In the previous post, I discussed my career in retail sales and how I felt limited with my income and career path. At least my boss was honest with me (a rarity in my work history) when he said, "You'll never get rich working here, but we'll always get your back." This was true. I never got rich and on those few occasions when a customer would give me grief, my employers did indeed get my back. Whoever said the customer is always right didn't know my employers.
I had worked in insurance years before and hated it. Knocking on doors in rural North Carolina, selling a horrible product and working 16 hour days was not what I was promised during the interview process. That was my first experience with a hiring manager blatantly lying to my face and I'm still convinced that "truth in hiring" laws need to be enacted.
That whole experience left a horrible taste in my mouth. And being young and naive, I decided that all insurance sales careers must suck like that one did. After talking to a few people I trusted I took the plunge back into the industry after my retail saga was done.
Like I mentioned, my wife was not crazy about me jumping into a full commission job. We were struggling and had a toddler that needed to be clothed and fed. As a comedian once said, "Kids are like really expensive pets," and nothing could be truer.
This time around I had a vague gameplan in my head. I would work for several companies and learn from each one, how they sold and marketed their products, what the culture was, etc. And if I found one that clicked with me I would stick around. Ultimately, this plan worked in a roundabout way, as I eventually took everything I learned and opened my own agency. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Looking across early internet job boards, I came across a national company I had heard of, unlike my previous insurance employer who was apparently an underground sensation. Again I found that what was explained to me in the hiring process was not a truthful as they implied. The easy money wasn't there, but I did learn from my co-workers.
A few weeks into this endeavor we had a office picnic, which was disturbing as it was in the parking lot of our office. A hot summer day in Myrtle Beach and asphalt are never a good combination. One of the other agents (I"ll call him Jim) and I found some shade and had an enlightening conversation.
Jim gave me a couple of tips and tricks he had learned regarding items like keeping chargebacks to a minimum and how our manager's advice could be self-serving. But then he said some interesting things that still resonate with me.
"Yes, you need to work your butt off, but you can do it at your own pace. Of course, the harder you work, the faster you'll make money, but don't let them give you grief if you want a day off. At this point, you're self-employed." This was like a wake-up call for me, as I was being told by the office staff how I needed to be part of the "team".
Jim was also selling other lines of insurance with other carriers. "No matter what they tell you, you can't be exclusive with these guys. You'll go broke. Look around you and remember these people because 90% of them won't be here next year." I was like a sponge as Jim shared his wisdom. "But the best part is that you can do your own marketing, within reason, you'll have a lot less drama working for someone else and you can pick and choose who you want to deal with."
That last part struck a chord in me. I had put up with all kinds of people when I worked retail. From bratty pubescent kids to drunks, I had to be polite and on my best behavior. Now I could decide which businesses I wanted to deal with on my terms.
Finally Jim summed it all up. "There are two things I really like about working for myself. First, my income is relative to the amount of time I put in. The more I work, the more I can make, unlike my old job where I would work all day and sometimes at night, just to make the same amount of money. But the other part is that I can work when I want and set my own schedule. I can't tell you how many times I wasn't able to go to a friend's funeral or help out my kids because of work. That problem is in the past now though."
As I drove home from the picnic I digested all of Jim's words, along with some poorly cooked burgers. When my wife and I had a few minutes to talk I related my conversation with Jim. That's when she was onboard with my career change. Now I have stress, but it's a different and better kind of stress. Being self-employed is hard, but if you have the entrepreneurial spirit you can do it and succeed.
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