So, here’s the thing. Everyone wants the highlight reel—you know, the rocket-ship growth, the sold-the-company story, the second-act success. But what people don’t often hear? The time you go exempt on your taxes just to fund your startup. The years of slogging through FHA streamlines while everyone else chased the shiny VA leads. Or trying to figure out your QuickBooks solo on a Saturday.
John Kresevic lived all of that. And then some.
From being one of the original sales animals at Rocket Mortgage to scaling JFQ Lending from 7 people to 700+ and selling it in the middle of a downturn… to now building a fast-growing national insurance platform, Turbo Insurance Group—his journey is a real-time playbook in leadership, focus, and adaptation.
Whether you’re a one-person broker shop, a team lead wondering how to scale, or just trying to survive in this crazy market, there are lessons in here for you. Let’s unpack them.
The Backstory: Rocket Mortgage to Broker Pivot
Kresevic got his start at Rocket (née Quicken) in 2008—a brutal time for mortgages. He proudly holds the record (maybe) for going 0 for 96 on his first credit pulls. But with the right mentorship and a relentless drive, he clawed his way up the leaderboard. Eventually, he left to try the broker world, drawn by the flexibility and control that retail couldn’t offer.
And like most ex-retailers, the first thing he discovered? The Kool-Aid didn’t taste the same outside the Rocket walls. The broker model actually worked—lower rates, better tech flexibility, and way more margin.
That discovery changed everything.
The Leap: Starting JFQ Lending
It wasn’t glamorous. He skipped paying federal taxes one year just to stack the cash to start JFQ. He was all in. No VC. No private equity. Just grit and smart moves.
Key move? Betting hard on direct mail. While everyone else was burning money on LendingTree and fighting over VA leads, Kresevic doubled down on FHA streamlines. And more importantly, he simplified the process for his team.
Want to know what made JFQ tick?
- Sales-first culture (backed by a 75-page sales playbook)
- Clear training and scripting for every new LO
- Ridiculously efficient tech stacks (yes, Calyx Point on purpose)
- Internal competition + high visibility on performance
- Weekly contests, trips, jets, ski weekends, and recognition
He knew the playbook: Pay people, promote people, and make it fun. And the numbers followed—over $4.5B in annual volume by year four, entirely self-funded.
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