46 | winter 2017 cmba-achc.ca CMB MAGAZINE
all in the family
to adapt. Our business has gone through so
many changes, just as life has. We have a level
of trust and understanding. But I know if I'm
too hard on him, his mother will get on my
case. She keeps us grounded!
On the other coast, we
spoke to husband-and-wife
team Mike and Bernadette
Laxamana. She's President/
Broker of Xeva Mortgage, and
he's Partner/Director of IT at
the brokerage.
For how long have you been in
the business?
BERNADETTE: Over 15 years, and the
brokerage has grown from just a few of us
to now over 70 people working here. We
also have four couples running Xeva – we
amalgamated and share the business instead
of competing for it. Previous to Xeva, I worked
as an account manager at a bank.
MIKE: I've been working here for nine years
now. Before that, I was working as a Director of
Quality in the corporate setting, but was unhappy
and worked crazy hours. My wife saw that and
planted the seed: "Why don't you join me?" It was
a very attractive option. If you're the owner, you
have flexibility and it also motivates you.
Did you meet through your work?
BERNADETTE: I landed in Canada about 21
years ago and met Mike a week aer I landed.
My landlady said she had someone for me to
meet! We got married and have two kids, aged
13 and 16.
Do each of you have different roles
within the organization, so no one
steps on each other's toes?
BERNADETTE:I tried to teach him about
brokering, but he's very black-and-white, and
underwriting has a lot of grey. We decided that
I'll take care of sales and customer service, while
he takes care of admin and IT. It's evolved as
the brokerage grew, and we both have our own
kingdoms and rule our own worlds. We play up
our strengths and respect each other.
MIKE: As partners, we each have different
roles, so there are no conflicts. We trust each
other and everyone does their part. It's a
special dynamic.
OVERALL BEST ADVICE FOR
WORKING WITH FAMILY
n
Find a role for each person based on
their strengths.
n
Go elsewhere first to get experience in
the industry.
n
Best way is to start at the bottom and
experience all areas.
n
Don't make work disagreements
personal.
n
It's one thing to live with your parents,
but entirely different to work for them.
n
Be a good listener.
n
Schedule days where only one of you
is in the office, because there are going
to be times when you need a break from
each other.
MIKE & BERNADETTE
Having different roles and
trusting each other makes it
a special dynamic.
