Before Unique Writers Brian worked for a couple of insurance companies selling annuities, final expense, and life insurance.
While working for those previous companies Brian did not have a pleasant experience. “I felt like I was someone’s pawn on their board. I didn’t feel like I was working for myself. I was making money for someone else, but not for me.”
Brian began to look for other opportunities and saw an application on Monster. He submitted his resume and received a callback.
“After speaking with Andrew Winnett, the opportunity sounded good to me. He answered all my questions about contracting, the system, and what I needed to do to get started and be successful. I said to myself, ‘This is something I can do!’”
It was a relief for Brian to hear that this wasn’t a get-rich-quick-thing you hear all the time. “This company will make you rich, but get rich slowly” was something that Brian had heard Mike Passaglia (CEO/President) say.
He appreciated that UW was honest about getting started – that it would take some time, not a lot, but some. But, once he got going he was confident he was going to do really well.
Brian hit the ground running but was authentic about not having the UW system down right away. He said there were some growing pains in the beginning. He felt it took him a couple of months to start seeing the results he really wanted.
When asked “why do you feel it took a couple of months?” Brian said, “This was something different. It was a different system than I was used to. I was new to this. I was also taught that things like terms were ‘bad’ … but now it was good. There were little things like that I had to unlearn.”
Brian went on, “The only thing blocking me, was myself.” Once he realized that, he felt like he began to turn a corner. “
“The support I received from the UW coaches was also huge for me.” Brian likes that if he’s struggling, he knows he can call Mike, or Andrew, and any of the other coaches for pointers. “And when I do that, it helps me to be more successful.”
Brian has only been with UW for a handful of months but has been selling insurance for about eight years now. “I can’t see myself doing anything else. I can’t see clocking in and working for a boss telling me to go pick up some boxes.” He’s already been on the National Leader Board several times and is definitely going to be a National contender in 2017!
Brian remembers his first appointment … “I butchered the script! I didn’t think I did that great of a job but they still bought.” He said his experience became better and better the more he learned and committed himself to the UW system. “Once I really learned the script I felt more confident to go into a home. I mean I’m still learning, but now I feel I can sell to anyone I sit in front of. Most of the experiences now look like … I show up and boom it happens.”
Brian has also been venturing to Reno, Nevada; and has seen some good results. He said, “I’m able to be engulfed in work for two to three days and away from my daily distractions. When I do this, I’m able to get fully focused. I’m writing a lot more policies because I’m getting in front of more people!” Brian said he’s gone to Reno two times (about once a month) and is excited to go again next month.
“This job is not always glam and glory. When you’re selling it’s the greatest job in the world and when it’s down you might feel like quitting. You just have to know … The ups don’t last forever and the downs don’t last forever. If you prepare for the downs you will be mentally prepared and be able to press through them.” When asked what might influence some of those downs Brian said with a bit of laughter, “I get bit by that lazy bug once and awhile. If I can stay away from that I have a much better week.”
Brian has been married for 8 years, has 3 kids (3, 8, and 10 years old), loves to play basketball (favorite NBA team: LAKERS!), and his favorite thing to do with his family is to go to Disneyland – they used to go 2-3 times a month!
Bianca began working for a credit union around the age of 17 to pay her way through college. Upon graduating she was recruited by a large corporate bank that began promoting quickly because of her hard work and excellence.
During her time at the bank, she worked closely with high profile clients starting small businesses and working an average of 50-60 hours per week.
The problem she kept running into was the better she performed the more she was promoted and the more hours she had to work.
As long as she can remember, Bianca has always wanted to be a business owner but was afraid of not being able to count on a steady paycheck. She also wanted a career that was flexible enough that whenever she started a family, it would allow her to be at home more.
Looking for her desired schedule, Bianca left her position at the bank and accepted a Commercial Marketing Manager position for a well-known insurance company. But, her time with the company proved to be frustrating and a strain on her family.
One day, Bianca bumped into Sharon who was working with Unique Writers. Sharon told Bianca of the opportunity and how perfect it would be for her.
Bianca was skeptical after hearing what Sharon had shared due to her experience. She told Sharon that she “wasn’t buying it.” Well, after further conversations with Sharon, it wasn’t long before Bianca became an agent with Unique Writers!
Bianca started as an agent about a year and a half ago and has been enjoying her experience. She loves visiting clients and helping them find the protection that is truly best for them.
“Unique Writers has done a great job providing this opportunity for us (the agents). It was ‘the answer’ for my dreams, skills, experiences, and so much more!” “It’s like family to me” Bianca said about working with her mentor. She likes the support she receives from her coaches and that this position challenges her to be the best she can be.
Bianca is one of Unique Writers agents who works part-time. She works 2-3 days a week and is one of the National Leader Board’s Top 20 Agents. In order to see success, she said “Every week, I need to be seeing clients – constantly … and working really hard on those days I’ve set aside.”
She said if she does that, she gets to enjoy the family time she’s always wanted, doing the things she loves and gets paid really well for it!
Bianca loves being an agent and helping her clients on appointments. She was also honest about having those tough days once and a while, “Sometimes I have rough days with the kids and start feeling, ‘I don’t think I can do this today.’”
Bianca says what helps her is she stops and thinks “What if this is someone’s aunt, grandma, or sister? What if something tragic happens today?” That’s enough to get her motivated, pick herself up, and keep moving forward.
“I’m here to help these families … I’m going to trust, stick to my game plan, show up, and write the policy.” And on one of these particular days, she pressed through and wrote a great policy for an older woman and was so glad she did!
Bianca learned that there are hard days and mistakes will be made. She reminds herself “Learning comes with disappointment. It doesn’t make me a bad agent. I just have to press through.”
She also encourages other agents to “listen deeper” and “get to the heart” of what your client really needs. You might go in for Mortgage Protection and walk out with a whole lot more – and the best coverage for the family.
Bianca has been married for almost 6 years, has two boys (3 and 5 years old), loves the outdoors, and is a singer-songwriter. She comes from a family of musicians and can play guitar, piano, and violin.
Before Unique Writers Joe was a National Sales Director for a hose manufacturer in Oregon.
The company promised Joe the world and a 12% commission.
The opportunity sounded so great that he decided to pack everything up and relocate his family. He also agreed to a small base salary because he knew what he was capable of accomplishing. In the first six months, he was living off of his savings, but he knew the potential was worth it. As the savings were depleting a breakthrough happened … Joe landed six very large corporate accounts – a commission of $12,000,000! In case you missed it … that was twelve MILLION dollars!
Then the bottom fell out. The hose manufacturer was sued for acquiring more business than they were able to support. They closed their doors and Joe never saw a dime. He was devastated. Joe knew the layoff was imminent before it happened; and one day while driving home from Arizona (after setting up one of those large accounts) he got a call from his cousin. His cousin had been working for UW and started telling Joe about the opportunity. It sounded great but he was skeptical. He stopped by UW’s home office anyway and met with Mike Passaglia (CEO/President).
Joe returned home, after that initial meeting with Mike, to talk with his wife about the opportunity with UW. She told Joe “Honey, you’ve never let me down.” He was nervous because they were broke, borrowing money from family, and about to be homeless. He decided to go for it!
Five days later he finished the pre-licensing material, took the licensing test, and had his license.
Joe’s early beginnings with UW began with a list of 100 pre-approach leads. He wrote his first deal after knocking on the first door. It was a Final Expense client and he was paid four days later.
That’s when he knew he could do this!
Joe now enjoys being the Annuity Trainer and New Agent Support for UW. In this role he loves being able to come alongside new and veteran agents. Joe went all in with UW a few years ago and has never looked back. He had this to say, “It changed my life. I have time with family, I’m financially secure, and I know I can always make at least $250,000 a year producing.”
Filled with gratitude, Joe went on, “I owe Unique Writers everything. It’s the system and the belief in me that allowed me to get to where I’m at today.”
Joe described a favorite sale that also happened to be the largest commission he’s earned (from one client). He set up a Mortgage Protection appointment and the meeting went great.
He wrote the Mortgage Protection coverage … and since he filled out the Financial eValuator in the initial meeting he was able to roll over both of their 401(k)’s. The final commission came to a total of $40,000! Joe gave credit to “sticking with the system that UW has in place.”
He that he focused on, “being a Mortgage Protection Specialist first” and then he was able to come back and see how else he could help his clients. He was able to get his clients the coverage they needed and was paid well for it.
Joe encourages agents to engulf themselves in the UWU Campuses. He recommended, “Don’t stray from what Unique Writers put in place and keep yourself accountable for your actions.” He also shared, “There are ups and downs. Ups are phenomenal! But we’re down you need to remember that it doesn’t last forever. That’s when you get with your coach so you don’t suffocate yourself.”
Joe’s been married for thirteen years has two kids (5 and 9), and likes to HUNT and fish. This year he also bought his dream house, dream dog, and dream car.
Before Unique Writers Sharon owned a successful Flooring and Design Center company for 20 years.
Business was going well and Sharon was ready to expand. Then the housing crunch hit. That, along with a number of other unforeseen circumstances led Sharon to close up shop and sell her business.
From there she began a carpet and tile business with her husband, while also starting a preservation company with a group of realtors in the foreclosure market. Things looked promising once again… right up to the point where the government put a freeze on the foreclosure market. That was that.
Then her fortunes turned. Two years ago her son (Joe Tiller) went to work with Unique Writers and saw immediate success. He was only with UW for 3 months when he invited Sharon to join him. The conversation went a little like this:
Joe: “Mom, you would be great at this.” Sharon: “NO.” Joe: “I promise you will be good at this!” Sharon: “NO … I’M TOO OLD … I REFUSE TO TAKE ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES A TEST.” But Joe persisted, and a month later Sharon began her training with UW.
Sharon’s experience was in service and relational-sales when she owned and ran her businesses for over 30 years. This was huge for her, and meant so much that she would be able to use that extensive experience to help realize success with UW. She said two things really excited her about joining UW:
1) “I wasn’t trying to run a business all by myself.” Sharon especially loves that she can still build a business. “It’s in my blood. I love that; It’s really fun for me. I can grow as big as I want … and not have to lay someone off. Neither do I have the responsibility of payroll.” This means less stress in her life.
2) “I got paid for the work I performed. I never had to beg someone to pay me for the work I did anymore. I get paid on how I perform.”
What she enjoys the most about working with UW? The opportunity to train and encourage other agents; and meeting with her clients! The UW system also allows her to be more involved with her 7 grandchildren. She said “It’s my season to be grandma and Unique Writers affords me lots of flexibility to be there with them… and buy them things! I can go on school field trips, schedule holidays out, and go to things like a Thanksgiving Day feast with a 1st grader.”
In the beginning Sharon typically worked in Final Expense; but on this particular day she was on a Mortgage Protection appointment. She met with a retired correctional officer in his 50’s. While writing the application she found out that he had a heart condition. A risk assessment was done and she was told how to classify him. The application was submitted and little did she know that it would require a LOT more work to get him covered. Sharon worked on this specific case for over 2 months – with the help from the UW team. The first application was denied; but she didn’t give up. Sharon submitted a second one – which was approved. The client wanted coverage because his first wife died years ago; and he was recently re-married. He wanted to make sure that his new wife was covered and would be taken care of, if the worse were to happen. Nine months after the application went through, Sharon received a call from the client’s wife and found out that her husband had passed away from pneumonia. Things got a little worse… when the client’s family tried to take everything away from this lady. All she had was that policy. The underwriter told Sharon that the client was so fortunate to have her because they have never seen someone work that hard to get an application through for a client!”
Sharon knows firsthand that ALL agents get discouraged at times … “I had a day when I went out to 6 appointments and I didn’t close 1 of them. That was on a Monday. I went out on Thursday with 4 appointments and ended the day at $10,000! If I would have quit on Monday, I would not have had an opportunity for a Thursday.” She would also encourage other agents to “do it the way it’s written. It’s tried and true. And goes so much better.”
Sharon has been married to her husband for 26 years. They have 6 kids and 7 grandkids!
Before Unique Writers Spencer was working for a cable company selling subscriptions door to door.
He was performing exceptionally well and working really hard in this role, but it demanded brutal hours, low wages and an unpredictable schedule. It all took a turn for the worse when the owner of the firm began to go bankrupt and wasn’t able to pay Spencer sufficiently. Spencer was ready for a change.
So when one the UW recruiters reached out to him he set up a time to meet with Mike Passaglia, CEO/President of UW. In that conversation he was impressed by the UW system, the reality of getting to be his own boss, and the income potential that was right there waiting for him. In his words, “I jumped in head first!”
You would think by looking at the Leader Board that he was an instant success, but there was an obstacle preventing that from happening, himself.
Spencer was honest about his first months. He commented that it was really hard; because the entire time he was also looking for other jobs. “Life insurance agent” wasn’t the title he thought he wanted. He said, “I was really doubting it all.” Then something happened after those early months. He realized that if he invested the drive, the energy, and the time he spent complaining and looking for other jobs and put that into UW, how much more successful could he be?
He made a decision to go all in with the UW system and has been making at least $5,000+ per week ever since. Spencer had this to say about his experience, “It has changed my life. I’m a better person for it. I went from having very little to being able to purchase new cars and building a new home. I’m also more outgoing than I was before.”
On one of Spencer’s appointments he met with a couple to discuss a $40,000 final expense policy. The policy was approved within 2 weeks. Upon returning to the home he met with the husband one on one. Spencer inquired of where his wife was to which the husband replied “she’s on vacation … but I don’t think she wants the policy anymore.” Spencer continued to listen and question this sudden change. The husband began to break down and cry. The husband went on to explain that his 50-year old wife was not on vacation but in a coma! She was hit by a car! The husband thought that because his wife couldn’t sign the policy that she wouldn’t be covered. But she was covered and received the full $40,000 that helped him and his daughter through this horrific time. He didn’t pay a dime. Spencer said, “It showed me how important what we’re doing is! It makes a difference. We’re not some ‘car salesmen’. We are helping people plan for their future and helping their loved ones!”
Spencer has talked to a lot of new agents and he would encourage anyone coming on board that consistency and prospecting are 2 very crucial things when you’re in this business. He said, “It’s a numbers game. You could feel like the best or the worst agent out there … you could be having a great week or a horrible one; but if you have more appointments, you will have a much better opportunity. If you’re consistent and prospecting, you’ll win every time!”
He enjoys helping other agents getting started with Unique Writers. He is getting married this September!
Sara has been in life insurance for 21 years now. She began her career gaining experience in case management, underwriting, and managing a staff.
After 18 years in insurance, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to open a yogurt shop. She realized while running the yogurt shop that she missed insurance and wanted to return. Upon her return to insurance, and just before joining Unique Writers, she spent a couple of years working inside the school districts helping the teachers and other staff with their insurance and prepare for retirement.
When asked what her experience has been like with Unique Writers she said, “They’re 100% committed … Always available … I’m impressed by how they want really good things for me,” especially when referring to the coaches at Unique Writers. Currently, Sara is pressing into the Unique Writers system with the support from our coaches. Sara noted that her income has doubled since joining the UW family, and she now works 30-40 hours a week. She is also currently ranked #2 on the leader board for annuity production with sales thus far this year of almost $500,000.00.
Emily was a Healthcare IT recruiter working 50 hours per week with an hour commute both ways. She spent her days at a desk making phone calls all day. She quickly found that the pay wasn’t very good; and the job didn’t offer the opportunity she had originally thought it would. THEN, Emily was introduced to Unique Writers through Christian – another one of our agents out of Texas.
It was after listening to Mike Passaglia talk to a team in Texas that Emily knew she was “ALL IN.” Not long after that meeting she quickly left her recruiter role to join Unique Writers in October of 2015. After getting her license, she jumped feet first into the Unique Writers step by step system. She works about 30 hours a week. And is close to earning $70,000 in sales, thus far.
When asked “Why? Why ‘this’?” Emily said, “I love making people knowledgeable. This is something a lot of people don’t want to think about or don’t know they need to think about or consider. I love making them aware of Mortgage Protection and the blessing it can be to their family.”
“I love when I really make a connection with people. An older man I met with just lost his wife. I could tell he was excited to have someone there to talk to. He showed me his flower garden and gorgeous backyard. He needed to be heard and listened to that day and I was excited to be able to do that for him. That is when this job becomes more about the people and not just the sales and numbers. Life is more than the money you make, but the people you touch and come in contact with.”
Make a weekly schedule and stick to it! I work 30 hours a week: appointments on Monday/Tuesday, paperwork on Wednesday, call leads on Thursday/Friday to set appointments for the next week. And, to stay on top of your business. The job isn’t done when you walk out of the client’s door. Check your business daily and try to get it placed as quickly as possible. That is a good agent. We can’t just sell. We have to PLACE the business.
Emily lives in Fort Worth, Texas where she graduated from TCU. She is 22, loves singing in her church choir, enjoys being outside, and having the freedom of setting her own work schedule. She is known by the Unique Writers family for her huge smile, love of pigs, and her amazing work ethic.
Jose left his country and moved to Chile for a new work opportunity – providing him experience in recruiting and in sales. A few years later, he moved to Colombia where he could apply his experience in a paralegal services role. Over the years, he also vacationed to the States to visit a friend.
In 2002, Jose moved to Florida and picked up a sales position at his friend’s funeral services company. He flew in on a Saturday and started his first day on Monday. He enjoyed helping families through their most difficult times and offering the best solutions to celebrate their family members.
The company realized Jose’s potential and noticed how well he was doing. He was promoted, 8 months into this position, to manage a group of 15 people. In his 2nd year with the company, he received another promotion to managing 3 more groups (of 15 people each). Jose also met his wife, Maebell, while working there (see our February Agent Spotlight for her story).
In 2009, Jose began to feel a stir within him for more. “I knew I didn’t want to work for anyone else … I wanted to be my own boss.” He also said he wanted to work from home, have a flexible schedule, and get paid well for his hard work. He considered real estate, but the market was in a bad spot. In June, he left the funeral services company and in September received his insurance license.
Jose landed his first sales position with another insurance company. He was learning on the go – in a new field and in a new industry. He realized that he needed help; but didn’t know who to trust. Jose hopped around among a few agencies before he went online and found Eric Salazar (National Director of Sales).
“There are a lot of companies out there that you can work with, but you don’t know who is telling you the truth,” Jose said he didn’t trust Eric at first and only bought a month’s worth of leads.
“I didn’t buy anymore because I didn’t trust him yet. But, I said, ‘I want to be successful so I’m going to trust him and give him 6 months. It was the greatest decision I could make. I started to apply exactly what he was telling me and that’s when my business began to grow!”
Jose traveled to California to the Legacy Life home office to meet Eric, Mike Passaglia (President/CEO), and the staff. He said he was hesitant at first and wasn’t sure if he could believe this opportunity was true.
“I didn’t know it was the best way to do business, but now I see that if someone comes into this business and applies exactly what they say – you can save a lot of time and be successful.”
Jose expressed his appreciation for the Legacy Life team. “I’ve been doing this (insurance) for a lot of years now and I don’t know if there is another company better. Legacy Life is definitely the best IMO in the market.” Jose and his wife Maebell are both helping families protect their legacies in Florida with Legacy Life. In 2015, he expanded his business by opening another agency. You’ll see him as a regular on the National Leader Board – finishing in the Top 20 in the country in 2016 … almost tying his wife for the #15 spot. He’s on track this year and in the Top 20 once again. Watch out for this power couple helping the good people in Florida!
Jose remembers meeting with a couple in a small apartment in Florida – 40 minutes away from him. Normally his appointments run 20 minutes, but this particular meeting ran for an hour. The wife was being persistent because she really liked the options, but the husband was being very resistant. In the end, the wife convinced her husband that this was something they needed to do. Jose closed the sale.
A week later he received a call – they were canceling the policy. Over the next 2 months, the wife would call Jose – she was convinced that this is something they really needed to do. Jose went back to the home, knocked on their door, and struck up another conversation. This time the husband agreed that this was something they needed.
Jose received another call 3 months later from the wife and she began telling how her husband was a truck driver, was in a horrible accident, and died. Jose was moved after hearing what happened. “You never know … what impact we’re making for these families.”
Get Started: “It doesn’t matter when you get your license. You can make as much as the person who started 10 years ago. You can get your license today and start selling. If you’re a hard worker, you can do very well here. And, if you don’t know something, eventually you’ll gain the experience to do well.”
Attach Yourself to Someone Successful: “Nobody knows who’s going to be successful. The best thing you can do is find somebody who IS and do 100% of what that person says. If you try to do it on your own, you will not make it. If you stick with somebody who is successful, it will be easier for you. Give it at least 3-6 months and you will know if it’s good for you. Once you find it – stick with them!”
Jose and Maebell have been married for 8 years and have 2 kids. In his spare time, he loves to travel (at least every 3 months). But, you’ll likely find him on the weekends poolside, with a cold beer and firing up the grills (he has several for different techniques). “I could spend the whole day cooking for everybody else. I LIKE IT!”
Before Legacy Life, JC started in the computer industry as a systems administrator. He did quite well in his role for 15 years, but after some downsizing it was time for a change. In 2002, JC was ready for a fresh start and made a transition into insurance. He received his license and was on his way with his first agency. He liked insurance and was gaining a lot of great experience; but it seemed like something was missing.
Over the next 10 – 12 years he found himself in and out of a few agencies; and sometimes on his own. JC was determined to find a really great place to plug into. He didn’t want a place that was just one-sided … good for the company, but not for the agent. He was in search of a company with genuine integrity and could offer a winning structure.
JC reached out to a friend he had worked with 6-7 years prior. His friend, Sam (a Legacy Life agent) was telling him about some of the success he was having and how he really enjoyed who he was teamed up with. Sam connected him with Eric Salazar (The National Director of Sales) to hear more about the opportunities with Legacy Life.
“We kept the communication open and Eric assisted me with some things long before I came on board. I could immediately tell the integrity was there.” Then in 2014, Eric and Mike Passaglia (President/CEO) were in New Jersey doing some trainings. JC attended one of those sessions and knew this was the kind of group he had been looking for.
“They had structure and integrity. This was the kind of group I wanted to work with.”
It wasn’t long after the training event when JC decided to make the official transition to the Legacy Life family. He has been enjoying the whole experience and went into more detail as to what it’s been like.
“I like the independence – especially coming from the computer industry. I’m able to set my own hours. There’s flexibly in my schedule … I can even be available (during the day) to help my wife out when needed.
I have access to all the training and help I need; but still remain independent. And I don’t have a ceiling on my income. Legacy Life affords me the opportunities to have all this.”
JC also loves helping people find the coverage that fits their needs and knowing they’ll be covered if the worst were to happen down the road.
“I like that I get to help people find the products they really need. I know it is going to help them and their family … that’s a good feeling when you get to do that!”
He has been with Legacy Life for a little more than 2 years now. JC, a seasoned agent, said he is connecting with the coaches and consultants in the home office on a regular basis. He’s even a regular (attender) on the Tuesday National Call because he feels he always gets a good refresher to help him throughout the week.
He is always looking for ways to learn and grow by tapping into the resources he has access to. It’s no wonder, he’s a regular on our National Leader Board – finishing in the Top 10 year to date in 2016. Look for him in our Top 20 for 2017 as he continues his pursuit to help more families.
JC has been doing this long enough to know the importance of finding someone the best coverage – no matter how healthy they may look when you sit down with them. He recalled a lead he received through a referral. It was a man in his early 50’s who seemed fairly healthy. While at the appointment, he found out the man was married and looking for $300,000 in Mortgage Protection. The husband had already met with another agent(from another company) who already quoted him, but JC was able to find another product for a better price. The husband decided he wanted to think about it. JC stuck to his training and continued with the appointment. He has had a lot of success, but sometimes you’re just going to bump into that “one” – that no matter what you do, they still want to think about it. This was one of those times. Six months passed and JC received a call from the couple. They began to tell him that the husband had been diagnosed with cancer and they needed his help. JC’s heart sunk when he heard the news.
“I’m not going to give up. I’m following up with the husband as the professional I am and letting him know of some products that will still help. I just wished he would have done this when we first met because it would have been a lot cheaper for him.”
On repetition and training: “I’ve been doing this for a long time and no matter how many times I’ve heard something, it’s good to hear again. It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s important to hear it again – because it’s going to help you in the long run.”
On Phone Calls: “Keeping a strict schedule and making phone calls is by far the most important thing you can do. Nothing really happens if you don’t do that. You
JC was born and raised in New York; and after college (in North Carolina) he moved to New Jersey. He has been married for 25 years, has 2 sons and a grandson who is 12. In his free time JC likes to watch movies.
Josh moved to Florida a year ago to start attending college. He is currently finishing up his first year, already considered a junior – holding a 3.9 GPA – and pursuing an undergraduate degree in finance with the hopes of earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
Before Legacy Life, Josh was working a position requiring him to report to a manager whose style was extremely toxic. Plus, the pay wasn’t worth sticking around for. It was the push he needed to begin looking for a new line of work.
He started applying to anything business-related and that looked appealing. He changed things up a bit and threw his resume out to some insurance companies as well.
It didn’t take long for companies to take notice. Even some well-known Independent Marketing Organizations (IMO) attempted to recruit him. One day, he clicked on a Craigslist job posting connecting him with Josh Sivak (an agent with Legacy Life). Sivak gave Josh an honest accounting about some of the IMO’s he was talking to … informing him that not all are what they say they are.
During the job search process, Josh was working on getting his insurance license. He passed his test with a score of 93. Soon after he got his license, Sivak introduced him to Eric Salazar (National Director of Sales) of Legacy Life.
Josh gave Eric a call to hear more about the options available to him.
“It went great. He told me to think about it overnight. I did. Then I got contacted right away and I’ve been happy ever since!”
Josh has officially been with the Legacy Life family for two months and enjoying this new experience. He shared a little bit about some of the aspects he likes about this opportunity.
“I’ve been in the same area of Florida since I moved; but now I like that I’m able to get out, explore, and get paid to do it. I’m not just trying to benefit my pocket and hurt someone else’s. I love that I get to meet with people who see me as the professional I am.”
Josh expressed that the support he receives from his coach, consultants, and the staff at the home office has been crucial. He was honest about his experience starting out, that if the support wasn’t in a place he might have thrown in the towel.
“It’s been night and day since my last job. Eric is like a mentor to me. He has great advice and has really helped me out! Johnny (Production Consultant) has also really helped me … whether I have a product question or was in the home with a client – he’s been there for me. And, I get so much from the weekly National Sales Training Calls.”
Josh commented how great it’s been when he’s nearly 3,000 miles from the home office to have this kind of help – only a phone call away.
Josh has only been with Legacy Life for a couple of months. He definitely applies the mindset of work harder and smarter; as he leans into all the support available to him. He’s one of the agents that work at this part-time; but because he has a great system to run with, he’s already been on our National Leader Board … and we expect to see him on there as a regular very soon.
Josh recalled an appointment that made an impact on him. He met with a client in her 70’s whose husband had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It requires her to take care of him all day, every day. She told Josh of a life insurance policy she already had; and made it very clear that she wasn’t interested in meeting – because no one can find coverage for her husband. He didn’t let it devour him from finding them something for their specific needs. “I knew I could find them something; because all the carriers I have access to are great at helping even the most high-risk clients find coverage!”
He set the appointment, sat down with them, and showed them the coverage they needed. When his client heard this, she was overwhelmed with gratitude and began to cry. The husband was so happy because now if something happens to him, he has peace of mind that his wife will be taken care. “I almost cried. It’s nice there was an option available for them … it would pay off the rest of the mortgage too. And, I get to make about $1,000 off of it.”
Josh said the encouragement he would share is the advice given to him by his coach:
“You can’t be experienced without having experience.
As much as you try to learn all the scripts and products, you’re not going to be great unless you go out there and actually do it. There’s going to be a lot of obstacles; but if you sit there and quit, you’ll never win. It is a hard
Josh is a full-time student while also working for Legacy Life. He used to play football when he was in high school. Now he enjoys hanging out with his fraternity and his girlfriend. He’s pretty good at the guitar; but not looking to hit a big stage any time soon. He’s also a secret gamer on the side … when he has the time for it.
