INSANE – He funded over 100 deals. NO office, NO Employee

Oz Konar:

Fast forward like almost seven years later. I’m like, “Wow.” Okay. You left a lot of money on the table, Michael. Yes, I did. Tons and tons. I wish I would have found this like 20 years ago. But like you said, like eventually with experience and the knowledge that you have, you you have that aha moment like, wait, I want to do this. So, yeah.

Hey everyone, Oz Konar here with Business Landing Blueprint. In this episode, I have another extremely valuable member here, Ernesto Ortega. He’s been a part of our community for a while and I reached out to him because I not only see him in our Facebook community for business loan brokers, helping other brokers, but I kept hearing about him from our lenders too is building a successful lending business through BLB. He’s a very successful person overall.

So, yeah, this is what I do. Usually whoever I’m personally interested in chatting I hit the recording button and we get to know each other that way and thanks for being a part of this. Welcome. How you doing today?

Ernesto Ortega:

Real good. Real good. Thank you. It’s an honor honestly. I mean talking to Oz.

Oz Konar:

No my pleasure. Great to have you here. And you’re like I said very engaged member. We have an interesting community there. So if someone outside watching this might not know this but is a self-sufficient community, right? So we don’t really have strict rules or you can’t do this and you can’t do that. We don’t really have managers managing. It is people like you who take the leadership role like Daniel Leas you Doug and you welcome people who are coming in and then you provide handholding and answer their questions and we’re in the lending industry.

So for that I’m extremely privileged to have this community. I don’t know how it worked out but it worked out. So people come in and not only they take but they also give back and you’re one of those top people. I’ve been meaning to reach out to you because I know we follow each other on Instagram too and whatnot, right? So you’re killing in this business, but for those of you who might not know you, can you talk about yourself and your background and what brought you here?

Ernesto Ortega:

Yeah. No, definitely. So, a little bit about me. I’ve been in the finance, business finance industry for almost I want to say like maybe 10, 11 years. I started working at D&B Draashi, which is like the number one business credit reporting industry for not just United States, but worldwide. After that, here in Tucson, I’m in Tucson, Arizona. So right across the street was ADP on the fifth floor was paychecks and so almost limit and QuickBooks is like across town.

So everybody was basically just going to those places and I wanted to switch it up and go get into the loan servicing becoming the loan officer and that went well. I can’t complain. A year later after that paychecks picked me up. So you know that is basically HR payroll health and benefits.

With time I just started like helping others doing the credit repair. Little by little, I started doing that. And then when I landed um BB, the business lending blueprint, it just got me thinking like, hey, I’m already doing something like this on the personal side. Yeah. Then we take a look at what’s on the business side.

So, and you know, funny enough, when I was working at D&B, we had a partner called Credibility Capital, and I was one of the top three reps in the nation just sending referrals all the time over there, and I was closing them, and I just just kept getting gift cards, and I was like, Fast forward like almost 7 years later, I’m like, “Wow, okay.” You left a lot of money on the table, my friend. Yes, I did. Tons and tons. Because I remember that company was starting with 250 and then they did 550 and then now they’re in the millions now they’re lending millions.

Oz Konar:

Absolutely. And it’s funny how the truth prevails right. So when an industry is hot like you can’t hide it like you notice that oh they’re sending you gift cards and it kind of starts dawning. It’s same thing happened to me and I was like the person who got my referral for the first time I’m like oh he’s such a nice guy. Then he walks in with 4K. I’m like, “Oh my god, he’s even a nicer guy.” Then in your mind, you’re like, “Wait, if he’s paying me 4K, how much did he make?” Right. Exactly. That becomes like a wakeup call.

You’re like, “Wait a second.” And then that’s, you know, understand the magnitude of the lending industry. Like as an outsider, you’re working for DMB. I mean, there’s no bigger brand name than DMB obviously, right? So probably you’re sitting in your office thinking, “Yeah, I’m doing well. Like this is a good office.” And then these little companies sometimes they they do funding and they generate revenue. It’s just a wakeup call like many people are watching this they might not be understanding what they have they’ve been sitting on probably right so like anyone that you know who’s around you who’s a business who want to start a business each person could mean thousands of dollars for your pocket and then you’re doing them a favor by referring them or getting them access to the capital so yeah I didn’t mean to cut you off but it’s interesting because we have a very common background like I used to sell for paychecks you sold for paychecks it was like 2 and a half years of my life selling payroll, HR services. It’s very important to understand the game of finance, right?

When you’re selling payroll, you’re dealing with businesses and employees. And anyone who has an employee is like immediate qualifier for funding, right? So, if you have three or four employees, well, that means you’re generating enough revenue to pay employees through like ADP or paychecks, any of these formal payroll companies, then guess what? You probably need help paying payroll or get funding or buy equipment. You just start adding putting two and two together, you go a lot of aha moments that I’ve experienced and I I bet you experience too through your experience.

Ernesto Ortega:

Yeah, that’s true. So, I agree. You’ve seen the ads and you decided you finally said, “All right, I need to be there because you were doing it anyways and you’re helping other people. Why not? Why not do it?” And what was that process like? How long ago was this, by the way? When did you join B? I know you been with us for a while. This was 2023.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, it was April of 23. Yeah. I I just started, you know, little by little, right? I took my time. I was like at the gym, on the treadmill, listening to your ads, listening to everything cuz it’s true, right? This is not a quick money scheme or anything like that. However, the effort that you put into this is very rewarding cuz everybody wins at the end of the day.

The owner wins, you win, and everybody it’s it’s all about like relationships in a way, too. So I decided to, you know, take the initial start and did the investment and honestly like it’s very rewarding. I’m very happy that I did it because inside that community I’ve gained a lot of relationships as well too and a lot of people with different types of backgrounds in the mortgage lending and all kinds of finance industry backgrounds. A lot of good friendships there.

A lot of relationships I’ve encountered with Marie’s one of them. I mean, Daniel, all them, Ricardo, Doug, I can name a lot. So, it’s very difficult to put a price tag on the community, right? The product itself.

Oz Konar:

Yeah. But it’s very interesting. People look for like investment options to get a high return and crypto, the stock market, houses. I always say that the biggest return you’re going to get is if you invest in yourself, right?

So when you join a community of people like that, the odds of you meeting people like Daniel and Marie outside of our platform on your own is extremely limited. And I’m not saying this to give ourselves a pat on the back. A lot of that organically happen. But the challenge is for most people is that they don’t know what they don’t know. And then you got to be a part of something that that shows you.

I go on our own Facebook community and I learn stuff every single day from our own members who bought our training, but they bring their own experience of the past couple of decades, right? They’re like, “Oh, we could we could do this.” And we have people who come from the venture capital and buying businesses and credit repair, firemen, NBA players. Like when you just look at the spectrum of the BLB members, it’s thousands of years of experience accumulated in one community. That’s to me is mindboggling.

Yeah. the lending industry, what you have access to as a course is amazing. But over time, what happened to me, which is similar to what happened to you, is your friends start coming from the community, right? So, you start friending people who are from the same community. Then it adds layers to your knowledge base like nothing else. Becomes like a mastermind of its own.

I’m glad that you made the choice and you’re adding so much value to to our community. So, one question is, how has the business been going since you joined? Like, what have you been doing? Can you walk us through a couple of the deals that you’ve done and how that worked out?

Ernesto Ortega:

So, like always, you know, I’m always um personal referrals, referrals. You know, a lot of my friends and in the community here where I live have always asked me, hey, you heard that you’re doing loans, things like that. So, you know, I’m looking to do this.

And obviously, these are a lot of like, you know, less than 5 years, less than 10 years. You let them know, hey, and they and they already know because they’ve gone to the banks try to get a the traditional route, right, which is the going to the bank, fill out an application.

And sometimes they’re needing financials, P&Ls, profit loss, all those type of stuff. And they don’t have none of it, right? So, you know, I let them know, I mean, you have several options. We could, you know, do MCA, merchant cash advance where basically it’s just like a one pager app, four or five months or 3 months bank statements and then we could kind of go basic from there.

Once you build that relationship, get your need, get what you looking to grow to expand, and then we could explore other options which either getting you like a business line of credit or a term loan or an SBA.

But yeah, I have a lot of success stories in the last two, three and a half years I’ve been doing this. Tons, you know, just helping the meat markets here are very, very popular in town. So getting the meat market a 150k line of credit that was just like that was amazing. That was just done last month. And after that we’re working on getting him a 350k term loan. Nice. Either term loan or SBA. Either or. But going to allow him that business to grow and to expand and venture off to either Phoenix or California as well too.

So also with they they help three of my clients as well getting them like a line of credit to fund their other business.

M yeah the opportunities are there just relationships honestly just building that relationship calling them letting them know connecting yourself with accountants CPAs banks just let them know what you do because a lot of times these banking relationship managers they don’t know you know we can only do so much with underwriting right and so now that they know that they have a point of contact like myself I could help their clients their businesses and so yeah it’s I love because I don’t know like everybody wins that in in this situation right I think so it’s very rewarding

Oz Konar:

And then you said something very important. Even these bankers — a lot of people think that bankers are very knowledgeable when it comes to funding options. They’re good at understanding their banking products and what they do, but when it comes to funding, they have no clue. Like most businesses have no clue.

The stuff that you said — business lines of credit — not only did you help save that business, it’s a great relationship-building piece, right? Because now they’re thankful, and you helped them before they got to a point where they needed an MCA.

Now, MCA is not an evil product. However, the reason we offer MCAs is because people are usually a little too late in the game and they don’t have other options.

But if someone can get a business line of credit, you accomplish a win-win situation. It’s a win for the lender — obviously, they want to lend their money to make money. It’s a win for you because you just created a repeat income source. Every time they draw on that money — which they will — you get paid every single time.

So you work once and get paid over and over again. Major win for the business. They don’t have to wait for dark times. You already have the approval. They can use it to expand, or during an emergency.

Then your other client might need government-backed loans — SBA types of loans. So when we think of a business loan broker, we’re the solution people. We have access to a dozen or so different solutions, and our goal is to get good at understanding what the customer needs and matching it.

It’s not complicated. At the end of the day, it’s listening to someone and educating them — whether it’s an accountant. Accountants are very smart people, obviously, but I can guarantee most of the time they have no clue about the funding options that we can provide. They just don’t know.

Most accountants I talk to just tell their clients to go to the bank and get funding. And we know how that goes — it doesn’t really work.

These small businesses — I’m sure you have your own stories too.

Ernesto Ortega:

Yeah. No, I’ve come across a few accountants where they do the math and say, “This is so crazy expensive,” and I’m like, “Well, there’s no other route. This is the only way they can do it.”

Let them do it. Guide them. Because at the end of the day, maybe two or three years later when they’re eligible for a better rate, then yeah — refinance that line of credit, refinance that MCA, or whatever.

They have to start somewhere. And this is the only way to do it.

And I mean, I wish I would have found this like 20 years ago, but like you said, eventually with experience and knowledge, you have that aha moment — like, “Wait, I want to do this.”

And yeah, I love what I do honestly.

I think I’m very generous to referrals because I tell a lot of people what I do. I’ve paid quite a bit in referrals in the last year and a half — actually several months — and I’m just like, yeah, let’s talk about that.

Oz Konar:

So how do you structure that stuff?

We always talk about building referral networks. Obviously, you can get leads through organic marketing, paid advertising, YouTube ads — sure. But as far as quality, there’s nothing like having a referral circle who keeps thinking of you and sending you deals.

Sometimes they don’t want anything in return — they just want their customer taken care of. Sometimes you pay them something.

So since you’re really good at that part, how do you structure these relationships?

Ernesto Ortega:

They tell me the same thing — “As long as my client’s being taken care of, I don’t want compensation.”

But out of gesture, I’ll send cookies or something — just to thank them.

And when it comes to referrals, I’m transparent. I’ll show them what I got paid, and from there I’ll give them a percentage.

And I’ve surprised several people. At first they’re like, “I thought you were all talk,” until they get $2,000 or $1,500 in their checking account.

They’re like, “Ernesto, what’s this? Did you mean to send me this?”

I’m like, “Yeah. That was that deal you sent me a while ago. I just kept following up until it funded.”

Some people keep everything to themselves — I’m not that type. I believe in good karma.

As you share, the pie grows. It doesn’t shrink.

Oz Konar:

Every Christmas season used to be mayhem in my house. We’d build gift baskets for referral partners — cigars, whiskey, wine — sometimes $500–$600 per basket. We’d spend $5,000 to $15,000.

That always came back at least fivefold.

People see you put your heart into the relationship. Even people who didn’t send referrals that year would call and say, “I forgot about you — but that gift reminded me.”

Boom — referrals.

That’s the law of reciprocity.

Lead generation becomes easy when people genuinely care about you. Twenty people thinking about you daily is worth more than any funnel.

Ernesto Ortega:

In Spanish, if you do good, good comes to you.

That’s how I was raised.

Oz Konar:

That’s important. We want to make money — but how you make it matters.

So you’re juggling a full-time role too. How do you manage this?

Ernesto Ortega:

I work from home, which helps. But I tell people — do your 8–5, then from 7–11 build your empire.

Go through the modules. Network. Let people know what you do. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it becomes rewarding.

I went door to door. I told bankers and relationship managers what I do. They started sending clients they couldn’t help — and I could.

That was rewarding.

Oz Konar:

That’s why we built Fast Track. Members were spending thousands on websites and branding. Now we give them a full site, CRM, automations — not BLB branded — their own.

And now with BLB Network, we’re funding tens of millions a month with our own underwriting team.

You recently submitted deals through BLB Network. How was that experience?

Ernesto Ortega:

Total game changer. Fast, responsive, clear offers.

I submitted one deal — $30K funded, $3,150 commission — about 10%. It happened within a day or two.

Back-and-forth emails, but everything moved fast. Client’s happy, and they’ll come back.

Oz Konar:

That’s why we built it — to control funding time.

You’re an important part of this community. Truly.

Ernesto Ortega:

I appreciate you. Honestly, you’re like the Zuckerberg of finance — connecting everyone.

Oz Konar:

Thank you.

BLB is my passion. The people you meet here become lifelong partners.

We’re hosting a live event in Orlando — would love to see you there.

Ernesto Ortega:

I’d love that.

I’m even becoming a lender myself. I set up my LLC, EIN, used 0% business credit cards to fund deals.

Oz Konar:

That’s visionary. That’s the epitome of this industry — money-making becomes wealth creation.

That’s how BLB Network was born.

Risk is part of growth — but informed risk is different from gambling.

Ernesto Ortega:

Exactly. You’re giving businesses opportunity.

I love this space.

Oz Konar:

Brother, I appreciate you. Thank you for sharing your journey.

Ernesto Ortega:

Thank you. Take care.