Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Smith.
Hi Brandon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was introduced to the finance industry just about 9 years ago. I was working 2 jobs at the time, and like most people working jobs, it was because even though I loved my career in vacation & travel, it wasn’t paying what I felt I was worth or what we needed, so I also worked part-time in retail at nights to make some additional income.
With me working 60-75 hours/week, I never had any time to spend with my wife and too be honest I wasn’t really getting much further ahead. I was praying about a career change and a few weeks later a door opened. I was working at my vacation sales job looking to close one more sale before ending my shift so I stopped a gentleman that was approaching our booth. I ended up not making the sale but he told me I did an excellent job and he was impressed with my skills and how I treated him. He then asked if I was open to any other career options, at the time his office was hiring. We exchanged information and I went in for an interview 2 days later, only to find out he was the VP of the office.
Finance was the LAST thing on my radar, and I wasn’t sure if that’s really want I wanted, but I also knew what I DIDN”T want, which is what I was doing at the moment: working 70 hours/week, being underpaid & with no freedom. I also knew that I always wanted to make a difference, had a passion to go into business, and desire empower others for success, and this was the only career and company that would allow someone with my resume & career background to do so. So I looked at this as “what do I have to lose?”. Plus, I know I had been praying for an opportunity, and I knew this door wasn’t opened by chance, so it’s up to me to walkthrough it. Sometimes we pray for things, but don’t want accept them if they didn’t come packaged the way we expected and potentially miss our blessing or calling as a result. I didn’t want that to be my story, so my wife and I agreed that I should start, but part-time. I was still somewhat on the fence even then, but my wife, Latrice, actually believed in this so much for me that she instantly paid for all of my initial fees and costs. It was the push I needed and I’m forever grateful for that.
Although I started part-time while still working both jobs, I was able to leave my part-time job in retail 3 weeks later. I stayed on part-time, learning and growing for nearly 4 years. One day I went into my job of 3.5 years, and after winning multiple awards & recognition, only to find out I was being let go. I left that parking lot, called my wife and my VP immediately we made the decision for me to go full-time in the business that day.
Since then we’ve built a team of of nearly 50 licensed agents servicing hundreds of clients in 15 states and counting, and we’re just really getting started & finding our rhythm.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest things I had to learn of this journey from an employee to business ownership were enhancing my people skills & leadership skills as well as mastering time management. I’d been in leadership roles in the past, and what worked in the corporate world doesn’t always translate to working with other independent contractors or entrepreneurs. On a job, people have to listen to you and follow you because their paycheck depends on it. With other entrepreneurs, its different. You need to show them results, lead with care and love, master situational leadership, and build strong personal relationships. That was definitely an eye-opener for me. Also, not taking things personally or expecting yourself from others.
As far as time management, that’s a game changer. Remember, from the time we enter the school system, our life, actions and even meals and bathroom breaks are given to us and set for us. When you work for yourself, it’s COMPLETELY the opposite!! It’s Freedom with Responsibility. A lot of times we either feel we have enough time to get to stuff done (causing to procrastination) or that there’s simply not enough hours in the day. For me, being an A-type personality and always being “on go”, that was a tough thing to adjust to. But now, I live religiously by a planner/schedule which has made a huge difference in my business, personal, family & spiritual life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Primerica is a Main Street company for Main Street families. Our mission is to help families earn more income and become properly protected, debt free and financially independent. I love that we lead with education first, not sales like most companies in our industry. I also most proud of the fact that our focus is middle-income families, which is the most underserved market in America.
Taking control of your financial future can really feel overwhelming. And, if you’re like most people, it’s hard to even know where to start. When you consider that financial education isn’t often taught in schools, it’s no wonder so many of us enter adulthood knowing very little about the fundamentals of healthy money management.
Our goal is to empower people to make informed financial choices through education and then match them with the right financial solutions – term life insurance, investments, auto & home insurance, and more – that can help you achieve your financial goals, regardless of your background, education, race, or sex.
Also, did I mention that we don’t charge for our services or education? Our clients never pay us for our time or meeting with them. To help families better understand their personal finances, we offer a complimentary & customized Financial Needs Analysis (FNA) to every client we meet with. Just like a GPS, the FNA gives a detailed overview of their current financial situation and suggests a personalized strategy for a client’s journey to financial security & freedom.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people think finance is difficult to get into or understand, but that’s because the way its been presented to us. But with a few licenses & some training and passion to help others, virtually anyone with a desire to learn and a clean background can make it in the field, as early as 18 years old!
Also, people assume that because I speak with people and meet with people everyday, do speaking engagements, workshops & seminars, and lead a team that I’m an extrovert or ‘people person”. Very few people realize that I’m actually what you’d call an extroverted introvert. People in this business has allowed me to learn to be more open and enhance my people skills. I love people and I love what I’m able to do for them, but being in this industry does require me to be “on” all day. Which is great.
Contact Info:
- Email: Brandon.smith@primerica.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandoknowsmoney/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/BrandonSmith
Image Credits
Tademy Media
RMK Visuals
