From Portland Metalcore Frontman to NPAS Problem-Solver in the Desert

Season 2, Episode 4: The Come Up Chronicles – Inside the Life and Career of John Weisser

How a Garage-Band Vocalist Became an AMC “Fix-It” Guy

John cut his teeth screaming and singing in Portland’s metal scene—his band From the Eyes of Kane once sold 150 tickets to its very first show and opened a sold-out Hawthorne Theater gig for Veil of Maya.
That same stage presence now powers his day job: Inside Account Manager for Nationwide Property & Appraisal Services’ “specialized” lender queue, where he trains teams, de-escalates lender meltdowns, and never says no—he starts with “Here’s what I can do…”.

Career Path – From Orders Desk to Relationship Glue

  1. 2016 volume surge: Joined First Choice AMC on the order-assignment floor and learned appraisals amid the refi frenzy.
  2. Promoted to senior team lead: Oversaw process, mentored rookies, fine-tuned compliance.
  3. Post-merger era: Rolled into NPAS, still shepherding the same high-maintenance clients with custom workflows.
  4. Philosophy: “Solve the problem, stay kind, and spotlight the team that did the heavy lifting.”

Why Phoenix?

  • 300+ rain-free days after 30 soggy years in Portland.
  • Bigger metal-tour routing (August Burns Red stops, Portland sometimes doesn’t).
  • Access to craft caffeine—see Daily Drip shout-out below.

Rapid-Rush Highlights

Question John’s Pick Why It Stuck
Coffee spot (Portland) Bipartisan Café Lyric-writing HQ for his first album.
Coffee spot (Phoenix) Daily Drip Bakery & Café Sunshine + espresso = code-red productivity.
Best show ever attended August Burns Red – 3-hour marathon “High-energy nonstop—crowd never sat.”
Local Phoenix band to watch Black Sunday Blends metalcore & post-hardcore; tight live set.
NFL allegiance Philadelphia Eagles Adopted during Donovan McNabb era—loyal ever since.

TL;DR – Episode 4 Takeaways


Kind candor wins. Swap “No, we can’t” for “Here’s what we can do” and lenders keep dialing.

Train for obsolescence. A team that functions fine without you is proof of great leadership.

Heavy-metal mindset. Stage presence, crowd reads, and adrenaline translate perfectly to high-stakes client calls.

Sunlight > rain. Sometimes the best career move is relocating your skill set—and your amps—to a new market.

Band breakup ≠ dream breakup. John still fuels the scene, just from the pit instead of the stage.

📌 Metalcore vocals, Eagles devotion, and next-level lender triage—John Weisser shows that creativity and compliance can shred in harmony.

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