A Coleman Conversation: Rocco Perate
November 12, 2025
Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher, Coleman Report
In this week’s episode of A Coleman Conversation, Bob Coleman sits down with Rocco Perate, Executive Vice President at Meridian Bank, to revisit the rise of The Money Store, explore how it reshaped SBA lending, and discuss what it takes to build a high-performing SBA platform inside a community bank. Rocco reflects on his journey from traditional credit training to becoming a top-producing SBA lender, explains why local market knowledge still matters in a national model, and shares how Meridian balances growth, credit quality, and relationship banking. He also dives into the realities of revenue advance financing, the importance of liquidity for today’s entrepreneurs, and how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has shaped his leadership and outlook on life and business.
Topics Covered:
✓ How The Money Store helped bring SBA lending into the mainstream and pioneered a national, commercial real estate–focused model
✓ Rocco’s career journey from traditional bank training to underwriter, top-producing BDO, and EVP leading Meridian Bank’s SBA platform
✓ Building and managing a tight-knit SBA team at Meridian, with daily communication, transparency, and empowerment as core leadership principles
✓ Why liquidity and working capital matter more than ever for small-business borrowers—and how SBA structures can support stronger cash flow
✓ The misunderstood role of revenue advance/MCA financing and how SBA lenders can work with MCA providers when borrowers are stressed
✓ Lessons from Rocco’s personal passion, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, on strategy, patience, and emotional control—and how those principles translate into better decision-making in lending and leadership