This FREE Lead Strategy Makes $40,000 Per Month ft. Dillon Quick | Ep22

One day I feel like you just wake up and you just get mad. You see other people and what they're doing, and you don't compare in like a, oh, I can't, that kind of like, you know, like a stupid way. You start comparing in like a, this is possible, why am I so below average here?

All right, what's up y'all? John Wetmore back with another episode of the Insurance Insiders Podcast. Appreciate y'all getting on. Got my buddy Dylan Quick on, social media buddies. We don't really know each other, but we're on social a lot together, which is which is cool. So I appreciate you getting—

just how the world works these days, you know.

It is, man, it is. As I, I look back and I'm like, how did we connect? And it's just like, there's a lot of like, we thought we comment or like on each other's posts. It was like a whole history of like thumbs and, you know what I mean?

Yeah, I mean, you, you just— when especially an industry like ours, you know, it's kind of like up until what, 5, 6, 7, 8 years ago, people really didn't care about social media at all. And then industry like insurance is always slow to get into anything, so I realized quickly, it's like, if you want to network with the other insurance agents, the quickest thing to do is just find out the ones that are willing to put their face on social media, you know, because then those are the people that are probably putting in work every day if they're also willing to put something on social media. So it's good people to know, you know what I mean? So most of the, most of the cool people I've met in insurance have just been via Instagram. So I think that's how we connected.

Yeah, definitely is. I've met a lot of people that way in an event. I do a lot of events. You do?

Yeah. Dude, no, I haven't yet. It's something I should have started last year, but I just didn't yet, but I plan to.

Yeah, I've been doing one for a while, dude. I, I meet a lot of dope people doing, doing those. I'm speaking at— I don't know if you know Cody, I assume you do. Most people do. I'm speaking at Cody's thing next week, and, uh, I've done a lot, a lot with him. I run around the country with him helping people. It's pretty fun.

No, no, I definitely will. No, it's, uh, and then that's, again, that's the thing I liked about this business is the networking aspect. So it's not just networking to meet clients, it's You know, I don't know why, but when I first got in this business, I thought like most people do. I thought that if I had to compete with another agent, we're competing for business. And then you quickly realize that every walking person on this earth needs some sort of insurance policy, so we don't need to compete for each other. Whether you're in my same town, or especially once you start thinking social, like, there's no reason why I shouldn't connect with you because I don't do anything up in— I think you're in Atlanta area, right, in Georgia?

Yeah.

So it just makes sense, you know. Yeah, world's smaller through social.

Agreed, dude. Sometimes I get agents—

you're—

because you're recruiting too, right? Like, you're building an agency, right? So I get— you've probably had this— I get agents sometimes to be like, does anyone need insurance in Kentucky? Do people like— someone asked me a couple weeks ago if I think that people value life insurance in Utah.

What a strange question.

I was like, what?

Yeah, you're, you're overthinking this, sir. That's what I would have said to him. It doesn't matter where you're at. Yeah, I know. And the worst too is like, again, when you think of social media, you can just be online and post like, I do insurance, buy some life insurance, but no one resonates with that. Or like, hey, does anybody need life insurance in Utah? Nobody resonates with that. But there's so many better ways to like maybe make a Buckeyes reference and then bring up something about life insurance. You know, there's just— people are so robotic about how they talk to each other. I think it's just because we become accustomed to just typing all our messages, but people just don't know how to communicate anymore, you know what I mean? Not to make general or genuine, like, relationships. So it's an interesting world, man. We're just, we're just living in it.

It's true. You seem to be pretty intentional with social though. Oh yeah, yeah, actually your shit makes me laugh. Most people's makes me want to, like, unfollow them, but I get— I do, bro, like, giggle a little bit. I was watching one the other day, we were getting kind of ready for this, I was peeking at it. It was the one where, like, somebody said— I don't know, I think it was like they need life insurance or want some, and you, like, ran down the road Oh yeah, yeah, probably.

You know, I've done some—

it's way funnier than I just explained it. For those that are watching, like, go watch his shit, it's actually really good.

You gotta have— my girl's a realtor, and so I'm sure when you see most realtors post, it's always like, just listed, just sold, and it's just no one pays attention to it. You scroll past it on your Instagram and I don't even know you. It's just, it's what everybody does. So same with insurance. If you just post those generic, like, pictures of a sun coming up and it says, you know, the best gift you can give a family member is a life insurance policy. Like, you may hit 1 out of a million people who are having a bad day and they're like, oh, you're right, I should get it. But in reality, like you're saying, I'm running around a neighborhood in the rain, running through geese, and I just find a way to talk about insurance. And then sure as you know, somebody messaged me, you know, like 30 minutes later saying, hey, I need health insurance. But yeah, it's just— and that's why my name is also Insurance Guy Dylan, because sometimes you don't have to just tell people all the time what you do. You just need to find subtle ways of having them find out for themselves. So I don't need to get on social media every day and say Dylan Quick does insurance. You see my name is Insurance Guy Dylan. Like, you know, put two and two together, you're probably gonna think, oh, this guy probably does insurance, you know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah. So smart.

But no, I greatly— I hate to talk too much, I do it a bunch, so I'm sorry, but I greatly appreciate that compliment. Seriously. I appreciate when people watch the social and actually get entertained, you know, because insurance isn't the most entertaining business.

No, it's, it's definitely not. It gets— it's pretty boring. Yeah, there's a lot of money in boring.

Oh yeah, I mean, they say some of the best things in life are boring, you know, that some of the most prosperous things are boring. I think I heard somebody say one day, do you think the guy who like started picking up trash really loved picking up trash? And the answer is no, you know. But look, every city's got a trash department now, so somebody started doing at some point.

You know, dude, I, I was— I know a guy that got into the trash business and, uh, he was telling me some history of it and he was— and I don't know if it's true or not, but it's a cool fucking story. He was like, dude, the mob is heavily involved in the trash business because there's so much money in it.

Wild.

And they control a lot of like where the dump is versus who can bring to the dump versus who picks up the route. Like there's a whole— it's nuts.

I don't want to get into it because you're making my brain go a couple places I probably shouldn't say it out loud, but like it's starting to make sense. I mean, a job, having control of the dump where they can put stuff. I mean, it's all starting to, you know, I didn't think about it to connect a little bit, you know. Oh shit, I don't want to get you banned on your channel though, so I'll just keep it quiet.

You know, it's all good. That'd be bad.

Yeah, that would be bad. But I actually, I'd look at that as some kind of accomplishment.

They're like, damn, we got banned for talking too much.

John, listen, if I don't try to restrain myself a little bit, you probably will be. So I'm just gonna try to keep it back a little bit. Like I say, I talk faster than I think sometimes, and it helps me in insurance, but it also can hurt me. I've talked myself out of many sales doing it as well, so I've been there, you know how it goes.

Yeah, I heard you got a cool story how you got into insurance.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, um, team told me.

Oh, did they? Yeah, yeah. Whenever people ask me— yeah, yeah, whenever people ask me about, um, that, it's always funny. I don't know if like I should get into that story or not because I don't know much.

I know something about a sailboat, dude. I know nothing about nothing else. I'm like, why the hell did he buy a sailboat? I want no more.

I know nothing. 40— it was a 45-foot Ketch. And so what a Ketch is, is a sailboat with two masts. I don't— you probably know this, but just in case somebody didn't know.

Definitely don't know this.

Okay, cool. Well, you know, you're a smart guy, so I figured maybe it just came up. You're already talking to trash people randomly, so maybe a sailboat person came across your office at some point. Um, but you know, long story short, when I— I had been a personal trainer for 6, 7 years since I was like 17, 18 years old. Started training guys for athletic performance, especially geared towards baseball. We would start with guys at like 5, 6 years old, you know, basically T-ball age, and then work them all the way up to the major leagues. We had plenty of guys in the major leagues coming back during their summers and just working and hitting the cage and stuff like that. Stuff I've seen on your story your son do which is super cool. Um, but long story short, my fiancée, which was girlfriend at the time, was selling IT, and it's just a very cutthroat world. She was getting tired of the people she was working with, so she was offered a job down south. I'm born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, which is North Florida. She was offered a job down south in South Florida for a big company called Gartner. She was moving down there. I didn't feel like training as much anymore. I was cool doing it online, but obviously you can't bring your clients to move with you. So I was losing all my personal clients that I built up over 8 years. So I thought, you know, maybe I'll do something different. I'd always kind of been in some sort of gym sales or supplement sales or this, that, and sales. I've always been talkative. Um, but when I was moving down there, we had the goal of wanting to live down south and moving on to a sailboat and sailing to the Bahamas, basically like working remote, doing the whole influencer lifestyle type look kind of thing. You know, this was in 2019, so, and I was like 24, 23. She's a little bit older than me. So we went down there looking at sailboats. Uh, the guy I had— this is, again, this is all wrapping into a story. Um, the guy that sold me the boat, I had never known about insurance in my life. Obviously I knew what it was, but never thought about selling it. But the guy that sold us the sailboat was a New York Life agent, and so we went to dinner with him to discuss the purchase of the boat. And of course, it just gets into cop, you know, topic of what you do, and he started telling me about it. He set me up with an interview to go chat with them like 2 weeks later, and then my fiancée reminded me that my best friend's mom was the manager of a local agency here where I grew up. So instead of going to that interview, I decided to call her up see what that was about and end up partnering with that company for about 3 or 4 years. But yeah, the sailboat thing, to wrap it all up in one story, we owned it for like 7 months. The recommendation I'll give to anybody, which everybody's gonna laugh, but, um, I'm not— you know, sometimes you make stupid decisions and you learn the hard way. Um, before you go buy a sailboat and your goal is to go to the Bahamas, there's a thing called a draft on a boat, and that's how deep it sits in the water. To get to the Bahamas, you need less than like 4-foot draft because it's very shallow water. Well, a 45-foot sailboat has like a 10-foot draft, so we would have run aground. Like, we probably never would even have like got sailed off to the Bahamas with that boat. So we owned it for 7 months, parted a bunch of stuff out, and then sold it for what we bought it for. And I got so much stuff off of it that I ended up making money.

So crazy. Yeah, but once— and I hated it.

Yeah, you know what boat stands for, right?

Please tell me.

Blow out another thousand.

Makes sense. Yeah, that thing was a pain in the ass. I'm like, this was dumb. I didn't grow up like that, and it sounded cool for 3 minutes, and I'm like, this was awful.

Yeah, if you grow up with them and your family does them a lot, you kind of have more of appreciation. But if you just get one, you realize it's just so much work, you know what I mean?

Terrible. I'll just go rent one, have someone have it ready, they clean it, they stock it. I just go in, get on it, and I don't even do that. But if I were going to again, I just like, let me borrow someone's for a few hours.

So many people think that renting something is a waste of money, and in some ways it is, but in, in aspects of like that, renting a pontoon boat for once or twice even a year would be significantly better than owning a pontoon boat that you may never— I might never use and have to go wash or look at it, collect dust the whole time.

You know, moldy.

Yeah, bro, they get real moldy.

I was like, God, that's a pain in the ass cleaning it. Made me quit. I was like, nah, sell this thing. I'm done.

When you sold it, did you lose a bunch?

I wasn't a— because I didn't buy it. I mean, it's a little used pontoon boat, so I lost a little bit, not crazy.

I got to buy that nice one.

I was like, yeah, let's try a little, you know, something. It wasn't—

they can be like RVs. They're not very good once you buy them and once you try to go resell them, you know. I got lucky when I sold my boat. The guy that bought it owned a 65-foot sailboat in California, and he sailed it all the way over to Florida to buy our 45-foot boat. This guy's— this is a weird guy.

Crazy. So yeah, that's nuts.

But no, that is— that's how I got into insurance. And then ever since then, I've just, uh, I worked with the company, did payroll deduction life insurance for 3 and a half years, built a team doing that. And, uh, you know, I would never say anything bad about anybody, but the agency just wasn't moving in the direction that I thought that I would want to go. You know, it's fine, people move in directions that they want to go. And I ended up deciding to peace out and doing a little bit of health insurance about 2 years ago. They didn't like that. Uh, they basically said, do you want to stick with us or do you want to go your new route? And I said, I I'll go my new route. And so I've done independent since.

There you go. Independent doesn't suck at all, does it?

Nah, man, it's the best. You know, people are so afraid of the commission aspect of it, but you and I both know it. And it sounds so corny, but I really wish this would resonate with people. It's just consistency, and it's just putting in it. And everybody says it, but it really is. If you just show up every day and you have some conversations and put in a little bit of work, it really just adds up over time.

Yeah, I agree. I mean, it's funny, but people are like, I want a stable paycheck. I'm like, all right, so sell all the time. I think it's not that deep.

It's pretty simple. And like, when they say that, they mean that they want, you know, like $2,000 a month or whatever, $4,000 a month. And just, you know, that sounds great now, but in 10 years, looking at the way the world's going, what's $10,000— what's $4,000 a month gonna be? What's $2,000 a month gonna be? You know what I mean? So yeah, you— it's so funny, ever since I got— you know, even when I was personal training, I was 1099, but I still had some you know, jobs that paid me hourly. Ever since I got into insurance, it made me unhireable. I can't, I can't go work hourly somewhere. The thought that I'm stuck here, there's no chance of it increasing unless they get the, you know, the— they feel like it, you know, it's just, it doesn't work like that for me, you know. So I hope everybody gets to a point where they stick it in through this industry long enough to where, yeah, they can see the light, you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, that's good.

He's— I got Maddox, he's 12, and he's— this kid, he, he's a lot. He's in the best way possible, but like, he doesn't understand the value of money at all because I was broke as a joke before. But all he knows is money. I mean, I've been doing well basically since he's— he can remember. And he'll be like— he always references— like, he uses my words against me.

Smart.

So when— yeah, so when like he'll hear me talking to agents who are struggling with whatever financially and they're like, I need whatever, my mortgage is due next week and it's $900, I'm like, dude, you can make that like by 9 AM tomorrow, you know what I mean? Like what I'll say, I'll make comment like how easy it is if you just put in the work. Yeah. So sometimes he'll ask for something, I'll be like, you know, golf club. I'm like, bro, it's a $400 golf club, bro. He's like, can't you make that by 9 AM? You know what I mean? Like, he'll give me wise ass, you know. Isn't it just one half a little baby client?

You know what's so funny though? You're probably creating a stud, man. That kid's 100% a monster.

He's going to be. And I tell him that Daddy's money runs out at 18, so he sure as shit better learn how to sell something because he likes the lifestyle. Yeah, you better learn how to sell, bro.

Oh no, it'll actually— just that mindset too will help him a bunch because obviously if he's playing baseball, you know, again, I've seen kids go from 12 all the way up to the big leagues And the difference in skill level from high school just to college is enormous. And then when you go from college to even minor league ball, it's just— every guy that I've ever met that's made it through, they just said, it's just, you would think it's this much work, but it's just that. It's just so much more than you would consider. And then same with the insurance business, or like most things in life, you think you made it when you're finally part of the team or you finally become an agent or you finally make it onto minor league. But those guys are making, what, $500, $600 a week in minor leagues to work, to play 200-something games a year. You know, people think that you're just balling when you make it to these things, and you're not. So yeah, good for him, man. You're creating a little, creating a little monster.

What up, y'all? Officially releasing my book. You can go on and order it now at johnwetmore.com or click the link below. That's where I go over the 6 basic principles I implemented to go from a struggling agent for my first couple years Fishing nearly half a million bucks a month. And go through stories and examples and exercises that you can do to implement for yourself. Appreciate it. Again, JohnWetmore.com. Get yours later. Did you struggle in this business or did you come in killing it?

Oh man, no, no, no, no, no, no. The one thing I, you know, and I'm so glad you asked that question. The one thing I can't stand That sounds terrible. The one thing that rubs me wrong is it seems like everybody that gets on a podcast is one of those wonder stories where it's like, I came in and I just killed it.

Yeah, I can't stand them, and I'll say it, they drive me mother effing crazy. They really do, especially when they try to articulate that this is how— and you just say these 3 things and you'll never have a chargeback.

Dude, no way. I, I don't know why, but somewhere along, like, I don't— I've always been a little bit older than I am. I'm only 29 now, but I've always had more of an older mindset than most of my peers. So it was always interesting hearing people like, you know, especially when I got in the insurance space, hear these stories like, I made $40 grand my first 3 days in the insurance business, this is how I did it. And everybody thinks that like that's normal. And I'm like, what you really don't realize— and again, all this stuff sounds corny, everybody says these things, but it's true— but like, you people really need to let it click in their head that these are 1 in 1,000, or whatever the actual statistic is. And the only reason they're getting on that show, that podcast, or whatever, because they gained enough attention to be asked to do it and talk about their amazing story. But yeah, I get tired of hearing every day this, this person did this, this person did this. So to answer your question, to loop it back around, I struggled heavily. I slept on couches. I have, uh, taken dog food without paying for it from places to keep my dog eating, you know, uh, when I first started. I have made my, again, now fiancée, um, not live the life she's supposed to live, um, I've done it all, man. I've struggled. I struggled for the first few years, and it's not because I was absolutely failing or not making any sales. It's because I was doing what a lot of people do, and I was just making enough to get by. And I run into this issue where I enjoy— it again sounds corny, but I enjoy the process of it and getting the sale. But like closing the sale out and actually finishing the paperwork and stuff, I could give a crap less about. Like, it sounds stupid, but if you if you were my client, the second you give me enough buying signals where I know you want to sign up for the policy, like, that's a win to me. I don't even care about the paycheck. So I would run into this issue where, like, I would only make enough to kind of get by, and I would spend most of my time doing whatever the heck I wanted, you know what I mean? And it took me a while to realize, I'm like, Dylan, like, this is stupid, bro. You're in a business that is a printer, and you can print as much money as you want. So why are you seriously sitting here taking time off, you know, doing nothing? You know, like, I wish I was doing something cooler, you know, but I was doing nothing at the end of the day. So no, I definitely— I struggled heavily, man. Super definitely struggled.

What changed?

Again, you just— one day you wake up and, you know, I've heard somebody say this before and it— I never understood it until whenever I did, but one day I feel like you just wake up and you just get mad. Like, you see other people and what they're doing, and you don't compare in like a, oh, I can't, that kind of like, you know, like a stupid way. You start comparing in like a, this is possible. Yeah, why am I, why am I so below average here? And like, you've probably met that, you've probably had people around you like this in your life too, because again, you're a go-getter. But you probably had a lot of people in your past that told you you were so much more than like you were showing that you even were. And like, in your head, you know, you're like wasting your potential. And I had that for so long that I was like, Dylan, again, you're being stupid. So what really changed was just one day I started looking at like what I could have, and it really just made me mad. And once you get mad about something, like, you don't get hungry anymore, you don't get tired, you know. Like, you see me in the gym and stuff, I work out 7 days a week. People think that's nuts, but like, it's become a mental thing for me. Like, it's just, it's just I get in there and I just— it, if it's— again, sounds corny, but if you force yourself to do something hard in the gym, it makes it— when I get on my computer and I have to send an email back, it's like, this is simple. Or you like play games in your head. You're like, I can't— I even told myself, this is so dumb, I told myself today while I was running, if I don't get to X spot, I'll never have the life, the marriage, the kids, and the future that I want. If I don't run to that spot without stopping, and like it never worked in my past, but if one day it started clicking where like those things just started aggravating me and I'm like, I'm gonna do it, and then you do it long enough and you're like, I can't stop this, you know, I gotta keep going.

So I think, dude, I think that it, it does matter, you know, when you do things you say you'll do for yourself. You mean like, I'm gonna run to this spot, you complete it? Like, that's you putting something out there and doing it, as simple as it sounds, dude. I pay it when I go to the gym. I'm an everyday gym guy too. I, I— if I miss a day, dude, it messes me up like in all kinds of ways.

Yeah.

And I'm not like, uh, you need 4 rest days. I just— F you. I just don't. I don't, I don't need the rest days. And if I do, I'll take one. Everyone, you know what I mean? I, I don't— 7 days a week, 365, I don't do that.

But yes, yeah, I know exactly what you're saying. You don't have a structured 3 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on, 1 day off.

Yeah, no, I go to like— I go every day as much, as long as I can go. And if maybe if I travel messes it up a little bit, or if I get— you know, I mean, I'm just—

it's where Maddox has got some travel ball somewhere and you can't make it, you know, very rare situations.

Yeah, um, you know, but it's like, I'm— dude, I'm kind of weird too. So I've been doing CrossFit recently because it's hard, and, uh, I've been killing it, man.

I've been watching.

Yeah, I've been— I've convinced myself that I'm a person who does hard things, so I intentionally sign up to hard things. Because then when business gets hard, I am someone who does hard things. I'm like, all right, so we'll get through this, who cares, you know? And it's as simple as— and this gets to the point where you said run to that spot. Do you know, um, do you know this dude Chuck McDowell?

Sounds familiar but doesn't.

He's like, uh, you should follow him. He's, he's like, he's old. He's a G, dude. He, um, he started like the— what are those things called? Timeshare, like get you out of timeshares.

Oh, one of the timeshare relief businesses?

Yes, massive dude. And he's a great dude, he helps a lot of people, gives away a ton of money, he's a really good dude. And he has this, um, saying that he says, and he articulates it really well. I don't know the backstory that I— well enough I can tell it, but he has a saying called touch the line. You know, like in basketball when they do those— are they suicides? Is that what they're called? Yeah, we run to the line and it— how many people don't touch the line? And just how critical that can be in, in like saying who you are in life. So I'm doing CrossFit, and outside they either have us run— when we run 200 meters or 400 meters, and they literally just have it spray painted on the ground, like run to the spot that's spray painted 200 or the spot that's spray painted 400.

Nice.

And bro, every time I do, I literally have to step on the fucking paint, and I think about Chuck and touch the line every single time I do. And I watch people and they miss by like a half a step. I'm like, why didn't you just take the extra half? I don't understand it. I mentally can't do it, you know what I mean?

It's one day it just clicks in your head and that's how you want to be. And it's strange, I feel the same way when I'm saying I'm going to run to— I always say like, I'm going to run to this street, you know, because I'm running in the neighborhood. So I'm like, I'm going to run to X Street. Well, as you know, when you're crossing a street, you know, the sidewalk ends there's the street and then there's the other sidewalk. I like refuse to— if I'm saying I'm running to this street, I won't stop at the first sidewalk. Like, I have to get across the street. And there's those— yeah, there's these like— there's these little yellow, like, you know, whatever, like things right there where the sidewalk starts. Like, I don't know, a little bit of bump or whatever, make noise, bro. I have to step on that like every time. And the very few times that, like, you know, something random happens that like grabs your attention and you actually stop early Like, it really does start to bug you when you become that person, you know? If I was running, like you just said, if I was doing CrossFit with you guys and I saw people— I'm not, I'm not a dick, I'm not going to sit there and be like, you didn't do what you're supposed to do.

But in my head, of course, I know it though.

And it's good for you though, because in your head you're like, this is why I'm different. Like, just that one thing makes a difference. So no, I totally, I totally resonate with that, man. Big time, big time.

Do you— how do you, how do you execute that or do the same, like, in the business side and sales side? Is there anything you have that's—

dude, yeah, super simple. It's fine. Like you just said, you're the type of guy that signs up for things that are hard and you force yourself to do them. There is nothing harder, for some reason, than doing busy work in insurance— emailing people back, following up with people. Like I said, if I get you on the phone and you sign up for a policy and you— like, I'm cool with it. After that, I don't even care if I get paid. It's sad, but like The, the— you have to think of it like, you know, we get to a point where we've enjoyed working out, so there's some of it that's like mentally we're liking this, we're sick in that way. But I always try to remember that like I'm not gonna like everything I do, and I can't. I'm— most of life should be doing things you don't want to do, because most of the time doing things you don't want to do gets you places that you actually want to go. So like I've tried to make that mindset change even in business, which is much harder for me than fitness because I've done fitness so much longer. But in business, I have to remind myself that every time I don't want to do something, it's the same thing as running to that street. Like, I don't have a choice. I have to go to that street. And if I stop early, I'm gonna feel like a piece of shit. And I don't want to feel like a piece of shit forever, you know what I mean? After 4 years or whatever it was of feeling like a piece of shit, you just get tired of it. So that's, you know, unfortunately a lot of people, as you know, just back out of things too early. And one, one blessing that I will say that I've been given in my life is for some reason I'm very, uh I'm very, uh, patient. Like, I just— I can wait. I can wait for stuff. I'm— delayed gratification is something I naturally feel.

No kidding.

Yeah, I will intentionally not get something right away because I'd rather get it later. I don't know, it's just weird like that. Like, most people like to push things on people. I would rather, like, unsell it because I know in the future my long-term value for that client will be significantly higher because I've built a serious relationship with them, you know? Oh yeah, strange.

Yeah, I didn't— I would say I'm similar in the sales side. I didn't really push sales. If they weren't gonna buy, I was out. I'm like, I'm— I'd be like, do you want me to convince you to take care of your family? I'm not your guy, I gotta go. But like every other— I'm super impatient a lot of things though, really. Like, oh my bad, it's bad. Like I have to work on it every day. Like every day by default I'm impatient. I won't say I'm impatient daily now, but my default is that. So I have to, I have to watch it. I have to pay attention to it because I'll have moments where I'm like, right now I have people, my wife and my assistant for sure, they call me out. They're like, it's okay, you're doing it, cut it out, you're doing it. I'm like, ah, you get me on like an automated phone call. Hey, thanks for calling AT&T. Press 1 for 2 for—

I love it. So that's, that's the tricky part, bro, because like even when you say things in life, it's so hard to say things like exactly how you are trying to. So like, I am the most impatient person where if I go in to get a haircut and it takes longer than 12 minutes, I'm gonna lose my mind. I have certain barbers that I go to that they know it's like in and out. This man doesn't want the hot towel, I don't want the massage. I'll pay for it but I just wanted to be quick and a good haircut every time. Waiting on cold— waiting in line to buy food, like, I act way more bougie than I am in those regards because, like, I'm very much a modest person. I'm not bougie at all, but, like, I act like I'm royalty when I'm waiting in drive-through lines. Like, I'm like, this is ridiculous, I am not waiting here for anything, you know what I mean?

So, like, something here, bro.

Yeah, no, amen. So, like, I'm very impatient. I'm very impatient in some ways like that, but I don't I don't know, it's like the satisfaction of, uh, like building it. Again, all this stuff sounds corny. You always try not to sound like a broken record or like an Instagram reel, but like, it really is for me. It's fun to just be in the process of it. Like, it just— it's entertaining.

I enjoy that too.

It's a day-in, day-out thing.

So, hey, I'm a process guy. I mean, I did a marathon this year, and I didn't really want to run the marathon at all. I was like, this is— this actually sounds really stupid, but it's hard. Most people don't do it, so I like that. You know, and getting the training for it was cool. Doing it sucked. Finishing it was like this feeling I can't even explain.

I bet.

And then when I was done, I was like, all right, I'm done with that. And I just don't really run anymore. Like, I didn't— it was just a thing to do. Yep. You know, I have a big one. I'm climbing some crazy mountain in August. I have to climb it 8 times. You follow Jesse? You seem like a Jesse.

Oh yeah, oh yeah, for sure. Yeah.

So he's, he's putting it So it's one of the things he does. You gotta climb this mountain the equivalent enough times to be the equivalent of Mount Everest.

Oh, it makes sense.

Yeah, so you got 36 hours to climb this shit 8 times, bro.

Jesus.

Yeah, so you'll see, I'll share it live when I do it.

Yeah, do it, man. That sounds legit. One day I'll join you for something like that.

Let's go.

I've always—

I always invite people. Every once in a while someone will come. I've never had someone do 2 things with me though.

Oh bro, anything fit—

listen, they do one and it's out.

That's hilarious. Yeah, no, actually, I, uh, I saw one of your stories one day or whatever where you talked about how, you know, for fitness for you is like, you know, you push yourself and you put yourself in that situation. And one thing that I hope I can bring to this industry, which people like you already are, which, you know, respect to you, is like personal fitness is huge. Um, I want people to really like learn to love it and find a way to do it every day because, you know, I would definitely go hike a mountain with you 8 times even though it makes no sense. It's just like you just, like you just said, it's the There's something about the dedication you have to have to get yourself in good shape and to be able to do things like that that make you want to communicate with that person more. Like, every time I meet somebody that has a story like that, or they even— even the fact that you've done a marathon. I've not done a marathon, you know, like running something I just got into like 6, 7, 8 months ago just because one day I decided I'm gonna run 2 miles and that's it, is what it is. Um, but it's just one thing I hope to bring to this industry one day if I can ever get some pull in this industry is that I want people to like, they start going to these events and stuff. I know y'all work out together and stuff, but it'd be cool to get like more people really fit in this industry, you know what I mean? Like, just generally healthier and like just doing more badass shit. Just like, I agree, just killing it.

So I agree. I'm in a little fitness chat, group chat with some, a bunch of buddies, probably 15 of us, and it's cool watching everybody step up their health game because I was, dude, 4 years ago I was in terrible shape.

Oh yeah, bad.

Oh dude, because I was, I did in-home sales, so I was in the car eating Chick-fil-A 3 times a day. Yeah, I got big, dude. It was bad.

Well, my first 2 years in the insurance business, I stopped working out. I had worked out every day since I was 18 up until like 24. So like, and I became a personal trainer after about 2 or 3 years of working out. And I, when I became a personal trainer, I did it kind of unconventionally. I bought like $800 worth of equipment and had it, um, freighted to my house as a 17-year-old. Um, so I started 18, it was actually 17. As a 17-year-old, had all this weights freighted to my house and I would drive 3 times a week to a public park, and I would set up under a gazebo. You know, they have those gazebos for families use for picnics. And eventually I would just invite people that I knew, and eventually got up to like 40, 50 people. And then I had enough pull to go to a gym and say, hey, I got all these people, maybe we can work a little partnership. And then it, you know, kind of built up from there. But, um, fitness is something that, like, like when I first— the reason why I brought that up is my first 2 years in this insurance business, like most people, I took away and didn't do it. And I firmly noticed once I brought it back, like, again, the things that you start doing because you take care of yourself, it's just, you know, you have to. You really have to.

So yeah, you're looked at very differently from people, for sure. It's wild what the perception people have, one versus the other. Yeah, which helps, to be honest.

But you probably get this too, it gets a little difficult. And I don't want to sound like, you know, I'm over here privileged or whatever, but like For some reason, once you get a little bit bigger and you get in better shape, all people want to do— the first thing they bring up to you is like, oh, you got big biceps, or oh, you work out. It's like, how do you respond to it? You know, after like the 30th time, you're like, yeah, yeah, I work out.

It is weird because I was— I'm 47. I didn't really start working out like I do now, so I was probably 43, maybe 43-ish. So my whole life I've never heard it. Now all I hear is like, dude, you're this, you're that. And I'm like, it's, it's weird.

It's strange, bro. You don't know. Yeah, it is weird. But you respond and they hit you with another compliment and you're like, I don't know how to— are we having a compliment off right now? Like, I like your shoes. And then you feel bad too because somebody says that to you, you're like, you want to say like, oh, you're in great shape too.

But like, they're not.

They have most of the time, they're clean up.

So it's funny.

Yeah, no, at Rotary, um, there's a— my— there's a position I took on called Sergeant of Arms. And so all these old guys, it's so funny, every time they introduce me or invite me anywhere, it's just like, look at the arms on our Sergeant of Arms, you know. It's just always stuff. It's just funny.

So hilarious. How do you, um— so, all right, so you built a training portfolio, if you will, company, whatever, clientele, the way you did. How do you— do you— did you do anything in the insurance? Obviously doing events is something I never did, you know what I mean? So how do you— most people watching this are like, how do I get leads? That's the crack of the industry.

Yeah, yeah. So you gotta make money.

You're obviously doing something well, you know what I mean? So what can— what advice can you give people there on how to— how to generate business? I don't know if you buy leads, generate, all of the above, referrals, whatever you do. Be cool to hear.

I appreciate it. So I'm, uh, You know, I'm not— I would never poo-poo on any way of doing business, especially in this business. There's so many ways, you know, you can warm market and sell everybody around your town and be totally good financially, or you can be just across 50 states in no time because you know how to advertise, you know how to get your name out there. So what I focused on, um, was I wanted to make sure that whatever I did with this business, I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I'm not the type of person, even though I can force myself to do things I don't like, if it's something like a career path, I mean, I can do the parts that I don't like, but if I don't genuinely enjoy the business or the result of it, like most people, I'm not going to be able to stick it out long enough. So insurance grabbed me because I've always been kind of talkative and been able to sell, but I hated selling when I knew it wasn't like, you know, I never sold things I didn't approve of, but there's always times that you were like, maybe there's something better and I don't have access to it or whatever. So I like that with insurance, it's just you're literally solving a problem, putting something in place, getting it done with, and the client never really can be mad at you and If they are, you just blame the insurance company. But what I focus on the most in my business is, again, making it to where it's enjoyable for me. So like, I don't purchase leads. I have, um, I don't purchase, uh, advertisements on social media. I have in the past. It's not something that I stopped doing because I wasn't getting results. Again, it just came down to being like, I found myself doing something else that, yeah, I just enjoyed. So now I, uh, what I mainly do, which I would tell people that they should focus on, is like there's so much business in the people that you know. And everybody says call the 100 people around you. You can do it. You can like email, text, Facebook message people if you want to, all the people that are around you, all your Facebook friends, all that kind of good stuff, and kind of get some business that way. But the way I found is like, if you just find simple ways like I did with My Name's Insurance Guy Dylan, or I just talk about insurance throughout my daily life, people naturally will become used to you speaking about it, and they'll just start sending you referrals. So like all my business comes from either Instagram, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn. I get most of my recruits through LinkedIn. That's a huge plug for anybody here. If you want to use LinkedIn for that, you don't have to do the paid stuff. If you just post content, LinkedIn has so little content on it that it's going to get pushed out to everybody because most people post on things like Facebook, TikTok, all these other things. But LinkedIn's got so many people on it with not that much content, so it's going to— organic reach is so much higher there. So I get all my business from just people I know. And the thing I would tell people is like, one hack that I would say for social media is all of us, when we post our stories, especially on Instagram, you can see who's watching. Start paying attention to the people that watch your stories and think about the position that they're in in their life. If you have 5 people that you know just had a baby, you can start posting stories about whole life insurance or 20 pays or health insurance for kids. You can start posting retirement stuff. Like, so instead of just going out on social media and like posting whatever, just, oh, I need to post about life insurance today, start thinking, okay, who's actually going to see this? And again, this is all easy stuff, but like, this is the easiest way I've ever thought to break it down. Think about who's actually watching, because you don't need 1,000 people watching your story every day. Even at 20 people, which, you know, you got to build up from there. But even at 20 people, if you know 3 of them just got married and you pitch, you know, mortgage protection on your story more often and make it relatable— even, look, dude, if I know your birthday is coming up and I know I don't have your life insurance and I know what age you're about to be, you best believe about a week out there's going to be stories of a 35-year-old or a 47-year-old male, $500,000 of life insurance, and I'm just going to be hitting it like this week. I have 5 people that told me that their parents are, um, aging into Medicare. And so they just let me know so I can get in touch with them. And they told me that they sent them and had them follow my social media. So now this whole week I'm just posting Medicare stuff because it's just making them already be sold that I'm the expert. So as soon as I get on the phone with them, it's going to be like— they're gonna be like, hey, I watched your video. I'm like, oh cool, so Plan N, or which one do you want? You know? But yeah, that's I definitely, uh, all my business comes from network. And then, and the other thing I would tell people is organizations don't, uh, when people say these things out loud, it sounds like gibberish. So I try to break it down in a way that makes sense. But like, everybody says, oh, go to your community and just be a part of your community, and that's how you'll do business. And it's like, that doesn't make sense to people. What they're actually saying is like, go to dinner and talk to the waiter. Go to dinner and talk to the host. When you're out and you hear that the Nature Museum is having some event called a Pioneer Breakfast where they feed people locally, and it's like a little event, go to that, you know. If you see people that are, uh, you know, I— there's a guy who does a local tele— uh, Tallahassee show here on the news, one of the local news shows. He goes to all the events. Like, when you see people at certain places and they're always there, connect with them because they know the people that you need to get connected with. So it's just like, you got to be very intentional about why you do things, but also you gotta— like, people overthink stuff so much, you know. Yeah, they really do. They, they would think like going out in the community means you have to like step outside and like say, I'm an insurance agent, but it just means like show up where the people are. Yeah, you know, get in the conversations, just talk. Yeah, just, just talk. It's weird. And somebody was asking me on Instagram the other day, they're like, so what's your one-liner when somebody asks like what you do and you're networking? And I was like, you know, I don't really do one-liners so much, but yeah, in a way there is. And I always tell them, it's like the worst thing you can do is like oversell yourself. The worst thing you can do is be like, oh, I'm in insurance and I would love to help you, do anything with your health insurance or life insurance. They just get blown off. But if somebody asks you like, so What do you do for a living? You say, oh, I actually— I started an insurance business 6 years ago. And they'll be like, oh, no way, why insurance? Or they'll be like, oh, 6 years ago, that's a long time. It just— and then you're like, yeah, I love it. You know, people honestly just make it more complicated than it needs to be. And you just say stuff like that and it gets them asking you. It's simple stuff, you know. But yeah, you just, just have conversations with people, you know.

So do you focus on a little bit of everything, or you have like a main, like health over life, or you just kind of touch on all of it?

Yeah, so, um, it's always funny when I explain this too because I never wanted to be the guy who's not focusing. I didn't want to be the person who's spreading himself too thin, right? So my first 3 years in this industry, I'm— first off, you could probably tell by the glasses, I'm actually a huge nerd. Um, I love numbers. I'm just such a nerd about stuff, and I have to know things before I really start I'm talking about them. It's like this, this internal dilemma I have where I can't just spew nonsense. I have to have a good understanding of stuff. So my first 3 years in the business, it was solely life insurance. And honestly, it was just like, you know, like some universal life and whole life and some term, right? I was writing with one company at the time that didn't have the best term, so we didn't write the best term. Um, uh, but I would focus on, uh, that for 3 years, and I got really good at it to where, you know, there's not much to learn about insurance once you get to it. So then I kind of— yeah, so then I learned Medicare because I like the renewal side of the business. Again, because I'm a— again, I love, um, uh, delayed gratification. Delayed gratification. So like getting paid every month for something, for health insurance, is really cool to me. I like just getting that constant check and like I don't even think about it. So I got into that, and once you learn one thing about health insurance, the rest of the health insurances are just a cakewalk. So it's like most things, I got into it, I learned a little bit, and then because you knew something about that thing that you got— that you did before you got into this new thing, you already know half of that new thing. I look at it like people say, once you learn your second language, the third's easiest, and the fourth is easiest, and the fifth. Insurance is the same way. So I do right now, because I focus mostly on locally, I just try to be an all-around resource for anybody I meet when it comes to insurance. And then the only thing I don't do is property and casualty. So I was very specific about, uh, I tested out like 8 different people in town that do property and casualty and would send them leads and see how they worked them and stuff. And then eventually found a partner that does everything that I would do and like partner with them. So I do kind of a little bit of everything.

Love it. Where do you think agents mess this business up, dude? Why do so many suck?

They overthink it, man. But when you— I feel bad for people too, because at the end of the day, I was always lucky that people in my life kept telling me that I would always be a salesman. And again, I don't say this stuff like thinking it's ignorant. It's just, you know, people do— when they speak into you over long enough periods of time, it affects you. So like, one of the things that I see people screw up the most in this business is that they become robots when they talk to people. Like, even getting on this podcast, there's a lot of people unfortunately that just can't get on here and just start talking like a normal human. And acting like it's a normal conversation, uh, they overthink it. So you and I both know, as soon as we hear an agent do a call or do an in-person presentation and they start saying things that make them sound nervous, or they sound— or they sound like they don't know what they're talking about, or like they're trying to sell, like, it— you can tell in the mood it's going to ruin the whole sale. And then the next 40 minutes of you listening to them is really just wasted. They should just walk out the door. So like, one thing that I try to emphasize to agents is like, even though it's it's hard. You got to find a way to get out of your head and literally just be you. Like, I'm sure you've noticed during this interview, man, I'll ramble. Like, I don't even know if I've made total points here all the time. But clients— but clients love that. It sounds so dumb, but clients love it if you just are just this— you're just normal, you're natural. So I would tell people, just, just try to get out of your head of thinking that this is such a serious, serious business. What we do for people is serious, and the solutions we provide is serious, don't get me wrong. But like, the aspect of signing somebody up for an insurance policy. You can make it as 3-piece suit as you want, or you can make it as laid back in a tank top as you want, you know what I mean? Like, you can sell a policy to somebody just at the restaurant, just hanging out, chatting, you know? So it's just, you just got to talk to people. And that's, that's where, that's where people screw up the most. They really just don't talk to anybody. And like, again, we go into this, most people do the lead stuff. I feel so bad for people who don't talk to people and they buy leads, because now, like, you have no way to talk to them unless you actually call them. At least with me, if I'm part of these clubs and these organizations, if I make the commitment that I have to be there, even if I'm having a bad day, as long as I show up, I'm kind of forced to talk to people. And it's kind of hard to get people to like force themselves to call their leads, you know, even though they spent thousands of dollars on them.

Dude, it's wild how many agents I've had because I'm— I only bought leads.

I didn't—

I don't— I, I'm— I don't grow up like liking people. I've learned to like certain people, but my default, much like impatient, is also I don't like people really.

It's hilarious.

And the thought of prospecting, I would have done something else, to be honest.

It's funny, man.

I, I was like, y'all ain't going to that meeting. No way am I sitting shaking Susan's hand and getting to know— I just, I'm not wired for that. Now I'm better at it today. 'You know, certainly I can.' So for me, it was like leads was like cheating, dude. And what's crazy is early on, I didn't work them worth a shit either. I was like, 'These suck,' and, 'Ugh,' you know what I mean? I'm like, 'Man.' But I did watch some people who eventually taught me how to work leads, you know, and that's what changed for us. And again, I think— I know, I don't even think, I know every style works. I know people who buy zero leads and print money. I know people buy leads and make no money. I know people buy leads and print money, you know what I mean? I know all— every piece of this business works. So it's at the end of the day, it is— it's like whoever you want to— just decide what part of this business you want to be in and what style of person you want to be, whether you want to go to meetings, you want to buy leads, you want to get referred. They all work. Yeah, they all work, but none of them work if you don't.

Yeah, bro, we said the same thing. Exactly. Yeah, it's crazy to me, you know, and That's the fact that you know that you're not that type of person puts you in that next level, because most people just don't know. And that's where, like, I've been blessed, because I've always known that, like, you know how normally in a conversation people will say, like, hey, how are you? And somebody will respond back, like, I'm the weird person who actually, like, wants to know. Like, I don't want to, like, get deep with you.

You don't want the default.

Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't, I don't want you to, like, tell me your life story. I'm not asking for, like, an intervention here, but, like, I genuinely, when I I walk past somebody and say, how are you? Or what's your name? Or this stuff. Like, I like hearing life stories. Like, it's always been my weird thing. I've always been— I've always loved history. So like, especially now I work with a lot of older people, you know, they'll come in there. And we had a guy at Rotary last week who flew 27 missions into the Gulf War. And I'm like, damn, bro. Like, the stories you get to talk to about somebody who literally flew over these war zones and dropped bombs on tanks and airfields, and like, he's standing here with me, like And even the crazy thing is, is that like, that's when I'm at an event where I know who this person's going to be. Dude, you can, you can, and you know this better than anybody I'm sure, but you can run into anybody anywhere and you have no idea what they've done with their life. You will meet some of the people that have done the crazy— like, if I met you walking, if I met you at a baseball tournament, which probably would have happened, I would never think, you know, John Wetmore runs a $200 million plus a year agency. You just don't think that stuff. But like, you get to talking to somebody, and you would have blew my mind if I would have met you in person. I would have been like, bro, what the heck, you know? And then you would have smiled like that because you could tell I'm actually interested. Because like, again, I've just always had that default, so that's where I've been very lucky. But I hope that people can start to kind of train themselves to be just more just whoever they are. Like, you know, there's— it's very few people in this world that walk around that nobody actually really likes, like, unless they're just being fake. So like You may not be the cup of tea for everybody, but if you're yourself, you're probably the cup of tea for a lot of people.

Correct. Yeah, I mean, it's— and I think knowing who you are is important. And to be honest, dude, when I learned I could just be me in appointments, that was so freeing because I was trying to be this sales— you know, I mean, the guy who was teaching, teaching on sales step 1 through 7, do this. And I'm like, huh? And I was told you know, trained, you have to build 15 minutes of rapport before you get into business. And I'm in there like looking at my clock like, what the— come on, you know what I mean? And when I could just be me, I could slouch in the chair and speak with slang and just— and I'm not like unprofessional, but I'm just, dude, I'm who I am, you know? But I started selling a shitload of insurance. It was crazy.

It just became natural, you know what I mean? And you're absolutely right, like I love the idea of a script, but I think the word script's kind of bad. People should really just say outline. Like, it's good to have an outline. Yeah, just have a structure so you don't get too off track, so you can ad-lib a little bit. But yeah, no, it's like if I'm sitting there chatting with somebody and they just want to go off the rails and just get directly into it 3 minutes in, I'm not going to be the type of person who's like, hold on, I have to spend the first 15 minutes with you talking about Susie. So Susie, how's Susie doing today? Okay, tell me, I don't care about the insurance, I need Susie. Susie, like, you know, that's just, that doesn't make sense.

Read the room.

Yeah, exactly. And you put up a piece of content one day that I actually, uh, I understood greatly, is that you put up, uh, it was your analogy about the jacket. If you're calling somebody to return their jacket, are you really going to say, hey Sarah, this is John Wetmore with Wetmore Insurance, you know, blah blah blah blah blah? Like, you know, you're not going to say that. You're going to be like, Sarah, This was John. I grabbed your jacket you left at the event. Can I meet you later or tomorrow? What's best? And it's that simple. If you look at insurance like that, like when you're setting an appointment with somebody, hey, I have a little bit of time. Uh, there's a guy named Mike Schill on Instagram. You should look him up. Um, he does a lot of email marketing. That's what his company is based on. But he always, whenever he sets meetings with people, he always says, all right, do you want to do it before or after 6 AM. And they always laugh, bro. And I'm like, I'm gonna steal that. That's such a gold mine.

Because, Shell—

yeah, uh, Mike, uh, yeah, I'll pull it up for you too. If not, I'll send it.

Keep telling your story. Sorry.

But anyways, no, no, I'm the same way. He, um, uh, yeah, uh, M— yeah, Mike Schill. That's a plug to you, Mike. All right, but anyways, he always says that he'll set a meeting with like, you know, CEOs of companies because he's trying to set up their email marketing and stuff like that. And he'll be like, all right, before or after 6 AM? And they just pause and laugh. But like, those are the small little things that like are just human that just— that sets you so far apart. Because you could just be like, hey, morning or afternoon? And there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with that. That's better than just being like, hey, I would love to have an appointment with you, can I please have an appointment with you? Like, that's not going to work. But yeah, I love it when people are just— you just got to be funny about stuff. Hey, before or after 6 AM? They're like, uh, after. You're like, okay, cool, I was thinking the same thing.

So that's hilarious. Yeah, I used to always— it's not quite the same, but it's, it's coming to my mind. When I was in like final expense type situations, you know what I mean, like Social Security, they're making $800 a month, 75 years old, in a trailer home. I'm like, so you looking for like a million or $2 million, dude? You just want to get buried gold, bro. They would die. Yeah, gold.

Yeah, it's— people overcomplicate. I'm telling you, I've said it like 12 times, but people just overcomplicate stuff. And you're right, it becomes freeing one day. It's like everything. I think, I think everything in life, once you put in enough reps, you become— you know, it just becomes natural to you. And like, it just— you just— that's why you just honestly have to stick it around long enough. Like, my first couple years, again, I struggled, slept on couches, you know, made no money, did this and the other. By my choice, not blaming anybody else. But it, it's just about the work ethic you're willing to put in and the consistency. I could have kept doing that for the next 7 years and I still would be semi-successful because I stayed doing it for 7 years. Like, even if I wasn't doing optimal work as much as I could, like, the, the compound interest or that avalanche effect of, you know, it falling down the mountain and more snow getting picked up and just getting bigger and bigger, it just happened. So I wish people would just stick around longer. What's that stat, like 92% fail out after the first— or within the first 2 or 3 years? Yeah, so I always correct them.

I'm like, they don't fail, they quit.

Amen, brother. Amen.

Yeah, on themselves, more importantly.

Yeah, we have, we have a great business because you don't even have to spend money to meet people. You can, like you said, you did. Definitely. I firmly believe leads are the cheat code. If I could Again, this is— I'm no perfect person. This is me admitting it. I can work my— I can get myself to run all the way across that neighborhood in 95-degree weather, but you ask me to make 500 dials in a day and it's gonna be like pulling teeth. Yeah, that's another expression I always like to use with people if they don't like to make a decision. I always say, listen, I'm no dentist, I'm not trying to pull your teeth.

I like it.

That's a good one, man. So if you ever get somebody who's like not sure about it, like, listen, I've got other people I got to talk to, but I'm no dentist, I'm not here to pull your teeth. You just tell me what what you want to do.

I love it.

And they'll usually be like, all right, I'll do this. So yeah, but yeah, I know. Yeah, I love— I've, uh, I love this business. I got a question for you though. So what made you— I'm sure— I think I heard your story before. It was just people that you knew got you into this business. But what'd you do right before this business?

I was an accountant, like corporate accounting. Yeah, crunching numbers in a— in an office. I was a controller immediately before, and I think I was just the controller because I was the only accounting person there and everyone else quit and the company was bankrupt, so they're like, you're the controller now. So I got a fancy title, but I made no fucking money.

Oh yeah, titles come with no money. Yeah, I've noticed.

Yeah, I did accounting and I got into this part-time just literally to make extra money because we had no money. I had 5 kids, I have 5 kids, so I had 5 little ones at the time. Just needed some extra money, dude. And I knew I didn't want to be in a job forever. I had toyed with the mortgage business a few years prior, so I got a little taste of sales and commission. That was the first real, um, commission-type deal, and I liked it, but I— timing was terrible, and I didn't do a good job at learning all of the industry. Only like learned this much, and though this much I did was all the subprime and investor stuff that went under, caused the whole market to fall.

Yeah, yeah.

And I bailed. Went back to accounting after that. And, uh, you know, so I was, I was always trying to keep mine. I had a buddy from the mortgage industry hit me up and was like, hey, I do this thing, you— I know you hate your job, you'll probably like it. And I was like, insurance? Nah, dude.

But I didn't even know how to spell deductible, insurance, anything when I first got into it, you know what I mean?

I don't know if I've told this on the podcast, but I tell the story a decent amount. I remember when I was, when I was, I was part-time for a year and my goal was to save up, um, I wanted to save up like 6 months of income. So I didn't spend any of the insurance money. I just, we just kept living broke and I wanted to save up 6 months of income so when I quit, if I didn't make a sale for 6 months, I could pay the bills. Like, that's how unconfident in my sales ability I was. Yeah, right. So I was doing, um, I would do calls at the office So I would, I would door knock after work and I would try to set some appointments a little bit too. I was running a handful a week or whatever. And for some reason, because I was scared, I used to try to like get as much information about their health in advance because I like, on the phone, dude, I'd wear them out. Yeah, I remember, I'll never forget, dude, first time someone told me they had diabetes, I wrote it down and I Googled it. It after to find out what it was.

That's awesome.

In my office, I'm like, yeah, I didn't even— I had no idea what it was.

John, the insurance professional.

Yeah, I was out there selling, bro.

Like, dude, it's, it's people over— again, they just overcomplicate it because you're right, like, I didn't spell deductible and other stuff. And then the other thing is, once you take that insurance test, you realize as soon as you pass that test, you throw all that stuff out the window because it ain't nothing compared to what you're actually doing. No, it's nice.

There's a really solid chance I can't spell deductible right now, John. We get to the end and I'm like, is it an I or an A? I don't know, bro.

You know, we should do the last couple minutes of this, we should have a little spelling bee and see who doesn't work. You know what I mean? I'm the worst, dude.

Grammar ain't my thing.

At least you got a team there, they could start putting it on a whiteboard, help you out. I ain't got nobody here.

Hey, everything autocorrects it, so I don't give a shit.

Listen, you know what's actually— if we're going to talk about this That's what's kind of funny. What really grinds my gears is that Instagram Stories, when you type text, it does not autocorrect it. So, dude, I, I look like such an idiot on Instagram. I re— I reread my stuff, and like, that's another thing. Like, this is actually a good topic to give people as a tip: stop taking yourself so seriously, man. Like, you'll find excuses not to do something. Finding excuses not to do something is the easiest thing to do. So like, don't be the person who puts up an Instagram story because you typed one— because you put desert instead of dessert. Don't be the type of person who sees that 5 hours later and freaks out and deletes it and doesn't put up the content because they're so scared by it. Who gives a crap, bro? And the thing is, like, I had to start remembering that, like, some of the dumb stuff I do is what makes people remember me the most.

Like, it, it definitely gets the most engagement when I type something wrong or forget something or put something— bro, I might— I get blown up. I'm like, really? F you. Great, whatever. Oh, you muted out. Did I mute you? I think you muted yourself, bro.

My AirPods screwed up. Can you hear me now?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

But yeah, no, I'm the bro. I'm the exact same way. So it's just— yeah, it's funny when you, uh, it's just funny when you, when you get in this business, if you just start looking at it like every person you talk to is a real person, it gets really easy. You know, every, every older person you're talking to that wants final expense, they really are somebody's grandma. They really are somebody's aunt, you know. And if you look at it like you just walked into your significant other's house and you met their grandma, their aunt for the first time, if you just have conversations like that, it's just, it's natural, you know what I mean. Don't walk in there thinking, oh, this person's over 65, I need to sell them Medicare, you know what I mean. Like, walk in and be like, I'm gonna get to know Betty, you know what I mean.

Yeah, solve problems.

Just solve problems.

Simple. You solve them, you gotta identify them. And identify them, you got to ask questions. Ain't that deep?

Yeah, that's— again, just don't be a robot, you know. It's easy to, to identify problems if you just have a conversation with somebody.

Yeah, it's true.

And they open up once you start. Once you— if you don't look like you're trying to sell them, they open up. People really do. Yeah, you know, as you know.

So, and it does get easier for those watching. Like, it, it just— like anything, anything you do repetitively over the long term You know, I mean, it's like, it definitely— and that sounds very uncomplicated. I'm like, it's— that's why— why do we quit when you know it's going to get easier? You know what I mean? I'm like, and what frustrates me is I don't think anyone is confused on anything. If you do more of it in a shorter period of time, you're going to get better than if you drag it out over a long period of time.

It's pretty simple. You can squeeze stuff into 10,000 hours that you have, or you can make it 20,000 hours if you want, you know what I mean? It's just up to you. But the other thing is that people don't understand is like, it's really— it's so— again, it's so easy to convince yourself not to do something that if you really want to win— and again, this is not coming from a guy who's crushing it, like, I'm just— I'm doing better than some people— but if you really want to win, I've noticed it really is just like find the things that are difficult, like running a marathon, and go sign up for it. And like, you're not going to want to do it. You probably woke up that morning and you were like, there's no way I'm doing this, this is the stupidest thing in the world, like, I don't feel good. But you went and did it, and like you said, as soon as you got done with it, you felt that much better. Once I started posting more on social media and people started messaging me about insurance or about just advice or tips and that, you just want to do it more. It's just, it's so simple. And then the other thing I was going to loop back around to and say is Don't fall into the same issue that I fell into. Don't reach for something and then hit it and then not make a new target. Don't stay at one level because there's no such thing as staying still. You really are moving forward, you're moving back, because even if you try to stay still, there are other people working as hard as you are now moving farther from you than you are. And if you stay still, you're technically going backwards. So I just tell people is like like, you can't overcomplicate it. You just gotta show up every day. I look like I'm motivating on social media because I'm like, go out there and crush it. But like, you and I both know we get out there when we feel 10% good. Like, it just is what it is. I may sound cool, but like, I feel like crap most of the time. But I showed up, and it's just that simple, you know what I mean?

Sure.

And I'm sure that's how you made it in business, man. You know, you just showed up every day. And then it gets to a point where it just grows itself, you know. Like, you obviously put in all the work, but like the avalanche is falling down the hill.

Yeah, now I have so much help, dude. I— it's— I'm such a little piece of this machine now, to be honest. It's fucking insane. Just so many good people.

Well, that real— I shared of yours— that real I shared of you just now resonate a lot with, where you're like, I enjoy building something, but the after the part, I like to hire. That's where I'm looking forward to my next stage, is going to be hiring more admin, because Again, the follow-up stuff, I enjoy the personal side of it, but like once I, once I get the sale, I've crossed the finish line and I'm happy. So I have to fix that part. That will—

an admin and different staff would help me kind of, you know, don't have any staff now.

I mean, you know, I kind of employ my girl here and there, so that's a complete and total no. Yeah, no staff, no staff.

Overcomplicating it, bro.

Yeah, bro, I know.

Like I said, complicated.

For some reason I'm so willing to take things slow that one of my issues is I need to take it faster. Yeah, yeah, I need to just push it forward.

So that's it.

But yeah, you know, I, uh, the first few times I actually got agents under me too, I, uh, would think that you have to spend every hour of the day trying to change people. And then I quickly realized that like, dude, they're— everybody's got their own life and it just might not be the right time. Yeah, so like when people come in, I don't hound people. Like, I have guys that buy leads under me left and right, and they'll, you know, I don't— I'm not that upline's gonna hit you up every 5 seconds and say, did you call those people today? Like, you know what you need to do, and you're either gonna do it, you know what I mean? No one's gonna feed your family but you. So it's— as you're building, it is interesting seeing people, like, you know, seeing their true colors and stuff. But again, staff-wise, um, that's obvious, you know. You just find somebody that's good and treats people right, and then you just give them some work to do. The worst part is too is I have a CRM, so I have like 150 activities to do a day, like follow-up nonsense, or like I automate some of it. But I'm seriously— I stare at it, I'm like, uh, VA, VA can do this in like 5 seconds, dude.

So I hired— I didn't hire my first staff till I had probably had 50 agents writing a month before I hired staff.

Nice.

Which was a total mistake. Um, bro, I was doing some— I was doing some of the dumbest shit every day, you know. I learned a lot, um, I learned definitely a lot, but I was doing every piece. I was doing contracting paperwork and sending the emails and getting them in class. I was doing all of it. I was doing everything, which maybe you're doing, I don't know. Um, you know, so it was neat to learn, but dude, when I hired Amanda, I think y'all probably communicated through some portion of this, I would guess. Tomorrow's her 7-year anniversary.

Nice.

And bro, I'm like, I wish I hired her 3 years earlier. I bet, because it's helped get like— we— it's one— so we grew a good bit prior, but since I've hired her, oh dude, she like— she started with me with— it was somewhere between 40 and 50 agents when she got here. And hell, we had 6,000 sell a policy last year. Nuts, you know what I mean? Some, at least one, you know, I mean, obviously they don't— we probably have $1,800 a month, so we'll give or take $2,000, whatever. Yeah, um, every month. But you know, the exponential growth that's happened from that, being able to push things off and build trust with someone, and you know, I mean, I've hired a lot of people over the years. She's the only one that's made it that long because I am a pain in the ass to work for. Oh yeah, I mean, just in the sense that I always want to achieve things.

Yeah, that's good.

I don't do mediocre well. I don't do complacent well. I don't do like, all right, we got— not— I'm joking. This has nothing to do with anything, but it's funny. She, uh, a couple months ago, she, um, she told me she was bored. And I'm like, bored? Like, what does that even mean? She was caught up on her work, basically. And anyway, long story short, we start— I'm like, all right, well, that means we got more to do. And I start coming up with ideas of, hey, let's put this in play, let's do this. And and she's— now we're getting ready for 8%, um, we got the talk coming up next week. I just put out a book. We're doing like— we're doing all kinds of shit. And, uh, she tells me yesterday, I'm like, how you feeling? She's like, I can't wait till next week's over. I can like breathe a sigh of relief. And she goes, never in my life will I ever tell you again I'm bored.

That's hilarious. Good, man. No, it's good that you found a good support system though, because you know, when you can have people like her who are obviously trying to do more and, you know, work her butt off. And then people like you are coming up with ideas and trying to work your butt off, you know, two people working in the same direction, you go far fast. So that's where, like, you're absolutely right. I mean, it is definitely a fault of mine for not hiring a staff by now. And the sad thing is, is as we're talking about it, which I'm, you know, you're probably were in the same situation years back before you hired her, it's like I have three names in my head right now of people that would do a fantastic job at it. And I just need—

and they'd pay for themselves in the first week.

Yeah.

So I just— because you'd have the ability to do more what you do.

Exactly.

Yeah. I mean, so you, you get that, you're a numbers guy. Yeah. Math, math, math.

The math always maths.

Yeah.

As long as— look, as long as you talk to people in this business, you're really— a dummy could sell insurance. I think— I don't know if you've said or somebody on social said it, but people always be like, I feel like I could send a dog in with a note on their chest that says, do you want life insurance? And it like 1 out of 20 might say BS, you know what I mean, bro?

I could get my dog to make $100 grand for sure, 100% certainty. Like, I kind of want to do it and like document it on social, and you go so viral. I don't know, can a dog sell insurance? Some compliance asshole would message me, fucking complain on my post or something. I'm like, ah, oh well.

That is the crappy part about social, right, is like it opens you up to some nonsense. Senses at the same time. You got to be ready for that.

So yeah, I've learned to like— you know what I've learned, dude? It used to drive me crazy. Every once in a while I still like— some miswire will like— I'll lose it on someone. But dude, most of the time now I just ignore it, and, and other people will come in and like defend or say something or correct them.

I just—

there was some compliance stuff the other day and I literally left it alone, and like 5 people came in and were like, no, this isn't— I just let them talk. I'm like, yeah, whatever.

It goes back to like typos on an Instagram story. People are so quick to judge about like that clip that you put up and the two words you said that have compliance issues or this and the other. It's like, guys, this was— I did not sit in front of the camera to make this specific clip. Like, I did not word this perfectly, okay? Like, I grabbed this because it made sense, and me putting this up is better than you're doing. Like, not being mean about it, but it's like like, and I think I put this in the bio when I typed to you guys, is like, everybody acts like a secret agent when they're insurance. Like, stop being so secretive. Just be a dang insurance agent. Like, just tell people you're in insurance and just let it be. The business will come to you, you know what I mean? But yeah, it's just, you know, I love it. Wild business we're in. So we're the people business. That's true.

Thank God. I always say if they— hey, I always say if they were all perfect they wouldn't need, need us.

Amen.

So be grateful that you're surrounded by idiots sometimes. True.

And look, I, I don't want to call clients idiots by any means either, but it goes the same. No, I know, I'm not saying you do, but like, you brought up a good idea or made me think of something there too. It's like, you know, you got to start realizing that your clients are just, again, they're just normal people. So like, you know, you can't help everybody, but if you're just normal and you just communicate with them and just talk talk to them like a normal person. You'd be surprised, you get the answers you want at the end of the day, you know.

So love it, dude.

Love it, man.

Glad you came on. Anything you want to end with that we didn't touch on that you want to leave them with, you certainly can.

No, uh, you know, if anybody wants to follow me, Instagram's probably the best— Insurance Guy Dylan. Like you said, I put up the most content on there just to try to keep people a little bit entertained. And feel free to steal any of my ideas. Uh, the thing I will tell people is that Again, uh, I'm not in this to make short-term money, thankfully. So I— one of my favorite parts about doing the social media stuff is when agents just ask me a question. Like, I don't think I'm the smartest, I don't think I'm this, that, and the other, but it is fun meeting people through social media that just genuinely want to ask you a question. Or even like, it makes me want to ask people questions because, you know, I get to know somebody. So like, I just, you know, I would tell anybody, if you have any questions, if you ever feel you ever need to reach out to me, feel to DM me, I'm not going to try to recruit you. If anything, I'll try to unrecruit you if you try to work with me because I don't want to post. Yeah, I don't—

I do the same, dude. It's—

I, that's it. I, I have not dealt with too much like upline or like, uh, you know, roll-up debt yet because as soon as I get on the conversation with somebody, if I don't like them, I'm, I'm not hiring them. Like, why would you? It's a liability in this business, you know what I mean? So I may not have every agent writing a million dollars a year, but dang it, I'm not going to be dealing with like 30 grand roll of debt anytime soon. Yeah, you know, because I know who I brought on. So, but yeah, no, I would just tell people, if you need anything, feel free to message me. I'm happy to help. I'm an open book. I'm not the smartest guy, but if I can help, I'm happy to help. Love it, dude. Appreciate it.

It's good chat, man. I'm sure see you soon.

Later, bro. Yeah, love to see you, man.