Rising Stars 2026: How to Turn Rejection Into Progress with Peter Maina

In this episode of NRG Insights: Rising Stars 2026, Marcus sits down with Peter Maina, Business Development Manager at MS Lending.Peter's route into financial services wasn't planned. What started with a chance conversation led him into mortgages, before progressing through broking and eventually into specialist lending.Throughout the conversation, Peter reflects on the importance of resilience, building relationships and making the most of opportunities, even when they don't go to plan.One of the strongest messages from the episode is that rejection doesn't have to slow your career down. Whether it's reaching out to someone in the industry, applying for a role or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, Peter believes progress often comes from taking chances that other people avoid.The discussion also explores the role of mentorship, why representation matters, and how transferable skills can help people break into financial services, even without a traditional finance background.In this episode...- Peter's route into financial services- Moving from mortgages into specialist lending- Why rejection shouldn't stop your progression- Building confidence early in your career- The value of mentorship and representation- Identifying and using transferable skills- Developing relationships in specialist finance- Advice for anyone looking to build a career in the industryWhether you're trying to break into financial services or looking to take the next step in your career, Peter shares practical insights from his own journey and the lessons he's learned along the way.If you like this episode, don’t forget to share and tag NRG in your post and let us know  what you liked so we can record more fantastic content for you.