Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Being a financial examiner means you juggle a lot of different pieces. It's a balancing act between regulations, deadlines, and not to mention your personal life.
This podcast is here to help you manage it all. Custom-designed for the professionals who are on the frontlines, we’re here to help you navigate supervision .
But we know you're more than just your job. You’re managing tight deadlines, traveling, and balancing the demands of your work with the rest of your life.
Each episode is designed to keep you informed, empowered, and supported—not just as an examiner, but as a whole person. We’ll dive into the business and the personal to help you manage stress, find balance on the road, and keep growing in your career.
This is the place you can connect with other examiners who understand your challenges, get the support you need, and thrive in both your role and your life. Stay in the loop, stay supported, and let’s navigate this together.
Derek Storms (00:00):
The industry's in here to make money, to do business, and that's fine, but we got to make sure that consumers are being protected, that it's being done in a proper manner, and then we can all work together for a very healthy industry. I'd say that's probably one of the biggest misconceptions is that we're enforcers of all of these laws and that we get to tell you what to do. That's just not the case. We're normal people out here having a good time.
Kareeme Tucker (00:21):
You're listening to In The Loop where we empower financial examiners with the insights, support, and community to thrive in every part of their role. I'm Kareem.
Derek Storms (00:33):
And I'm Derek.
Kareeme Tucker (00:34):
Well, hello everyone, and welcome to In The Loop. We are your host, Derek Storms, and I'm KareemeTucker. We've written down some questions because we really want you, the audience, to have an opportunity to get to know us a little bit better. And so again, I'm KareemeTucker.
Derek Storms (00:51):
Derek Storms.
Kareeme Tucker (00:52):
All right. And so let's go ahead and jump right in so you guys can get to know us.
Derek Storms (00:57):
Before we get started, what made you want to do this? When they asked you to do this podcast, why did you choose to? Because I was thinking about it this weekend. Why did I do it? Why did I do this? And so what is it that got you into doing this episode or this series or this podcast? I kind of want to know your thoughts on it and maybe we can talk about that a little bit.
Kareeme Tucker (01:18):
Sure. So actually when they asked us about it, I was like, "What? Me, what could I bring to the table?" I was so nervous. I thought we would be talking a little bit more about SES. And as the conversations evolved and we had an opportunity to learn more about what we would be doing in terms of speaking to examiners, speaking to our state regulatory agencies about things that are happening in our industry, having an opportunity to interview people, I thought, wow, this would be fun. And you and I had an opportunity to sit on the SES panel and talk about the use of it. And we had a blast. And so I thought, given this opportunity for us to be able to communicate with our audience, with our industry on a more personable level, I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to be able to do so while having fun as well.
Derek Storms (02:07):
Right. And this is something that I've never done. So this is the first time for me, tons of nerves. It is. You get up there and you talk at these conferences and everything, you've done it so many times, but this is different. You got a mic in front of you, you see yourself on the camera and you're like, "Where do I look? Do I look at you or the mic?" That kind of stuff. But one of the things too for me was when they said KareemeTucker and Derek Storms, I was like, "I'm in. I've enjoyed working with you and getting to know you on the Armor Board and some of these other committees and the conferences and stuff." And that really kind of sold me. And then just getting to talk about our industry and everything that we've got, the state regulatory industry and the system and NMLS, SES, the working committees, all that stuff, I just thought I enjoy this kind of work.
(02:56):
I'm having a blast at it. And why not try to help others see what's going on out there and see if we can make it a little bit fun? So that's kind of where I was on this. I'm like, let's give it a shot, see what happens.
Kareeme Tucker (03:08):
Listen, I agree. I'm totally 100% there with you. We'll have the opportunity to talk to folks that people want to know a little bit more about. We'll have an opportunity to talk to industry folks, but also our own people. And we may even touch on some CSBS folks as well. But I thought this would be a great way for us to get in touch with others in our industry, whether it's on the regulatory side or the industry side. But talking about the things for us by us, I thought would be an amazing opportunity. And of course, the opportunity to work again with you, Derek Storms, I was excited for it. We had a wonderful time the last time, and I'm excited for where this is going to go.
Derek Storms (03:48):
Yeah, definitely. Let's take a few minutes here, get to know one another, maybe some personal questions.
Kareeme Tucker (03:53):
Sure.
Derek Storms (03:53):
Is that okay? Can we do that?
Kareeme Tucker (03:54):
Come on, let's do it.
Derek Storms (03:55):
Okay. I kind of like rapid fire questions. So cats or dogs? Which one are you?
Kareeme Tucker (04:00):
Cool. Come
Derek Storms (04:01):
On.
Kareeme Tucker (04:01):
Dogs. Dogs. How about you?
Derek Storms (04:03):
I was thinking about that question. And it should be rapid fire, right? And if you would've asked me two years ago, I'd have been dogs all the way. I just love dogs, but my daughter had to have cats. And now that we have cats, it's a totally different ballgame. And so most of the time our cats are outdoors, but they do come in. And there's nothing better than a Sunday afternoon watching the ballgame and that cat is laying on your chest just sleeping. And so it's a toss up. I'm probably fifty fifty cats and dogs right now. I don't know if I could answer that question, but maybe dogs. If I had to, I'd lean towards dogs. But man, those cats are starting to capture my heart a little bit and thanks to my 10-year-old daughter.
Kareeme Tucker (04:43):
So when you say cats, that's plural. How many cats do you all own?
Derek Storms (04:48):
We've got two. We've got two. So- Boy and the girl? Outdoor cats, both boys. Okay. And I will tell you this. So one's just this beautiful white cat. He's all white. And then the other one is an orange tabby cat. And I did not know this about tabby cats, but they are crazy. If anybody has a tab, if you're getting a tabby cat, they are the most hyper, active, probably ADD cats out there. They have so much energy, but so much personality. And at the end of the day, that's my cat. He loves to come. Sunny. He loves to come lay on me and we can cuddle all afternoon. But lots of energy. If you want a cat that doesn't have a lot of energy, do not get a tabby cat.
Kareeme Tucker (05:29):
Nope. I love dogs. And it's funny because I grew up scared of dogs. And to know how much I have, the love that I have for dogs now, I have a miniature smaser and my daughter has a double doodle, which is a Labradoodle and a poodle mix. So those are my babies. I absolutely adore them. And I would do anything one, I call my grandpup because he's my grandpup. And then my little snauser. So they're the best friend, best buds. And I love them. So I am a dog. I'm a dog mom all day long. So dogs.
Derek Storms (05:59):
Yep. We've got two. We've got a little mud. He's just kind of our farm dog. And then we have a French Bulldog and he stays in the house. He's awesome. Their personalities are amazing. So I'm fifty fifty, probably leaning more towards dogs, but those cats did capture my heart.
Kareeme Tucker (06:14):
Okay. So speaking about, okay, so you're a cat dog. Okay. So what's your favorite ice cream? I'm a foodie.
Derek Storms (06:21):
So here's the thing, it's mint chocolate chip. And every time I go with mint chocolate chip. But I've been a little frustrated because the place I go to, they don't diet green anymore. It's just white ice cream. It's mint chocolate chip is supposed to be green. Come on, right? How about you? Favorite ice cream? What is that?
Kareeme Tucker (06:40):
Okay. So this is a little mix up. So ordinarily on my initial first love was Butter Pecan. But as I got older, and that kind of tells my age a little bit, Butterpecan. People of a particular generation, we love Butterpecan. But I love Butter Pecan with chocolate added to it. And if you really want to live a little wild and crazy, you put it on top of a pound cake and then ... But Butterpecan and chocolate mix is the absolute best. If you want to make me smile and happy, give me chocolate and Butterpiecan ice cream and I'm a happy camper. That's all I need.
Derek Storms (07:15):
Girl, that sounds so good. I'm telling you. Yep.
Kareeme Tucker (07:18):
Not something you can do regularly. It's not something I wouldn't advise, but every once in a while you've got to treat yourself. And if you're going to do it, do it.
Derek Storms (07:27):
Definitely. Next conference, we're getting some ice cream.
Kareeme Tucker (07:30):
Come on, let's do it. Let's do it.
Derek Storms (07:32):
How about this? What challenges have you encountered in balancing your responsibilities as an examiner? What kind of challenges have come up over the years and how do you balance those kind of things?
Kareeme Tucker (07:43):
So I'm currently no longer an examiner, but when I was, I was an examiner for 10 years. And I think the balance and aspect was really time, right? Time management, that's an important factor to be a really good examiner, but also taking the time to really learn and understand the regulations and knowing how to apply it. So making sure that I kept abreast of what the regulations were, taking my time to truly understand and get a better understanding of our licensees so that I could in the end when I was communicating the findings to them, I'd look at it as a coaching opportunity, right? Because to me, I walked into this role as using it as an opportunity to partner with our industry folks, counterparts, and to be able to coach them and give them an opportunity to improve upon any deficiencies that we maybe have identified.
(08:35):
And in doing so, you needed to have a better understanding of the organization and what it is that they do and how they run their business so that you could best give them recommendations on how to improve upon any areas, but also applaud them for any areas and things that they were doing well. So some of the challenges with balancing was just making sure that I fully understood taking the time to fully understand what was going on with the organization so that you could provide them with the best guidance based on the information that was presented before me.
Derek Storms (09:04):
For sure. And I think we need to follow up with that here
Kareeme Tucker (09:07):
In
Derek Storms (09:07):
Just a second on how do you stay up to date? I think that's one of those things that was a challenge for me. But real quick, the ever-changing environment, the regulatory environment, that was the biggest challenge for me. It was like every day there was something new, a new law, a new product, a new industry coming out. You've got AI, you've got technology, just different state laws and regulations. And all of that stuff was just so hard. I mean, it is every single day, you have to learn something. You have to get out there and study it. You got to talk to your other regulators and even the industry. And so that's one of that follow-up question. How do you stay up to date on all of this stuff? What are your tricks and tips that you have that keeps you up to date on all of this kind of
Kareeme Tucker (09:56):
Stuff? Great question. So different trainings within my agency, North Carolina Commission of Banks, we would have regular meetings, regular team meetings. And that was an opportunity for us to cross-train, but also to share in our different exam findings so that we each had an opportunity to learn about these different things that maybe have come up that maybe I didn't experience or someone else had. And that presented an opportunity for us to be able to learn and grow from those different situations so that if it occurred within one of our exams, we could apply or use what was gained or learned from those other exams and try to apply it in the current exam that we were working on. And so sharing of that knowledge, not only with amongst yourself within your own agency, but when you have the opportunity when you're working on multi-states exams or OCOEs is the new name, but sharing that knowledge amongst state regulators was so critically important because that's all you have.
(10:54):
You have to be able to share that's how you grow, that's how you learn. So having those experiences and working in different committees, you get a chance to learn and share with other folks.
Derek Storms (11:04):
That was the biggest growth for me. So as an examiner, I'd go to the schools, I'd go to the conferences, and it's incredible. I tell our examiners now that I'm a supervisor, I tell our examiners, "Get in these schools, get in the in- person, the virtual schools," because two or three years down the road, you're going to be like, "Hey, I remember Kareemesaid something about that AI training and you'll be able to pick it back up." Those schools, those committee works, man, as a supervisor, when I started getting on the committee work, that is where I really started just learning so much about all the different aspects of the state regulatory system and the different industries. I'm so siloed into mortgage, but there's all these other industries out there, MSB, money transmitters, cryptos coming in, digital currencies, how do we handle those kind of things?
(11:52):
And so just being part of those, reading, I try to read as many articles as I can and my wife makes fun of me. She's like, "That stuff's boring." I'm like, "No, it's awesome."
Kareeme Tucker (12:03):
Sign up for the list service, all those different websites that you can sign up to get the newsletters, those things are critically important. That's how you keep abreast of what's happening in our industry.
Derek Storms (12:13):
Let's take another quick question here. What inspired you to get into this line of work to become an examiner or a regulator? How did you get into this?
Kareeme Tucker (12:22):
Ooh, that's a great question. So prior to joining the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, I was a lending manager for a rather large banking institution that does mortgages as well, one of the larger banking institutions. And funny story, I saw a colleague that I worked with in another team. She was walking through the halls and told me it was her last day. And I'm like, "Oh, where are you going? " And she mentioned the North Carolina Commission of Banks. Now, honestly, I wasn't even familiar with it. We would hear things like the regulators are coming, but because we were a federal bank, it was more on the federal level. I wasn't aware of the state level regulator that was there. And when she told me a little bit about the organization, I decided to look into it a little bit more. And when I learned about the organization, and then she eventually joined and told me about how great my agency was, I was like, "Let me check it out.
(13:10):
" And then shortly thereafter that, I was displaced from my organization. I was still there. They just put me in another role, but I was displaced. And so when I looked into it and I applied, I was like, "This would be a great opportunity to, as I like to call it, work on the other side of the fence." I knew what it looked like when federal regulators would come in and examine us from that aspect, but I thought, oh, wow, this would be interesting to see what it's like from the other side of the fence and bring my knowledge and my skills to apply it from that perspective. And so when I got the opportunity to get the role as an examiner at the time, I thought, wow, this is an amazing opportunity. But also I could look at it and take, like I said, my experience from working on the lending side and apply it.
(13:56):
And then that's what I've done. My approach when I walk into, when I was an examiner before becoming a supervisor, my approach was, "Hey, I know what it's like being on that side of the fence." So we're going to walk into this not to be a negative. I didn't want it to be a negative experience because we always used to be scared. Don't talk to them, don't look them in the eye. You see them in the bathroom, exit stage left immediately was kind of always the mantra like, "Don't talk to them." But I didn't want us to have that experience with me working on this side. So my approach has always been we work with them because at the end of the day, we want them to want to do business in our state. And in order to do that, we need to be able to collaborate and have a relationship that we can speak with each other to be able to talk about ways in which we can improve, again, in any areas where there may be deficiencies.
(14:50):
So I looked at it as a wonderful opportunity to be able to work on this side of fence to be able to provide coaching, education, because I've worked on a lot of different committees. I'm also an instructor for CSBS, but to provide opportunities to help not only the regulatory side learn and grow, but also the industry side to learn and grow as well. So that was a deciding factor. I was like, "This could be great. I love helping consumers. I love helping people. " And this was a great way to ensure that we are enforcing what the statute states so that we can ensure that there's no consumer harm. So how about you, Derek? What made you go to Missouri?
Derek Storms (15:27):
I wouldn't say it's a similar situation, but I was in the banking world. I had worked for a state chartered bank and then a finance company, and I liked the financial world of it. I just didn't like sales. Sales was not for me. And I can talk to people, that's fine, but I couldn't close the deal.
Kareeme Tucker (15:43):
I would've seen you as one of the top salespeople.
Derek Storms (15:46):
I was always stressed. Really? Well, I mean, I met my goals, but I was always stressed. You have Sunday afternoon, the district manager's coming in. I'm like, "Man, I don't have anything in the pipeline and that kind of stuff." And one day I was just sitting there in our break room in the newspaper. That's back when the newspapers actual newspapers were sitting there and I was like, "I'm just going to see what's in the one ads, what kind of jobs are open." And it was right after 2008. So it was right in 2009 when the SAFE Act came out, all the licensing requirements for MLOs. And it was a job for a mortgage examiner and a licensing examiner. And I was like, "I'm going to apply for that. " That's that guy that comes in here and does the exams on us. I could be that guy.
(16:26):
And I got it and I've been here ever since and I've just enjoyed it. And just the challenges of it, being able to come in and do your job, protect consumers, help the industry too.That's a key. You talked about this, the industry's in here to make money, to do business, and that's fine, but we got to make sure that consumers are being protected, that it's being done in a proper manner, and then we can all work together for a very healthy industry. And it's been an amazing career. I've really, really enjoyed it. I've had a lot of fun. I meet some incredible people like you and all the other state examiners too. That's kind of how I got into it. It was kind of by chance. I wasn't necessarily looking for a job. I just didn't care much for the one I had and it's worked out pretty good.
Kareeme Tucker (17:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love it. I love it. So considering that you've been doing it, so how long have you been at your agency? 14 years. 14 and a half years.
Derek Storms (17:20):
About eight of them, nine of them were as an examiner and the last six have been a supervisor.
Kareeme Tucker (17:25):
Okay. Yeah, I was an examiner for 10 years and the last year has been as a supervisor. So with that being said, I'm sure you encounter people that are like, "What exactly is it that you do? " So with that being said, what would you identify? What would you say are some of the common misconceptions people have about examiners?
Derek Storms (17:44):
Well, you mentioned one of them, they're scary. I think a lot of people think that examiners are scary or they have all this authority, have to do everything that they say. And I mean, that's not the case. We want to come in and we do want to do our job. Sometimes we have to say no. Sometimes we have to say you can't do it this way, but we really want to work with the industry and making sure that the consumers are getting protected properly. But I'd say that's probably one of the biggest misconceptions is that we're enforcers of all of these laws and that we get to tell you what to do. And I mean, that's just not the case. We do have to apply the law and make sure that's being properly applied to the situations. But other than that, we're normal people out here having a good time and working hard and to protect the consumers and to have a healthy state regulatory system, and that's our goal.
(18:31):
So how about you? Any misconceptions that you ...
Kareeme Tucker (18:34):
Yeah, the first is what is an examiner? What are you doing? People mix up the word examiner and auditor, so they're like, "Oh, the auditors are coming, they're coming." So folks always think, number one, my family all think that I work at a bank. I'm like, "No, I don't work at a bank anymore." And when I did, it was a mortgage company. So they're like, "What are the rates?" I get that question regularly. They'll ask me about different banking products all the time. And I'm like, "You have to check your local bank and go and check them out and ask." In terms of other people, when I say what I do, they're just looking at me with a weird stare like, "Exactly, what is that? "
Derek Storms (19:11):
I like to say, "We fight white collar crime." It sounds good, right?
Kareeme Tucker (19:15):
One of my colleagues- It makes me
Derek Storms (19:17):
Sound good.
Kareeme Tucker (19:17):
I like that. One of my colleagues, he often likes to say, "We're like the FBI of the mortgage industry." And I'm like, "Don't tell people that. They're going to be scared." One of the misconceptions that I encounter a lot, particularly when dealing with industry and after I encountered them afterwards, they're like, "Oh my gosh, this was so good. I didn't expect that. " They think we're going to come in with a contentious attitude or an aggressive attitude. And it's like, that is not our intention or they think that we're going to come in, we're coming in to get them. And I'm like, that is not the intention at all. There has to be safeguards in every industry. There has to be checks and balances in every industry. And just as they are here to do a job, so are we. And we provide guidance. And so I think maybe helping people to change the mindset.
(20:08):
Now, we're no shrinking violence, but we're here to enforce to provide guidance and ensure that these things are being adhered to and followed. And sometimes we have to be a little bit stronger and enforce certain things. That's all part of the job. So I think the biggest misconception is that either people don't know who we are or the ones that do know who we are think that we're coming into a gotcha moment. It's totally not the intention at all.
Derek Storms (20:37):
It's hard to explain.
Kareeme Tucker (20:39):
If you're
Derek Storms (20:39):
Not in the world of regulation, state chartered, state bank regulation, it's kind of hard to explain.
(20:47):
I have to tell you a funny story. You kind of said this though, between the difference between auditor and examiner. And so 15 years ago, 14 years ago when I interviewed for this position, the whole interview, I used the word examiner, but I didn't know. I guess I just read the website and that kind of stuff. I use the word examiner and they get done. They're like, "Hey, everybody else that interviewed this for this position, they kept saying auditor, but you used the right word." I was like, "Oh yeah, I had no idea." It was by luck, but I happened to use the word examiner and it worked out for me. So I got the job.
Kareeme Tucker (21:20):
And that showed you read the post thing. Folks will hire and apply for a position have no idea what the organization is about. That's a little tidbit, folks. Absolutely. Learn what the organization is about before you apply. Know what they do, know who they are. Tips from
Derek Storms (21:36):
Kareem.
Kareeme Tucker (21:36):
Yes, man. Know who they are, know what they do.
Derek Storms (21:39):
Definitely. So what's the most rewarding? What's the most rewarding aspect of doing this job of being an examiner? What has been the most rewarding for you?
Kareeme Tucker (21:48):
So when I was an examiner, there's multiple parts of an examination. You're doing the actual examination and then the exit meeting. For some people, they get quite nervous. I actually love, love, love the exit meeting. I love having the opportunity to talk to industry, to help coach them, to help guide them, to give them opportunities, like I said in the beginning, to remedy any areas that there may be deficiencies. But I really love talking to people and training them and helping coaching them to do their very best. You're
Derek Storms (22:21):
Fantastic.
Kareeme Tucker (22:22):
Oh, thank you.
Derek Storms (22:23):
Absolutely. You're like the best trainer that we have.
Kareeme Tucker (22:25):
Thank you.
Derek Storms (22:26):
Absolutely. Mine for me is I loved the unique challenges of it from day to day. It changes every single day. And we kind of talked about that earlier, but just the challenges of everything that came up, all the law changes, if we think about everything that changed over the last 15 years, it's like just mind blowing and just having to relearn those. And then the challenges on a day-to-day basis, the phone calls, the emails, that kind of stuff we get, the examinations, the investigations, the challenges working with other states and their different laws and the way things are done. That's the thing that I probably love the most about it is just being able to work through those things and then overcome them and seeing the results on the other side.
Kareeme Tucker (23:09):
And I think we both can agree. We see the improvements from back in 2008 to today on both sides of it. And I definitely know that the impact of having state regulators has changed the industry in a more positive way. And so it's definitely rewarded. And I love meeting the people, but also having the influence and having the opportunity to help them improve in the various areas.
Derek Storms (23:32):
All right. Let's get back to you. Oh,
Kareeme Tucker (23:34):
Let's have some fun questions. Come on. Okay.
Derek Storms (23:37):
Let's get back to that a little bit. How about this? What's a little known fact about you that would surprise other people? Something nobody else knows. Come on. Give us some juicy stuff for you.
Kareeme Tucker (23:46):
That's hard because most people know, for example, I'm a hardcore football fan. Pittsburgh Steelers all the way. So I don't know if that's a little known fact. Most people know it, particularly at my NSC. Why Pittsburgh?
Derek Storms (23:58):
Why the Steelers? Come on. And
Kareeme Tucker (24:00):
I'll try to make the story really, really quick. Once upon a time, I didn't know anything about football. Although I worked for the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, grew up a hockey, baseball, basketball fan. It's just baseball primarily.That's what you did when you were a kid in New York. You were either Mets or Yankees, you had to choose. But when I moved to North Carolina 22 years ago, I had the opportunity to go to a football 101 for women, and it was for us to learn the game of football. And we got a chance to meet, go behind the scenes of the Carolina Panthers, meet some of the players, the owners, whatever. And after taking that class, I went home and tried to apply everything I learned. So I tried to sit down and watch a football game.
(24:43):
Lo and behold, I switched to a channel and it's the Steelers playing. I didn't know who they were. Troy Palamalo, their safety was jumping over someone. And I was like, so I'm like, "What is going on here?" And just the way that they were, they were like the steel ... Well, they're known as the steel curtain. The way that they were just tackling folks, I was like, "Okay, okay. I love it. "
Derek Storms (25:03):
You liked his hair,
Kareeme Tucker (25:04):
Right? I loved his hair.
Derek Storms (25:05):
Yeah, that was awesome. The
Kareeme Tucker (25:06):
Team and the way in which they played, I was like, "Oh, they're scary." And I just fell in love with them and I just began watching them and I was hookline and sinker. So yeah, that's the thing. What about you? Oh.
Derek Storms (25:19):
I love the chiefs, so we'll kind of go down this. So Kansas City Chiefs,
Kareeme Tucker (25:24):
They're
Derek Storms (25:24):
My team.
Kareeme Tucker (25:25):
Whatever.
Derek Storms (25:26):
We've had a great run. It's been
Kareeme Tucker (25:27):
A lot. You all did. I'm going
Derek Storms (25:28):
To enjoy it. I'm going to enjoy it while we can. I
Kareeme Tucker (25:30):
Think you'll come back. I think you all will come back.
Derek Storms (25:32):
I think we'll have some good seasons
Kareeme Tucker (25:34):
Still.
Derek Storms (25:34):
Yeah,
Kareeme Tucker (25:35):
A little one or two maybe. Yeah.
Derek Storms (25:37):
Yeah. I'm a little sad. They're moving across state lines over to Kansas. They were in Kansas City, Missouri. Now they're going to be in Kansas. I'm a little sad of that, but they're still my team. I'm going to root for them. I've rooted for them my whole life.
Kareeme Tucker (25:49):
Tell everybody. I hope you tell everybody a little known fact that I know about you because if you don't bring it up, I'm going to bring it up. Tell us about your living situation. Please tell us how the world about your living situation.
Derek Storms (26:04):
Yeah. It was 10 years ago. My daughter was born 10 years ago, and slightly before that, actually, my wife and I were living in our house in town. It was a good home, 1300, 1400 square foot home, three bedroom, one bath. And we literally used one bedroom in the whole thing. And I just looked at her one day. I said, "What if we downsize? Just simplify life." And she agreed to it. And from that moment on, we worked towards building our tiny house. And we have been in that tiny house 640 square feet. So it's my wife, myself, and my 10-year-old daughter now.
Kareeme Tucker (26:36):
Now folks, you said tiny house. You didn't hear incorrectly. He literally meant tiny house. 648 square feet?
Derek Storms (26:45):
640 square feet, two bedroom, one bath home. We've lived in it ever since. So I have to tell you a story about this though. When my daughter was two to three years old, she would always come home and she'd be like, "Daddy, when are we getting our big house?" She'd go to mama's house. When are we getting our big house? Grandma and grandpa's, her friend's house. All the time. She was always asking, "When are we getting our big house?" And we would just tell her, "Baby, this is our house. This is what we do. This is where we live." Well, it was like a month ago. And so she's 10, the preteen years, and she spends three hours in the bathroom. And it's like, okay, one bathroom may not be good enough anymore. So my wife and I started talking about like, "Hey, we're at a point in life.
(27:25):
Should we build something else?" And that little girl come firing out of there, she's like, "Uh-uh, this is our house. You will not get rid of this house." She now loves the home. So the uniqueness, the closeness, the smallness of it. We've been there for 10 years. We lived in the tiny house. I see in our future, maybe a master suite with an extra bathroom to solve that problem. But at this point, we really ... I don't know. I'm not sure if we're going to move out of it or not, but tiny house living has been for us for 10 years and it's been an incredible life for us. We've really enjoyed it.
Kareeme Tucker (27:57):
That is so amazing. And I was going to ask, is there an opportunity to build onto it? Would you just build an additional tiny house maybe next to it where there's other rooms or bathrooms or how does that work?
Derek Storms (28:11):
I don't know. I didn't even know how to build the thing. I just got on YouTube and I just started watching YouTube things, videos, and I just solved one problem after the other. And then before long, we had a house.
Kareeme Tucker (28:24):
So you've built it ever since. From scratch on your own? Yep. Oh wow. I
Derek Storms (28:28):
Built it all by myself. I mean, I would say I have basic carpentry skills.
Kareeme Tucker (28:33):
And then for electric- That's more than basic carpentry.
Derek Storms (28:37):
I mean, you can tell I built it. There's things about it that a professional would've done different, but it's nice. I mean, drywall, it feels like a real house. It's just small. But definitely it was a huge challenge, but it's been a great reward for us and we really love living in the tiny house space.
Kareeme Tucker (28:54):
Wow. So I know I want to see it, but the audience may also want to see photos of this self-built home. I'm sure he's being modest about it. I'm sure it looks phenomenal. Yeah.
Derek Storms (29:05):
I'll have to get you pictures.
Kareeme Tucker (29:07):
I'll get you pictures. Amazing. I'm sure.
Derek Storms (29:08):
I think my wife has somewhere, but I'll
Kareeme Tucker (29:10):
Get you some. Okay. Oh, you can always step outside the house and snap a picture when you get home like, "Hey, this is a tiny home."
Derek Storms (29:16):
It's full of stuff. The biggest challenge of tiny living is storage. And so my daughter has all these stuffed animals and everything everywhere, so it's kind of full. The original pictures, they're nice and clean and everything. I'll get those over
Kareeme Tucker (29:29):
To you. No, just the outside, not even the full inside if you don't want to. Yeah, just the outside. I'm amazed that you have a preteen in there. It's going to be interesting to see. You definitely may want to consider that add-on before she becomes a teenager.
Derek Storms (29:41):
Sooner than later. Is that your advice?
Kareeme Tucker (29:43):
This teenage year is a little bit different and she may want to use the bathroom a little bit longer. I'm
Derek Storms (29:48):
Going to trust you on this one, Kareem.
Kareeme Tucker (29:50):
Let me ask you some questions then. If you had a superpower, what would it be? You obviously have the superpower, the gift of carpentry. I But if you had a superpower, what would it be?
Derek Storms (30:02):
I've always thought teleportation would be awesome. I like to go places, but I just don't like to travel. So if you could just teleport there and just be ... I want to go to Florida this weekend, you'd be there in a second. To me, teleportation would be an incredible superpower. So that's probably something that I would probably lean towards. How about you?
Kareeme Tucker (30:22):
I was thinking about that as well. And teleport me someplace for maybe 72 hours and then get me back home. I don't have to be ... Unless it's someplace really beautiful and tropical, I can give me a week. I love the beach, all things water. Then maybe I'll be good for about a week, but then get me back home without having to wait in these dreadful lines. I don't like having to wait at airports. I don't like having to do long drives either. So if I can just push a button, get there and get back, I'm going to have a camper. So I love the idea of teleporting.
Derek Storms (30:54):
Any other superpower you'd have?
Kareeme Tucker (30:56):
Sometimes I wish that I could see inside of a person's head to know what they're thinking, but then maybe I really don't because sometimes you will get a chance to see things that maybe you don't need to see.
Derek Storms (31:06):
That's really interesting. So when I was thinking about this question, I kind of like to ask the question this way. If you had to give me a superpower, what would it be? So you had to give me one. And so I was thinking, what would I say to Kareem? If I had to give her a superpower, and I know a couple things about you. I know your ability to keep a secret. You're really good at that.
Kareeme Tucker (31:27):
Fort
Derek Storms (31:28):
Knox. And so Fort Knox. And so I was like, you know what? I would give Kareemethe ability to read minds, but only when I'm around. So you could keep my secrets. If I'm around, I know you're keeping my secrets. Interesting. I said you could read mine. So you would be able, when I'm around, you would be able to see people. You could see what people are thinking. But that was my, if I had to give you a superpower, because I know you can keep secrets and anything that you saw or heard, like steel trap, it ain't going nowhere. We can trust you with that information, Kareem.
Kareeme Tucker (32:02):
If I had to give you your superpower, I mean, you've already mentioned the teleport and I knew that you didn't really like to travel and stuff like that. So the teleporting would absolutely be number one. And then just seeing in the future maybe. Even having the opportunity to see in the future. I like that. Yeah, that would be amazing as well.
Derek Storms (32:24):
Maybe one last question and then we can wrap it up. What do you hope that our listeners take away from this episode?
Kareeme Tucker (32:31):
Oh, let me direct that to you first. I need a moment to think about that.
Derek Storms (32:35):
Or from the podcast in general. Here's what I think. Can we bridge the gap? And what I mean is bridge the gap with regulators. And we've done a lot of really good stuff between Armor and CSBS and NMOS and SES and OCOE and all of those things. We're doing a fantastic job, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done for regulators to trust each other, to really lean into the network supervision model and this idea that we can leverage each other's work. We have the modernized NMLS that's going to be coming out and that's the licensing side of things. So we've all been talking about SES and all of that, which is the examination side, but there's so much work that we could probably leverage on the licensing side from each other. So I see a future and I hope from this podcast that we can start bridging the gap to show where states are doing amazing work, that we can really start trusting each other and leaning into that network supervision model on the examination side, on the licensing side, on the investigation side.
(33:40):
Think back to the REACE investigation. States pulled together in no time flat and put together one of the best enforcement actions, multi-state enforcement actions in just a matter of months. And that is the power of the state regulatory system. And so I think that if there's anything that our listeners could take away, I hope that they take away is bridging that gap. We're all in this together. We're all learning, we're all figuring this out, and we can have just an incredible state regulatory system in all these industries if we bridge that gap and come together and really work together one unit. So that's my goal and hope for this podcast.
Kareeme Tucker (34:20):
You have said a mouthful, and I don't know that I can add any more to that. Bridging that gap is going to be so imperative. Working collaboratively together, one agency to another, partnering with our industry folks, working together, I think is going to be critical for the continued success of our state regulatory agencies. So yeah, Derek, you've said it all. I don't know that I can add anything more to it. We hope that you all have enjoyed this opportunity to get to know us, but more importantly, we hope that you all come on back and continue to listen in and see what we have to offer. We have some great episodes coming up for you.
Derek Storms (35:04):
Definitely. Join, follow, In The Loop.
Kareeme Tucker (35:07):
And invite another person to come on and join us In The Loop. I'm KareemeTucker.
Derek Storms (35:12):
I'm Derek Storms.
Kareeme Tucker (35:13):
And we are your host of In The Loop.
Derek Storms (35:15):
In The Loop. Thanks for listening to In The Loop, brought to you by CSBS.
Kareeme Tucker (35:22):
If you want to connect with other examiners and learn more tips for the role and job, don't forget to follow us so you never miss an episode.
Derek Storms (35:30):
We'd love it if you'd spread the word by sharing our podcast with another examiner.
Kareeme Tucker (35:34):
See you next time. See you next time.
Derek Storms (35:57):
Today's innovations are helping state agencies prepare for tomorrow. SES is a comprehensive technology platform that gives state agencies customized technology tools to conduct Supervisory Activities, including exams, all in one place.
With powerful collaboration tools, SES enables agencies to share information and conduct multi-state exams more efficiently, helping make network supervision a reality.
Built by state agencies for state agencies, SES is transforming how exams get done. Ready to streamline your workflow? Visit csbs.org to learn more.