Sometimes it takes a bad experience to show a person what they really want in a career. That was the case for John Robert West, who left the long hours and lack of advancement opportunity in his previous positions to find his true passion.

After a friend and relative introduced him to the mortgage lending industry, it fit his criteria perfectly. Now a senior loan officer with Wintrust, West loves the idea of running his own business within the framework of a mortgage company while being handsomely compensated for the amount of effort and skill he puts into his work. “I wanted to create something for myself where I had more control over the outcome,” West recalls. “Doing a great job in our line of work means improving someone’s life while making a great living.”

West specializes in conventional and jumbo loans for borrowers purchasing properties in all 50 states. In the mortgage industry for nearly 19 years, he is using this unique and volatile time in our nation’s history to rekindle relationships with past clients and develop new ones with partners in all professional areas. “Everyone’s loan volume is up this year,” he says. “But I’ve been very pleased with where my business has been coming from and not just the amount of it.”

He recently helped a first-time homebuyer who had been repeatedly denied a loan for two years get approved and finalize a purchase. “We put together a plan to build and fix her credit, introduced her to a financial planner, and helped her build up her savings and pay down substantial debt,” he says.

West creates lifelong relationships with clients that result in him assisting their children, friends and relatives with loans by offering timely advice, competitive rates, low borrowing costs and unwavering attention that shows he cares deeply about their personal success.