Fintech Hunting

About Fintech Hunting

The podcast host will be Michael Hammond JD, CMT, keynote speaker, author and founder of NexLevel Advisors. Join Michael as he seeks out will tech visionaries, leading lenders, trailblazing executives, and other Financial influencers to bring you actionable insights and lead generation tactics all centered around industry greatness and success.

Publisher

Hosted By Michael Hammond

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Nov 2019

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

307 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   62 Conversations. One Question: Where Is Mortgage Really Headed?

   MBA Annual is almost here—and this year, we’re going bigger. Yes, we’re heading to Chicago to talk about AI, technology, profitability, innovation, marketing, and where the mortgage industry is headed. But more importantly, we’re going for the people. In this special pre-MBA Annual episode of the FinTech Hunting Podcast, Michael Hammond sits down with his friend and media partner Dalila Ramos to share what they have planned for one of the biggest weeks of the year in mortgage. And it’s going to be a big one. On Monday, we’re bringing back the FinTech Hunting Podcast Pop-Up Studio—often copied, NEVER duplicated. This year, we’re taking it to another level. We’ll capture more than 60 conversations with executives, innovators, lenders, technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and some of the incredible people helping shape what comes next for mortgage. These aren't meant to be scripted sales pitches. We want real conversations. What are you seeing in the market? What are you worried about? What are you excited about? Is AI actually making a difference? Where are the opportunities? And what does this industry need to do differently? Then on Tuesday, Dalila is doing something especially meaningful: bringing loan officers into the conversation with a VIP LO Content Day. Because too often, the people closest to borrowers aren't in the rooms where some of the biggest industry conversations are happening. We want to help change that. We want to hear from the C-suite and the front lines. From industry veterans who have navigated difficult markets before and the next generation bringing fresh ideas to mortgage. And we don't want those conversations to stay inside a conference hall. If you're going to MBA Annual, come find us. Stop by. Say hello. Tell us what you're seeing. Share your story. Challenge our thinking. Let's have a real conversation. And if you can't make it to Chicago, follow the FinTech Hunting Podcast feed and follow Michael and Dalila on social media. We're going to bring the experience to you—sharing conversations, videos, insights, personalities, laughs, and perspectives throughout the week. Because behind all the conversations about AI, automation and technology, mortgage is still a relationship business. And sometimes the best ideas don't happen on a stage or inside a boardroom. They start when people sit down, listen to each other, and have a genuine conversation. That's what we’re going to Chicago to do. 62 conversations. Countless perspectives. One question: Where is mortgage really headed? Come be part of the conversation. We’ll see you in Chicago. ### Michael Hammond, Founder of NexLevel Advisors, is the leading fractional CMO in mortgage and mortgage technology, specializing in AI-powered growth strategy and audience development.  Powering mortgage marketing excellence.

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Mortgage AI Exposed: The 2 Out of 3 Opportunities Lenders Miss | Josh Friend

   TITLE: Mortgage AI Exposed: The 2 Out of 3 Opportunities Lenders Miss | Josh Friend DESCRIPTION: What if mortgage lenders don’t need more leads? What if the bigger problem is that they’re failing to convert the opportunities they already have? In this episode of The FinTech Hunting Podcast, Michael Hammond sits down with Josh Friend, CEO and Founder of Insellerate, to separate AI hype from AI reality—and examine what massive amounts of mortgage data are revealing about sales, conversion, borrower engagement, and the future of lending. One finding should get every mortgage executive’s attention: lenders may be capturing only about one-third of the potential mortgage transactions already in front of them. That raises a much more important question than “How do we generate more leads?” Why are so many existing opportunities being missed—and can AI help lenders capture them? Michael and Josh explore: • Why much of what is being marketed as “AI” may simply be existing technology with a new label • The question every mortgage executive should ask an AI vendor before buying • How AI can analyze sales conversations, objections, response times, and follow-up behavior • What top-producing loan officers do differently—and how AI can turn those behaviors into a repeatable playbook • Why improving conversion could create more growth than simply buying additional leads • How purpose-built LLMs could change the economics and security of enterprise AI • Why mortgage CRMs are evolving from systems of record into systems of intelligence • How a “golden record” can connect fragmented borrower data across the mortgage ecosystem • What happens when AI can tell a loan officer who to call, why to call them, and what action to take next This conversation goes beyond chatbots, automated emails, and AI features. It’s about a much larger shift: using AI to redesign how a mortgage company identifies opportunities, makes decisions, engages borrowers, and converts business. Because there is a major difference between buying AI and actually becoming an AI-powered lender. If you’re a mortgage CEO, lending executive, fintech leader, sales leader, or technology provider trying to understand where AI can create measurable business value, this is a conversation you’ll want to watch. ▶️ Watch the full episode with Josh Friend and discover where lenders may be leaving their biggest growth opportunity on the table. Subscribe to The FinTech Hunting Podcast for conversations with the executives, founders, and innovators shaping the future of mortgage, fintech, and financial services. ### Michael Hammond, Founder of NexLevel Advisors, is the leading fractional CMO in mortgage and mortgage technology, specializing in AI-powered growth strategy and audience development.  Powering mortgage marketing excellence.

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Mortgage rates are rising again—but the opportunity in mortgage lending isn’t disappearing. It’s moving.

   Mortgage rates are rising again—but the opportunity in mortgage lending isn’t disappearing. It’s moving. In this episode of the FinTech Hunting Podcast, Michael Hammond sits down with Eloise Schmitz, CEO of LoanNEX, to unpack what the latest shifts in DSCR, non-agency lending, investment-property loans, home equity and second liens are telling us about where the mortgage market may be heading next. But the bigger story may be what lenders aren't seeing. Eloise explains why product visibility matters, where friction still exists between loan officers, secondary marketing teams and investors, and how pricing, eligibility, locks and exception management can become part of a more connected mortgage workflow. One statistic should get the industry's attention: Eloise says investors can see roughly 30–40% of volume handled on an exception basis. That creates an interesting question: What can all those exceptions tell us about borrower demand, missed opportunities and where the market is moving next? Michael and Eloise also discuss how better analytics can reveal: • Where mortgage volume is shifting • Where lenders may be missing opportunities • How credit premiums are changing • Why investors compete differently across the credit spectrum • How lenders can give loan officers broader product access and greater confidence If you're a mortgage lender, secondary marketing leader, capital markets professional, mortgage executive or fintech provider trying to understand where opportunity exists in a changing rate environment, this conversation is for you. Watch the full episode and decide for yourself: Is your organization seeing the entire mortgage market—or only the part your current technology allows you to see? Subscribe to the FinTech Hunting Podcast for conversations with the executives and innovators shaping mortgage, fintech and financial services. ### Michael Hammond, Founder of NexLevel Advisors, is the leading fractional CMO in mortgage and mortgage technology, specializing in AI-powered growth strategy and audience development.  Powering mortgage marketing excellence.

Who has been a guest on Fintech Hunting

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kelly Yale
• Ross Diedrich
• Greg Sher
• Nick Rutherford
• Eloise Schmitz

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

4,657,881,807

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 69 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

70

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

76