Leslie A. Brown, CLFPOwner, Mak Global Corporation
Member, AACFB Education Committee
Instructor, AFLP
Staff Writer, Commercial Break for AACFB
Guest Writer, Monitor
Leslie Brown receives high accolades from finance professionals and customers alike. Starting out in third party medical collections in the 1990s, Brown still recalls the experience and explains how the lessons in collections can help train others in finance.
“A business should be profitable and it should serve others,” Brown says. “You think you are calling a patient to collect a debt — you’re not. You’re connecting with someone to understand and help solve a mutual problem.”
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VISION FOR THE FUTURE: “We are all leaders here. That’s the talent this industry attracts. My contribution is and will remain a push for regenerative business practices where the people inside a business are connected to a central vision that both fulfills and empowers them while creating a positive impact on the communities in which we all serve.” |
“Leslie looks out for her customers, strives to put them in the best situation and stays involved throughout the life of the relationship. The world would be a better place with more Leslies in it, but that’s what makes her so special,” Tony Syracuse of YES Leasing says.
Brown’s ability to clearly envision an end-goal contributes to a level of efficiency scarcely seen in the leasing and finance industry.
“One of my first positions in finance was as a portfolio manager for a leasing company in Austin, TX. After the first year, I had increased profitability for the company so much that my employer sent my family and I on a fully paid vacation to Cabo. I remember my manager calling me resourceful. I liked being resourceful, so I’ve been careful to keep that a focus all these years,” Brown says.
Brown may be reaching the 20-year mark in the industry, but she’s not a stickler for old habits or protocols. In fact, she says you should throw out anything that you cannot clearly identify as helpful.
“If you can’t dress, speak and express yourself as you are, in whatever it is you are choosing to do with your life, then you’re in the wrong line of work,” Brown says.“There’s no room for pretenders in leadership.”
In addition to managing her equipment finance and real estate companies, Brown teaches ALFP courses for the CFLP Foundation, hosts the Front and Center video article series for the AACFB’s Commercial Break publication and contributes as a member of the AACFB’s education committee. She has been a guest writer for the Monitor and served as a member of the board for the CLFP Foundation. At home, she serves as an elected member of the board for the Elm Creek Water Association and is a published writer.
