If you Google an image of a banker, you usually will come up with a stuffy guy in a suite surrounded by money (go ahead, I’ll wait…). If you set up a meeting with Tony Brevard, the only thing that may be stereotypical is the suite, (at least on a fancy day). Tony is the guy in a crowd that’s laughing loudly with a group of people around him smiling. But don’t be fooled by the smirk, he will still be sporting his bowtie and sharp suit, and no doubt will have a calculator handy at all times.
Quick History
Tony is one of those rare people in the finance industry. He brings loads of personality to what can traditionally be viewed as stagnant. He has an unusual drive that you could almost call competitive, but he's mostly competitive with himself. It seems to stem from his days at the Citadel in Charleston, SC. The Citadel is best known nationally for its Corps of Cadets, which draws students from about 45 states and a dozen countries. The men and women in the Corps live and study under a classical military system that makes leadership and character development an essential part of the educational experience. The Citadel instilled in Tony the drive and discipline of the military while enhancing his charm and dynamic personality.
Experience
After school, Tony became very well connected very quickly, mostly due to his magnetic personality but also because he wasn’t afraid to leverage the contacts he made in college, (I told you he was competitive.) Early in his career he worked with several major banks as part of their lending or SBA business development teams. His titles ranged from Commercial Real Estate Lender for Bank of America to Senior Vice President of Business Development for Atlantic Capital Bank. He has implemented and integrated several “verticals” into the Atlantic Capital Bank banking model on a national scale as well as specialized in all facets of medical, legal, staffing, SBA and Asset Based Lending for Wells Fargo. Basically, he’s seen it all when it comes to lending. 🙂
Tony realized he was putting together deals faster and bigger than one back could sustain, so he decided to go out on his own and started 7(A) Funding. He knew he could give banks a solid balance sheet with good loans and create ways to develop non-interest income. The banks are just one side of the coin, he was helping small businesses get on their feet. Everybody wins!
7(A) Funding is an innovative company that helps package and structure SBA loans for banks and for small businesses that need them. That may not sound that complicated to you but the Small Business Administration (SBA) has several loan programs and choosing the wrong one could mean losing out on important benefits. As the guy that has been packaging and structuring SBA loans for banks for years, Tony knows the industry and the ins and outs of 7(a) loans.
At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as discovering that the one thing you are really good at is a needed service that helps people. If you lived your life like that you would be charismatic, infectious, and positive too!
Meet Tony Brevard and learn more about what you can do for the future of your business.
