drunkpeonies

From the day I stepped foot in Honeybees, I’ve always been told that my competitors are never the other insurer companies.

But all the deaths, disabilities, and critical illnesses.

We never know when it can happen to someone. Which is why we are in a constant race against time to reach out to as many people as possible and ensure that they are well protected.

I was mindblown when I first heard this.
Like woah, this is really powerful!

But I guess it only truly hit me when I started to witness people around me falling sick and approaching the end of their runway.

It makes me feel sick. I feel helpless. Besides offering words of comfort, buying them food that they crave for, and asking if they have any wishes yet to be fulfilled, there is nothing more I can do for them and their families that can drastically improve their situation.

This fuels my very purpose and conviction in coming to Honeybees. While I can’t do much for the ones who have fallen, there are many more out there who still need help in securing their futures financially. And they might not realise it yet, so they are going to find me annoying or redundant.

But that’s okay. Boss always says as long as we are doing the right thing, we have nothing to fear. And I know I am doing the right thing, so there is no shame in that. I’m proud of what I do now.

I find myself thinking fairly often these days, had I been in this role 5 years earlier, how many more lives could I have protected? How much more of a difference could I have made?

After all the portfolio restructuring I have done thus far, I’ve seen enough to start feeling worried for people when I see a portfolio full of shortfalls.

That’s as good as buying an umbrella with holes, you know.

Or worse, some don’t believe in using the umbrella at all. It’s cool to walk in the rain, they say.

Is it still cool when you are nearly drained of life, with everyone in your family making adjustments in their lifestyle to care for you, and your savings wiped out by your medical needs?

If you’re still here by now, thank you for taking the time to read this. 

I sincerely implore all of you to take your financial planning seriously. Get your insurance portfolio reviewed if you haven’t already.

I know. It’s tedious. It’s time-consuming.

All the reasons I have heard. And I can understand the aversion towards a portfolio review. The agent probably tryna sell you something each time they ask to do a review.

I can’t deny there are agents who plan more for their self-interests (if they are blatant enough, it’s actually obvious from the client’s portfolio but let’s save this topic for another day).

But is there any reason stronger than just doing it for yourself, for your loved ones?

I used to think that empathy is one of my greatest strengths. But after being in this line for a while now, I’ve come to realise that my empathy for people can’t do sh*t if they do not take any action to resolve their problems at hand. Or in a more dismal situation, some are unable to do anything because their health status does not allow them to.

Insurance can only be bought with health. Do it while you still can.

And if I happen to annoy you, that’s because you are someone who matters to me.

While I have shared about this with some of my friends and acquaintances, I don’t think I ever did on my socials. So allow me to walk you through my story today.

Jacqueline and I have known each other for about a decade, but haven’t exactly been in touch for years. One day, she reached out to me on IG asking for a meetup. Honestly this couldn’t have happened at a better time because it was just around this time that I was looking to properly sort out my finances. Thus I agreed right away.

We met and Jacqueline did up some planning for me. Then, she also asked to review my existing portfolio. I was really happy that she did because I felt that I was paying “too much” for my insurance premiums. This was end December 2022, post-Covid-post-divorce when I had already bade farewell to the aviation industry, settled in a new role, and just trying to build myself up from scratch, both spiritually and financially. With a couple of new financial responsibilities on my shoulders now as a single parent, this was something that I really should have gotten down to earlier, but had been sitting on as I didn’t know how to get started.

LO AND BEHOLD…

When Jacqueline reviewed my portfolio with me, I was appalled to learn that there were actually numerous shortfalls between what I needed and what I actually had. It was then that I realized how I was severely lacking in financial literacy. Definitely a rude awakening for me, as all along I had conveniently passed on the responsibilities of taking charge of anything money-related to the man of the house – my former spouse. The fact that he was also a former financial consultant himself gave me the false sense of security that he would know what is best for the family, and also myself. While I was aware of the importance of insurance, I found it extremely daunting to go through the details and also didn’t see a need to since there was an ex-agent in the house. Ask me what I have for my insurance back then, I would tell you “I know I have something, but I don’t know what exactly it is.”

“啊多么痛的领悟~”

Oh, the realization that no one can make the best decision for myself, but myself. A supposedly simple policy review turned out to be a BIG life lesson for me, on how important it is for a female in this time and day, single or married, to learn to take charge of her own finances. Till today I am still thankful that I reconnected with Jacqueline this way, because this reconnection proved to be pivotal in my life. Witnessing how Jacqueline worked with utmost dedication towards her other clients was also inspiring. This profession is not just about the numbers game. This profession is about fighting hard everyday to reach out to people before death, disabilities, and illnesses do. This profession can actually empower you to do so much more for the people around you. This profession has a meaningful purpose.

At our subsequent meeting, Jacqueline asked me if I ever thought of joining this industry. My first response to her was very instinctively, a no.

Even as recent as just a year ago, I never would have imagined that I would one day be carving a career path in this industry. Not that I’m not a believer of insurance – I’m actually a huge advocate. But to be in the business is another thing altogether. No doubt I was already holding a sales role for a couple years, it had never been something that I ever thought of doing. And of course, the social stigma surrounding the insurance business is another reason I would not even consider this career at all.

“No, I want to go into real estate.”

“I really think you are very suitable for this. I see that you take a lot of pride in your work, you are responsible, you genuinely care for people. You are a people person….”

“But need to take many papers right? The banks approached me before but need to take so many papers, and I’m not exactly a finance person leh. Last time I tried going for the class before but I ended up dozing off. Cannot la, I’m really not cut out for this. Property is more my thing because I have genuine interest.” 

Truth be told I really enjoyed the RES class, I was also blessed to have a very good and engaging trainer. I just wasn’t resolved enough to make time to study and sit for the exam.

Or maybe, God has His plans for me.

Jacqueline then shared with me about how she too, had the same reaction when her manager (who is also her ex-schoolmate), Ryan, first broached the subject with her. However, when she saw how much he has changed (for the better of course) and grown over the years, it gave her the confidence to take that leap after being so comfortable in her role in hospitality and HR for years. 

No harm learning more about my options, I thought. Since I was already deciding to move on from my previous role. It was just a matter of where to go now. And so, I agreed to let Jacqueline set up a meeting with Ryan.

To be honest, part of me was still resistant to the idea of building a career in this industry but meeting Ryan was a breath of fresh air. Along the way, several agents have tried to pull me into their teams but I had always been sold the money dream. Money is important but it’s not what motivates me the most. Ryan is different from the rest; nothing about showing off flashy cars and fancy watches, or his shiny accolades. In fact, he shared with me about what he used to do, his family background, things that are close to his heart. It was when he talked about how being in this profession has allowed him to make a radical difference to the people around him, to change his family’s life for the better, that I felt that tingle in me. It resonated with me A HELL LOT. Being a single mother with a little one to support and a household to maintain, it’s only natural that I would want to be able to do more and do better for my loved ones. After all, our parents spent most part of their lives working hard to raise us. Now that we are all grown up, it’s only fair that we make provisions for them to take a step back and enjoy their golden years.

Also, unlike some agents who are eager to expand their team and tend to paint a rosy picture of the job to potential recruits, Ryan did not. He was upfront about the challenges and effort required at the beginning of this business. The candour is something I really appreciate as I subsequently made my career switch fully aware of what to expect. In the long run, this can actually be a very rewarding career because you reap what you sow.

I walked away from the meeting with Ryan very much enlightened. And surprisingly, excited about the opportunity that was right before me.

And that was it. We got down to registration for the entry exams and the rest, was history.

It has been quite the journey from then as a client of Jacqueline to now, a part of Honeybees. Many have commented that I am different now, that I exude a different kind of “aura”. It’s true that I do feel a lot lighter and happier here, and it’s only possible because of the nurturing environment and culture that our founder has cultivated. Honeybees is just like a second family supporting and spurring one another on, I never have to feel like I am walking alone. We are big on growth, character development, and paying it forward, and I am really glad that I made the decision to be here.

I came to my current role not without a cause – as a firm believer of knowledge is power, I seek to educate and empower everyone who crosses path with me on financial literacy, and to take charge of their own lives and monies. Here at Honeybees we have a vision: Allowing every person access to a truly fearless life. Regardless of what a “truly fearless life” means to you, I am making it a personal mission to achieve it for everyone around me by piloting dreams, preserving wealth, and protecting lives.

As I sit before my screen now – a peeled Red Beauty tangerine to my left – I’m prepared to be at this for a while. It’s fast approaching midnight, perfect time of the day for this. Little one is fast asleep. And for some magical reason, the neighbours upstairs are not throwing shackles or dropping golf balls on the floor tonight. I’m absolutely loving the peace right now, the only sounds audible are just the ceiling fan and me typing on the keyboard, which many have found to be “pretty intense” hahaha.

I always know I express myself best in words – written form. And people who know me best, know that too. But I’ve come to learn that not everyone who knows you well would like you to do what you do best. A few along the way saw it as a threat (to whatever agenda they were fueling), and in my quest to win their favour, I tried to be something else.

I didn’t stop writing just suddenly. It was gradual. First I filtered, I masked what I really meant to say with something that was deemed “more acceptable” to them. Then my narrative changed. A platform that was intended for personal expression became a worship ground for someone with a God-complex. That’s not to say I did not mean what I said, I really did at that point in time. But everyone be thinking I was having the perfect life – it’s only because I wasn’t allowed to talk about the days that were far from normal (I won’t even say good). Then, the dip. I ran out of happy shiny things to talk about because all that’s left is tears, despair, and hopelessness. I don’t remember too clearly but I suppose that was when I became disillusioned with writing.

All of that for acceptance and validation. And eventually, a broken heart. How silly, haha.

It’s been a while since I last did this – and I thought what better way to reignite a long-time passion, than with a reflection of the year’s starting month. Pardon me if my thoughts are all over the place. I’m really excited about this and there are just SO MANY things that I would like to share about. Where and how do I even start – I had 28 days to ponder and I figured I just have to start somewhere somehow and the rest will come flowing.

The year started off on a pretty high note, with celebrations. Birthdays, district kickoff, promotions, weddings. And spirits remain high with the Lunar New Year just round the corner. January might be a lull month for most but I’m not resting on my laurels, so that there will be no such thing as trying to get back into momentum as the year progresses. (Lessons from those who have been there and done that.)

Formed new connections. And reconnections as well – some whom I haven’t seen in years. And somehow you just know who are your people. The moment you start conversing, it’s as if you’ve known them a thousand years.

January being the starter month to an entire year, is also when most of us make new year resolutions and set goals. But goals-setting is just the very first step. Nobody would want their future to be worse off than the past. But how do we move forward from where we are? How do we break down our big big dreams into smaller and achievable actionables, so that the idea of reaching our end destination won’t seem too daunting? I think AIA’s Be 1% Better everyday initiative is a great one. You don’t have to get there all at once, but by taking little steps everyday, you are bound to get closer to where you want to be with each passing day. It doesn’t have to be just about work. For myself, everyday I seek to be 1% better as a daughter, mother, sibling, niece, friend, confidante, secrets keeper… the list goes on. Beyond financial planning, this is just how much I’m empowered to do in my role now. And everyday I’m thankful for it.

Now that I’m back, more than just sharing with you my inner world the way I used to, I’m here with a cause. As a financial advisor, I’ve come to realize how there is so much knowledge surrounding financial literacy that is not taught to us in schools. I’m just thinking if everyone could have access to this knowledge, we would all be making better financial decisions for ourselves and well on our way to leading a truly fearless life. And I really look forward to fulfilling this greater purpose on this platform, 1% at a time.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa