- 1Cano and Paliobeis account for $10M a month in RBF volume, or $120M annualized, at Spartan Capital.
- 2They are the top two of eight ISO relationship managers.
- 3They aim for a combined $40M a month, nearly half a billion dollars a year.
Daniela Cano and Nicole Paliobeis together account for $10 million a month in revenue-based financing volume at Spartan Capital, or $120 million annualized. They are the top two ISO relationship managers among the company's eight, a role that sits between brokers and the funder's underwriters.
The job
Cano, Director of Business Development, describes the work as the middle step between a deal entering the system and its funding: expediting it, getting approval, handling contracts and going back and forth with underwriting. Paliobeis, a Business Development Manager, says no two days are alike because each broker shop and partner is different.
The hours stretch well beyond business hours. Cano says her day can run to 10 or 11 p.m. because some brokers are on the West Coast or traveling, and calls and texts can start at 7 a.m., before underwriters arrive. Paliobeis keeps her laptop with her so she can send a contract or bank verification in an emergency.
Women in a male-heavy channel
Cano has worked in the industry 14 years, starting at a broker shop before moving to the ISO side when, she says, few women held relationship manager roles. That has changed significantly, and unkind comments have become rarer. She estimates 80% of her ISO partners are men. Paliobeis puts the share of men she deals with at 80% to 90%. Cano advises women considering the space not to be intimidated.
Paliobeis came from luxury home and retail sales and is in her fourth year in small business finance. She says her previous background, including an interest in high-end watches, has helped her connect with brokers.
Relationships and competition
Both say partnerships have to go beyond the surface. Cano describes it as making a partner a personal friend, down to knowing birthdays and weddings. That trust helps when a broker gets stuck with a merchant and asks them to step in.
They work separate books and compete on deal volume, checking each other's numbers around noon and again at 5:30 p.m. Their goal is a combined $40 million a month, close to half a billion dollars a year. The office has a gong that gets banged when someone, including a newcomer, lands a deal.
We compete and it's friendly competition, but we're also rooting for each other.
Technology and leadership
Cano says many brokers are fintech-savvy and expect deals to be submitted by API, which accounts for most submissions at Spartan Capital. Both credit CEO Frank Ebanks, whom Paliobeis calls hands-on and always available. Spartan colleague Cesar Valero, who won the B2B Finance Expo poker tournament in 2024 and was featured last year, is now the company's Director of Revenue.
Cano says she plans to stay put. She likes the friendships and the chaos of seeing a different business every day.
Source reporting: deBanked.
