After giving it a few weeks since our last follow up, I just wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you for taking the time to work with our small group as well as the one-on-one time you gave me personally after the workshop in June.
When I heard that Kevin was giving us the opportunity to attend this workshop, I immediately thought back when I attended the workshop seven years ago as a new agent. Meeting Bill Grimes and listening to the information that he had on me specifically on my “call reluctance” gave me the opportunity early on in my career to make career changing decisions and put me on a path of success early on. Starting with “The Chicken List.” What a great way to overcoming so much in such a short amount of time.
Fast forward seven years later and I find myself still as an Agent with the Knights of Columbus. Now, instead of having a job, I have a career. A career in which I feel as though I have been able to earn a good living for my family, accepted by my peers but more importantly, valued by my clients. When I call people to meet, they meet with me. When I notice a concern in their “plan” they listen to me and more times than not, my clients have purchased the products I have recommended or at least some version of what I originally proposed. I have learned that if someone has told me “No” I do not take it personal. I have to get to a certain number of “nos” to get to the “yes” that I am looking for.
By comparison, after taking your workshop so many years after the first time, this workshop has shown me different things about myself that I need to improve on. One of which is my “selfishness”. The fact that you pointed out this one word in a one-on-one discussion with me has set me on a path of a furious pace and the ability to let no obstacle stand in my way. When I find myself (during working hours) drifting off and not doing my job I hear you telling me “Oh, your being selfish!” To remind you of why that is important to me, during our conversation, I told you that when I get to a certain point in the year, towards the end of the year, I slow down. I am not as aggressive. I do not make as many calls; therefore, I do not see many people and inevitably I do not write many applications, which means to me, I am not protecting enough families.
When you asked me why I thought I was being like that, I told you I felt like I had a fear of succeeding and you said why is that? I then told you about the guilt I feel about being successful after the death of my son in an automobile accident in 2017. We talked about that for a while, and you had asked me if I thought my story was important for people to hear. I told you “Yes”. You asked me if I thought could people benefit from hearing my story and again, I said “yes”. You asked me if I told more people my story would more people buy more of what I was selling to protect them and their families? I said “yes”. Then you asked me if more people could benefit from my story, more could do more to protect their families, as well as when I sell those products, would I make more money to provide for my family? Again, I said “yes”. To that you said…”oh, so your just selfish…” to that…a giant and I mean humongous light went off in my head and to that I replied “YES!” Yes, I am being selfish…not one time had I ever seen it that way. I do not want to be seen as selfish but by not being as aggressive and not seeing enough families I was keeping others from putting themselves in a better situation when the worst happens, the loss of life…in my situation, the loss of a child. I was putting up some imaginary wall, although, it does feel very real at times. I was letting my own situation dictate the way I perceived others. I was not protecting the families that need my protection and the products that I sell to be there when they need them. I was not doing my job.
Since that realization, I have been more driven than ever. I am not putting off completing the service work that has slowed me down. In fact, I have welcomed my wife into my business to take much of the service work AWAY from me. With your help I reassessed my goals because I was absolutely crushing my original goals for the year. For five years I have been putting off getting my FICF designation, which allows me to be a better agent for my clients. I am proud to say that I am over halfway through the course, and I will be taking the test by Friday of this week. I have really learned the power of words and that the words you say have meaning. I am more persistent in the house at the kitchen table and busting through objections to write the policies that these families need. Since taking the workshop again, a new desire and mission has been awoken inside of me. I welcome the entire process. Make the calls, schedule the appointments, see the people, write the business, get paid.
Also, knowing that I have some of the same issues as other agents is a great help. The workshop revealed that, and the small group sessions showed it even more. This career is not Rocket Science, but somedays I sure try to turn it into that.
I would highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to learn how to be better at not just their careers, but their life.
Thank you again to you and your Team!
Darren Richuber Knights of Columbus
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