Lisa Bartlett: Growth that equal parts relationships and performance

First National Financial LP Mar 25, 2026 mins

Lisa Bartlett credits strong relationships as key to her growth and sets that same tone for the cohesion and helping nature of her team’s culture.

What has kept you at First National this long?

LB: I love the people. Our culture is incredible. Everybody is friendly, respectful and works toward the same goal. The mentorship opportunities are also amazing. I started when the company was small. Stephen and Scott used to come into our office and sit with us to learn how we work. Doug Farmer hired me with one year of underwriting experience and was always open to my questions. Elena Robinson, my current manager, always makes me feel like she has time for me. What I have to say is important to her, and I can approach her with anything, even mistakes.

Which growth opportunities have you taken advantage of?

LB: When I look back at how I grew into my Director role, the importance of relationships stand out to me. In fact, relationships matter as much as performance. When Doug was my director, he gave me every advantage. When you start in your role, you need to have someone who believes in you and can see your work. I built strong relationships that helped me understand how the company works and where I wanted to be.

What are you most proud to have helped build or shape, and why was it meaningful?

LB: I am very proud of my team. When I took over this role in 2014, I had not hired anyone. Twelve years later, I’ve hired and trained everyone on the team. I am also very proud of the cohesion and helping nature of our team culture. We are known by brokers for being friendly, working together and getting along. I am part of all the group chats and team messages, and nobody is afraid to phone me and tell me they made a mistake. It’s meaningful for me to see the growth and success of my team members. We really do have the best sales team of all the lenders out there. Many of the people I hired didn’t start in sales and moved up to become award winning Account Managers. I’ve also had employees who left for periods of time but were adamant about returning because they knew how special it is working here. It’s rewarding for me to know I continue to set the right tone for the team and help people step into their potential.

When did you know you found your place at First National?

LB: I actually left First National in 2007 for what I thought was a better opportunity. Three months in, I realized I made a mistake. I left a culture behind that I wanted back. I was too afraid to call them to tell them I wanted to come back so I spent four years at two different lenders. In October 2011, I got a call from the sales manager about an opportunity. I was so grateful for the chance to return and I knew then that I would retire here. It took leaving to make me realize what I had here.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself on your first day?

LB: Don’t try to prove everything on day one. Take the time to learn the environment, culture and where everyone fits in. Relationships matters as much as performance. Ask a lot of questions. Find a mentor you’re comfortable enough with to ask “silly” questions and not get judged but encouraged to keep learning. Your job description doesn’t limit you, so step outside of your comfort zone and be open to learning. Be reliable and let people know you’re always going to show up and be there when they need you.

Lisa Bartlett: Growth that equal parts relationships and performance

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