From founding consultant Kevin Fallon:
I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a finance degree in 2003. I came back to Kansas City where my sweetheart was still in nursing school, who became my wife and mother to our four children. I was drawn into banking, spending the first 8 years of my career at a growing regional bank. I cut my teeth in credit analysis and underwriting the first few years before moving into a business development and relationship management role. During the financial crisis of 2008, I was shifted to the back of the house to work on problem loans, getting a crash course on the pitfalls of lending, poor documentation, collection efforts and the like. I have been in loan production and relationship management roles at community banks ever since.
It is my passion to support the growth and success of my entrepreneurial clients. At the same time, as someone who has always had an entrepreneurial itch, I have always been inspired by my clients, their willingness to take a risk and bet on themselves, and the positive impact that has on their employees and the economy. Over the years, I have seen that risk pay off much more often than not!
The most rewarding aspect of being a banker was providing solutions and becoming my clients’ trusted advisor. The most frustrating aspect of banking was the frequency with which I had to say no to prospects or clients, and usually the no’s were to those with the greatest need.
Banking is a conservative and highly regulated industry by necessity. Banks are loaning their customers’ money after all, leading to necessary (though often agonizing and ever-mounting) government regulation and oversight. The banking industry is also highly leveraged. If the bank is wrong more than 1% of the time loaning money, they are out of business. Therefore, banking by nature must be very conservative.
I started this consultancy to be able to help more people, with businesses of all shapes and sizes and at every stage in the life cycle. I am excited to be aligned with world-class institutional non-bank lenders, who have a diversity of products and a risk tolerance not achievable in the banking sector. On the flip side, I have spent my career working with companies that are “bankable”, and I am now able to help those companies obtain the best bank rates and terms available in the market.
When we meet, I treat you like a good banker would, taking the time to get to know you and your business to truly understand your present and potential future needs. I work hard to find you the optimal funding solution, not trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Our work does not stop there. Once you are a client of First Funding Source, we intend to earn your business for life. We are the financial partner you need and deserve at every stage of your entrepreneurial journey, from ideation and inception of a new business venture, through the various life stages of the business, to exit planning and execution, and toward the next venture, in business or life.
An entrepreneur’s time is most effectively used driving top line growth and operational efficiency to maximize returns. We are the trusted financial partner that fills the gaps, unburdening you from our areas of expertise, which are equally vital to your business, but that often stand between you and the highest degree of success of which you are otherwise capable.
