Laura Lasher in Rick’s Room

In this episode of Rick’s Room, Laura Lasher, CEO and Founder of Worthy Performance Group, discusses the launch of her Zero Fallout training program and the philosophy behind it.

Laura explains that most mortgage transaction failures stem from breakdowns in communication and unclear expectations between lenders and their referral partners. Too often, each party assumes the other is handling critical details, only to discover gaps when it is too late.

To address this, Worthy Performance Group has developed cohort-based training that brings loan officers and their partners—Realtors, builders and others—into the same 90-day structured program.

The conversation also addresses market conditions. Laura notes that as housing activity returns, growth will not benefit everyone equally. Larger, tech-enabled lenders are already aggressively maintaining relationships. Professionals who have not stayed in touch with borrowers and partners may find themselves left behind.

Ultimately, Laura’s message is clear: technology matters, but relationships matter more. Creating raving fans, maintaining disciplined processes, and investing in performance training today will determine who thrives tomorrow.

The Edited Transcript

Rick Grant:
Welcome back to Rick’s Room. This is the podcast where we pretend we’re at a conference at the end of a busy day. We finally get to sit down with someone we’ve been wanting to talk to all day. And today’s guest is absolutely worth the wait.

You’ve seen her here before. She’s the Founder and CEO of Worthy Performance Group. Before launching Worthy, she was President of Mortgage at Arbor Bank, where she built a significant business for the Omaha-based institution. And now she’s introduced something new—both a training company and a new program within it.

Please join me in welcoming Laura Lasher. Laura, thanks for being here.

Laura Lasher:
Thank you, Rick. It’s always fun to be here.

Building Stronger Industry Partnerships

Rick:
I was reading HousingWire today and saw you’re doing something brand new—something I haven’t seen before. Tell me about it.

Laura:
We’re focused on building deeper relationships between Realtors, lenders and their business partners. Communication and customer service are never “done.” They are the foundation of building relationships, gaining clients and growing your business the right way.

We’re setting up cohorts where teams come together to train on how to elevate communication, improve skills and create raving fans—alongside their best partners.

Rick:
Help me understand what you mean by a cohort.

Laura:
A cohort is a group of professionals in the same industry who are not competing with each other. It creates a confidential environment where they can openly share ideas and best practices without worrying that someone will take their referral sources or strategies.

The goal is mutual growth. If you’re not competing, why wouldn’t you help each other improve?

Rick:
Who can participate? Loan officers? Realtors?

Laura:
Right now, we’re focusing on what we know best—Realtors and lenders, or builders and lenders. These are growth partnerships. We bring a loan officer or loan officer team together with the partners they work with, and we train them together on communication, skill development and long-term relationship building.

Rick:
So they’re actually in the class together?

Laura:
Yes. They learn side by side. That way they understand what’s at stake for each other. Too often no one really understands what the other person does until something goes wrong.

The 90-Day Zero Fallout Program

Rick:
What does the program look like?

Laura:
It’s a 90-day structure with weekly sessions. We also meet with management or leadership on a bi-weekly or monthly basis—whatever works best—to review what the teams are learning and track wins.

It has to work for everyone involved.

Rick:
That’s a serious commitment. Is there urgency to get started?

Laura:
Absolutely. The market is always moving. Rates may go up or down. Inventory changes. Rentals convert to sales. There are always shifts.

You have to get ahead of the game instead of reacting. There will always be coaching available. What we’re doing is elevating performance and building accountability.

This is performance-based. It’s about execution.

Mistakes the Industry Keeps Making

Rick:
You’ve been in this business for 40 years—mortgage loan officer, team leader, now a licensed real estate agent. What mistakes do you keep seeing?

Laura:
Communication. Clear expectations. Too many people assume someone else is doing their job.

When something goes wrong, the reputational risk is enormous. It’s unaffordable—especially if you’re trying to grow a team.

I recently had a Realtor call me about expanding into another state. They were already thinking about whether to bring their lending partner with them or find someone local. That’s proactive thinking. That’s partnership.

Rick:
Nobody succeeds in this business alone.

Laura:
Exactly. It’s a team effort.

Why Laura Launched Worthy Performance Group

Rick:
You could have retired. Why start Worthy Performance Group?

Laura:
That’s just not who I am. There’s so much knowledge in this industry. If experienced professionals don’t share it and mentor others, what happens?

The industry is already struggling with a shortage of skilled professionals. We talk about attracting younger talent. Mentorship and structured development are part of the solution.

What “Zero Fallout” Really Means

Rick:
Let’s talk about your Zero Fallout program specifically. Who is it for?

Laura:
It’s common sense, really. Over 40 years—20-plus in mortgage—my fallout was minimal. That starts from the beginning of the transaction.

Technology has improved dramatically. But you still have to verify information. Garbage in, garbage out. There are more fraud risks, more credit complexities, more potential pitfalls.

Zero Fallout is about staying on top of the process from day one.

The coaching industry is huge. But nobody gets to the Super Bowl without coaches. This is structured performance coaching.

Rick:
What I like is that you’re bringing cross-disciplinary teams together. You’re asking: What does this process look like? Where can we lose this deal?

Laura:
Exactly. It’s everyone’s reputation on the line—title companies, insurance providers, appraisers, Realtors, lenders. Everyone.

Mortgages and real estate have taken their share of criticism over the years. We have to be better.

Sometimes it’s about one extra call. Who’s making it? When? What’s the outcome? That’s what a playbook defines.

Preparing for the Market Comeback

Rick:
As business returns, will it lift all boats?

Laura:
No. If you haven’t stayed in touch with borrowers and partners, you’ve probably already lost business. Larger and high-tech lenders are aggressively pursuing those relationships.

The best thing you can do is maintain consistent follow-up. You don’t need the most advanced technology. You need good systems and disciplined relationship management.

You need to create raving fans.

I’ve had clients call me 40 years later. When you ask why, it’s simple—they trust you. They like you. They know you understand the community and that your reputation matters.

That’s what we have to get back to.

Speed, Preparation and Demographics

Rick:
Time is money in this business.

Laura:
It is. You need speed to the customer. You need to prepare them. The industry is changing. Baby boomers hold a significant amount of housing inventory. Those homes will cycle. There are demographic shifts happening.

If you want to capture that opportunity, you need to be ready.

The big institutions and tech-forward companies have been nurturing those relationships for years. If you want your share of that business, you have to prepare now.

Rick:
We’ve been visiting with Laura Lasher, Founder and CEO of Worthy Performance Group. Laura, thanks for being here. We’ll definitely have you back to talk about how this evolves.

Laura:
Thanks, Rick. I appreciate it.