- 1Idea Financial says 97% of its business comes through ISO channels.
- 2Julian Hernandez travels in person to meet referral partners, including on Long Island.
- 3He placed second at a poker tournament on the eve of B2B Finance Expo in Las Vegas.
Julian Hernandez, Director of Revenue at Idea Financial, says in-person relationships with ISOs remain central to selling business lines of credit, and he has the mileage to show for it.
Based in Miami, Hernandez has repeatedly traveled from New York City out to eastern Long Island on the Long Island Rail Road to sit down with referral partners. Meeting ISOs face to face, he said, helps morale and relationships, both for Idea's own reps and for the ISO reps who get to put a face to their lender.
Poker at B2B Finance Expo
Last month the same approach took him across the country. Hernandez joined a poker tournament of ISOs and competitors held on the eve of B2B Finance Expo at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Born and raised in Colombia, he says he plays poker only casually with friends and entered mainly to network. He reached the final table and finished second, winning a trophy and a small prize.
The social setting was the draw, he said. A relaxed game among people getting to know each other, in his view, builds relationships better than a corporate setting, much like business done on a golf course. He kept the trophy in his office.
During the two days of the expo that followed, he and the Idea team worked the floor in business mode.
Product and growth plans
Hernandez said 97% of Idea's business flows through ISO channels, and the company wants to expand those relationships, with big growth plans in the works for 2026.
He described Idea's line of credit as different from an MCA or the term loans common in the industry: a true revolving line that replenishes after each payment. Approval is quick, he said. Some brokers are surprised by how good the product is, and larger businesses, which tend to be the most rate-sensitive, find it attractive.
Face-to-face interactions are a must in our industry, and not only through conferences.
Career path
Hernandez joined Idea the year after the company was first covered in 2019, during covid, starting in an entry-level role. He now oversees the full sales and marketing department, including ISO relations and marketing. He credits the team and how it is structured for the company's success.
Source reporting: deBanked.
