When Marnie was a single mother, she was bumping up against the limitations of her career in banking. True, she had advanced from teller to branch manager and loan officer in Florida's Gulf Coast area but she had neither the time to devote to her son nor the salary to support his needs and wants.
Marnie has always had a sincere desire to make a difference in people's lives, so it was no surprise that she got involved with the local chamber of commerce. But, it was a surprise when she did some joint volunteer work with a local Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Representative and he introduced her to the potential of a career in life insurance.
He explained that as a Financial Representative, she could make more money, stay involved in the community and, most importantly, schedule her life around her family. It was a difficult decision for Marnie, but she's never been one to shy away from tough decisions. And she's never looked back.
"I knew I needed to do something to give me more freedom and certainly more income. It was scary, though. I was a single mother, with no child support, and went from a set salary to nothing. But I jumped in with both feet, committed to make this happen. I believe we create our own circumstances, and there's a great opportunity in the life insurance business to do that.
"This is a wonderful career for women because it gives you the freedom to spend time with your children. Raising children often means adapting your schedule to meet theirs, and I want to be with them for all the important events in their lives. There's no other career that I know of that offers the flexibility to focus on your career objectives and your children's activities as well.
"I knew nothing about Northwestern Mutual when I started looking at the life insurance profession. But, the Financial Representatives I met were motivated, excited, energized and vibrant. It gave me a good feeling inside. That was all it took for me to be able to make this kind of decision. I thank God every day that I did.
"Today, I have a very defined market: doctors, CPAs and small business owners. I look out into the community to find successful people that I want to work with and build lasting relationships with them based on mutual respect, trust and friendship. It's my goal to make them feel good about themselves, impact their lives in a positive way, protect their families and help them achieve their financial goals.
"Work for me is fun! I really love what I do. I have fun every day when I go to the office. I have fun every day working with my clients because I know that I'm investing in relationships that are going to serve me, my husband and three children in the years to come. I like to know that I make a difference in their lives. Ultimately, many of these clients have become my good friends."
Is it time for a change?
When you work in the banking or brokerage industry, you deal with people all day long. You may even see the personal and financial impact your work has on specific clients. But, you're still working for someone else, which means your job probably doesn't afford you the freedom or flexibility to do all the things you want to. And, you're probably all too often tied to your desk or phone for most of the workday. You're also probably not completely compensated for all the hours you put in. |