ice cubes to eskimoes

Ice cubes to eskimoes notion destroyed

For years I have been saying I can sell anything. In fact, you have probably heard me say to you, "I could sell ice cubes to eskimoes." It took a harsh reality to prove to me that I am not that kind of salesperson. I know they are out there, but I am different.

I am not a salesperson as much as I am a liaison. I connect people to the product or service that I believe they need to fulfill some void they have before they met me. But for me to embrace the idea strong enough to create a compelling scenario for my customers, I too have to believe the need is real and necessary. 

This is why most of my 15 years in the auto industry was spent providing the customers with the means to own or lease their vehicles and not so much about the car or truck itself. I became a member of the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP) so I could be the best provider of the finance and insurance products with the highest ethical standard.

When I left that industry and decided to get into insurance, I needed to know the product was needed and the carrier truly cared about their customers. I was fortunate to find such a company and I did my part sharing their message to consumers for almost eight years. Then for about four years after that, I took that passion for  those products and services and shared its awesomeness with other agents, as I have already shared with you in a previous post. 

As I investigated various career path opportunities, I was certain I would find the answer in sales of some kind. Initially, I didn't consider the necessity of the what being important to me, but I know now that it matters more than even I was ready to admit. 

I accepted a position in advertising sales with an absolutely fantastic team that was already complete but in a growth phase. The leaders of the team certainly are experts in their field and exude the passion that my past two careers gave me. I wanted to view their products with the same passion so I spent many hours outside of work researching the sales process and the various ways that the products could be marketed. I believe, given enough time and activity, that I could do well in the multimedia sales industry, but I may never really know because I had to leave.

I want to digress momentarily to thank those leaders, (hopefully reading this) for giving me the opportunity to learn their business model and more importantly for welcoming me into their fold. I hope we continue to grow our friendship. I will never look at an advertisement in print or online the same way again.

My decision to leave was because I was offered a position with an insurance company to manage a small team of agents  and develop them, as well as, recruit for future expansion. The product will help low to mid-income families. The adreneline rush I got when the hiring manager made me the offer reminded me why I thrived in the insurance industry to begin with. It wasn't the sale that excited me as much as the overwhelming joy I felt when I knew the customer was better off  from what I was able to provide.

To bring this full circle, I need to help people. Since I am without a degree in social science, medicine, or any degree for that matter, insurance is the medium that seems to fulfill that need. This was exponential when I was helping customers  process a claim or when I would finish a training session and several of the attendees would express their gratitude with a simple thank you. 

that's the Brick Way... 

Closing a Chapter 11 Years Long

Yesterday I peeled the parking permit off of my windshield that my car proudly displayed for four years. I also removed the front license plate with the company logo that I have had on the car since the day I bought it in 2008.

It all started in November 2000 when I happened to meet an extremely energetic and bubbly lady at a job fair in Hartford, Connecticut. Trecia was very informative and I immediately knew that I would do whatever was necessary to impress her so I could join the company she represented. I was working for a prominent car dealer at the time so my study time to get up and running was slower than I would have liked. By February 2001, I was ready to take my tests needed so I could get my Connecticut licenses in Life and Accident/Health insurance. On March 31, 2001 my Associate Agreement was official and I was a legitimate agent representing a Fortune 200 company. My departure from the car dealer was bittersweet, but the company became my first client because the employees, all of which knew and respected who I was and what I hoped to accomplish, needed the products and services this Fortune 200 could provide. After that account under my belt, there was virtually no business that I would not approach. These products were so necessary to the employees and their families that I made it a personal mission to enlighten all that I could. 

My mission drove me into management early with the company. In 2002 my team swept all the honors in our state and we were ranked in the Top 10 in almost every category in the Northeast Territory. We continued to thrive as we exceeded our team goals in 2003 and 2004. In addition to my district management responsibilities, 2003 was also the year I started training agents, both new and veteran, in specific company services and technology. This additional responsibility would later serve as my basis for what would eventually bring me to Columbus, Georgia.

In 2005 I took a promotion to manage the northeast region of Connecticut which forced me to reconsider climbing the ladder I originally had planned on in 2001. My role removed me from the excitement of working side-by-side with new agents in the field and I had to give up my extra responsibility of training statewide. By the middle of 2006 I decided to step down and go back to being an agent in the field. I focused on my original mission of enlightening the Connecticut residents of the programs our company could provide for them and their families.

I was content with what I was doing and continued to stay in the top tier of my peers. At the start of 2007 I was called upon to take over a district team because the existing manager was dealing with some personal health issues and she did not want her team dismantled. I agreed. Unfortunately, this team really never gelled or aligned with the goals or plans that I felt we needed to succeed. 

Around this same time my children moved to Virginia. This meant I no longer had to stay in Connecticut if I wanted to branch out. I had heard about a team that worked out of Columbus, Georgia that was made up of field personnel of varying tenure that had the mission of training and certifying agents and managers throughout the country. I knew this was what I needed to do next. I told my regional and state managers about my plan and they both supported my decision and helped me while I persued and waited for the letter of intent to hire from our corporate headquarters.

I started as a Trainer III in late August 2008 and remained until July 2012 when my job was eliminated during a restructuring of the division and our department. In just shy of four years, I made some lifelong friendships, visited most of the country, and lived in a capacity that I am proud to say left a positive indellible mark on many agents, managers, and employees. The most invaluable lesson for me was everything I learned about relationships, leadership, friendship, and being part of a team.

I can only hope that my next chapter will be half as meaningful to those I interact with and that I will continue to develop my character and leadership qualities.

that's the Brick Way...

Birthday Experience

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today started with the perfect cup of coffee and a snack bite of a breakfast sandwich. Shortly after,  I took a quick shower and got dressed. My brother called and I got to talk to my niece and hear all the wonderful things she wants to do when I bring my kids to visit. Of course I couldn't tell her it wouldn't be real soon, unfortunately.

Then Laura and I went to pick up Alyssa at her friend Libby's. The two of them baked me a cake. Very thoughtful and I would soon realize it to be delicious too!

The four of us went to meet Donna (Laura's mom), Lacey and J.D.for a Sunday Brunch. The meal was good, the company was better. They all gave me nice cards and gifts. All things that were on my Wish List, so naturally I love them all!

After brunch, we all came back to the house for cake and singing...

Just before the singing and cutting the cake, my sister called. She recently moved back to the Bay area and was getting ready to spend the day with her mom. It was nice to catch up a little.

The remainder of the afternoon I took advantage of doing nothing. I  enjoyed the comfort of my recliner and reading a lot of Facebook posts. I was also reminded how many people I know that also were born on this day at varying times before and after me.

As the day seemed to be winding down, Laura reminded me that we hadn't decided on dinner plans and she had another idea she wanted to run by me. 

Sure, twist my arm, force me to go eat, and let's really torture me and make it sushi!!!!!

We each ordered a roll and then we ordered the Special Roll on the whiteboard. It is called the New York Strip Roll. This roll has an incredible array of flavors, favoring on the spicy side. The perfect meal for a birthday dinner.

While I was enjoying dinner with Laura, my kids called. This was what I needed to complete the "Birthday Experience." 

Now I am back home watching the race from my recliner.

  that's the Brick Way...