Embrace Employee Spotlight: Catherine Mauldin and Rebecca Glynn
There’s a lot to love about Embrace Home Loans, but one of our strongest assets has always been our employees. We have teammates who have been with us for 10, 20, even 30+ years. And we’ve also been hiring new employees at a furious pace recently — new employees that many of us haven’t met yet as we continue to work remotely during the pandemic.
In this Employee Spotlight, we’ll be featuring two Embrace teammates — one new employee, and one employee who has already been with us for a while. Each will give different perspectives on the Embrace experience and a little more personal info so you’ll be able to get to know them better.
Want to nominate someone to feature in a future spotlight? Email Mary Mack at [email protected]
REBECCA GLYNN, Videographer/Video Editor
What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace?
My title is Videographer/Video Editor but I like to say that I’m more of a “marketer who does video.” I work with Marketing, Recruitment, and Talent Development to help create video assets that are a part of a larger video content strategy that we are building. I’m really excited to create content showing off the unique and amazing culture that we have here at Embrace!
What made you want to work at Embrace?
There were a few things that made me want to work at Embrace, but I have a myriad of friends that have worked here forever, and they were the top selling point for me. One of those friends is the illustrious Mary Mack whom I’ve known since high school, and she has always been on my list of the Top 5 Funniest People In the World. Of course, when she asked me to apply for this position it was a hard yes for me. Now I’m lucky to have her as my boss!
How has it been starting a new job during COVID? And just working for Embrace in general?
Starting a new job during COVID has been interesting, that’s for sure. I learned very quickly that Embrace stops at nothing to support their teams in all aspects of onboarding, and I remember being impressed with how Talent Development was able to foster a feeling of community, even though we’re all separated and working individually. I think that speaks volumes about the culture here — and that’s probably my favorite thing about working for Embrace. Most companies talk the talk, but Embrace really walks the walk when it comes to creating an environment of inclusivity and camaraderie amongst teammates and you can feel it right from the beginning. I love that!
What did you do for a living before you came to Embrace?
Previously I was a video production project manager for CVS Health, where I worked with the C-suite producing video assets for internal corporate messaging. Before that, I worked for a B2B E-commerce company in Bristol as a video content specialist where they let me build out not one, but two video studios as well as their entire video content strategy. That was a very cool time in my career.
Before getting into video marketing though, I was kind of all over the place career-wise. After college, I worked for a RI senator. I was an investigative journalist for a local TV news station, and I’ve managed and bartended at some awesome restaurants in Newport. I’ve worked on yachts in the Caribbean, and also for a cannabis cultivator in Rhode Island. What a strange path it has been that has brought me to Embrace but I’m so happy to be here!
We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.
I live in Tiverton, RI with my 4 1/2-year-old daughter, Annaleah. We have a lab/hound mix named Bernie and two cats named Googlebot and Adobe (they’re Tech Cats).
I own a CBD infusion company called Hempowered Wellness and we make different types of cannabinoid-infused topicals, as well as dog treats. I’m hopelessly addicted to the stock market and cryptocurrency/defi. My favorite thing to do is to travel! I’ve been to 17 countries and my favorite place that I’ve experienced so far is the Amalfi coast of Italy. I’m really hoping to make it to St. Barth’s and Panama this year.
In my spare time I enjoy the beach, golfing, and spending time with friends and family outdoors.
CATHERINE MAULDIN, Sales Program Leader
What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace?
Sales Program Leader. I represent the interest of Sales on many projects ranging from recruiting, sales incentives, vendors, policies, and all things reporting. My focus is really to keep the Retail executive team on target when it comes to achieving our corporate goals and serving the needs of my customer. By “my customer” I mean our Loan Officers. Bottom-line helping run the business is essential to delivering the ultimate work-life experience for our Loan Officers at Embrace!
How long have you worked for Embrace?
Eight years!!!! It went by fast, though.
What made you want to work at Embrace?
I’ll be honest, I was not particularly keen on coming back to the mortgage industry after a five-year hiatus to raise my children and complete my college degree. I had been on the origination side of the business for many years prior to the 2007 housing crisis. I was left feeling very burnt out at that time.
In 2013, I had a friend who worked at Embrace reach out to me about a recruiting position that had opened up, and my curiosity was peaked when I noticed that she absolutely loved her job at Embrace. My expectations were very low at that time, but I feel so fortunate to have taken her call that day. It has been the best career move I have ever made. I’m a hard worker regardless of my situation, but Embrace has provided an environment for me to flourish.
What’s one of your favorite Embrace memories?
I would have to say the three months leading up to our first national sales rally, Catalyst. I was part of a small team that developed and implemented our first sales rally. It was the first opportunity where I owned the project from concept to completion and I had no idea what I was doing. It challenged me — but in the best way. I remember the first night where I witnessed so much joy from our employees. I knew in that moment that creating these magical experiences was what I was meant to do.
How has it been working from home for most of this year? Has Embrace made it easier for you in any way?
Embrace has risen to the challenges in 2020 and 2021. Shortly after the “shutdown,” a decision was made to fast-track Microsoft Teams. It has allowed us to stay connected during these times. Being someone who enjoys creating experiences, the pandemic limited me but allowed me to hone new skills. I am currently learning Agile, and feel very supported by Embrace that they continue to invest in my development.
We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.
I was born, raised, and currently reside in Walkersville, MD with my husband, Dave, and our three children, Benjamin (12), Naomi (9), and Jonah (6). We have a Norwegian Elkhound, “Ozzy” and tabby cat name “Deadles.”
On the weekends you will find us outdoors, working out, and hosting friends and family — what can I say, I enjoy creating experiences at home, too. My backyard has become our oasis for entertaining. We built an enormous rock climbing wall, and one summer day on a whim we bought a circular above-ground pool just so we could make whirlpools — if you haven’t tried that yet I recommend everyone tries this at least once.
My passion growing up was competition dance, and I still attend a dance class once a week. I decompress from my day on my Peloton or doing a quick Crossfit workout.