Don’t Let It Bring You Down

Stranded After Structure

Shank, 31, described his younger self as an undisciplined high schooler who “really didn’t know what to do with my life, except that college was not in the cards.” He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2011 after graduation, working in cybersecurity.

“They gave me some discipline, gave me a backbone, taught me how to exercise, and allowed me to just do fun things,” he said. “I spent close to 10 years traveling the world, seeing new places, learning interesting and terrifying facts about the world that we live in, met some of the best darn people in my life, and generally had a fulfilling career, helping make the world better. Every time I’d be able to go home, my dad would tell me that he was proud of me because I was literally doing what I could in order to make this country better.”

Yet, Shank’s military career came to a tragic end shortly before reaching that 10-year milestone. A cancer scare had compelled him to undergo corrective surgery, which went disastrously wrong. The procedure left his lung and stomach fused together, forcing him to undergo a second corrective surgery. But the ordeal didn’t end there — Shank was later warned that he faced an almost certain risk of developing esophageal cancer within a few years.

“I elected for them to simply remove most of my small intestine and stomach, rerouted everything, and no more growing risk of cancer,” Shank said. “Unfortunately, that came with a couple of medical side effects, one of the big ones is they can’t really deploy me anymore because feeding me in a deployed environment is not going to be the easiest thing.”

After being forced into medical retirement in 2020, Shank was back in the market for a job. Feeling uncertain of what to do next, he joined forces with his father, Tim, at Shelter Insurance Companies, for a short period. The father-son duo also run a nonprofit called BizVets CONNECT to empower local veteran-owned small businesses by connecting them with expert business support. While the nonprofit has worked out, Shank admits insurance wasn’t for him.

“Unfortunately, the insurance industry is a terrifying beast right now,” Shank candidly admitted. “Several agencies around town straight up went out of business. We faced so many losses within our own book of business that our income basically became half. And dad and I can’t split half of a man’s salary and live comfortably.”

Concerned about how to provide for his growing family, Shank took a chance based on a friend’s recommendation and went after his NMLS license.

Finding NEXA

After passing the NMLS exam, Shank says he found NEXA through God. While attending a UWM training event, Shank met (William) Ross Wright, a branch manager and senior loan officer for AXEN Mortgage, a DBA of NEXA. “I met him and we started talking about the importance of acting on faith,” Shank said, noting that he was drawn to Wright’s similar religious beliefs. “His motto is to make God your business partner. So we shared that belief and fast forward a couple of months, he reached out and invited me to join him and his team at AXEN. And I, again, did some praying, talked to the wifey, and decided that this was something I needed to take a risk on.”

Wright, now Shank’s team lead, calls Shank “a breath of fresh air,” saying that his energy is what led him to recruit Shank.

“He’s refreshing. You run into people in life, and he’s just refreshing. He’s got a very positive outlook, but he’s a realist, right? So he knows what he’s dealing with, but he carries himself in a manner that is just electrifying the people,” Wright said. “Every person on my team, as soon as they meet him within a very short period, is just gushing about him.”

Dan Denniston, a recruiter and senior LO at NEXA, as well as a Loan Officer Support expert, is someone Shank credits with helping him get his footing during his first few months as an LO. Denniston credits Shank with being able to remember why he does what he does. “It gives me new energy when someone [like Chris] is that inspired, that invigorated,” Denniston said. “I’ve been doing this for a while but getting around someone with that type of energy is always very fun and exciting. And I was front row at that conference [when Chris hopped the stage], and he moved me.”

Full Speed Ahead

Only a few months into his lending career, Shank says he’s most surprised by the possibilities this industry allows for himself and his clientele. “I became a homeowner in 2022, and it was my loan officer that allowed me to get the house that I live in. There was an issue with my bank, they misfiled something, and underwriting was prepared to just kick my loan because there were a bunch of red flags that popped up,” he explained. “My loan officer walked me through how to fix that, and I was super grateful for him.”

Shank, who bought his house using a VA loan, says he never thought he would be able to achieve homeownership. And he used his experience buying a home to embrace a specialty.

“I began specializing in VA loans by studying the manual and debunking a common myth that sellers can only contribute 4% in concessions. After reaching out to 85 local realtors, I found that only one knew the correct rule — that there’s actually a way to exceed the 4% limit,” Shank said. “Most assumed the 4% was set in stone. So my whole thing is there’s knowledge out there, and you can share it with people to make lives better. And not as many people are motivated to snag that knowledge as I would have initially hoped.”

Plus, a military base has worked out for Shank, who says that about 70% of all loans originated in Clarksville are VA loans.

Wright says he admires Shank’s giving back to the Veteran community. “Chris has been able to unlock the door for many, many veterans. I know he’s got some stories already, just in his short period. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. Chris has been doing it for less than a year. And this guy is racking up all these stories from veterans that he’s pulling out of the fire who are being taken advantage of by big box banks,” he said.

NEXA CEO Mike Kortas has high expectations for Shank to “flourish” in the industry. “He is an exciting individual. I just met him at that event and as anyone can see, he quickly became a force,” Kortas said. “For him to just take charge and help like that was amazing. He is new to the industry but already making a huge splash. No doubt he will be a huge part of NEXAnation and we are already making plans to further get him to help in many aspects.”

Moving Forward

Before Shank wraps up his first year as a loan officer, there are a few goals on his list to knock out. “I want to break six figures on an income. That is enough to completely pull my family out of our minor debts, not counting cars and houses, [but] enough to set back a sizable chunk of change for personal investments,” he said, adding that he also hopes to complete a few non-QM loans and make an on-stage appearance at NEXA Fest., NEXA’s annual conference held in October. But more than that, Shank is just happy to learn.

“I’m the junior guy in every room that I walk into. Everybody around here has succeeded in the field that I want to succeed in. So when I talk to somebody, I’m going to learn something from them,” he said. “When I attend a conference or a training event, I’m going to learn something because the better that I can build myself up, the better I can take care of people when I leave.”