Five Important Lessons Glenn Stearns Taught Me

History of Glenn Stearns

Early Life

Stearns was born in 1963 in Silver Spring, Maryland. His father was a printer and his mother was a grocery store clerk and house cleaner. The family lived in a low-income apartment complex in the suburbs of Washington D.C. Stearns was a socially adept child but struggled in school. He was diagnosed with dyslexia, but his parents kept this from him. He was humiliated when he failed the fourth grade Stearns’ parents divorced when he was 17. In addition to this, he fathered a child at the tender age of 14 years old.

Looking at statistics; the odds were stacked against Glenn from the beginning.

Career

In just under ten years after becoming a teenage father, and with no lending experience, Glenn formed his own mortgage company Stearns Lending LLC as well as a settlement company, Carriage Escrow. His settlement company soon became the largest HUD contractor in America. In 2002, Glenn’s visionary success earned him Ernst and Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award.

Glenn was 25 years old when he founded Stearns Lending.

Personal Life

When Glenn was 14 years old, his eldest child, Charlene, was born. Charlene’s mother is a woman named Kathy who was 17 at that time. Charlene now manages Glenn’s escrow company.Apart from his eldest daughter Charlene, Stearns has three sons named Skylar, Colby, and Trevor and two daughters. In October 2003, Stearns married Mindy Burbano, who was an entertainment reporter for Entertainment Tonight and KTLA in Los Angeles.

Glenn Stearns is a man who faced adversity and chased a dream and a vision. He turned his life around and became one of America’s most successful businessman. Although facing multiple challenges, Glenn has had the ability to let negativity ignite his passion for changing people’s lives. He uses his life experience as a guide for others and lets his story do all the talking.

Batte with Cancer

Stearns was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the throat (the most common type of throat cancer) five years ago after his doctor noticed one of his lymph nodes was swollen.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the throat is a cancer that develops in the flat squamous cells in the lining of the larynx (the voice box) and the pharynx (the part of the throat behind the tongue). When Stearns’ doctor described the survival rates for his cancer as good news (relative to other cancer, squamous cell carcinoma is fairly treatable), Stearns said he didn’t see it the same way. “I was like, ‘no, that’s not curable’ that’s a coin toss,’” Stearns said.

Once the news sunk in a bit, Stearns said he began to view his cancer as a “business competitor.”

“After I kinda came out of my shock of ‘I have cancer,’ I remember really thinking about it kind of like business,” he shared. “I thought, ‘This will be the best competitor I’ve ever had.” Stearns elaborated on this metaphor, sharing that as underwent treatment, his cancer “became a very formidable opponent” — one that he “respected.”

“I did not think for a second that I had it beat,” Stearns said, sharing that the experience “humbled him beyond any belief” and gave him tremendous gratitude — not only for his success and circumstances, but also just for being alive, something he recognised isn’t the case for many people diagnosed with cancer.The Five Important Lessons

Five Important Lessons Glenn Stearns Taught Me

1. Many times opportunities are right in front of you, you just need to find them

Never stop chasing opportunities and dreams. When one door closes, others will open. Be mindful of what opportunities may be present in your life at this very moment and take advantage of all of them.

2. Being knowledgeable about things is a huge asset

Learn about anything and everything. You can never learn enough about something. Upskill yourself, educate yourself and continuously have a pro-education mindset.

3. Having a sense of humour is essential for success

It is imperative to laugh at yourself. Take yourself seriously, but learn to develop a humorous side which will allow you to create meaningful and personal encounters with others.

4. Humility brings perspective

1) Ask when you need help

2) Praise Others

3) Compliment graciously

4) Admit your faults

5) Acknowledge the team that supports you

5. Create a plan from the beginning

“failing to plan is planning to fail.” — Alan Lakein

The reality is that we all have a story and Glenn’s story in particular is very unique. However, with his story, I hope you can find the faith and the hope that he did during the difficult times he faced as a young man and adult.

In life we will always have to endure difficult times, but it is how we choose to overcome those difficult times that defines who we are.