Noelle Wheeler is president and broker of Nationwide Mortgage, a company she founded in 1997. As the president, she currently employs over 30 loan officers, 10 processors and is licensed in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Virginia. Since its inception, over $3 billion in mortgage loans have been given. After years of running her company, Wheeler realized there was a need to provide funding to borrowers that were outside of the standard conventional lending guidelines. She expanded Nationwide to add a private lending division that focuses primarily on funding loans for real estate investors.
AAPL asked Wheeler about women in the finance industry.
AAPL: What female leader do you try to emulate or look up to for strength and guidance?
Noelle Wheeler: My mom, Elisabeth the great! She only had the opportunity to complete a sixth-grade education but would not settle for the shoe factory job in Switzerland that her dad tried to put her in. She left home for France as a young woman, ultimately learned 5 languages, enrolled in optician’s college in Toronto (when she hardly knew English at the time), started a business with my dad, United Optical, and then did well in real estate while having four kids! She just always was determined and worked hard. Hi Mom!
AAPL: Do you have daily practices that lend to your strengths?
NW:
AAPL: What motivates you to get out of bed and face your industry on a daily basis?
NW: When you enjoy something, the line between work and play gets blurred. I enjoy what I do. And I have two girls in college to support!
AAPL: What do you think women, as a whole, bring to the finance industry?
NW: Competence! Anything boys can do, girls can do better, with heals on! We have an amazing capacity for detail. Maybe it is a legacy skill from the caveman days where we were picking berries, careful not to pick the poisonous ones, babies on our backs. Men had more single purpose goals like chasing an elephant! We are able to do our job and track and text our kids and plan dinner! Women are amazing. They bring home the bacon, cook it and clean up after it!
AAPL: Now that you have been in the industry for a while, what would you tell your younger self about going into this sector of finance?
NW: Look for some aspect that you enjoy and then master it. Stay ahead of technology, legal aspects, be a thought leader. And bring woman along with you whenever you can.
AAPL: What advice would you give other woman searching for their industry voice?
NW: Reputation and respect matter. You have to earn it with hard work and kindness. Any industry is small, and everyone knows everyone. So, treat everyone the way you want to be treated.
AAPL: What characteristics are necessary for a woman to have to be a good leader?
NW: Determination, kindness, empathy, creativeness. The ability to quiet the mind and ponder where you are and where you want to go.
AAPL: Do you define yourself as an industry disrupter? If so, how and why?
NW: Yes, because I have had my company for 20 years. For a woman or man, that’s kick-@$$. Because my company has funded about 4 billion in loans. For any mortgage company, that’s kick-@$$!
AAPL: Do you think the gender gap still exists?
NW: Yes. Since the majority of the people in the industry have been men, it’s logical to assume that a man is more skilled or has more experience in a given job. Statically, you might assume right. But a lot of the time you won’t be. If we stop assuming and guessing people’s competence we can all work toward decreasing the gender gap.
AAPL: What do others need to be aware of when it comes to the gender gap in the finance industry?
NW: You do need to respect a woman’s need to take care of her family first. So, flex hours, remote work, etc., and when applicable, offer this consideration to men, too.
AAPL: Have you witnessed change since you started in the industry?
NW: Some. Slowly. More women [are] in it. I used to feel the need to dress like a dude to be taken seriously. Now, I don’t see that as necessary but dressing professionally is still extremely important.
AAPL: Is the Equal Opportunity Act enough?
NW: Government needs to lead by example. So far, they aren’t doing task well.
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