Page 23 - BusinessWest August 18, 2025

“I think my dad
was maybe a
little ahead of his
time, starting in
the ’80s, being
in a mortgage
company and
raising his hand for
corporate social
responsibility.
We’ve always had
that ingrained in
our core values.
And I picked that
up from him when
I started.”
LINDSAY LABONTE
or second homes, and some clients who rent out homes as entre-
preneurial enterprises. About a third of her clients are first-time
homebuyers, while the rest are either upsizing, downsizing, repeat
buying, or renovating.
With that volume of clients navigating the process for the first
time, LaBonte said strategic planning and financial education are
important parts of what Applied Mortgage brings to the table.
“What I love the most, at least professionally, is getting to meet
with and speak to people from all different walks of life,” she said.
“For people who are buying a home, no one’s process is the same
as the next person because everybody’s got different goals, different
financials. We take those goals and financials and put them togeth-
er, figure out the mortgage that’s going to work, and get them into
that home.”
For this issue’s focus on women in business, BusinessWest sat
down with LaBonte for a wide-ranging talk about the mortgage
business, why she enjoys it, and how she connects with the commu-
nity in a number of different ways.
Sharing the Love
It’s called Local Love Days.
That’s a program recently created by Applied Mortgage as a way
to give back and support local businesses. On select days, the team
will partner with local small businesses and invite the community
to stop by, explore what they offer, and show their support. To spark
participation, Applied Mortgage will cover the cost of a small thank-
you item, such as a coupon for the first set of shoppers, a free drink
or appetizer, or another offering tailored to the partner business.
“We’ve always, throughout the years, supported nonprofit orga-
nizations,” LaBonte said. But at the same time, “we’ve got a lot of
business owners we work with. So, while we want to continue to
give back to the nonprofit sector, I was trying to brainstorm, how do
we directly impact and help businesses?
“If if we’ve got a network of about 10,000 to 15,000 homeowners
that we’ve helped over the last 35 years, how can I mobilize those
people to come out and support businesses and also give them a
cool incentive or coupon or something? So the Local Love Days
Lindsay LaBonte (center) with HMA Mortgage colleagues Bob
Petrelli (left) and Jess LaMothe.
Staff Photo
really came from trying to tie that all in together,” she went on.
“We’re selecting some businesses to partner with and having a
day where maybe the first 50 people get a free donut on Tuesday
morning at such and such donut shop, or maybe something at a
happy hour at a bar, or a free yoga class. We’re trying to span the
three counties that we work in, span all different types of restau-
rants and retail, and use this as an opportunity to mobilize our
network and help connect people and bring them out to support
businesses.”
As she noted, the com-
pany supports dozens of
nonprofits as well through
volunteerism and philan-
LeBonte
Continued on page 24 >>
Here for all your
business goals.
Tailor-made banking for your business:
Checking, Lending, Treasury Management,
and everything in between.
Contact me today!
[email protected]
413-773-6139
Deb Esposito
Senior Vice President,
Business Banking Officer
GREENFIELD REENFIELD
Cooperative Bank
N
GreenfieldCoopBank.com
MEMBER FDIC
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