Youth and the life insurance industry haven't gotten along very well lately, with a widespread and (sadly) largely accurate perception that young people just aren't interested in careers in life insurance.
We've got a couple of stories scheduled for the June issue of Life Insurance Selling (which will hit LifeHealthPro.com before the end of May) about over-achieving young people who are flying in the face of that sentiment.
We're going to tell you about a couple of college students who launched a successful startup that helps producers mine their existing book of business for opportunities. It also helps them put an accurate value on that book of business should they become interested in selling it — or buying someone else's book. Be prepared to be impressed with this "wise beyond their years" duo, who are extremely motivated and knowledgeable about the inner workings of the industry. Moreover, they say they actually were attracted to the industry because of its negative perception in the minds of young professionals. I first found out about these students and their company after one of them responded to my blog about how the industry's "lame" image needs to be debunked. "We see this industry as exciting…perhaps because it has been so neglected," they told me.
Another June feature in Life Insurance Selling will profile young producer Laura Vaughn of North Star Resource Group, who works out of Houston. Vaughn, a 2010 graduate of the University of Texas, was recently the first woman to be named Securian Financial Group's Diamond New Advisor of the Year. As she prepared to graduate with a degree in finance, she took an internship with North Star Resource Group with the intention of becoming a financial advisor. After a successful internship, her competitive spirit and love of the work propelled her to the top of her class of new advisors affiliated with Securian. Vaughn had plenty to tell our own Corey Dahl about her quick rise to prominence and the lack of young women who are entering the business.
