The Ripple Effect Blog #13: Corso

Labor Day weekend closes out and so does the first weekend of College Football. Even if you aren’t a college football fan, this Ripple Effect is worth reading…. at least this bias author thinks so!

Every fall Saturday, millions tune in not just for the games, but for him. Lee Corso, at 89, still brings that infectious energy that transforms a television set into a celebration on ESPN’s College Game Day. As we witness what may be the twilight of his legendary run on Game Day, there’s a profound business lesson hiding beneath those mascot heads and bold predictions.

The Passion Principle

For over three decades, Corso has shown up, not just physically, but completely. Win or lose on his picks, right or wrong on his analysis, he brings 100% of himself every single Saturday. In business, we often mistake competence for commitment, showing up for showing up. Corso reminds us that true impact comes when you bring your whole self to the work.

The Kindness Multiplier

Watch Corso interact with fans, players, or his fellow analysts. There’s genuine care in every exchange. He’s built a career not on being the smartest person in the room, but on being the one who makes everyone else feel valued. In mortgage lending, in any industry really, technical expertise gets you in the door, but kindness keeps you in the conversation for decades.

The Fun Factor

Business doesn’t have to be boring. Corso proved that you can be serious about excellence while never taking yourself too seriously. Those mascot heads aren’t just props (especially the Ducks ha ha) they’re permission slips for an entire industry to remember that work can be joyful. When you genuinely enjoy what you do, it becomes contagious.

The Commitment Code

30+ years of 4 AM wake-up calls, endless travel, and the pressure to perform live television every week. Corso’s commitment wasn’t just to ESPN or College Game Day, it was to the fans who planned their Saturdays around his energy. That’s the kind of commitment that builds legacies.

The Ripple That Matters

Here’s what strikes me most about the Corso story: he won’t be remembered for his prediction percentage, he’ll be remembered for how he made people feel. Every Saturday, he gave college football fans permission to be excited, to be hopeful, to believe in possibility.

At Summit Funding, in the mortgage industry, we’re not just processing loans, we’re part of people’s biggest dreams. The family buying their first home. The couple refinancing to fund their daughter’s education. The small business owner leveraging equity to expand.

The question isn’t whether you’ll leave an impact. You will. The question is: what kind?

Will it be the Corso kind, where passion meets purpose, where expertise is wrapped in kindness, where commitment creates ripples that extend far beyond the immediate transaction?

This week, channel your inner Corso:

• Bring 100% passion to every client interaction.
• Lead with kindness, especially when the deal gets complicated.
• Find ways to inject genuine joy into your work.
• Commit not just to closing loans, but to changing lives.

Because somewhere, years from now, a family will drive past the house you helped them buy, and they’ll remember not just getting the keys, but how you made them feel during the journey.

That’s the ripple effect that lasts long after the last pick. Everyday is “game on”, what a beautiful gift that is for all of us.

**Robyn LaVassaur**