The Challenge

Stacey Van Roosendaal brought nearly a decade of mortgage industry experience when she started Sundance Lending, but running her own business presented new challenges. She needed to attract clients, process loans, and manage relationships entirely on her own. The workload was crushing: 14-hour days from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM for eight months straight.

The constant pressure to respond immediately to every text and call was taking a toll. Stacey struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, particularly around client communication. She felt obligated to answer every message instantly, which created tension at home and made it impossible to disconnect from work. Her phone was always on, and her husband was frustrated by her constant availability to clients.

Beyond the personal stress, her business faced practical limitations. She was saying the same things repeatedly to different clients, answering identical questions about loan processes, and manually following up with referral partners. Every conversation required her direct involvement. There was no way to scale without either hiring a team or finding technology that could duplicate her efforts.

Stacey also knew that in the mortgage business, relationships drive referrals. She needed to stay top-of-mind with realtors, title companies, and financial advisors while simultaneously educating prospects and nurturing existing clients. Doing all of this manually while processing 100 loans per year was unsustainable.

The Solution

Stacey built a system combining video email with SMS automation through Salesmsg and ActiveCampaign. The integration let her create personalized experiences at scale without being physically present for every interaction.

For prospecting and education, she recorded videos explaining her unique approach to lending and put them into drip campaigns. When prospects reached out through Facebook or Instagram, they automatically entered sequences that introduced them to her personality, knowledge, and process. These weren't generic sales pitches but content designed to attract clients who aligned with her values.

For active clients, she used SMS to provide loan status updates and answer common questions. Instead of taking calls about routine process steps, she sent automated texts at key milestones. Clients knew exactly where they stood without needing to chase her down.

For referral partners like realtors and title companies, she sent regular SMS messages with valuable content about real estate trends, loan information, and business-building insights. Short videos linked to her YouTube channel, where partners could dive deeper if interested.

The breakthrough came when she integrated Salesmsg with ActiveCampaign. Automated canned messages handled after-hours inquiries, sending responses like "Hey, I got your message and will respond during normal business hours." This single feature eliminated the anxiety of feeling obligated to respond instantly.

When she hired an assistant, both could access the same Salesmsg account. Her assistant could respond to clients using Stacey's voice and phone number through the web interface, mobile app, or Chrome extension. Stacey no longer needed to hand over her personal phone to delegate client communication.

"On the business side, Salesmsg helps me structure things better, but on the life side of things, it helps me reach out and touch as many people as possible."
— Stacey Van Roosendaal, Founder

Core Features Used

• Salesmsg and ActiveCampaign integration for automated drip campaigns
• Canned messages with out-of-office automation
• Multi-user access for assistant collaboration
• Separate phone numbers for business and personal relationships
• Video email combined with SMS follow-up
• Birthday and anniversary automation for clients and personal contacts
• Chrome extension for flexible communication

The Results

100 Loans Closed in Year One: Operating solo without a sales team or employees, Stacey achieved Pinnacle status by leveraging automation to handle routine communication while she focused on high-value advisory work.

Reduced Workday by 6 Hours: Her typical workday dropped from 14 hours to 8 hours. She went from working 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM to maintaining standard 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM business hours while maintaining the same loan volume.

High Engagement Rates: SMS messages achieved significantly higher open and video consumption rates compared to email. Clients and referral partners consistently engaged with her content.

Better Client Experience: Automated status updates kept clients informed without requiring phone calls. They knew where they stood in the loan process and could reach out with questions only when needed.

Scalable Referral Partner Outreach: Regular SMS touchpoints with valuable content kept her top-of-mind with realtors and other partners without manual follow-up.

Business Impact

• Eliminated evening and weekend work without sacrificing client service
• Created space to hire and train an assistant without workflow disruption
• Maintained income while working fewer hours, effectively increasing hourly rate
• Built a sustainable business model that doesn't require constant availability

Summary

Sundance Lending proves that solo entrepreneurs can compete with larger teams by combining the right technology with strategic automation. Stacey Van Roosendaal closed 100 loans in her first year without employees by using video email and SMS to nurture leads, update clients, and maintain referral partnerships. The integration between Salesmsg and ActiveCampaign automated routine communication while preserving the personal touch that builds trust in high-stakes financial transactions. Most importantly, automation gave her control over her schedule, reducing work hours while maintaining business performance.

Conclusion

Success in relationship-driven businesses like mortgage lending traditionally requires constant availability. Stacey challenged that assumption by building systems that provide excellent client service without sacrificing personal wellbeing. Automated SMS responses handled after-hours inquiries. Video content educated prospects without requiring live presentations. Drip campaigns nurtured relationships with referral partners consistently.

The result was a business that runs efficiently without demanding 14-hour days. Stacey bought back her evenings and weekends while closing the same number of loans. She proved that with the right tools, solo entrepreneurs can build sustainable businesses that serve clients well without burning out in the process. The automation doesn't replace human connection but makes it possible to show up as your best self when those connections matter most.