stumbles across this interview?
PS: Paul Scheper is a mortgage lender, a sales manager, and an author who loves loans, and loves life. I have one purpose — help others improve, help people smile and live with joy.
I graduated from Harvard University and earned an MBA from USC, but my real education began in 1983 and continues to take place today — in the real world — when I help customers (B2C), and clients (B2B) improve their lives by getting better each day.
