CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table “These clients may not fund a loan for a year or two, but that’s OK,” Scheper says. “I’m building a nice list for the future. I’ll totally be in front of them. I SIT a lot— SIT is my acronym for stay in touch. I SIT and wait. I stay in touch, and boy, oh boy, does it work.” His five-person team is “lean and mean,” capable of pivoting quickly and equipped for responsiveness. “God gave us two ears and one mouth,” he advises them. “Use them proportionally. The culture in our company is listen, listen and listen.” Scheper oversees a culture of “teamwork, collaboration and gratitude.” He takes a similar approach with his bank partners—sending cookies, showing appreciation and initiating dialogue to keep the lines of communication open. Outside of reverse mortgages, Scheper is a motivational speaker and author of The ABC’s of Self-Improvement: The Psychology of Improving. Scheper and Gigi, a community volunteer and part-time nurse, spend time with their two kids, who live locally, and their two pugs. Scheper believes in giving back to the community, but there’s a twist. He doesn’t spread himself thin across causes but gives his all to the two that speak to his heart. As a former student-athlete, the fun one is volunteering as a public address announcer for local high school baseball and football games. “That’s how I get my sports in me,” he says. “I get to be with kids 16 to 18 years old and with the coaching staff and the administration.” His other cause is the lifesaving one, as a former board member and active volunteer with the Orange County chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Whether he’s supporting the jog-a-thon or the annual gala, he’s honoring his brother, Bob, who died from complications stemming from Type 1 diabetes in 1994. He tries to provide education and hope to newly diagnosed members, welcoming them with a “don’t be discouraged” kit. “I still have that quest to fund research and cure diabetes,” he says. “And it’s fun, too, to meet people. It’s a little subgroup where you meet with people who were diagnosed and say, ‘Don’t worry. There’s a game plan.’ It’s all about a positive attitude.” At heart, Scheper is an educator. He is out there helping clients pursue the American dream of owning their own home while also helping seniors live “the New American dream, which is to live in your home forever.” “Providing a solution to their fear of outliving their money is meaningful and impactful,” he says. “Helping seniors stretch out their retirement years by converting home equity into cash gives me purpose and passion. My impact is helping seniors retire with a sense of comfort and control and inner peace.” REVERSE MORTGAGE / SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2023 15
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