Every industry has its unspoken rules — the things that senior professionals know but rarely say out loud, the lessons that take years to learn by experience and can be passed on in a sentence. Monitor’s NextGen Class of 2026 was asked to share theirs. The result is a collection of advice that is candid, practical, and — at its core — unified by a single theme: success in equipment finance is built on relationships, curiosity and the willingness to do the work before the rewards arrive.

Master the Fundamentals First

The most consistent message from the NextGen class was a version of the same idea: before you try to change the industry, understand it. Learn the mechanics. Earn credibility through competence.

Cory Damm, whose firm rebuilt its origination workflow around intelligent automation, was direct about the temptation younger entrants face: “There’s a temptation — especially for younger people entering from tech or finance programs — to see equipment finance as a legacy industry waiting to be disrupted. And parts of it are. But the unspoken rule is this: the people who actually transform this business are the ones who first earned credibility by understanding the fundamentals — credit structures, collateral values, vendor relationships, the rhythm of a deal. You can’t automate what you don’t understand. Master the craft, then bring the vision.”

Teyl Stark reinforced the point: “Be excellent at the basics first. Equipment finance rewards people who understand how the work gets done — documentation, controls, timelines, and follow-through. Technology can accelerate your impact, but credibility still comes from reliability. Learn the fundamentals, take ownership of your commitments, and build a reputation for doing things right. Once people trust you, your ideas will carry weight.”

Tyler Seeger advised new graduates to “be willing to start at the ground level, be curious always, and learn the fundamentals. This industry isn’t something you can fully learn in a classroom, so hands-on experience really matters. The more you lean into the details early, the more valuable and effective you’ll become long term.”

Alex Case kept his counsel concise but pointed: “Understand the fundamentals. If you know how deals are structured and where risk lives, everything else becomes easier to learn and scale.”

Develop Your Judgment, Not Just Your Checklist

Several NextGen leaders identified a critical distinction between technical knowledge — ratios, policies, approval frameworks — and the deeper capacity to think critically, interpret information, and ask better questions.

Monica Leng put it memorably: “Learn how to think, not just what to look for. Early in your career, it’s easy to focus on checklists. Those are important, but what really sets people apart is the ability to interpret information and ask better questions. In equipment finance, no two deals are the same, and the story behind the numbers often matters just as much as the numbers themselves.”

Michael Kianmahd extended that idea to the AI era: “Prioritize learning how to think over chasing money or prestige. AI can help you get answers faster, but it cannot replace the value of independently thinking through risk, incentives, structure, and human behavior. People who build that foundation early in their careers will outperform over the long run.”

Jordan Bonneur offered a particularly useful framing for those in finance or accounting roles: “Go beyond simply booking journal entries. Take the time to understand where the numbers come from and how they impact the broader business. That context builds stronger judgment, better problem-solving skills, and long-term career growth.”

Mike Philbin advised new entrants to “focus on understanding the ‘why’ behind every deal, not just the process. Equipment finance isn’t just transactional — it’s about solving real business challenges. The more you understand your customer’s goals, the more valuable and effective you’ll become.”

Relationships Are the Business

If fundamentals are the foundation, relationships are the architecture. Across the NextGen class, the conviction that equipment finance is a relationship business — not a transaction business — came through with remarkable consistency.

Brooks Anderson framed it as a matter of reputation over time: “Long-term success in equipment finance is built less on individual transactions and more on reliability and problem-solving. The people who consistently win are the ones who are available, communicate proactively, and make it easier for their partners to succeed. Deals come and go, but being known as someone who follows through and removes friction creates relationships that last well beyond a single transaction.”

Aaron Case was equally direct: “Relationships matter. Technical ability is important, but the ability to communicate clearly, build trust, and follow through consistently is what differentiates people over time. This remains a relationship-driven business. Most opportunities in this industry come through people, not processes.”

Hannah O’Donnell put it in terms of reputation: “Your reputation travels faster than your resume. This is a small world, and people remember how you show up — if you follow through, communicate early, and treat everyone fairly when things get complicated. If you become known as dependable and straightforward, doors open quickly, and your network will take you farther than any one transaction.”

Alyssa Lawrence pointed to communication as the often-overlooked engine of trust: “Communication is just as critical as execution. Deals rarely go exactly as planned; and when they don’t, the ability to keep all parties informed, set clear expectations, and remain transparent often determines the outcome. Technical knowledge is important, but strong communication is what builds trust and long-term relationships.”

Paul Reny made a case for authenticity: “Be yourself early. In a relationship-driven business like this, authenticity builds trust faster than anything else. The more genuine and consistent you are, the more people will want to work with you over the long term.”

Stay Curious — and Stay Humble

A surprising number of NextGen leaders cited curiosity and humility as professional differentiators — the habits that separate people who grow from those who plateau.

Rick Dierks challenged the idea that admitting uncertainty is weakness: “Asking for help and saying ‘I don’t know’ are not signs of weakness, as long as you continue to learn. The equipment finance industry is constantly changing and evolving, so if you’re not learning something new every day — regardless of how long you’ve been here — you are not as plugged in as you should be.”

Aileen BeVard made a related point about listening: “Listen more than you talk. Confidence is important, but humility will take you further, especially early in your career. We learn the most by paying attention to how experienced people think, communicate, and solve problems. Ask thoughtful questions and be open to feedback. If others are talking, you’re learning.”

Alejandro Zubia offered one of the class’s most compact pieces of wisdom: “Always ask the question, never hold it back — as minimal as it seems, that simple question can have the most impactful answer you can come across.”

Victoria Clifford tied curiosity to action: “Be a sponge and find a mentor as fast as you can. Say yes to things before you feel ready, dive into the parts of the business that are uncomfortable and invest in yourself before you expect anyone else to invest in you. Equipment finance rewards people who are curious and willing to put in the work to really learn it.”

Micah Peterson framed humility as an invitation: “You have to step out of your comfort zone and be willing to ask questions about things you don’t know. Practice humility and humbleness and embrace the challenge of learning something new. It is okay to not have all the answers in the beginning, but showing the initiative to learn is what makes others want to work with you.”

Understand the Whole, Not Just Your Part

Several NextGen leaders advised new graduates to resist the temptation to stay in their lane — and instead develop a wide view of how the industry actually works.

Alexa Bagchi credited the diversity of her early experiences for her later effectiveness: “Try everything. My internships in several departments — Accounting, Credit, and Portfolio Management — were foundational to my early career in risk analytics. I attribute my strength in this field to the diversity in my roles over the past ten years.”

Jordan Lovick gave similar advice: “Get involved in other aspects of the business in addition to the duties of your current role. I think it is important to understand how the different departments impact each other. This can also help grow your overall knowledge base and expose you to other potential career paths and opportunities.”

David Trost put it in terms of the full deal lifecycle: “Whether you’re in credit, sales, ops, or tech, take the time to understand the full lifecycle of a transaction — from first contact with a borrower or vendor through to disposition of the contract. You’ll bring more to every conversation.”

Ali Raza connected broad awareness to the ability to create real impact: “Success comes from understanding the full ecosystem, not just your role within it. Equipment finance sits at the intersection of technology, operations, and customer experience. Those who take the time to connect these dots early in their careers are better positioned to solve meaningful problems and create impact beyond their immediate responsibilities.”

Lead with Purpose — Not Just Ambition

Finally, a handful of NextGen leaders offered advice that went beyond career tactics — touching on mindset and motivation.

Ryan Ragland urged new graduates to internalize a servant-leader orientation: “Come in with a servant-leader mentality and internalize this early: impact over income. Most people get it backwards — they optimize for compensation before they’ve built the skills, relationships, or credibility to back it up. If you focus on genuinely solving problems for your clients, partners, and colleagues, the income follows naturally.”

Cory Svihla offered a deceptively simple framework: “The unspoken rule for any industry: always think ‘what’s in it for them.’ No matter your role, you’re in sales in some way. Lead by giving without expecting anything back.”

Jose Francisco Pena invited new graduates to consider the larger meaning of their work: “We are all working with people. Sometimes we focus so much on process and what we are doing right in front of us, that we forget what the result is. You are not just crunching numbers or making calls — you are helping to fundamentally change the lives of multiple people in the long run.”

Esteban Zuleta, CEO of Kin Analytics, wove curiosity and empathy together into a single philosophy: “Stay curious and stay close to people. Those two things sound simple but they’re genuinely rare. Be curious about how decisions get made, not just what the right answer is. Be curious about why clients think the way they do. And be empathetic enough to understand that behind every credit decision, every portfolio review, every difficult conversation, there’s a person trying to do their job well under real pressure. The people who build that combination early are the ones who end up leading.”

And Hiroki Yagishita closed with a reminder that, at the end of the day, some things are entirely within your control: “Effort and attitude are two things that are fully within your control and are key in being successful in anything. You can’t control how fast success comes, but you can control how you show up every day — and that’s what eventually sets you apart.”

The voices of Monitor’s NextGen Class of 2026 represent a cross-section of functions, firms, and career stages. But the advice they offer converges on a few timeless truths: learn the business deeply before you try to change it; invest in relationships early and consistently; stay curious and humble enough to keep learning; and lead with a genuine desire to help others succeed. Technology may be transforming the tools of the trade, but the qualities that build a lasting career in equipment finance remain stubbornly, reassuringly human.