A financial representative since 2002, Adam Ladd Way went to a small business college with hopes of starting his own business. Over the four years of going to school full-time and working 60 hour-plus weeks, he quickly decided that he did not want to work the rest of his life for someone else.
"Over a three year period, I was able to transform a small four-wheel-drive company from a local shop, to a nationally recognized leader in off-road products. Although I felt very good that all of my hard work helped make the company extremely successful, the raise from $8 an hour to $10 an hour was less than pleasing."
After graduating, he still had not focused on what career he wanted to hone in on. He realized he loved working with people, loved sales and loved finding solutions to complex problems.
Making the Northwestern Mutual Decision
After moving to Colorado Springs from Durango, Adam was referred to the Managing Director of the Torreano Financial Group by the one person he knew in Colorado Springs.
After discussing previous work experiences and concerns, he learned a career as a financial representative may be a good fit for him. Although skeptical, he felt it was worth the time to at least hear the managing director out about the career opportunity that sounded way too good to be true. Adam describes the experience:
"I remembered leaving the first meeting and thinking to myself that I can start my own business, have virtually unlimited earning potential, and most importantly of all, be mentored by individuals who are successful in their field. I was hesitant to start right away, as I only knew three people in Colorado Springs, and one of those people was the managing director! After further discussion, I decided to give it a try."
"I can honestly say that my start as a Financial Representative was not all that easy. In fact over the first three months, I was working just as hard as I did in Durango for about the same pay. However, I was learning a tremendous amount about a very interesting field and building a great client base. Over the next nine months, my business really started to take off. Within six months I had reached my 'dream' income goal for the year."
"At year end I broke the record for the most premium written within the first agent year of business in Colorado. Also at year end, I started to feel personally financially successful and was able to purchase a home and anything else I wanted."
Hard Work Pays Off
"Although this was nice, what I found to be the most rewarding is that I was helping people reach personal and financial goals. In retrospect, I cannot believe that I was so hesitant to start. I have found the career that I have always wanted and can say that this is the last place I will ever hang my hat."
"My dreams continue to grow, and I continue to set goals that I feel are out of reach. I have found I continue to reach the majority of the ambitious goals I have set and continue to make bigger and bigger dreams. I would and am unhesitant to recommend this career path to anyone with a strong work ethic and who possesses an entrepreneurial mindset."
Career Advice
Adam offers some career advice:
"If you're considering becoming a Financial Representative, meet with a successful representative over lunch and hear about the positives and negatives of the financial services industry."
"Northwestern Mutual is distinguished from the others in the industry because it is one of the premier financial companies that prides itself in always doing what is best for the clients. Choosing this career is well worth all of the hard work required when starting."
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