Admit it! You love to sing your favorite show tune in the shower or hit the highest notes you can jamming to the radio in your car.

Shaun Haywood, Benchmark Senior Loan Officer out of Austin, TX in Tommy Nelms Branch does too, but he does it better. TRUST ME.

Haywood was and always will be an Opera Singer. Yes, you heard me right. We at Benchmark Mortgage possess a teammate who professionally toured with Opera companies around the United States and Europe for a decade before meeting Nelms serendipitously in 2001.

Haywood loves rap, 70s and 80s ballads, and the typical genres we all tend to enjoy, but none stir the passion in him more than Opera.

“Singing is in my blood!” chuckled Haywood as he shared how his parents were voice majors at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX (his hometown). Haywood sang in the choir in 7th grade and competed in all regions choir, all state choir and singing competitions as a soloist. “I hit a lucky streak and won everything I entered,” shared Haywood.

The love of Opera came when Haywood listened to the legendary Luciano Pavarotti (Famed Italian Opera Singer for those who don’t know), sing at the Met on his dad’s LP record player.

“I stole the record and basically burned the grooves off it,” said Haywood. When it came time to pursue higher education, Haywood knew he needed to train with the best. He applied and auditioned for every big deal musical theater/arts school you can think of. Shockingly not shocking, he got into all of them, including Julliard. Haywood chose to attend Oberlin College, a private liberal arts school and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world.

Haywood studied with Richard Miller, a pedagogue who rubbed shoulders with all of the right and wonderful teachers in Italy back in the 1950s. Miller studied with the same teachers who taught Pavarotti. Graduation day came and Haywood set his sights on the romantic and amazing lifestyle of a working Opera Singer. “I was always making peanuts, but I was so excited about the opportunity,” said Haywood. In 1995, a big break came early. Haywood sang with Pavarotti. “My eyes were like saucers through the whole experience,” gleamed Haywood.

Haywood entered an International Voice Competition and advanced all the way to the world finals. He was in the top 100 out of 15,000 singers that had auditioned. “It was my brush with greatness,“ recalls Haywood.

Here is the news article from 1995 about his experience: https://apnews.com/article/9b771de2f27b226aeff3559881272b6e

Haywood was on fire for show business, but the reality was “everyone was talented!” Haywood shared that it’s all about who you know, your work ethic, and demeanor. “You’re living out of a bag, and when you get the call for auditions, or casting for a show that will be touring for months, you have to go at the drop of a hat leaving behind your odd jobs and family,” explained Haywood. The transient life began to wear on Haywood and his high school sweetheart turned wife, Alexia. The classroom school teacher married Haywood in June 1999, and then he was on a bus tour for 5 months 60 days after they said ‘I do’! “I had put off everything to MAKE IT in the business,” said Haywood.

Haywood explained that the industry is very top heavy, and some with the “it factor” are able to skip the line but it’s very few and far between. “I started to notice that the big stars who had achieved stardom’s personal lives were train wrecks and the dazzle had lost it’s luster,” said Haywood.

In 2001, at 31 years old, Haywood made the hardest (“but best”) decision to step away from the business and take his final bow. Haywood performed in nearly 100 stage performances and concerts. He’s since sang on the radio, at Ranger’s games, and many many more events.

(One event includes the 2021 Production Trip in Orlando, FL- See below!)

At this time, the Haywood’s decided to lay roots and buy a home. Then, fate stepped in.

Haywood applied for a loan with Loan Officer Tommy Nelms at Advantage Mortgage Network per a realtor recommendation from one of the odd jobs of the past. “Tommy didn’t believe I was an Opera Singer, so he made he sing and I turned every head in the office,” remembered Haywood. Nelms encouraged Haywood to become a loan officer since he knew he was looking to transition out of singing professionally. Haywood laughed it off, but then was also encouraged by a neighbor who was a VP at Chase Bank to join the industry. “He told me that even a terrible loan officer could make 50k a year!” laughed Haywood.

Haywood went back to Nelms to take him up on his idea, and the rest is history. “I made more in the first couple months, than I did in 2 years as an Opera Singer!” gleamed Haywood.

Haywood continued to share the angst and worry he felt relying on his body/vocal cords during his career. “Someone once told me that if you find anything else that you love as much as singing to go do that instead, but it was very hard for me because my voice was my talent and my identity,” said Haywood.

21 years later, Haywood still loves being a loan officer as much as he loves singing. He also loves his almost 12 year old son, Hudson, and his Benchmark Family of almost 6 years.

“As a singer, if I got the part I felt like superman and was completely validated,” recalled Haywood. But, if I didn’t get the part, the self doubt demons turned me into a basket case.”

Haywood enjoys the mortgage industry because “it’s not who I am, it’s what I do, and I do the best I can.”

“I told Tommy he absolutely changed my life for the better because he saw something in me and believed I could do it!” exclaimed Haywood.

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