2 0 UNDE R 40
KIMBERLY LODGE CEO, Flat Branch Home Loans Years lived in Columbia: 15
AGE
37
F UN FAC T: If Kimbe rly wa s n’ t a C E O, s h e’ d b e a s i g n l a n g u a ge i n te r pre te r. 52 JANUARY 2017
Kimberly Lodge is driven to be the best at what she does. She’s even been known to push the boundaries of her passion, flirting with obsession. As the CEO of Flat Branch Home Loans, Lodge oversees a staff of 160 in 20 locations throughout Missouri. “I am amazed at how Kimberly can take a service, analyze it, find ways to improve it, and initiate a detailed process,” says co-worker Mary Ropp, “without our clients ever feeling the pain of change.” Lodge continually challenges herself to grow and improve. “I am a student of myself and the life around me,” she says. “I’m learning new lessons all the time.” Lodge’s competitive nature has been known to extend past work. She loves playing games, hunting, fishing, and even growing and preserving her own food. “I admit I also find a lot of amusement in mentally preparing for a zombie apocalypse,” she quips. Lodge credits “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” the classic professional development book by Dale Carnegie, for the realization that, while goals and data are important, relationships are foundational to success. “People have their own hopes and dreams and their own challenges and heartaches,” Lodge says. “I’ve learned to stop talking so much and listen.” The best thing about her job is the people. She is impressed by their commitment to the mission and humbled by the compassion they show each other and their customers. “I have never witnessed so many caring and dedicated men and women under one roof,” she says. Lodge plans to get out of the office and be more involved in the community this year. Personally, she hopes to survive raising teenage boys. “The greatest blessings I have in my life are people,” Lodge says. “My goal for 2017 is to recognize and appreciate those people — my family, friends, Flat Branch, and our community.”